Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit, or profit from this work.

Chapter 29: Cog in the Machine

There's a snake lurking in the grass.

—Virgil

Now that she was out of the burning town, Gemma finally felt the cold. She was absolutely soaked, every muscle in her body ached, and her fingers had turned a remarkable shade of blue. When their boat, which the four of them had managed to procure from the wreckage of the town surprisingly intact, finally reached the beach by the refugee camp, Gemma leapt out. People crowded the beach, looking lost and disoriented, and in the crowds it took a lot longer than she would have liked to find her friends. Some people were wailing and screaming, others sobbing, and still others completely silent. And amidst it all, a few men and women had managed to put up small tents, build fires, and scavenge up some food. As horrifying as it all was, this made Gemma proud to be human; if nothing else, they were survivors.

Gemma stopped for a second to help a woman holding a baby, who was struggling to wrap herself in a blanket with her one free hand. Looked around, lost, and turned to Gemma with pleading eyes. "Have you seen my husband?" she asked. Gemma only shook her head. "Why is this happening?" the woman implored, looking down at her little baby. "Why now?"

"I'm sorry. I… don't know," was all Gemma could say. But as the woman walked off, her words hit Gemma.

Why now?

"Gemma!"

Two solid bodies collided with her from behind, then a third and a fourth. When the dwarves finally released her, she pulled them back into another embrace. "I'm really, really cold," she explained. They awkwardly shuffled their tight group over to a tent where Legolas and Tauriel stood, in deep conversation. Fili disappeared for a moment, and then re-emerged with her bag and a wool blanket. "Thanks," Gemma smiled, and quickly changed out of her wet clothes and into some dry ones, using the blanket to shield her body. It required a bit of manoeuvring, but soon she was much drier. Her wet things were hung to dry by the fire, which Gemma still avoided, despite the chill.

Once more blankets and weak tea—the best they could do under the circumstances— were passed around, the little group got to business. Bard joined the group, his arms wrapped around his children, smiling brighter than Gemma had ever seen. Not that Gemma really knew him well; it just felt like she did. It was the same feeling she shared with Legolas. She didn't truly know them, but they had shared an experience that would forever bond them. When Tilda caught sight of Gemma, she bounded over and wrapped her little arms around Gemma's legs. Gemma made a mental note to visit Bard and his family often in the future. Truth be told, she adored them.

"Right then, once we're all sorted, we'd best be off," Oin announced to the group, gesturing to the five Company members. Gemma could see that all the dwarves were anxious to leave for the mountain, not that she could blame them. They needed to see if the rest of the Company was still alive. She knew that they were only waiting for her, because there really wasn't much to get sorted other than Gemma warming up.

She shook her head. "You guys get going, I'll meet you there." Gemma wasn't staying behind just to warm up, though that was a big part of it. A small part of her wanted to stay behind because she was terrified of what she might find in Erebor. But, more pressingly, she was going to stay behind because she needed to speak with Bard and Legolas. She'd been thinking about a lot of things as she sat there warming up. Things from a long time ago, when she'd first landed here, and more recent things. Things that she should have questioned, but had somehow let slip. She had a… theory, of sorts, and if it was true, it could mean a hell of a lot of trouble.

The dwarves seemed surprised by this, but they did not argue, and after a moment, they each nodded in acceptance. By now, the Company had come to realise that there was no changing Gemma's mind, and it was better just to trust that she knew what she was doing (even though that wasn't always true). Soon a boat was prepared and the dwarves were loading in, Kili stopping quickly to exchange a few whispered words with the redheaded elf—Tauriel, as Gemma recalled. Gemma observed the exchange with a wry smile; Kili certainly was a bleeding heart, and Tauriel was sucking it right up. Not that Gemma should judge, what with her unconventional, whirlwind romance with Thorin. Though, she and Thorin had spent every waking moment at each other's side for the past few months, so it really wasn't as rushed as, say, falling in love after two days. But no, Gemma reminded herself, she wasn't going to judge. Perhaps she was just being a bit protective of the young dwarf.

As the boat set off into the lake, Gemma stood and gestured for Bard to follow her. "You two, with me," she called to Legolas and Tauriel as she passed them. Legolas looked like he wanted to complain about being ordered around, but he kept his mouth shut and followed, with Tauriel just behind. Good, Gemma thought with a smirk. One simply does not argue with Gemma LaRoche after a night like last night. Not when she's wearing that dangerous expression of determination on her face. The four of them were going to have a serious discussion, because the pieces were beginning to fall into place. This adventure was far from over, and something bad—something very, very big and very, very bad—was about to happen. And this time, her suspicions were based on more than just gut instinct.

A quake shook the mountain, coming up from the burning town below, and the Company sprang to their feet, chancing a look in the direction most had been avoiding. Esgaroth still blazed, but the shadow of Smaug could not be seen in the smoke. "He fell," Bilbo said after a moment, disbelieving. "He fell, I saw it. Smaug is… dead!" The others moved closer for a better look, but Thorin remained seated, back turned to the flaming town of Men.

"I think he is! Look," Gloin exclaimed, "the ravens are returning to the mountain."

"Aye, and before long every soul in Middle Earth shall know the dragon is dead!" Balin proclaimed to cheers.

But Thorin did not believe this was something to be celebrated. Yes, the dragon's death was good news, but it was the idea of every soul in the land knowing that Erebor lay unprotected which worried him. He could not protect his gold with only nine against the rest of Middle Earth. He would not give up his gold. He had lost all other things dear to him— his nephews, his love— but he would not lose this hard-won prize. He stood from his perch and made his way back into the mountain fortress, headed for the treasure halls.

He waded through the gold, stopping to pick up a chalice, inspect it, throw it back, pick up something else, as he went. It was cathartic, being in here. He could momentarily forget about all his other worries in the face of this one success. The treasure spoke to him; whispers of a lost kingdom, reclaimed at last. He found a ring among the hoard, and sat down to examine it. It was made of gold and mithril, with a diamond the size of a robin's egg. He threw it back. Too flashy. He found another, this one with a white gold band and a black pearl, extremely rare. But not right. Oh. There was one. It had a thin band made of mithril, decorated with the miniscule details of a curly filigree pattern. In the centre was a single small stone of a dark red colour, far richer and more beautiful than simple rubies or garnets: red beryl, a rare stone found in the depths of Erebor. Cranberry red, her favourite colour. Thorin looked at it for a long time, before placing it in his pocket. He didn't know why.

Minutes, or perhaps hours later, Balin found him, still wandering through the hoard. The old dwarf looked at Thorin hard, with an expression somewhere between worry and wonder. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but only told Thorin that the sun was rising now. Thorin nodded to him, only half listening. After a moment Balin realized that that was the only reaction he would get, so he turned to go.

"Lake-town still burns," Balin said gravely as he exited the treasure chambers. The old dwarf chanced a look back at his king over his shoulder, but Thorin didn't even seem to have heard.

"Why are we…?"

Gemma held her finger to her lips, quieting Bard, and gestured for the others to sit on the log she had brought them to. It was a little ways away from the crowded beach, so they had relative privacy. She began to pace back and forth, biting her lip and thinking hard. She was still forming her theory, still working out the details as best she could. Was she sure? She had to be sure before she told anyone else. Was she?

"Gemma?"

She held up a finger, continuing to pace. "Just shut up for a second. I'm thinking." So the three others on the log watched her pace back and forth, mumbling to herself. "Yes… and that… but could… no…yes…"

Finally she seemed to perk up, as if she had come to a sort of conclusion, which she sort of had. Sitting down beside Legolas, rested her elbows on her knees and leant forward, trying to put her ideas into words. "My Company, that is to say, the Company of Thorin Oakenshield… we were travelling with a wizard. Gandalf the Grey, you might know him. We parted ways just before entering Mirkwood. Apparently he had some sudden business to the south to attend to. But, no, let me start over, because this goes back further than that." Gemma rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, choosing her words more carefully while the others waited patiently. "Do you have a map?" She asked the others. "A map that stretches from here all the way to the Shire?"

"I can see if I can find one." Bard replied, but Tauriel stopped him and pulled out a map from within her jacket.

"Well, that's very handy, thanks." Gemma spread the map out over her knees. She searched for a moment, and then found where she was looking for. "This," she said, pointing to an area on the map, "is about the place where the Company and I were first ambushed by the orcs. Gandalf was with us at the time and we'd just encountered Radagast the Brown. Those two had a conversation about something, I don't know what, but something serious. Radagast kept mentioning darkness and sickness in the forest. And then the wargs came and Gandalf told us we were being hunted. Later on in Rivendell," Gemma pointed to the region in question, "Gandalf left us again to talk with Lord Elrond and some others. Again, I don't know about what, but it seemed like more was going on. And then much later, before leaving us in Mirkwood, he seemed very troubled about something he saw at the edge of the forest, and suddenly decided to leave us." She pointed to the edge of the forest. "He said he would return, that he would meet us at the mountain. But he mustn't have reached it. If he had, assuming that the Company within the mountain is still… alive, well, I know he would have come down from the mountain to help when he saw the town burning. But Gandalf's not here." She took a deep breath. "And those orcs, they followed us the rest of our journey. The Goblin King said there was a price on Thorin's head. I thought it was Azog who was hunting him, but what if it's something more?

She let that sink in before continuing. "There was a woman, down on the beach, who said something to me. She asked me why now? And it got me thinking. Why did Gandalf start this quest now? Why are all these terrible things suddenly occurring now? This sickness in the forest, this unknown danger to the south. Doesn't seem like a good time to be travelling. And Gandalf could care less about the gold in Erebor, so why was he so keen on taking back the mountain? He was downright adamant about it. I think he had some sort of plan, and it has something to do with those orcs who have attacked all of us. They, or whoever they're working for, really didn't want that mountain reclaimed by the dwarves. And I really think they were working for someone, because somehow I don't think Azog or any of the orcs are smart enough or powerful enough to make Gandalf worried."

She finished and looked to the others, gauging their reaction.

"And now the dwarves have reclaimed the mountain," Bard said. "Either that or they are all dead and the mountain lies unprotected." Gemma flinched at his words. "But this darkness you believe is rising, you do not think it is done with the dwarves, do you?"

Gemma chewed at her lip again, reluctant to answer after everything that Bard and his people had already been through. "I don't think it's done with any of us. I think they'll be coming here. Soon. I think something very bad is going to happen. Or rather, I think something very bad is starting to happen right now."

"South, you said?" Legolas asked, breaking his silence and leaning over to look at the map. "Gandalf went south from the edge of the forest, right here?" Gemma nodded, and Legolas slowly trailed his finger down the map, until he stopped at a location. "Dol Guldur," he said solemnly. The others seemed to know what this meant, and it didn't seem to be good.

"What's… whatever you said?"

"It was a stronghold of old dark power. There have been rumours that something stirs within the fortress once more," Tauriel explained. "That is where the giant spiders came from. They have been attacking our borders relentlessly as of late. But if the Grey wizard has gone there, there must be something worse than spiders. Something stirs indeed, something with dominion over the orcs. Perhaps even…" She looked towards Legolas, sharing a silent conversation.

"Perhaps even a great evil… from the Second Age." Legolas finished.

"Um… the what?"

Tauriel looked at her strangely. "Surely, you know of what I speak."

"I'm not exactly from around here," Gemma said with a shrug. That was another mystery, wasn't it? Why was she here now? And why her? Could she fit into this somehow?

"The darkness spanned all of Middle Earth. Whom I speak of is known by all in this world."

Gemma grinned, humourlessly, and replied, "Like I said, I'm not from around here."

AN:

Because I'm so sorry for not updating this past weekend, and because I won't be able to do it again this weekend (I'm really busy right now, it's driving me insane), I figured I'd better update now. You guys deserve it after such great reviews last chapter.

I got lots of responses about what actress you guys think could play Gemma. I particularly liked TheWriter'sMistress's suggestion of Olivia Wilde. I think, physically at least, she really looks the part, even better than my own idea. Those eyebrows are perfect! For me, I always thought of Gemma as Paget Brewster, because I loosely based Gemma off her character in Criminal Minds. Or possibly Tatiana Maslany (from Orphan Black), because that woman is such an amazing actress. Or maybe a mixture of the two.

Sorry that the chapter's a bit boring, but it's very important. Also, that little part with the ring is pretty much the last little bit of genuine fluff between Thorin and Gemma that you'll be getting for a while. Red Beryl is real by the way, and it's one of the rarest and most valuable gems in the world.

Have a great week, and don't forget to review!