17/03/2018 Author's Note: Good evening good my dear readers. I hope you are all having a good day/night wherever you are around our world. I've spend my day trying to write but I had a bit of an anxiety attack and have only really just settled down from it about two hours ago and so far the only "writing" I have been able to do was edit this chapter... and no, I didn't manage to edit it down, so it is rather long (around 19 pages in a word doc. I've read chapters that are far longer than that, but for me, 19 pages is long). But it's a fun chapter. I had fun writing it and I hope you all have just as much fun reading it.

Please enjoy


Chapter 9

By Day We Wander,

By Night We Wonder

Bilbo woke the next morning feel more energised then she had felt in a long, long time.

She leapt up from her sleeping spot on the floor in the middle of the main living chamber that the elves had kindly leant to the dwarves for the duration of their stay. Mind you, Bilbo was certain the elves had not meant for the dwarves to destroy almost every single piece of furniture within said room and all its adjoining rooms.

She bit back a sigh as she looked at the pile of wood tucked to one corner that Bilbo was sure had once been a bed. Or possibly, multiple beds.

She wondered if any money from the dwarves fund would have to be handed over to elves once their stay in Rivendell was complete.

She let out a small undignified snort at the very thought.

The dwarves, for all their claims of being an honourable bunch she didn't see them paying so much as a piece of copper to make up for the damages they had done to the elves property.

"You're up early." A low gruff voice spoke suddenly pulling her from her thoughts with a small squeak.

"Good morning." She yelped back, a hand pressed over her pounding heart as she stared at the dwarf king sitting with his back against the large arc doorway that lead out to one of the many balconies that overlooked the stunning valley.

Thorin inclined his head slightly back to her in response, before returning to chewing thoughtfully upon his pipe, his gaze drifting out towards the golden and bronze treetops.

Bilbo picked her way carefully and soundlessly around her still sleeping companions as she made her way over to the balcony and Thorin – her feet still ached from the rough handling they had received from the trolls but after smearing her feet last night with Oin's smelly ointment, they felt much better.

She couldn't help but grin just a little when Thorin twitched slightly in surprise when he saw that she was standing beside him, but she was quick to smoother the grin when she saw the dark circles under his eyes and the fact that it appeared he had not slept a wink.

"Did you not sleep at all last night?" Bilbo demanded, concern interlaced with her words.

"Someone had to keep watch." Thorin grunted in reply, rotating a shoulder so that it gave an almost deafening crack.

"But…" she stammered, feeling the familiar wave of uncertainty and self-consciousness that she felt whenever she spoke even a word in Thorin's direction. And given that their last conversation had really been him berating her, she was quite keen to keep this conversation civil for as long as possible, "we're safe here. Gandalf…"

"Gandalf is far too trusting for his own good." Thorin muttered though the harshness in his tone seemed to be for once not directed at her, "As are you." He added giving her a quick piecing look that had her want to shy away though she was somehow able to continue meeting his eyes. And it was he and not she, who was the first to look away, twisting his pipe in his hands.

"You at least have the excuse of coming from a gentle land where trust is a simple and easy thing to come by. Gandalf should know better." He muttered darkly, his eyes entirely focused upon his pipe as he continued to turn it in his hands.

"Maybe he does." She replied, heart pounding in her throat, "maybe he is trusting that his long-standing friendship with the elves will be enough for the elves to help us, despite the ill-history that is shared between dwarves and elves. Maybe he is trusting that the elves fear losing his friendship by causing us harm more than they are interested in inflicting ill-will upon us." She looked away from Thorin as she spoke, arms crossed tightly against her chest as her rambling wound slowly down to a stop.

"Is that truly what you belief?" Thorin asked after a torturous long moment of silence.

She hesitated for a moment before answering him truthfully.

"Actually, I just thought all that up on the spot," She admitted with a weak little shrug, "truthfully, I see no reason to distrust them, but," She held up a hand to stop the furious protests that she knew was building within Thorin, "as you said, I come from a very gentle land where trusting others to do right by me is very easy. I also don't have the long and bloody history that dwarves and elves share, so I have no reason to distrust them. Just as I had no reason to distrust any of you when you all came barrelling through my front door over a month or so ago."

"So you're saying…" Thorin started, eyebrows raised and challenging.

"I'm saying…" she rubbed the side of her face, feeling suddenly very weary, "a lot on a matter I don't truly understand. The elves seem to be willing enough to offer us shelter, and have done nothing to warrant the belief that they will cause us harm. Maybe this is purely because of their friendship with Gandalf or maybe they are simply kind to all weary travellers that stumble upon their lands. I don't know." She thought for a moment before she continued, "they have not asked us anything about where we are going." She paused and gave him a searching look, and received a curt nod in response, "and maybe that will change once we show Lord Elrond the map, but I do not think Gandalf will sell out our quest even to him. I just… I think we should trust that Gandalf knows what he's doing." She shrugged as she looked out over the post-dawn lit valley, "he is a wizard after all. And," she added shooting him the same look that had been sent in her direction many a time over the years by various aunts, "you need to sleep or you'll be no good to anyone, least of all yourself."

"You still have no idea what you're talking about." Thorin grunted, but she thought she saw some of the stiffness leaving his shoulders.

"Well, if the elves come for us in the middle of the night with their bows drawn you have permission to tell me 'I told you so'."

"When they refuse to allow us to leave this valley when they inevitably find out about our quest, I will not need your permission to do so."

Bilbo simply rolled her eyes back at him.

"Fine." She hesitated for a moment, before adding in an uncertain tone, "There's may be another hour or two before anyone else is likely to get up, do you think you might try and get some sleep? I'll keep watch, of course." She quickly tacked on, when she saw him stiffen again. "I just, I mean…"she trailed off with a wince, wishing she was talking with any other dwarf but him. Even Dwalin or Gloin would be preferable to him and those two had never exactly hidden their distain regarding her presence in the company. Though why, when they had seemed perfectly amicable that first night, she couldn't quite comprehend.

For several moments, they stared at each other without speaking, the awkward silence growing heavier between them until finally Thorin got to his feet.

"If I wake to an arrow being directed at my face Master Baggins, I will be most unimpressed." Thorin grumbled as he past her.

Bilbo felt her mouth grow slack for a moment before she spluttered out, "Did you just make a joke?"

Thorin simply shot her a look before continuing a slow, heavy trodden march to where his pack was sitting, and after a moment of fussing, he was settling down with his back to her. She was certain that he was asleep the moment his head hit his folded clock.

Sighing heavily, she settled herself down in Thorin's vacated post and watched the sun fully bask the valley in golden light.

HiBtWH

While the dwarves wasted the day sleeping or destroying more elvish furniture, Bilbo was out exploring the elven city. Every inch of the city was a marvel and Bilbo felt almost overwhelmed by the sheer history it possessed. But as in awe as she was with the city, she also felt quite small and insignificant. Being in the company of the dwarves and Gandalf were one thing, but to walk among beings that lived thousands of years was… astounding? Humbling?

Her whole life-span was a mere blink of an eye for any one of these elves.

Never before had Bilbo been quite so aware of her own mortality as she was in that moment, leaning against the railings of a courtyard balcony staring out over the trees and rivers that ran through the valley outside of the elvish city.

"Not with your companions?" a soft voice queried near and above her causing her to jump, almost tripping over her feet as she stared up in embarrassment at Lord Elrond. She hadn't even heard him come up to her!

"I, um, well," She blushed brightly, ducking her head, "No. But I don't believe I shall be missed." She found herself admitting as she looked back up at the wise elf, who despite his many years walking this earth and probably had far better things to be doing with his time than talking with her, he seemed… interested, in her.

"Truth be told," She continued in a lowered almost conspiracy tone, "most of them think I should not be on this journey."

She winced as she admitted the truth out loud, feeling the familiar sharp pang shoot through her chest at the thought.

"Indeed," Lord Elrond said as he came to lean against the railing beside her, almost lowering himself to her own height, "I've heard that Hobbits are rather resilient."

Bilbo blinked, somewhat taken aback.

"Really?" She paused for a moment before hesitantly querying, "My mother?"

"Indeed," Lord Elrond nodded, "your mother was quite a remarkable hobbit. I was sorry to hear that she has passed. She possessed much life and joy when we met."

Bilbo smiled softly, ignoring the itch behind her eyes as she stared once more out at the valley.

"I've also heard," Lord Elrond continued after a quiet moment, "hobbits are fond of the comforts of home."

"Well," Bilbo replied with an ever so cheeky grin pulling at her lips, "I've heard that it is unwise to seek the council of elves, for they will answer with yes and no."

She blushed again when she received an extremely dry look from the Elf Lord.

"I, um, I'm…" She trailed off when he smiled. Her whole body relaxing as she let out a relieved little laugh.

"You are very welcome to stay here," Lord Elrond offered suddenly, causing Bilbo's laughter to come to an abrupt stop, her mouth simply hanging open as she stared up at the elf in disbelief, "if that is your wish."

"Stay?" She squeaked, unable to quite comprehend what he was actually saying. "Here? In Rivendell? Me?"

Lord Elrond simply smiled more broadly, obviously amused by her astonishment.

"You very welcome to, if you so wish."

"I," she simply stared up at him, "I don't really know what to say."

The elf lord gave an easy and effortlessly graceful shrug of his shoulders, still smiling.

"You need not say anything now. It is a decision to be thought on, not to be decided upon in the spur of the moment."

"Did you make the same offer to my mother?" Bilbo asked.

"I did,"

"And she didn't accept?" Bilbo asked in disbelief, shaking her head.

"Your mother knew where the home of her heart was and it was not here in Rivendell."

Bilbo lay a hand over her own heart and wonder where its home lay. Not the Shire, somehow she was certain of that. Maybe here in Rivendell? Close, but…

"I don't think I know where the home to my heart is." Bilbo admitted, before blushing once again for admitting something so intimate to such an ancient being.

Lord Elrond, however, did not appear to judge. If anything, he seemed to be thinking over her words thoroughly.

"For some people, their heart lies in a place. The place that they were born; or a place that they have found on their own and have come to call their home. For others," he looked out over the valley, "their heart decides upon a person or sometimes several people to call its home. When the time comes, your heart will know where its home is."

"And if it never does?" Bilbo asked in a small voice.

"I do not believe that will be your fate Bilbo Baggins." Lord Elrond responded kindly, laying a gentle hand upon her shoulder.

"Come," He continued before she could sink further down into her spiral of worry, "I believe you have not yet seen our library. It was one of your mother's favourite places during her time with us."

"Library?" Bilbo felt her spirits immediately sour.

"Indeed."

"I can…" She trailed off for a moment before continuing, "I'm allowed to go in, to see… and read?"

"Of course," Lord Elrond gave a soft laugh, "libraries should be open to any mind willing to learn."

Her heart swelled with excitement that only grew with each step she took as she followed after Elrond.

"Oh," she whispered, hands pressed lightly against her lips as she stared in wonder, tears prickling behind her eyes, at the massive, high ceiling chamber Lord Elrond had led her to. Shelf after shelf of books, tomes and scrolls stood proudly before her, enticing her to step forward and completely loose herself within their pages of wisdom and knowledge.

She took an eager step forward, before stopping and looking cautiously up at Lord Elrond.

"You are very welcome to read whatever you so desire." He replied to her unasked question with another soft smile. She let out a breathless laugh of delight before eagerly making her way to the closest shelf of books.

Where to start? So, so many books and so little time to read them all.

Her fingers brushed lovingly over the spines of books that had seen possibly century's worth of readers, readers who were actually worthy of having the knowledge of these beautiful books imparted upon them.

"Books are meant for all to read." Lord Elrond said softly from behind her, "no matter how small the reader may be. As long as there is a thirst to learn and grow with knowledge, no book will judge its reader."

She turned back to him with a wide smile.

"Thank you." She said softly before blushing dark crimson when he bowed deeply to her.

"You are most welcome Billanna Baggins." She jumped when he spoke the name that had been given to her in birth but said nothing of.

"Can I, I mean, may I borrow the books that take my fancy and…"

"You may take any book that has your fancy with you to any part of Rivendell."

"I will make sure no harm comes to them," She promised with her hand pressed over her heart and her mother's ring, "I swear. I will take good care of them."

"I believe you Bilbo Baggins. And now," He looked rather regretful, "I must take your leave, for there are matters I must see to." He bowed to her again causing her to only blush more hotly, "we will see each other again when evening comes to pass. There are matters, I believe, that Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield wish to discuss and your presences will be required."

"Will it?" She asked feeling rather confused as to what she might be able to contribute to any meeting between a wizard, an elf lord and an exiled dwarf king.

Elrond did not reply, instead telling her to enjoy her time spent in the library. And then she was left to her own devices, surrounded by more books than she had ever seen in all her life. All the books in the Shire would not have taken up even a quarter of the chamber that was the Rivendell's library.

Still fighting back delighted tears, she started her browsing for the shelves, plucking out books that took her interest (a difficult feat when every book within the library was almost singing to her to pick them up and read them).

In the end the collection of books she had gathered were books on Elvish history, a book of the different languages within Middle-Earth and several tomes regarding dwarven customs – she had spent a long time toing and froing with these books, unsure if the company would take offense to her reading books written by elves about them, but in the end decided that her desire to learn overwhelmed her fear of further reproach and rejection from the dwarves. If they had a problem with her trying to get to know them better… well tough luck.

She had tried to be civil, asking them first and receiving only cold-shoulders and half-hearted responses that left her with more questions than answers. So of course her next course of action was to consult books. Yes, books written by elves but these were the closest she was seemingly ever going to get to understanding even a little about her company of dwarves. And if it truly did bother them, her reading these books, well then, she could simply return them.

It just didn't seem fair that she was risking her life for them to be their burglar on this death-trap of a quest and they couldn't bring themselves to answer just a few simple questions about their culture and history? Desperate times meant desperate measures had to be taken.

The last book she added to her pile was one of elvish fae tales. She had been just about ready to leave the library when the faded spin caught her eye. It appeared to be a very old book, the cover faded but still in beautiful condition despite its obvious age. It was written in Sindarin but as it was book of fae tales, the stories within were easy enough for her to read without much effort.

Tears had pricked behind her eyes when she spied fae tales that were familiar to her, ones her mother told throughout her girlhood. Old memories of a golden childhood long lost pour into her heart and she let out a small sniff.

She hugged the book close to her chest, before adding neatly to the top of her pile to read.

HiBtWH

She didn't like kicking closed doors, not to open them or to make enough noise to get the attention of someone on the other side, but as her arms were quite full of books – a precarious stack that was as high as her head. She was amazed she had been able to make it back to the chambers she and the dwarves were staying in without the stack sliding once – she found she was rather out of any other options that might have been otherwise available to her.

The dwarves had proven to be deaf to her voice on numerous occasions already, but a good solid kick to the oak of the door was enough to shut up the conversation on the other side and for heavy feet to come trotting quickly to the door.

"Eh, laddies," She heard Bofur chuckle as the door opened, "it seems our Burglar has been consumed by books."

"Oh hardy ha ha." Bilbo retorted with a fake laugh as she walked past him, her back as straight as possible, taking every precaution not to jostle her stack of books.

"Lass, there ain't no way ya gonna read all those." Nori called from where he was smoking his pipe on the balcony.

"You, good sir," Bilbo countered as she claimed the only remaining piece of furniture that seemed to have escaped the fate of its comrades of being utterly destroyed. She wasn't entirely sure why this particular armchair had escaped being demolished with the rest of the room, and honestly she didn't care, it was hers now, and so help any dwarf who took it into his head to destroy it now, "have never seen me read before."

"I've seen Ori," Nori replied a mischief twinkle to his eyes, "and he's plenty fast at reading, but even he would pause trying to finish a pile such as that. Eh, Ori?" He nudge his younger brother who was eying her stack of books that she had set neatly down by her claimed armchair with an almost hungry expression on his sweet face.

"And he's most welcome to read the ones that I finish." She said, though this was more directed at the younger dwarf who gave her such a sweet smile she felt a surge of warmth in her chest.

"Still ain't gonna read 'em all." Nori said shaking his head.

Bilbo stared him straight in the eye as she hopped up into the armchair, her hands already opening the first book.

"Watch me." She replied, more than happy to accept the challenge he was offering her. There were several barks of laughter at her bold tone, but she ignored them to settle into her book.

In fact most of her afternoon was spent ignoring the dwarves and their futile attempts to distract from her book. They would have failed on principle – Bilbo could be very stubborn when she wanted to be and if she decided to ignore someone or a group of extremely annoying, arrogant sods, then dammit, she will ignore them until her last breath – but the first book she had chosen to read was truly an engrossing one and she was quickly lost in a time long past, of people and places that no longer existed, of battles that had shaped and destroy kingdoms.

She would almost think the book were something of a work of fiction, the fantastical events that occurred within its pages were far to mind-blowing to believe that they might have actually happened, even thousands of years ago, but this book claimed to utterly historical, with a foreword at the front from Lord Elrond himself confirming that events detailed in the book were indeed factual and had not been embellished in anyway.

"Lass, ya ain't gonna just sit and read the whole time, are ya?" Bofur asked as the shadows crawled heavily across the ceiling and she was leaning as far over the arm of the chair, the book dangling over the edge so that she could keep reading by the ever fading light.

"You're not going to keep destroy things the whole time, are you?" She retorted not even glancing up from the page she was currently reading.

"Well…" there was a heavy pause and she snorted.

"There's your answer then." She said, though she knew she would have to stop soon to find herself a candle. And maybe to find herself a quick snack while she was at it.

"Lass…"

"Shush," She grumbled at him irritably, "I've gotten to a good bit. Talk to me at dinner."

"It's time for dinner Lass," She heard Balin say from nearby, a smile to his voice.

"Oh," and for the first time in probably four hours she looked up from her book. And winced. Her neck gave a sharp twinge of protest from the angle she had been reading by. It had been a long time since she had be so truly engrossed in a good book, her neck had all but forgot all the angles she read by.

With a quick roll of her head, her neck cracked delightfully –the dwarves near to her looked on with expressions of barely concealed horror. Though honestly, like they were ones to talk; she had spent the past month watching Dwalin crack each one of his knuckles, once in the morning and once again in the evening, so her little neck crack was nothing. – she hopped lightly out of her chair, her book tucked carefully under arm as she strolled to the door.

"You are not going to read at the table, are you?" Dori asked, looking utterly horrified by the idea.

"Oh please, because you are truly ones to care about table etiquette!" Bilbo snorted as she stared at the fusspot dwarf with her best 'please, I've seen how you all eat, you have no grounds to lecture me about possibly reading a book at the dinner table' look.

Dori's expression became so flustered, that Bilbo felt some of her resolve falter, much to the annoyance of her Took side.

Show some backbone! Her Took side groused.

"Look, it is just a habit." She admitted, looking down at the book tucked under her arm longingly, "A habit back home, for me to read at my dinner table. It's habit for me to walk around with a book under my arm everywhere I go." She shrugged a little ruefully, "I like to read. A lot."

"But I promise," She said with a small teasing grin, "I will do my very best to not read at the table and embarrass you all."

She was cuffed lightly over the head by Nori who let out a laughing bark.

"Read a'way lassie, let those pointy-ear buggers know how boring ya find them."

"Oh," she pouted as the company left their chamber, "but I don't find them to be boring at all. Quite the opposite actually."

She kept her chin level as she received several hard looks for that one.

"They write quite well for one." She continued, looking down again at her book, "I've always found written history to be quite boring – though mostly due to the only written history I've read is from books written by hobbits and we… don't truly have much of a history to speak of really – but this, this is fascinating. It talks about things that happened in the First Age! The First!" And so on she gushed even though she could tell that most of the dwarves truly didn't care but given what they made her put up with so far on this quest, she was more than content to make them suffer her ramblings. And given that none of them told her shut it after a good five minutes, spoke volumes she guessed for how far they had all come.

"How could you have read that much in just one afternoon?" Kili questioned as they all sat down at their assigned table, his expression could only be described as one of awe.

"Um, I just can." Bilbo replied with a small shy shrug, "I like learning, so… it's easy to become engrossed."

"But you remember!" Kili gawked in astonishment.

"Oh, yes. I guess it's what you might call a talent. If I'm truly interested, I can usually remember a book word for word. Makes re-reading it a bit of challenge though. Bit boring reading something you remember so vividly." She grimaced in a wistful fashion, "And we get so few new books in the Shire." She sighed mournfully over that simple fact of Shire-life.

"Can you read Elvish?" Ori asked softly, his eyes bright with caution curiosity. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see several of the older dwarves listening in on their conversation.

"I know how to read quite a bit of text written in Sindarin." Bilbo admitted, "but I would struggle I think with Quenya. I've only ever heard it spoken – and then, maybe only a handful of times. My mother was the most confident in teaching me Sindarin. We," and a small smile started to play on her lips as she remembered, "ah, created our own Sindarin translation book, for our own amusement and to pass the time on some rainy afternoons."

"Could you understand Silvan?" Thorin asked out of the blue and their whole table fell silent, the dwarves looking between their king and her. Most of the dwarves stared at their king in confusion while Balin's eyes were bright with understanding.

"Silvan?" Bilbo asked softly, rolling the word over her tongue, "the language of the wood elves?" her brow forwarded a little as she tried to remember more, "I mean, the language spoken most commonly by the elves of Mirkwood." She corrected herself with a small blush.

"I, um, I think so." She continued slowly as she chewed over the idea, "I think one of the books in my pile has several chapters dedicated to the Silvan language, but," She thought another moment or two longer, "But yes, I could. If the situation called for it, I could understand Silvan."

Thorin nodded with a thoughtful expression but before Bilbo could ask why her being able to understand Silvan had any importance to their quest, dinner was being served by elves who were all wearing the same wearisome expression, and she was once more forgotten as the dwarves broke into loud (exaggeratingly loud) conversation as they started filling their plates with food.

Bilbo simply sat there for a long moment, her mind still chewing over that rather odd conversation with Thorin.

Why did he even care? Hadn't he been angry with her only yesterday for her understanding and speaking Sindarin? What made her possibly understanding Silvan, in his mind, any better?

She knew that they would probably be either passing or going through Mirkwood, once known as Greenwood the Great, on their journey to Erebor. But she could hardly see Thorin being any more agreeable to meeting with the elves of Mirkwood than he was about coming to Rivendell. So why…

Her tummy grumbling hungrily pulled her from her thoughts and she quickly put together a plate for herself before all the food disappeared into the bellies of hungry dwarves.

Her promise of not reading at the table was quickly broken when she saw that the conversation at the table had no room for her join in.

As surreptitiously as possible, she turned so her back was more or less facing the others as she opened the book the top of the table – she had learnt the hard way of what happened to books when you tried reading them in your lap at the table while eating – making sure there were a few high bowls of salad and pitchers of water to block her from view. She was for once glad to be seated on the fridges of the group, meaning she could spread out a little at the end of the table.

She leant her elbow against the table, her cheek resting comfortably upon her palm as she quietly nibbled upon some cheese as she read.

She heard a soft snort from across the table from where the Broadbeams were sitting but after a quick warning glance to tell them 'to shush' she went right back to reading her book. The elves who took away the plates even smiled at her, true, genuine smiles when they saw the book she was reading, so a good chunk of her guilt over reading at the table was erased.

Sticking her finger in between the pages of the book, she made to follow the rest of the company back to their chambers only for Gandalf to call for her to stop.

She hesitated uneasily as the rest of the company, barring Thorin and Balin, left the veranda where they had eaten dinner.

She followed awkwardly after Thorin, Balin and Gandalf as Lord Elrond lead them from the veranda in a different direction to the way the rest of the dwarves had gone.

"Keep up lass." Balin said though not unkindly when he noticed she was following them at a distance, her eyes wide and filled with uncertainty as to why she had to come along, "would not do for you to get lost."

She picked up her pace a little, so that she was step with the older dwarf, her head twisting around her continuously, as she took in the pretty elven city in the nightlight.

They followed Lord Elrond into the grandest study Bilbo had ever seen in her life, with high arching ceiling, bookshelves and grand old maps covering every wall, along with beautifully woven tapestries and ancient weapons that glinted in the moonlight.

She sucked in a small appreciative gasp as she turned in a slow circle to try and take in every detail of the grand room she was in.

She received small smiles from both Gandalf and Lord Elrond while Balin just gave her a pained sort of expression and Thorin… Thorin looked strangely frustrated. But for once not at her… or at least, not entirely at her.

He met her gaze and held it; his blue eyes seemed to be searching her very soul before he looked away, his expression changing to one of discouragement before becoming closed and distant.

Bilbo felt her cheeks burn with confused embarrassment, her own eyes dropping to stare at her book still clasped tightly in her hands.

She allowed for herself to fade into the background as the two dwarves, the wizard and high elf spoke, rolling her eyes at the polite nothingness Thorin and Balin spoke while Gandalf tried to steer them in the direction he wanted and Lord Elrond simply stood and watched the three with a look of one who had seen such situations as these many, many times before.

Bilbo wandered over to a table where a huge map of Middle-Earth was spread out upon the length of it.

Counting softly under her breath, she used the width between her pointer and middle finger to walk the most direct route between Rivendell all the way to the Lonely Mountain.

She did the walk twice, and then a third time before she stopped with a wince and a throbbing head. For sheer curiosity sake, she did the walk again, this time taking indirect routes, going around mountain ranges and huge forests, and still came away grimacing and rubbing her temple.

From what she could see from the map, there were pros and cons to any way they tried to get to the mountain, for any way they did, the journey was going to be long and hard.

She was pulled from her discouraging thoughts by Thorin.

"Our business is no concern of elves." His tone was casual but his words held steel that made her cringe. One day she would like to hear the story behind Thorin furious dislike of elves for it seemed to run deeper than the disagreement held between two races. Maybe not from Thorin himself, for she was certain that would only result in a short snarled response and days upon days of silent treatment from not just him but the rest of the company (baring possibly the Broadbeams) too.

Gandalf let out a frustrated sigh as he ground out in a barely calm voice.

"For goodness sake, Thorin, show him the map."

Thorin expression became one of stone, his back straight and his eyes flashing with defiance.

"It is the legacy of my people, it is mine to protect." Bilbo rolled her eyes at the sheer stubbornness of the dwarf, "as are it secrets."

Farewell quest, Bilbo thought in exasperation. You will never be fulfilled because you king is a stubborn arse!

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves." Gandalf groused, "Your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle Earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond!"

Bilbo watched Thorin who was staring at Lord Elrond with the same stone-y unreadable expression he usually sent her way when she was being… well any time really, whenever she did anything that caught his attention.

It felt like an age – and maybe it was her imagination but for a brief second Thorin's gaze broke from Lord Elrond to flicker in her direction. But that could only be her imagination, for why would Thorin…? - before Thorin's hand moved under his coat with withdrew the ancient map from within with great reluctance.

Bilbo released as small sigh of relief even though Balin looked panicked when he too saw what Thorin was doing.

"Thorin," Balin caught his arm, his eyes wide and worried, "no!"

But Thorin waved him off, stepping forwarded towards Lord Elrond the map held protectively in his grasp.

Bilbo watched as Lord Elrond to the map from Thorin, opening the map with care and respect. His eyes scanned the paper briefly before his gaze lifted to rest once more upon Thorin.

"Erebor." His tone was almost disapproving, and there might have even been a worried glint to his ancient eyes, "What is your interest in this map?" The question almost sounded like a test and one, Bilbo thought as she looked at Thorin's face, at his expression which had turned as close to one of panic that she had ever seen and she had seen him tied up in a sack, moments away from being eaten by Trolls and he hadn't looked as worried as he did at this very moment, that Thorin was going to fail if he didn't…

"It's mainly academic." Gandalf stepped gracefully into the conversation as if Lord Elrond's question had been directed to him from the start, "As you know, this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text. You still read ancient dwarvish, do you not?

Lord Elrond's attention immediately returned to the map, walking to stand in the centre of where a moonlight beam glowed into his study, holding the map up against the light, whispering soft words of elvish. Bilbo immediately blushed when both Thorin and Balin's looked at her expectantly

"Moon runes." She said in the same breath as Gandalf, though while he sounded almost delighted she was simply left confused. What-what were moon runes?

She looked at Gandalf desperate to ask him, especially when he sent her a small smile as he admitted they were an easy thing to miss.

Because they can only be seen in moonlight? She wanted to ask him desperately. But-but that didn't make any sense as she had seen Thorin and Balin poring over that map plenty of times, at night with the moon over ahead and they hadn't mention there being any new runes that hadn't been there in the daytime!

"… by the light of a moon the same shape and season as the day on which they were written." She heard Lord Elrond saying, pulling her from her own whirling thoughts.

That's very… specific, she thought with a slight frown. And a little ridiculous. She guessed the dwarves who created this map really didn't want anyone using their secret door. Including, it seemed, their own king.

"Can you read them?" She heard Thorin ask Lord Elrond and had to forcibly stop herself from squeaking out 'you can't?'

Just how difficult was ancient dwarvish to read then?

Bilbo's head spun a little at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation they had found themselves in. What would they have done if they hadn't come to Rivendell?

"Bilbo." Gandalf voice broke through her swirling thoughts and she followed numbly after the rest of them as they left Elrond's study.

Elrond led them out onto a cliff in the mountain side, massive waterfalls thundering all around them. At the edge of the cliff, stood a rock that glowed with an almost unearthly light as the moon hit it that Bilbo found herself wondering if it was not fragment of a fallen star that had come to earth a millennia ago.

She stood awkwardly near the doorway of the cliff, unwilling to move any further forward for fear of falling off the edge of the cliff.

"These runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell." She could hear Lord Elrond saying as he gently laid the map out upon the glowing white rock, "Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield; the same moon shines upon us tonight."

Really? Bilbo caught herself thinking as she stared somewhat sceptically at the elf lord's back. She had never been a particularly big believer in things such as fate or destiny. Is that really true or are you just saying that because you know the moment he thinks he can do things his way we'll be disappearing into the night as faster as dwarvenly possible.

Though she did have to say she was more than a little impressed when, having built up her courage enough to creep to Gandalf side, the white rock seemed to shine as brightly as the moon itself and glowing blue runes suddenly started to etch themselves upon the map.

In a clear voice, Lord Elrond read, "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole"

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo heard herself asking. And even though she wasn't excepting a response, Gandalf was quick to answer her.

"It is the start of the dwarves' new year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together."

"This is ill news." She looked over at Thorin whose face was once more twisted with worry and she felt her heart ache for him, "Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us."

"We still have time." Balin was quick to reassure

"Time? For what?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. But instead of being ignored or shot a hard look from Thorin, Balin answered her without hesitation.

"To find the entrance. We have to be standing at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened."

Wonderful, Bilbo thought with a heavy sigh, just wonderful… so now they had a dead line to add to the mix of dragons and other unspeakable dangers ahead of them.

"So this is your purpose," Bilbo jumped at the hardness in Lord Elrond's voice, "to enter the Mountain."

Thorin turned to him with customary scowl.

"What of it?"

"There are some who would not deem it wise." Lord Elrond warned with the same hard tone as held out the map for Thorin to take. Bilbo fought back a groan as the dwarf king all but snatched the map back.

"Who do you mean?" Gandalf asked with a confused frown.

Elrond's warning looked turned to Gandalf as he replied, "You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle earth."

Bilbo watched in silence as the elf lord made to leave before a thought trickled into her head and burst from her.

"Wait!" She blushed heavily when all eyes turned upon her. She clutched her book tightly to her chest and took a deep steading breath to try and calm herself and to get her thoughts in order.

"Lord Elrond, what you read from the map, the message for finding the secret door," She heard grumbles from the dwarves but pressed on anyway, "will that message remain now, or will it disappear?"

Lord Elrond stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable and she wondered if he would simply leave without answering her.

"It will disappear." He answered her finally.

"Then," she all but shoved her book at Balin to take, while she searched her coat pocket for her tiny notebook and a pencil, "could you say it all again, so I might write it down."

"Halfling…" Thorin grumbled.

"Are you going to remember all that about grey stones and thrush knocking, setting suns shining upon key holes? Months from now?" When the dwarf king could only huff back at her, she looked back at Lord Elrond, her little notebook open and pencil ready. "If you wouldn't mind, that is?" She blushed when she remembered exactly who she was talking to. And again, she thought he might not answer her – which if that was the case she was certain she remembered enough of it to write it down, but still, if she got anything wrong – but once again he surprised her and from the flash in his eyes, himself, when he recited the message for finding the secret door back to her. Slowly and clearly, allowing for her write it all down neatly in her notebook.

"Thank you very much." She smiled gratefully up at the elf who inclined his head before leaving the cliff side with a sweep of his cloak.

"Well done Bilbo." Gandalf said as he lay an hand upon her shoulder as she showed him that she had indeed written down word for word the riddle to finding the secret door. "Quite clever indeed."

"Ah, well, I just… I have a good memory for riddles and such but I would have struggled to remember that," she pointed to the map clasped in Thorin's hand, "and since it will be gone again by morning, it only seemed logical to write it down." She shrugged before looking worriedly at Thorin and Balin, "Was that… wrong though?"

"Didn't stop you earlier." Thorin commented as he tucked the map back into his coat.

Bilbo blushed.

"He was leaving! And I thought – I thought…"

"You did right lassie." Balin smiled at her reassuringly, "asking again and writing it down as you did. Clever."

"You," she held out at her little notebook to the two dwarves to take if they were feeling truly paranoid about her possessing something so huge as the riddle to the secret door, "you can keep if you want, I mean, I just…"

"It's alright lass," Balin said as the four of them left the cliff, "you keep your little notebook, we trust you."

Do you? Bilbo desperately wanted to ask but bit down hard upon her tongue to stop herself.

The soft grunt Thorin made from Balin's other side did not help her anxiety over matter either.

Gandalf led them back to the rooms the company was using, sighing heavily when he surveyed the destruction the dwarves had inflicted, before leaving for, Bilbo was guessing, his own private rooms.

Lucky, Bilbo thought glumly as she walked after Thorin and Balin who were almost immediately questioned about what had happened the moment the door was closed.

Bilbo fell gracelessly upon her bedding and stared up at the ceiling as her brain rolled over the stupid secret door riddle

Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole

"Do you think we actually have to wait for the thrush to knock on the secret door? Or is that part of the message some kind of metaphor? And if it is, what's the metaphor?" Bilbo asked out loud to the silence of the night where everyone but Gloin (who was on watch-duty) was sleeping.

Something solid, a pair of rolled up socks she thinks, thudded to ground just next to her leg.

"Missed me." She commented a little sardonically as she sat up in the darkness, "but in all seriousness, how do we convince a thrush to knock against a grey stone – which this is a mountain, so I'm imagining there are quite a few grey stones to choose from, so how do we know it's the right one? – while the sun is setting, which will somehow lead to the reveal of the keyhole."

She was met with a series of groans.

"Bilbo, it's tha' middle of the bloody night." Bofur grumbled from where he lay a few feet from her.

"Yes and I can't sleep because that stupid message on the map makes no sense, as a riddle or logically." Bilbo huffed, as she hopped to her feet

"I'm sure when the time comes," Balin said in a patient albeit very sleepy voice, "it will all make sense."

"Nooo," Bilbo shook her head, feeling the familiar stir of panic build within her gut, "that's leaving far too much to chance!"

"Halfling," Thorin's tone was quiet but held a hint of finality in it, "the message on the map is meant to be understood by dwarves alone, not outsiders. Put it out of your mind."

You don't have a bloody clue what it means either, you insufferable sod! Bilbo grumbled angrily as she flopped back down upon her bedding.

She lay there stewing for several long quiet moments where the only sound in the room was the sounds of snoring.

"I wonder if we have to catch the thrush." She mused, grinning at the mental image of dwarves chasing birds all of the mountain side.

"Halfling…"

"Bilbo!"

"I was just wondering." Bilbo defended all the while choking back a laugh.

"Halfling," Thorin snapped, "you can relieve Gloin of his watch if you are having so much trouble sleeping."

"Fine," Bilbo huffed, snatching up one of her books and went and sat in spot by the balcony that Gloin had just vacated to her with an exasperated look, "I need to brush up on my Silvan anyway."

"You do that." Thorin grumbled back at her.

"See that I do." She retorted tartly as she cracked the book open.

"I don't want to see or hear you, I want to sleep!"

"How can you possibly sleep," Bilbo choked out in disbelief, "when instead of answering our questions, the map only created more?!"

"I…"

"Oh for the love of… Enough!" Dwalin barked from where he "sleeping" on the other side of the room.

Bilbo's shoulders immediately jumped to her ears and a surge of embarrassment and regret shot through her.

"Sorry." She squeaked.

Thorin of course didn't apologize but he didn't say anything more either and room fell silent and it took a long, long time for it to be filled with the sounds of snores and other sleeping noises.

Bilbo had settled into her book on the development of different elvish dialect when she heard movement from nearby. Her head snapped upwards immediately, only to immediately drop again when she saw that it was only Thorin making his way to the balcony

After a moment or two, he was sitting on the other side of the doorframe she was leaning against, the map pulled out and sitting on his lap.

"Is the writing gone?" she couldn't help but ask.

Thorin only nodded, his finger running over the spot that they had appeared.

"Are you certain you have it all written down," He asked after a long moment of heavy silence, "word for word?"

"Ah, yes, um I do believe so." she rummaged in her pocket and pulled out her little notebook and after a moment of hesitation, she gently threw it at him. He caught it with ease, though his large fingers struggled a little with the tiny book.

"You could not have written it down in your sketch book?" Thorin grunted once he finally had the little book open.

"I'll make sure I do that first thing in the morning. How does that sound?" She asked a little dryly. Thorin looked up at her with a flashing eyes.

"See that you do."

"You shall."

They glared at each other. And then looked away at the same moment. Bilbo returned to her book while Thorin simply sat alternate between looking at his map and her little notebook to staring out the balcony at the valley.

Bilbo wasn't sure when exactly she fell asleep only that when she woke, all the dwarves were awake and making noises about breakfast and she was covered with a blanket that she was fairly certain she hadn't brought with her when she had been delegated watch duty… which she had fallen asleep doing.

Ah…

She looked fugitively around for Thorin, wondering all the while just how much trouble she was in. Only when she spotted him, and he noticed her looking at him, there was no more annoyance in his piecing blue gaze than normal, though he did look even tireder than he had yesterday morning and if anything that made her feel worse.

She got up slowly, picking up her blanket, book and her little notebook – which had been placed by her side but she wasn't silly enough to think that when Thorin put the little book back he had also placed a blanket over her – and made for the rest of her belonging.

It didn't take her long to write out the map's message neatly into her sketchbook before she tore out the page and, chewing heavily upon the inside of her cheek, she handed it to Thorin before they left the room for breakfast.

She blushed hotly when all the dwarves stopped their conversations to watch her do this, maybe waiting for Thorin to chew her out over keeping them all awake with her inane questions, but he did not such thing. He took the paper from her, scanned it over and then with a nod to her, he tucked the paper into the pocket in his coat that she was certain held the map.

Something inside of her chest glowed stupidly warm when she saw him do this.

Stop that, she scolded herself as she fell back in the ranks of dwarves, to the far back to walk with the Broadbeams, it means nothing! Get that silly notion that it does out of your head – and heart – this instance!

But even so, the glow of warmth remained all through breakfast and did not disappear even when they had returned to their rooms and the dwarves were doing their own thing that she wasn't included in, the warmth remained.


Author's Note: As I said in my Author's note at the beginning of this chapter I had a lot of fun writing various sections of this chapter. The Bilbo being sassy with the dwarves (and Thorin) are obvious favourites, along with Bilbo being sassy in general. Or at least, I think she's being sassy. I'm not generally a very sassy or quick-witted person in every day conversation - a lot of jokes or puns go right over my head because my brain just doesn't click until well after the conversation has moved on - but with writing, you can keep coming back and tweaking it until it's just right, so hopefully she comes off as being witty and/or smart.
Bilbo's relationship with the dwarves is coming to a turning point, she is more or less accepted by the company now, though she is still seen as more of a hindrance than anything else, but most of the dwarves do generally like her. Her relationship with Thorin is also going to start building from this point on-wards, they're going to have more scenes together though keeping in mind this is a slow burn, so them being in love with each is still a little ways away, but Bilbo's crush is still very much there and Thorin... well, Thorin is being Thorin and I have a one-shot that I'm thinking of posting very soon to explain why Thorin (and the rest of the dwarves) are treating Bilbo the way they currently are. There is a reason for why they are being so stand-off-ish with her. But I'll go more into that in the one-shot that i will be posting.

Thank you very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed and as always, reviews are appreciated even if is something as simple as 'please update'. It does motivate me to write. Thanks :)