A Tale of Time

Chapter 7: The Dragon-Slayer

Chapter 7: The Dragon-Slayer

Watching the Dwarves work while she sits off to the side is neither a pleasant thing nor the worst thing. On one hand, she is glad that she is getting the time to rest herself since she predicts that she'll need to be at her best state of health in the coming days (but her visions have still not returned, not that she has been trying). Also, that she doesn't feel the guilt for participating in building the wall between them and those in need.

But on the other hand, a pang of different guilt sits in her stomach as she watches the Dwarves work hard through the rest of the night and she sits there doing absolutely nothing. Kili and Balin are the most tired of them all, not sleeping at all through their short break and poor Bilbo has probably never done so much heavy lifting before.

She was almost sent back to work, but Fili very adamantly stood his ground against Thorin. At first, Thorin was trapped in his sick mind but slowly the gears started to click, and she watched as his face morphed back into something recognisable. He apologised and told her not to lift a thing.

The sun is well on its way to rising and the fortress is almost complete as they use the machines to lift the final stones along the stone barricade of the battlement. Thorin has gone off somewhere – most likely to fawn over his newfound treasures. He has been distant with her, but she hasn't brought it up knowing that he just truly isn't in the right state of mind. And Gailien doesn't particularly want him showing any sort of affection if he is not himself so as horrible as it sounds, she is glad that he has left her to sit by herself.

At one point she tries to help out the Dwarves while Thorin isn't there; just to give effort where she feels she can but before she can move to help Dwalin adjust the lifted rocks, Fili moves in front of her giving her a stern expression.

Brother.

That's what she considers him. She never gave him a true label before, but she recalls that Fili was in fact, the one to bestow the title of Karr'a to her. So as Fili shakes his head, gesturing to go back to her spot she silently obliges, knowing that he does so out of care.

She sits back on her stone seat, resting her chin in her hands as her elbows dig into her knees. But something feels wrong. She casts her gaze over to the battlement. She cannot see over it. The Dwarves finish their work, the battlement complete and they begin to find other things to do until their leader returns.

Gailien stands, her eyes latched onto the stone wall and she slowly marches towards it. Fili who is checking the sharpness of one of his blades double-takes her. "Gailien?" he calls in question, reaching out for her arm. Gailien doesn't look back at him even as his hand wraps around her wrist. Instead, she manoeuvres her hand up, latching on to his and pulls her with him. "What is it?" he presses but she doesn't answer as she pulls him up the slope leading to the battlement.

They reach the top and her instincts are proven right once again. Fili scans over the land in front of them but his eyes are not as keen and do not see it straight away. But as he focuses closer, his chin lifts and shoulders stiffen.

"Get Thorin," she instructs, finally breaking both her silence and locked gaze with Dale. Along all the ridges and fortress walls of the previous forgotten city are lines of Elves decked in golden armour. Mirkwood's army. Fili nods, scurrying back down the path before running off to one of the treasure rooms.

She wishes Gandalf were here.

From the main gates of Dale rides a single person atop of a white stallion. It takes even her eyes a while before she can identify the features of the person. It surprises her a little, but it honestly shouldn't as Bard gallops towards them along the old road.