Embracing the Shadows

Chapter Six - The moon shines bright tonight

I wander around the courtyards of Rivendell, taking my time. I wanted to have as much time away from the dwarves as I could. Their rambunctious behaviour got exhausting after months of traveling with them. Elrond as Gandalf had said was indifferent to what Thranduil had decreed and I had been released instantly.

I enter the hall with the now unusually silent dwarves, I see Elrond examining the swords Gandalf and Thorin found in the trolls' hoard. He looks at Thorin's sword first

"This is Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver. A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West, my kin. May it serve you well." Handing the stubborn kings sword back before looking over Gandalf's sword "And this is Glamdring, the Foe­hammer, sword of the King of Gondolin. These swords were made for the goblin wars of the First Age..." I pull out my sword, the clear surface reflects the candle light drawing Elrond's attention to me, brow furrowed as he recognises the hilt of the queen's sword "How did you come by these?"

"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East Road, shortly before we were ambushed by orcs." Gandalf says oblivious to Elrond's accusing stare.

"And what were you doing on the Great East Road?"

No one answers and Thorin looks perturbed. I look up "Rescuing this lot" I say gesturing to the company with my thumb. Thorin glares and stalks out of the room.

I move in the opposite direction and clamber onto the rooves lying back to watch the stars. Till a Warg howl sounds, and a strangled answer is cut off. And a softer melody finds me. I grin and lift my chin to the moon howling in reply. And then move down do the company and finding a spot to sleep around them.

I am rudely awoken by a kick to the back and, in true wilderness fashion I whip around and push a pressure point behind the knee of my attacker and jump onto him pinning his hands down, panting I took the time to look at who was underneath me. Kili lays there, eyes wide and hair splayed out on the hard ground. I growl and shove off him standing and pulling my pack onto my back ignoring the stares on me. Huffing at the still visible moon.

Months have passed, all the same. I save their lives and they grumble about my heritage, and I restrain myself from pushing the stubborn princelings and their uncle off the side of the cliff we now climb.

"Hold on! We must find shelter!" Thorin calls as the thin path wobbles

"Watch out!" Dwalin shouts and we all look up to see a massive boulder hurtling through the air. It hits the mountainside above us, causing rocks to fall all around us as we press themselves against the mountainside to avoid them.

"This is no thunderstorm, it's a thunder battle! Look!" Dwalin's brother Balin shouts pointing to a large stone giant that rises up, ripping a chunk of the mountain off and throws it.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Bofur praises

The battle recommences as the giants have restocked their ammunition. The ground between some of the Company member's splits. And some of us sit on the wrong side of the gap.

"Kili! Grab my hand! Ki..." Fili calls reaching for his brother on the other side of the gap. The Giants abandon the rocks and begin to scrap with their fists. Someone jump over the gap to the safer side of the gap and to mu luck a third stone giant appears loaded with boulders and attacks. The now headless original giant falls towards us. Fine dust rises and obscures us from the rest of the company and they begin to cry out

"We're all right! We're alive!" Balin calls out as they rush forwards to catch a glimpse of our supposed bodies.

"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?" Bofur points out to us and I look around catching the sight of the dangling Hobbit

"There!" Ori dives onto the ground and tries to grab Bilbo's arm, but Bilbo slips and falls another few feet before he catches another handhold. I lean down past the dwarves who struggle to reach Bilbo with their short stature. I grab his wrists and haul him up quickly and wrap my arm around his shoulder

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Dwalin says with a breath of relief

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us. Dwalin!" Thorin insults

"Dina" (be silent) I growl standing forward from Bilbo's side "I will not stand by and let you insult the Hobbit who left his home to reclaim yours." I turn and stalk off.

Before long I come across a cave and enter it looking around and deeming it safe to occupy

"It looks safe enough." Dwalin conforms my thoughts.

"Search to the back. Caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied." Thorin says ignoring my eye rolling.

"There's nothing here." Dwalin reports after giving the cave a quick once over by the lantern light.

"Wait" I call crouching down by a small line in the rock "Dwalin hand me the lantern" I call and hold out my hand.

"What have you seen lass?" He questions and places the handle into my outstretched hand. I look closer at the hair line split in the rock. It seems endless.

"It may be nothing" I say, even though my gut says that it is in fact something.

Gloin drops a bundle of wood on the floor and rubs his hands together. "Right then! Let's get a fire started." He speaks

"No, No fires, not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light." Thorin commands seemingly disturbed by my curiosity at the small crack that was too straight to be natural.

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan." Balin reminds

"Plans change. Bofur, take the first watch." Thorin says all high and mighty.

The Company is resting in the cave and all the dwarves are asleep. Bilbo, only pretending to be asleep, stealthily opens his eyes and looks around. Seeing that no one is watching, he quietly rolls up his blankets and packs his things. Grabbing his walking stick, he starts to leave the cave, tiptoeing over the sleeping dwarves.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bofur asks as I lean against the outer wall of the cave keeping watch over the paths

"Back to Rivendell."

"No, no, you can't turn back now, you're part of the Company. You're one of us." Bofur says

"I'm not though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door." I sigh, seeds of doubt were the worst. I should know

"You're homesick; I understand."

"No, you don't, you don't understand! None of you do ­ you're dwarves. You used to ­ to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere." He pauses realising his mistake "I am sorry, I didn't..." and I reveal myself.