Once Upon A Dream || The Hobbit ¹

08| 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓻𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓹𝓪𝓷

the misty mountains

— SCARLETT FEELS HER BODY START TO RELAX AS SOON AS THE LIGHT HITS HER FACE. The sun is setting, but it doesn't really matter. The Goblins still will not follow. As she jumps from a rock, her muscles and bones become liquid iron and when she hits the ground again, she's running on two feet, blue hair trailing behind her. They finally come to a stop a safe distance away amidst the trees and Gandalf does a quick headcount.

"That makes 14... where's Bilbo?" Horror and shame strike Scarlett like a shovel to her gut as she realises that Bilbo is indeed missing. How could I not have noticed? She regrets further that she can't actually recall when exactly she last saw the hobbit since she fell asleep in that cave. Oh my god. I've let him be killed. "Where is our hobbit??"

"Curse the halfling!" Dwalin grumbles. "Now he's lost?!"

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin pipes up.

"Don't blame me!" Dori prosests.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asks.

"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us." Nori says.

"And what happened exactly? Tell me!"

"I'll tell you what happened." Thorin glares. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door."

"Oh, enough already!" Scarlett snaps harshly, and the company collectively falls silent, a nervous sort of tension in the air. They've seen her cut up trolls and orcs and goblins, but her anger has never once been directed at one of them. "You curse his presence, you curse him for disappearing! That's what you wanted isn't it?! You've been nothing but cold and calculating, well that is not his fault! Is it such a shock that after everything you've said and every chance you've refused to give him that he might not want to stay?!" Her eyes are like iron. "I expected better. A king is to inspire everyone, not just those he so conveniently favours." There is a moment of quiet. The Company is rather terrified of how openly Scarlett has just challenged Thorin in his ability to lead, Thorin is speechless and Scarlett finds that her eyes are burning at the idea of Bilbo being gone. "You've cost me a friend." her voice quivers now, a combination of anger and grief as she turns away.

"Red." She freezes at the voice, then whirls to find Bilbo has appeared as if from thin air. Her eyes widen with relief and she speedwalks up to him, quickly checking him over for injuries before he quietly gestures to her that he's fine and she pulls him into a hug before backing off and slapping his shoulder lightly. "Ow!"

"Don't scare me like that!" she snaps, though her voice is devoid of any anger.

"Sorry." he smiles sheepishly before his eyes turn to Thorin, and it's clear then that he heard every word. "Look I-" he hesitates before continuing on. "I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And... and that's why I came back. Because you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. And I will help you take it back if I can."

A proud little smile grows on Scarlett's face as she watches him, one that Thorin does not fail to notice. He inclines his head ever so slightly to Bilbo, but the respect and gratitude in his eyes is more than evident. And when he glances at Scarlett once more, he finds her eyes already on him, unreadable. He purses his lips, and in his face she finds a thousand apologies. She offers a tiny nod; an acknowledgement. Peace has been reached.

Still, though, something bothers her, as if she's forgotten something that's begging her to remember. It comes to her in the form of vicious barking and snarling descending the mountainside rapidly towards them. She remembers the vision of the white warg and his rider suddenly. "Fuck."