An Unexpected Romance

Chapter Twenty Four

A/N: i do what i want so here is another chapter dedicated to BilboRoth because if she didn't support this story as much as she does, i probably would have abandoned it long ago . have another chapter on me xx

Chapter Twenty Four

I kissed Bilbo's cheek and sent him off to Balin, who would send him into the mountain. We waited just outside the door, Thorin hanging half-in and half-out of the stone halls. Though I was worried about the Hobbit, there was someone else I was much more concerned about. I knew that I should be focused on the fact that we were sending a Halfling into the lair of a dragon (dead or otherwise), but my mind was far away with the dark haired boy I lo-

I stood quickly, ripping the idea from my mind. If I could have physically thrown it to the ground and stomped on it, I would have.

"You alright, lassie?" Gloin asked, from where he sat, leaning up against the stone wall.

"Yes." I said, smoothing down the front of my tunic. "Yes, quite."

"You look like somethin's on your mind." He slapped the ground next to him. "Come on. Let's chat."

I laughed lightly and shook my head. "I think I'll manage."

"Well, we've got to keep busy somehow. C'mere. Let me teach you a song I sing to my wee lad."

I lowered myself next to him and leaned over as he pulled a chain from around his neck. He opened the medallion to reveal two images: one of his wife, and the other showed his son, Gimli.

"Gimli loves to sing." Gloin chuckled heartily. "His favorite is an old song from just after Smaug came. It is called the Song of Durin."

"Sounds wonderful." I nodded.

Gloin sang the first verse, twice, thrice before asking me to sing it back.

"A king he was on carven throne
In many-pillared halls of stone
With golden roof and silver floor,
And runes of power upon the door." And when I sang, his face went slack and a smile played on his lips.

"Oh, lovely. You've got a beautiful voice." He said. "My boy would love you."

I blushed. "I don't sing much." I confided. "Just for Thorin, really. When I was young, he taught me old folk songs and then when I grew older, I began to sing them to him."

"Alright, lass. The next verse goes like this: The light of sun, and star, and moon.."

***

"He's been down there a long time." I mumbled, pacing back and forth.

"Hm?" Asked Ori, who was standing near me.

"Biblo." I told him. "It's been ages."

"The Halls of Erebor are vast, Ariel. It may take more than a glance to find the Arkenstone." Balin assured me.

"Yes, but what if he's in trouble?" I stressed. "What if he needs us?"

"Don't worry so much, lass." Dwalin grunted. "If the Halfling needs us, we'll know."

So we just kept waiting.

*Fili's POV*

Seeing Kili writhe on Bard's kitchen table was unbearable. We'd sent Bofur to fetch the Kingsfoil, but he hadn't yet returned. All we could do now was stop Kili from killing himself with the stress.

Sigrid and Tilda rushed around, pressing cool cloths to his forehead or helping their father prepare concoctions that would probably make him worse. I noticed that, despite her age, Tilda was very calm in the face of crisis. Well, at least what I counted as crisis.