Ch 19 To Rivendell, Again
"Is that a letter from Gandalf?" Fili asked Ralia when he entered their apartment and saw her sitting on a sofa with a piece of parchment in her hands.
"How did you know?"
"Word spreads fast when the queen gets a letter specifically for her." He set his crown on the table next to the door and started dropping armour and clothes as he walked.
Ralia rolled her eyes at his actions, it was like living with a child sometimes. "It is about a meeting in Rivendell, in the fall. It doesn't say why, only that representatives from all the races will be there."
Fili frowned at her, "When was it sent?"
"A few months ago."
"Perhaps you should write Maliah, if he says all races then the Thain should send someone from Hobbiton."
"True…" she stared thoughtfully at the letter again. Something was off about it, the writing was too rushed and edged around reason. As though Gandalf had a very specific reason to send it off but couldn't say why. "I'll send Daemyn in the morning when we leave."
"Is it similar to the one Lord Elrond wrote?"
"In a sense, both tell us of a meeting."
Her voice trailed off and Fili looked over at his wife. Something was bothering her about the letters, lines creased her face as she frowned down at her lap. He walked behind the sofa and wrapped a hand around her throat, making her look back at him upside down; his thumb caressing her neck. "You worry too much. Come." His hand led her body to her knees and he picked her up with his other arm, carrying her to the bedroom. Fili wasn't going to see his wife for five months and damn it all if he wasn't going to enjoy distracting Ralia from her worries with endless pleasures. With her legs now wrapped around him and rubbing against him like a cat, he had no doubt it would be an easy task.
They were in the middle of Green Hill Country, mid-afternoon, when Sam stopped walking in the tall grass and looked at his surroundings. "This is it?"
Maliah cocked her head at him and looked around to see what he was talking about. "This is what?"
"If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been."
Frodo smiled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Come on Sam." He waited while his friend took a deep breath and took that one step onto new land. "Remember what Bilbo used to say, it's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door, you step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
It sounded like something the old hobbit would say, Maliah thought to herself. She could understand the hesitance Sam felt, she had traveled a long way from her home as well. Leading the way now, Maliah listened to the two behind her talk.
That night, Sam was crouching by the fire cooking dinner while Frodo and Maliah sat against the tree, the hobbit smoking his pipe, relaxing. Without warning, Frodo jerks up and turned to the side, head tilted as though listening to something. Then Maliah heard it; singing. Sam heard the high, sweet voices next and the three stood up.
"Wood Elves!" Frodo whispered excitedly.
On the path below, a trail of Elves passed slowly through the forest, some on horseback and some walking, some with banners. The group seemed to shine a light of their own as they sang a haunting song, a prayer to Elbereth and Gilthoniel to light their way. They watched the procession in awe.
"They're going to the harbour beyond the White Towers. To the Grey Havens." Frodo said quietly.
"They're leaving middle earth."
Maliah nodded at Sam's statement, "Never to return again."
"I don't know why, but that makes me very sad." Sam announced, echoing their feelings aloud.
They returned to their dinner, remaining silent as the thoughts of the Elves leaving haunted their thoughts. It wasn't until after they were laying down to sleep did one of them speak.
"Everywhere I lie there's a dirty great root sticking into my back." Sam complained, rolling over once more.
Frodo neither moved nor opened his eyes, "Just shut your eyes, and imagine you're back in your own bed, with a soft mattress and a lovely feather pillow." Maliah cracked an eye open to look at their friend, having a good view from where her head was resting on Frodo's stomach. She watched as Sam tossed around on the ground.
"It's not working Mr. Frodo. I'm never going to be able to sleep out here."
"Me neither, Same." Frodo said with a smile. Maliah rolled her eyes and turned over, facing her back to the fire. She fell asleep listening to Frodo breathing as he stared up at the stars while Sam nibbled on the leftover dinner.
A fiery eye burned down at her before burning into a scene where she saw Gandalf talking to an old man in white.
'They have reached the Shire?' Gandalf's voice was alarmed
The old man shrugged and spoke. 'They will find the Ring and kill the one who carries it.'
Gandalf backed away and turned to run to the door, shocked as the doors suddenly slam shut.
'You did not seriously think a Hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? There are none who can.'
Gandalf slowly turned to the old man, a look of dawning horror.
'Against the power of Mordor there can be no victory. We must join with him, Gandalf. We must join with Sauron. It would be wise, my friend.'
'Tell me, friend, when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?' Gandalf's words were spoken low and deadly.
With a look of fury, Gandalf was suddenly blasted across the room.He slammed against the wall, pinned there by some unseen force.
"Maliah!"
She sat straight up with a loud, gasping breath. Her heart was racing two times its normal beat and her eyes darted back and forth for something familiar. Hands cradled her face and her brown eyes focused on Frodo's blue ones.
"It was only a nightmare."
Maliah shook her head, no, it was so much more than that; it felt too real. As if it was happening with her in the room. Saruman… she knew that name. He was the head of the wizard order. But why would he hurt Gandalf? What was her dream for? Was it real or like Frodo said, a nightmare. She could feel the cold sweat lining her forehead and back. That eye made of flames, it was evil; she was sure of it. Frodo sat next to her, wrapping the blanket around her before taking her into his arms. Maliah hadn't known she had been shivering until his hands ran up and down her arms to soothe her.
It was soon after dawn when she had woken the other two from her thrashing and Sam set to cooking them breakfast. She sat in Frodo's arms, her body calmed down now, and held out her hand for the plate of food the chubby hobbit extended to her before Frodo. It was a simple fare of eggs, potatoes, and fruit; smaller portion then if they were sitting down at Bag End.
An hour late, after they ate, freshened up, and packed up camp, the three friends restarted their journey through the woods towards Farmer Maggots fields where a back-country road they would taking lay. Not much talking took place on their walk, no one had much to say and Maliah spent the time thinking about the dream. She didn't notice, with Frodo by her side, they had gotten ahead of Sam around a corner in the corn fields until they heard their names being called. Both turned and saw Sam running towards them, worried and flustered.
"I thought I'd lost you."
"What are you talking about?" Frodo teased his friend.
"It's just something Gandalf said," Sam mumbled with his words trailing off.
"What did he say?"
"Don't you leave them, Samwise Gamgee. And I don't intend to." The look he gave Frodo was as intense as his words.
"Sam, we're still in the Shire. What could happen?"
It was a famous last words moment. No sooner had the words left his mouth did something run into Frodo, sending him flying, and then Maliah was knocked down with someone on top of her.
"Mali! Look Merry, it's Mali Baggins!"
"Hello Mali, Frodo." Merry greeted their other friend he saw getting to his feet.
Maliah smiled at the name the pair had given to her many years ago and accepted Pippin's help to her feet while Sam help Frodo clean off and gather their belongings that had scattered.
"What is the meaning of this?" Sam demanded and was instantly handed a cabbage by Merry.
"Here, hold this."
"You've been into Farmer Maggots crop!"
Dusting her skirt off, Maliah looked up to see a pitchfork above the crop before they heard the angry shouts of Farmer Maggot. Merry and Pippin quickly gathered their bounty before running off with Maliah, Frodo, and Sam hot on their heels.
"I don't know why he is so upset, it's only a couple of carrots." Merry called out from the head of the line.
"And some cabbages," Pippin added. "And those three bags of potatoes that we lifted last week. And the mushrooms the week before."
"Pippin, my point is, he's clearly overreacting."
The sounds of barking had them hesitate for barely a second when Pippin yelled at them.
"Run!"
They ran through the fields of crop, stalks slapping them in the face. Pippin at the lead stop short of a small drop, everyone else coming to a halt behind him except for Sam who was last and looking over his shoulder for the angry farmer. With a chorus of shouts, the group tumbled head over heels down the bank, onto a dark, wooded road.
They landed in a pile, somehow with Maliah on top with Frodo holding her close, his legs pinned by Sam. She rolled off the pile and looked over at Pippin, his face inches away from a large pile of horse droppings. His next words were the same as her thoughts.
"That was close."
Frodo picked himself up and looked around quickly before straightening his and Maliah's clothes. On the ground, the three other hobbits groaned and tried to move.
"Ow, I think I've broken something." Merry announced reaching behind him and pulling a large carrot, almost broken through in the middle, out from his back pocket. "Oh."
Sam huffed in annoyance, "Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!"
"What?" Asked Merry as he brushed off the sleeve of his jacket. "That was just a detour, a short cut."
"A shortcut to what?"
"Mushrooms!" The three scrambled up and over to a patch of small, brown mushrooms.
While Maliah watched them amused, Frodo tensed up and turned his attention to where they were standing; a wooded road. Scattered leaves rose into the air whirling down the road as if blown by an invisible wind. Horse hoofbeats echoed in his ears.
"I think we should get off the road." A long wail carried down the wind, like the cry of some evil and lovely creature. His voice held more urgency this time and he grabbed Maliah. "Get off the road!"
"I feel as though there should be one of us with a voice of reason asking, 'are we sure this is a good idea'?"
Flori and Kali looked behind them at Kori, staring at him be the flame of the torch Flori was carrying. "Why?"
He shrugged at his cousin and they continued walking down the tunnel. "I'm just saying, we all saw or heard what mother did after Maliah ran away."
"That was years ago and nothing happened. Besides, we are all of age."
"So we are sneaking out through a secret tunnel because…"
Kali rolled her eyes at her brother knowing he was just trying to get a rise out of Flori. "As if you aren't curious about this secret meeting at Rivendell."
"Never said that, but none of us have ever been further than Dale except for Flori when she went to Mirkwood that one time."
He was mother henning again and Kali smiled at her twin. While he was on the top of Dwalin's list for best fighters in Erebor, when it came to her Kori was over protective. "I'm sure Aunt Melli already knew what we had planned and gave Flori a map of some sort."
"It's like she knows anything someone is going to do that qualifies as causing trouble." Flori slightly groused. "And she did, said to be careful and bring back a souvenir."
Kori snorted and they continued in silence. It was before dawn and the three dwarves were taking one of the four secret tunnels left that led outside to get ahead of the party leaving for Rivendell in a few hours. Apparently there was a meeting convened with the heads of all major kingdoms but the Queen of Erebor was only taking Gimli, Kadin, and Fiam as guards, but also Anira was joining to join her sister in Rivendell for a period of time to study elves. While many thought it was strange for the Queen to go on any and all diplomatic trips, nothing was said because of the tales and legends surrounding her.
"How long do you think until they notice us following them?" Kali asked to either of them.
"If they are vigilant, I give it when we are in the woods."
"Is that a wager, cousin?"
Flori rose a brow to Kali. The younger girl was her best friend along with Anira and Kori, the four of them constantly causing trouble in the dwarf kingdom. "I think it would be better the longer they didn't know we were there."
"Why the woods then?"
"Aunt Ralia can read emotions, how long until she realize we are following her?"
Kori and Kali froze, looking at each other thoughtfully with a small amount of horror. Flori stopped and looked back at them.
"You two didn't think of that?"
"It's never mentioned, we kinda forgot." Kori said rubbing his small beard.
"Think she knows?" Kali asked, twiddling one of her braids.
"If she did, someone would have stopped us. Right?"
Rolling her eyes, Flori walked the small distance to the hidden door and leaving them in the dark. "Guess we will find out." Her hand wandered the wall until she found the mechanism to move the rock aside. Her two cousins caught up and watched as the rocks grinded together to reveal a small doorway. "Besides," Flori stepped outside into the cool air. "If anyone else knew, I'm sure they would have…" Her voice trailed off and the twins exited the mountain, closing the entrance behind them.
"Would have, what?" Kali asked as she turned and then saw Nori sitting on a boulder watching them, amused. She cursed in Khuzdul.
"If you are going to sneak away, may I suggest being quieter next time."
"Does that mean you are going to make us go back?"
"On the contrary, Princess, I'm going to pretend I never saw you. Just thought I would impart my advice unto you before you all left."
Kori looked at his honorary uncle skeptically. "To be quiet?"
"Indeed. A lesson Flori has been given quite extensively." Nori gave his daughter a pointed stare and hopped from his spot, approaching her. "Be careful, my nangûna." He kissed her on the forehead and moved his gaze to his niece and nephew who looked sheepish. "While I don't believe this is the best idea, going on adventures is in our blood, with or without permission. Follow the roads." With his parting words, the spy blended in with the shadows and disappeared.
"Did he mean our parents or yours?" Kali wondered aloud.
"Probably both," Flori answered dryly. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time."
Securing their weapons and bags, the two raced after their cousin under the light of the full moon.
Iris-flower or blossom
As you all can see, I have a little more time on my hands with the summer season slowing business down. Too fucking hot were I live. anyways, as long as my muse stays alive there will be more frequent updates. Toodles!