Angels on the Moon (A Hobbit Fanfiction)

Chapter 28

BARGEMAN (BARD) POV

“So, what’s your name stranger?” She said, stepping onto the barge next to me. I was hesitant to answer.

“Bard.” I said, not looking up from what I was doing.

“Ali.” She said back. “Listen, I’m sorry about them. You know how they get when they haven’t had their morning dose of food.” I chuckled lightly, then looked over at her.

“Ali, correct?” She nodded. “They’re queer company to be traveling with. Especially for someone like you.”

“Like me?”

“Beautiful.” Her cheeks flushed. I smiled a little.

“Thank you.” She said quietly. “You’ve had a lover; you know what it’s like. You’d do anything for them. Lay your life on the line to save them, kill to protect them.” I looked at her, what was she saying? “Mine is injured, and I can’t do anything to help him. I have no clean water, not needle and thread, nothing.” I sighed.

“I can’t.”

“I understand, but isn’t there anyway you could take me and help me get the supplies and weaponry then help me back, just me.” I looked at her.

“And what if whatever is chasing you catches up while we’re gone?”

“How did you…”

“Pretty clear, you all are frantic to get out of here.” She smirked. Then looked out over the river, she looked in deep concentration.  With a sigh she turned back to me. Something was off about her; she seemed familiar, almost like I’d seen her before. “I can’t help myself, have we ever met.”

“No.” I nodded. “But I almost guarantee you know me.” She ran a hand through her hair.

“Who are you then?” Her face was emotionless, but her eyes were cold and unkind and… orange?

“I’m the fallen one. The one who married pain, and was raised by death. The Queen of Traitors, servant of liars, company to thieves, friends of devils, hero to seraphs.”

“A name, please.” She looked up at me, her orange pupils slowly faded back to their regular blue.

“Alissyanna.” A wave of goose bumps spread up my arms, a shiver straightened my spine. Then it all came back. The stories of the great warrior who slayed her own race with her two companions and was cast out when she performed a good deed and took blame for the many deaths. The legends in the book I had read when I was young, fascinated by the possibility of angels and demons.

“Alissyanna, the Devil’s daughter?” She nodded. Her face contorted and she doubled over, clutching her stomach. Letting out a small moan in pain she fell to her knees. I would have suspected she was faking it, if she hadn’t had a look of genuine confusion on her face. I knelt down in front of her, the dwarves watched. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” She murmured, slowly getting to her feet. Well, so much for not letting them come.

“Tell them to hurry getting on, we don’t have much time.” She nodded, waved them over and told them to hurry. They made their way to the front of the barge, while I was in the back. Alissyanna was perched lightly on the side of the barge, dangling her feet in the cold water. She was alone, not speaking, not moving, and just staring. The fog got thick and she still sat, pulling her feet up to dodge the occasional underwater boulder. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind.

***

ALISYANNA POV

Shit, shit, shit, shit! No! NO, NO, NO! This could not be happening! No! It… I… NO! I don’t have time for this! No! Absolutely not! No! Oh god, this was really happening. Oh my… NO! No! Nah uh! Not-no! Not happening! You’re fine!