It had only been a day and Honoria had forgotten entirely about the strange visit with a wizard in front of her and Bilbo's home the other day. She moped around the hole, while her cousin was out getting groceries. The woman was going restless staying in the house and finally she couldn't stand it any longer and left out the front door.
Honoria decided to go for a brisk walk down the path that led to the Lake, that she would never enter. She sat on a rock near the water and stared at her reflection that was looking back at her. There you could see her elf ears, long wavy hair and normal size feet. The half breed was in deep thought when suddenly something occurred to her that she never thought of before. She never knew who her real father was? But then again she never even had the slightest desire to find out who he was, or if he was still alive or if he even knew of her existence. She wasn't even sure if she wanted her father to know of her; encase he wouldn't accept her because she was only half of what he was.
The young woman began throwing rocks as far as she could across the Lake, feeling mad and flustered that this thought had even occurred to her. She loved her father, Erling. He loved her like she was his own. It was beginning to get dark out and she was sure her cousin was wondering where she was, by now; he was always so paranoid when it came to her safety. And she was getting hungry. The half-breed walked back to her home, knowing she would be yelled at as soon as she walked through the front door. As her home on the hill came into view she saw their was still lights on. She walked through the gate and closed it and stopped when she heard a number of different voices coming from the other side of the door and she wondered if her cousin had planned a get together and forgot to inform her. Being part elf, she had incredible hearing and could see things that were further away. She opened the door and peered around it and saw no one in the living room. The gruff and raspy voices were coming from the kitchen.
"Bilbo!" Honoria yelled, making her way to the kitchen. And instead of finding her cousin, she found thirteen dwarves squished around their tiny table having a meeting or discussion of some type. " Who are you?" She questioned.
"That depends. Who are you lass?" A dwarf with no hair on top of his head, except for his sides demanded. But before she could reply back to this snarky dwarf that was questioning who she was in her own home someone had interrupted
"Honoria! Where have you been? I have been looking for you everywhere." Bilbo snapped abruptly to his cousin.
"Don't call me Honoria! You obviously didn't look hard enough." The woman snarled at him. Her cousin was treating her like a child in front of these strangers in there home.
"Do not tell me you were down at the Lake again."
Honor looked at him and then turned away before answering. " Okay, fine I won't tell you I was there." The woman retorted sarcastically and Bilbo looked at her in disappointment.
"How many times have I told you not to go down there?" Bilbo hissed at her. She let out a low chuckle, as she answered. The half breed knew her cousin was just concerned for her safety. The hobbit's feared that lake. They believed some type of evil creature lived in the water and snatched you before you even knew it was there.
"I lost track a long time ago, but I'm sure ill be hearing it at least hundred times more. Just like you didn't tell me you were having a bunch of dwarves over."
The dwarves had no idea who this young woman was, but found her quite entertaining, as she squabbled with the hobbit. " Is this you wife laddie? She's quite the funny one. Your one lucky hobbit." A young looking dwarf with dark hair asked as he chuckled to himself, taking another gulp of ale. The hobbit and half breed stopped arguing and turned to the dwarf that had said the most ridiculous thing.
"Why is an elf here?" Another dwarf snapped. He was sitting at the head of the table. He had long black hair with grey strands throughout and looked at the woman in disgust and wondered why she was so short for her race. She was shorter then a dwarf, but yet had the beauty of an elf and all there abilities.
" I live here." Honoria snarled back just as rudely.
" She's my cousin; not my wife." Bilbo replied to the dwarf named Kili that had asked earlier the most outrageous thing. The dwarves burst out laughing at this, wondering how an elf could be related to a hobbit. Some said things while they continued to laugh like, ' that's the silliest thing' or 'are you sure laddie?' Honor was growing very flustered with these dwarves when silence swept through them.
" That is enough!" The wizard yelled from behind Bilbo and Honoria.
" For your information, I am half Hobbit and half Elf." She informed the dwarves.
" Your still an elf and elves cannot be trusted." The dark haired dwarf pressed.
" You can trust Honor. She is not like others of her kin." The wizard informed, but this didn't seem to phase the dwarf in any way, she was an elf and he hated elves.
" I will not discuss Dwarf business with a half breed in the room." He snapped, still looking at the young woman. The wizard muttered something under his breath and turned to face the dwarf.
" For goodness sake's, Thorin! Save me from your stubbornness. You can trust me and there for I say you can trust her. Honoria please have a seat at the table my dear." She looked from Thorin to the wizard in annoyance.
" I think I'll stand."
Thorin glared at the wizard and decided to just pretend the half breed wasn't there, even though she had caught him glancing at her every so often, while the wizard and dwarves began discussing things about the quest they were going on.
" W-what beast?" Bilbo's startled voice came from behind his cousin.
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-" The dwarf sitting beside Honor known as Bofur, explained this little tale, making the hobbit more frightened by the second.
Thorin was watching the young woman out of the corner of his eye, and noticed she hadn't even flinched at the name of this terrible beast. " Yes, I know what a dragon is." Bilbo snapped. Not wanting to hear anymore gory details about this beast. Some of the dwarves began shouting on how tough they were, when an older dwarf interrupted them and told them the truth on how difficult this quest was going to be.
Honor had drowned out the constant shouts and yells from the dwarves around her. While standing there she was wondering to herself why she was still there. Was it because she let their leader get under her skin so easily, or was it because she didn't understand why he despised the race of elves. Honoria had no idea how deep in thought she was about all this, until she heard a thud behind her. She turned around and saw her cousin was laying on the floor.
" Bilbo!" Honoria shrieked and she dropped to the floor beside her cousin trying to wake him up, by shaking him.
" Out burglar has fainted." A red bearded dwarf named Gloin stated the obvious as everyone glanced at the hobbit and half breed. Honoria slapped her cousin in the face, and his eyes snapped open, confused. Before the wizard joined Honor to help her cousin to his chair he was stopped by Thorin who leaned over to whisper something to the old man.
" I cannot guarantee either of their safety, especially not the elf's. I don't care she's a woman." The dwarf stated in the coldest tone. The wizard gave him a weary look. "Understood."
"Nor will I be responsible for their fates."
Honoria had heard every word this cruel dwarf was saying to the wizard as she helped her cousin up. " Agreed." The wizard answered, knowing the young woman was listening to their little discussion. Gandalf got up from the table and helped Honoria walk her cousin over to the hearth where his chair was and got him to sit down. The half-breed then went to make her cousin a hot drink. When it was ready, she brought it to him and then left the room.
The young woman, walked through the hall and suddenly felt eyes on her and saw it was Thorin and the eldest dwarf, Balin. She gave the leader a look of almost sadness on her face before she disappeared into another room to be alone, wondering how someone could be so cruel because of what she was. Honoria could hear Gandalf trying to reason with the hobbit to come with them on this journey, but she knew her cousin all to well. When he said 'no' to something, he meant it. She made herself promise that she would not leave, unless he did too.
Honoria heard Bilbo's footsteps heading down the hall to his room. Clearly the wizard had failed to convince the hobbit that this was the journey of a life time. All of a sudden she found herself drawn to the singing coming from the living room. Their tune had her leaving the world she was in and making her enter a magical one that she had always dreamt of seeing. She was dreaming, and imagined what it was like when the dragon Smaug had attacked the dwarves homeland.
" Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light"
Honoria recognized Thorin's voice, and wondered how someone with such a beautiful voice, could be so hateful. The woman could no longer keep eyes open and she slowly drifted into a deep sleep, just as the dwarves finished singing.
