I like you guys. A lot.
As soon as the dwarves had been freed, Thorin cornered Cheyanne near one of the troll statues.
"How did you know?" he demanded under his breath.
"I don't have to tell you anything," Cheyanne replied coldly. "You won't believe me, so why should I try?"
She could tell it was taking a lot of Thorin's willpower to keep from hitting her. "You will tell me. Now," he growled.
"She will tell you what?" Gandalf approached them, probably saving Cheyanne's head. She backed towards the wizard, and he looked down at her before back at Thorin. "Well?"
Thorin glared at her for a moment longer before he shifted his gaze to Gandalf. "Where did you go too?" he asked, changing the subject.
Gandalf noticed this, but he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he said, "To look ahead."
"And what brought you back?" the dwarf queried.
Gandalf looked up at the troll statue with an expression of disgust. "Looking behind. Nasty business, that was, but you're all in one piece," he said, glancing around at the other dwarves.
"No thanks to your hobbits," Thorin replied. He frowned at Cheyanne. "This one led us right to the trolls, and the other got picked up and almost torn to pieces."
"What did you expect me to do? Bilbo was in trouble!" Cheyanne exclaimed.
"He could have run off!" Thorin told her furiously.
"And abandoned the ponies? He was trying to help the company, which is more than can be said for you!" she shouted back.
"What are you implying?" demanded Thorin.
"Good God, I am so tired of you!" Cheyanne cried, throwing her arms up into the air.
Gandalf started to push her away, but she shoved him off and stomped away from them on her own, her face on fire.
She shoved Fili out of the way when he tried to stop her, and she pressed her hands against a tree, breathing heavily. "Chey," Fili said from behind her.
She stiffened at the word. Slowly, she turned to face him. "What did you call me?" she questioned quietly.
Fili's eyes widdened. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't know that you didn't-"
"No, its fine," she told him. "I'm just surprised, that's all."
Fili frowned. "No one else has called you that?"
Cheyanne's mind flickered with an image of Jon. She smiled slightly and shook her head. "No, a really close friend of mine always calls me Chey," she said. "I miss him."
Fili returned the grin. "I miss my friends, too," he said. "I have Kili, though, and he's my best friend." Fili glanced around and gestured to where Bilbo was searching through his pack. "You and Bilbo aren't very close, are you?"
Cheyanne shook her head. "No, I didn't meet him before Gandalf invited me to join the party," she admitted. "Hobbits like company, but distant relatives don't particularly spend time with one another." She didn't think that was true whatsoever, but she was hoping Fili didn't know anything about hobbits at all.
He didn't. The dwarf shrugged. "Maybe you could get closer to him," he suggested. He then stared at her carefully. "Are you alright now?" he asked slowly.
Cheyanne let out a breath and nodded. "I'm fine. I just have to ignore him, that's all."
"You don't have to ignore him," Fili responded. "You just have to... Be careful around him. It seems like he needs to be careful around you, too."
Cheyanne snorted. "He needs to not ask me how I know things until he's ready to believe I'm telling the truth."
Fili shook his head. "My uncle doesn't like to admit when he's wrong."
"Well, he needs to learn to like it," said Cheyanne, "because he won't get anywhere in the journey until he does."
"Come along, all of you!" Thorin called from the top of the slope on the south side of the clearing. "We think there's a cave nearby."
Encouraged by the prospect of nearby secrets, the other dwarves immediately hurried up the slope after Thorin. Fili hung back with Cheyanne when she didn't move.
"What is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cheyanne shook her head in response and followed after the others. Fili joined her, and at the top of the slope they stared down at the company. Ori was the one to find the hidden cave, and he waved everyone over.
Cheyanne sighed and slid down the slope with the others. "Oin, Dori, stay out here and keep watch," Thorin was ordering as she and Fili approached. "The rest of you, into the cave, and be careful."
Cheyanne didn't meet his gaze as she went in after Bilbo, even though she was aware of him watching her as she went by. Immediately, the smell hit her, and she gagged.
"Oog, what is that smell?" asked Nori as he waved his hand in front of his face.
"It's a troll hoard," Gandalf said, ducking beneath a hanging dagger of rock. "Be careful of what you touch."
"Look at all this!" Ori said happily as Bifur cracked open one wooden chest. He scooped up a handful of gold coins and let them slide through his fingers.
"Seems like such a shame to leave it lying here," Bofur commented, gazing around at the many other piles of gold and gems. "Anyone could take it!"
"Agreed," Gloin said with a nod. "Nori, get a shovel."
Cheyanne looked at Gandalf and saw him pick up a scabbard that was leaning against the wall of the cave, he pulled the sword from it slightly and gazed down at the blade.
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully as Thorin picked up another sword.
The dwarf pulled his sword from its scabbard as well. "These swords were not made by any troll," he said.
"Nor were they made by any smith among men," agreed Gandalf.
"Elven blades," Cheyanne supplied. They both looked at her, and she nodded to the swords they were holding. "They were forged in Gondolin by High Elves of the First Age."
Thorin snorted and looked at Gandalf for confirmation. The wizard nodded. "She's right, they are elven swords." Thorin hesitated slightly in surprise, but regained his composure almost instantly and started to put the sword back. "You could not wish for a finer blade," Gandalf told him\
The dwarf frowned at him, but all the same kept the sword. Gandalf did so as well, and belted it around his waist, turning to Cheyanne as he did so. "Familiar with elven work, are you?" he asked her curiously.
She shook her head with a laugh. "Not at all. I just knew you were going to find them."
Gandalf lifted an eyebrow, but didn't question her. He began to walk away, but stopped and looked down. He bent over and picked up a dagger for an Elf, but a sword perfect for a hobbit.
He glanced over at Cheyanne, but she shook her head and gestured to Bilbo. Gandalf nodded once and went over to talk to him.
Fili approached her with a grin and held up a glimmering crystal. "For you," he said, passing it too her.
"Thank you," said Cheyanne, holding it up appraisingly. It was clearish-white, but when turned the colors inside flashed in a rainbow. She smiled and looked at Fili. "It's beautiful."
"Let's get out of this hole before the stench seeps into our clothes," Thorin said before Fili could reply. "Bombur! Gloin!" He turned and looked directly at them. "Fili."
The younger dwarf rolled his eyes but went towards Thorin all the same. Cheyanne saw a cold look pass between the two of them, and she furrowed her brow. Dwalin approached. "Something the matter?" he asked.
"Thorin doesn't like how close Fili is getting to me," Cheyanne replied, watching Thorin exit the cave after Fili. "You can tell by his glare."
Dwalin shook his head and started to walk off. "Thorin is always glaring, Chey."
Cheyanne looked down at the crystal Fili had given her. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she slid the crystal into her pocket before leaving the cave as well.
"Something's coming!" Thorin was hissing as she came out.
"Stay together!" ordered Gandalf as the dwarves started to run into the woods. "Hurry now, and arm yourselves!"
Cheyanne saw Bilbo draw his sword. He felt her gaze and looked up, meeting her eyes. She gave him a nod of encouragement and went after the dwarves. She was aware of Bilbo following her as she ducked into the trees.
The company had stopped short only a few yards into the forest, and she heard loud exclamations coming from somewhere close. "Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
Radagast the Brown, one of her favorite characters, came riding full speed at them on his sled pulled by rabbits. He pulled up short next to the company, his eyes wide.
Gandalf walked over to him, grinning. "Radagast! Radagast the Brown!" The other wizard climbed from the sled, and Gandalf clasped his hand. "Ah. Whatever are you doing here?"
"Gandalf!" Radagast shouted unnecessarily. "I was looking for you. Something terribly terrible is happening."
Gandalf frowned at this. He glanced around at the company and then looked at Radagast again. "Yes?"
The brown wizard opened his mouth to respond, and then closed it again. He hesitated, opened it, furrowed his brow, and closed it. "That's odd," he said. "I had a thought, and it was on the tip of my tongue- Oh!" Radagast rolled his tongue, and Gandalf reached into his mouth, pulling out a stick bug. "It was just a silly old stick insect!"
Cheyanne was the only one who grinned at this. The dwarves looked repulsed. Gandalf brushed his fingers on his robe after handing the bug back to Radagast and leaned close to his fellow wizard. "Let us speak privately," he said, stepped away a few paces.
Thorin ignored the wizards and spoke to the company. "Nori, Ori, go fetch the ponies for us."
"Aye," Nori agreed, and the two headed off to do just that.
Cheyanne saw Fili glance at Thorin before he approached her. "He doesn't like me talking to you so much," he said quietly to her.
"I had guessed," Cheyanne replied with a nod. "'She's a hobbit, nephew, not to mention one who doesn't know what she's talking about. Stay away from her.'"
"That's pretty much what he said," Fili said with a laugh. "'Course, you already knew that, right?"
Cheyanne's grin disappeared. She looked down at the ground. "Yes, of course," she agreed quietly.
"Something the matter?" Fili asked her.
She blinked a few times and shook her head. "No, it's alright." She lifted her gaze again and met his. "Thank you for the crystal, Fili."
He shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal, anyone could have found it," he told her.
"Yes, but you gave it to me," Cheyanne replied. "Anyone else would have kept it."
Fili shrugged. "Maybe." Cheyanne looked at him in surprise, but he merely grinned. "What? I'm not the only nice one."
"I know," she responded. "And yet, you still gave me the crystal, right?"
"Yes, but I didn't find it." Fili turned and walked away. Cheyanne frowned and looked away, confused. What was he talking about? Did he want to give it to her, or did whoever found it ask him too?
She shook her head in annoyance and walked over to Bilbo, who was sitting on a tree stump. He glanced up at her approach, and then looked back down at the sword in his hands. "Why did Gandalf give me this?" he asked her.
"More useful to you than anyone else," she replied. "Not really dwarf size."
"So why didn't he give it to you?" Bilbo questioned.
"I told him to give it to you instead," she answered easily.
Bilbo frowned and looked down at the sword again. "I don't know how to use this," he said with a headshake.
"I'm sure it's not difficult," Cheyanne said. She held out her hand, and Bilbo passed her the sword without hesitation. She adjusted it in her grip and stared down at it appreciatively. "Sting," she mused under her breath.
"What?" Bilbo asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Nothing," she said quickly. She swung the sword back and forth briefly, twirled in a circle, and thrust it forward. Bilbo's eyes widened at her movements, and she grinned, flipping Sting around and holding it out to him, hilt first. "See? Not hard at all."
Bilbo took it slowly, watching her all the while. "How do you know how to use a sword?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "I don't."
Before Bilbo could respond, a howl ripped through the air. The hair on the back of Cheyanne's neck rose at the bone chilling sound, and Bilbo stood up. "Was that a wolf? Are there- Are there wolves out here?" he stammered in fear.
"Wolves?" Bofur asked, his own eyes huge. "No, that is not a wolf."
A giant Warg jumped out from behind a nearby crag and knocked down Dori. Thorin quickly drew the sword he'd found and killed it. Another Warg attacked from the other side, but Kili shot it with an arrow, and it fell. It struggled back up to its feet, and Dwalin swung his hammer, striking a killing blow.
"Warg-scouts," said Thorin. "Which means an Orcs pack is not far behind." He looked at Cheyanne as he said this, and she merely turned away.
"Cheyanne was right," Bilbo realized. He looked at Gandalf, who glared at Thorin.
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" he demanded.
"No one," answered the dwarf.
"Who did you tell?" Gandalf shouted.
"No one! I swear it!" Thorin replied, equally as loud.
"We have to get out of here!" Dwalin exclaimed.
"We can't!" Ori and Nori ran towards them, pulling up short. "We don't have any ponies. They bolted," Ori said breathlessly.
"I'll draw them off," said Radagast as the dwarves all looked desperately at one another.
"These are Gundabad Wargs," Gandalf replied. "They will out run you."
Radagast climbed onto his sled. "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits," he said calmly with a grin. "I'd like to see them try."
Gandalf leaned around the rock the company was hiding behind as Radagast's shouts of glee came towards them. "Come on!" Gandalf ordered, making a run for it.
Everyone in the company ran after him across the rocky plain. Cheyanne saw a Warg stumble and fall in the distance as a pack chased after the Radagast and his rabbits.
"Stay together," Gandalf ordered from the head of the company.
"Move!" shouted Thorin.
A few of the Wargs broke off from the pack chasing Radagast and came closer to the company in order to get ahead of the wizard on the sled. Thorin halted behind a big rock, and everyone else stopped as well, all breathing heavily. Ori, in panic, continued to run, and Thorin grabbed the end of his cloak. "Come back!" he hissed to the dwarf, pulling him into cover.
"Come on, quick!" Gandalf said, running again. Thorin looked at Gandalf as they all raced after him.
"Where are you leading us?" he asked him.
Gandalf didn't respond, and Cheyanne kept her mouth closed, even though she knew the answer. They ducked behind another rock, and a Warg appears on the top of the outcropping, scenting the air. Thorin looked at Kili and nodded.
Before Cheyanne could argue, Kili pulled an arrow back and shoots the Warg. It, along with the Orc riding it, fall onto the ground near the dwarves, and they all jump in to kill them. Cheyanne closed her eyes as the shouts and weapon clanging coming from the fight rang around the plain, and the Wargs and Orcs still chasing Radagast all stop at the noise.
She heard one of the Orcs shouts something in Black Speech, and the pack starts running towards the company. "Move! Run!" Gandalf cried pushing a few of the dwarves into motion.
They all continued to run, and Cheyanne glanced over her shoulder. Wargs were approaching them from all sides, about to get them. "There they are!" Gloin shouted above the howling.
"This way!" said Gandalf. "Quickly!"
The company ran for a while longer, until Wargs appeared ahead of them as well. "We're surrounded," Bilbo exclaimed, breathless.
"Kili, shoot them!" Thorin ordered.
The younger dwarf shoot several arrows at the Wargs, managing to take down a few, but for every Warg killed, two more appeared. "Where is Gandalf?" he demanded, firing another arrow.
"He's abandoned us!" replied Dwalin.
Cheyanne looked at Bilbo, who was standing stiffly beside her. "God's sake," she grumbled, reaching over and pulling Sting from the scabbard he was holding. She held it out in front of her as a Warg approached, mouth frothing. She shoved the sword forward, and it sank into the Warg's throat, killing it, eyes widening in surprise as she did so. She hadn't expected it to go through the creature's throat so easily.
She pulled the blade free and glanced over her shoulder at the rock Gandalf had disappeared behind. The company shoved themselves close together before it, all brandishing their weapons. The lead Orc, riding on the back of his Warg, approached, and Ori shot a rock at them from his slingshot.
The stone merely bounced off of the Warg's nose, doing nothing. "Hold your ground!" Thorin commanded, holding out his sword.
Gandalf popped his head out of a crack in the rock. "This way, you fools!" he shouted.
"Move!" yelled Thorin, pushing a few dwarves towards the wizard. "Quickly, all of you. Go, go, go!"
Cheyanne stabbed at another Warg that came close as the dwarves and Bilbo were ushered into the crack. Thorin grabbed her arm and pushed her towards the rock as well, and Dwalin helped her down into a cave within it. Gandalf counted as she slid down with Dwalin right behind her. "Eleven, twelve."
Kili and Thorin appeared and slid down into the cave as well. "Thirteen, fourteen," Gandalf finished in relief.
The sound of a fight started outside the cave, and Cheyanne looked up just as an Orc falls into the crack and down in front of them. Thorin pulled an arrow out of its neck and examines it. "Elves," he grumbled in frustration, throwing it onto the ground.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads," Dwalin said, turning away from the dark path at the other end of the cave. "Do we follow it or no?"
"Follow it, of course!" Bofur exclaimed. "What other choice do we have?"
The company all slid into the pathway one at a time, for it was narrow, shoved between two cliffs that were extremely close together. Cheyanne, finally grateful for her small stature, was able to easily slip between the more narrow places, along with Bilbo, who was even smaller than her.
At last, however, the path ended, and it opened into a wide area. A valley was below the cliff they were standing on, and in the valley was the shining city of Rivendell. Gandalf was the last one to push his way out of the crack, and he gazed down at the valley.
"The Valley of Imraldis," he said. "In the Common Tongue, it's known by another name."
"Rivendell," sighed Bilbo as he stepped up beside Cheyanne.
"Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea," Gandalf told them all.
"This was your plan all along," Thorin realized, "to seek refuge with our enemy."
"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf said calmly. "The only ill-will in this valley is that which you bring yourself."
Thorin sniffed. "You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us."
"Of course they will," agreed Gandalf, "but we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm." He gave them all a look. "Which is why you will leave the talking to me."
The silence that followed as the company worked their way down into the valley and across the bridge leading into Rivendell was enough to make Cheyanne uncomfortable. She was aware of several of the dwarves glancing towards her, and then towards Thorin as they walked. She didn't know whether to be haughty that she had been right, or disappointed Thorin didn't try to speak with her about it.
They made it across the bridge, and she immediately saw all of the dwarves look uneasy at the prospect of being in Rivendell. Bilbo, however, stared around in awe at the beauty of the place. Cheyanne was amazed as well; Elves were humanoids of refined tastes, and it was easily seen in the décor of their home.
A dark-haired Elf walked down a flight of stairs towards them. He smiled at Gandalf first. "Mithrandir."
"Ah, Lindir!" Gandalf responded happily. The two of them greeted one another, and the dwarves murmured to one another in distrust, uncomfortable.
Lindir said something to Gandalf in Sindarin, the Elvish language. Gandalf glanced at Thorin before looking at Lindir again. "I must speak with Lord Elrond."
"My lord Elrond is not here," responded Lindir in the Common Tongue.
"Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf asked.
The Elvish horns that had sounded beforehand outside of the cave could be heard again. Cheyanne and the others turned around to see a group of armed horsemen riding towards them along the bridge.
"Ifrídi bekâr!" Thorin ordered. "Hold ranks!" The dwarves bunch up together, and Cheyanne takes Bilbo's arm to pull him away from them. The horsemen reach them and ride in a circle around the dwarves for a moment, and then their leader, Elrond, separates from them.
"Gandalf," he said from the back of his horse.
Gandalf bowed low to the Elf. "Lord Elrond. Mellonnen! Mo evinedh?"
Elrond responded in Sindarin, and dismounted from his horse. There was a moment before he and Gandalf hug, and then he pulled away from him. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near."
He holds up an Orcish sword before handing it Lindir as Gandalf responded, "Ah. That may have been us."
Thorin chose to step forward, and Elrond gazed upon him in recognition. "Welcome, Thorin son of Thrain," he said.
"I do not believe we have met," Thorin replied.
"You have your grandfather's bearing," Elrond told him. "I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."
"Indeed?" asked Thorin. "He made no mention of you."
Elrond ignored the insult, and spoke in Sindarin to the other dwarves. Cheyanne, however, had looked this up to know just what he was saying. "Light the fires, bring forth the wine. We must feed out guests."
Gloin, however, didn't understand. "What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" The others grip their weapons.
Gandalf sighed in exasperation. "No, Master Gloin, he's offering you food."
The dwarves all turned in the tight circle they had pulled themselves into and discussed this for a few moments. Gloin then turned back to Lord Elrond. "Well in that case, lead on."
Elrond started to walk up the stairs, and the company followed after him. Cheyanne handed Sting back to Bilbo as they walked, and he took it after a moment of hesitation and slid it into its scabbard.
She felt a hand on her arm as she walked, and she stiffened, knowing exactly who it was. "I need to speak with you," Thorin said to her quietly.
She pulled her arm from his hand, not looking at him. "No."
"No?" Thorin asked her in shock.
"No," she repeated. "I don't care what you want to say to me, and I don't care if you aim to apologize. It doesn't matter anymore, does it? The Orcs found us, and here we are. Perhaps it would have changed something if you had wanted to talk before, but it's too late. We're already here."
"Miss Baggins-"
"No," she said. "I'm not doing this." She picked up her pace and walked away from him, joining Bilbo near the front of the group. He glanced at her as she walked up to him, and she could tell from his face that he had heard everything. However, he didn't say anything about it.
They reached a courtyard where several different tables has been set up, food littering them. The dwarves stopped when they saw the vegetables and plants, grumbling to themselves.
Cheyanne sighed and took her seat first in order to move the dwarves into doing the same. Bilbo sat down as well on her left. Balin glanced at the other dwarves before moving to sit across from them.
Slowly, the others did the same, taking places at the tables, loading vegetables and greens onto their plates.
Ori seemed to be the most stubborn, and his older brother Dori pushed some vegetables toward him. "Try it, just a little."
"I don't like green food," Ori muttered, pushing through the leaves.
Dwalin mumbled from where he was seated besides Balin on the opposite side of the table from Cheyanne and Bilbo. "Where's the meat?" he asked his brother.
"Have they got any chips?" Ori asked his brothers as Oin held up a vegetable with his knife in disgust.
Cheyanne and Bilbo, however, were both happy with having food at all. "Pass me that tray," Bilbo said, pointing down the table a ways.
Cheyanne attempted to reach for it, but her arms weren't long enough. She made another grab for it, but it was picked up and handed to her. She looked up from the tray and saw who was holding it already, finding herself looking at Thorin.
Pulling her eyes away, she took the tray and passed it Bilbo in silence. The hobbit gave her a look. "He tried to apologize."
"I don't care if he tried to give me the Arkenstone," Cheyanne muttered in response. "I don't want an apology he doesn't actually want to give."
Bilbo frowned. '"What is the Arkenstone?" he asked her.
"The Arkenstone is what you're going to steal."
Elrond and Gandalf reappeared and took seats near where Thorin was seated. "Lord Elrond," Gandalf began, "we found a few Elven blades we would like you to look at, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," responded Elrond.
Gandalf looked at Thorin, who paused before withdrawing his sword from its scabbard and handing it to Lord Elrond. The elf took it and held it carefully in two hands.
"This is Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver," he said after a moment. "It was forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the West, my kin. A very famous blade." He passed Orcrist backed to Thorin. "May it serve you well."
Thorin accepted the blade with a nod, and Gandalf handed Elrond his own weapon. "Ah, and this is Glamdring, the Foe-hammer," he said appraisingly. "Sword of the King of Gondolin. These blades, they were made for the goblin wars of the First Age..."
Movement in the corner of Cheyanne's eye caused her to look at Bilbo. He had pulled Sting from its scabbard and was staring down at it. Balin noticed this as well and said, "Ah, I wouldn't bother, laddie. Blades are named for their great deeds in battle."
"What?" Bilbo asked, looking across the table at the dwarf. "Are you saying my sword hasn't seen battle?"
Balin shrugged. "I wouldn't say it's a sword. More like a letter opener, really."
"How did you come by these weapons?" Lord Elrond was asking Gandalf.
"We found them in a troll hoard along the East-West Road," Gandalf replied, "shortly before we were ambushed by the Orcs."
"And what we're you doing on the East-West Road?" Elrond asked, gazing around the court. No one answered, and Cheyanne saw Thorin's face change to an expression of wary.
Shortly after dinner, Gandalf, Thorin, Balin and Bilbo all went with Elrond to discuss the map. Cheyanne didn't mind being alone with the dwarves, but she wanted to see the look on Thorin's face when Elrond revealed she had been right, so she went with them.
They reached a hall that led outside, and Gandalf nodded to Thorin. Thorin, who was still determined not to reveal their plans with the Elves, shook his head.
"Our business is no concern of Elves," he grumbled.
"For goodness sake, Thorin," sighed Gandalf. "Show him the map!"
"It is a legacy of my people and it is mi-"
"Good lord," Cheyanne sighed in annoyance. She pulled the map from Thorin's belt and held it away from him. "You want me to read it and prove you wrong again?"
Thorin closed his eyes and stepped out of her way. She silently handed the map to Elrond. The Elf took it without a word and walked away from them towards the outside area of the hall. "Erebor." He stops and looks at Thorin. "What is your interest in this map?"
No one responded. "We just want to know if it contains any hidden text," Gandalf said after a moment, "from his father. You still read Ancient Dwarfish, don't you?"
Elrond raised an eyebrow but continued walking all the same. The moonlight hit the map, and the elf stopped again. "Cirth Ithil," he said.
"Moon runes," Gandalf mused. "Of course. An easy thing to miss."
"I told you weren't looking at it right," Cheyanne muttered under her breath.
Bilbo looked from her to Thorin, and then to Elrond. "What do they say?" the hobbit asked.
Elrond set the map down on a table at the end of the hall. The moonlight seeped into the map and lit it up from the inside. The hidden runes glowed blue on the parchment. "These runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield; the same moon shines upon us tonight," he said as the runes lit up.
The others walked towards the table as Elrond gazed down upon the words. "'Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole.'"
"Durin's Day?" asked Bilbo, glancing around at them.
"It is the start of the dwarves' new year when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together," Gandalf told him.
"This is ill news," Thorin said quietly. "Summer is passing; Durin's Day will be upon us soon."
"We still have time to gain entrance into the mountain," Balin said, looking down at the map.
"So, that is your goal, then? To get inside Erebor?" Elrond asked, gazing steadily at Thorin. "Most would deem this unwise."
"We know that," Thorin agreed, gruffly grabbing the map. "Balin, halflings."
Cheyanne glanced up at Gandalf as she passed him and gave the wizard a knowing look. He nodded slightly in response, and she picked up her pace to join the others.
As soon as they were out of the hall, Thorin began to speak. "We need to leave as soon as possible. We do not have much time."
"We would have had more time if you had listened to Cheyanne beforehand," Balin said gently.
"No, we wouldn't have, because we would have been unable to read the words," Thorin replied.
"Actually, I knew what they said a while ago," Cheyanne injected.
Thorin stiffened ahead of her. "All the same, the opportunity has been lost. Do I regret it? Slightly, but there is no point in dwelling on it. Agreed, Cheyanne?"
"Yes, my king," she grunted in exaggeration.
"Which is why we must leave quickly to make up for the time we have lost."
"We should leave in the night," Balin suggested. "They will not find us gone until it is too late."
"So we will," said Thorin. "Let us go tell the others."
"What about Gandalf?" Bilbo queried, looking up at Cheyanne.
She didn't respond.
This chapter's long a'f. Damn.
I'll see ya on Saturday.
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