137Da eff? Do those nutjobs decided to upload FINALLY? After almost 2 MONTHS of waiting?
Well yes my friends, we are! Well... I am (Electra). As always, no matter how long the wait, it will forever be MY fault that we're late on our updates.
Now the thing with dinner-filler: we had trouble writing the scene, so those you interested to read it, you will see it in a one-shot later on...
A BIG BIG BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR REVIEWERS AND A HUMONGOUS SHOUT-OUT TO Pirate-Girl1017 FOR HER AWESOME-SAUCE HELP IN OUR STORY! Please don't hesitate to tell us if we have improved on this chapter or not!
Now, you may notcice that the POVs are taken out. We received suggestions that said that they should or could, but we wanted you to come to know the OCs way of thinking before we took them out so that you wouldn't be confused. At list that was our goal!
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any of Tolkien's characters. The only things we own are the OCs and our mistakes!
Knowing very well that the elves would never let them continue with the quest, the company decided to leave secretly at the break of dawn, so nobody would discover them. Gandalf, who would be with lord Elrond, would join them later, they were sure of that. The wizard always found a way!
The moment of their departure came a week after they first reached Rivendell and learned what was written on the map. Elsa wasn't very happy about having to wake up so early and even less happy about having to listen to Thorin, who was of course in a bad mood, barking orders.
If he was anyone else she would have told him to piss off and quite possibly go to {censored} but she knew that if she wanted to keep her head on her shoulders, she had to swallow the part of herself that just wouldn't shut up and just do what he wanted.
So they started walking. They did everything they could to avoid being spotted or delayed. They didn't even talk and that meant a lot considering the fact that most of them were dwarves. Actually it wasn't until they reached Rivendell's borders that someone spoke.
"Be on your guard," said Thorin in a warning tone. "We're about to step over the Edge of the Wild," which to Elsa's ears sounded like: 'Break's over, say hello to danger'. "Balin," he added addressing the white-bearded dwarf. "You know these paths. Lead on."
Elsa, who was in the end of the line, noticed Bilbo turn around and take a last glance at the wonderful Rivendell. She didn't blame him, she too was sad for leaving this amazing place especially knowing that she would never see it again. And she wasn't the only one who noticed Bilbo's hesitation.
"Master Baggins," said Thorin. "I suggest you keep up."
Poor Bilbo was trying to stay in path and keep up with the dwarves but with being the shortest of the company, with the tiniest feet, it was kind of hard to do so. Fortunately Nora was there, next to him encouraging him, and trying to make small-talk, to keep his mind from the struggle. Elsa might not have been near them, but she definitely knew that Nora was talking to Bilbo about ALL the things she had read in the past about lord Elrond's home. It was the thing she just would never shut up about when she was in earth, and now she was like an excited bee, buzzing all over the place and filling the world with excitement.
"Lass," she heard a cheerful yet deep voice say, "unless you want to be left behind…"
"I have to keep up!" she finished Nori's sentence. "Yes, I know! Sorry!" she completed with an awkward smile, making it a smile of nostalgia, before she too turned her back to Rivendell, ready to continue the journey.
And so they started walking again, and didn't stop for a break until it was finally past mid-day, which was when they had covered a great distance between them and the Hidden Valley. And after that happened they just kept on walking. Durin's Day was upon them, and that meant that they wouldn't stop until they reached the mountain.
She just hoped that they would be fast enough to find a safe place to cover, for she didn't like the grey clouds that everybody else seemed to ignore. Even from a distance, she could feel them coming towards them. And that wasn't just a metaphor.
"Why Bilbo Baggins?" Gandalf said, repeating Galadriel's question. Truth be told sometimes even he was surprised with the decisions that considered the last few members of the company. But he never questioned his choice. "Perhaps it is because I'm afraid… And he gives me courage."
This was the first time he ever admitted this, but it was the truth. Who would have thought that Bilbo, a little hobbit from the Shire, would be brave enough to go in an adventure with complete strangers and to stand against three trolls trying to buy time for him and his companions?
"And the girls?" Galadriel asked and Gandalf could swear that she was actually curious. "There are many good fighters at Middle Earth. Why choose two young girls from Earth?"
"I sense that the future of the Durin's heirs is rather dark," he explained. "And I feel that they can change it." This was the first time he admitted this too. He was chosen as one of the five Istari of the Middle- Earth, and the its future always had a way of unfolding itself in front of him in, one way or another… This time it came with a shadow that covered in its black space the heirs of the Durin throne.
He dwelled on a thought for a moment, debating whether he should say it out loud, but he knew that Galadriel was wise, and wouldn't question this higher power. "The Valar showed me a possible future, shortly after I left the mark on Bilbo's door. A future that held only death, proving that this quest could prove fatal… Unless, I made a choice that in other circumstances I would deeply regret."
Galadriel said nothing, her silence willing Gandalf to continue.
" They," he continued, his gaze rising up the sky, "Sent me a message, through a fogged vision: two girls in a land without magic -except the one that came through its books-, reading about our stories and fates, which they seem to be nothing more than a book. But a book that holds the past, the present and the future of every venture our land has or will experience."
"The Valar deemed it useful that this knowledge be pledged on these young girls?" The lady of Lothlorien seemed rather upset, being one to carry the gift and burden of the future, she was deeply taken aback by this reckless choice. "What a terrible burden for such young souls, having to carry it all the way…" her voice trailed off in sadness. Whoever said that the elves were cold and unloving beings was now being proved wrong, because Galadriel's worry overcame her, more than anyone could ever imagine.
"I share your feelings my lady." The grey wizard continued. "But for the Valar to choose them means that they are destined to make changes that will bring a desirable result, or at least a less painful for everyone."
Galadriel nodded. She seemed very deep in thought. "I hope you're right. But don't be afraid Mithrandir. You are not alone."
And with that she was gone, like the wind: swift and quick, but always leaving behind a mark that stated that she was there.
The thing that Gandalf didn't mention was the one that mattered the most, but he just couldn't find the will to say it out loud.
If the course of history is bound to change, then why are those young girls forgetting?
Some days passed since they left Rivendell and so far nothing really happened. That was making Nora quite uneasy, because Gandalf had yet to join them. The green eyed girl advised her friend to try and focus on other things, like to keep on moving and not panicking over the wizard's timing. If she kept worrying like that she would go crazy. It was a good idea, one that she should start following herself. It might help her with the nightmares that were getting worse day by day. Sleeping with Fili didn't make it any better, though she assured him that it wasn't him and that she was glad that she had someone next to her every night to watch over her.
Not even an hour ago she got in an argument with Thorin, something that she did on a regular basis since his tactics were strongly opposed to hers- Thorin always wanted to keep moving, taking the most dangerous of paths if it meant for a shortcut, while Elsa preferred safer roads, that weren't bugging her feeling for an unexpected turn of events. But did Thorin listen to her?
Of course he didn't! Every time they quarreled, it was the same old routine and the same old result: a steaming Elsa ranting about Thorin's hard headiness in Greek, and Thorin doing pretty much the same in Khuzdul…
When they finally stopped, the sun was about to set and they were crossing a very rocky mountainous path. So she suggested that they should stay in a cave they found, and of course the leader of the company ignored her.
The air was getting colder and colder with every step the company took. Soon, the clouds that painted the sky grey decided to make their struggle to cross the mountain path more difficult by beginning a small drizzle that quickly escalated in heavy rain. So here they were now, cold and wet trying to cross a path that would still be dangerous without the rain and the lack of daylight.
"Hold on," ordered Thorin, his voice being slightly muffled by the rain and the thunders. Unfortunately, it was a task easier said than done, as Bilbo, a few moments after, accidentally stepped in the wrong place and would have fallen off the cliff, if it weren't for Dwalin's and Bofur's hands that pulled him back.
"We must find shelter." growled Thorin, trying to be heard from the beginning to the end of the line the dwarves, Bilbo and the girls formed.
'Oh, now you want to find shelter', Elsa thought bitterly. Truth be told, she was terrified, she had always been afraid of heights and this place was like hell to her. Nora, who of course sensed her fear grabbed a hold of her hand and griped it tight. It was a simple move that meant: I'm here. Elsa squeezed Nora's hand too, her response too obvious to utter it: Thank you! Suddenly, Dwalin's voice echoed, urgent and steadfast:
"LOOK OUT!"
He was right, because out of nowhere, came a rock with the size of a house, it crushed right upon their heads and shattered in smaller pieces of rock, making them all reach to cover their heads for protection as they screamed out of surprise and, though no one would admit it, fear!
"Look out brother!" Gloin yelled from where he stood, stretching out his hand to protect Oin.
"Hold on!" Kili exclaimed as he felt being pulled back, his brother's protective hand on his shoulder keeping him away from the excessive danger.
"This is no thunder storm," Balin exclaimed, sounding frightened, pointing at maybe the most strange and horrifying thing Elsa had ever seen in her life. Two, or probably more Godzilla-sized rock giants suddenly rose from where they were lying and started throwing boulders at each-other.
"It's a thunder battle!"
'Great! Now, I know what's gonna kill me,' she wanted to say but she seemed unable to speak, her terror stealing away her voice.
"Look!" The wise dwarf was now pointing at the giants, who were really starting a hardcore fight.
"Bless my beard!" Bofur exclaimed. "The legends are true! Giants! Stone giants!" he was obviously petrified, because how many legends could someone think that ended to be real? Elsa could think of only one that referred to the Middle-Earth…
Thorin yelled something that she didn't really make out, except from the word 'fool', and before she knew it, another rock was thrown and the cliff split in two revealing itself as a leg of another rock giant. The other leg moved taking half the dwarves with it, including Fili.
She heard Fili's call for his brother while he was desperately trying to reach him and nearly falling. She could hear the desperation clear in his voice. She felt Nora's grip on her hand tighten, sign that her friend felt exactly the same feeling.
Now the rock was fully split in two, the dwarves on the right part perfectly –considering their situation- safe, but the left part was slowly starting to move in dangerous manner, leaving all the members of the company trapped on it, making steps backwards trying to avoid the never-ending darkness below them.
Elsa felt a nauseating feeling rise on her stomach, combined with terror, as the giant took a step and pulled his foot up to take another. Suddenly, everyone on the leg of the Rock-Giant: Elsa, Fili, Bofur, Bilbo, Bombur, Dwalin and Ori, all of them were caught in the middle of a fight with another Giant.
"Hold on!" Bofur screamed. Of course it was easier said than done, as there was no place to hold on to, but a point was made anyway.
"Oh my…" Elsa had paled so much that if anyone looked at her at that moment, would believe that she was a corpse standing up. It was true that she was afraid of heights but this…? This was a living nightmare! Yet, she somehow found the strength to shout something, in hopes that the part of the company that was trapped along with her would be able to hear her voice:
"When we get close to steady ground: JUMP!" she practically screamed.
"How do you know it will be safe?" was Fili's worried shout.
At that part, Elsa felt some of her a part of her character return to its normal status. "Why do you think I was asked to come here?" at that point, she had to swallow her nausea down, she could not hold on much longer as far as it concerned the conscious part. "I just know it! Tell the others!"
As Fili spread the word, the Giant to which they 'rested' on, apparently lost his fight as he sank forward, leading them to a mere 3 feet distance from their companions before it moved to the right, close to its demise.
"JUMP!" they all heard Thorin shout, and no one needed to be told twice. As soon as they got the chance, they all jumped to a 'safer' ground, Elsa grabbing Fili's hand before doing so.
"HOLD ON!" was all Elsa could hear and recognize as Thorin's voice, before she closed her eyes, hoping that this nightmare would end soon.
They all landed rather ungracefully one on top of another, gasping for breath and silently- and secretly- worshiping the steady ground!
Nora right then, ran along with the others only to see much to her relief that everybody was ok. Her relief lasted for about three seconds when she heard Bofur asking worriedly where Bilbo was, everyone else right then noticing that he had nearly fallen, holding as much as he could of the hard rock for dear life, grunting from the obvious struggle.
Thorin immediately yelled commandingly to get him. Unfortunately all of the dwarves tries didn't do anything as Nora could hear from where she stood.
"Grab my hand!" Ori desperately cried while reaching out for Bilbo, who now was barely holding on, with only one hand on the rocky edge.
"Bilbo! Come on lad!" Bofur too reached out for the hobbit, without any success as more dwarves run towards his direction, offering their help with their actions.
"Ori, be careful!" Dori's protectiveness over his younger brother obviously made him worry more, because his heart of course belonged to his sibling but also to the little-one who learnt to love like a brother, a feeling Nora was way too familiar with.
"Take it!" tension continued to rise as Ori held out more of his hand for Bilbo. He paid no heed to his brother's words as he tried to help his friend who was in dire danger.
"I've got you lad." Dwalin exclaimed as he joined his companions on the task of saving one the company's members, who had also saved them from the horrible fate of being eaten days before.
By that time, Thorin also went to the rescue of their burglar, descending with efficiency a small part of the rock, going near Bilbo and pulling him up single-handedly as he was also holding on to the rock himself. Unfortunately that wasn't enough, as he almost fell too, but Dwalin's both hands quickly grabbing his right hand that had slipped from that blasted boulder.
With many grunting sounds coming from both king and friend, and the muffled 'come on' that came from Dwalin's mouth, Thorin was pulled up rather safely and quickly. 'Safely'…huh! How ironic did that sound from the situation they were in right now? But considering the last ten more torturous moments of the Earth-girls lives? Well, it was a relatively appropriate word.
"I thought we'd lost our burglar," commented Bofur after both Bilbo and Thorin were on solid ground and seemingly fine.
"He's been lost, ever since he left home. He should never have come," was the king's bitten reply to the comment as he glared at Bilbo. "He should never have come." He continued mercilessly.
"He has no place amongst us." Every word that came out of his mouth was as if it was coated with poison, a sting to the hobbit's heart, as it was shown by his facial expression.
Elsa was about to say something but she thought better of it. She was too tired to do so and it was high time she learn when to keep her mouth shut. So she said nothing and just tried to overcome the feeling that she was about to have a heart attack.
Thorin and Dwalin went on first, while they were all reuniting with friends and family. Elsa had the privilege of accidentally overhearing the two youngest Durin's who from the moment they finally locked their gazes on each other, they embraced tightly.
"Don't you ever, do that to me again!" Kili whispered with his jaw tightening up, only to relax a bit and chuckle as he heard his brother's reply…
"It's not as if I had a choice, was it now?" Fili tried to decrease the emotional tension that his brother and himself as well were right now, succeeding to the fullest.
"Hate to ruin a family reunion" Elsa slapped herself mentally for actually ruining it, "but unless we all want to hear an earful from your uncle, I believe we should be going!"
"Aye, and don't think that we won't if we don't move." Kili stated looking at his brother, who completed his thoughts.
"I agree! And I can bet anything that we both had enough scolding to last us for four lifetimes!" that comment from Fili hit both Nora and Elsa harder than they would anticipate it would, as they both still remembered quite clearly that none of the direct Durin line would enough for a lifetime…
They followed the others in the cave, which was deemed safe enough, but would still be searched just in case, as Thorin quite right stated that "Caves in the mountain are seldom occupied."
"In that case," Nora started as politely as she could at the moment, "I believe that you should listen to our advice when we tell you that a danger far greater than your normal trolls hide in that mountain." Now everyone's attention was turned to her, as what she said could save their lives or doom them. Even Thorin looked like he was listening!
"Alright then. What would is it then, since you seem to know more about those mountains than we do." the indicative tone was hard to miss, but Nora didn't show any signs of caring at all. She had had enough of this for so long!
"I don't know exactly what, but something dangerous lurks in the shadows," she couldn't help but rest momentarily rest her gaze on Bilbo, for obvious foreshadowing reasons to Nora and Elsa, "And that something will NOT be so pleased if or when it learns that we are here, I can guarantee that!"
Thorin sighed in well-hidden defeat, because even though he was stubborn and didn't really appreciate the attitude from either of the two girls, he couldn't deny that he agreed to take them on this journey. Deep inside he trusted their instincts and if the older girl was right, then he didn't want to risk any of his kin's lives. But he just couldn't go back or press everyone further into walking until they reached a safer ground; they had to stay here.
"Okay then." He stated in a stale tone. "But we can't move or go back for a safer place to spend the night. We will camp here for the night."
"Great then," Gloin let some wooden branches fall to the ground as he rubbed his hands, "Let's get a fire started."
"No. No fires." Thorin quickly cut him. "Not in this place." He moved to a spot a corner of the cave, "Get some sleep. We start at first light." He didn't sound like a commanding king now, only like a concerned family member. It was strange for both Nora and Elsa to hear him like that, but apparently the others didn't pay it much heed. After all, none of the dwarves in this company was a stranger to Thorin. Even Bilbo didn't seem so surprised with that change of tone, but truth be told, he couldn't care less if Thorin started to behave like a dwarf-ling right now, his near death experience too strong for him to pay attention to his surroundings, except for basic orders.
"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandlaf joined us." Balin stated with a semi-trembling voice, pulling everyone from what they were doing. "That was the plan."
"Plans change." Was the only answer that left Thorin's mouth. "Bofur," he said next, "take the first watch. And be careful. If anything happen sound an alert." He completed firmly.
"You know I will Thorin."
With that all the members of the company went to sleep, no longer leaving snarky comments about Fili and Elsa who took their place to sleep the one in the hands of the other.
It was the rustling of the fabric against fabric that woke her, and the silent talking that got her attention. Nora strained her eyes open, too tired to identify immediately who were talking. But that voice…
"I should have never run out of my door." Bilbo was desperate, that much she knew. Having to explain yourself while you left on your friend's watch, well… she didn't know how it felt, but her strong imagination gave her an idea.
"You're homesick!" Bofur annunciated every syllable, hoping to get Bilbo to come to his right senses. "I understand!"
"No, you don't! You don't understand. None of you do!" Bilbo whispered urgently. "You're dwarves! You're used to this life! To living on the road, to never setting in one place, not belonging anywhere!"
There was a pause on both sides, Nora feeling Bilbo's shame from where she was lying. She couldn't take anymore.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I…"
"I don't belong here either Bilbo, yet here I am!" Nora's voice rose in whispering manner and she moved toward the hobbit and Bofur. "Neither does Elsa! But we're still here!"
Bilbo didn't answer, what could he say anyway?
"I left my family behind to come to this quest, and so did Elsa. We sacrificed everything that our world provided to have a chance to be a part of this adventure, in a land where whatever we consider in my world a fact, here is a mad man's thought." She didn't sound angry or disappointed; she just didn't want Bilbo to leave. She had grown to enjoy the hobbit's company as much as her friends, and him going away-beside the fact that the storyline could change- made her feel quite uneasy.
"I'm so sorry Nora, but I…"
"Let me finish. I know that you miss your home. Hell, I miss mine almost as much as you do yours! But I didn't let anything pull me down. I completely understand that you're afraid, but I am too," she reached and grabbed his hand, in an attempt to show him how they were connected to their longing for their homes, "but we both know that we wouldn't have joined this journey if we hadn't considered, and avoided for that matter, all the dangers we knew that lay ahead."
Bilbo and Bofur said nothing, both admiring the passion that such a young maiden could speak with.
"So, what say you? Do you still want to leave or stay?" her tone hid no challenge, only real agony mixed with a plead.
Before Bilbo could utter a single word, strange noises echoed, the earth shook a little and-
"Wake up! Wake up!" Thorin's voice urged them all to wake immediately, just in time for the earth to open up and swallow them all as they screamed and grunted.
So that's it for now! Hope you can forgive the late update with this appetising chapter (almost 2000 words bigger than usual), and write a review about how this goes. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcomed, it makes us better!
Till next time,
MidnightTales357