No sooner had I exited the cave when Thorin shouted that something was coming, preceded by a flurry of birds taking off in alarm and a distant rustling in the forest which was drawing closer at a great speed.
"Stay together!" Gandalf shouted. "Hurry now. Arm yourselves."
The others grabbed their weapons and hurried forward as a group. Bilbo and I hung back. It appeared that he had found himself a small sword as well. We looked at each other, each holding our new weapon rather awkwardly. He then nodded to me, and slowly drew his sword. He appraised it a moment, then looked back up, tilted his head, made a funny high pitched throaty noise, then finally made up his mind, nodded, and plodded off after the others. I took his cue and pulled mine out. Despite the scabbard being rather dirty and aged, the sword itself had a clean metallic sheen. I got a quick feel for its weight, then followed Bilbo towards the group. Some of dwarves did a double-take when they noticed it in my hand.
We all tensed when the disturbance got near, but that tension was short lived as through the trees came bursting not some foul beast, but the strangest sight I had ever seen in my life: a procession of large rabbits pulling a wildman on a makeshift sled.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" The wildman yelled, looking around frantically as his sled came to a stop in our midst. No one made a move to attack; in fact no one seemed to know what to do at all.
"Ah Radagast!" Gandalf exclaimed as he sheathed his sword and approached the sled. "Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you, Gandalf." The other wizard replied as we all looked on with interest. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."
"Yes?" Gandalf prompted.
Radagast opened his mouth to speak, but then seemed to falter; he tried again and then paused. "Oh just give me a minute... Um... Ohh." He whined. "I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was, it was right there, on the tip of my tongue."
After a moment he continued, his voice oddly muffled. "Oh, it's not a thought at all; it's a silly old-"
We all looked on in disbelief as Gandalf proceeded to pull a living insect off of Radagast's tongue.
"Stick insect." Radagast finished, holding out his hand to take it, his expression quite fond.
I looked around, my face likely mirroring the confusion I noticed on everyone else's. Bilbo looked rather off-put. The wizards walked a few paces away from the group in a private discussion.
"Well, you don't see that every day." Bofur said, leaning on his mattock. I agreed and then went to fetch my horse, hoping the ponies hadn't led him off too far. When I returned I saw that Thorin looked rather impatient; Gandalf and Radagast were still quietly speaking, so everyone was just aimlessly milling about waiting for them to finish.
Suddenly a nearby howl caused us all to jump up in alertness. I tried to steady my horse as he began to prance about anxiously.
"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked worriedly. "Are there wolves out there?"
"Wolves?" Bofur repeated. "No, that is not a wolf."
I only had time enough to look back when I heard the snarl. An alarmingly large mutant of a wolf had appeared over the crag. It pounced, taking my horse down and sending me flying forward as well. Thorin killed the beast quickly, but my poor mount was still alive, mortally wounded and making a terrible noise. Vicious claw marks raked his side, bright red blood spilling out over his sleek coat, and though he tried to rise frantically on trembling legs, he faltered and fell once more. I let out a half-sob, half-scream and scrambled over to the poor animal, trying to comfort and shush him, my hands fluttering about uselessly.
I distantly heard the commotion as another warg appeared from the opposite side, but Kili brought it down with his bow and Dwalin finished it off.
"Silence that beast! Quickly!" Thorin shouted, pointing at my horse. When I hesitated he stalked over to me, his eyes flashing in anger. I felt someone kneel down behind me and grip my shoulders. "Don't look." Bofur whispered in my ear, but I didn't listen and before I could object Thorin roughly drove the point of his sword through the horse's temple. My hand flew to my mouth and a strangled cry escaped my lips as I heard the sickening wet crunch and saw the animal start to twitch in death throes. Involuntarily I reeled away from the scene. Bofur quickly wrapped a comforting arm around me and I pressed my face against his soft coat. I was no stranger to death, having processed my fair share of chickens, fish and rabbits over the years, but I was not used to such bloodshed, and horses were not the same as chickens.
"Warg Scouts!" I heard Thorin yell, I also heard him yank up his blade out of my horses skull, causing me to flinch once more.
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf demanded, to which Thorin replied he hadn't told anyone. "Who did you tell!?" Gandalf shouted, clearly unconvinced.
"No one, I swear." Thorin insisted, causing Gandalf to huff. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted." Gandalf stated grimly.
"We have to get out of here." Dwalin announced.
Ori and Bifur appeared over the ridge yelling that the ponies had all bolted.
"Come on. Up." Bofur said, pulling me to my feet. "Someone grab her belongings." he shouted to those nearest. Nori hurriedly began to work at freeing my saddle bags. I took a breath and met Bofur's concerned gaze.
"You're hurt." he said, grabbing my hands and turning them over to expose my palms, which were bleeding slightly and dark with dirt. I must have skinned them when the warg's attack knocked me to the ground, I hadn't even noticed.
"I'm alright." I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and sliding my hands out of his. Nori brought over the bags from my horse, I thanked him quickly then rifled through them, shoving the essentials into my backpack and securing my sleeping rolls on it as well. Bofur then passed me my scabbard and helped me properly put it on. The sword hung down at my hip, where it felt wildly out of place on me.
Kili approached and quickly briefed us on what we had missed. "The other wizard is going to lead off the orcs for us." he explained, looking back towards Thorin and Gandalf. "Time to go!" he added with an excited grin.
I donned my now very full backpack, regretfully leaving my other bags behind even though they still contained some gear. I reasoned, however, that I would be lucky to even manage just the one pack while on foot. We crept towards the edge of the tree line behind Gandalf and jogged out, stopping behind a large group of rocks.
"Prepare yourself for a bit of running." Bofur said as he hoisted up his gear. I nodded, biting my lip anxiously. I was already feeling the effects from the sleepless night we had thanks to the trolls. Suddenly, Radagast shot out of the forest and the warg pack took up the chase.
"Come and get me! Ha ha!" We heard the wizard taunt before leading the hunters away.
"Come on!" Gandalf ordered. We all rushed out onto the rocky plain and I began to realize when Bofur had said prepare for a bit of running, that he was vastly under-exaggerating. After a few minutes, however, Thorin stopped short as we came about another massive rock outcrop. We watched Radagast go by in the distance, the pack not far behind, but they were still too close to us. Gandalf led us back in another direction, urging us to stay together. We had to hide once again, as the wargs seemed to be crossing our path no matter what way we chose, yet the stops were too brief for me to catch my breath. Gandalf encouraged us on once more and I grimaced, forcing myself to move despite the sweat stinging my eyes and a painful stitch in my side.
Yet again we were forced to duck behind a rock. I leaned against it heavily. Bofur was beside me, and I couldn't help but cast a quick sidelong glance at him. He looked tired, but wasn't near as breathless as I was. I noticed Kili slowly draw an arrow, and only then became aware of the low growling coming from right atop us. No wonder the group had gone so quiet. The young dwarf sprinted forward a few steps then turned and fired two arrows in quick succession. The beast and its rider tumbled over the edge of the rock but neither was dead. Dwalin and Bifur rushed forward as the orc got up and ran towards us. Dwalin smashed it back down with his axe and Thorin went to finish him off as the other two dispatched the warg, but the whole process was much too loud and took much too long. We all stood there a moment, listening as the howling began again in earnest.
"Move!" Gandalf shouted, more urgently this time. "Run!"
I wasn't sure I could anymore. My legs felt shaky and I still hadn't gotten my breathing under control, but I pushed myself away from the rock and ran with the others once more. After a few minutes, however, I slowed as a wave of dizziness took me. I could go no further.
"Oh no you don't!" Bofur said cheerily as he caught up to me, he didn't stop but simply grabbed my hand, lurching me forward and forcing me to put one foot in front of the other or else risk falling flat on my face.
It soon became apparent that we were surrounded. Thorin came to a stop, looking around wildly. We all stopped running as well, seeing the wargs begin to appear in all directions, cutting us off. I wavered slightly on my feet, black spots dancing about my vision, thankfully Bofur still had a hold of me and kept me aloft.
"There's more coming!" Kili yelled.
"Kili! Shoot them!" Thorin shouted as we closed ranks. Bofur tugged me into the centre of the group before releasing my hand and holding up his weapon. I tentatively drew my sword, though I still felt rather unsteady and knew I would be of no real help.
"Where is Gandalf?" Kili yelled after bringing down some of the riders.
"He has abandoned us!" Dwalin fumed. I watched Ori take a shot at one of the beasts with a rock and his sling. It harmlessly glanced off the creature, causing the young dwarf to take a few nervous steps back.
Thorin flourished his new sword and then held it up in front of him with steely determination. "Hold your ground!" he yelled to us.
Then from somewhere behind me I heard a familiar and welcome voice.
"This way, you fools!" Gandalf demanded, appearing for a moment from just behind a large rock.
We hastened towards where the wizard had disappeared once again, Thorin urging us to hurry. As we drew close we saw there was a sizable crack between the massive boulder and the smaller rocks in front of it. Bofur jumped in first, sliding down into a cave. I followed behind without pause, coming to a rough landing at the bottom. I clambered out of the way as Bilbo came down after me. Gandalf counted as the rest of them tumbled down the slope. Thorin and Kili were the last. We all peered up at the entrance, waiting for the warg riders to appear, but then a horn sounded and we could hear a new commotion. Suddenly an orc was launched down the chasm to land at our feet causing us all to jump back in alarm, but it was already dead.
Thorin wrenched the arrow out of its neck and examined it. "Elves." he sneered before tossing it down.
Dwalin had scouted ahead a ways and then shouted back to us. "I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?"
"Follow it, of course!" Bofur replied, rushing forward.
I leaned against the wall of the tunnel and let the others amble past me. I was completely exhausted; it was getting harder and harder to focus my eyes and so I closed them for a moment. I could have fallen asleep just like that, but a touch to my shoulder made me jump.
"Come along, it's not much further. You will be able to rest soon." Gandalf said kindly, ushering me to go on ahead of him. I smiled tiredly and obliged.
The pathway became quite narrow, and at certain spots some of the dwarves even had to turn sideways in order to get past. Thankfully it wasn't long before we found ourselves in the open, looking upon perhaps the most lovely place I'd ever set eyes upon.
"The Valley of Imladris." Gandalf announced proudly as we took in the scene.
Thorin and Gandalf soon began bickering over something. I wasn't near enough to really hear, nor did I really care at that point.
"You alright there?" Bofur asked as he sidled over to where I was standing.
I felt slightly embarrassed. Everyone else seemed perfectly well, whereas I was a shaky, sweaty mess that was near about ready to puke. I fought the urge to scowl at Bofur, who still looked like he might have just enjoyed a brisk little walk.
"Well, a horse might have come in handy back there." I grumbled, pushing some lank strands of hair out of my face.
Bofur smiled at me, somewhat pityingly, but then the group started moving again, Gandalf and Thorin seeming to come to some agreement. I moved to follow but Bofur held up his hand, stopping me.
"Give me your bag. I'll carry it for the last stretch." he said.
"No. I can manage." I said, trying to get past him, but he surprised me by grabbing my wrist.
"I wasn't asking." he said rather firmly, though his eyes were still dancing with humour. "Best hurry, we're getting left behind."
After a moment I sighed loudly and swung it off my back, handing it to him. He smiled and hitched it over his shoulder.
"Thank you." I mumbled in a very ungrateful tone as I fell in step behind him. Though truth was, it felt marvellous to be rid of the heavy thing. I rolled my shoulders and flexed, finally able to stretch my back properly.
We eventually came to and crossed a bridge entering Rivendell itself; I forced myself to watch my footing even though I wanted nothing more than to marvel at my new surroundings. When we stopped on a large landing area, I retrieved my pack from Bofur, grinning in thanks as he passed it over, and then took a moment to gape at the wonder that was Rivendell. It was beauty beyond my imagination, and I was mesmerized.
A dark-haired elf soon came down some stairs to greet us and I could not help but ogle him as well. It had been years since I had seen an elf, and even then I had only ever glimpsed them from afar during a few instances when I had been allowed on some trading ventures as a young child. He was tall, and lean, with clear, bright skin, even brighter eyes and long, smooth, shining hair on which an intricate circlet sat. He wore the finest clothing I had ever seen and seemed to simply radiate grace.
Gandalf happily stepped forward upon seeing the elf and they exchanged a few words. The dwarves, however, looked considerably less pleased and whispered amongst themselves with harsh tones. Suddenly the same horns we heard earlier rent the air and we turned to see a group of armed horsemen appear, galloping towards us down the same path on which we came.
Thorin called something in his tongue, then added "close ranks!" I was surprised when Bofur grabbed both Bilbo and I, shoving us in the middle as they formed a tight defensive circle, holding their weapons at the ready as the horsemen crossed the bridge. Bilbo and I exchanged a confused look, clearly both feeling that the dwarves self-protective actions were wholly unnecessary here, but then the riders began circling the group, making the dwarves even more on edge. I sighed and noticed Gandalf standing by the stairs with the other elf, looking completely nonplussed. At last the riders came to a stop and one of them called out to Gandalf. Gandalf greeted him as Lord Elrond. They spoke with each other in elvish but it appeared that Gandalf and he were friends as, when the elf dismounted, he embraced Gandalf in welcome.
"Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near." Lord Elrond said, switching to the common tongue and holding up an orc sword.
"Ah, that may have been us." Gandalf said, turning the attention to the group. Thorin stepped forward.
"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain." Elrond said courteously.
"I do not believe we have met." Thorin responded.
The tall elf appraised him. "You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the Mountain."
"Indeed; he made no mention of you." Thorin said rudely. I looked to the elf lord to see his reaction, but he seemed to be unphased by the impolite comment. I then peered around at the dwarves; they all had looks of distrust and some even revulsion etched upon their faces. Even Bofur had lost his kind demeanour. It was no improvement to their mood when the great elf looked towards us and addressed us all in his native tongue.
"Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin."
"What is he saying?" Gloin ranted. "Does he offer us insult?" The group grew rather combative, gripping their weapons uneasily, but Gandalf cut in.
"No, master Gloin, he's offering you food." he explained with a huff.
The dwarves settled immediately and huddled together. I heard them speaking hurriedly in their own language. "Ah well, in that case, lead on." Gloin stated after they broke apart. I rolled my eyes as we began going up the steps following Gandalf and Elrond.
"Excuse me, my lady?... My lady?"
It took me a moment to realize that I was being spoken to; I had not been addressed so politely in years. I stopped and looked around in puzzlement, then saw the dark-haired elf who had first met us looking at me questioningly.
"Oh. Yes?" I responded. He gave a small bow.
"I was instructed to escort you to a private area where you might, ah, refresh yourself. If you wish it." he said.
"Oh! Well, yes, that would be lovely, thank you." I stammered, feeling hardly able to refuse such a cordial offer. He nodded his head, then proffered me his arm. I took it lightly and he began leading me off another stairway. I quickly looked back towards my companions, a few of the dwarves had paused to watch my encounter and I caught a glimpse of something akin to disapproval etched on some of their faces. Bofur, in particular, was frowning - something I hadn't seen him do much of. I was forced to right my eyes to the path in front of me, hardly wanting to stumble alongside the most graceful person I'd ever been in proximity of, but as I walked I wondered what could spawn such a deep dislike between races.
"It is very unusual for a lone human girl to be found amidst such company." The elf said as we wove our way through the beautiful labyrinth of Rivendell.
"Yes, it must seem strange." I mused, letting his labelling of me as a girl instead of the grown woman I was slide by. "I am only travelling with them temporarily." I added rather wistfully, knowing that at some point we'd likely be parting ways.
The elf looked down at me but did not respond.
We came to a stop inside a private pavilion with a large clear bath in the centre. There was a stack of folded towels beside it.
"Here we are. I will send someone to fetch your travel garb." he bowed to me once more then promptly turned and left before I could thank him.
Hesitantly I stripped down and put my very grubby pile of clothing near the door; I also grabbed out my other dirty clothes from my bag and set them atop the pile to be washed as well. I stepped down into the water. It was quite warm, but not too hot, and it felt wonderful. I let myself sink up to my neck, relishing the feeling as it relaxed my sore muscles. I soon noticed a delicate tray nearby adorned with tiny bottles and soaps of which I took full advantage. My hands, while still sore after the warg attack, were inflicted with no more than superficial scrapes which I carefully cleaned. I then lathered my hair with the sweet smelling shampoo before settling back in and closing my eyes for another few minutes.
"Do not worry yourself," I heard a delicate woman's voice say all of the sudden, causing me to jump. "I am taking your clothing to be laundered. I will leave you something to wear this evening."
I looked to see a fair elf-maiden placing my belongings in a basket. She didn't look in my direction, which I was thankful for, and quietly let herself out when she was through.
I felt nearly rejuvenated when I was finished, and though I would have been perfectly happy to simply retire for the evening and enjoy the feeling of a bed again, I decided that I was hungry enough to seek out a meal first; that, and I was also curious as to how the dwarves were fairing. If they had received similar pampering but were still grumbling about being in an elven refuge, then I would seriously question their priorities.
After drying and untangling my hair, I padded over and grabbed the folded garment the elf had laid out for me. It was a fine material, soft and light. I shrugged it on and went to the mirror to see. It was a full length dress with a silvery sheen. It fit close to my body along the waist but flowed out elegantly at the bottom and in the sleeves. It hung off my shoulders slightly, exposing most of my collar. It was truly a stunning outfit and I Iamented that my features were so plain in comparison. I wrinkled my nose and pulled my long hair over my shoulder, trying to twist it into a neat braid. Unlike both the elves and the dwarves (even the dwarf men at that), I was rubbish at hair styles and so it turned out quite messy, with a few strands immediately escaping, but I did not wish to spend more time on it.
I was delighted to find a pair of simple sandals set out for me as well, and was thankful to don them instead of my smelly, stiff leather boots. I then gathered up the items the elf had removed from my coat pockets: a stack of coins, my handkerchief, and the crumbled necklace from the troll cave. After stashing the extra gold in my purse and placing it back at the bottom of my bag, I started cleaning off the necklace. Once I had finished I held it up for inspection. It was quite pretty. Delicate white gems adorned in silver. It would match the dress nicely, so I put it on and then left to rejoin the dwarves.
I couldn't find my way, so had to ask a nearby, handsome elf who, like the other, offered me his arm. I smiled at the politeness of them all. We soon approached an area where I could hear gentle music being performed in the background and he left me at the bottom of some steps. I watched him go with some unbidden longing, yet I was within earshot of the group that was just being served dinner and the thought of food was an even greater temptation.
"..not really dressed for dinner." I then heard Gandalf say from somewhere nearby.
"Ah, you never are." Elrond responded as they both strolled up behind me. I turned to them, bowing my head politely.
"Well, well, at least one of us is." Gandalf said happily upon seeing me. "You look wonderful, my dear."
"Thank you." I replied, and then turned to Elrond, remembering my manners but feeling somewhat intimated. "And thank you... my lord… for the hospitality." I debated trying to curtsy, but thought better of it and instead just smiled as gratefully as I could.
"You are very welcome." he said kindly. "Gandalf tells me you were travelling alone before you joined their company. May I ask why a young woman such as yourself would make such a perilous trip all the way to Rhovanian?"
"It's... a long story." I said rather sheepishly, feeling altogether much too awkward in front of such a regal figure.
"And one she has yet to tell me." Gandalf said. "We may yet still find time for it, but I feel you are more in need of a proper meal and rest, and so it can wait." he smiled at me warmly as I nodded in thanks and then made to go sit down.
I began to wander over to the furthest table where Bofur, Kili, Dwalin and Nori were sitting. Kili saw me coming, smiled brightly, and then elbowed Bofur in the ribs. Bofur went to swat at him but then Kili nodded towards me. I flushed, now second guessing my drastic new attire as Bofur distractedly glanced in my direction, but then his eyes snapped to me, widening with surprise as they travelled up the length of my dress.
"May I sit?" I asked him when I got to the table. He didn't speak, but shifted so I could step in between him and Kili.
"Don't you clean up nice!" Kili said, nudging me playfully with his shoulder. It appeared as if they all had time to wash up as well.
"They're washing my other clothes." I explained, flattening my hands over the dress self-consciously. I peered over at Bofur who still didn't quite appear as cheery as he usually did. I frowned slightly but did not think it the best moment to question him.
"Is no one eating?" I asked, looking about the table. There were bowls of different salads and fresh fruit and vegetables, but the dwarves just seemed to be picking at it.
"We were hoping for something more... substantial." Dwalin grumbled from across the table.
"Ah, I see. Well, pass me some of it. I'm starving." I said, happily digging into his uneaten salad. Halfway through my meal, I began to notice that Kili was making eyes at the pretty harpist, whose perfect, beautiful features made me feel even more uncomfortable in the lovely elven dress I so clearly didn't match. Kili winked at her one too many times, drawing attention of the others at our table. Dwalin began glaring at him and finally Kili looked away. He saw us all staring, and busied himself with his plate.
"Can't say I fancy elf maids myself." he remarked nonchalantly. "Too thin. They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin. Not enough facial hair for me." He paused, looking up at the lutist. "Although, that one there's not bad."
"Um, Kili." I said, shaking my head slightly after glancing at the elf he had indicated towards.
"That's not an elf-maid." Dwalin said, very loudly and untactfully.
Kili's face dropped as everyone within earshot began to laugh. I smiled sadly at him. Luckily it wasn't long before someone changed the subject.
A while later Nori looked back towards the harpist in annoyance. "Change the tune, why don't you." he said, rubbing his ear. "I feel like I'm at a funeral." The others agreed with him, and even I was beginning to feel like the music was just putting me to sleep.
"Alright lads, there's only one thing for it." Bofur said suddenly, as he stood up and then proceeded to climb onto the table, knocking things over in the process before stepping over onto a nearby stone pedestal. I gaped at him; he flourished his arm out dramatically, winked at me, and then began to sing a catchy shanty. The others soon joined in, stomping and banging the tables to the rhythm that set even Thorin's toe tapping. Kili began tossing food, which ultimately caused nearly everyone else to start as well. I wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed, offended on the elve's behalf, or happy to be a part of such unbridled fun. Soon the whole company was laughing, singing and throwing food, and I couldn't help but laugh with them. Kili gave me a pastry and dared me to throw it at Lord Elrond's table, I smiled and surprised him by actually doing it, though I missed and nearly hit the nice dark-haired elf we saw earlier. It splattered on the wall right by his head, causing him to make the most disturbed face. Kili almost fell over laughing. Bofur came and sat back down beside me and I looked at him, my eyes bright and my face flushed from laughing as well.
"That was amazing!" I beamed. "I haven't had that much fun in ages." He smiled brightly but didn't respond. I didn't notice his thoughtful gaze linger on me when I turned, still chuckling to myself, to pick over what remained of our dinner - now that most of it was on the walls, the floor, the curtains, in our hair, and, perhaps the most tragic casualty, all over the strings of the elaborate harp.
After dinner the company dispersed, and I made a point of trying to carefully avoid the mess we made as I picked my way out of our dining area. The fair, dark-haired elf that had greeted us initially intercepted me before I made it too far and directed me to the room I would be lodging in for the night. It was far too large and exquisite for the likes of me, but my belongings had already been delivered and the elf insisted the room was mine as long as I needed it. As he took his leave, I thanked him with as much enthusiasm as I could muster with the energy I had remaining. Then, with sheer delight, I fell back onto the largest, comfiest bed I had ever known.
Sleep was nearly instant and my night was uninterrupted. By the next morning I had never felt better, especially after indulging in a light breakfast of fruit and bread that had been set upon one of my tables before I awoke. I noticed that my travel clothing hadn't yet been returned, so I happily donned the silver dress I had worn the evening previous. I then decided to undo my braid, it hadn't faired well overnight anyway, and let my hair fall in loose waves over my shoulders - it was the first time I had worn it down since leaving the Inn.
I decided to explore for part of the day and was happy to enjoy the lush and ethereal environment without the scoffing and scowling of dwarves. I couldn't rightly understand their prejudice when we had been so warmly welcomed into this exquisite and safe sanctuary. I marvelled at the graceful architecture, running my hands along certain carvings as I passed. The craftsmanship of everything here was far beyond anything I'd ever witnessed.
I ran into Bilbo seemingly doing the exact thing I was. He was in much better spirits than I had ever seen him and we walked together for a time as he told me all about the Shire - his nervousness and usual hesitancy was all but gone, and I found myself happy to listen to him for what must have been a few hours as he told an elaborate tale of his home. We eventually got on the topic of food, to which he described his somewhat excessive eating schedule, and after describing some of the delicious dishes he would often cook for himself, we realized that we were both famished. We were surprised and pleased to discover it was nearly supper time and so went to find a meal together.
"No, you should have seen the mess they made of my house!" The hobbit exclaimed when I asked him if the night before was just due to their dislike of elves. At this, though, Bilbo suddenly seemed to remember all that had transpired up to this point, especially the gritty details of the unexpected party. In great detail he described his own first encounter with the dwarves, and even let me in on some of the terms of his employment with the company.
I must have visibly blanched when he mentioned he had signed a very lengthy contact because he stopped for a moment and asked if I was alright.
"Yes, fine." I replied quickly. "I just don't like contracts."
"That's not the half of it!" Bilbo exclaimed, carrying on and regaling me with a particularly long list of hazards that the hobbit could be expected to face according to his contract.
"What in the world could they have employed you for that would put you at risk of evisceration?" I asked curiously.
"Evisceration isn't even the worst of it! They actually thought I would be at risk of incine- Oh, um...actually...well, I think I shouldn't have told you any of that, according to the contract. I don't suppose you'll keep that all a secret, would you?" he pleaded nervously; glancing about to make sure none of the dwarves were nearby. I assured him I would, and we continued eating.
After dinner I parted ways with Bilbo, who though cordial never seemed to recover after nearly revealing some of the dwarves' secrets. I opted to take one last stroll before retiring for the night and after walking for a few minutes I noticed a nearby balcony a few levels up that would offer an amazing view of the sunset. I made my way to it, only getting turned around once, but when I came to the terrace I saw Bofur leaning against a pillar, idly smoking his pipe and looking out over the valley. I almost debated turning around, not wanting to disturb him, but at that moment he turned his head and spotted me.
"Fancy seeing you here." he said, but not unkindly.
I offered him a small smile and a shrug before I walked past him and laid my hands on the balcony rail. I was right, the view was fantastic. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the crisp evening air.
"This is the most wonderful place." I sighed, my sense of contentment almost tangible. "Though," I added, turning to look back at Bofur. "I don't suppose you even find any of this beautiful." I said, trying to keep any judgemental bitterness from lacing my voice and gesturing at the general surroundings.
"Oh, I find a great deal many things beautiful." he replied slowly after a moment's pause. He looked at me intently, his eyes twinkling, before taking another lazy puff from his pipe.
I stared at him a moment, unsure, but he didn't elaborate.
"I would like to show you some dwarven architecture." he said distractedly when I failed to speak."It has a different kind of beauty, but no less impressive."
"I would love to see it." I replied, venturing towards him.
He put out his pipe as I struggled to find something more to say. I felt myself begin to flush under his scrutiny so I cast my eyes to the ground. "I wanted to thank you." I started, somewhat clumsily. "For everything you did to help me out there. I know I'm just a burden-"
"No. You're not." Bofur told me gently, taking hold of my fingers. "And it was my pleasure." He then brushed a quick kiss on the back of my hand before quickly letting it go.
By the time he looked back up at me I had managed to subdue my shocked expression into the what I hoped was a more appreciative smile. I knew that I had been mostly useless on the road, but was grateful all the same that he didn't see fit to point out how utterly ill-suited I was for such rigorous, and dangerous, travel.
"Might I ask you something?" he questioned after a moment. Something in his tone made me wary, yet after a slight pause I nodded.
"What are you running from?" he asked me sincerely, holding my gaze steady. I immediately clenched my jaw and took a step back but he gently grabbed my arm to keep me from leaving.
I looked down, feeling embarrassment and shame flood through me. I was able to utter two words before I broke free of his grasp and left him standing there, confused and alone.
"My fiancé."