Chapter 9
Alric was not fond of job interviews. He had eventually learned how to fake his ass off. He practiced the smile, the answers that weren't lies or truth. He hadn't learned how to enjoy it though.
I thought I was finally free from damn interviews! Fine, I'll do it only for you Gandalf…but I won't like it.
Alric looked at the extremely powerful and wise wizard sitting across the smoldering fire. The conversation was going well overall. His deep frown and vigilant stance had softened. The icon had even brought out his famous pipe as he continued questioning Alric. The only thing wrong with the impromptu game of twenty questions was that all the questions were being repeated at great lengths.
"You serve no master but yourself?"
"Yes…once more; I unequivocally have never and will never be a minion."
A flash of humor could be seen flashing in the bright blue eyes beneath the brim of the wizard hat. It was gone so fast Alric couldn't be entirely sure he had seen it.
"And you have no ill for any of the races of Middle-earth."
This old goat! Is he doing this on purpose now? "No, I don't!"
oh, he is definitely smirking!
"…Including hunting and eating them? You seemed rather eager to consume your own."
Gandalf had recently moved away from the questions on his origins that Alric had stonewalled. Unfortunately, the new topic of his viability as a traveling partner was just as mind-numbing. He had given reassurance that he wasn't a murderous maniac repeatedly.
Gandalf seemed to finally be drawing his own conclusions.
Strangely it seems like my increasing frustration with the conversation reassured him somehow.
"How fascinating. I can detect no falsehood or touch of the dark taint that your kind should carry. You for all intents seem to be a free agent. You possess significant intelligence compared to other Trolls. It would seem Middle-earth may be home to a entirely new species of Troll."
Alric knew that he wasn't a new species if he even truly had a species with his Tithe powers. He didn't decide to naysay Gandalf's conjectures however.
"I see no reason to refuse your company. Your strength and wit are quite welcome if not your odor."
Alric froze; he knew his kind were rather repulsive smelling. He had been frequently bathing whenever he could to avoid it. It seemed with the length of the run and battle he had gone far too long without addressing the building BO.
" I may ne'…" Alric was cut off by an angry Dwarf bellowing.
"It will not be joining us! This is our sacred quest. I'd not see it besmirched by…"
"You wouldn't see it done at all! Not without help. Are you so blind to think you have the strength to be proud when a warrior of this strength offers you aid! Use that stone you call a head and think Thorin!" Gandalf returned the favor by cutting off the Dwarf with a thundering rebuke that seemed to grow louder and more oppressive by the line.
The two glared at each other hard.
I need popcorn for this drama.
"Well then now that all that is settled, I'd love some introductions. One big happy group and all." Alric decided to break the stare down with his charm and tact.
Both Thorin and Gandalf gave him a baffled look.
Alric stood and stretched. The wound in his side had stopped bleeding now but while the wound wasn't long it was deep enough that it might take a full day to heal even for Alric.
The two leaders didn't seem to know how to respond to my aggressively ignoring the tension. They stared at him with shock before Gandalf recovered with a rather mischievous grin.
"Ah yes." Gesturing with his pipe stem "This is Nori, Dori, Ori, Fili, Kili, Balin, Bofur, Bombur, Bilfur, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Thorin Oakenshield, and Bilbo Baggins."
Alric enjoyed the familiar faces. He had enjoyed the rowdy and bright personalities of the dwarves. They were irreverent, loud, and utterly loyal. Even Thorin, despite his flaws, cared for his kin. It wasn't until near the end of his sickness that he began to treat them poorly.
Most of the greetings were gruff, skeptical, or even a little fearful. It was Bilbo who stepped up.
"Alric, that wound in your side looks deep. We can try to…"
The friendly hobbit trailed off as he realized that there was very little he could do. Bandaging my massive torso would take a bed sheet not a bandage.
While the wound was more of an inconvenience than the mortal wound it would be on a smaller body. In addition to his size his natural Troll vitality added to the strengthening from the Tithes he had taken meant he was able to take quite a lot of damage before needing to be concerned.
"Thank you, Bilbo, I'm not worried about it. I'll heal up just fine."
Having assured the tiny gentleman Alric reached down toward him. The dwarves surged with protective concern as they hastily grabbed for iron.
Alric chose to ignore the panicking dwarves. He shot a side eye at Gandalf and Thorin to confirm they weren't reacting. They were watching but didn't object…yet. Before the Dwarves could fully react, Alric gently scooped up the hobbit. The little burglar gave a rather adorable "eek"
Alric knew Bilbo was a full-grown man with a character worthy of respect…but he couldn't help finding him rather childlike. He slowly and carefully placed the hobbit on his shoulder. To his credit he settled in and grabbed on without complaint. The Dwarves hesitated caught between charging me and reevaluating if I wanted halfling jam.
Alric stood and turned to Gandalf.
"I can still smell the direction the loose ponies bolted."
Surprisingly it was Thorin who responded.
"Fili. Kili. Go with…him and get the ponies."
(Bilbo POV)
The Troll…Alric, was still terrifying in the light of the morning. In fact, the light made blood from his wound and fight standout on his green skin. He seemed utterly surreal sitting in front of the campfire talking with Gandalf. Alric seemed to be a completely different person than the battle-crazed being that had swept in and attacked. He was polite and calm.
That stab wound looks bad. If that had hit me I'd have been impaled. It doesn't seem to even bother him…Terrifying.
Bilbo barely registered being introduced to the Troll. He was still trying to process the idea that Alric would be travelling with them. His mind latched on to the first thing it came up with to say. Bilbo cursed internally as he realized what had left his mouth made almost no sense. He couldn't bandage a Troll. What would he even use! The distraction cost him. He had no time to contest or maybe even run for the hills as a massive hand reached down and plucked him from the ground.
The belief that this was probably how he died left Bilbo surprisingly clear headed. He noted rather detachedly that the hand was being surprisingly gentle. His brain began rebooting as he began to rise higher and higher. And then, Bilbo was carefully deposited on one massive shoulder.
Bilbo felt the breath hitch in his lungs a second time as he saw the view from his new perch.
It's beautiful. Is this what being tall is like?
Bilbo vaguely made note of Alric mentioning they were going after the ponies. Then Alric began to move. Air gusted against Bilbos face as Alric set off at a slow loping run. The forest seemed to split around the massive form as Alric quickly and smoothly ran between it. Bilbo didn't know it but an awed smile had overcome his face. This feeling was like he was flying. He wasn't scared of Orcs and Wargs for the moment he could enjoy the freedom and beauty of the woods from absolute safety.
It' s funny how quickly power goes from terrifying to comforting when its on your side.
Bilbo gave a whoop into the woods as it flashed by in a blur. The sound of boulders rumbling down a hill came from below. Alric was chuckling with him.