Chapter 3
The Journey Starts
I woke up around dawn and quickly got out of the chair. The dwarves were snoring as I step over them quietly without waking them. I step outside, closing the door softly behind me. I whistled softly and my horse came galloping. I rubbed her nose, gently and fed her an apple that I snatched from Bilbo's pantry that was still untouched by the dwarves. I strapped my bag onto the back of the saddle and heard movement in the hole which meant the dwarves were already awake. I entered the house to see that mostly all the dwarves were awake.
"Thought you left, lass." Balin said.
"Nah. I wouldn't miss an adventure. Been craving one for a decade." I said, with a smile. Balin returned the smile and I had the two brothers in front of me. "Can I help you two?" I raise an eyebrow at them.
"We were wondering, Miss Ella." Fili said.
"If you will tell us stories of your past?" Kili asked.
"For another time." I said, with a smirk and I pushed them aside and went to make sure I grabbed everything. I felt eyes on me and I turn my head to see Nori watching me with watchful eyes. I looked away as Thorin came into the room.
"Move out." Thorin said.
"What about Bilbo?" I ask.
"He's not coming and if he does he'll catch up." Thorin said with a growl in his voice. I raised an eyebrow and we head out where there ponies waiting for the dwarves. I pulled myself onto my horse, which I named Midnight, because she was black like the night. I took the reins as Thorin called for us to move out. I rode with Gandalf near the front. I head the dwarves were talking and some were singing.
"I bet he won't show up." Nori said.
"I'll bet you a kiss from me if he does." I said, making Nori's head snap up. I blush. The words seemed to have slipped out of my mouth. I saw the look that Dori shot me and I looked down.
"And if he doesn't?" Nori asked with a smirk.
"You get to choose, Master Dwarf." I said. I heard Gandalf chuckle.
"Wait! Wait!" Bilbo's voice came. We all stopped our ponies/horses. Throin turned, looking surprised to see Bilbo coming. I smirked lightly at Nori, who looked at me with wide eyes. I had won the bet. "I signed it." Bilbo handed the contract up to Balin, who took it to read it with his pocket glass. I saw Balin smile at Bilbo as Gandalf gave him a small nod.
"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin said. The dwarves cheer. I saw that Thorin didn't looked amuzed.
"Give him a pony." Throin said.
"No, no, no, no, that-that won't be necessary, thank you, but I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once- WAGH!" Bilbo was cut off as Fili and Kili grabbed him and lifted him up, putting him on a pony. I chuckled and rode with Gandalf and Bilbo.
"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on." Oin called. Nori tosses a sack of money to Oin and money bags started to be tossed around.
"What's that about?" Bilbo asked. I caught Nori's eye and saw him smirking knowing he was gonna get a kiss. I sent him a wink. Dori was shooting me a glare and I looked away.
"Oh, they took wagers whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't." Gandalf said.
"What did you think?" Bilbo said. Gandalf hummed lightly and a bag of money was tossed at him, which he caught.
"My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." Gandalf said. Bilbo sneezes.
"Ooh. All this horse I'm having a reaction." Bilbo said. He starts searching his pockets but doesn't find one. He looks up in shock. "No, no, wait, wait, stop! We have to turn around." Bilbo said. The entire company stops and there were objections from some of the dwarves.
"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked.
"I forgot my handkerchief." Biblo said. I hear tearing and saw Bofur tearing a strip of cloth from his clothing, tossing it to Bilbo who caught it and looked at it in disgust.
"Here! Use this." Bofur said. The dwarves laugh.
"Move on." Thorin said. I listened as Gandalf talked.
"You'll have manage without pocket-handkerchief and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you, the world is ahead." Gandalf said. We traveled through beautiful areas of Middle-earth. I listened to the dwarves talk and sing. I kept to myself as I let my mind wonder.
That night. We were camped out near the edge of a cliff. I stood with my horse for a while as some of the dwarves fell asleep.
"You owe me a kiss." A voice said. I turned to see Nori watching me. I pulled my bag off and put it on my shoulder. I came up to him and notice him slightly flinch. I kissed his check and walked away.
"I didn't say where." I call over my shoulder. I heard Nori chuckle. I sit leaning against the rock with Fili and Kili. I watch as Bilbo get up and went to the ponies. I set up my bedroll near the fire and laid my weapons down next to it. I sat down on it and stared into the fire. I heard Nori come back and looked at him to see him blushing and join his brothers who were giving him looks. A orc screech came and I reached for my bow.
"What was that?" Bilbo asked, running over to Fili and Kili.
"Orcs." Kili said as another scream came. I saw Thorin jerk awake at hearing Orcs.
'"Orcs?" Bilbo asked
"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili said.
"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams, just lots of blood." Kili said. Bilbo looks away in fright. Fili and Kili start laughing and I shoot them a glare.
"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke." Thorin said, walking over to Bilbo, glaring at the boys.
"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said, letting out a sigh.
"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin said, walking off to the edge of the cliff. Balin walks up to Fili and Kili.
"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." Balin said, leaning against the rock. Fili and I look towards Thorin. "After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got their first." I remembered reading about that battle from one of my books but hearing it from one that fought it that battle was good for me. "Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs led by the most vile of all their race: Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King." I looked at Balin in surprise at his words. "Thrain. Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield." I looked back at Thorin and saw dwarves that were sleeping except Fili and Kili, were standing watching Thorin as Balin told the tale. "Azog the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King." Balin said. Thorin turns to face the Company. Throin gives a slight nod and walks towards the fire.
"But the pale orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo asked.
"He slunk back into teh hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin said. Gandalf, Balin, and I share looks. We knew that Azog wasn't dead. I have faced him a few years before this quest and I had the scars to prove it.
AN: Some fluff in this one. I'll update as soon as I can. :)
