Hey look, I got another one up sooner than the last. I'm proud of myself.

Ch 13 Into Winter

Just before the sun was to rise, all the occupants of Bag End were up and about; checking bags one last time and say their good byes. Mirari had her belongings waiting by the front door where Falan and Saellyn were waiting for her and watched Maliah as she bustled around the kitchen, loading a sack with more food than she would be able to eat. A smile graced her face at her cousin acting like a hobbit, proving more and more her future was here and not with her own people. Looking over to Frodo, she saw him watching Maliah also with fondness. When the dwarf made her way around the table towards her once more, Mirari stopped her and sunk down to her knees to be more eye level with Maliah. Even though she had only been in the Shire for a few days, it was enough of an impact of her cousin who had been without her family since she had left Erebor.

"I will miss you, Lia. It was good to spend time with you and we will see one another again. I promise." She tugged at one of the braids at Maliah's ear. Mirari saw her eyes start to well up and engulfed her older, smaller cousin. The sack of food hit the ground as Maliah's arms wrapped around her in return. They remained in that position, Mirari's long hands moving soothingly up and down her back while Maliah's were clutched to her dress and long blonde hair. A throat cleared from behind them and it was one of the Rangers who spoke up.

"We should get going."

Mirari pulled away and kissed each of Maliah's wet cheeks. "Don't be so sad, we will keep in contact. You remember how to write, correct?"

A laugh escaped Maliah through her tears. "Yes. Why do you keep acting like the older one?"

"You present the opportunities at the right time. Now, promise me you will write."

"I promise."

"Good." Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Mirari stood and turned her attention to Frodo. "Take care of her."

"With my last breath," the hobbit promised.

"I will send word when Aunt Râlia comes to Rivendell." She placed a hand atop Maliah's head and ran down her hair. "Men lananubukhs menu, iraknana'."

The Khuzdul spoken from Mirari was a pleasant surprise for Maliah. Even though the dwarves who had delivered the furniture for Bilbo's party had spoken it, it was more comforting coming from her cousin in the halted sentence. Though she shouldn't be surprised, living among elves instead of dwarves was bound to have some effect. "I love you too, be careful on your journey."

"Don't worry, your highness, we will make sure nothing happens to her or Master Bilbo when we find him." Falan assured her from the doorway.

Maliah nodded and looked up as Mirari was now standing. They all walked to the door in silence, then outside where three horses were waiting already saddled. Frodo and Maliah stood at the gate and watched as the two Rangers help load the horses after helping Mirari onto her own steed. The cousins called out one last goodbye to each other and the couple stood on the path, not moving until they could no longer see the threesome riding away. Frodo wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered Maliah back to the smial.

"Let's have a cup of tea and some food. We can go back to sleep afterwards."

She said nothing in return and let Frodo take control of the moment, bustling around the kitchen getting water boiling and setting some biscuits onto a plate, setting it in front of her on the table with a jar of jelly. They were alone now, completely. No Bilbo to come around the corner and interrupt their alone time or to teach her something new about hobbits. Sure, he had been gone a few days already but they hadn't been alone. If Frodo knew what she was feeling, he said nothing and sat opposite her at the table. He poured them both tea and plated the biscuits, cutting hers in half and smearing jelly across each piece. Sliding both cup and tea to her, Maliah only stared at both; playing with the plate with her index finger.

Frodo moved the plate and covered her hand with his. "What is wrong?" He was given no reply and Maliah wouldn't lift her head up. In this situation, he was lost at how to handle his other half. He sighed internally, Bilbo would've known what to do right now. Bilbo… that was it. "Are you nervous?" The pale head nodded, making her braids swing. "What about?" He barely heard her whisper words.

"We're alone now."

His finger tapped her hand until she looked at him. "Nothing changes, just because Bilbo is gone, and we can continue life as it was before. Since you still aren't of age for a dwarf, we can wait to do anything until then. We can talk more with your mother when she arrives about what we should do."

Maliah smiled at her hobbit watching for her reaction with his big blue eyes. "Okay." Her hand was squeezed and released as Frodo picked up her jelly covered biscuit and extended it to her mouth. Her smile widened and took a bite of the buttery bread.

The next few months flew by and true to his word, nothing had changed. There was still gossip around the Shire pertaining to Bilbo and Frodo and was all but ignored by the couple along with Merry and Pippin. Maliah still had her 'lessons' every day, as she liked to call them, pertaining to hobbit culture and whatever else Frodo came up with to teach her. He was even teaching her the Elvish he knew and used it when she wrote Mirari the first time. The dwarrow had found a raven circling Bag End every afternoon and Maliah took the time to wait atop her home and wait for the bird to land. She found out that while it wasn't a raven of Erebor, she could still communicate somewhat with him. Raanan, he was named, and after a week Maliah and he came to an understanding. This was how her and Mirari could write more often than they would have been able.

They were in the snow season now, whiteness covering the ground and silencing the Shire most days. Maliah had sent back a reply to Mirari two weeks ago and was becoming worried about Raanan since he usually came back after a week. There had been a storm five days ago and she only hoped he was still at Rivendell when it had descended upon them. She also wondered where her mother was now in Middle Earth, if she had left around the time Daemyn had delivered her message then she was due to arrive in the next month. Looking out the window at the winter blanketing the previously green hills, she couldn't help but feel unease for not only her raven but her Mama traveling.

The next afternoon, while Maliah and Frodo were playing a game by the fire, rapid tapping at the window in the living area had her up and over to the glass to let Raanan inside. He flew inside in a flurry of snow and feathers, landing next to where she had been sitting and shaking the cold from his wings. The window locked once more, Maliah grabbed a small towel and helped the bird dry off in front of the fire. Frodo took off the missive tied to his leg, wrapped in a glass vial to ward away the weather. Once Maliah was done, Frodo handed it over for her to read. The expression on her face told Frodo a lot about what the cousin had wrote without her telling him.

"Mama is at Rivendell and is staying there for another week at the insistence of Lord Elrond. She will be here a month afterwards, escorted by Strider." She paused, "Mirari says to stop writing for the next two months because of the cold. She doesn't want Raanan to get hurt." Lowering the parchment, blue eyes regarded the raven who was nestled on the ground between the two. It was reasonable and Maliah was sure she probably would have come to the same conclusion. One month. A pit of nervousness entered her stomach and she began to bite at her lip. One of her braids were tugged and her attention was pulled to Frodo who watched her with a smile.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

The smile she gave back to him was filled with the anxiety she felt. It wasn't her Mama she was worried about, but who was traveling with her.

Râlia shivered and looked around the room she was in again, the same one she and Fili had shared on the quest many years before. Unsurprisingly, nothing had changed. It was kind of comforting, in its own way. It was four days after they had arrived at Rivendell and only four more until they could leave again, according to Lord Elrond. Despite protests from the guards she traveled with, Râlia believed the Elf and told the others to make camp in separate bedrooms or share one. Dwalin, being the only other dwarf who had been to the Elf home, led the way to the room previously occupied by the company. Laughter echoed down the halls twice, once when Dwalin saw the room and then when Râlia followed behind. The room had never been refurnished and there was a large pile of firewood where the bonfire had been lit long ago.

Dressing in her warmest clothes, she sincerely wished Fili could have come with her. But being the King of Erebor and training Dhiren was a higher priority according to Dain who was once again visiting when they had laid down plans. Fili's body would've been more than enough to keep her warm while she slept here. That thought led her mind astray to how he acted the night before she left, claiming her all over again like he had when they were first married. Râlia felt her body flush at the memories of him taking her all over their apartment and shivered; not just from the cold anymore. Clearing her throat, she smoothed down her clothes and opened the bedroom door to peer out into the hallway. Good, no one was around. Remembering the hallways still, Râlia made her way to the dining hall where she knew food would be waiting for those who were awake.

Halfway there, she met with Mirari who was coming up from an adjacent hallway and stopped to hug her niece before continuing. "Good morning, mim thatrûna. How did you sleep?"

Mirari smiled at the name for her pale hair. "Well enough, and you Aunt?"

"It's getting easier sleeping by myself the longer I travel."

"Do you miss Uncle Fili terribly?"

Râlia looked up at her tall niece. "Every moment of everyday. Being away from your One is a terrible experience, lonelier than anything for I know he is still alive."

The was no response and the two females walked the halls almost the entire way to where the food would be when Mirari was pulled aside by another Elf and excused herself from Râlia with an apology saying she would follow her into the room when she was done talking. With a nod, Râlia kept walking the short twenty feet to the doorway. She knew the Elf who had stopped Mirari was a maid in waiting to Arwen and therefore knew it probably had something pertaining to the daughter of Elrond.

Once in the room, Râlia smiled at the food selection presented to her. Elrond was a lot more courteous this time around to her dwarves and was providing more breads and meats for them. Most likely because they were politer this time around upon arriving. Or maybe the Elf Lord knew they were coming. Taking a small plate from the end of the table, she loaded it up with a variety of fruits, dried meats, and a delicious looking pastry that was making her mouth water. When she reached the end of the food, a voice rang out behind her that made her body freeze.

"If my eyes are deceiving me, Eru take me away now."

Râlia slowly turned to see Lord Elrond's twins darkening the door, smiling down at her. "Dear God, what are you doing here?"

"Well, oddly enough, we live here." Elladan, his sense of humor identifying him right away. "Did you leave the dwarf for us finally?"

"No." The blandness of her voice made the twins become dramatic, placing their hand over their hearts. She watched as they staggered into the room.

"She only here to tease us and our dreams once more, brother."

"Why, why!"

"Why are you two here? I thought you were out hunting Orcs."

"Yes, well, as you can see from the snow everywhere, it has made our jobs a little more difficult and we decided it would be a good time to take a break and come home. It's been years, actually."

"Had we known you'd be here, we would've come sooner." Elrohir waggled his eyebrows.

Rolling her eyes, Râlia went to give a retort but the voice of Mirari stopped her. She could barely see her niece enter the room around the twins and therefore walked around them at the call of 'Aunt'. Mirari was standing in the doorway, frozen, and looking behind Râlia with large eyes. Turning, the dwarf saw the twins looking as though in a trance at the half Elf. Looking back at Mirari, she couldn't help but groan. God help this family when Kili found out.

I love you, cousin

Little Star

I can't wait to write the next chapter, I always enjoyed writing the twins. Please leave reviews, I like to see what others are thinking about the story and I sometimes get ideas from what is left behind. Thank you!