Chapter Text
Belladonna Nightshade Baggins was perfectly content with her life.
She was the only daughter and only child of Lord Bungo Baggins, who was an only child himself. This made her the only heir to the ancient Baggins name.
She'd grown up like all of the other children in the Shire; pampered. Of course, she wasn't a brat about it. Unlike most of them, she had no room to be a brat. This was because her mother was a Took, and no proper Took would ever allow their child to become such a vile thing as a brat! Any good and proper Took would let their child run wild as standard. It was simply the way things were. Tooks ran wild. The sky was blue. Simple.
Of course, Belladonna's mother, her namesake, went above and beyond what any normal Took did. She didn't just teach her baby about their home island like most other Tooks; no. She took her Bella all across Middle Earth to teach her survival skills. And from that, Bella's career was born.
What many of the Shire-folk did not know was that Bella was not only heir to her father.
In fact, she was heir to her mother too. The normal Shire residents could be forgiven for thinking that Belladonna the elder didn't have anything of import to pass on; Bella's mother's legacy was more illicit than most Hobbits could ever have dreamed up.
Actually, Belladonna Amaryllis Took was the greatest thief in all of Arda. The trouble was, the only name anyone outside the Shire knew her as was 'The Poison Shadow'. Although, technically, no one being able to put a name to her alter ego was a good thing, considering her line of work.
It was somewhat of a tough act to follow, but Belladonna junior took it up with all the grace and ease of a professional, gaining her own name; one much closer to home. Deadly Nightshade. Luckily, not many folk were bright enough to notice the similarities between the two thieves; similar names, similar styles and methods... Those who did kept it to themselves, or they went conveniently missing.
Together, the duo could steal the breath from your lungs without you noticing. They were brilliant, and with Bungo covering for them at home when needed, they could have done anything.
But, her mother and father were dead now.
Their passing left Belladonna Jr lost and alone in the world, scarcely old enough to cope. She gave up her thieving ways, and drew comfort from taking up her father's mantle, leaving her restricted. Slowly but surely, she became trapped in her hollow childhood home, the breath being squeezed from her lungs with the pressure of it if she stopped to think for too long.
There was no way around this; not many men were like her father, willing to overlook her 'little holidays' as her mother had called them. Unfortunately, her wishes on the subject of staying single were left entirely ignored.
She was, regardless of her lack of interest in marriage, the most eligible bachelorette in the Shire, and even beyond. This meant that her relatives simply would not leave her alone. They were constantly popping in with the thinly veiled excuse of wanting tea with her in order to propose yet another match.
Fortunately, she didn't have to marry if she didn't want to, as she could claim to be busy with her estate, and had more than enough money to support herself without aid. However, that still had its down sides, because as an unmarried Lady managing the largest estate in the Shire alone, she would always be judged.
They would never stop measuring her up against men, or telling her that having a man around to manage her property for her would be so much easier. She couldn't even grieve publicly for her own parents without fear of people labelling her as hysterical or mad and trying to take everything away. Bag End, her parents' belongings, her freedom... It could go on forever.
So, when her absentee Godfather, Gandalf Grey (Gandalf of the Greywater, one of the Lords of the Ardan seas) showed up, asking her beseechingly to go on another of their once frequent 'adventures' she was fully prepared to say 'no thank you, not this time, and never again'... But then he turned those damnable puppy-dog eyes on her, and she was unsure.
She found herself saying 'maybe' instead, which would turn out to be the best decision she'd ever made (unless you asked Nori, who would insist she should never have agreed at all, for his sanity).
Three days later, right after she'd sent her cook Bell home for the evening, a knock came on her door. Her Uncle must have been getting slow, she'd expected him to turn up hours earlier than they'd agreed in order to surprise her, and with unexpected company.
She opened it after a polite pause, admittedly only half expecting her Godfather, and found herself facing a dwarven pirate. At least she was right about the unexpected company.
He had to be a pirate, she thought. No other sort of man could pull off that much leather and muscle without belonging in some sort of death metal band or male stripper troupe. If nothing else, the numerous weapons told her that her Godfather hadn't sent her a strippagram. Not that he wouldn't do something like that if it got him what he wanted. Either way, she admitted the pirate without much pause.
Luckily for her, and unluckily for her nosy neighbours, the pirate had approached the manor from the rear, where the grounds were surrounded by dense foliage. This formed the property border all the way down to the estate's private cove. Fortunately, the single-track road to the other homes on the island was only accessible from the front of the property. This ensured that no nosy relatives would see her somewhat undesirable guests, and her staff were both loyal and sworn to secrecy.
Despite knowing all of this, she still cast her eyes around frantically before pulling him indoors.
With a look that she deliberately chose to interpret as amused instead of angry, the burly man bowed slightly before her. "Dwalin. At yer service, my Lady." He grunted roughly.
She smiled warmly at him. "Lady Belladonna Baggins, at yours, Master Dwalin. Tell me, are there others on their way?" She replied, swooping into a polite curtsy. She'd perfected it by this point; no Sackville-Baggins witch was ever going to claim that she wasn't a proper Lady!
"They sent me up ahead to test the waters, so t'speak." He said gruffly, as she slammed the door hurriedly closed behind him. "What's wrong? Not used to having people sneak in through the back entrance?" He gave her a leering sort of grin, though mischief was clear in his eyes as they roamed up and down her figure.
Without a thought she reached up, having to go on her tip-toes just to manage, and slapped him on the back of the head.
"Master Dwalin! That is no way to speak to a Lady." She admonished playfully. She stepped back from the doorway, and waved a hand to indicate the house. "Please, make yourself comfortable. Cook and myself have prepared a fine meal for you all."
He did so after a second of wary hesitation, settling himself in her quaint little parlour, looking dreadfully out of place. The contrast between her dainty doilies and petterned cushons against his leather, furs and amassed weaponry was almost comical. "Just Dwalin, my Lady. Never been a 'Master' in m'life. Never will be, either, if I have my way." He rumbled with a cheeky wink. She laughed delightedly, suddenly realising how much she'd missed the company of folk such as pirates.
"Well then, I suppose you'll just have to call me Bella then, if I'm to use your given name!" She responded with a bright grin.
Any response from Dwalin was disrupted. For a second time, a knock came at the door and Bella rushed to admit her next pirate.
The second pirate that had come to stand on her doorstep that night was a portly older fellow, with snowy hair and a beard as long, if not longer, than Dwalin's. "Balin, at your service, My Lady! Tell me, am I late?" He greeted with a deep bow. His deep brogue was pleasant to hear, and Bella found herself liking him immediately.
"Belladonna Baggins, at yours. No, no, you're only the second to arrive, my friend! No need to fret." She greeted, with a curtsy in return. Without any fuss, he was soon following her obediently into her parlour.
"Brother!" They greeted one another joyfully, and Bella stopped with her head cocked to the side to properly size them up.
Bell was of fairly average height for a Hobbit at around three feet tall, but she was still extremely short compared to other races. These two were no exception, she noted with some amusement. Dwalin wasn't dizzyingly tall to her mind, as Gandalf had always towered over everyone in the Shire. But that wasn't to say that Dwalin's height wasn't impressive for a dwarf; he had to be at least five feet tall! Balin wasn't that much shorter, to be honest, so being tall must have run in their family.
To be honest, most of the brothers' similarities ended there. Balin was obviously older, his hair colour and general roundness giving it away instantly. Their eyes were similar, but not the same. Balin's were the sparkling blue-grey of the open ocean, with a hint of youthful mischief, whereas Dwalin's were more like the sea before a storm, hinting at violence, but with a starkly similar mischief hidden in their depths. Although younger, Dwalin was completely bald on the top of his head, with black bushy hair on the sides of his head and meeting up with his beard. The two did share a face and nose shape, but Bella supposed that they took after separate parents, like her cousin Drogo and his sister, Lily.
A knock sounded on the door yet again, startling her out of her observation, and Bella answered it to two young dwarven lads. The taller one had hair dark as night, and the other was as golden as the sun. "Fìli and Kìli, at your service, Lady." They said in sync, and kissed her hands. Refusing to be flustered so easily, she allowed the two of them in. The blonde, she wasn't sure which was which, had warm hazel eyes, matched by the dark-haired one. Relatives again, perhaps? The shorter one was definitely older, with a moustache and beard to be proud of. The younger one couldn't be too far behind age-wise, but only had a small sprouting of stubble.
She took all of this in within seconds, and answered them before a pause would be noticed. "Belladonna Baggins, at yours." She returned quickly, already tiring of introducing herself repeatedly. "Also, my apologies, but which one of you is which?" She asked with a small, (fake) embarrassed, laugh. It was cleared up quickly enough, and she waved for them to follow her.
Soon enough, the two were also sitting happily in the parlour alongside the two they'd greeted as cousins, if her rudimentary Khudzul (that she definitely wasn't supposed to know) was right. Just as she was about to tell them that their meal was ready, someone else abused her poor, freshly painted door.
She opened it, and barely had time to brace herself for the onslaught of pirates as she was nearly flattened by eight of them.
They were all dwarves, and all apologised profusely (though neither pirates nor dwarves were known for their table manners, they were known for being very polite) before introducing themselves. She was so flustered as they rushed past her like a wave that she missed most of their names, but she didn't miss the way that some of them eyed her up and down.
Then, she caught sight of the openly laughing face of her Godfather in the doorway.
"You!" She roared at him. The pirates who'd just come in turned to her, astonished. Four heads poked immediately out of the parlour doorway, similarly amazed by the volume. "Oh, just stand there and watch as I'm almost crushed to death, and by pirates that you invited to my house without my knowledge!" She shouted. "I was expecting something like this, thank goodness, so at least there's food!" She continued quietly, almost as an aside.
"Food?" Kìli chimed in hopefully.
Her demeanour changed immediately back into that of a charming host. She threw a poisonous glare at Gandalf as she turned her back on him to face her guests.
"Of course, dear. This way, Gentlemen." She smiled serenely at them, as if she hadn't just shouted at a powerful Pirate Lord in front of them. "Is this all of your number?"
Dwalin dipped his head in thanks. "All but our Captain, Miss Bella." He rumbled with emphasis on her name, puffing up proudly at getting to use her first name.
"There should be plenty for all of you then." She nodded, ignoring the scandalised looks, Gandalf's wink, and the jealous glares directed at Dwalin. He was her favourite so far, she decided. She lead them into the dining room, and then simply settled in to wait for the chaos.
They followed her in, chattering animatedly amongst themselves, and she knew the exact second that they noticed the amount of food. All talk stopped. It was, truly, a mountain. There were countless pies and pasties, all different meats and combinations. There was a suckling pig, a roasted goose, fish dishes, steaks, sausages, eggs, salads and much more littered throughout. All thought vanished into chaos, and they descended like vultures.
She watched in horrified fascination. It had been a long time since she'd been in the company of a pirate who wasn't Gandalf, and she'd never seen them eat, though she'd heard the stories. They fell upon the little feast like drowning men gasped for air, and she was glad she'd made the decision to go overboard with the preparations. She knew that pirates went without much food whilst travelling, but she'd never seen a bunch who were (mostly) so thin.
It took her rushing back to eighteen years ago.
She was ten, and off on a 'little holiday' with her mother.
They were having a nice enough time, until she almost fell through a glass panel in their target's roof. Someone shouted for the authorities, and they were off running, before the person could see more than Bell's foot and the sweep of their cloaks. They ended up in the slums, skulking around near the darker, scarier allies, when she saw them.
Five urchin children, all crouching around a sixth, who was on the floor. The sixth wasn't moving. The children were thinner than anything she'd ever seen, even in some of the nastier cities, and none like them could be found in the Shire. One turned, catching her eye. The child's eyes were the thing that stood out most. Her face was so hollow that each bone was poking outwards and those eyes protruded like something monstrous. Then she saw the cracked lips, and bleeding gums. By this point, her mother must have noticed and she breathed in sharply. They left the city that night, without the treasure they'd stolen. They'd exchanged it quietly for local currency and given every last penny of it to those children.
When they returned home, her father took one look at the hollow look in her face and never asked about the souvenir they'd promised him.
She shook herself out of the memory, and even managed a wan smile as one of the men threw a boiled egg at the roundest of their number, who caught it in his mouth with ease, like it was practised. These men were not children. In fact, they were nothing like them, she told herself firmly, with a glance at their amassed weapons piled in the corner.
Finally, they were finished, and as Bella was about to start cleaning their plates up, they started throwing them. As she screeched about her parents' china and knives, they started singing some ridiculous song about destroying her possessions. Just as she felt like stealing one of the blonde one's knives and committing murder, they parted to reveal dishes so clean that they shined. She gaped at them for a moment before smiling gratefully and managing to choke out a laugh.
Before any more could be said or done, a knock reverberated through the house which stopped any cheer in its tracks. "He's here." Murmured Gandalf, quite unnecessarily. Bella rolled her eyes at him for his dramatics.
He opened the door before Bella could, to reveal the most deliciously handsome person she'd ever seen. She thought very briefly about what he'd look like without the armour and fur, and it was a lovely image... Until he opened his mouth and ruined it immediately.
"Grey! I thought you said this place was easily found. I lost my way, twice. And all for some high-born Lord who probably has more money than sense." He said angrily. Bella was somewhat taken-aback. What in the name of Yavanna was he talking about?
Gandalf had the good sense to interrupt before she could. "Thorin Oakenshield! May I present to you Lady Belladonna Baggins-"
"The wife of our would-be Burglar? Yes, hello my Lady. Why your Lord husband would leave such a pretty treasure out where anyone could steal her away, I have no clue. Ever thought of leaving your husband and going for a real man?" He murmured, smiling like a predator.
Gandalf's expression became thunderous, but it was nothing compared to Bella's reaction. She didn't give her Godfather a chance to interrupt for her this time.
"Excuse you!" She erupted. "How dare you come into my home, and start insulting me! First of all, how could you possibly get lost? There is a single path up from the cove that brings you directly to my door! Secondly, my wealth belongs to myself alone, as does my title. They do not belong to any man, and furthermore are none of your business! I am not married and have no desire to be, nor is there a Lord of this house! This place is mine alone, you presumptuous fool! If you ever talk about my person as though I'm some stupid doll ever again, I will gut you like the vile creature that you so clearly are!" She continued scathingly before reaching out, viper-quick, and slapping him so hard that his head snapped back.
Gandalf hurriedly stepped between them before Oakenshield could recover, and the audience of pirates looked so shocked that you could've knocked them down with a feather. Bella heaved breaths in and out frantically behind her Godfather, shaking with rage. It had been a good long while since anything had riled her up this badly.
"As I was saying. This is Lady Belladonna Baggins, only child of the late Lord Bungo Baggins, my Goddaughter, and your new Burglar." Gandalf interrupted smoothly, ice in his tone.
"This woman... This is our Burglar?" Thorin demanded, making a remarkable effort to recover from his shock. "She looks like she should be tending children, not stealing priceless heirlooms. There is no way you're letting a woman on my ship; it's bad luck. And even if she was as good as you say, I'll bet she doesn't even know how to use a weapon." He spat harshly, eyeing her with cruelty rather than the lust that some of the others had favoured her with.
Bella stepped out from behind her Godfather. She would not cower behind her guardian like she was still a child, especially not when she was getting ready to take another shot at the incredibly rude dwarf. She wanted to break his nose, she decided. She could even hear the satisfying snap in her imagination.
"I'll have you know that my being a female changes absolutely nothing! As for tending children, you can take your sword and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. If I were to steal for you, I'd wager that I could do it better than anyone alive, man or not. Plus, I have some skill in conkers, if you must know!" Belladonna raged with sarcasm clear in her tone. As if sensing that she was about to strike again, Gandalf rested a hand lightly on her upper arm. She shook it off aggressively; it would not help these dwarves' impression of her if she allowed herself to be soothed like a wild animal.
"Uncle Gandalf. I said that maybe I'd help you. However, if you wanted to convince me that badly, you shouldn't have invited thirteen strange men into my home without saying a word, nor should you have invited that insulting, rude, idiotic rat of a dwarf." She cut her harsh diatribe off after the last insult, and stared up at her Godfather angrily.
"My dear, wouldn't you at least like to hear of what we're trying to accomplish?" Gandalf twinkled, changing track, and catching her curiosity before she could act on her growing desire to hit him too.
"Of course. But it's the principal of the matter." She sniffed haughtily, playing the part of the gossiping Lady once more. However, she stalked into the dining room away from them, still clearly fuming.
Victorious, and grinning broadly in the knowledge of it, Gandalf followed in the footsteps of his Goddaughter, clearly trying to soothe her ruffled feathers. The Company remained, looking at Thorin bemusedly. "You've right cocked that up." Nori said cheekily after a few seconds of tense silence. "Even if she doesn't come, now none of us have a chance of getting into her bed!" He finished with a vulgar flourish of his hand, missing Bella's quiet return to the room.
Most of the Company roared with laughter. Dori whacked him with a hiss of his name, Thorin continued to glare, and Dwalin shook his head smugly, uncrossing his folded arms to point at something over Nori's shoulder. He turned slowly, apprehensively, and came face to face with Bella's flirty grin.
She didn't blush, or blink at his crudeness, just raised one red-gold eyebrow. "Oh, my love." She simpered sweetly, as an evil grin split her face. "If you wanted me in your bed..." She trailed off, sounding sultry before her voice gained a sharp quality. "You'd better join the queue of rejects." She snapped harshly, slapping him on the arse as she slid past. "Not that you wouldn't have been... Fun. I'm sure." She whispered gently into his reddening ear. "I'd tell you you had a chance even, but a Lady doesn't share her secrets." She mocked.
Nori's blush boiled to a bright lobster red, and he began stuttering incoherently, as Bella pushed gently past the rest of the dwarves and down the hall, with a swing in her hips. The second she turned the corner, she leaned her back against the wall and broke down into silent laughter. She wondered idly how long the lot of them had been at sea. She had felt the majority of their eyes burning into her back until she turned out of their line of sight.
After a moment to compose herself, she remembered what she was looking for. She gathered the spare guest sheets from her linen closet, and made her way back to the hallway.
The lot of them were still standing exactly where she'd left them, and as soon as Nori saw her approaching, his face once more flamed red to match his hair. "Pardon me, gentlemen." She smiled as though nothing had happened.
They parted for her like a river parting around a rock, and she walked back to where Gandalf was just getting situated into his usual armchair. The pirates followed her like moths to a flame, or ducklings, and she shoved half of the sheets roughly into her Uncle's chest so that his arms had to come up and catch them.
"Here. Seeing as you aren't doing anything important, you can help me do these. I've let Prim have the rest of the day off. Good job too. She'd probably try to make off with one of them." She said offhandedly, baring her teeth slightly, causing several faces to redden like her prize winning tomatoes.
Gandalf merely raised an eyebrow at her mockingly. He didn't make any attempt to move. Bella huffed, and pinched his ear like her mother had taught her to do, right in the most painful spot. He winced and rose as high as he could with the Hobbit holding onto his ear, following in a limping crouch as she dragged him forcefully towards the stairs. She released him at the foot, and pushed her pile of cloth into his arms with the rest. Gandalf began to climb the great staircase, and a thought occured to her. She would never in a million Ages be accused of being a bad host. She spun on her heel on the first step, eyes roaming over the amused faces of the pirates until she caught the gaze of the one she was after.
"There's food left." She snapped harshly at Thorin, before spinning to catch up to her Godfather, moving herself and Gandalf out of sight and sound of the others. They stopped moving once they were at the top of the stairs and down the hall a fair way.
Quickly, she checked to make sure no one was listening. In her peripheral vision, she noticed a shape melt seamlessly into the shadows down the corridor, well within hearing distance of their conversation.
"Uncle..." She murmured, still aware of the interloper's presence. She knew full well that the shadow had been sent to listen to their every word.
"Yes, my dear?" He said gently. Too gently. She blinked rapidly at the sudden moisture in her eyes, hearing something of her father in his tone.
"If I go wherever this is... It won't be like the other times, will it?" She asked resignedly.
Gandalf paused, with one foot in the door of the first guest room. He looked at her, with those ancient, twinkling eyes that she knew so well, and she could almost read his answer before he spoke. "I... I cannot promise anything. If you do return, you may never be the same again. Your reputation... Your parents were still alive when last we adventured; now... People will use your departure against you. And yet I truly believe that this would be good for you."
Bella took a deep, shaking breath. She gave a curt nod, and turned to face back towards the stairs. As she took a step away, she heard Gandalf sigh deeply. "Bell?" He said quietly. Too quietly for the eavesdropper to hear. She nodded once, almost imperceptibly. "Whatever you decide... I truly hope that you choose not what is best for you now, but what makes you happiest in the long run." She bowed her head slightly. He must have taken this as agreement, as the next thing she heard was him moving into the guest room to begin making the bed.
She was in turns glad for the tears in her eyes and angry that he'd almost caused them. Reprimanding herself, she dispelled them as quickly as she could. Gathering herself together, she straightened, took a breath, and marched away towards the top of the stairs.
She paused casually next to the spy holding his breath in the shadows of the alcove he'd hidden in, practically able to hear his heart beating. She grabbed his collar, fast as a viper, and pulled him with her into the adjacent and completely deserted sitting room. She spun, releasing him into the room and standing with her back against the door. After a breathless second, she tilted her head slightly. He was trapped; now it was only a matter of when, not if, he broke.
As he blinked at her, clearly not aware that he should be afraid, she very deliberately reached behind herself and locked the door. Then she crossed her arms, leaning back against the solid wood, and waited, never taking her eyes off of him.
He broke first.
"What?" Nori huffed. She smiled in victory. The redhead gulped, unnerved. His eyes never stopped travelling the room, looking for an exit. He wouldn't find one.
"Oh, nothing much at all really. I just want to know why you feel the need to spy on the private conversations of your gracious host." Bella purred conversationally, shifting her weight to cock one hip.
Instead of answering, Nori shoved his hand into his pocket, retrieving a coin. He began to whistle softly, flicking the coin repetetively across his knuckles. Bella sighed. Time to take things up a notch. She uncrossed her arms, causing him to look back at her.
Deliberately, she advanced a step in his direction, and he responded with a subconscious step back. She repeated this action a few more times without him seeming to realise until the back of his knees hit a chair and he fell into a seated position, her shorter form now towering over him. His coin rolled away, forgotten. Blinking up at her, Nori's face finally showed some alarm.
"Darling." She murmured, falling back on the seductive, growl that had always gotten her whatever she wanted: information, or something else.
"It is most rude to ignore a Lady when she speaks to you." She growled, changing tracks between threat and seduction as quickly as breathing. She bent slightly forward, more leaning over him now, so that the neckline of her dress fell just a tiny bit lower than it had before, revealing no more than half an inch extra of her smooth, olive skin.
Nori swallowed around his suddenly dry mouth, his mind working frantically. He may not have spoken to a lass for almost six months, nor slept with one in much longer, but he would not break so easily! His Captain was relying on him, in case the pretty wench tried to sell them out to the highest bidder. He cast about for a second, before focussing on a fixed point over her shoulder, trying to will his mind out of the gutter.
Bella waited for a second, before seeing his resolve beginning to strengthen. That would not do! Taking things a step further, she put one soft hand on his cheek, slowly pushing until he was forced to look at her once more. He flinched and tried look away without success; she was stronger than she appeared. Opening his mouth, no doubt to say something off-colour in an attempt to distract her, he was halted as she put a finger under his chin and snapped his jaw shut. He inhaled sharply and it was like a gasp, though tried to cover it. Bella noticed. She always did.
Idly, she ran the hand that been on his cheek from his temple down to the edge of his beard, causing him to shiver. He wasn't bad, for a pirate. Certainly, this lot were the cleanest she'd seen. He had such pretty hands, too. She gently picked one up from where it had clenched into a fist next to his thigh, gently turning it over and examining it as she stretched his digits back out. All delicate and dexterous, she mused to herself as she waited for him to give her what she wanted. Thief's hands.
Nori could scarcely breathe. All thoughts had flown from his notoriously thick skull, leaving his blank mind buzzing gently, like bees. Everything crystalised into one thought as she played with his hand in some sort of reverie of her own; he would spill any secret she asked for if she got any closer.
It was as though she'd read his mind then. She leaned forward even further, almost past him, her chest coming milimetres from brushing his shoulder as she brought a hand up to rest on the top of the chair behind him. Bella shifted her weight, lifting one leg so that she could rest her knee gently on the outside of his thighs. Her skirt rucked up as she moved, revealing inch after inch of bare leg, which stopped moving once it was just resting against his own.
Though he would deny it to his dying day, Nori whimpered.
Practically tasting the victory, Bella looked away demurely, smirking where he couldn't see her. Easy as stealing from a drunkard.
She looked back into his glazed eyes, and quickly brought her other knee up, on the other side of his legs, effectively framing them, and trapping him in the chair. She sat down heavily onto his lap, wobbling slightly. Faking a lack of balance, she gripped at his shoulder and the back of his neck. The poor pirate looked almost like he would tear up, but whether from joy, fear or frustration, she didn't know. Didn't care either. This was turning into a rather fun game. It was imperative that she got some extra practice in; if she ended up going, it would be absolutely essential to know who to manipulate with what move. For example, this one was easy. He would need just a bit of physical contact, maybe more if he'd gotten used to her, so best not overuse the trick.
Not breaking the eye contact until the last second, she leaned into him, almost as though going for a kiss, then put her lips to his ear, barely touching it. A shiver wracked him as her breath ghosted over him.
"Could you tell me what I want to know?" She whispered, just brushing the delightful little cuff at the top of his ear.
He nodded frantically, all pretence dropped. "Yes m'Lady. I'm Thorin's spy. We needed to be sure you wouldn't betray us the moment our backs were turned. He told me t'see if you were trustworthy." He spilt out in a rush of words.
"And what are you going to tell him, my love?" She accompanied the question with a brush of her hands across his shoulders and down his chest. Goodness, these dwarves packed some muscle, even the wiry ones!
"The truth m'Lady. You're trustworthy, but need to be watched. You're sneaky." Nori answered honestly, even managing to smile a bit. He may have caved quick, but he wouldn't lie to his Captain, not even for the promise of a good time with a beautiful lass.
Bella nodded her head slowly a couple of times. That was fair enough in her book, and loyalty like that wasn't something to be sniffed at. If she went along, maybe she could earn it too, but it would clearly take more time than she had now.
"There's a good boy." She purred mischievously. Nori finally got brave, moving his hands as though he was about to grip her waist.
Without a second's pause, Bella slid to her feet and flitted back to the door, one hand already gripping the handle. "Thank you for the cooperation!" She chirped brightly and unlocked the door, any emotion that he could have perceived as desire gone without a trace. "Dearest, I know that you're loyal to your Captain, and I do think that's admirable. But if you tell anyone about this, I'll tell them that you're no longer a trustworthy spy. They'll have you hung, drawn and quartered before you can say liar, and I'll smile all the way through. Am I clear?" The pleasant smile never left her face, and Nori's face changed from that scared-desiring look to something unreadable. He nodded curtly.
Bella sighed in a put-upon way, and went back to him. She crouched slightly to get to eye level with him. "Maybe another time, yes? In different circumstances." She winked, before she leaned down and gently pecked him on the lips.
She left the room, only to run straight into Gandalf. "Dealt with?" He inquired softly, holding onto her shoulders to steady her. They stepped away from the sitting room and stopped just before the top of the stairs.
She nodded, all business. "If anyone asks-”
"If anyone asks, you relented and were helping me the entire time we were gone." He winked. The door opened once more. Nori stood, with a thunderous scowl on his face.
"M'lady. I'm Nori, if you remember. Our introduction was quite rushed." He grunted loudly, refusing to make eye contact. "I appear to have gotten lost in your wretched maze of a house. Would you kindly point me in the direction of the dining room please?" He muttered with clear discomfort. She laughed, and it was like the musical sound of water bubbling through a brook.
"Of course, my dear." She answered, linking arms with him, and leading him merrily back down the stairs towards the others.
When they looked up, with varying expressions of suspicion and surprise, she laughed again. "Fancy getting lost!" She exclaimed. "If anyone else does, I can't promise being able to find you again!" No one questioned her, and a silver haired pirate who may have been Nori's brother cuffed him over the back of his head and hissed something about not stealing from their hostess.
In no time at all, the men were taking over her dining room, and all talking at once. She stayed back, simply observing. None of the others seemed to realise she was still there, except for Nori, who kept shooting suspicious glances her way and alternating between scowling and smirking when he caught her eye. Finally, a map and key were produced, which led them to talk about other things, until at last, a contract was laid almost reverently before her.
Impatiently and without any ceremony, Bella snatched it. Quietly and quickly, she read through it, unruffled, until she got to the part about- "Evisceration... Incineration?" Her voice trailed off into a whisper. She looked up at the gathered faces, her eyes far away. She wasn't seeing them any more.
She was sixteen in this memory, only a month into her majority.
Before her eyes, the North wing of Bag End, where her parents slept, was flaring up into deadly, flickering flames.
She was running towards it from the cove, faster than she'd ever run before, but her father caught her around the waist before she could get any closer. He'd come from the direction of his little writing shed, where he often stayed all hours of the day and night. She could hear her mother's cries for help, fainter by the second. She fell to her knees as her father let her go and told her to stay put, running straight into the inferno without hesitation.
She soon heard him scream as well, and suddenly realised that her mother's cries had stopped. But she knew that it wasn't because she'd gotten out. She tried to move, but couldn't make her muscles cooperate, felt tears streaming down her face, and could feel the heat from where she knelt, only metres away. It was blistering her, and she hadn't even gone in; couldn't go in. With all her might, she forced her legs to rise beneath her and took a step towards the blaze.
Before she could approach any further, she heard popping and creaking and the roof caved in, taking the sound of her father's cries with it. She should have been in there with them; her bedroom was only two doors down from theirs - if only she hadn't had insomnia, she would have been there, to help, to get her mother out. Or, more morbidly, to die with them.
She only realised that she was screaming when she fell back to her knees and heard her voice rising above the sound of the fire. She could smell the smoke and the earth, then something more sickly. It took her a minute to realise it was the smell of her parents and possibly their cat cooking in the inferno. Tasting bile, she leaned over and vomited into the dark ground before her, finally, mercifully, passing out.
As the memory threatened to take her over completely, she was broken out of her reverie by a jolly, sarcastic, voice. Gandalf slowly stood up, squinting suspiciously at her. Shadows seemed to be gathering in the room, though Bella couldn't tell if it was her guardian or her own mind.
"Yep!" He snickered, popping the 'p'. "Smaug, chiefest and greatest of calamities. He's got a proclivity for burning. Fairly typical for a dragon, as you might expect." He grinned, completely unaware of her panic.
"Dragon..." Bella whispered frantically, trying to stop another onslaught of memories. Fire and smoke and death.
"Well, yes. You know, like a furnace with wings?" He said encouragingly, even nodding at her rapidly paling face.
With the sounds of her parents' screams still ringing in her ears, and the smell of smoke in her nose, Bella quite unashamedly fainted right there, in front of all of them.
As the Pirates watched in confusion, she seemed to fall in slow motion. They shot out of their seats to try and catch her in vain, but Gandalf managed to reached her just before she hit the floor. He caught her around the shoulders and gently lifted her into his arms, gazing down at her sadly.
"And you want her to be our burglar? She faints at the mere idea of danger!" Thorin sneered derisively.
"Mama... No! No, Father! Don't... You'll burn! No, no! Please- Don't leave me here alone." Bella murmured restlessly. Gandalf closed his eyes for a second. He looked upon her worn, heartbroken face sadly.
He carried her to the parlour, with the pirates following. Bofur spoke first, looking distinctly guilty. "What..." He started uneasily.
"It's not my place to say. I told you all and your Captain not to mention the possibility of fire right away." Gandalf spat, his harsh tone contrasting with his gentle movements as he placed his Goddaughter onto a chaise longue.
"You expected me to remember? I have far more important things to worry about than the reactions of an outsider! How was I supposed to know?" Captain Oakenshield demanded in reply.
Before Gandalf could respond, Bella stirred. They peered at her as she came round. "Wha- Gandalf?" She whispered.
"Bella, my girl. Are you feeling alright?" Gandalf probed gently.
She shot upright, as if she'd just noticed the others. "Fine!" She snapped, fighting a bout of dizziness. "Now, thank you for thinking of me, but no. I will not be going on this fool's quest."
She very nearly ran from the room. Gandalf followed, shutting the door. "Belladonna." He whispered, when they were alone.
"No! I know what you're going to say, and it's still a no!" She said firmly. "You need to leave me alone, Gandalf."
"Bella. You know how I feel about you going, so I will not repeat myself... I honestly had no idea how much this would still affect you; if I had-"
"You knew!" She shouted with venom seeping out of every pore. "You knew. That is how they died, of course it still affects me! You don't just get over your entire world crumbling down around you." She hissed coldly. Then she opened the door on the thirteen pirates desperately pretending not to eavesdrop on them.
Bella ignored them completely. "We've made up the spare rooms for you. Gandalf, show them where to go. Sorry I can't be of more assistance." She said flatly, and left the room.
She rushed to her bedroom as fast as she could, and slammed the door shut behind her, leaning tiredly on it. There had been too many memories brought forth by their presence, and it had only been one evening. She could still hear the men talking, although it was in hushed voices. Then, like distant thunder rolling throughout the house came one voice. Thorin. He sung mournfully, of all that he had lost, the others slowly joining in. It was beautiful and haunting and it hit Belladonna like she'd run into a brick wall. She suddenly felt all the years of loneliness and pain she'd had since her parents had died come rushing back to her. Finally, she gave up and let herself go. She wept and wept, sobbing all of her hurts out until she had nothing left to give.
Slowly, the singers petered out until only Thorin's voice remained, solid as a rock, his presence tangible. Then he stopped also, his voice breaking with the feeling of it all. Like a thief in the night, she stole away into bed and fell into a deep, restless sleep.
She dreamed. She saw her home, and theirs, and fire. Always fire. She saw Thorin's face, and made her decision without conscious thought.