Hello again! :D I've decided I'm going to go ahead and reply to anon reviewers as well. Really, you guys are the best. I should've been doing this from the beginning, but better late than never!
RedBear5: I got your review on Chapter 6 in my email, but it's not letting me reply via ff, but thank you. I'm glad you like the moon runes idea! :)
Guest: Thank you, the wet willy part was too much fun to write! lol
Koba: Pure sunshine, definitely. But LOL at the thought of Thorin getting a wet willy! I don't think he'd appreciate that too much. XD Thank you!
Nox: Here is more! XD
Megan VR: Thank you so much! Concerning the between bits - I know though, right? I love finding fanfics that delve into the stuff between all the known scenes, but when you run out of ones to read, I guess you have to make your own! Haha.
SortingHat: Congratulations on being my first truly unhappy reviewer! I feel like a real writer now~ I'm glad to finally see a different opinion on the matter as well. You believe what you want to about those reviews, buddy, but thank you all the same!
Alrighty then!
Further announcements at the end, like usual, but for now - enjoy! :D
The Loudest Silence
Chapter Twelve
Between Fili, Kili, Bofur, and I, the Hobbit was able to shake off the glum atmosphere eventually. Though Bilbo was more wary about his words, he returned to his usual, vaguely nerdy self after a time. Even if Thorin attempted to further shun their would-be-burglar, his nephews didn't have it in them to hold the lack of worldly experience against Bilbo, as they were in a similar boat. I was as well, but there was only so much support I could give without a voice, so the assistance in cheering him up was appreciated. We trotted along, the topics shifting around lazily every so often, Fili and Kili's natural charisma doing wonders for my positivity. It was just casual talk about anything that popped into their heads, but it helped.
Lunch was once again had with the Ur family, and I realized later that evening, as Thorin made the move for more questions, that a routine was trying to make itself known. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. Routine was supposed to be healthy, but I doubt those specialists had some crazy trek across Middle Earth in mind when they said that.
The second official inquiry was just as awkward and stressful as the last. I could understand a certain amount of edginess that this situation would bring out, and I guess that's what kept me from flipping the bird a few times (not that he would know what that meant), but this understanding didn't mean I was magically calm and collected. Gandalf hit the nail on the head when he told Thorin to be more patient.
Camp was made some ways from the road, behind a copse of trees so that we weren't super obvious to passersby. The ponies were tended to and supper was in the making, so most of the Company was either fiddling with their gear in a productive fashion, or they were BS-ing to seem busy. Likely the latter in some cases, seeing as how Nori had re-laced his boots about five times now.
As for me, I was having my arm checked out by Oín again. We'd been keeping up with my cut well enough, and he said it was healing just fine with the assistance of stitches. With any luck, the inevitable scar would look like a badass underline to my tattoo, and that was all right considering the alternative had almost been losing the appendage.
I was sitting on the ground and, right as Oín was nearly finished giving me a check-up, my eyes searched for the King of their own accord. We had loads more to discuss, even if I wasn't super excited about it. Thorin was already waiting some ways away, so it was easy to lock eyes with him and provide a questioning look – 'Do I really have to do this?' – that probably came across as more dismal than inquiring.
There was, dare I say it, an ounce of amusement in his expression when he saw my discontent. It was gone in roughly two seconds, but it made me wonder if he didn't actually hate me as a person, and if it was just the conditions that were driving him bonkers. (I hoped so, anyway.)
Thorin came over to where I was sitting with the old healer, and stood behind Oín as he worked. I was curious as to why Thorin chose this positioning, until I remembered the obvious. Usually he was busy with other things when we looked at my stitches, so this was really only the second time he'd gotten to examine the map tattoo – and no, Bree did not count. I refused to acknowledge that short moment of indignity as him 'seeing the map'.
"Comin' along well," Oín announced, putting the excess bandages away. "Should be able to get those stitches out soon and it'll be right as rain."
I smiled as I always did, showing my appreciation for the Dwarf's help. Oín gave my uninjured arm a pat of goodwill, and stood to go about whatever business he needed to attend to for the evening, as I pulled my sleeve back down and broke Thorin's gaze on the map.
"Thank you, Oín," Thorin said in passing, while acting like he hadn't been examining the tattoo. I don't know why, though. He had every right to be curious.
"Of course. Always glad to be of assistance," the medic replied, and departed to put his supplies up.
I stood as well, dusting off my pants and nearly sighing as I looked back to Thorin expectantly. He seemed equally happy about the situation – and by 'happy', I mean he looked like he would rather be plucking his leg hairs out one by one than interrogating me again. He gave a small nod and turned, me trailing after as he walked over to Balin. They exchanged a few words that I only heard half of due to the shuffle of camp being set up. Something about…
"Well, alright then," said Balin. "I can certainly keep an eye on things for a moment. Thought I saw some relatively dry branches on the way here, so it might be a good place to start."
Thorin nodded, leaving Balin behind and I followed, as he told me, "We're going to collect more kindling."
Which translated to 'further questions, but with sticks.'
The area where we set up for the evening was lacking on tree limbs of the fire-appropriate type, so Thorin and I traversed over to the group of trees blocking the campsite from the road's view. We could still see the Company, though there were many yards between us and them.
Faintly, I heard Bofur's laugh, and glanced back to see the far away figure of Nori waving something around. Twilight was setting in, though we still had some time before total darkness, and the distant shapes were vague beside the small fire. Was he holding a ladle?
"Miss Hollander."
I quickly turned my attention back to the reason I was out here in the first place. Of course, Thorin was already beginning his search for firewood, so I awkwardly did the same, picking through fallen twigs and sticks to see which were dry enough to use. There was only silence as we did this for a few minutes, until I finally found a decent one. Proud of myself, I took a peek over at Thorin and realized he already had like, seven. I frowned at my twig.
Unfortunately, my poor firewood gathering skills drew Thorin's attention. I was extremely aware of his eyes on me, and had no doubt he was judging my lack of experience with the outdoors. The result was skyrocketing anxiety on my part, obviously.
In my haste to prove I knew how to do something as simple as collect kindling, I bent to grab another twig. When I did, my shoe caught on a root as I moved, causing me to fall forward and smack the top of my head against a tree trunk. I pushed off the tree awkwardly with my free hand and returned to a standing position, rubbing my scratched up scalp.
Thorin didn't say a word. My embarrassment doubled when I glanced up to see him simply staring at me, unreadable, possibly just now realizing what kind of a moron had been thrown at him. Ever so slowly, he looked away and continued to sift through the underbrush. If there was a receipt for Valar-deigned quest aid, he would probably have returned me immediately.
The uncomfortable quiet returned with a vengeance and I wondered if he was doing this on purpose, just to unnerve me. I wouldn't have put it past him.
"So you'd heard Erebor's tale before yesterday, then?" Thorin spoke up finally. I almost jumped at the noise, I was so tightly wound.
I paused in order to calm myself, curious to how he reached that conclusion. In the same moment that I looked over, he did as well, and my puzzlement at the first choice of topic was blatant.
Thorin seemed on the borders of satirical amusement again as he explained, "You're terribly easy to read. A fortunate happenstance."
My lips came together in a tight line and I shifted away to look for more sticks. I picked up another, and Thorin made a 'hm' sound, like I just proved him right about something by turning my face from his view. I resisted rolling my eyes.
"Kili was onto something, last night," he continued, working as he talked. I listened, wondering what on Earth he was referring to. "If there are no Dwarves in your… world, then you should have no knowledge of such events. Much less have a map depicting our kingdom, in any form."
Another twig in my growing bundle.
"Is it possible something happened to the dwarrow of your home? Before your time?" he speculated, clarifying certain things from the previous night's discoveries. He glanced over to see me shake my head at this theory. That frustration was slowly coming back to crease his brows as he asked, "So you truly mean they just… never existed?"
The corner of my mouth tweaked in an apology – what for, I don't know. It's not like it was my fault.
Thorin continued on that vein, asking, "The other races as well?"
My useless shrug came up even though I was already nodding. Consternation was a good word for what little expression I could understand on his face.
The pile of firewood in his arms was much more impressive than mine, just as I figured would happen. I never did do a lot of camping or cooking outdoors on a bonfire, so this wasn't really something I had practice in. That, and we were losing the light. Yeah, that was it. Sure. Blame the light.
"And you've only been here for one week?" he recalled. Another non-question disguised as a question that I nodded to all the same.
Thorin took a moment to think on the information I was allowing him, and as I watched those gears turning once more, I was suddenly worried. He was no fool, but this was just beyond him. The aggravation was slowly mounting and I wondered how long his patience would last. How could he ever guess that their entire universe was made of written words on paper? The answer was that he couldn't, and that was probably going to piss him off.
To put a little more distance between us, I wandered over to the edge of the trees where I spotted a particularly flammable looking branch. From my vantage point, I could see the desolate road where we came from, though it faded into darkness when it reached the forest we passed through. Everything was tinged in that weird, dark blue of coming night, and the crickets and the frogs were speaking up. It felt eerie and I almost shivered.
Thorin was still in that contemplative state, face reverting into the trademark scowl. "I hope you're aware of how little sense this makes," he said. The tone felt a bit critical, and I tried not to visibly brace myself. "You say there are no Dwarves in your land, though nevertheless have a basic understanding of dwarrow here."
I couldn't help the questioning look that overcame me as I stood up straight. What did he mean? What did I understand about them?
"Miss Hollander, you kept the Halfling from saying anything further yesterday, clearly knowing how his opinion of Elves would be received. You had that tattoo prior to arrival, and you knew of not only the loss of Erebor, but also of our quest, yet claim that we're the first Dwarves you have met. I am supposed to believe you're from another world, but there is only one Erebor, and it is here – in Middle Earth," he enlightened me dryly.
I resisted the urge to snap the smaller twigs in my hands nervously, as my heart began thumping loud enough to be mistaken as Dubstep.
"Unless those two Men from Bree decided to give you a history lesson regarding Dwarves – and that is highly doubtful," Thorin remarked scathingly, remembering their prejudice, "then you've come across this information by other means."
Yes, other means, like J.R.R. Tolkien and New Line Cinema.
Thorin locked eyes with me, and I felt like a deer in the headlights. "Somehow you have this knowledge, just as you somehow saw that map. So, either you are lying, which is not recommended," Thorin cautioned, stare unyielding, "or there is something else at work that I cannot decipher."
A twig in my bunch cracked loudly. I looked down to break that distressing eye contact, pretending to see if I stepped on one. Stupendous. This royal pain was more perceptive than people gave him credit for, and I instantly regretted giving him answers of any sort. I should've just played dumb while I had the chance. Maybe it wasn't too late to spear myself on one of these sticks…
Thorin stared at my shoulder, as though he could still see the tattoo beneath my sleeve. For another long moment, he looked like he was weighing something in his mind, before he began again.
"The runes themselves," Thorin started, with an edge to the tone. "Do you know of what they speak?"
Shit. I don't know why I didn't expect him to ask that. My teeth came together with a tensing of my jaw, but I knew he was waiting for an answer, so I nodded.
The King seemed both surprised and concerned by this new information. "So you know how to read ancient Dwarvish?"
I unclenched my teeth and my mouth opened a tad as I shook my head. This, it seemed, was not a good answer, since it caused Thorin's confused glowering to come back with more force.
"You swear you encountered no other Dwarves before us?" he asked. There was that note in his voice again. Slightly airy, but firm.
I stopped. Blinking a few times to relax my expression, I met the eyes of the King again. I wasn't supposed to know anything about his father – any understanding that showed on my face would be detrimental, and possibly lead him to think I was keeping information about his family from him. (Which, again, technically speaking…) If I knew one thing about Thorin Oakenshield, it was that he didn't play around when it came to his family, and he probably viewed me as an annoying road block on the path to finding Thrain. Thrain, who was… well. No longer findable.
Of course, my expression concealed these thoughts about as well as a tissue keeps you dry in a rainstorm. The tiny nod I gave couldn't have been more apprehensive, and I damn-near sighed at my inability to stay calm.
Thorin exhaled through his nose quickly, looking away in vexation. He glanced about the land as if his thoughts were strewn upon it and he was trying to put them all back in order. Once more, when he finally brought his eyes back to me, I was on the receiving end of his trademark scowl.
"Why do you look so uncertain of your own answers?" he demanded with more conviction. "What is it you're trying to hide?"
Uh, well, quite a lot of stuff, actually, I thought as I readjusted the sticks in my arms. The secrets bouncing around in my head were being translated on his end as something they weren't. I didn't know how to salvage the situation, because the anxiety for lying and the anxiety for secrecy manifested in the same way on face, no matter which one was actually happening. My lip was caught between my teeth as I let my gaze fall to the ground. Another motion he would mistake for guilt. Mentally, I smacked myself.
A few strides and Thorin was suddenly in front of me, using that looming posture he was so fond of. Standing tall for his height, yet glaring from under his brow at the same time. (How did he even manage that?) I did the opposite, of course, hunching my shoulders as I snapped my eyes up to look at him and fumbling a few of my sad twigs in surprise at his approach. Two or three sticks fell to the ground, but I was much more focused on the intimidating dwarrow at that moment.
"Do not deceive me," Thorin uttered, his deep voice rumbling much too close. "You have no right to bear that map, nor any right to keep secrets concerning it, and I will have the truth from you."
Too close. My face was blazing at his proximity, but I was damn near shaking at the thought of him finding out more. Whatever answers I gave, there would be consequences, and I should have recognized that before any of this began. Telling half the truth was only making him crabby and impatient, and for my own safety, I didn't exactly want to go testing those limits, but the whole truth was so complex. Where would I even begin? How would I even begin? Should I even begin?
The only thing I could do was nod carefully in agreement with his words, hoping he would understand the meaning. 'Yes, you will have the truth,' I tried to convey, and only then did I realize what kind of spur-of-the-moment decision I'd made.
Dammit, Jenna.
Cautiously, Thorin searched for any kind of deception on my face. Those blue eyes were probably able to sift through my very soul, and only after several moments of this was he content to allow me breathing room, taking a deliberate step back. He was still guarded, but no longer actively trying to intimidate me at least.
He waited until I looked less inclined to hyperventilate before continuing. "Though I do not know the weight of it, I would ask you give your word," Thorin said in a resigned manner.
I tilted my head a little. 'About?'
For a moment, Thorin looked at me like I was dense, but I wanted verification of what he was requesting before I made any promise. "Swear your answers are genuine – no tricks, no lies. That you have been, and will be, nothing but honest as this continues."
Of course, I huffed at that, aggravated that he still thought I was being devious. Yeah, okay, so my answers really didn't add up. I could see his point, but I didn't like being called a liar.
"Miss Hollander, when you agreed to questioning, I had hoped it would not be necessary, but I call for an oath nonetheless. On your honor if need be," Thorin maintained, choosing to ignore my unconcealed annoyance.
Despite my displeasure, I thought long and hard about it. I wasn't one to just make promises all willy-nilly. They were important to me and I took them seriously, so if I decided on this course of action then it was a path of no return. I mean, it's not like I had been lying to start with since I was obviously trying to win their trust (and I couldn't lie worth a damn besides), but what if he asked another question like last night? About why I was actually there? Did refusing to answer count as lying, or was that the only safe ground I would have?
Really, there was only one thing for it. Thorin was staring me down, growing steadily impatient again, and this was possibly the only way to get him to believe me.
I offered my balled-up free hand, pinky sticking out expectantly.
…Not sure why I thought a Middle Earth resident would know what a pinky promise was.
"What are you doing?" Thorin asked suspiciously, watching my hand.
I really did roll my eyes then, as I realized my culture clash mistake. He seemed to think I was rolling my eyes at him though, so when he began glaring once more, I shook my head in apology. I held out my pinky again, giving a nod towards his own free hand to explain what I wanted.
Gradually, while keeping eye contact, Thorin brought a hand up to the same level. From his posture, he either expected me to forgo this exchange, or for me to turn into a werewolf and bite his entire arm off.
Neither happened, obviously. I slowly moved my hand forward, incredibly wary not to make any sudden movements around this hardened warrior who didn't quite trust me yet. I waited until he got the hint and stuck out his own thick pinky finger, still looking extremely apprehensive about this entire thing, before I closed the gap and wrapped mine around his. First contact with Thorin Oakenshield, and it was a pinky promise. I almost laughed.
Thorin's face was expectant and inquiring, like he wanted to say, 'Now what?' but didn't want to bother with such a casual remark.
I gave the calloused digit a small squeeze before initiating a very careful bob of a hand-shake motion. With a nod, I released my pinky's grip and waited.
He let his arm relax and fall back to his side. Looking utterly unimpressed, he said, "Is that some form of oath where you come from?"
I wobbled my head a little before deciding on a simple nod. It would be too hard to explain that it was mostly used by children and exceedingly sappy adults, though it was probably for the best he didn't know that tiny detail.
"It doesn't seem a very dependable way to give one's word," Thorin observed, picking up on its simplicity with doubtfulness.
I gave a half-hearted shrug ('It's all I've got, dude.'), as I re-gathered the sticks I dropped and settled them back into my bundle. He said nothing while I did this, glancing back to our poorly lit campsite, deep in thought. A few seconds of awkward quiet passed and I began to accumulate more firewood to avoid the air of anticipation.
Eventually, Thorin said with finality, "Very well."
I stopped picking up twigs and stood straight, hoping that meant he had accepted my promise. He turned back to me and made no mention of my obviously higher spirits, simply taking a peek at the amount of sticks I'd collected before starting back towards camp.
"We have enough," Thorin announced as he walked.
Though he couldn't see, I nodded anyway and made to follow. Maybe now, with any luck, he would be more inclined to believe my inexplicable answers and less inclined to loom over me with all the presence of a hairy Dracula.
Before I left the edge of the tree cluster, I took a quick look back at the road one more time with an unexplainable tingle on the back of my neck. The forest across the way was just a wall of black by then, and the path into it was barely illuminated by the moon. An uneasy sensation crept into my stomach as the inky, distant shapes of plants swayed in the light breeze crossing the land. Something shifted between the trees and I tensed.
Just a plant, I told myself desperately. The Orcs weren't supposed to find us until much later, right? I glanced over to Thorin, who was halfway back to camp by that point, and then my attention was on the forest again.
The shape was gone though. Whatever I thought I saw was gone, and I basically jogged after Thorin. When I reached him, my paranoia lessened, but the unease was still there. My speedy arrival at his side earned a curious look from the King, though he didn't ask and I didn't bother trying to explain. With his opinion of me so far, he'd probably just think I was afraid of the dark. Which, I mean… wouldn't be a total lie, sadly.
If it wasn't a swaying plant, then it was deer. Yeah. That sounds good, I reassured myself.
Thorin deposited his bundle of kindling at the edge of camp and I did the same, brushing my hands off on my pants afterwards. A few of the Company were chatting away, and Bofur had somehow managed to get the ladle back from Nori, thank goodness. I didn't really trust Nori's cooking ability, no matter what he said about his brisket.
Before I found a spot to sit, I noticed the cooking fire was already trying to dwindle, much to Bombur's annoyance, so I took a few larger sticks over in an attempt to be helpful. A bonus was distracting myself from the chills that remained on my spine. Bombur smiled when I reached him and took the proffered fuel with a simple, "Thank you, lass."
I nodded with a grin in return. My mood lifted a little, both because I'd convinced myself that what I saw was just wildlife, but also since the questioning from Thorin turned out better than expected. Still awkward, of course, but that couldn't really be helped. While a pinky promise wasn't much, it was a start all the same, so I was able to pick my way across camp and sit beside Bilbo with less tension in my body.
"Hello again, Miss Hollander," Bilbo welcomed me. "Haven't gotten a chance to speak to you much today. How are… things going for you?" With the pause, he took a pointed look in Thorin's direction.
Looking over as well, I saw the walking raincloud had drawn Balin away from camp to talk about something. Every so often Thorin would give a hand gesture, and in return Balin had rested his hands on his hips, sighing heavily while listening to the other. I was incredibly curious as to what they were saying, but I remembered I had yet to answer Bilbo. Facing the Hobbit again, I gave an optimistic shrug using only one shoulder.
"Well, you're still in one piece – and, of course, able to smile. Must've done something right, in that case," Bilbo said quietly.
I puffed an airy snort from my nose at that.
For a moment, Bilbo paused to make sure no one was super close to us, before he whispered, "I do want to thank you for – er, not the finger in the ear, as I honestly could have done without that – but for stopping me. Before I could make an even bigger fool of myself about the… Elves, and such."
He surprised me with this, since I hadn't expected any kind of thanks for something so simple. It was nice all the same, though, and I smiled softly at his consideration.
"Everyone knows their kind don't get on with one another – since the very beginning of it all. Hard problem to miss, though I obviously have need for more… assorted authors in my library," Bilbo murmured, sounding a little salty as he absentmindedly picked grass off his pants leg. Then he returned his gaze to me. "I'd no idea it was such a delicate issue with this bunch. That things were still… like that."
Maybe Gandalf was right in shoving this little guy out his front door. An adventure would be good for him, indeed. I puffed my cheeks up and slowly exhaled the air in a sigh, nodding blandly.
"Sorry, if you don't mind my asking, but how – how did you know?" Bilbo pondered, dangerously skirting the same track that Thorin previously had. "You had mentioned… well, you said there were no other races where you come from, so just how would you have known to stop my rambling about Elves?"
I simply shook my head in exasperation, looking away and slapping both hands over my face. Scrubbing them up and down a few times, I sucked in a breath through my teeth before letting my hands slide back to my lap. There was just no escaping this shit, was there?
"I'm… sorry?" came the hesitant apology. I frowned at Bilbo from the corner of my eye as he realized I did, in fact, mind him asking. "I apologize if I've stuck my nose where it doesn't belong, Miss Hollander – my Tookish half seems to be having a ball these days, unfortunately."
Yet another sigh was released from my lungs. I wasn't really mad at him specifically, but rather at my inability to respond. There were so many things people wanted to know that I just… couldn't explain. Before that point, my muteness had been a minor inconvenience, but now it had reached the level of 'absolute hassle'. And we weren't even a quarter of the way into this mess!
"Miss Hollander, ye doin' alright over here?"
My head jerked up in time to see Bofur standing there with a worried look on his face, and he promptly squatted in front of where I was seated. I could only respond with a pleading expression that he totally mistook, glancing over at Bilbo in confusion, and I quickly put my palms out and shook them along with my head. He understood then that it wasn't Bilbo's fault. Not entirely, at least.
"I would ask if ye wanted to talk about it, but I don't suppose that would help matters much," Bofur chuckled, and my face turned sour as I squinted at him. He merely gave a reassuring smile, tilting his chin down and looking at me from under his brow. "What's wrong, lass?"
My frown melted back into a dejected moping. I could only flail my arms in front of me, gesturing to my throat and then turning my palms skyward as my fingers curled into angry claws.
He got the message without difficulty, giving a solemn nod in respect for my irritation. "I understand what ye're sayin'. It can't be the easiest thing in the world, losing your way of communicatin'. Why, I remember when Bifur – "
And then he froze. For a second, he just stared into space with concentration, and I began to grow concerned, sharing a look with Bilbo. The Hobbit only shrugged, not knowing anymore than I did. I watched as Bofur's face gradually eased up, ever so slowly illuminating as if it were a damn Christmas tree.
Bofur was suddenly grinning ear to ear and stood up so fast that a few leaves were kicked onto my lap. "That's it!" he exclaimed, gaining the attention of every single Company member as he ran over to his cousin, briefly grabbing his shoulders. "Bifur, you're a genius, and don't let no one tell ye otherwise!"
Just as quickly, the miner bounded across the campsite and out of the circle to – well, to where Thorin and Balin were standing. Now I was really wondering what popped into Bofur's brain just then. I dared to glance back at the stunned Bifur to see if there was a clue, but he was wide-eyed and just as confused as the rest of us.
I watched Bofur's interaction with the other two carefully, as he waved his hands about in his animated fashion, though I couldn't hear what they were saying. Balin's mood changed suddenly, and he seemed halfway appalled, like he'd just been told to go eat a pinecone or lick a boot. Thorin's face was stuck in much the same look, except that his eyes moved over to me after a moment, and this expression steadily shifted into deep consideration as I stared back. It was all rather alarming. What the hell are you telling them, Bofur?!
The ones sitting closest to them, who could actually hear the conversation – Ori, Fili, and Kili – all exchanged looks of surprise, their eyebrows rising into their hairline as they looked over to me as well. Fili seemed happy about it, a small smile playing on his mouth as he turned back to his brother and said something. Kili had an almost worried look as he avoided eye contact with the eldest. Ori asked a question and Kili gave a sheepish half-smile, shrugging, which earned an exasperated smack on the back of the head from Fili.
I simply blinked at them, waiting.
My patience was not in vain as Bofur finally stopped talking and awaited a verdict. Balin and Thorin were in a slight debate, apparently unable to agree on whatever this was. Thorin finally said something that gave the white-haired Dwarf pause, followed by a profound sigh (he was good at that) and an understanding nod.
Bofur was the first to mosey back into camp, slightly giddy when he came over to my spot. I pinned him with a befuddled stare, and he laughed, saying, "Don't worry, lass. Ye'll figure it out soon enough."
Wow, thanks. That was so helpful. My mouth hung open slightly as my lip curled at his vague answer, and as he held a hand out for me to grab, I hesitated before accepting. He helped me to stand, then Bilbo got up as well after a gesture for him to follow. Bofur ushered us over to Gandalf without hesitation.
"Now, if all of ye will just go stand over there, we Dwarves've got somethin' to discuss," Bofur said, thoroughly stumping me as he pointed to a big rock in the middle of a field.
I looked up to Gandalf, hoping he could shed some light on the situation. He only gave me a knowing look, shaking his head, "It's best if we leave them to it, my dear. Obviously it is something of importance, or they would not go to such trouble."
Then he muttered some incantation and the top of his staff lit up, allowing us to see the ground and not trip as we walked out of earshot of the group. Not exactly the light I wanted to be shed, but…
"What on Earth could they be talking about that's so secret?" Bilbo asked, once we reached the rock. We were just standing, watching as Thorin addressed the issue of Lord-knew-what from the center of camp.
"Dwarves are a secretive race in of themselves, Bilbo," Gandalf responded. "It truly could be anything."
We observed as Thorin stopped talking, and everyone except Dori and Dwalin raised their hands. Wait, no, there he goes. Dori joined in after visible hesitance, and Dwalin gave a flippant wave of his hand as some rough go-ahead. It suddenly struck me what they were up to.
Voting? What the fuck would they be voting on?
Thorin nodded once, saying something to Bofur, who in turn made his way to the edge of the circle and waved his arms, gesturing for us to come back. We returned shortly after and Gandalf deactivated his staff of wrong-light-shedding as I made my way to Bofur, my puzzlement clear. He told me nothing, instead waiting on a certain royal to do the honors.
I turned my attention to Thorin as he stepped up.
"As I am sure you're aware, Miss Hollander," Thorin said, sticking in a subtle reference to the vague knowledge he was positive I had, "Dwarves are not ones to divulge information of our culture without exceptional reason."
I nodded seriously, eyes most likely wide enough to challenge a Powerpuff Girl. Yes, I knew these things.
"This being said," he continued sternly, "Bofur has proposed a resolution to your problem if, of course, we gave our approval in majority."
Glancing at Bofur, he gave me a smile, and I felt a little better about what direction this was taking. I locked eyes with Thorin once again, and I'm pleased to say, I was not quite so nervous about having that powerful stare on me.
"Starting tomorrow, you are to learn the Dwarven sign language – the Iglishmêk."
Oooh~! :D
Okey doke - Announcement One: I have Chapter 13 mostly finished (needs some fine tuning), but after the October 10th update, I am truly out of ready chapters. It will be the beginning of the waiting game, as my real life does call sometimes, but I will try my hardest not to make you wait forever. :'(
Announcement Two: Chapter 13 also happens to be an experimental chapter - if you guys like it, I will do it again in future segments of the story, if not... Well I mean, some parts of the plot call for it, so tough titties. XD (jk I really value your input, so I'll make it work for everyone in the end.)
Announcement Three: All I know of the Iglishmêk is from the Tolkien Gateway and the One Ring Wiki, which is to say... not much at all. So there will be some creative liberties taken. If you know anything in depth about it, by all means, let me know! Please! XD
Other than that, I think we're done, folks!
A gigantic thank you to everyone once again, and especially to you reviewers out there. Your input is amazing - positive or negative, good or bad! I love hearing from you guys!
Until next time~!
