The Wind Fell Silent

4. Bitter Weather

Arenna's Point of View

We had been traveling for only two days, and I had already come to know my travel companions better, especially Kili and Fili. We passed the hours of dull travel by exchanging funny stories and information about ourselves.

Fili, who had finally managed to stop laughing (after sharing a rather funny story about one of his many drunken adventures) asked me, "So you're a hobbit from the Shire then?" I knew this was his polite way of finding out just what in Yavanna's name I was. I had noted the wary glances and confused stares over the past couple days. Gandalf told me about his conversation with Thorin, but the rest of the company remained ignorant to my origins.

"Oh, no actually I am not of the Shire, nor am I a hobbit," I answered gesturing to my small, booted feet, "though many have made that false assumption." The two boys gave me questioning looks, and I noticed the dwarves around us start listening to our conversation. I cleared my throat, this was going to be fun to explain, "Well, as I'm sure most of you have guessed by my accent, I am not from Middle Earth, nor am I of the species that inhabit it." I paused and took a breath, "I am a child of Yavanna, a sprite from Valitura." The dwarves were dead silent for a moment, and I held my breath. I knew that the knowledge of my people had long since faded into legend, I knew that they did not believe me. I watched as their eyes turned to Thorin, searching for any truth in my words, and in his concurring stare they found it. The first to speak was Gloin, "The lore says that your people died out, that there were none left." It seemed that I would have a lot of questions to answer, "Many of my race were destroyed in the first age, the little that was left fled across the ocean to another land, Valitura we call it."

Kili turned on our pony so that he could face me, "So can you control the elements, I heard once that sprites could-" he was interrupted by Gandalf, "No Kili, she cannot control elements, or summon demons or whatever else you may have heard." The dwarves around me looked disappointed; Gandalf looked at them with an amused glint in his eyes, "Oh, don't be so easily disheartened, not all the stories are myths. Arenna if you would help me to demonstrate..." he gestured to a dead leaf in his hands. I nodded with a smile, the old wizard always enjoyed putting on a show. Kili rode up to Gandalf's horse so that I was able to recover the crumpled and brown leaf. The dwarves around me were watching bewildered.

"It's just a dead leaf, what is the meaning of this?" Asked Dwalin who was becoming increasing annoyed by the odd situation.

"Just give her a moment master dwarf" Gandalf said, still smiling.

I stared at the leaf in my palm, feeling my body become overwhelmed with a familiar, electrifying energy. My palm grew hot and started to glow, the light that was emanating from my hand began to illuminate the dead leaf. Only it didn't look dead and rotted, it was regenerating. It was going from brittle and brown to supple and green, it was healing. The others watched wide-eyed and amazed, some looked frightened, while others looked on admiringly. Once the leaf was restored, it lifted into the air and was swept away by the wind, and the company was silent.

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A sickening shriek disrupted the sleepy air that had settled around our camp; startling Bilbo who was feeding his pony, Myrtle, an apple. The full moon hung over the small precipice that we inhabited for the night, as the frightened hobbit shakily sprinted to the fire.

"What was that?" he asked Fili and Kili worriedly. Kili's face became grim and serious, "Orcs" he replied. I sat up at the mention of the hideous creatures, as did Thorin.

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of the out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili said between puffs on his pipe. The color drained from little Bilbo's face as Kili continued solemnly, "They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone is asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." The poor hobbit looked positively petrified now, he even let out a small squeak of terror that went unnoticed by the snickering brothers. I felt the heat rise to my face, as my temper boiled. "The bastards find Bilbo's fear amusing" I thought to myself. As I was preparing to reprimand them, Thorin stood up and walked towards his nephews. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Thorin asked menacingly; the brothers looked down shamefully at their hands. "We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said, still gazing down. Thorin walked towards the edge of the crag "No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." he growled. Kili shot me a remorseful glance, but found no sympathy in my disapproving stare.