Disclaimer: I don't own anything - Tolkien gets all the credit.

A/N: I'd apologize for the lack of updates… but I figured you'd rather just read the chapter, lol :) Please review!

Chapter Nine

Posey's head was spinning. The quest to regain Erebor had ultimately been a success… but the price had been devastatingly high. Thinking back to the bright smiles on the faces of Fili and Kili – two dwarves she'd barely spoken to – brought a bittersweet smile to her face. They had seemed so vibrant and excited. Now they were dead.

It was the loss of Thorin, though, that seemed to weigh most on Dwalin. His voice had been different, sadder, when he spoke of his dead king. The handsome dwarf had even fewer interactions with Posey than his nephews had, but his regal bearing had made quite an impact. It seemed that a man such as him would succeed in anything he attempted… Well, obviously that wasn't the case.

Once Dwalin came to speak of the aftermath of the quest, Posey could tell that her husband wasn't at peace with how events had transpired. "So, this Dain Ironfoot, was he not a friend to Thorin?"

"Aye, lass, he was and is a friend." Dwalin's tone was bitter – very bitter.

"But you don't seem happy that he was made king of Erebor." The statement was really more of a question. Dwalin's shoulders tensed and he rubbed his bald head roughly, in an attempt to release some of the frustration.

"One thing ye must learn, taerin, is that Dwarves are bound by blood. Family ties are strong. Dwarven ties are strong. Dain had the right to the throne." The sneer of the words, though, confirmed Dwalin's dissatisfaction, "Dain didn't support Thorin's quest, but without the direct line of Durin, Dain had a rightful claim and the influence to back it up."

"Oh," was all Posey could think to say as she wrapped a block of cheese up for their journey. It hadn't taken long for Dwalin to tell her of the quest of Thorin Oakenshield, though Posey suspected that he was skipping quite a few details. Dwalin now stood beside her at the small kitchen table, swiftly packing food into the now less-dress-filled pack that Posey would be carrying for the first leg of their journey.

He was truly an impressive figure. Posey hadn't been able to concentrate on the words he said at times because she'd lose track of her thoughts as she gazed at his extraordinary shoulders, wide chest, narrow waist… Oh dear.

Something occurred to Posey then… She was still in her robe and nightdress. Oh. Dear. "I think I'll go and get dressed now." The ever-present blush had returned to her cheeks, "Then I'll make some eggs for us."

Dwalin didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "Ye'll have to settle for toast. We havena' the time to waste."

Excuse me?

"You mean, we're leaving now?" Surely he was exaggerating. "Wouldn't you like to rest today? We could have my friends for dinner! It would be lovely for you to meet Brianne!"

"No. There's no time for that. We leave by midday." Posey's gasp must have never hit the dwarf's ears as he continued to pack and prepare with not even a glance in Posey's direction.

"I know that you said to be ready to travel, but certainly you're rushing things! I have family that I must say farewell to!" Again, Posey felt her head spinning.

"Ye should have taken care of that already. We've not the time to say goodbye to all the hobbits in the Shire. I'll not tell ye again." He still hadn't looked at her.

Pardon me?!

Dwalin could sense that his little wife was ready to breathe fire, and while he found her anger quite entertaining, they really didn't have the time for this. Her breathing had gone heavy, and from the corner of his eye, he saw her checks reddening in anger. In fact, if he cared to think on it, her cheeks seemed to always be reddening for one thing or another.

"I will not-" Just as Posey began to shriek, Dwalin lifted her up and carried her over his shoulder toward her bedroom. The minx was thrashing, kicking, and punching as she yelled to be put down. Dwalin couldn't help the laughter that burst from him.

"I cannot believe you, Dwalin! You're such a – such a – such a Dwarf! Put me down this very instant!"

Dwalin smirked as they entered the room where they'd shared a passionate embrace more than a year before. "Where are ye'r travelin' clothes? I'll put them on ye myself if ye don't get a move on."

"You absolutely will not!" Posey shouted as she hit his back with her tiny balled fists one last time before Dwalin flung her onto the bed with a shrug of his shoulder.

"If ye don't want me to, ye'll need to get started – Now." Turning to leave the room, Dwalin heard the banshee take a deep and frustrated breath. At least she wasn't yelling anymore.

Bag End hadn't changed much in the last year – the lingering smell of pipeweed was gone, but everything else seemed just as it had during his first meeting with the Bagginses. It made Dwalin quite proud, knowing that Posey had taken care of this large home – alone – for more than year. She'd do well in Ered Luin.

Checking his pack one more time, Dwalin began the process of re-tying his axes, knives, and swords. He could hear his wife moving around in her room down the hall – He prayed to Mahal that she was actually doing as he asked. They had little knowledge of each other, that was certain. He'd had no time to worry if she'd have trouble adjusting to a dwarven way of life… But with her spark and sass… Dwalin smirked again and muttered, "Aye, ye'll do just fine, taerin… ye'll do."

Posey hadn't recovered… It was too much. Saying goodbye to Brianne was heartbreaking. Her dear friend had promised to watch after Bag End through the winter for her, and be there to welcome Bilbo once he returned. Now, only a few hours later, Posey still sniffed back tears from her place on the back of Dwalin's pony. Her husband silently marched down the East Road just ahead of her.

It seemed to Posey that he shut down the moment she'd begun to cry and he hadn't spoken at all since. Dwalin was pulling the pony - she'd quite forgotten its name (Minty? No, that's not right) - as they continued along toward Bree. They'd passed over the Brandywine Bridge and would soon be further from Hobbiton than Posey had ever been before.

"Where exactly are we heading?" she asked with a croak, her voice sounding a bit more like a frog than she'd expected. "I thought that the Blue Mountains were to the southwest?"

"Dain's men will be reaching Bree no later than tomorrow. We'll travel with them to Ered Luin." His voice didn't encourage any additional conversation, so Posey allowed silence to reign again as they continued along.

Really, if this kept up, she'd forget how to speak entirely!

As her wits returned over the following hours, Posey realized that this journey was likely to be miserable. The boredom alone would surely kill her! She already felt frozen to the bone despite her thick travel clothes. "How many days until we arrive? A week?"

Dwalin's laugh wasn't in good humor. Perhaps he didn't enjoy questions?

"It'll be far longer than a week, taerin. Ye'll do well to get used to this, seeing as we'll be travelin' for at least a fortnight – possibly a month if the heavy snow sets."

"A fortnight? A month? In this cold?" Posey would have said more, but her husband had stopped walking and turned to face her.

"Taerin, I know ye've never travelled far and this is new to ye." He took a deep breath, "Once we've met up with Dain's men, I'll need ye to keep ye'r questions to yerself. At least while we're in the company of others."

Excuse me?!

"I've only asked four, possibly five, questions! We've been traveling for hours! Am I to be completely silent for the rest of my life?!" She was yelling – she knew it wasn't ladylike – but this brute brought out the worst in her.

Dwalin was gripping the bridge of his nose with one of his large hands. He took another breath before he replied, "Lassie, dwarves aren't like hobbits."

"Clearly, I've noticed that!"

"Stop!" Posey nearly fell off the pony in fright. Dwalin's yell was accompanied by a fierce scowl. "Ye'll listen to what I have to say!"

Oh dear. She felt like crying again.

Seeming to sense her fear, Dwalin continued in a slightly less – very slightly less – harsh voice. "Taerin, dwarven warriors do not often travel with other folk. It'll be allowed from ye because of the braid ye wear. But one thing ye cannot forget is ye'r place."

Posey was about to ask what he meant by that when Dwalin's hand shot up in a gesture which clearly meant that he wasn't finished. "Ye're place, lass, is with me. Ye're my wife. Ye'll be protected by any who call me friend. What you won't be, and this is important, is accepted."

"What?" Posey's voice was a whisper.

"Ye're an outsider. That's a title ye'll carry forever."

"An outsider? Forever? If that's the case, why are you even bringing me there at all?!" Posey felt sick. She needed to get off of this ridiculous pony.

"Taerin, stop." Dwalin was at her side then, smoothing her skirts and settling her back firmly on the saddle. "Ye need to let me finish."

"What more is there to say? You're taking me away from my family and my home, to a place where I'll never be accepted?"

"Ye'll be accepted, lass. It'll just take time. Dwarves are a suspicious lot, but ye'r brother is a friend to many after his service to Thorin. It'll help get the other ladies, at least, to welcome ye."

"I cannot believe this. I'm going to be miserable." The damn had broken and Posey's tears were once again flooding down her face. Apparently weeping women were not her husband's specialty, as Dwalin's presence seemed to draw away almost immediately. Unluckily for him, though, Posey was done with that – completely. "Oh, no! You'll stay right where you are, Dwalin! It's your job to comfort me!"

"What?"

Oh, heavens. He was hopeless.

"I'm crying and it's your job, as my husband, to hold me and tell me that it's all going to be alright!" Her voice was croaking again. How embarrassing.

"Hold ye? But ye're on a pony."

"So get me off of this ludicrous animal and hold me!"

If his wife wasn't in such obvious hysterics, Dwalin would have laughed. Here they stood, in the middle of the East Road, and she wished for him to hold her? She looked quite determined – weeping and scowling all at the same time.

Grunting in resignation, Dwalin pulled his tiny wife from the pony. She held onto to him then… it felt quite nice.

"Thank you," Posey said, her words muffled through the fur of his cloak.

Not certain what it was that he should do, Dwalin simply stood, his arms encircling her while she clung to his front and cried. Was this normal? He didn't think he would be able to handle tears this often – his wife seemed completely unreasonable when she became emotional.

"Are ye done, lass?"

"I think," she replied while pulling back to look up at him. Her eyes, rimmed in red, seemed almost violently blue. She really was a pretty thing. Dipping down to kiss her, (that duty of a husband he didn't mind at all), Dwalin was shocked at how quickly she began to kiss him back. She normally was quite timid… Perhaps these tears had a purpose after all.

She was making those funny noises again, but Posey was beyond caring. Today had been such a struggle and kissing her husband was a lovely way to focus on something positive. He had such wonderfully soft lips.

After several very warm moments, Dwalin yanked himself away and began breathing rather heavily. "As much as I'd like to continue, it's best if we move on, aye?"

If Posey wasn't so utterly spent by the events of the day, she was sure that comment would have made her blush again.

Placated for the time being, Posey allowed herself to be lifted back up onto the pony (She was almost certain its name was Binty). The nagging worry about her future was still quite strong, but Posey was a Baggins and Bagginses didn't back down from a challenge… normally those challenges involved tomato-growing or pie-eating contests, but Posey didn't think that her current situation would benefit from further panic… at least not at the moment.

Dwalin, it seemed, would settle for no further interruptions and was already moving on. The following hours brought them to the town of Bree – a place that Posey had never been to before – but Dwalin shocked her by directing them around the town to skirt its tall wooden walls, headed north. She had thought they were to meet Dain's men in Bree… perhaps she'd heard Dwalin wrong?

No longer on the road, Posey felt a bit nervous. The trees were so much closer together and she couldn't see far in any direction. Dwalin seemed to know where he was going… hopefully. This time of year, the trees had little in the way of leaves, but the naked branches created a grey haze that made the forest appear rather menacing.

Just as the sounds and smells of Bree had completely drifted away, Posey began to hear other noises – like metal and a deep grumbling sound. She could smell fire. "Dwalin? Do people live in these woods?"

"No, taerin. Some of our escort is ahead. Remember what I told ye."

Oh. Dwarves. She was hearing and smelling dwarves. It sounded like quite a few… Posey felt sick again. Shapes were moving in the trees – thick shapes. The grumbling noise, it seemed, was their voices. Some spoke in the dwarven tongue, others in common, though she couldn't quite make out the words.

"Samman! It is Dwalin, son of Fundin!" Her husband's voice rang out and the sounds from the dwarves ahead became almost silent. Darker shadows became visible in the trees as Posey saw a number of shapes headed their way. Dwalin didn't seem to find this startling… Posey was shaking.

"Samman," a deep voice rumbled from the trees said in the dwarven tongue, "Af dok ek kvinn, Dwalin. Ek bezek dawr akrak." Laughs could be heard all around, including from the mouth of her husband – what were they saying? Figures were now more obvious through the woods – stout and armored dwarves, all carrying weapons. They were smiling at her… Well, that's good… right?

Translations:

Samman: friend, trusted shield-brother or battle companion

Af dok ek kvinn, Dwalin. Ek bezek dawr akrak: They see your lady, Dwalin. You have very good luck.

A/N: Please review to let me know what you think! :) I've had huge amount of live changes in recent weeks, so I'm hoping that one of the things that I'll gain from that is more time to focus on this story – Thank you for your patience! I went through the older chapters to check for type-o's and updated them a few days ago to give a little "face lift" to the story. I hope you continue to enjoy it!