Chapter 7
60 years later
Erulassë sat cross legged in the middle of the field, eyes closed lazily against the warm sun, the soft babble of a stream nearby making her pleasantly drowsy. In the many years she had lived in Rivendell, she had never found another place which brought her as much peace. Suddenly Erulassë felt a slight flutter of air against her cheek, she opened her eyes to see a brilliantly blue colored butterfly hovering a few inches from her face. She held a finger for him to rest on, the way it stared at her she knew this was no ordinary creature.
"Did Gandalf send you?" She asked softly.
The butterfly simply stared at her.
"Show me."
She closed her eyes as a vision overtook her. Gandalf the grey stood in front of a small, round door which protruded from a green hill side.
"Erulassë, I know it's been a few years since last we spoke but fear I must for your help once more." He said "Because of the delicate nature of this quest, I cannot risk telling you of it in this way. So, should you chose to accept my request, I would ask you to meet me in a place called the Shire in four days. You will know which house by the mark I have left on the door. I do not expect you to say yes now, only that you come and hear what it is about. However, I would ask for your upmost secrecy with this, tell no one of where you are going."
Suddenly the vision was gone and when she looked again the butterfly was gone as well. She had to admit that her curiosity was peaked, after all, there wasn't much in this world that Gandalf the Gray could not do on his own, this she had learned from her travels with him in the past. She got up from her comfortable spot on the ground, whistling softly for Narsis, her grey speckled mare.
Erulassë rode for Imladris with all the speed her horse could give her. When she arrived, she handed Narsis to one of the stable elves. She made her way to the library where Lord Elrond could be found most of the time. She was not disappointed.
"My Lord." She announced her presence to him softly.
"Ah, Erulassë, what brings you to the library today?" He asked, not looking up from the scroll in his hands.
"I had hoped to speak with you my Lord." She replied, stepping forward slightly.
"I will hear you." Elrond said placing the scroll on the desk and looking at her.
"Thank you," She said bowing her head slightly "I received a message from Gandalf the Grey today."
"Mithrandir?" He seemed surprised "I have not heard from the wizard in quite some time. What was this message?"
"He asked that I come and listen to a proposition of a quest."
"So, you do not know of what he speaks?" Elrond asked.
"No."
"And is he coming here?"
"No, he asked that I meet with him." She paused, hesitating for a moment "He also asked that I keep the location of this meeting secrete."
Elrond raised an eyebrow, regarding her for a moment.
"I suppose Mithrandir has his reasons for keeping such things secrete." He said finally "If you wish to go, I will not stop you my child."
"Thank you my Lord, I will leave with all haste." She turned to leave.
"Erulassë," Lord Elrond said causing her to face him once more "use caution, there is a darkness rising in this land."
She bowed her head respectfully, and took her leave.
*O*
Four days of hard riding later, Erulassë came to the edge of the small hobbit village. It had been dark for almost an hour now and she could only hope she wasn't too late. She tied Narsis to a nearby tree, ignoring her whinny of protest.
"I'll be back for you, but you have no place in a hobbit village." She said stroking the mare's silky mane.
As she entered the town she was glad that none of the shire folk were outside. In her time of wandering she'd come across a hobbit or two, and though they were polite enough once they got to know you, they did seem a rather skittish people.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tiny, glowing blue symbol on a door. Erulassë let herself into the gated front yard, taking care not to step on any of the flowers on the sides of the walkway. Even before she got to the door she could hear a pair of loud voices coming from inside the house, neither one of them belonged to Gandalf, although they sound familiar to her. She knocked on the door with a soft rhythm.
"Oh, for the love of…" A voice said from inside "I don't think I can handle another-"
The door opened to reveal a small hobbit standing in his bath robe, his mouth hung open in amazement as he caught sight of her. She waited for a moment, letting him recover from his apparent shock. Erulassë supposed that, for a hobbit, it would be strange to have an elf looking creature standing at his door one night out of the blue.
"A-are you an Elf?" He stuttered.
"Part elf yes." She answered "I am sorry for the intrusion but I was asked by a friend to meet him here. Perhaps I have made a mistake?"
From the look he was giving her there was no way he had any prior knowledge of this meeting.
"I, uh, I'm not sure but my name is Bilbo Baggins." The hobbit looked as if he were going to say something else but someone beat him to it.
"Who's here Master Baggins?"
She looked up just in time to see a dwarf come around the corner. Someone she never thought she would see again.
"Abigail?" Balin asked in utter amazement.
Dwalin, who was beside his brother, dropped the biscuit he'd been in the process of shoving into his mouth.
"Lass?" Dwalin took a step forward "We…we thought you were dead."
She wanted to say something but the words stuck in her throat. Of course she'd known that it might be a possibility that other friends might have survived but never had the courage to find out, instead she buried herself in the solitude of the woods.
"Uh," Bilbo said awkwardly "So you guys have met before?"
It was that break in silence that brought her out of her shock.
"It is good to see you both." She said as she engulfed them both in a hug.
They returned her hug, with strong arms. They both looked older than last they met but neither looked weak by any means.
"After that day…we thought…" Balin trailed off.
"I'm so sorry." Erulassë whispered.
"For what lass?" Dwalin asked.
"For not coming back, after Erebor. I couldn't do it."
The two exchanged a look.
"You could have at least told Thorin you were alright."
She knew she'd heard them wrong, she must have.
"What?"
"Have you gone deaf? Thorin. Your friend? Why did you not tell him you were alive?" Dwalin said, growing angry.
Because he is dead, she thought.
"He looked for you, for years afterward. He refused to believe you were dead."
Suddenly she felt lightheaded and had to grab for the wall just to stay upright. For so many years she'd gone on believing that Thorin was dead. Had she been mistaken? No, that was impossible, she'd heard it from the mouth of the dragon himself.
"Are you alright?" Bilbo asked nervously "You look rather pale, I think I'll go and make you a pot of tea."
"But I…I was told he was dead." Erulassë reached up to clutch the ring which hung on a chain around her neck.
"By who?" Balin asked, coming closer.
She couldn't gather her thoughts enough to make a reply.
"I assure you that Thorin is very much alive." Balin said, seeing her struggle.
With that, Abigail slid to the ground as all the strength in her legs failed. Tears formed in her eyes and she was helpless to stop them. Vaguely she heard someone say that she was in shock, they then moved her to a chair by the fire and shoved a mug of hot tea into her hands.
A while later, when Abigail regained some of her composure, she told them of what happened after she'd lost touch with Thorin. She still couldn't seemed to believe that he was alive, but as Balin and Dwalin spoke of his bravery and dedication to his people she knew it was him.
"I'm glad to know you are alive Abigail, but I must ask you why you are here." Balin said later.
"I was asked here by a friend." She said.
"This friend…he wouldn't happen to be Gandalf, would it?" Balin asked.
"How did you know that?" Abigail asked, still clueless.
"That no good, lying bastard." Dwalin growled "He said he would tell no one."
"Calm down brother, Abigail is no stranger. Besides that, she has as much of a reason to come with us as any."
Just then Abigail came to a realization.
"You're going to try to retake Erebor aren't you?"
"Yes."
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"But the dragon-"
"The dragon has not been heard from in sixty years." Dwalin interrupted
"That does not mean he is dead." Abigail replied harshly "Sixty years is a short nap for a dragon."
"You get no argument from me," Balin said "but Thorin is set on it and where ever he goes we will follow."
"And I happen to agree with Thorin, it's about time we retake what is rightfully ours." Dwalin piped in.
Abigail shook her head, she knew there was no chance for her to change the mind of a stubborn dwarf. However at least now she knew what the quest was about and what Gandalf had been so reluctant to tell her about it.
"So," She said changing the subject "How do you think Thorin will react to seeing me again?"
The two brothers exchanged a meaningful look, which Abigail did not miss.
"Truth is lass, I have no idea what his reaction will be." Balin said softly "After the events of Erebor, Thorin…might not be the exact same dwarf you remember him to be."
"What do you mean?" Abigail asked, but before he could answer there was a knock at the door.
"That won't be him." Balin said more to himself than anyone else.
Her ears picked up on two distinct voices, they identified themselves as Fili and Kili. Abigail stood up and turned to face the door. In walked two younger looking dwarves. One had a face full of golden hair while the other was a bare faced with brown hair. She had to admit that both of them were quit handsome. Both Dwalin and Balin stepped forward to greet them while she stayed back.
Suddenly, the brown haired one jabbed his brother in the rib while looking pointedly towards her. At first they looked surprised to see her but they quickly regained their composure.
"Fili, at your service." They brown haired dwarf said, pressing a gently kiss on her left hand.
"Kili, at your service." The golden haired dwarf said, doing the same to her right hand.
"My name is Erul…" She started to say but then changed her mind "Abigail."
It was strange to say that name, it had been many years since anyone had called her that. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Balin smile.
"You're Abigail?" Kili asked looking shocked "Uncle Thorin used to tell us stories about you."
Abigail blushed, she wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Aright, enough pestering, we need to get prepared for everyone." Balin said ushering them away.
"Ev-everyone? How many are there?" Bilbo asked with exasperation.
Abigail felt bad for the hobbit, he looked so distraught and utterly confused.
"You had no idea you would be entertaining a house full of dwarves?" She asked with a smile.
"None at all." He said.
"Really they're not that bad." As if to condescend her, a crash came from the kitchen "Once you get to know them."
Again there was another ring at the door, Bilbo turned angrily towards it.
"Oh no. No, no! There's nobody home. Go away, and bother somebody else. There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If-if-if this is some clotterd's idea of a joke, ha ha, I can only say, it is in very poor taste."
As soon as he opened the door, eight dwarves toppled over each other into his house. Some of them she recognized, other one's she didn't, and, in the back, Gandalf stood with a knowing smile. However, Abigail only frowned at him. As the dwarves all got up, they headed to Bilbo's pantry mumbling pleasantries.
"Gandalf, I think we need to talk." She said seriously.
As if he'd been expecting this he gestured for her to come outside. Once they were out of earshot she turned to face him.
"How long have you known?" her tone was harsh.
"That Thorin was alive?"
Abigail nodded.
"A while." He admitted.
She felt betrayed. Gandalf knew how hard Thorin's death had been on her. So if he knew he was alive, why didn't he tell her?
"I'm sorry my dear, but you weren't ready." Was the wizard's cryptic answer to her unspoken questions.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" She asked defensively.
"You were not in the right state of mind."
"No, I suppose I wasn't," Abigail said sarcastically "I was busy trying to deal with the loss of my whole family and my best friend."
"I'm not saying it was your fault my dear, but Thorin needed his focus to be on his people."
"You're saying I would have stopped that?" She asked growing angrier.
"Of course not intentionally," He said "but Thorin cared for you too much to be objective."
"I think you overestimate my hold on him Gandalf."
"He asked you to leave with him didn't he?"
Abigail's mouth dropped open.
"How did you know about that?" She asked "We were alone when that happened."
"Balin overheard you." Gandalf said calmly "The fact that he was ready to leave his people and travel with you…"
Abigail turned away from him to hide the emotions that crossed her face.
"That…that was a mistake, and he never would have done it." She said.
"Maybe, maybe not, but he needed to be with his people."
She shook her head, maybe he was right but it still couldn't change the betrayal she felt. However there was no arguing with this wizard, and since she owed her life to him several time over she couldn't hold it against him. So, instead, she changed the subject.
"Balin said Thorin had changed. What did he mean?" Abigail asked.
Now it was his turn to look hesitant.
"A lot has changed since last you met. Things have happened, and yes, Thorin has changed. But you will see once he gets here. I expect he will be here within the hour and you may judge him for yourself then. For now, come in, have some food and drink. You must be starving."
Abigail shook her head but didn't protest. When they went inside, they found the dwarves in the process of emptying the panty. Immediately one of the dwarves approached them holding a mug of something.
"Can I tempt either of you with a nice cup of chamomile tea?" One of the dwarves asked politely.
"Oh, no thank you, Dori. A little red wine for me, I think." Gandalf said.
"And you miss?" Dori asked turning towards her.
"Chamomile tea would be fine thank you." Abigail said, taking the mug from him.
The dwarf smiled and turned to leave.
"Abigail!" Fili called from across the room "We saved you a seat."
She looked over the see him gesturing to an empty spot in between the two brothers. She glanced at Gandalf, who simply watched her with amusement. Finally, knowing that she would get no assistance from the wizard, she went and sat between Fili and Kili.
"So lass, what have you been up to?" Dwalin asked, wasting no time in making conversation.
"Uh, recently I've been staying in Rivendale." She said before thinking.
As soon as the words left her mouth the atmosphere became tense.
"And before that, she and I traveled together for a few years." Gandalf said quickly, giving her a pointed look.
She looked down in embarrassment. Of course that shouldn't have been the first thing from her mouth. Dwarfs held a great deal of animosity for all things elven, and the last thing she needed was a stronger association with them.
"So, there must be an interesting story behind that." Balin said, interrupting the silence.
"Actually, uh, it was…interesting." She said running a hand through her hair.
"Yes, I was traveling in the north and I happened to come across an encampment of two trolls. At the time they were arguing over the best way to split their diner." Gandalf smiled slyly.
By this time every pair of ears was listening to his story.
"Yes, I was the diner." Abigail confirmed, a deep blush coming over her face "Long story short, Gandalf saved my life. Although I'm sure I could have found a way out of it eventually."
"Oh really? You were already in a soup pot on the fire when I found you." He smirked.
Everyone stifled a laugh.
"Ugh, don't remind me, you wouldn't believe the things they put in their 'soup'. It took me months to wash that smell off."
This time no one tried to hold the laughter back. After that everything seemed to go smoother. There were many more stories and laughs from around the table. As she looked around the table she realized just how much she'd missed the company of dwarves. Even the excessive messy drinking didn't bother her that night. A while later they finished their meal. One by one they began to get up and wander the house, completely ignoring Bilbo's distressed protests. She moved into the kitchen where Bilbo was ranting quietly to Gandalf.
"…They've all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what they're doing in my house."
"Yes Gandalf, why are we in this lovely hobbit's home causing such a ruckus?" She asked curiously.
However, before he could answer, Ori came to stand in front of them with a hesitant expression.
"Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"
"Here you go, Ori, give it to me." Fili said.
He took the plate from Ori and threw it to kili who threw it backwards to Bifur, who was standing at the sink in the kitchen. Quite impressively he caught it without so much as a glance back. All the sudden all the dwarves began throwing the plates, bowls, and utensils to each other, somehow they all ended up in the sink. Abigail had to duck to avoid getting hit several times.
"Excuse me, that's my mother's west Farthing crockery, it's over a hundred years old."
"And can-can you not do that? You'll blunt the knives." Bilbo said desperately.
"Ooh, d'hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." Bofur smirked.
"Blunt the knives, bend the forks,
Smash the bottles and burn the corks,
Chip the glasses and crack the plates
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"
Bofur danced into the room and grabbed Abigail by the waist. They twirled around the room together, Abigail laughing all the while.
"Cut the cloth and tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you've finished, if any are whole
Send them down the hall to roll
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"
Bilbo huffed his way through the crowd, only to find all the dishes stacked neatly and cleanly. Everyone laughed at the look on his face.
Suddenly, there were three loud knocks on the door, the merriment stopped and Abigail's heart jumped.
"He is here." Gandalf said grimly.
Here we go guys, next chapter is their reunion! Is that a good thing? Go ahead a tell me what you think is going to happen! Hope you guys didn't get too bored with this filler chapter. As always let me know what you think!
P.S - Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed my story!