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Kyrie:

I grumbled the entire way as the company edged away from the rocky pathway and made our way to the entrance bridge of Rivendell. I settled myself in the middle of the company, hoping that I would be able to hide. Bilbo, for once, had shoved ahead of the Dwarves and was looking around at the beautiful scenery.

Hey, I dislike the Elves, but I can admit that they do have some pretty nice decorating flare.

At the end of the bridge was a beautiful flight of white stairs. Walking down those stairs was a lithe, dark-haired Elf with a warm smile on his smooth face. The tall Elf descended the stairs with such grace that I had to watch in awe.

"Mithrandir." The dark-haired Elf greeted softly, his eyes trained on Gandalf.

"Ah, Lindir!" Gandalf said, excusing himself from the company to greet the Elf. As the two exchanged greetings and pleasantries, the rest of us were left to wonder what was going to happen. A few of the Dwarves began to murmur about the untrustworthiness of Elves, and I couldn't help but mentally agree.

"Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen." The dark-haired Elf, Lindir said, catching my attention. I understood a little of his language, enough to know that Lindir had somehow known we had entered the lands.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf said, brushing off the Elf's statement. Lindir didn't seem fazed by the Wizard's demand, but he seemed a bit curious.

"My lord Elrond is not here." Lindir said so honestly, I knew it was not a lie.

Or he was just that good at lying.

"Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf asked, as pushy as always.

A loud noise had me jumping at least a foot off the ground. Elvish horns were blazing as from the same bridge we came on; a large group of armed horsemen were galloping towards us. It looked like they were slowing down, but the Dwarves were taking no chances!

"Ifridî bekâr!" Thorin shouted, making me glance at him in confusion. "Hold ranks!"

We bunched together in a nice little circle with our weapons sticking outwards. The horsemen, or was it horseelves, circled us in, what I perceived, as a threatening manner. They eventually stopped and one Elf, with dark brown hair, spoke.

"Gandalf."

"Mellonnen! Mo evínedh?" Gandalf bowed slowly to the Elf, who smiled softly.

"Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui. Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin." The Elf said, dismounting from his horse to envelop Gandalf in a tight embrace.

"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near." The Elf, obviously Lord Elrond, unstrapped an Orcish weapon from his horse's saddle. Elrond held up the weapon for all to see before handing it off to Lindir.

Gandalf looked back to the company before turning back to Elrond with a sheepish expression on his face. "Ah, that may have been us."

Thorin, seemingly exhausted with all this talk, stepped forwards. Feeling a little brave, I pressed forwards as well.

Though, I did hide behind Bilbo.

The Hobbit flinched in shock when I pressed into his back, slightly crouching. Being about six inches taller than the Hobbit never bothered me before, but now it was feeling like a nuisance.

"W-what are you doing?" Bilbo asked warily, feeling my fingers dig into the back of his shirt.

"Hiding." I hissed, practically crouching on my knees. I spied as Thorin and Elrond exchanged words; Elrond's seeming welcoming and Thorin's seeming insulting.

"Are you afraid?" Bilbo asked softly. "Of the Elves, I mean."

I was quiet for awile, unsure of how to answer. "I suppose."

"Because of the…uhh…Fae harvesting?" Bilbo asked softly. I nodded against his back, my cheek pressed against his shoulder blade.

"Gandalf told me it was the Mirkwood Elves that hunted down Fae."

"True. But their kin bought Fae wares from them. That doesn't make them any better." I whispered, peering hatefully at all the Elves around us. Were they looking at me? Was I being paranoid?

"What if they didn't know that Fae were murdered for the ingredients? Gandalf said some races were given ingredients from the Fae for trade." Bilbo asked, turning his head slightly. His blue-green eyes scrutinized me for a moment.

"I…they must have known." I whimpered, pressing my face further into the Hobbit's shoulder. "Some ingredients, they cannot be traded. Hair and nails; sure. But skin and eyes…no."

Suddenly, all the Dwarves began to grow restless. Apparently Elrond said something that they took as offence.

"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin asked, still brandishing his axe. This caused another round of hissing and Dwarvish curses. Gandalf sighed and shook his head.

"No, master Gloin, he's offering you food." Gandalf sighed in exasperation.

"Food?" I asked, popping my head out from behind Bilbo. When Elrond's bright eyes trained on me, I instantly realized the error of my food-loving ways, and quickly hid back behind Bilbo.

"Ah well, in that case, lead on." Gloin said, earning a mighty cheer from our company. Elrond smiled, and two Elven women appeared behind him. They were both slim and raven haired, with very similar facial features.

"This is Arvellas and Amarth, two of my most trusted hand maidens of my court." Elrond said, earning a polite bow from the two Elves. "Amarth will lead the men to the bathing house, and Arvellas will see to the woman of the company."

I shot a murderous look to Gandalf, who nodded in understanding.

"Lord Elrond, may I be so bold to request that I accompany our Lady and Lady Arvellas? The Lady of the company has never been without our companionship and she is very wary." Gandalf asked, earning a slightly curious look from Elrond, who slowly nodded his head.

I peeled myself away from Bilbo as the company split up. While the others went with Amarth, Gandalf and I followed Arvellas at a leisurely pace. The city was truly beautiful, and all the Elves that lived here seemed so peaceful.

"Thank you for coming with me, Gandalf." I whispered up to the tall Wizard, who smiled down at me.

"You're welcome." Gandalf said, pulling his pipe out of his pipe. "I require a favor from you though, Miss Kyrie."

I stayed quiet, looking up at the Grey Wizard. He sighed, lighting his pipe, and took a long puff.

"Tonight, there will be two counsels that require your attendance. As a Fae."

"WHAT!?" I yelped, earning a backwards glance from our Elven hand maiden.

"Kyrie, I need you at these counsels. There are few Faes left, and there is a great evil coming soon. We need a representative of your people." Gandalf said softly.

"B-but Gandalf, I'm no diplomat!" I tried to reason, but the Wizard was not swayed.

"No Fae has truly ever been a diplomat. Too loose tongued and passionately strong hearted." Gandalf said, pausing outside the opening to the women's bath house. "I will wait out here. It is very improper for myself to wander in a woman's bathhouse."

I shot the Wizard a dirty look before following Arvellas into the beautiful white marble bathhouse. There was a large pool of steaming and bubbling water in the center of the room that looked like an underground spring.

"What kind of soaps and oils do you wish for, my lady?" Arvellas asked softly, batting her long lashes happily. I couldn't find it in myself to be rude to such a beautiful and kind sounding person.

"Uhhh…anything that smells good. Surprise me!" I smiled, earning a giggle from the raven haired Elf. She dashed off to what looked like a large pantry that was brimming with towels, soaps, and oils.

Faaaancy.

I quickly stripped my clothes and slid into the steaming water, practically wilting in the heated heaven. I dunked myself under the water for a few moments and just let myself feel the water. When I resurfaced, Arvellas was standing by the pool, holding a few vials of soaps.

"I picked some scents that were inspired by my mother's visits to the Shire, many years ago, my Lady!" Arvellas chirped, popping open the vials and having me smell each one. The shampoo smelled like orchids, the soap smelled like fresh apples, the hair oil smelled like blackberries, and the lotion smelled like vanilla.

"These are wonderful, thank you!" I said, pouring some of the shampoo into my hands and began to scrub it into my hair. "Your mother's been to the Shire?"

"Oh yes! My mother, she's in charge of making all soap and essential oils. She travels Middle Earth looking for inspiration. Your husband will certainly love the scents!" Arvellas said, uncorking the blackberry oil to sample once more.

"Husband?" I asked, pausing my scrubbing. "I'm sorry, but I don't have a husband."

The Elleth blinked owlishly before humming. "Oh, I thought you and the Hobbit…"

"No!" I quickly answered, maybe too quickly if the unbelieving glance I received from Arvellas. "We're just friends."

"Ah, I see." The Elleth said pleasantly. "I'll leave you to your bath. Your clothes will be washed and repaired, and an outfit will be prepared for you to wear for the counsels you will be attending."

"H-how did you know I'm going-" I asked, startled. Gandalf only just asked me to attend! How would word have gotten around?

"Elves have very good hearing, my Lady." Arvellas said slyly, quickly making her way out of the bathhouse. A surge of fear rippled through me. If one Elf had heard me and Gandalf's whispered conversation from at least twenty feet away.

Had any of them heard the whispered mention of a Fae?

Bilbo:

After a long soak in the bathhouse, the company's resident Hobbit felt much more like himself. His hair was brushed, as were his teeth, and he was robed in clean clothes. Himself and the Dwarves were seated at long, elegant tables on a beautiful outside terrace.

None of the Dwarves, save for Balin, seemed to notice the beautiful scenery. They were far too busy shoveling their mouths with bread and cheese, careful to stay away from any vegetables and greens. Bilbo chuckled under his breath at the aghast looks he received for quickly polishing off two bowls of vegetables.

"Company!" Gandalf said, appearing at the opened doors of the terrace. Behind him, Bilbo noticed Lord Elrond, the two Elleth handmaidens from earlier in the day, and a woman with….

Bilbo paused in shock as Kyrie fluttered onto the terrace, the Elvish white gown fitting her perfectly. Bilbo noticed that the blonde did not look happy, most likely because she was wearing an Elven dress, but she was primed up so she looked like a true princess. Her white gown trailed to the ground, a tight corset making Kyrie's usually curvy waist seem thinner. The sleeves of the gown didn't begin until halfway down her arms, leaving her colorful collar bones and shoulders free.

"Ah, Gandalf!" Balin said, shooting Thorin a dirty look. The king grumbled but nodded in acknowledgement to the Wizard. Gandalf didn't seem phased by the Dwarf's rudeness.

Grumpily, Kyrie thumped down into the seat across from Bilbo. The Hobbit stared at her face and caught her mismatched eyes, which were dusted with golden powder and lined with inky brown liquid. Her hair, usually braided, was down and brushed, the dark gold strands hanging to her waist.

"Hello." Kyrie said, nervously scratching the back of her ear. Bilbo blinked and openly gaped for another moment before he was able to stumble out a hello. Bilbo had to admit that the half Fae looked stunning, but there was a strange feeling in his gut knowing that she wasn't feeling comfortable.

"Y-you look lovely." Bilbo said softly. "The color accentuates your t-tattoos."

Kyrie's face flushed for a moment, before she grumbled. "Thank you. I don't feel much like myself at the moment."

Bilbo nodded, empathizing in her discomfort. The clothes that the Elves had lent to him were comfortable, but felt so regal that the humble Hobbit felt strange in them. For a woman who lived in the woods, gowns as fine as the one she wore must feel very strange.

The entire company continued to eat as a group of Elven musicians came in and began to play a soft song. At some point, Oin had stuffed a napkin into his hearing horn and smiled at the lack of noise. Kyrie giggled at the older Dwarf, who smiled back at her. Bilbo smiled as Bifur took a seat beside Kyrie and made a few large gestures with his hands. Kyrie chuckled and made a few gestures and then ran her fingers through her hair. Bifur chuckled, a deep gurgling sound that made Bilbo smile.

"He doesn't like your hair?" Bilbo asked, seeing Bifur begin trailing his fingers through Kyrie's hair. Kyrie laughed and Bifur snorted, shrugging his shoulders.

"I had to take out the braids that Bifur made when I washed my hair." Kyrie said, laughing at the playful tug of hair Bifur gave. "He's gonna put them back in before we head out."

"Head out?" Bilbo asked, startled. "As in leave? So soon?"

Kyrie frowned and turned to Bifur and made a hand signal that Bilbo believed was 'see you later'. The Fae stood, her mismatched orbs glaring at the back of Lord Elrond's head as he spoke to Gandalf and Thorin about the swords they found in the Troll hoard. The lavishly dressed Fae hurried around the table to Bilbo's side, and bent herself over so that her lips pressed against his ear.

Bilbo flushed at what he believed was a kiss. The homey scents of vanilla, blackberry, apples, and orchid flooded his scenes. Bilbo realized that Kyrie was not kissing his ear, but was whispering so lowly, that even the well-hearing Elves around them could not hear.

"Sooner than you'll believe, Bilbo."

Kyrie

By the time the moon rose in the sky, Gandalf, Elrond, Bilbo, Balin, and I were in one of Rivendell's beautiful meeting halls. We were trying to get the stubborn Dwarf king to show Lord Elrond his map, but Thorin was being very pig headed.

Do you know how obnoxious he must be being for me to agree with an Elf about anything?

"Our business is no concern of Elves." Thorin growled, clutching the map in his large hands.

"For goodness sake, Thorin, show him the map." Gandalf huffed. I'm almost positive that our Grey Wizard is about five minutes away from beating the king with his staff.

"It is the legacy of my people; it is mine to protect, as are its secrets."

Everyone in the hall, save the ever calm Lord Elrond, groaned in exasperation.

"Save me from the stubbornness of Dwarves. Your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle-earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond!" Gandalf growled, slamming the butt of his staff into the ground.

Slowly, I inched closer to Thorin. "Just give him the damn map. You and I both know you have it memorized. He'll return it. He seems trustworthy; for one of them." I whispered to the king, which earned a frustrated eye-roll from Balin and Gandalf. Thorin looked to be with worried blue eyes, before looking towards Gandalf.

With a nod from his Grey Wizard, Thorin begrudgingly handed the map to Lord Elrond.

"Thorin, no!" Balin said, warily watching Lord Elrond. Thorin brushed the older Dwarf aside and pressed the rolled up map into the Elf's hands. Elrond reverently unrolled the ancient map and began to skim.

"Erebor. What is your interest in this map?" Elrond asked, his ancient eyes not leaving the map.

"It's mainly academic. As you know, this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text. You still read Ancient Dwarvish, do you not?" Gandalf cut off both Thorin and I, who were prepared to tell the Elf it was none of his business. Elrond held the map up towards the moonlight.

"Cirth Ithil." Elrond whispered, staring at the map in awe.

"Moon runes. Of course. An easy thing to miss." Gandalf said, sounding amused. Moon runes? What kind of map is made using moon runes? Why would someone make a map you can only read during certain seasons?!

The oddity of Dwarves…

"Well in this case, that is true; Moon runes can only be read by the light of a moon with the same shape and season as the day on which they were written." Elrond muttered, his eyes still on the map.

"Can you read them?" Thorin asked impatiently.

With an elegant wave of his hand, Elrond led our ragtag group to an open terrace. This terrace was a cliff surrounded by cascading waterfalls. The air was slightly humid, but the air was chilly, making the terrace very lovely.

"Nice." I whispered, earning a hum from the Hobbit beside me. I smiled back at Bilbo before toddling over to the side of the terrace and taking a deep breath. The air smelt so fresh; so clear.

"Come away from that edge." Bilbo said, appearing silently beside me. "For all the Elves' wonderful structures, you'd think they would build some handrails."

I laughed, walking away from the precarious edge with the Hobbit by my side. As we walked, every other step we took caused our sides to knock together. Neither of us moved away, and I couldn't help but grin a little. By the time we returned to the others, the moon was bright and was illuminating Thorin's map which had been placed on a crystalline table.

"Runes." Bilbo muttered, his blue-green eyes wide as they peered at the map.

"Moon runes." I muttered, in awe of seeing them for the first time.

"Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole." Elrond translated the ancient Dwarvish.

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo asked.

"It is the dwarves' new year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together." Gandalf cleared, his icy blue orbs looking up towards the moon.

"This is ill news. Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us." Thorin said, looking slightly aggravated.

Then again, Thorin was rarely seen without a negative look on his face.

"We still have time." Balin soothed his king.

"Time? For what?" Bilbo asked. I almost cried when Elrond's sharp eyes bounced between Bilbo and Balin, eager to know as well.

Bilbo was going to destroy us with his curiosity.

His sweet, enchanting curiosity.

…What?

"To find the entrance. We have to be standing at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened." Balin answered, seemingly forgetting that Elrond was in the same room.

In. The. Same. Damn. Room.

Same damn terrace. Whatever.

"So this is your purpose, to enter the Mountain." Elrond frowned.

No, dumbass. We're planning on traveling all this way to just look. Maybe paint a nice portrait or two.

"What of it?" Thorin spat like a fussy child.

"There are some who would not deem it wise." Elrond chose his words carefully. Thorin sneered at the taller male and stiffly snatched his map off the crystalline table.

"Who do you mean?" Gandalf asked, playing naive.

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-earth." Elrond gave Gandalf a deep, meaningful look before turning his back and gliding away. Gandalf frowned and turned his gaze back up to the moon.

"Kyrie." Gandalf spoke after a few moments of tense silence. "With me. The rest of you, return to your resting hall."

"Where are you going?" Thorin demanded, sparing me a withering glare. Gandalf turned to Thorin with flaming eyes, which would have made a lesser man faint.

"We have business." Gandalf said sternly.

"W-why does Kyrie have to go with you?" Bilbo said nervously. "They don't know about her being a you-know-what, do they?"

Eloquent, as always, my Hobbit.

"No, Master Baggins." Gandalf said simmering down. "But I am sad to say I am going to have to use her as a little bait. It is a waste to use a person of her talent and intelligence in such a way. But it is a rather patriarchal society we live in."

"I think you're looking for the term misogynistic." I commented dully, rolling my eyes.

"U-using her?" Thorin asked, looking disgusted.

"Master Oakenshield, pray tell: how do you get a group of mostly males to ignore something long enough for you to play your hand?" Gandalf asked, earning an understanding chuckle from Balin. Thorin and Bilbo gave the Grey Wizard blank looks. Gandalf rolled his eyes and offered me his arm.

"You take a pretty little thing, dress her up in the finest gems and silks, and have her do a little show."

"What kinda show are we talking about?" I asked, allowing the Wizard to escort me off of the terrace and into the halls of Rivendell.