Hey there guys! A little bit late getting this up than I originally planned, please forgive me. But, it's up now and I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to enjoy these stories x

Review responses;

LairaCapulet – Lol, that is pretty cute to imagine. You'll have to wait and see if/when he does get close to Thorin x

Tylene Caldwell – Oh my god, thank you so much for your review. It made me tear up reading it. I'm glad you are loving this so far x

BubblyYork – I know! Curse those dwarves with their bad timings!

Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 – I'm glad you did!

Shetan20 – You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it x

Chapter 9

It is now the day before Thorin is due to leave with the Company and I'm extremely sad about that, as I've gotten quite close to the dwarves within the past couple of months. They've been the closest friends that I have had in a long time and I'm hesitant to see them go.

Thorin has also made no move or comment on me joining them, so either I'm not going, or he had yet to come to a decision. The thought of not going with them. . .it honestly breaks my heart.

I'm currently outside with the others in the gardens, sitting with Aiden leaning against me while some of the others are training. Balin, Bilbo and Ori are with us as Aiden reads aloud from the tablet, wanting to show me what he can do.

"Sophia, may I speak with you?"

Looking up, we see Thorin standing a few paces away.

"Of course."

Placing Aiden on the ground from my lap, I stand and follow Thorin away for a while, until we are still within seeing distance but are out of earshot. He then turns to me, appraising me for a few moments, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"I want to talk about what you told me. I have heard of an elf that has the gift of foresight, and having talked with Gandalf, he confirmed my suspicions. Lady Galadriel, she is the one who spoke with you."

"Lady Galadriel?" I ask, that familiar sensation in my head acting up again.

He nods. "Yes. Since she has the gift and can see into the future, then she must have foresaw your coming, especially at knowing your name when none of the rest of us do. She said the answers you seek will be at the end of your quest, and since you are not from here, the only quest I can think of you being on is the same as us. That would mean, in order for you to get home, I would have to either send for you when we have completed our quest, or let you join us."

I look to him for a moment, is he actually considering us joining him.

"And? Which are you going to choose?"

He looks me over again. "I have spoken with Balin, and even though neither of us are happy about it, with you being a woman with no knowledge of our world, we have decided it would be best if you did join us. It would be easier for you to just come with us and find your answers at the end. You will continue apprenticing with Oin and keep up on your training with Fili, Kili and Dwalin. As for Aiden. . .I am unsure what to do there."

My smile which came up at him accepting me soon drops at the mention of Aiden. Looking back, I see him sitting besides Bilbo, the both of them listening to a story being told by Balin and Ori.

"I do not wish to tear a mother away from her child, especially given your situation. . .but I fear this quest will be dangerous for you, let alone a small child."

I nod. "I understand that. I don't wish to put him in danger either. . .but, I can't leave him behind. . .I don't want to put him in any more distress."

Thorin nods, his arms folding across his chest. "I understand. However. . .if what the elf said is true, and you do find a way home at the end, then it may be better if he was to come with us."

I turn to look at him.

"You both would be under our protection, that I assure you. As long as you remain with us, we will keep you both safe. As I said before, you will continue your training with Fili, Kili, Dwalin and Oin"

After having a moment to think it over, I give a nod. He is right. If we were to go home after the quest, then it would be best if he was with me so we can go home together.

"Thank you, Thorin. I appreciate what you are doing for us. I promise, we won't be a burden to you."

He gives the smallest flicker of a smile, the first smile I have seen the other night. "I am sure you will not."

He then walks back to the others, talks with Balin in which the old dwarf looks to back to me, before the both of them go back inside.

By that night, it is known to everyone that Aiden and I will be joining the company. And while there are a few complaints from some of the dwarves about a woman and small boy joining them, the majority are happy to see us going along with them. Either way, since I signed the contract to allow Aiden and I to go, no one can persuade Thorin otherwise.

I am also informed about what this quest is about, and while I am wondering whether involving my son in something like this is a good idea, there is something prickling at the back of my mind. . .something familiar, but I cannot think what it is.

After telling Gilrean that Aiden and I will be leaving with the dwarves, she is sad and horrified to see us going away on a dangerous journey, but she is eager to help, filling both our packs with everything we might need, from new elven travelling clothes, our own bedrolls and blankets, extra food and other herbs I might need for healing and such.

Once Aiden and I have had a last chance to have a nice hot bath, we gather our belongings and go to the terrace where the dwarves set up camp. Since we'll be leaving early the next morning, Thorin and I figured it would be better if we were all together, as it would be quicker to leave.

Allowing Aiden to run off with Fili and Kili to burn off some energy, I stay behind and look through mine and Aiden's packs. Emptying them both, I separate them into his and my piles before sorting them out in the backpacks. Picking up my purse, I look inside it, smiling at the picture I have of my family in there before checking how much money I had. £158.63.

"What's that, lass?" Bofur asks as he plops himself besides me.

I smile at him. "It's money from my world."

This gets the attention of the others, always interested in hearing about my world. I explain to them about what each coin and note are, letting them look over them as I hand out each piece.

"Who is this?" Gloin ask as he's looking over a pound coin.

"That would be Elizabeth the second. The Queen of England, which is where I'm from."

"You have a Queen?" Fili asks as he, Kili and Aiden arrive.

"Yes we do." I reply, pulling Aiden onto my lap as he runs over. "She's only a figurehead though, a beloved figurehead at that. A King or Queen of England hasn't had any major decisions for our country in quite some time. Those are made by our Prime Minister."

"Why do you have a Queen if she does not rule?" Thorin asks me.

I just shrug. "I don't really know that. I mean, the royal family gave the Prime Minister and our parliament most of the power to make the decisions. With that, it gives us the people more of a say with how things are. Like, we can vote for who we want our Prime Minister to be. But, even with this, I know the Royal Family are loved by many many people. Including me."

He nods at this.

"Who's this?" Balin asks as he hands me the five pound note.

Looking at the side he intended for me to see, I see the picture of Churchill. "That, was our Prime Minister from about. . .seventy years ago I think. Winston Churchill. He helped our country to win a major war back then. World War II. He also fought in the first war if I remember rightly."

"You had wars too?" Kili asks.

I give a small scoff. "I think you get wars everywhere. No one can really escape wars. But, yes. We did. There's always been some kind of war somewhere in my world. In a way, I'm kind of glad we're away from there right now. Gives us a bit of a break from everything going off."

They just nod and decide not to bring it up again. When asked about the ten and twenty pound notes, I tell them about Jane Austen (Ten pound note) and that the guy on the back of a twenty was some kind of painter, though I didn't know much about him. I continue packing everything away and am soon finished.

As it soon gets dark, I sit on a bench with Aiden cuddling up against my side, watching in disapproval at the dwarves breaking the elf's furniture to cook some sausages and amusement at Bifur trying to cook a cabbage leaf over the fire. All around me, I watch and listen at the dwarves antics; Bombur sitting with a plate piled high with sausages, Dori mothering Ori with something and Nori checking on some clothes that were drying. Soon enough, I hear a creaking coming from the bench Bombur is sitting on. Bofur, having heard the noise also, looks to the sausage he is cooking before taking it off the fork.

"Bombur!"

He then tosses the sausage to his brother who catches. Two seconds later, the bench he is on breaks, sending the poor dwarf to the ground where he can't get up. This has the dwarves laughing loudly, even Aiden is giggling away at it, which causes me to smile.

Looking up, I see Bilbo walking away and decide to follow him to make sure he is alright. After kissing Aiden on the head and telling him to stay here, I get up and follow the hobbit.

"Bilbo, are you alright?"

He turns and gives me a small smile. "Oh, yes. Just getting one more look at everything before we leave."

I smile as I stand with him at the top of the stairs. As I open my mouth to talk, we hear Gandalf's voice. Looking out, we see him and Elrond walking along a bridge a little way away from us, they seem to be in a heated discussion. Laying my hands on the wall, I listen in with Bilbo as they talk about the quest.

"Of course I was going to tell you, I was waiting for this very chance. And really, I think you can trust that I know what I am doing."

"Do you? That dragon has slept for 60 years. What will happen if your plan should fail, if you wake that beast?"

"What if we succeed? If the dwarves take back the mountain, our defences in the east will be strengthened."

"It is a dangerous move, Gandalf."

Hearing steps behind us, Bilbo and I glance back to see Thorin standing behind us, also listening to the wizard and elf.

"It is also dangerous to do nothing. The throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright, what is it you fear?

"Have you forgotten? A strain of madness runs deep in that family. His grandfather lost his mind, his father succumbed to the same sickness. Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall?"

Looking back to Thorin, I see him looking away, although he tries to hide his emotions from us, I can still see a mixture of pain, anger and memory flash across his face. I look back to the wizard and elf lord arguing.

"Gandalf, these decisions do not rest with us alone. It is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle Earth."

Bilbo also looks back at Thorin.

"With or without our help, these dwarves will march on the mountain. They are determined to reclaim their homeland."

Gandalf and Elrond soon go beyond our hearing as they leave the gardens. Turning back to Thorin, I see him standing there, still turned away from us.

"Thorin?"

As if my voice has broken some kind of trance he is in, he clears his throat and straightens himself up, his face becoming stern and unreadable.

"Get some rest, both of you, we will be leaving early in the morning." he then turns and walks back down the stairs to the others.

"What was that about, I wonder?" Bilbo thinks aloud.

I look back to where the wizard and the elf Lord were a few moments ago, their conversation going through my mind. What they said doesn't disturb me, but once again there's that familiar tingle in my mind as if something is trying to reawaken. The feeling of knowing something. . .Elrond talking about the sickens. . .I know something about it, deep down. . .but this blasted memory loss is not helping!

I sigh as I shake my head before turning back to the hobbit.

"I do not know. But, Thorin is right. We should get some sleep."

We both go back down the stairs and I walk over to Aiden, who is sitting besides Bifur, playing with a wooden figurine. Having been told the story about Bifur's disability with the axe in his head, how he can't speak English – or Common as they call it – and having children being afraid of him because of the axe, even though he is a toymaker by trade, it brings a smile to my face, thinking that maybe being with someone who also cannot talk much will help Aiden in a way.

"Aiden, it's time for bed." I say, causing the dwarves to look up.

Aiden also looks up, a pouting look on his face. "Aww! Can I stay up a little longer?"

"No. Now come on, sleep. We have an early start in the morning."

He stands and taking my hand, I lead him over to our sleeping area where I get him settled down on his new bedroll beforelaying down on mine which is laid right next to his. After laying down under the blankets, I hold him close to me and let him cuddle into me so he can sleep.

"Mummy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

He looks up at me with puppy dog eyes. "Can you sing to me?"

I smile at him as I brush a stray hair from his eyes,wanting to hear those words for so long. "What song would you like?"

"The one about the mountain."

At this, I notice almost all the dwarves looking in our direction, thinking my son is talking about Erebor, but I know exactly which song he means and have to smile, this song being a favourite of ours.

"Of course I will."

He smiles as he cuddles more into me. Holding him close, and knowing the dwarves are listening, I begin to sing;

"A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain

Softly blows o'er Lullaby Bay,

It fills the sails of boats that are waiting,

Waiting to sail your worries away.

It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain,

And your boat waits down by the quay.

The winds of night so softly are sighing,

Soon they will fly your troubles to sea.

So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain,

Wave goodbye to cares of the day,

And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain

Sail far away from Lullaby Bay."

Looking down, I smile as I see Aiden fast asleep, lightly snoring away.

"That was beautiful, lass." I hear Balin compliment softly.

Looking up, I see him and the others watching, all of them having a soft look on their face, even Thorin and Dwalin, who are both the gruffest among the dwarves. Bombur and Gloin I imagine them thinking of their own children waiting back home for them. Fili and Kili who are sitting close, I can see have slight tears in their eyes. I assume they are thinking of their poor mother who, from what they have told me, have lost almost everything and is home waiting for news on the only three members of her family; her brother and her sons. I can only hope the three of them survive this so she won't have to suffer any more.

Thorin speaks up, quietly so as to not wake Aiden. "We should follow the lad's example and get some sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow."

At this order, the fire is put out and the dwarves all settle down to sleep. I have to smile as I watch everyone settling down; Balin and Dwalin don't stray far from one another, Dori and Nori sleep on either side of Ori. while Bofur, Bombur and Bifur sleep together, as do Oin and Gloin. Fili sleeps next to Kili, an arm around him, holding his little brother protectively. Thorin walks past the boys and I smile more as I see him pulling their blanket up to their chins, a soft look in his eyes and a loving smile gracing his lips. As he settles himself down above their heads, not far from Aiden and I, he looks over and sees me watching him. He looks to Aiden sleeping beside me and I see that soft look in his eyes again.

"Are you both warm enough?" he asks me quietly.

I nod. "Yes, thank you."

He nods before laying down. "Rest well, Sophia."

"Goodnight, Thorin."

I lay my head down as Bilbo lays on Aiden's other side after wishing me goodnight. Tomorrow is the start of our adventure, one that could lead to our deaths. . .but for Aiden's sake. . .I hope not.

Well, there we have it. I hope you enjoyed this. The song in this is from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and is called Hushabye Mountain sung by the legendary Dick Van Dyke. If you haven't seen this movie, I suggest you do. Also, Ihope the reason for Sophia and Aiden leaving with the dwarves is acceptable enough, I seriously couldn't think of anything else x