A Better Place - The Hobbit Fanfiction

Alternate Entry Thirteen - Visiting Thranduil

{Dedicated to rubies_gems because DAMN I have never seen anyone read that fast.}

True to his word, the very next day Bofur and I picked up a pair of ponies in Dale and proceeded at a leisurely pace toward the Woodland Realm. Bofur and I chatted happily the entire way, camping out in a small cave or grotto each night if we could find one. The land between Erebor and the Woodland Realm was considered fairly safe, and the distance was only about a week long at a light pace. We sent a raven ahead of us since Bofur said it wouldn't be polite to just show up without warning.

"But I told them I'd be visiting soon after returning and the elves who saw us through Mirkwood know we're back," I pointed out.

"That was a year ago."

"You suffered no such compunctions at Bilbo's house."

"Well we know Bilbo."

"I know Thranduil."

"He's an elf, he's different. And he's a king. Bilbo's just a wealthy hobbit."

I heaved a sigh. "Such double standards. You were probably right to send a bird though. That way if they don't see us in a week they can send out a mass manhunt to find us from whatever gorge we've fallen down inside."

Bofur rolled his eyes at me. "Maybe he'd send out a manhunt for you-Thranduil doesn't care a whit about me."

"Someday maybe I'll get that to change." A grin erupted across my face as I made a sudden comparison that I hadn't before. "It's like I'm the child of a divorce and I'm being shuttled back and forth between my two fathers."

Bofur shot me a dark look. "I don't think I like how you've stipulated that you feel like myself and that king were once married."

I laughed until I nearly fell off the pony.

Bofur in no way wanted to reenter the Woodland Realm, for which I couldn't blame him, but he was entirely willing to do it for me. We stopped several hundred feet short of their fancy main entrance-through which we'd been hustled in our respective ropes or shackles the last time we'd entered together-and knew very well the sentries stoically guarding the doors could not only see us but probably identify us as well.

"You don't have to come inside, Bofur," I pointed out to him as I dismounted and transferred my small pack from my pony's saddle to my back. "It's not as if I've got enemies here. This place is like a home to me too."

Bofur had dismounted with me. "Well. I'd hate for anyone to say I'm not looking after you as I should...."

"Bofur. What on earth is likely to happen to me between where we stand and where they stand?" I wanted to know. "I can run to the bridge from here and their arrows can probably get to us from here, so they can definitely shoot anything they don't want around. You've seen how possessive Thranduil is-do you really think he'd let anything eat me? And right on his front steps-bridge-no less."

Bofur sighed. "That's a solid point you make. You won't think any less of me for not engaging in small talk with him?"

I smiled and clapped a hand onto Bofur's shoulder. "Nope. Were I in your position I wouldn't small talk with him either. Remember it took me months to learn to like him."

So Bofur and I said our farewells, and he took my pony with him so he wouldn't have to pay for its rental for however long I felt like staying-I'd told him I wasn't sure. I highly doubted Thranduil would make me walk back when I decided to go, let alone walk back alone.

I skipped right into the Woodland Realm and no one even batted an eye at me. I hadn't met every elf in the Realm but apparently they all knew of me even if they'd never seen me. I'd come through this entrance with my guards once to play in the trees outside so I found my way up to Thranduil's throne platform fairly easily, even though it had been over a year since I'd been here. It was remarkable how fast time was passing.