#firedwarf

[quiterespectablyyours]

Thorin has resolved to spend the day by my side in his rooms. Other members of the Company have been coming in and out. Some, like Glóin and Bombur, have come to tell me that final preparations of my supplies and provisions have been taken care of, and that I will be well-packed for my return journey home tomorrow. Others, like Ori and Nori, have come to try and convince me to stay a while longer.

Still, I know deep in my heart that I cannot stay. My Took side is taking a rest and the Baggins grows stronger each day. I long for nothing more than my armchair and kettle in my own Bag End.

[quiterespectablyyours]

I continued with my farewells today, paying Glóin a visit in the rooms where the hoard was still being catalogued. Glóin insisted on finding me remuneration for my services as burglar, but I told him that I didn’t want any of Erebor’s money. He finally insisted that I was to carry as much gold and silver coin as my pony would allow, and that he would not accept no for an answer. Dwarves are very particular in following a contract to the letter, I suppose.

[quiterespectablyyours]

Ori has suggested I return to the library tomorrow instead, as I must have had a difficult time in the guardhouse yesterday and the day before. I will admit, being trapped in there while a snowstorm raged on outside was harrowing especially considering the cold and the relative lack of supplies. We did have a fire, courtesy of Glóin, and between Bofur and Nori we had stashed away enough snacks from the kitchens to keep us from absolute starvation. The issue was more the lack of water besides what people had stored in water-skins, though at one point Bofur tried to lean out a window and collect snow in a bowl. He was pulled back quickly once he started complaining about his arm going numb.

All in all, it wasn’t the best of situations, especially when it came to disposing of chamber-pot contents, but it also could have been much, much worse. The storm could have lasted longer, after all.

I am just glad that I am finally out of the guardhouse. I don’t expect to be sleeping there for a little while.

[quiterespectablyyours]

The fire that Glóin started in the guardhouse is very warm. It seeps through me, sweet as syrup, and I feel at ease. I could fall asleep like this forever.

[quiterespectablyyours]

Thorin tried to apologise once more. I told him it was fine, that I was equally sorry for being cross at him. I then told him I was going to spend a couple nights in the guardhouse, as I had a side-project for Glóin that I needed to work on.

For some reason I think he doesn’t believe that. What does it take to get him to believe in himself again?

[quiterespectablyyours]

You should probably make up some excuse for not spending the nights by Thorin's side, or else he might get some rather awful ideas about your reason for staying away!

I will tell him that Glóin needs me to do a project for him. Hopefully he will understand.

[quiterespectablyyours]

Glóin cornered me on my way back to the library and handed me a boar plush that he says he found in the hoard, tucked into the folds of the furs that His Majesty once wore. I remember seeing Thorin removing it from his childhood room, but now that it is in my hands I notice its faded fabric, its rips and missing eyes.

I wonder if Thorin would mind me fixing it for him.

[quiterespectablyyours]

I fed Thorin his lunch, as he seems singularly determined to write all of the letters within the next couple of days. I asked him which ones he was working on, and he said that he had just started Glóin’s, even though Glóin has already visited him, and this was in fact Glóin’s present to him.