Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Four]

Dawn was slowly creeping up into the sky. The Dwarves had spread throughout the Hobbit hole to sleep for the night, before beginning their long journey ahead of them. One by one they got up; moving the furniture back the way they had first seen it. Cleaning up any mess that was done by them for last-nights feast. The Hobbit girl was still in the other room in the chair sleeping, when she could hear a faint shuffling around in the kitchen. She went to get up, when her book fell off her lap towards the ground, only to hear no crashing sound she looked up and saw it was Thorin.

The leader examined her book she was reading and looked at her. " This book is about the mountains." He stated to her curiously, before handing her back the book.

" Yes. It's my favorite book. I think the mountains of Middle-Earth are so majestic, peaceful, unmovable; no valley, forest, water or open lands could compare to the beauty of the mountains." Freya explained, lost in her own thoughts. Thorin listened intently to the Hobbit's thoughts of the mountain and found himself, missing his home even more.

" They were peaceful at one time; before darkness came over them." Thorin stated as he looked at the floor. Freya noticed his tone of voice had changed, he was disappointed they would have no burglar to steal the King's Jewel.

" I'm sorry my cousin wont be joining your quest. He's never left his home before. I know Bilbo wants to help you and the others claim your homeland back, he's just a little timid." Freya stated.

" I'm sorry too, he would have been a great asset to this company, but this quest is not for the faint-hearted." Thorin said sternly. She nodded and looked at the floor when someone else joined them.

" Were ready to leave when you are." Balin said as he smiled at the Hobbit girl.

" We must leave now, we have a long journey to go." Thorin ordered and the older Dwarf nodded and turned to Freya.

" It was wonderful to meet you Freya Brandybuck." Balin said as he patted her shoulder. She put on a fake smile, the Hobbit felt sad knowing the Dwarves were leaving she would probably never see them again. She took the older Dwarf's hand.

" It was wonderful to meet all of you. I wish you all the luck in the world; reclaiming your home and be safe on your journey." She prayed to him and he thanked her for her kind words and the two of them walked out the door. She walked over to the window in the kitchen and watched the Dwarves and the wizard on their ponies leaving and shrinking in the distances over the hill and they were gone. The sun had risen high in the sky.

" Hello?" Bilbo called out, pulling his cousin from her deep thoughts. Bilbo looked around his home a bit lonesome. " Freya. Where are they?" He asked his cousin, wondering why his home was so quiet; he had expected to run into the Dwarves, or find his house still a complete mess, but it was as clean as if they had never even stepped foot in his home.

" They left..." Freya said flatly to her cousin.

" Oh--well good I was wondering when they were going to leave." Bilbo said quickly, a little glad to have his home still in one piece. Freya starred out the window.

" We have to help them. They came to us for help. " Freya stated, turning to her cousin. Bilbo taken by this sudden outburst from his cousin, he had think before answering.

" Freya. We are Hobbits! Not warriors. This not our problem." Bilbo shouted harshly. She couldn't believe him and she shook her head at him.

" Whatever happened to the Hobbit I grew up with. When we were kids, we always dreamed we go on an adventure together that wasn't in the Shire." Freya pleaded at her cousin. Bilbo looked at his cousin, having a flashback when they were little; how they would always be out in the forest pretending they were always off somewhere else, and they would both come home filthy from there adventures, but things were different now. Bilbo was a 'Baggins' he was well respected throughout the Shire. Where as Freya was a Brandybuck; she was considered strange.

"We were kids Freya, things are different now. I am a Baggins. I can't be seen going on adventures." Bilbo stated putting his hands up, that he didn't want to discuss this any further with her, but she wasn't going to give up this easily.

" Your also a 'Took'. I know deep down, part of you wants to run out this door and see the world. What if our home was taken from us? and we came for help to these Dwarves and they said no. They don't have a home to go to." Freya stated feeling sad just thinking about her home being taken from her. Bilbo glanced at the contract laying on his table and sighed, but still didn't say anything. Freya noticed she was getting nowhere with him, and knew what she thought was more important and opened the door and walked out the door.

" Where are you going?" Bilbo questioned, looking confused at his cousin sudden behaviour.

" I'm going home to pack and then I'm going after those Dwarves to help them reclaim there home." Freya snapped, not looking at Bilbo. Bilbo glanced back at the contract one last time and saw his cousin was getting further away.

" Freya! Wait!" Bilbo called out for her. She stopped and turned to face him.

" Your going to need to sign this, if your joining the quest." Bilbo stated. She didn't smile but walked back up the steps of Bilbo's home and took the contract from her cousin and was about to sign it, when she noticed he had signed it and she looked at him in shock. " What are you waiting for sign it and get home and pack we have to catch up to those Dwarves. " Bilbo insisted as he half smiled at his cousin. She smiled back, glad that he changed his mind. She quickly signed it and ran home and packed a few things. Bilbo ran over to his cousins house when he was ready and had the contract in his hand. Freya came out her door when her cousin showed up.

"You ready?" Freya asked. Bilbo nodded and they both take off running through Hobbiton with their bags, jumping over fences and pumpkins in their haste. There neighbours shake their heads at them as the cousins run past them.

" Hey! Mr. Bilbo! Miss. Freya! Where are you off to?" A neighbour wondering, wondering where indeed they were heading in a hurry.

" Can't stop, were already late!" Bilbo yelled behind him to the neighbour.

" Late for what?" The neighbour wondered.

" Were going on an adventure!" Freya exclaimed as they ran down the path that led out of the Shire. The two Hobbits come up to a wooded area and can hear faintly a few conversations up a head, and they hurry faster behind the Dwarves.

"Wait! Wait!" Bilbo yelled, making the Dwarves stop there ponies and turn behind them to see the two Hobbits running after them. Balin smiled when he saw the two of them. Thorin was surprised and a little angry at the same time.

"We signed it!" Freya said excitedly as she took the contract from Bilbo and handed it to Balin. The dwarf took the contract and inspected it and then smiles at the two Hobbits.

" Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, and Miss. Freya Brandybuck, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin said cheerfully. The company welcomed the two Hobbits, although Thorin didn't look overly impressed as he trotted over to the two.

" We only need one Hobbit; not two. Unless you know how to fight, your cousin was already chosen by the wizard to be the fourteenth member of this company. I don't see any reason for you to be on this dangerous quest. " Thorin stated as he looked at the woman.

" Thorin. She could be very useful to this company. She has a wide knowledge of the terrains of Middle- Earth, she would be able to tell us where its safer to set up for camp or get food. " Balin prompt to the leader. Thorin looked at the Hobbit one more time, and sighed.

" She has no knowledge on how to fight." Thorin pointed out to the older Dwarf. Acting like Freya didn't exist.

" I can teach her. " Dwalin offered and Thorin gave him a look like he wasn't pleased. He didn't want a woman on this quest, the last thing he wanted was to put her life in danger.

" We can teach her too uncle!" Fili and Kili both said and Thorin knew he wouldn't be getting anywhere with these Dwarves. He starred at the ground for a moment.

" Give them each a pony." Thorin ordered before he began moving. Balin held onto Freya's pony as she climbed onto a stump to get on and then she took the reigns and was on her way beside Balin. Bilbo however would have preferred to stay on the ground and was lifted into the air by two Dwarves and placed on the pony and they were now on there way to help these Dwarves reclaim there home.