Daughter Of Dragons: A Hobbit Fanfiction

The Encounter

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"Valadhiel, should anything ever happen to me, there's something I need you to do."

"What is that, Mother? What would you have me do?"

"Go to a place called the Carrock. There, you should meet someone named-"

"Valadhiel?"

Valadhiel flinched when her name being said pulled her out of her daydream, and she looked around to find out who had called her name. Upon seeing Bilbo, she smiled. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Thorin is ready to set out." Bilbo informed her. "He wanted me, uh, to come and... and let you know."

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Master Baggins." Valadhiel replied as she got to her feet. She looked out at the sky to see the sun rising. Had she really been thinking for three hours? Well, there were other things she had done, though there hadn't been much to do while waiting for the dwarves to all wake up.

Bilbo nodded, then he furrowed his brow and looked at her curiously. "Did you... did you sleep at all last night?"

Valadhiel looked at the halfling and bit her lower lip briefly. "A little, though it wasn't the best sleep I've gotten." She then smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll be quite all right. It would not be the first time."

Bilbo didn't look very convinced, but he offered her a smile before he turned and led her to the others. Gandalf and the dwarves had just finished gathering what they needed when the two came back over.

"You've been wandering off quite a lot lately, lass." Balin commented, then he furrowed his brow. "Are you all right?" The dwarves had spent a lot of time with her by this time, after all, as she had gone to their home and had traveled back with them to the Shire. By this time, many of them knew what was typical of her and what wasn't. It was normal for her to wander off every now and then, though not this much.

"Yes, I'm all right. I've just been thinking a lot." Valadhiel replied, smiling at them again before she looked at Gandalf, who had begun speaking.

"Master Dwarves, there is something I need to discuss with you." Gandalf began. "Along our journey, we will pass by Rivendell. I think it would be a good idea to not only stop there and rest, but to speak with Elrond The Half-Elven."

"I disagree." Thorin spoke up immediately after Gandalf spoke. "I have no intention of stopping there. The elves would not approve of this quest."

"We don't need their approval." Valadhiel replied, looking at Thorin. She had looked back at him before he'd even spoken, knowing that he would disagree. "We only need their help. I know that Elrond would be able to read parts of that map."

"What makes you think he would help?" Thorin asked grouchily, looking over at the elf with a look of annoyance.

Valadhiel sighed and crossed her arms. "Because even if he disapproved, and even if he did try to talk you out of it, he would neither stop you or deny you help."

"We don't need help from them."

"If Gandalf suggested it, then I tend to think that we do."

Bilbo, as the two began to bicker back and forth, walked over to Balin before speaking in a hushed tone. "Are they always like this?"

"Not always, but oftentimes, yes." Balin replied, shaking his head a little. "Both of them are very stubborn."