Gold and Sapphires

6

Ethíniel pulled away from him and ran inside the house ready to kill who ever made the crash, the second she opened the back door to the house a knife flew in her direction, one that she instantly got merely centimetres away from her face, the chatter grew quiet as everyone looked at the woman, the glare on her face evidencing her anger, "Bilbo..." she called out, setting the knife on the shelf next to her slowly, calmly, scaring every dwarf, even the one behind her. She made her way to the living room where she found him sitting on his armchair holding a cup of tea. "Bilbo are you alright?" she fretted rushing to him and placing her palm against his cheek and forehead.

"I'll be all right. Just let me sit quietly for a moment." Bilbo said smiling in appreciating at the blonde woman, "You've been sitting quietly for far too long." Gandalf snapped making the princess glare at him heatedly, "Tell me, when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young Hobbit who was always running off in search of Elves in the woods. Who would stay out late, come home after dark trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young hobbit who would make Niel worry her wits off about his safety until she had him in her arms and she carried him to bed. A young Hobbit who would have liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire." The wizard continued.

"And I remember a wizard who had better things to do that try and coax an innocent hobbit into a mors captionem *." she growled, her native tongue coming into play for the first time since she left her home, "And I remember a woman who would fight for her believes even if it meant her death!" The tallest man in the household snapped back at her, "I raised Bilbo alongside Belladonna, if not more, I taught him that he is his own master and you can't tell him what to do." she retorted, Gandalf ignored her and continued "The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there."

"I can't just go running off into the blue. I am a Baggins of Bag-end." Bilbo whimpered, reminding Ethíniel that compared to her and Gandalf, Bilbo was indeed a small child, "You are also a Took." The elder said calmly, glancing at the princess who simply stared at the hobbit, "Did you know that your great-great-great-great-uncle Bullroarer Took was so large, he could ride a real horse?" He started making Ethíniel roll her eyes and the hobbit mumble "Yes." "Yes, well, he could. In the Battle of Green Fields, he charged the Goblin ranks. He swung his club so hard, it knocked the Goblin king's head clean off and it sailed 100 yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole. And thus, the battle was won. And the game of golf invented at the same time." The wizard said.

"I do believe you made that up." Bilbo said referring to the last part, "Well, all good stories deserve embellishment. You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back. Niel has many of her own." The grey dressed man said, "Can you promise that we will come back? Niel and I, I mean." the hobbit tried, "No. And if you do you will not be the same." Gandalf spoke truthfully. "That's what I thought. Sorry, Gandalf, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong Hobbit." Bilbo said before getting up, kissing the princess on the forehead and walking to his bedroom. "I ask you not to give up on Thorin." Gandalf said, turning himself to the blonde princess, "Why not if I already know the outcome?" she started, "He means to kill Smaug, you know what will happen to me if Smaug dies of anything but natural causes." she then whispered, rubbing her upper right arm. "And if Smaug kills him first, what hill happen to you then?" the wise man inquired, his brow cocked, watching the blonde lower her eyes to her lap, "I would die..." she whispered getting up and leaving the room too, her eyes instantly meeting the prince's sapphire ones in the hallway.

"What about the lass?" Balin asked, referring to their just finished conversation, "What do you mean?" the prince asked, his eyes never leaving the retreating woman, "What do I mean? I believe I'd recognize that look anywhere laddie." Balin pressed, "It cannot be for she is a housemaid and I.." Thorin started, "Are our King. But does a king not need his Queen ruling beside him?" the older dwarf inquired as he walked away leaving the raven haired prince to his thoughts.

*Death trap