A Long Strange Journey

A Warm Welcome

Since I'm sure that you, like the hobbit, wish to know about what was happening on Hannah's end, we must for a moment return to the halls of the Elvenking. The night was just giving way to dawn when Hannah (still in a state of twilight consciousness where she was more asleep than awake) became vaguely aware that there were the sounds of a commotion outside her room. The Wood-elves, many of who had yet to fully recover from the excessive indulgence of the previous evening, had sobered up very quickly and begun to hurry about in a panic upon discovering that their prisoners had somehow managed to vanish from their locked cells. The instant this dreadful news was brought to the attention of the king, he issued orders to scour every inch of the caves and the forest in search of the Dwarves, and quickly made his way to confront the only remaining member of their party.

"Get up!" Thranduil commanded sternly as he swept into the room in which Hannah was being kept. But to his irritation the girl simply rolled over and gave a mumbled plea for five more minutes of rest. The king ripped away her blankets. Hannah shivered and instinctively curled up against the cold as much as she could before finally cracking open an eye to see a very livid Elvenking looming over her bed in a rather ominous manner. "Where are they?" he demanded shortly.

"Who?" asked Hannah, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her brain hadn't quite caught up with her mouth yet.

"The Dwarves! They are gone, all of them."

"And you think I had something to do with it?" she asked. "I think you're giving me too much credit, your highness. I've been here the whole time, just ask my guards and caretakers." Seeing as she had no idea how long the others had been on the run, Hannah thought she should at least try to do them the favor of stalling their pursuit as best she could.

"Do not lie to me. You know something, I can tell," said the king watching her closely. "How did they get out?" he pressed.

"I have never lied to you," said Hannah in all seriousness. She may have stretched the truth a bit at times, but she had stuck to it (without giving away anything too damaging about herself or the Dwarves) as much as possible during her stay in the Elvenking's halls. "But to answer your question, I honestly couldn't say for certain. If they've escaped then they would have had to do so without any help from me. I'm all but useless with my leg like this," she said calmly, giving her bound and braced leg a light tap for emphasis. After all, when Bilbo had come to her with his rough idea to hide the Dwarves in the barrels, it had been little more than that, and full of uncertainty. The full details of how he had managed to pull off such a feat as rescuing all thirteen Dwarves out from under the Elves' noses were known only to the hobbit.

"The Dwarves have left you behind," Thranduil reminded her sternly. "They have abandoned you. There is no need for you to continue to protect them."

"If they left me behind it was because they had no other choice," she stated calmly. "As I've just said, I'll be useless until this splint can be removed, which would make for a rather awkward escape, don't you think, your majesty? I'm quite glad they didn't let whatever affection they might have for me stop them. You see, it's terribly important that they continue their quest, so much so that I think the issue of my personal safety pales in comparison. And I do not think a great Elvenking such as yourself would be so cruel as to harm a defenseless child."

"Hmph! The only thing child-like about you is your appearance—flattery will get you nowhere. Your loyalty is admirable, but if you continue to resist answering my questions, then I shall have you moved to one of the recently vacated cells," Thranduil retorted coolly. Beneath her youthful innocence lay an almost startling practicality and guile that was rarely seen in one so young. But there was also a gentle sort of strength and a deep selflessness about her. Even under the threat of harsher imprisonment, the girl would say nothing to betray her companions. "Why are you so intent upon covering for them? I know the Dwarves seek to reclaim Erebor. Did they promise you a share of the treasure? What makes you so certain that they will keep their end of the bargain?"