En'i'Elen
By Eugania Parvani


Summary: AU. Bilbo Baggins is a respectable hobbit leading a normal life, until one day a tall wizard invites him to partake on an adventure. Declining such an invitation makes no difference to the wizard as Bilbo finds his house invaded by dwarves and his garden ruined by a mysterious woman who fell from sky.

A/N: Wow! Almost 100 reviews and over 50 followers!? This is so amazing! Thanks everyone for reviewing. I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. I know a lot were asking for more Kattrin and Bilbo one-on-one time. I wanted to try and deliver that to everyone! Here is chapter 9. And as always, I love the reviews, so feel free to leave me some! Thanks so much!


When the dawn came, the spirits of the company had found themselves weary and apprehensive. The night prior had proved to uplift them, but now, such contentment had left the moment the moon departed from the night sky. Bilbo woke up before the others. Grabbing his journal from his pack, he made his way to a long corridor that provided a breathtaking vista of Rivendell. The hobbit began to write relentlessly; his eyes gazing at the journal and then to the elven city, producing a sketch adjacent to the text he had just jotted down.

As the hobbit was deep within his meditation, a voice came from behind, "I did not take you for an artist, Bilbo Baggins."

The hobbit jumped in surprise, frowning at the sight of Kattrin, "Well, there is a great deal about me you do not know."

Kattrin smirked and began leaning in such a way to attempt to sneak a peek at the hobbit's journal. "Really? Like what?"

Bilbo snapped the journal shut in a hurry before she could take a gander, "Like how I find it rude to sneak up on people."

The hobbit was seated on a lavishly engraved chair, meant for a single elf citizen of Rivendell but just broad enough for the two of them to be seated next to each other. His journal was now clasped by his hands and was resting atop his lap. Kattrin sniggered, taking a seat next to him, "I already knew that about you, hobbit. Try again." She chuckled, "How about something else?" Bilbo shifted unnervingly in his seat, he tried especially hard to scoot a few inches away from her, though he had no such luck. The hobbit could feel her turn her head towards him, he not turning his in return out of sheer anxiety. Kattrin whispered to him, her voice soft enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up, "Are frightened for today, Bilbo?"

Bilbo was surprised that she had finally addressed him as simply 'Bilbo'. His face was crimson, and at this point in time, her face had never been this close to his. His heart rate began to quicken again, much like it had that night at the cliff's edge before running into trouble with mountain trolls. From the corner of his eye, he could see she was still staring at him, despite the air of stillness. She was silently waiting. Bilbo's breathing audibly picked up, the breaths he took escaping out his nose causing his nostrils to flare. He slowly turned his head and his eyes met hers. "A little…" he whispered.

Kattrin frowned a little, their deep gaze allowing her to see that he was far more frightened than merely 'a little'. She smiled tenderly, though it was evident that behind it, she too was frightened, "Do not worry, Bilbo Baggins. I'll do my best to protect you…"

How spectacular, he thought. Bilbo Baggins, protected by a woman. What would the dwarves think if they had heard her say such a thing? It was appalling enough receiving riding instructions from Kattrin, but to hear that he would be protected by her…he felt nauseous at the thought. Allowing the feeling to subside, Bilbo somehow admittedly felt more at ease by her assertion. Something about Kattrin being in her normal attire made Bilbo feel a little less intimidated, as well. "Thank you…" He said quietly.

For what felt like an age, they both sat in a silence, Bilbo quite enjoying it. Such enjoyments came to an unfortunate end when another voice spoke, "Ready to learn to use that sword, Bilbo?" Bilbo and Kattrin both hastily looked away from one another, as if they both had something to desperately hide. The hobbit looked to who was speaking and he saw Kili standing before them.

Bilbo was not too pleased to see Kili. The hobbit felt partly bad; for he was never one to simply detest a person without a proper cause. At times he felt as though he disliked Kattrin, but he felt his reasons of her being unconventionally offensive made him justified. However, why did he suddenly dislike Kili? At first he told himself it was the young dwarf's arrogance, but the more Bilbo thought about it, the more he thought about whether the dwarf was even aware of his narcissism. Regardless, Bilbo stood from his spot and nodded, "Uh, yes, of course."

The three of them made their way to a courtyard, Kili smiling to Kattrin and asked, heavy with sarcasm, "To whom do we have the pleasure of slaying today?" The handsome dwarf was polishing his blade, making a few practice swings and preparing for his training session with the hobbit.

Kattrin took a spot leaning her back against one of the columns holding up a balcony above. She was to play spectator this morning. "If he is as Radagast describes, then he is called Niphredlîr. Gandalf tells me it means 'fear song'. They say his cry is inaudible unless he's right above you. And when you can hear him, his cry is piercing, able to bring any man to his knees."

Kili grinned, "Sounds like my kind of dragon. So, Bilbo, we ready or what?" The dwarf looked to the hobbit, who was standing with his small hand on the hilt of his blade. The hobbit gulped, drawing the elven blade from its sheath. The blade would have been a mere dagger for an elf or human, though it was perfect for the hobbit. "Stand like I am, feet shoulder width apart, your back arched only slightly."

Bilbo watched the dwarf, attempting his absolute best to mimic him. Just when he thought he might have caught on, Kattrin began to laugh at his inelegance. Stopping everything he was doing, Kili eyed him peculiarly, "What are you doing?" The dwarf approached the hobbit to assist in positioning him.

Bilbo stood up straight, a look of shame displayed prominently on his face. It was not hard to see he was embarrassed by needing 'hands-on' assistance. "I thought I was I doing what you were doing."

Kili smiled warmly, legitimately seeking to help, "It looked more like you were trying to run away. Now, take this leg and move it here." Kili grabbed the hobbit's leg where he stood and positioned it into a different spot. He did the same for Bilbo's other limbs and stepped behind him. Kili wrapped his arms around Bilbo, placing his hands on Bilbo's hands, which were on the hilt of the sword. He said, "Now hold the sword like th-"

Bilbo quickly stepped away, his face deep red with humiliation. "I can't do this." The hobbit said.

While Kattrin was throwing her head back with a heavy fit of laughter, Kili looked ignorantly confused as to why Kattrin was laughing and why Bilbo had moved from position. "Do you want to learn or not, Bilbo?"

Bilbo sighed heavily, he not at all happy at the sight of Kattrin laughing at him. "I can't very well do that with you standing right behind me. With her laughing it makes the entire thing absolutely uncomfortable…"

Kili frowned, now realizing the motive for him stepping away. He could empathize with the hobbit and consequently yelled to Kattrin, "You think you could do better, do you?"

Kattrin slowed her laughter to a halt and shook her head, "Nuh-uh! No way, dwarf! I already tried last night and the hobbit was going to kill me with his eyes closed."

Kili grimaced, "Well, if you are going to watch, be at least a little supportive. Now Bilbo, come here." Bilbo reluctantly made his way back to the dwarf and Kili reminded, "Now, look, it may be awkward, but if you want to learn, this is the only way I can think of to make sure you stand right. So, if you can make this not seem uncomfortable, I can do the same." The dwarf was about to resume his position of appearing to be 'hugging' the hobbit from behind, when Kattrin broke out in laughter once again, both men stopping.

She covered her mouth with her hand, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just too much. Please." She stopped laughing and continued speaking, "Here, I'll just show him. It'll save you the grief and me the risk of pulling a muscle." Kattrin walked to both of them and nodded towards Kili to step away.

Kili sighed, "Alright, let's see what you can do, Miss Kattrin."

Bilbo wasn't sure if he was happy Kattrin was going to assist with positioning him, or if he was even more mortified. As she stepped towards him, she winked, "Try not to kill me."

"Very funny." Was all Bilbo could think to say. Before he knew it, Kattrin was behind him and her hands were snaking their way around him. They finally rested atop of his hands, Bilbo's fingers still laced around the hilt.

His heartbeat quickened when he could feel her cheek brush up against his ear. "If I'm going to show you, you're going to need to relax. You are among friends, Bilbo, not among enemies." Because her lips were so exceedingly close to his ear, she only whispered. She certainly knew how to go from hysterical laughter to soft murmurs, he thought to himself.

Bilbo stuttered, "I am relaxed." Of course it was a lie. And of course it only became a great deal worse when he felt her come closer, her chest pressing against his back. In his head, Bilbo was thinking 'Hold it together, hold it together. It's just a lesson. Nothing more. It's certainly better than having Kili do it. Hold. It. Together.' Repeating the mantra to himself allowed him to remain calm.

Kattrin nudged his leg with hers as a sign to move them to a certain position without actually having to kneel down to do it manually. Anytime another part of her body came into close contact with him, he nearly lost focus all over again. However, keeping his eyes on Kili helped him sober his thoughts. "When you swing at an enemy, you need to swing as if you picture the sword going right through them. Visualize the background behind them." She guided him into a swing, the sword motioning towards an invisible foe.

Bilbo was growing to feel comforted by her touch and the feeling of her being within such a close distance. It was when she stepped away that he suddenly felt saddened. Though she smiled to him, Kili doing so as well, and she said, "See? Not so bad once you have the stance and the swing. In the end the key is to stay alive." She laughed lightly. "How was that, dwarf? Did I meet your 'expectations'?"

Kili chuckled, "When Bilbo becomes a fearsome warrior they will remember it was a dwarf named Kili who taught him to fight, not a strange woman who taught him how to stand."

Bilbo smirked faintly, finding the look on Kattrin's face rather comical. He wasn't used to seeing her speechless; furthermore, Bilbo couldn't help but grow fond of the idea of someone calling him a 'fearsome warrior'. While the likelihood of that being very slim, it never hurt for one to entertain such thoughts. "I rather like that idea." He smiled.

Kili grinned, feeling victorious. Though, Kattrin, clearly offended said, "Well, if you see this fearsome warrior, tell him to remember who taught him how to ride a pony."

Before anything more could be said, Gandalf was seen approaching the three of them, "My, Bilbo Baggins, I saw that swing. You'll no doubt prove your worth today on the battlefield." The wizard smiled, his words boosting the uncertain hobbit's ego. "It appears the others have readied themselves. If you think you're arranged, I advise we make our way onward."

Kili grinned ferociously, "Right. That dragon's not going to find itself!"

Gandalf and Kili began to make their way away from the courtyard, Bilbo following not far behind. Kattrin stopped him, lightly grabbing his arm. Bilbo half expected her to yell at him for the insult, for a moment ago, she indeed did seem offended. However, she merely said, "Bilbo, please be careful today..."

Bilbo, though nervous at the battle to come, smiled and said lightheartedly, "Why? Do you doubt my warrior skills?" Of course it was purely a masquerade for his true feelings of fear.

Kattrin sighed, "I do not doubt you…I just want—just be careful, okay?"

Bilbo nodded gently, "Alright…"


The company found themselves once again at the gates to the marvelous Rivendell, though this time goodbyes were in order, rather than greetings. The grey wizard looked fondly onto Lord Elrond, "We are forever grateful of your assistance. I know we will see one another soon, my friend."

Lord Elrond smiled, "You are always welcome here." The elven Lord eyed the company, the dwarves still somewhat wary of him. They, for the most part, had changed their views of the race since they'd initially arrived. "And that goes for all of you, may your journey prove fruitful at its end."

Dwalin gave his nod in approval, which was certainly a feat on its own for the dwarven race. Smart and resourceful, dwarves were known for their very stubborn nature. Before leaving, Elrond spoke privately one last time with Gandalf, "And the answer to your query from last night, I believe they reside southeast of here, near the Gosling caves. I cannot guarantee they will aid your company, or that they even exist there, but it is worth far more a shot than going on alone."

"You are a true friend, thank you." The wizard puffed some smoke from his long pipe and gave the elf a pat on the back. It was time to depart, and again, Gandalf had his own destination in mind, a destination he would not share with the company just yet.

The company was once more on horseback, making their way southeast. The city of Rivendell was becoming nothing more than a glimmer in the distance. Bilbo often turned his head to peer at the city from afar, his heart profoundly distraught at the idea of leaving. He knew one day he'd have to return to be with the elves, his childhood curiosity for them coming to light once again after many years.

Ori shouted ahead to Gandalf, "How do we know when we've found the dragon?"

Gandalf smiled, "Well, dear Ori, when you're hands find themselves glued to your head, we'll know the dragon is not far behind."

Ori was not quite sure if he understood, his brother Dori whispering to him, "Best not further question a wizard. They're wiser than days and it might insult him, brother." The youngest sibling nodded, it was frequent that he found himself being mentored by his elder siblings. They found Ori to be naïve and untrained in the majority of the ways of the world. It was their duty to ensure he survived, both intellectually and physically.

Kattrin rode alongside Dwalin, she telling stories of the ways of her people. The dwarf was hiding his annoyance with her, often saying, "Isn't that nice." Or "Who would have thought?" He spoke dismally, showing his apathy. Beneath it, Dwalin felt a little protective of the girl, even if it was she who knocked him atop the head the first night they met. The obstinate dwarf did not want to divulge such emotional ties, and he wasn't about to comprehend it, for Dwalin had never been a father to a daughter. Consequently, such emotions were all but unknown to him.

Bilbo was not far behind them, he listened to stories with great concentration. "And then there was Bolgismaarin, he was large enough to fit three of you in his stomach! THREE of you!" Kattrin said. She sighed nostalgically, "He had a very kind soul, though." Shaking her head, recalling the memories, she continued to talk as if Dwalin was the most intent listener alive, "Did you know Bolgis once killed a giant spider by merely stepping on it with his foot? He was truly that large. He ate what was left, later."

Bilbo, though not entirely believing the tale of him stepping on a giant spider, did however take pleasure in hearing the story. He wasn't sure if Kattrin knew he was listening the entire time, or if she'd even want him to. However, after staying quiet for quite a while and bearing the stories, Dwalin snapped and looked to her, "Heaven's help me, lass! Do all you ever do is talk!? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Kattrin eyed him suspiciously, "How are you busy?"

Dwalin growled softly under his breath in frustration. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn't have much evidence to back himself up. How could one be busy when the only thing they could do was maintain posture atop a pony and be careful not to run into any trees? "Agh, go bother somebody else with your stories, I'm busy thinking is what I'm busy doing!"

Kattrin rolled her eyes, "Rude creature." She didn't take much offense to it; however she wished there were more of her kind around to share memories and tales with.

As Dwalin made a special attempt to ride ahead to gain some distance between himself and Kattrin, Bilbo caught up. He smiled, "I enjoyed your stories. I…I thought they were very… remarkable."

Kattrin's brow rose; she was curious and not sure whether or not to believe him, "You did?"

Bilbo nodded, something in him feeling generous towards her, "Yes. I liked the one about Simnarus. I heard bits and pieces…but I may have been too far behind to hear the whole thing. Could you tell it to me?" In reality, the hobbit remembered the story, but because he did feel like regaining her favor, he thought it might do her some good to share her stories.

He was hoping she'd bite, and to his luck, she did. "Well, the tale of Simnarus takes place long before I was even conceived. Simnarus was more of an unconventional hero, really. He was not particularly handsome in the eyes of our females, but he possessed a kind disposition that branded his heart with a great amount of courage." She paused, preparing her gesticulations to match the tale, "One night, a terrible wolf began to make meals of the village. The wolf held no mercy within his heart; for among the dead, were women and children."

Bilbo humored her, smiling ear to ear, "Then, what happened?"

Kattrin grinned widely, "Simnarus awoke from the screams of his kin. The poor fellow, following the screams and trails of blood, found himself face to face with the beast. Armed with nothing but his bare hands, Simnarus lunged at the beast, and the beast lunged to him. Simnarus ripped the heart of the beast, right from his flesh!" Kattrin then held her hand high above her head, "And clinging to the bloody heart, he raised his hand upward and shouted 'Feast no more, beast from hell!' And the wolf died a slow death, his last images being of Simnarus clasping his heart."

Bilbo chuckled, "You like to tell stories, then?" Something within the hobbit's imagination had him picturing a fire burning in the fireplace of Bag End. He could imagine himself sitting in his armchair facing her, she sitting cross-legged on the rug, right in front of the hearth. Yes, he could imagine it very clearly; he could see the light of the flames dancing across her face. He imagined how effortless it would be to remain wakeful with how full of life she was while storytelling.

Kattrin nodded, feeling good natured towards the hobbit, "My people were very fond of their oral traditions."

Kili and Fili caught up with them, both he and his brother hearing of the tale. It was hard not to considering how loud she spoke as she told it. Kili smirked to Kattrin and said, "What a coincidence, Miss Kattrin. I, too, am very fond of oral traditions." Fili chuckled deeply at his brother's comment. What should have been a smooth innuendo was completely dripping with blatancy.

All went silent, aside from laughter on his brother's side. Bilbo's expressions were grave; he did not approve at all. Though, seeing the size of Kili's grin, not to mention the size of his biceps, the hobbit convinced himself it would not be wise to get on the dwarf's bad side. Balin frowned, "That'd be enough of that, you two."

Kili chuckled, "It's all in good fun, Mr. Balin. She knows I'm only kidding."

Gloin shouted to the brothers, "Kidding or not, you'd do well to show a lady respect." The hot headed, red-bearded dwarf sighed heavily, muttering to himself, "Hmph, kids these days."

As the day progressed further, the company began to grow weary. This journey was proving to be far lengthier than Bilbo had anticipated. He did read the terms; however, he thought somehow they might succeed and return home earlier than expected. Bilbo, nearly falling asleep atop his pony, shouted to Gandalf, "Where are you having us stop for the night, Gandalf?"

The wizard, still full of energy, replied, "I'm certain we will stop when the rest of the company feels they cannot carry on any further. It is still early."

Bilbo frowned, "It's not…that early."

Gandalf questioned, "Well, shall we take others into consideration, dear Bilbo?" The wizard paused and addressed the company as an entirety, "What does the company have to say? Shall we continue on?" Gandalf half expected to hear everyone wishing to keep going. Though, instead, he was answered with the many tired moans and groans coming from the dwarves. Here they were, the majority of them practically elders, and they were whining like colicky newborns. "There are some caverns just beyond the hill and somewhat through the wood; I had planned on stopping to reconfigure our supplies for a moment, though it would be a suitable spot to camp for the night."

Bilbo sighed with relief, a somewhat good night's rest was just ahead of him, he thought. As they continued over the hill, the forest tree-line came into view. Bilbo was beginning to grow tired of forests. Though beautiful, they were filled with dangerous creatures that would love nothing more than to make a hobbit their dinner. Kattrin continued to tell Bilbo of ancient stories, tales that Bilbo was quickly growing fond of. He even found himself telling her, "Your people must have been wonderful…"

He could tell by her expressions that his words brought back somber memories. In her remembrance, she smiled to herself softly, "They truly were, hobbit. They lived in a way I have not witnessed in your time. Your love of gardening is the closest quality I've seen," she teased.

Bilbo's chuckle squeaked its way from his maw, "I suppose we hobbits have that in common with your martisans. I mean, I cannot speak on behalf of every hobbit. But I can certainly say that I can grow a mean tomato."

Kattrin laughed, her eyes widening, "Oh, really? Can you?" She was still teasing him, though he was somewhat unbeknownst to her mockery, "How big?"

Bilbo had a proud look on his face, "I'd say almost as large as your head."

Kattrin giggled, immensely enjoying the fact he was oblivious to her banter, "You don't say! And what does a hobbit do with a tomato that large?"

Bilbo, still possessing an overwhelming amount of pride, answered "Well, we eat it, of course. It pairs wonderfully atop an equally large sandwich. If the tomato had been any larger, we could have carved a house out of it." The martisan tossed her head back in laughter. The hobbit found it refreshing that someone found him humorous. At times, he felt as though she was ridiculing him with her laughter, but he was slowly learning that she actually found him witty; which was something he was not used to.

The more he found himself making her laugh, the more addicted to the reaction he became. He found himself wanting to study up on other forms of wit, just so that he could hear her laughter. As moments like this weaved themselves into their long and winding journey, Bilbo almost wished that this 'adventure' would not come to an end. If it were to end, he would no longer be able to enjoy these talks with her. He would no longer be able to make her laugh. And the idea of not being able to make her laugh made him sick to his stomach. Nevertheless, whether stopping for the night or knowing they were still in search of the dragon, he knew that these moments of fright and danger would quickly out measure these moments of tranquility and good company.