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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.

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Author’s Note – I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Mom died on Friday, the 24th, and I’ve been in a state of numb shock ever since. I will have “Shadows” posted on Wednesday with another chapter of this; I hope to have my brain in gear by that time. It’s been a rough time emotionally, and I’ve been scrambling to figure out what to do with myself.

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

Chapter Forty-one – Taking Care of Business...Hobbit Style!

As the gates of Erebor rumbled open, Hawthorn found herself feeling both nervous and hopeful about the upcoming negotiations. She was well prepared for it and knew what needed to be done, but she was worried about failing Thorin.

After receiving the summons from their leader, the company had met in the sitting room and Thorin explained Hawthorn’s idea. Everyone agreed it was the best route even if they hated the idea of having to tie themselves to Mirkwood; the grumbling was at a minimum because they knew just how needed the alliance was to all three nations. The comment the king made about Hawthorn making Thranduil work for the items he desired cheered them up considerably.

Two lists were made within the first hour of the meeting.

One was a list items that had been taken from the company during their captivity and, after hearing about the history of most of the belongings, Hawthorn vowed to herself to ensure these heirlooms were returned to her company. With as little as these dwarrow had, the belongings lost in Mirkwood had really hit her dwarrow hard.

The second list was a list of offers from Thorin to Bard, and all of them had worked on it together. All of the offers were incredibly generous, and she knew that the human would have to be insane not to take Thorin up on them.

The rest of the time between the company’s meeting and the negotiations was used to find the chest of gems and jewelry Thror had promised Thranduil as well as outfitting the small party who would be meeting with Bard and Thranduil.

Dori had found clothing for all of them, and he and his brothers worked swiftly to make alterations so the party would be neatly dressed. While they worked on that, Dwalin passed out the armor and weapons that had been taken from the treasury. He worked with Kili to get their armor buffed to a shine, not wanting Erebor to be represented by anyone other than at their best.

Thorin had presented a gift to Hawthorn, and she had been awed to recognize the shining metal of the shirt he had given her. Mithril was rare, and she valued the sentiment behind the gift. He was trying to protect her even when he could not be at her side.

After a fast bath, the hobbit slipped the mithril shirt on over her chemise and then donned the dark blue dress Dori had discovered in a chest. It had belonged to Dis, who had outgrown it, and it was perfect for what Hawthorn was about to do.

The gown was sapphire blue with silver runes embroidered on the hems, and it fit perfectly after Dori had worked his amazing skills on it. Being in the colors of the house she’d been adopted into and would marry the head of helped boost her confidence tremendously.

Thorin had redone her hair, and she was now ready to face Thranduil and Bard in negotiations. She had her sword belted at her waist, and the hobbit was glad for it since it provided peace of mind for her as well as her betrothed and father.

The party of five arrived at the tent Thranduil’s subordinates had erected for the meeting, and the two males were waiting outside with a few armed elves. The hobbit was relieved that Thorin had sent Kili and Dwalin as her own guards.

“Master Bard, it is good to see you again,” Hawthorn greeted with a smile.

“As it is to see you, Miss Baggins,” the human answered with a bow. “I know of a young lady who has been asking if she’ll get to see you soon.”

“I hope to see her as well; how is her mother?”

“Still unwell,” Bard replied. “I am hopeful she’ll recover in time, but we will have to see.”

“That’s all well and good, but I thought we were meeting with a representative of the King Under the Mountain,” Thranduil commented. “I would have expected to meet with him instead of you.”

“The king has the utmost trust and respect for Miss Baggins,” Balin stated. “Bard, King Thranduil, I present to you the king’s ambassador for this meeting. Miss Hawthorn Baggins, daughter of Bungo and Oin, is representing King Thorin and the kingdom of Erebor at his request.”

“He sends a child instead of coming himself,” the elf scoffed. “I should have known he would be too much in love with his treasure to address the severity of this situation.”

“On the contrary, he sent the one person he knows will do the most good for all parties considered,” the adviser replied. “Miss Baggins is more than just a respected scholar, taught by Erestor, considered family by Lord Elrond, and a master in the Scrivener’s Guild in Erebor; she is also the betrothed of our king.”

Thranduil looked as if he’d bitten into a sour lemon, and that expression became worse when her ties to the Lord of Imladris was mentioned. Hawthorn smothered the urge to laugh when the king looked practically nauseous when her betrothal to Thorin was brought to light by Balin.

“I am grateful the king is open to negotiations,” Bard stated before the elf king could comment. “Shall we go inside and get started?”

“I am certainly willing,” she replied, reaching up to place a hand on his arm when he offered it to her.

Hawthorn was led to a chair, and she leaned her staff against the arm of it. She knew it would draw attention as well as back up the claim Balin had made in regards to her ties to Imladris and Lord Elrond.

“Before we begin, I will make further introductions,” the hobbit stated. “Lord Balin is here as he knows the current status of the mountain and can verify any claims I make on the king’s behalf. Lord Ori is here to take notes of the negotiations and will draw up the final documents for all parties to sign.”

“We have no scribe among our people so he is welcome,” Bard told her, taking a seat as well.

“I did not think to bring one,” Thranduil said, accepting a cup of wine from a servant.

Hawthorn said nothing as to his imbibing already and noticed a faint expression of frustration on the face of a younger elf standing behind the elven monarch’s right shoulder. This one would need watching throughout the meeting.

“As Lord Balin has stated, I am here on behalf of King Thorin II Oakenshield to take part in these negotiations in order to uphold oaths he made as well as reestablish friendships between the mountain and the kingdoms that lie around Erebor. His first concern, upon hearing of what the master of Laketown did, was to ensure you and your people are taken care of. In order to assist where he can, he sent me a list of offers he has for you.”

Bard ignored the scoffing noise from the elf, arching a brow at the flat look the hobbit gave Thranduil before smiling at her.

“I’d like to hear his offers,” he said.

“King Thorin is well aware of the dangers of being homeless with small children and women,” she began. “So he based a lot of this on the challenges he faced after Erebor fell. If something is missed, please let me know so I can inform him and ensure that you get the aid needed to help your people.”

The human noticed how the elf tensed at that comment but didn’t say anything; Bard was interested to see how this would play out since all she was doing was stating fact. Those facts, while tactfully spoken, seemed to needle Thranduil a great deal.

“I am grateful for his experience, Miss Baggins.”

She smiled at him, taking the parchment Ori had pulled out of a bag. The scribe had been taking notes but had paused to fetch the document the future queen would need.

“The primary concerns for a homeless people are shelter, food, water, protection, medicine, and funding,” she began, not reacting much when Thranduil interrupted.

“We have tents for them,” he said. “Shelter will be provided.”

“In tents,” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Of course,” he answered. “They are not exposed to the elements this way.”

Hawthorn looked at Balin, who nodded slightly, and continued.

“The goal of King Thorin is to meet these primary concerns before addressing other ones that cannot be touched upon until much later due to the lateness of the year.”

Kili passed her a goblet of water before taking his position behind her; he and Dwalin had taken that defensive position, and both knew she took comfort from their presence.

She took a sip of water, setting the goblet down carefully.

“The king extends his invitation for you and your people to pass the winter in Erebor,” Hawthorn told him, catching the two males by surprise.

“He’s going to allow us into the mountain,” Bard asked.

“He is,” she answered. “I am told winters can be harsh this far north, and he has no desire to leave your people in the cold where fuel is scarce and the elements can penetrate through most shelters. Granted, there will be restrictions placed due to the fact that Erebor has been occupied by Smaug until recently and most areas have not been inspected for safety yet.”

“Understandable,” the human stated, ignoring the slight choking sound from the elf.

“It’ll be close quarters for a while as well,” Hawthorn cautioned. “A few members of our company have been able to determine a few safe areas with working bathing facilities. Until aid from the Iron Hills arrives to assist in surveying more areas, it will be cramped but you will be kept safe within the protection of stone and kept warm.

“The sources of fresh water are clean and still available, and I am told they do not freeze in winter because of how the mountain is heated. With the dwarrow and your people wintering together, resources and supplies will be shared equally. Our healers will be available for those who are ill or hurt.”

“What will this cost them,” Thranduil asked, sneering. “Dwarves do nothing for free.”

“Nothing,” Hawthorn answered. “If those who are able bodied are willing to volunteer in regards to helping with what restoration work can be done this winter, we would be grateful for their aid but the offer for shelter and necessities do not hinge upon it. As I have said, the dwarrow of Durin’s Folk understand what it means to not have those vital necessities and have no wish to see Bard and his people go without.”

Her eyes did not leave his even as she gave slight emphasis on the proper plural form for the children of Mahal, and it was obvious he was not comfortable with the reference to how the refugees of Erebor had nothing for the longest time.

“In regards to funding, King Thorin will pay for the supplies and other resources needed for both people during the winter and early spring months. At this moment in time, the treasury is locked down for several reasons.”

Thranduil scoffed, shaking his head as he interrupted her.

“So he can keep his gold to himself, no doubt,” he said in an ugly tone of voice.

“The reasons for this action is due to safety,” she continued, giving him an unimpressed look for his poor manners. “The treasury will remain sealed until Mithrandir can inspect the room to ensure the dragon left no magical taint on the treasure. There are also safety concerns because of the fight that took place in there; the damage done as well as the stress of the combined weight of the dragon and treasure on the supports may have very well left the room unsafe for anyone to enter.

“Once Mithrandir has determined it to be safe from magical taint, King Thorin will have specialists inspect the room and flooring to ensure there will be no accidents. If it is deemed safe, there will be two teams to work in there. One, to remove the corpse of the dragon and two, to separate the treasure and compare it to the logs King Thror kept so that we can remove anything that belongs to Dale so it can be repaired, if needed, and then they will be returned to their rightful owners.

“After winter is finished, teams of dwarrow will work with our guests and help rebuild the city so your people can have homes they will be proud of. His Majesty will also set aside funding to be given to you at this time so you have what will be needed to pay for services that might have to come from outside sources.”

“This is incredibly generous of him,” Bard told her.

“He understands what it means to start over with nothing,” Hawthorn shared. “There are other plans he is working on at the moment and will explain to you during the winter, should you accept his invitation. Some of the plans depend on what my uncle has to say in regards to my request for supplies, seeds, and seedlings to help start the farms come spring.”

“Your uncle,” the elf asked.

“My uncle is Thain of the Shire; it’s a title that has been handed down for many generations since my people claimed the land,” she answered. “A Thain is very much like a king.”

“So you’re a princess,” the human queried, smiling at her when she gave a small huff.

“It might seem that way to some, but hobbits view things differently. In regards to the offers from the king, you have time to think it over but winter is fast approaching and he wishes to ensure your people are kept safe and warm through the cold months.”

“I need no time to think it over, Miss Baggins. I will accept King Thorin’s offer with full gratitude; this will keep my people safe until we have time to rebuild Dale and turn it into a home for all of us.”

“He will be pleased to hear it,” she said with a gentle smile. “As I said, it will be close quarters for a while.”

“Understandable and we’ll make do,” Bard reassured her.

“King Thorin hopes to make use of the winter months to get to know his new neighbors and develop a new treaty between Erebor and Dale since the alliance was of great importance in the past,” Hawthorn said. “In the meantime, Erebor stands ready to receive her guests whenever they are ready to arrive.”

“We should be ready before sunset,” he told her.

“Do you have a number of those who will need medical attention? This way I can have our healer prepared to tend to them,” the lass asked.

“Five of our group are ill, including Astrid’s mother.”

“Oin will be ready to help when you arrive,” she assured him.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Bard said to the group. “I need to send word to be ready to move. Miss Baggins, thank you for meeting with me.”

“It was my pleasure, Master Bard,” she replied.

Once the man had left, the king’s eyes turned to the hobbit and he sneered for a long moment.

“What of what I am owed?”

“Balin, will you please excuse us and take the others with you? I need a few moments alone with the king,” she said. “I’ll call when I’m ready to resume negotiations.”

Balin didn’t like it, but he obeyed his future queen. He led his brother, Kili, and Ori out of the tent to give her some privacy. The adviser wasn’t certain what was going on and hoped it wasn’t going to be something bad.

Once they were gone, she turned blue eyes onto the elven king.

“I would suggest excusing those with you,” she said with icy politeness.

“I will do as I please,” he replied mockingly.

“So I have heard,” she said, switching into Sindarin so as not to be heard by any dwarrow ears that might be close enough to hear.

“You speak our language?”

“You did not listen to the adviser when he introduced me. I have spent a lot of time under Lord Elrond’s roof and learned from him, Erestor, and a few others. I claim him as heart-family, and my lord Elrond does the same in regards to me as my mother was very dear to him.

“Sindarin was not all I learned,” she said, speaking the language flawlessly. “It is interesting what one learns with the right maps and people to speak with.”

Thranduil poured more wine, watching her with icy eyes, and she continued, knowing she might very well crack that exterior.

“In fact, I learned that it takes a fair amount of time to reach Erebor from your palace,” Hawthorn began. “Add in the time it takes to muster the troops and ensure they are armed, it makes one wonder how it was you arrived when you did when Smaug invaded Erebor.”

The king jerked in surprise, nearly dropping his goblet, and she said nothing when the elf behind him spoke for the first time.

“Father?”

Thranduil said nothing, and Hawthorn spoke again.

“I believe you had intentions of waging war on Thror in order to take the jewelry he refused to give you, not caring about the people who would have been hurt by your actions,” she stated. “When you got there, you must have been relieved to see that the dragon had done more damage than you ever could have. Instead of allowing compassion to rule your heart, you allowed your lust for revenge and trinkets to rule you. You left innocent people to die because of your refusal to lend them aid.”

“I was not there to fight a dragon!”

“No, you weren’t. You were there because you were nearly as gold mad as Thror, and you didn’t think about the innocent women and children who could have been hurt during that siege or the repercussions it would have had on Dale. Nor did you stop to think that there would be people hurt by the dragon and had no supplies or knowledge needed to treat the injuries caused by Smaug.

“All you cared about were trinkets, and I think that madness has not left you. The dragon did not leave Erebor to harm Laketown or even your woods, and there was no reason for you to leave your palace to march on our home. I think you came, once again, for mathoms.”

Thranduil was furious and reached for his sword, but he was stopped by a staff coming down hard on his arm.

“No,” she said flatly. “I sent my family out to speak with you because I don’t want them coming to the same conclusion I did while researching things in Imladris. They don’t need another reason to hate you and your people, Thranduil. Draw that blade on me, and you will have Imladris furious with you as well as the Longbeard clan. That is not something you would weather well, I believe.”

“What do you want,” he hissed, sounding angry.

“I want an ironclad treaty between Mirkwood and Erebor,” Hawthorn told him. “I am willing to wipe the slate clean but only after you do one thing.”

Thranduil shook in fury, and it was his son who spoke up.

“What is it the elves of the Greenwood can do, Miss Baggins?”

“I have a list of items taken from my family when they were wrongfully imprisoned in your palace,” Hawthorn told him. “Most of them were family heirlooms and hold sentimental value to their owners. You are not only holding items of clothing and jewelry but weapons and armor; this list does include Orcrist.”

Legolas frowned, and the elf king shook his head.

“That belongs to the elves; a dwarf should never have had it, and I still want to know where he stole it from.”

“It was found in a troll hoard after we left the Shire,” she replied. “Orcrist and Glamdring were both found there, along with the blade I carry. Lord Elrond identified the blades and gifted Glamdring to Mithrandir and Orcrist to Thorin. He told me as such when he checked on me in the halls of healing later, gifting my blade to me as well. So no, Orcrist was not stolen and I will write Lord Elrond if I have to in order to prove I speak the truth.

“Once everything is returned and we verify that nothing is missing, you will be given the gems and jewelry Thror should have given you. That will clean the slate, and a new treaty can be formed between Mirkwood and Erebor.”

“How do I know you speak the truth,” he asked.

Hawthorn set a single starlight gem onto the table, and both elves drew in a breath when they saw it. She had to admit, it was pretty but not worth waging war over.

“That is our symbol of good faith,” the hobbit told the pair.

“Here is ours,” Legolas answered, unbuckling his belt and handing Orcrist to the hobbit. “You shall have your belongings sometime tomorrow, Miss Baggins.”

“When you do, the gems and trinkets will be ready for you,” she said. “From there, a treaty will be formed and ambassadors chosen to keep our kings from having to interact too much. I doubt there will ever be a friendship between them, but it is my hope that this alliance can once again become a friendship between the Children of Mahal and the First Born.”

“Agreed,” Legolas stated. “Call your people in, and we’ll get the list from you. I had no idea what my father had done when Erebor fell; I was not home at the time or I would have tried to aid those injured.”

“That was all Thorin wanted,” she told him. “His mother was badly burned by Smaug when she saved a child from him, and she died due to complications from it. Something that wouldn’t have happened had help been given.

“Thror might have wanted the army to help reclaim the mountain, but all Thorin cared about was ensuring his people were taken care of.”

The younger elf looked troubled, and he cast a glance to his father. He finally saw what the hobbit had pointed out, and Legolas wondered when his father had fallen into the gold madness.

“There is help out there,” she said softly to him. “Ask for Lord Elrond’s aid, and he may be able to help Thranduil with the madness.”

“I believe I shall do so,” he answered, just as quietly. “Thank you for sending your people out as you have.”

“As a future queen, I have learned it’s best to approach royalty in privacy when they’ve done something wrong. I may not like your father and despise what he did, but I do respect his title.”

The young elf smiled, nodding his head.

“Call your people, Miss Baggins. Your family will have their belongings returned, and a treaty will be written out so that there will be no more reasons for distrust.”

Hawthorn returned the smile, picking up Orcrist and setting it with her staff as she called out for Balin and the others. This had gone better than expected, and she hoped that Thorin would be pleased.

Author’s End Notes – I hope everyone like this; I was so eager to share this chapter with you because it’s something I’d have loved to say to the character myself once I figured out where his palace was in relation to Erebor. There is simply no way he could have gotten that many troops together and traversed the forest by the time they arrived when they did. I talked to Mom about this, showed her what I had found, and she agreed with the conclusion I had drawn. Thranduil was there to wage war against Erebor, not help against Smaug. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter! ~ Laran
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Mending the Broken Pieces