The Gathering Storm. The Hobbit fanfic. A Thorin Oakenshield love story.

Chapter 57: The Chase.

~~flashback to one year earlier.~~

Late in the evening rain fell heavily as Taryn made her way through Bree on the border of the Shire. She tightly wrapped her blue cloak around herself for she would not get soaked. Her hood was pulled up over her head for no one would recognize who she was. The wind caused a strand of her long white blonde hair to whip out of her hood and around her face.

She stopped walking when she reached a building called The Prancing Pony. The tavern was loud as she entered it. There were people laughing, cheering, yelling, and drinking merrily. It was over crowded and a busy evening for the tavern. Drunks were stumbling around, causing them to spill their ales. Many of them almost stumbled into Taryn as she made her way through the tavern.

Usually she wouldn't be caught in a place like this. But a friend had asked her to meet him here. Though she did wonder why Mithrandir had asked her to meet him here. She was surprised that he did not want to visit her at a more respectable location like Imladris. She sat down at a table in the back of the tavern and waited for Gandalf to arrive.

"May I bring you anything?" A waitress asked her as Taryn sat down at the table.

Taryn looked up at the waitress. With her hood pulled up over her face only her pale blue eyes and a strand of her white blonde hair could be seen. She pulled down the wrap that covered her mouth and nose, for the woman could see her face. She then smiled politely at the waitress.

"Just a mug of ale please," she replied to the waitress. Really she would prefer Elven wine, but she wouldn't find that at a place like this. As the waitress left to get her drink, Gandalf arrived and sat in front of her.

"Mithrandir suil mellon," Taryn said to Gandalf in Sindarin.
(Gandalf (Literal meaning Grey Pilgrim) greetings friend).

"Mae g'ovannen Taryn," Gandalf replied with a smile as the waitress bought over Taryn's drink.
(Well meet).

Taryn smiled at her friend, it had been a long time since she has seen him last. The waitress asked Gandalf if he would also like anything. Taryn took a small sip of her ale and placed the mug back down on the table.

"Gwannas lû and Mithrandir," Taryn said to her friend with a smile on her lips. "Did you have a Lend and?"
(It has been too long). (Long journey).

Gandalf shook his head as the waitress brought him his meal and ale. "Ú-agoren." Gandalf answered her and took a sip of his ale. "Le hannon a tholel."
(I didn't). (Thank you for coming).

Taryn nodded her head as she looked over at her head. "Why did you ask me to come here Mithrandir?" Taryn asked him as she raised an eyebrow. She knew there was something he wasn't telling her. "And here? Why not meet in Imladris?"

Gandalf looked over at her and simply smiled. He was not about to tell her, it was because he knew Thorin would be making his way through here tonight. He wanted her to find him herself.

"Because I need to speak to you and this is half way between where I was and where you were," he replied and took a bite of his meal.

This just caused Taryn to raised another eyebrow in a suspicious manner at Gandalf. She knew there had to be another reason and there was something he wasn't telling her. 

"What do you need to speak to me about?" asked Taryn curiously as she picked up her mug of ale.

"I want to know why you have stopped looking for Thorin?" Gandalf replied to her. They were still speaking in Sindarin, for no one else would understand their conversation.