This is Me → Post BOTFA fanfic

Chapter 1

The wind runs it's fingers through my long, red hair. The cool air kisses my cheeks as I run out in the open land in front of the Lonely Mountain. A large battle was fought here. A battle in which my father had died. But the gracious acts of Gandalf the wizard made his heart start beating again. I slow down to a fast paced walk, inhaling deeply then slowly exhaling. Whenever I have time to spare, I just run. The feeling of the air on my face makes me feel so alive and helps me take my mind off of things.

Being a mixed blood child, especially one of elf and dwarf parents, gave me a bad wrap around here. With the pointed ears, beautiful features and long, flowing hair of an elf and the short and small body of a dwarf, I was just not like the others. Not only did people my own age not approve of me, many older dwarves, including my great uncle Thorin, did not either. I heard my father and great uncle Thorin talking before, and heard him telling my father that he is only letting me and my mother stay because he loves my father, as he is his nephew and may one day have to take the throne.

As I get closer to the gates of Erebor, I look at the sun. Oh no. It's already almost four o'clock. My mother had specifically told me to be back around 3. I starting running towards the gates, hoping my mother would not be to infuriated. I have been staying out longer that she wants me to, as she fears there is something that will come and try and kill me. She knows I'm a very skilled fighter, excelling in the use of daggers. I not only throw them with amazing accuracy, but can prove very lethal in close combat. But even though I am a very strong girl, her maternal instincts take over and she becomes protective of me. She is worried sick every time I come back later than she tells me to. I exchange a quick hello to my uncle Fili, who was speaking with one of the gaurds at the gate. "Hello Uncle Fili!" I shout at him. "Hey to you to Areth!" he laughs. "Why in such a hurry?". "I was out later than I was supposed to be again" I say. "Just lost track of time I guess", I giggle. "Better hurry back" he says, "you know how your parents are when they can't find you. Have a nice day"! I continue running as fast as I can until I reach the throne room. Great uncle Thorin was sitting at his throne, toying with some sword. We exchange a quick glance but nothing more. I take a right down the hall which leads to the rooms of the king and his family. I open the third door on the right side of the hallway and quickly shut it behind me. "Areth! We were worried about you"! father exclaims. "This is the fourth time this week you have not acknowledged the time we have given you", mother says with a stern look on her face. "There might be something out there! You don't know what could be lurking out there, watching you run around unarmed, waiting for you to get close enough". I roll my eyes, "I am always careful, staying away from the dark edges of the forest and I always keep my daggers with me. I could easily kill most things that come towards me". "Most things. That is not all. There are dangers out there even for the strongest warriors" mother says. "Now that you are back, can you run to the kitchen and get something for me to make dinner" she says. "Your father has had work to do and he came home minutes ago, very hungry". I nod my head and start off in the other direction. When I get out of the door, I break into a run. When I pass the throne, great uncle Thorin tells me to stop. I look in his direction, staring at the floor. "Look at me when I'm speaking" he says, so I look up at him. "Why are you always running? You will run into people and cause problems. Plus it is annoying. When you are inside this mountain, you will walk". "Ok Thorin" I say, then set off walking in the direction of the kitchen. Because he is not fond of me, he scolds me for things that are not necessary sometimes, but I have no choice but to listen because he is my king and my elder.

I hate walking through the halls of Erebor by myself. People give me looks of disgust and whisper at each other, sometimes laughing and pointing at me. It hurts, but I've learned to just keep walking. When I reach the kitchen, I walk through the back door to find Bombur eating some dinner rolls. He nods at me and continues stuffing his face. I roll my eyes and grab a pot of stew off of the oven. I'll return the pot later. Hopefully nobody needs it too desperately. I open the door and start walking back. I look at the floor, not wanting to see people as they gossip about me. I wish my life was different. I wish I wasn't me.

Walking back though the halls, I focus on where my feet are taking me, not at those being impolite around me. It is not long before I reach our door and am assigned another job to do. "Please serve the food Areth. And after you are done please sweep the floors" father says, slouched tiredly over his armchair. I grumble a complaint under my breath, and he replies by saying, "maybe now you will not return late". Rolling my eyes, I prepare food for my parents, serve it, and take the broom out of the corner to do the work assigned to me. I sweep the small kitchen area, the main living room, under the table and furniture, only to be asked to make the beds because it was not done this morning. I finish as fast as I can, hoping I can then eat and subdue my hunger, but am greeted with the task of mending a button on fathers coat, as it is "important he is warm for tomorrow's work" as said by mother. I grudgingly sew the button back in. After pricking my finger twice, I have lost all of my patience. I return the coat to the coat hook, trying to avoid mother an after asking me to complete more tasks.

I walk into the kitchen to get my food, and mother is sitting at the table. "Areth" she says in a soft tone, "the only reason we punish you is because we love you". I try not to roll my eyes. "I've almost lost your father and I couldn't imagine that happening to you" she says with tears in her eyes. I don't know what to say so I just nod. She dismisses herself from the room and I finally sit down to eat, trying to figure out what she means.