Hello again everyone! I hope that you are all well and I am glad to say I finally found a chance to write some more. I had a nice break in between artwork today hehe. Oh and I am THRILLED to have seen some of you on Deviantart too! I hope you have enjoyed the Bilbo/Aereya pictures, there should be some more soon! also, thank you so much as always for the lovely reviews. You guys are awesome xxx

Anyway, I hope you like the new chapter!


Bilbo skittered down the corridor after Aereya, panting slightly as he caught up with and fell into step with her. They walked in silence, her face largely concealed by her hood, fingers clasped stiffly over her stomach. The hobbit actually struggled to keep up as she led him out of the maze of Elrond's hall and down several flights of terracotta coloured stairs, not stopping to even glance at him. The sun was drifting behind the mountains as it set at their backs, the sky stained red and gold. Gradually she led him away from the settlement and into the woods surrounding them, finally beginning to slow her pace as she drifted between the trees. With a cautious sidelong look at the girl, Bilbo said gently;

"Are you alright?"

She nodded silently, twisting fumbling fingers into her skirts to lift them, as though searching for something to do with her hands. Bilbo arched his brows, then looked away from her, letting his gaze slide over the tree trunks as they walked. He didn't want press her…

"I want to show you something," she said suddenly, turning her heel to look at him, walking backwards with a small smile. "That is, if you don't mind something of a hike?"

"Erm, well no, I suppose not.." the hobbit replied, a swill of nerves rising inside him at her words.

"Quickly then, before we run out of light."

She span back once more and to Bilbo's surprise broke into a run, her pale shape darting away between the silver bark of the birches. He launched himself after her, the sensible, Baggins part of his brain muttering quietly in his ear 'What on earth are you doing, you ridiculous hobbit?'. He ignored it though, feeling himself break into a grin as he caught up with her, hearing her laugh as she looked over at him before ducking away to the right, weaving between the trees in an attempt to cut him off. He tried to keep sight of her shining form but in the end lost her altogether, grinding to a halt in the rapidly darkening woods, hands falling to his sides as he drew several deep breaths before calling out.

"Aereya? Aereya, I think I'm lost!"

He turned around a few times, then released a sigh, rubbing his cheek.

"Bother," he said under his breath. "Well, that's what you get for behaving like a child, isn't i-"

He was stopped short as he felt cool fingers grasp his and tug gently, looking up to see Aereya's clear eyes twinkling beneath her hood as she smiled at him.

"It is this way. Come with me."

She pulled on his hand and Bilbo allowed himself to be led blithely, his skin humming where it touched hers. She guided him out of the close knit canopy of trees and into the cooling evening air, the sun almost gone now. The hobbit let out a small noise of surprise as they emerged onto the very precipice of a mountain face, the valley plummeting away far beneath them, cutting deep into the landscape. At the very foot of the ravine the vein of the Bruinen was pulsing ever strong, it's currents rushing towards a distant and dark forest, an inkblot on the page of this foreign country.

Aereya inched closer to the brink, until her toes were touching the very edge as she peered down. With a gasp Bilbo pulled on her hand sharply, snatching her back, bright blue eyes looking up at him in astonishment as he flustered;

"I - You could have fallen…"

She looked up at him for a long moment then smiled, releasing her hand from his grip and taking a few steps back. Turning, she gestured towards the world beyond the valley with an incline of her head, saying softly;

"That will be your path. Out there…"

Stepping forwards gingerly, Bilbo looked out at the sheer vastness of what lay before him, his heart palpating as he took in the view.

"It's so far…"

"It is," Aereya replied, stepping beside him and pushing her hood away to fall down her back. Following Bilbo's gaze, she asked in a low voice;

"Why are you doing this? It isn't for the gold, is it?"

The hobbit shook his head, still looking shell-shocked as he absorbed the journey that would be waiting before him.

"Then why, Bilbo? I do not understand… Do you not miss your home?"

Tearing his gaze away he peered down at her with a wry smile.

"Always," he said in hushed tones. "More than anything…"

"But you are here none the less?"

Bilbo nodded, then looked back out at the valley and all the country that lay beyond, something mournful in his voice as he said;

"My house was stuffed to the gills with dwarves. Loud, brash, invasive, totally uninvited and perfect stranger dwarves. Well, dwarves and Gandalf of course. I did my best to tell them no, that the Shire was my home, where I belonged and I wouldn't be going -anywhere- with them.

"And so in the morning they were gone, just as I wanted. I was alone again, in Bag End. I'd gotten my own way. Except that suddenly it seemed so vacant. Cold even. And I had this moment where I thought 'Is this it? Is this really all that will be for me..?'

Next thing I know I'm out my front door without so much as a backwards glance. I suppose I went temporarily mad…"

He let out a low chuckle, shrugging his shoulders, then craned his neck to look up at the sky. The last glimmers of sun were vanishing, the sable sky beginning to swallow the horizon from view.

"It's getting dark," he said, feeling a little awkward after his moment of truth with Aereya. "Perhaps we should head back up?"

The girl gazed upwards too, a warm smile dancing on her lips.

"The dark is safe here. Imladris is veiled from the world. Besides, the stars are coming out, see?"

She lifted an arm to point up at the pinpricks of light coming into being above them, leaning her shoulder against him so he could follow where she was gesturing better.

"Look. There is Wilwarin. And Valacirca there, the seven stars to the north. The hope of the elves gifted by the Valar, according to legend…"

Bilbo tilted his head to get a better view, then laughed briefly, pointing upwards himself.

"That one there?"

"Yes. With the tail."

"Hm… Well. In the Shire, we call that one the Plough. Because it looks like farming equipment. I think we've rather de-romanticized it, don't you?"

He grinned down at her and she looked back at him with a laugh, dropping her arm.

"The Plough? Goodness, do not let the elves hear you say that!"

"No, no, best not," he said. "I am not entirely sure they would see it in good humour…"

She nodded with a smile, then looked back up at the sky, her eyes reflecting the growing starlight.

"The Shire sounds a fine place. Simpler than here," she said softly.

"It is," Bilbo said with a small sigh. "There aren't any palaces or mountains, but it's a green country with good people who don't ask for much in life…"

"I suppose that is the thing about the stars," Aereya said in a quiet voice. "No matter where you are, they are always the same. The sky here is the same as the sky in your Shire. It is the one piece of home that you never leave behind…"

The hobbit rubbed the back of his head, scanning his eyes over the night's vista.

"I've never really thought of that," he said. "It's quite comforting actually, I-"

He stiffened as chill fingers laced their way through his. He looked down, seeing Aereya's white hand holding his tightly. Not so that she could lead him anywhere, not to steady herself , or him. Her fingers were interlinked through his, holding them tightly. Securely. Just for the sake of holding them…

For an achingly long moment they stood in silence together, till Bilbo finally worked up the nerve to look at her face, seeing a fine sheen of pink in her cheeks.

"I'm not the only one who's homesick, am I?" he said gently. She didn't answer, keeping her gaze fixed ahead. Bilbo swallowed, then squeezed her fingers a little, feeling them grow warmer in his hold. He traced his thumb over hers and she looked up at him then, gazing silently at him.

"It's alright," he mumbled, trying to offer her some assurance. She gave him an apprehensive smile, then looked back down into the valley below, whispering,

"I have never been beyond my country's borders before. I did not think my first time would be like this…"

Bilbo bit the inside of his bottom lip, then increased his hold on her hand a little more, saying in as light a tone as he could manage,

"Neither did I."

She looked back at him with a wan laugh, a glimmer of fondness in her eyes making the hairs on his arms and legs stand on end.

"But here we are…"

"For a while at least. I won't be staying in Rivendell long, as much as I'd like to," Bilbo said despondently. "Thorin won't wait forever."

Aereya sighed, her gaze dropping to her feet and the hobbit frowned, feeling a strong urge to pull her closer to him which he had to work very hard to deny. He barely knew her but he was beginning to feel oddly attached to her, this strange, flitting creature that would have every nerve exposed one moment then be a closed book the next…

"Come on," he said, beginning to steer her away from the plateau's edge. "It's going to get cold out here soon. I'm taking you back."

As they made their way through the trees once more Bilbo tucked the hand he had been holding into the crook of his elbow, trying to ignore the peculiar response his stomach was producing at the sensation of her fingers on his bicep. When they came out of the trees on the other side and to the first ruddy steps towards Rivendell she drew away from him, pulling her hood up over her shining hair once more. For a moment the hobbit felt a flicker of disappointment, before he tugged on the bottom of his waistcoat firmly as she turned to him and said,

"I can make my own way from here. I do not wish to take any more of your time."

Bilbo quickly raised his hands, shaking his head.

"Nonono," he said rapidly. "You're not! I mean, if you want my time, then well… I.."

He let his arms fall to his sides once more, curling and uncurling his fingers in an awkward manner. He heard Aereya laugh, a silken, warm sound and a moment later felt her curl her fingers around his again loosely, stepping close to gaze up at him from beneath the canopy of cream chiffon covering her head.

"Then I will find you," she breathed.

Bilbo looked back at her, hoping beyond hope that his face wasn't flushing and nodded a couple of times. Aereya bowed her head, then released his hand and turned away. The hobbit lingered and let her walk a little way ahead of him, sure that it would be better manners to let her make her way alone as she'd wanted. Not to mention he wasn't entirely sure what the others would make of it if they saw them arm in arm.

Eventually he made his way back to his room, sitting heavily on the end of his bed, his feet dangling off the floor. Rubbing his fingers in the palm of the opposite hand thoughtfully, he took a deep breath, hearing the approaching voice of Kili calling his name, enquiring with a yell whether he wanted to join them for dinner. For the first time he could remember in his entire life though, he was quite put off the thought of food, his insides rolling in a very unpleasant way…