Chapter 21
A Few Steps Forward, One Big Step Back
Chapter Notes:
elvish {English translation}
Khuzdul [English translation]
Iglishmek /English translation\
telepathy ((…))
Thanks to everyone that left kudos and/ or subscribed, and a VERY big thank you to everyone who left comments!
A shout out goes to Wolveyaon for giving this a read through. All mistakes are still mine.
Rough Khuzdul translation ahead.
oOoOoOo
Dwalin's reaction was just what Thorin expected it to be.
"Are ye sure he," making a pointed gesture at Nori (who winked at him), "and the elves can be believed?" Dwalin asked, scowling at the thief in return.
"I do not doubt Nori, and at present I am inclined to believe the elves," Thorin informed him. "I do not see what they or Nori would gain by lying. If the quest were not so time sensitive I would be tempted to order the company back to Ered Luin to investigate this Amrad Babanal and Nar. It is all too grievous to chance on not taking it seriously."
Dwalin let out a string of curses. "I knew ye had somethin' important on yer mind and I knew ye'd talk ta me about it eventually, but-" He let out another string of swearing, "I didna expect this! A dark lord, a member of the Royal Council giving kakhf [crap] advice at the very least, and a treasonous plot on top o' facing a dragon?!"
"Aye," the other three sighed in unison.
"Not that council members giving kakhf [crap] advice is so very surprising," Thorin said. "No offense meant to you, Balin."
"None taken, laddie. I've sat through the same meetings you have. I still can't believe Fommli suggested pulling dwarrow from rebuilding the Main Gate and outer wall less than a year after we'd settled in Ered Luin. Mines still blocked, housing just barely acceptable, and he wanted to expand the council's offices," Balin scoffed.
Thorin smirked. "I will never forget the look my father gave him for that 'advice.'"
"His 'you can't possibly be stupid enough for that to be a serious idea, but you are apparently stupid enough to waste my time with it anyways' look," chuckled Balin. "It was almost as amusing as Fili's and Kili's hairstyles for you as long as it was directed at someone else."
"What is the plan now?" asked the brawny dwarf drawing them back to the present.
"Right now we prepare to leave and continue on our quest. The more quickly we reclaim Erebor, the earlier we can look into this information," Thorin answered then he explained what the elves and wizard had planned for Durin's Day.
"I understand the strategy, but I still feel like bait fer a dragon," Dwalin said.
"More so for Bilba than us. She is the one that is to go inside," Balin countered.
The dwarrow looked at each other uncomfortably. To not only send a female into danger but alone as well was cowardly and shameful to their culture even if they did understand Tharkun's reason for it.
"I am still working on making the copies of Nori's book. I would like to get that done before we depart," requested the white haired dwarf.
"You will have time," Thorin assured him. "I still need to discuss supplies with Lord Elrond. I'd be surprised if it takes less than a week to arrange."
oOoOoOo
Soon after the early morning discussion Nori was surprised by Bilba when she grabbed his arm and drew him away from the rest of the company. Naturally curious, he gave no resistance.
When she was confident they had privacy Bilba finally spoke, "You witnessed my fountain incident didn't you?"
Nori let out a chuckle.
"I will take that as a 'yes,'" she said. "Have you mentioned what we spoke of to anyone?"
"Naw. I think it's harmless fer lasses ta keep somefin' like dat a secret 'n have a laugh o'er it."
"That is good to hear. I would appreciate it if you would keep it that way and not mention what was spoken about to anyone, particularly Thorin. I could of course compensate you for the inconvenience."
Nori's eyebrows rose. "Wha'd ye have in mind?" he asked.
"How about an additional dish of your choice?" offered Bilba.
"Hmm, suppose dat would be enough incentive ta no' bring up the subject."
Bilba sighed in relief.
"But," Nori continued, "dere is always da chance Thorin'd ask 'bout it."
The hobbit's shoulders sagged. He was right of course. "I would not dare ask you to tell a falsehood to your king."
"Thorin be my king, true enough, 'n I'll no' out right lie ta him if he should ask, but I might be convinced ta misdirect and deflect without havin' ta fib."
"Oh?" Bilba asked intrigued. "And what would such extra discretion cost me?"
"A full course meal, all da dishes, of my choosin'. Oh, I know ye donna have da stock ta be fulfillin' dat any time soon, but later, maybe after da quest 'n dings is more settled."
"We have a deal, Master Dwarf," Bilba said, holding her hand out to him.
Shaking it, he agreed, "Aye! Pleasure doin' business wicha!"
Nori grinned. Who knew the guileless seeming lass could play the game?!
oOoOoOo
The dwarves were happy to hear that they would be leaving Rivendell, but Bilba knew both Ori and Balin shared her regret in not having more time to spend in the elves' library. She had noticed that the elder dwarf had seemed to be busy with tasks for Thorin during much of their stay.
'Kingly, quest-ish, important things no doubt,' she thought. 'Pity they can't just enjoy the peace found in Imladris.'
When Elrond's three offspring heard of their new friend's imminent departure they spent as much time with Bilba as possible, much to Thorin's displeasure. So far the twins seemed to get on rather well with his nephews. He was unsure if he felt more relief or concern over this fact.
That evening the hobbit talked some of the dwarves into playing some lively music while she taught them and the elves a dance from the Shire. It involved partners doing a lot of whirling around each other while moving with the other couples around in a larger circle.
Bilba took turns dancing with different partners. After the first few times of having her feet stepped on Bilba asked them all to remove their boots. Even Gandalf removed his and took a turn.
The height difference between her and the Big Folk was a little awkward so the twins came up with idea of putting the hobbit on the large round table in the common area. They would do the steps to move around the circle and when it came time to spin the elf would whirl around with the hobbit in his arms then place her back on the table.
Once assured there was nothing that was going to be damaged by her dancing on the table Bilba let loose and enjoyed herself, smiling and throwing her head back with laughter.
Thorin watched from the edge of the room. He was torn between being captivated by the beauty of Bilba's joy, a fierce jealousy that he was not the cause of it, and hope that neither showed in his bearing. Whatever front he was able to put on for the others did not seem to fool Balin and Dwalin.
"Just go dance with her," the younger brother encouraged.
Thorin just shifted to rest against the wall.
"From what I've heard about the inhabitants of the Shire they enjoy parties as often as possible and that means, among other things, dancing. She seems to be fond of it. Best learn her dances. Maybe another time you can teach her some of ours," Balin said.
Thorin rarely danced. He could do dwarven dances passably. The dancing instructors his grandfather had made him endure when he was young had made sure of that. Those dances were much more… sedate though. This dance was wild and carefree. Two things he was not.
"Alright, who is next? Dwalin? Balin? Thorin? None of you have taken a turn," Bilba called to them.
Seeing that Thorin was not yet convinced to join in Dwalin volunteered to go next leaving his brother to deal with their reticent leader. He just hoped Thorin appreciated the sacrifice he was making.
"This should be entertaining," the King-in-Exile smirked.
'Apparently not,' Dwalin thought. He made a rude gesture behind his back at his friend as he moved to join Bilba.
Dwalin was a terrible dancer. A fact all of the dwarves were already aware of. Quite a few bore smirks and waited to see how the hobbit would deal with it. After a few minutes of enduring his stiff and awkward attempts to follow her through the steps she stopped him.
"What is the problem?" Bilba asked. "You are graceful enough during sword practice."
"That is different. That is about battle," Dwalin grumbled.
By this time Fili and Kili had lost control of their laughter. Bilba gave the two young dwarves such a withering and disapproving glare even Thorin almost felt bad about teasing his friend. Almost. He'd probably be nearly as bad at it as Dwalin after all. It did succeed in stopping the laughter however.
"It is not as different as you think. Dancing is a battle. It's a social battle and the path to victory is working with the other participants instead of trying to kill them. Imagine it is just another one of those drills you make me repeat over and over and over. I am your weapon. You guide me through the steps so we don't hit the other couples or anything else. Now let's try again."
More than one jaw dropped when Dwalin was able to make a (mostly) graceful circuit around the circle.
"See," beamed Bilba a little while later, "you can do it!"
Off to the side Balin continued his effort to get Thorin to dance. "If she can get Dwalin to dance like that, then you should be fine."
"Perhaps."
"You know, it is also an excellent way to interact with Bilba outside a formal courtship, and there is no need to feel pressure on a romantic front. We are all dancing with her. In fact it will be more conspicuous if you don't dance with the lass. You might hurt her feelings or make her think you don't like her. Something which won't help you later on."
"That is true," Thorin conceded.
As they continued to watch the hobbit astonished and amused them by somehow managing to pass her much improved partner on to dance with Ori sometime later and headed in their direction. Bilba had done it without it seeming contrived or awkward either, although Dori did give the burly guardsman a dirty look when he noticed.
"I'll go now so that you can dance with her last. Feel free to take an extended turn," Balin softly told him.
Much to Thorin's and Dwalin's annoyance Balin was an excellent dancer. He and Bilba were an elegant couple even with the lively manner of dance.
"Don't take no for an answer if Thorin tries to decline, lass," Balin spoke softly enough to keep their conversation private.
"He does not have to dance if he does not wish to," Bilba responded to her partner just as quietly.
"His life is very serious more often than not. He could use some merriment in it. He is also a bit shy about not being able to dance much better than Dwalin." Balin gave her and encouraging smile, "Don't give up."
"Well, Dwalin did well enough with a change of point of view. Maybe Thorin would benefit from the same."
"He just might, lass. He just might."
When Balin claimed his old bones had had enough dancing for the moment he turned Bilba once again to the King-in-Exile. She tilted her head to one side and raised her eyebrows at Thorin in silent question. He definitely needed to relax and have some fun. If he had declined she supposed she could have claimed she was taking a break and tried to talk him into it, but it didn't look like that was necessary.
Gathering his courage Thorin took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the wall.
'It is just a dance. It is not a big deal,' he thought to himself as he quickly removed his boots. 'Mahal! I should not be this nervous!' Surreptitiously he wiped sweating palms on his clothes as he approached the hobbit.
Bilba gave him a small smile and took his hands. She placed one of his on her waist then hers on his shoulder.
Not for the last time Thorin had to resist pulling her closer.
"Do I need to remind you of the advice I gave to Dwalin?" she asked.
Thorin shook his head. "No. I will, however, keep it in mind," he assured her.
"Alright," she said and then the dance lesson began.
"Is that how you look at Dwalin's weapons practice?" Thorin asked spinning Bilba through the dance steps, "Dancing lessons?"
She grinned. "After the first few days, yes. It seemed to help me, so I thought the reverse might help him."
"It certainly looked that way," he agreed.
The elves sat with some of the dwarves taking a break from the energetic hobbit style frolicking.
"The hobbit and the Dwarf King, hmm?" Elrohir softly asked.
"Mmhm!" they all agreed.
"I suppose that means we have little chance of keeping her," Elladan sighed.
As one the dwarves turned and gave him dirty looks accompanied by varying responses along the same vein of meaning. Balin's 'No chance whatsoever,' was the most polite.
"They look very well together," the elf conceded.
"Are they courting?" his brother asked.
That drew a collective sigh. In soft voices the twins were informed of the situation. And so two more elves joined the matchmaking conspiracy.
Once Thorin had the basic dance down well enough Bilba started teaching everyone the more advanced version which had even more whirls, hops, and spins. Thorin and Dwalin were both surprised to find they found this easier. The more complicated version actually made Bilba's advice about dancing being a 'social battle' make more sense.
Thorin was also surprised to find he was enjoying himself. Whether that was because of his partner or because she succeeded in making him a better dancer than any of his instructors had managed he did not think too long about. He doubted horrible dancing on his part would diminish his enjoyment of being able to hold Bilba in his arms. Even if he had to keep reminding himself not to pull her as close as he wished to, or not think of the intimate dreams he had had of her.
Bilba's thoughts were similar to those of the King-in-Exile. She had never had this much fun with her partners back in the Shire or even any of the others she had danced with earlier in the evening. She just hoped she didn't look like a fawning tween. More than once she'd had to remind herself not to think about what he looked like with his tunic off else she was afraid she would start to drool. Thorin was the king of his people. He surely wouldn't think of her that way. She was just a hobbit. One who hoped to show him that she wasn't silly, that she could be an asset on his quest. She wouldn't do that if she acted like a lovesick fool tripping over her own feet!
The dancing lasted late into the evening as the dwarves traded off providing the music. Bilba taught them several dances, both partnered and not, but Bilba always danced significantly longer with Thorin. He never tried to bow out and Bilba never tried to pass him off to another partner. Certainly no one else tried to cut in!
oOoOoOo
The following day the sons of Elrond found Bilba as she was searching Imladris for something. "Miss Bilba!" Elladan said as he and his brother bowed. "We were on our way to your rooms to see if you would join us for tea. How are you this fine day?"
"Very well," she informed the two elves, "I am trying to get ready for our departure however."
"We shall be sad to see you go, but is there anything we can do to assist you with your preparations?" inquired Elrohir.
"Yes," she said. "Do you have any scissors?"
oOoOoOo
Thorin was discussing supplies with Elrond and Lady Galadriel in the lord's study when Arwen rushed in shouting in Sindarin. He thought the elf maid looked paler than usual.
'What now?' he wondered. The dwarf only knew a few words and phrases in the elven language, but one of those was the word for his kind and he was sure he had heard her say it.
Thorin saw the Elf Lord pale slightly in shock, then his expression darkened and he spoke angry words which were followed by coldly furious ones from Lady Galadriel before she stormed out of the room.
Inwardly Thorin cursed. Each elf had used the word for dwarf, but the outraged blond had used the word for war as well. Thorin was starting to worry what had happened to alarm the elves so.
"Forgive us, Master Oakenshield," Elrond said standing to hurry them after his mother-in-law. "There has been and incident. I suggest we hurry and go assess the situation and hopefully stop any bloodshed from occurring."
"Bloodshed?! What sort of incident?" he asked practically running to keep up with the elves' long strides. It would be just their luck if they had to fight their way out of Rivendell! Bilba would be so angry with them. It would be a long time before she would make those blackberry tarts again if it came to that!
Elrond thought back on what had been said before giving an answer.
"{Ada! Ada! Come quickly before the dwarves kill Elladan and Elrohir!}" Arwen shouted as she rushed into the room.
"{What is wrong, Arwen? What have they done?}"
Elrond felt himself pale at her gasped response before anger took over.
"{I just may kill them myself and I will not need the dwarves assistance with it!}" the Elf Lord stood.
"{Not if I get to them first! I am trying to make peace with the dwarves and your sons are trying. To. Start. A. War!}" Galadriel said before leaving the room.
"Now, Master Oakenshield," the Lord of Imladris spoke, "I suggest we go see what damage has been done before we jump to any conclusions."
"What. Has. Happened?" Thorin demanded forcefully.
"I do not have any details, but from what my daughter has said, for reasons unknown to me, my sons have apparently... cut Bilba Baggins' hair," the Elf Lord said horrified.
"WHAT?!" roared the dwarf.
oOoOoOo
End:
Part of this chapter was inspired by Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance."