Chapter 2
The night was alive around them, filled to its brim by rustlings and the yelps of animals. Here was a fox's startled barking, probably sensing some larger predator close by it. There the hoot, hoot of a great owl swooping on silent wings towards its prey, that in its turn squeaked, rustling the underbrush with panic.
Soft chirping water could also be heard from a creek deeper in the dark, moon shadowed woodlands, and accompanying its sound the seemingly eternal serenades of countless frogs.
It smelled freshly of pine, running water and that special light fragrant smell that could be sensed really early in the mornings when dew would lay its minute crystal droplets unto the gentle faces of night blooms filling with their sweet, pure fragrance.
The company of fifteen dwarves and a hobbit silently walked on through all of this, neither adding or removing anything from it with their silent presence, thick cloaks kept out the chill, and covered their faces. Even the four ponies following them on short leashes did not neigh or in any other way make any loud sounds. Only slight creeks of leather, the occasional thud of a heavy, ironclad, dwarven boot or louder intake of air could sometimes be heard from the party.
Indeed, one could at times had have all of them pass by without even noticing their presence, so well at home did this whole silent procession to be in the night around them.
They had by now pushed on for several hours, leaving the Shire behind them and placing many rolling hills and deep valleys in between them. Around them, the night that still was young at the time of their departure had slowly but surely started to turn towards early and yet unclear morning. Small wisps of fog had begun to creep out from the valleys and lay in great swaths over fields and stony gorges, but no birds, not even the earliest morning sparrows, had yet started their song.
Bilbo, who during the whole of this silent walk, had breathed in all of its beauty and almost otherworldly serenity, were now starting to feel a bit tired. Not the type of dreary exhaustion that may find one at the end of a long day at home, filled with chores and worries, that in their summarized end really amounted to nothing. No, this was not at all that type of numbing exhaustion that seemed suck all joy and likability out from the virtues of a good rest.
This was the tiredness after a rich and full day, after breathing in the world around oneself with big generous gulps, and enjoying it to the utmost. And now sated with it all for the day, it would be time to rest for a time, in the good company of sturdy companions.
"Say Ari, is it not about time for setting up that camp by now?" Bilbo asked the silent dwarf by his side, feeling how his voice came out a bit gravely from being silent so long.
"Ay, getting tired already Master Baggins?" the dwarf said in his deep, melodically booming voice and looked over the Hobbit as if he were one of his fighters during a mustering.
"And here I thought that it was your accreted intention to have us all push on cleanly through the night altogether."
"I have not only heard but first hand been witness to the stamina and endurance of your steadfast folk, o Ari" said Bilbo patting the dwarf on his massive shoulder. "But this is not a time for display or proving. Besides I am not as young as I used to be my young friend".
"Maybe not young but truly well preserved my friend," Ari answered, whilst his eyes already were darting around, accessing their location and the possibilities it held for setting up a good encampment.
"I don't know if you even mean that as an insult or a compliment anymore old friend" Bilbo said smiling.
"Be certain of one thing friend", Ari said whilst raising a fisted hand up over his head, by that signalling halt to the dwarven company. "That 'This' dwarf still remembers the days when my father Bifur and I would come visiting you under the hill, in this blessed small land. When I still was to young to be allowed into the war company. I will never forget the kindness and respect that you always showed me, even then."
"But say Ari, how does that play into that our hobbit friend is well preserved?" Mimer interjected suddenly, the little dwarf had silently approached the pair of them, standing a bit in front of the rest.
"Well, you eternally curious one," Ari said, smiling towards his younger cousin, "It's quite simple really. Ever since I saw Master Baggins here, and that was about thirty-two years ago by the date, I have nary noticed a single change in him. He still looks the same acts more or less the same and certainly cooks the same."
At this the younger dwarf gave Bilbo a long puzzled look, but did not seem to tarry to long on thinking about it all. Besides dwarfs were a long lived folk, and not changing a lot over the course of mere decades was fully natural to them.
"So does the lord Ari, son of Bifur consider this particular road curb to be worthy of our humble nightly encampment?" Bilbo asked Ari, whilst keeping his own mantle close around him, the chill of the early morning had started to get to his old bones the moment their march had come to a halt.
"As a matter of fact, I do not," Ari said, pointing to a small hillock rising sharply out of the forested valley some hundreds of paces to the side of the road.
"But I certainly am assured that we can have us a splendid camp on the western side of that hill over there."
"I'll bow my head before your great knowledge of such things" Bilbo said courtly.
"Besides, right about now I am ready to follow almost any advice there may be, as long as it may lead me faster on my way to some warm food and my nice bedroll."
"So that is how the matter is Bilbo? Has our company already tired you so, that you want naught but to be able to forfeit it in sleeping?" The comment was not meant seriously at all, and even in the fading light of a setting moon Bilbo saw the good natured smirk on the dwarfs face.
"Yes exactly right old friend" he said thievishly rubbing his hands together, "And, why not, while I sleep, would you not enjoy some of that now fabled Hobbiton Ale that was promised to you!" The last words Bilbo spoke loudly, so loudly in fact that he could not have any doubt that anyone in the company heard it, besides old Dari maybe, who at his ages autumn had grown rather deaf.
"Splendid idea!" "Good old Bilbo does it again" and other generally approving murmurings could be heard amongst the line of dwarves, the only two silent ones were as always, the previously wholly unknown to Bilbo, Bor and Tiri, big, hulking dwarves that disregarding the otherwise casual (and hardly war-like) demeanour of the rest, always were wearing heavy looking, tightly plated armour, complemented by robust helms covering most of their faces.
"What are we waiting for then?" old Dari said, a bit crankily from his place almost at the end of the line.
"I have grown cold into my very bones and hungry like a starving troll during our otherwise lovely walk, and as a person of great age I am certain that our dear master Baggins is feeling exactly the same as I, but just is to polite to air it to you young, swords-wielding helm-heads!"
The old fat dwarf laboriously took some steps in the direction of Bilbo and Ari, scuffing the younger warriors aside in his wake.
"Can you send away your lads to get that camp up now, Ari?" He said loud enough for any one a mile from them to hear. "And would it not be nice to send away our three fine bowmen to get us all some good meat? The boar, remember?" He finished off by lovingly tapping his quite voluptuous belly.
"May I guess that you will not be contented in the matter until the boar you have been going on about, practically since we left Dale, is placed in front of you, steaming from the fire?" Said Ari, not turning to face the old dwarf, still busily inspecting the hill on which he envisioned their camp to be.
"Certainly not!" Dari scoffed and played with the fingers of one hand through his thick white beard.
"What is your view of the proposition then comrades?!" Ari asked, speaking loudly and clearly so that all the dwarves who now had broken their orderly line and gathered in a heap around them could hear.
"My question is especially directed to you Eri, Reri and Meri, for it will be up to you to track and chase any wild beast to bring as a supplement to our nightly snack… and Dari's ever growing stomach." The latter part was added in a voice more hushed but still loud enough for anyone who listened in to hear it. Anyone except old Dari that was, since his hearing was not one of the best. Smiles appeared on their faces and the three young brothers who were by their leader chosen for the task almost broke out laughing, whilst they shared a private glance between the three of them.
"We must graciously accept thine judgement, o wise one" Eri said making a wholly overly exaggerated bow.
"To hunt down a midnight snack for Dari will be our greatest ambition for this moment" said Reri, mimicking the bow of his brother.
Directly after his brothers Meri continued "This time as always we are ready to serve the needs of thine truly insatiable belly, may it always grow larger and… Ouch!... Ouch! … Ouch!"
Old Dari, who clearly were not hearing this particular jest for the first time, had suddenly soared, and only the quick eyes of the hobbit had had the time to notice how during the vocal onslaught of the brothers Dari's face quickly turned from its usual rosy complexion to a darker red hue.
And when Meri foolhardily enough made his mocking bow closer to him than the other two brothers had Dari suddenly exploded. Lifting his massive brass fitted, decorated waking staff high into the air with a surprising, and for his body size practically eerie grace, Dari whacked Reri on his black curled, helmetless head. Growling something indecipherable on khûzdul in between every cracking whack.
To no surprise for Bilbo no one in the party took any of this seriously and Ari hardly even took notice of the just moments ago so dignified, and according to his own words, travel weary, elderly dwarf, now running around walloping young Reri with a stick whist the rest of them laughed heartily.
Bilbo found himself suddenly swept up in the laughter, for a brief second he wanted to stop and reprimand himself for taking pleasure in another's suffering, no matter how humorous it may be. But quickly saw that, as always with Ari and his war company, that the jest in itself and even Dari's seeming rage were good natured and that there was no ill will in it all.
"Alright enough ye two! Settle it down now!" The voice was hoarse and did not at all seem to fit its bearer, a round-faced good natured looking dwarf, that by his looks alone as well could have been one of the queer, porcelain creations that elderly humans in latter days have gotten the strange custom of putting out all around their gardens. The fact that Sidri fancied to always wear his old road stained and ruffed up scroll tube over one shoulder and alchemical satchel over the other just furthered to confuse the image.
"It's enough that we have these three, wee boys in our company, brandishing their new crossbows at anyone and anything is bad enough, could not at least you Dari, who is the eldest of us, be able to show some proper dwarven pride?" After saying this Sidri decisively put a thumb to one nostril and forcefully blew his nose unto the star lit dust of the road. And thus, with that action, largely obliterating any meaning that his mentioning of dwarven pride may have had.
His timely intervention stopped a hard breathing Dari in mid stride, walking stick snakingly hovering over the back of a dishevelled Reri that struggled for breath in between fits of laughter. The young and quick dwarven scout had been able to easily avoid the majority of the elders half-hearted wallops, which made him unable to contain his glee. But the few hits that actually had struck home made his head to ring from the impact.
"By Durin's beard…'Gasp'... I require a.., 'Gasp, wheeze', an apology!" Dari managed to push forth without suffocating.
"You shall as always have our apology grandpa" Eri said in a genuinely apologetic voice.
"As always in the form of the pray that you have requested of us" added Meri.
"Why am I always the one who gets the walloping though?" Reri finished, a bit grudgingly and rubbed his sore head.
"Because you are the slowest one of the three of us, of course!" Dari suddenly answered the question and gave a sharp, deafening laugh.
"You are also by far the ugliest" Eri concluded, at which Reri made the greatest effort of to look hurt to his innermost soul.
"Does this fair face really warrant such vile treatment!?" the young dwarf implored the rest, searching for sympathy in the surrounding multitude.
"I think it best for "this fair face" to start walking in the general direction of where our dinner may be stalking the local woods." Ari said loudly and then threatingly adding. "Or maybe I may decide that treatment by master Dari's stick actually made you look less ugly than before".
"All are always against me!" Reri said melodramatically.
"I will now go, to find my solace in the forests darkness, killing innocent creatures to satisfy the deep, unearthly pain that your hate has created in my heart." Reri pompously strode a bit away from the group and lifted his hands high.
"Will no one follow me?" Saying this, he turned around to the rest of them, and suddenly showed his tongue to them all.
The jest was so unexpected and in some strange way comedic to one and all that they all yet again broke out laughing. All but Bor and Tiri that is, they hardly ever indulged in laughter, or spoke at all, as far as Bilbo had noticed.
"We will follow you, our little brother! Let us share your burden of woe!" Eri and Meri answered, and yet again made mock bows in the general direction of the others, before quickly joining their brother.
After this the three young brothers happily jogged of into the night, accompanied by general laughter and well wishes on their hunt.
"Good, now when these three troublemakers have departed we can finally get started!" Ari said rubbing his hands.
"Come now friend Ari, do not let this go too far, or else they at their return may keep the boar from us and share it amongst themselves." Bilbo interceded, pretending a scared impression on his face.
"Durin knows these three easily could eat a whole wild boar, and more after that" Ari replied smiling.
"But enough of this, let us now get to work, or the night will be long since gone to brightest day, and we still will but be standing on the road arguing and jesting among ourselves!".
"Well spoken! All this needless talk and jesting made me more think about those dainty elves, with their irritating high pitched voices, and tiny weak appendages! And not the Khazâd that we are!" Sidri said provocatively shaking a clenched fist in no particular direction.
"To work now! To work, dwarves of the mountain!"
"Kain, Ain and Dain, you three get at unharnessing and unpacking the ponies, carry all we need to the top of the hill, and let the ponies graze below.
"Tor, Throd and Sutni, get going on raising the long tent, Mimer, fetch your kindling and make us a fire!"
"Bor and Tiri… go gather additional firewood, and try finding more dry kindling for us to take with us."
After Ari was done rapidly giving out the orders for the evening, that came in a sudden rapid militant staccato that somehow seemed to be out of place, he turned to Bilbo and the now no longer as hard breathing Dari, who were still standing by his side.
"What will be our tasks for then?" Bilbo asked and raised an eyebrow.
"If you expect me to sit down like some frail old museum exhibit waiting for all to be served to me, you will find yourself to be highly mistaken master dwarf." The hobbit added to his previous statement, placing his hands at his hips and standing up as tall and brisk as his tired state, the early hour and his one-hundred-and-eleven years of age could allow.
Determinately ignoring Dari's insistent winks and barely hidden hisses, with which the old dwarf obviously wanted to make Bilbo desist from his choice of action.
"And what made you expect that I would leave you out of the preparations?" Ari said with a sinisterly soft voice.
"My original plan was that you and Dari would prepare our meal this night, and then wait until the fire was done and start cooking us a nice stew, in our eager wait for the promised boar." Dari clearly wanted to say something at this point, and was even slightly swaying his head, as if agreeing to Ari's plan, accreting that it indeed was a splendid idea. But Ari disregarded the old dwarf, and went on.
"But now when you clearly have shown your interest to take a much more active part of the preparations, why don't you join me in carrying up our water for the night, up from that creek we passed earlier. Maybe we will even have the opportunity to refill everyone's canteens if the water seems clear enough… oh, and why don't you join us Dari?"
Seeing that the "offer" did not leave any option for denying it, Dari took a deep breath, apparently accepting his fate and only shot Ari a deeply disappointed glance.
"If my three grandchildren will have to carry me tomorrow, know that the fault for that lies on your head, o great leader, and on your 'planning'."
"Oh, go to your bellowed pots and pans dearest Dari, and cook us up some amazing, previously untasted stew. Like you always do." Ari said raising a hand towards the older dwarf.
"And do not let the late hour and mine jest make you ill at ease, we all probably should go to our deserved respite soon."
Without saying anything the white bearded old dwarf silently grasped the youngers hand firmly for a moment, and then silently trudged on upwards the hill, on which's top a sprawling, lively, small camp that with lightning speed and precision already had started to emerge. And the first heart-warming sparks of Mimer's fire could already be seen shining up the darkest hours of the soon to come morning.
Without speaking one to another, as if to preserve the in some strange way the, yet again, mysterious and graceful silence of the night that once more had enveloped them. Bilbo and Ari took up the leather sacks for carrying water, already laid out to them at the bottom of the hillock and warily walked over the starlit dusty road, and started their steep descent into the ravine on its other side.
Any sounds of the dwarves raising the camp (if there at all were any to be heard, since raising camp silently was one of this groups many well drilled specialities) or other sounds that may have disturbed the perfect stillness of this otherworldly hour were quickly swallowed up by the trees surrounding them on the steep dew slippery slope. Or blotted out by the decent itself.
Bilbo always felt a bit apprehensive walking out at night in unknown places, an apprehension based on the rich experiences that he had procured during his big adventure, and of course just elementary hobbit sense.
But now he was descending a dark slippery slope in the mornings darkest hours, weighed down by clumsy leather sacks. Carefully gazing down into the narrow valley below and seeing that it only a few meters under them seemed to "end" in a sea of swirling and wavering white vapours of fog, realising that he in only moments would have to personally breach this roof of fog and descend into its moist and deathly cold embraces.
The hobbit felt more than apprehensive, he actually admitted to himself feeling quite afraid, afraid not as during the long and calm years of lazy life in the shire. For small and now seemingly remote causes, but really afraid, afraid for something unpleasant, and fully unnatural to transpire with him, down there somewhere, in the dancing and swirling, seemingly endless sea of vapours below.
His right hand, apparently of its own volition, slid down his side, past his mantle and inside his trouser pocket, when he found it to be holding nothing but a small pocket knife. His mind suddenly turned to his previously unconscious action, and made him violently draw for breath and tense in his whole body.
IT WAS GONE! He had lost it his precious! His beautiful golden ring, that could keep him safe in any situation, no matter how dangerous or horrific, was not there.
Bilbo violently jolted, trying to frantically remember where he last had seen his ring, his hands flew to all thinkable and unthinkable "pocketses" to search and then he slipped.
As he did so he remembered, the reality came flashing back to him in the cold, stomach turning instantly as the slippery slope was jerked from under him. He remembered that he had passed it, passed it on to Frodo, that it now lay safe with all his other treasured but unneeded possessions back in the warm comfort of Bag End.
He felt the feeling of freedom and lightness flood back into his mind, even though it now frantically was racing trying to think of as many possible ways to tumble down this slope as he could, without snapping his neck.
Strong hands suddenly grasped Bilbo, strong but surprisingly gentle, they lifted him clean up, aborting his tumbling fall and carefully setting him back down on the cold slippery slope.
"Are you alright Bilbo?" Ari's voice was filled with genuine worry, but the dwarf nonetheless kept his tone down.
"What happened there?" Bilbo meet the deep brown eyes staring into his, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm quite alright Ari… don't worry…I just was not careful enough placing down my foot, almost sprained my ankle there. Maybe my years are finally capturing up to me after all… don't you think?" Bilbo said, putting on the most convincing smile that he could muster for the moment.
"Sprained your ankle? More likely tumbled down the gorge and ended up in the brook with a broken neck." Ari said in the same calm, silent tone, but the worry he had felt was still palpable in his eyes. The hobbit was, for a moment, certain Ari had displayed actual fear.
The dwarf took two steps back, letting go his strong grip on Bilbo's shoulders.
"Don't go stepping like that again Bilbo." He said, giving the hobbit another long look. "Besides, I have a really important thing to discuss with you, it touches upon the next leg of our planned journey." He added after a brief silence.
"So important that only I of all our company should take part of it?" Bilbo asked, his curiosity instantly peaked, and the near neck breaking tumble he had had only moments earlier all but forgotten.
"Yes… I would prefer it to stay in between the two of us, at least for now. The dwarf said, his voice at once growing even more serious than before.
"But let us not speak of it that… that close to the others." Saying that, Ari started decisively to yet again descend down the dark slope, making a beckoning hand movement towards Bilbo to fall in behind him.
From where Bilbo stood, it almost looked as if his friend was wading out into a white sea of ever swirling worried waters, step by step the churning but yet unyielding whites swallowed up the dark bulky shape of the dwarf.
And setting his strange, unexpected and unexplained fear and feeling of a darker doom aside, Bilbo quickly descended after his companion, so that they would not be separated by swirling cold mist.
His brow furrowed, not quite knowing what to expect to hear from Ari whenever the dwarf would deem them to be far enough away from the others, or at all what to expect below them in that twisting and snaking sea of white grey. Bilbo with a few decisive steps was swallowed up whole by the ever hungering mists.