"I cannot see where the pathway leads." Dwalin shouted as he glanced down the narrow way that now laid before them and then he looked back at the wizard and the leader." Do we follow it or no?"
" Follow it, of course!" Bofur shouted, not wanting to go back the way they came and the rest of the company felt the same. Gandalf shifted in his spot.
" I think that would be wise." The dwarves started pushing their way down the path. As it weaved, it was getting narrow, making it very difficult for most of the dwarves to go through; especially Bombur. He had to get three of him comrades to help push him through. Freya looked at this passage in awe. She had read a lot about Rivendell, but most of their secret passageways were kept very secretive from over races and their enemies.
The pathway eventually led out to a beautiful sight the cousins had ever seen. Down below them was a valley; the city of Rivendell. Freya and Bilbo stood on the flat rock platform behind the company as they gazed at the beauty of the land.
" The Valley of Imraldis. In the common tongue, it's known by another name." Gandalf spoke, moving from behind the hobbits, breaking the silence that had come over the company since they had come out of cave.
" Rivendell." Bilbo finally said, as a smile spread across his face. He had always wanted to meet the elves since he and Freya were just wee hobbit's.
" Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea" Gandalf said as Thorin turned around, glaring at the wizard unimpressed.
" This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy." Thorin growled at the wizard, who gave the prince a stern look, but stayed calm.
" You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself." Freya and Bilbo were silently listening to the dwarf and wizard exchange words and Thorin noticed the woman looking at them and he gave her a quick glance and then looked back at the wizard.
" You think the elves will give our quest their blessing? They will try to stop us." He insisted.
" Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered." Gandalf stated. Thorin let out a sigh. " If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me." And with that said the company began to follow the path down that came to a bridge. The dwarves began to walk across it, watching all around them with uneasy stares, encase an elf or something else decided to come at them.
Bilbo and Freya both gazed at the home of the elves, and the beautiful sound of the waterfall's around them. The hobbit's turned around to see an elf with long dark hair coming down a flight of stairs, looking at the group of dwarves that had now come into there lands, until he saw a familiar face.
" Mithrandir."
" Ah, Lindir!." Gandalf greeted back to the elf. The dwarves quietly murmured amongst themselves in distrust. Freya and Bilbo still couldn't understand what their problem was, with elves. Freya heard Thorin whispering to Dwalin.
" Stay sharp."
The elf and wizard started talking in elvish to each other, making the dwarves glare at the wizard, wondering what they were talking about.
" I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf insisted.
" My lord Elrond is not here."
" Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf wondered, and before the elf could answer, a familiar horn from earlier is heard. The company and the two hobbits turn around to see a group of armed horsemen approaching over the bridge at a rapid speed. Thorin shouted in dwarfish to the company. " Hold ranks!"
As the elves approached them, Freya felt a hand grab her by the arm and pulled her and her cousin into the middle of the circle and the dwarves bunch up together into a tight circle with their weapons pointed outward; the mounted elves arrive and ride in circles around the dwarves. Eventually, they stop, and one elf, separates himself from the others.
" Gandalf."
Gandalf bowed gracefully as he stepped forward to greet this elf. " Lord Elrond." and once again the wizard was speaking in elvish, leaving the dwarves and the two hobbit's suspicious as to what they were talking about. Lord Elrond dismounts from his horse, and walks over to the wizard, and he and Gandalf hug. Freya noticed the strange weapon the elf had in his hand and she eyed it curiously, wondering were he got that.
" Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone has drawn them near." Elrond stated, giving the wizard a stern look as he held up an Orc weapon and showed it to everyone, then hands it to Lindir, who took it cautiously.
" Ah, that may have been us." Gandalf pointed out. Thorin stepped forward, with the other's close behind him, still grasping their weapons. The elf looked upon the dwarf with recognition.
" Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain."
" I do not believe we have met." Thorin stated in a serious voice. Neither smiled at each other but looked sternly at each other.
" You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the Mountain." Hearing this made the leader fill with anger when the elf mentioned his grandfathers name, making the wizard weary of what the dwarf would say to this.
" Indeed; he made no mention of you."
Lord Elrond ignored the insult, and turned to the dwarves and spoke in Sindarin . The company looks at him confused and think the worse. Gloin suddenly pushed passed the young woman, almost knocking her over as he griped his weapon uneasily. " What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?"
The dwarves begin to snarl and grip their various swords and axes. Freya rolled her eyes, something told her that these dwarves were over reacting for no apparent reason and the wizard finally stepped in, before these dwarves did something that was unnecessary.
" No, master Gloin, he's offering you food." Gandalf speaks exasperatedly. The dwarves quickly discuss this amongst themselves. It had been a long two days since they had any food, and they were starving.
" Ah well, in that case, lead on." The dwarves followed Lindir that led them into an elven court that already had tables filled with food. The dwarves and the hobbit's take seats at the tables. Freya and Bilbo sat with Balin. Freya watched as she noticed the expressions on some of the companies faces that they were not all to pleased with the food, the elves had kindly offered to them.
Freya started eating her green salad. Happy to have food back in her belly again. She took a sip of her wine and noticed her cousin wasn't eating. " Bilbo, aren't you going to eat? You must be starving." Freya insisted. Her cousin was sitting there examining his sword; deep in thought. The woman glanced over at the other tables. A smile came across her face; seeing Bombur happy to be surrounded by food as he stuffed his face with buns.
Freya turned her head in another direction and saw the elf examining Thorin's sword he had discovered in the cave, along with Gandalf's. " I wouldn't bother, laddie. Swords are named for the great deeds they do in war." Balin stated, making Freya turn his and her cousins direction.
" What are you saying, my sword hasn't seen battle?" Bilbo asked suddenly feeling offended that his Elven blade wasn't as unique as the wizards and Thorin's.
" I'm not actually sure it is a sword; more of a letter opener, really." Balin pointed out, and the hobbit sheathed his sword and began to pick at his food. Freya glanced from her food and saw Thorin storming away from the wizard and the elf, carrying his sword by his side. Whatever it was the elf said, something had upset him.
The dinner was a disaster as it ended with the dwarves, throwing their unwanted food everywhere making a mess and decorating the statues. Freya hid under the tale until it was safe to come back up.
It's now night. Gandalf, Elrond, Thorin, Balin, Freya and Bilbo are standing in a hall in Rivendell hoping to get some answers to their questions. " Our business is no concern of elves." Thorin snarled, glaring at the elf.
" For goodness sake, Thorin show him the map." Gandalf demanded.
" It is the legacy of my people; it is mine to protect, as are it's secrets." Thorin snapped, not going to give up this easily, even if it meant not knowing the answers he was searching for.
" Save me from the stubbornness of Dwarves." Gandalf grumbled " Your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle-Earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond." Gandalf pressed, glaring at the dwarf. Bilbo and Freya stood there in silence, listening to their words that were being exchanged and they felt very uncomfortable being there, since this was none of their business.
Thorin thinks quietly for a few seconds, noticing everyone starring at him. He begins to walk forward and hand Elrond the map. Balin sees this and tries to stop him. " Thorin, no!" Thorin brushes Balin aside and hands the elf the map and Lord Elrond looks at it.
" Erebor. What is your interest in this map." The elf questioned. The prince was about to speak, but the Wizard interrupted him.
" It's mainly academic. As you know, this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text." Gandalf explained as Elrond walked over to a spot in the hall that had the light of the moon shining down. " You still read Ancient Dwarfish, do you not?" Lord Elrond examined the map further and noticed something and said something in elvish.
" Moon runes. Of course." The wizard said as he glanced at the two hobbit's that hadn't said anything since they were asked to come. " An easy thing to miss." Suddenly something clicked. Freays had remembered something she had read in one of her books about different maps and how to read them,
" Moon runes can only be read by the light of a moon of the same shape and season as the day on which they were written." Freya stated. a little more excited than she thought. Thorin and Balin gave her a surprised looked that she would know this.
" You are correct Freya Brandybuck. Your very knowledgeable for a hobbit." Lord Elrond stated, smiling at the Halfling.
" I do a lot of reading." Freya stated smiling back. Thorin looked annoyed that the elf was getting friendly with the hobbit and he stepped forward to the elf.
" Can you read them?"
Lord Elrond led them all to an open area outside. The moon is behind some clouds. They walk toward a large crystalline table. " These runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield; the same moon shines upon us tonight." Lord Elrond stated as they look up, the clouds covering the moon float away, and rays of moonlight hits the crystalline table, causing light to flow through the map which has been laid on the table. Ancient runes become visible on the map.
" Stand by the gray stone when the thrust knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole. " Elrond read, leaving the prince and the two hobbit's in deep thought .
" Durin's Day?" Freya repeated.
" It is the start of the dwarves new year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sign of winter appear in the sky together." The wizard explained.
" This is ill news. Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us" Thorin pressed, knowing they didn't have much time left before winter.
" We still have time." Balin insisted.
" Time? For what?" Bilbo wondered.
" To find the entrance. We have to be standing at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened." The older dwarf explained and the elf now knew why they wanted this information.
" So this is your purpose, to enter the mountain." Elrond insisted only to receive a angrier look from the prince.
" What of it?"
" There are some who would not deem it wise." The elf warned. Thorin took the map back gruffly.
" What do you mean?" Gandalf wondered.
" You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-Earth." Lord Elrond stated as he walked away, leaving them all in deep thought.