HOBBIT X OC - Elastic Heart

Chapter 5 ~ Thunder Battle

A couple days pass and I could tell the elves were getting tired of the dwarves. One night the Dwarves are having a late night party in our quarters. They roast sausages over a fire made by burning the Elvish furniture. Bofur, seeing a heavy Bombur sitting on a bench and eating a large bowl of food, looks at his sausage thoughtfully. "Bombur!" Bofur calls to his brother and as Bombur looks up, Bofur throws him the sausage. Bombur catches it; the weight of the sausage is just too much for the bench, and the bench breaks; Bombur, shrieking, falls to the floor, along with all his food. The dwarves laugh uproariously.

I smile as I follow Bilbo up the stairs to look out over Rivendell, when I hear Gandalf say, "Of course I was going to tell you I was waiting for a chance. I think you can trust that I know what I'm doing." I follow his voice and see him and Elrond walk up a flight of stairs toward a pavilion.

"Do you? That dragon has slept for sixty years. What would you happen should your plan fail? If you wake the beast-"

"But if we succeed? If the dwarves take back the mountain, our defenses in the east will be strengthened."

"It is a dangerous move Gandalf,"

"It is also dangerous to do nothing, the throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright; what is he to fear?"

"Have you forgotten a strain of madness runs thick in that family; his grandfather lost his mind, his father succumbed to the same sickness? Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall? Gandalf these decisions do not fall to us alone, it is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle Earth."

"With or without our help these dwarves will march on the mountain. They're determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not feel that Thorin Oakenshield is answerable to anyone. Nor for that matter am I."

By this time I realize that Thorin has joined Bilbo and me. I open my mouth to offer words of encouragement but find that none come. I watch him turn and walk away and I mentally kick myself. I follow after him and as we reach the rest of our group I hear him tell the rest that we leave in the morning without Gandalf. I walk over to my pallet and throwing myself down stare up into the night sky. I heave a heavy sigh as I slowly turn my head to the side to find Fili glancing over in my direction at the same time. As our eye meet I give him a reassuring smile before I close my eyes and fall asleep.

The next morning I stand at the edge of the path next to Bilbo as we stare back at Rivendell. I had the sudden feeling that leaving without Gandalf was a bad idea but I quickly shake my head and pulling my hood up follow after the dwarves. "Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Randír, you know these paths; lead on." Thorin says and I nod as I quickly make my way to the front of the group.

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We hike through the wilderness of Middle Earth, over ranges, mountains, and plains. As we are crossing the Misty Mountains; the trail is narrow and dangerous, with a cliff on one side and a sheer drop on the other. There is a fierce storm in the air, with lightning and rain all around. "Hold on!" Thorin calls as we climb along. As Bilbo walks, the stone beneath his feet gives away, and he starts falling into the chasm; Dwalin manages to pull him back in time. "We must find shelter!"

"Watch out!" Dwalin yells out and we all look up to see a massive boulder hurtling through the air; it hits the mountainside above us, causing rocks to fall all around us as we press ourselves against the mountain. "This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle! Look!" Balin calls out as a stone giant rears up from a nearby mountain; it rips off a massive boulder from the top of the mountain. "Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Bofur says and I smile in amazement.