Chapter 4: Choice n°1 - Aghäte takes refuge in her room.

The library's door closed loudly. Aghate stopped in a corridor to regain her senses. She wanted to bang her head against the wall. How could she be so stupid? And above all, how could she have spoken to him like that ?!

Aghäte ran to take refuge in her room. She dropped on her bed without any elven grace. Everything she had said to the future king of Erebor was repeating itself in her head.

"It was ridiculous! I hope I never see him again! But if it is Thorin, I might have to see him again someday if I ever get rid of this dragon…". Aghäte thought about it, but nothing seemed to calm her down. "I'll take a bath. It will eventually relax me," she said to herself.

After her bath, Aghäte felt better. She remembered her notebook on Erebor, Dale and especially Smaug was still in the library. By the way, she hadn't put the books on the table away. If a guard saw that, she was going to be scolded.

Aghäte got dressed and left her room. It was late and she was starting to feel hungry. First the library, then the kitchens. She would find something to nibble on before going to bed.

.

Upon entering the library, she approached her table but found nothing there. It was empty. Instinctively, she looked below. Nothing neither.

Aghäte heard someone clear their throat to show their presence. She turned to the noise and saw a hobbit with a book in his hand. Aghäte had seen this hobbit in the library for a few days. She saw him here since she had met the dwarves in Rivendell.

- "Good evening", the hobbit began. "A dwarf has already put your books away."

- "Good evening," Aghäte said. "Thanks for the information, I was a little confused."

- "You're welcome. Come to think of it, Kíli was looking for you to return a notebook that was on the table. It's the young dark hair dwarf."

- "Ah thank you! Do you know where he went?"

- "Not at all. I'm sorry."

- "Don't apologize! I'll try to find him. Good evening!"

- "Good evening to you too."

Aghäte left the room. She walked around the building without finding the young dark hair dwarf. Disappointed and tired of searching, she returned to her room. But barely entered, her stomach growled. With all this stuff, she forgot to eat. She opened the door abruptly to go out. At the same time, she saw the young brown dwarf, whom she had been looking everywhere for, ready to knock on the door. They were both surprised but Kíli smiled at him first.

- "I was looking for you!"

- "That's good, I was looking for you too."

- "Really?" he replied with a silly smile, according to Aghäte.

- "Yes. I hear you have a notebook that belongs to me. Could you return it to me?"

- "Precisely! I am here for that!"

After slipping his hands in his outer and inner pockets, he ends up looking at Aghäte; always with that silly air.

- "I think I forgot it. It must still be in the room where we had dinner."

At the word "dinner", Aghäte's stomach woke up. He growled so loudly she couldn't hide it. The young dwarf burst out laughing. He even had to hold on to the wall to stand up. The half-human took offence.

- "It's because of you! I looked for you so much that I forgot to eat!", Aghäte pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

- "Fíli will laugh so much when I will tell him about it!", Kíli blurted out, wiping away a few tears of laughter.

- "Well, I'll go on my own if you prefer to stay here."

Aghäte's bedroom door slammed shut. She started to walk down the hall until the young dwarf grabbed her arm.

- "Wait! I'm sorry. I'll take you to your notebook."

- "Alright. But first I have to go to the kitchens for a bite to eat."

The dwarf nodded, doing everything he could to keep from laughing. They quickly went to the kitchens. Kíli sat down in a chair while Aghäte made a sandwich with what she had to hand. She ate it quickly while Kíli watched the room.

- "Do elves eat meat?", Kíli asked innocently.

- "Why this question? Did Lord Elrond put you on a diet?"

- "We only eat greenery at all meals!" Kíli replied grumpily.

This time, it was Aghäte's turn to burst out laughing. She knew the Rivendell's elves rarely ate meat, but they still served it to their guests. "They must have provoked Elrond and he is avenging himself," Aghäte said to herself.

- "I hope they at least gave you some wine!" she said to him to tease him.

- "Yes! But it's not worth a good beer!"

- "You seem a bit young to drink alcohol ..."

- "You look young too! Ah, but you're half an elf!" Kíli remembered. "We may be the same age!"

- "Maybe yes - Maybe not! Right, let's go get my notebook."

Seeing Kíli's face, Aghäte guessed that he wanted to know how old she was. She was smiling. It had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone.

When Aghäte and Kíli arrived in the room where the dwarves had dined, the half-human noticed this was the large room reserved for the guests. She had rarely entered. Looking around the room at a glance, she was reassured Lord Elrond wasn't here. It wasn't she didn't like him, she just wasn't comfortable with a lord like him. However, she saw a group at the back of the room on a balcony made up of two dwarves and a tall man. As she gazed at them, Kíli had gone to retrieve the notebook. Handing it back, Aghäte returned her gaze to the young dwarf.

- "Ah thank you, Master Ki…"

- "Kíli!"

- "Your name?"

- "Aghäte, my dear! Come and join us"!

An old man, all dressed in gray, called out Aghäte from afar. She hesitated but Kíli signaled to her to follow him while he walked towards the group himself.

- "Good evening, nice to meet you", the old man began.

- "Good evening…", Aghäte answered, embarrassed by the presence of Thorin. "Excuse me but do you know me? And who are you?"

- "Lady Aghäte, daughter of a Dale woman and a Mirkwood elf. I have met your mother in the past. A charming woman. Rest assured, you are too!"

Everyone was silent. Thorin winced upon hearing Mirkwood's name. The others waited for the wizard to continue.

- "Please forgive me, I digress. My name is Gandalf."

- "The Gray Wizard ?! It's an honor to meet you!" Aghäte cried out, making everyone else jump.

- "Exactly", he laughed at the half-human's excitement. "I wanted to meet you because I would like you to join Thorin's company."

They all looked at Gandalf with absolute incomprehension. Fíli and Kíli didn't prefer to intervene. Thorin spoke before they thought of anything more.

- "No elves will join our company. Especially from Mirkwood!" Thorin said, determined.

- "Aghäte is also half-human. She knows more about Smaug than all the dwarves together. Not many people can and want to help you in this quest. It would be silly to miss out on an advantage like this."

- "I'd rather be an idiot than have an elf in my company."

Thorin growled one last time before leaving without looking at anyone. The two nephews apologized and left the room as well. Then, it was the magician's turn to walk away, grumbling under his breath at the stubbornness of the dwarves.

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Continued in Chapter 5.