The Company Meets Again
Ori sat quietly beside Bifur on the driver's seat of the fourth of the five wagons carrying the four trunks that were the portion of the treasure of Erebor that was allotted to each individual member of the Company. In total the wagons carried forty trunks, a fortune by anyone's measure. Daín had sent the larger fifth wagon along, they assumed that it held treasure trunks to go to Bilbo in addition to the travel supplies for their journey.
Bofur rode in the first wagon, Dori and Nori in the second, Gloín in the third and Bombur drove the supply wagon. They would be meeting Balin and Dwalin at Beorn's House.
An air of melancholy and sadness hung over their travelling party like a mist, leaving Ori feeling like he might weep at any time. Something that, prior to their arrival at Erebor, the Company would have teased and tormented him unmercifully about, but now the others would be just as likely to join him in a weeping session. Nothing so far had seemed to lift the fog of sadness.
In a way they were all glad that, even though Daín had offered each of them a place, he had not encouraged their continued presence in the mountain. To hear that Dwalin had left the same day as Thorin and the Princes were interred in the mountain was a shock to the Company and lowered their spirits. Balin leaving less than a week later, lowered them even more so. This convinced the rest of the Company that Erebor was not the place for them. Daín asking them to see that Master Baggins received a share to the treasure he worked to free from the dragon, was a good excuse for their leaving.
Even though Bilbo had insisted that his share of the treasure be traded to Bard for Arkenstöne, so the gold would be used for rebuilding of Dale, Daín had sent him an unknown number of trunks, secured in the last wagon. Before the battle, curiosity would have driven someone, probably Nori, to have peeked under the canvass covering that wagon, but now there was little interest in gold and gems.
The sight of Beorn's House becoming visible through the trees was a welcome relief to the monotonous journey. A cry raised by Bofur up in front was taken up by the others to let Ori, Bifur and Bombur in the rear wagons know that they had almost reached the end of this day's travel.
A few minutes later another call was passed back through the wagons that people to welcome them had been sighted. As the wagons began to spread out a little, Ori could see the great height of Beorn the Shape-shifter standing beside the twin sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. Balin and Dwalin leant against the fence near them, but there were other dwarrow standing there as well. As the wagons came ever closer, they made out the portly figure of Oín leaning on the fence, they that thought that Oín had remained in Erebor to supervise the Healing Halls, so to see him at Beorn's House was startling. The other three dwarrow were not instantly recognised by the Company, mostly due to the fact that the Company thought them dead and were not expecting to see them there.
Nori was the first to realise just who the unknown dwarrow were and with a curse was off the wagon and running at the three standing slightly off to one side.
"You ishrêg kanud!" He screamed, jumping on the larger of the dwarrow, knocking him to the ground, ranting in Khuzdul about how the downed dwarf was a cheat, as scoundrel and many other things so rude that Ori should not have known what he was saying. The other two unknown dwarrow fell to the ground, rolling with laughter.
"Who is that? Why would Nori call him a lying Orc?" Ori turned to ask Bifur, but Bifur wasn't there to ask, he had leapt from the wagon and was kneeling on the ground in front of the two younger dwarrow, grabbing at them and pulling them to him, rocking and laughing.
Poor Ori though he was loosing his mind when he saw the faces of those two dwarrow resting with their chins one on each of Bifur's shoulders. Fíli and Kíli were dead. How could they be here? When Nori let the other dwarf sit up, Ori jumped from the wagon, too. It was Thorin!
Within moments the entire Company were on the ground holding for whatever body part of the three princes that they could reach. There was laughter, tears and no small amount of blue language directed at the resurrected dwarrow.
It was Dwalin who called them all to attention. "Na ít kíti!" it took a few seconds for everyone to calm down and regain their feet. Typically it was Bofur who started the questions.
"What happened? You are dead. You were dead. How are you here? How did you get here? Why didn't you tell us? Wh-"
Dwalin cut him off mid-word.
"Stop!" Once they were silent, he told the Company an abbreviated version with promise to give them all the details later, but for now their wagons were wandering all over Beorn's front pasture and wouldn't it be a good idea to gather them all together?
By the time sleep was starting to claim them, nearly all question were anwered.
Kíli and Tauriel's Courtship, they were surprised to learn of; more surprised that both Thorin and Thranduil had given consent to it. There were no surprised faces at hearing that Thorin planned to Court Bilbo Baggins, but many were surprised that find Thorin had not sent word to Bilbo to tell him that Thorin still lived. It was Oín who said that Thranduil of all people had suggested that Bilbo may not believe a letter and that irrefutable proof may be needed. That Bilbo may not accept it unless the messenger had see this with their own eyes. In which case, what better messengers than the Company, in whom he held such trust?
If the Company were to be the messengers, what better proof of Thorin's life, then to have him and his nephews on hand. Especially has Thorin would not be returning to Erebor, if he could not rule with Bilbo at his side.
They learned why Thranduil had not helped the refugees fleeing Smaug's attack on Erebor, apparently he had turned away from Erebor to prepare a place for the dwarrow and when they didn't come to his Halls as he thought they would, he was mightily insulted and thus began the feud of Thorin and Thranduil. Thranduil was shocked to learn that Thorin had thought him abandoning the refugees. Thorin was shocked that Thranduil had not planned to do so. It took many hours of stilted conversations and Thorin in a semi-drugged condition to hear him, before they agreed that they were both in the wrong and messages were sent to Daín to inform him of all that had been decided on.
To cement goodwill between Thranduil and Thorin, Thranduil had told Thorin of a cave system not 3 miles from Hobbiton and Bag End, that while it was not large enough to support a Hall like that of the Blue Mountains, it would support a small outpost of miners and stone-masons. It had a small-ish seam of Mithril as well as silver and an array of precious gemstones. The quarry was split into two main areas, one to the west with quartz and another to the north where, in the past, granite hand been mined.
Thranduil also told Thorin of a site near Little Delving some 5 miles to the west of Hobbiton that had a larger cave system that had seams of gold and semi-precious stones, but granite was only quarry-able stone to be had. He gave Thorin maps and reports as well as samples from surveys undertaken.
Thorin stated his intent to build a forge below Bag End on the banks of the Rushrock that flows from the low mountains south of Ered Luin down through Hobbiton and Bywater before it joins the Brandywine River. He had missed the simple pleasure of working in a forge.
Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Oín, Fíli, Kíli and Tauriel had spent the last few days pawing over the maps that Thranduil had provided Thorin and had made many notes. Those notes were added to that evening and the next day.
Initially the Company would all stop with Bilbo at Bag End until they had approached the Shire's Thain to get permission and to buy land and the cave systems. Once this had been done, Thorin and Fíli (due to the severity of his injuries) would stay at Bag End and the rest of the Company would head to the high hills on the north of Bindbole Wood. They would start by quarrying granite for building a decent Hall. At this point they all agreed that they needed to have accommodation for their families completed before they arrived. Once a suitable dwelling structures were completed they could then start the process of building mines.
The Woods would also give Tauriel a place to retreat to when stone overwhelmed her.
Once fully recovered from his injuries Fíli would join Kíli at what the Company had tentatively decided to call Bindbole Hall and he could then send for Dís, if she wished to join them there. Only after Bindbole Hall was complete and producing would they decide if they would develop the system at Little Delving. With only semi-precious gems to mine and a small seam of gold, Delving Hall was deemed to be an afterthought and not as likely to be as financially viable a site as Bindbole Hall.
All of this could to naught without the support of Master Baggins of Bag End, but all present believed that Bilbo, once over the shock of having Thorin, Fíli and Kíli back from the dead, would be most amenable to their plans.
The next morning they woke to the screeching cry of Gwaihir, Lord of the Eagles as he circled overhead. By the time all of them had dressed and found their way to the pasture, Gwaihir had landed and was chittering away to Beorn. Thorin, Fíli and Kíli were pleased to find that they understood the Eagle's speech and Kíli offered to translate for the rest of the group.
"Greetings, Thorin Oakenshield." Said the Lord of the Eagles.
"And to you Lord Gwaihir. Our thanks to you for our rescue out of the clutches of the Orcs and also for carrying the Lady Galadriel to our aid." Thorin replied with a low bow.
"Your thanks are not necessary but are appreciated, I will pass them along to those who assisted me. They are not why I am here, though."
"How may I and my Company of dwarrow assist you?"
"You cannot. I am here to offer assistance to you. After negotiations with Daín, who sits Under the Mountain, it has been decided that in exchange for transporting the Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond to the Halls of Thranduil, an Eyre will be built on the upper reaches of Erebor. The dwarrow under Daín's command will start construction of platforms in the spring. In an offer of goodwill I am offering to transport you and your Company to Rivendell, where Lord Elrond has been informed that his elves have tracked down your ponies and he has also acquired wagons for your possessions. Lady Galadriel sends nets made from elven-rope so that my Eagles may carry you and your possessions without undue difficulties."
"My Lord. My thanks. The thanks of my Company. This is more than we even thought to dream of." The relief Thorin felt at not having to traverse the Misty Mountains was enormous.
"Elrond also informs me that if you continue to The Shire directly you will be there some weeks ahead of the Halfling. Elrond has sent his foster son Estel to speak to the Thain of The Shire, to inform him that you have a contract with Master Baggins and as such have the right to occupy Bag End(?) until his return, but that you do not have the right to sell or change anything within it. Elrond agrees with Thranduil that Master Baggins will only accept your condition when you stand in front him, however he wishes to tell Gandalf the Grey, whom he believes will be pleased. My eagles and I will be here at first light tomorrow. For now, here are nets that you can use to secure what possessions you wish to take with you." With this Gwaihir released a bundle wrapped in canvas from his talons.
Thorin drew in a breath but before he could reply, the Eagle was airborne and pumping his wings hard. Thorin turned to the others and commented.
"Well. It looks like we won't need the wagons after all. Gwaihir, Lord of the Eagles is taking us to Rivendell. Tomorrow. We have to be ready by first light."