The Shire's Deadly Flower

A Tale of Swords and Songs

The expressions of The Company changed as the servants began setting platters of rolls and vegetables on the table in front of them. Dori, who seemed to be the only one who cared about etiquette at the moment, stabbed a piece of salad with Ori's fork and held it out to him. Ori took the fork and grimaced.

"Try it! Just a mouthful." he swirled the wine in his glass. Ori shook his head.

"I don't like green food." he said.

Dwalin, who had been salivating at the prospect of a feast the last time I had seen him, began rifling through his salad bowl.

"Where's the meat?" he said expectantly. It was almost as if he expected there to be a whole roast deer hiding under the salad greens.

"Have they got any chips?" Ori looked hopefully from one end of the table to the other. I smiled at his optimism and began listening wistfully to the wonderful harp and flute players. My mind wandered to Thorin. Several of The Company had brought along instruments and played for us when we camped. The night we fought the trolls, Fili and Kili had begged Bilbo to teach them the song we had sung so they could play it on their fiddles. I had never seen Thorin play an instrument before though. The thoughts of Thorin and music hadn't lasted long before Arwen pointed to Gandalf and her father approaching the gathering.

"It was kind of you to invite us. Although I must admit, most of us aren't really dressed for dinner." Gandalf smiled warmly.

"Well, you never are." Elrond said with a chuckle as he began making for a small table set apart from the rest of the guests, passing right by us. Gandalf followed quickly after. Then Thorin appeared, bringing up the end of the line.

He had shed his furs and the fading light of the Rivendell sun seemed to eminate from every single part of him. Everything from his long dark hair that was just barely twisting in the breeze, to his upright posture, to his stong jaw, to his eyes. Especially his eyes. The glow made him appear even more handsome than I had previously found him. I pressed my right cheek to a cold, stone pillar with a hand to my heart. Arwen snorted. I jumped and glared at her. Just as I was about to go back to gazing at Thorin, Kili's dopey gaze caught my attention.

"That's what you looked like not two seconds ago." Arwen said.

"Oh hush! It was more like three seconds..." I tailed off, following Bofur's rather confused gaze to one young elf maid playing a hauntingly beautiful tune on one of the harps scattered about the small stone platform. Kili winked at her and turned back to Dwalin smiling. Dwalin, however, was scowling. Kili cleared his throat and quickly wiped the smile off of his face.

"Can't say I fancy elf maids myself. Too thin. They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin." I shrugged at Arwen when she sent me a look that was somewhere between confused and hurt. "Not enough facial hair for me. Although, that one there's not bad." I followed Kili's upturned eyes to another elf playing a lyre and wandering among the tables. Dwalin smirked.

"That's not an elf maid." The Company burst into laughter as Kili sheepishly dropped his head and pouted. I decided that now would be as good a time as ever to join the conversation.

"You're one to laugh. I distinctly remember learning that there are rumors of male and female dwarves looking so much alike that people have begun to think that their offspring pop out of holes in the ground." it was Dwalin's turn to drop his head in shame as I stepped away from the pillar and into the fading light. Kili laughed triumphantly but dropped his fork once he caught sight of me. He jumped out of his chair.

"You y-y-you you look nice. You look very nice, Bella." he smiled and made to sit down in his chair, but he fell with a girlish shriek.

"Kili, are you alright?" I rushed around the end of the table and quickly helped him up.