05.
A Story to Explain

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."

"Aye," Balin agreed, "there were three Dragonkin there that day. The Orcs were 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."

That was Thorin's family. He, his father, grandfather, Fili and Kili, were all a part of the line of Durin. Everyone's eyes turned to Thorin where he stood overlooking the valley below. As Balin continued, their eyes went back to the older Dwarf.

"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." Balin paused and a smile pulled on his lips. "That is when I saw him."

His gaze went to Thorin once more and so did everyone else's. With his hands clasped behind his back and his straight posture, he looked like the king her mother had described him to be when she told this story.

"A young Dwarf prince," Balin continued, "facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone, against this terrible foe. His armour rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield."

"Oakenshield..." Aninth muttered to herself, eyes going back to Thorin once more.

"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. And 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."

When Thorin turned around, he was greeted with the sight of all the Dwarves standing on their feet and watching him with the kind of respect one held for their king. He gave them all a nod and though he did not smile, Aninth could see what he wasn't showing in his eyes.

It was then she understood something about Thorin. He had lost a lot that was important to him and because of that loss, he'd had to change and adapt into someone he had probably once never thought he'd be.

So yes, Thorin hated Smaug and Orcs for what they had done to him. Aninth could understand that completely. But what she didn't understand was how he'd cast his hatred of Smaug onto all dragons, and Dragonkin by extension. Her family had been in that battle, helping them as best they could, and yet he still didn't like her because of her companion.

"And the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asked, bringing Aninth from her thoughts, "what happened to him?"

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came," Thorin snarled as he passed by them, "that filth died of his wounds long ago."

As Aninth sat there, she caught something that she was sure she wasn't supposed to see. Gandalf and Balin glancing at each other slowly. That look said one thing and one thing alone to Aninth.

They didn't quite believe Thorin was right.

❖

Not long after they had packed up camp and set off on their ponies again, it began to rain. And not just rain, but pour. Everyone and everything was soaked within moments, leading to some very unhappy Dwarves.

To avoid the cold rain, Ryvniss had at first curled around Aninth's neck, trying to use her hair as a shield from the water, but when her hair soaked through and water began to run down her neck, he buried himself in her bag where she presumed he had been able to stay dry so far.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked, practically having to shout over the rain to be heard.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, find yourself another wizard," Gandalf told him.

"Don't bother asking me either," Ygritte said before Dori could even open his mouth to ask.

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked.

"What?" Gandalf asked.

"Other Wizards," Bilbo clarified.

"There are six of us," Gandalf explained, "apart from my daughter."

"I'm half human," Ygritte said.

"The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards... do you know, I've quite forgotten their names..." Gandalf explained.

"And Mia," Ygritte said.

"Ah, yes, and my apprentice, Miasera the Red. She and Ygritte have grown quite close over the years," Gandalf explained.

"Where's she? Why isn't she with us as well?" Aninth asked.

"She's doing some training and studying, as a young Wizard, she still has much to learn," Gandalf answered.

"And who's the sixth?" Bilbo asked.

"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown," Ygritte said fondly.

"Is he a great Wizard?" Bilbo asked, "or is he more like you?"

Gandalf looked a little offended at that as he turned and looked back at Bilbo. "I think he's a very great Wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east. And a good thing, too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

an. for those confused, Miasera is the OC in the sequel to this book, Of Trees and the Sea! She will not make an appearance in this book, only occasional mentions from Gandalf and Ygritte. Kelly and I both agreed that three Wizards was a bit excessive.