Zoor Se Dovahruth
Four

-Enarah Lovaas-
Lonely Songs

Thorin and Keeva left the confines of the study after their conversation that night. The leader of the company went off to find his old friend, Balin, while Keeva ventured back into the kitchen to find Gloin, Ori, and Bifur setting around the table. Gloin had been smoking way on his pip while Ori was reading in his leather book. Keeva took a seat next to the youngest dwarf, who looked up from his book long enough to smile delightfully. "Ah- Miss Keeva, yes?"

"Mmm, and your Ori," Keeva said while trying to peek at the object in front of Ori. "May I ask what you are reading?"

"Well, I'm not exactly reading as I am writing," Ori laughed. Keeva grinned even more, "Can I see?"

Ori eyed Keeva over once before he bobbed his head up and down with an honest smile. Keeva was sure Ori was just second guessing if she could read his language or not. She clearly wasn't a dwarf, so his writing and thoughts were safe. Ori placed the leather book onto the table in front of her. Upon the thick yellowed pages, Keeva found the sharp and sturdy letters of the dwarvish language written in black ink. Her fingers brushed over each letter that was dry, tracing them out as if she were trying to understand them, "Such beautiful typography."

"Thank you, Miss," the young dwarf blushed from his seat as he continued to watch her dazzled look, "It reminds me of the letters of the dragon's tongue, but much gentler, as if they are dancing."

"What exactly is dragon language going to do to help us on our quest?" challenged a lovely voice from behind Keeva as she still gazed over the black letters on the wonderfully crafted paper. She groaned inwardly, the dwarf that had been pulling on her hair and his ally, the brother, sat down next to Keeva, smirks on their faces. The young girl turned her gaze up from the book and looked on either side of her with a forced smile, "Well if it isn't Fili and Kili. Out to cause trouble are we?"

Fili smirked but Kili was right at their defense, "Now, now, Miss Keeva. We don't want to cause you any trouble, do we Fili?"

"Aye, my brother is right. But you didn't answer the question," Fili said with a pointed look. He caught her gaze, if only for a second, before she turned back to Ori's book in front of her, a light dusting of pink shading her cheeks. "Dragon speech is an ancient form of magic. I would not challenge it so lightly."

Fili's brows shot up with surprise but his brother wasn't exactly convinced, "So what? Are you going to just talk Smaug down for us?"

Keeva began to laugh at Kili's question and earned a smirk from Fili, delighted that he could hear the bell of her voice, "If this helps, in the mind of a dragon, being powerful and being right are the same, thus they make no distinction between speaking and fighting; battles between them are actually deadly verbal debates."

"That's quite interesting," Gloin stated from across the table, smoking away at his pipe as he mauled his thoughts on the topic. "Have you ever been in one of these deadly verbal debates?"

Keeva's smile weakened, trying to hide the fear in her eyes by looking back down at the book. A flash of an foreign memory crossed her thoughts, fire, scales, and wings, sending a shiver down her spine, "I-I have… and it was the most terrifying feeling in my life."

Keeva got up from the table and walked away to find consolation in Gandalf's company after the hobbit had left the sitting room and had given his answer, he wasn't going. Gloin had not expected that reaction. His ginger brows rose with some surprise as he gazed at the two princes and Ori.

"I gather he said no," Keeva mumbled while sitting on the floor in front of Gandalf. The Grey Wizard hummed with some disapproval but Keeva could see the wheels turning in Gandalf's mind. He knew something about Bilbo that not even Keeva or the dwarves knew about him. "You don't seem too worried though."

Gandalf smirked at her while taking a puff of smoke from his pipe. Keeva smiled back at him but it quickly faded when she found the fire in the hearth wanting her attention. The pair was quiet for quite a while, Gandalf studied his new friend and Keeva let the fire mesmerize her, the hum in the back of her head whispering words that were just out of her reach to understand.

Soon the hum of the dwarfs around her began after they had gathered in the room. Keeva had taken a seat in Gandalf's chair, her eyes never leaving the fire until the sound of the song brought her back to reality. Keeva gazed fondly up at Thorin as he began to sing the words to a longing sad tale, "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."

Bofur sat next to Keeva singing along with Thorin, while others hummed along. The young girl sighted Fili behind her, smoking on his pipe next to the hearth. His eyes traveled up to hers as he too began to sing along. Keeva silently wished that she could know the words so that she could sing it too. But she at least did have the honor in listening to the lovely song.

"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."

Keeva could feel the longing of home through their words. It brought on memories of her own home, setting by the hearth with her father and braiding his beard, or even helping her mother in the garden, pulling up Nirnroots while smiling at each other under the suns warm rays. Keeva felt a sensation of grief wash over her and then something wet crawl down her warm cheeks. It was the first time she had cried in a long while. The last being for the death of her parents once she'd settled into High Hrothgar. It had been so long ago since she'd felt something like that. Embarrassed, Keeva brushed her tears away with her hand and tried her best at blinking the rest of them away.

"My dear, are you alright?" Balin asked across from her, his eyes sympathetic. Keeva forced a smile and nodded eagerly so that the others in the room wouldn't notice. "The song was touching."

Thorin also smiled down at her, knowing that she was feeling similar emotions, longing being the strongest of them all. There was only one way he knew how to make those feelings better, "Do you sing, Miss Keeva?"

The young girl looked up at the company's leader and nodded lightly, "A bit, but not a lot."

"Well sing us a song from your home," he insisted, waving his pipe around for good measure. Keeva's eyes grew wide and her nerves began to bubble up in her stomach. The other dwarves nodded in agreement, smiling and urging her to go along with the request.

Keeva could feel the sides of her mouth turn up when Fili leaned over and winked before telling her, "It would lighten the mood before we go to bed. Do it for us, please."

"Alright, but I'm sorry if my voice isn't up to par," she muttered quietly. The dwarves smiled happily while finding chairs to set down and listen. Keeva sat up in her chair, placing her hands in her lap as her gaze returned to the fire. She felt her nerves leave her when the warmth of the blaze was there to comfort her, "Our hero, our hero, claims a warrior's heart. I tell you, I tell you, the Dragonborn comes, with a voice wielding power of the ancient nord art. Believe, believe the Dragonborn comes…

"It's an end to the evil of all Skyrim's foes. Beware, beware the Dragonborn comes. For the darkness has passed and the legend yet grows. You'll know, you'll know the Dragonborn's come."

Keeva then began a melody in a light ah that played along with the first verse of the song and then after reaching the songs climax she returned to sing the ending in dragon's tongue. Needless to say the dwarves enjoyed her little song, clapping and humming in content. Keeva couldn't have felt any better than she did in that moment. Thorin smiled lightly from the fire, glad that he could see her smiling just once before they retired for the night.

"You have a natural singing voice, Miss Keeva," Bofur complemented while placing a comforting hand on the young woman's. Keeva smiled after the wonderful feeling of love was washed over her. The other dwarves in the room hummed in agreement. Keeva giggled lightly after hearing them produce the sound in unison.

"What's so funny, Miss?" asked Ori as he chuckled for no odd reason, perhaps just happy to see the young girl loosening up.

"You all- humming," Keeva could barely get out. "I find it is a habit amongst you all. Even Master Gandalf hums as if it's an answer to everything. I like it."

The room chuckled and before the fire died that night, everyone split into different rooms to find sleep before the light of the next day. Keeva stayed by the fire, her head rested against the back of the chair and her eyes slowly blinking for sleep to take her. The fire was there to hush her to sleep with its lullaby. But before her eyes closed completely a pair of hands reached down and placed a blanket over her body, "Goodnight, Keeva."

She glanced up into the blue eyes of one of the dwarfs, too tired to recognize who it was in the dark, and pulled the blanket up to her chin. "Goodnight."

At the break of dawn, Keeva was shaken awake by none other than Gandalf himself. "Good morning, my dear. The sun is calling for the journey to begin."

Keeva stretched, the blanket draped on her falling to her lap as she did so. A yawn came threatening from the back of her throat but she didn't hold back and just let it pass along while tilting her head to get the kink out of her neck. "Good morning, Master Gandalf."

The halls were bustling with the dwarves gathering packs and strapping on boots and weapons. Keeva folded up the blanket that she vaguely remembered the night before and set it on the chair. She then ventured into the entry hall, slipping around dwarves of all shapes and sizes to get to her pack. She thought about changing into something lighter, something breathable in the still slightly warm autumn season. The winter coat she'd been wearing when she woke up to find herself in Middle Earth had her sweating terribly all the way to Bilbo's house and she wasn't up for the whole trip to be the same way.

Keeva wandered into what seemed to be the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She slipped out of the green tunic and the burnt umber trousers. In her pack, Keeva pulled up a cleaner forest green feminine tunic that was cut high to low, the bottom of it reaching the back of her knees and the highest just above her thighs. She slipped it on and then pulled on a leather type of corset to keep things in check. There was also an evergreen vest to pull over top of that, which needed lacing up. It was only to help blend in with the forest around her. Lastly, she put on a pair of dark brown leggings and her boots. All and all, it looked like she was ready for the adventure.

Keeva walked back into the entry, adjusting the pack on her back and fixing the bracers on her forearms. The dwarves were beginning to file out, so she went to retrieve her weapons only to find they were not where she'd left them. "Are you looking for these, Miss?"

Keeva turned around to see Fili smirking in the sitting room holding up her ebony bow and quiver of arrows by his index and middle finger. His brother walked in the front door with her ebony sword in hand, "She's not out ther-"

"I'm here," Keeva said flatly while looking pointedly at Kili. He grinned mischievously, looking her over all the more delighted by her reaction. Keeva pursed her lip, her way of telling him to stop that.

"Kili, such unbecoming behavior of a Prince," Fili's little banter at his brother was all for show as he walked over to Keeva, a smirk still on his face but all the nobility of a young man trying to prove honorable still keen in his eyes.

Keeva's blinked confused. Had she heard him right? "Pri-Prince?"

"Aye, did you not know that?" Kili asked with a wicked smile. Keeva's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "N-no. I apologize."

Keeva turned to face Fili, sincerity flowing with every fiber in her being, "Had I known, I wouldn't have hit you! I'm so sorry."

Fili had not really expected such a reaction from her. If fact, he had been hoping she would have had a choice word or two with him for not saying anything earlier. Instead he found himself feeling sorry for making her feel the way she did. "Keeva, it's alright, really. We- we're not exactly the most typical of royalty anyway."

Keeva's brows furrowed in confusion, "Huh?"

Kili chuckled and patted the girl on the back, that mischievous grin of his only growing more prominent, "What he's trying to say is, you don't have to treat us like royalty. Just be yourself."

"Ohh," Keeva's lips made a perfect o shape after Kili had explained and then she smiled before Fili found himself rubbing his arm again, Keeva's punch leaving a sore feeling. "You two are so infuriating."

Fili and Kili chuckled before handing Keeva her weapons.

"Well, after you, Mi'lady," Fili bowed slightly, his hand extended toward the door. Keeva gave the golden haired dwarf a weary look before heading out of the hobbit hole. Fili turned to his brother with a happy smile, "Wonderful, lass, don't you agree?"

Kili just chuckled and followed his brother out the door as well, closing it behind him.

Keeva was given a small pony before they began their way on the road. But once she was on her pony, Penny she was named, they then began their journey through Hobbiton and out into the big bad world of Middle Earth.

There were exchanges being made after the group had left the borders of the Shire. Keeva looked around, bets being made and taunting about whether Bilbo would show or not. Gandalf had wagered a bit that Bilbo would show and he smiled knowingly at Keeva, brushing his index finger over his nose to make the little girl laugh. "Would you like to make a bet, my dear?" the Grey wizard asked.

Keeva's brows rose in surprise, "Can I? But I don't have any gold…"

"You don't have to bet with just coin, Miss Keeva," Kili teased from behind her and Gandalf. He looked over at his brother with a wicked smile. Gandalf hummed curiously as he watched the exchange between the Durin Princes and their Halfling companion.

Fili smirked while he leaned into his pony to get closer to Keeva, "I wager to you that Bilbo won't show, and if I win my prize will be a kiss."

Keeva's cheeks couldn't have flushed any deeper than the shade of a strawberry. Her mouth was agape, much like a fish out of water and she turned around to face ahead of her to gain some sort of composure after the little request Fili had made. Gandalf chuckled lightly as he watched her turn around again, her eyes burning with a fire in them, "I'll take you up on that, but if I win…"

Fili waited expectantly, she'd paused looking quite unsure on what she wanted in return. But Keeva's smile surprised him and when she looked him up and down he could feel a skip in his heart, something kindling in his stomach, "If I win I want you to braid one of your clips in my hair."

Fili's face was priceless but the dusting of pink on Keeva's cheeks was even better. She turned back around on her pony, biting her bottom lip to hold back a giggle from the look she got out of the golden haired dwarf. Bofur, who'd been watching the exchange next to Gandalf, began chuckling madly from the expression on the older prince's face. Fili turned to his brother, who was grinning like a mad man, "You better not lose, my brother."

Fili chuckled as well, shaking his head in return, "I hope not."

The company only traveled down the dirt road a bit longer before there was any sign of life coming at them, "Wait! Wait!"

The shout from a very familiar voice came from behind the company. Keeva hushed Penny to slow down so that she could see the little Hobbit come around a large tree, the contract waving in the air behind him. Keeva smiled happily, glad that Mr. Baggins had decided to join the company after all.

"I signed it," Bilbo said happily while walking up to Balin, who was a top his white pony, and handed him the contract. Balin look down at the hobbit surprised, then pulled out an eye glass to get a closer look at the paper in front of him, "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Keeva smiled up at Gandalf, who looked quite pleased to see Bilbo. But Thorin didn't seem just as impressed as the others. Keeva wondered silently why Thorin was much harder on the Hobbit. "Give him a pony."

"No, no, no, no, that—that won't be necessary, thank you, but I—I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I—I—I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once- wagh!"

Keeva chuckled as she watched Fili and Kili reached down and pick the hobbit up off the ground and set him a top a pony. He looked quite terrified on the animal as it neighed and tossed its head back.

"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on," Oin called with a smirk. Keeva watched next to Gandalf and Bilbo as Nori tossed a leather sack of money to Oin. As a result, other sacks of coin began being tossed and passed between dwarves. "Hey, hey, hey!"

Bilbo looked to Gandalf confused, "What's that about?"

Gandalf hummed, a noise Keeva relished fondly, "Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't."

Keeva smirked when Bilbo asked the question. She could see the curiosity running through his little eyes, the twiddling of this thumbs on the rope of the reign, "What did you think?"

Gandalf hummed his answer then caught a sack of coin that was tossed back at him. Keeva chuckled fondly, "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second."

Keeva turned around on her pony while Gandalf and Bilbo watched her. Her eyes met Fili's with a lovely smile, "I'll be wanting that braid tonight before dinner."

The rest of the dwarves began to laugh all around, Fili pursing his lips in what was supposed to be a pout, though he was actually much more excited about braiding her hair than he wanted to admit.

…

A/N: Yay, this is a much shorter chapter but the last one was very long so you'll understand, I hope. I received an email earlier this evening that school was going to be canceled, so I decided that editing this chapter and then posting it would be the best way to celebrate this joyous news. So happy below zero snow day!

This uhh chapter is playful, that's the least I can say about it. I feel it's a bit cheesy but if you guys like it then I'm happy. I enjoyed writing it, don't get me wrong. But it just feels a little cheesy. Oh well. Let me know what you think. If you like it, then I've done my job.

Keeva's little song is an actual song out of Skyrim. There are a lot of renditions of this song on YouTube, but the best one I had in mind for this chapter was the version sung and played by Malukah. So if you're curious, go the site and take a listen. She has quite a lovely voice.

While you're at it, if you all are curious as to who I based Bedastyr's character off of, type in elder scrolls online cinematic trailer and the first video that comes up should have a hooded man in a mask. I'm sure you Elder Scrolls fans already have watched this as many times as I have so you might already know who I've based Bedastyr off of now, but for those who don't know, watch it, and then you'll know who our deadly blue assassin is. Every time I watch it, chills run down my spine. I'm sure it's the animation and the music coinciding together to just make a wonderful flow of the moment, keeping the viewer wanting more. Either way, I'm absolutely mesmerized with this character.

Also, I forgot to thank quite a few people last chapter for the reviews they left. So here is my shout out to you lovely wonderful readers. Thank you Darth-Nyx, Akiluna, and BarbarafromGR. Thank you so much! You guys are awesome.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or Elder Scrolls. Any character that is not familiar is of my own creation.