DISCLAIMER: Let's get this out of the way. I do not own or have any hope of ever owning the characters or happenings of middle earth. They belong to Tolkien and as far as I'm concerned he can keep them. For now. I do however, own my OC, Kidhuzel! So don't steal her. Please, feel free to leave any comments and/or questions that you may have. Follow the story in which ever way you would like, but make your thoughts known but be polite while you do it. Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~

CHAPTER 17

Observing his brother wallowing in his self-pity almost makes Balin wish for Kidhuzel's manifestation. Ever since they had caught up to the dwarrow, Balin has been watching his brother fall deeper and deeper into a melancholic state. The elder sibling had barely been able to get his brother to reveal the source of his disheartenment before the younger became unresponsive all together. Even the king is having little to no luck with dragging the dwarf from his funk.

Not that Balin blames his brother for his mood; just the delivery of it. Were he any other dwarrow who harmed their One he would reject all forms of interaction; instead falling into a deep dark hole of depression and self hatred. Dwalin on the other hand has become explosive between his bouts of silence; driving everyone away from him in fear of his temper.

"Be on your guard, we're about to step over the Edge of the Wild." The elderly dwarf could not have said it better himself. Wildlife rules the area surrounding them, only leaving a slightly worn path to acknowledge that intelligent civilization passes when needed. Stomping his shoe deliberately, the dwarf pushes a rock that has slipped into his boot from under his toe. 'Even the stones are more treacherous out here.' And yet, Thorin trusts him not to guide them off a cliff "Balin, you know these paths, lead on."

"Aye." he agrees without a fuss, though it has been many years since he last made the trip "Onward then."

His answer is drowned out by the king lightly berating the hobbit for not moving fast enough. Sighing again at the bleak landscape, Balin can only hope for Kidhuzel's swift return. For as long as she remains absent, Dwalin cannot heal and if Dwalin doesn't heal, then everyone will be affected by his ever darkening mood. Looking to the cloudy skies, Balin tugs his worn coat closer to his frame.

'It will rain soon' He thinks to himself over his brother's heavy brooding 'Or perhaps it will blow over.'

Behind him Dwalin kicks the stone wall so violently that a chunk of the mountain dislodges, leaving a prominent dent in its wake.

'Please hurry back, lassie.'

~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~

"I HATE the rain."

"So you have said quite often enough that I should not like to hear it again."

Had El not been so completely and utterly drenched to the bones, she would have struck the wizard. It would be an ill planned action, being that she clutches at his cloak; trusting him to safely guide her through the downpour. The head start she had meant nothing once the dam had run horns first into the storm. With no way to move forward and too stubborn to go back, the half drake had huddled on the side of the mountain until Gandalf found her hours later.

"How can you control the element and be so wary of it is beyond even me." he continues to gripe as they trudge along, fighting the gusty winds with each step "Strange indeed."

"It most certainly is not STRANGE." wiping her nose only to realize that she'd unintentionally used the grey cloth but not caring, Kidhuzel stomps violently through the numerous puddles "My talents lie with ice and, to an unfortunate lesser degree, fire. Though I can manipulate water as well, it is not a primary gift I attribute to myself. It instead conflicts with my natural pyrogenic abilities, which is, of course, only natural."

"Hn." not fully accepting the explanation but having no desire to argue with the girl, Gandalf pushes on "So it would seem."

"A minor set back." Suddenly hit with a familiar scent, the young woman crouches down to run her hand over the dented stone barrier. Bringing her fingers to her nose, she breathes deeply and nods "My mate is close."

"Yes." the wizard agrees sagely, not stopping to break for the snooping drake but she quickly catches up anyway "I instructed them to wait for me in the mountains."

"Do not be foolish." she chuckles lightly and without mirth "They would not stop for anything short of a giant."

"Then it is a good thing it is the stone giants' mating season." from the tone of his voice, El knows the wizard has a smug grin on his face and it places a frown on her own. Gandalf always seems to know more than he should, yet he is not infallible and can make mistakes or overlook the obvious "They will be forced to take cover for the night, if they have not already."

"You knew my bearer would not suffer to wait, so you planned ahead to ensure that he did?" at his hum of neither agreement nor disagreement, El shakes her soaked head. The locks, so leaden with water, sweep the ground like a veil and El grimaces at how many rocks are probably tangled in the ends by now "Perhaps you are not a fool after all."

"Perhaps."

"Did you plan for them to fall to goblins as well?" this stops the wizard up short and El is thankful for her night vision, despite how limited it is by the rain. As he turns, it grants her the ability to see his eyes open wide and a comical 'oops' to be mouthed "I can smell both dwarf and goblin from here, even with the rain. They are not far."

"That is most unfortunate." The two stare at each other quietly for a moment, neither seeming particularly concerned "I suppose we should go aid them then."

"Aid?" she snorts with a slight grin without flashing her teeth. She knows they make the wizard wary, though she is once again unsure why she cares "It will be more of a rescue of babes from the lion's den."

"Do not let Thorin hear you uttering such things." the wizard responds, moving forward once more "He would not think it funny."

"And who cares what he thinks!?"

For a moment, Gandalf thinks it is Kidhuzel who has shouted but quickly disregards the idea. For one, the voice came from up ahead and secondly, it was definitely male. Having also heard the exclamation, El peaks around the wizard, cautious not to creep to close to the edge, to view the speaker. What the pair find is a waterlogged hobbit clinging to the side of the mountain for dear life. His brown hair has darkened with the cascading rain and his clothes look torn as if he had been roughed up. Sniffing gently, Kidhuzel turns her nose up at the slight scent of blood, noting the cuts on his finger tips.

"Bilbo Baggins!" rushing forward, Gandalf examines the hobbit's minor injuries. He clucks his tongue disapprovingly but sighs contently at finding only scrapes "What has happened to you, my dear lad? Where are the others?"

"It is no business of mine where those... those... clot heads shove off to!" El is more than surprised at the usually docile hobbit's temper. Her companion is not normally so hostile or dismissive "Hopefully they are far away from me!"

"What has caused you such upset, Bilbo?" stepping around the wizard to better examine the gentlehobbit, El takes his hands in her own. Turning them over repeatedly, though careful of her claws, the woman hums at the wounds "These are a few hours old, yet your anger is fresh. What has occurred?"

"... There was... an accident." shaking off the blush at having the young dam hold his hands so brazenly, Bilbo reminds himself that her actions are not meant to be so forward "You see... there were these giants..."

Gandalf and El listen carefully to Bilbo's story, while trying not to rush him. While ruffled and angry, the hobbit does not appear frightened from what would indicated a goblin ambush, stilling there rush to find the company. Kidhuzel's face remains flat throughout the conversation, even as she hears of her bearer and mate's bravery. It is only when Bilbo tells of the harsh treatment her companion received that she frowns. Her gaze flickers to the wizard to watch him wince as the story progresses.

"It was terrible! Thorin insulted and criticized me all the way to the cave." he murmurs at the end of his story, clearly embarrassed "I understood why he was angry but..."

"His treatment of you was excessive." Gandalf admits sullenly, grasping the shorter male's shoulder for support "He was simply worried and expressed it badly."

"I thought as much but I was so tired of his words that I feared I would say something I'd regret." ducking his head in shame, Bilbo toes the rocky ground, thankful that the rain has let up a bit "I was only going to get a bit of fresh air but the moment I reached the exit, he called me a coward and quite literally threw me from the cave!"

"Oh dear!"

"My carrier is a passionate dwarf and most likely saw your need for space as a betrayal."

"Be that as it may, I can see when I am not wanted." it is clear to everyone that the hobbit is deeply hurt by the happenings of late "I did not come along on this adventure to be thrown off of cliffs!"

"No." the dam agrees, before pinning the hobbit with her mesmerizing gaze. Had he been a dwarf he would have been her's to command "You came to be burned to death by a dragon."

"Now, Kidhuzel." Gandalf hastily starts "Perhaps-"

"You came on this quest seeking adventure. Both danger and excitement from whichever direction they may come."

"N-N-Not from those I should call my companions." he rightly argues, as the wizard is left to simply look on in silence before going about his business "They may not keep me safe, but must they purposely cause my death?!"

"If he wished your death, my bearer would have simply let you fall from that cliff." biting his lip, Bilbo fights back a retort to El's logic. Had Thorin truly had no care for him either way, he would not have risked his life to save him "My bearer wished for you to live and has little faith that you can do so from here on. Hence, he cast you out in a hope to keep you alive."

"He... but..." scrunching his brows until they crease harshly, the hobbit frowns in confusion "I have signed a contract and a Baggins never goes back on his word! I knew the dangers! He can not simply discharge me based on an act that could have happened to anyone!"

"I agree." El says with a smirk before spinning in a circle "Is this cave where you last saw them?"

"Cave?" Bilbo gapes dumbly before taking a step back. The rain had stopped pelting them some time ago but it is only now that he realizes why "How... when... How did we get here?!"

"We walked, though Gandalf went ahead to check for the others." the girl shrugs her shoulders before removing her cloak and boots to wring them out "In case they walked ahead."

"Ah... Well, of-of course though..." he averts his eyes as she begins strangely redressing again "We did not see them come back to us nor are they in this cave. They must have gone ahead."

"They could have. Or they could have fallen off the mountain all together. But it's more likely that the goblins opened the door beneath us and snatched them up." watching the dirt slide to the center of the room, El blinks at the frozen hobbit "Sort of like they are doing now."

"P-P-P-P-P-P-Pardon?!"

"Do not worry." she assures as gently as she can. Grasping the hobbits hand in her own, Kidhuzel takes a deep breath "This IS what you came along for, yes?"

Bilbo's answer is lost in the rushing air as the floor cracks open and dumps them into the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~

Yaaaaaay! Chapter to read! I hope you enjoyed it! I'm trying to go just a touch different than the story but not enough to change everything around. It'll be fun, I promise. So lets give a warm round of applause to the reviewers from last chapter, yes? Yes! Obsessed reader and YMR, THANK YOU! ~Shishi