the Stowaway (Hobbit fan-fic)

Chapter 12

I descended down the stairs of the dungeon, allowing my ears to guide me towards the sound of the dwarves' voices. Before coming here, I had stopped at my room and taken off my circlet. When I came to the dungeon, I had told the guards that they did not need to be present, so they stood at the top of the stairs, making sure no one came in.

After a few minutes, I found the companys' cells. I walked slowly passed their cells, counting them to see if they were all present. I knew we were missing Bilbo, and I made a mental note to go out looking for him once I finished with the company. I sighed in relief; all thirteen dwarves were there.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked.

The dwarves moved to their cell doors so they could now see me. Some glared daggers at me, while others looked on with curiousness.

"What does an elf care?" Dwalin asked gruffly.

I was about to answer when Ori spoke up.

"Hold on a moment," he said. "Aren't you the elf that stood up for us in the woods?"

"Yes, I am," I replied.

"But why?" Fili asked. "You don't know us."

"On the contrary, Prince Fili, son of Dis, nephew of Thorin Oakenshield. I know who you all are. I've know you all since your journey started, for I have been travelling with you."

"I think I could have noticed if an elf were travelling with us for over a year," Gloin said.

"I do not think you would have. Gandalf asked me to follow your company secretly in order to protect you, and when I wish to be undiscovered, I do a pretty good job at it."

"If you were really following us," Bofur told me, "then tell us something that only we know."

I smirked slightly at his request.

"Let's see," I said, pretending to think. "Bombur ran faster than all of you while trying to escape Beorn. Oin has parasites as big as his arm, but Kili has the biggest parasites out of everyone. Bofur enjoys visiting a merry old inn located beneath an old grey hill, where they brew a beer so brown, the Man in the Moon once came down to have some. Your hobbit hates blunt knives, bent forks, smashed bottles, burnt corks, chipped glasses, and cracked plates to name a few."

There was a moment of silence as the dwarves stared at me in shock.

"Guess she has been following us," Bombur muttered.

"But why would you do it, lass?" I turned to look at Balin. "You owe us no allegiance. Why would you help us?"

"I helped for a few reasons, Master Balin. One, Gandalf asked me to protect you all on your quest. I hunted during the night when you were low on food and restocked your supply enough to not arouse suspicion. I also covered you to make sure you got to Rivendell.

"Two, I wasn't about to let a group of dwarves get killed trying to reclaim their home. I know what it's like to be on the move for years without being able to go home. I wanted to help you reclaim your homeland."

"How do we know this is true and you do not just want to take part of the treasure inside the mountain?" Thorin asked.

"Because, Thorin, I do not care for jewels or riches. They may be fun to have and look at, but in the long run, what does it matter? Those things mean nothing compared to the treasures around us, like loyal friends." I smiled. "You are all rich in friends. You would fight alongside one another to the end, no matter the peril."

I could see multiple dwarves smiling now and nodding in agreement. For a minute, no one spoke. I took a seat on the stairs, close to the cells holding Balin, Nori and Fili.