Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 3 of Wings of the Fae. I want to thank those who have left reviews for this story. It does mean a lot to me that you guys are enjoying this story. In the last chapter, we have met with the three faes. We have met the Spring, Autumn, and Summer faes. I'm excited to show you guys what is next. Will Win show up to the meeting? And will Thorin remember? Without further ado Chapter 3. ENJOY!
Chapter 3
They opened the door and there stood Thorin Oakenshield.
Thorin entered the hobbit hole. "Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."
"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!" Bilbo said, exasperated by the whole idea of a mark being on his door.
The three fae women looked at one another. They knew that there was a chance the one that they were waiting for wasn't going to show up.
"There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield." Gandalf said, looking at Bilbo.
"So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" Thorin said, moving forward, eyeing Bilbo. So far he didn't like the idea of having an extra person.
"Pardon me?"
"Ax or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"
"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant."
"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."
The dwarves laughed.
Thorin then looked over to see the three fae women. "I see that the Summer, Autumn, and Spring faes are true to their word…" He said, eyeing each one of them.
"Each one is willing to prove their worth to your company," Gandalf said with a nod of his head.
Thorin swallowed the thick lump in his throat not seeing the one that he was hoping was there that said she would be there to reclaim his homeland if it came to that.
WFWFWF
Thorin slowly ate his meal as the dwarves chattered around him.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin questioned looking at Thorin with a hopeful gaze that something good would come from this.
"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."
The dwarves murmured their joy along with the three faes.
"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin questioned leaning forward and looking at Thorin.
"They will not come."
The dwarves murmured their disappointment with the whole thing.
"They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."
There were more disappointed murmurs.
Bilbo blinked a few times. "You're going on a quest?"
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light."
There was then a knock on the door.
Gandalf blinked a few times slowly getting up to his feet. "She's here."
"She?" Fili asked, confused. "She who?"
Gandalf went to the door and opened it revealing Win dressed in a blue cloak. "Win. I was expecting you earlier than this."
"Got a little sidetracked at the beautiful nature of the shire," Win said as she removed her cloak revealing her blue and white traveling clothes. She slowly put her weapons down with the others. "I take it everyone is here."
"Yes." Gandalf put his hand on her back and led her into the dining room. "One late fae." He mused as he led her to the table.
"Sorry, I am late," Win said softly, offering everyone a small smile.
Thorin looked up at Win with a surprised look on his face.
Win slowly sat down in one of the empty spots as Gandalf spread out a map on the table.
Bilbo brought a candle over to the table.
"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak." Gandalf began to tell them what this meeting was all about.
"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo said, looking at the map and reading what it had said.
"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time." Gloin said, pounding his fist onto the table.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end," Oin explained to them.
"Uh, What beast?" Bilbo asked rather concerned about what this beast could be.
"Well, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, the chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals-" Bofur explained to Bilbo only to get cut off by the sandy-haired hobbit.
"Yes, I know what a dragon is."
"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarvish iron right up his jacksie." Ori said, shooting up from his seat.
"Sit down!" Dori said, grabbing his arm and forcing him to sit down.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest. And four fae… numbering us to 17…"
"What did he say?" Oin questioned tilting his horn to the side to hear what Balin had said.
"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili said, smacking the table with his hand.
"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Kili said with a smile.
"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I- -" Gandalf said, stuttering.
"How many, then?" Dori questioned curiously.
"Uh, what?"
"Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"
"Hm."
Win let out a breath shaking her head. She was a fae and she knew that Gandalf wasn't that much of a fighter against creatures unless he had to. It was more of elves or fae, and sometimes other dwarves that finished off dragons, never the wizards.
Gandalf coughed on his pipe smoke.
The dwarves began to argue amongst themselves in trying to figure out how many dragons Gandalf had killed.
Thorin jumped up to his feet. "Shazara! If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!"
Win's lips quirked a bit into a small smile. She had to admit that it was nice to see Thorin take control of the meeting.
The dwarves cheered.
"You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain." Balin said, looking at Thorin.
"That's right," Win said softly looking down remembering that was very true. Smaug had done a lot of damage to the front gate sealing it for good.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf said, twisting fingers around and producing the key of dwarvish make.
Thorin looked at it in surprise. "How came you by this?"
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf said, handing the key to Thorin.
"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili said leaning forward, liking the idea.
Gandalf pointed at the runes that were on the map with his pipe. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."
Kili wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder and grinned. "There's another way in!"
"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori said, thinking surprised that they needed a burglar for such a thing.
"Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine." Bilbo said, bringing his hand up to his mouth thinking.
"And are you?" Gloin questioned looking at Bilbo.
"Am I what?"
"He said he's an expert! Hey hey!" Oin said slapping the table.
Several people laughed.
"M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life."
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material." Balin said, looking over at Bilbo.
Bilbo nodded in agreement.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin said, shaking his head.
Linetta pursed her lips together as Bilbo continued to nod his head in agreement with what was being said about him, but it caused an argument among the dwarves.
Win let out a breath shaking her head. As passionate as dwarves were, she knew that fighting was the only thing that they could do if they didn't agree upon something.
Gandalf stood up to his full height casting shadows upon them. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is." Gandalf took a breath and went back to his normal self. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."
Thorin took a breath thinking for a moment. "Very well. We will do it your way.
"No, no, no," Bilbo said, shaking his head.
"Give him the contract."
"Please."
"Alright, we're off!" Bofur said with a grin.
Balin handed Bilbo a very long contract. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, and so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo questioned in surprise. He took a step back to read the contract.
Win looked over at Thorin with a worried look knowing that look in his eyes. She had seen it the day that Erebor was lost. Her ears twitched lightly as she heard what he had said to Gandalf. She knew that the other fae could hear what was being said with their heightened hearing abilities.
"I cannot guarantee his safety," Thorin whispered to Gandalf.
"Understood," Gandalf said with a nod of his head.
"Nor will I be responsible for his fate."
"Agreed."
"Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one-fourteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations ... evisceration … incineration?" Bilbo squeaked out looking up from the contract.
"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye," Bofur said, moving his pipe from his mouth.
Bilbo felt the breath leave him after Bofur said that. How was he even thinking of doing this? Something dangerous like this. "Huh."
"You all right, laddie?" Balin questioned slightly concerned for the hobbit.
Bilbo bent over trying to regain his breath but he wasn't succeeding in doing so. "Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint."
"Think furnace with wings," Bofur said slowly getting up to his feet.
"Air, I-I-I need air."
"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash."
Bilbo breathed in a large gasp of air trying to compose himself as the others watched. "Hmmm. Nope." Bilbo fell to the floor fainting.
Gandalf let out a breath shaking his head lightly. "Ah, very helpful, Bofur."
Linetta got up as her wings materialized behind her pink and fluttering as she easily lifted herself off of the ground. She flitted over to where Bilbo was and slowly lifted him into her arms. "You call this helpful? Draoidh Liath? He'll have a concussion." She said, fluttering into the other room. "Aurora!"
The blonde-haired fae jumped, sprouting her light green wings and she fluttered into the other room.
Win shook her head lightly. "I am sure we'll be down a hobbit. A company of 17 will not be enough to claim the mountain…" She let out a breath getting up to her feet.
Thorin watched Win slowly walk out of the room. His heart pounded inside of his chest. He missed her, but she wasn't the fae that he had remembered. She had grown colder over time, but he still cared deeply about her.
Balin put his hand on Thorin's arm, patting it. "You should talk to her laddie."
"I highly doubt she'll want to talk to me. It's been years." Thorin admitted softly looking down.
"You won't know unless you try."
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This is the end of Chapter 3. A lot is going on in this chapter. I hope that you guys enjoyed it. I tried my best to write it out. When it comes to writing these chapters I take almost all day to write them to add in the extra tidbits about the faes and what not to make sure that the story is evenly blended. We have one full pairing with Throin and Win which seems to match up pretty well. We just have to match up the other three faes with their counterparts. I'm excited to show you guys what will happen next in this story.
Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. I hope that it turned out better than I thought it did. I'm excited to show you more of what is to come. Reviews help me keep going when it comes to updates. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Until next time.
Draoidh Liath?- Gray Wizard?
