Roswehn of Mirkwood

In a hole in the ground

"The...the ...ring?" Bilbo asked. His hand began to tremble as he held the pan full of sizzling oil.

"The Ring that you most likely stole from Smèagol, Gollum, or whatever you call that being, and which was also stolen from his cousin Dèagol." Roswehn answered seraphically. She was not sure about those accusations, but she wanted to study Bilbo's reaction. Seeing the Hobbit getting pale, she knew truth was very close.

"I have much esteem for you, Bilbo, since I saw you I felt great sympathy, and admiration for your honesty ... Now, do not force me to change my judgment." Roswehn continued.

"I really do not know what you're talking about." Bilbo answered, turning and pretending to continue preparing eggs and sausages. "In addition, I am shocked ... I am incredulous!" He said. "I invited you in my house, I'm preparing a di..dinner for you, and you accuse me of being a thief!" He shook his head. "Very unpolite, girl. I was a burglar, and I was hired regularly for this, but I'm not a thief."

Roswehn was amazed. "Hired? By whom?" She wanted to know. Then she remembered that when she had met Bilbo in Dale, he had told her he was doing a job for the Dwarves.

Ah here we go. See how everything becomes clear? She thought.

"By Thorin." Bilbo answered. Naming his friend made the Hobbit even more embarrassed. A shadow of sorrow appeared on his fifty-year-old face.

Roswehn sighed. She had expected resistance  from him. She had to go on gradually. "Bilbo, dear Bilbo, now you have to listen to me. I told you before, that the story of my life would not have been the subject of this discussion, but I'd better clarify, because I do not want to seem hostile to you. " Roswehn said, leaning back in her chair.

"As you've noticed, I wear Elven clothes, you might think they're from Greenwood, but no, they gave them to me in Rivendell. The little kingdom of Elrond, do you know him? " Roswehn asked.

The Hobbit nodded. "Yes, I met him, when I went to Imladris with the Dwarves."

"Yeah, I was a guest there, too ... just one night. A few months ago, I visited the Lothlòrien, another wonderful place ... and now my home is in Greenwood, so I would say that I have enough knowledge of the world of the Elves." the girl said. "And d'you know what I have realized, after having deepened my culture on those creatures? That they have a boring life." she added.

"The ... the Elves?" Bilbo asked. He was carefully putting on a plate what he had prepared for Roswehn.

"Yes, them. Oh, and do not put salt on eggs, please, I hate salty food."
Roswehn was not very hungry and, apart from the damn thirst, she felt the urge to wash herself. Later she would have asked the Hobbit to use the bathroom, hoping that the little man had a tub large enough to put at least her feet in. But she decided to wait and see how the discussion would end. She was more than certain that Bilbo was hiding something in his house.

"The Elves spend the days of their eternal life doing three things: working, reading and meditating.They have a real obsession with knowledge. All their realms are provided with immense libraries, and you see them wandering through their beautiful streets, and flowery paths and under their decorated porches, with books in their hands, all silent and concentrated. I love them for this, besides the fact that I share the bed with one of them ... because they are like me. As you are hungry for sausages and eggs, dear Bilbo, they are hungry for knowledge. But in the long run, such a life is monotonous." Roswehn said to the Hobbit, who in the meantime had sat at the table, with her.

"Yes, but ... it's in their nature, I think." Bilbo answered.

"We've come to the point: it's in their nature, and in my nature, as in yours, there's also the desire to travel, move, to live adventures.You know, I argued with Thranduil, for this reason. He does not understand my impatience to explore this world.He hated my choice to come here, and he does not even know I'm pregnant ... "she revealed.