Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, only my OC's Ember, Amelia and Quinn.

Review responses:

Thilbo4Ever: Indeed, lots of arguments in the future ;) (Evil Laugh)

ThatOtherWriterGirl: Yep, though I think the Dwarves need to learn that more than them. ;)

JoanneSBlack: Here is the update you asked for…I'll try to send the links you asked for, but it might take a while.

RougeReaper: Thank you very much for your review, and for favoriting (it's not a word I know but I still say it :P) and following my fic. I'm glad you like it so much! ; )

Chapter 9 – Songs in Rivendell

Before dinner, Lindir came to escort the Company to their living quarters. As they were setting their packs down, Lindir addressed the girls.

"My Lord Elrond has offered the use of the bath house, My Ladies." He said with a light nod, not noticing how the dwarves stiffened. "I am to escort you, if you wish." Thorin turned sharply at the words.

"They are staying with us." He said, rudely. Lindir flinched a tiny bit. All three girls turned and glared at Thorin.

"I don't know about you, Master Oakenshield, but I would like be clean after weeks of being unable to take a proper bath, before I arrive at dinner with our host." Ember said angrily, before smiling and turning to Lindir. "Please, lead the way."

Lindir bowed his head and went out the door, the girls following close behind, admiring Rivendell's architecture as they went. When they got to the bath house, Lindir showed them the separate baths so the girls could bathe in peace.

"The soaps can be found on the shelf to the right." He explained. "If you wish to wash your hair, some of the oils on the same shelf should benefit you. An elleth (1) will come to collect your clothes for cleaning and provide you with clean clothing for dinner." He finished.

The girls thanked him profusely, Amelia almost giving him a hug, Quinn actually giving him a hug, much to his surprise, before heading to their separate baths.

The water was blissfully warm. Amelia sighed with relief as she sank into the water and her muscles relaxed. She took some of the lavender soap, her favorite scent, she had found and began scrubbing away all of the grime that had accumulated over the weeks of travel. She found some sweet smelling shampoo and rubbed it onto her hair, massaging her scalp thoroughly and working out most of the tangles with her fingers as she went. After rinsing it out, she climbed out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her. She found another bottle of oil that would help her hair to dry faster and rubbed some of that into her hair, before grabbing the comb on the vanity and working it gently through the rest of the tangles. That was when she spotted the folded-up dress that was on the chair by the dress screen. She moved a hand over the material before quickly trying it on.

The dress was of a white silk that went to her feet, with undersleeves that went to just past her wrists. Over this part of the dress was an almost see-through material that had a turquoise pattern on it. It split from just below her waist to create a flowing effect around the lower part of the dress. The top sleeves belled around her elbows. The shoes were of a silver color. She looked stunning, if she said so herself.

Amelia tried to figure out how to lace it up when a knock sounded. Thinking it was the Elf-maid Lindir had mentioned, she didn't bother to ask who was there.

"Come in." She called. As the door opened she smiled and walked out from behind the screen. "Hey, could you please help me with…" She trailed of as she stared wide-eyed at the person at the door, before blushing a beet red and shrieking.

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Quinn was busy admiring herself in the mirror when Amelia shrieked. She was wearing a ruby colored dress with bell sleeves that stopped at her elbow. A dark red see-through material went over that part of the dress, with golden flower patterns all over it. Her shoes matched the dress with gold, even if you couldn't see them due to the length of the dress. She ran out of her bathroom only to spot Ember in the hallway. For a second she forgot about Amelia and her jaw dropped. If Thorin did not notice Ember now, then he never would.

She looked like a princess, in her dark blue dress with undersleeves reaching just past her wrists, and a see through material over that that trailed on the floor and bell sleeves that reached her calves. All over the dress were white star-like patterns. It looked like she was wearing the mid-night sky.

She shook her head as she remembered her other friends' plight and ran for her bathroom door, before gaping at the scene before her.

Amelia was hiding behind the dress screen, if her silhouette was anything to go by. Fili was standing with his back to the screen, face aflame. Quinn came to a quick conclusion and stuffed her fist into her mouth as she stifled her giggles. Ember, who had caught up to her, smiled as she touched Fili's shoulder.

"Got lost, Fili?" She asked good-naturedly before gesturing with her head to the screen. Quinn understood and walked over to the screen, while Ember lead Fili out of the room. Amelia was hiding her head in her hands, but Quinn could see that her ears were red.

"Are you going to faint again?" She asked as Amelia groaned.

"I thought he was an Elf-maid." She muttered into her hands. Quinn noticed the laces on the back of her dress were still undone.

"Need some help?" Amelia nodded and turned, dropping her hands so Quinn could tie the laces properly. Ember came back just as they finished.

"Fili wants to apologize." She said with a sympathetic smile. Amelia sighed.

"Might as well get it over with." She muttered as she smoothed out her dress and went out the door. Quinn turned to Ember.

"Think they'll finally start talking?" Ember giggled.

"Maybe, though you are one to talk, Quinny. I have yet to see you have a conversation with Ori." Quinn smiled and shrugged.

"True, but I'm working on it." She looked Ember up and down. "Wanna make Thorin's jaw drop?" She asked with a cheeky smile. Ember raised an eyebrow.

"What do you have in mind?"

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Amelia felt quite sorry for Fili as he wringed his hands nervously. She felt like doing the same, but managed to keep her hands still.

"I apologize for barging in on you like that. Uncle actually sent me to fetch you and your friends for dinner." He explained, his head bowed. Amelia smiled and shrugged.

"That's ok. It was my fault. I should've asked who was there first." Then a thought hit her, and she giggled. "At least we're even now." Fili looked up at her, confused. "You've seen me in my small clothes now, if only partially."

Fili's eyes widened as he recalled the Troll incident and he laughed, blush fading.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Fili smiled as he looked her up and down. "Elvish looks good on you." Amelia blushed again, but this time she reveled in it.

"Thanks." She smiled at him. Darn his eyes are dreamy…Eep! Stop it! Stop thinking like that!

Thankfully, Amelia was saved by Quinn as she called from the bathroom.

"Hey Fili, are you still there?" She asked.

"Yeah?" Fili called as he moved to the door.

"Do you have any spare hair clasps or beads on you?" Amelia's brow furrowed as she followed Fili.

"Why would you need…oh." She gasped as she saw what Quinn had done. Fili whistled as he pulled a few silver beads and clasps out of his pocket.

"Uncle will not be able to stop staring once he catches a glimpse of her." He said as he helped add the finishing touches to Quinn's masterpiece.

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Thorin watched as his Company inspected the food on the table, though personally, Thorin believed you couldn't actually call it food. It was more like rabbit feed than anything else.

He turned back to the Wizard and the Elf just as Elrond passed Glamdring back to Gandalf. He held his newly named blade, Orcist, in his hands. Then he noticed Gandalf was smiling at something.

"Ah, I trust you young ladies feel better, now that you have cleaned off." Thorin turned in his chair to see Amelia, wearing a white Elvish dress, and Fili walking up the steps into the courtyard. Amelia smiled at the Wizard.

"Much, thank you, Gandalf." She confirmed before turning to Lord Elrond and curtseying. "And thank you for the beautiful dresses, Lord Elrond." Elrond smiled and nodded.

"You are welcome, Lady Amelia." He said. Amelia and Fili had just sat down with the rest of the dwarves when Quinn and Ember stepped into the courtyard.

The dwarves fell silent as they stared at Ember. Thorin felt like his breath was stolen. Her dress gave her an otherworldly look. Her hair was braided into two rope braids, which were clasped together at the back of her head with a silver clasp. From the clasp her hair was braided into a fishtail, finished off with a bead. Two normal braids hung on either side of her neck from behind her ears, beads also finishing them off.

"Welcome, My Ladies. You look wonderful, Lady Ember." Lord Elrond said, though Thorin barely heard. He watched as a soft smile graced her face as she curtseyed, before moving to sit with the rest of the company. Thorin wished she would sit next to him.

Gandalf loudly clearing his throat brought his attention back to the main table, though he kept only half an ear on the conversation as he kept sneaking glances at Ember, hoping to make eye-contact.

"As I was saying, how did you come by these?" Elrond asked as he looked to Gandalf.

"We found them in a Troll-hoard on the Great East Road…" Thorin looked at Gandalf then, hoping he would stop there and not cause suspicion. "…shortly before we were ambushed by Orcs."

"And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" Elrond asked him. Gandalf did not answer, and neither did Thorin when Elrond turned to him. Instead he looked back to Ember and made eye-contact for the first time. She gave him a tiny smile and a wave before turning back to the conversation happening between the Company, laughing at something Bofur said. Thorin felt his heart beat faster at the sound.

Seeing that his question would go unanswered for the time being, Elrond took his wine and changed the subject.

"Thirteen dwarves, three human women and a Halfling." Elrond said as he looked at the Wizard. "Strange traveling companions, Gandalf."

"These are the descendants of the House of Durin." Gandalf said. "The noble, descent folk." As he said this, Nori slipped the salt shaker into his inner pocket and Bombur stuffed some more greens into his mouth and began to chew it open mouthed. "They are surprisingly cultured. They've got a deep love of the arts." Nori then turned to the Elf playing the harp behind him.

"Change the tune, why don't you?" He turned back to the table as he wiggled a finger in his ear. "I feel like I'm at a funeral." Oin, who had stuffed a napkin into his trumpet, gained a worried expression.

"Did somebody die?" He asked shocked. Bofur smiled.

"Alright lads, there is only one thing for it." Bofur said before standing up and climbing onto the table, and began to sing, cutting off the Elves' music.

"There's…an…inn, there's an inn,

There's a merry old inn, beneath an old grey hill

And there they brew a beer so brown

The Man in the Moon himself came down

One night to drink his fill."

As Bofur continued his song, and the dwarves began to pound out the beat, no one noticed as Ember stood, and beckoned for the girls to do the same. Ember and Quinn walked over to the two Elves that sat at the harp and the guitar-like instrument and beckoned at their seats. Amelia did the same with the Elf holding the flute. The Elves looked confused, but handed the girls their instruments nonetheless.

"The ostler has a tipsy cat

That plays a five-stringed fiddle

And up and down he saws his bow,

Now squeaking high, now purring low,

Now sawing in the middle."

Amelia made her way over to her friends after she received the flute and they spoke in whispers as Bofur began to finish his song. The dwarves began pelting Bofur with food, sending it almost everywhere.

"So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,

A jig that would wake the dead,

He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,

While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:

'It's after three!' he said."

As the dwarves began to cheer and throw even more food around, a soft tune began to play. The dwarves stopped their celebrating as all turned to the girls. Everyone in the courtyard watched as Ember strummed out the tune. Then she began to sing.

"This love, it is a distant star

Guiding us home wherever we are

This love, it is a burning sun

Shining light on the things that we've done"

Quinn fell in on the next verse with the harp, and Amelia joined in with her as theY harmonized Ember's words.

"I try to speak to you everyday

But each word we spoke, the wind blew away

Could these walls come crumbling down?

I want to feel my feet on the ground

And leave behind this prison we share

Step into the open air."

Amelia brought the flute to her mouth as she played out the tune. Bofur had climbed off the table and was once again seated. Ember continued on with the verse, eyes closed as her fingers danced over the strings, the melody speeding up a bit.

"How did we let it come to this?

What we just tasted we somehow still miss

How will it feel when this day is done

And can we keep what we've only begun?

And now these walls come crumbling down

And I can feel my feet on the ground

Can we carry this love that we share

Into the open air?

Into the open air?

Into the open air?"

The tune began to slow down again, and Amelia and Quinn played out their last few notes, before sitting, or in Amelia's case standing, as their friend finished the song with one last verse.

"This love, it is a burning sun."

All was silent in the courtyard as the girls' song faded. Ember opened her eyes and smiled cheekily at Bofur.

"Now, wasn't that a teensy bit better than 'The Man in The Moon Stayed Up Too Late'?" She smiled sweetly as the Dwarves blushed and ducked their heads. Even Thorin felt a bit ashamed of himself for not stopping a member of his Company. The Elves looked on in amazed silence as Ember passed the instrument back to its rightful owner, before turning around and clasping her hands in front of her, in a regal manner.

"Now, I hope you lot will clean up the mess you've made and give a formal apology to Lord Elrond for disrespecting his hospitality in such a way. After that I think it would be best if we retire for the night, if it would sit well with you, Lord Elrond." She added as she nodded at the Elf Lord, who could do nothing but nod in agreement as he watched her take control of the dwarves without so much as lifting a finger or raising her voice. She smiled before turning back to the dwarves. "Does everyone understand?"

The dwarves all muttered their agreements as they stood and began to clean up the courtyard. Even Thorin found himself standing to help his Company, even though he had not thrown anything. Ember surprised him by putting her hand out.

"Not you Thorin. You, Lord Elrond and Gandalf have business to discuss." She said with a look that said 'Mess this up and us being here will be all for nothing'. Gandalf turned to her.

"Actually, Ember, I think it would be best if you joined us." He smiled and winked at her. "You seem to know your way around the stubbornness of dwarves." Lord Elrond turned to Thorin.

"What business do we need to discuss?"

Notes:

(1) Elleth is the elvish word for Elf-maid…at least I have heard it is.

And the two songs were:

'The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late' from 'The Hobbit Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition'

'Into The Open Air' from Disney's 'Brave'.