The Hobbit and the Dwarf

”Hobbits are not usually the most adventurous races found in the lands Gandalf” I said to the much taller and older man before me.
”I know that but I am most sure that it is you they need” Gandalf said looking back down at me.
”But I like here in my hobbit hole, it's ..” I trailed off as I took the tea can off the fire ”It's home”
I poured Gandalf some te and he thanked me.
”They do not have a home and no help, you are needed” Gandalf said.
I did not know Gandalf that well, I had only heard of him and this was actually the first time I met the famous wizard. He had come to ask me to help a group of dwarves who were planning some sort of mission, Gandalf would not tell me exactly what they were planning only that they would need a woman to help them.
I sighed ”How did you know to come here and ask me to help?”
”I knew you when you were little, Dear Lara you were the most adventurous and curious little hobbit I have ever met and therefore I knew that you would be perfect for this task” Gandalf said.
He was right. When I was younger there was not many things that i feared, I was curious and always did things everyone told me not to do. Once I got older a fear started to grow in me, but it was not a fear of the world as my parents and the people around me had hoped but a fear of being stuck in the Shire, never seeing anything else not experiencing the world and living my life to the fullest. I wanted and adventure and now few years later here it was.
”I'll do it” I said after thinking it through.
Gandalf smiled and told me where to go and the next day I was already packed and on my way.

~

I ducked and the sword flew over my head, I stabbed back with the branch I had armed myself with after loosing my sword. I hit Thorin right in the stomach and he fell back.
”You are getting better my dear” He said smiling.
I offered him my hand and helped him back up.
”Well I only lost the sword once this time” I said smiling back at him.
”That is really good but we should get going, we are to meet two dwarves later today” Thorin said putting his sword away, I walked over to where mine had been lost and picked it up.
”How many have you recruited so far?” I asked getting up on my pony Shari.
”These two are the last ones I have to meet, with them we are thirteen, fourteen including you.” Thorin said already on his pony.
”Thirteen dwafves against a dragon, Thorin I do not like those odds” I said.
”I know and I will travel to another encampment after we meet with Fili and Kili” Thorin said.
”What do you want me to do?” I noticed the emphasis he put on the fact that he was going alone to this encampment.
”You will travel with Fili and Kili back to the shire where you will find a hobbit Gandalf has chosen to be our burglar” Thorin said.
”But we are weeks away from the Shire” I said.
”Yes the road is long and knowing those two they will need a guide” Thorin said.
I was worried about Thorin, I did not like leaving him or me having to leave without him because when I was with him I felt protected and safe.
Just as if he had read my mind he said ”Do not worry Lara, Fili and Kili will keep you safe and I will be fine”
I gave him a weak smile.
”Now, let's go” He said.

It took us until nightfall to arrive where the two dwarves were, I could hear them singing long before they came into sight.
They sounded like a merry couple and that made me feel a lot better.
”You can hear the two of you for leaks away” Thorin teased as he got of his pony and I followed suite.
”Oi nothing wrong with being happy Thorin” one of them said.
It was dark so I could not really see them very well but as we got closer the flames from the fire they had started lit up their features.
One of them, the one that had spoken was sitting closest to me and Thorin. In this light it looked as if he had grey eyes, he also had blonde hair and beard that were braided.
The other was the complete opposite, hie eyes were so dark that they looked to be almost black but since it was dark it was hard to tell if they were indeed black or very dark brown his hair was also very dark and this man had no long beard like all the other dwarves I had met, he would with no doubt stand out from the rest once they were all gathered in the same place.
He looked just like a human, only difference was the height.
”Fili, Kili” He motioned at the blonde one first and then the other ”Let me introduce you to Lara Hardbottle”
”She's no dwarf” the one I now knew to be Fili said stumbling onto his feet.
Kili looked up from his cup and his eyes grew wide when they met mine.
”My lady” he said getting up just as quickly as Fili had.
”You are rigth Fili, she is a hobbit” Thorin informed the boys ”She will be your guide to the Shire”
”It's a pleasure to meet you miss Hardbottle” Fili said bowing down, kili did the same.
”The pleasure is mine and you can call me Lara” I said smiling.
”A pleasure indeed” Kili said muscling Fili away from me, he also bowed down but he also took my hand and kissed it.

From there the journey stowards the Shire started, in the morning Thorin left me with the two young dwarves.
"I will be fine Lara, do not worry" Thorin said as he packed this pony "Take care of them and get safely to the Shire"
"I will" I said and gave him a quick hug before he got in his pony and rode off.
Fili, Kili and I started to get our things together.
”Let me pack your pony” Kili suggested.
”I can help you get some water” Fili said eagerly.
”Boys I'm very much capable of doing those things myself” I said walking past them.

We packed our stuff and got water before we left for the shire.
"How far is it?" Kili asked.
"I am not really sure but my best guess would be about two weeks" I answered.
"That is a long journey" Fili said.
"In a way that is good, we have time to get to know Lara here" Kili said and shot me a gorgeous smile that sent shivers through my body.
During the following week we made our way towards my hometown, I was a bit nervous returning and maybe facing my friends and family. I had left without a word and maybe they were angry at me?
If I could I thought that I'd avoid any contact with people I knew and might be angry at me since I could already tell that I would never return to permanently live in the Shire.
Fili and Kili were two very funny dwarves and they kept me entertained for most of the time.
At night when we were resting I'd tell the tow dwarves about myself and ask them things, Fili would always fall asleep so I got to know Kili a lot better and I had started to grow very fond of him.
He was the kind of person I thought I possibly could be with, like spend my life with him but the problem was that he was a dwarf and I was a hobbit and ever since anyone could remember there had never been a couple where the two were different races.
Still I daydreamed about how my life could be with Kili, I wondered if he could ever possibly like me back.
More days passed and we were getting closer to the Shire, as we did get closer it felt nicer and nicer to return home even if it was for a short while. The fear of angry people had totally disappeared, I was just happy to be able to see home once again before the dangerous quest that laid before me and my new companions.
One night after Fili had fallen asleep Kili and I were talking, Kili had the first watch and I could not sleep so I decided to keep him company, I was laying on my back and looking up on the stars.
I liked our nightly talks and even more I had started to like the young dwarf.
"Why did you join our quest?" Kili asked and laid down beside me "You could have stayed at home have all the comforts in the world but you chose to help a race that you do not even know"
"I was scared" I stated.
"About what?" He asked.
"Not living my life, seeing other places than the Shire, meeting others who live in our lands and just having an adventure" I explained.
"Are not hobbits usually very cautions and home bound?" Kili asked.
"Yes they are but I was never one of them" I said "Even as a child I was very adventurous, my parents and family were worried that I would get hurt because I knew no limitations"
"So you were a little troublemaker" Kili stated.
"No not a that, I was just very curious and wanted to see and experience new things" I corrected.
"If you say so" e said and winked at me.
"I am serious" I said turning to lay on my side so that I was facing him "I was not a troublemaker"
He then turned so that he was facing me "I believe you, just had to mess with you a little"
"You are evil Kili but nice to" I said and put my hand on his and stroked it with my thumb.
He looked at our hands and then back to me, the moment was so romantic as we leaned in for a kiss.
The kiss was sweet but short, we were cut off by Fili coughing and we pulled apart just in time before he woke up.
I felt really awkward about the kiss and did not know what to so so I said that I would go to sleep.
Our nightly talks ended there, our kiss felt so right but still there was something inside of me telling me not to get involved with Kili. So I ended up keeping distance between us and I spent more time alone and with Fili.
I could see that this bothered Kili but what could I do when this, him and me did not feel right.
One night I acted like I was sleeping so that I would not have to face Kili I felt a hand on my shoulder and it gently shook me, I tried ignoring it until Kili's enchanting voice softly called my name.
I turned around and looked at him "What?"
"Can we talk?" He asked.
I nodded and sat up.
He apologized for the kiss and if his behavior had been in any way insulting, seeing him in this state made me feel bad for the way I had been treating him so I told him there was no need to apologize and said that if anyone should be apologizing it would have to be me.
I decided to tell him what was wrong and when I was done he said that he understood but he also wanted me to know that he did care for me and maybe once we had accomplished out goal we could try something even though I was a hobbit and he a dwarf.
I told him that it sounded like a good plan.
We were four days from the Shire now and during those two days my feelings for Kili would change drastically.
The next day we rode in silence, no one said a word Fili and Kili only followed my lead. The day after that my pony go scared by something and she threw me off, I landed on my back and hit my head on a rock which left me unconscious.
I woke up in a strange place, it was like a meadow. The sun was shingling, it was warm, beautiful flowers grew everywhere, it was so peaceful and warm.
Sitting up I noticed a man standing beside me, he had quite long dark hair and the very dark brown eyes, I smiled at him because I knew this man.
It was Kili and he was smiling at me, I smiled back as he sat down so close to me.
"Where are we?" I asked looking around.
"Wherever you want us to be" he answered and smiled even wider.
"I don not understand" I said a little confused.
"This is a place you have created on your mind, this is where you go to find inner peace" he said.
I looked around and found that I was in fact very peaceful here.
"You have no worries here and no obligations" Kili said.
"How did I end up here" I asked.
"Does it matter" Kili asked.
"Yes, it does" I said getting up "Kili we have a quest, we can not be lazy and just lay here when your kin needs out help"
"What about what you want" he asked sounding a little irritated.
"It does not matter when a whole races existence depends on you and me doing our job" I spat.
"Do you not want to be with me?" He asked sounding a bit hurt this time.
I thought about it for a while and I did want to be with him more then anything "Of course I do, but the quest comes first"
"I hope you are happy now" his voice started sounding distant.
"Kili" I said.
"I hope your choice is the right one" it was even more distant now, it was like he was fading.
"Do not leave me" I said in panic.
"You made you decision" his voce was now barely a whisper.

"Kili" I shouted as I spat up from the ground.
"I'm here" he said from beside me.
I looked to my right and there he was, I threw myself at him and held onto him really tight.
"Lara, are you alright" Fili asked from my left.
"I'm fine, I just.." I trailed off "What happened"
"You fell off your pony and hit your head." Fili said and looked worried.
"How are you feeling" Kili asked looking just as worried as Fili
"I'm fine, we need to continue on to the Shire now" I said trying to get up but as soon as I stood my head started spinning.
Kili held onto me so that I would not fall.
"We can not let you back up upon that pony, you can barely stand" Kili said.
"But we need to continue" I argued.
"She is right Kili" Fili said.
"I know, but you will ride with me" Kili said sounding bossy.
"Fine, whatever just as long as we get going" I said restlessly.
We got on the ponies, I sat in front of Kili and he had his arms around me as he held onto the reigns.
I leaned up against him and felt that my eyelids were really heavy, I told them where to go and at what point they should wake me up if I should fall asleep.
Not long after I did fall asleep and my dreams were filled with Kili.
They woke me up just as we passed the first house before entering the shire.

And once again almost a full year later I was back in the Shire, I looked over the familiar mountains and valleys. It was dark so everything was not visible, even so the sights were familiar and I wondered who Gandalf had chosen to come with us.
"Thorin said that there would be some sort of rune on the door of our burglar" Kili said.
"He also said that the house was up on a hill" Kili added.
"He did not give you a name?" I asked "There are many houses that are up on hills here"
"He did give us a name but what was it?" Fili said and exchanged looks with Kili.
"I think it was something like Boggins, Bilbo Boggins?" Kili said.
As far as I knew there was no Bilbo Boggins living in the Shire but I knew of a Bilbo Baggins, but then again I had not been here in years and I did not know all the hobbits in the world. I decided to take them to Biblo's house first to see if there was a rune on his door.
"Follow me" I said taking the lead.
Why would Gandalf choose Bilbo for this quest, I did not know him very well but I knew that he was a very cautious hobbit who enjoyed the comforts of a warm bed and a good meal. He would never agree to this.
When we arrived at his door there was indeed a rune there so the boys knocked on the door as I tied the ponds to a tree. I could hear a door opening and people talking then it shut again.
I walked up to the door and knocked, I could hear Bilbo shouting inside before opening the door.
"Lara" he said surprised to see me.
"Good evening Bilbo" I greeted politely.
"I thought you um... you you left" he stuttered out.
"I did, but now I am back" I simply stated.
There was a crash from inside and Bilbo let out a sigh.
"Can I come in" I asked.
"Oh sure, come on in" he said stepping aside.
I entered as another crash was heard, Bilbo shut the door behind me and rushed to see what had been broken.
Not long after that all the dwarves were gathered and having a great feast eating up all of poor Bilbo's food, Gandalf had also arrived and after the feast it was time to ask Bilbo to join us on our mission.
He was reluctant to join us and when he read the contract he fainted, when he woke up he said that he would not be joining us.
After that I walked back outside to take it all in.
”How does it feel?” Kili asked appearing next to me.
”Like a dream, it's so unreal” I answered looking out on the small village beneath me.
”But you are home” He said.
I turned to look at him ”No it's not”
He gave me a questioning look, I turned so that I was facing him and I put my hand on his cheek.
”Home is where your heart is” I said and looked into his beautiful brown eyes before leaning in to kiss him.