Kili woke me up the next morning, I felt boulders on my eyes as they were a little swollen from crying most of the night. The older dwarves had gone to get the ponies and the supplies, the others were busy with breakfast and gathering things. I came to the kitchen to make a strong cup of coffee so that I don't fall somewhere and sleep. I came out of the kitchen and saw Thorin giving instructions to Dwalin, one look at my face and he knew what I had been doing the night before. I saw his muscles tense and his hand curl into a fist. I quickly got out of there so that I don't have to answer a barrage of questions.
We all leave the hobbit's house. Thorin is already on his pony. I have a sturdy white pony as do all the other dwarves and there are two for the baggage. I see Thorin looking at me and saying something to Dwalin, I know I'm the topic of their conversation and it pisses me off a little. Dwalin walks up to me " Stay in the middle lass, make sure you have some of the boys behind you all the time."
I huff, " I can take care of myself Dwalin, I don't need to be treated any different than any other member of the company" I say loud enough for Thorin to hear me too and he shifts slightly on the pony. I had made up my mind that if we needed to communicate through a middle man then that's what I am going to do.
" I know that Maur," Dwalin replies smiling at me, "but its either in middle or at the very start with Thorin and me." he didn't leave any room for argument so I breathe deeply and nod.
I have Fili and Kili riding on either side and I thank my stars, as they are the ones I needed to be with. The dwarves had started a wager on whether the hobbit would join or no. "Ill go with whatever Maur says," shouts Fili to Oin, "Me too" joins Kili. Oin rides to me as he's taking a written note of the wagers. "I know he'll come" I say cheerfully. We've been on the road for almost two hours when we hear a shout," Wait, wait, I signed it" it was our burglar. He goes to Balin and gives him the signed contract, Balin looks at it with his small sight glass the turns to BIlbo with a smile, "Everything seems to be in order, welcome Master Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield" winking at Bilbo. "Give him a pony" I hear Thorin not at all pleased that the hobbit showed up.
Bilbo seems to be giddy around the ponies and tries his best not to ride one but Fili and Kili hold him from both sides and put him on one. The coin pouches start flying here and there I catch mine and give it to Fili "You can both split it, I don't want it."
"Why not? We won cause you bet on the hobbit coming I think we should give you half of our share too." says Kili. I laugh ," No sweet ones I don't want any. Keep it I'm sure we'll need it somewhere around the road." I say to them. Thorin tilts his head a little to my side but doesn't turn. He knows about my powers and he knows that I can tell of the danger coming before it actually arrives but none of them have ever seen me talk to the night ever.
We camp on a cliff for the night. Most of the dwarves are asleep. The young ones sit sharpening their blades and bilbo is sneaking an apple to his pony. I smile knowing that only hours ago he was scared to ride one. A sharp screech pierces the calm of the night, "Wha... what was that?" Bilbo says walking back quickly to the dwarves." Are these wolves?"
"Orcs" Filli says as another shreek pierces the night and Thorin is jolted out of his light sleep. He was sitting with his eyes closed on a rock, his eyes quickly scan around until they land on me and his shoulders relax. "Rope cutters there will be dozens of them out there, they strike in the wee hours of the night, no screams just lots of blood." says Kili and seeing the look on Bilbo's face they laugh.
Thorin gets up angrily walking to the other side, "You think it's funny? You think a night raid by the orcs is a joke?" he says wrath dripping from his words. "It was a joke, I didn't mean anything by it" whispers Kili a little embarrassed. "No you didn't, you know nothing of the world." Thorin says walking angrily to the edge of the cliff.
"Don't mind him laddi, Thorin has more cause than most to hate the orcs. 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 the legions of orcs led by the most vile of their race. Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to swipe out the line of Durin. He bagan by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father was driven mad with grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed we didn't know. We were leaderless, defeat and death were uopn 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 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 I could follow, there is one I could call king." the dwarves were all looking at Thorin when he turned, giving them a slight nod. This story was new to most of dwarves except for a few who had actually lived it. My heart breaks for Thorin, he has lost so much at such an early age. He is a great leader and strong warrior. My vision is blurring due to the tears pooling in my eyes, he looks at me as he's walking towards the rock, I quickly look down not wanting him to see my eyes, his step falters a little telling me that he saw but he continues walking.
"The Pale Orc, what happened to him?" asks Bilbo
"The filth died of his woumds long ago" hissed Thorin. Just then I see Gandalf and Balin share a meaningful look and my heart falls to the pit of my stomach.