The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

15 | The critical link

{Myrna POV}

"Are you finally there?" I had almost forgotten I was in a library and called over the shelves towards Rigmor, who had just entered, earning myself an angry glare from an Elf who was sitting at a table.

"Sorry." I whispered. Rigmor made her way over to me.
"So, got any luck?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I tried everything. S from Sauron, C from Curse, even B from Benders, but nothing!" I said in a hushed tone, spotting Bilbo a few shelves away dragging his finger over the back of a dusty book.

"Have you asked Gandalf?"
"No, he was busy with that map of his."
"It's almost midnight, though." I said, seeing that outside the sky had darkened to a rich navy colour.

"I'll find him." Bilbo said, making me jump.
"Did you eavesdrop on us?" I snarled, giving him an angry glare to scare him off. "Don't be like that, Myrna!" Rigmor exclaimed, another Elf making a hushing noise to shut us up.

I frowned at my friend, who was standing rather defensively between me and the Hobbit.
"What is it to you? Do you like him or something?"
Rigmor grabbed my wrist, leaning close to my ear.
"Myrna! This is not the time to bicker, we need to find Gandalf!" she whispered, quiet enough so Bilbo wouldn't hear.

I yanked my arm loose and huffed.
"Fine." I walked towards the exit with big steps. It might not seem elegant to walk so quickly in a dress like these, but I didn't mind. I almost bumped into Fili.

"Hey! What are you doing out here at this time?" I asked.
"I could ask you the same, lass." I cocked an eyebrow.
"That's none of your business."

Fili scratched through his beard.
"Did you see Gandalf, by any chance?" I asked him.
The Dwarven prince nodded.
"I just saw him with my uncle, Balin and the Elf man walk into the hall around the corner."

I pursed my lips. "Alright, thank you."
"Not a problem, milady." I nearly gagged as I walked towards the location he had told me I would find the grey wizard.

I saw them, standing in a circle. I tiptoed towards them to listen to their conversation.
"Our business is no concern of elves." Thorin said. Gandalf sighed.
"For goodness sake, Thorin, show him the map."
"It is the legacy of my people. It is mine to protect, as are its secrets."

The wizard grew impatient. "Save me from the stubbornness of Dwarfs. Your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle Earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond."

The Dwarven King thought for a second before stepping forward, holding out the map towards our host, ignoring Balin's attempts to stop him. Elrond gazed at the paper, taking it all in.

"Erebor. What is your interest in this map?" Thorin was about to speak, but Gandalf cut him off.
"It's mainly academic. As you know, this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text. You still read Ancient Dwarfish, do you not?"

Elrond was quiet for a second.
"Cirth Ithil." he mumbled.
Gandalf hummed in surprise.
"Moon Runes. Of course. An easy thing to miss. Also, Myrna, stop lurking in the shadows and step into the light."

I walked towards them while looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I need to know where to find the scroll of--"

I was cut off by Elrond's voice.

"Well in this case, that is true, Moon Runes can only be read by the light of a moon of the same shape and season as the day on which they were written."
I wanted to open my mouth to snap a mean comeback for speaking through me, but Gandalf's hand stopped me by laying a hand on my shoulder.

"Can you read them?" The Elf nodded.

"These Runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield, the same moon shines upon us tonight. Follow me."

I tugged at Gandalf's sleeve.
"Where do we have to search? We've been searching for such a long time!"

Elrond looked up. "Oh, you must mean the scroll about the Great Curse. I forgot to mention, they aren't in the normal library, but in the special one. We will cross that one on our way to go to the place where we can read them. First, you should warn your friend. It would be foolish to put such special files into an ordinary library."

I nodded and rushed towards Rigmor.

"Come with me. Elrond happens to know where to search." She smiled relieved. "Oh, wonderful." We walked back to the place of the meeting, where Elrond was already about to walk away. The Dwarfs were heading out of the room as well, indicating that their gathering was over.

"This way." He said firmly. The halls of Rivendell were huge, but nevertheless Elrond knew where to be.
"It's in here." He said, unlocking the big door.

"Search for the G of Great Curse, but I think you've already figured that out yourself."
"Thank you." We went inside, a torch in hand.

"It's dark in here." Rigmor mumbled.
"Don't worry little mouse, I've got your back."
The joke earned me a well-deserved elbow in the ribs.

We searched with haste and it wasn't too difficult, since now we knew where to search.

As soon as we found it, we headed towards Elrond and Gandalf.
I handed the scroll to the brunet Elf.

"So, here it is." Carefully, he broke the seal.

"I've never read this one before, I got it from Gandalf a long time ago, as a gift."
I eyed Gandalf, a small smirk on his face.
"As you might see, it's proven to be quite useful."

Elrond put the map flatly on a big gem-like table, moonlight shimmering through the see-through surface.

"I see..." Gandalf stepped closer.
"What do you read?" The Elf's eyes shot over the paper with rapid speed, his mouth mumbling words I didn't understand.

"Your quest might be even longer than you had expected in the first place."
I narrowed my eyes.
"What do you mean, my lord?" Rigmor quizzed.
Our host cleared his throat before he began reading out loud.

"If it might happen that one of the Benders turns to the dark side, there is only one way to make it undone, for every curse has a retroactive weakness.

In order to undo the evil will of a Bender, the only way you could succeed is to have the other three benders stand with each other around the affected one, bare shouldered so their elemental marking is visible. Thus, they can create a powerful strike, joining above the evil willed bender.

However, this is not as easy as it might seem, for the evil Bender has the ability to withstand this attack.

The evil one has to be in a fragile position to make it work, in a state that the blow cannot be blocked.

Only so, the evil Bender can turn to the good side again."

I gasped.

"A third bender? But... We are with two."
My eyes found Rigmor, who was chewing on the inside of her cheek nervously. Gandalf put his hand on my shoulder.

"I think it's time to change your plans, girls."

I swallowed thickly.
"We have to find them. We have to find the Airbender. The Lost one."