Chapter Text
It is the black of night when the gentle light of a candle and someone gently but insistently shaking Bella's shoulder and telling her it's time to wake up.
"Iss s'ill dark ou'side, go 'way." Bella sleepily muttered, ineffectually shoving at the hand and trying to roll over.
"Bella, you need to wake up and get ready to go. The dwarrow and elves will be here soon."
"Tha's t'dah isn' i'?"
"Yes," the voice answered, sounding amused and fond in the same tone.
"Bugg'r." Bella muttered, finally opening her eyes and seeing a smiling but tired around the edges Fili standing there, holding a steaming mug in one hand.
"I dunno if Thora gets her non-morning person personality from Thorin or you." Fili said with a smile, handing the mug to Bella. "Some tea."
"Thanks," Bella sleepily muttered, mustering the will to lift her head up and take the mug from Fili.
"Aaah, that's better." Bella sighed after taking the first sip. "Who's waking up the girls?"
"That would be Nori and – Kili," Fili answered, dragging out his brother's name while his brow furrowed in confusion as both he and Bella turned their heads in the direction of a muffled yelp.
"I'll go sort it," Bella sighed, pushing herselff off her bed and heading down the hall in the direction of the yelp.
Bella walked into Eglantine and Thora's bedroom to see Nori holding his hand to his chest while Kili is sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth and laughing so hard it's coming out silently. "What is going on here?"
"She bit me!" Nori denounced, pointing at Thora who was sitting in Kili's lap looking grumpy. "Went to wake 'er up and she sunk her teeth into me!"
"Thora Sefa, why did you bite Nori?"
"He woke m'up." Thora defiantly (and sleepily) mumbled.
"That is no reason to bite someone. You know today's the day we start travelling and we're having an early start of it. Now, young lady, you need to apologize to Nori. And, Kili, stop laughing or you'll only encourage them."
"But it's hilarious!" Kili gasped.
Bella couldn't resist the urge and cuffed Kili on the back of the head. "It is not proper behavior for hobbits, you troublemaker. Now, you lot go get a start on some sort of breakfast and I'll get Eglantine and Thora dressed."
When Fili, Kili and Nori leave the room, it's a matter of a few minutes to get Eglantine and Thora into their new travelling outfits. Though the dressing occurs with a little rebellion in the form of Eglantine being stubborn about putting on trousers ("I want to wear my red dress, mummy!") and Thora not wanting to put the particular pair of trousers on that Bella had picked the other day ("I want to wear the leaf trousers!"). But with patience and a little cajolling, Bella gets her two girls dressed and their hair brushed and braided back and sends them off to the kitchen for their breakfast before attending to herself.
Bofur was manning the fry pan and slid Bella a plate of fresh eggs and bacon and tomatoes and sausage when she walked into the kitchen.
"So, what are you gonna do with all the food left in the pantry and cold storage?" Bofur asked as Bella tucked in.
"Drogo's welcome to it; I've written a note letting him know that he's welcome to take up immediate residence in Bag End the moment I shut the door and he can do what he likes with this place. And if he wants to restock the pantry and sundry to his tastes to parcel out the food and give it to some of the less well-off hobbits nearby."
There was a knock on the door; three gentle raps that had Ori heading for the front door. In short order he was back in the dining room and trailing in after him were Arnos, Riekki, and their own lieutentants.
“Lady Bella.” Both dwarf and elf greeted her, inclining their heads in greeting.
“Good morning. Tea? It’s peppermint.” Bella offered.
“No, thank you, my lady. We are eager to be on the way, as we are sure you are.” Riekki politely declined. “We’ve brought the decoys of the uzbadnuthâ and cloaks that match theirs; all we need is clothing of theirs to put on them.”
“I’ll just be a moment.” Bella flits off to the girl’s room and grabs a pair of skirts, little tops and some old pinafores.
“Will these do?” Bella asked, walking back into the dining room.
“They’ll do rather neatly.” Riekki said as Arnos’ lieutenant took the clothing from Bella.
In a matter of moments both decoys (carved out of wood, with moveable limbs and all) have been clad in Thora and Eglantine’s clothes and clad in the cloaks.
A few more minutes (and a few last minute trips to the bathroom) sees breakfast finished and the girls put into their brand new cloaks, hanging tightly to their mother’s hand.
“Now, just remember, this is all going to be a grand adventure.” Bella said as they filed out of Bag End, picking up their packs. “You’ll get to see new things and meet new people and go farther then you’ve ever done. And you needn’t fret about not seeing your friends again; I promise we’ll visit the Shire every so often.”
“So you just wipe those sad little twists off yer faces or I’ll be forced to tickle ya!” Bofur jokingly threatened as he picked Eglantine up and set her in the saddle of the pony before he swung himself up into the saddle behind her.
“And we’ll be there every step of the way!” Kili promised as Fili placed Thora on Kili’s saddle in front of him, gently directing her to hold onto the pommel.
“s’too early.” Eglantine yawned as Bella was helped up into the saddle by Bifur and Gloin.
“That is a downside to travel, I’m afraid.” Balin agreed, hiding a massive yawn behind his gloved hand. “Well, shall we head out onto the road?”
And, just like that, the troupe of ponies bearing Bella, her children, and the Company started off. They picked up the rest of the coalition just outside of Hobbiton, scouts from both sides confirming that the Ironfists were nowhere near Hobbiton proper.
There’s quiet chatter as they navigate the lanes and roads and head toward the edge of the Shire; a few of the men trade jokes and even the more amiable dwarrow and elves share a joke amongst each other. Thora and Eglantine eventually wake up enough to look at the world around them and start asking questions of Bella, Thorin, Bofur, Kili and anyone it might strike their fancy to ask. Bella is pleased: she had been worried that her children had enough hobbit in them to not be well pleased with leaving behind the Shire and travelling. But it seems she has naught to worry on.
“Momma,” Thora asked, how long will it take to get Mister Elrond’s house?”
“If all goes well, sweetling – and nothing happens – it should take us about a month.”
“But that’s so far awayyyyyy.” Eglantine complained.
“No one much enjoys travelling for a long time, Eglantine. That’s why your mum brought books. And allowed the two of you to pack some of your toys.” Thorin joined in.
“Oh. That makes sense.” Eglantine allowed, her tone and the look on her face at such adult logic making Thorin smile.
A day of easy riding sees them gaining Bree; but since there is absolutely no way in the name of Eru and all the gods that a group of a dozen dwarrow accompanied by a hobbit and two small children will go unnoticed, the Coalition of the Unwilling and the Company agree that forsaking Bree is for the best.
Not that that stops Kili and Nori from sneaking off into the town to purchase some treats to be eaten on the road. The admonishment from Thorin was totally worth it, Kili said to Bella later on as he handed her a sack of mixed nuts.
“And it’s not like he can scare me with that look anymore. I’m not twenty anymore,”
The real problematic portion of the journey thus far (to Bella) is when they split up after circumventing Bree. The first group, the one Bella and the girls are in, is to take the more direct route to Rivendell – the East-West road. While the second group is going to take the Andrath Greenway and cut across the South Downs, if they must, to link back up with the first group at the Last Bridge.
“Watch out for the barrow wights; I’ve heard nasty stories about them.” Bella cautioned the second group as they start down the Greenway.
“We’ll be careful, auntie, don’t you worry! And behave yourself, Kili!” Fili called, turning in the seat of his pony so he could wave.
“Oi! I’m not the one who’s got to watch his big ol’ nose!” Kili yelled back, he and his brother trading insults until Fili’s voice disappeared around the bend. Kili clicked his tongue to get his pony moving; the others had gotten a bit farther ahead.
The tension grew each day an ambush did not happen. Everyone was rigid and grew more so at each watch change when no one, be they dwarrow or elf, reported no signs of anything suspicious. Thora and Eglantine reacted to this foreign atmosphere by becoming ever more quiet and sticking very close to their mother or a dwarrow they were familiar with. Bella found herself thumbing the hilt and guard on Sting, who she had secured to her waist practically as an afterthought before leaving Bag End. But now, following the shape of the hilt or running her fingers along the guard as they all sit around an evening campfire, it is a comfort.
“D’you still remember how to use that letter opener?” Balin had gently joked one night when he’d caught her tracing the shape of the pommel stone.
“I’ve some idea, yes.” Bella replied, her smile taking the sting out of the words. “Though it’s not like I’ve had much time for practice these last few years.”
“Eh, we can remedy that on the road back to Erebor when it’s a more… agreeable atmosphere.” Balin said around his pipe, smiling at Bella.
They are nearly two weeks on the road and just getting to the plains surrounding Weathertop – something all the dwarrow and elves were more than a little nervous about and for good reason. Just because the enemy host was broken upon the slopes of Erebor does not, unfortunately, mean they are totally eradicated.
It was the first night they camped within sight of Weathertop, though it still was rather far off in the distance and they were still in the foothills with tree cover and all that, that Bella felt she was at her most strained.
They may have had a ring of dwarrow and elves moving around them and screening their advance as they traveled, but every indication in every intelligence report suggested that it was upon this road that the Ironfists intended to make their move. And it would not be too much longer before they entered lands under the protection of Rivendell. So… unless the Ironfists possessed complete rocks for brains (which was indeed possible) they would have to try to take Bella soon.
It was in those grey hours before dawn, when everyone would have been at their most vulnerable, in their deepest states of sleep, that they struck.
The warning string of bird whistle signals had Bella’s eyes open and her sitting up in an instant. And then the war cries came as weapons were unsheathed and grasped tightly as the Ironfists tried to swarm the campsite. Bella saw Dori grab Thora and make a grab for Eglantine, but in the confusion of the quickly escalating fighting, he missed and she ran the opposite direction, terrified out of her wits and screaming for her mother.
And in the half moment before Bella started to move to grab her child and keep her safe, her heart stops and her blood goes cold.
A distinctly foreign, dirty and smelly looking dwarrow sees Bella, looks to Eglantine and gets this most evil, blood curdling look on his face and he drew a wicked, jagged knife from his belt and advanced on the crying Eglantine.
Bella lets out a roar that should have rightly put the fool on his guard, but doesn’t because he clearly doesn’t consider her a threat. She grabbed the first thing she laid a hand to, the skillet that had been laid out for breakfast, and rushed the dumb sod, swinging it like she had been swinging warhammers all her life.
“YOU STAY-“ The first whack sent the knife flying from the dwarrow’s now limp hand, “THE HELL-“ the second whack broke his nose, sending blood practically flooding into his beard, “AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!” The third whack was to the dwarrow’s forehead, sending him to his knees and Bella (in the part of her mind not currently consumed with motherly rage) is also fairly sure that on the fourth whack – which connected with the side of the head – she cracked his skull as he dropped to the ground and did not move.
Bella dropped the skillet the nanosecond she was sure he was dead, rushing to Eglantine, who was rushing toward her mother, and beats a tactical retreat under arrow fire from a furious Kili.
Dori boosted Bella and Eglantine up into a nearby tree with thick branches and leaf cover and stood guard at the base of it, feet firmly planted and bolos in hand ready to fly and take out the first stupid sod who thought he could best Dori.
It felt like hours but could not have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes that the skirmish lasted. All the while, Bella watched through the trees, remembering at last that Sting was at her hip and she would have jumped back into the fray if any of her extended family had appeared to be in the least bit of danger.
Eglantine clung to Bella as a cat would cling to anything to avoid going into the bathtub as she climbed down once the skirmish was for certain over. Thora had no problem with throwing herself out of the tree and into Dori’s waiting arms before immediately suctioning herself to her mother as her sister had, crying.
Thorin was the first to make it over, followed closely by Kili as Bella tried to soothe her poor, terrified children.
“It’s alright, sweethearts. I know that was scary but you two were so very brave and mum is so very proud of you.” Bella said over and over as Thorin knelt on the ground and added his own voice to the soothing.
“I know what you saw was scary, but you two were brave, your mother is right. And you both needn’t worry, you are protected; by us all and not the least your most ferocious mother, who wielded a skill with deadly accuracy.” Thorin reached up a careful hand and smoothed the hair on both Thora and Eglantine.
“Yeah, I’m now doubly certain to never make your mum mad enough to chase after me with a skillet; she’d scramble my brains and probably cook a delicious meal afterward – that’s proper cold-blooded angry mum, that is.” Kili added his two cents, smiling when both Bofur and Oin cuff him on the head.
In the time it took to get the girls to calm down and soothe their fears, the dwarrow and elves have gathered the bodies of the dead (which numbered two score) and dug a shallow mass grave to bury them in instead of leaving them to rot.
Not that Bella sees any of this happen. Sitting behind a useful clump of bushes, she rocked a still slightly trembling Eglantine to sleep, one small hand clamped down on Bella’s waistcoat. Thora sits sprawled in Kili’s arms, sleeping too, but holding on to a fair chunk of Thorin’s hair (who doesn’t seem to mind).
“I wish they hadn’t had to see that.” Bofur morosely mumbled, whittling a piece of wood. He glared critically at it before shaving off a tiny piece of wood.
“I feel much the same, but I cannot protect them forever from such dangers. Though I am glad that things did not… I only hope this does not traumatize them in some unforeseen way.”
“They can learn weaponry if they wish when they’re older.” Thorin suggested. “It could help with any lingering doubts; and if they’re inclined to blunt weapons like their mother…”
“Oh, shut it you.” Bella replied, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at Thorin as Kili quietly sniggered.
“It definitely runs in the female line of your family to wield the cooking things as weapons.” Bofur added without looking up at Bella as he took another divot out of the wood in his hands.
Bella let out an unladlylike snort. “Any mother, no matter the species, goes into a homicidal rage when her children are in danger – no exceptions.”
“And the Ironfists learnt that today to their sorrow.” Kili fiercely whispered.
Bella nodded in agreement and looked at the dwarrow sitting with her as she heard distant sounds of the others. This was her family. This was going to be her life now. Whether or not things… worked out with Thorin… Bella was going to be living in a rough and tumble environment that was not exactly for the weak-constitution. And she would be a liar if she didn’t own to it that she was a little excited for the laughing, loving, crying and everything else that lay ahead. She would have to figure out how best to raise her two daughters in a new world, she would be learning right alongside them in some instances, and wouldn’t that be exciting?
Though she was little versed on what lay ahead of her and what awaited her at journey’s end, Bella was ready to face it, learn from it and grow, as any of Yavanna’s people did.