Chapter 21: Doubts and Truths

If it is possible, Edyth wakes up in a mood more sour than the day before. And she's not even being chased by Orcs today. All of the Dwarves except for Nori and Dori are still asleep when she awakes. She settles for a handful of nuts for breakfast which is what she had most days. For the first week, her stomach complained quite audibly but after a while, her body got used to the limited food.

Thorin is one of the other first to awaken. Edyth watches silently as he quickly gets up from his bedroll, strolling around camp. They make brief eye contact, but he gives her no indication of his thoughts at all and she wonders whether he even recalls the previous night. Probably better if he doesn't, she thinks to herself.

The next to wake is Kili, who groggily runs his hand over his face, simply sitting on his bedroll. "Feeling better?" she questions.

Kili, still half-asleep, looks to her. "What?"

"Last night," she adds, "you were in a bad mood when you came back."

Kili frowns, but nods. "Oh, yeah. Their music was horrible."

"From what I heard, you lot fixed that," she smirks, tucking her nuts away before she eats them all. Kili chuckles, nodding in agreement.

"You should have stuck around. Could have shown us your dancing skills."

"I do love to dance," she smiles, leaning back on her hands. "Every year we would have this festival back in the Shire and everybody would just dance for hours on end. I loved it. It started in the afternoon, but I kept going until past dark. Even Mrs Miller enjoy herself and that woman never cracked a smile."

"Sounds like quite the party."

"It was," she agrees. "I would love to have taken you. I think you'd enjoy it."

Kili tilts his head, leaning back to rest his hands against the ground to match her position. "Well if we survive all this then I would love to go. I'll come visit you and Bilbo in the Shire and you can show me your dance moves."

Edyth snorts mirthfully. "Would you actually?" she wonders, squinting slightly at him.

Kili shrugs, smiling bashfully. "If you want me to."

Edyth ducks her head, smiling to the ground but raises it again as she nods. "I would love for to come visit." The sour mind that she awoke with disperses, replaced with a new giddiness that makes her excited for the day ahead. "How are your parasites going?"

Kili snorts loudly, his lips opening into a wide chuckle. "I'm not sure, are they coming out of my nose or my mouth?"

Edyth rolls onto her knees, shuffling forward. Kili sits up straighter, still smiling but Edyth narrows her eyes, cupping his jaw as she had the first time. She takes her time 'inspecting' his face, tilting it every which way.

"What on earth are you doing?"

Edyth breaks from her stare, forcing a smirk as she glances over to Fili. "Checking for parasites," she drawls as though it is the most obvious thing in the world. Fili only nods his head slowly, still trying to wake up. "I think you're clean for now." She drops her hands back into her lap.

"Good," Kili says letting out an airy chuckle through a sigh.

Edyth falls back onto her heels, looking around for something else to occupy her mind. Her eyes widen at the sight of her sword laying with her pack. "Fili!" she gaps, leaning to the side to bend over the still laying form of her friend. Fili opens his eyes again, blinking.

"Huh?"

"Training," she grins. "You promised to train me with a sword."

Fili sighs, dropping his slightly propped head back onto his small pillow. Groaning, he rubs his eyes with the balls of his palm. "Why don't you ask that Elf fellow? It's barely past sunrise."

Edyth pouts, falling back onto her roll. She is ready for the day, more energised than she has been in a long time. But the pout drops to an amused expression as Kili reaches over her, punching his brother's shoulder. "Get up you lazy oaf. You said you would teach her."

Fili pushes up off his roll with half-closed eyes, glancing between a smiling Edyth and his brother. He pauses on his brother for a long moment before finally switching back to her with a small smile. "Get ready."

Edyth's smile turns into a grin and she raises to her knees again, spinning around. She wraps her hands around Kili's neck. "Thank you," she chuckles.

"I want you kicking Dwalin's arse one day."

Xx

It is safe to say, having seen how Dwalin fights, that she will not be kicking his butt any time soon. Or in her lifetime for that matter. Killing that Orc was a stroke of luck because Fili absolutely pounded her into the ground. Knowing they don't have much time to train, he didn't hold back and pushed her until Edyth could barely rise from her knees. Her ankle burnt but it was nothing against the burn of her arm muscles.

"That was…that was revenge for getting you up early? Wasn't it?" Edyth questions, panting as she lays her back on the ground, shielding her eyes from the sun. "I can't feel my legs."

"A little bit," Fili confesses, sheathing his sword. "But you did well. Better than I expected."

"Thanks," she croaks.

Fili pats himself down then looks around for something. "Stay here. I'll go get us some water." Edyth nods and Fili strides off somewhere, likely back towards camp where their waterskins are still sitting. After a minute or so, she pulls herself back up, lazily looking around while waiting for his return.

They are in a courtyard of types, with short grass greener than that in the Shire. There aren't many Elves about, not that there is in the first place. A few terraces overlook the courtyard at different heights and Edyth looks over each one, finding nothing interesting until she reaches the middle.

She squints, leaning forward to see it more clearly. A short figure is walking along the long terrace, his face covered by the top of the railing but there is no mistaking who it is. "Bilbo!" she calls out, pushing to her feet. She waves, and Bilbo waves back, confirming his identity. "Wait there!"

Edyth quickly looks around for a way up, finding a ground-level entrance and darts towards it. Inside, there are stairs leading directly up to the second floor where her brother is hopefully still waiting. Her feet slapping the ground is the only sound, echoing loudly in the high ceiling halls.

It doesn't take long to find him, still waiting on the terrace. "I'm just exploring a bit," he explains. "It's just… I don't know how to explain it."

"Ethereal?" she offers to which Bilbo silently nods to; his attention drawn back to the high arches which have been carved with such finely tuned skill that Edyth has never seen before. "I know how you feel. Do you mind if I come along with you?"

"Not at all," he murmurs. "We haven't had much time together alone."

"No," she agrees as they start walking.

She follows his lead for the most part. Rivendell is mesmerising, yes, but it feels foreign. And if Edyth is honest with herself, she doesn't feel comfortable being put in a foreign place. None of their company is familiar except Gandalf who has been mostly missing since their arrival and their discomfort has rubbed off on her. While Bilbo's arms are down by his side, head tilted back in wonder, Edyth holds her arms close to her chest, chin pointed downwards.

They travel through numerous chambers, and everything blends into one. However, they do enter a chamber that captures her attention more than the rest. A statue of a cloaked woman stands on the inside of the pathway, a stone tray in her hands, a blanket lain overtop. Edyth steps closer to it. There is a broken sword laid down on the tray, shattered but it looks like all the pieces are there. Her mind dares her to touch it, but her hands stay firmly by her sides.

Behind her, Bilbo is entranced by a painting. He cannot figure out what it is but on the dark figure, the painter has paid much attention to a band on one of the long fingers, a bright gold contrasting the darkness of the rest of the painting.

Edyth turns around and observes the painting for herself. It is unsettling and her stomach churns at the still image. "Come on," she whispers to Bilbo, tugging on his arm.

They leave the room shortly after, wandering back out to the railing-less bridge. "Please watch your steps," Edyth warns as Bilbo raises her anxiety by walking backwards.

"I am," he breathes. The water underneath the bridge is so still and clean that it reflects the scene around it perfectly. Birds sing, flying around them in small groups. Bilbo takes his time, breathing in the fresh air, smiling to the world. She doesn't blame him – it's the first true day of peace they've had in a long time.

Eventually, they settle on another terrace, simply looking out over Rivendell. They are not left alone for long. The Lord of Rivendell himself joins them on the terrace.

"Not with your companions?"

Bilbo steps back from the railing. "Uh… We shan't be missed," he answers respectfully. Edyth bows her head with a frown. "The truth is, most of them don't think we should be on this journey."

Edyth turns her eyes off to the right, away from Bilbo as he pierces her ears with the truth she doesn't want to believe. They doubt her and her brother. And maybe that is for good reason. She's caused nothing but trouble so far and Bilbo hasn't been the greatest asset either. What on earth is she doing on this quest? What are either of them doing? Thorin had said so last night; that they would be better off sending their own into the mountain. She can't help but think that he might be right.

"Indeed?" Lord Elrond muses. "I've heard that Hobbits are quite resilient."

Though Edyth keeps her head turned away from the conversation, Bilbo begins to chuckle, but it quietens as he observes Elrond's mirthless expression. "Really?"

"I've also heard that they are fond of the comforts of home."

That does sound like her brother. Bilbo's lips pull into a small smirk. "I've heard it is not wise to seek the counsel of Elves, because they will answer with 'yes' and 'no'."

To that, Edyth does turn her head back around, curious to watch the Lord's expression. Elrond keeps his stoic face, almost beginning to frown and both Halflings begin to worry about having offended their host but the expression morphs into an entertained smile. Bilbo lets out a relieved laugh and Edyth sighs, resting her head against the railing.

Elrond turns around. "You are both very welcome to stay here if that is your wish." He pats Bilbo on the shoulder, giving Edyth a pointed look then leaves the terrace and Baggins siblings to their thoughts.

After Elrond is well and truly gone, Edyth stares at her brother's pensive face. "That's what you want? Isn't it? To stay here?"

Bilbo screws his eyes shut then opens them, staring back at her with an exhausted tint in them. "Would that be so bad?" He sighs loudly, turning back around to the view of the Valley. "Why are we here Edyth? They don't want us here. We so far away from home."

"So are they," Edyth murmurs, falling to her brother's side. "They are so far away from home that I'm not sure they even have a true one. That's why we're here. To help them get that back. And we have to keep trying. For them."

"For them?" Bilbo scoffs. "And what have they ever done for us? Come into our home uninvited and eat all-out food then request that we tag along to a kingdom lost to a Dragon?" He breathes out a laugh of disbelief, shaking his head. Edyth doesn't know how to answer.

"Leave if you want," she says. "But I can't give up just yet. I've made some mistakes and I need to make up for those."

Edyth leaves Bilbo there, no longer in the mood to be around him, or anyone really for that matter. But no longer wanting to wander either, she makes her way back to the camp. She repeats her last words over her head the entire way back. Mistakes. She's made mistakes but she has a long time left to make up for those. Learn from them and do better.

As she arrives back, most of the Dwarves are there, spare for some. Fili jumps up from his seat, marching forward. "Where have you been?" he demands.

"With Bilbo," she replies quietly, frowning at his attitude. Her half-glare softens upon realising why he is so worked up. "Sorry, I found him when you left for water. I forgot you were coming back."

"It's alright," Fili sighs, crossing his arms loosely. "Come on, I'm teaching Ori how to play squares." Edyth smiles, following him along to where Kili and Ori are sitting around a bare patch of dirt, lines drawn into it. Fili goes back to playing with Ori while Edyth and Kili just sit on the side, watching.

"Let me guess, you were off trying to find that Elf lad?" Kili remarks, his eyes not leaving the game.

Edyth snorts, shaking her head. "Bilbo," she corrects. "How about that harp player from last night? Gone in search of her?" She laughs softly as Kili rolls his eyes huffily. "I'll take that as a no. Let me guess, skin too clean?"

"Something like that," he mutters. Edyth hums, leaning forward to point out a move to Ori. The younger Ri brother grins as Fili smacks her hand away. Edyth laughs, settling back in her audience-only position. "Did you really have to come after my beard though?"

Edyth ducks her head to hide the big smile. "Sorry," she says, barely sounding apologetic though. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I do like your stubble." She reaches towards his face, running her fingers along his jaw. "It's charming in a way."

Kili raises one eyebrow slowly. "Do you?" His tone is almost taunting, and the movement of her fingers pause. She is about to answer him, but eyes burn into the side of her head. Fili and Ori are staring at the pair, their game forgotten.

"I'm going to go get a drink," she mutters, hastily standing back up and darting to the other side of camp.