Common Bandits
Gimli, Loki and Gloin along with Sam, Merry and Pippin stood on the beige dock. Waves rocked the white swan-shaped boat before them and, in the distance, the sun was setting. Legolas would have said it symbolized the end of an Age. Why ? Today was the day that the oldest elf left in Middle-earth, Lady Galadriel, along with Gandalf, Lord Elrond, Frodo and Bilbo left Arda forever.
Father hugged Bilbo, "You take care of yourself over there."
Bilbo replied, "Only if you do here too you old thing, Gloin."
Bilbo let go after Father nodded and went to join Lord Elrond on the ship's deck. Frodo, who'd just finished saying good-bye to Sam, suddenly hugged himself and Loki.
The nine-fingered hobbit smiled at them and said, "I'm glad you two have the happiness that I can't manage now. You're a good friend, Loki and you've done a lot of good for Gimli just in the while I've known both of you."
He patted Frodo's shoulder as Loki countered, "He was finding it out for himself, Frodo, it was just taking him awhile. Don't worry about the others we'll help watch out for them."
Gimli agreed, "Aye, 'n we'll watch out for Sam's young Elanor, anyone tries to harm her they won't live long."
Frodo hummed, "I know you will. I'm going to miss everyone, but it's just too painful for me to stay any longer."
Any longer. Frodo's words made his gaze move to Loki. While Loki was three hundred and ten years old, the jotun still had over five thousand years ahead of him if he wasn't killed. In contrast, as he was one hundred and forty-four, he probably only had about one hundred or so more years left himself.
When Frodo had gone to join Bilbo, Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel that was when Gandalf moved forward to himself and Loki.
Gandalf crouched down and admitted, "Gimli, as this is the last time we will talk for a long while I have something to tell you. It was not by some elf's spell that you ended up in Jotunheim...with some help from others, it was I that transported you from Helm's Deep to Jotunheim. I am sorry that my aim was off that day, I did not mean for you to almost drown. Can you ever forgive me ?"
A moment passed as he stared at the wizard absorbing the information. "That was you !? Haha, I don't need to forgive you. Bless you Gandalf, that was the second best day of my life."
It got a brief smile from Gandalf, then Loki asked, "Did you, at least, know that I was near-by ?"
"Of course I did, Loki. Do you think that I would have knowingly risked his life ?"
Loki raised his eyebrows and started to answer, "We-"
Lord Elrond, unintentionally, interrupted Loki. "Are you coming today or do you wish to stay for longer, Gandalf ?"
"A mere second, Elrond. Good luck and good-bye my young friends." With those words Gandalf rose, turned and boarded the ship.
So, he and the others were left to wave and shout more last good-byes as the ship sailed off. Before, as a tiny speck, they saw it lift into the air to disappear between the fluffy clouds.
Beside them Sam muttered, "I can't believe that nearly everyone is gone or, except for Merry and Pippin, far away now. Boromir's dead, Mr. Frodo and Gandalf are going to the Undying Lands. Then there's you, Legolas and Aragorn, Gimli, you're all so far away. We'll hardly get to see you, Mr. Loki and Mr. Gloin at all now."
Loki replied, "You don't have to worry about us leaving now, we're staying for a few days, Samwise."
They left the Grey Havens for the Shire, Merry and Pippin taking the cart that had carried Bilbo with Father and Sam riding in it, while he and Loki got on a dark-brown horse. Such as their group was it was not wise for the pair of bandits that burst out of the tall, grey-barked trees in between their destination.
Said bandits stopped in the middle of the dirt path - two Men, one a sickly-looking, Easterling with ill-fitted clothes, the other a dark-skinned, almost dwarvish looking Southron - and openly sneered at them.
The Southron, "Hand over the money, ya curs 'cause I guarantee you won't need it much longer."
His love's tone was unnerving in it's iciness. "Did you just dare to insult not only the Lord of the Glittering Caves, but the Crown Prince of Jotunheim, mortals ? I give you one chance alone say that you did not and you will live." Loki's fingers brushed his hip as the jotun surreptitiously unsheathed his dagger.
The Easterling, "We care not for your Western Lords, merely your money."
Leaves rustled above them and sunlight flitted over the ground in the silence that followed. It was Sam who asked, "Why not return to your homes ? Can you not get jobs there ? Don't you have families to return to ?"
The Easterling looked baffled as if no one had thought to ask him that before. "We are deserters as such if we return home our families will starve because they will not receive the death payment. Even if we are not thrown in the dungeons, because of this we will work for too little to feed them."
Grandfather was right while there were some bandits who only had the worst of intentions, there were also these who were only common people trying to save their families.
Merry twisted around in the cart's seat and wondered, "Is he lying, Loki or telling the truth ?"
Loki sheathed the dwarven dagger, "He tells the truth. If you had jobs in a smithy would you swear off banditry for the rest of your lives ?"
Loki was offering the two jobs ? More surprising than that was the bandits enthusiastic responses. Shortly after, the, still nameless, two climbed into the cart with Father who didn't pull his axe on them. Well, if they were trustworthy, and ended up any good at it he supposed it wouldn't matter. As it would turn out they were indeed quite good at stoking fires and such.