Thank you so much for all the reviews/PMs/follows/favourites I received since last chapter. ro781727 suggested adding chapter names and pointed out some grammar mistakes. I usually go through a chapter before posting it but since English is not my native language there's always the chance of me overlooking some. I'm grateful to anyone pointing them out so I can correct them and I also appreciate if anyone has further suggestions or tips to offer.
Hope you enjoy this one!
The odds were not in their favour for long and although the weather had been splendid only two days ago they were surprised by showers of heavy rain on the third morning of their journey. Their clothes were soaking wet within seconds and the sky above them turned into a dark grey. Eleara kept her hood down and her eyes on the road but even she could not keep from wishing herself in a far drier place.
They were moving quicker than on the days before. Their wet and ice cold attire instilled a common desire to get out of the rain as soon as possible and although there were always some who tried to be cheerful and optimistic it had no long-lasting effect on the majority. Kili and Fili rode at the back and Eleara had a chance to listen to their banter.
"Oi, if it rains any more we might be able to swim to Erebor the entire way," said Kili making a paddling motion with his arms.
His brother rolled his eyes. "And those who don't know how to swim? Will you carry them all on your back?"
"Nah." The dark-haired bowman flicked his tongue. "They can use Bombur as a raft." His voice had gone up in volume towards the end and when he'd ended several broke out in laughter, Bombur being one of them.
Against her better judgement Eleara smiled to. It was a welcome if short diversion. She let her gaze then shift over to the hobbit. Bilbo had gotten the knack of riding by now but the weather was a different challenge entirely. His face she had soon found out was like an open book and one could easily read his mind from his features. But he didn't complain as the day went by, even when the rain would not stop after ten hours.
Right then Dori began to turn his head in confusion. "Where is Gandalf?"
Eleara frowned. Indeed, Gandalf was nowhere to be seen. How could they – herself included – have overlooked his absence? He was by far the tallest.
"We've lost our wizard?" Ori grew worried. "How can someone lose a wizard?"
"Nonsense, surely he's somewhere close by, doing some spells or whatever wizards usually do when it's pouring down bucket loads." Nori glanced up at the ominous sky. Dori next to him didn't appear to appreciate the obvious sarcasm.
"Keep moving," from the front the thundering voice of Thorin could be heard through the rain. "If Gandalf isn't here with us then his whereabouts are none of our business."
Eleara snorted in disdain. If Gandalf hadn't told her personally that he'd disappear from time to time she'd walk up to Thorin and make him wait. But she knew there was no reason for concern. If Gandalf couldn't look after himself then who could?
Behind the thick grey the sun began to descend and by now the road had become too slippery. They decided to go down the valley and from there follow the river that cut through the mist. The ground was much more even down there and as it began to grow darker they looked out for someplace to camp.
"And where shall we get a dry patch to sleep on?"
The dwarves found shelter under a clump of trees and Eleara searched for a suitable spot for herself but found nothing she could crawl beneath. With a heavy sigh she accepted that it would be a very uncomfortable night.
The dwarves and Bilbo certainly did not feel any better. They were trying hard to make a fire, to no avail. With no fire to warm them they didn't exactly look forward to the prospect of sleep and not few were the curses uttered in Khuzdul.
"Just when you need a wizard at your side he's not there." Glóin sat down next to his brother and Bifur with a grim expression. All stood closely bundled except for Kili and Fili, who had gone to tend to the ponies - their charges for the duration of the quest.
"I'm sure it will soon stop raining," Bilbo said, crossing and then uncrossing his arms again before his chest, discovering that the motion only increased his discomfort as it only made him feel the cold water squeeze from his clothes unto his skin.
"How can you be so sure about that?" Bofur asked.
"I'm not." The hobbit shrugged and sat down as well. "But I try to stay optimistic. It could be much worse."
"Our Master Baggins here is right, lads. Try to get some rest tonight." Balin tried to encourage them with a pat on the shoulder.
They assigned the watches for the night and after the two brothers had returned they all made the best they could out of a hurried dinner.
No one could find sleep that night.
Eleara for one was shivering so much her teeth were chattering. The rest of the bread she had carried with her from Hobbiton had become sloppy and tasteless from the water that had soaked into her bag and her blanket was not much good either. Usually when she travelled she always found a way to avoid bad weather. She always planned her routes carefully, she took better precautions and first and foremost she did not have to be careful about anyone seeing her. This on the other hand was rubbish.
Alright, she was in a foul mood. But she really believed that if she'd had a say they would be somewhere much nicer right now. Even the ponies seemed unable to rest.
Eleara gave up on sleep for the time being. It was almost completely dark and the rain swallowed all minor sounds so she did not think about blowing her cover. Careful not to trip she made her way to the beasts and sat down next to them. One of the ponies stretched its nose out to her and after sniffing placed its head on her lap, obviously desperate for a little bit extra warmth. She couldn't provide that but the heat its own body emitted embraced Eleara and she instantly felt much better.
She stroked its soft fur, feeling its pulse beneath her fingertips. It would be close to impossible to tell them apart in the darkness. "Hush, all will be alright," she whispered, half to the pony and half to herself.
Gradually she felt herself grow heavier with exhaustion.
From somewhere behind her the noise of something snapping could be heard. She thought it must have been a tree branch but then one of the ponies rose in fright. She tried to reach after its reigns but the knot had loosened over night and there was nothing that held the animal from charging into the direction of the river. She did not know what to do. Her initial reaction was to start running after it but then she became aware of the dwarves coming rapidly onto their feet after being woken by the noise.
One of them instantly followed after the pony which judging by the splashing had leapt into the rapid waters.
"Kili!" The voice of Fili echoed through the dark before he too ran after his brother. Together they tried to haul the poor animal out of the river but once inside they too lost their grip. For a moment it seemed as if all three would be lost. Eleara heard Thorin barking orders, shouting to the young dwarves to hold onto something and simultaneously demanding a rope from those who stood around him.
Eleara's senses needed a moment to catch on. Of course she remembered what Gandalf had told her and they were facing exactly such a situation at present. She vanished unseen into the woods and sprinted into the direction of the river flow, hoping to be able to keep up with them.
"Fili?" She heard a familiar voice utter.
"I've got you." An exhausted laugh could be heard.
They were clinging onto a large rock close to the shore and Eleara felt relief wash over her. Behind her she could hear the others approaching. But where was the pony?
Making sure that the two dwarves where about to be saved she continued, squinting her eyes to fight the bad light. Where had it gone?
A neigh finally directed her to the beast. The poor thing had somehow made it to the shore and as far as Eleara could tell it was relatively unharmed.
"Please don't do this again." She breathed out heavily as her knees collapsed and she let herself fall next to it. "You've given us quite the scare." Both of then rested for a minute until Eleara thought it necessary to return. She now realised that she must've left the others far behind as she couldn't hear anything beside the pony and her own breathing.
"Come on, let's go." She waited for the pony to rise and in a much calmer fashion they followed the river up to where the others hopefully still were. And indeed there they found them, standing in a circle around their two shivering youngsters. Eleara then released the pony and it trotted the remainder of the way until it stood safely amongst its brothers and sisters.
Bilbo was the first to notice it approaching. "Ehm..."
"Well, well, take a look at that." Bofur pointed to the returned animal.
"Now who needed the rescue team more – you or that pony?" Dwalin sniggered.
"Oh, shut up," an obviously freezing Kili managed to bring out between chattering teeth.
Balin was the one to remind everyone of their priorities. "At least it stopped raining. We better get that fire going and then catch up on some sleep."
"What's that over there?" Fili was staring into the darkness. Except it wasn't exactly darkness. There was a hill some way off with trees on it, pretty dense in parts. From its top they caught glimpse of a solitary bright light. It certainly had not been there earlier. Or had it?
Ori narrowed his eyes. "It's a fire."
"Perhaps they have food," said Dori, who was beginning to feel the hole in his stomach grow bigger with hunger.
"We should take a look."
This started a debate. Some argued that just a look wouldn't harm anyone; others said that there was strange folk travelling these parts and that they should be careful. Thorin had to silence the lot or the noise might have drawn unwanted attention from whoever started that fire.
"Sunrise is less than an hour away. We might as well get going, seeing you're all up on your feet. Take the ponies."
Reluctantly they complied, some still moaning about their good night's rest lost. Nori was the first to reach the ponies and he noticed something odd. "We set out with sixteen ponies, didn't we?"
"Aye, why do you ask?" said his brother Dori.
"I only count fourteen, the bolter included."
He counted aloud this time but again only reached fourteen. Dori, Ori, Bofur and Bombur helped and still the number didn't change. "Where are Bungo and Daisy?"
"They're probably close by," said Balin but even he did not look all too convinced.
Dwalin turned to Thorin. "Or someone took them while we were pulling Kili and Fili out of the river."
Eleara and the company's gazes turned again towards the distant light.