A/N: JUST MAKING SOME CORRECTIONS, NOT ADDING ANYTHING NEW TO THIS ONE
Author's Note: So sorry for the long wait, midterms are coming up for me right when I just got hired for a job. Hopefully, I will still be able to work on this story and update it as soon as I can. I'll try not to let it sit for so long. Thank you all for the encouraging reviews, and for being patient. :) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Hobbit... if I did then Thorin, Fili, and Kili would have never dead. And Thorin would have kissed Biblo after facing Azog.
Chapter 6: Going on an Adventure
It was still dark when Rosemary finally awoke from her sleep. Getting up she listened intently, and her sharpened hearing picked up the sound of many snores. The Bag End mistress proceeded to journey to her bath for a quick soak. It would be a long time before she could have another bath. She plaited her golden hair into two fishtail braids until she reached the bottom of her head, and she tied the rest in a ponytail. She struggled in wrapping up her chest, but finally managed to get the wrapping secured and as comfortable as possible. Over the wrappings went a white, long sleeved button up and a forest green vest with golden buttons with the Baggins family symbol. On her wrists she placed leather guards given to her by Lord Elrond. Rose then tucked in her shirt into the beige trousers she decide to wear. Checking herself over in the mirror, and then left the room with her pack and mother's travel coat in hand.
Silently, she walked to the front door making sure to listen to the still snoring company. Her bag and coat sat be the door while she went to the kitchen where she began to pack a satchel with the leftover foods. Once the first hints of sunlight peaked through the kitchen window, Rosemary had already began to make breakfast when the first dwarf stumbled into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Master… Ori, was it?" she greeted as she set a hot plate of freshly cooked sausage, eggs, and bread.
The red haired dwarf yawned, and blushed brightly before replying, "Good morning, Miss Baggins, yes I'm Ori… that smell really delicious miss."
"Thank you, Master Ori," Rose said as she mixed more eggs, "it's for you by the way. I hope that eggs are alright for dwarrows?"
"Oh! Thank you, Miss Baggins… but please, call me Ori, and eggs are just fine, thank you." he said gratefully, and sat to eat.
"Well, I'll call you Ori, if you call me Rosemary; or Rose… even Ro… for short," she said with a smile, "and you're welcome."
While Ori ate, Rose asked him questions about himself. He told her of his life in the Blue Mountain with his brothers, his dream of becoming a scrib, his love of writing and drawing, and so forth. Ori was in the middle of telling her a story of his childhood when Bofur came into the kitchen gripping his aching head.
"Um, morning, Master Bofur…" Rose greeted quietly,"there's a cup of herbal tea that'll get rid of hangovers, would you like some?"
"Aye, lass…" he grunted as she gingerly handed him a steaming mug of tea.
"It'll taste sweet with a bitter undertaste… a family recipe, works wonders."
"Thank ye, Miss Baggins." he said gratefully after taking a greedy gulp.
Smiling at him in welcome, she set a plate loaded with breakfast in front of him. Hungrily Bofur dug into the freshly made food.
"By Mahal, you will make a fine wife one day, Miss Baggins!" he complimented between bites.
Rosemary giggled with a light blush, "I don't know if any hobbits here would want me as a wife."
"Why ever not, Ro?" Ori asked as he carried his dishes to the sink.
"Well, I may be a Baggins and completely respectable," she explained as Bifur came into the kitchen, "but I am also a Took and completely 'mad' as most shire folk call Tooks."
"Why is that?" the young scrubber asked.
"Long before the Shire was, well, the Shire, hobbits were a nomadic people. Many clans in the Shire today don't remember those days, but the Tooks… the Tooks always remember those times… when we hobbits had now land to call home, and-." Rose said as she quietly gave a food to Bifur.
"And, I suppose, you'll claim to understand that loss?" a deep voice asked from the entrance of the kitchen.
Bristling, Rosemary turned to glare at none other than Thorin Oakenshield. In turn he glared back as everyone else groggily went to sit at the table.
"You know nothing of me, stoneheart." Rosemary bit out angrily.
Thorin growled menacingly, before huffing and sitting at the head of the table. Silently they all ate a hot breakfast with soothing tea. Once all was cleaned and in order within her smial, Rosemary donned her coat and picked up her pack. Strapped to her hip the dwarrows saw was an elven sword; which Thorin grumbled about bitterly.
"If my sword irks you so greatly, your majesty, then perhaps you should know that my bow was created in Rivendell with the assistance of Lord Elrond himself!" Rosemary declared proudly.
Thorin wisely chose to remain silent.
Soon everyone was ready to go, and all left the warmth of the smial. Rosemary took one final glance of her home before she locked the door, and hung the key on a chain that she placed around her neck. As the dwarrows placed their belongings upon the ponies she quickly hammered a sign.
"'Going out on a business trip. If I, Rosemary Belladonna Baggins, am not back within 22 months, Drogo Baggins may claim Bag End and all that goes with it. Keep Lobelia Sackville-Baggins away from MY home. Good day.' Signed Rosemary Belladonna Baggins…" Ori read curiously, "who are Drogo Baggins and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins?"
"Drogo is my most favorite cousin. He is a rather handsome male in hobbit standards, of course, and has a good knack for people." Rose explained with a happy smile, "When we were fauntlings, Drogo and I would play in the forest pretending to be prince and princess. Or to just hang from the trees, or even gaze upon the stars by the lake."
Suddenly, her voice turned very cold but when the others turned to look at her, Rose was still smiling almost pleasantly.
"Otho and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins… Otho is another cousin of mine, and is one that I'm not rather fond of. Lobelia is a hobbit who is always hungering for what others have, because she feels that she has been cheated in life. Now that she's a Baggins, Lobelia feels entitled to own Bag End," the lass explained with bitterness in her voice, "I've never been close to Otho, but I would much rather be cursed to call him cousin than hand over Bag End to that… that… soft soil, wirth thumbed vulture!"
"Rosemary Belladonna Baggins!" Gandalf gasped, "Why if your mother heard you say such a thing…"
"Well, I would imagine that she would also agree that the Sackville-Baggins are the most greediest, ungrateful sort there is in the Shire." Rose stated rather bluntly as ushered her pony ahead.
Soon the sun had began to wake the morning sky when the company finally made it to the more isolated areas in Shire. Slowly hobbits came out of their homes to either head to their shops or attend their gardens, and many stared at Rosemary in judgement as she traveled beside Thorin with her head held up high. The exiled prince glanced at the lass every so often wondering what her motives for joining his quest were. Suddenly he was jolted from his muses when a new voice joined the company's chatter…
"Miss Baggins!"
Thorin turned to look at the male hobbit running beside Rosemary's pony.
"Good morning, Hamfast, what are you doing way out here?" she asked as she slowed her pony, Thorin subtly slowing along with her.
"W-well… I, um, I was just going to check with you and yo-your garden…" the hobbit named Hamfast said stuttering as he noticed some dwarves staring at him.
"I see, well, as you can see I'll be going away for some time," she replied merrily, "would you be so kind as to help Drogo maintain Bag End up to my standards?"
"Of course, Miss Baggins!" Hamfast said enthusiastically.
Still jogging beside her, Hamfast looked around the company who were staring at him in return.
"May I ask where you are off to, Miss Baggins?" he asked shily.
Smiling down at him, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she proclaimed loudly, "Why on an adventure, of course!"
