We made good time that first day out of the valley, coming back up to the highlands and striding through the rocky plain. While the terrain was rough we managed easily enough, threading our way around large boulders and skirting patches of loose stones. The long grass reached almost to my knees, and I was extra careful of my footing in the areas where I could not see the ground. Butterflies and small birds flitted through the air, making for a most pleasant experience.
Only one thing could mar the peace of traveling thus with friends, and that was the thought of being watched and hunted. We had no cover out here, save for the few larger outcroppings of rock, leaving us to feel naked and exposed. I was ever watchful, prepared any moment for another scouting party to catch us unawares. I, along with all the others spent our time watching the horizon in all directions, waiting to see where the enemy would show up. It was no longer a matter of if, but when and where. By this time I had enlightened the others to the couple I dispatched before Rivendell, and we all knew what that meant. They would not stop until we had been found and then there would be trouble, for we knew not what numbers our enemy had.
As evening drew near we made for the largest group of rocks to be found, gathering close to each other. I used a few tricks and a bit of persuasion to make the grass grow noticeably taller, further hiding us from sight. I hoped it would be enough for the night. We built a small fire with which to cook our supper before banking the embers to keep our presence unknown. Calling on a few of my more luminescent friends, I was able to provide us with ample, natural looking light. There were dozens of fireflies nearby, their glow coloring our faces with a soft light.
I saw Thorin sitting off silently by himself, looking more pensive than usual. Checking quickly to be sure Bilbo was in good hands, I walked over and sat down beside my friend, determined to pull him out of his gloom.
"Tell me more about Erebor?" I queried. He looked up in surprise, finally smiling as he acknowledged the request.
"Erebor," he said reverently. "My home was the greatest kingdom ever made by our kind, no other will ever match it in splendor and comfort. Not even Moria came close. We had everything we could ever need, and good alliances for those things we lacked. I can remember walking through the halls there, the stone in some places the color of dark emerald streaked with gold. Gems glittering in the deeps, the light of torches flickering off them with brilliant radiance. People all around, the sound of all that life filling the mountain..." Here he trailed off, reminiscing in old memories with pain-laced fondness.
I squeezed his shoulder in understanding. "It sounds amazing. I cannot wait to see your home. It reminds me of some of the places from my own world, the dwarves there had a great talent for shaping rock and gem into wondrous things. Some of the stone even came alive."
Here he turned to me in wonder. "Living rock? That is a sight I'd love to see."
I hesitated for a small second before smiling. "As it happens, I have some of it with me. They're a little shy though."
"They?" he asked, moderately confused now by the change in tense. I just gave him a mysterious grin, turning to gather the attention of the others, whom I was sure would also like this display.
"You'll see," I teased. Getting everyone to gather around was short work, and once they were all looking eagerly at me I called softly. Within moments, a small clatter of stone and a chiming noise signaled the arrival of five companions I had kept hidden all these years. All but the one were wary of people, but I thought if they would respond to anyone, it would be those with an innate love of all things coming from the stone.
Predictably enough, the four shy ones gathered closely around me, startled by the murmurs of delight echoing among my companions. The only one still front and center was a little oddly colored rock elemental. His stones were a strange blue green color, the gold bracelets adorning his wrists gleaming in the soft light around us. The little one seemed to chatter in happiness upon seeing all the attention he was getting, and I hurried to introduce him.
"This is Pebble," I laughed, watching as the little creature proceeded to zoom around between his audience, examining them in a flurry of excitement. Thorin grinned broadly as the small elemental chose to try and clamber up on his lap, sensing an opportunity for one on one attention.
"He's amazing!" the king cried, causing the others to smile at his obvious happiness.
Slowly I coaxed the others out from hiding again, presenting them one by one to the company. Next to come out was a shale spider, his dark stone embedded with shining green crystals. "This is jadefang, he's a shale spider." I gently stroked his head, keeping him calm as he examined the dwarves looking upon him in interest. Deciding they were not a threat, he scrabbled down to the ground, copying Pebble's earlier actions and choosing a lap to occupy. This honor was bestowed upon Dwalin, the burly dwarf bending his head slightly to make friends with his little companion.
"What are those?" Fili and Kili both piped up in awe, pointing to the other three I had called on. They had ducked slightly out of hiding and were bobbing up and down in mid air, glowing with their own inner light. All three were made up of the strange crystal I had discovered during my stay in the underbelly of the world.
"These are living crystal, found deep in the bowels of the earth, almost in another plane of existence entirely. They don't actually have names, so I mostly refer to them by the gem they most accurately represent." Here I pointed out each one, and they chimed as they were addressed. "We have Diamond, Ruby, and Amethyst." The three crystals shone brightly, white, purple, and deepest red. Now that they were more comfortable they sailed around, pausing at times to land on an outstretched hand before hanging overhead once more.
"I've never seen anything like it," Balin murmured in hushed tones.
"Doubtless you never will again. The place where I found these was at the very core of our world, far too deep to dig. It's actually the dragon I have to thank for exposing their home and allowing me the opportunity to see it before we sealed it off once again. Their people never did want us there, they only tolerated our presence while we helped to mend the rift that had been opened. Only I and my fellow guardians were ever invited back," I said, smiling slightly in remembrance of the temperamental earth mother.
The companions I had pulled out kept us company for the remainder of the night, only disappearing when the light of day streaked the horizon with pale pinks and golds. They couldn't tolerate such brightness, having lived under stone where no sun ever shines, and I explained this to my disappointed friends when they asked after their absence.
Our path continued through the plains well into our third day of travel before the land began to take a steep incline. Shouldering our packs we gazed up into the chain of snowy mountains we would have to cross, hoping for an uneventful passage. I knew the chances of seeing goblins here rose with every step we took towards the pass, and we doubled the watches, keeping a sharp eye out.
We had started to get quite high up, the air thinning considerably, and the cold increasing to leave the ground covered in a light layer of perpetual snow. I glanced with concern to my hobbit friend, wondering why he hadn't brought shoes. I could see no practical reason for him to wear them at home, as the Shire had looked free of sharp rocks and had a moderate temperature, but out here things were much different. I decided to approach him on the subject, hoping I wasn't about to commit some social faux pas known only to hobbits.
"Bilbo my friend, I don't want to seem rude, but shouldn't you be wearing shoes out here? It's quite cold to be tromping around in bare feet."
The little hobbit stared at me for a moment in surprise, looking around to note the others (save Gandalf) were also listening for his answer. He chuckled, seeing the heavy boots the rest of us wore before shaking his head. "No, hobbits don't wear shoes. The cold actually doesn't affect me that much. Thick soles." Here he lifted a foot for me to see that he did indeed have tough feet, as thick even as the soles of the boots we wore. His hair I noted must also give added warmth and protection. I had to hide a smile at the irony of living in such a peaceful place and being gifted with feet better suited to terrain like this.
"I wish I didn't have to wear shoes," Kili lamented, the others laughing at the longing he bestowed on Bilbo's feet. "Gandalf, is there a spell to make my feet like his?" he asked the wizard hopefully. Gandalf shook his head with a smile as Thorin sputtered behind him.
"Now see here..." he began indignantly, before I managed to elbow him into silence, sparing Bilbo the humiliation of any insult the irritated dwarf would think to deliver. He continued to grumble when I turned back to Kili.
"I think you've quite enough hair to get along with," I teased him, earning a delighted smile as he took my words as praise. I was surprised to see Fili not joining in with the laughter, though I was pretty sure I knew why. Kili had turned to his brother to get his reaction only to frown at the solemn look covering his face.
"Fee, what's the matter?"
"Nothing," he replied shortly. When Kili continued to pester him, trying to elicit a smile, he received the shock of his life as Fili broke away and went to walk beside Gloin. The poor dwarf was stilled, hurt filling his eyes. I motioned for Bilbo to attempt to distract him while I went to attend to Fili. Drawing up beside him, I raised a hand when he began to speak up in his own defense.
"You miss her." It was a simple statement, but we both knew who I was talking about. He nodded sharply, frowning at his own perceived weakness. "There's nothing wrong with that, I'm sure Gloin would say the same of his wife and son."
"Aye laddie," the dwarf responded seriously. "Tis true. No shame in missing those we've left behind. I only wish there were ravens nearby so I could send my lass a message."
I clapped a hand to my head. "How stupid of me! We can surely send messages if that is your wish, I should have thought of that before." Fili instantly perked up, hope shining on his face.
"I can write to Barla? How?"
I grinned. "Show you tonight when we make camp."
We found a small cave for the night, and once we had eaten supper Ori passed around some of his parchment and ink. Thorin penned a short note detailing our progress to Dis, allowing his nephews to add their own writing to the bottom before signing it. Fili also wrote a separate note to his intended, and Gloin wrote to his family. Seeing the rolls of parchment, I knew they were too large a burden for Seraph, so I called on a bigger bird. A sharp caw announced the presence of Morla, the raven I usually used when correspondence was necessary. I greeted her with a smile, speaking softly to her in her own language. I was surprised to hear a sharp intake of breath from Thorin, and looked up to see almost half those around me looking at the bird in shock.
"I can understand her," he said in wonder. Balin, Dwalin, and Thorin's nephews all nodded in agreement. "I thought it was only the ravens of Erebor that had the power to speak with us."
"You mentioned this before," I remembered. "A raven is a raven anywhere I suppose, but how is it that only you five can hear her?"
It was Balin who answered this, putting on his teaching face as he did so and causing me to smile in amusement. "Only the line of Durin are raven speakers, and those who are closely related enough. That is why Dwalin and I can hear the speech as well. The others, while related save for the Ur brothers, are too far from the main line. This gift has descended down through the generations and can be traced all the way back to Durin himself. It is our hope that some of those we used to know still live in the shadow of Erebor."
"They would be quite old if they did would they not?" I asked cautiously. I was unsure of the lifespan of the birds here, but I didn't want to upset them all the same.
Balin merely nodded in agreement. "Aye, that is true enough. Chances aren't good, but perhaps we may at least find their descendants." They continued to speak amongst themselves while Thorin approached to get a better look at the large bird perched on my arm. It took very little convincing to get her to abandon me in favor of hopping over to the dwarf king, and they were soon talking softly.
At last Thorin bowed to her, thanking her for her service, and she fluttered her wings in pleasure at his courtesy. Launching herself into the air, she promptly disappeared, opting to go straight to Ered Luin rather than make the long flight. I had instructed her to deliver the notes to Dis, describing my friend with detail so that she might find her quickly. I chuckled for a moment, imagining the shock she would get when the bird spoke to her.
"You seem especially amused about something," Gandalf said, coming up beside me as he puffed on his pipe.
"I was just imagining the surprise Dis will get when Morla speaks to her. After all, she will also be able to understand if I'm not mistaken."
"Indeed," the wizard chortled, pleased with my joke. He broke the silence we had been sharing suddenly. "I wanted to speak with you." I gave him an encouraging look, waiting for him to continue. "I was speaking to Galadriel, and she was of the opinion that you do not care for Saruman. Can you tell me why?" He looked disturbed, and I thought carefully on our encounter, wanting to give him a good reason.
"I just, don't trust him," I said slowly. "He seems cold, uninterested in people unless they serve some purpose in whatever agenda he has planned. And I do not like that he actually needed convincing to allow us to go after the dragon. I would think for someone whose job it is to help protect this land that it would have been foremost in his mind, as it is in yours. I can't help feeling that he does not have our companies best interests at heart." Gandalf chose not to address my concerns, instead occupying himself with some more elaborate smoke rings as he thought.
"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said at last. His frown had deepened, and I was glad that he did not dismiss me outright. He appeared to be more concerned with my impression of the man than I had expected. Perhaps it was a result of Galadriel tipping him off instead of me telling him myself. I could tell he placed utmost faith in the woman, holding her in even higher regard than his superior.
We all went to sleep not long after this, each thinking on what the morrow would bring.
I sighed. The morning had brought rain, and lots of it. I could almost swim through the torrent that streamed down upon us, nearly knocking us off the thin ledge we walked upon. We had a cliff to our left and a steep drop off to our right, and we clung grimly to the rock face as we inched along. Our progress had slowed to a crawl, all our attention on our feet and our care not to slip. I had a hand on the dwarf in front of me as I walked near the center of the group. Thorin was in the front, Gandalf in the back, and the rest spaced in between. I groaned when the storm only got worse as the day progressed, thunder cracking through the sky, and lightning throwing our surroundings into sharp relief. I could dimly hear Thorin shout something about shelter, and I strained my eyes ahead, searching desperately for cover. There were no trees to shelter us here, so our only hope was a cave, and we prayed to the gods we would find an empty one.
I was suddenly distracted by a yell of panic. Dwalin had slipped on a bit of stone and was leaning precariously towards the edge. It was only the brave act of Bilbo throwing all his weight towards the dwarf that managed to knock him back against the cliff. Unfortunately for the hobbit, in the process of doing so he had gotten far too close himself, and he fell over the edge with a wail of fright. Everyone screamed his name and I cursed violently before throwing myself after him, shifting as I went into a straight vertical dive. I had no idea if this would work, knowing only that failure would likely result in both our deaths.
I could hear my name being called faintly from above, but I ignored it, arrowing even faster towards the falling form of Bilbo. I was catching up at last, and finally I managed to grab his collar in my talons, clutching tightly. His weight dragged us down quickly before my frantic flapping caused us to level out. I sighed in relief as I began to pump strongly upwards, back towards the others. Bilbo was just light enough for me to carry this way, and it was lucky he was the one to fall and not one of the others.
Cries of relief met our ears when we drew in sight of the others again, many hands reaching out to grab Bilbo and pull him to safety. I landed lightly beside him, changing back and slumping tiredly to the ground for a short breather. Bilbo had immediately found himself pulled into a grateful hug from Dwalin and Balin.
"Ye saved my life," the burly dwarf exclaimed, his brother nearly weeping with gratitude. "From this day forth, the both of us are ever at your service." Bilbo blushed in embarrassment, ducking his head sheepishly.
"Twas only luck," he stammered, not knowing what to do with himself. Their conversation was cut short when Thorin yelled for everyone's attention.
"I've found a cave," he cried over the sound of the still pounding storm. We hurried to follow him inside, noting happily that it was devoid of any sign of life. Once we were all in we turned back towards the entrance at Dori's exclamation of panic.
"Hold on, where's Gandalf?" All of us turned every which way, as if hoping to see the wizard materialize amongst us. I darted back outside, looking back along the ledge. He was nowhere to be seen. I shook my head in denial as I reentered the cave, frowning in discouragement.
"He fell?!" Bilbo cried in horror.
"Don't worry overmuch. I bet he has a few tricks up his sleeve. It may be that he has just slipped to a lower ledge and is even now looking for a way back up. In the morning I'll take a fly around to see if I can find him. That is if he is not back by then."
We settled down in the dark, not wanting to chance a fire for fear of alerting foul creatures to our presence. The gloom permeating the damp recesses of the cave did nothing to improve our spirits, and we talked in low voices. I was pleased to see Thorin look over at Bilbo with something akin to approval. The rescue of Dwalin had done much to raise his opinion of the small hobbit. It helped also that he was improving in his weapons training in leaps and bounds. I decided that since it was not yet time to sleep, we could train some more to keep ourselves occupied. The space was small, leaving us only room to work on stance, but it would be enough.
Bilbo and I had been going at it for some time when his weapon suddenly began to glow, drawing everyone's attention to us. The company leaped to our feet, grabbing weapons and searching for the enemy, becoming more frantic when we found nothing. We had grouped up, facing the entrance to the cave, and hoping whatever it was would pass us by. What we didn't expect was for the floor to suddenly drop out from under us with a sickening crack, and we tumbled silently into the depths below...
The breath was jarred from my body as we all landed on some sort of platform with a sickening thump. I was crushed beneath the bodies of several of my companions, and I somehow ended up face to face with Thorin. I felt odd being so close to him, despite our current predicament, and I flushed when I noticed the strange look he was giving me. Thankfully the moment was interrupted before I could make a big deal out of it, the others getting to their feet and offering us a hand up.
We had no time to get our bearings before a horde of goblins descended upon us, tearing away our weapons and shoving us along the pathway ahead. I tried to fight them off, but it was a losing battle. They soon had me hunched over as they used sheer numbers to keep me from struggling. I caught sight of Dwalin looking utterly infuriated, the large warrior having suffered the same treatment. I tried to crane my neck to see how the others fared before the goblins latched on to me forced my gaze forward with a snap. The dwarves were all shouting obscenities as they continued to fight, but I decided to try a different tactic. I let myself relax, looking around to see what the surroundings offered in way of opportunities to escape.
There was nothing much so far. We were being herded like sheep across narrow wooden bridges, single file to keep from falling off the edge. From what I could see there was a sheer drop on either side, the fall ending somewhere in darkness. It would do no good to fight here only to fall. I was irritated to see that the walls posed no problem to our enemy. They scaled them with ease, climbing up and down and cheering as they began some kind of song.
My musing was interrupted when we were brought to a halt in front of some sort of makeshift throne. On it sat the fattest, most hideous goblin I had ever had the misfortune to meet. He wore a crown made of bones, and carried a long pike adorned with an old skull. I kept myself crouched low to avoid being singled out for the time being, though I had a thought that it wouldn't last. I stood out far too much. I suddenly wondered if I could use that to my advantage. My brain continued to work through plans while I kept my mouth shut. I knew my companions would disapprove of the ideas beginning to spin through my head, but I had done worse things to escape a bad situation. I would just have to hope they would play along. And that the goblins were stupid.
The leader had not stopped singing long enough yet to address us, continuing his revolting tune as his minions banged on drums around the large space. His bulging stomach swayed as he stood up, his feet crushing some of his underlings when he lumbered towards us. Finishing the song with an exaggerated flourish, he preened as cheers rang out around the cavern. He had worked the goblins into a frenzy. I hurried to try and take control of the situation, hoping they were as gullible as I thought. As soon as he turned to examine us I started clapping enthusiastically.
"Bravo, what a show!" I cried jovially.
The goblin king smiled in surprise. "Finally, someone else who appreciates good music." Those dwarves that stood in front of me were now staring at me like I had gone utterly insane, but I ignored them save for a bland smile in their direction. I knew Thorin was behind me, for I had purposefully kept myself in front of him, shielding him from the eyes of any who might recognize an old enemy. Reaching behind my back I grabbed his hand, startling him. I gave him no time to jerk away, instead tracing a few words in iglishmek into his palm.
'Play along, I have a plan.'
He traced back. 'Alright. Passing message along.'
No one had seen the exchange, and I exhaled in relief before turning to exchange more meaningless banter with our captor. "I must say, that sounded truly inspired. And your kingdom here is fantastic, it must have taken a long time to do all this." At my words he almost puffed up with pride, and I held back a snort of laughter. He was falling right into my hands.
"What might you be called?" he asked, leering at me just as I'd been counting on. Now came the part of the plan that was a little more dangerous. Praying the dwarves wouldn't interfere, I stepped out of the group and closer to the goblin, sticking out my chest slightly as I went to hold his attention. I heard a few involuntary protests before my companions quieted, waiting to see what I would do.
"I'd be happy to tell you that and more... on one condition." I made my voice very suggestive, begging him to take the bait. To my delight he jumped at the offer, raising a brow in question as the hungry look on his face increased. I was playing a very dangerous game now, but so far my head was still above water, so I continued.
"What condition would that be?" the king rumbled, forgetting to be offended that I was stating terms in the face of his eagerness to get me alone. I stepped impossibly close before whispering in his ear, expertly resisting my urge to shudder as my arm made contact with his. The plan hinged on my companions not hearing this part of the conversation, so I talked low.
"I want you to let them go," I muttered. "It would be a huge favor to me. I hired them to escort me through the mountains in exchange for a large fee, but the truth of it is I don't have the money." The goblin king pulled back slightly, frowning as he struggled to figure out how that was in any way going to work for him.
"Why should I do that?" he queried, giving me a calculating look.
I smiled impishly, trying to draw his attention back where I needed it as I leaned in once more. "Trust me, if you still want them later I have no doubt they will just wait outside for me. They want the money badly, they're very greedy. If you are unsatisfied you could always just pick them up again. I just thought it would be a good joke to make them think they're being cheated." At this the goblin threw back his head with a roar of laughter, causing the dwarves to look uncertainly at me. I could see the questions in their eyes, so I threw them a tiny wink while the goblins were distracted by their leader's mirth.
"Fine," the king said at last. "We'll play your little game. You!" he pointed at several of his lackeys. "Escort these miserable dwarves out of my kingdom, without their weapons and leave them to fend for themselves. The elf stays here." I swore internally as I remembered the weapons, having forgotten to take that particular point into consideration. I was now having trouble thinking as my companions had began screaming curses again as they were dragged downwards, presumably to the exit.
"I don't suppose we can follow and view the fun?" I asked, curious as to how far I could push him. He nodded, grabbing hold of my arm tightly so I wouldn't try and run before joining the veritable parade of goblins. I carefully memorized the path I would be taking later, at the same time continuing to ignore the pleas of the dwarves. When we reached the exit to the caves some time later I gave them a small salute, narrowing my eyes in silent command.
'Trust me.'
Though they continued to glower as they moved outside, I detected a hint of understanding from Balin, and I hoped the older dwarf would be able to calm the others. Thorin looked positively infuriated, and I wished I could have apologized out loud to him. It was only as I was taking my last look before turning away to face the darkness that I spotted the conspicuous absence of a certain hobbit. My stomach dropped as I wondered what fate could have befallen him. When had we lost him? I struggled to keep the dismay from my face as I was led back towards the center of the goblin kingdom.
Thorin was seething. Had she gone out of her mind? "I can't believe her!" he yelled, smashing a fist against a nearby tree.
"Peace Thorin," Balin said hurriedly, trying to calm his friend.
"She offered herself to that... that... scum!" he almost shrieked. His eyes blazed in anger as he paced back and forth, at a loss for a plan. "Now we're out here weaponless and short another member!"
"Make that two," Bofur said grimly. "Bilbo's missing." The others groaned, Dwalin and Balin murmuring in worry.
"What has happened here?" a low voice suddenly cried. The group turned in surprise to see the tall form of Gandalf striding towards them.
"Where were you?!" Thorin yelled, his patience lost. Balin hurried to explain the situation to the wizard as the irate dwarf king fumed behind them. Gandalf's face grew steadily more grave as the tale unraveled, though his eyes crinkled in amusement at the parts involving Alanta's interaction with the goblin king. It seemed he grasped the gist of her plan immediately, and he sat down to await the results. "Why are you sitting? We need to go after them!" Thorin yelled out again.
"Patience, master dwarf. If I understand her plan she should be along shortly, and perhaps she will bring Bilbo with her. If she does not, we will deal with that when the time comes. For now, you will do her no favors charging in there without a weapon." Thorin was forced to wait as it became clear that the others all agreed with Gandalf's take on the situation. The wizard proceeded to tell them of his journey to find them while they waited for something to happen.
We had made it back to the throne area, and now I got ready to see my skills tested to their fullest. I was surrounded by the enemy, though I was pleased to note that I had managed to place myself nearly on top of the pile of weapons we left behind.
"Now, where were we?" the goblin king drawled. "Oh yes, you were going to tell me your name, and a lot more if I'm not mistaken."
I smiled maliciously now, no longer needing to keep up the charade. "My name is Alanta, and you really should have gotten to know me before you let my friends waltz out of here." Before he could speak I gave a piercing whistle, summoning as many of my friends as I could manage. I watched in satisfaction as they tore him apart before turning to cause mayhem on any goblins nearby. The enemy shrieked and wailed in a mixture of fear and anger, momentarily stilled at the shock of seeing their leader so swiftly disposed of. I took advantage of their distraction, using the time to shove all the weapons either in the enchanted bag I carried or strapped them to my waist and back. I quickly became a walking armory before disappearing as I flung myself off the ledge.
My companions vanished with me, leaving behind chaos as the goblins ran every which way to try and figure out where I had gone. I was already far away by this point, having shifted to raven form to fly out of the caves. The sound of their rage faded in the distance until I could no longer hear them. When I was close to the doorway again I was startled to hear a single set of running feet headed in my direction. I was almost bowled over when Bilbo suddenly came flying out of a side tunnel, a look of panic on his face. Catching him, I cried out in relief.
"Bilbo! Thank Elune you're safe."
He panted heavily as we both hurried to exit the cave. "Where are the others," he gasped out.
"Don't worry, they're safe and waiting outside. I tricked the king into letting them go. Biggest mistake of his life." I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up now with the success of my plan. It had gone as well as I could have hoped, and now I would just have to make sure the others weren't too angry with me for deserting them.
Just as I had expected they were all waiting outside, and I was pleased to see Gandalf had somehow found his way back to us. I grinned cheerily. "Did you miss.. oof." My sentence went unfinished as two large forms crashed into me, and I looked down to the relieved faces of Fili and Kili. I gave them a large hug, letting go when Thorin came up behind them and cleared his throat. They stepped back to welcome Bilbo, but not before murmuring in my ear.
"We're so glad you're safe." I just smiled gently, trying to figure out how Thorin was going to react. He seemed calm, but I could still see the storm roiling behind his eyes. I was unprepared for him to copy the actions of his nephews. With a sudden move he had enveloped me in a crushing embrace, and I found myself instantly relaxing in his hold.
"Don't ever do that to me again," he muttered into my shoulder.
"I'm sorry," I said softly. Once he had composed himself I brought out my bag, prepared to take out all their stolen weapons. Before I could do so Gloin started to bemoan the fate of his axe, leading the others to do the same. "Relax, your weapons are safe," I laughed.
"How?" They looked around, not seeing anything, and they all gaped when I opened the small bag and began pulling out their gear. The weapons should not have been able to fit inside, but of course that is the magic of such things.
"Enchanted bag," I smirked. "Much bigger on the inside." They all broke out laughing in relief as they accepted their weapons back. We were just finishing with strapping on all our gear when a vicious howl ripped through the air from behind us. It was impossibly close, and coming closer...
Author's note: Would you look at that, Bilbo is a hero! I wanted to make him liked by those closest to Thorin for purposes later in the story. Also because I don't like writing Thorin as an insulting, heartless bastard. Now, after reading five hundred and one fanfics where they fight the goblins, or get tortured by the goblins, for once I wanted to see them outwit the goblins. So this is what I came up with. I giggled as I wrote it, so hopefully it's at least somewhat plausible. Romance is getting closer and closer, they've started to react to each other more and it's all very exciting. I'm sure you can guess what is coming next. It will possibly be a little shorter, but definitely action packed. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!