The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 27

Nora was singing again, this time some song about a lumberjack, and Avice was considering the many benefits of murderer and cutting tongues out when she almost died of a heart attack.

“Hello everyone!” The company rushed to their cells to see Runa calmly walking into the dungeons as if she was Queen of Mirkwood.

“Runa!” exclaimed Nora, echoed quickly by Nienna, the twins and other dwarves. Runa cheekily waved at them all as Aelith frantically hushed them.

“Where have you been?” Avice asked grumpily. Runa shrugged,

“Oh you know, here and there. Endearing myself to the locals.” Aelith groaned,

“What did you do now? No, wait,” she held up a hand as it to use some hidden power to prevent Runa from speaking. “I don’t want to know.”

Runa shrugged,

“Well I wasn’t going to tell you anyway.”

“Runa… is that a bandage?” asked Nienna, who’d been watching her friend closely and noticed a slight limp.

“It’s nothing,” said Runa, drawing her cloak closer about her.

“Runa,” began Aelith in a tone that foretold a lecture on the benefits of caution, that was forestalled by a fierce look sent her way.

“It’s nothing,” repeated Runa firmly.

Just then, noises came from the staircase, signaling the approach of another.

“Runa, Bilbo is somewhere hiding in the palace. He thinks he might have found a way out, so make sure you come back and check in,” Aelith whispered. “Now go! Quickly!”

Runa waved slightly, before darting back into the doorway where the footsteps were coming from.

“Won’t she run into the guards?” asked Nori worriedly. Nienna smirked,

“Probably, but the guards won’t see her.” Then, Nienna retreated into the back of her cell.

Though the dwarves still waited in some misapprehension, there was no uproar and the elves who entered moments later weren’t dragging their friend behind them. Silvia entered with a strange guard, carrying some trays of food.

She began dispersing the nourishment amongst the prisoner, skipping over Nienna. Nienna, watching Silvia walk past her cell without stopping, frowned.

“Am I not eating?” she inquired in irritation. Silvia looked at her apologetically,

“Sorry, I was told not to serve you. I think someone else is bringing you food in a bit.” Nienna sighed grumpily, sinking back into the stone, cutout bench of her cell.

“Oh!” said Silvia suddenly. “I almost forgot! This will brighten you day!” She had the guard unlock Nienna’s cell and entered.

“What?” asked Nienna, eyeing the chains the Silvia held.

“Would you like a bath?”

 

***

 

Runa was watching the elven king again. She was scrubbed clean and her wounds bandaged. She even managed to clean her clothes quite respectably and they now hung dry and soft on her small shoulders.

A trip of the kitchens had almost resulted in discovery, but the soft rolls in her pocket were well worth the risk. The kitchens had been busy preparing a veritable feast, making Runa suspect some festival or ball was going to happen, and it had provided enough cover for a small figure such as herself to sneak in, steal food and slip out again.