Disclaimer: I don't own anything - Tolkien gets all the credit.
A/N: Here's the actual first chapter of the story – Please review to let me know your thoughts! Thanks to those that have followed the story after just a short prologue – I hope this lives up to your expectations! It's definitely encouraging to hear feedback, so hopefully I'll hear from some of you :)
Chapter 1
"I'm not certain what you were hoping for," Hilde said with a laugh as she pulled her cloak down off of her head, "Hobbits weren't meant for adventuring." Her father had just returned from a short trip to Hobbiton, where he'd apparently been rebuffed by the hobbit that he'd hoped to turn into a burglar for the quest of Thorin Oakenshield. "The poor thing probably thought you crazy."
"Bilbo Baggins will be our burglar, I'm certain of it." Her father responded with a tone that spoke of his disapproval of her comments. "Enough of this company will doubt him already. I had hoped that you, at least, would keep an open mind."
Taken aback by the sour tone in her father's voice, Hilde remained silent as the pair traveled slowly on horseback toward the place where she would be introduced to the majority of their Dwarven companions. Hilde had spent the past 100 years in the company of the elves of Lorien so she was excited to once again be amongst her mother's people. There was something comforting in being among others like her, even if she was a bit different from the average Dwarf. She couldn't help but feel immensely out of place with the elves, despite her Maiar blood.
The pair traveled for about an hour more until they reached a merry gathering of Dwarven folk on the side of the road in South Farthing. They greeted Gandalf with cheers and waves, though they settled down a bit when they noticed her. One of them stepped forward, glancing at her in appreciation from head to toe before sweeping down into a bow, "My lady," said the dwarf wearing an odd hat with flaps that stood out on either side of his head, "Bofur, at your service."
Smiling down from her place on horseback, Hilde bowed her head in greeting, "Hilde at yours, my Lord Bofur." At her introduction, she saw Bofur's eyes widen and heard a few gasps from his companions. Glancing to the others in the company, Hilde saw varying degrees of shock.
"The Hilde?" She could see assumptions growing in Bofur's eyes as he looked at her more closely, including a look over her shoulder at her mithril staff, "Hilde, the Long-Lived? Of Khazad-dum?"
"The very same." She said as she looked around at the other dwarves. There were eight of them in total and she was quickly introduced to all them – Bifur, Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Oin and Gloin. Each bowed low and tried to make a good impression, though Bofur and Ori captured her interest immediately. Bofur's cheerfulness and Ori's youthful positivity left her feeling as though she should protect them… despite the weapons they both carried, which would lead one to believe that they had the capability of looking after themselves just fine.
Gandalf cleared his throat after the introductions were done. "If you're all quite finished, I think it's time to depart for Bag End. Mr. Baggins will surely have dinner for you all." Bombur quickly gathered his belongings at the mention of dinner, causing several of the group to laugh at his eagerness.
"Will you be joining us on our quest, Lady Hilde?" Bofur asked as he lit his pipe a short while later. Her dwarven companions were traveling on foot, forcing Hilde look down at him as he spoke. His kind eyes made her smile.
"That is the plan, my friend, though the leader of your company is not yet aware of this fact." Bofur smiled and continued walking forward, catching up to Bifur who was leading the group towards Hobbiton, all the while mumbling in the dwarven language of Khuzdul. Hilde glanced over to her father then, seeing him watching the Dwarves with a twinkle in his eye. Gandalf had ever had a soft spot in his heart for the Dwarven people – Hilde always liked to think this stemmed from his love for her mother.
The group traveled through the Shire, attracting the gaze of unapproving Hobbits who huddled away in their homes after seeing the dwarves and wizard approaching. The night was clear and the pleasant smell of warm dinners traveled out of the Hobbit holes that they past. Bombur would occasionally slow down to enjoy the simple smells of bread, fish, chicken and sugar that drifted by with the breeze.
The Hill that held the home of Bilbo Baggins came into view after a short while, sticking out in the night with a Dwarven rune of blue glowing at the base of the green door. In a rather disorganized fashion, the group of ten walked up the short path to the entry way. Gandalf reached over the heads of his shorter companions and knocked loudly with his staff. If any noise was to be heard from the inside, Hilde could not hear it over the noise of her rowdy companions.
It took several minutes for the disgruntled hobbit to open the door, but when he did, the majority of her comrades fell forward into the doorway. Glancing to her father, Hilde saw the familiar twinkle in his eye and she couldn't help but laugh. The hobbit, one Bilbo Baggins, looked to her then. The strained expression that had just covered his face calmed slightly and he bowed, welcoming only her into his home. "Bilbo Baggins, at your service, Miss."
"Hello Mr. Baggins. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hilde." His face was pleasant and, knowing that he was being thrown into her father's quest without much choice, Hilde felt a little sorry for him. Glancing further into the home, Hilde saw four other dwarves had already arrived. Looking at each of their faces intently, Hilde was disappointed to see that none of them were Dwarf prince she had hoped to see tonight. Despite the many years since her visit to Erebor, Hilde had a very clear picture in her mind of Thorin Oakenshield – a clear picture that none of these dwarves quite captured.
Seeing a Dwarven lady in their presence, the two younger Dwarves immediately stepped forward. "Fili, at your service my lady." His blonde head dipped low as he kissed her knuckles. "I had not expected to see such a lovely lady here in the Shire."
"Oi! Give the lady some room!" said the other, this one with darker hair and a nearly beardless face, "I am Kili. Please forgive my brother, he has no manners." Kili then kissed the knuckles on Hilde's other hand. They were both quite charming and Hilde couldn't help the large smile that blossomed on her face.
"Hilde, at your service." She said with a small curtsy to the both of them. She saw brief questioning look on Fili's face, but Kili seemed to not recognize the name. The other two, Balin and Dwalin, seemed to recognize her name as well, though they didn't speak to her of their knowledge.
Something about the blonde one, Fili, reminded Hilde of Erebor. His face was similar to that of Thrain, the Dwarf prince she's met close to 200 years before. It was the braids, however, that spoke the most of their similarity. At Fili's temples were the braids that signified royalty. Thrain had worn the very same braids, a symbol that he was next in line to the throne of Erebor.
The evening moved forward very quickly after that. The dwarves raided the pantry of Bilbo Baggins and gathered in his small dining room for a rowdy meal. The poor Hobbit looked as if he was ready to cry as he watched the rough group stomp throughout his home, dragging mud and bits of food everywhere. Hilde had been dragged into the mess by Fili, who insisted that she sit with him and enjoy the meal with the rest of the Dwarves. Looking to her father for an escape, Gandalf laughed and shrugged. It would appear that she would be "one of the Dwarves" tonight.
Drinking ale from a petite mug that was likely meant for tea, Hilde watched in awe as Bombur ate vast quantities of cheese, eggs, turkey and ham. His stomach appeared to have no end. Kili saw her disgust and laughed, saying that she'd get used to Bombur's appetite soon enough. When a cheer rang out a short time later, Hilde found herself receiving a larger mug filled to the brim with ale. "On the count of three!" All of the Dwarves around her raised their mugs in a toast and began drinking quickly. Having been in the company of elves in recent years, Hilde was no longer accustomed to large quantities of ale, so she simply sipped from her mug, waiting for the others to finish.
"No, no!" Fili said beside her, "You must drink it all at once!"
Laugher and cheers came from around the table, encouraging her to down her ale as she'd just watched the men do. Laughing quietly she raised her glass in a mock toast and did as she done back during her first lifetime, drinking the entire mug of ale in a few large gulps. Cheers rang out again and she felt Fili clap his hand several times on her back. "That's more like it!"
"I think I've done more than enough drinking for one night." Hilde said with a laugh as she stood from the table. Many of the Dwarves stood with her, giving slight bows as she made her way out of the cramped room. While walking toward the sound of her father's voice, Hilde overhead Bilbo nearly screaming in frustration at the company's presence in his home. Understanding that the Hobbit was likely near a nervous breakdown, she entered the hallway with Ori, hoping to comfort the poor man. Ori spoke first though, asking what he should do with his plate.
Fili had been watching the exchange from the other side of the hall and called to Ori to hand him the plate, which began a lively exchange of singing and plate tossing by the Dwarves. Gandalf and Hilde stood back and laughed as the company straightened up the mess they'd just created, all the while singing about the discomfort of their Hobbit host.
Hilde's fond memories of her youth kept venturing into her conscious thoughts as she watched the close group of friends shout, sing, and laugh together. It was refreshing to be around such lively folk – While elves had a particular majesty that could not be duplicated, Dwarves had a lust for life that made time spent with them feel almost more real than any she'd ever spent in Lorien, the Greenwood, or Imladris.
At the conclusion of their song, Hilde sought out Bilbo again, finding him in shock at the clean stack of plates, bowls and cutlery that the Dwarves had neatly gathered on the table. Before she had a chance to speak, however, she was once again interrupted – this time, it was by a loud knock at the door.
"He is here." her father said in a voice that spoke volumes of the person standing outside of the Hobbit hole. It had to be Thorin Oakenshield. Gandalf stood and the entire company followed him toward the door. Hilde felt a few butterflies rise in her stomach at the thought of finally meeting the dwarven prince that she'd gifted an enchanted ring to on the day of his birth. She hadn't told his father at the time, but the ring had placed the young prince under her protection. It had been with great sorrow that Hilde felt the danger approaching the prince on the fateful day that Smaug had neared the Loney Mountain. Being far to the South in Dol Amroth at the time, there was little Hilde could do but pray to Mahal that Thorin would survive the fire drake's wrath.
Gandalf opened the door wide to allow Thorin entry into the humble Hobbit hole. He was taller than Hilde had expected – much taller than his father had been. His hair was streaked with grey, his shoulders broad, and his deep voice resonated in her soul as he spoke of the difficulty he'd experienced in finding Bilbo's door. Stepping back into the shadows, Hilde watched as Thorin spoke to Bilbo, seeing that he was unimpressed by her father's choice of burglar. Thorin's attitude bothered Hilde a little, but she felt it inappropriate to judge him just yet.
Thorin, Dwalin, and several others left the entryway and headed toward the dining room again. Hilde held back, putting a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "Don't mind him, Mr. Baggins. I'm sure you'd make a fine burglar." Bilbo smiled at her and blushed bright red. He looked at her hand that rested on his shoulder and laughed nervously.
"Thank you, my lady, but I can assure you, I'm no burglar."
Conversation had already begun between the dwarves, and Hilde knew that her father would not be happy with her missing an introduction to their leader just now. She approached the dining room from the side entry, near the foot of the table. Kili and Fili were closest to her, Fili smiling and offering her the empty seat between him and Kili… apparently her father wasn't the only one who'd noted her absence.
Smiling at the young dwarves, Hilde took the offered and chair and glanced towards the head of the table where Thorin sat eating. He'd noticed her and had stopped speaking when she sat between the young dwarves.
"Who is this that joins our conversation without introduction?" his deep voice asked in a cold and unwelcoming tone. Hilde locked eyes with him and held her breath. Those eyes had amazed her when he was a mere babe, and now that he sat before her as a man grown, she was entranced. He looked even larger now, his shoulders almost the full width of the delicate dining table. The rest of the company once again turned to her, some smiling, others just staring.
"This is the fifteenth member of our company." Her father interjected quickly, "Hilde, the Long-Lived, of Khazad-dum." Thorin's eyes, which had moved to Gandalf, immediately went back to Hilde's face after her father's words. Fili and Kili seemed to jump a little at the introduction as well.
"It cannot be." Thorin said at an almost whisper. He stood slowly, still looking directly into Hilde's eyes. "Where have you been?"
"I'm sorry?" Hilde asked in a quiet voice. It wasn't until now that the difference in her manner of speaking seemed obvious. The accent she spoke with differed from her Dwarven companions – an accent that reminded her very much of elves. Cringing slightly, she too stood. "What do you mean by that?"
"A dragon attacks Erebor, and the legendary Hilde, friend of my father, is nowhere to be seen. My grandfather seeks to retake Khazad-dum at the Battle of Azanulbizar, and you are once again nowhere to be seen. What are you doing here now, amongst your Dwarven kin, when you have been absent for so long?"
The anger – Hatred – in his voice brought a look of sorrow onto Hilde's face. She looked to her father then, seeing a sadness on his features that she'd not seen in many centuries. The other Dwarves seemed mixed in their reactions. Dwalin appeared to agree with Thorin' cruel words, while Kili, Fili, Ori, and Bofur seemed to feel sorry for her. The others simply looked uncomfortable at having to witness the exchange at all.
"I'm sorry if my absence has been felt so acutely, Thorin son of Thrain." Hilde bowed her head and brought a hand to her chest, just over her heart, "I have spent nearly 2,000 years traveling the lands of Middle Earth and have never spent more than a few years at a time in the company of my kin. I can assure you, however, that my protection has ever been with you."
Thorin seemed confused by her words, so Hilde motioned to the bulky ring that he wore on his right hand. "I gifted you that ring on the day of your birth. It was created from the rock of Erebor and the magic in my blood." Thorin glanced down at his hand, seeing his ring beginning to glow in a way that he'd never seen before. "The power of my magic has been with you since that day, watching over you, though I may not have been there."
The ring continued to glow and Thorin couldn't take his eyes off of the mithril as it gave off a warmth that extended up his arm. He'd felt that warmth before – when Smaug came, his body had seemed feverish. At the Battle of Azanulbizar, the arm that held his oak branch shield had felt as if on fire when Azog had attacked. In many battles since, warmth had flowed through him in times of danger. He looked again at Hilde, the anger in his eyes slowly dissipating. "Why do you come to us now?"
"I come because you need me." Her voice was quiet, which bothered her. In 2,000 years she'd never shied away from expressing an opinion or speaking her mind. Why Thorin, son of Thrain, should make her feel so disarmed was unknown to her. "I too am from the line of Durin, though long before your forefathers were born. I was not there when Smaug came to Erebor, but I will do all that I can to help you reclaim the Loney Mountain."
Gandalf cleared his throat then, drawing the attention back toward him. "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light." For several tense minutes, the entire company listened as Gandalf spoke of a Erebor and brought out a weathered map. Hilde watched, slightly detached, as the rest of the company listened intently. Glancing from Thorin to Fili and Kili, Hilde sensed that these young Dwarves must be family to him. Sons, perhaps? In her travels she had learned that Thorin had never taken a wife, but that did not mean that he had not created heirs. As the conversation continued, Hilde looked to the Hobbit as well - Bilbo, having never heard the tale of the Loney Mountain, listened intently – especially when Bofur began speaking of the "airborne fire breather."
"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of Dwarfish iron right up his jaxie!" Ori yelled as he stood abruptly. Dori yanked his younger brother back down into his seat, but this outburst brought out the courage in the other younger members of their company.
"The task would be difficult with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen… and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest." Hilde felt a slightly cold at the fact that Balin did not include her, her father, or Bilbo in his statement.
Fili looked to her then, before speaking out himself, "We may be few in number, but we're fighters! All of us! To the last dwarf!" He nodded to Thorin, further supporting Hilde's thought that Fili must be Thorin's son.
Kili, emboldened by his brother's words, spoke up as well. "And do you forget that we have two wizard's in our company? Gandalf and the Lady Hilde will have killed hundreds of dragons in their time!"
"Well, now!" her father said with his hands raised. Many of the dwarves began speaking loudly, looking to her and Gandalf as neither admitted to killing a single dragon. The meeting would likely have turned into a brawl if not for Thorin standing up and quieting them all down. He spoke of the signs, of others reading them, of the possibility that others may look to the mountain.
When Gandalf brought out a large key, the group of dwarves seemed regain their hope. "If there's a key, there must be a door." Fili said in awe as Thorin held the key that his father had passed down to him. Gandalf spoke then of the map and the runes that he could not read – runes that spoke of a hidden passage.
"The answer lies somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to read it… but there are others in Middle Earth who can." At Gandalf's statement, Thorin looked slightly suspicious. Hilde knew, of course, that her father meant Lord Elrond of Imladris. Though, if rumors were true, Thorin Oakenshield would never consent to going to an elf for help.
"The task I have in mind will require stealth and no small amount of courage." Gandalf continued, "But if we are clever and careful, I believe it can be done."