Dark Rider *EDITING*

Chapter 2

   "Wait! Wait!" Bilbo yelled. We stopped and turned around. Bilbo ran toward us and I smiled, glancing at Thorin.
   "I signed it." Bilbo handed the parchment to Balin and he checked it over.
   "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin smiled. Before Thorin could say anything, I held my hand out to Bilbo.
"Come on Bilbo. You can ride with me." I said. He grabbed my hand and I helped him up. He held onto my shoulders and Gandalf came beside us.
  "Come on, Nori! Pay up!" Oin yelled. Bilbo watched as dwarves threw bags of money to each other. Thorin handed me a bag and I put it on my belt.
   "What's that about?" Bilbo asked.  
   "Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't." Gandalf replied.
   "And what did you think?" Bilbo asked him.
   "Well..." Gandalf suddenly caught a bag of money that one of the dwarves threw.
   "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." Gandalf said. I glanced back and Bilbo has a slight smile.
   "Neither did I." I smiled. At that moment, he sneezed.
   "Oh, it's horse hair. Having a reaction." Bilbo sniffled, trying to find a handkerchief or something.
   "Uh...wait, wait. Stop! Stop! We have to turn around." Bilbo yelled. I stopped and looked at him.
   "What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked.
   "I forgot my handkerchief." Bilbo sighed.
  "Here! Use this." Bofur ripped of a bit of his cloth and threw it to Bilbo.
   "Move on!" Thorin yelled. I clicked my tongue and reached in my messanger bag. I slipped out my handkerchief and took the piece of cloth out of Bilbo's hand. I replaced it with mine and threw the other one at Bofur.
   "You can keep it." I tell Bilbo. He took it and smiled.
  "So why are your canine teeth like that?" Kili asked.
 "To show as a threat. I never use them unless it is absolutely necessary." I replied, looking at him.
   "Rider, can you go ahead and look for a place to camp for the night?" Gandalf requested. I nodded and looked at Bilbo.
  "Shadow is the nicest horse you will ever ride. She will not do anything." I told him. He nodded, a hint of worry spread across his face. I put my arm up and grasped a branch. I quickly flipped up and started branch jumping.
   "How can you do that?" Bofur asked.
   "It is an elf thing. Also, I was trained that way." I replied, still jumping. When the trees ran out, I went on foot. I found a place and waited till they got to this cave type thing. Bilbo dismounted as soon as he came to a stop. I smiled and Thorin inspected it.
  "Good job." He smiled at me. I sighed and climbed on top of the platform of the cave thing. I watched the horizon.
 "Rider, can we hear a story from you?" Kili asked. I looked down and sighed.
 "Well, what do want to hear?" I asked.
 "There are so many legends about you. I want to know them." Fili smiled. 
  "Really? Well um..." I thought.
  "How about the one where you entered the mountain?" Thorin said. I sighed.
  "What about it?" I wondered.
  "Just tell us." Kili begged.
  "Well, it wasn't a big deal. I was by the main entrance and I walked it. Of course I broke a few door things on the way but I made it through. I crept around for awhile, remembering the times I went there ever so often. That is when I heard it. A low growl from the gold piles. My heart stopped for a minute while the dragon passed me and listened to my steps to see where I was." I told them.
  "So you met the beast?" Bilbo questioned.
  "Yeah." I replied, looking back out to the horizon. The others fell asleep and I watched. There was a howl type thing and I loaded my bow. Bilbo was up and I didn't even notice.
  "What was that?" Bilbo asked.
  "Orcs." Kili replied.
  "Orcs?" Bilbo asked, coming closer to the other two. Thorin woke up by the noise. I jumped down and skimmed the horizon.
  "Throat cutters. There'd be dozens of them out there. The low lands are crawling with them." Fili explained.
   "They strike, in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood." Kili continued. They chuckled at Bilbo and I turned to them.
  "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" I glared.
  "We didn't mean anything by it." Kili answered, guilty.
  "No you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin hissed. He walked off by himself and I went by him.
  "Don't mind them, laddie. Thorin and Rider has more cause than most to hate orcs." Balin said. Another shriek came as Balin told Thorin's story.
   "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, led 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.
   "Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief, he went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield.
   "Azog the Defiler learned that day, that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken.Our forces rallied, and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated, but there was no feast, nor song that night for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few, had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow, there is one I could call king." Balin told the story.
  "And the Pale Orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo wondered.
  "He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin replied as we headed back. Bilbo looked at me and I sighed.
   "What about you?" He asked.
   "One night, I was reading an elven scripture and I heard some sort of grunt from my window. My mother was the leader of the Dark Riders. I was around 3 and very curious. Well, my mother climbed in and smiled at me saying "My darling, I have to leave tonight. Look to the stars for me." I was confused and this rush of power came into me as she hugged me.
   "That instant, she left and I didn't know what was going to happen. My father was in this depressed state and he wasn't the same. And I felt something in my stomach that meant pain. I ran to my horse and got on. I didn't really know what I was doing since I was little but I had a feeling.
   "It took about an hour before I got to the Dark Rider forest. But I was too late. Azog's father was there and slayed all my people, including my mother. He turned me as my breath became uneasy. I was the last Dark Rider and he could tell by my eyes. My anger grew and my emotions took over and using a dagger, it lit up in my hand. I threw it and it stabbed him.
   "And that day, I found out how scary my powers could be. I took my mothers clothes from her bag and everyone's weapons to remember. And I was different ever since. I vowed to help the dwarves and all kinds till the end of time." I told my story.
  "So what you are wearing were hers?" Bofur asked. I nodded and I grabbed my dagger.
  "And this is the exact dagger." I replied. Thorin touched it and my tears dripped down my cheek. He handed it back and everyone decided to go to sleep. Gandalf came by me and handed me a cloth.
   "But remember, their powers and legacy run through you. Your different now." He smiled.
   "I know. I just hate Azog ever since and he is still out there." I whispered. He nodded and sighed.
   "But I think Thorin needs to figure it out on his own." He replied. I nodded in agreement and he went to sleep. Now everyone knows how it happened.