Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 2 of The Second Daughter. I am glad that you guys liked the first chapter. I am happy to know that you guys enjoyed the new chapter. I am glad that you guys liked the new details that I added to it. I thought that it would go along a bit better. I fixed the problems that were in the last chapters. Sadly I don't know the book well, but I am trying my best to add some points of the book into the story. But it might not be in there that often because I don't know it that well. I would have added more time between Aranduriel and Estel in the last chapter, but it didn't happen and I apologize for that, but I thought that it was fluffy enough between the two of them.
I cut chapter 2 of the original story out. It will make its way into the story at some point at least some of it will. I just didn't think that it was wise to have it in this reboot. Hopefully, I made the right choice with that. I hope that I did alright with this chapter. I apologize for not updating as I normally do. I finally also got the Hobbit book and I've been reading it fairly slowly. I can't wait to add parts of the book to this story and keep in touch with the movies as well. This is sadly a movie-based story anyway, but I will add little points of the book into the story as well. Also, see if you can point out something in this chapter that might be on a character from Lord of the Rings. The necklace was already in the last chapter but this is something else. See if you can spot it. I hope that you enjoy this chapter of The Second Daughter.
Chapter 2
Troublesome Dwarves in Baggins Hobbit Hole
Flashback
Aranduriel followed King Thranduil closely. She was his guest in Mirkwood on a visit and he had brought her along to pay homage to the King Under the Mountain, Thror. She was young by the standards of the lives of elves, but she had grown to be a fine young elven woman. She was dressed in the finest clothes that she had. A green gown with gold embroidered onto it. A white gold tiara around her head that had a few diamonds on it. A gift from her grandmother which she was thankful for. She followed him with such great poise that was only noted for the elves. It was something that they took pride in even their warriors took pride in poise.
Aranduriel looked around and saw the beauty of the halls of Durin. This was so much different than her home of Imladris and even the halls of Mirkwood. She had to admit that this was beautiful then. Seeing a place so different than her home well that made her heart swell with happiness. Her grey-blue eyes sparkled with excitement. She couldn't wait to look around and have an adventure in this mountain.
Balin bowed his head. "My King Thror, may I present to you King Thranduil and his guest, Lady Aranduriel of Imladris." He said introducing the elf king and his guest Lord Elrond's daughter to his king.
Thror looked down at the two of them. He wasn't sure of what he would be expecting with the elleth from Imladris. "My son Thrain and my grandson, Thorin." He said introducing his son and eldest grandson to the two elves that stood there with their company that they had come in with.
Aranduriel looked at Thorin. It was a sight that she never thought that she would see. She never thought that she would see a dwarvish man standing proudly with his father and grandfather so proudly. It was a sight to behold seeing dwarvish royalty.
Thorin looked at her. He didn't know what to think of the elves that were there in his home. She wasn't as tall as the other elves he had seen, but she was still taller than him. He could tell by looking at her, even though she was dressed in such finery. He could tell by her hands that she was a warrior. An archer, he could tell just by looking at her fingers, they were calloused over. Now that was something different than what he was expecting from a fine elvish woman. Her eyes were sparkling with what could have only meant trouble if someone allowed it.
"Thorin." His grandfather called out causing him to jump and look up at him. The stern look Thror had in his eyes was anything that anyone would be scared of.
Thorin looked at his grandfather. "Yes, Grandfather?" He asked in confusion. He didn't know what to say to his grandfather and was unsure of what his grandfather would say. He should've known that he should have paid attention to what his grandfather had been saying instead of staring at the young elleth woman.
"Why don't you take Lady Aranduriel and show her around Erebor," Thror said looking at his grandson.
Thorin's blue eyes went wide. His grandfather wanted him to take Lady Aranduriel of all people and show her around Erebor. Did his grandfather want him to get to know her? Maybe have an alliance with her? He didn't even know if he could become friends with such a creature. He nodded his head. He knew that his grandfather wouldn't leave him alone if he had said no. He knew that his grandfather would go off on him. "Yes, Grandfather." He said bowing his head a little bit. He came down to her. "My lady." He said bowing his head in respect towards her.
"Prince Thorin." She said curtsying to the young prince like her father had told her to be a polite lady. The lady that her mother had raised her to be before she had gone to the undying lands.
He offered his arm to her. He was being polite to her because well after all she was a visitor in his home.
Aranduriel took and had him lead her away. She knew that this was some important meeting that King Thranduil and the King Under the Mountain had something big to talk about and it wasn't meant for her or Thorin's ears to hear even though elves had a high range for hearing. But Thorin led her away so neither of them could hear what was being talked about. She was curious but didn't want to cause any trouble at that moment. Not when she had the eldest prince leading her around the mountain. She knew that she needed to make the most of it at that moment.
SDSDSD
Aranduriel arrived at The Shire. She looked around the wondrous little place. This was a peaceful place. More peaceful than what she was led to believe in the books that she had read. She could tell that it was just by how the lights were dim and hobbits going home for the evening to rest. The paths she could tell were winding roads leading to many different hobbit holes. Now came the problem, how was she supposed to find Bag-End?
She let out a soft sigh. She knew that she needed to look for a round door with a dwarvish rune on it. But that would take a while for her to find. Perhaps she would be able to catch a glimpse of a dwarf heading for Bag-End. But it would all depend on her luck if she would see one headed that way.
She had travelled to Bree and it concerned her when she hadn't seen a dwarf there. So that meant that she was running a lot later than she had planned on doing so. She had gotten looked at when she had gone to the Prancing Pony that was in Bree. Not many had seen women traveling alone and the men there had thought something worse of her even though that she wasn't one. She just ignored the looks that she had gotten there.
Aranduriel slowly walked through the winding paths of the shire. Her scanning blue-grey eyes were hidden underneath a burgundy cloak looking for the blue rune that could be on one of these round hobbit doors. Her blue-grey eyes stopped upon a door. She stopped in her tracks before she closed her eyes taking a deep breath before slowly walking towards the winding path that led up to the door that had the shining rune on it. She opened the gate and walked through it. She closed it and walked up the path to the small hobbit door. She brought her brown gloved hand up and knocked on the door.
"Another dwarf?" A male voice rang out that was groaning and sounded like he was complaining about having dwarves in his home. And she couldn't blame him for being upset about having dwarves he didn't know in his home. The door opened revealing none other than Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.
Aranduriel looked down at the hobbit. A coy smile was on her lips. "Ara at your service." She said, bowing her head politely to the hobbit in respect to him like a true lady would even though she didn't know him. She was going to be polite like she was raised after all this was not her home. So she was going to be respectful to this hobbit just like she would be respectful towards anyone else that she ever came across.
Bilbo went to open his mouth, but he couldn't say anything. He was gaping. Who was she? She was so tall. Taller than him and the dwarves that were in his home. His mind was going through the races that were taller than dwarves and hobbits. Was she human or was she an elf? His curiosity was beginning to get the best of him. He scolded himself. He couldn't come right out and ask her what she was. It wasn't polite to do so. Plus he didn't know how the young woman would take him asking her what she was.
She came into the home after he moved out of the way. She removed her cloak revealing her long black hair to him. She unbuttoned the burgundy cloak and took it off of her shoulders. She saw the dwarves eating food that belonged to the poor hobbit. She felt bad for Bilbo losing all of his food to these dwarves, but she knew that they were starving just like she was.
Bilbo rushed past her. He was trying to keep the dwarves in line. But so far for him it wasn't working out too well. They were still doing very much their own thing. He hadn't meant to be rude to her by pushing past her, but he was more afraid of what was going on in the other room.
She shook her head and removed the weapons that she carried on her, putting them near her cloak that was now hanging on the wall. She wouldn't hear the end of it if she lost her weapons. After all, they were gifts from her brothers and elder sister and a few even some were from her father. She removed her brown gloves and put them in her pockets. A ring that was a gold band with a great blue stone in it fitted against her middle finger on her right hand. She ran her hand through her black hair took a soft breath and gathered up her courage to go into the room and face all of those dwarves.
Gandalf had moved his way into the hallway. He looked at the young elven woman. "Ara." He said with a coy smile. "Wonderful to see that you could join us." He was glad that she could come. He had been worried when she hadn't shown up before him.
Aranduriel looked at Gandalf, seeing that his blue eyes were twinkling in the delight of seeing she had arrived finally after being late which she tried her best to never being late for things. But some things couldn't be avoided thanks to something happening when she had taken off.
"You're late." He said looking at her with a laughing smile.
She chuckled lightly and she shook her head, her black loosely curled hair moved as she shook her head. "Ran into a few problems on my way here, my friend." She told him the truth of her running into a few problems, but never really admitted what the problems were. She didn't want him to be concerned about what type of problems that she had run into.
He looked at her concerned. He had hoped that she didn't run into orcs on her way here. But he had to ask. "Orcs?"
Aranduriel shook her head again. "No, not orcs." She let out a soft sigh. "Father had sent out a search party since I had disappeared." She told him the truth. Her father had sent out a search party looking for her, and she had to be quick in haste to hide and make sure that she wasn't spotted by the search party. She didn't want to be dragged back into Imladris.
"You didn't tell them about the quest?" Gandalf asked. He hoped that she hadn't because then his plans would have been all washed away and the dragon would remain there in the Lonely Mountain and that would have not ended well.
"No, I did not. They would have stopped me before I even got a foot out of Imladris." She shook her head. "And they would have stopped the dwarves from going." She crossed her arms and huffed a little bit. Since she was the youngest out of her family she had a bit more free will, but not much since she was still very much like a lady. "It was best to keep them in the dark, Gandalf."
Gandalf nodded his head. Aranduriel had done the right thing by keeping her father out of the loop. It ended things better off for now. "Yes. Ara, you should eat something." Gandalf said knowing that she was most likely hungry due to her long travels to Bag-End.
Aranduriel gave him a look. She wasn't one to take food without being offered it. She had a thing against taking something that didn't belong to her, that included food. It didn't seem fair to her that this was happening now to this hobbit that she just met. She assumed by how he was he was stressing out over the fact that his hobbit hole home was so full of people. "I am not hungry, Gandalf." She told him in a soft tone which revealed the truth that she didn't want to take food from the hobbit.
Gandalf patted her on the shoulder knowing why the young elf would not eat Bilbo's food like the others had. She was brought up like a true lady. A lady that her mother would be very proud of was one thing that he was truly sure of. He wouldn't doubt that her sister and grandmother would be proud as well.
Her eyes met up with his knowing blue eyes. She could tell that he hadn't told anyone else that she was coming. She was sure that was alright with them not knowing that she was there. They wouldn't like her being there in the first place. She was a woman after all, but what she was was bad. She was an elf and dwarves had hate towards her that was for sure and she knew it and she was going to have to smooth it out. "Is everyone here that was supposed to be here?" She questioned softly. She hoped that they were all there because that meant that this meeting could be underway, but what concerned her the most was that she was afraid of what Thorin Oakenshield would think about her. After all, it had been a long while since they had seen each other.
"We are waiting for our leader," Gandalf told her softly. He knew that she was worried about what was going to most likely happen.
She nodded her head. She should have known that Thorin would be running late. Sometimes he couldn't be on time for things. Unless he was somewhere else trying to get something done, which she knew was probably doing that. Perhaps getting other dwarves to join in on the quest and she couldn't blame him on that one for wanting more of his kin to be there with him to help him regain the mountain.
"Come with me. We shall get you something to drink. You must be parched." Gandalf said to her with a concerned gaze.
Arandural bit her lip. Yes, she was thirsty and had traveled a long way to get to Bilbo's place, but she still didn't feel right about taking something from the hobbit. She knew nothing about him.
Gandalf led her into the kitchen to get her a mug to drink out of. His hand was on her back as he led her into the somewhat crowded kitchen.
"Bebother and confusticate these dwarves," Bilbo complained about the dwarves as he put a doily out of sight. He was still getting agitated about why the dwarves were here. He wasn't sure why Gandalf had all of these people here.
"My dear Bilbo, what is the matter?" Gandalf asked, looking at the hobbit as he handed Aranduriel a mug of ale to drink.
Aranduriel sniffed it. Normally she liked wine and not ale, but she had to drink it to fit in somewhat. She saw Bilbo was angry due to how red his cheeks were becoming. She knew that hobbits liked being alerted when someone was to visit and this was something that he wasn't going to be used to at all.
"Oh, they are quite a merry gathering once you get used to them," Gandalf explained with a smile as the three of them walked into the hallway.
Aranduriel went back into the kitchen passing Nori and Bofur who were fighting over a round of sausage that Nori had taken. She was going to allow Gandalf and Bilbo to talk since it wasn't her place to listen in on a man's conversation. She was raised as a proper lady so it meant that he had to behave. She took a small sip of the ale that Gandalf had given to her. It was bitter to her. Not as sweet as the wines that she drank back at home. But she could tolerate it after all she had traveled a long way to get here. Plus she had a feeling that Bilbo probably didn't have much left to drink-wise. Ale was probably the best bet for her just to quench the thirst that she had gotten from traveling and the drink that she had gotten in Bree was long gone and so had been the water that she had been carrying in the water skin on her long since empty.
Dishes began to fly into the kitchen.
"Don't do that. You'll blunt them." Bilbo shouted from the dining area.
Aranduriel's eyes widened. What in Middle Earth were these dwarves doing? Whatever it was she felt like it wasn't going to end well. But she knew that the dwarves wouldn't do much damage. It was something to hopefully get underneath the skin of Bilbo Baggins.
"Oh, do you hear that lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." A male voice rang out that sounded like the dwarf that had spoken was smiling.
Blunt the knives, bend the forks
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses, and crack the plates
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks into a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you've finished, if any are whole
Send them down the hall to roll
…
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Aranduriel had to dodge flying glassware. She pressed herself against the wall to avoid the whizzing dishware that was going to the kitchen and being stacked by a dwarf who had an axe blade embedded into his forehead. She gripped the mug tightly in her hand as her ears rang with every sound that was made of dishes clanking together. Why was Gandalf allowing this to happen and enjoying every minute of it? It was a misfortune to Bilbo.
Bilbo came rushing into the kitchen past her and he saw that his dishware wasn't broken, but stacked up neatly. His blue eyes were wide in worry and concern, letting out a relief that none of his dishware was broken.
Aranduriel brought her hand up to cover a laugh as the dwarves and Gandalf laughed at the expression that Bilbo had on his face. She couldn't help it. She knew dwarves… they weren't one to mess up someone's dishes. They were more prideful than to ruin something that didn't belong to them. Not in the least bit. They only did things in good fun. And that is usually meant to get under someone else's skin at times. It meant that they were free at heart at the moment which in her eyes was a good thing.
A loud knock stopped each and every single one of them, and the other two loud knocks followed.
Aranduriel swallowed the lump in her throat closing her eyes. Her hand went up to the necklace that she wore which was hidden underneath her shirt.
"He's here," Gandalf revealed.
Aranduriel looked at Gandalf. This was going to be a hard meeting. A hard meeting for her and most likely a hard meeting for the one who was on the other side of the door. Her heart pounded in her chest in worry. All she wanted was for this meeting between the two of them to go alright and not be a mess that would have to be cleaned up by saying sorry and trying to make things better between one another.
Gandalf nodded his head at her. He was letting her know that this meeting would probably not end well even though he had given Thorin the warning before that they would need a guide to go through the Greenwood and Aranduriel would be the only one that was willing to do that for them.
Aranduriel nodded her head. She could only hope that this meeting would not go too terribly for her. Seeing Thorin after all of this time… well it was going to be a task at hand not to bow to him. After all the last time that she had seen him, he was Prince Under the Mountain. He wasn't that at the moment, he was just a dwarf who wanted to reclaim his homeland so his family and clan could have their home back and Aranduriel didn't blame him for it. She bit the inside of her lip as they went to the door to greet the person that was on the other side of that door. Aranduriel tried her best to not have her sight clouded by the memories that she had of Thorin Oakenshield.
She couldn't afford to get clouded by the memories of when she was much younger and being troublesome with the young Prince Under the Mountain. She knew that the matter at hand was something that wasn't going to be easily handled. She had no idea of how Thorin was going to feel about seeing her after all of this time.
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This is the end of Chapter 2. I hope that you guys enjoyed it and please let me know what you think of this edited and more detailed chapter. I was hoping that I did alright. Also, can you guess what is in the chapter that I had given a heads-up to? See if you can find it. Leave a review to let me know what you guys think. I did try my hardest with this chapter and tried to post it as quickly as I could, but I am not sure what fully happened to me not posting it on time. Maybe it was my muse. I just hope that you guys enjoyed it. Please review, they keep me going. Until next time.