A Tale of Time

Chapter 9: Until Sunrise

Chapter 9: Until Sunrise

As they ride, the rain begins to slow until it reaches a complete stop. The sun is able to poke back through the clouds, cloaking them in beautiful golden rays of light every now and then. Gailien smiles in content, pleased that she is once again, able to enjoy the scenery around her and also able to hear more than shouting voices trying to be heard over the rain.

By the time of the afternoon, the clouds have all but disappeared. Gailien shifts in her saddle from the discomfort of sitting all day. Maybe a cleaner ride will not make her ache as so, but the rain turned the ground into sludge and the pony jostled around much more than normal.

They ride up a small incline and Thorin turns his pony around.

"We'll camp here for the night," he declares. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

Gailien beams, sliding out of the saddle gratefully. "Yallume!" she cries, stretching out her body. The pony, Clove, bites her side for nothing else but for the sake of biting. Huffing, she hands the pony over to Fili, wishing him luck with the animal's attitude.

Gandalf walks up further into the ruins of an old farm. The foundations are barely standing, and it may as well not have a roof at all as the wood has rotted away, leaving large gaps in the shelter. Gailien supposed that King does not intend to use it for a shelter anyways.

"A farmer and his family used to live here," the wizard says, more to himself than the company but Gailien has made her way and is close enough to hear it.

"Oin, Gloin."

"Aye?"

"Get a fire going."

"How long ago, Mithrandir?" Gailien questions, trying to gain a clue from the stage of rotting on the wood, which is only being held up by stones. Gandalf glances around darkly as he turns to talk to Thorin who is walking away from camp towards the wizard and Seer.

"Not long enough for it to be dismissed," Gandalf notes to the Seer. She looks once more over the remains of the house before turning her attention to Thorin. "I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the hidden valley."

So, Gandalf intends to take the dwarves to the elves. Gailien holds a snort, knowing that it would never happen with Thorin alive, not knowingly anyway. She herself hasn't been to Rivendell in many years but she has no desire to visit it again, no matter how beautiful it may be compared to Mirkwood.

"But I've told you already. I will not go near that place," Thorin declares, walking straight past Gailien and the wizard.

"Why not?" Gandalf presses, following the dwarf. Gailien trails behind slowly. "The elves could help us, we could get food, rest, advice."

Thorin does not even entertain the idea. It is bad enough in his mind that he has let an elf on this quest in the first place. The only reason he has done so is for the fact that she could provide them with assistance that he does not see fit to deny (though, ironically, he already has), and her un-elvish like features have swayed his thoughts.

"I do not need their advice," Thorin states, stopping in his tracks to face the duo. Gailien is not sure which side she should choose to support but ultimately decides to keep her mouth closed.

"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us," Gandalf persists. Thorin looks at Gailien, gesturing to her slightly.

"Can she not read the map?" he suggests. Gailien shakes her head quickly.

"I've already seen the language; it is not something they teach. At least, in Mirkwood, they do not." She glances up at Gandalf then risks making eye contact with the King, knowing her next words are likely not going to do her good. "Maybe Gandalf is right about Elrond. I don't doubt that he would be able to help us."