An element of discontent in his voice that was meant to cover the relief he was actually feeling, Thorin Oakenshield looked up at Gandalf, asking the smiling wizard, "And where did you go to, if I may ask."
"To look ahead," his companion answered amiably, though failing to mention his intent had been not only to keep from strangling the stubborn dwarf but also to look for Anna's disappearing orcs. He had found no sign and was nurturing a burgeoning hope that it had indeed just been a pair of riders sent from one stronghold to another. An entire pack seemed unlikely unless they were much farther north than he expected. Also, what leader would have discovered their quest? Dwarves were nothing if not famous for jealously guarding their secrets.
"What brought you back?"
"Looking behind." The two exchanged a smile at that, silently offering and accepting apologies. Gandalf wondered passingly if Thorin realized just how little he allowed the expression to grace his face, though he supposed he had his reasons.
The dwarf's expression soon faded, a wary one taking its place. Following his gaze, the wizard saw young Fili refusing to put Anna down, wide smiles on both their faces as she affectionately rolled her eyes at him. The way she had reemerged into someone resembling who she once was made a part of his chest swell with hope. Something told him Thorin was decidedly not feeling that way.
Sighing internally, knowing that that particular relationship was something else the king would prove infuriatingly stubborn about, he commented as a distraction, "Nasty business. Still though, you're all in one piece."
"No thanks to your burglar and forester."
Unwilling to allow the scathing comment about the hobbits to slide, the old man's grey eyes narrowed. The bite in his tone was not apparent, but hiding just below the surface, when he replied, "Bilbo had the nerve to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that. And had Anna not distracted them for as long as she did, my arrival would have been too early and not nearly as helpful."
Despite the patronizing he saw in the man's eyes, Thorin had to reluctantly agree, inclining his head slightly to show it. Bilbo's quick thinking had proved useful and Poppy…well, she didn't think at all it seemed, but her heart put her courage in the right place. Why did hobbits have to be so fragile? Were they sturdier he could stop worrying so very much.
Taking the dwarf's attention away from those thoughts and from following a happy peal of laughter that came from the direction Poppy, Fili, and Bifur were in, the wizard added pensively, gazing toward the rocky hills to their north, "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."
"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?"
"Oh not for an age. Not since a darker power ruled these lands." The thought was truly troubling and Thorin seemed to realize just how seriously the wizard was taking it, for his own expression darkened in kind. "They could not have moved in daylight."
Drawing a conjecture from that, he gave a nod, "There must be a cave nearby. We can regroup for a few hours, get some breakfast and a bit of sleep, and find it before pressing on for the day."
"Very well," Gandalf replied rather absently, mind visiting various deep recesses of knowledge in an attempt to come to some sort of conclusion that did not involve the Enemy. Yes, little Anna's orcs were becoming troubling indeed. Trolls, orcs, wargs…all they needed to round things terribly out was a balrog or some other menace. As Thorin turned, heading straight toward his elder nephew, the wizard pulled out his pipe. He needed some Old Toby to calm his mind and allow it to think logically in the few hours Thorin gave them.
"And I thought I took a long time to dress."
Fili snorted loudly at the comment Poppy had whispered in his ear as they stood by, waiting for the others to finish reequipping themselves. Fili had yet to completely rearm himself, though he couldn't say he was in an entirely big hurry. Gandalf had said to take care of her, so take care of her he would. He could wait until Bifur was reassembled before giving her up. A similar laugh escaped Bilbo where he stood beside them.
From the corner of his eye, Dwalin glanced over, "What're you laughing about now, lad?"
Noting his lack of armor and weapons, the younger dwarf being clad in his boots, pants, and slate grey tunic, Bofur wryly added, "You're in no condition to be laughing at us…no matter how witty Poppy manages to be." She grinned widely at the storyteller.
"How is your head, dearie?" She was given little time to answer before Dori was before them and gently pulling her braid to the side to take a look at the growing bump above her left ear. She and Fili exchanged a smile at the older dwarf's concern. He'd told her Dori would hover affectionately forever more.
Thorin's voice halted Dori's ministrations and their shared smile. "We'll rest here for a few hours. Fili, Kili, come on. We're going to get our things from the old camp. Get dressed. Let's go!"
Passing her to Dori, knowing full well not to try his uncle when he spoke in that voice, Fili gazed her at apologetically before grabbing and pulling on the rest of his clothes and weapons. Within a few minutes, he and Kili were striding purposefully after their uncle into the trees.
Feeling suddenly quite self-conscious as the others glanced from her to the three disappearing heirs of Durin, Poppy forced a smile to the dwarf holding her. Voice quiet, she offered, "You can put me down so you can sleep. I'll be fine. I'm not even dizzy anymore." At his disbelieving look, seeming to know why she felt the need to fall back into the shadows, she pressed, "I'm fine."
With a nod, Dori gently set her on her feet, "We'll see, dearie. Bifur, a little help with our stubborn hobbit, please."
Finally again clothed in all his many layers, her first friend appeared at her side. Before she could attempt to take a step—though she was wary of how well that would go despite her words—he pulled her into a quick hug. He gave her a searching look that silently asked if she were truly all right or if she was pretending for their sakes. Allowing a small grin to break through, she squeezed his arm. Yes, she was all right. A little flustered at Thorin's actions, but all right…she thought.
A smile appearing above his wild beard he took most of her weight from Dori. Barking something in Khuzdul that, from the way Dori grinned, she took to be teasing her, her helpers warily let go of her arms. Almost immediately overwhelmed by dizziness, she took one step and promptly fell down.
The two dwarves lunged for her and she found herself in a sitting position without any work on her part. Beginning to laugh, the discomfort Thorin had created lessening, she smiled at them both, though wider and far more genuinely. "I blame Kili."
Seeing the change and hearing it in the openness of her voice, the two looked at one another and then down at her. Both reached out arms to help her stand again. Once upright, she closed her eyes for a few long moments, clutching at their sleeves. Tentatively blinking her eyes open, she opened them to find the world no longer spinning so terribly. Holding her arms out for balance to the amusement of all, she took a few shaky steps forward in an effort to go and collect her pack from its bush.
Upon gathering her supplies, she made her way toward Bilbo and Gandalf, who was darkly puffing away on his pipe. The wizard had collected her staff at some point before. As she pulled her braid over her shoulder and secured her 'weapon' to her back, she grinned drowsily at her cousin as he fidgeted to become comfortable on the ground as the others began to take their rest, "A miniature dwarf, Bilbo?"
He chuckled, "You're the one who tried to learn to fly in order to save me."
Sitting on her heels and grasping his hand, she added with a smile, "You're my big cousin. I'd learn how to lift mountains if it kept you safe." Pushing herself back up, she explained quietly, "I'm going to go get the ponies. I'll be back later."
Smiling at her steadfast devotion, he squeezed her hand before pulling his jacket over his face to block out the light and sleep himself. While her bravery had shown itself far more often, a part of him knew—a Tookish part of him just knew—that he would do the same for her.
With those reassuring thoughts, at least some part of him believing in his capacity for courage, Bilbo fell asleep to the by then comforting sound of Bombur and Dwalin's snores.
The burglar was not awake for the return of the Durin kin, or Kili's attempt to rudely awaken him by pouring out his water skein atop his head. With a raised eyebrow, Bifur brought an end to that idea, the dwarf finding it difficult to sleep with the lass gone.
Also noticing her absence, Fili wondered quietly aloud, "Where's Poppy?"
"Ponies," Bifur said by way of explanation, noting his king's irritation look in his nephew's direction at the query.
The brothers, after lying down their burdens, took places beside the old warrior, leaning back to take short naps themselves. Kili didn't quite manage his as he began tossing small twigs in the sleeping hobbit's direction.
A rather large pebble hit its mark with more force than before after a few hours and a nap on Kili's part, the sun high in the sky and Gandalf's smoke rings still densely rising toward the clouds. Jolting awake with a strangled cry as something hard and unknown connected with his face, Bilbo sat straight up, it taking him a moment to realize he still had a jacket covering him.
Tearing it off, he whirled about to find the source…he found Kili failing to hold back his laughter, an occasional snort escaping in his amusement. Glaring, Bilbo groaned and hurled his jacket in the dwarf's direction, it hitting him square in the face. The laughter that escaped the younger dwarf then effectively woke up the others to irritated groans and complaints.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, not actually having slept himself, Thorin barked, "Let's find this cave then. We can still make a few miles before nightfall."
The bite from earlier had not left his tone and the others noticed. With no further dark mutterings, the Company readied itself to follow their leader.
"But where are the ponies?" Ori questioned through a yawn as they left the clearing, not finding Bella anywhere about.
Pipe still in his mouth, Gandalf replied before Thorin could, "Little Anna is finding them." Letting out a great sigh and some of the weight of his worry move to the back of his mind, he added, "Keep close now. We do not know what a troll hoard might harbor, young Ori."
And so the thirteen dwarves and their burglar trudged forward making their way up the steepening hill, following the stench as much as Gandalf. Upon reaching the effective hole in the stone, it winding its way down into the earth rather than back into the hill, they found more than just the trolls' daytime retreat.
Upwind of the cave, their tails swishing back and forth to fight the more numerous flies, stood their herd of ponies, Poppy lying on Minty's back. Both steed and rider were snoozing in a pocket of bright sunlight, their similar chocolate hair blazing redder in the light.
Noticing his uncle's eyes on him, Fili abruptly hid the glowing grin that wanted to spread across his face from ear to ear. At least until Thorin was in a better mood, he would have to be more careful about being close to her. The prospect made his stomach turn unhappily.
"HEY!"
While Minty and the other ponies reared their heads back in surprise, more than one letting out a sharp surprised whicker at Thorin's harsh voice, Poppy didn't stir aside from soothingly patting her bed's neck. She had heard them and awakened before they reached the cave.
Peering at the king with one blue eye, she replied drowsily, "Good afternoon, Thorin." Yawning, she sat up and then slid down, "I'll watch the ponies as you explore."
She didn't really wish to tell him as he glared at her like that that she had no intention of going in there, the smell making her nauseous from where she currently was, let alone inside.
Gandalf smiling lightly, he went forward, "Well, the smell is not going to lessen the longer we stand here. Let us get this over with."
"Aww, what's that stench?!" Bofur questioned immediately upon taking a few steps forward.
"This is a troll hoard, master dwarf," Poppy heard Gandalf admonish from deeper within the darkness, making her smile slightly. Glancing back after Thorin had gone in, Fili turned and grinned at her. She was unable to keep one from appearing on her face as well.
The stillness of the woods calmed Poppy as she sat beside Bifur who had not found braving the cave a necessary event, waiting with the ponies. There was such a peaceful balance to nature that she could never experience enough. The sounds and songs of the birds, the rustling of trees and branches as their denizens moved about, somehow all added to the stillness. The surface was still, but right beneath the life flowered forth. It was a wonderful contradiction, though she knew of people who could express it far better than she.
Sighing, watching her companions go down into the dark of the cave, she pondered why her mind was in such a not-wonderful contradiction. Something unpleasant had been writhing about in her mind, blowing everything out of proportion she suspected. It was likely lack of sleep, though her nap had not aided its dissolution.
It had been a long twenty-four hours—long four days really—and she wondered if her mind was beginning to just get tired. It had not worried about so much in a long while. As she sat, Bifur's comforting presence beside her, her thoughts sprinted like a scared deer from Fili falling on her, how her stomach had exploded with warmth along with her face, to Bilbo almost being killed by trolls, to the shadowy threat of orcs; from her lack of knowledge putting them in possible danger to how Thorin had glared at her in Fili's arms, like she had no more right to be there than an orc; from wondering if she was really accepted by her companions or just imagining things to wishing her headache would go away; from continuing to fight down stubbornly active pieces of her guilt to trying to understand why just getting a smile from Fili made her entire body gain an unexpected fever.
It was all just too much for too little time.
Seeing a good bit of her conflict in her blue eyes, Bifur laid an arm across her shoulders, squeezing the one furthest from him. Smiling slightly, he barked out one word that she had heard many a time.
"Breathe."
Recognizing the syllables from her lessons, she smiled weakly up at him, taking a deep breath in through her mouth. Despite almost swallowing one of the many flies, she felt better afterward. Giving her an encouraging wink, Bifur stood and rejoined the others as they emerged from the cave, chatting about their finds, a new sword in Thorin's grasp. From where she sat, she saw Gandalf hand her cousin a small sword. She desperately hoped he would never have to use it, though that aching place in her chest clearly sensed the folly in that wish.
And there her mind went again. Pushing herself up, the hobbit ventured quickly out of the clearing about the mouth of the cave and back into the denser trees, taking solace in the comfort of the simple life about her, losing herself in it for a few moments.
Life was simpler when the only ones you shared it with had four legs or wings. It was easier when your visitors only came once a year and when they were there you were in far too much awe to worry about anything. Life was simpler when she was hiding in her cousin's hobbit hole, not out in the wild, worrying stupidly about if a certain blonde-dwarf liked her back, if she was really as unwanted as her darkest fears whispered that she was.
Her thoughts really just needed to stop leaping from one thing to the next with the speed of a rabbit!
Speaking of rabbits, a loud snapping of branches caught her attention just in time to see her line of vision filled with the leaping creatures. With a surprised shout, she soon found herself flat on her back, being animatedly hopped upon, something wooden sliding to a stop against her leg.
"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"
Screaming with shock once again, she looked up to see an old man clad in brown shouting at the top of his lungs from his…sled?! As she looked on in complete and utter confusion, no less than ten wiggling noses continued rapidly sniffing at her, one of the rabbits climbing into her lap and twitching its ears as it looked at her. There was far more fear in her blues eyes than its black, she had no doubt.
Frowning, she breathed in a whisper, "What in the name of Yavanna…?"
Within moments her companions had leapt from the underbrush, weapons all out at the ready, startling a shout from her once again. Fili and Kili had all three of their swords in hand and between her and the odd man before she completely comprehended they were there, neither of them hesitating a second before getting between her and the perceived danger.
The heavily-breathing rabbits spared the two brothers a short glance before climbing on Poppy once again. She was still trying to understand what exactly was going on and where the large bunnies had come from as they strained against their harnesses to wriggle their little noses at her face.
Stepping forward, breaking the moment's tension, a smile on his face, Gandalf greeted, "Radagast!"
A/N: And thus we can all say hello to Radagast! Hello, good sir! Apologies, I'm in a bit of an odd mood today. So, this is a bit of a filler, but every sandwich needs its condiments. Though, I must say I'm sorry because I may have to leave you here until Saturday or Sunday. I am presenting at a history conference this weekend and will likely not have much time.
On another note, thank you for all your lovely thoughts! :D I'm glad you all enjoyed my version of the troll scene. So, may I just say thank you so much for reading, review if you could, and I hope you enjoyed. :)
