Daughter of a King

Chapter 15: Reaching for Stars

(Arulla's P.O.V.)

Thorin quickly turned his head around and gawked at me. it was pretty obvious that my answer had stunned him. He continued to stare at me for a long time. Then he spoke,

"How do you know those names? Anyone who has ever heard those names are either dead, in this company, or in the Blue Mountains. And I have forbidden my company from ever speaking them. So I ask again." His voice was far from gentle and all that could be heard was anger. "HOW do you know those names!? Tell me now!" He was almost screaming at me but I shrugged it of and calmly responded,

"You will see Thorin. in due time you will see."

He growled at me and returned to his place on the small ledge huffing and puffing with anger. my eyes lowered, 'Why not tell him?' I asked myself. This tortures me to not have him know, but also, I don't want to tell him and have him back away and ignore me. I couldn't handle that, not with everything I've lost.

I look up into the skies and I remember Thorin saying something to me when I was a young child. He always told me to believe in myself and never give up on anything. But the most important thing he told me was this, "Some reach for the moon. But only few reach the stars." He always told me that faith and love were the strongest things in life. So if one had the faith that she could reach the moon, then she should reach for the stars.

I smiled, but Kílí's voice pulled me from my memories. "How can you do that?" I turned my head towards him. "Do what?" I questioned, I really had no idea what he was asking.

Kílí smiled, "How can you talk to him like that and not be afraid of his tone or the recoil of your actions?" I smirked, "Because I know in my heart that he would never hurt me?" When I turned my look back to Kílí I was take aback by his expression. Kílí's face had turned dark as he heard a faint noise, I heard it too and my back shivered.

"What was that?" I hear Bilbo say with fright. I looked on in disbelief and didn't answer the hobbit's question. Kílí did and looked in in horror,

"Orcs." Kílí said solemnly. From the corner I saw Thorin jerk up again at the spoken word.

"Orcs?" the hobbit questioned. His face far from calm.

This time Fílí responded, "Throat-cutters. there'll be dozens of them out there." Bilbo whimpered, but I was frozen in my stare at Fanghorn. But my ears ever so listening intently to the conversation. Kílí spoke next,

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams, just lots of blood!" From the corners of my eyes I could see Bilbo's face grow paler and paler as every word Kílí spoke made him want to retreat back to his home.

I tore my eyes from the forest and glared at the two boys. They took no notice until they began to chuckle slightly at the hobbits "humorous" reaction. I quickly brought my hand up to smack Kílí in the back if his head. He whipped his head around and his eyes now saw my roaring anger. I barely had time to say anything when Thorin spoke up.

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" He growled. For once I was proud of him. Kílí backed away and replied sheepishly, "We didn't mean anything by it."

"No you didn't! You know nothing of the world" He spat and turned to walk near the cliff. I quickly sat up and walked over to him and sat on to the rock that was next to him. Silence was all that was between us until Balin began to speak, "Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King."