── true courage is knowing not how to take a life, but when to spare one
IN WHICH THE LAST
OF THE DRAGONKIN
JOINS THE COMPANY
OF THORIN OAKENSHIELD
TO RETAKE EREBOR
A FIRE AND GOLD SERIES BOOK
THORIN OAKENSHIELD × OC
AN UNEX...
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After a day of riding, the Company made camp, had dinner and got right to sleep. Aninth set up her bedroll a little ways away from everyone else, curling up inside and letting Ryvniss curl up against her chest.
She slept fitfully, unable to get out of her head long enough to get a good amount of rest. The blonde looked around and spotted Bilbo getting up as well, and Fili and Kili over by the fire, keeping watch. Gandalf was awake, resting against a tree and smoking his pipe while Ygritte slept beside him.
When an ungodly shrieking sound filled the air, Aninth sat bolt upright in an instant, her hand going to her sword that was right next to her. Ryvniss dug his claws into her jacket to keep from being thrown into her lap. The shrieking stopped and she realized it was off in the distance.
"What was that?" Bilbo asked from where he stood with the ponies, concern and worry in his voice.
"Orcs," Kili said as the shrieking started up again.
"Orcs?" Bilbo questioned, making his way over to Fili and Kili by the fire.
"Throat-Cutters," Fili said, "there'll be dozens of them out there. The low lands are crawling with them."
Aninth noticed that Thorin had woken up, and more of the Company was doing the same thing. No one would be able to sleep for long with that shrieking in the air.
"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep," Kili continued, "quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood."
Bilbo turned to look out over the forest below the little cliff they'd made camp on, concern and fear all over his face. With his back turned away from them, Fili and Kili began to snicker and Aninth frowned at them.
"You think that's funny?" Thorin scolded, saying the words before Aninth got the chance, "you think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"
"We didn't mean anything by it," Kili apologized.
"No, you didn't," Thorin growled, making his way through camp and towards the edge of the cliff, "you know nothing of the world."
"Don't mind him, laddie," Balin explained as he approached the fire, "Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs."
Aninth made her way over to the fire and crouched down, letting Ryvniss crawl into the flames to warm himself up now that she was awake and out of her sleeping bag. The blonde watched Balin as he continued to speak.
"After the Dragon-" Balin's words cut off suddenly as he looked at Aninth, and Ryvniss asleep in the fire. "After Smaug took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten their first."
"My mother told me this story," Aninth realized, "she was there along with my aunt and uncle. When the army got there it had already been taken by legions of Orcs."
