All I've ever known

21

After Mivera had helped Gandalf take Bilbo into another room, she walked back to the dining room and took to cleaning up the mess. It was the least she felt she could do.

Over in a secluded area, Balin and Thorin were talking. They had just overheard the conversation between Bilbo and Gandalf ."It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, minors, tinkers, toy makers. Hardly the stuff of legend.", Balin said. Thorin looked at Balin,"There are a few warriors amongst us." Balin rolled his eyes,"Old warriors."

"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask for no more than that." Balin replied,"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You and Mivera have done honorably by our people. You two have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor." Thorin pulled out the key,"From my grandfather to my father, this came to me. They dreamt of a day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice Balin. Not for me." Balin nodded,"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

Thorin smiled and they walked back to where the dwarves put the bedrolls. "Still same old Mivera, aye?", Balin chuckled pointing to Mivera. Thorin looked over and saw that she held a large stack of plates in her hands that went up to her shoulder. "Yes.", Thorin said. He left Balin and walked over to Mivera.

"You don't have to do that." Mivera jumped, nearly dropping the plates in her hand. "Thorin you scared me!" She heard him chuckle softly behind her,"Sorry. But seriously, you don't need to do this." She walked into the kitchen,"Of course I do, I mean, it's the least I can do for Bilbo. We did come into his house uninvited." She set the plates in the sink and turned to Thorin. He held up the key,"Take it." She furrowed her brow in response. He tied it onto a thick string,"I want you to take it, for safe keeping. I believe having it in my care will only cause it to be lost." She exaggerated her wide eyes,"What? Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, seeks the help of a maiden?" He rolled his eyes,"Just take it." She took it and turned around,"Can you help me put it on?" She heard Thorin scoff as he came behind her,"What? The noble Lady Mivera Kirazek needs the help of a man to put on a necklace. She rolled her eyes,"Just put it on." They both chuckled and he helped her.

His fingers felt electrified each time they touched the back of her neck. Nearly the same exact thing could be said about Mivera. She tried her very best not to shiver as she felt his fingers on her neck. Once he was done, she didn't face him, knowing quite well her face was red.

The walked into the den where the dwarves were sitting. Thorin stood in front of the fire and gazed into it, Mivera sat near the window. Everyone was humming, and Mivera joined in. Thorin began to sing,

"Far over, the Misty Mountains cold,

To dungeons deep, and caverns old.", Mivera began singing as well,

"We must away, ere break of day,

To find our long forgotten gold.", the rest of the dwarves joined, some even stood,

"The pines were roaring, on the height.

The winds were moaning, in the night.

The fire was red, it flaming spread.

The tree like torches, blazed with light.", Thorin looked at his company, then to Mivera. Her eyes were closed, and the fire bathed her in a mix of golden light and shadow. He tore away his gaze and followed the company into the room with bedrolls.

He laid in silence while Mivera maneuvered her way over the sleeping dwarves to her bedroll beside Thorin. After a few moments of silence, Mivera rolled to her side so she faced Thorin."Do you think he will come?" He did not look at her as he answered,"I do not believe so, he won't want to leave the comfort of his warm hearth and plentiful food." Mivera furrowed her brow and said,"I believe he will come."

Thorin still did not face her,"What makes you think that?" She rolled over to face the ceiling with him,"He may have a comfortable home, with plentiful foo

Thorin listened as her breaths became slower and deeper. He rolled over so that he was facing her back. He was startled when she rolled over again with her face only inches from his. He smiled at her content face and whispered,"Goodnight Mivera, sleep well."

Thorin was the first to wake up, as usual. He stood up and stretched, and looked down at Mivera. Her hair was spread around her head and she had a ghost of a smile on her face. Thorin knelt down, moved the hair from her face, held her shoulder, and gently shook her awake.

"Mivera? Mivera, time to get up." Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at Thorin, then out the window."The sun hasn't even risen yet, Thorin.", she groaned stretching up. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as Thorin stood up,"By the time everyone will be awake and we will have loaded the ponies and gotten on our way it will. Help get everyone up." She got up, stretched one more time, and went to wake up Ori. 5 minutes later, they had waken everyone up. Well, not everyone the only ones still sleeping were Fili and Kili.

Mivera looked at Thorin,"Flip a coin?" He pulled one out and flipped it in the air. Mivera called,"Tails!" Much to her dismay and Thorin's amusement, it was tails. Thorin waved a hand towards the boys, Mivera rolled her eyes as she walked over. She looked at them closely. Kili and Fili's head were leaning on opposite sides of a chair. She calmly strode behind the chair, and in a split second she pulled the chair back making the two brothers' heads collide with a small conk sound. The moaned and whined as Mivera walked out of the room to saddle up her pony. Thorin watched her with an impressed expression and turned when Balin chuckled,"Hasn't lost her touch."

They were just leaving Hobbiton when they heard a faint,"Wait! Wait!" They stopped the ponies and looked behind them to see a very out of breath Bilbo came running up."I signed it!", he said handing the contract to Balin. Balin looked it over, then smiled as he rolled it up,"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Thorin gruffly called back,"Give him a pony!" Bilbo began to protest,"No, no, no, no. That....that won't be necessary, thank you. I'm sure I can keep up on foot. Yeah, I...I've done my share of walking holidays, you know? Even got as far as Frog Morton once." Fili and Kili rode up behind him and grabbed his shoulders, setting him on a pony. Mivera laughed at his expression.

"Come on Nori, pay up!", Oin shouted. At that moment money bags flew from one dwarfs hands to another's."What's that about?",Bilbo asked. Gandalf smirked,"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't." The hobbit looked at Gandalf quizzically,"And what did you think?" His question was answered when Gandalf's hand flew up to catch a money bag."My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second."

After a few minutes or so, Bilbo sneezed."Oh, it's horse hair. I'm having a reaction." He looked through all his pockets."Uh..wait, wait. Stop! Stop, we have to turn around!" The company stopped in confusion. Mivera looked back at the hobbit,"What on earth is the matter?" He looked back,"I forgot my handkerchief." Thorin scoffed, Mivera shot him a look and turned back to him. Bofur held up a rag,"Here! Use this." He threw it to a rather disgusted Bilbo. Thorin shouted,"Move on!", and they were moving again.

Mivera stayed back so she could ride beside Bilbo. Once beside him, she handed him a clean handkerchief,"Here Bilbo." He graciously took it. Gandalf looked over at him,"You'll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs, and a good number of things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire. But home is now behind you. The world is ahead."