The Orphan Princess and the BFG by octopus_fool  

Chapter 1

Elwing peered off the flet into the dark woods. She shivered despite her thick fur cloak, and she knew she was lucky to have even that. Many of her companions wore the clothes they had worn in the warmth of Menegroth's halls and didn't have time to grab anything against the bitter cold of winter when the attack happened. But everyone made sure she had all the warmth and food she needed. Elwing wasn't sure if it was because she was the princess, a peredhel (which meant that nobody knew how easily she could become ill or die), or because she was an orphan. 

Orphan. She had heard someone whisper that word. She had heard it before, and it was always about distant children, the ones less fortunate than her. Now, that was her. The orphan princess. 

They marvelled at how brave she was. Elwing was not brave. She just did not think. She did not think about what had happened. She did not think about her parents. She did not think about where her brothers might be. Elwing just did as she was told and walked. She walked and walked, and never took out the necklace. She knew that she had to keep its light dimmed, or the enemy might find it, kill them, and, even worse, take the last thing she had from her parents from her. Her companions, especially Gereth, had told her time and time again to keep it hidden.

They walked ever southward, avoiding the roads and staying hidden as much as possible. She knew where they were going even before they told her: the Havens of Sirion were where orphans went. 

They slept in caves when they found them, or under makeshift tents when they found none. Staying on the old hunting flet was a risk. Elwing could tell from the tension in her companions and by the fact that they set more guards than usual. She had heard someone say that the risk was worth it if they got a good night's rest and a warmer place to stay. 

They had told Elwing to make good use of it and sleep. That was the only thing she did not obey. If she slept, she couldn't control her thoughts. If she slept, the dreams came. If she slept, she would cry about her parents like Evranin did. 

Elwing saw a few stars appear as the clouds overhead shifted. She was glad of the clouds, or the night would have been even colder. A chill breeze rattled through the dead leaves that still hung on some of the trees, like the oak on which the flet was. They would help keep them hidden.

Evranin sobbed in her sleep. "Nimloth! Don't ask this of me, Nimloth!"

Elwing covered her ears. She knew that her mother had been dearest in Evranin's heart, even after Elwing's mother and father had wed. But she didn't want to have to hear Evranin's regret and heartbreak, not when she herself was so good at not thinking.

Something shifted between the trees. Elwing froze, not daring to breathe. It looked big, too big for one of the kinslayers, too big for an orc or a dwarf. It was heading straight for her.

Out of the trees stepped an enormous person. Not a man nor an elf, even though the shape resembled one. Elwing wondered if it was one of the kinslayers, the one they said was enormous. But this person had sparse grey hair, not long red hair like the kinslayer was said to have. His ears were unusually large, and he carried a long trumpet in his hand, a bit like those that the musicians at court played when there was an important visitor.

She should have screamed, should have alerted the people keeping watch, should have woken everyone on the flet. But Elwing remained frozen, staring at the enormous person as he approached and smiled at her.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I can't sleep. I won't sleep."

"I've noticed that. I've been waiting for you to go to sleep for days."

"Why?"

The giant (for what else could he be?) didn't reply, but took out a jar, swirled it around and filled the contents into his trumpet. He peered into the enclosed part of the flet, looking at Evranin twitching and crying in her sleep and frowned. 

"That won't work," he muttered, then pointed his trumpet into the corner where Elwing knew Gereth was sleeping. He puffed into it softly, then nodded and turned back towards Elwing.

"Do you have it on you?"

Elwing didn't have to ask what he meant. The necklace was the only thing everyone seemed interested in these days, to the point where she had considered just dumping it in the woods, if not for the fact that it was all she had left of her parents.

She nodded.

"You have to come with me." He held out a hand to her.

Elwing should have asked why, or where they were going, or alerted the guards, who seemed strangely unaware of what was going on. But she had become so accustomed to just obeying that she simply got onto his hand.

The giant picked her up and set her in his pocket. She peered out and watched as they walked away from the flet in great strides. For a moment, Elwing felt a surge of defiance about managing to slip away from Gereth who watched her as if she were still tiny, and from Evranin and her constant tears when <i>Elwing</i> was the one who had lost everything, when <i>Elwing</i> was the orphan. 

Then, she felt guilty about it, and wondered where the giant was taking her. Then exhaustion washed over her, making her struggle to keep her eyes open. The gentle swaying of the giant's long strides made it even harder to resist sleep.

"You can sleep. I will make sure that no nightmares find you," the giant's voice rumbled, as if he had been able to feel Elwing's struggle.

Somehow, that was all the reassurance Elwing needed. She lay down and fell into a deep sleep full of comforting dreams.