The Unexpected Journey of Aurora, The Wanderer

Chapter 4: Guardian

"Hmm." He agrees with me there.

"He knows of the monsters that I hunt down, the villages that I aid and protect, the people that I fight for. He knows all that, I see the fear in his eyes when I tell him this, as well as when I walk out that door to do it all over again. The world isn't what he reads in his books. I tell him so that he knows the truth, so that he'll be prepared, should a day ever come when he leaves this place. I want him to know so he can protect himself, if a day comes when I can't."

"When you can't?" Gandalf questions.

"You and I both know, that in the recent years, Middle Earth has changed. There's danger lurking around every corner. Orcs, trolls, goblins and those alike, are getting bolder. Barely a week ago, a caravan with a family of Men were attacked on the road." I hear several footsteps come closer, no doubt belonging to several pairs of ears all being nosey bastards.

"Orcs?"

"No, by goblins." His eyebrows disappear from his face.

"That was my expression when I heard their call for me. They were lucky enough to have been able to defend themselves against the goblins long enough until I arrived. If I hadn't, they would've been the 8th attack that I've encountered, that has ended in fatalities. It's getting worse, something is happening. A force far greater than our own, full of darkness and hatred, is out there, manipulating and encouraging them to come out and attack."

"Hmm."

"This is not the time to be encouraging Bilbo."

"I believe now is the perfect and only time for it." He replies, staring off into nothing.

"How? Why?"

"It's not my place to say, maybe now is the time for you to talk to Thorin. I'll watch over Bilbo."

"Pray tell, does this Thorin know about me?"

"I assume he will know you via your other given names. He may need some proof. You have everything you need to do that with."

"Let me guess, he's the grumpy one? That stared down his nose at me as if I were a piece of-" He gives me a look as he cuts me off and I hear a chuckle in the background. At least I'm amusing someone.

"Just go." Oh, he's using the tone with me now. It's so adorable when they think they have authority over me. I chuckle and raise an eyebrow at him. He frowns.

"Aurora for the love of-"

"Alright, alright. But if I don't get the right answers, be prepared for several burials' tomorrow morning, including yours." Several low gasps and murmurs meet my ears and I grin. Gandalf gives me a knowing look before chuckling lowly to himself.

"Go on." He motions me to the hallway with a wave of his hand, leaving a trail of smoke from his pipe behind. I stand up but move to Bilbo, who still seems a little out of it.

"I'll just be in the hallway Billy. I won't be far." I murmur softly, knowing his keen ears will pick it up, he barely nods his head at me. A wooshy feeling comes over me, probably best described as motherly love as I bend down, gently grasp the back of his curly head and softly give him a kiss on the forehead. His forehead wrinkles a little at the familiar gesture and I giggle softly.

Turning away, I give Gandalf a scolding look before moving to the archway leading to the hallway, there several of the nosey dwarves scatter at my sudden presence and it takes every bit of my being not to laugh at them. If you had told me 25 years ago that a group of 13 dwarves would run at the sight me, I'd say you were daft. Back then, I was terrified of the dwarves and they would hurl all sorts of insults, threats and objects at me.