Our horses waded through the cold rain, everyone looking miserable, excluding me. I love the rain, it clears the skies and feeds the plants. Without it, nothing would grow, and everything would dry up. My dark locks clung to the side of my face, wet and drippy.
"Here, Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asks, looking at the sky with disdain, making me grin.
"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."
I let out a small laugh before blocking out their talking, staring up at the sky, watching the raindrops thin out.
~
"We'll camp here for the night. Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them." Thorin said, sliding off his horse.
"A farmer and his family used to live here... " Gandalf said forlornly, looking at the damaged cottage frame.
"Oin, Gloin," Thorin commanded.
"Aye?"
"Get a fire going," Thorin said smoothly, as I watched them all from a distance, not feeling comfortable with the openness of the clearing.
"Right you are," Gloin said, grabbing Oin to start the fire and collect wood.
"I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf said, making Thorin tense up.
"I have told you already, I will not go near that place," Thorin growled.
"Why not? The elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice!" Gandalf exclaimed, making me take note of his sarcasm at the end.
"I do not need their advice." Thorin sighed, glumly.
"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us." I listened to them intently now. Map? What map?
"Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father?"
"You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."
"I did not know that they were yours to keep," Thorin exclaimed.
I watched as Gandalf began walking towards me before Bilbo stopped him.
"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" He asked panicked.
"To seek the company of the only two people around here who have any sense!"
"Who?"
"Morgana and myself, Mister Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day!"Gandalf exclaimed before riding off ahead. I watched from the far edge of the trees. I was afraid we would not last long in such a noticeable clearing.
"Come on, Bombur, we're hungry," Thorin said, only shedding me a glance before he walked under the cover of what was left of the farmhouse.
~
I already had my share of dinner, so I watched the sky from my perch in a tree.
"Pssst. Hey Auntie!" I heard not so good whispering coming from behind me. As I stared back and at the tree trunks I took notice of the two young dwarves, waving me over frantically.
"We need your help!" Kili said looking a bit weary.
"What is it?" I sighed.
"Daisy and Bungo are missing!"
"The ponies? Why were you not watching them..?" I sighed, knitting my eyebrows together in focus, as I smelt around me, nearly kicking myself for not noticing the foul odor and noise coming from a mile away from the ponies. The rain had blocked my senses.
"Trolls, from the mountains. I suggest we warn the others." I said, jumping down and turning to walk back to camp, that was until an arm stopped me.
"We have one other trouble, we left Bilbo to get them back." I stared at them in horror.
"You what!?" I then proceeded to sprint towards the campsite.
"Trolls have taken our ponies, and Bilbo has pursued them alone," I spoke hastily to Thorin who stiffened and quickly stood.
"Grab your weapons, now!" He said, arming himself with his dwarvish greatsword(FOR SKYRIM), while I quickly put on my bow and arrows.
"Let's get back our burglar."
"Do you think he's still alive?" I asked out loud, glancing towards the woods.
"We better hope so, otherwise Gandalf will have our heads." Thorin sighed, as we rushed through the forest. 'More like your head.' I muttered to myself. The trolls were getting louder as we neared their campsite, and what we were hearing gave us no comfort, I hope Bilbo is safe. I stayed back as the dwarves charged into the campsite, making a ruckus and saving Bilbo in the process. I nearly gave a sigh of relief, the only thing that stopped me in my moment of victory was the ponies rushing at me in a panicked state.
"Morgana!" A voice shouted as I was tackled to the floor.
"Oof-! T-Thorin?" I asked shakily, standing with his help.
"Go, get out of here!" He said sharply as he pushed me into the forest. I hid by a collection of boulders and listened intently as Bilbo was used for ransom against the dwarves. Why did he save me? How do I save them?
~
"Don't bother cooking them. Let's just sit on them and squash them into jelly." One of the trolls said, William, I think was his name. He had tied up Dwalin, Bofur, Ori, Nori, and Dori on a stick that was placed directly over a raging fire so they could roast. I stared at them with pity, before getting an idea having to do with heat, trolls from Ettenmoors travel at night so that they don't get touched by sunlight, what this means is that if the sunlight were to touch them they would turn to stone. With this in my mind, I crawled around the outer forest to get to the rocks covering the sunrise.
"They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage," Bert said as I made my way around them with many years of sneaking skills.
"Is this really necessary?" Dori said unsure due to the predicament he was in.
"Ooh, that does sound quite nice," William said with a look of satisfaction, completely ignoring the fact that Dori asked them a question.
"Untie us, you monsters!" Oin shouted angrily.
"Take on someone your own size!" Gloin said very adult-like as I rolled my eyes.
The dwarves on the spit were rambling in fear, as were the ones in bags.
"Never mind the seasoning; we ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, so let's get a move on. I don't fancy being turned to stone." My suspicion was correct, and when Bilbo looked my way I mouthed "improvise" as he stared at me dumbfounded. There was rustling from behind me and Gandalf placed a hand on my shoulder before I gave him assistance in scaling the rocks. Not that he was older or anything, I just needed him to be quicker with his timing.
"Wait! You are making a terrible mistake." Bilbo exclaimed.
"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori said with an exasperated sigh.
"Half-wits? What does that make us?" Bofur questioned as he was turning on the spit.
Bilbo stood up with trouble due to him being stuck in a sack before he faced the trolls.
"Uh, I meant with the, uh, with, uh, with the seasoning," Bilbo said and I stared at him dumbfounded.
"What about the seasoning?" Bert said genuinely interested in what the hobbit had to say.
"Well have you smelt them? You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up." Bilbo said cheekily. I let a grin overtake my lips at his humor and persistence.
The dwarves began to yell at Bilbo, calling him stuff along the lines of 'traitor'. The dwarves in the sacks kicked him as well as I stared on in pity.
"Now would be a good time to change," Gandalf whispered in my ear and I frowned.
"They are a bunch of idiotic trolls, what could I do that the sun would consider any different than what is about to happen," I stated simply.
"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" Tom said using logic against nonsense, but Bilbo was persistent.
"Shut up, and let the, uh, flurgaburburrahobbit talk," Bert said stumbling over Bilbo's new title.
"Uh, th--the secret to cooking dwarf is, um--" Bilbo began to stumble over his words, a scared look on his face. He quickly glanced at me and I quickly said something that might help.
"Skin them!" I whisper shouted, the time was coming, and I was beyond impatient.
"Yes? Come on." Bert questioned suspiciously.
"It's, uh--" Bilbo said glancing at me unsure, allowing me time to urge him on.
"Tell us the secret." Bert was now impatient.
"Ye-yes, I'm telling you, the secret is ... to skin them first!" Bilbo exclaimed quickly, face flushed and eyes filled with fear.
"Tom, get me the filleting knife." My breath caught in my throat, and I was close to turning due to stress.
"If I get you, you little--" Gloin cut off threateningly against Bilbo.
"I won't forget that!" Dwalin exclaimed dumbfounded by Bilbo's advice.
"What a load of rubbish! I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scuff them, I say, boots and all." Tom said expressing his opinion angrily, all trolls forgetting about the impending dawn looming up from the mountains.
"'e's right! Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf! Nice and crunchy." William said with a smirk, picking Bombur up and dangling him head first above his mouth, almost eating him.
"Not--not that one, he-he's infected!" Bilbo fumbled over his words.
"You what?" Tom said in shock.
"Yeah, He's got worms in his ... tubes." Bilbo said nervously. William then dropped him back into the pile of dwarves, a look of disgust on his face.
"In--in fact they all have, they're in--infested with parasites. It's a terrible business; I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't." Bilbo said now impish in his convict, staring at the brightening sky.
"Parasites, did he say parasites?" Oin question exasperated.
"We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kili fumed in anger.
"What are you talking about, laddie?" Gloin questioned Bilbo.
All of the dwarves began to chime in about how they don't have parasites and how Bilbo is a fool. Bilbo rolled his eyes as the dwarves begin to mess up his plan. I facepalmed. They're doomed. Thorin, understanding Bilbo's plan, kicked the others. They then got what was happening and went along with it. All of the dwarves then began to proclaim about how they're "riddled" with parasites.
"I've got parasites as big as my arm," Oin said now unsure.
"Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!" Kili exclaimed after.
"We're riddled."
"Yes, I'm riddled."
"Yes, we are. Badly!" All dwarves began to chime in.
"What would you have us do, then, let 'em all go?" Tom asked in disbelief.
"Well..." Bilbo said with a false thoughtful look.
"You think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret is taking us for fools!" Tom exclaimed as he caught on to Bilbo's plans.
"Ferret?" Bilbo questioned.
"Fools?" Bert followed.
Gandalf then climbed onto a rock. "The dawn will take you all!" He exclaimed.
"Who's that?" Bert asked.
"No idea." Tom voiced.
"Can we eat 'im too?" William said curiously.
Gandalf struck the rock with his staff, splitting it cleanly in half, allowing the sunlight behind it to pour into the clearing. When the sunlight touched the trolls' skin, they began turning into stone as they screamed loudly and howled in pain. Within seconds, they were nothing but three stone statues of trolls left to rot in this clearing. All of the dwarves began to cheer for Gandalf and his return. Then the dwarves still on the spit who looked extremely uncomfortable began complaining.
"Oh, get your foot out of my back!" Dwalin growled.
~
The dwarves after being released found themselves delving in a short quest to find where the trolls had come from, and soon they found it. The cave. The smell within the cave was too strong for my nose to handle, so I excused myself to scout ahead. I listened intensely and heard howling, I ran back to the dwarves and brought out an arrow and my bow. A warg had attacked one of the company but Thorin had already killed it. Another one had come up the other side of them, sneaking silently among the brush.
"Watch out!" I howled before shooting the warg that snuck up on the unsuspecting dwarves. The fatal shot had killed the warg, and now there were two dead on the forest floor. Thorin gave me a nod of thanks before turning his attention to the company.
"Warg-Scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Thorin exclaimed urgently.
"Orc pack?" Bilbo asked, looking at me unsurely.
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf asked in the same urgency.
"No one," Thorin reassured.
"Who did you tell?" Gandalf's voice had gotten darker.
"No one, I swear. What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin asked justly.
"You are being hunted," Gandalf informed.
"We have to get out of here," Dwalin interjected between the two.
"We can't! We have no ponies; they bolted." Ori said, running down the hill in panic.
"I'll draw them off." Radagast, who I had just noticed was here, said while patting me on the head knowingly.
"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you," Gandalf said in disdain.
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits; I'd like to see them try," Radagast said, bemused.
~
We were hidden behind rocks among the hills, waiting for Radagast's cue. He charged out of the forest, wargs with riders right on his tail. I thought about turning. Gandalf placed a hand on my shoulder and shook his head.
"Not here." He then watched Radagast disappear with the wargs into the distance. "Come on!"
"Make up your mind..." I sighed, "Turn, don't turn." Gandalf gave me a look of indifference before we ran to the next destination of cover. "But, is this really a good idea? I know what you're trying to do, and there is no certainty Lord Elrond will allow dwarves into his hold, no matter how hospitable and kind he is. It is only right when they are most certainly going to be rude, complain, and make fun." I sighed, keeping the conversation in low volume.
"What choice do we have? Thorin's father left him a map in ancient Dwarven runes, in which it hides a transcription on how we'll be able to get into the mountain under Smaug's nose."
"How do you know Gandalf? For all we know, we could be wasting time. I suppose Elrond could save us time if it did hold a transcription, but the dwarves could always figure out where we're going. The Hidden Valley isn't so hidden as you might think." I sighed.
"Let's just hurry, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can seek help," Gandalf grumbled back.
"He probably won't approve of our journey anyway. There's no certainty he will even tell us if he did know. He's not stupid." I said with a shake of my head. I then followed the rest of them across the field once Radagast passed through, the orcs still right on his tail. We all made a run for it before stopping as the unusual chase was led under a ridge, causing one of the orcs to get knocked off. Ori tried to make a run for it, but I pulled him back into cover as an orc passed by.
"Come on, quick!" Gandalf yelled to the company, and everyone started to run. I was about to run too until I heard the conversation Thorin was having with Gandalf.
"Where are you leading us?" Gandalf ignored him and lead me to the next coverage of safety.
"I told you Gandalf, you lead everyone out to be idiots." I sighed softly, hanging low as I heard an orc approaching our rocks.
"They're following me, are they not, Morgana." He smiled softly and I laughed under my breath. Everyone else noticed the orc standing above the rock formation, looking around for an enemy who was too close for comfort. Thorin nodded at Kili, before Kili revved himself up, took out an arrow and ran out from cover. I almost facepalmed as I readied my own arrows. Kili took out the warg before I stood and took out the orc. The warg fell, letting out a screech as it died. I looked at Thorin in panic.
"The dwarf-scum are over there! After them!" Yazneg, the leader of the hunt hollered. The warg scouts stopped chasing after Radagast and instead went for their purposed prey.
"Move. Run!" Gandalf commanded and we all booked it. Before we knew it, we were in a grassy plain and were being surrounded by wargs and their riders.
"There they are!" Gloin pointed out.
"This way, quickly!" Gandalf continued to lead us to a familiar rock formation and we readied our weapons.
"There's more coming!" Kili informed everyone, getting his bow and arrows ready. I noticed from the corner of my eye that Gandalf had disappeared into the Hidden Valley. I rolled my eyes and smiled, pointing my bow at an oncoming orc.
"We're surrounded!" Fili said.
"Where is Gandalf?" Kili asked, looking around.
"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin shouted angrily.
"Do you always assume the worst about everyone?" I asked him curiously and he glared at me.
"Only the ones I know will stab me in the back without a second thought."
"You have bad judgment then." We all gathered closely
"Hold your ground!" Thorin commanded, pushing me back a bit.
"This way, you fools!" Gandalf yelled from the entrance to the caves. We all looked back at him and immediately I shoved Ori that way along with some of the others.
"Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go!" Thorin was also leading people. The wargs were closing in, so I began shooting them, along with Kili.
"Kili, I'm closest, run, I'll cover your back!" He began running as I shot down as many as I could as Kili hopped into the hole. Realizing everyone but me and Thorin were in, I began running to him. He grabbed my arm and we jumped in.
"14, 15." Gandalf ended in relief. As we all stood we heard horns in the distance and fighting, before an orc with an arrow sticking out of him fell into the hole with us. Thorin picked up the arrow.
"Elves." He seethed.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" Dwalin asked, looking along with rocky corridors.
"We follow it of course," Bofur said before beginning to walk.
"I think that would be wise." Gandalf smiled. We began to follow the pathway leading into an open area, showing us a beautiful sight.
"The Valley of Imraldis." I breathed.
"In the common tongue, it is known by another name," Gandalf said smiling.
"Rivendell." Bilbo smiled.
"Here lies the last Homely House East of the sea," Gandalf informed.
"This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with the enemy." Thorin glared at Gandalf.
"We have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield." I glared back at him. His eyes met mine, but I didn't back down.
"The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that of which you bring yourself," Gandalf said shortly, bristling in frustration.
"You think the elves," He gestured to the valley. "Will give their blessing? They will try to stop us."
"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered. 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." We followed him across the bridge, leading through to Rivendell. I watched as Bilbo looked around in awe, a small smile on my face. It was much like the first time I had come here. I noticed when a familiar dark-haired elf walked down the staircase towards us.
"Mithrandir." He gives Gandalf a smile and a nod before noticing me, his smile getting a little bigger. "Draug." He greeted.
"Ah, Lindir." Gandalf greeted him and I give a small nod.
"Mellonen."(My friend) I greeted. He gave me a nod of respect before he bared the half hug I gave him. "It is so nice to be home." He gave me a small smile before turning back to Gandalf.
"Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen."(We heard you had crossed into the valley.) He spoke, a little unnerved by the dwarves who were giving him dirty looks.
"I must speak to Lord Elrond," Gandalf informed him.
"My Lord Elrond is not here," Lindir informed back, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion.
"Not here? Where is he?" Just then we heard horns in the distance and I watched the approaching horses.
"Ifridî bekâr!"(Ready weapons!) Thorin yelled. "Hold ranks!" They all gathered together with their weapons drawn and I sighed. The horses surrounded us circling before they stopped, and stepped forward a familiar face, riding a horse, making me bite back a grin.
"Gandalf," Elrond calls out. Gandalf graciously bowed, while I nodded my head to him in a form of respect. "Ah, Morgana." He gave a nod back.
"Lord Elrond. Mellonnen! Mo evínedh?"(My friend, where have you been?) Gandalf asked curiously, as to not draw suspicion.
"Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui." (We've been hunting a pack of orcs that came up from the South. We slew a number near the Hidden Pass.) Lord Elrond dismounted his horse before giving Gandalf a good-natured hug. I gave a small bow now that he was closer before he pulled me into a tight hug. I could see Thorin tense from the close contact.
"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something, or someone, has drawn them near." He held up an orc's sword before handing it to Lindir, who handled it with a much understandable disgust.
"Ah, that may have been us," Gandalf informed him. With that said, Thorin stepped forward. Lord Elrond recognized him immediately.
"Welcome Thorin, Son of Thrain." Lord Elrond greeted him.
"I do not believe we have met," Thorin said shortly and I gave him a glare. Someone needed to teach the company some manners before we got into big trouble.
"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the Mountain." Elrond mentioned.
"Indeed. He made no mention of you." I flinched at the insult as Elrond paid no mind to it.
"Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin."(Light the fires, bring forth the wine, we must feed our guests.) Elrond said, turning to all of the dwarves.
"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" I stared in shock at Gloin.
"He offers you food," I spoke in exasperation. I would never understand these dwarves and their hatred for elves.
"Ah well, in that case, lead on." He spoke back awkwardly.
~
I sat away from the company, they were purposefully making a mess, grumbling over the food provided, and making themselves look idiotic. I had taken some of the Brussel sprouts and was frying them over the fire, seasoning them with some of the herbs I had asked for permission to pick in the garden. I had also crushed some garlic to add some more flavor, along with some cheese.
"Where did you learn to cook like that, Auntie?" Kili asked as he came over, having smelled something delicious.
"A lot of experimenting and years of traveling. The vegetables, if you do not like them, always taste better with some herbs, and something with a stronger flavor, like garlic or cheese." I gave a small smile. "Would you like to try some?" He gave a quick nod and I put some finished ones on his plate. I then handed some to Fili on a plate when he too came over. The others were purposefully ignoring me because they did not want to eat vegetables. Kili ate one and his eyes lit up.
"The frying brought up the juices on the inside, making it crunchier on the outside, softer on the inside," I informed him before eating my own.
"This is a delicious meal, Auntie. Do you usually cook like this at home?" I looked down for a little bit. I was reminiscing over the many lonely nights spent in my small cabin where I ate alone.
"Usually I would make them as sides for meat, or some sort of pie or something, as a healthier part of the dinner. They're meant to be a contributing factor to more juicy meals, to bring out the mixture of flavors. Since we have neither though, they still make a great meal on their own." I had swiftly changed the subject. I smiled softly as Ori came over, sitting with us. "It will also make you stronger." With that Ori began eating some too. I picked at my food a bit, deep in thought before an arm encircled my shoulder.
"How is it you are so familiar with this place, Auntie?" Fili asked curiously, wondering where I had come from and how I was so close to the Lord of Rivendell.
"When I was a young girl, the elves of Rivendell had found me alone in the forest, and they took me in. Lord Elrond had raised me as if I was his daughter, and I became family to him and his biological daughter Arwen. I lived here most of my young adult life before I left to start my own adventure, there was only so much I could do to repay them for their hospitality before it was time for me to go out on my own." Once I was done explaining my tale, I noticed all of the chatter was gone, and everyone had been listening in. Clearing my throat a little, I got to work on my dinner. After I was sure everyone had gone back to their own business, I huddled in closer to the three youngest dwarves. "They taught me everything I know, that is how I survived this long, and that is why they are my everything. So when you are considered adults, I want you to remember that not all elves are bad. Please do not carry on the hatred your kin feels for elves." They all grinned and gave me nods. Giving them all soft smiles, I began telling them tales of the antics Arwen and I got into. After I was done eating, I stood and began collecting dishes, before I could finish, however, an elven maid whisked the dishes from me.
"I think I will call it a night, see you lads in the morning." I gave a smile and walked towards Lord Elrond, everyone shouting their goodnights and well wishes. Making my way towards where Elrond sat, I felt a sense of familiarity come over me. Coming to a stop beside him, he grasped my hand in both of his and met my eyes.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Lord Elrond, I know we are a rowdy bunch, but know that deep down they have good hearts." I gave Elrond a small nod in respect and he smiled at me.
"If they travel with you, Morgana, then I know that they are in good hands, and will become trustworthy allies. I am very glad that you are home, my daughter." He gave my hand a squeeze and I felt my bottom lip quiver as I welled up with emotion.
"If I may, I would like to look through your library before I retire for the night." He stared at me thoughtfully, weighing my statement in his mind.
"You never had to ask me, Morgana, this is as much your home as it is mine, you are welcome to any knowledge you can acquire from it. Lindir, if you could, please escort Lady Morgana to her room since it has been moved closer to Arwen's. Then, please escort her to my daughter who is waiting for her in the library. Goodnight, Lady Morgana." With that said he kissed my hand before Lindir led me towards the halls. Feeling a gaze burning against my skin, I noted that Thorin was seething in anger, watching the exchange I had with the elf. Leaving him for Gandalf to deal with, I followed Lindir. Lindir began speaking to me of the happenings I had missed in Rivendell. As Lindir took a detour through the gardens, I followed him only to stop and stare at the moon that was continuing its path to become a full one. I was scared if I was being honest. Before I could stop it a tear slipped down my cheek and I slipped into my room, letting Lindir wait for a bit as I calmed down.
~Thorin~
I almost followed her. I wanted to follow her. All I could do however was watch as Morgana slipped away from the company, her eyes still lingering on the moon, trailing behind that forsaken elf. With surprise, I noted the shininess in her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek. What was so special about the glowing ball that she would cry? I stared at the moon wondering what it could do to cause her so much pain.
"Why are you so important?" I mumbled to myself.
With that said I made my way back to the other dwarves, the moon weighing heavily on my back.