DISCLAIMER!: I do NOT own The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings in any way - Tolkien has that honor. I have written this purely for amusement-purposes, and I receive no credit. On that note; read on.
The vote for this story's pairing is still going on. You have one vote for a 'The Hobbit' character and a 'Lord of the Rings' character. For example, Thorin and Aragorn.
The pairing with the most votes will become canon (Unless it's Aragorn/Tara, because Aragorn WILL end up with Arwen no matter what)
The pairing with the second highest votes will be a one-sided love or other romantic relationship which won't work out (Unless it's Bilbo/Tara)
If Bilbo has the second highest amount of votes, then it will be the pairing with the third highest that has the extra romantic relationship, as Bilbo is already certain will have one as such.
Also, I won't accept Guest Votes. You must have a fanfiction-account to vote.
It was a sight to behold, and Tara was almost ready to laugh. As she moved to the side of Gandalf, the large steeds of Elves began encircling the Dwarves, who had bundled together in battle formation. It was, perhaps, a rather evil way to greet visitors from Elrond's side, but he seemed amused, at least.
Still sitting on his dark mount, he looked at Tara. The girl smiled, winking at the Elven lord.
"You knew we would have guests, did you not?" he asked pointedly, and Tara exhaled a dramatic gasp.
"I am hurt that you'd even insinuate such a thing! How on Earth would I know that Mithrandir would drag Dwarves of all beings to your doorstep?" she teased, and Elrond chuckled as he demounted.
"You knew, which gave you all the more reason to get my guard out of the city."
Tara rolled her eyes, shrugging.
"I send you out because there was Orcs out there, but yeah, I also wanted to meet the Dwarves without your stuffy guards looking over my shoulders. Ground me if you want," she rambled, causing Elrond to pinch her cheek, rather hardly. And as Tara rubbed her suddenly red cheek with an annoyed look on her face, Elrond greeted Gandalf as an old friend.
Tara let her eyes, for who knows what time that day, wander across the small group. Most of them were leering at the Elves who surrounded them, and Tara scoffed. Stupid guards.
"Auta."
All of the people suddenly looked at her, as if her voice had somehow cut through the air of seriousness that had descended upon them. And though the attention made her somewhat nervous, she crossed her arms, looking pointedly at the leader of the Elven guards.
"Kela."
Tara's brow was furrowed, as Elrond and Gandalf looked at each other with knowing grins on their faces. They observed Tara as her cheeks gained a red color, and her eyes grew annoyed.
"Do you not understand Elvish!? I said; go away. You are scaring our guests," she ordered, glaring daggers at the Guard Captain. He jumped at the look, and if Tara hadn't been busy trying to get her point across, she could've noticed the brief look of satisfaction that crossed Thorin Oakenshield's face. He enjoyed the sight of a grown Elven man being scared off by a small Human woman.
Of course, he didn't realize how scary Tara could be, if given the right incentive.
"But, Ainuhe, they're-"
Tara was just about ready to explode, and maybe the reason the Guard Captain didn't continue his sentence, was because he saw that.
"I know they're Dwarves, I'm not blind. Now – Kela. Sii'!"
And after a brief extra look at Elrond, no doubt hoping he would counter Tara's order, the Guards walked away, still casting the Dwarves wary glances. A loud groan from Tara made the Guards return their gaze forwards as they walked up the stairs.
Tara sighed loudly, turning back towards the Dwarves.
"About time! I swear, they treat me as some kind of royalty, but when I actually order them around..." Elrond smiled at her complaint.
"Perhaps it is because you do it so rarely that they are perplexed." Tara raised an eyebrow, without looking at the Elf.
"Noted, I will begin asking them to do my every whim. Stupid suggestion, Heruanim." She barely remembered adding a display of respect, so she wouldn't insult Elrond too badly in front of foreign royalty, but Elrond merely nodded, appreciating her comment.
Tara sighed, nodding back.
"Yeah yeah, I'll be quiet now. Should be about time for Arwen and Dieena to have gotten dinner ready for our guests anyway."
This caught everyone's attention – even Thorin who had pretended to not care what they were talking about.
"Did someone say 'dinner'?" the fat dwarf with red beard asked, and Tara smiled.
"So I did, didn't I?" she asked with a giggle in her voice. Elrond raised an eyebrow.
"You've prepared for everything, haven't you?" he asked pointedly, and Tara turned to him, smiling innocently.
"Do not try to guilt-trip me, Lord Elrond, you were already planning on inviting them to dinner. I just knew and planned in advance," she accused, and this made Elrond chuckle.
"Sometimes I think you being a Seeress is a curse cast upon my people."
Tara smiled. "I know."
She turned back to the Dwarves with such enthusiasm, most of them took a step backwards in surprise. Only Dwalin and Thorin were stubborn enough to stay rooted. She giggled.
"Well, anyone hungry?" she asked loudly, earning small murmurs of consent from some of the Dwarves. She furrowed her brow.
"Oh, come on! I've heard more enthusiasm from Elf babies!" she mocked, causing most of the Dwarves to eagerly hoot. She nodded, happy with the outcome. Thorin, however, seemed less than pleased.
"That's much better."
She looked back to Elrond, who smiled at her. He then turned towards the Dwarves, to formally invite them, as the real host.
"Creoso a'baramin. Tula, vasa ar' yulna en i'mereth."
But as Elrond was an elf and the Dwarves were idiots, they of course all immediately thought his Elvish, as it was directed at them, was some sort of insult. Gloin was the one to react on what they all thought.
"Is he offering us insults!?" he boomed, and Tara and Gandalf almost simultaneously rolled their eyes.
"No, Master Dwarf, he is giving his permission for the dinner."
The Dwarves looked at each other, and Tara smiled. The stubbornness of Dwarves... It was actually quite endearing. Gloin turned back from the small conference, and he nodded.
"Well, in that case; lead on."
Elrond and Tara looked at each other, smiling. And as the Elf extended a hand to her, she took it, picked up the skirt of her white dress with the other hand and began walking up the stairs with Elrond at her side. Their guests followed them, the Dwarves glaring daggers at every Elf they passed; meanwhile, Elrond looked at her through the corner of his eyes.
"Ainuhe, lle wethrine amin."
"Lle creoso, Heruanim. Ta nae seasamin." Tara smiled at him, and he squeezed her hand. Gandalf was speaking in a hush-hush manner with the Dwarf king, and Tara was certain he was being scolded for his little stunt. Tara quite liked the idea; it was about time someone chewed Gandalf's ear off.
"U-Um. Excuse me?"
Tara looked down to her side, seeing that Bilbo had walked ahead of the rest of the group. A brief glance behind told her what his Dwarven companions thought of him 'consorting with the enemy'. She just rolled her eyes, before looking down at him with a smile again.
"What is it, Mr. Baggins?"
"I was just wondering – what kind of visions have you seen of me? You said you had wanted to meet me," he asked timidly, and Tara smiled, shaking her head.
"Forgive me, dear hobbit, but the manner of my visions is for me, and me alone. But let me tell you this – there is a reason Gandalf brought you along on this journey. You will have your part to play before your quest is over."
She could feel a stare at the back of her head, and she was certain it belonged to either Gandalf or Thorin – one or the other, as they were afraid she would reveal their plans to Elrond. Elrond, of course, knew better, and decided to wait with finding out what manner of quest they were on until later. Tara would never tell him at any rate.
Bilbo seemed downcast. Tara stopped in her tracks, turning fully towards the hobbit.
"Listen, Bilbo." She sat on her knees in front of him, smiling. The entire party had stopped with her, and she heard Gandalf chuckle as she took the hobbit's child-sized hands in hers. "I will speak to you later tonight, if you have any worries. Though I may not tell you in what manner my visions concern you, I am an expert at making people feel good with themselves, okay?"
Bilbo slowly nodded, clearly not comfortable with the stares of his companions, and Tara smiled, patting his hands with one of her own, before she stood up. She then turned to Elrond.
"Milord, could you lead them to the dining hall? I have something else to attend to," she begged, and Elrond raised a dark eyebrow. Tara sighed deeply.
"Do you really think I would avoid this dinner?"
"You avoided dinner last time the Elves from Mirkwood came." Tara scowled.
"A one-time occurrence only! Besides, I was the one to invite them to dinner in the first place, so it would be rude for me to not be there. I just need to make sure the Dwarves have something to eat too," she said with a smile, before turning to the group behind them. She curtsied, before hastily making her way down an adjacent hallway.
As Elrond and Gandalf led the Dwarves on, Bilbo looked after the direction Tara had run to. Bofur looked back to him, grinning.
"Missing your Elf friend already, Burglar?"
Bilbo looked at him, confused, as he had not quite heard what the Dwarf had said. But when his mind pieced together the sentence, he slowly shook his head.
"N-No, not really. Just curious what she had to do, is all... Besides, she's not an Elf, you saw her ears!"
Gloin scoffed.
"She's an Elf-lover, which is just as bad." Most of the Dwarves seemed to agree, but Bombur shrugged.
"They give us food, at least that isn't too bad," he pointed out. A minor discussion erupted amongst the Dwarves, all concerning the young human who had just left them, but before it could get out of hand, Fili voiced his opinion out loud: an opinion everyone shared.
"I don't trust her though. She looks at us like she knows everything; it irks me."
All of the Dwarves quickly agreed on this, but Gandalf looked behind at this comment.
"That's because, Master Dwarf, she does know everything. If you knew every embarrassing secret of your companions, would you be able to hide your amusement while looking at them?"
This comment made most of the Dwarves go pale, and as they began to wonder what exactly Tara knew about them, Gandalf winked at Elrond with a mischievous look in his eyes, and Elrond smiled. The two of them knew, of course, that Tara's visions were usually a bit more important than the everyday dirty secrets of common folk.
Thorin was deep in thought. This Seeress could answer many questions of his; but she had already told them that she didn't say anything of her visions. But surely, if he just asked questions, she would give him answers? He was a Dwarf King, she had to tell him! He would make sure of it.
Dinner was ready, sure, but the Dwarves weren't happy about it. It was all green food, no meat! Dwalin and Ori were the most dejected ones. Bombur ate anything he could get his paws on, and Dori was eagerly trying to get his younger cousin to eat a leaf of lettuce; it didn't go well. Gandalf saw it, and he turned to Elrond. Bilbo, of course, was more than happy to eat the greens. It was different from the same stew he had been eating for the past few weeks.
"Where is Tara? From what I can see, she was going to get meat for the Dwarves," he speculated, and Elrond shrugged, not sure himself of the whereabouts of the Seeress.
"Where is the meat?" Dwalin scowled, while Oin was sniffing suspiciously at a piece of onion.
"Right here."
All of the Dwarves looked up, including Thorin who sat with Elrond and Gandalf. Gandalf and Elrond chuckled as Tara led five or six Elven woman into the dining room, each with a large tray of meat. There was venison, rabbit, pheasant and much else, and the Dwarves seemed like these six women were the most beautiful ones they had ever seen.
They were all cheering loudly as Tara got some of the women to help her take some of the salads off of the table, in order to make space for the trays of meat. Bombur actually gave Tara an awkward hug, resulting of him already trying to fit as much meat as possible onto his plate, so only one arm was available. Tara blushed slightly never the less, and backed away. She asked two of the women to bring lots of bread as well, before she walked to the separate table, where Elrond, Gandalf and Thorin sat. She put down the tray she carried, with venison, and curtsied.
"Sorry I am late, Lord Elrond, Mithrandir, King Oakenshield."
Elrond smiled.
"I see you took the time to dress for the occasion as well," he teased, and Tara giggled.
Her hair was smoothed out, with two braids creating a frame on each side of her face. Her dress was dusty white with silver patterns around the chest, and she had, for once, decided to wear the tiara King Thranduil had given her. It was silver as well, mimicking a vine with small flowers of gemstones. Gandalf smiled.
"You are beautiful, Tara," he complimented, and she curtsied as thanks.
"Thank you, Gandalf. You are, of course, not exactly dressed for dinner."
The three laughed.
"As always," Elrond noted and Tara nodded. She looked down at Thorin, who was looking up at her. It was ridiculous, the height difference. Even if he was sitting on an Elven stool, his feet a few inches off the ground, his head still only reached the middle of her stomach. She curtsied slowly, before taking her seat at the table, putting her between Gandalf and him.
And as they also began eating, Tara began to feel the first wave of annoyance with the young king. He didn't exactly do anything to her. Nor did he say anything awful... But he stared. And she knew that, even if she asked, he wouldn't tell her why; simply because she was 'in league' with the Elves.
Determined to make the King focus on something else, she decided to use her knowledge from the movies a little. She feigned surprise as she noticed the sword at Gandalf's waist.
"Gandalf! Isn't that an Elven blade?" she asked, and though Gandalf needed a little while to understand what she was talking about, he confirmed her statement almost immediately. Elrond was, of course, eager to see the blades, and Thorin handed his to the Elven lord first.
"This is Orcrist." He sent a pointed look in Tara's direction, and Tara realized he wanted her to translate.
"Meaning 'Goblin cleaver', right?" she obeyed, making Elrond nod with a smile. He then returned his focus to the Dwarf King.
"It was forged in the 1st age by the High Elves of the West. My kin." He gave the sword back to Thorin, with the wish that it might serve him well. And though Thorin was, of course, still wary of Elrond, he graciously accepted his wishes.
Then it was Gandalf's blade. That was, of course, also a famous blade. Tara looked behind her, as she knew Bilbo pulled out his own sword. She smiled, as she slowly stood up and, very quietly, walked towards him. The Dwarves were busy eating or talking, so no one but the three men at her own table noticed she approached them.
"Are you saying my sword's never seen battle?" Bilbo asked the Dwarf next to him, and Tara remembered his name was Balin.
"I am not even sure it is a sword. Looks more like a letter opener to me."
"It does have a name."
They both jumped at the sound of her voice, and she giggled at the surprise.
"Forgive me – at times I forget to make noise as I walk." Bilbo quickly assured her it was all right, but then remembered what she had said. His eyes suddenly lit up.
"You're saying... My sword is a sword?" Tara laughed.
"A dagger, to be honest, but even a dagger can kill a mighty foe. Its name has been lost to the tides of history, but it was wielded by a kind-hearted man once," she shared. Bilbo eagerly nodded, willing her to continue her tale.
"This young man with his dagger once saved a Dwarf king, earning his ever-lasting friendship. The King had been to a meeting of his kin and was on his way home to his halls, and the young man just happened upon him, saving him from an Orc ambush. The man helped the King come home, and then went back to his village to live a life of peace. He lived for many years, sharing the tale with anyone who would listen."
The Dwarves didn't trust her as a person, but when it came to things such as history, they took her words for good measure. And as Bilbo seemed heartened at the tale, Tara looked down at Balin, whose eyes were scrutinizing her. She winked at him, and he smiled back. Had he seen through her little deception? It was not to tell. But as long as he wouldn't tell Bilbo that the events she had mentioned were yet to happen.
"Does the food suit all of you?" she asked kindly, and some of the Dwarves nodded eagerly, while others still eyed with her badly hidden animosity in their eyes (Dwalin especially).
"The food is all well an' good, but I don't get the music. It's so quiet and boring," Kili complained, and though Balin smacked the young Dwarf on the arm, Tara couldn't help but giggle.
"I assume it is an acquired taste."
Elrond stood up from his spot, and reached out to Tara.
"Then why don't you provide the music? I am sure you know what kind of entertainment our guests would enjoy," he said with a smile. Tara curtsied at him, agreeing. She turned around and saw Dieena already ready with her instrument. Tara couldn't stop a scowl from coming on her face.
"Conspirators" she insulted, and Dieena chuckled. Tara turned back towards the Dwarves, smiling as she began to stamp down onto the floor to create a drumming rhythm, along with clapping. Dieena's playing was beautiful, and Tara closed her eyes, concentrating.
As she began singing, the Dwarves gasped as the room they were in began flickering. Gandalf put a hand on Thorin's shoulder, as he was ready to grab his sword.
"Do not worry. Tara is preparing a show for us. I think you will enjoy it."
While the words floated from Tara and around the room, the Dwarves were astounded to find that the room suddenly faded away, replaced by green fields and mountains. Elrond smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen Tara share her visions like this.
"It's the Shire."
Bilbo was breathless, as he saw Hobbit-children running out of their Hobbit holes, dancing around Tara with flower crowns on their heads. But they weren't in the Shire for very long. Soon, they zoomed up into the air, and the Dwarves were astonished as they saw the grass disappear from beneath the table and they began floating in the air.
The song continued, and they moved over mountains, over plains and creeks. They could sometimes point out locations while in flight, and as the music was slowly going down in tempo, Thorin's eyes widened.
"Erebor."
They were hastily approaching the Lonely Mountain, and almost all of the Dwarves stood up, staring as their group went through the open doors of their lost homeland. They saw Dwarves milling around the roads, busy as always, and though they reached out to touch them, they found that their kin dissolved into golden dust and scattered on the wind.
And just before the song would end, they arrived at the Throne, empty, and Thorin stared upon it with wide eyes. The music continued for a while, without Tara's voice accompanying it. She looked at Thorin with a small, but sad, smile.
"The throne is waiting for its king, Thorin Oakenshield."
Thorin looked up at her, his eyes for once not filled with distrust, as the image of Erebor slowly dissolved, allowing them to return to Rivendell. The Dwarves were all breathless after seeing their lost home once again, but Bilbo started the applause and some of the Dwarves soon joined in, Kili and Fili clapping the loudest.
Tara curtsied with a smile, trying to hide the way her knees shook beneath her. The Dwarves didn't notice, her dress hid it quite well, but she could see Elrond and Gandalf furrow their brows with worry. And as she sat down in her seat once more, she looked at Thorin who was still staring at her, and smiled at him.
And rather than glare at her, he nodded. His version of a 'thanks', she supposed.
Auta = Leave.
Kela = Go away.
Sii' = Now.
Heruanim = My lord.
Ainuhe = Read the second chapter, I won't keep posting the translation ;) Seeress (Literally Holy woman)
Creoso a'baramin. Tula, vasa ar' yulna en i'mereth = Welcome to my dwelling. Come, eat and drink of the feast.
Lle wethrine amin = You deceived me.
Lle creoso, Heruanim. Ta nae seasamin = You're welcome, milord. It was my pleasure.