A Better Place - The Hobbit Fanfiction

Alternate Entry Thirty - Ambassador

"Oh heavens, save me."

He clapped me on the shoulder and laughed. I was glad to have the opportunity to spend more time with Gimli lately—he was a fun fellow, and I liked his family as well. "Never fear, pretty lass. I'll protect you from the cave bears."

"There are not cave bears."

"Further doubts!"

"Gimli, Gloin's son, I know full well you would never intentionally bring me to a place with cave bears living in it. You like me too much."

"Aye, I'll admit to that. I'd like to see what would happen if ever you were to come up against a cave bear however."

I whipped my head around to stare at him. "Excuse me?"

"Of all the things you're afraid of I think you're afraid of things you can't do the most," he quipped. "And I do not believe you can charm a bear."

"Ye of little faith!" I howled. "You do not know of my powers!"

"Well they don't include observation." He planted his hands on my shoulders and turned me to the right.

My eyes widened. "Oo." I stepped forth onto the flattened plane of stone—no larger than a tabletop—cut into the side of the mountain. The tops of trees waved before its edge, which had a distinct lack of railing. But I put my toes to the cusp and gazed out into the late-day clouds regardless, entranced.

Gimli nudged his knee into the back of mine and I stumbled. He caught me by the apron strings before I even came close to leaning out over that edge but I spun and planted my fist in his arm regardless. "By all the gods, Gimli! Do you have to do that?"

He chortled. "Of course not!"

"You buffoon. Sit down. So I don't have to worry so much about what you'll do to worry me."

He did as bidden, and I took a graceless seat beside him. I tugged a chunk of cake-bread I'd made the day before out of my belt purse and unwrapped the fabric, crumbling the sweet bread into roughly two even pieces and offering him half. "Pick the raisins out," I suggested. "I did them wrong and they're dry."

"So are you when you're of a mood for it."

I elbowed him. "I made you food, be nice."

He lofted the slice of cake-bread. "And worthy food it is. You're getting better at cooking."

"This is baking. Slight difference. But you're very right. I am supreme."

"You are a fox, is what you are."

"I think it was your father who said once that I'd make a treacherous woman someday."

Gimli guffawed. "How am I not surprised." He elbowed me back. "How'd your work with the Elvenking go?"

I glanced at him sidelong. He was scowling out across the treetops and distant hills. "It went. Why? You hate the elves."

"Doesn't mean I can't wish you could tell me a story of how successful you were as well as somehow knocking over a certain someone's high throne."

I laughed with him at this. "I do frequently exasperate or confuse them, if that in any way helps, but I'm afraid the throne in question is a part of the floor. I was successful, actually. Uncovered a bit of fraud and prevented a good man of being accused of it."

Gimli raised his heavy eyebrows down at me. "Did you now? Well, that's something."

"I managed to tell them off, too. My dratted elves, as you seem to think of them."