The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

30 | Brought to light

{Rigmor POV}

This was it.

I inhaled through my nose, balancing on the barrel's edges, stretching my fingers. A few odd looks were sent my way. I had to do this, I had no choice.

They had to know anyways.

With that, I moved my hands to the side, a wave of water following soon after.

Skilfully, I washed the Orcs away, the power of the water slamming them away. Loud gasps around me, a cautious brush to the left with my arm, wiping away a charging Orc.

"What is this kind of magic?" Thorin barked, his eyes full of fear but mostly confusion.

"This, Thorin Oakenshield..." I heard Myrna say.
A wave crashed over a few Orcs standing on a tree log they used as a bridge over the river we were floating on. I blew, freezing them in place, the sudden cold causing their hearts to stop instantly.

"...Is a waterbender."
He let out a cry of disbelief.
"Sorcery! Dark magic!"

Next to me, I heard my friend stand up, just as wobbly as me.
"No, it's not." she mused, balling her hands to fists, sending an Orc into the air by raising the rock he was standing on.

"It's a gift."

The Company could just sit back and watch as we sent the Orcs to their deaths, one by one. We were careful enough to not hit the Elves that had lend us their aid in slaying those monsters.

I laughed lightly as we slayed a group of Orcs trying to fight us by shooting them high into the sky, followed by a crashing wave to freeze them in their positions.

"Their expressions are flawless." Myrna chuckled.
I snickered. "Tell me something. Did you see that big one?"

I whipped one off shore with a small move, Myrna hitting one in the face with a spiky rock, impaling the ugly beast. Blood gushed out and I heard Myrna giggle in excitement, a small smirk growing on my face.

She elbowed me to get my attention, pointing towards a pale Orc high in the tree, his arrow aimed at us. I nodded, understanding what she meant. Grinning like idiots, we brought our hands up, slamming him out of it and killing him.

"That'll be the last of them." We high-fived and focussed on the water in front of us, only to crash onto shore with great impact.

We all sat gathered around in a circle, the Dwarfs wringing out their drenched clothes. Cedrick hugging Taeryn close while shivering like crazy.

"I guess we have some explaining to do." I spoke softly, earning each ones attention.

"We aren't Gandalf's apprentices, nor Radagast's."

Thorin huffed. "You don't say."

"We are something far... Far more dangerous."
"Dangerous as in... Lethal?" Ori asked, his eyes wide.

"Among other things, yes." Myrna answered, sitting down next to him. He scooted away from her, worry visible on his face.

"Don't worry. We can control it. More or less."
She looked at me as if she waited for me to continue.
I cleared my throat, turning to the group again.

"Myrna and I, we are part of a curse that has unfolded above those lands. We know almost nothing about it, but at least that one Sauron is behind it. We are two of four people able to bend an element with our minds to our will. Myrna can bend earth. I can bend water. There is an unknown airbender. And finally, there is Smaug."

Gasps emitted from all around the group, Dwarfs looking at me or each other with faces full of unspoken questions.

"Smaug isn't evil. He only gave in to the dark powers that tempted him, and us too, while in prison long ago. Radagast isn't the man we lived with since we were young. No, far from that. We were imprisoned by the citizens of Lake Town long ago. They were terrified of us, but we were just small children." I told them.

Myrna took over, also telling a part of the story.

"We were imprisoned for Mahal knows how long. that's what drove our friend Smaug crazy. that's why he transformed into a dragon. He was tempted by the source of evil, Sauron. We know nothing about him but that he is a necromancer that can bring the dead back to life."

Myrna paused, swallowing thickly before continuing.
"We joined you to save our friend from his cursed form and bring him back, but there is one problem. When in Rivendell, something was discovered from the scroll about the curse. The curse can only be broken if there is a third bender, the airbender. We need to find him, or her. Otherwise, Smaug cannot be brought back."

The silence was piercing. No one said a word, everyone just stared at me. What if they abandoned us now? What if they were deadly afraid of us now and didn't want to speak with us ever again?

I found Thorin within the group, his face blank and solemn. I couldn't read what he was thinking, but it couldn't have been good thoughts. No one seemed to know about this curse, I figured.

"I think you should not look any further." Cedrick's voice sounded. We looked at him as he and Taeryn stood up, brushing off their wet clothes a bit.

Sand had gathered itself onto their tunics and the combination with water had made mud clump together on it.

"Your search is over. Everything seems so clear right now. You already have your airbender right before your nose."

Myrna hoisted herself up, approaching him slowly. Carefully, she reached out for his right shoulder, pulling the fabric of his tunic town. The skin was dry, but there wasn't anything to be seen.

"You're not." she whispered, putting it back into place again.

"No." I spoke. "But she is."

Taeryn looked at the ground, her hands clasped together, her position small and cowered as all eyes went to see her. Myrna pulled down the fabric on her shoulder, uncovering the mark of the airbender.

Without a word, my friend also showed her imprint, as did I.
Mutters emitted from the Dwarfs, some of them excited, others scared or hesitating, as if they weren't sure what to think yet.

"We found the airbender..." I whispered. "We found you."