Thank you so much for the positive reviews! A very big "you are so very welcome' to Kumama ;D. I now have access to a Khudzul Dictionary so I can use some actual words from the ancient dwarvish tongue! How exciting!
Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Hobbit" as much as I would love to :C. No, I don't own the OC either (I never thought I'd get to say that XD). Kumama is her own person.
Chapter 2
However she was cursed by the dark wizard, Amrad, to wander in eternal night.
"Gandalf, I thought you said it would be easy to get here. I lost my way...twice." Kumama tensed at the voice and hid herself amongst the gathering of dwarves. What would he say?
She listened as the newcomer's voice drew closer. Kumama backed up. Maybe if she was quick enough she could escape through the-
"Kumama?"
Kumama froze at the commanding tones. She turned and smiled nervously, rubbing her head. "Oh-um, good evening, Thorin," Kumama stuttered. "It is a good evening, right?"
"What are you doing here," he asked. Kumama felt herself deflate. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all...
Thorin was the very epitome of authority. He reeked authority and majesty. The King Under the Mountain was taller than most dwarves, taller than even Dwalin. He had hair like the darkest of nights and was streaked with gray from both age and the stress of caring for the members of his fallen kingdom. His eyes were a deep blue and she swore that every time she looked into them he could see right into her soul as though searching for any sign of naughtiness, disobedience, guilt or mischief. And he could find it. No wonder Fili and Kili avoided looking at him when they did anything he might not approve of.
"I just thought I'd come, you know, to help bring back-" she was cut off.
"Leave," Thorin said flatly. Kumama made for the door, not wishing to argue with him. Not after-
"No, Kumama, you will stay," Gandalf called. She looked back suddenly, surprised.
"Gandalf, what are you doing?" Thorin growled, straightening to his full height.
"I invited Kumama. You ask for a fourteenth member, and I bring it-"
Thorin cut him off. "But I did not ask for a fifteenth member."
"Kumama is my apprentice, she must come," Gandalf replied coolly.
"I am?" Gandalf glanced at her meaningfully. "I-I mean-yes, I am."
"Gandalf, have you seen what she is capable of? She is a walking disaster," Thorin snapped.
"Which is precisely why she is my apprentice," Gandalf insisted.
"I will not have her," the dwarf continued.
"But I will," the wizard countered.
"I-I could lea-" Kumama began, pointing at the door.
"No, Kumama," Gandalf interrupted.
"Okay," she murmured. The dwarrow and wizard stared one another down.
"Gandalf, I will not endanger her. This is for her own safety, I will not have another death weighing on my mind," the King of Durin growled.
"You won't. I will. She will be my responsibility," Gandalf promised. The moments stretched into long, tense minutes.
"Fine," Thorin sighed, then turned suddenly to Bilbo as though something had occurred to him. The hobbit jumped back slightly. "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?"
"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Thorin explained.
"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant," Bilbo informed, frowning.
"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." There were collective chortles.
Thorin turned and left for the kitchen. Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, and Balin followed him. Then, one by one, the rest of the company filed in. "I could do with something to eat," he called.
The hobbit jumped and hurried off to get something fixed, thankful that it had all calmed down and he could at least pretend it was a pleasant visit.
Kumama sighed and twiddled her fingers. At first Thorin had insisted she wait in the hallway. Gandalf, of course, vetoed this and she now sat next to him on a stool. She shifted, trying to get comfortable on the little stool. In fact, it was most likely meant to be a stepping stool and not actually for sitting.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked. All eyes looked to Thorin, who sat sipping at his stew unlike the rest of the company, who saw no fault in wolfing down everything set on their plate.
"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms," Thorin confirmed. Murmurs of approval rippled around the table.
"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin inquired.
"Yes, is Dain with us?" Kumama asked, attempting to contribute to the conversation.
There was a hopeful pause. Thorin looked up, eyes clear of emotion. For a moment he stared at Kumama then spoke.
"They will not come," he murmured. This was met with much disappointment. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."
"You're going on a quest?" Kumama looked up to see the hobbit, leaning in curiously from the door side. She had all but forgotten about him, feeling already quite confused as to whether or not she was a member of this company since two very important persons said two very different things. Who do I listen to?!
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf rasped. The hobbit took a candle and set it down on the table.
"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak." Gandalf set out a map of the area surrounding the Erebor, from the desolation of Smaug to the Laketown and Dale.
"The Lonely Mountain," Mr. Baggins read. The map must have been newer since Kumama still had the older version from Smithy. Instead of the desolation there was the hills near the path, Sudlthurkh, which was destroyed in the dragon fire. Suddenly a flash of the bright flames flared in her mind's eye. Kumama let out a small gasp and rubbed her head, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Is everything alright, Kumama?" She glanced up at Gandalf, Bilbo, and Thorin along with the rest of the company, who were curious as to what Gandalf was referring to. Her eyes found a slightly blurred shape that must have been Bofur with his strange little hat, and quickly looked away.
"Nothing," she said, smiling. "Just-um-you know, nothing." After a few moments Gandalf nodded and turned back to the map.
That's strange, she thought, where did that come from? Gloin's deep timbre interrupted her thoughts.
"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time," he rumbled.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end," Oin confirmed with a nod.
"Uh, w-what beast?" Bilbo looked suddenly quite nervous.
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-" Bofur was cut off.
"Yes, I know what a dragon is," Bilbo snapped.
"I'm not afraid," Ori declared, standing and holding his ax high over his head like a standard. "I'll give 'im a taste of dwarvish iron right up his-"
"Sit down," growled Dori, pulling the youngest dwarf down. There were a few chuckles and eye rolling from the elder dwarves.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin added. "But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."
"Hey, who are you callin' dim!"
"Oi!"
"What did he say?" Oin held up his ear trumpet, confused.
"Oh my goodness," Kumama sighed.
"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili called.
"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company," Kili chimed. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."
Kumama looked up at Gandalf to confirm these rumors.
"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I- " Gandalf stammered.
"How many, then?" Dori asked.
"What?" Gandalf squinted.
"Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"
The dwarves leapt to their feet, debating just how many dragons Gandalf had killed. Meanwhile Gandalf was attempting to deny this without crushing the company's spirit. Kumama wasn't quite sure what to do. The number of dragons Gandalf had supposedly slain multiplied.
"Um-I don't think-" she was interrupted once more.
"Shazara!" Thorin stood, silencing the onslaught of bets and accusations. Kumama jumped and looked up at Thorin quickly. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!"
The dwarves roared their approval and conversed excitedly.
"You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain," Balin sighed.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." From seemingly nowhere Gandalf produced a key. Kumama stared at it in wonder. It was of a fine craftsmanship and ornately wrought.
"How came you by this?" Thorin murmured, staring at it.
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now," Gandalf said, handing the key over. Thorin held the key, looking at it in a wondrous almost reverent manner.
"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili said quite obviously.
Gandalf looked over the map once more and glanced at Kumama, inviting her to join him. She looked at the map once more. On the side of it were the same blotches, which and turned out to be dwarvish runes once viewed in the light, she had wondered over on her map.
"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," the wizard explained.
"There's another way in!" Kili declared, looking excited.
"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done." Gandalf looked around at the company.
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori said.
"Hmm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine," Bilbo mumbled absentmindedly, still observing the map.
"And are you?" Gloin asked.
"Am I what?"
"He said he's an expert!" Oin crowed joyously.
"M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life," Bilbo cried. Although, there was that one time back at Buckland in old Farmer Grubbs' crop...
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material," Balin said. The hobbit nodded frantically in agreement.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin agreed.
Bilbo continued nodding his agreement. The dwarves all contributed to the fact that Bilbo Baggins was much too soft for such a demanding task. Gandalf, however, had other ideas, and Kumama scooted away from him, knowing full well what happened when he was upset.
"Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is," Gandalf roared, the shadows around him seemed to grow and roar. A slight wind picked up from the sheer force until the wandering wizard finally settled.
"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage," Gandalf explained. "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."
"Yes, that is all well, Gandalf," rumbled Dwalin. "But how can you guarantee Master Baggins' scent will remain unknown for long? How many times will the burglar have walk into the dragon's den until his scent becomes recognizable? Smaug is cleverer than that," Dwalin said, still unconvinced.
"Which is why I have chosen Kumama to assist Mr. Baggins in this task," Gandalf told him.
"Me?!"
"Kumama?"
"Her?!"
"Why Kumama? She will only endanger Mr. Baggins further! Most likely knock over a mace and give them away," Nori called.
Bifur grunted something in Khudzul, looking at Nori, then made several gestures. Kumama wasn't quite certain of whether or not she should be thankful towards Bifur or offended.
"Kumama will accompany Mr. Baggins after he has first entered the mountain. Her scent will all but completely throw off Smaug due to her-erm-" Gandalf hesitated, as though unsure of how he should say it without offending anyone.
"Mixed breeding?" Kumama suggested quietly. Several heads turned to look at her. She didn't look up and stared at her hands as though suddenly interested in them
"Er-yes. The multiple scents all contained in one will confuse Smaug, therefore providing Mr. Baggins enough time to burgle his way through the corridors as many times as needed," Gandalf finished. He turned to look at Thorin, daring him to object. However, Thorin met his gaze evenly.
"Very well. We will do it your way," Thorin said.
"No, no, no," Bilbo protested.
"Give him the contract," Thorin growled, ignoring the burglar's objections.
"Please," said the hobbit.
"Alright, we're off!" Bofur said cheerfully.
Balin handed the hobbit a rather long contract. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo looked at Balin, then skimmed over the contract.
"I cannot guarantee his safety," Thorin murmured, leaning over to Gandalf.
"Understood," Gandalf murmured. Kumama wasn't exactly keen to eavesdrop like she once had. Instead she kept her head down. Gandalf promised me my first adventure, she thought, and my task is to be a scent diversion? I suppose that's not too bad, but I was hoping for something a bit more...noble. Bilbo's reading the contract eventually caught her attention.
"Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations ... evisceration … incineration?" Bilbo blinked nervously.
"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye," Bofur confirmed. The hobbit stared at him, then shifted from foot to foot.
"Huh," he squeaked, staring at the floor anxiously.
"You all right, laddie?" Balin asked.
"Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint." The hobbit leaned over, hands on his knees breathing deeply. "I-I need air."
"Think furnace with wings."
Kumama looked up at the hobbit.
"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash," Bofur continued. She looked at him, almost rolling her eyes.
"Hmmm...Nope." With that, the hobbit collapsed in a dead faint. Kumama stood quickly, staring in shock.
"Ah, very helpful, Bofur," Gandalf said sagely.
Whilst the hobbit recovered in the living room with Dori heating up a pot of herbal tea, Kumama sat in the hallway, hands supporting her head. She stared at the floorboards.
"Ye alright, lass?" Kumama looked up and saw the smiling face of Bofur, whom was still slightly blurred. She sighed miserably. I can't even see him, clearly, she thought.
"Oh-um-yes! Well, sort of-but don't mind me, I-oh. I'm alright, Bofur," she finally said, smiling. He sat down next to her.
"Come on now," he said. "I know Bombur's children, adorable, wee little things they are, and they do the same thing you do when something is bothering them. You can tell me, I won't judge."
Kumama sighed. "I…I suppose its just the fact that...well...Gandalf brought me, telling me that I would have a chance to find out a little more about who I really am. I've always wanted to go on a quest, but I was always denied even a journey to Staddle. Staddle, Bofur, that's hardly a few feet from my forge," she moaned.
"Why is that?" Bofur asked.
Kumama sighed and stood, putting her hand on the side table. She lost her balance, attempted to regain it, almost succeeded, but fell. A vase would have shattered if Bofur hadn't caught it.
"I'm accident prone," she mumbled. Bofur chuckled.
"It's not that bad. Bifur used to be much worse," he said, smiling.
"Really?"
"Oh, sure. Always knocking something over every time an adult came 'round. Used to scare the Khudzel right out of him." Bofur helped Kumama to her feet, both laughing.
"Thank you, Bofur," she said, smiling.
"My pleasure," he replied. He had planned to ask her a little more when Bilbo stormed past them.
Bofur stood and went to follow him, leaving Kumama standing in the hallway, watching him. She suddenly heard footsteps and hid behind the chest she had been sitting on.
"It appears we have lost our burglar." Kumama recognized Balin's voice. "Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legend."
"There are a few warriors amongst us," Thorin supplied.
"Old warriors."
"I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that." Kumama felt odd hiding there and eavesdropping like a child. It wasn't that she was eavesdropping on purpose. She couldn't help but overhear, what with her keen hearing. For a moment she considered slipping away when Balin spoke.
"And what of Kumama?" She froze at Balin's question.
Thorin sighed. "We have no choice in the matter. What will I do, Balin?"
"Kumama is of age, Thorin, she can take care of herself. She's not a child anymore," Balin rasped.
"This I know, Balin, and yet I still see the young babe left on my doorstep. I still see her tears when I left her in the care of the local smith. We don't even know how old she was or whose she was or even what she was, she could hardly see for Mahal's sake. I just want her to be safe. This journey will not allow her that." Kumama held her breath. Thorin had hardly ever approached her in the Blue Mountains. He observed her from afar until Farin, cousin of Frerin, left to find work amongst Men in Bree, taking Kumama with him.
"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people and Kumama. She has grown into a beautiful young lass living a happy life in Bree. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor," Balin said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."
"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done," Balin vowed. After a few moments the two departed.
Kumama allowed her aching legs to stretch and sighed. Thorin was right, I can't even decide who I am let alone take care of myself, she thought miserably. Couldn't even get as far as the gates to Bree before she had to ask for directions to Buckland.
Kumama stood and entered the sitting room, where the rest of the company stood, humming. She sat on an empty chair, forgetting for the moment that the hobbit would not appreciate her sitting in his Grandpa Mungo's antique chair that was "not for sitting".
Thorin stared into the fireplace pensively, lowering his pipe. His soft baritone filled the night air.
"Far over the misty mountains cold.
To dungeons deep, and caverns old.
We must away, ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold."
Slowly, one by one, the dwarves joined in the song:
"The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night."
Kumama glanced out the window and watched the smoke curl up from the chimneys of hobbits' smials, imagining the fires raging around Erebor.
"The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches, blazed with light."
Notes: Sudulthurkh: dangerous road.
Du Bekâr: to arms
Shazara: silence