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You have all been so fantastically patient, so without further ado, next chapter!
(Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or its characters.)
The Loudest Silence
Chapter Eight
The morning was rather uneventful after the initial get-go. There was no dramatic travelling music and panning, bird's eye camera shots, and especially no time skips. I was easily entertained by the scenery though, so it wasn't quite as boring as I would have thought. I've mentioned before that I never got out much back home, so the amount of unharmed nature was beyond gorgeous to me, even if the others acted like it was the dullest thing they had ever seen. Which actually, to them, it probably was.
Sometime during my sight-seeing, I overheard a conversation that Bofur had become involved in.
"Oh, I don't know," he piped up, speaking to Dori. "He seemed a bit on the fence about it, if ye ask me. Might still change his mind."
"I can't see why he would," Dori said from a few ponies ahead. "He has all he needs in that little house of his – which, in case it escaped your notice, was quite a bit larger than those other little hill homes. No, Mister Baggins will stay right where he is."
Ah, so they were talking about Bilbo.
"Ye absolutely sure?" Bofur asked, a sly note in his voice.
Nori smirked, twisting in his saddle to look at Dori, joining the talk. "You willin' to put a wager on that?"
Riding beside me, Fili's attention was snagged, as was his brother's on the other side of him. The two princes exchanged a glance, as I noticed they did quite often, like they were pulling the same telepathic bologna that Yavanna had.
Dori scoffed. "I'll not make any more bets with you, Nori, not since that incident."
"It was just a lil badger," Nori persisted with a laugh. "When will you be over that?"
"When you're greeting Mahal himself and explaining how you scarred your little brother for life, that's when," countered Dori. Ori shrank down on the pony next to him, trying to avoid being drawn into the conversation. The eldest huffed, continuing, "Point is, I'll not be doing that again. A wager from someone else, maybe, but not you."
"I'll bet that Mister Boggins will change his mind," Kili said brightly.
Next to me, Fili spoke up, "As will I." Taking my chance, I waved my hand to the blonde prince, getting his attention then pointing to myself. He understood easily, adding quickly, "And Miss Jenna will too."
Several of the Dwarves turned to give me a curious look, unsure of the betting shenanigans if I was going to be involved. Suspicious turds… Bofur easily swayed the others though when he took the wager in favor of Bilbo as well, giving me a smile. Good guy Bofur, saving my oddball ass once again.
By the end of it, the Company was split. Fili, Kili, Bofur, Nori, Balin, Gandalf, Oin, and I, bet that Bilbo would come. The others didn't think the Hobbit would leave the safety of his home, and if I didn't already know how it would turn out, I probably would have thought the same. I was mildly baffled though, because of what I could remember from the movie, Nori had bet against Bilbo coming… This bothered me a little more than it probably should have, but I shrugged it off as faulty memory.
Unsurprisingly though, Thorin was adamant about his belief that Bilbo would not be joining them, and Dwalin insisted just as strongly, like the rest of them.
By the time late morning hit, their doubts were dashed when we heard a little voice shouting, "Wait!"
The ponies were halted as we turned to see Bilbo Baggins sprinting towards the group, waving the contract in the air like a banner. When he caught up and slowed next to Balin, handing off the paper, he proudly stated, "I signed it!"
The old Dwarf pulled out a reading glass, giving a teasing look as he inspected the contract. "Everything appears to be in order," he said, folding it again. "Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin gave a quick wink to the Hobbit, who smiled in return.
At the front of the group, Thorin looked like he wanted nothing more than to burn the contract and flee before Bilbo could catch up again. Instead, he just ordered, "Give him a pony," before turning his own away to continue on.
Bilbo protested until Fili and Kili hauled him up onto the designated pony, pulling a horrible face once he was seated. I was glad Gandalf had snagged me an extra ride, because once the Hobbit had his own, all the ponies were heavily occupied, including the one who was carrying the supplies that had been moved to make room for Bilbo. I would have hated to try and bog down the other animals with the extra weight.
Bilbo's frown didn't cease as he gripped the reigns gingerly, as if he was afraid they would suddenly gain sentience and strangle him. He was very expressive and it didn't take much to figure out that he was unsettled by riding.
I waited for him to get situated and rode up beside his left, as Gandalf did the same on the opposite side. The Company was off again ahead of us, and we slowly caught up while Bilbo tried not to fidget every time the animal made a movement. I gave him a reassuring grin.
He glanced over to me, saying a quick, "Goodmorning, Miss Hollander," before frantically eyeballing the pony when it snorted. "You look a bit more comfortable with these… ponies."
I merely looked at him and patted my mount – who I had named Stormy in my head – to try and display their safety. The Hobbit didn't seem convinced.
From ahead of us, I heard Nori call out, "Come on, pay up!"
Again, the words felt off in the betting scenario, though this time I was sure something had changed. Was I already messing with the flow of the story? I couldn't recall anything that I had done so far, other than bet as well. Why would that have mattered to these guys?
My mind wandered and I was almost hit in the face with a pouch of coins. I barely managed to throw my hands in front of my nose in time, and I looked around, not entirely sure who had tossed it.
Bilbo became confused at all the throwing of tiny, jingling bags, asking Gandalf what was going on.
"They took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up," the wizard answered. "Several of them bet that you wouldn't."
There was a pause. Then Bilbo inquired, "And what did you think?"
Gandalf 'hm'd mischievously, waiting til he caught his own coin pouch to chuckle, "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second."
Bilbo turned my way in unspoken question, and I jingled my bag with a smile before stowing it away. He seemed to relax a bit until his nose twitched and he sniffled, remembering his location upon the pony. A small sneeze escaped him and he groaned slightly.
"All this horse hair," he complained, searching his pockets. "I'm having a reaction." When his search for whatever it was came up empty handed, he suddenly exclaimed, "Wait – wait… stop! Stop! We have to turn around!"
As the ponies slowed, the Company coming to a halt, Gandalf questioned in an exasperated tone, "What on Earth is the matter?"
I abruptly remembered what I had stuffed in my pocket before leaving Bilbo's house, having forgotten to give it to him during all the betting drama.
The Hobbit patted down his person again, beginning to answer, "I've forgotten my – "
I pulled out the little cloth with his initials on it, his words cutting off when he saw what I held out to him. An expression of confusion crossed over Bilbo for a good few seconds. Consequences be damned, I was simply unable to pass up the chance to mess with him.
"…handkerchief," he finished belatedly. Bilbo gingerly took the fabric offered to him, mouth still open slightly, and I tried to suppress a smirk. Sure, knowledge of the future, great power and great responsibility, blah, blah, blah. But his face totally made it worth playing around a little.
The questioning eyebrow that I received from Gandalf, however, was less exciting. I just shrugged to the wizard, letting the smirk finally show through a bit. At the front of the group, Thorin watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, and my smile died a bit at the suspicious gaze.
"Move on," Thorin eventually said to the Company, turning his horse away and continuing forward.
As we did just that, Bilbo didn't seem quite over the handkerchief thing, carefully guiding his pony closer to mine. "When… How did you – Did you know I would come?" He asked in a hushed tone. "You either knew I would join you and forget my handkerchief, or you attempted to steal a handkerchief of all things – which seems a bit of a strange thing to do…"
I blinked at him, unsure of how to handle this. In front of us, Fili and Kili were not-so-inconspicuously eavesdropping, turning their heads to listen better when they thought I wasn't paying attention. So I had those two to concern myself with as well. I'd forgotten how curious this Hobbit was, but I mean, curiosity was what led him to do all this in the first place, wasn't it? Damn… Maybe consequences were a bit more important than I initially thought.
Deciding on a strategy, I put a finger to my lips in the 'shush' sign, giving him an apologetic smile. I couldn't explain anything to him right now, even if I somehow thought that was a good idea. Playing around with handkerchiefs was one thing, but trying to tell them the truth without giving away the entire truth was a bit more difficult. I wanted to be friends with these guys, and friendship requires honesty, but that's kind of difficult when your whole mission is based on secrets, no?
Bilbo's nose scrunched for a split second as he stared me down. His eyes were all intelligence and wit, and he totally knew I was hiding more than just a map tattoo. I couldn't escape inquiries with my silence forever. He recognized this, I recognized this – and if the murmuring princes ahead of us were anything to go by – so did the rest of the crowd.
"You're certainly an unusual one, Miss Hollander," Bilbo finally said, having mercy and allowing a cap to be put on that particular topic.
I let myself relax after a while, when it was obvious no more questions were going to be dropped upon me for the time being. The company was mostly quiet as we rode, save for a few groups playing catch up and chatting about mundane things. Maybe they were just mundane to me though, since I had never had to make a living off of hunting or trading goods. Unless you counted trading Pokémon cards. In that case, I was golden.
It took us roughly two and a half days to reach our first destination, Bree. Until I could get my own sleeping gear, this required me to borrow the blanket from Bofur again and half the Company thought I was an idiot for not being more prepared. I had no way of explaining that it wasn't exactly my choice to come so ill-equipped, so yeah, that was a great start.
During these days, I was watched like a hawk by their King. It was as if Thorin was still not sure what kind of anomaly had been dropped in front of him, and I assumed he was trying to solve the mystery himself before resorting to actual questions. Pfft, good luck with that, bub.
As I remembered it being depicted, Bree was dreary and muddy and altogether shady upon first glance. Was this how all the towns here were, or did it just seem so bad because I was used to paved roads and electricity? Don't even get me started on the mysterious smells floating around. If orcs didn't kill me, then the living conditions of medieval citizens surely would.
Some areas weren't so bad. We passed by a few colorful stalls selling pottery and cloth from 'foreign lands', wherever that meant for them here, and some shops filled with varying merchandise. There were places for hunting gear and for food, for weapons and for clothing. It was… neat, in a way. If you ignored your nose.
The strange looks we got were not my fave though. For all the staring that the giant group of Dwarves warranted, if you added a wizard, a Hobbit, and a random chick with weird clothing to that mix, I could see why the people were wary.
Eventually we stopped next to a large building (which I belatedly realized were stables) and everyone began dismounting. I followed their lead, scooting off Stormy with all the grace of a muppet, though I derived guilty pleasure from seeing Bilbo have an equally tough time. He nearly fell on his bum when he landed, gaining a few snickers from the Dwarves closest to us. I sent a half-hearted stare of exasperation to Bofur and Nori, only one of which even looked slightly apologetic.
Nori had no guilt. "He makes it so terribly easy, lass," the Dwarf chuckled, and I was glad Bilbo had moved over to Gandalf and out of earshot.
I just huffed and grabbed my backpack, knowing there was nothing for it, that they'd eventually come to love him regardless, and that the Hobbit didn't need me to be his little protector. He'd gain their respect in time, on his own. Not to mention my legs were sore from riding and I didn't want to deal with any drama.
Almost immediately as these thoughts crossed my mind, one of the ponies snorted right in Bilbo's ear while he was talking with the wizard, causing his hands to fly up in a startled flapping motion around his face.
Yep. This was the same guy destined to find the most dangerous piece of jewelry known to Middle Earth. I tried not to think on that for too long.
I was one of the last few to hand my pony over to the stable hands before everyone clustered around, waiting for Gandalf and Thorin to come back from the big building they had just disappeared into. But wait – that wasn't just a big building. It was an Inn. I looked around more and – yes! There was the sign! The Prancing Pony. My body gave a few giddy bounces before I caught myself and stopped, lest the others think I was a loon.
Gandalf and Thorin returned, joining the crowd again. "We have secured rooms for the night," Thorin said to the group. "This is the last town we will pass through for quite a way so if there are any provisions you still require, now is the time to get them."
There were a few mumbles amongst the Dwarves as they began breaking off in twos and threes, and I stood there rocking on my feet awkwardly, at a complete loss of where to begin. I peeked around for advice from Gandalf perhaps, only to realize he was walking away with Bilbo in tow. (Wow, awesome, five-star service. Thanks for asking if I needed help in an unfamiliar world, ya dumb wizard.) I knew Bofur would surely help though, but as I turned to search for the hatted-Dwarf, I was startled when two others hopped into my line of sight instead.
"You look like you could use some assistance, Miss Jenna," Kili stated, like it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. I just nodded blankly.
"Who would we be to deny a lady the help she needs," Fili joined in. "As Uncle said, we've got to keep an eye on you for your safety –" (not exactly what Thorin said, but sure) "– and for the safety of the quest."
"Nobody better for the job than us," Kili said. "So, where would you like to start?"
"Not so fast, you two."
The princely duo froze at the sound of Balin's voice, and slowly turned to face him as he approached us. He glanced at me, and then gave a stern eye to the boys, saying, "I believe your duty for the evening was already discussed, unless I'm mistaken?"
Fili and Kili visibly deflated, caught in an obvious attempt to get out of some chore. The younger groaned quietly and his brother grabbed his shoulder, pushing him along in the direction of the stables while sighing, "C'mon, Kee."
Balin and I watched them shuffle away for a moment before looking back to one another. I tweaked my eyebrows in question, glancing at the young Dwarves for emphasis.
He understood quickly enough, answering with amusement, "They've got to give the riding gear a good look, make sure there's nothing we'll be needin' before we head out in the morning."
I made an 'oh' in response, nodding.
"As for you," he continued, and I focused my attention back. "Thorin wants me to see to it that you're properly prepared for our journey, since ye obviously don't have the slightest clue what you're doing."
This was… depressingly accurate. My eyes darted to where I had last seen said Dwarf King, and I spotted him and Dwalin speaking with Gloín some ways away. Slightly discouraging in some respects, but at least he knew I would need help getting supplies.
"Now let me see what ye do have, and we'll start from there," Balin said, gesturing to my backpack.
I slipped the bag from my shoulders, unzipping it as he watched with polite attentiveness. Its blue and purple coloring was odd enough by itself, let alone how different the design was to anything around here. I held the backpack open in front of myself and allowed him to peer in, watching as his face managed to get more and more confused until he looked just plain worried.
"Ye don't have anything of use in this, lass," he stated while still staring into the bag, puzzled. "I don't even know what half of this is, but I can tell you right now it's not likely to be what you'll need."
I took a deep breath, sighing. Yes, thank you, Balin. I know.
The Dwarf gave me a somewhat concerned look, asking, "Had you planned on making this journey with naught but paper and a book?"
Embarrassed that I couldn't explain my situation and at how stupid it made me look, I shook my head, zipping up my backpack. I put my pack on my shoulders again, and fiddled with my sleeves, pretending like a very important string caught my attention while I waited.
However, Balin was not a dummy, and I was not stoic enough to hide anything. "Ye hadn't planned on joining this Company at all, had you?" he questioned.
I looked back to him, pulling a face. Of course not. Who plans on falling into Middle Earth? Who plans on going with a bunch of Dwarves on a fun-run across the country? My expression while I thought of these things was enough of an answer for him.
"Well then," he said with a certain amount of amusement, eyebrows lifting. "We'd better get started."
That's how we wound up strolling through Bree that evening, stopping in various shops for things I definitely didn't have in my "odd little bag" as Balin put it. As I knew would be necessary, my bet money was put to good use and I didn't feel so bad for having an advantage in the scenario earlier that day. I was surprised by how far my little bag of coins actually went. I acquired a bedroll (glorified sleeping bag, honestly) and a strap to secure it to my pack, a proper cloak for foul weather, and real boots to replace my dying sneakers. The only mildly lavish thing I bought was lavender soap, just because I didn't want to smell like, well… everyone else here.
After the world's most awkward purchase of spare undies, followed by a doubly awkward purchase of medieval feminine products – I didn't even know what they were at first! – I was good to go. It was a moment where I was very glad Balin was helping me instead of Fili and Kili, seeing as how I highly doubted those two would understand the travelling needs of a lady. I have no clue how I would've mimed an anatomy lesson, so really, the evening turned out much better than I expected.
At least until things rapidly went downhill.
The sky was a zesty orange shade of dusk by the time we were finished, though Balin had to make one last stop at a stall selling belts of varying sizes. As he spoke with the salesperson about a particular item, I looked around at the stores closing up for the evening, and the other vendors along the road doing the same.
Setting my heavy backpack and bedroll down beside Balin for a moment, I found myself wandering over to a shop window several feet away from him – which was the first mistake I made.
The shop held interesting garments, and even though I really liked their designs, I didn't plan on buying any frilly shit just to have it ruined on this trip. Dressing fancy would probably earn points with Elves, but not likely Dwarves. It would have been a dumb, wasted purchase, so I gave up on the browsing.
My second mistake was backing up from the window and running into someone.
Not just anyone though, oh no. Like, of all the people in this fairytale world to bump into.
The person let out an "oof" when my back collided with their side, and I quickly turned around to apologize… until I looked up and saw a familiar squinty-eyed, blonde man. My face fell when he recognized me, terror shooting down my spine.
"You!" he snarled.
Yep. If that bruising and swelling was anything to go by, I had definitely broken his nose.
And now... let the audience hang for a while. :')
Haha I try not to do too many cliffhangers, but I have a weakness for them, so no promises. XD
Thank you for reading once again! Leave a review if you feel so inclined, because I love them to bits.
Til next time!
