Chapter four: The hearth gathering
The dwarves had set bedrolls along the floor and furniture around the living room, Dahlia had brought nice fresh thick blankets and handed out as many as she could.
Bilbo had been rummaging in his mother's room, looking for some kind of trinkets he said.
Meanwhile the dwarves had been trying to question Dahlia, but she didn't know any more than she had told them.
Then Bilbo came in the room, with a small etched picture of Dahlia's mother and father, a bead, and a pendent.
Dahlia fondly caressed the slightly browned parchment, careful not to smudge the drawing. The picture showed a curly haired hobbit woman, holding a new-born babe. And no mistaking it a dwarf, glad its hobbit clothing, her father.
Thorin took a hold of the bead Bilbo had brought over, it was mithril silver with a small emeralds crusted in the centre, it had the runes of a house from Erebor. Which made Dahlia, a lady of Erebor and of Hobbiton.
The dwarves had begun to mutter amongst themselves.
A small tear dropped from Dahlias porcelain skill onto the parchment which she hurriedly wiped off. Bilbo took the picture off her but let her keep the pendant and bead. "I'm sorry" she whispered to the group. A large reassuring hand patted her back, Balin.
"It's alright lassie" he said embracing her slightly. "We too know what it's like to lose someone to the traveling disease"
"I don't remember much of my parents, It hurts to think of them. Sometimes I'll still hear the lullaby my Adad sung for me as a babe" She said reminiscing.
She begun to hum a few bars of the song, which the dwarves instantly recognised.
"Would you like us to sing it for you" Thorin said, kneeling before her handing her back the bead carefully, locking his glacier eyes with her mossy green ones.
"Please, I don't remember the words" She said choking back a cry, he came closer and rested his forehead on hers, a dwarven greeting, and a deep resonating sound came from the back of his throat as he backed away.
All seven dwarves sit around the fire in the dark sitting room. They hum the sombre tune. Lighting his pipe near the mantle, Thorin begins to sing.
"Far over the Misty Mountain cold, to dungeons deep and caverns old,
we must away ere break of day to find our long-forgotten gold."
The rest of the dwarves rise from their seats, joining in with Thorin.
"The pines were roaring on the height, the winds were moaning in the night,
the fire was red, its flaming spread, the trees like torches blazed with light"
They finished the song with more sombre lyrics each warrior with a shine of a tear in their eye. Bilbo himself had a tear in his eye which he wiped before sniffing.
They sat in silence for a whilst staring into the dancing fire in the heath.
"May I help" started Dahlia quietly "I know my father would be here to help" She finished louder.
At first the dwarves pondered, dwarven ladies were rare, far and few between.
And half hobbit, she wouldn't be a fighter like other dwarven ladies.
"Not unless your uncle helps" Thorin said gently, looking at Bilbo.
Bilbo shifted on his feet uncomfortably.
But Dahlia looked at him, her eyes red from tears, it broke his heart to see her so incomplete.
"I guess a walking trip wouldn't be so bad" He grumbled, which led the dwarves to laugh at him.
"Oh Aye lad, a walking trip to the other side of the world with a fiery dragon" Laughed bofur getting a kick from Bifur.
"Thank you!" Dahlia squealed jumping up embracing Bilbo in a hug.
Balin prepared a section in Bilbo's contract that included her name as well.
"It's official, welcome to the company Lady Dahlia of Hobbiton"
"Welcome to the company!" Laughed Kili embracing and twirling Dahlia much to Bilbos disapproval as they nearly knocked over a vase.
Dahlia packed three modest satchels each for both Bilbo and herself, before going to bed and sleeping soundly through the night.
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