Author's Note: I own nothing.

8 Under a Midsummer Moon

It took two days for Thorin to swallow his pride and share the map with Lord Elrond. Gandalf's claim that the company's interest in the map was purely academic was helped along by the fact that Bella had been practically living in the library. It was the room Arwen had shown her to that first night. Her mother's favorite room in all of Rivendell and rapidly becoming Bella's favorite too. She had some focus in her studies though, she was looking up everything that could be found about dragons, the history of Erebor, and the most recent history she could discover about the area.

Balin thought it a stroke of genius. A scholarly Hobbit wasn't likely to raise eyebrows, especially where there was a family history for it. Her companions were raising quite a few eyebrows in Rivendell but Bella had an uncanny ability to charm those around her. Maybe it was her steadfast politeness. But Thorin had noticed she was avoiding him, avoiding the company. It made him frown. Fili and Kili were whispering about it but he could never catch them at it. Maybe their burglar had decided their quest was too dangerous after the attack on the East Road. He wouldn't exactly blame her, she probably hadn't ever seen an orc before. But as they all gathered in Lord Elrond's study Thorin couldn't help but frown at Bella. The comforts of Rivendell looked good on her. Someone, he suspected Lady Arwen he'd discovered she was Lord Elrond's daughter, had woven flowers into her hair. Elrond raised an eyebrow but humored them as he examined the map. The discovery of the moon runes was a spark of hope in Thorin's heart. There really was another way in.

" 'Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last night of Durin's day will shine upon the keyhole.' A fascinating artifact indeed, Mithrandir, with instructions on how to open a hidden door?" The light in Elrond's eyes was caught somewhere between amusement and concern. "Would you risk the ire of one of the last living dragons?" He asked in Sindarin. The dwarves were muttering in Khuzdul around him though and took no notice.

"I know dark powers are a stir in the world my friend." Gandalf said and Elrond glanced at Bella who was watching them.

"We should speak of this elsewhere Mithrandir." Elrond said and left the map on the table and guided Gandalf out of the room. Thorin snatched up the map tucking it away inside his coat.

"We should go now while the elves are sleeping or busy."

"Go? Go where?" Bella asked scampering after the others.

"Some of us have been busy while you poured over dusty old books." Thorin snapped. Bella bristled.

"Some of us were doing research in those dusty old books. There's a settlement on the other side of the Long Lake, did you know that? Across from where the ruins of Dale sit nearly in the shadow of the mountain. It's called Lake Town, it's a town of men, did you know that?" Bella asked glaring at Thorin. Valar above, whomever thought she and Thorin would be perfect matches needed their head checked.

"No I didn't." Thorin said blinking at her. She pulled a wrapped scroll out of a pouch on her belt.

"I copied the map. Evidently the elves of what's now the Mirkwood trade with the men of the lake." Bella said but Balin laid a hand on her wrist.

"You can share it with us later lass, we need to slip off now. Durin's day approaches and we need to reach the mountain before it arrives or wait another year for this quest to be complete." Before Bella could ask what Durin's day was Fili and Kili had reappeared with Nori and Dori carrying their packs.

"What about Gandalf?" She asked as she pulled on her pack slipping her map away in her belt again. She wished she'd known when they were leaving she'd have liked to say goodbye to Lady Arwen.

"He'll meet us in the mountains Bella." Bofur assured her as they all slipped out of Rivendell, They were not leaving by the route they'd entered from, nor was Thorin in the lead. Bella counted this as a positive, one had to have a most backwards sense of direction to get lost in the Shire twice. Bella paused at the bend in the path for a last look over Rivendell. The sun had set and the light of the moon was the only thing to guide their way. The elven house glittered bellow them.

"Miss Baggins, I suggest you keep up." Thorin called out and Bella rolled her eyes. She'd never even left the Shire before, pardon her for wanting another look at the majesty of something she wasn't sure she would ever see again. She shook her head following the others down the path. It took them a full day to climb up into the mountains themselves.

Once they were up in the mountains things got a bit worse. Rain fell nearly nightly. In what little daylight there was Bella could make out the lands they'd left behind. Somewhere behind her was the life she'd known. And she was leaving it all behind. She had no idea if she would ever see the green of the Shire again. She shook her head and turned her back on the green and followed the dwarves deeper into the mountains, doubt tugging at her mind.

That doubt only grew as the weather, and mood of the company worsened. She had hoped finding a cave to spend the night in would help the mood but it did little to quell the unease hanging in the air. She hadn't spoken much since leaving Rivendell, even to Fili and Kili who were by far the two of the group she was closest to. She wasn't sure what to do with the information she'd found in Rivendell, not the map but the knowledge that the source of her Tuning was Thorin himself. Thorin who seemed to want nothing so much as her gone from the group. Bofur was joking about a slip she'd had on the path to the cave as they settled for the night, just glad to be slightly dry.

"We could have lost our Hobbit." He said with a joking air.

"She's been lost since she left she left her home." Thorin muttered, the comment echoed around them and Bella made up her mind. She wasn't wanted, she wasn't really needed, they would be fine without her. She would head back to Rivendell and ask if she could be escorted back to the East Road and head home from there. He didn't care about her, she wasn't needed. She would wait until everyone but the watch was asleep. Then she would leave.