A Single Dream is More Powerful Than a Thousand Realities

Tumbling Riddles

The first time they collided with the mountainside as they plummeted, Kili managed to turn Lyla and himself, and holding her as close as he could manage, placed himself so that his body took the brunt of the force. He let out a low groan as they were rocketed downward and Lyla felt her heart constrict in fear.

She would never forgive herself is he didn't survive.

*************************
The second time they collided with the mountain, Lyla bounced from Kili's grasp with a muffled cry.

"Bilbo!" She heard him shout at her, desperately trying to reattach his hold on Lyla's arms.
But it was all for naught.

And she felt the sting of the rocks on her bare arms as she tumbled and scraped along the mountain's edges.
Her shouts echoed in her ears as the wind whipped past her.

"Fili! Kili!"
***
She wasn't aware of the third collision with the mountain.
***
She was forced back to consciousness by rainwater, trickling into her nose and mouth causing her to choke and sputter, gasping for air. Blearily she opened her eyes and found herself gazing at a looming mountain face above her, water droplets relentlessly pounding her face. Her head throbbed and the world tilted slightly as she tried to sit up.
She had landed on a small ledge leading into a cave.

But she had landed alone.

There was no sign of Fili or Kili.

But sitting in her hand was one of Kili's rings, having slipped off his finger in their tumble. She brought the ring up to her face with shaking fingers

The blood rushed to Lyla's ears, like crashing waves and nausea overtook her senses.

By Aule no.

Oh please no!

"Fili! Kili!" She shrieked, her voice drowned out by the thunder and rain, "Fili! Kili! Please!"

She screamed until she was hoarse.

And, when no answers came, bile rose in her throat and tears pricked her eyes as her stomach relieved it contents, soft sobs escaping her lips.

They had tried to protect her.

To save her.

She clenched her fist to her mouth to bite back the sob the threatened to overtake her. Her shoulders started shaking as fat salty tears slipped down her scratched cheeks.
She rocked back and forth trying to quell the surge of emotions, but they would not abate.

Blast those foolhardy, proud, reckless, wonderful and caring dwarves!

More tears slipped down her cheeks, mixing in with the rainwater.

And she was responsible for their-

No. She couldn't think it.

NO.

Taking a shuddering breath, Lyla slowly crawled to the mouth of the cave, sending a pleading to the makers above for the safety of two young, foolish, kind-hearted dwarves.

It took Lyla a good few minutes to get her footing steady enough to explore the cave. After all what other option did she have? It was either face the ledge or try and find a way out of the mountains and back to the company.

Though she wasn't sure she'd be too welcome back.

She had to take a few deep breaths to keep her emotions in check.

The cave expanded back into a series of tunnels leading down into the mountain and Lyla, whose eyes were unused to such dark places stumbled her way further and further from the entrance. She hoped that she'd find somewhere that would take her back up to the pathway. Somewhere that she could find a familiar face or a familiar road.