||Chapter 22||
<|Third Age 2974|>
The next morning, Thorin awakes to a grinning Kili, his nephew's face right over his own. Jumping backwards, the king lays hold to the fact that Endor is coddled to his form, her hands on his chest and his around her waist. This is surely the cause of Kili's grin, so, fearing the repercussions of the close contact, Thorin removes himself slowly from her touch before heading off to the awaiting day.
Endor makes breakfast for everyone as the others remove everything from the ponies, sending them back to the Lonely Mountain. Despite Endor's protests of being an 'independent woman,' the others split her belongings so she does not have to carry them. Honestly, they treat her like a glass vase, rather than a piece of glass who wants to stab them in this moment.
"Now Bilbo, you must ask Thranduil for permission to cross through his territory. No more or less. Understood?" Thorin tells the hobbit as the others find their way to huddle in a meeting.
"Yes," Bilbo nods in understanding, hiding his fear like he did in the past.
"And use your manners," Endor quips with a sly and humoured grin on her face.
"Says the hobbit who never uses her own manners," Bilbo responds with a scoff and roll of the eyes, prompting the two brothers to laugh at their bickering.
"It's excusable...I am Endor," the girl responds, knowing that she could probably get away with murder if she fluttered her eyelashes enough.
"And I am Kili," the nephew jumps in, feeling the playful vibe with Endor's rested heart and mind.
"That's inexcusable, really," Endor mutters back sarcastically, prompting Kili to grin at her and Thorin to simply roll his eyes. He swears the three pranksters never grew up.
"Now off you go lad! We shall see you in hours' time!" Fili yells, pushing Bilbo up a fairly worn path on the Forest River's bank. Glaring back at the dwarf, Bilbo takes to walking the path with his walking stick and chin raised confidently. Endor almost laughs loudly at the uncle, but smothers it with her fear of what will happen now.
"Do not worry, lass. Your uncle will be alright," Dwalin tells her, patting her on the back in a familial embrace.
"I am not worried for him, but for the elven king. Bilbo has a remarkable ability to stir up trouble," Endor says, staring at a tree as she reminisces over all the strange and troubling occurrences that Bilbo has overcome.
"Then we simply must wait for the trouble to arrive," Thorin says, perching himself on an overturned tree as Fili and Kili go to playing in the water. And though she is tempted to join Thorin in peace, she follows the brothers in fear of her feelings for Thorin.
<||>
A few hours later, after the trio have had their fun in the water and have fully dried, all the while with Thorin staring at Endor and Dwalin staring at the king with humour, they hear footsteps returning up the path. They hardly have time to realize the numerous pounding of feet before Bilbo turns the corner in the path, followed quickly by the Grey Wizard himself.
"Thorin Oakenshield. And I was on my way to see you," Gandalf exclaims, looking down at the suddenly risen Thorin who is surprised by the always miraculous appearances of the wizard.
"Gandalf," Thorin nods at him, thankful for his arrival for once, as he will surely help in their passing through this dangerous forest.
"And then there's Fili and Kili, and Dwalin. And, oh my, is that Endor Baggins?" Gandalf counts off, tone rising as he sees the grown hobbit peek out from behind the two sons of Durin. Her eyes widen at this sight, running towards her childhood memory with full speed.
YOU ARE READING
Endotherm {Thorin/Hobbit}
Fanfiction"The world was young, the mountains green, No stain yet on the Moon was seen, No words were laid on stream or stone When Durin woke and walked alone. He named the nameless hills and dells; He drank from yet untasted wells; He stooped and looked in M...
