Hi everyone, first order of business, my apologies for taking so long to upload a new chapter. I have had some serious family things come up and writing was not a priority at the time, but as things have calmed down, I was able to get this chapter out. I'm not 100% convinced I like the way the dialog is written, please let me know if it seems out of character or the pacing just seems wrong.
My second order of business is a huge Thank You to everyone who reviewed. I'm glad my Harry Potter nod didn't go unnoticed.
Chapter 3 - Unexpected Development
Eryn swore, crude and loud. The room went silent from all the chatter of the dwarves and Lord Elrond looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"I like her!" Shouted a dwarf from the crowd. Eryn gave a quick look trying to decide who it was, she saw that there were many approving faces and she smiled in return.
"Well now." said Gandalf with an uncomfortable cough. "What is your name and the matter of your business young woman?" He leaned on his staff and perked his eyebrows up, most amused.
"My name is Eryn Fey, and as to the matter of my business, I don't have any." She heard murmurs and grunts, but Eryn continued "I saw this door, it didn't look like it went anywhere, it was propped up against the wall in my grandfather's antique shop. I noticed it last night, it was…" Eryn paused. "Calling me." She stopped and looked at Elrond and Gandalf, they both nodded for her to continue. "I couldn't get it out of my head and when I went to work again this morning, I went to check it out, only to open it and here I am." She tried to explain as best she could, but it sounded a lot less epic of a tale when she said it.
"As you can see, I have one here in my halls, but never once have I seen it actually used." Elrond began. "There were very few of them made and I have only heard of their power in writing or from others wiser than I. It's quite surprising to have only now seen something like this, in all of my years."
"So, what does it do?" Asked a small voice that Eryn recognized, the Hobbit stepped around the dwarves and to the door in question.
"It is a portal, Master Baggins." Gandalf spoke. "And a very unique one at that." He nodded toward Lord Elrond to continue but Eryn spoke first.
"So, if it's a portal, how do I use it to get back home?" Eryn inquired.
"I know of one other door like it, and its keeper is the only one to have seen it work in his time." Elrond looked to Thorin, knowingly. "In the Greenwood, or at least that is what it was once called, ruled by Thranduil, whom I am sure you are familiar with Thorin, son of Thrain." Thorin's jaw clenched at Elrond's words. "That is where you will find your way back to where you came from Miss Fey."
"Ok, how do I get there?" She asked, eager.
"You'll have to travel there, my dear." He smiled at her.
"Actually, if I may." Gandalf chimed in. "She could come with our company. We will be heading that way, and it's no trouble for us to see her there."
"You speak too freely wizard." Thorin hissed. "We have no intention of going to Mirkwood and we have no interest in the problems of this woman." He spat. Eryn recoiled at the venom of his words, she forgot about the squabble of dwarves and elves.
"Thorin, would you really make this woman travel to Mirkwood alone? Especially if there were no hindrance to us?" Gandalf challenged.
"The woman herself would be a great hindrance!" he countered. "It's bad enough that you insisted on bringing a Hobbit along."
Even though he was right, Eryn felt a tinge of her pride hurt. She wasn't sure if she wanted to agree with him or prove him wrong.
"Wait! Why can't you just send me back from here?" Eryn questioned. "You're both wizards! Can't either of you do it?"
"If I knew how to Miss Fey, I would. But the only person I know who has seen this magic before is the ruler of Mirkwood."
"So, there's no other way?" She felt her eyes prickle with tears.
"I'm afraid not my dear." Gandalf said his eyes set on her.
"Couldn't she be accompanied by your kin? Or are they too occupied with other things?" Thorin challenged Elrond with a glare.
"He is not the one who suggested that Miss Fey accompany you. I suggest you take your squabbles elsewhere." Gandalf motioned them to the door, the dwarves filed out begrudgingly but Thorin lingered for a moment longer, an obvious defiance before leaving; not before he shot Eryn a heated glare. "Like it's my fault." Eryn mumbled under her breath.
She had to get to Mirkwood, it had been a long time since she read the book or seen the movies and couldn't remember how long that took, though it was safe to assume a long time. Then there were the elements, the wild and then she remembered the worst of her fears, Orks, wargs and goblins. Eryn shuddered involuntarily, felt her face prickle and warm. Her reaction did not go unnoticed.
"Are you feeling ill?" Elrond asked.
"No, I'm just… nervous." She said, though that was putting it mildly.
"Nervous of what my dear?" Gandalf questioned.
Eryn paused before answering, how could she explain what was going on? In times like these, she always found that honesty was the best policy, but how could she explain this? What are the odds that they would believe her? Maybe she would leave just a few details out.
"See, Middle Earth is a legend where I come from. Something that was read to me as a child and well into adulthood." She stopped and assessed how her opening line seemed to be doing, her audience only looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Are our legends told as history?" Lord Elrond asked.
She paused and pursed her lips, trying to find the right words, quickly her grandfather's words came to mind and she smiled. "Some people do, others think it's just a story." Eryn admitted, Elrond's brow furrowed a bit and Gandalf shifted uncomfortably on his staff. "On my side of the door it's a complicated tale, but it is my favorite." Eryn felt her face flush, she noticed a soft smile play in Gandalf's eyes and his lips curled upward.
"But it is a tale told to your people none-the-less. This is becoming quite the tale itself." Elrond said, smiling warmly at Eryn now, it made her feel warm again, like she did when she awoke. "So, these tales, is the quest at handwritten of? Would our history told in your world act as a guide or a hindrance?"
Eryn thought about it for a moment, she hadn't considered her knowledge to be of any particular use, at least not in the short time she had been here in Middle Earth, in fact she thought that getting back would be a bit easier than walking all the way to Mirkwood, but as circumstances presented themselves, she might need the information. But what changes could she make? What would be the consequences of changing anything? The story told is so beloved, how could she even consider changing anything? "I can't say." Eryn answered honestly. "The history is so finely told, if there's even one change, the whole thing could be ruined. There are some things I'm sure that could be changed to no great consequence, but there are absolutes. Like Bilbo, one little Hobbit is going to set things in motion that are unimaginable." Eryn paused, contemplating the Ring, Frodo and Sam, even Bilbo's own growth, she would be an absolute moron to mess that up. "I would be too scared to change anything." Eryn looked downcast at her shoes; she tapped her toes together as she does when she's nervous.
"Then answer me this." Gandalf said, with a look on his face uninterpretable. "Will we succeed?" He said looking to Elrond, awaiting any counter question or statement. But Eryn didn't answer right away. "Do you believe that is a fair question, Lord Elrond?" He probed.
"I do not, but I am very curious myself." Elrond admitted.
"You will." Eryn answered. "But there will be loss, it will be hard and honestly, some of them will die." She said somberly, remembering the last few chapters of The Hobbit. The death of the King Under the Mountain and his nephews was so casually mentioned that she forgot it even happened sometimes, it was just a tragic tale of a man succumbed to greed, taking his nephews with him.
"Hmm…" Gandalf pursed his lips. "Who will perish?" He dared ask, waiting for Elrond to correct him, but no correction came.
Eryn looked at Elrond for approval, and he nodded again for her to continue. "Thorin. His nephews as well." She felt her voice drop, somber.
"Is it the dragon?" Elrond asked coolly.
"No actually, the dragon isn't the problem." Eryn said, to both Gandalf and Elrond's surprise. "The problem is the stubbornness of Dwarves." Eryn chuckled lightly.
"What is so funny?" Elrond asked pointedly. "You say that Thorin and his nephews are slain, due to stubbornness? Do not forget Miss Fey, these are not your tales. To you, they may be a story, but to us, they are still very much real and alive." He corrected her firmly but kindly, and Eryn felt her face flush with embarrassment. Of course, she couldn't treat this like a story, it wasn't, they were alive just as she was. Whether it made sense to her or not, they are experiencing life just as vividly as she, who was she to mock their stubbornness?
"You're right." She admitted, her head hung. "I'm sorry for my careless words… I didn't mean to seem so rude."
"All is well my dear, I simply wanted to remind you of the weight which you bare. This life is ours, it could be yours as well, when you see it as such." Elrond smiled so warmly at Eryn, she smiled in return.
"Well my dear, you must be hungry." Gandalf smiled, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you accompany me for a late evening meal." He motioned with his staff for the door and she followed.
"Gandalf." Elrond stopped them. "I do not know if this quest is wise."
"It is Thorin's right." Gandalf said reverently.
"It will also be his demise." Elrond replied.
Eryn turned to Elrond "You're right." She sighed. "But like you said, this life is theirs. Don't they get a chance to challenge their fate?" She felt bolder than before, and she regretted it as soon as he looked at her; she realized that she was still just a coward. Gandalf, however, saw her small moment of boldness and smiled.
"I will seek your council later this evening." Gandalf said to Lord Elrond as he placed a hand on Eryn's shoulder and guided her out of the great library.
"I'm quite interested in what you know, my dear." Gandalf said to Eryn as they walked slowly down the corridor. The night was cool and crisp, Eryn shivered.
"What would you like to know?" She asked, hesitant.
"Can it be changed?" He asked, and Eryn already knew what he was referring to.
"I don't know… The death of the line of Durin is certain, but I don't know if it's absolute. If we managed to save even one of them, I don't know what would happen." She shrugged.
"You know, I've always been challenged by the stubbornness of dwarves, but I've always admired their passion. I want them to succeed. I could not imagine the resources available if the lonely mountain was run by a noble, generous king. I believe that Thorin could be that king. I also believe the line of Durin has its faults, but that the madness can be overcome, given the proper motivation and encouragement." Gandalf said stopping and looking at Eryn with his eyebrows raised and a mischievous smile.
"Well, a strength out of balance is a weakness." Eryn said matter of fact, she didn't know what he was suggesting but knew that this wizard was not a fool, and every crazy idea he had worked out well in the end. She trusted him, she always had, she always will.
"Hmmm… very wise." He smiled at her and continued walking. "Now, with that mindset, allow me to introduce you to your new companions." Gandalf smirked and Eryn took a deep breath as the approached an archway. Through the opening she noticed firelight danced on the wall just beyond the mouth of the entryway, voices and laughter echoed off the walls.
When they rounded the corner, all laughter ceased, and eyes were locked on the pair standing in the archway.
Eryn noticed immediately that the room was a mess, clothes strewn everywhere, socks hung on any available surface. Bedrolls were laid out around a fire that was not intended to be lit there, all furniture disassembled and stacked as firewood next to the fire. The area they turned into a campsite was a beautiful patio and Eryn laughed at the hilarity of the scene before her.
Gandalf cleared his throat. "I would like to properly introduce you all to Eryn Fey, your newest member and adviser. Any qualms you have, you may discuss with me, after I have had a much-needed glass of wine." At that Gandalf turned and left, much quicker than he had walked with Eryn here. Her eyes grew wide and she turned in shock to chase after him, but he was gone.
The stubbornness of dwarves was rivaled by only one thing, the ambition of an equally fervent Wizard.