A Tale of Time

Chapter 7: The Shield of Oak

Chapter 7: The Shield of Oak

The road leading away from the Shire is an easy one, leading across small streams and placid hills. And they cannot help but be pleased with the warm weather, blessing them with a sun that is only occasionally covered by small white clouds.

The initial chatter of the excited company dies down and they ride into a single file, spreading out along the plains. Gailien finds herself near the end, feeling more comfortable looking over the company than feeling their eyes on her back.

Kili has decided to stick with her, asking her questions about her past. Thankfully, the dwarf has the tact to stray from her elvish past, leaning more to her recent history. In return, Kili shares his and Fili's stories, which are more than entertaining to her ears. She nearly falls out of her saddle with laughter as Kili rags out his brother (who is thankfully out of earshot) for something reckless he did in his younger days.

Soon the first night comes close enough that Thorin calls for a camp to be made. They settle on the side of a large hill, a small concavity in the rock ledge providing cover for one half of the camp, leaving only the drop-off and the tracks to the open.

Gailien sets her own pack down at the back against the rocky wall, wanting to be nowhere near the edge. The others begin making a fire, setting out their own bedrolls. Bombur, the delegated chef, begins preparing food to be cooked over the fire. They have enough meat from the markets this morning for the next day or so, then some more dried meat to last longer but soon they will be required to hunt.

Kili is the bowman, with his short bow so Gailien assumes that he and maybe another dwarf will be the hunters while the others act as foragers. While a bow isn't her choice of weapon, Gailien does know how to set traps for smaller creatures and if given a bow, can use it well enough.

She lies her cloak down, adding another layer of padding to her bedroll. Without else much to do, she sits down, watching Bombur cook and the other dwarves occupy themselves. Kili and Fili set their own bedrolls a few steps away from her, making them the only dwarves to be sleeping anywhere near her.

She watches Fili with interest as he starts pulling a few knives from his person. One, two, three, four... All from hidden spots such as in his boots and internal pockets. He holds them up, using his sleeve to rub off invisible marks. He runs a finger across the edge on an angle, but even so, he slits a small bit of skin.

He lets out a quiet gasp, pulling his finger away to inspect it. A small pool of blood forms on the fingertip. Gailien snorts in amusement.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you even know how to use them," she remarks, leaning against the wall. Fili's gaze darts to her, not realising he had eyes on him. His cheeks warm a little, being caught in an amateurish mistake, but he holds himself up.

"Just sharper than I remember," he counters, hoping it sounds as witty as it did in his head. It seems to work as Gailien smiles, rolling her eyes. She glances over his body, not seeing anymore.

"How many do you have?" she questions. Fili smirks, twisting the knife in his hand.

"A fair few," he answers, feeling aware of the number of weapons currently stashed on his person. Kili joins the conversation.

"Sometimes he forgets he has them and then pokes himself when he reaches for something," the younger brother says, leaning over Fili to speak to the girl. Gailien chuckles at his words, causing Fili to blush even more. He smacks his brother's chest who also laughs at Fili's expense.

"You forget that you managed to shoot your own foot once," Fili counters, placing the knives back in their place. "I still don't know how you did it."