The Diamond Witch

Five

"Bombur!" A dwarf called out to the fat one named Bombur as he tossed him a sausage. The bench couldn't take anymore weight, so it broke, dropping Bombur on the ground and all the dwarves laughing. I couldn't help but smile. Bilbo noticed me alone and sat down next to me.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" He asked.

"I don't usually eat anything. I would always let the others eat rather than eat food that I did not need." I explained.

"That doesn't make any sense! You must be starving yourself!" Bilbo, being a hobbit, couldn't imagine going a day without food, let alone a lifetime.

"I can go my entire life without eating or sleeping, so I do neither."

"About how long do you live?"

I smiled and turned my head to look at him.

"I'm immortal."

The halfling looked surprised.

"I didn't think that anyone outside of elves could live forever." Bilbo then started asking questions, and each one, I gladly answered. "Do you live in Rivendell?"

"No."

"If not Rivendell, then where do you live?"

"With the elves of Mirkwood."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Yes...I technically have three other sisters."

"Do you know them?"

"As of right now? No. Will I sometime in the future? Yes."

"Why have you come?"

"Gandalf requested that I come with you, but I'm not sure Thorin likes it."

"Course he doesn't."

"But I will remain with this company until the end."

Bilbo nodded his head in respect, and got up to leave. He was only a few steps away when I said,

"Oh, and Bilbo," the halfling turned and looked at me, "do me a little favor and tell no one about this conversation?"

"Of course, my lady." He said as I smiled.

"Call me Aldwyn."

~ ~ ~

"Hold on!" Thorin yelled. "We must find shelter!"

"Watch out!" The dwarf, Dwalin, warned.

The dwarves and I looked up to see a massive boulder flying through the air. The boulder hit the mountainside above us, causing rocks to fall all around us as we pressed ourselves against the mountain.

"This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle! Look!" The old dwarf, Balin, yelled.

A stone giant reared up from a nearby mountain. It ripped off a massive boulder from the top of the mountain.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Bofur yelled.

"Take cover or you'll fall!" Thorin yelled to all of us.

"What's happening?" Kili, Thorin's nephew asked

A Giant threw a boulder far in the air; another stone giant appeared from behind us, and it was hit in the head. We yelled at each other to brace and hold on, and the rocks beneath our feet began to give way from all the vibrations and from the impact of the falling rocks. The ground between some of the Company members splits; part of our group is on one side, and the other part on the other side.

"Kili! Grab my hand! Ki..." Kili's brother, Fili, yelled to his brother who was on my side.

As the two stone giants fought with their fists, we all held on tight as we were flung around. The other group managed to jump to a different spot. A third stone giant appeared, and it threw a boulder at the head of one of the first two. That one falls over. As the other group watches, it had appeared to them that we had been smashed to bits. The hurt stone giant loses its footing and falls down the chasm.