Different Sense

Different Sense: 52

(A/N: Second to last chapter -sniffle- i hate finishing stories. I guess there's solace in knowing that Bilbo's story has been started and uploaded xDD)

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The day Lothiriel left was a sad one. She didn’t want to leave. But she did want to see what was happening to her old home. She also dearly wished to give those who did not want to live in Erebor another option. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t visit or keep in touch.

She awoke early and it was clear from the get go that Thorin didn’t want her to leave, just yet or at all. He laid holding onto her tightly, she literally had to wriggle and fight for freedom. Even when she got freedom she got a rather unamused expression shot up at her.

She had knelt back on the bed from this. Placing a hand against his cheek, she leant down and pressed her lips against his. Thorin naturally reacted and threaded his fingers through her hair.

“I’ll be as quick as I can.” Lothiriel said while sitting up and jumping off of the bed. Turning she smiled at Thorin one last time, and then she was gone.

“This is a bit of luck, hm?” Gandalf asked while looking down at her. Lothiriel was tying her cloak up, she looked up at him with a smile. “One last journey.”

“Together,” she added in. “But I am sure we shall see each other again.” It just so happened that Gandalf had business to take care of with the White Wizard in the West.

He was going to voice something else but the dwarves had appeared along with Bilbo. Lothiriel turned and ran over to them. Kili and Fili were the first two to latch onto her. She let out a pained noise when many other pairs of arms enveloped her.

“I will not be long! I promise you all I will return.” Lothiriel wriggled for freedom again. Being back on solid flooring she smiled. Thorin wasn’t present to say farewell, but she knew he wasn’t here because he was having one of those ever famous dwarfish strops. He wasn’t happy with her going despite being the one who suggested it.

Turning away Lothiriel stood beside Gandalf as he said his farewells. Once he was done he looked down at her and gestured to the door. The two walked away silently.

Lothiriel ran to the woodland where some of the nymphs had taken up residence. The conversation was brief, and it seemed those who dwelt here wished to return home to help rebuild it. Lothiriel nodded, she wasn’t going to stop them. She smiled and waited for them to collect their things before walking back to Gandalf. They were travelling in the same direction for most of the journey.

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The days slowly trickled by. Even in those few days Erebor had been reformed back to its former wonder. Thorin had assigned Bilbo the task of finding a respectful place for the Arkenstone to be hidden in. As far as he knew, Bilbo had found a vault suitable for this, he was the only one who knew where it was hidden. The only way to get to the Arkenstone was to go to Bilbo and ask for permission to be taken to it.

Thorin was surprised when he said he was going to see the stone only for Bilbo to declare he was going to do no such thing. Thorin didn’t know where this stubbornness suddenly came from. Naturally Thorin contradicted Bilbo, and Bilbo had contradicted back by saying he’d need the key. Then once this had been said, and Thorin had asked for the key, Bilbo simply answered “No”. The Hobbit seemed to get great pleasure from this, he turned and trotted off leaving Thorin with an outstretched empty hand. He looked confused for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh to himself. It was amusing, Bilbo’s determined stubbornness was very amusing to him. It had been lacking until the end part of their journey, and now it seemed here to stay.

Accepting the refusal, Thorin had walked away and went in search of something else to do. Naturally Bilbo wouldn’t keep the key, it technically wasn’t his to keep so he gave it to Balin.

Thorin didn’t wish to go and ask for the key from Balin, he knew he’d get shot down much like he got shot down by Bilbo. Thorin could freely admit he just wanted to search out the Arkenstone for something to do. He was a little bored. Sure he did have things to do, he had tasks to attend to in Lake Town. But his mind couldn’t focus.

It wasn’t until he was sitting with his companions that he realized his mind couldn’t focus, because all his mind could wander to was the fact that it was so silent without Lothiriel. He clearly wasn’t the only one who was missing her company, although he could no doubt say he was missing her the most.

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Bilbo and Thorin sat together one night. It had been four days now since Lothiriel’s departure, no one had heard word from her, which didn’t worry him but it did annoy him. Bilbo seemed equally the same.

From their vantage point they could see Lake Town, its lake sparkled in the moonlight. The thick forest was dark and foreboding in the distance.

Bilbo exhaled slowly, he was smoking his pipe. This was something he hadn’t done for a while and he found he sorely missed it. Thorin was sitting beside him smoking his pipe too. There was a comfortable silence which enveloped them.

Bilbo let out a sigh which Thorin countered with a quiet acknowledging grunt. They both exhaled slowly and watched as the smoke trailed and twisted through the air.

“Oh I’m sorry, is Smaug back? Or are you two smoking yourselves into an oblivion?” A voice asked, both males jumped. A face peeked over the cliff. “I see no dragon. Just a dwarf and a hobbit. Whatever are you two doing up here?” Lothiriel asked casually while leaning her arms on the rocky surface. She was struggling to pull herself up, again.

Both Bilbo and Thorin blinked slowly. Where was their hello? Couldn’t Lothiriel greet them normally? She had been gone for four days now. Regardless Lothiriel pulled herself up and pushed herself onto her knees. Slowly standing she walked over and sat in the middle of them. The moment was all too surreal and casual that Thorin and Bilbo shared the same confused expression.

Lothiriel let out a whole hearted sigh and looked between them. “Hello.” She said eventually with a smile. “How are you two doing?” She looked between them slowly. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked confused.

“You certainly choose an entrance.” Thorin said quietly while exhaling again.

Lothiriel smiled, slowly she looked at Bilbo. “Someone doesn’t sound like they’re in a good mood.” She said while looking back to Thorin, he gave her a sidelong view before setting his eyes back on the horizon. “How are you Bilbo? I have to admit that I was half expecting to return and for you to be gone.”

“Oh,” Bilbo said while giving a small fidget. “I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. But I am well, you?”

“Tired, but fine. It feels good to be back.” Lothiriel answered while crossing her arms loosely. The three sat in a comfortable silence before Lothiriel started to drop off to sleep while using Thorin’s shoulder as a makeshift pillow again.