CHAPTER 4

We made a quick departure the following morning, without the hobbit, although Gandalf quietly reassured me that he'd catch up with us. I'd kitted myself out with a cloak and bedroll I'd found in Bilbo's cloakroom, silently apologising to him for my theft, but hell if I was going to freeze to death on this quest. My brain conjured up an image of what it would be like to snuggle with a certain Durin prince to keep warm during the night.

I shook my head. Stop it, Bonnie. Jesus…

During breakfast (after my morning coffee, of course. There's absolutely no point in getting out of bed without it), I had excused myself to plant the few Mary-Jane seeds that came with me to Middle Earth in Bilbo's garden. Smirking, I tipped the contents of my water bottle over the fresh earth and stood atop the hill, looking over Hobbiton. It really was beautiful, and I hoped to return one day. For harvest, I thought. Snort.

If we survived, I thought grimly. Yet, inwardly I was excited, pensive; jubilant even.

'Where to first?' I asked Fili once we were on the road.

He smiled gently at me. 'Bywater. We need to pick up provisions for the journey. Food, ponies, healing supplies. Weapons, too, perhaps.'

'Ponies?' Cool, I'd thought. 'I've never ridden a horse before,' I mused.

'Of course you haven't, you're too small to ride a horse. That's why we're getting ponies.'

Right, yes. I'm a dwarf. 'Well, I've never ridden a pony either, but it can't be that hard.'

He looked disbelieving again. 'Never? Then how did you get around in your homeland?

'Planes, trains and automobiles.' I told him, in my singsong voice. 'Horseback is an out-dated mode of transportation where I'm from.'

'Mahal. I'm not familiar with any of those. Will you tell me about them sometime?' His voice was quietly interested, but he didn't seem at all bewildered by what I said. It was something about him that I'll always admire, his coolness, no matter what I confided in him.

'Uh… yeah, sure.' My belly was in knots, but I felt excited at the prospect of spending more time with him.

We were starting to lag behind the rest of the group. There was no sound apart from an odd bird in the trees, the chatter of the group who were making bets about Bilbo showing up, and boots crunching along the path. It was a welcome change from the constant hustle of the stressful hospital environment. I breathed deeply. The air felt so clean here. I exchanged a smile with the dwarven prince.

Bywater wasn't far, and I lingered with the group while Thorin and Gloin went to purchase food and ponies, and a horse for Gandalf. I silently hoped the provisions included pipeweed. My supply was running low. Oin then summoned me into a nearby shop to help with the healing supplies, which were to be divided amongst his and my bags. We bought bandages, clean cloth, string, various herbs and salves, and sizeable bunches of dried athelas, the plant I vaguely recalled being used to heal Frodo in the Rings films. I made a face at the smell of some of it. It all seemed rather crunchy to me, but thus are the healing practices of Middle Earth and I just had to suck it up.

The bandages, cloth, string and athelas went into my bag along with my stethoscope, pen torch, steel water bottle, spare shirt and trousers, pipe, a notebook and a few pens. They were now the only things I possessed, having left behind everything else at Bag End. The thought dampened my mood, and I thought of my family back home in Australia, my parents and sister who I hadn't seen for six months and possibly wouldn't ever again. I wondered if they knew about the bus accident, and whether I was alive or dead. Abruptly, I was fighting tears as I walked back to the group.

Fili and Kili were standing together, saddling their ponies and packing things into saddlebags. I sidled over to the pony that was to be mine, next to them. I barely even noticed it's furry chestnut coat. 'What's wrong, Bonnie?' Fili asked.

'Nothing, it's nothing. Really. I was just remembering my family.' Not wanting to make a fuss, I breathed deeply and looked away, stroking the pony's mane.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him make to move over to me, but Kili beat him to it, slinging his arm over my shoulder and kissing me on the temple. 'It's not nothing, Bonnie, but since you have no family here then we will be your family.' He grinned hugely, all sparkling eyes and dark stubble, and it was so endearing and sincere. I couldn't help but smile back. He was like the little brother I never had. The joker. I'd thanked him and gave the hand that laid over my shoulder a squeeze.

I busied myself packing things onto my pony, when Fili came over. I looked up to his face, the top of my head reaching his chin. He was very close.

'I'm guessing you have very little combat training, since you're a lady.' He said cheekily.

I laughed. 'I…am…Sparta!' I half-shouted, waving my arms. He stared, grinning. I cleared my throat, embarrassed. 'You guess correctly. My expertise is only with medicine.'

His expression turned serious. 'We will protect you at any cost, but the road is dangerous and sometimes our best intentions can be foiled. I feel anxious that you are unarmed, and we were unable to find any good weapons here. If we were at home in Ered Luin I could have made you something…' He trailed off.

He pulled the dagger out of his boot in a movement so quick I didn't see it, and held it out in the small space between us. 'Please take this and hide it in your boot, just in case.'

'Thankyou,' I whispered, turning it over gingerly in my hands, before looking back up at him, an uncertain expression on my face.

He sighed and smiled. 'Right or left-handed?' He asked.

I felt dumb. 'Right.' I said, my face heating up. Bugger everything…

'Then it goes in your right boot.'

I stooped, inserting the dagger carefully in between my sock and the leather inner of the boot, and standing back up.

'All set?' He asked.

'All set.'

His lips parted slightly. My stomach did that weird little thing again. Gah, so many feelings. We stood, staring at each other for a good long second before Thorin's order to move out rang over us.

I climbed awkwardly onto the pony, heart pounding when the thing started stepping backwards beneath me when I was halfway on. 'Argh, stop!' I shouted, grabbing the reins with one hand and pulling them sharply. The pony stopped, tossing its head.

The company laughed at the terrified expression on my face. I settled my feet into the stirrups and glared thunderously at them.

'Are we going to Erebor or not?' I snapped. Nudging the pony in the side and trotting off, I fell into step next to Gandalf.

Yes, we are.