Elves

Thorin looked at Gandalf as he realized where Gandalf had lead us. He clearly wasn't happy about it either.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no?" Dwalin called from the far end of the cave.

There was light coming from the tunnel he'd found.

"Follow it of course!" Bofur said eagerly.

With that we all followed Dwalin through the tunnel. Looking up we could see we were at the bottom of what looked like a crack in the earth. I stayed close to the group with Kili in front of me and Fili behind.

"Gandalf?" I asked feeling something I hadn't felt in years.

"You can feel it?" He asked.

"Yeah, it feels...familiar."

"Well, it should."

"There's light ahead." Gloin said before I could respond.

We came out the end of the tunnel and came face to face with a beautiful mountain side city filled with waterfalls!

I knew where we were before Gandalf spoke. The Valley of Imladris. I'd only been here once before but once you saw it, it wasn't something you ever forgot.

"In the common tongue it's known by another name." Gandalf went on.

"Rivendell." I spoke.

"Here lies the Last Homely House East of the Sea." Gandalf continued.

Thorin was not impressed. He still saw the Elves as his enemy.

Gandalf assured him he had no enemies here. Thorin wasn't so sure. He was worried the Elves would try and stop us. Gandalf didn't lie in his response. He agreed they would try and stop us but we had questions that needed to be answered and the Elves could be of help. Gandalf finished by insisting the talking be left to him.

We made our way down the cliff we were on and into the heart of the city, where we were greeted by Lindir. I recognized him right away.

Lindir approached with the same grace all Elves possessed, not a single thing threatening about him yet I caught Thorin whisper to Dwalin to stay sharp, like he was expecting some kind of conflict.

Lindir spoke to Gandalf in Elvish so I quietly translated for Kili who gave me a questioning look.

"We heard you had crossed into the Valley." I whispered.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf insisted.

"My Lord Elrond is not here." Lindir replied in english.

"Not here?" Gandalf asked. "Where is he?"

Before Lindir could answer a horn sounded. He's right behind us apparently.

The Dwarves gathered tightly together ready to fight. I rolled my eyes as Thorin yelled something in Dwarvish and told the guys to close ranks.

Elves on horseback surrounded us. Kili pulled me behind him as a few gave me strange looks, likely either wondering why I was with these Dwarves or wondering what other type of blood ran through my veins. They knew I wasn't a purebred, I was too small.

The Dwarves sneered and growled at the Elves surrounding us.

"Gandalf." My head snapped up at the sound of his voice.

"Lord Elrond." Gandalf replied.

I hadn't seen Lord Elrond since I was a child, and unsurprisingly he looked as though he hadn't aged a day.

"My friend." Gandalf said in Elvish as he bowed to the Elf, still atop his steed.

I went back to translating for Kili, who seemed to be the only one paying any attention to me.

"Where have you been?" I whispered repeating Gandalf's question. "We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the South." I continued with Elrond's response.

Lord Elrond dismounted.

"We slew a number near the Hidden Pass." I whispered once again translating what Elrond had said.

Elrond greeted Gandalf with a quick hug.

"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders." Elrond said, this time in english. "Something or someone has drawn them near."

"Ah. That may have been us." Gandalf replied honestly, though Elrond was already well aware of that fact.

Thorin stepped forward and I braced, ready for a fight.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain." Elrond said.

"I do not believe we have met." Thorin replied doing his best to be civil.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled Under the Mountain."

"Indeed? He made no mention of you."

Elrond replied in Elvish.

"What is he saying?" Gloin growled. "Does he offer us insults?!"

I stifled a laugh as the rest of the company got all riled up over nothing.

"No, you big oaf! He's offering us food." I said stepping out from behind Kili.

The Dwarves all started to mumbled amongst themselves.

"Uh, well...in that case, lead on!" Gloin said slightly red in the cheeks.

The Dwarves were lead away while I was stopped by Lord Elrond.

"Ashryn. You've grown."

"Lord Elrond." I said with a slight bow.

"I heard what happened."

I cringed, not wanting to remember what the Elves of my former kingdom had done to me.

Lord Elrond placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"You will always have a place here. You will always be welcome."

I smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

He smiled back and lead me up the stairs in the direction the Dwarves had gone.

"Now, what on Middle Earth are you doing with a bunch of Dwarves?"

I laughed.

"It's a long story."

When I finished speaking with Elrond I joined the Dwarves at their table, taking a seat next to Kili. They were carefully inspecting the food in front of them, clearly not sure what to make of all the fruits and vegetables and lack of meat. Elves didn't really do meat.

"Where's the meat?" Dwalin asked with slight panic in his voice.

"Have they got any chips?" Ori asked.

I just smiled and shook my head. I looked over at Kili to see what he thought of all this but he was a little preoccupied. He was busy ogling an Elf playing a harp. My chest tightened as I felt a rush of jealousy wash over me.

Dwalin gave him a look and the second he noticed he started trying to explain himself.

"Can't say I fancy Elf maids myself, too thin."

Ok, I'm slightly offended.

"They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin." He continued.

Alright buddy where the hell are you going with this?

"Not enough facial hair for me."

I sighed. Oh my god. But he didn't stop there.

"Although that one there is not bad."

I took a sip of water as I looked up to see who he was talking about. As soon as I saw the Elf in question I choked.

Fili slapped me on the back as Dwalin spoke.

"That's not an Elf maid."

The male Elf turned and Kili just sat there mouth opening and closing like a fish as the other Dwarves laughed.

I turned my attention to the other table, where Thorin, Gandalf and Lord Elrond sat. Elrond was inspecting the blades we'd found in the Troll's cave. He explained to Thorin the blade he took was called Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver. A famous blade forged by the High Elves of the West, Elrond's kin. He handed it back to Thorin wishing it to serve him well. I wasn't surprised that he let Thorin keep the blade, Elrond was always a kind and generous man. He moved on to inspect the other blade Gandalf had retrieved from the cave, Glamdring the Foehammer. Glamdring was the sword of the King of Gondolin. Both blades were made for the Goblin Wars of the First Age.

Balin caught me looking at my blade. He confirmed what I already knew, swords were named after great deeds. Then he went on to insult my blade saying it was more of a letter opener.

I turned my attention back to Elrond's table. Gandalf was explaining how he had found the blades in a Troll-Hoard on the Great East Road. Elrond asked what we were doing there. Thorin excused himself before Gandalf could answer.

My attention was forced back to the table when the Dwarves apparently got tired of the Elves music. Bofur got up on the table and started singing.

I dropped my head into my hands. Oh boy. At least I knew Elrond wouldn't be furious at their behavior like my King would have been.

"There's an Inn, there's an Inn. There's a merry old Inn beneath an old gray hill." Bofur sang.

Soon the others joined in.

"And there they brew a beer so brown The Man in the Moon himself came down one night to drink his fill!"

Then the food throwing began.

"Oh! The ostler has a tipsy cat, that played a five-stringed fiddle. And up and down he saws his bow now squeaking hiiiiigh, now purring low."

The Dwarves laughed and the Elves just looked concerned. Although I can't say I blame them.

"Now sawing in the middle. Hey! Sooo, the cat then played Hey-Diddle-Diddle. A drink that'll wake the dead. He squeaked and he sawed and he quickened the tune and the landlord shook the Man in the Moon!"

Bofur got right into it and Gandalf looked like he wanted to disappear.

I shot Elrond a nervous smile, half apologizing for the Dwarves less than civilized behavior.

After all the chaos Gandalf motioned for me to follow him.

We walked into a building with Elrond, Balin and Thorin.

"Our business is no concern of Elves." Thorin insisted.

"For goodness sake, Thorin, show him the map."

"It is the legacy of my people. It is mine to protect, as are it's secrets."

"Save me from the stubbornness of Dwarves! Your pride will be your downfall. You stand in the presence of one of the few in Middle Earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond."

Thorin caved and took out the map. Balin reached out to stop him but he brushed him off and handed the map to Elrond.

"Erebor. What is your interest in this map?" Elrond asked.

"It's mainly academic." Gandalf lied before Thorin could say a word. "As you know this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text"

Gandalf looked at us a warning in his eyes, a warning not to give away what we were really doing with the map.

"You still read ancient Dwarvish, do you not?" Gandalf asked as Elrond inspected the map.

Elrond said something in Elvish, I didn't quite catch.

"Moon runes?" Gandalf asked repeating what Elrond had said. "Of course. An easy thing to miss."

"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 explained.

"Can you read them?" Thorin asked.

Elrond said nothing as he lead us out of the hall we were in and onto a balcony next to a waterfall, only then did he speak.

"These runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly 200 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."

The light of the moon shined down on the map and glowing blue ancient Dwarvish lettering appeared.

"Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole." Elrond read.

"What's Durin's Day?" I mumbled to Gandalf.

"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." He explained.

"This is ill news." Thorin said. "Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us."

"We still have time." Balin assured him.

"For what?" I asked already working out the answer.

"To find the entrance. We have to be standing in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then can the door be opened." Balin explained.

"So this is your purpose? To enter the mountain?" Elrond asked.

So much for keeping our mouths shut.

"What of it?" Thorin asked daring Elrond to challenge him.

"There are some who would not deem it wise." The Elf replied.

"What do you mean?" Gandalf asked.

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth."