Title: Thoughts in the night chapter Six
Author: Dís Thráinsdotter
Disclaimer: I don't own Tolkien´s characters, I merely borrow them.
Summary: Glóin sits thinking about his life one night when he can't sleep. Post Hobbit but before LotR.
Rating: M
Our journey to the Ford was uneventful but still it felt like danger was coming closer. When we crossed the swift flowing river Bilbo looked at the mountains and asked if that was our goal. Balin told him that he was looking at the Misty Mountains, that we needed to get through the mountain chain somehow and that even when we came to the other side it would still be a long way to go before we had come to the Mountain "where Smaug lies on Our treasure".
Gandalf was very careful to make sure that we didn't stray from the path, as we would be done for if we did. We were also told that we were expected in the Last Homely House, which sounded encouraging, but we still needed to find it and that wasn't easy. There were no hills to obstruct our view but we still couldn't see any house. It was then we started to find valleys that lay below us. After a long day of looking and searching Gandalf finally called out that he had found it. There was a series of steps and as we went down it the air started to feel warmer. All of a sudden I had the rather uncomfortable feeling that I was being watched, as indeed I was. It wasn't long until I saw a group of Elves sitting in the trees and singing. After they had sung one song they went on with another and finally one of them greeted us. Thórin thanked him gruffly but Gandalf was among them and talked with them.
They asked us whether we would like to stay and sing with them, or go on to have supper. Bilbo looked as if he would like to stay but the rest of us were far more interested in supper than in singing. So the Elves took us to a bridge, which we crossed one by one. The Elves had lights and were singing quite merrily, which didn't stop them from calling out to us. They told Thórin that he shouldn't dip his beard in the foam, as it was long enough without watering. It didn't exactly please him but at the moment he had to concentrate on getting the pony across and couldn't answer. They also told us that Bilbo was still not slim enough to get through keyholes yet. Gandalf who was crossing last told the Elves that valleys have ears and some Elves over merry tongues, which of course didn't stop them. But then we were on the doorstep to the Last Homely House and found the doors wide open, and Lord Elrond welcomed us to his house. The supper that night was most delicious and the guestrooms where we slept felt so secure that I slept better than I had done since the matter with the Trolls.
If we had felt sad to tear Bilbo from his hearts desire, which was to gather songs and tales we didn't feel that so long. We stayed in Rivendell more than two weeks and found it hard to leave. We told the Elves about the Trolls and the end they had received from Gandalf, and they said that it was good they had been turned to stone. Bilbo said with a shudder that he had overheard them while they spoke with each other, and one of the Trolls had told the others that they had eaten a village and a half between them, and the Elves said that they didn't doubt it as the Trolls had waylaid many.
Elrond finally looked at the swords that Thórin and Gandalf had taken and told them that the swords were made by the smiths in Gondolin. Thórin´s sword had the name Orcrist, Goblincleaver, and it's a famous blade. The name of Gandalf´s sword is Glamdring, Foehammer, and it used to be the sword of the King of Gondolin. When we heard about it we were surprised, we had found blades used by the Noldor as they fought the servants of Morgoth and Thórin asked how the Trolls had gotten hold of them. Lord Elrond thought that they must have plundered other plunderers, which sounded quite probable. He also looked at the map that Thórin had been given by Gandalf that had been drawn by his father and grandfather and he saw that there were moon letters on it. The text said that we would find keyhole on the door on Durin´s day, as the setting sun on that day would show us where it was. Then we went to the river and saw the Elves sing and dance, as it was Midsummer's Eve. We left Rivendell on Midsummer's Day with the Elves wishing us a happy journey, feeling confidant that we would shortly come to our Mountain and that we would get the Dragon quite soon. Little did we know of what lay in store for us.
TBC
