The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

28 | Just a token

{Rigmor POV}

Of course, the cells were way too full. However, it made for bit of entertainment as well. A few feet away, I saw Kili at the door of his cell, flipping a stone in his hand, throwing it into the air and catching it gracefully.

The ginger Elf, Tauriel, stopped in her tracks as she patrolled across his spot. "The stone in your hand, what is it?" Kili clenched his digits around the shiny object, looking up at her.

"It is a talisman. A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a dwarf reads the runes on this stone, they will be forever cursed."

His fingers acted quickly to hold up the side with the Dwarven runes towards her face as Tauriel stepped back slightly. He laughed playfully.

"Or not, depending on whether you believe that kind of thing. It's just a token..."

They smile at each other for a second.
"A runestone. My mother gave it to me so I'd remember my promise."
"What promise?" Tauriel asked, looking interested in the Dwarfs story.

"That I will come back to her." The she-Elf looked down.
"She worries. She thinks I'm reckless."
"Are you?" Kili smirked.
"Nah."

The brunet Dwarf tossed it into the air yet again, but fails to catch it, causing the black rock to roll out. Just in time, Tauriel stops it with her boot before it rolls into a deep chasm.

She picks it up and inspects the engravements upon the surface. Kili leans over to her.

"Sounds like quite a party you're having up there." I didn't even notice the laughing Elves until now.

"It is Mereth-en-Gilith, the Feast of Starlight. All light is sacred to the Eldar, but Wood Elves love best the light of the stars."

She steps away, a bit uncomfortable by how close Kili was.
"I always thought it is a cold light, remote and far away." Kili commented. Tauriel approaches his cell again. She speaks:
"It is memory, precious and pure. Like your promise."

She hands him back his runestone before continuing her story. "I have walked there sometimes, beyond the forest and up into the night. I have seen the world fall away and the white light forever fill the air..."

Kili hummed and replied softly. "I saw a fire moon once. It rose over the pass near Dunland, huge, red and gold it was, filled the sky. We were an escort for some merchants from Ered Luin, they were trading in Silverbuck for furs. We took the Greenway south, keeping the mountain to our left, and then, this huge fire moon, right in our path. I wish I could show you..."

Tauriel sat down on the stairs near his cell to listen to him speaking and I felt a presence next to me.
"Well Myrna, it seems like you're not the only one that has a bit of a thing with an Elf. If I am seeing this correctly, I think those will end up together as well as soon as they get the chance."

A hint of relief washed over Myrna's face.
"At least I will have someone who understands." I smiled slightly.
"Seems like he won"t be bothering us anymore."
"Oh but I will." Fili said, a grin spreading over his face.

"So, you came here because people were afraid of Taeryn? That's special. Why?"

I asked, leaning against the iron bars of the door. Most Dwarfs were soundly asleep, but I didn't feel tired. Instead, I decided to chat with Cedrick.
"I rather not tell that yet. It's been forever since we've been in this cell. We haven't taken a proper bath in months and I can't even reach Taeryn to touch her."

I hummed.
"That must be horrible." Cedrick sighed and nodded.
"It is. Do you have someone?"

I looked up, slightly shocked.
"Hm... No."
"Sounds like you're not entirely speaking the truth."

I played with the sleeve of my tunic.
"There is someone I like. I promised Myrna I would confess my feelings to him as soon as I get the chance but... But I don't know if we will ever see the light of day again."

A silence fell over us as Fili's sleeping body shifted next to me, rolling over on his side.
"So, he isn't your lover?" I pulled a face, crossing my arms over my chest.
"What? No!"
"Then why did you two just flirt?"

I snorted. "He flirted at me. I didn't do anything back."

Cedrick rolled his eyes.
"Right. If your secret crush is not some bulky Dwarf with a beard and fighting skills, then what is he like?" I leaned my head back, smiling fondly at the thought of Bilbo.

"Well, he's a Hobbit."
"A Hobbit? Isn't that a bit small?" I rolled my eyes.
"Shut up. He is the kindest Hobbit you will ever meet. He is a bit shy and timid as well, but that makes him cute."

From my pocket, I took the now dried lily Bilbo had given me in the gardens of Rivendell. I had put it between the pages of a book to dry and took it out before we went away from the Company.

"Let me guess, he gave you that flower?" I nodded.
"Not such a long time ago, to be honest. Just around... A week?"

Somewhere in the back of another cell Bombur farted, making Bifur growl in disgust.

"How long have you been putting up with those Dwarfs?" Cedrick laughed.
"A few weeks, I think. One tends to lose track of time while traveling, let alone whilst balancing on the edge between life and death. Experienced it plenty of times these weeks."

A few Elves passed by our cells, laughing loudly about some jokes.
"How long does it take for one to fall asleep in this place surrounded by snoring Dwarfs that smell like they haven't bathed in years?"

I snickered. "You just have to try, I guess. As soon as you're sleep-deprived, you will sleep through an earthquake."

I turned around, laying down to get to sleep as Bofur spoke up.

"I'll wager the sun's on the rise. It must be nearly dawn."

I growled. We must've been talking the entire night, I figured.

"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?" Ori spoke, his voice uncertain.
I raised an eyebrow and asked: "What's the matter?"

Bofur leaned closer, his voice decreasing to a whisper to give no guard the chance to eavesdrop. "That key we have eh? The keyhole on the door is only visible in last light of the setting sun from Durin's Day."

I nodded.

"And that day is pretty close, lass." His eyes fell suddenly on something behind me. The sound of a keyring chimed and a way too familiar voice sounded quietly through the halls.

"Not stuck in here, you're not!" he mumbled and I didn't know what he meant, but I knew who he was.

"Bilbo!"