"Our business is no concern of elves" Thorin said that night. Bilbo, (Y/n), Lord Elrond, Balin, Gandalf and Thorin were gathered together to discuss the map. Thorin was unwilling to give up the map to Elrond.
"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"
"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves!" Gandalf exclaimed, exasperated "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!"
Elrond looked between those in the company. The hobbits cast their eyes down. Thorin, reluctantly, reached inside his coat and took out the map.
"Thorin, no!" Balin said, trying to stop Thorin, but the dwarf lord swatted his hand away and hesitantly gave the elf the map. Elrond opened the map, looked at it, and spoke.
"Erebor?" he asked "What is your interest in this map?"
Thorin was about to answer, probably something snappy, when Gandalf interrupted.
"It's mainly academic. As you know, this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text" he then looked to Elrond "You still read Ancient Dwarvish, do you not?"
Elrond moved over to where the moon was shining in the room, and held the map up to the rays, examining it carefully.
"Cirth Ithil" he then spoke.
"Ah... Moon Runes. Of course. An easy thing to miss" Gandalf stated, looking back at the dwarves and hobbits.
"Well, in this case, that is true. 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" Elrond said, turning back to the group.
"Can you read them?" Thorin asked.
The followed Elrond outside to a cliff with waterfalls falling in front of it. A crystal-like table was set on the edge of the cliff. As they walked, Elrond spoke.
"These runes were written on a midsummer's eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly 200 years ago" he said. They reached the crystal table, and he set the map down on it "It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you Thorin Oakenshield. The same moon shines upon us tonight"
The moon's rays peaked through the waterfalls, and (Y/n) watched in awe as the table lit up with moonlight. She looked at the map, and blue runes were appearing. She heard Elrond speak what they said.
"'Stand by the grey stone, when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole'"
"Durin's Day?" Bilbo asked.
"It is the start of the Dwarves New Year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together" informed Gandalf.
"This is ill news" Thorin said, grimly "Summer is passing, Durin's Day will soon be upon us"
"We still have time" Balin said.
"Time?" (Y/n) asked.
"For what?" Bilbo continued.
"To find the entrance" Balin replied, holding up his hand in their direction "We have to be standing in exactly the right spot, at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened"
"So this is your purpose, to enter the Mountain?" Elrond asked.
"What of it" Thorin stated lowly, looking up at the elf lord.
"There are some who would not deem it wise" Elrond said, handing the map back to Thorin.
"What do you mean?" Gandalf asked.
"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-Earth" Elrond replied.
(Y/n) looked over at her brother, confused. Bilbo gave her a small shrug, and they followed the others back inside Rivendell.
The next morning, after a good nights sleep and a wonderful breakfast, the small hobbits decided to explore the great city.
They came into a beautifully decorated room with a statue. It was holding something. (Y/n) stood on her tip toes and glanced at the object to find it was a sword. A broken sword. The pieces were laid out on a velvet cloth. It seemed to be very sharp. Bilbo looked too, and they shared a look of awe at the blade.
Looking to their right, they saw a painting. A very beautiful painting, depicting a man with a shaft of a sword facing off against a dark floating figure. It had a terrifying metal mask over its face, but the siblings noticed something peculiar. On its finger, was a ring. A golden ring. Although she was only seeing it by a painting, she could feel there was something terribly evil about this ring. Looking at it, it was as if she could hear the swords clanging together in battle, and the screams of victims that fell.
The hobbits continued on, walking over bridges and finding themselves in courtyards, simply standing and listening to the chirps of the birds. (Y/n) sighed in content, feeling the sun on her face.
They found themselves on a balcony, looking out at Rivendell. They heard someone speak next to them.
"Not with your companions?" Lord Elrond asked the two, startling them slightly.
"Uh, no, we- we shan't be missed" (Y/n) replied.
"The truth is that most of them don't think we should be on this journey" Bilbo added.
"Indeed" Elrond said quietly "I've heard that hobbits are very resilient"
Bilbo chuckled at that statement, and looked to see Elrond was being very serious.
"Really?" (Y/n) asked.
The elf nodded slightly, and said "I've also heard they're fond of the comforts of home"
"I've heard that it's unwise to seek the council of elves, that they will answer with yes and no" Bilbo said quietly. (Y/n) scrunched her face up in regret of her brother saying that, thinking that Elrond would take offence. But he lightly smiled at them both, and they both let out a breath of relief at him not being upset.
"You both are very welcome to stay here, if that is your wish" Elrond told them, placing a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. He then left, leaving the hobbits in shock. Stay in Rivendell? It certainly was a beautiful place, but could they leave the company?
"I'm going to keep looking around, Bilbo" (Y/n) said, beginning to walk away.
"Alright, but just don't go near the fountain" Bilbo said quickly.
"What? Why?" she asked, confused.
"Just... don't"
"... okay?"
Now she wanted to go near the fountain.
She never should have gone near the fountain.
Thirteen naked dwarves was not something she needed to see.
Later that night, the dwarves were gathered together around a fire they made from the wood furniture they found. Gandalf was speaking with Lord Elrond, and Bilbo and Thorin were elsewhere. (Y/n) and the others were laughing together, talking, eating, and having fun. She sat next to Kili, who was smoking his pipe. Bofur was cooking a sausage over the fire. He took it off the stick, and glanced at Bombur sitting on a wooden table.
"Bombur!" he yelled to him, throwing the sausage at Bombur. Catching it, Bombur looked with wide eyes as the table wreaked for a moment, then collapsed under him, bringing him down. (Y/n) shot her head over to the scene, a smile on her face when she saw the others laughing. She too joined in. Glancing over at Kili next to her, she saw the way his brown eyes lit up when he laughed. He looked at her, and she put her head down so as to not let him catch her staring. He paused for a moment, thinking the blush of her cheeks was cute, then spoke.
"And how is this adventure treating a fair lady like yourself?" he asked. She looked up at him, and shrugged with a smile on her face.
"It's much more exciting than The Shire. Back home everything is quiet, calm, and... and boring" she said.
"What was it like growing up in The Shire?" Kili asked.
"Well" she started "It's beautiful there. The rolling green hills, the flowers that grew in the garden. But, living there for so long made me want to see more. To feel the different air of the world"
Kili was listening to every word she said, as if it was his lifeline.
"I can imagine" he said "Staying in one place for so long sounds so incredibly boring"
They laughed together for a moment, and she continued.
"I was different from the other hobbits. Everyone else was happy and content with never once leaving The Shire, for anything. Everyone frowned upon me for wanting to leave, for wanting to go on an adventure... for wanting to live life to the fullest. The other hobbits said I was a funny girl. I don't think they meant it as a compliment. That never stopped my dreams. And now, here I am, on an adventure, with one of the greatest people on Middle-Earth"
Kili smiled brightly at her, and she smiled back. Her (e/c) eyes in the firelight mezmerised him, and it was a spell he did not want to break.
"Come on everyone. We're leaving"
Thorin's voice jolted Kili away from his thoughts. All the dwarves looked up to see Balin, Thorin and Bilbo walking back. Thorin was collecting his things, and the other dwarves began to follow.
"Wait a minute, we're leaving?" (Y/n) asked, surprised, standing up from her seat next to Kili.
"That's right," Thorin answered shortly.
"What about Gandalf?" she asked him. Thorin turned to face her.
"If he is not here when we leave, then we leave him behind and wait for him in the mountains," he said, turning around. "I've had enough of elves" Thorin then muttered.
(Y/n) looked to Bilbo, who gave her a look that said 'just do it'. She reluctantly began packing up her stuff, tying her sword to her belt. Gathering her stuff in her pack, she followed Bilbo and the dwarves out of Rivendell as the sun began to rise. They hiked up the side of a cliff leading away from the beautiful city.
"Be on your guard. We're about to step over the edge of the Wild" Thorin called back "Balin, you know these paths. Lead on"
Bilbo, from behind (Y/n), looked back at Rivendell with a longing look. You could see in his eyes he wanted to stay.
"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up" Thorin told Bilbo. The hobbit looked back to Thorin, then looked at the city one last time before walking again.
The company trekked the long journey through the hills and mountains. They walked behind a waterfall, and (Y/n) almost slipped on the rocks, but Kili caught her before she fell.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
"Yes, I'm fine" she answered, getting up and walking forward. Kili watched her and followed. He didn't want to let her go.
They continued into the snowy mountains, and she looked at the beautiful scenery of the snow on the mountains. Soon enough, a thunderstorm came, drenching the company. Walking along the steep slope of the mountain, only a small rock path stuck out from the formation, allowing them to make their way through. (Y/n) pulled the hood of her cloak up and put her hand in front of her eyes to see. She saw Bilbo slip from the path and almost fall, but luckily he was caught.
"We must find shelter!!" Thorin yelled back.
"LOOK OUT!!" Dwalin yelled.
Looking to where he was, (Y/n) saw a large boulder fly through the air and crash right above them, raining down rocks.
"This is no thunderstorm! It's a thunder-battle!" Balin yelled. A giant man made of rocks (A/n i'm made of rocks as you can see but don't let that intimidate you :D) was rising from the mountains, grabbing a piece of it.
"Well, bless me. The legends are true!" Bofur exclaimed.
"Giants! Stone-giants!!" (Y/n) shouted as the giant threw the boulder. The company watched as it hit another giant.
"Take cover, you fool!!" Thorin yelled to Bofur who was too preoccupied watching the giants to notice rocks coming down, almost hitting him. The rocks chipped away pieces of the path.
Suddenly, the company began to split. (Y/n) saw Fili and Kili struggling to stay together.
"Fili! Grab my hand!"
"What's happening?!"
The movement caused (Y/n) to slip. She shrieked as she felt herself fall down, but Kili grabbed her hand quickly. He helped to pull her up. When she got back up, she clung to the wall. Looking up, she saw they were on the legs of one of the stone-giants. It then began fighting with another one, causing the group to move around on the beast. The leg (Y/n) was on slammed into the mountain, allowing them to run onto the nonmoving rock. They watched as the others struggled to stay on the moving being as it fought. The giant turned to face them, and they watched in horror as the other half of their company was slammed into the mountain.
"BILBO!!!" (Y/n) screamed as she watched. Her eyes stung with tears as she watched the giant pull away from the mountain with no one on it.
The remaining company ran forward on the mountain towards where the others crashed. They were relieved to find everyone okay, just a bit squashed on top of each other. (Y/n) sighed in relief and began looking for her brother, but panicked when she couldn't find him.
"Where's Bilbo?" she and Bofur asked at the same time.
"Where's the other hobbit!?" he continued.
Everyone looked around for him, and saw his hands hanging on for dear life over the edge of the mountain. The dwarves ran forward and reached out their hands to grab him, but he couldn't reach. Suddenly, Thorin swung down and hung on to the edge of the cliff, grabbed Bilbo, and pulled him back up, almost falling himself. Luckily, Dwalin had Thorin's hand and pulled him back onto the path.
"Oh my gosh, Bilbo" (Y/n) breathed out as she hugged Bilbo. He hugged her back immediately.
"I thought we lost one of our burglars," Dwalin mused. (Y/n) let go of Bilbo and looked at the dwarves.
"They've been lost ever since they left home" Thorin stated, looking at the hobbits "They should never have come. They have no place amongst us"
(Y/n) glared at the dwarf and Bilbo looked down, not making eye contact. (Y/n)'s eyes met Kili's, who was looking at her, worried.
"Dwalin!" Thorin shouted, causing her to glance in his direction. She watched them go into a cave, the others quickly following.
(Y/n) walked in and heard Thorin as he said "Search to the back. Caves in the mountain are seldom unoccupied"
The dwarves all gathered in the cave, away from the cold sting of the rain. (Y/n) looked around, taking in the formations the rocks made.
"There's nothing here" Dwalin stated.
"Right then. Let's get a fire started" Gloin said, throwing down a bit of wood.
"No. No fires. Not in this place" Thorin said, walking behind him "Get some sleep. We start at first light"
"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan" Balin said to Thorin.
"Plans change" he responded quietly "Bofur, take the first watch"
(Y/n) took out her blanket and laid it on the ground. She took off her sword and put it next to her pack. She looked to her left to see Kili walking towards her.
"Hey" he said.
"Hi" she responded quietly.
"Look, everything Thorin said-" he tried but she interrupted him.
"I know what you're gonna say Kili, that it's not true, I belong here. But let's face it, there was some truth in his statement. I'm no warrior or fighter. It's only a matter of time before I get myself killed" she said, sitting down.
"I would NEVER let that happen (Y/n). I would rather die than see you hurt" Kili stated, sitting down next to her.
"Kili, don't say things like-"
"It's true! And Thorin knows not of which he speaks when he says you have no place amongst us. You DO belong here, with us. With me"
She looked into his soft brown eyes, and a small smile crept onto her face. It was taken away when she shivered.
"Are you cold?" Kili asked, worry etched on his face.
"A little. I'll be fine" she said. Kili shook his head and took off his cloak.
"No, you're freezing. Here" he said, draping it over her shoulder. He saw her face, and assured her "I'll be alright. I don't want to see you freeze"
(Y/n) grabbed both sides of the cloak and pulled it closer to herself. He smiled at her before going to join his brother, who began teasing him. She breathed in his scent, pipe smoke and pinewood. Lying down, she slowly fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
Bilbo listened to the snores of the dwarves as he laid in his makeshift bed, faking sleep. Once he was sure everyone was asleep, he gathered all his belongings into his pack, attached his sword to his belt, and grabbed his walking stick. He paused for a moment, wondering if leaving (Y/n) was the best idea, then realized she was happier on this quest than she ever was in the Shire. He maneuvered around the sleeping dwarves, being careful not to wake any up. What he didn't notice, however, was Bofur keeping watch.
"Where do you think you're going?" he whispered to Bilbo.
Bilbo stopped and sighed, turning to face the dwarf.
"Back to Rivendell," he answered.
"No, no, you can't turn back now! You're part of the company! You're one of us," Bofur tried.
"I'm not though, am I? Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took. I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door. (Y/n), though, this is what she wants. Thorin was wrong when he said she didn't belong with the company. She's more of a Took than I ever was. She-She shouldn't have to worry about me constantly. One of the reasons I came on this journey was because I wanted to protect her, but she's been protecting me more" Bilbo said, not knowing that Thorin was listening to every word they spoke.
"You're homesick. I understand!" Bofur said.
"No, you don't! You don't understand! None of you do. You're dwarves! You're used to-to this life! To living on the road! Never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!" Bilbo whisper-shouted. He regretted his words when he saw the solemn look on Bofur's face.
"I am sorry. I didn't-"
No, you're right" Bofur said after a moment "We don't belong anywhere. I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do. And, don't worry. Your sister will be safe"
Bofur gave Bilbo a small smile and patted him on the shoulder. Bilbo nodded his head and turned to walk away, when Bofur spoke up, looking at his sword.
"What's that?"
Bilbo turned back to him, confused, then glazed at his sword. He pulled it partially out of its case. It was glowing blue. Gandalf's words echoed in his head.
The blade is of elvish make, which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby.
Thorin looked at the floor of the cave to see a long crack forming.
"Wake up! WAKE UP!" he shouted to the others.
(Y/n) opened her eyes to see the dwarves scrambling awake. Looking around in fear, she saw her blade glowing blue in the dark of the cave, and began to panic. (Y/n)'s eyes found Kili, who suddenly fell into who knows where. She watched as the floor gave out underneath her as well. (Y/n) screamed as she fell down through, into the darkness.