I HOLD NO CLAIMS TO ANY MEMBER OF THIS STORY. Only Miriel, the female dwarves, Ammie, and the female elves are mine :)

Damn it's been a long time. Sorry about the wait, guys! Here's the next chapter!

Just FYI, I'm changing the history with Elrond and Thranduil a bit. Hope you don't mind too much.

I am also sticking to the book with Aragorn being ten and with the elves of Rivendell.

Chapter Six

Welcome to Rivendell

Ammie was impressed. For dwarves, they all ran pretty fast; especially Bofur's sister, Lula. She was completely leaving everyone in the dust; except for Drake. That man was the fastest of them all, scouting for a clean route to keep the group from running into the path of Radagast or the orcs. Gandalf led the dwarves, Miriel taking up the back just in case.

They did have to change directions a couple of times because Radagast was going quite wild in leading the orcs around the field but he was doing a pretty good job of it; until one of the orcs decided to use his nose and scent them out.

Kili pulled out his bow on Thorin's orders and tried to finish the orc and his warg off quickly but the noises that were made were too much. The others knew that they were here now.

"You're all fools!" Raniel growled. "Now they know!"

Right on queue, the other Wargs gave out a large howl and the ground began to shake.

"Get your asses in gear!" Drake yelled.

"Run!" Gandalf agreed in a roar.

Ammie moved forward but paused as Miriel didn't move. She watched as the woman drew something in the ground with her foot, saying something under her breath. Her eyes grew wide as figures rose from the dirt; they were dwarves. Only four of them, but still. They took off in the opposite direction. Miriel grabbed the Hobbit's had with a wink and began to drag her back towards the others.

"They'll disappear soon, but they'll drag the Wargs off for a while, at least."

Ammie grinned. That had been magic.

"Miriel!" Drake's voice lifted Ammie's eyes as the group came to a worried stop in a tall field. She was almost out of breath; she had never run so hard or far in her life. And what made that worse was that the Orcs had circled them somehow; and were closing in. "We're going to have to fight!"

"I have no doubt that you will be fine, Drake," The witch was breathing hard herself. "But we have to think about the dwarves. They're like sitting ducks against Wargs!"

"Perhaps me, you, and Gandalf should try and kill the Wargs and leave the Orcs to them then. Either way, we're stuck here fighting." He glanced at Ammie. "My apologies that you're stuck in the middle of this."

"No, I'm the one that should be sorry," She sighed. "I wish that I could help more."

He grinned. "Hold onto that. If you're still alive after the fight is over, I'll teach you how to wield a sword." That brought a smile to her face but it was mixed with worry. Would she still be alive after this?

"We're surrounded!" Fili roared out as his brother fired off arrows.

"Alright, you ugly bastards!" Drake roared out, pulling his sword off of his belt. "Stay behind me; I'll save your sorry asses from your friends."

"Not alone you won't." Raniel whipped out her own blade; Ammie's eyes went wide. It was huge and engraved with another of those elven scriptures. How could she hold that huge thing?

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf's voice made everyone turn to see that the grey wizard was behind a large rock; he had found an escape route.

The dwarves wasted no time in running after the wizard, Miriel shoving Bilbo and Ammie along with them. She glanced back to see that Drake was still standing there.

"Come on, you idiot!"

Drake moved towards her as a strange horn sounded and both disappeared down the hole, landing with the others. The sounds of fighting rained down on them.

Lula looked at Raniel. "Who else is out there?"

The dwarf went to answer but a dead Orc came rolling in after them, landing on top of Drake. He gave a cry before kicking the dead carcass off of him and standing with a shudder.

"Damn elves," Drake spat, sheathing his sword again. "God, they stink." He gave the orc a kick as Thorin glared at Gandalf.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads," Dwalin called over before Thorin could speak. "Do we follow it or no?"

"You don't plan on going back out to that, do you?" Durila looked at the older dwarf like he was stupid.

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur agreed, running forward.

"I think that would be wise." Gandalf nodded as the others all followed.

Raniel glanced at the wizard. "You know he's not going to like this, Gandalf."

"The brat doesn't like anything," Drake answered her, moving after them all. "He's going to have to get over it if he thinks he's going to be a king."

"Hmph," That Raniel couldn't deny. She understood why Thorin had…become this way, but facts were facts. He needed to get over what had happened and deal with the here and now instead of wallowing in his anger.

Ammie hurried along the path, catching up to Drake. "You have to teach me how to fight!"

The man smiled. "Yes, I suppose I do now, don't I?" He rubbed his chin. "Are you sure? A young lady like yourself shouldn't engage in battles."

"I came on this journey for adventure," Ammie told him. "I feel useless! I hate just standing in the backing and hiding. I want to help you all. Besides, if we're going to go chase a dragon out of a mountain then I need to be able to do something!"

"Alright, alright," Drake smiled at her. "Perhaps I can find you a blade from our pointy-eared friends."

Ammie smiled but then it changed into a frown. "Pointy-eared friends? What are you talking about?"

Her answer was a laugh as they excited the cave. Her eyes grew wide at the sight that greeted them, the man's words making sense now.

"The Valley of Imladris," Gandalf began. "In the common tongue, it's known by another name."

"Oh my God," Ammie lost her breath at the gorgeous city before them. "It's Rivendell. Oh, Bilbo, it's Rivendell!" She had always dreamed of seeing this place. It had been on her mind since she first heard the stories of Lord Elrond; especially in how he had captured Lady Azariah's heart.

(Yeah, like I said earlier, I'm changing things for the elves a bit; I just couldn't leave Elrond out.)

The other Hobbit was caught in awe himself. Never before had he seen something so…

"Ahh, it feels good to be back." Miriel smiled, taking a deep breath. "Nothing but peace here."

"Yes, I do have to say I like it better here than in Thranduil's little forest," Drake admitted. "Then again, Thranduil himself might be the cause of that."

Miriel gave a little chuckle. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." She liked Thranduil, despite his…way of dealing with things. It was very true that he handled things a bit ruthless and harsher than his dear brother-in-law, Elrond.

"Here lies the Last Homely House East of the Sea," Gandalf continued.

Thorin glared at the wizard. "This was your plan all along. To seek refuge with our enemy."

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself."

"It's pointless arguing with him, Gandalf," Raniel called over her shoulder to the two men. "His pigheadedness will not let him see reason."

Thorin glared at her back now. "You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us."

"Of course they will," Gandalf agreed. "But we have questions that need to be answered." Thorin sighed. "If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact. And respect. And no small degree of charm. And since it appears that you cannot do that, then I suggest you leave the talking to your wife."

Gandalf led the way again, leaving the rest to follow. Raniel stayed quiet and just stood there for a moment until she and Thorin were alone. She didn't look at him though, just spoke. "Can you truly still be mad at them?"

Thorin looked at her. "What?"

"The Elves, Thorin. How can you still be mad at them?"

He felt his anger rise. "How dare you ask that? You were there! You saw what happened! What they left us to face!"

"Can you honestly say that if Smaug had attacked Mirkwood or Rivendell instead, that we would have helped them?"

"Of course we would have!"

Raniel shook her head in shame. "That's a lie, Thorin, and you know it. You can say what you want but we all know the true answer. Your grandfather had already lost his mind by the time Smaug had arrived at Erebor. If the elves had tried to attack, they would have lost so much, just like we had. I don't blame the elves for not helping us fight against the dragon. I blame our king for leading it there. I blame ourselves."

Thorin was still as the woman walked past him, moving after the others. Raniel had changed since the days of Erebor. The soft, peaceful woman had been changed into the harsh, battle-scared one before him. That smile he loved had not been shone in years, he believed, and half of it was his fault…the guilt would never leave him…

It was clear that the only dwarf that seemed at ease here in Rivendell was Raniel. Lula and Durila weren't as displeased as the male dwarves were, but it was still clear that they were a tad uncomfortable.

"Do you think they'll take us on a tour?" Ammie asked eagerly.

Miriel laughed. "Lord Elrond is quite generous; perhaps he'll let one of his sons lead you," She leaned down to the Hobbit's ear. "The twins Elladan and Elrohir are both quite handsome and interested in places outside of Rivendell. Perhaps you could tell them about the Shire."

Ammie felt her face grow red as Drake laughed. "Still playing matchmaker, eh woman?"

"Hush, Drake."

"Mithrandir," A voice called out a greeting. Ammie turned to see that a male elf was walking towards them with a smile; he had greeted Gandalf.

"Ahh, Lindir," The wizard returned.

"Oh, nice," Durila grinned at the sight of the dark haired elf that moved down the stairs towards them. "Don't you think, Lula?"

"Eh, I like mine blonde." The two laughed as the other dwarves looked at them like they were crazy; Raniel just chuckled.

"We heard you had crossed into the Valley," Raniel watched as Lindir and Gandalf conversed. Being friends with Alloralla and her sister over all these years made her fluent in the elven languages.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond," Gandalf got right to the point.

The elf shook his head. "My Lord Elrond is not here."

"Not here?" Gandalf repeated.

"That is…unusual," Miriel chose her words carefully.

"I don't suppose he was with the warriors making the rounds, was he?" Drake raised a brow. Lindir's silence answered the question. "Ha, I knew it. That old bastard can't just stay in his throne, can he?"

"And you still can't your tongue, lizard."

At the voice, a huge grin spread across Drake's face and he turned to greet the form that had joined them. "I'm afraid not," He gave a deep, elegant bow. "It is an honor to see you again, Lady Azariah."

Ammie hadn't even heard this elf move up to them; there wasn't another set of stairs for her to walk up on, either. She was just…there.

Tall, nearly Drake's height, and with an undoubtable elegance around her, the elf had wavy golden hair with shots of silver that reached down her back, nearly reaching the floor as a small, elven crown sat upon her brow. Her eyes were a bright green, her skin a lovely pale that showed against the robes of black silk she wore.

Ammie thought her eyes would rip if they got any larger. This was Azariah, Lady of Rivendell and Lord Elrond's wife! The stories hardly did the Elven woman's beauty justice. Though she seemed sophisticated and elegant, there was a look in her eyes that told the Hobbit her mischievous side was still there.

"It is good to see you all," Azariah greeted the trio she knew. "You bring guests with you this time."

"I'm afraid we're in a bit of a bundle," Miriel scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry to just drop in on you and Elrond like this."

"Hmm, I'm sure he'll welcome the excitement. He's been rather bored as of late."

"Do you know when he'll return?" Raniel asked her friend.

Azariah's answer was just a smile as a horn behind them blew, signaling that the warriors had returned. Gandalf grinned but the dwarves did not see to be happy. Bofur and Kili grabbed Durila and Lula and yanked them into the middle of the men with Bilbo and Ammie, glaring and growling as the elves on the horses began to circle them. Raniel just shook her head with a sigh.

Ammie's eyes grew wide at the elf on the black horse before her as he greeted Gandalf and Miriel. This was the elf she had heard all the stories about. This was Elrond Half-Elven, Lord of Rivendell.

Long dark brown hair and calm, kind eyes of brown, a matching crown to his' wife's sat upon his head as the elf slid off of his horse and exchanged a pleasant hug with Gandalf and Miriel. In his dark robes, the armor looked rather strange on the elven king though the Hobbit couldn't deny that he looked appealing.

"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders," Elrond was saying, gesturing to the Orc blade in his hand. "Something or someone has drawn them near."

"Guilty," Drake gave the Lord a cheeky grin.

Elrond gave mix of a laugh and a sigh. "Still following the bird, are you?"

"But of course. It is her fault, after all." He glanced at Miriel; she flushed.

"Shush, Drake."

"Look whose come for a visit, my dear," Azariah moved forward to her husband and motioned towards Raniel.

"Lady Raniel," Elrond tilted his head in respect. "I am glad to see that you are faring well."

"The same to you here," The dwarven woman replied. She could feel Thorin's eyes burning into her back. "Have the twins returned safely from Gondor yet?"

"Yes," Elrond answered. "They had told us that they ran into you and Miriel there. I thank you for helping them."

"It was the least I could do, my Lord."

Elrond smiled kindly at the woman. "Pleasantries aside, I take it that this is not just a simple visit, is it?"

"Unfortunately not," Raniel turned to the side. Thorin took this moment and decided to walk forward when Elrond's eyes fell on him.

"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain," The elf moved forward a few steps.

"I do not believe we have met." Was the dwarf's reply. Azariah shot Raniel a grin as the dwarf kept her eyes anywhere but back at the other woman.

"You have your grandfather's bearing," Elrond told the dwarf. "I knew Thror when he ruled Under the Mountain."

"Indeed? He made no mention of you."

"Be polite!" Ammie hissed at the dwarf in front of her. "Being a dick here will get you nowhere!" She couldn't believe it! Here they were before one of the strongest Elves in the world, and the dwarves had to be fools!

"And Hobbits should keep their mouths shut," Dwalin growled at her.

Azariah giggled as Raniel felt her cheeks grow red in embarrassment. Elrond gave the Hobbit an appreciative grin and tossed Thorin's attitude to the side. He began to speak in Elvish again, staring straight into Thorin's face. It clearly made the dwarf uncomfortable; Drake couldn't stop his laughter as Miriel and Gandalf shared a look.

"What is he saying?" Gloin growled, baring his axe. "Does he offer us insult?"

"No, Master Gloin, he's offering you food." Gandalf replied in disbelief.

Durila shook her head as she and Lula watched the men huddle together and begin to speak. She glanced at Elrond.

"My apologies for the men, My Lord, They're not very bright."

"Not my choice of words, but," He glanced her over. "You're not just a dwarf along for the ride either, are you?"

"Ah, let me introduce myself. Durila Ironfoot."

"Dain's daughter, then." Elrond nodded at her smile. "I did not know he would allow you to travel this far without guards."

"That's because her daddy wasn't asked for permission!" Lula teased with a grin.

"Oh my," Azariah laughed. "It seems that Raniel has begun to rub off on you, my dear."

"I see no problem with that. Though she does not have her kingdom anymore, she is still a good Queen," She smiled at the other dwarf. "And a great friend."

"I second that." Lula agreed. Raniel felt pride flow through her as both the elves smiled at her.

"Well then," Gloin announced that the men had stopped talking. "In that case, lead on."

"Idiots," Durila sighed.

Elrond gave Lindir a look and the elf bowed before leaving, most likely to get dinner ready. As the others all followed after Elrond, Ammie paused and stared up at Azariah. Again, the stories she had heard from her grandmother hardly did her beauty justice.

"Is something the matter, dear?" The Elf smiled at her.

Ammie flushed, her excitement breaking through; her voice was fast. "Of course not! I just can't believe I'm here! I can't believe it's you! My grandmother always told me stories about you and your sister Alloralla! The adventures that you two took across Middle-Earth were what made me want to travel too! And the story of how you had captured Elrond's heart, oh, it's was the sweetest, most romantic thing ever!"

~It seems that I have an admirer,~ Azariah chuckled to herself. "I would hardly call fighting giant spiders a romantic tale, little one."

"But it was the way my grandmother told me! The way he had saved you from the Queen spider just to have you turn and accidently punch him in the face! I always pictured his astonished look in my head!"

Azariah couldn't help but laugh. She remembered that day; it was the first time she and her sister had ever met Elrond and Thranduil. It was definitely a day that none of them would ever forget.

"Am…are you sure that it's alright for me to go inside?" Ammie then asked, looking up at the large city again. "It seems…too extravagant for someone like me to enter."

"Nonsense," Azariah placed a hand on the Hobbit's back and began to lead her up the stairs after the others. "Any friend of Miriel's is welcome here." She paused. "You are a…Hobbit, correct?" Azariah glanced at Ammie. "From the Shire?"

"Yes, My Lady." She needed to call her that, right? She was married to Lord Elrond, after all.

"I should introduce you to my sons. Elladan and Elrohir are very interested in far off places;" She gave the Hobbit a little grin. "And people."

Ammie felt her face grow red. She knew that the Lady off Rivendell wasn't trying to set her up with one of her sons, but she still couldn't get the thought of a young elf looking like Elrond kissing her hand out of her head.

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