Title: A tale about friendship, Part 24?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 24, Resting in Rivendell

"It was the clothes that made me feel most sad" Balin said, "Bilbo told us that one of the Trolls had told the others that they had eaten a village and a half between them. That is far to many." The others nodded and Gandalf said, "One is far too many". All of them sat in silence for a while until finally Balin decided to go on with the story. "We followed the road until we came to the Bruinen ford. When we climbed up the eastern bank Bilbo looked at the Misty Mountains for the first time. He reminded me of a child looking at a new toy, the wide-eyed expression on his face almost made me laugh.

From then on white stones, some of them almost covered, marked the road. Gandalf and Thórin were at the head and Gandalf told us that we had to keep to the path, as we would be done for otherwise. Even with the food we had taken from the Troll cave we had little food with us. When we finally found the valley I felt relieved knowing that we would soon be safe. We followed the stairs into the valley and our mood raised the further down we came.

When we heard the Elves singing about us asking us where we were going and reminding us that the ponies needed shoeing among other things, Bilbo looked as if he was hard pressed not to laugh. One of them greeted us and asked if we wanted to stay. I think that Bilbo might have been willing but the rest of us were thinking about supper so we went on until we came to the Last Homely House. Lord Elrond and a group of his people met us at the stairs to the Main Doors and we were welcomed.

During our stay there we told them about the Trolls, they shuddered as they listened and thanked Gandalf afterwards. We were also given advice about the best way to go as we crossed the Misty Mountains. When we went on we felt certain that we would reach the Mountain soon and we sang as we rode."

Gandalf added, "Bilbo, Thórin and I showed Elrond the swords we had taken from the Troll cave. Elrond looked at the scabbards and the swords, and then he told us that the swords had been made in Gondolin for the wars that the Elves of Beleriand had fought against the Orcs. He read and translated the names of the swords that were written in Elven runes on them. Thórins sword has the name Orcrist and mine Glamdring."

Melian nodded and added "Thórin told us that he was told the name of the sword and that it means Goblin cleaver. ´It is a famous blade Lord Elrond told me, and that was proved soon enough although at the time I think infamous would have been a better word. Gandalf now has the sword that Turgon of Gondolin wielded in battle´ and he looked quite amazed when he said that. He asked the Lord of Rivendell how the Trolls had been able to lay their hands on them and was told that they must have plundered other plunderers. It sounded probable to us, after all Trolls attack all that they can take at unawares and wouldn't know noble swords even if they jumped up and hit them on their hard heads. He had promised to use it well and he had done so. ´Elrond then asked me to show him my map and I gave it to him. Right then the new moon had risen and revealed moon letters, telling us that the setting sun on Durin´s Day would show us the keyhole.´ When we nodded and said ´that's the first day of the Dwarves New Year´ Thórin looked happy and told us that he had to tell Elrond that. It was clear that when the Door had been found finding the keyhole would be easy."

"What is Rivendell like?" the children asked and Balin answered

"It is a valley which is filled with peace and calm. Once you have entered you know that you are safe and that no evil can reach you. Lord Elrond builded the Last Homely House as a haven to all save the forces of Evil and no one is turned away from its doors. Thórin said that it was a place where one could take off ones armour until it was time to go on. It was very hard to leave but we had an errand to fulfil so we had to go." Thranduil nodded and said that Balin had used the words he would use in his description. Gandalf agreed with both of them and said to the children that they could learn much in Rivendell both in the library and in the healer's wing where recipes of all sorts of medicines had been gathered. Dis looked as if she would like to go there and Melian said to her that she would have to wait a while, as she was still too young to go.

TBC