𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘━︎━︎L. Greenleaf

❝CHAPTER FIVE❞

▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 dwarves slept and Ellaria sat there on the ground, her back pressed against the cave wall as she kept an ear out for any oncoming danger. The sound of their snoring was the only sound in the cave, bouncing off the walls and reverberating in her ears. The sound of movement caught her attention, making her turn her head. She watched, keeping very still, as the hobbit gathered his things and began maneuvering around the dwarves.

     "And where are you off to?" Ellaria hummed, keeping her voice soft as to not wake the others.

     Bilbo froze, turning to look at her. "Back to Rivendell," he answered.

     Ellaria rose a brow. "You'd willingly abandon your company? They are counting on you, you know. One might even say you're a part of them now, one of them."

     Bilbo stared at her, realizing that she'd understand where he was coming from. "I'm not, though, am I? Thorin said I never should have come and he was right. I'm not a Took. I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."

     Ellaria stood, brushing off her clothes as she approached him. "You're homesick. Trust me, I understand."

     "You might." Bilbo then nodded towards the sleeping dwarves. "But they don't. They're dwarves. They're used to this life. To living on the road. Never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."

     Ellaria let out a soft sigh. "Tell me, Bilbo, why is Thorin doing this?"

     "He means to recover what he has lost." Bilbo glanced around. "I'd be lying to myself if I said I wouldn't do the same."

     Ellaria nodded. "I thought you'd say that. Imagine it was you in their position, imagine you had lost everything that was rightfully yours. Your home, your family, your lands. Thorin wants it back, they all do. They understand feeling homesick, because they have been away from their home for so long. They had no choice but to travel these roads, to move from one place to another, because they had nowhere to go. And the place they belong, is the reason we're doing this in the first place."

     Ellaria placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If you wish to go, Bilbo Baggins, then you go and you don't look back."

     Bilbo pressed his lips together. "What do you think I should do?"

     Ellaria dropped her hand. "It is not for me to decide. But, I think that Thorin will never admit out loud that he needs you because he is stubborn. They all need you. So if I were to decide, I would tell you to stay, to see this through. But, I think you should do what you believe is best." She watched as he stood a little straighter. "Best of luck to you, Mr. Baggins." Bilbo nodded and turned to walk out only for Ellaria to stop him. "Wait." He looked at her. "Why is your sword glowing?"