19

Bilbo awoke to the smell of cinnamon cakes, his stomach growling with temptation. The hobbit swung his feet over the bed and stretched lightly, smiling to himself at his awaiting treat. It was only when he stood that he remembered the commotion of the night before, the ridiculous amount of dwarves sleeping in his living room, and his utter shock regarding the quest itself. He was a hobbit of the Shire, after all; he simply wasn't suited for adventure. Then, he realized that aside from his temporary guests, he lived alone. Who was making cinnamon cakes in his kitchen?

The hobbit wandered through the halls of his home, nearly tripping over a few sleeping dwarves as he followed the scent. He doubted that any of them had gotten up at such an hour, for it was much before dawn. The only dwarf that seemed to be capable of that was Thorin, and Bilbo didn't think of him as much of a baker.

A woman stood with her back to him, bustling about the kitchen as she sprinkled cinnamon on dough. Her hair was long, hanging at her waist, and swept about her person as she moved. Bilbo watched her green eyes as she focused on the cakes, putting them back on the heat. Suddenly, the lass turned towards him, making the hobbit jump, although he had seen her first.

"Good morning, Master Baggins." She smiled, remembering her manners. "Talia Rue Ashenstone, at your service." She said, bowing slightly to him.

"Bilbo Baggins, at yours." He replied, almost reflexively.

"I'm sorry, I really should've asked before using your kitchen." Talia began, becoming bashful and offering him an apologetic glance. "It's just that it's been so long since I've baked, and I couldn't resist."

"Oh, no, no! Don't worry yourself! I'll never object to cinnamon cakes." Bilbo said, surprising Talia with his kindness. If he had been a dwarf, she would've been killed by his glare by now.

Talia grinned, nodding her thanks and returning to her pastries. "You are a hobbit, well versed in the likes of desserts. I hope that you'll enjoy my spin on them."

"Did you make these for me?" Bilbo asked, pointing to the object in question. He scowled at himself for saying such a thing afterwards; he was becoming flustered from being around such a beautiful woman. Moreover, she was one without enormous hairy feet, so he was on his best behavior.

But to the hobbit's shock, Talia nodded with a soft smile on her lips. "As a thank you for hosting us, for I highly doubt any of them offered their gratitude."

"You are part of the Company?"

"Oh, yes. Married to Thorin, though that is not how my place is defined." She replied, holding up her hand with her wedding ring. "I know they are gruff and rude and far from easy to handle, but I love them dearly. Once you get to know them, they'll be like family to you, too."

"Oh, but I won't be."

"No?"

Bilbo sighed, sitting down at the stool and leaning on the counter where Talia was working. "I'm not much of an adventurous type, I'm afraid. You hadn't arrived yet, but last night, I fainted as soon as I heard of the heat of dragon fire. The Took in me has long faded, gone with my youth."

Talia pursed her lips at his words. It was not her place to sway him if his mind was made up, though she was sure Gandalf wanted her to pry a little bit. She laughed softly, shaking her head and deciding to move their conversation along. "You are still young, Master Baggins."

"Fifty is far from childhood, Miss Talia Rue."

She waved his politeness off. "Please, no 'Miss'. I do not require such formalities from a friend." Talia smiled down at him, returning to checking on the cakes. "How old do you think I am?"

"You can't be much older than me, if at all."

Talia could only raise an eyebrow. "Humor me."

Bilbo hummed to himself, smiling when he was sure of his guess. "Forty."

"If only!" She laughed, sticking her thumb upwards to point him in the right direction.

"Fifty."

"Nope."

"You can't be over sixty, now!"

"I am one hundred and ninety-five years old." Talia spared a glance at his open jaw. "My hair is a little grey, after all. However, regarding a dwarven timeline, I am merely middle-aged."

"I do know of the lifespan of dwarves, but I did not think you were one. You don't have a beard." Bilbo stated, grabbing two plates from the cupboard as Talia arranged the cakes in a bowl. "If it is not rude or impolite of me to ask, do you shave it?"

"I do not grow one." Talia said, allowing him to help serve the dish. He led her over to the small table further in the kitchen, isolated from the sleeping dwarves, as she continued. "Though my dwarven heritage accounts for most parts of me, I am half Man. My father was the Lord of Dale, the city that adjoined Erebor."

"I see. You got the best of each race." Bilbo asserted, which caused Talia to smile at his kindness. Then, the hobbit took up the cinnamon cake on his plate and bit into it excitedly. Talia giggled slightly as his eyes rolled back a little. "These are fantastic!"

"Again, they are a thank you for your hospitality." She replied, leaning back in her chair as she nibbled at her own. "Oh Mahal, I am good." She said as soon as the flavor hit her tongue.

"That you are." Bilbo chuckled. "I accept your gratitude with a thank you of my own for such delicious dessert. It has been a pleasure talking to you. I only wish you could stay to enjoy it for a little while longer."

Talia looked at him, her green eyes piercing his brown ones. A smile was still on her face, but the sun cresting over the hill revealed an expression of deeper thought. "You do not wish to join us on the road?" It was a question, but she poised it more as a statement.

Bilbo paused. "No. Hobbits are not adventurous folk, for adventures make you late to supper."

"You hesitate." Talia's eyes narrowed, her perceptiveness shocking the hobbit. "What of your youth? Of the Took within you?" She repeated the name he had recited. "I don't know much about you, Master Baggins, but no ordinary hobbit pauses to consider an adventure like you do. We both know it will be dangerous, but you just may get something out of it. Something even better than my cinnamon cakes." Talia stood, collecting their plates and setting them gently in the sink. "I wish I could help clean up, but the sun has risen. I must rouse the Company, for Gandalf should be returning with our ponies any moment now."

"It's not a bother." The hobbit said absentmindedly, considering her words. However, he quickly snapped back to reality when Talia turned to face him again.

"It was a pleasure getting to know you, Master Baggins. May we meet again." She bowed slightly, taking her leave of the hobbit. Bilbo licked the sugar off his lips as she walked into the living room, watching Talia go with a smile on his face.

Deciding to start with the nephews, Talia swiftly kicked Fili and Kili from where they lay on Bilbo's couch. If they still behaved the same as they did in their early years, she knew they would take the most time to wake. "Get up, boys. We leave in ten minutes." She smiled as they groaned and clutched their shins. Leaning down to ruffle their hair, Talia took to doing the same with the other dwarves, waking them one by one. Some early risers, like Dori, helped herd the Company outside, while those who struggled to keep their eyes open, like Dwalin, trudged along unhappily.

Finally, after dragging Fili and Kili out by their ears, Talia stood before the Company on Bilbo's doorstep. She took a moment to admire the warm, yellow sun on her skin as she watched the Company ready their supplies. Eventually, she stepped towards the only pony left, which stood next to that of their leader.

"You were not beside me when I woke." Thorin said as he readied the saddlebags of his pony, his muscles rippling as he adjusted the straps. Knowing that the Company was still too asleep to notice, he pulled Talia in for a quick kiss. "I feared it was all a dream." He mumbled afterwards, a seriousness reflecting in his eyes as he hoisted himself up onto his pony.

"I got up to thank our host—"

"Wasn't he asleep?"

"—With cinnamon cakes." Thorin's mouth watered, and Talia chuckled to herself at the sight of her husband nearly drooling. Mounting her own pony, she reached into her pack and passed him one of the pastries, which he happily accepted. "You're welcome."

Thorin winked back, nearly moaning upon first tasting it. Talia grinned at her husband, turning her attention back to the Company as they began to clamber onto their own ponies. Thorin followed her gaze, noticing a lack of a hobbit amongst them. "I assume he will not be joining us."

"Not yet."

"Care to wager?" Dwalin interrupted from his steed, wagging his brows at Talia.

"Ten gold pieces if he shows." She asserted without missing a beat, meeting his eyes with her green ones.

"You're on."

Thorin shook his head almost invisibly as he smiled down at his hands. Noticing the Company was ready, he began to turn his pony around. "We do not want any notice of our departure. Let us make haste."

The King started forward, thus beginning the quest for Erebor as the Company trotted along behind him. Their journey through Hobbiton and along the rolling green hills of the Shire was quite pleasant, and the Company enjoyed the ease the start of their trek had. The younger dwarves chatted merrily and occasionally burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter, while the older folk enjoyed the sunrise and welcomed the clouds above.

Talia had started riding alongside Thorin, but she eventually fell back to catch up with some of the others she had not had a chance to reconnect with last night. None dared to ask, but she knew that they wondered what had happened to her and how she had escaped it. In due time, she would tell her tale to another besides Thorin, but for now, she settled on sharing her cinnamon cakes instead. Based on their reactions to the treat, she almost thought they appreciated that gesture better. She rolled her eyes with a smile as she watched Bombur stuff it into his mouth whole. Those dwarves were heavily food-motivated, almost to a fault.

About an hour later, Thorin rode alongside Balin, followed by Talia and Dwalin. Based on how happy the rest of the Company was, the four of them felt a similar worry for the success of the quest. If they truly understood what was ahead of them, they would not be so light-hearted. Few of them had actually faced the wrath of dragon fire, and those that had were not directly affected by it like those four were. Though the idea was not to awaken the dragon, merely to retrieve the Arkenstone, something told them that dark days lay ahead. They rode in silence, the graveness of their duty finally setting in.

Balin sighed, his worry palpable to his three companions. He had agreed to the quest without hesitation, but he did have his wits about him. The fate of the Durin's folk lay solely upon the shoulders of fourteen dwarves and a wizard; the circumstances were far from favorable. Though their burglar had wanted no part in the quest, Balin could hardly blame him, for the risk seemed greater than the reward. Shaking these thoughts from his mind, he thought back to his conversation with Thorin from the evening before, needing to call upon his leader's words for reassurance.

"It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy makers. Hardly the stuff of legend."

"There are a few warriors amongst us."

"Old warriors." Balin had remarked.

"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart; I can ask no more than that."

"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

But Thorin had paused, holding up a heavy metal key and showing it to Balin. "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

"What troubles you?"

Thorin's words snapped the dwarf back to reality, his blue eyes meeting those of his oldest advisor and friend. Balin could only shake his head, returning his gaze forward.

"The road ahead. We lack the stealth of the hobbit, Thorin." He turned back to look at his King. Talia and Dwalin exchanged a look before returning their focus to the conversation. "I do not know what our encounter with the Mountain will bring, but I feel it will be a monstrous and dangerous event without a proper burglar. That is what I fear."

But before Thorin could reply, the huffing and puffing of a fellow on foot caused the Company to halt. The burglar in question was panting as he slowed his sprint to a stop. With one hand, he held his pack upright on his shoulder, and in the other, the length of the contract fluttered in the breeze. "I signed it!"

Talia smiled down at the hobbit as he handed the parchment to Balin, who examined it closely before pocketing his eyeglass. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin glanced at Balin, who looked at him as if to say, Problem solved! Still, Thorin knew some thoughts of doubt would consume the mind of his friend, and he would be sure to discuss them later.

"Give him a pony." The leader ordered, and again they were on their way, despite Bilbo's protests of horse hair. After he got up on his pony, Talia and her steed were at his side, offering him what she held in her hand.

"I saved one more. Just in case."

Bilbo smiled, taking the cinnamon cake and thanking her profusely. As the hobbit sparked up conversation with Gandalf, Talia winked at the wizard, who chuckled in response. He was in the process of explaining the sacks of coins being hurled about the Company, most of them congregating in the hands of Talia and the wizard. Like the Queen, Gandalf hadn't doubted his hobbit for a second.

But before the payment of the bets had ceased, Talia turned to Dwalin, who had yet to give her his coin. Thorin and Balin looked back at the pair, cracking grins at Talia's stern glare and Dwalin's annoyance.

"Dwalin."

"What?" The dwarf scowled.

"Cough it up."

"Cough what up?"

That was when Talia socked him right in the arm, making her nephews burst into laughter at their antics from behind them. After spewing a stream of curses that no one would care to recount, Dwalin rolled his eyes, tossing her the coin pouch. She grinned as she caught it, tossing it up in the air and feeling it's weight in her hands.

"That's a good lad."

Even in his annoyance, Dwalin couldn't help but smile softly at the happiness of his friend. "Welcome home, Talia."