The Hobbit: What You Wish For
Chapter 7
Another chapter, woo!
I've got a few lined up for you. This being one. Hopefully one for Christmas, and one for New Years. Maybe... Hopefully... Fingers crossed... Who knows? I might even post more!
Again, thank you to those new people who have followed and favourited. I notice each one, and it makes my day. And to those who have come back to read too. Thanks for staying with me.
Reviews:
LetsBeFrenemies: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I'll be sure to edit those words if I go back through the story!
Just a note: (Of course constructive criticism is welcome, but just as an explanation...)
Apologises to all for any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. As you guys know, I'm working on my own original story which I often agonise over. Which means, I'd rather just keep this story stress free! I hope you don't see that as being lazy, or uncaring. I do hope that I have enough grasp of story telling that you can see passed the mistakes. I do go over the chapters, but sometimes I honestly don't see the wrong spellings.
I have always struggled with both writing and reading. All throughout school. I was taken out of class because I couldn't keep up with the others. I remember I never had any interest in it, because I couldn't do it, and then I saw the copies of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit my mum had saved me (amazing foresight) and I actually sat down and tried to read them. I didn't get very far, but when I told those people who were meant to be helping me of my attempts, they just laughed.
In the end, I finished with an A in literature and a B in language.
Sorry for the rant, it's half an explanation to you guys and half an incentive to those who are too afraid to write or get put down about it.
You will get there in the end.
I'm proud of how far I've come. You can be too.
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The company stopped to set up camp for another night under the stars. Evrion found she couldn't wait to get off the pony, but almost fell when her knees shook.
Someone grasped her by the back of the jacket and cloak she wore. Her head turned to find Dwalin, hard face unamused, as he held her up with one arm alone. Even if he were 5 inches shorter than her, he still held her up with little effort.
"Uh, thanks," she gasped.
He just grunted, and let her go. Her legs wobbled, but she managed to stay on her feet. She watched the warrior dwarf move away, and wondered in her paranoid mind if Thorin had sent Dwalin to keep a close eye on her.
"Don't worry lass," Bofur told her. "You're getting better at riding everyday."
"I doubt that," she said, letting go of the saddle to allow Fili and Kili to lead Poppy away. "But thanks none the less."
Bofur smiled, but Evrion was staring over his shoulder to where the two brothers had taken the ponies and then up at the hill where Thorin stood in conversation with Gandalf, within the ruins of a farmers house.
"Oh no," she found herself saying. She knew what was to come. They would be south of the Ettenmoores, close to Rivendell. Where Gandalf would try to persuade Thorin to head. But the stubborn dwarf wouldn't listen, not even when he was standing in the ruins of a house clearly not withered by age and weather.
"What's wrong lass?" Bofur asked, concern marred his thick brows.
"Nothing," she offered him a short smile, before heading with purpose up the hill. She was a sort of adviser, and yet she knew her words would mean nothing to Thorin. Not without his respect.
She stopped just in the shell of a doorway. Listening to that last of their conversation. Thorin refused to heed the Wizards words on heading for the Hidden Valley.
"I have told you already, I will not go near that place," Thorin bared his teeth, and Evrion could then see the deep dislike he had for elven kind, especially the ones who had done wrong to his kin, to his people.
..."We have a map," Gandalf pushed. "One we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us." Evrion held her tongue. She couldn't tell them what it said, couldn't risk changing the future.
"Help?" Thorin dropped his arms from across his chest, hands tense by his side. "A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunger Moria, desecrate our scared halls, the Elves look on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father?"
Evrion clenched her fists. During the war of the Dwarves and Orcs, they had attempted to reclaim their home in Moria. Khazad-dûm in their own tongue. But it had been given the name Moria, meaning Black Pit or Chasm, due to the fact that the heir of Durin had awoken the Balrog which had killed him. Thus the Balrog was named Durin's Bane.
She could see why the elves refused to help in such a cause, but could understand the anger he felt for the Woodland realm and their King. Evrion didn't know if Tranduil had turned his back purely to spite the dwarves, or because he feared to bring smaug on top of his own people's heads.
That doesn't mean either of them were right. It just meant that they would not put their grudges aside.
"You are neither of them..." Gandalf urged Thorin, and Evrion looked to the exiled King. He seemed to her as immovable as the mountain that was his kingdom. She could not see Thorin falling, and yet he did... Her stomach dropped. She couldn't let that happen. More so than because he was a character in a book. He was flesh, and he rose from the violent sea like a beacon of hope for her. Evrion, who never felt she belonged anywhere.
An old friend has once called her the wonderer...
Gandalf huffed, and charged from the building, almost running her over in the process.
"Where are you going?!" Bilbo cried, when he noticed the wizard making haste from them.
"To seek the company of the only one around with any sense - myself, Mister Baggins!" He shouted back, when Bilbo opened his mouth.
Evrion watched him go with wide eyes. She knew it happened, and yet she had let it. If she called, would Gandalf turn back around? She doubted it. Her eyes slid to Thorin who stared hard at the road where the wizard had gone. Upon noting her gaze, that hard glare turned to her.
"You should listen to him," she said. "This house has not decayed on its own."
The stubborn dwarf huffed. "I do not need the advice of wizards, nor of humans." With that, he walked passed her and out of the shadowed house.
"Gloin, Oin, get a fire started! Bombur, we're hungry."
Evrion tensed to follow, but found her feet stuck in place. She looked down at her boots, upon the ruined ground. To go outside would be to admit what was to come. She thought she could be brave in the face of it, but when it came down do it, she was scared. The hand she lifted to her face shook. Evrion shuffled back, sitting with her back against the broken wall.
Something Gandalf had said stuck in her mind, like a chill in her bones: "For always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world."
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It was sometime later that she decided to emerge from the farmers old house. The fire had been made, and Bombur has just finished the evening meal. Many of the dwarves sat around, smoking from their pipes. They had no idea what lay beyond the lines of trees, but she did.
"Do you think Gandalf will return?" Biblo asked, Thorin sent him a murderous stare which the hobbit must have missed. Evrion wondered how he didn't feel that heated look.
"He is a wizard," Bofur tried to comfort.
"He will return when he wills it," Dori added, rummaging inside his backpack while Nori crossed his feet almost on top of it, still smoking. Dori shot him a look, which the other dwarf totally ignored.
"Here, give these to Fili and Kili," Bofur tried to distract the fussing Hobbit.
Evrion's head snapped to the two bowls. "I'll help!" She spoke, before she knew what she was doing. Her heart pounded as she took one of the bowls.
As she headed towards the trees with Bilbo, she saw Bofur snack Bomburs hand. "Stop it. You've had your share."
Bifur caught her eye, sitting near the edge of the group. He signed a question: "Are you well?"
She paused, using her one free hand to gesture, "Yes," in his dwarvish.
Gloin caught sight of them, where he sat with his brother Oin, and suddenly the red haired dwarf threw an arm over Bifur's shoulder, taking his attention from her. Evrion felt a jolt through her at the clear attempt to keep her from conversing with Bifur. She wondered what had changed, they had been making progress?
"Miss Evrion," Bilbo called.
"Coming," her voice broke partly, but thankfully the hobbit didn't catch it as she walked passed him.
They came up on the two brothers, crouched by a fallen log, staring out into the darkened forest. Bilbo handed his soup out to Fili, but the blonde did not take it. Evrion did not even attempt to hand her bowl to Kili.
"What's the matter?" The Hobbit asked, the three didn't notice her frozen behind them.
"There's a slight problem," Kili looked sheepish. A common look for the youngest brother.
"Problem?" Bilbo asked, still holding the steaming bowl. Fili still did not take it.
"The ponies," Fili said, looking outwards. "We had sixteen."
"Now there's fourteen," Kili added.
Bilbo looked to the ponies left, while Evrion looked to the tracks and thought about that which had made them. The bowl shuddered slightly in her hands.
"Daisy, and Bungo!" Bilbo put his bowl down finally, Evrion copied him before her weak hands dropped it. "Should we tell Thorin?"
"Uh, no," Fili pulled a funny face. He obviously didn't want to get it in the neck from his uncle. Evrion couldn't blame him, having been on the end of the exiled Kings cold stare.
"Look at the tracks," she pointed, before she lost her nerve. Bilbo would find them, but she wanted to hurry things along.
Dear god, she was going to come face to face with mountain trolls that had come down from the Ettenmoores and murdered a farmer and his family.
"Something big uprooted these trees."
"You can say that again," she muttered, just as Kili said, "That was our thinking."
Bilbo turned to her. "Did you say something, Miss Evrion?"
She opened her mouth to speak. Perhaps if they went to get Thorin first...
"Hey! There's a light over there."
The brothers moved towards it, and she sighed.
"You should head back and tell Thorin, just in case," Bilbo said to her, looking up in ernest. That was different. Though she should have known her presence would change some things.
Evrion thought about it. She was terrified to change a single thing, but then what if she were there to indeed do that? To somehow make the outcome different? Perhaps they could make it to the same point, but in a better standing when the armies came.
She nodded. "Be careful," she told him, before turning quickly to head back towards the camp.
"He's got Myrtle and Minty!" She heard Bilbo shout, and she hurried her pace. One of the trolls had just taken another two of the poor ponies.
She crested the trees, and most of the dwarves look up at her pace. Though some were still too busy talking, or smoking their pipes. Thorin's eyes snapped up.
"What is it lass?" Bofur asked. Ever the caring. She found she liked Bofur quite a lot. He made her feel welcome.
But that was something to think about for another time...
"Where's Bilbo?" Ori added, innocent eyes wide.
She must have looked frazzled, to say the least.
"Trolls," she blurted out.
"What do you mean Trolls, Lassie?" Balin frowned.
"There are Trolls," she pointed behind her. "They have taken four of the horses. Bilbo, Fili and Kili have gone to get them back."
"And you left them?" Dwalin growled.
Evrion frowned, hard. "No. I have come for backup, else they do something stupid. Now I'll be heading back for them."
She turned, but her shoulder was grasped in a firm, warm hand. Thorin barely touched her longer than a moment, before his broad shoulders brushing past hers and made her stall. "You stay here," his words were final.
Her teeth gritted. The other dwarves jumped to their feet, following after their king and leader. Another hand rested on her shoulder, Bifur offered her a smile. Saying something encouraging in his tongue that Dr could not understand, but she got the grasp from his tone. She tried to return one, but it was stiff.
"We'll bring them back," Bofur told her. All Evrion could do was nod with a stiff neck.
She watched the last of them dissapear into the trees, and crouched to put her head in her hands. Part of her, one she hated to admit, wanted to hide at camp and leave them to their fates. Bilbo would save them, wouldn't he? Her hands were shaking, but she clenched them, and stood so suddenly her head swam.
Returning to her bedding she'd left near her bag, she snatched up her bow and shouldered her arrow sheath over her back. The trolls were big, damn it, she could hit one with one of her arrows. She had to do something at least! Even if they ran after her, that left less than there was before who wanted to skin, or eat the company alive.
Stomping back into the tree line, Evrion swore to herself that she would not leave them to their fate.
"Bilbo!" She heard Kili cry, followed by Thorin's: "No!"
She ran.
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Coming to a stop just at the edge of the firelight, she crouched low and rounded the Trolls camp. Her breathing was ragged as she tried not to step on a twig, or lean too heavily on the fallen leaves.
The thinnest troll had Bilbo in his hand, while the other two worked the dwarves into sacks. Evrion could do nothing but watch for long moments as the largest strung up Dwalin, Bofur, Dori, Ori and Nori onto the spit. The others were left nearby. When the one holding Bilbo put him into a sack, out of his hands which could crush the poor Hobbit, she thought about making her move.
Gandalf would come at dawn, or so she hoped. She only needed to draw them away until then, and at least the company would be safe. Her arms shook as she reached out to steady herself on a nearby tree.
"They shall be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage," the largest said, and she shuddered. Bile rose in her throat.
The trolls were humongous, with thick limbs and grey skin. They stank from lack of washing, and had beady eyes which gave her the chills.
Listening to them converse, she found their names to be: Bert, the largest, Tom and William, the smallest and dumbest it seemed, of the lot.
The Dwarves thrashed, and shouted loudly. She couldn't imagine the fear they must be going through, the threat of being eaten alive. She stole her nerves, and reached back for an arrow.
"...I don't fancy turning to stone!" Tom complained, and she gritted her teeth. She was counting on it.
"Wait!" Bilbo jumped up. "You're making a terrible mistake."
"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori yelled back.
Bofur added, "Half-wits, what does that make us?"
"Uh, I meant with the seasoning," Bilbo began, as Evrion knocked her arrow. She felt the string between her fingers but it was different. She had never taken a life, not even an animals. The trolls were vile, they were going to eat the dwarves and had killed the farmer and his family. A gruesome, terrible death and yet she still hesitated. Fear controlled her limbs, her mind.
When Tom grabbed for Bombur, lifting him high over his mouth, Evrion snapped from her daze. She knocked her arrow again, only to have Bilbo come to the rescue again.
"Not that one! He's infected!"
"You what?" Tom looked horrified.
He dropped Bombur back onto the pile. She let out a small breath while briefly closing her eyes. Then looked back to the trolls, where could she hit them? Their heads? Their arms or legs? What would be best? Would her distraction not work, and would they go after the dwarves instead? Her heart threatened to give out with the amount of pumping it did.
She could not make a mistake. She could not come back and change it. What would happen in the future, with the one ring if the dwarves did not reach Erebor and rid it of Smaug? To keep the darkness from taking a foothold in the East?
Thorin kicked the others in the back, ceasing their protests about parasites. They caught on soon enough, but it was too late.
"Taking us for fools!" Was all she heard through the pounding in her ears.
She pulled her bow string tense, making sure to have her hood pulled up, and her feet steady as she walked out of the trees to Bilbos side.
"You can let them go," her voice was breathless. "Or you can take an arrow to the eye."
"Evrion!" Bofur cried, from his place over the fire. She didn't look to him, didn't want to loose her nerve.
"Oh, lassie!" Balin sounded sad.
She ignored all the protests from the dwarves, some telling her to run, and the others saying she'd make it worse. She fought the quiver in her arm, keeping it straight and aimed. Had she not told Kili her bow was easier to pull?
"What's this?" Bert loomed over her. "A human. Now those are tasty."
"Get back," she said to Bilbo, as she held her ground, barely. "Stay back!" She yelled to the trolls. "Lest I let this arrow loose!"
The trolls looked between each other, then Bert and Tom howled in laughter. Evrion felt her hands shake, and almost give out.
"I don't like it..." William's voice cut Bert short as he made for her.
"Don't like what?" Bert snapped.
"There might be more of them. They keep appearing! And the human looks like a ranger!"
"I doubt it," Bert turned to her, teeth bared. "This little human is all alone."
Evrion stumbled back slightly, loosing hold of her arrow. It fell to the grass below, as her back hit the ground. Bert's large hand reached for her.
A loud crack split the air.
"The dawn will take you all!"
Gandalf, she let out a relieved sigh, then screamed as she watched the trolls turn to stone. Before he was solidified completely, Bert got a determined look in his beady eyes and reached for her once more. She closed her eyes, and almost felt it as his skin turn to stone above her. She shuddered, keeping her arms over her eyes.
"Evrion!" Bilbo cried, echoed by a few of the dwarves; Bofur, Ori, Kili and Fili. She was sure Bifur was shouting to her in Khuzdul.
At least she'd made some friends. Even if she were more of a hindrance in the end.
"Are you well, Miss Evrion?" Gandalf asked her.
She opened her eyes at the close voice of the wizard. The trolls hand was inches away from her face. Would she have turned to stone also? She began to sweat, and she looked to the wizard in desperation.
"Get me out?" She outstretched a hand.
Gandalf took it, and he was surprising strong for his no doubt ancient age. Though the Wizards of Middle Earth did not age as a mortal would. They were too entwined with the land, the very soul of Middle earth.
Her legs were shaking when Gandalf pulled her to her feet. He brushed down her back lightly.
Then a storm of black hair and blue eyes rounded on them. "What were you thinking?" Thorin growled.
Evrion blinked at him a moment, then huffed and looked down at the ground. She refused to speak to him when he spoke to her in such a way.
"Do not be hard on her," Gandalf scolded.
"She could have been killed for being so foolish!" Thorin pointed a finger at her. "Or endangered the company further. I have said, a person with no battle skill, does not belong on this quest."
"And I have said, Thorin Oakenshield, that you should heed my words and advice."
Thorin ground his teeth to dust. "And you," Thorin pointed at Bilbo, who was hanging back, still covered in what she believed to be some sort of slime from the trolls. "What were you thinking?"
"Do not bring my Burglar into this. He had the nous to play for time," Gandalf stood tall. "None of the rest of you thought of that. As for Miss Evrion, she had the nerves to stand up for you and your company. Even in the face of danger."
Thorin looked like he'd swallowed something nasty. Evrion was still shaking, and she decided to ignore the exiled king and glance at the trolls. She shuddered once more, only to feel a small hand on the top of her clenched one.
"You did a brave thing, Miss Evrion." Bilbo smiled. "Thank you for helping me."
Evrion felt her shakes lessen a little at the look in the hobbits eyes. She would throw herself into danger for him again, in a heartbeat. No matter how terrifying it had been. "You are welcome."
Bofur and Bifur came running to them. Bifur frantically signing, so much so that she couldn't keep up. Bofur clasped her shoulders.
"Thank Durin you weren't harmed!" Bifur came up beside them. "Yes, yes," Bofur nodded as Bifur continued to sign and speak. He appeared shaken.
"Bifur wants you to know that he thinks you were very foolish!" Her face fell. "But also very brave. He says that he feared for you, and that he hopes you won't do it again."
Evrion looked to the now silent dwarf. She laughed lightly, a nervous laugh, "I don't think I can promise that, Bifur. I'm sorry."
Bifur signed again. Bofur said, "He says: then we will just have to make sure we're always there to look out for you, so that you don't have to look out for us."
"That is not why she is here," Dwalin cut in.
"We are not here to baby sit her," Thorin added.
Evrion kept her face blank.
"What brought you back?" Balin asked of Gandalf, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. Bofur and Bifur were loyal to their king, she did not want herself to come between that.
"Looking behind," Gandalf answered, glancing to the now stone trolls. "Nasty business."
The other dwarves, Gloin and Oin were collecting their belongings they'd had to strip, while Nori, Fili and Kili looked at the trolls, hanging off of them at times or kicking them in a show. Dori was holding Ori back from going anywhere near them, stone or otherwise.
"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors," Gandalf continued.
"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin asked, tearing his eyes from her.
"Oh, not for an age. Not since a darker power ruled these lands."
She went pale, and Gandalf flashed his eyes to her. She wasn't sure if any of the others caught it.
"They could not have moved in daylight. There must be a cave nearby."
"A troll hoard," Thorin sounded interested. "Let us find it then."
The other started to make their way back to camp at the command of Thorin, while Fili and Kili were left to try and find the ponies that had run off in the chaos.
Evrion stared at the trolls for long moments. Even in the rising sun, they looked monstrous. Berts hand had almost closed her in. Trapped in stone. She almost laughed. She was going to a deep kingdom in the mountain, and she was becoming scared of stone?
"Evrion," Gandalf called, he waited for her with his hands clasped around his staff.
She nodded. Glancing once more at the trolls. She hadn't managed to let loose an arrow in the end.
"I am coming," she told the wizard, before heading after him.
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End of chapter 7.
Again, not a long one. I'm making them shorter so I can keep track of them.
If you could, please review! I love all the favourites and follows, but I would like to know what you think.
It's a slow start, I know, but bare with me... I have a lot planned. Things that don't follow the script, and twists to the canon.
Also, a shout out to two wonderful Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fanfictions I have found in the last few weeks which I can't help but tell you about are;
The Skipper by LinzRW
(Which is mind blowing, I'm telling you - you've got to read it!)
And...
His Corrupted Heart, Mind and Soul by FateMagician
(Also amazing, and a breaking of the box in story telling as it's about the Witch King!)
I think this chapter is okay. I've been down about my writing but I actually enjoyed this chapter.
Edit:
A huge thanks to Zweig who has brought to my attention more characters (from the games) which could be beneficial to the story!
For those who are wondering, I am mostly following the movie timeline for now but there will be many twists and turns! It's slow now, I know, but hang on in there.
Timelines will be changed, as Evrion being there has changed Middle earth and this whole story is based on what would happen if the Durin line lived on... (I realise Dis is still alive in canon but I'm not spoiling anything yet)
There will be characters who are not in the movie, or not in the books, which show up along with OC characters and those from the games. I hope to add all these versions of the story together, along with my own characters to create something which I hope you will stick through and enjoy to read!
I hope to eventually make a sequel for the Lord of the Rings, which will also be changed to involve many more characters! Plus there will be antagonists for the main character, Evrion.
I thought I'd let you guys know! I have been worried about using the script, and sticking too close to the story but that's just to set the base for whats to come. The next chapter will start to curve off of course, and Evrion will realise it's not going to go smoothly. There will be new characters added - ones you know, and ones you don't too!