Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

Mending the Broken Pieces	By : LadyLaran Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Het - Male/Female Views: 13613 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own "the Hobbit" nor do I make money from this story. Tolkien and Jackson are the ones who own the characters and world.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Author’s Note – The response for the last chapter was utterly amazing. I’ve had requests for Elladan, Elrohir, and Glorfindel to show up to give Thorin a difficult time about Hawthorn. Since I’m ahead in writing chapters, there’s really no way to work it in without screwing up the pacing of the Rivendell chapters. However, that being said, I have a plan for the trio to give Thorin hell for a while about him being with their hobbit! It’s too good an opportunity to pass up so I must ask for patience because the scene all of you want will happen eventually! I promise.

Disclaimer – I do not own “the Hobbit” nor do I make money from this story.

Chapter Thirteen – Scholars at Work

Hawthorn spent the next few days after her release from the halls of healing taking it easy physically. It was not unusual to find her in the library, Ori sitting at her table, and the pair would be lost in the books they had chosen to read.

While the dwarf had chosen books of various topics to enjoy, the hobbit had focused herself on subjects that would be of use to the quest. She had spoken to Erestor about whether or not a recent map of Mirkwood had been drawn and found that there had been so she spent time copying that for their use. Books on dragons had also been pulled out for research as well.

It was after she had copied the map and chased down a certain elf for a long discussion that Hawthorn seemed troubled by something. When asked by the friends she had made in the company, the lass would wave it off and tell them she had been thinking about the research she had been doing. Despite the troubled expression on her face, she would not speak of it anytime they saw her looking that way, which happened occasionally during their time in Rivendell.

Balin had come looking for her and Ori during one of those days where the pair had cloistered themselves up in the library, forgetting about mealtimes. He was waylaid near the front of the room when he was greeted by an elf, noticing the books surrounding him with a smile. It seemed that no matter the race, a scholar would always find themselves penned in by a multitude of tomes.

“May I help you, master dwarf?”

“I was looking for two of my companions; they missed luncheon again,” he answered, shaking his head and blinking at the soft laugh from the elf.

“One of those companions has to be Hawthorn; my lord Elrond teases her quite often about moving her bed in here since she prefers to remain in the library during her visits. The girl never seems to stop working or studying.”

“Devoted to her craft,” Balin asked, having a feeling this was the elf she had mentioned learning her scribing skills from besides her father.

“That she is; Hawthorn has always been an eager student. I sometimes thought Bungo sent her here so he could cram more knowledge into his head in peace and be able to keep ahead of her during her absence. She is a delight to teach but can be voracious when it comes to a subject that intrigues her.”

“From what the lass has mentioned, you must be Erestor? The one who taught her about book binding and scribing?”

“I apologize for my manners, Master Dwarf. I am Erestor,” he said, rising to his feet and bowing. “She has made me proud over the years. Several of the books in the library were made by her.”

“Balin, son of Fundin, at your service,” he answered with a small bow of his own. “Are they indeed? I had the pleasure of seeing one of her works before we left the Shire; the person who had hired her for the task greatly undervalued her work,” the adviser commented, blinking when the elf smiled.

“I doubt it was her best one. Would you wait a moment? I would like to show it to you,” Erestor asked, happy to show off his student’s work.

“Of course,” Balin replied, actually feeling somewhat at ease with the scholar.

Erestor hurried down a certain aisle and came back with a beautiful book bound in black leather. It was trimmed in silver with silver thread in the binding as well.

Balin took the book, checking the work on the binding before opening it up to see the most elegant script shaping words in Sindarin and what looked like another elvish language. He gently turned the pages, spying illustrations that were simply breathtaking.

“Did she do the illustrating as well?”

“She did,” Elrohir answered. “One of our books was falling apart, and she snuck it out of the library to copy it so the knowledge wouldn’t be lost. She actually improved on the illustrations as well; it was a gift for Lord Elrond and one he values a great deal.”

“This is a masterwork,” the dwarf said softly.

“I consider it so as does Lord Elrond and Lord Celeborn,” the librarian stated. “The Lord of Lothlórien was here when she presented it to my lord Elrond and has tried to purchase it from him several times. My lord Elrond values it too highly and refuses. I have standing orders to keep it hidden whenever Lord Celeborn visits.”

“It has been decades since I have seen talent such as this and only when young Ori came to me as an apprentice,” Balin commented, hands gently stroking the spine of the book. “Miss Hawthorn shines in skill and talent as brightly as he does.”

“If we had guilds, she would certainly qualify for a mastery in this craft but we have never organized ourselves in such a way,” Erestor commented. “She has been a joy to teach, never finding knowledge to be useless no matter how esoteric it can be.”

“I was blessed with that in Ori,” he shared. “He’s a journeyman now and is documenting the events of this journey for his masterwork.”

“I am glad she has made a friend with someone who shares her interests. After her father’s death, Hawthorn has had no one in the Shire to talk over the topics she has researched. She seems rather relaxed in the young dwarf’s presence,” the elf said quietly.

Balin nodded, lost in thought for a moment.

“Would you mind leaving this out? I need to speak with someone quickly, and I’d like him to see it for himself.”

“Of course not,” Erestor told him. “Just let me know when you’re done with it so I can shelve it again.”

“I will return shortly,” the dwarf promised, heading out of the library to find his king.

Thanks to a helpful elf in one of the passageways, Balin was directed to the forge and found Thorin working on a project. The adviser waited for a moment until the monarch had stepped away from the anvil before announcing his presence, not wanting to startle the blacksmith while he was working with hot metal.

“Is there something you needed, Balin?”

“There is,” he answered. “I found something today that has me wanting to exercise my right as Guild Master and do something that has not been done in nearly two centuries.”

Thorin frowned, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat off of his face.

“What is it you found?”

“One of Miss Hawthorn’s projects that she created for Lord Elrond; Thorin, it’s a masterwork of a quality I have not seen in many years.”

“You want to give her rank and induct her into the guild,” the king asked, meeting his old friend’s eyes.

“I do,” Balin replied. “It reminds me of my own master’s handiwork. She deserves the rank, Thorin, and I want to bring her into the guild because she deserves a position amongst the scriveners. Her talent is too great to not be recognized.”

“I’d like to see this project,” Thorin commented. “It must be well done to have gained your approval.”

“It’s in the library,” the adviser told him, watching as the blacksmith did a quick clean up before gesturing for him to lead the way.

The two dwarrow came into the library, and Balin nodded at the welcome from Erestor. He picked up the book, showing it to his king.

Thorin looked the book over, admiring the delicate stitching and detailing of the binding before opening it to view the elegant script and breathtaking illustrations. He quickly realized Balin was right and looked up at his friend while setting the book down.

“You have my approval,” he told his adviser. “Do you have what you need or shall I make one for you while I’m finishing up my project?”

“I don’t have what I need so if you’d be so kind,” he asked, smiling and continuing as the king nodded. “I’ll show this to Ori later once Miss Hawthorn isn’t near him so he’ll understand.”

“All right then,” Thorin answered. “I’ll get started on it then; also, if you talk to her, let her know that Gandalf wanted to start her lessons on using the blade that was given to her tomorrow. I’d like to know she’ll be a bit more able to protect herself when we leave here.”

“I’ll pass it on,” Balin promised, smiling as his friend headed back towards the forge.

This would be a good thing for the recovery of Erebor, the eldest son of Fundin thought to himself. The guilds were suffering because of lack of funding to keep things running and to train new members. To find such a gem twice in his lifetime, this one not needing the refinement as Ori had when his talent was discovered, was a true gift to Balin and he would not see it wasted!

Author’s End Note – I thought this would be a good way to potentially help bring Hawthorn into dwarven society a bit more. I really wanted a chance for her talent to shine as well as for her to keep her word regarding her research. As far as what she’s researched, you will discover that down the road. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter. ~ Laran
- 12
- 13
- 14
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Mending the Broken Pieces