For the Sake of Kings (Thorin x OC x Aragorn romance)

2 . Under the Hill

[Apologies ahead of time; I likely won't get much into character descriptions as they come in, as I'm sure you've seen all of them plenty already.
I hope you enjoy this chapter as we start the story!]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gandalf!"
Upon hearing his name, a tall elderly man turned in the road, looking back at the woman who called it; his gaze landing on me.

"Ah, Materia, my dear girl. What brings you to Bree?" He was leaning on his staff as I approached. I gave him a soft smile as I caught up to him, and gestured for him to continue on with me by his side.

"My feet on the trail, and the wind at my back." I answered as we walked. "And you?"

"I'm going to meet someone down in the Shire. There's an adventure to be had, and a Hobbit to invite along." He mused, making me quirk a brow.

"An adventure? Gandalf, are you meddling again?"

A glint appeared in his eye as he smiled. "I wouldn't call it meddling. That would require me to stick my nose where it doesn't belong, and I assure you in this matter I am needed."
I rolled my eyes at him, making him chuckle, before he paused.
I stopped to look back at him. "Materia, is there any chance I'd be able to invite you on this adventure as well?" He asked after several seconds of contemplation, before beginning to walk again. He placed a hand on my shoulder to urge me along with him, passing the gates that entered Bree.

"Perhaps...? What does it entail?"
In truth, an adventure with a goal was intriguing. Usually, I'd just let my feet take me where they would, assisting people I crossed, or killing orcs if they crossed me; and if it was an adventure of Gandalf's making, it was sure to involve more excitement than that.

"An old acquaintance of mine has been displaced for some time with his kin. Recently though, we may have found a way to get them back to their home." He explained, in true Gandalf fashion of not divulging more information than needed. It lit a flame of suspicion in my mind, but the thought of helping someone regain their roots played with my nature to help others, making this a request I couldn't bring myself to refuse even if I was missing details; I could figure those out as I went and act as needed.

"Very well.. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go along."

His smile grew and his hand patted my shoulder. "Wonderful! Then we shall go to the Shire together. Save you some time. The others will join us later."
A small voice in the back of my mind urged me to ask who the others were but I ignored it, figuring that I would know soon enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gandalf parted ways with me as we entered the small village built into the hills, urging me to go settle at the Green Dragon while he went to meet up with a Bilbo Baggins. He mentioned I should find him at Bilbo's house later in the evening when the rest of the company involved would be arriving, letting me know I could find the right house via a rune he'd leave on the door.

Having nothing better to do I did as he suggested, sitting at a table in a far corner of the Inn, sipping at a small mug of ale. I could hear my mother scolding me in the back of my mind, saying that I shouldn't drink something so crude, that I should be drinking wine or water; something more fit for an elven lady. I'm not sure what the harm of ale was in her mind, as it didn't cause the same adverse side effects in me as it would a mortal man, such as clouding judgement or thought. My only complaint on it was it's taste, but I enjoyed the warmth that spread through my chest from the drink.

I'd gotten to my fourth mug when I glanced outside and realized the sun had set for the day, bathing the outside in darkness, the depths of which were only by slivers of moonlight. Downing my drink, I stood, paid the Hobbit in charge, and headed outside, pulling my cloak around me to block out some of the chilled air.
I glanced around, looking for the rune Gandalf had told me about on the nearby doors, but saw nothing. Turning, I went down the pathway, peering at the doors as I went by. When I got to the home farthest from where I'd started the search, I didn't find a rune, but a bunch of dwarves standing outside a hobbit hole with Gandalf behind them. The dwarf at the front of the mix knocked as I approached.
I paused where I was, a few feet away, frowning slightly at the sight.

That lot wouldn't appreciate my presence, and I'm sure Gandalf would know that. I should have asked who we were going with after all. Sighing, I joined them, slipping in behind the wizard when the door opened, and he offered a small smile of greeting when he noticed me. The group of dwarves had dropped their coats and weaponry inside the door and disappeared into another room as a flustered looking Hobbit glared up at the wizard. "Gandalf..."

His attention was drawn to the dwarves before he could reprimand the taller man, and he scurried away, going from one dwarf to another as they moved around the house, transporting food and furniture into the dining room.

"Those are my— Excuse me, not my wine! Put that back. Put that back! Not the jam, please. Excuse me. E-Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?" I heard him worry, getting more flustered by the moment.

Gandalf had left me at the door, going into the dining room as I sighed. Stooping down, I picked up the discarded belongings and piled them neatly on a chest to the left of the door, before pulling off my dark red cloak and folding it neatly on top of the pile. I pulled a scabbard from my hip and leaned it against the wall beside the box, then moved further into the house, peering into the room where all the dwarves had settled around a table and were now throwing food between each other and having belching contests.
A hand tugged at my sleeve and I looked down at Bilbo, who looked exhausted. "Pardon me, but I didn't catch your name." He said politely, though there was a hint of strain in his tone.

I gave a short bow of my head as I turned to face him. "I am Materia, a friend of Gandalf's. He roped me into this venture along with you."

He furrowed his brow. "Roped you in t--..? I think there's been a misunderstanding. I haven't been roped into anything."
I held back a chuckle and stepped back behind the wall, standing out of view of the dwarves as they'd gone quieter, focusing more on scarfing down the food now than they were on talking.

"If he didn't already rope you in, it won't be long."