"So did you have nightmares last night?"
Ella grinned at Fili as they trekked next to each other.
"I did, actually," she said. "I had a nightmare about a little blond dwarf with plaits on either side of his mouth."
"I'm sure it was a sweet dream," Fili said, dismissively, "you're just under the delusion that it was a nightmare."
She laughed.
"But really, though." Fili's voice became serious. "Did you have a nightmare? I could feel you tossing in your sleep."
Ella slowed down. "Yes," she admitted. "The dragon again, destroying Erebor and Dale. But it's the second time, so it's not so bad." She shuddered. "I dreamt about Jerelee, though."
"Jerelee?"
"One of my friends. From my world." Ella shivered slightly. It was fresh in her mind; Jerelee, short, funny, hardworking Jerelee, her eyes fixed on her history notes as she crossed the street. Not seeing a car skidding straight towards her. Not looking up until the last minute, dropping her notes and screaming. And pain. Excruciating pain.
And darkness.
But, she was relieved to realise, she no longer felt like breaking down; no longer felt like crying every time she thought of her old life.
Fili put a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly, and Ella held it and smiled at him.
Neither noticed Ori walking behind them, his eyes fixed on the two of them, on the smiles they were giving each other, on their hands.
That night, Ella pulled her bedroll up to Fili's again, leaning into his arms once he'd settled himself comfortably.
"Well, that's all right then," Kili said, looking from his brother to her, pretending to look indignant, standing with his arms crossed in front of them. "Leave me out, will you?"
"Sorry, brother," Fili said, grinning, as Ella flushed, embarrassed. "Go find your own girl."
"Fili!" Ella elbowed him.
He just looked down at her, laughing, "What?"
"Quite the pair, don't you think so?" Dori observed to Gloin, who was watching them with a faraway smile on his face. Thinking of his own wife, his family, his lad Gimli.
"Cute," was all Dwalin said, his face still expressionless, as he marched past them to take the first watch.
Bofur only chuckled to himself as he lit his pipe.
Ori sat by the fire, looking up at Fili and Ella every so often, before turning back down to his book.
"The stars are amazing," Ella said, sometime later, when the dwarfs had all moved to their bedrolls and promptly fallen asleep. She was still slightly amazed that all of them, including Bilbo, could fall asleep within seconds on hard rocky ground.
"Pretty," Fili agreed, one hand unconsciously going up to stroke Ella's thick mane of hair. She didn't notice, her head still tilted back on his chest to look up at the stars.
"Glittering diamonds," she said, "in a sea of dark velvet."
"What?"
"It's just something I made up, a line of a poem I wrote long ago," Ella said. "I'd forgotten all about it until I saw the sky. It makes you feel small, doesn't it? Reminds you how tiny we are in comparison to the rest of the world. We don't have anything like this in my world. Not this kind of sky, with all the stars scattered across them, so bright and clear."
"You don't?"
"No. I mean, there probably are some areas that you can see them, but where I live, there are only tall buildings and so much light even at night that the stars are always hidden."
"Sounds terrible."
"It is." Ella sighed, curled up and adjusted her head to rest more comfortably on him. "But I thought camping out of doors on the road was terrible too. But it's not so bad. Maybe you just have to find the small little things that make it good."
And she drifted off into sleep, Fili grinning to himself as he looked at the glittering stars above him.
Ella decided the next day that she would try and get to know the whole company properly before the quest was over.
And she started that very day.
Fili could only watch, amused, as she made sure she spent at least one single part of the next two days talking with each member of the company.
She'd gone to Bofur at first, listening to him tell stories, laughing at his jokes, her eyes widening as he told her of the mechanical toys that he and Bifur had made in the Blue Mountains, telling him about some of the inventions and part of her life in her own world.
Then she'd spent time with Bifur, trying to guess what he was saying in Dwarfish or with his grunts and gestures, causing the dwarfs around her to chuckle every time she made a guess, with one of them taking pity on her every once in a while to tell her what he was saying, and with the whole game repeating all over again.
And after that she'd listened eagerly as Gloin spoke of his wife, and his son Gimli, and all the trouble that Gimli would get into, all his antics, giggling at the stories, telling Gloin of the children of her parents' friends she'd have to look after, all the trouble they caused her. She listened, smiling, as Gloin told her all about his wife, how they'd met and everything he could associate with her.
She'd spoken to Bombur about food, telling him about all the different types of food in her world, fish they ate raw called sashimi, round slabs of meat and vegetables and square pieces of cheese folded into bread called hamburgers, drinks called Pepsi and Sprite, and making him laugh when she told him she couldn't cook to save her life.
And then she'd talked to Oin, asking about his hearing trumpet, her admittance that she was useless with wounds or any type of medicine, her extreme ignorance in the subject of healing, his shaking his head and looking at her with a horrified face.
Then she'd walked in between Dori and Nori, Nori regaling her with tales of his more fantastic exploits that had gotten him into trouble with the authorities, Dori telling her about all the things that could go wrong and constantly turning back to Ori to make sure that he was all right, both of them making her laugh.
And on the second day there'd been Balin, her telling him of what her life in her world was like, how she spent most of her days studying, the wars she'd been made to learn as a history student, reciting poems from her studies in literature, with Balin telling her in detail about the dwarfs' own history, recalling Erebor and the city of Dale, his time under Thorin's grandfather, Thror, as her eyes grew wide.
And she'd even managed to hold a conversation with Dwalin – asking him about the different weapons, what he preferred, what he thought was the best, his opinions on the weapons and styles of fighting, in exchange telling him of warfare in her world, both of them fascinated.
She'd spent a fair amount of time with Ori as well, stumbling along the path with him, both eagerly asking the other about anything they could think of, him telling her of his drawings while she told him of her sister's paintings, the two of them making up stories on the spot, sharing their love of writing.
She'd even walked with Thorin, the two of them exchanging words only briefly before they trekked together in a comfortable silence, somehow managing to keep up with his long strides.
Then she'd fallen behind to talk to Bilbo, asking him eagerly about the Shire and about Bag End, about how nearly everyone in the Shire was related somehow, how he'd agonised over his decision to go on this quest until he'd finally just flung his things into a bag and run out of the house, with her telling him about her own family and friends, her own home.
And then Kili had slowed down to talk to her, flirting shamelessly and making her face heat up, before she countered back, their witty banter going back and forth once she'd finally stopped blushing at every other remark that the dark-haired dwarf made.
"I think Bilbo's very brave," Ella said to Fili that night, taking her usual position with his arms around her.
"Why d'you say that?"
"Well, you all convinced him to go on a quest to reclaim your kingdom from a dragon, and instead he's had to face trolls, Orcs, Wargs, and who knows what else." Ella shrugged as she made herself comfortable. "And he didn't stay on at Rivendell when he could have."
"Rivendell?" He flashed a smile at her. "Why on earth would anyone want to stay in Rivendell when they could see me every day?"
"I don't know, Rivendell sounds like a pretty good alternative to that," he heard her say, making him chuckle. "Yeah. Lord Elrond told him he could stay, or go back at any time." Finally finding a comfortable position, Ella wriggled around for a moment more before settling down. "Good night, Fili."
"Good night, Ella."
Fili didn't go to sleep just yet.
He lay there for a while, half propped up against a rock, watching Ella breathe in and out as she slept.
He wondered if Elrond had made her the same offer – that she could stay, or that she could return if she wished.
He wondered if she would return to Rivendell at the end of their quest.
Slowly, gently, he lifted her head slightly to brush out all her hair from under her. He remembered what she had told him earlier, that she couldn't do anything with her hair, telling him with a grin that she was really secretly impressed with the amount of effort they put into their braids.
Now, carefully, he began to braid hers; about a dozen strands in the midst of her thick hair, then slowly winding everything together into a single thick braid that hung down her shoulder.
He watched her for a while more. She'd been having the same nightmare ever since they'd left Rivendell, she had told him, with Smaug destroying Erebor and Dale. She always tossed and turned, restless.
Blinking sleepily, he wrapped his arms around her more securely before sinking into sleep.
Ella was not happy.
She let out another string of expletives as she clambered up another rock, Fili in front of her to help her out when she needed it, Bofur behind her to keep an eye on her.
Lightning flashed across the sky as the rain pounded down on them, wind howling around them. The Misty Mountains, Ella thought, was not a happy place. She would probably collapse on the ground in relief once they'd passed through them. She tugged at the sleeves of her jacket. It had taken a good deal of convincing to ensure that both Fili and Ori kept their own cloaks and hoods instead of letting her take them, and she was not about to start shivering and letting her teeth chatter now. Fili would probably throw his cloak and hood over her and not give her a moment to protest. He'd grin at her cheekily, telling her she'd better not do anything to mess up the braids he had so painstakingly done.
The braids. Ella smiled faintly as she remembered waking up the next morning, groping for her glasses, and realising her hair was not falling over her face as it always was. Moving her hand up to pat at her hair, freezing when she realised everything had been carefully braided together. Fili had woken up at that point, yawning and telling her she looked better without her hair hanging all over her face, saying she was not allowed to ruin her hair in any way unless they got killed.
She'd just mumbled something and packed her things hurriedly, her face heating up at the thought of Fili carefully braiding her hair while she slept. It had kept for a few days, up until they had reached the Misty Mountains.
Now with the wind howling around them and the rain pounding down, she was fairly certain that all Fili's hard work would be ruined.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she muttered, as they emerged onto a narrow trail with a steep drop on the other side, the storm around them growing ever fiercer.
"We must find shelter!" Thorin shouted far in front of them, as they pressed on along the trail, the wind battering against them, the rain getting heavier, the rock crumbling beneath their feet.
"Watch out!" Dwalin hollered, suddenly, as a massive boulder came flying out from nowhere, thudding against the mountain above them, and with loud shouts and yells, the dwarfs and Bilbo and Ella huddled back against the wall as the boulder broke into pieces at the impact, hurtling down past them.
"This is no thunderstorm," Ella could heard Balin say. "It's a thunder battle!" And he raised a shaking hand. "Look!"
It was then that Ella looked up, and her jaw dropped as she saw what was before her. A figure, a giant figure, completely made out of stone, lifting a massive boulder from a mountain top. Hurling it into the air.
"Well, bless me, the legends are true," Bofur was saying from behind her. "Giants! Stone giants!"
Their remaining time in the rain was all a blur for Ella as the other stone giants came to life.
She could remember clutching onto Fili's hand, refusing to let go; how he'd nearly slipped and fell as he shouted Kili's name, over and over, when they were separated. She could remember Fili holding onto her tightly, not letting her go, reassuring her that everything would be okay, reassuring her that Bilbo and Thorin were both all right, after both had nearly fell to their death.
"He's been lost," she heard Thorin say, and she managed to shake her head, gather back her wits and look up, to see him glaring at Bilbo. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us. Dwalin!"
And she saw Bilbo's face fall, saw his anguished, upset expression, before he turned away.
Slowly, one by one, they stepped into the cave that Dwalin and Thorin had found, Dwalin going straight to the back and calling out, "There's nothing here."
Gloin, grinning, fell to his knees and dropped a bundle of wood. "Right then! Let's get a fire started."
"A fire," Ella managed to say, shivering, "would be perfect."
"No, no fires in this place." Thorin strode around the cave, obviously ill at ease. "Get some sleep. We start at first light."
"You know he doesn't really mean it," Ella said to Bilbo, as the other dwarfs prepared what they could for dinner, Fili having draped his cloak around her, ignoring her protests. "Thorin. I think he's just annoyed."
"Yes, at me," Bilbo said, darkly, looking at the ground. Then he looked up, managed to smile at her. "And he's right, Ella. I don't belong here. I belong in the Shire. At Bag End. I'm not like you. They'll miss you, if you leave. Fili, especially." His mouth twitched into a smile as Ella's face flushed, as it always did. "They won't notice I'm gone."
"Yes, they will," she argued. "Can't you see how they all enjoy talking to you?"
Bilbo smiled at her, a little sadly. "Thank you for trying, Ella."
"Ella. Are you all right?" It was Fili, having come over the instant he saw her upset face, watching Bilbo get up to find a place to sleep. He held out a bowl for her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder as he settled down, her eyes never leaving Bilbo's form.
Across the cave, Ori had his sketchbook out, his hand flying furiously across the page.
"Wake up. WAKE UP!"
Ella had only just blinked herself awake, sleepily, sliding her glasses onto her face, when the floor promptly collapsed.
"Ella!"
Fili's arms were tight around her, holding her close, not letting her go – and Ella found herself clinging onto him, burying her face in his chest, muffling the string of expletives she was shrieking, as they slid down a rocky tunnel of a chute, bouncing back and forth against the hard surface until they finally landed in a cage, all of them landing on top of the other, but Ella still safely locked in Fili's arms.
"Are you okay?" Fili's sounded worried; he put his face close to hers, making her look at him.
"Yes, sure," she groaned. "Falling down giant rabbit holes and into a cage is exactly my idea of fun."
She felt him chuckle.
And then came the goblins.
Shrieking, screaming, they crawled into the cage, attacking them furiously. Hammering and yowling and being pushed along by a crowd of small, ugly, disgusting creatures, baring their teeth and growling, snatching their weapons away.
Then she felt a slimy hand snatch at the dagger strapped to her calf, and she kicked out without thinking, the creature howling as he flew backwards at the force of her kick.
But the dagger was gone, clutched in the goblin's hands as he shot her a murderous look and continued shoving the whole company.
"Ella!" she heard someone shout – was it Bofur? No, Bofur was being pushed somewhere far in front, after a quick glance backwards to make sure she was still okay – Ori, it was Ori, twisting his head around frantically, until he caught sight of her, Fili's arm around her, protecting her from as much of the goblins' onslaught as he possibly could.
And, with all of them, Ella included, kicking and squirming, Fili never letting go of her, the goblins dragged them away.
So I'm thinking of writing another Hobbit fanfic, similar to the usual, where an OC joins the quest. Of course, it won't be Ella; it'll be someone different, someone new, maybe the complete opposite of Ella. And it won't be a similar OC-joins-the-quest-halfway-through-and-has-to-go-along-with-it. Because, you know, I'm just trying out, seeing maybe if I can write similar scenes differently. And seeing how I can write things differently when given the same rough scenario. Any comments? Because, you know, I'm still just playing around with ideas.