NightmareMoon
☽ Mare Of The Moon ☾
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Dragon's Flame (IcyOwl & Varelyn Lux)
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NightmareMoon
☽ Mare Of The Moon ☾
Azul Nightstar
Azul couldn't remember a time where she was at peace. A moment where war, bloodshed, and greed ceased to exist. A time her kin's blood didn't stain Middle-Earth's soil. She was the last of the Starsong clan, a tribe of dragon-shifters in the Far East. Azul was aware her Kin-dragons were different, twisted by the will of Morgorth. Her clan, on the other hand, desired peace. Unfortunately, her Kin-dragons led to the destruction of her clan. Due to their treachery, other species assumed her clan were monsters, full of violence and greed, and slain them. Despite her gut-wrenching pain, she couldn't begrudge them for their hate nor blame them for their slaughter. No, the blame was on her Kin-dragons and the evil that twisted them. That moment, after her clan's downfall, Azul swore an oath to Eru. She vowed to protect Arda with all her might. As a shapeshifter, she possessed many forms. Elf, man, dwarf, hobbit, and of course, dragon. Throughout history, she became a legend in many cultures, earning the title, Protector Of The Weak. Tales were spun from her battles. Songs were crafted in her honor. At some point, she was considered a fable of the old world, except with elves, the immortal species of Arda and orcs, one of the most malevolent creatures concocted. Several darkened species trembled with fear once her name was mentioned. She slaughtered thousands of vicious creatures, ranging from orcs to wargs to dragons. Murdering her own kind should instill guilt, but she felt no remorse eradicating her brethren. They were vile, full of greed and wickedness. Her allegiance belonged to her protected, not her Kin-dragons. After the death of her twin brother, Liorenth, Azul swore vengeance.
During the third age, Azul grown tired of everlasting wars, battles, and heartache. She longed for peace she could no longer remember and desired love she always dreamed of. After wandering for centuries, she settled between The Shire and Bree, residing in the infamous Old Forest. Not even rangers dared venture in her home. Perhaps, she should of returned to her homeland in the Far East, but the Old Forest became her personal sanctuary. Down the road, Azul encountered a skinchanger poisoned by an orc's arrow. Despite being a warrior, she was well-versed with medicine. She manged to save the skinchanger, or Aerilyn, but she never anticipated her acquaintance staying. Somehow, against all odds, her hawk-like companion joined her in her sanctuary. Surprisingly, she enjoyed Aerilyn's company. She might be mortal, but she proven to be a valuable comrade.
Sounds of booming thunder and crackling lightning conquered the heavens. Heavy rain pelted the ground, saturating her forest terrain. Azul adjusted her water resistant cloak, venturing deeper and deeper in the forest. A few hours ago, she left her forest cottage. From time to time, she hunted and traded most of her kills in Bree. Providing Bree additional food became a norm. There, they know her by her Westron name, Zarina Trueheart. However, a heavy shower interrupted her hunting, forcing her to retreat. She caught several rabbits in her traps and managed to take down a buck, but that was it. Regardless of her dragon heritage, it would be foolish traveling in heavy rainfall. Her kills needed to be gutted, skinned, and stripped.
"-don't think it's a good idea-"
Her dragon-like senses were stronger than most, enabling her to detect faint scents in the heavy rainstorm. A threatening growl escaped her lips. Her golden-blue hues flashed an luminescent cobalt blue. She didn't tolerate intruders or free-loaders. She emerged from a thicket of trees, approaching her cottage. She spotted a small group near her gates, in front of her homely cabin. "I do not tolerate trespassers on my land," Azul hissed. Her soft, husky voice boomed, piercing through the crackling lightning. She scanned the group, recognizing many to be Dwarrow, including a Halfling. If the situation were different, she might of laughed. A hobbit in the midst of dwarves was a peculiar sight.
A tall cloaked figure carrying a staff stepped forward. "We seek refuge, Zarina," Gandalf announced.
Recognition flickered across her heterochromic eyes. "Olórin," Azul acknowledged. A frown marred her lips. "You dare bring Dwarrow, including a Halfling, when the skies are howling?" she drawled coolly. She removed the buck from her shoulders and dropped it. She stood at an intimidating six foot four, surpassing Gandalf by a few inches. Due to her fluctuating heights, she built her cottage tall to withstand her shapeshifting capabilities.
Gandalf inclined his head respectively, knowing better than to enrage his old friend. "These are troubling times, old friend. I would not acquire your hospitality if the situation weren't dire," he declared.
Azul pursed her lips. She averted her gaze, spotting the Halfling near Gandalf. His small frame was shivering violently, his pitiful cloak failing to shield him. Her heart clenched at the sight. She grown fond of hobbits. They were pleasant creatures. Simple, but kind. Even if they were notorious burglars. They cared not for riches or bloodshed, but food and laughter. Unbeknownst to the hobbits inhabiting The Shire, she protected the land from wolves. A few minutes later, Azul hoisted her buck on her shoulders and gestured to her cottage. "The fire was lit before I left. It will be warm inside," she explained. It was her way granting entrance. Without another word, she pivoted to her right and moved closer to her cabin. She opened the door, entered, and wandered to her kitchen-like area. With the skies crying, it was too wet to prepare her kills outside. Azul lowered her hood, revealing her dark wine red hair and fair skin. Her fishtail braid was messy, parts unwound from her excursion. She plopped her deer on a large chopping block. She retrieved her hares from her belt, a total of seven, and placed them on a nearby wooden table. She removed her cloak and draped it over a chair.
"What brings you here, Olórin?" Azul inquired. She glanced at a nearby window. "My home is deep within this forest, too deep for wanderers. Why trek through a terrain not even rangers dare venture forth in?" she pointed out. She brandished a long dagger and started preparing her venison.
Earlier That Moment...
Gandalf halted the company outside the entry way leading into the Old Forest. A frown marred his lips. He knew what lived in the woods, hearing the tales spun by man. However, he wasn't certain if she would help them or not. Many years have passed since she graced the lands with her presence. Hours passed since they departed from Bree. During their travels, a heavy rainstorm hit. Howling winds and relentless rain made their journey grueling and arduous. Thorin insisted continuing, but others desired shelter, especially a certain burglar.
"Gandalf? Why have we stopped?" Bilbo questioned, confusion evident on his face. He struggled staring at the old wizard, but the rain inhibited his vision.
"We have one more person to add to our company, one I realize may help even the odds more," Gandalf explained cautiously, eyeing the hobbit and others.
Thorin glowered at the wizard. "And who may this person be Wizard? Another halfling or will it be a man?" he remarked.
"Neither here nor there, but I assure you...they will be needed on this quest. Without them, the chances of death are higher," Gandalf urged.
Balin glanced at his friend and king. "We best do as he says Thorin. We should never go against a wizard's instance," he advised in their native tongue.
Dwalin, who stood next to Balin, snorted. "It couldn't be worse than the burglar," he commented snidely.
Thorin glanced at his company. A few minutes later, he relented. "Fine," he growled. He averted his attention to Gandalf. "Lead the way Wizard, but this better not be a ruse or delay," he warned. He flashed Gandalf a disapproving glare and urged his horse to move forward, heading towards the pathway.
Bilbo paled, realizing their destination. "Gandalf! We cannot go in there!" he spluttered. "The Old Forest is cursed!" he added.
The others traded looks with each other before staring at the fretting Halfling. Cursed? How could a forest be cursed?
"What do you mean by cursed?" Ori inquired timidly, eyeing the forest cautiously.
"Are you leading us into a cursed forest in this weather?" Nori added.
"What is the meaning of this wizard?" Dori yelled, outraged.
"Enough! We do not have time for pettiness," Gandalf snapped.
Bofur averted his attention to Bilbo. "Why is this forest cursed?" he questioned, causing all to fall silent and turn in the sputtering Halfling's direction.
Bilbo swallowed thickly. "There's a creature that lives in the depths of this forest land, one even elves don't go near. The animals are wary and our own don't dare look at the forest. Those who go in don't come out," he explained.
Gandalf snorted in response. "I can assure you we will be safe. No harm will fall upon us, Bilbo," he called over his shoulder as he pushed his horse forward. Despite his assurance, a sense of dread settled inside his stomach. His old friend was a peaceful soul, but her temper was legendary.
"How do you know whatever lurks inside these woods won't attack us?" Dwalin demanded as they followed the wizard inside, each Dwarrow with a weapon in their hand. Ready to stand guard and attack.
"I don't," Gandalf replied truthfully.
- Important Information
-
Read the following information carefully:
Default: Dialogue with no bold, underline, and italics are words spoken in Westron. (Common Tongue.)
Bold Underline: Words spoken in Khuzdul. (Dwarrow Mother Tongue.)
Bold Underline Italics: Words spoken in Sindarin. (Elvish Mother Tongue.)
Bold: When dialogue is bolded, including double arrows replacing quotations, words are spoken in Dovahzul. (Dragon Mother Tongue.)
Dwarrow: Plural for Dwarf.
Warning(s):
I.) I'll be using online translators or sources for languages.
II. Despite my post mentioning Azul in my paragraphs, Thorin & Co. aren't aware of her true name. They'll know her as Zarina. (I may or may not include Azul's Westron alias in my paragraphs, or non-dialogue sections.)
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Varelyn Lux
New Member
It had been several days prior to the downpour of rain that Aerilyn had sensed the storm coming. She had been sleeping peacefully next to Azul and her warmth when she was woken by what sounded like the cries of Orc's. The sound had caused her to shoot up and get into a defensive pose, and in doing so, she failed to notice that her foot was caught on the sheets. She'd fallen out of the bed as a result of her movements, and the thud of her impact with the floor seemed to echo in the room while she had groaned unhappily and rubbed her shoulder. Even after so many moons had passed since she'd been shot with the arrow, the wound still ached and would occasionally ooze a black liquid. She had no clue what the liquid was, but there was never much of the foul stuff, and she usually just wiped it off and applied a soothing salve to make the swelling go down.
After recovering from her fall, she had focused her eyes on the room to try to find the source of the sound. It turned out that it was one of the crows that occasionally decided to perch on the house. The crow spoke softly to her and had shuffled his feathers around while his eyes focused upon hers.
' There is a storm coming Aerilyn '
' A What? '
' A storm. It's coming from the east and should last a few suns. '
' Ah. Well that would explain why I've been feeling strange lately. Thank you for the warning. '
After their conversation had ended, she had opened the window after stepping on a wooden chest that held all sorts of blankets and furs for when the weather took a turn for the worse. The sky was blue above the trees but there was something off about the air and the fact that she could hear the many voices of birds twittering away about the incoming storm and whether or not they should fortify their nests. His objective complete, the crow had prepared to take off, but looked to Aerilyn as if waiting for something. Her eyes had met his through a side glance and she had moved her fingers through his feathers to remove little specs of dirt and scratch itchy places.
Present
Aerilyn had woken just as the sky started to lighten, and she rubbed the crusty remnants of sleep from her eyes as she shuffled into the washroom. Pouring some water from a pitcher into a basin, she cupped it and brought it up to her face. After she had done her morning routine, it was her job to do some tidying up around the cottage and do a little hunting. If she remembered correctly, Azul had mentioned that she intended on doing a little hunting for the people of Bree, and had tasked Aerilyn with getting the food for their supper.
The skinchanger was in no place to argue, and it wasn't like she wanted to. Hunting was one of her favorite things to do, and was something she was good at. She could cook, clean, hunt, carve wood, and do a few other things very well; but heaven forbid you ask her to write something. Her script looked like a drunkard had been scribbling, and it was definitely a sore subject. Heaving a sigh as she finished washing her face, she tamed her chestnut colored locks into a decent looking ponytail and cleaned her teeth. The rest of her routine didn't take much longer to complete, and once she was finished, she donned a pair of well worn brown trousers, leather boots, and an auburn tunic that was belted around the middle. The garment was also open in the back because ever since she'd been shot with that arrow, she'd sometimes get stuck when she tried to shift back from her hawk form. It left her with wings on her back, and just having slits in the back of the tunic ended up being way too uncomfortable; so the second time it happened she just cut open the back and didn't have any problems after that.
Leaving the cottage with Azul's ' gathering list ' tucked into a leather pouch that was attached to her belt, she walked through the trees to get what they needed. Most of her day that followed her leaving the cottage was spent gathering wild herbs, repairing traps, freeing birds that got stuck in the muck and weren't able to get themselves out, and mapping out areas that would be good for hunting. She couldn't hunt in the areas near the traps since it would scare away the animals, and she couldn't hunt where she could hear the sounds of Azul moving through the trees; so she settled for perching high up in a tree and waiting for the perfect opportunities to strike. Today those opportunities were many, and just as she was about to throw another of her knives at an unsuspecting rabbit, her sensitive ears picked up the sound of hooves trudging through the mud.
The sound of hooves by itself was suspicious, since in the time she'd been living with Azul they rarely if ever got visitors. Adding in the sound of grumbled and annoyed voices to the sound of hooves cemented the idea that Azul was not going to be happy. Looking down at the ground, she cursed softly when she saw that the rabbit had fled upon hearing the hooves. Not all was lost though, because a little distance away was a wild boar and it had been a while since they'd had one of those. Slowly making her way through the trees and being careful of the wet spots, she stopped right above the boar and readied her throwing knives. Taking down the beast took the entire duration of Azul talking to the visitors and allowing them into their home. Boars were notorious for getting more aggressive if you injured them, and killing them was usually a chore; but it made the meat all the more satisfying.
Cleaning the blood off her throwing knives and double checking that the boar had breathed its last, she put everything back into her weapon pouch and shed her clothing. Being a skinchanger definitely had its setbacks if you needed to shift your form, because your clothes ended up shredded and unusable for anything except spare cloth. Tucking her clothes into a tree hollow next to a happily slumbering owl, she tied the rabbits together on a string and then shifted her forms. Picking up the boar with her clawed feet, she grabbed the string of rabbits in her mouth and took off through the trees. Being such a large animal made moving through the trees a difficult task, and this time she had the added weight of the boar, so she had to be more careful than ever not to run into anything.
Luckily the trip was a relatively short one and as soon as she got close enough to the cottage she let the boar go and it landed near the front door with a wet plop. The plop was followed by the quieter thump of the rabbits landing on top of the furry beast. Emitting a shrill cry that moved with the wind and carried through the trees, she headed back to where her clothes were. The sound was meant for Azul, to let her know that her hunt had been successful, and that she'd return momentarily.
The Dwarves
If they were being perfectly honest, the dwarves were incredibly happy that the woman had allowed them into her home. The last few hours had not been what one would call fun and every single one of them was soaked down to their underclothes. As soon as all of them had filed into the house, the first thing they had done was shed their outer layers and put them near the fire to dry.
" So Gandalf, how do you know this woman? "
Kili had stripped out of his layers faster than some of the other dwarves and was now warming his hands near the flames.
" Well Master Dwarf, our host and I have made acquaintance more than once over the years, but that is all I can really say. "
The beardless brunette heard a chorus of ' Wizards and their secrets ' mumbled throughout the company, and he looked over to his brother who was still taking various weapons from places he didn't even know you could hide them. If the wizard wasn't going to answer the question and was merely going to dodge it, he was just going to ask their host directly.
" How is it that you know Gandalf? "
As usual, he was very blunt and to the point, but before he could listen for an answer, he heard what sounded like wings coming from outside.
" Fili, do you hear that? "
" I do. What do you suppose it is? It sounds too big to be a normal bird. "
A wet thump was heard outside after the sound of wings got even louder, and if the thump hadn't gotten everyone's attention, the ear piercing shriek that filled the air certainly did.
" What in Mahal's name was that?! "
Everyone except for Gandalf and Oin had covered their ears, and once Kili recovered, he wrenched open the door and stared at the dead boar and the rabbits, then looked up at the sky. Whatever it was that left them in front of the door had also spooked the ponies. The fuzzy creatures were tugging a little on the ropes holding them to the trees and they nickered while stomping their hooves.
" Those definitely weren't there when we arrived. I would've seen them. "
" I'm pretty sure nobody could've missed that, even had they been blind. "
Bofur chuckled and Kili nudged the hat wearing dwarf before turning his focus to their host. The young and beardless dwarf tilted his head up after he walked in his wet and muddy boots over to where Azul was preparing the venison.
" Would you mind cluing us in on why there is a dead boar outside that seems to have just fallen out of the sky? "
He tried not to focus too much on the eyes of their host, because they were very unusual and he was having a hard time drawing his attention from them.
After recovering from her fall, she had focused her eyes on the room to try to find the source of the sound. It turned out that it was one of the crows that occasionally decided to perch on the house. The crow spoke softly to her and had shuffled his feathers around while his eyes focused upon hers.
' There is a storm coming Aerilyn '
' A What? '
' A storm. It's coming from the east and should last a few suns. '
' Ah. Well that would explain why I've been feeling strange lately. Thank you for the warning. '
After their conversation had ended, she had opened the window after stepping on a wooden chest that held all sorts of blankets and furs for when the weather took a turn for the worse. The sky was blue above the trees but there was something off about the air and the fact that she could hear the many voices of birds twittering away about the incoming storm and whether or not they should fortify their nests. His objective complete, the crow had prepared to take off, but looked to Aerilyn as if waiting for something. Her eyes had met his through a side glance and she had moved her fingers through his feathers to remove little specs of dirt and scratch itchy places.
Present
Aerilyn had woken just as the sky started to lighten, and she rubbed the crusty remnants of sleep from her eyes as she shuffled into the washroom. Pouring some water from a pitcher into a basin, she cupped it and brought it up to her face. After she had done her morning routine, it was her job to do some tidying up around the cottage and do a little hunting. If she remembered correctly, Azul had mentioned that she intended on doing a little hunting for the people of Bree, and had tasked Aerilyn with getting the food for their supper.
The skinchanger was in no place to argue, and it wasn't like she wanted to. Hunting was one of her favorite things to do, and was something she was good at. She could cook, clean, hunt, carve wood, and do a few other things very well; but heaven forbid you ask her to write something. Her script looked like a drunkard had been scribbling, and it was definitely a sore subject. Heaving a sigh as she finished washing her face, she tamed her chestnut colored locks into a decent looking ponytail and cleaned her teeth. The rest of her routine didn't take much longer to complete, and once she was finished, she donned a pair of well worn brown trousers, leather boots, and an auburn tunic that was belted around the middle. The garment was also open in the back because ever since she'd been shot with that arrow, she'd sometimes get stuck when she tried to shift back from her hawk form. It left her with wings on her back, and just having slits in the back of the tunic ended up being way too uncomfortable; so the second time it happened she just cut open the back and didn't have any problems after that.
Leaving the cottage with Azul's ' gathering list ' tucked into a leather pouch that was attached to her belt, she walked through the trees to get what they needed. Most of her day that followed her leaving the cottage was spent gathering wild herbs, repairing traps, freeing birds that got stuck in the muck and weren't able to get themselves out, and mapping out areas that would be good for hunting. She couldn't hunt in the areas near the traps since it would scare away the animals, and she couldn't hunt where she could hear the sounds of Azul moving through the trees; so she settled for perching high up in a tree and waiting for the perfect opportunities to strike. Today those opportunities were many, and just as she was about to throw another of her knives at an unsuspecting rabbit, her sensitive ears picked up the sound of hooves trudging through the mud.
The sound of hooves by itself was suspicious, since in the time she'd been living with Azul they rarely if ever got visitors. Adding in the sound of grumbled and annoyed voices to the sound of hooves cemented the idea that Azul was not going to be happy. Looking down at the ground, she cursed softly when she saw that the rabbit had fled upon hearing the hooves. Not all was lost though, because a little distance away was a wild boar and it had been a while since they'd had one of those. Slowly making her way through the trees and being careful of the wet spots, she stopped right above the boar and readied her throwing knives. Taking down the beast took the entire duration of Azul talking to the visitors and allowing them into their home. Boars were notorious for getting more aggressive if you injured them, and killing them was usually a chore; but it made the meat all the more satisfying.
Cleaning the blood off her throwing knives and double checking that the boar had breathed its last, she put everything back into her weapon pouch and shed her clothing. Being a skinchanger definitely had its setbacks if you needed to shift your form, because your clothes ended up shredded and unusable for anything except spare cloth. Tucking her clothes into a tree hollow next to a happily slumbering owl, she tied the rabbits together on a string and then shifted her forms. Picking up the boar with her clawed feet, she grabbed the string of rabbits in her mouth and took off through the trees. Being such a large animal made moving through the trees a difficult task, and this time she had the added weight of the boar, so she had to be more careful than ever not to run into anything.
Luckily the trip was a relatively short one and as soon as she got close enough to the cottage she let the boar go and it landed near the front door with a wet plop. The plop was followed by the quieter thump of the rabbits landing on top of the furry beast. Emitting a shrill cry that moved with the wind and carried through the trees, she headed back to where her clothes were. The sound was meant for Azul, to let her know that her hunt had been successful, and that she'd return momentarily.
The Dwarves
If they were being perfectly honest, the dwarves were incredibly happy that the woman had allowed them into her home. The last few hours had not been what one would call fun and every single one of them was soaked down to their underclothes. As soon as all of them had filed into the house, the first thing they had done was shed their outer layers and put them near the fire to dry.
" So Gandalf, how do you know this woman? "
Kili had stripped out of his layers faster than some of the other dwarves and was now warming his hands near the flames.
" Well Master Dwarf, our host and I have made acquaintance more than once over the years, but that is all I can really say. "
The beardless brunette heard a chorus of ' Wizards and their secrets ' mumbled throughout the company, and he looked over to his brother who was still taking various weapons from places he didn't even know you could hide them. If the wizard wasn't going to answer the question and was merely going to dodge it, he was just going to ask their host directly.
" How is it that you know Gandalf? "
As usual, he was very blunt and to the point, but before he could listen for an answer, he heard what sounded like wings coming from outside.
" Fili, do you hear that? "
" I do. What do you suppose it is? It sounds too big to be a normal bird. "
A wet thump was heard outside after the sound of wings got even louder, and if the thump hadn't gotten everyone's attention, the ear piercing shriek that filled the air certainly did.
" What in Mahal's name was that?! "
Everyone except for Gandalf and Oin had covered their ears, and once Kili recovered, he wrenched open the door and stared at the dead boar and the rabbits, then looked up at the sky. Whatever it was that left them in front of the door had also spooked the ponies. The fuzzy creatures were tugging a little on the ropes holding them to the trees and they nickered while stomping their hooves.
" Those definitely weren't there when we arrived. I would've seen them. "
" I'm pretty sure nobody could've missed that, even had they been blind. "
Bofur chuckled and Kili nudged the hat wearing dwarf before turning his focus to their host. The young and beardless dwarf tilted his head up after he walked in his wet and muddy boots over to where Azul was preparing the venison.
" Would you mind cluing us in on why there is a dead boar outside that seems to have just fallen out of the sky? "
He tried not to focus too much on the eyes of their host, because they were very unusual and he was having a hard time drawing his attention from them.
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NightmareMoon
☽ Mare Of The Moon ☾
Azul Nightstar
"How is it you know Gandalf?"
Azul continued preparing her venison, maintaining her gaze on her soon-to-be meal. Her lips curled in response, hearing Gandalf's vague message. "Always the riddles," she commented. She lifted her head, staring at Kili. He was young, far younger than his company. She recognized his Durin blood. The features were unmistakable. Instead of prying, she focused removing the deer skin from her carcass. Answers would be revealed in time. "We met long ago, Master Dwarf. On a quest, much like you. Long before I claimed this forest as my home," Azul explained. Her answer wasn't extensive, but it was good enough. At least, better than Gandalf's. Suddenly, an ear-splitting screech pierced through the booming thunder, followed by a distinct thump outside her front door. A flicker of amusement flashed across her golden-blue hues. Ahkropus lokraan, Azul muttered in her mother tongue. She wiped her dagger clean with a cloth, sheathed it, and abandoned her post.
"Would you mind cluing us in on why there is a dead boar outside that seems to have just fallen out of the sky?"
She maneuvered around Kili and approached her front door. Without a word, she hoisted the boar on her shoulder and retrieved the fallen hares. "I am not alone here, Master Dwarf," Azul pointed out bluntly. She turned around and returned to her post. She dropped the boar on a table near her chopping block. She shifted and plopped the rabbits on her pile of hares.
Gandalf arched an eyebrow. "An acquaintance?" he assumed.
Azul brandished her dagger and resumed skinning her buck. "Things have changed since our last encounter, Olórin. Many things," she replied. Similar to Gandalf, her answer was vague. A few minutes later, she finished skinning, gutting, and stripping her carcass clean. She placed the raw meat on the side, set for cooking, and focused her attention on the dead boar. Her movements were precise, hinting her experience. "What is your request?" she demanded bluntly. It didn't take much to put two and two together. Her old friend wanted something from her.
Gandalf shifted under the dragon-shifter's scrutinizing gaze. "Can't an old friend stop by? I have not seen you for many years," he replied evasively.
She scanned her sitting room, inspecting each dwarf, including the hobbit. She lifted her blade and pointed it at Gandalf, as if pointing her finger. "Enough stalling, Wizard. You have ventured deep in this forest, too deep for a friendly visit. You bring Dwarrow with you and Durin, nonetheless. Even a Halfling," Azul deadpanned, gesturing to Bilbo, who huddled in front of her fireplace. She lowered her dagger and continued butchering her boar. She was grateful for her friend's contribution. A buck and few rabbits wouldn't be enough to feed a company of Dwarrow, including a hobbit. She made a mental note to fetch the Halfling a water-resistant cloak. His current outwear was pitiful against the howling rainstorm.
Thorin stepped forward, interrupting Gandalf, who attempted to speak. "I am Thorin, son of Thráin, king under the mountain," he announced, refusing to flinch at her steely gaze.
"You look much like Durin. I know of Thrór, however," Azul commented. She eyed Kili and Fili, recognizing the familial resemblance. "These are your nephews, I presume?" she added.
He inclined his head. "Aye," Thorin replied gruffly.
"We are on a quest. A quest to reclaim Erebor," Gandalf interjected. He detected his old friend's simmering anger. Regardless of her title and unprejudiced behavior against most races, she was not happy hosting a company of Dwarrow, including a hobbit. He would not fault her for her fury. Facing the wrath of a dragon-shifter was something he hoped to avoid.
Azul froze. "Smaug," she snarled, hearing the tales of Thrór's greed leading to attracting Smaug, one of the last great fire drakes. Thrór alone could be blamed for the desolation of Dale, but pointing fingers was useless. She gnashed her teeth, suppressing a growl. Thinking of the insolent dragon made her blood boil. Flashes of her brother's mangled corpse, including his mate, surfaced inside her mind, reminding her of her long forgotten vendetta. She breathed in deeply and exhaled through her nostrils, regaining her composure. "Long have I grown weary of war and bloodshed, Olórin. I ventured in the Old for peace, not to be recruited by a Wizard and his band of misfits," she deadpanned. Thorin bristled at her comment, but remained silent. "However-" she removed the last strip of meat from the boar's carcass and draped it over her pile of raw pork. After preparing the boar, she started skinning, gutting, and stripping her hares. "-I will make an exception. You have my blade," Azul declared, consenting. It has been years since she joined a quest, but it didn't mean she was out of practice.
Gandalf lowered his head respectively. "Welcome to our company, Zarina Trueheart," he acknowledged formally.
"We have Gandalf to help slay the dragon! We do not need a woman on this quest!" Glóin protested, slamming his hand on the table. "It is bad luck to bring her. We cannot guarantee her safety," he pointed out.
Balin hummed. "Aye, he has a point. Woman of any race should be protected. Mahal will strike us down if she dies," he warned.
Azul brandished a hidden dagger and stabbed it on her chopping block. It glinted underneath the soft glow emitting from her fireplace. "I assure you I am more than capable protecting myself, Master Dwarf," she assured.
"W-what kind of blade is that?" Bilbo inquired, inspecting the blood-splattered dagger.
She glanced at the Halfling. "The blade is ash and Mithril and the hilt is dragon claw infused with wood," Azul elaborated flippantly. She retrieved a cloth and wiped her dragon dagger. "Most of my weapons are forged with the same combination," she continued.
Her comment garnered looks of disbelief. "Dragon...how many have you killed?" Ori stammered.
Her lips twitched, forming into a smirk. "Many, Master Dwarf," Azul revealed. She sheathed her dagger and resumed preparing her hares. Minutes later, she finished skinning, gutting, and stripping all her rabbits, including the spares provided by Aerilyn. Her feather-friend wasn't the only soul who cooked and cleaned. She assumed Aerilyn would join them shortly. For a moment, she wondered if her feather-companion would insist joining their quest to Erebor. Reclaiming the lost kingdom inhabited by Smaug would be dangerous, almost suicidal. "Since the First Age," she supplied.
His eyes narrowed in response. "What are you?" Thorin demanded. Not many creatures roamed the lands since the First Age. She was not a witch nor an elf.
"A shape-shifter," Azul countered bluntly. She averted her attention to Thorin. "I promise thee, Thorin, son of Thráin and king under the mountain, I will do everything I can to aid thee to vanquish Smaug," she vowed. She inclined her head respectively, acknowledging his status. Azul picked up a strip of meat and started seasoning it, preparing it for cooking. She decided to implement all the rabbit meat in a large pot of stew. The venison and pork would be cooked separately. She inspected a nearby window, assessing the weather outside. Rain continued pelting the ground, followed by howling winds and raging thunder. Not the best traveling conditions. Based from their state, Azul assumed Thorin and his company journeyed a long way. Whether she liked it or not, they needed rest.
- Important Information
-
Read the following information carefully:
Translation(s):
Ahkropus Lokraan : Dovahzul for, "Sneaky Bird".
Additional Important Information:
Default: Dialogue with no bold, underline, and italics are words spoken in Westron. (Common Tongue.)
Bold Underline: Words spoken in Khuzdul. (Dwarrow Mother Tongue.)
Bold Underline Italics: Words spoken in Sindarin. (Elvish Mother Tongue.)
Bold: When dialogue is bolded, including double arrows replacing quotations, words are spoken in Dovahzul. (Dragon Mother Tongue.)
Dwarrow: Plural for Dwarf.
Warning(s):
I.) I'll be using online translators or sources for languages.
II. Despite my post mentioning Azul in my paragraphs, Thorin & Co. aren't aware of her true name. They'll know her as Zarina. (I may or may not include Azul's Westron alias in my paragraphs, or non-dialogue sections.)
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Varelyn Lux
New Member
When Aerilyn returned to her clothes, her wings were completely waterlogged so she had to hop the last few feet to the tree where her clothes were. Shaking out her wings a few times, her form blurred slightly and a squawk like sound of pain emitted from her as she felt herself getting stuck. If she ever found the orc's that did this to her there was going to be hell to pay. That she could promise.
Taking a few painful and shuttering breaths, she finally managed to force the complete change, and the still not completely healed arrow wound in her shoulder started to ooze black liquid and blood. Glaring at the wound, she gathered her clothes and gave the now partially awake owl a little rub before putting her garments on and headed back to the house. She could hear lively chatter coming from inside and she arrived just as Azul told their guests that she was a shapeshifter. Was the dragon talking about herself, or Aerilyn? Either way, it would most likely only cause confusion if she asked, so she headed towards the front door, only to find it open.
" Hasn't anyone taught dwarves manners? It's rude to leave someone's front door open. Especially during a storm this bad. "
The brunette dwarf who still had his hand on the door handle opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. This process repeated several times before his brother gave him a hard nudge and he snapped out of it.
" Sorry, I was just focused on what Zarina, Gandalf, and Uncle were talking about and I completely forgot. "
" Well stop standing there like a buffoon and close the door. We aren't trying to heat the whole forest. "
Fili busted into laughter along with the rest of the dwarves and Kili tried to glare at them; but only succeeded in looking like a kicked puppy.
" I like this girl. "
After Aerilyn came inside and the door was closed, all the laughter stopped as soon as they saw the dark splotch on her tunic near her shoulder, and the lash like marks on her back that were a result of her having to force her transformation.
" Did someone beat you lass? "
Aerilyn turned her pale eyes to a kind looking dwarf with a white beard and offered him a small smile.
" No, but it does feel like it sometimes. "
" Well if they aren't the result of a beating, then what are they? "
" Kili! "
" It's a valid question! I like to know what I'm dealing with and whether something can kill me or not. "
" There are many things that can kill you master dwarf, and some of them are what you least expect. "
Gandalf chuckled as he lit his pipe. The dwarves finally started to settle in after that comment and fanned out across the cottage while they went about checking on their supplies. Some of it would need to be replaced, but it seemed like the majority of it could be salvaged. While they were distracted, Aerilyn went up to Azul and put the herb pouch on the counter before rubbing her aching shoulder.
" I'm going to go and put some salve on my shoulder and get out of these wet clothes, then I'll be back to help prepare the meal. "
Heading into a different part of the cottage and remaining oblivious to the eyes of the wizard and one other on her, she changed her clothes and applied a white salve to her wound. Luckily this one didn't sting, but it did cause her to shiver a little when the warm paste made contact with her cold skin.
" Is there anything that I can do Zarina? I'm pretty handy with a knife. "
" I think you should let Bombur help them lad. You might have been trained well by your uncle, but your chopping skills could use a little work. "
" Come on Dwalin! That was one time, and I wasn't even half bad! "
" Half bad? You nearly chopped poor Bombur's cutting board in half when you got mad at a potato! "
" Like I said, that was one time. "
The young dwarf crossed his arms over his chest and puffed himself up to make himself look big compared to the taller and bigger Dwalin.
" Give it a rest lad and go with your brother to help dry off the supplies. "
Giving the taller dwarf a look that said ' this isn't over ', he walked over to a chuckling Fili to help the hobbit. He could be useful. He'd show them.
After the little tiff between the dwarves, Aerilyn came back and put her hair back up in ponytail so she could start helping with the cooking.
" Ah, s'cuse me. "
She felt a gentle tap from a dwarf who was a few inches shorter than her and had an impressive beard that was braided and hung down past his large belly.
" Can I help you with the cooking? "
" Sure! I've heard that dwarves have big appetite's and wouldn't mind having some assistance. "
Offering the rather large dwarf a kind smile, she handed him a basket of apples to help her peel and chop. Azul had dinner pretty much covered, so she was going to work on dessert.
Taking a few painful and shuttering breaths, she finally managed to force the complete change, and the still not completely healed arrow wound in her shoulder started to ooze black liquid and blood. Glaring at the wound, she gathered her clothes and gave the now partially awake owl a little rub before putting her garments on and headed back to the house. She could hear lively chatter coming from inside and she arrived just as Azul told their guests that she was a shapeshifter. Was the dragon talking about herself, or Aerilyn? Either way, it would most likely only cause confusion if she asked, so she headed towards the front door, only to find it open.
" Hasn't anyone taught dwarves manners? It's rude to leave someone's front door open. Especially during a storm this bad. "
The brunette dwarf who still had his hand on the door handle opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. This process repeated several times before his brother gave him a hard nudge and he snapped out of it.
" Sorry, I was just focused on what Zarina, Gandalf, and Uncle were talking about and I completely forgot. "
" Well stop standing there like a buffoon and close the door. We aren't trying to heat the whole forest. "
Fili busted into laughter along with the rest of the dwarves and Kili tried to glare at them; but only succeeded in looking like a kicked puppy.
" I like this girl. "
After Aerilyn came inside and the door was closed, all the laughter stopped as soon as they saw the dark splotch on her tunic near her shoulder, and the lash like marks on her back that were a result of her having to force her transformation.
" Did someone beat you lass? "
Aerilyn turned her pale eyes to a kind looking dwarf with a white beard and offered him a small smile.
" No, but it does feel like it sometimes. "
" Well if they aren't the result of a beating, then what are they? "
" Kili! "
" It's a valid question! I like to know what I'm dealing with and whether something can kill me or not. "
" There are many things that can kill you master dwarf, and some of them are what you least expect. "
Gandalf chuckled as he lit his pipe. The dwarves finally started to settle in after that comment and fanned out across the cottage while they went about checking on their supplies. Some of it would need to be replaced, but it seemed like the majority of it could be salvaged. While they were distracted, Aerilyn went up to Azul and put the herb pouch on the counter before rubbing her aching shoulder.
" I'm going to go and put some salve on my shoulder and get out of these wet clothes, then I'll be back to help prepare the meal. "
Heading into a different part of the cottage and remaining oblivious to the eyes of the wizard and one other on her, she changed her clothes and applied a white salve to her wound. Luckily this one didn't sting, but it did cause her to shiver a little when the warm paste made contact with her cold skin.
" Is there anything that I can do Zarina? I'm pretty handy with a knife. "
" I think you should let Bombur help them lad. You might have been trained well by your uncle, but your chopping skills could use a little work. "
" Come on Dwalin! That was one time, and I wasn't even half bad! "
" Half bad? You nearly chopped poor Bombur's cutting board in half when you got mad at a potato! "
" Like I said, that was one time. "
The young dwarf crossed his arms over his chest and puffed himself up to make himself look big compared to the taller and bigger Dwalin.
" Give it a rest lad and go with your brother to help dry off the supplies. "
Giving the taller dwarf a look that said ' this isn't over ', he walked over to a chuckling Fili to help the hobbit. He could be useful. He'd show them.
After the little tiff between the dwarves, Aerilyn came back and put her hair back up in ponytail so she could start helping with the cooking.
" Ah, s'cuse me. "
She felt a gentle tap from a dwarf who was a few inches shorter than her and had an impressive beard that was braided and hung down past his large belly.
" Can I help you with the cooking? "
" Sure! I've heard that dwarves have big appetite's and wouldn't mind having some assistance. "
Offering the rather large dwarf a kind smile, she handed him a basket of apples to help her peel and chop. Azul had dinner pretty much covered, so she was going to work on dessert.
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