Only Kili and Fili welcomed Elerin to their group. Kili couldn't remember her, but Fili did. Every time he mentioned her in front of his mother, she would wash his mouth out with soap, hoping to prevent it from happening again. He had turned to Thorin after that, asking as many questions as possible about her.
"Is what Thorin said true? Can you lift a boulder?" Kili asked excitedly.
"I haven't tried," she admitted. "I was afraid I had lost him. Throwing boulders is not uncommon when someone panics like that."
"What happened?" He asked curiously.
"He was still a dwarfling, playing with his siblings in Erebor. They had ventured off into the mines, and Thorin got separated from everyone. The tunnel was already weak, but they had not blocked it off in hopes of saving it. I do not know what caused the mine to collapse, but many tunnels were destroyed that day. Thorin was unharmed, but still in shock by the time I got to him."
"You almost took down half the market trying to get to me," Thorin said as he sat next to her. "It was a bittersweet day."
She nodded absentmindedly, tossing a nearby stick into the fire before them. "That was a lifetime ago," she admitted quietly.
"You haven't aged. I am sure the people noticed."
"Yes, many noticed my lack of age and pushed it off as me being an Elf or a Dunedain. The racial difference was found to be very desirable. Even the steward invited me to supper one evening."
"And did you accept?" Fili asked.
"I had to. They have some law about denying the Steward company is punishable by death. I also had business in Minas Tirith, so I finished that as well. The food of the Steward had little to be desired, and I would have rather been in the halls of Thranduil once more than be in that man's presence."
Many of the Dwarves moved away from the fire when it began to thrash wildly, but it soon calmed when Thorin placed his hand on the dragon's shoulder. She mumbled an apology and went quiet.
Someone cleared his throat before sitting next to Fili, "Thorin, there is a way to lift the banishment from Elerin."
The silence amongst them was heavy, some hopeful, some day to disagree with the thought. Elerin frowned at the old Dwarf, confused as to why he would be worrying about this now of all times. Though, now was probably the last chance they would get for quite some time.
"She must prove her worth to the king and all in the kingdom for the banishment to be lifted," Balin explained, sending a wary look to Elerin before turning to Thorin, "In other words, the thirteen of us will decide when we return to Erebor if she can stay."
"And if you say no?" Elerin asked. "You cannot kill me."
"We will find a way to break you attachment to the line of Durin. There are only Dis, Fili, and Kili. They will have to deny you just as Thror and Thrain had."
"We won't do that to her," Kili replied heatedly. "You forget she saved Fili."
"And she's told us plenty of stories of how she's saved other kings in the line of Durin. Even Durin himself!" Fili argued.
There was heavy silence once more, again filled with hope, hate, and guilt.
"If those are the laws of our people, then I will stand by them," Thorin agreed, "However, I will not tolerate anyone attacking her again."
There were mumbles of reluctant agreements, but Kili was the first to speak up about the proposition, "She's letting me shoot her so I can get better aim. Does that count?"
Elerin chuckled at the dwarf king's expression of annoyance. Her head turned to where she was looking over her shoulder to the spying shadow. "Master Baggins, was it? Are you not traveling with us? Join us."
He slowly, with skeptic steps, approached the group before giving a fake grin, and nervous chuckle, "Gandalf was right." His voice cracked, so he cleared his throat, "You can smell fear."
The group went silent except Thorin and Elerin who laughed. "Do not let the Wizard fill your head with nonsense, Master Baggins," Elerin smiled as he stepped to her side, his face still pale and sweat on his brow, "Dragons cannot smell any emotion, and as far as I know, none can sense it except me, and even then it is only Thorin I can feel." She patted the stone floor, "Sit and tell me of the Shire. I would like to visit this hill country one day."
It did not go unnoticed by both Bilbo and Elerin the Dwarves getting up to avoid such boring things.
"You do not need to wonder about the Hobbit's home, Elerin. There are no warriors there and no heroes in their lands."
Everyone froze when the fire grew and thrashed wildly around once more, Elerin on her feet, glaring at Thorin who had gone slightly pale, "Thorin Oakenshield, I raised you to be more respectful to even the smallest of folk in the world." He growled, ready to fight back but his words disappeared from his lips when she snarled, "I do not care what little use he has shown to you thus far or what trouble he has caused. He still left the comforts of home to aid you in this quest."
She suddenly flinched, falling to her knees, holding her head, trying to fight the pain. Despite the pain, she still glared at Thorin through her tears, who glared coldly back. The glare faded to a frown as he kneeled to her, gently taking her face in his hands, "I do remember your teachings, Elerin. It has been many years since I have seen your anger and your tears. I do not wish to see them again." Gently wiping the tears away, he placed his forehead against hers, "Rest well, bakanimê."
It had been so long since she had angered someone in the line of Durin, she had forgotten the punishment for it. He was still angry, though he was no longer showing it. The pain wasn't as bad as it was, but it was still there.
Once he had left, she turned back to the nonexistent fire and frowned. Bilbo had frozen in place, staring at her in horror, bit it slowly disappeared under a gentle smile, "Forgive me, Master Baggins."
"You raised Thorin?" He asked in astonishment.
"Yes," she admitted lowly. "I started off as a guardsman for the line of Durin. Then I became a councilor, and somehow ended up being a chambermaid and keeper. I raised Thror, Thrain, and Thorin." A sad smile formed on her lips as she poked the lifeless fire pit, "You see, once Thorin was old enough to not need a keeper, King Thranduil, the king of Greenwood, offered King Thror a considerable amount of gold for me. Thror and Thrain agreed to the price, and I was taken from Erebor. Not a week later did Smaug take the mountain. Thranduil went to Erebor with me at his side, watching the fires and the fleeing Dwarves and Men alike, trying to escape the Dragon fire. He did nothing. He claimed he would not risk his soldiers, yet standing next to him was a Dragon, larger than Dale, yet he would not let me help."
"Why did they sell you to Thranduil? Anyone would be a fool to sell such a weapon."
"Though I told every generation the truth, after I became a chambermaid and keeper, me being a Dragon was laughable. Thorin was the first to believe me in many years."
He nodded, watching as she spat at the sticks, igniting them once more. "You said you were larger than Dale?"
"Yes. Smaug would have to leave Erebor for me to kill him. There would be a possibility of the mountain collapsing should I change into my Dragon form inside."
The awestruck Hobbit, gaped at her, "Then you must be larger than Rivendell!"
She looked around before pointing at the cliff where the waterfall fell, "Should I change here, my head would probably reach about there."
"That is at least two hundred feet!"
"Perhaps," she agreed before standing, "Come, Master Baggins. It is late."
"Um, if it's not too much trouble, could you make me a bed roll like the others? It seems they are waterproof."
"Ah, an early summer rain soil and mold yours, then?" He gave an embarrassed nod, making her laugh, "You need not worry, Master Baggins. I will work on it tomorrow."
Bilbo sat to the side, watching as Kili fired arrow after arrow at the woman who was running at him with a sword in hand. When Kili did hit her with an arrow, she was unfazed and continued chasing him as he fired more arrows.
He swallowed hard as he looked up at Thorin who was watching with mild amusement. "Thorin, is she really a dragon?"
"Come, Master Baggins," Thorin said as he looked down at the Hobbit. "If I remember correctly, you are fond of maps?"
"Um, yes," he confirmed warily.
Despite his hatred and mistrust of Elves, having Elerin around had put Thorin more at ease, the Dwarf king roaming the halls and looking at what he could to see if any of the architecture of the Elves could compare to Erebor. In his wanderings, he had found a map that made him appreciate Elerin more, and follow her advice of treating Bilbo with more respect.
The Hobbit stood in awe at the map that had been painted on the wall. The detail put any map Bilbo had ever seen to shame. Even the Shire was there, Hobbiton and all. His attention followed Thorin's finger to a town in Gondor called Osgiliath.
"When we were running from the Wargs, Elerin was here. That is a five day journey on horse. Elerin arrived in Rivendell minutes after we did."
Bilbo stared, jaw slack at the distance. "That's impossible."
"Yes," Thorin agreed with a nod, "It is. It seems that's all Elerin knows how to do."
Bilbo shuddered a bit, "I am glad she is on our side."
Thorin frowned slightly. He never thought about it. If Thranduil had used her against Erebor, what would have happened? He wasn't even sure how she got away from Thranduil in the first place.
"Yes, but do not view her as a weapon, Master Baggins," Thorin stated gently, though there was a clear order behind his words. "She is a friend, one close to my heart, and one day, as you will learn, to yours as well. Though she is a creature of evil, she has none and brings none."
"Why do the others hate her?"
"When Smaug attacked, the Elves arrived, and she stood at his side, unable to help. That is the only time people acknowledged her, and they have hated her since."
"She said no one knew but you."
"My grandfather and father knew, though they had ignored her power until it was too late. I was told evil can sense evil. A Dragon like Smaug would not dare attack Erebor due to the fact another Dragon dwelled there. When she left, Smaug came."
Bilbo stared at the map, his eyes moving from Osgiliath to Rivendell. He was only more fearful of dragons with this knowledge. If she could fly that distance in a couple of hours, what else could she do?
"Master Baggins!" Elerin called as she stepped into the room.
The poor Hobbit nearly fainted at the sight of the arrows sticking out of the woman, though she was walking as though nothing was wrong. It reminded him of the poor dwarf with the as in his head, Bifur.
"I see Kili finally managed to hit you," Thorin said with a proud smile.
"What?" She asked as he gestured to the arrows sticking out of her. "He must have done that when I wasn't looking. He did almost shoot me in the eye, so that was something." She approached Bilbo, smiling widely, "Alright. I am here to measure you."
The two watched in wonder as she pulled out arrows from her person, using the simple heat from her body to melt the arrowheads together until she formed a long stick she could use to measure the small Hobbit. He stood still as she studied the arrows closely before snapping the top off.
"Okay, I should be finished with it by tomorrow unless Kili tries to shoot me when I'm asleep. Until then."
bakanimê- my treasure