Buenas Noches, everyone!
Yes, yes, I know that I've been gone a very loooong time, but I'M SORRY! I had this massive bout of writer's block and the doctor said that I had to stay off the keyboard for at least 3 weeks. ;-) No, not really, but isn't that a good excuse?
Anyway, here's the long-awaited chapter, peeps! Enjoy!
Chapter Eight: With Beards all A-Wagging
Oh, where are you going,
With beards all a-wagging?
No knowing, no knowing,
What brings Mister Baggins,
And Balin and Dwalin
Down into the valley
In June.
Bilbo Baggins was NOT a happy hobbit.
No food, no rest, and bother it all, a dirty handkerchief! he thought to himself, glaring at the ominous looking storm clouds from under curly brown hair. The terrain of the road they were traveling on (if you could even call it a road) didn't make matters any better, either. The steep, rocky path seemed to go on forever, leading into a distant valley that none of them could yet see. The very air around them felt damp, and Bilbo had a feeling that the moisture would only multiply as he glanced up at the rain clouds above them yet again. He slapped his arm suddenly as yet another horse fly decided to prey upon him, leaving a light red hand mark across his forearm.
Oh, yes, Bilbo was definitely not pleased.
Bilbo and the company of dwarves had been traveling for nearly a month now, braving raging waters (he shuttered as he remembered what had happened to the remainder of their fresh food), trolls, and crude dwarfish humor. He huffed, wondering why on earth he had decided that an adventure such as this maybe wouldn't be that bad. Uncle Longo had been right: 'Adventures make you late for dinner,' he had once said to the young, eager hobbit lad. Eager for excitement and discovery, Bilbo had protested vigorously, insisting that dinner could wait if such an adventure made him tardy.
Oh, what a misguided child he had been.
Bilbo was torn from his thoughts as his pony stumbled over yet another loose stone, sending the poor hobbit sliding forward against the animal's neck. He grabbed the pony's mane just in time to save himself from an unpleasant landing on the rocky path. He held his breath for a moment, bracing himself against the unfamiliar gait of the pony, and slowly pushed himself back into a steady position. Bilbo took a deep breath, calming his poor nerves after the last episode, and perked his ear when he heard the dwarves murmuring something to each other in low tones. Leaning forward, he tried to make out what they were saying, but he never heard, because Gandalf spoke at long last at that very moment.
"Here it is at last!" he announced to the exhausted party. And indeed they were. Bilbo watched as relieved smiles found their ways onto his companions' faces, knowing full well that he must have been positively beaming. Bilbo dimly noted the sound of rushing water as he gazed longingly at the tall, gleaming buildings that made up the elven haven of Rivendell. The elegant wooden structures graced the bottommost area of the valley, radiating the best elven craftsmanship that Bilbo had ever seen in his entire life (not that he'd seen much, mind you). A few elves walked here and there, talking amongst each other and plainly enjoying the evening air.
Gandalf started down the steep hillside again, and Bilbo was hard-pressed to tear his eyes away from the awe inspiring sight. Too slowly for comfort, the dwarves and hobbit pressed on down the road, thinking of the warm beds and hot plates that awaited them in the valley. But even with these things in mind, Bilbo couldn't help but notice that ominous snickers seemed to be coming from the very trees themselves. As they continued farther downward, the laughter increased, until (much to Gandalf's dismay), the laughter turned to song:
O! What are you doing,
And where are you going?
Your ponies need shoeing!
The river is flowing!
O! tra-la-la-lally
here down in the valley!
O! What are you seeking,
And where are you making?
The faggots are reeking,
The bannocks are baking!
O! tril-lil-lil-lolly
the valley is jolly,
ha! ha!
O! Where are you going
With beards all a-wagging?
No knowing, no knowing
What brings Mister Baggins
And Balin and Dwalin
down into the valley
in June
ha! ha!
O! Will you be staying,
Or will you be flying?
Your ponies are straying!
The daylight is dying!
To fly would be folly,
To stay would be jolly
And listen and hark
Till the end of the dark
to our tune
ha! ha!
Bilbo rolled his eyes. What had they gotten themselves into?
Just then a tall, dark haired elf stepped out of the trees, bowing to Gandalf and Thorin. More voices rang from the trees, as if beginning a new song, but a few choice glares from the elf silenced them. Turning back to Gandalf, the elf smiled as one would when talking to an old friend, and began speaking to him in rapid elfish. As the conversation continued, the jovial glint in the elf's eye slowly disappeared, and his relaxed posture went suddenly tense. A few moments later, their speaking ended abruptly, and the elf turned with a forced smile to Thorin.
"Welcome to the valley!"
o-o-o
There is nothing better than a full stomach while listening to elfish singing, thought Bilbo, taking another puff from his pipe. A gentle gust of a warm summer breeze ruffled his hair, and he closed his eyes, relishing his first rest in a very, very long time. He didn't know how long he stood there, deeply inhaling the smoky scent of Old Toby, but it seemed all too soon when his peace was interrupted by two voices in a heated argument.
The voices, both coming from the garden below the balcony he stood on, were male, and though they were hushed, the emotion behind the words was more than obvious. Young Mister Baggins squinted his eyes, trying to make out the dim figures in the night air. The first one he easily recognized as the elf they had seen earlier on the road to Rivendell, but it took a second for him to make out the second. When he did, his eyes widened as he realized that the taller, older elf was in fact Lord Elrond himself.
Elrond was speaking again, and though he wasn't usually one for eavesdropping, Bilbo leaned forward over the balcony rail to hear what was being said.
"No, no, NO! I forbid it!" Elrond hissed, attempting to stare down his younger companion. The other elf straightened to meet the elder's gaze, repeating his old argument yet again.
"Ada, he's my brother. I can't just leave him out there! Who knows where he could be by now?" Elrond sighed, massaging his temple with a long, slender finger.
"He'll only be angry with you. He said it himself: he doesn't want anyone to help him this time. He needs to do this by himself," argued the elf lord logically. The other stared defiantly back.
"It's been two months. Two MONTHS, Ada! Gandalf has already arrived here, and he told me himself that he hasn't seen Estel since Bree. Where could he have gone? He should have been back last month."
Elrond sighed in defeat. "Elladan, that's besides the point. I need you here, ion-nin. We have other riders for things like this. Trust me, I understand your concern more than you could know, but I need you now," he said. It was not a request. But as though the younger elf-Elladan- hadn't heard the tone in Elrond's voice, he gave his solemn, final reply.
"Goodbye, Ada," he said. And with that, he strode purposefully in the opposite direction.
Elrond did not even bother to walk after his son as he cried to him.
"Elladan!"
There you have it, chapter eight over and done with! Hope you liked it-)
Once again, thanks to all my reviewers::
viggomaniac- No, I was thinking more along the lines of morphine, asprin just doesn't seem strong enough. He he, sorry I updated really, really late, but at least it wasn't a cabin this time!
jacquelinestel and wackoranger - Well, until further notice, I'm going to have to go with the foolhardy slant, LoL. Thanks so much for reviewing, glad you liked it!
grumpy- Hey, thanks for the review, but you'll just have to wait to find out! ;-)
Teha- What are you talking about? I so totally meant to put 'fade' there! Duh! LoL, j/k. Thanks for the review! P.S.-I have to agree with you on the hair issue, it's just that Vilgar might get jeleous. We don't want any hard feelings now, LoL.
elitenschwein- Hey, don't worry, there's gonna be a LOT more Estel in defiance issues here! True, Estel might notlike it, but we do! LoL, thanks so much!
And to all of you who have yet to review...DO IT NOW! LoL, can you tell that I'm a little hyper?
Well, I must go now. Don't forget to check out my webpage, I'm updating it this week! I think I'm going to put up a newsletter and there'll be elvish translations and all that stuff, so yea. Just go to my bio page to get the link.
Adios, mi amigos!
CzechChicka