Chapter 7: Back on the Road
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The Company would be leaving soon. With Gandalf and Lord Elrond distracted by whatever meeting they were attending, it was the perfect time to slip away before they could be stopped. Glyndwr was looking at his newly engraved swords with awe. Whilst they had no names, they were engraved with elegant golden designs, the handle embellished with vine like patterns that matched the scabbards.
"Glyn?" Bilbo poked his head into the room.
"Master Baggins…did Thorin send you?"
"Yes…we're leaving now." The Hobbit said, slightly dismayed at the prospect. Bilbo, like Glyndwr, was completely enamoured with Imladris, and would very much like to stay.
"Alright then…I'll just grab my armour." He said, putting the swords back in his modified quiver.
"I'll go let them know…" The Hobbit smiled and went to turn away.
"I assume you'd like to stay?" Glyndwr asked and the other gave a slight nod. "Perhaps, when this is all over, we can journey back here?" The Half-elven offered and Bilbo smiled at the other, nodded once more and headed off.
Looking around his room one last time as he fastened his cloak around his shoulders, Glyndwr sighed for he would miss Imladris. He hoped that he would be able to come back and stay here, for he had very much come to see Imladris as something of a home. Heading out, he closed the door and did his best to avoid Lindir, who had likely been given orders to stop them should they try to leave.
"Let's go…" Thorin said gruffly as they left, oddly stealthy despite their boisterous nature.
"We have some time to make up." Balin explained. "Which means we will be stopping only when it is necessary now."
The other Dwarves offered no complaints as they walked along the thin pathway on the side of the valley. Glyndwr and Bilbo stopped to take a look at the city behind them with longing expressions on their face whilst Thorin oversaw the others.
"Master Baggins, Master Magnus…I suggest you keep up."
"Come on, Bilbo…we'll see it again." Glyn smiled softly at the other, before walking away.
"I too would like to go back there…" Fili admitted quietly.
"A Dwarf wanting to return to a city of Elves? I must have heard wrong." Glyndwr said with a small grin, which only widened when Fili glared slightly, before softening his features.
"I think there's a lot more to learn about Elves…I've had a chance to get to know one and I've seen the true visage of the Lady Galadriel. Whilst I don't doubt my uncle in that the Elves had not treated our people right before, I know not to tar them all with same brush."
"Not an Elf…" Glyndwr said as though it was rehearsed.
"I know you'd become one…wouldn't you?"
"I've been considering it. I would very much like to learn so much. From what I can gather, there is a lot of history to this world…"
"Three ages worth." Fili grinned again.
"Plus there are languages, visiting these places…I'd like to spend a lot of time travelling this world and learning all that I can." Glyndwr smiled. "I know there are multiple variants of the Elven language, and I'd like to learn the Dwarven language too…"
"Most people only learn multiple languages for diplomacy…do you intend to become a diplomat?" Thorin asked, surprising the others by getting involved.
"I had considered that as well…"
"Why?"
"On my world, diplomacy has led to fruitful partnerships and cooperation between nations. Perhaps it would benefit the Elves and Dwarves… after all, I'm travelling with a company of Dwarves who I've come to care for and I also care very much for the Elves." Glyndwr said and he could have sworn he saw Thorin crack a small smile.
"You believe you can foster peace between our peoples…naïve…but your heart is in the right place."
"You don't think it's possible?"
"It may be for me, having been welcomed into the home of Lord Elrond himself. Though I will never make peace with the sprites of Mirkwood…they'd abandoned us."
"It's understandable that you'd have bad feelings against them. Besides, if I were a diplomat, I would represent only Imladris…Mirkwood is nothing to me." Glyndwr said, earning a few laughs of delight from the other Dwarves.
"I like your train of thought, Master Magnus…still, there is a lot of bad blood from the rest of my kin. You might convince me and the others of this company, but you would have to convince the rest of the Dwarves of Ered Luin." Thorin said and the other sighed.
"It's never easy…but I'm glad I may be getting through to you."
Elven endurance aside, Thorin had pushed them very hard and they were all nothing short of tired and eager to rest. Glyndwr was sent scouting again, but just as he was due to leave, he saw Fili get up and check his weapons before standing there, waiting. The Dwarf rose a brow as Glyndwr stood, a little curious.
"What?" Fili asked.
"Why aren't you resting?" Glyndwr asked.
"I want to scout the area as well…come on…" Fili said and the other kept his brow raised, but he picked up his swords and bow as they headed out.
They'd set up camp in a small clearing that was just of the road in a clearing of a forest. It wasn't as beautiful as the wooded areas of Imladris, but the terrain was still lush and vibrant with life. Lightly, the two stepped through the woods lightly, their eyes constantly scanning the area. Glyndwr had drawn his First Age sword to act like a detector if there were orcs nearby.
"So…got names for your swords yet?" Fili asked quietly.
"I may have for the one…"
"What is it?"
"Dur Glas…it's Welsh for Blue Steel. No need to guess which sword that's for." He said with a small grin which Fili returned.
"A good name. Quick and to the point." Fili said before a snapping twig startled the pair of them.
"Not an orc…"
"An animal then…"
Sheathing his sword, Glyndwr instead drew his bow and prepared an arrow as they followed the noise, soon picking up the tracks of the animal. Glyndwr was no good at tracking, but Fili was more than proficient at it, leading them on the correct path. They soon happened upon a stag and Glyn prepared to fire.
The majestic creature merely looked up and at him, not even remotely fazed by the presence of the Dwarf or Half-elven. Glyndwr hesitated then and lowered his bow as he continued to watch the stag, and Fili in turn was watching him.
"He's not afraid…"
"No towns or villages around here…no need to hunt…and so they don't need to fear the Free Peoples…" Fili said softly.
"It wouldn't be right to kill him...in my world, even rabbits don't venture from their homes in the fields. People hunt them and consider them to be pests…" The Half-even said, putting the arrow back in his quiver and the bow over his shoulder. "Let it be. It should be able to live out its life."
"Had this been near a town or village, people would have killed him for food or to sell…Erebor may be home to the largest trove of treasure in this world…but it doesn't have a heart of gold like you."
"Thank you, Fili…" He said with a slight blush that didn't go unnoticed.
"Come…let's return to the camp."
Glyndwr took one final glance at the stag before turning around and following the Dwarf back to the campsite. The others had already prepared their bedrolls and were relaxing whilst Bombur prepared dinner and Thorin was caring for Orcrist. Glyndwr took off his armour, but left his cloak on and he chose to lean up against a tree.
"You two were gone for some time…" Thorin said without looking at them.
"We were tracking an animal whilst scouting…it got away." Glyndwr explained.
"A shame…but no matter." Thorin said.
"Bombur's cooked something nice up in any case. Rivendell has some nice spices." Nori said, earning a glare from Dori. "Come on…you enjoyed them too."
"Once we've had supper, I recommend getting some sleep as soon as you can. We have a lot of time to make up for." Thorin explained. "I trust that's not a problem, Master's Magnus and Baggins?" The King in Exile asked.
"Not at all." Bilbo said nervously.
"I can keep up. The terrain is a little rougher than what I'm used to, but I've managed before when I was human."
"Tell us of your world." Kili said excitedly. "Or at least your country."
"Aye lad, you've made references to it before, but what's it really like?" Gloin asked.
"Compared to other countries, there aren't many cities. It's small, but full of personality and culture dating back thousands of years. Beyond the capital city where I lived, the countryside consisted of green fields along gentle hills, of mountains that offered beautiful views of the valley below and when the weather was warm, it was always pleasant to be out. Ruins of fortresses past tell a story of our past."
"It sounds lovely…almost like the Shire…" Bilbo said with a small smile.
"Indeed it is…It's why I enjoyed my time there, for it reminded me of the Welsh valleys." Glyndwr smiled.
"And what about the capital?" Fili asked.
"Caerdydd, or in the common tongue, Cardiff, is a city on the coast. If you take the mountain road, you can see the city in the distance, and a little bit beyond that is the ocean. The beaches are always busy when the warm weather arrives. The centre of the city bustles as people shop. Hundreds upon hundreds of people constantly moving, whether it be to work, to spend their hard earned money or to see the sights." Glyndwr said fondly.
"Do you miss it?"
"Everyday…but you are so much like the Welsh people, it helps lessen the longing."
"You said you worked in a pub there?" Kili asked.
"I did. One of many. Most nights, a few regulars come in after a long day at work for some drinks and food. The weekends are when the people have their down time and come to the pubs for drinks with their friends. It gets very loud. Very spirited. It's quite the atmosphere. I'd indulge in a drink or two with my patrons, listen to them about their days or other such things. You meet a lot of people, a lot of backgrounds."
"We like a drink ourselves…course you don't need me to tell you that." Bofur said with a grin whilst the Dwarves chuckled. "And we've seen you drink as well. Not as much, but you certainly know how to down a pint."
"Well you work in a Welsh pub, you're drinking with the best of them."
"Your people sound like a good bunch." Fili said with a smile.
"They are. Far from perfect, but they're good people." Glyndwr smiled fondly.
"What about your family?" Kili asked tentatively.
"I was an only child and I grew up in the countryside. My father was a soldier in the army before he was discharged on medical grounds. He went on to become a teacher of various trades. My mother was a doctor at the local hospital, and a bloody good one at that. Never really needed to go to the local doctor when I had one living with me."
"Are they?..." Bilbo hesitated.
"Yes…for a few years now. My father had an illness that progressed rapidly and he passed away in his sleep. My mother followed not long after. She kept working, but she just let herself go. I can't remember the precise cause of it, but I knew that it was a broken heart in the end. Good people. I moved to the city not long after." He said sadly. "They lived long lives though and did well with what time they did have. That brings me comfort." He said with a small smile.
"Well now we know where the heart of gold comes from and your knack for fighting." Fili said.
"Heart of gold?" Thorin asked.
"The reason the animal, a stag, got away is because I couldn't bring myself to kill it. It belonged in this forest…"
"Normally I'd chastise you for hesitating, given that orcs will give you no quarter, however I've seen you kill an orc easily and your willingness to fight. A respect for life is a good thing Master Magnus. It separates us from the orcs and other evil creatures."
That night, Glyndwr elected to take the first watch. He stood a little distance from the camp, his bow in hand, hood drawn up as he watched over the Dwarves he'd come to respect. He quickly scanned around the camp and could see no threats. His shift done, he went to Kili and gently shook him awake.
"You're up…" Glyn smiled.
"Five more minutes…" The Dwarf reached out and pushed his face away.
"Thorin's stood over my shoulder."
"And I'm up…and you're lying." Kili grumbled.
"Yes I am…but I imagine that he would do that if he felt someone was slacking. All clear when last I looked. The biggest challenge you'll have is keeping yourself entertained." Glyndwr smiled and lay down on his bed roll.
"That's always a challenge for most…but I'll stick to planning pranks." He said mischievously.
"You do that. I'm going to drift off into dream world."
With a 'goodnight' from Kili, Glyndwr pulled his cloak tight around him and closed his eyes. Warm and comfortable (or as comfortable as one could get without a mattress) he drifted off quickly, no longer feeling the longing for his old home itself. The people he'd miss, but he was home now. All he had to do was make one more decision.