── true courage is knowing not how to take a life, but when to spare one
IN WHICH THE LAST
OF THE DRAGONKIN
JOINS THE COMPANY
OF THORIN OAKENSHIELD
TO RETAKE EREBOR
A FIRE AND GOLD SERIES BOOK
THORIN OAKENSHIELD × OC
AN UNEX...
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When Aninth saw the edges of the Shire ahead of her, she let out another sharp whistle and Ryvniss began to descend to the road. When they were near enough to the ground, Aninth let out another whistle and Ryvniss shrunk from beneath her and she began to drop quickly.
She hit the ground at a roll and stood to her feet, extending her arm. Ryvniss landed upon it, once more small enough to curl around her neck, which is exactly what he did.
Only once her Dragon was secure around her neck did the blonde begin to walk through the rolling hills of the Shire. She checked each door she passed for the rune that Gandalf had shone her.
As she walked, she couldn't help but think of memories of her father walking her through the market and streets as a child. The bustling people and conversations between friends were absent in the darkness of the day.
But the warmth that flowed between the people of the Shire was ever present and it made Aninth smile. Fond memories accompanied that warmth and her smile grew.
Finally, at the top of a hill, Aninth spotted the mark on a door. She tucked away the parchment that had the example on it and knocked twice on the door.
In but a moment's time, the door swung open and standing on the other side of the threshold was someone that Aninth actually recognized. It wasn't a person she knew very well, mind you, since the last time she'd been in the Shire was many years ago with her father, but nonetheless, a familiar face.
"Bilbo, I did not expect you to be joining us," Aninth said with a smile, "can I come in?"
"Yes, yes, of course, you can," Bilbo said, gesturing her inside, "I haven't seen you in years, Aninth, what are you doing here?"
"Well this is where everyone is meeting, is it not?" Aninth asked rhetorically as voices drifted to her ears, "are we going to be eating? I haven't eaten all day."
"I, uh-" Bilbo started before being interrupted by the sounds of people in the distance grew louder.
"Are they in the dining room?" she asked as she walked in that direction, leaving Bilbo behind. He did follow after a moment, though.
In the dining room were four Dwarves, none of which she recognized. That meant one thing in her mind, and that was that she would not be able to predict their reactions to her when they saw her. So she steeled herself and prepared for anything as they turned around and noticed her.
The oldest of them spotted her first, and he gave her a kind smile and opened his mouth before his eyes noticed the movement around her neck and he spotted Ryvniss. He stayed silent.
The others were all younger than the first and when they turned and saw her, their expressions fell as they, too, noticed the Dragon around her neck.
"I know what you all will say," Aninth started before any of them could say anything, "and I just wish you to know that I do not mean to offend anyone by my being here, but I am not going anywhere and nothing anyone can say can dissuade me from joining your quest."
"Do you think you have any right to take back Erebor?" snarled one of the Dwarves. He had dark hair, though the top of his head had none and was covered with tattoos.
"My people once lived alongside you within that mountain, so yes, I do," Aninth snapped.
"She is right," said the older Dwarf, "the Dragonkin lived inside Erebor as well, and if it weren't for their efforts, so many of us might not have made it out."
"But she-"
"I make no claim over that gold! All I desire is a room within Erebor that I can call my own, something I have not had in a very long time. And if you cannot accept, well, that is your problem because I am not going anywhere," Aninth said.
The doorbell rang, stopping them from saying anything further as Bilbo headed towards the door, shouting his frustrations at it as he told whoever was on the other side that no one was home. Though that wasn't entirely true, was it?
Two of the Dwarves began to move a china cabinet out of the room as Aninth swiftly ducked past them and into the dining room. In a moment she was thankful she had gotten in when she had a chance because there were a whole bunch more Dwarves within the home all of a sudden.
Aninth watched from her seat as the Dwarves began to pull food out of the pantry across the hall and bring it to the dining room. All Bilbo could do is put up weak protests of, "put those back. Put that back. Put that back. Not the jam, please."
As each of the Dwarves noticed her and the Dragon curled around her neck - sound asleep despite the noise and occasionally letting out a hot huff against her skin - they turned to one of the others and asked in a whisper what she was doing there. In return, the other Dwarf would explain in a whisper and the pattern would repeat.
Dwarves didn't really know how to whisper, though, and she heard everything.
Relief rolled through Aninth as Gandalf came into the dining room with one of the other Dwarves and began to set the table. He offered her a smile and she gave him one in return. Though she tried to hide it, she was sure he could see the effect that this was all having on her.
As everyone got settled at the table, Aninth was surprised to see another female among the group. She looked to be a human and she had blonde hair and blue eyes. This was a relief, at least Aninth would have one (other than Gandalf) in their group that didn't have a prejudice against her already.
Food was flying everywhere as all the Dwarves began to eat. It made Aninth realize how little she knew about Dwarves as she didn't expect them to be this messy. Going off of people that lived with them instead of the actual Dwarves themselves, was not the accurate thing to go off of.
"Bombur, catch!"
Something flew across the length of the table and landed in one of the Dwarves' mouths. Everyone erupted into deafening cheers.
The next thing Aninth knew, a blond Dwarf with longer hair was standing on top of the table, tankards of ale in his hands as he handed it out to the others.
"Ale on the count of three!" someone called.
The Dwarfs all put their tankards together and then tipped them back, silence filling the entirety of the home as they all slurped back their ale. It dripped down their beards and chins and onto their shirts, but that was just the beginning.
As soon as they were all done, a burping contest began. They all seemed to be trying to get the loudest or longest burp and all Aninth could think was that it was going to be a very long journey indeed.
