Cool air whispered across her nose. Bird song fluttered in to tickle her ears. With a quiet inhale, Ferin dragged open her heavy eyes. Exhausted by nightmares during the night, she sleepily took in the twilight-darkened room. The sun had not yet risen. Lifting her head, she lazily took in the snoring Dwarves around her. The fire had been reduced to a dull smoulder.
Gandalf silently appeared at an archway. Gently grasping his robes, he manoeuvred around the sleeping company to wake Thorin. The Dwarf woke with slightly less violent start than Ferin would have imagined.
"Time to move on, I think," the Wizard intoned quietly, before meandering his way through the bodies once more to begin waking the others.
Ferin stood quietly. Stiff and sore, Ferin stretched slowly in an effort to ease her body's aches. A final, wide yawn and shake to ruffle her fur, and she was as ready as she would ever be at this horrid time of day.
Perhaps there were leftovers for breakfast, she thought. Striding towards the pantry, Ferin found Bofur and Bombur loading up the remaining food for the journey. The pickings were meagre after the feast last night.
Balin appeared, leaving down a set of coins on a cabinet. Ferin sniffed at them, counting the Dwarven rendered metal to be enough to refill Bilbo's entire pantry, with a little to spare.
"It's not much," Balin whispered, winking at her, "but I'd wager it will cover expenses."
The Dwarf made his way elsewhere, and Ferin was left wondering what to think of his humility. After a few moments absently watching the others, Ferin realised there was little for her to contribute, so she turned and ventured out into the brisk morning air. The fresh scent of rain permeated everything, awakening her senses.
Sivan emerged just behind her. The first of the suns rays were just peaking over the horizon, touching the tops of the hills. Flowers swayed in a gentle breeze, the grass glistened with fresh dew, and the lake glimmered, still, bar the gentle glide of a bird over its surface.
"Oh, now this is a lovely view," Sivan commented wistfully. "And I'll be able to enjoy it in the coming weeks without fear of..." The young Mage smiled tightly, shaking her head as if to dispel her thoughts.
Ferin could only imagine what they might be. Instead of engaging her, Ferin just sent an agreeing hum across the spelled link they shared.
Sivan adjusted her staff, moving to one side to let some of the others slip through the door to gather at the end of the garden. She looked down at Ferin when there was a lull between Dwarves. "Will you be alright?"
Ferin sat, tail curled around her. 'I will be fine, Sivan. You needn't worry so much.'
"I know," the young Mage whispered, bowing a little lower, eyes searching for anyone who may overhear. Another few Dwarves left the house, each nodding to Sivan respectfully. She returned the gesture, before leaning lower still to converse with Ferin. "But it is in my nature. You are the only woman in the company of fourteen, possibly fifteen if Master Bilbo changes his mind, and you..." She hesitated. "How will you control yourself with your mind vanishing unpredictably?"
'I do not mind the company of men,' Ferin said simply, watching as the last, Thorin, passed them. He frowned at Sivan's hunched over posture, stopping short of leaving doorway. Glancing between the two, he began to look suspicious. Ferin watched him silently, almost daring him to voice his concerns that a young Mage and dog were potentially conspiring on a Hobbits front porch. Sivan, oblivious to his concern, waved a farewell and safe journey to him. Mollified, if confused, Thorin nodded once and moved on down to the others.
Ferin sighed. 'I have no time to worry about the state of my mind at present. I will cross that bridge when I come to it.' Ferin looked up to the bright-faced young woman, eventually standing to tip her head down in an effort to be respectful. 'Thank you for your company. Perhaps we'll meet again in better circumstances. Fare well Sivan, Daughter of Reuben. May your life be full of good fortune and kind words.'
Sivan smiled, and Ferin could see it was a touch sad. "Fare well, Ferin. I have enjoyed your company and I wish you a happy, fulfilling life. You have my thanks, and I wish you all the luck this world has to give to you and your companions on your journey."
Ferin thanked her and turned to jog down the steps. Bofur held open the gate for her, having remained behind when the others began to forge ahead to the Inn in Bree for their effects.
The Dwarf sighed a little forlornly, throwing an arm over her shoulders as he had done so yesterday. His hand slapped her on the opposite shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. He sighed again, glancing back once to wave to Sivan and take in the Hobbit home of Bilbo Baggins. Sivan had closed the door, and stood now at the top of the road. She would go her own way, once she knew what that was. "Do you think he'll come, lass? Will we have a burglar to help us?"
Ferin, unable to voice her thoughts that perhaps the Hobbit would change his mind, shook out her fur in an effort to jostle him, and padded ahead in the hopes of avoiding conversation. It was too early still, and they had a long way to go. There was plenty of time for maudlin thoughts.
"Oi!" he laughed, picking up his pace to catch up. "No need to be cheeky!"
She huffed at him, slowing when she reached the others. He caught up and slung his arm over her once more. Seeing this become a habit, Ferin allowed it for the moment. His arm was heavy, a weight she rarely felt when in this form. It had been a very long time since anyone had willingly chosen to be near her.
Spirits picked up after a few minutes of walking. The party of Dwarves, a dog, and one Wizard brightened with the sunshine cresting over the rest of Hobbiton and the path to Bree.
When they reached the Inn, a little muddied from the path and rain the previous night, the troupe bought breakfast. Gandalf had tried to coerce the waitress to allow Ferin entry, but her scarred appearance and sheer size had deterred the woman. With wide eyes, but a demeanour too used to rough characters around these parts, she told him, "Too dangerous if she decides to act up. Sorry, but she'll 'ave to wait outside."
"Ah, but she is a guardian to our companions. She would only fret outside for the duration of our meal. She will cause no trouble, I assure you."
The waitress, plump and much shorter than the Wizard, eyed Ferin dubiously for several moments. Ferin pricked her ears forward and wagged the tip of her tail in an effort to appease the older woman. She was hungry, and not above making a few patrons nervous as her morning entertainment. Finally the woman sighed. "Fine. Any trouble and you're all out."
Gandalf smiled, nodded and urged Ferin towards Thorin. "The lesser evil of our rowdy companions," he said cheerfully. The others had gathered a few tables together to form a long table in one corner, and after several curious, and very wary stares in her direction, Ferin slipped around the few clientele that were up at this hour to arrive by Thorin's side.
Halfway through breakfast, Ferin was starting to feel grateful for Gandalf's insistence. She was only thankful it was nowhere near as bad as it had been in Bilbo's. Thorin, reserved and surprisingly wary, fed her parts of his own breakfast, and for a second time, Ferin wondered at his meagre meal. He only ate a fraction of what his cohorts could put away and he shared it like he had plenty to do so.
It wasn't until some of the early crowd shifted to allow more in to partake in the morning meal of the Inn, that Ferin could see why Thorin was wary. A large, burly fellow, scarred and with an odorous scent that permeated the building, was staring intensely at the group, but even more so at Thorin.
'Gandalf,' she called, keen eyes remaining on the stranger.
'Yes, my dear,' he answered, focusing on his meal to avoid suspicion.
'There is a bounty hunter in this Inn.'
The Wizard paused at her seemingly casual remark, fork partway into his mouth with a generous helping of egg and sausage. He finished the journey and responded, 'Thorin has a bounty on his head.'
The hunter drained the last of his mug before standing slowly, eyes never leaving the leader of their company. She narrowed her eyes. 'Is he foolish enough to attempt to gain his prize in broad daylight, with children here?'
'He has tried before with another bounty hunter. A few weeks ago when Thorin was alone. Take care, now,' Gandalf warned, not ceasing his efforts to finish his meal, but eyeing the area around them with more caution.
Quickly assessing the threat, Ferin realised that the man did not seem to give one whit about anything around him. She also realised that no one would have warning but for herself and Gandalf, and that Thorin would be pressed for space against one side of the Inn as they all were.
The man, though large, quietly moved through a few patrons. His hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword. Ferin, firmly between the man and Thorin, stood decisively. The hair along her back rose stiffly, and she bowed her head, pressing her ears flat to her skull. A deep breath, a curl of her lip, and she released a low, vicious growl.
The table froze. The sudden cessation of noise from the Dwarves alerted the rest of the Inn. A silence fell like a sudden piercing pain to the ear. The hunter stopped, eyes now fixed on her. Ferin snapped a bark, and growled again, mouth open and teeth bared. She took a step forward. Those at nearby tables backed away in their chairs, freeing the space between her and the hunter.
"I suggest you leave," Gandalf said amicably to the man, pointing a full forkful of pudding at the man, before popping it into his mouth. "There are thirteen Dwarves, a dog that wants to see how you taste, and a Wizard here, my boy." His darkened gaze flicked up from his meal. "Let it go."
Wisely, the man did so. Straightening, he walked around the tables slowly, giving them all a wide berth to exit with a final dark look. Satisfied, Gandalf cleared his plate with a final swipe of bread and rose. "I think it's time we move on, Master Dwarves. Shall we?"
Ferin waited patiently on a hay bale by the stables on the outskirts of Bree while the others tacked up their horses and provisions. She had been praised by each of them in turn when they passed her to collect a bridle or piece of tack. She had quietly endured their rough pats, only complaining once to Gandalf, for which the Wizard had claimed she had done it to herself.
Thorin had approached her at the end of it all with an assessing, quiet expression. A small frown drew his dark brows toward the thin bridge of his nose. He said nothing for a breath, and then moved away to the others.
When they were finished, they lead their ponies out to let them doze in the rising heat from the sun while they waited for their burglar.
When he didn't show, there was a quiet conversation, a few nods, and it was decided that moving on was the only option. A thought that they would take their time seemed to be an unspoken agreement. They were in no rush to leave the peaceful Shire.
Half an hour in, there was talk of bets on whether the Hobbit would show. Talk of what they would do with their winnings (should any of them actually win) turned into conversation about anything and everything; from tea to travels, and from clothing to weaponry. Ferin kept pace with the group on foot. She decided to broaden her duties to watching the group as a whole, which included several positions along the trail of ponies from back to front. Keeping a steady pace at the back was difficult, the laziest pony taking up the rear often tried to turn to greet her, leaving the poor Dwarf atop to curse her distraction. The middle was better, but it was often distracting to her when the young Durin brothers tried to engage her in play, throwing sticks and stones in an effort to entice her. Finally reaching her limit after an hour, Ferin loped ahead to Gandalf and Thorin, and attempted to stay there for the duration of time until they passed the edge of Bree.
Several times she had to keep along the grass to one side of the path to give Thorin's pony and Gandalf's horse a fair berth; equines were a terrible curious beast, and from as far back as Ferin could remember, they always took quite a liking to her.
Once, and only once, Thorin's nag nipped her playfully on the rump. Thorin pulled up his slack reins and nudged his pony back to focus. Gandalf chuckled. "Still having trouble with them?"
Ferin grunted, attempting to traverse the thinner grass verge as they came to several dotted areas of trees, the roots already beginning to invade onto the path.
Despite the irritations, it was strangely nice to have such company on a long journey. Ferin couldn't remember the last time she had been part of a group so large and so different from herself.
They had just made it to a high curve in the path when Ferin heard the first sounds of jingling straps. It preceded a sharp, "Wait! Wait!"
Everyone halted their ponies, and turned to see what the ruckus was about.
"I signed it!" Bilbo declared loudly with a large smile. His expression dropped when he realised how foolish he must look. Collecting himself, he continued, "I signed it," he said more calmly, handing it to a wry looking Balin.
A few quick look overs, and Balin nodded, satisfied that everything was in order. The older Dwarf folded up the parchment and smiled. "Welcome, Mister Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."
"Give him a pony."
There was sputtering and protests and a yelp of surprise and then they were on their way.
A small commotion followed. Gandalf looped around to the back to the new addition. Money was exchanged. So were a few choice grumblings, and a few triumphant cheers. Ferin ignored it, turning away to take the lead while the others sorted themselves out.
An hour passed easily. Body still stiff from her nights unrest and recent travels, Ferin pushed on to keep a steady pace beside the Wizard (now at the front once more) and their illustrious leader, Thorin. Ignoring the pain was easy. She had known what travelling with Gandalf would entail. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop herself panting with the exertion.
"Where is this Human woman, Gandalf?" Thorin asked, adjusting himself on his nag, before resting his hands on the pommel of his saddle, comfortable in his ponies' steady gait.
"Just up this hill, Master Oakenshield," he responded cheerfully over his shoulder, pointing up ahead with a tip of his staff. "We should come upon her in a few moments."
"And what skills has she to offer us?" Gloin inquired from his pony behind Thorin.
"Quite a few, I would say," the old Wizard chuckled. "Vala, daughter of Sinell, is quite strong. She wields a hand axe and sword, and leans more toward the wonderful use of brute strength over diplomacy. Quite a formidable foe in a skirmish."
Thorin didn't look convinced. Gandalf smiled down at Ferin. 'I wonder what they'll think of her. They will be surprised, I'm sure,' he thought.
Ferin hummed in agreement, but said nothing more. She hadn't seen her friend in many years, and even though they had parted with no ill will towards each other, Ferin still wondered what Vala would think of her now. She was, most definitely, not the same person she had been.
Thorin watched the two of them strangely. Ferin wasn't too concerned. He would probably dismiss their interactions as the Wizards' own strangeness. "Why does the dog follow, then? Has she not served her purpose in her duty to that girl we left behind?"
"Hmm? Oh yes, she has, but Ferin here is also a companion to Vala. They are quite close."
Thorin looked down at the dog and frowned. "She seems to have a lot of companions."
Ferin huffed and shook out her coat in annoyance. 'If I were myself, that would be highly insulting, and none of his business.'
Gandalf laughed heartily. Thorin grunted in irritation. "Why is that funny?"
Gandalf, ignored him with a simple, "A private joke, is all."
They crested the top of the hill. A stocky woman covered in furs, heavy leather boots and weaponry, sitting astride a dark bay pony with several small packs across the little beast's shoulders awaited there. She sat tall, even though she was only an inch or two taller than Dwalin, and her dirty blonde hair was tied in a rough braid that fell to the middle of her back. Her sharp eyes, large nose and strong chin made her fearsome, but the broad grin and loud cheer at seeing her new companions ruined it.
"Good morning! How are you fairing? I expected you to look like dogs dragged backwards through a bush from the merriments of the night before! I am disappointed!"
"Good morning, my dear! We fare as well as can be on the beginnings of our journey. I trust you are the same, if slightly better?"
"I have indeed, Mister Gandalf! I have indeed." Ferin loved Vala dearly, but she had forgotten how much of a morning person she was. So much enthusiasm, and they were only halfway through the day.
The heavy woman nudged her pony to join the rest of the progression, introducing herself to the others along the line, chatting amicably, before she went to greet the leader. "My apologies for not greeting you first, Master Oakenshield," she said, still grinning at her good fortune of new companions. "You did not seem receptive, by the sour look on your face."
There were several aborted chuckles from behind. Thorin scowled, readying himself for a sharp reply, but Vala spotted Ferin at last. "Ferin! Have you no greeting for me you silly thing?" she laughed.
Ferin flattened her ears down, hoping it would deter her friend. She had expected a little less bluster, but she should have known better. Vala had a very wry, crude, and opportunistic sense of humour.
Gandalf muttered something unintelligible. A feeling like the brush of thorns, light but deceptively sharp, scampered along Ferin's skull. It had been the same feeling when Gandalf had conversed with her initially, and when Ferin had found Sivan.
'I greet you, old friend,' she thought loudly, when the feeling dissipated. Ferin kept her eyes forward, effectively looking like she had ignored her.
"Ah, don't be so sore! We've not seen each other in some time. Come, you will ride with me instead of blundering about on those skinny legs of yours!"
'Blundering abo – '
There was a dull thud of hooves, and before Ferin could escape, her scruff was snagged and she was deposited on the back of Vala's pony with an undignified yelp. "There's a girl." Vala glanced over her shoulder to see what could only be described as a much put out dog. "Oh, cheer up! I know you don't like horses much, but he's a good lad. Not a bother on him, hey, Dob?" The pony nickered, tossing his head happily.
Perching precariously on a wobbling backside, Ferin flattened her ears further, glaring at the amused Dwarf across from her. Thorin did not show it clearly, but she could see it in his eyes and the twitch of his mouth.
'You will pay for this my friend,' she growled toward Vala. 'Pay for this in spades.'
Vala laughed before striking up a rather loud conversation with the Wizard.
Ferin continued her balancing act for the remainder of the day; uphill (horrible business) and down, ducking low hanging branches when passing through small areas of forest and finally along a path to a clearing just off to one side.
By the end of it, Ferin was feeling decidedly ill. She leapt down immediately when Dob halted, and loped off the allow the contents of her stomach to be released onto the grass. Fortunately, there wasn't much to come up, but it didn't stop Ferin groaning at her heaving abdomen. There was a commotion of footsteps behind her, a crack of a twig, and suddenly a startled rabbit shot off into the woods.
"Oi! Kili, get it!"
Kili, who had been lumbering into the trees behind her, had already fired off an arrow. The rabbit darted behind a fallen trunk, the arrow thunking into the wood.
Ferin, through a burning instinct, shot after it. It turned left and right, leaping over logs, and slipping through branches and roots, kicking up leaf litter and dirt with sharp turns and a panicked scamper.
Her toes spread easily with each landing, curling into the earth for grip. Her tail swung in various patterns to balance the shifting weight, muscles straining to keep up and keep her steady. The little prey gave a mighty leap off a rock, bursting through the bushes into the camp. The roundest Dwarf, bent over his pack for something she couldn't see, provided perfect leverage. Pushing off his back, Ferin soared over the hatted one by a newly lit fire, landing in a run to cut off its escape. The blonde one who had shouted for pursuit was laughing, banking around to her left to round it towards her.
"Get it!" he cried with a smile. The dark haired one who'd fired the arrow ran around to her right in case it slipped by, but she wouldn't let it. No, this was her kill. Her –
Ferin came back to herself, chest heaving and mouth full. The Dwarves around her were cheering, the young brothers slapping her side.
"Well done!"
"A fine hunter!" someone said.
"That was a bloody good catch!" Dori praised.
"Don't praise a thing that's doing what it's supposed to," Dwalin grumbled.
Chest heaving, jaw tight, and eyes wide, Ferin stood so still her muscles shook.
Vala approached her warily. There was no delight on her face, only concern. "Ferin?"
Ferin dropped the rabbit slowly, the limp little creature flopping to one side onto the grass. Bofur picked it up quickly, holding it proudly by the ears to the others. "A fine feast for our first proper meal of the journey."
Vala gently brushed her ear, but Ferin only felt cold. "Are you alright?"
'No. No, I am not,' Ferin responded softly. Finally registering her friends concern, Ferin sighed. 'But I will be. Go enjoy your meal, and set up your bed.'
"I don't want to leave you on your own."
'It's fine.' Another deep breath. 'I will be fine.' After a moment, Vala turned away, and Ferin wondered if she was trying to convince herself or Vala. Sighing, she walked over to an overwhelmed looking Bilbo, and curled up beside him.
Gandalf tried to diffuse the merry situation, diverting the Dwarves attention with stories and suggestions for the camp. Ferin was grateful, but weariness crept along her when the sun began to set. For a time, she slept.
A/N: Unfortunately, due to this being written so long ago now, it's hard for me to edit this to the quality it needs and deserves. I don't have the time or inclination to rewrite it from scratch, so I apologise for mistakes and general issues that arise with the editing. Most of this I have to do on my lonesome, as life gets in the way for myself and my beta. Thanks for bearing with me and I hope it's still enjoyable. ZeB xx