Dawn (A Hobbit Fanfic)

Chapter 6 - Dwarf stew, with a side of Elf.

"We'll camp here for tonight," Thorin yelled when we reached an abandoned farm. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them." He began giving everyone orders for tasks they already knew to do.
I dismounted and sat down, leaning against a tree. He hadn't given me an order so I decided that I would rest my eyes, because I was a bit weary.
I couldn't though, because Gandalf and Thorin started arguing.
"I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf sounded like he didn't trust this place. To be fair, something did smell... unpleasant.

"But I've told you already. I will not go near that place."
"Why not? The Elves could help us, we could get food, rest, advice."
"I do not need their advice," Thorin raised his voice.
"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us."
I can't go to Imladris, as much as I'd love to. They'd surely find out that I am Elvish if we went that way. Plus, I was banished, even though it was long ago and a different kingdom, I'm not certain they'd even let me in. But we did need their help.
"Help? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, what help came from the Elves? A Dragon attacks Erebor, the Elves looked on and did nothing! You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather, who betrayed my father."

I turned my face away so that he could not see and question the hurt expression I must be wearing. I did want to do something but I was held back. I gave the army my orders only to be overruled. I'd even gotten myself banished for it. But ultimately, he was right. We betrayed his father and grandfather and we looked on and did nothing.
To this day I still regretted obeying my father when he told me to cancel my orders.

"You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."
"I did not know they were yours to keep."
Gandalf stormed off in frustration and I got up and followed him.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"To seek the company of the only one here who's got any sense!" He still sounded fucking pissed.
Bilbo had joined us as well. "And who's that?" he inquired.
"Myself, master Baggins! I've had enough of Dwarves for one day! Dawn, make sure they don't do anything idiotic!"
"And you expect me of all people to be capable of doing that?" Asking him was of no use because we'd stopped following him when we reached the edge of the camp.

-~-

I had just finished disappointing Gandalf by going out to hunt. Thorin stomped up to me. "Where have you been?" he demanded, holding up his finger like a stern father. It was quite cute actually, given I was more than a head taller than he was.

I sheepishly held up the two pheasants I killed. "I was hunting."
"Tell us where you are next time, we were worried." His voice was gentle now, in a way I didn't know it could be.
"I might have forgotten that part, sorry," I apologized.
"Now, go bring those birds to Bombur, he'll be happy with the meat." He put his hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me in Bombur's direction as if I was a small child that just barely learned how to walk. I did as I was told. Bombur was indeed happy, he thanked me and I sat at one of the logs around the fire while he readied the birds for his stew.

"Do you think he'll come back?" Bilbo asked when night had fallen.
"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses! Here, do us a favour. Take this to the lads," Bofur dismissed Bilbo's worries and handed him two bowls of stew.
"He'll be fine," I reassured him. "Be more worried about us, I don't like this place." The last bit was not that reassuring, I'll have to admit.

Bilbo went to take the stew to Kili and Fili while I remained at the campfire with the rest of the Company.
"I am quite curious about this Dawn, how did you get kicked out of the Wizard Order?" Ori asked. The other Dwarves sat ready to listen. Even Thorin looked mildly curious. "How did you get in there in the first place? You're not... not like Gandalf."
I looked at Bofur with a big spoonful of stew still in my mouth. I chewed very quickly and swallowed it all in go. It was probably not a very attractive sight.
"Indeed I am not. I used to hunt for and wait tables at the Prancing Pony in Bree a few years ago. A peculiar man with a long beard and a pointy hat had been going around town asking for potential apprentices. He stopped by the inn and I served him a drink and had a chat with him. I had no idea at all who he was, but he was very unlike the usual folk that stop by, so I was intrigued.
He told me he was looking for an apprentice who could fend for themselves a bit and wasn't too dumb to tie their shoelaces. He asked me if I knew such a person. Now, mind you, I wasn't overly fond of Bree and hadn't put in an effort to get to know its people, so I told him that I didn't really know anyone around and that he'd best ask the Elves in Rivendell. He just said that he'd been asking about me and that I fit the bill just fine. I jumped at the opportunity to get out of that town.
After a week or two, we discovered that I have an affinity, as Gandalf called it, for magic. I trained very hard for about five years, got a title and generally stuck around Gandalf.
Saruman the White didn't like me much from the get go. He said that my tongue is too sharp, can you imagine? I don't like him either. I trust him about as far as I can throw him and certainly didn't like his direct authority over me. The arsehole knew that. Hard not to really, I voiced my opinion of him often enough.
Not my smartest move. He waited until Gandalf was off to Bree on his own and called for a meeting, with Gandalf gone, I got voted out. It wasn't a fair trial at all if you ask me. Wasn't even allowed to prepare a proper defence."
This was the longest I'd ever talked in one piece, and frankly, the longest I'd held anyone's attention in a very long time. Even father would get interrupted or disinterested after a while of telling me off.