A Tale of Time

Chapter 5: Song and Ale

The dwarves settle now that the evening's events have come to pass. Now all they wait for is the morning to come before they can begin on the treacherous road which may either bring them doom or glory, there being no in between. Most found themselves in Bilbo's living room, talking quietly amongst themselves.

Gailien finds herself in Bilbo's kitchen, putting together a mug tea as one of the other dwarves has already started a fire, boiling the water. Gailien works silently as she puts the drink together, using a mixture of herbs that she was taught back when she was apart of Mirkwood. It would help soothe the hobbit who is just starting to come around.

"Ah, so you're a tea drinker," Kili says, entering the kitchen. Truth be told, he wants to talk to the girl and searched around for her. Gailien looks over her shoulder at the young prince, smiling in both greeting and pleasant surprise that another dwarf is not so against her company. She has heard about the dwarves being fast in friendship, but also just as fast in enmity. It is either one end or the other with them.

"Not for me," she hums in a melodic tune, straining the herbs as she mixes a little bit of honey in for sweetening. "For Bilbo. Though I might make one for myself." She holds the steaming cup in her hands as she now turns to the dwarf. Kili stands at about her own height, maybe an inch or two taller. His youth shows in his face, even more so with his lack of beard. She also notices he doesn't wear as many hair beads as his brother or uncle.

Kili smirks playfully at her words. "Ah, so you are. Don't like the taste of ale, do you?" His words are teasing, recalling that she did not drink through the night. Gailien rolls her eyes, pushing past the dwarf who turns to follow her.

"I don't mind ale but it is an acquired taste and I prefer it over a fire then at a meal," she answers as the dwarf follows behind her into the room where Gandalf and Bilbo are talking. She leans over the side of the chair to see Bilbo now wide awake, still looking as shaky as before. "Here you go, Bilbo," she says, handing the mug to the hobbit.

Bilbo looks up at her in surprise, taking the mug. He had just been thinking that he needs a drink right at this moment. The aroma from the steam is enticingly sweet, one that already begins to calm him before he has even taken a sip.

"Thank you," he says shyly, taking a sip of it. It tastes as good as it smells, and he makes a mental note to ask her what she used if he got the chance before she left. Gailien smiles again, rubbing his shoulder before she turns around to Kili who is watching in the archway.

She walks past him, expecting him to follow and he does as she walks back over to the other end of Bag End. She passes Thorin and Balin who are talking amongst themselves but stop as the girl and Kili walk through. She glances at the both of them coyly but keeps walking on silently.

She enters the living room where most of the other dwarves have assembled around a fire. Her eyes latch onto the flame in slight excitement and she quickly shuffles over to it, sitting down so close to the flame that there is a risk her hair could catch alight. But her love for the heat, the flame, is too great and outweighs that risk.

Kili enters, walking over to his brother Fili, engaging in quiet talk about the quest. Gailien rubs her hands together, holding them over the flame to take more warmth in.

"I thought elves don't feel the cold," Dwalin muses deeply. He stands near the fireplace, leaning against the wall. Gailien smiles shyly again, feeling a slight redness at her cheeks. She wouldn't say the dwarf intimidates her but his aura can be unsettling.

"I'm afraid I did not receive that elven trait, master dwarf. I barely share anything with them for a matter of fact. I don't even think I'm half to be completely honest with you, I'm sure my father was also half or at least partially belonging to the race of men." She looks at the fire again, feeling eyes on her as she speaks the loudest in the room.