Ilèyn was angry.
Very angry.
That stupid hobbit, she would've loved to just slit him open but unfortunately she couldn't afford that much attention at the moment.
"This is not you business, I suppose.", she mimicked the hobbit, "If he only knew...", she grumbled.
Because of the less information she could get from Bilbo Baggins she now didn't know how to proceed. She could've guessed that there wasn't much to be gained from him but she really didn't dare to squeeze answers out of the wizard. Still, she didn't want to miss the bounty.
And when she had recently seen Gandalf the Gray with Thorin Oakenshield himself in one of Bree's inns, she had already started to follow his heels. When the dwarf king had settled alone in the inn, Ilèyn saw her chance and mingled with the guests.
She had done a better job with this than two of her like-minded people. As soon as she sat down on a corner bench in the inn, she immediately noticed an old friend. Bill Ferny Sr. the old scoundrel. A tall, brawny bald man, already blind on one eye. He owed Ilèyn enough money that she could change her clothes ten times and finally get some new arrows. But apparently the crook wasn't there alone. He had brought reinforcements with him, someone who was still completely unknown to Ilèyn. If the two were after Oakenshield too, it would be more difficult than Ilèyn had initially assumed.
So while she had been sitting there, forgetting her real goal because watching her competition, she noticed Bill and his companion get up and begin to make their way through the many guests to Oakenshield. If they managed to kill him, she could forget about the bounty. Quickly she was on her feet too. Not to kill Thorin, but to stop Bill and his partner. She was heading straight for the two of them when suddenly a man dressed in gray appeared in the inn and casually sat down next to Oakenshield. Ilèyn's gaze immediately darted to Bill, who had instantly retreated. He was out the door before she could react in any way.
"Gandalf.", she muttered to herself as she found a new place to sit. In the meantime she had become curious. Why did an Istar and a dwarf meet in one of the seediest taverns in all of Bree? Ilèyn realized that this was about much more than a simple bounty. Especially when the bearded old man and the dwarf king began to talk animatedly, Ilèyn knew that she had involuntarily become part of something bigger.
Something she could get off from at any time though. But that wasn't her intention at all. Finally there was something exciting happening.
Ilèyn saw a similar piece of ripped leather in the wizard's hands and knew that Thorin was now also informed about the reward on his head.
As little as she could do that evening, at least she had been able to follow the wizard to this point. But she slowly dared to doubt whether this had helped her with her project.She was still in the Shire, at least on the very edge of it. In the meantime it was getting dark. For the first time, Ilèyn was really lost with everything, not knowing what to do.
"Damn it.", she growled, took out the piece of leather on which the bounty was scrawled, tossed it to the ground and sat down on the shallow slope of a hill on the left side of the path.
For a moment she listened to the silence of the night.
It was useless. Maybe this was just too big for her.
If she returned to Bree now, she might get a few more jobs. It would take longer and not bring nearly as much money, but what was there another choice?
Just as she was leaving for Bree, she met a somber figure who seemed to be walking straight to where she was coming from.
When the two passed, that figure grumbled a curt greeting. In dwarfish. Ilèyn ignored the greeting and walked past the person without a word.
One moment.
Dwarfish?
Ilèyn whirled around and saw the dwarf disappear into the darkness.
No bounty hunter guaranteed, as natural as he marched around here. So what was he doing here with the hobbits in the Shire?
She heard him hum a song that she knew all too well until he was too far away and his voice was swallowed up by the silence.
This song.
Ilèyn had heard it before, somewhere.
It reminded her of the moments her father sang it. It always had a special meaning for her, especially since her father... well... Ilèyn hastily shook her head.
To think of her father or her mother... that was the wrong time for it.
This dwarf that she had just received must undoubtedly be in connection with Oakenshield. But in which one? She took a few steps back until she was back in front of the piece of leather that she had just been thrown away. She crouched down, took it in her hands, and looked at it.
Whether or not she could get to Oakenshield's head, this dwarf was up to something. And she would find out what it was. That the wizard is involved and wanted to hire a hobbit... and that armed dwarves are sneaking into the Shire... now things are starting to get really exciting.
With an adventurous grin, Ilèyn stuffed the leather into one of the countless pockets on her belt.
Perhaps she would still find a free room in an inn for that night, tomorrow she definitely had to be well rested.
On her way back to Bree, she softly sang the song, previously sung by her father, to herself.Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To seek our pale enchanted goldSee AlsoGolden Owl - NicJamesWulfe - RWBY [Archive of Our Own]A Late Night At The Gym - vecnawritesThelemagick Library - Liber DCCCLThe dwarves of yore made mighty spells
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep
In hollow halls beneath the fellsFor ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of swordOn silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sunFar over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To claim our long-forgotten goldGoblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold, where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elvesThe pines were roaring on the heights
The winds was moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with lightThe bells were ringing in the dale
And men looked up with faces pale
The dragon's ire, more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frailThe mountain smoked beneath the moon
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moonFar over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day
To win our harps and gold from himFar over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
