Insanity | A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 15

"You brought us /here/?! Of all places, /here/? Why?" Thorin growled, pulling Zephira by the arm.

"Yes. Uh, where are you taking me?"

"I don't /know/!" He stopped, looking around. All he saw was... Women. "How many of you are there?"

"Lots. Well, wait. In what way?"

"... What do you mean 'in what way?'"

"As in, how many /here/, or how many in a grand total-"

"Zephira?!" Came a shriek. "Is that you?!"

Zephira turned, and exclaimed, "Kellain!" She ran towards the girl who called her name and hugged her fiercely. "Oh, /Emer/, I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" The other girl pulled back and looked at Zephira. "You look thin. Too thin, but aside from that, you look..." She frowned a bit. "Are you...?" Her face softened. "Oh, Zephira. Oh no."

"It's fine, Kell. Really. I'm alright." She cleared her throat. "Except, um..." She leaned foreword and whispered in her old friends ear.

Kellains green eyes widened, and then flashed over to where Thorin was standing.

After a minute, Zephira pulled back and looked at her sadly.

Kellain gripped her shoulders and have her a small smile. "I'll go get Lucretia. Tell her you're here."

Zephira seemed to stiffen. "Alright," was all she said.

Kellain nodded and walked away.

As she did, Thorin noticed Bilbo staring at her.

He raised an eyebrow as the hobbits gaze followed her as she past, and he said, "She's rather pretty, hmm?"

"Mmhmm... What!? No! I mean, yes, she was, but I don't... I mean, she's... Umm..." Bilbo looked confused.

Kili and Fili had overheard him and were trying (if not succeeding) to suppress laughter. Finally, Kili couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing, which turned many heads.

"Sh-h! Kili!" His brother scolded, but he was laughing too.

Zephira walked back over to them. "And just what is so hilarious?"

"B-bilbo! He, he's so..." Fili was at a loss for words.

"I'm so what?" The hobbit asked, still looking confused.

"Clueless!" The brothers erupted into laughter again, with Zephira joining in. Even Thorin chuckled, but he stopped when his eyes met Zephira's for a split second.

He looked away, and the smile slowly fell off her face.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by someone saying, "Zephira!"

She muttered something under her breath, then quietly said to the dwarves and hobbit around her, "Walk away. Now. Just go. Go!"

Her voice was so urgent that they did, and Thorin thought that she might have used that bit of Syren in her.

Once they were far enough away, Zephira turned, and went to go see Lucretia.

Her Mother Mäläi held her arms open and smiled. "Zephira. It's so good to see you alive and well."

Zephira smiled back and hugged her. "It is good to see you as well."

"Now, Kellain tells me you've brought some dwarves with you?"

"Yes," Zephira said cautiously.

"Where are they?"

"Oh, you know. Out and about." She laughed lightly. "It's hard to keep track of them all at once."