Chapter 6: The Contract

Notes: The dwarves have officially arrived! I hope you guys think Lydia is justified for being upset at Thorin and Gandalf. More of that will be covered in this chapter of course, but I think it's fair that she felt a little manipulated by the entire situation and left the gathering.

I scoffed, my pipe hanging between my lips while I sat at my desk reading through the contract. The liability section had hit my funny bone.

I said out loud, "Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to - lacerations, evisceration, incineration." I shook my head and rubbed my eyes.

There was a light knock at my door so I called, "Come in," as I leaned back in my rickety desk chair.

The tall wizard entered and bowed his head. "May I intrude?"

"Why not?" I suppose I could have thought of a few reasons for him to not intrude.

He closed the door behind himself and walked further into my room. "I hope you don't mind, I found the keys and got them all settled in for the night. I think most of them were asleep by the time I came upstairs after cleaning up the tavern."

"Thank you for doing that. I was planning on heading back down to do that after I knew everyone had gone to bed. Though, I did get a bit distracted by my reading." I gestured to the rolled out contract. "This thing is ironclad, it would be quite impressive if it wasn't so terrifying."

He nodded in understanding. "It is not a decision to be taken lightly by any means."

"Oh, so do I have a choice in the matter? From the sounds of it downstairs you and Thorin had the entire thing figured out already. Was that your plan the entire time? To uproot me from Bree, send me out on this insanely dangerous journey, and feed me to a dragon?"

"I honestly hadn't considered you for the journey until I saw you here a couple nights ago. I was planning on heading into Hobbiton but once I had gotten to speak with you a bit and remembered the strengths you have, I knew you would be the right person for the job."

"Because of my family, right?"

"My dear-"

"It's fine Gandalf, if it was because of my family's criminal history I would like to know. Because you know damn well what I've gone through to try and keep myself on the straight and narrow. So even being approached with something like this, asking me to be a thief-"

"A burglar," he corrected.

"Use whatever word you want. I have not gone through my life this way, intentionally choosing the road that was not intended for me, just to abandon all of it so I can go try and steal from a fucking dragon." I felt the fury coming back so I took a deep breath and a few puffs of my pipe. "Please explain to me what made you decide that it had to be me?"

He gave me a moment to collect myself before going over to my window and cracking it open for some fresh air. "The winds of change are out tonight, don't you think?"

"What?"

"The winds of change. Don't you think that after all this time of you trying to make it work here in Bree, it's time you embrace change? You really have a chance to go out and do something amazing for the world, does it truly matter if the job title is unsavory?"

"I am not looking to change the world," I laughed dryly.

"No? That has to be better than staying here. Thorin told me some horrible things about the master of this establishment."

"Oh, so you're all doing a favor for me now? I can handle myself." I rolled up the contract. "I don't appreciate feeling manipulated by you and Thorin. I am my own person, it is up to me if I leave the closest thing I have to home."

"You're right to not be pleased with us, that is fine Lydia. But I want you to look deep within and ask yourself if this is not exactly what you've been waiting for your entire life. When did this place and this town become so important to you?"

"It's not that it's important, Gandalf! It's that I've put so much time and effort into my life here and I don't want to go running off with a bunch of dwarves where I can be hunted down, killed, and eaten by every creature larger than me!"

"Oh when did you become so scared of the world? What happened to that bright, young hobbit who led me through the woods with no fear and asked me about every story I had to tell? I'm sure if that hobbit still existed she would kill for an opportunity like this, to finally get out of Bree and see the world with her own two eyes and two feet. If your courage is gone, so then is your curiosity?"

"That's not fair and you know it, comparing me to when you knew me back then." I softened my voice and looked back to the contract. "I didn't know yet how dangerous and cruel and disgusting the world could be."

Though it was hard to imagine, I knew Master Ferdinand was not the most repulsive and mean creature on the continent. And if my own family could turn our backs against each other, how could I trust a bunch of random dwarves to help keep me safe?

"Yes, yes, the world can be a big and scary place and there is a lot of danger anywhere you go. But, there is so much goodness as well. There's so many things to experience and wonders to see and people to meet that would change your life. My stories don't come from nowhere after all." He bowed his head to me again. "I know there's a reason you even opened the contract and looked at it, so take until the morning to consider the offer. Goodnight Miss Lydia."

He left as swiftly as he arrived, closing the door behind himself and leaving me by myself once again. Was that how I was going to feel once everyone leaves for good tomorrow morning? No friends left, no faces to look forward to seeing, just the continued harassment from Master Ferdinand for the rest of my days. A barmaid until I'm too old and he doesn't want me around anymore to bother. It's honest work, and I feel like it would be giving up at this point to back down but…what could possibly get better in my current situation?

I just wish that Thorin had just asked me. I wish he told me who he was, what his plan was, and that he wanted me to go with. I would have still thought he was absolutely insane but I would have appreciated the honesty. I always did.

I sighed and removed my pipe from my mouth.

Before my brain could continue mulling it over, I heard a song come from outside my window. It was a deep voice, and I had to move closer to hear it more clearly. It started as a simple hum, but words formed. The singing came from the room next door and of course the voice belonged to Thorin. I guess I was caught off guard to figure out he had such a pleasant singing voice at first, but then fell into the dwarvish song.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away, ere break of day,

To find our long forgotten gold.

The pines were roaring on the height,

The winds were moaning in the night.

The fire was red, it flaming spread;

The trees like torches blazed with light.

The wind was on the withered heath,

But in the forest stirred no leaf:

There shadows lay be night or day,

And dark things silent crept beneath.

The wind went on from West to East;

All movement in the forest ceased,

But shrill and harsh across the marsh

Its whistling voices were released.

Farewell we call to hearth and hall!

Though wind may blow and rain may fall,

We must away ere break of day

Far over the wood and mountain tall.

I leaned against the window sill, hoping for another verse but it never came. The night grew quiet and then silent. I pressed my lips together and considered sticking my head out to compliment him on his voice and inquire more about the song, but decided against it. Instead, I sat back down at my desk and picked the contract back up.


My eyes eased open and parchment crinkled under my face, beams of sun made the room glow with its early light. As I eased my head off my desk, my neck cracked and ached from sleeping in such a horrible position. I groaned and rubbed the muscle, leaning back in the chair.

I looked down to the contract that I had barely finished reading last night before I passed out cold. There at the bottom was where the signatures would go. I stared at it for a moment then got up onto my feet.

My mind was quiet. It had worked very hard last night trying to think of all the possibilities. Stay and sleep with Ferdinand, disgusting. Leave and certainly die on the road or at the hands of a gold-hungry dragon, not ideal. Run away to Hobbiton to get away from Ferdinand but most likely have to marry like my sisters did, no thank you. Run into the woods with little to no supplies to survive and likely end up doing one of the other options, certainly not the best plan. I had thought in circles and circles, so after last night it was nice for it to be quiet.

Still exhausted, I started walking to my bed to just lie down and go back to sleep. As I walked past my door though, another sound of crinkling paper reached my ears. I looked down and there was a letter with my name written on it, 'Miss Lydia'.

I picked it up and opened it. The words were difficult to make out but I was able to make enough sense of it.

Dear Miss Lydia,

We all thank you for your hospitality, especially me who had the pleasure of spending more time with you. As I promised, I have made sure that Ferdinand will leave you alone. He has been paid off handsomely and threatened heavily. If he does persist, I hope you take care of him as I would, I know you can handle yourself.

If we take back Erebor, I hope you don't mind that I send you some gold anyway. I feel that since I owe you my life I might as well help you get out of The Prancing Pony and onto that land that you want. And I hope I can repay you in more ways, so you can see the benefits of making allies with an outsider you weren't sure you could truly trust. Even though you won't be joining us on this journey, you were still more of a help that I think I could explain. Perhaps if we see each other again one day I can try.

You will be missed, but not forgotten Miss Lydia Barclay.

Sincerely,

Thorin Oakenshield

My body was frozen solid as I finished the letter. My heart felt like it was made of stone, heavy and solid as it thumped in my chest. I stood there for quite a few moments, my brain kicking back into action again.

"Damn it," I muttered. I set the letter down on my desk then started digging through my trunk. I pulled out my bag and started stuffing it with as many of my essential belongings as I could. I changed into my hunting clothes and put my bow and quiver on my back. I was able to dig out a few arrows as well, but I knew I was going to have to buy more on the road. I also grabbed the swords I had stolen earlier in the week from those men who were after Thorin, as well as my bag of life saving and strung it to my waist as I finished packing.

I started to smile when I realized I was going to get the hell out of that place.

I left behind the non-necessities, remembering what I would bring with me on the long hunting trips with my father when there was not enough game in the immediate area. I didn't know how long the journey would be, but remembering the map I looked at last night, I knew it was going to be a long time most certainly. The more I brought, the more it would only weigh me down, slow me down, and get in the way.

I stuffed the letter into my bag and threw it onto my back, adjusting my bow and quiver so it would still be easy to access. I also grabbed my quill and ink and signed the bottom of the contract with no hesitation. I allowed it to dry but then quickly rolled the massive thing up.

I left my room behind, the drafty, cold place was not going to hold any spot in my heart so I didn't even look back. I scurried down the stairs and hoped beyond hope that Master Ferdinand wouldn't be there. But of course he was.

"You're late, Miss Barclay," he snapped, having to actually serve some customers since Joseph wasn't in yet. "You think that just because you were up late last night with the 'special event' that you get to ignore your duties?"

Maybe it wasn't a bad thing that he was there after all. A gleeful grin grew across my lips and curved my mouth and excitement overflowed in my stomach as I prepared to speak. I opened my mouth and said, "Fuck off Ferdinand."

He stopped moving and the tavern grew silent. He slowly turned to me. "Excuse me?"

"I would love to repeat myself." I tucked the contract into my bag and took a step towards the bar. "I said, 'Fuck off Ferdinand'."

"Oh, you think because that little prick paid me some money that you're off the hook and get to act like that? I don't think so Lydia! Get your ass over here!"

"I'm leaving Fern. I'm going off to work for a king so I can say whatever I wish to the likes of you. You are the most disgusting man I've even had the dishonor of knowing. You've been harassing me for years and I never had any intention of sleeping with you, like every other woman in Bree. You're a little man with a big, gross mouth and the tiniest pecker I've ever seen and I'm a halfling." A few of the drinking men snickered. "Goodbye."

I turned to leave but heard him rush around the bar and charge at me. "You don't get to talk to me like that you little wench!" I pulled out one of the swords and pointed it right at his red nose. He stopped and held up his hands. "Whoa now, what are you going to do? Kill me?"

"Don't tempt me." I didn't let it show in my face the struggle it was to keep the heavy sword lifted like that. "You will never touch me again, you cockroach. Go back behind your bar, where you can feel like you have all the power in the world." He backed up slowly and stood back behind the bar. "Who knew? You can listen to me after all. Tell Joseph I say good luck and goodbye."

Then I left The Prancing Pony, still holding onto my sword just in case he decided to run after me, but of course he stayed in his place.

I breathed in the sunny day and took a moment to stare at the sky, enjoying the feeling of freedom flooding over me. I didn't take long though, I needed to catch up to Thorin and the others before I was too far behind! I started running up the road, knowing which direction they would have had to go in order to head east.

Running through Bree felt very cathartic, saying goodbye to places that had treated me badly, places that reminded me of my family and how they are now. Feeling like I was leaving those places behind made me feel lighter somehow. I thought it was going to feel like I was losing everything I worked for, but it wasn't like that at all. It felt like a chapter of my life was ending, a long and frustrating chapter that seemed like it would never have a happy ending.

Eventually I did see the group of horses in the distance so I started shouting and hollering for them to let me catch up. My heart began thumping hard again when I saw them turn and spot me. I saw Thorin hold up his hand so everyone stopped. They looked incredibly surprised, some even disappointed as they exchanged coins and wagers that were won and lost. Gandalf seemed the least surprised, who must have just been waiting for me to change my mind.

I smiled from ear to pointed ear as I ran across the dirt road and the group stopped their ponies so I could catch up. I pulled the contract from out of my bag, ready to throw it into their hands the moment I had a chance.

"Gandalf!" I gasped, finally catching up to them and heaving for air. "You said you were going to give me until morning to decide!"

"They wouldn't listen to me," he shrugged. "You would think they'd know better than to bet against a wizard."

"Well, here you go." I handed the contract to Balin.

He pulled out a small pair of spectacles and unrolled the very bottom so he could check the signature. He nodded and rolled it back up for safe keeping. "We will get the witness and king's signature on our next stop, but other than that everything is in order, Miss Lydia. Welcome to the Journey to Erebor."

Thorin instructed, "Get her a pony." I shared a look with him and was relieved that he didn't seem horrified that I showed up. Maybe I was trying to find something that wasn't there, but he seemed to almost smile when he said, "Welcome."

"Thank you." I nodded to him and whipped my brow of sweat. Two of them brought around a ginger pony and lifted me right off the ground and planted me onto the saddle. I gave them smiles and thanked them as well as we started moving again.

I did give Bree one last look before losing sight of the city. I did not look long though, there were too many new things I was looking forward to, to bother spending another moment looking back. I made the decision I did for a reason, and I didn't regret it yet.

End of Book One: The Time Before

Notes: This is the end of the first book! I believe this is the shortest of the books, so be prepared for much longer ones going forward. I'll also be following the format of the movies for each book, so the next chapter will begin "The Unexpected Journey".
Hope you're enjoying it so far though! I know when I was writing this, I thoroughly enjoyed Lydia finally being able to tell off Fern.