Ya'aburnee

All of This is Temporary

She snuck away, that night, without a word, while Thorin was looking over the treasure again, changing from the fanciful gown back to the dress Sigrid had loaned her, taking off the elven necklace and putting it in her pocket, and retrieving her sword, rushing to the wall. Bilbo was just finishing tying off a rope as she reached the top. "Olivia?"

"Bilbo." She was out of breath. "Are you leaving?"

"O-only for tonight. What are you doing up here? Thorin will be furious."

"I..." She trailed off. "I cannot stay here any longer. This is not what I signed up for." The voice in her head taunted her 'this is exactly what you signed up for. But you went and fell in love, and now you can't handle it, so you're running away.'

Bilbo nodded. "I... I understand. We can go to Dale together."

"Together," She agreed.

***

The walk up to the city was long, and gave them plenty of time to talk. "I've had it since I first went down into the treasure hoard," Bilbo told her of the Arkenstone, and she nodded.

"I know." He had told her his whole plan, his desperate attempt to save the lives of all of their friends.

"Y-you know? You knew the whole time?" Olivia nodded. Bilbo was confused. "Is this a wizard thing o-or is it just that obvious?"

She laughed slightly, though she was not mirthful. "A wizard thing, I suppose," she finally decided, because it was close enough. Affairs of things beyond the hobbit's knowledge.

Bilbo was quiet for a moment. "Thorin... he..." He wasn't sure how to ask it, Olivia glancing down at him. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Olivia looked ahead, stomach and chest tightening in knots. "Yes. I was. I am?" She breathed out. "Whoever that person is has stolen his face. That is not Thorin, anymore. I refuse to believe it. The Thorin I know would never..." Her voice died in her throat, refusing to push through the barrier in her throat, threatening to choke her.

Bilbo hesitated, but spoke again. "He was in love with you too..." Olivia looked down at him questioningly, her feet stumbling in surprise. "Thorin was. Or is. I don't know if he feels much aside from anger and jealousy, now."

"No," Olivia breathed, forcing a laugh. "There's no way. He could never..."

"You never saw the way he looked at you when you weren't looking," Bilbo countered when she could find no more words. She turned forwards again, a soft, hopeful breath leaving her lips. "Even... the way he is now... He couldn't stay angry at you..."

She shook her head. "It is a false hope, Bilbo. The way he looks at me now..." She shook her head. "That is not love, Bilbo... Even if I want it to be. Loosing him is easier than lying to myself."

***

They reached the city, slipping easily between the guards, searching for Bard, and Thranduil. If Bilbo's plan was to work, they had to convince them both.

"You, bowman. Do you agree with this?" A familiar voice carried through the chill air. It was Gandalf! "Is gold so important to you? Would you buy it with the blood of Dwarves?"

"It will not come to that," Bard replied, sure that the Dwarves would surrender eventually. "This is a fight they cannot win."

"That won't stop them." Bilbo was the first to speak.

"They won't surrender," Olivia supported Bilbo's assertion, "They will fight to the death to defend their own."

"Bilbo Baggins and Olivia Lund!" Gandalf exclaimed, the two friends grinning up at the wizards fond greeting.