Chapter 13 - Warm Sun and Lighthearted Compliments
Morning came far too quickly for Eryn's liking, the sun was warm on her skin, and she shot up not knowing the time. Gandalf said they were leaving at first light, and it was far beyond that.
She ran her fingers through her hair with little success at taming her wild mane. Her hair was wiry and in desperate need of a wash. The grease was thick on her scalp, and she felt utterly dirty all over. She found a stray hairband in her bag and wrestled it into submission for the time being.
Eryn was brought cold mutton that morning but nothing to wash it down with, and she silently begged the heavens for a cup of coffee or tea with cream; unfortunately, there was neither. She also noticed that she wasn't the only one who shared that sentiment, Bilbo was mumbling something about tea as well.
They gathered what they could, and the eagles presented themselves for their departure. Gandalf offered for Eryn to ride with him, and she accepted gladly, she had wanted to talk with him.
Each eagle crouched low, allowing their respective dwarf, hobbit, wizard, and woman to climb aboard. Eryn sat in front of Gandalf, and before she knew it, they were high above the world again. The sight took Eryn's breath away, though she wasn't sure if it was nerves or astonishment. She looked around and saw the terror on some of her companions' faces and delight on others. Dwarves weren't meant to be in the sky, they were ground people, but the look on Fili and Kili's faces told Eryn that they could perhaps be persuaded.
"Miss Fey," Gandalf called, startling Eryn out of her observations. "I'm quite proud of you."
"Proud of me?" Eryn asked, her eyes wide with shock, she turned trying to see his face, "Why?"
"Because you proved yourself to be quite capable. When I was informed that you were separated from the company, why, I feared the worst." He informed her pursing his lips.
"Me too," Eryn laughed, "I didn't expect to have to figure out my own part of this story, I was sorely underprepared. For all of it." Eryn looked down at the smooth feathers beneath her hands, and she stroked a particularly shiny one absentmindedly.
"Yes, you're a variable I did not expect," Gandalf admitted, "Though as I said, you have proven yourself quite brave and capable. I think you will be just fine."
"No, I'm not…" Eryn muttered, gripping the feathers tighter.
"However, do you mean?" Gandalf asked, bewildered.
"I'm not brave or capable. Thorin almost died, and I almost died too because I'm just a stupid girl who wished to go on an adventure." Eryn cried; she was losing her stability. She wasn't sure what it was about Gandalf that made her feel safe, but she wanted to tell him everything, her fears, and her failures.
"My dear," Gandalf sighed, "I agree that the single act of standing up to Azog was indeed foolish, but you are not. Thorin does what he sees fit, whether that is foolish or proud."
"How can I give him proper guidance when I don't know what I'm working with entirely?" She exclaimed.
"But you do know, you said that you have this very quest in writing." Gandalf looked at her now with concern in his eyes.
"I do, but what I didn't tell you is that in my world there's something called a motion picture, it's exactly as it sounds, pictures that move. They turned the book into one of those, and there are differences between the two versions. Azog is one of those variables. In the written telling of the story, Azog is dead, but in the motion picture, he is alive and is a constant threat to the quest." Eryn paused, letting Gandalf digest the information given.
"There are things that have happened that resemble the books solely, while other moments resemble the movie; other things are different entirely or are some strange hybrid between the two." Eryn paused again, giving him another moment.
"What I'm trying to say is, I'm not sure how I can help when I'm not sure what outcome I'm going to get." She hung her head, trying to think of a solution. Gandalf remained silent for a while longer, and she thought she had perhaps said too much until he finally spoke.
"Are the bones the same?" He wondered.
"What bones?" Eryn inquired.
"Every tale, great and small, has bones, they are a steady course we follow. If this quest's main objective remains the same, then we must adapt to the minor changes in the wind, it won't be too hard assuming you are familiar with both versions of our quest." Gandalf smiled at her, and Eryn shrugged.
"I am, but you make it seem like it's such a simple answer." Eryn challenged, and Gandalf laughed.
"Because it is my dear, you think far too much and cannot help if you do not have a little bit of faith, both in yourself and the concerns of your companions. Everyone believes that it is the sail that guides the ships, but it is indeed the wind that takes it where it is meant to be." Gandalf looked down at her through his eyebrows, and Eryn turned away from him, defeated. He was right, she did overthink.
"As for your personal challenges," Gandalf began, his voice warm, "capable or not, it is not the strength of the body, but the strength of the spirit." He paused now, allowing Eryn to ponder the words he had spoken.
Eryn thought about this for a long while, she was so consumed with wanting to protect herself from harm that she was doing more damage than good.
"I wonder if this quest is as much for your good as theirs," Gandalf mused, drawing Eryns attention once again.
"How do you mean?" She hesitated.
"I mean, I may not be seen, but I watch, and I see you, Eryn Fey. Perhaps, this quest is for your wellbeing as well." Gandalf alluded, raising his eyebrows.
"My wellbeing?" She contested.
"You have deep wounds, Miss Fey, and how would you be dealing with them if you were still in the comforts of your own home?" Gandalf challenged; Eryn's stomach twisted with embarrassment.
"Well, I-" Eryn stammered, she thought of many excuses, but couldn't voice them; there was no point in lying. "I wouldn't be dealing with it." She admitted, hanging her head.
"Then hat settles it, consider your own struggles, before you contend with others, and trust your companions, my dear. They may be a proud bunch, but they are loyal to the bone."
"You're right," Eryn muttered and said nothing for the remainder of the flight.
The eagles began their descent, and Eryn saw the lush green trees and majestic mountains. They landed one at a time on the top of a flat peak, allowing their riders to disembark. Gandalf and Eryn landed last, and she turned to thank the great eagle when she had an idea.
"Excuse me," Eryn called up to it, the great eagle turned its sharp eyes down on her and Eryn almost decided against making any requests, "May I request something, of your noble… birdship?" Eryn cringed at her blunder.
"Speak, woman." The eagle commanded, and Eryn took a deep breath.
"May I have one of your feathers? My Grandfather is captivated by your kind, it would bring him great joy if I could present him with one of your breathtaking feathers." She bowed her head, embarrassed that she was laying it on a little thick.
The eagle looked at her intently before turning its head away from her, lifting its wing. When it looked back at her, it had a still large, but smaller feather in its beak; Eryn giggled with delight as it handed a glossy feather to her.
"Thank you," Eryn sang, "What can I give you in return?" she said thoughtlessly like she had anything to give a creature such as this.
"Be well." It replied, and Eryn smiled up at the beautiful creature standing before her, grateful. The eagle flapped its great wings, rising on the wind.
"Farewell!" The eagles called together, "Wherever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!"
"May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks," Gandalf answered, and they all watched in awe as the magnificent birds disappeared over the horizon.
Once the eagles were gone from view, they each heaved a heavy sigh and continued their trek. They followed the steps down from the top of the mountain they were left upon, which Eryn found to be quite odd, she had many questions as to why there were steps carved into the mountain, but she would save her questions for another time.
The steps lead them down quite a way, Eryn thought that they would never end, but they reached the bottom after only a half-hour. Eryn was still sore and walking down steps was far more challenging than she thought, but she made do. She would do anything for a warm bath to soak in.
Once they reached the bottom, they were met with a few small hills of smooth stone and a well-worn path beneath their feet. One way the trail led to a river and to the other a lush grassland, it was beautiful. There was also a small cave with smooth stones pebbling the cave floor.
Everyone stopped to take in the view, and Gandalf spoke of taking a moment to gather themselves, she even heard talk of a bath in the river, which delighted her ears. Soon her delight, as well as everyone else's, turned sour as Gandalf began speaking of departing.
"It is right that I leave you now," Gandalf informed a displeased party, "Besides, this is your quest, not mine. I have other, more pressing matters to tend to." He chastised.
"But Mister Gandalf, how will we know the way?" Dori begged.
"This is the quest to reclaim your home. If you do not know the way, then perhaps you should open your eyes." Gandalf admonished.
"What if more goblins show up?" Gloin implored.
"And Azog…" Ori muttered.
"Then you do what any sensible creature would do and take up arms. Save me from this foolishness." Gandalf said, scurrying about the cave, trying to flee from another fear-driven question.
"So, have you intended to leave us this whole time? Why bother coming at all if you had more pressing matters?" Thorin bit, causing Gandalf to halt, turning on the dwarf king.
"I have always intended to see you safely over the mountains, and I have done far more than that. I will not leave you empty-handed," Gandalf softened, "I am not leaving this very second. We are without food, supplies, or ponies, and I can see that you do not know the way from here, I will take you to the company of Somebody I met years ago. He is the one who made those great steps in the mountainside" Gandalf nodded, looking down on all of them through his brow.
A lightbulb went off in Eryns mind, and she grew excited, Beorn. The skin-changer.
"Somebody?" Fili asked, "Who is this, somebody?"
"He is someone who has lived in these parts for many years, my young dwarf. This is his domain, though he doesn't come here during the day. It's a good thing too, it would be hazardous if we were to run into him in the wild." Gandalf said, taking a seat on one of the boulders, removing his hat.
Murmurs grew as each dwarf conversed with the other about the implications of Gandalf's words.
"If he is so dangerous, why are we seeking him out?" Bilbo asked Eryn, nodded at his sensible question.
"Because Bilbo Baggins, he is a greater danger to our foe than he will ever be to us." Gandalf nodded, sealing the conversation as final.
The company dispersed and began piling what small belongings they had in the cave, once the armor started coming off though, Eryn excused herself.
The sun was warm on her face, and she was reminded what everyone was removing their armor for. The river. Eryn was so focused on Gandalf's proclamation that she forgot the plans for a good bath.
It looked enticing, Eryn noticed that nobody had moved towards it yet and she decided that it was high time for a little fun. She bent down to remove her shoes, bandages, and socks, then took off down the path. The smooth stones pressed into her tender feet, but she didn't care.
She reached back and pulled the band from her hair, letting it fly wild in the wind. The breeze was intoxicating, and she was brought back to fond memories of summers at the lake in Michigan. The murky tang of the lake and the sun beating down on her shoulders after she stripped off her hooded jacket was nostalgia at its finest. She didn't bother removing the rest of her clothes for modesty's sake and to give them a good wash.
Eryn looked for the darkest part of the water, noting that the river itself was not particularly deep. She never slowed as she approached the edge of the water, a knot forming in her stomach as the anticipation built, both from excitement and the cold water that would soon envelop her. She found her spot in the water and stumbled in, falling backward into the water.
The water rushed over her head, and she felt like a new person. This had been her first contact with water that she hadn't drunk in weeks. The coolness made her spine shutter, and she emerged from the water with a gasp. Her hair clung to her chest and face, so she ducked her head underwater again, brushing it backward. She floated there for a moment, staring up at the blue sky, and watched the clouds coast by.
"Miss Fey!" She heard someone shout, and she quickly sat up in the water to see who was calling her.
"Snake!" Kili shouted, and she squeaked, looking around frantically. The laughter that followed signaled the drop in her guard, and she slapped the water at them.
"Not funny!" She called back, beginning to laugh herself.
"Oh but it is, you should have seen your face!" He cried, gripping his stomach and leaning on his brother, who was also in hysterics.
"How's the water?" Bofur called to her from the shoreline.
"Pretty fantastic." Eryn giggled.
"You took off so fast we thought you'd gone mad," Fili announced as more dwarves approached the water.
"I probably am," Eryn agreed, squinting up at them through the sunlight, "The prospect of washing for the first time in weeks makes a person a little crazy. Why don't you hop in?" She offered next, but was met with awkward glances, stifled mumbles and rosy cheeks.
"It would be improper to bath with a Lady, Eryn," Fili informed her, which she did understand. Propriety and such.
"Then why did you come over here? For all you knew, I could have been indecent." Eryn inquired, genuinely curious.
"We really did think you went mad, Miss." Bofur laughed nervously.
"We were worried about you is all. Not every day do we see you take off without a word or notion." Bofur informed her, tactful, Eryn thought. "Thorin sent us to make sure you weren't in any trouble."
"Well, good to know that if you ever think I'm in trouble, propriety be damned." Eryn nodded, genuinely grateful. "I'll be quick." She smiled.
"We'll give you some privacy," Fili said and turned with the others.
"Oh! Wait-" she called after them, "Do any of you have soap?" A few turned and looked at her confusion clear in their eyes. "You guys do use soap, don't you?" Eryn looked at them and smiled dumbfounded.
"Here!" Nori called, tossing something towards her, she missed it, and it splashed in the water with a loud thump.
Eryn fished it out and found a bar of soap, it looked like the one she had been given from Rivendell. "Thank you!" She called after the retreating party and went to work.
She grabbed her hooded jacket and submerged it in the water. Next, she stripped off her pants, shirt, and undergarments, giving them a good scrub. The soap did little for the bloodstains, but it did get most of the dirt out. Her jacket would probably be stained until she got back to Earth; she would just count her jacket among the losses. Next, she carefully removed her bandages and gave herself a thorough scrub. The dried mud, blood, and dirt began to cloud the water, even in the gently moving stream. She moved to her hair and scrubbed it, gently massaging her scalp, removing all the dried skin and dirt; it felt incredible.
There were some hygiene things that she couldn't do, like shave, but this was the small price to pay. When Eryn finished washing and rinsing, she let herself sit there for a moment. She was in a hurry, but she needed to take a moment to just exist. She felt the water move around her, gently pushing her. The cold stones beneath her and the gentle sand as it ran between her fingers. The water dripped from the newly refreshed curls in her hair. She felt the pain in her head, the soreness in her shoulders, and the tightness in her legs, she felt alive. Even in the pain and soreness, physical and mental, she felt more alive than she had in a long time.
Eryn thought about her conversation with Gandalf, and the conviction ran to her bones. She was a mess. Her wounds were deep, and they were festering. She didn't realize she was so bitter and rotten; how did she get this bad?
Maybe Gandalf was right, perhaps this was for her own good? This quest was breaking her to the very core of her fear. Exposing it like a vein of silver in the mountainside. Except instead of something beautiful and precious, it had proven to be a material most vile, even she couldn't stand the sight and smell of it. But what could she do? Gandalf said she needed to consider her own struggles before she contended with others, what did that mean? Eryn knew of her struggles; she would be the first one to tell you about them. But then, she realized the foolishness in that. She wouldn't necessarily tell anyone precisely what that struggle was. She would allude to a problem, then act out on it or pretend like everything was fine. That couldn't be healthy. Maybe what she needed was a little dose of honesty, and Gandalf did say that she needed to trust her companions.
She so desperately wanted their trust, yet she wasn't willing to give it in return.
Thorin, he shared with her a story from his youth, when she opened up to him even the slightest. Not that she expected him to unravel before her if she spilled all her secrets, but if he did suspect her to be keeping them, which she was, big ones, then he couldn't trust her until she was proven trustworthy. If she was forthcoming with him and trusted him, would she receive the same in return? No. That wasn't a way to live, though, you don't give things expecting something in return. Even something as important as trust.
Trust is giving someone the faith they could very well turn around and use against you. Trust is a two-person bow, giving someone else the bowstrings while you hold the riser and face pointed towards yourself; this was something she had given to someone before. They pulled back on the bowstring with all their might, plunging an arrow deep into her heart. Here lies the problem. Here was the core of Eryn's hurt, and there was only one thing she could do about it, but she wouldn't do it today.
She ran her fingers over the face of the water and plunged her hand in, pulling up a smooth red speckled stone, a souvenir.
Getting out of the water, she began to dress and shook her hair out. The sun had dried her hair some already, and she was hoping that her clothes were a bit more dried, but she was just glad to be clean. Eryn felt refreshed and cleansed in more ways than one, and she made her way back to the cave.
"You look good as new!" Bofur exclaimed when she made it back, a few faces turned and smiled at her.
"I feel better than that," Eryn smiled, "I feel like a new person." she laughed, tossing the bar of soap back to Nori, "Thanks." he simply nodded at her.
The party of dwarves hustled their way down to the river, and Eryn felt a touch guilty for having taken so long, but it was necessary.
Deciding that her clothes needed a bit more drying time, her jacket, especially, Eryn sat in the sun just outside the cave. She faced inward to give privacy to the posy of energetic dwarves and one hobbit. Eryn discerned from the shouts and cries that they were probably wrestling in the river.
Eryn laid sprawled out in the sun for quite some time, she wasn't sure how long it had been because she'd dozed off once or twice. Sitting up, she arched her back and rotated her shoulders, letting them stretch. Her shoulders were still sore and tight, and she wondered when she would be back to full mobility.
Before her Grandfather retired, he used to own a farm, and Eryn would spend her summers there. She would be so sore at the end of the day, from gardening and tending to the animals. One summer she thought that she would never recover from the soreness in her legs after a day of loading and transporting hay. Her Grandfather noticed her hobbling around and told her to go stretch or exercise more. At first, Eryn thought he was crazy, but he insisted, so she did. The first few minutes were torture, but after a while, they eased up, and by the next morning, her muscles were less tight. So here, Eryn was, in the middle of a grassy field, doing yoga. Her arms and legs hated her, but after a few moments, just like her Papa Eugene said, she was better.
It was at minute fifteen when she was mid 'triangle pose to downward dog' that she was interrupted.
"What in Durin's name are you doing?" Kili asked, hair slicked back and dripping.
"Yoga." Eryn said through a deep breath.
"Yo-ga?" he repeated.
"Yeah, its to help stretch, strengthen and elongate your muscles. I noticed that I was getting a bit tight from all of this walking and running for my life." Eryn quipped and straightened out, deciding that yoga wasn't going to happen with an audience.
"That doesn't look like it would do much for your strength." Fili countered, and Eryn laughed.
"You've obviously never tried yoga," She linked her arms behind her back and stretched lightly as to not hurt her injured shoulder. "It would probably be great for you. Though I don't know how well dwarves could do it, your bodies are built quite different." Eryn said, noticing how much thicker they were than the average human. The weight dispersion was vastly different.
"I am a warrior, Eryn," Fili defended. "I have mastered the art of strengthening my body to endure the harshest of circumstances, your yoga can do nothing to me." He said with a nod, and Eryn smirked.
"Well, alright, why don't you try it them," She laughed, "Now would be a good time to do it since you don't have your armor on."
Fili looked towards Kili, his face dripping with confidence, while Kili looked like he had begun sweating.
"Let's start with an easy one," Eryn said, pointing to where she wanted them to stand. "Don't stand too close together."
"Easy," Fili scoffed.
Eryn started with lunges, planks, downward dogs, and upward-facing dog poses, instructing them to hold that pose for at least five deep breaths. Soon she worked her way into chair poses, extension, and some for balance. She noticed that the scoffing ceased, and their grunting grew louder by each passing second, but they didn't give up, which Eryn admired.
"I thought you said this was hard," Fili said through gritted teeth, mid crescent high lunge.
"Shut up," Kili commanded, then promptly fell over. "How do you do all of that, one after the other?"
"Practice," Eryn smiled, "Want to try a hard one?" She challenged, and Kili backed away, shaking his head. Fili, on the other hand, stood at attention and smirked.
"Let's do a hard one," He elbowed his brother, "C'mon little brother, giving up already?"
Kili groaned and shook his head, "Fine."
"Alright," Eryn sang, and readied herself, wondering if even she could still do it from the weeks without practice. She leaned over, explaining as she went, and they watched intently. She placed herself in a crow pose, one of the most deceptive yoga poses of all. Confirming this, both the boys scoffed.
"That doesn't look hard at all." They both said in unison, smirking.
"Well, then get yourselves down here and hold for 5 breaths," Eryn grunted, she was holding it well, but it had been a while, and her arms were shaking from the fatigue and pain. She would be paying for this later.
Fili and Kili slowly raised themselves upon their arms, Kili let out a cry of excitement, but promptly fell forward with a loud grunt. Fili, too fell over and looked up disappointed.
"Let me try again!" He shouted and assumed the position once more, only to fall over once again.
Eryn moved to a sitting position and watched for the next couple of minutes while they tried to master it. Fili was trying to brute force it, using his strength to force his body in place. Kili, on the other hand, was able to hold it for a while longer than his brother, she noticed that he was taking time to breath more than Fili was.
"Wow, great job Ki," Eryn praised, "Breathing is the important part. You can't just force yourself; you have to figure out the balance part, and that comes with breathing."
He lost focus and fell backward, but he was very content that he was doing better than his brother was.
"You're doing great too, Fi," Eryn smiled, "Maybe try taking a couple breaths and focus on relaxing."
"R-right," he grunted, but then his arms gave up on him, plunging him forward.
"Ok, want an easy one to finish with?" She asked, and they both nodded, breathing heavily, "This last one I'm sure you're familiar with, it's called 'corpse.'" She said, laying flat on the ground, arms at her sides.
"Is that it?" Kili asked, sitting himself down.
"Yup," Eryn breathed, "You just lay here and breath." She followed with a deep inhale, they laid there for a moment, listening to the birds sing, and the breeze that rustled the grass.
"This is quite relaxing," Fili breathed, "I have to say Eryn, you made that look much easier than it was. I am exhausted."
"Its deceptive isn't it? But its nice, makes you feel grounded and it reminds you to focus on how your body moves." She sighed, sitting up.
She studied their faces while they laid there, they were both so young. Kili was darker, and his eyes seemed more profound, though his look was softer, while Fili was the exact opposite, he was brighter and sharper. She could see the resemblance with Thorin who was dark like Kili but keen like Fili, the gene pool was strong.
"What does your mother look like?" Eryn finally asked, they both sat up and looked at the other.
"She looks like Thorin, only prettier," Fili said with a chuckle.
"Our mother has raven black hair, eyes as bright as a midsummer moon, and a beard glorious enough to make half the men of Erebor jealous." Kili praised, his eyes warming at the thought of his mother.
"She's a wise, stoic woman," Fili added, his face setting into a warm smile.
"And your father?" She asked, picking at the blades of grass.
"He was golden, like autumn wheat," Fili said, and his smile faded. "I hardly remember him."
"I've never met him," Kili muttered, "But I have been told he was a great warrior, kind and generous." He said, picking at the grass as well.
"He died in battle, another clash with Orcs."
"Oh," Eryn sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Which was true, there was never anything written about their father.
"It's alright, he is a fond memory for some, and a great legend to others," Fili replied, "Our mother misses him, but she gets on fine without him. Our Uncle helped as well with our upbringing; we didn't go without."
"He did?" Eryn said, her eyes happened upon Thorin as he was walking up from the river, he looked refreshed apart from the many scratches and cuts on his face. Eryn noticed the weariness that seemed to rest in his eyes.
"He is more of a father to us than an uncle," Kili interjected, pride beamed on his face, "He saw to our education, our skill crafting. Everything our mother could not teach us, Thorin did."
"He never had children of his own, and him taking up the task of raising us was a great burden to bear. He was subject to his father and Grandfather, and even though he seemed to bear a weight too great, he always bore it with grace." Fili looked towards his Uncle with admiration burning in his eyes. "I hope I can be half the king he is one day."
Eryn looked to Thorin again, too lost in thought to hear Fili ask about her own parents. Thorin may be grumpy most of the time, but she couldn't argue with his character. He truly was a remarkable person; he's endured more than his fair share in his life, and for what? Eryn then felt a sharp stab in her stomach, none of them would ever see the fruit of their labor. Thorin would never sit on a throne, and neither of his nephews would live to see Erebor restored. The first time Fili and Kili would see Erebor, it would be there last. Eryn felt the tear roll down her cheek before she ever knew she was crying.
"Eryn?" Kili asked, leaning over to get a better look at her face. "Are you alright?"
"I just admire you all," She sniffed, "You all have endured so much." Eryn immediately felt the guilt of her lie and looked away, ashamed, but there was nothing else she could say.
"Do not cry for us," Fili exclaimed, "I hope that one day you'll get to see Erebor restored, and the sun will shine on us once more." He stood to his feet and held out a hand for her to take, and she took it gladly.
After their Yoga endeavors and everyone had returned from the river, they gathered their things. Eryn put the bandages, socks, and shoes back on her feet, noting that her shoes had very little life left in them. Eryn then tied her jacket around her waist and started walking again behind Kili, who was chatting away about his concerns regarding this 'Somebody.'
They marched down the trail, through the tall green grass that looked so lush it filled Eryn's heart with joy. The road turned through broad oaks and tall elm trees that cast shadows dancing with the wind.
"Now, when we reach the Somebody I spoke of, you must all be polite and respectful." Gandalf began as the trees grew denser, "I will introduce you two by two, and it is best you let me do all of the talking. I don't want you to annoy him." Gandalf looked pointedly at Bofur. "He is kind if humored, but he is appalling when angry, so I must insist you all remain silent until we are in his good graces."
"And this is the 'Someone' we are seeking out?" Thorin asked, eyes sharply drawn to the trees surrounding them.
"Yes, his name is Beorn, and he is a skin-changer." Gandalf finally confirmed, and the dwarves looked between themselves, confused.
"A furrier!" Bilbo squeaked, "He will be good company if we are to get better jackets," Bilbo nodded towards Eryn, who opened her mouth to say otherwise, but he was quickly chastised by Gandalf.
"Bilbo Baggins, do not be a fool, and do not speak of such things if you are in or around his home." Gandalf admonished, and Bilbo shrunk away, embarrassed. "He is a skin-changer," he reiterated, enunciating each word, "He changes his skin, sometimes he is a man of giant proportions and other times he is a large black bear."
"Wow," Eryn breathed, "And he lives here, in the woods?"
"Indeed, he has a great home up ahead. He keeps cattle and horses; they work with him, and they speak with him. He doesn't hunt or eat any creature for that matter, so I insist you also refrain from mentioning this as well. He has great hives of bees as well."
Eryn giggled with excitement, the days spent on her Grandfather's farm were her most cherished, and she learned so much from her time there. She was a bit of a hippy child when it came to farm life, and saying she loved it was an understatement. The anticipation grew as they walked, and Eryn could hardly contain her excitement.
Eryn kept up perfectly fine towards the start of the trek, which didn't go unnoticed by Thorin, who admired her zeal while wondering what had happened to his nephews to make them so exhausted. His excitement, however, grew to discomfort as the day went on. The day became hotter, and they grew hungrier with each passing hour.
The even path grew to high slopes and hills, but the scenery did make it easy on the eyes. All along the road, Eryn saw beautiful wildflowers and thick patches of clovers all over the ground. The air changed from the crisp afternoon breeze to sweet honey and flowers. She picked some as she went on, tying and knotting their stems together, beautiful white clovers with golden yellow and blue wildflowers. Soon she had an impressive flower crown and adorned her head with it proudly and wore it until she had forgotten all about it.
"Have you grown tired, Miss Fey?" Thorin asked at the end of their seventh break that afternoon, much to Gandalf's disapproval, though he did insist they begin walking again, and so they did.
"What gave me away?" she asked through heavy breaths. They had just crossed their eleventh large hill; Eryn had been counting.
"You were so zealous when we started, I rarely see you at the front of the line with Gandalf, you've fallen behind." He observed, taking a drink from his water skin and handing it to her.
"I was feeling great earlier, but then those hills happened." She laughed and took a long drink from the water skin. She found it odd as well that Thorin of all people was lagging behind with her just to have a conversation, he usually keeps his company at the front of the party.
"I also noticed you discovered a new recreation to distract yourself," and he nodded to the flower crown adorning Eryn's head, the very one she had forgotten about.
"Oh, well, I am a delicate flower, Thorin Oakenshield, and needed to be crowned as such." She winked, took another drink, and handed the flask back.
"You are not one I would call 'delicate,' eccentric perhaps, but not delicate." He nodded, and Eryn cocked her head suspiciously.
"Did you just pay me a compliment?" Eryn smiled, mouth gaping with humor.
"Perhaps," He said, shaking his head, "Though if you are going to respond in kind, remind me to never speak of such things again," he said through what sounded like a chuckle.
"Well, bless me, a joke from the great king himself? To what do I owe this honor?" She teased.
He looked at her through the corner of his eye and pursed his lips, shrugged, then returned to his regular blank resting face. "The sun shines this day; perhaps it shines for your good humor."
"The sun doesn't shine for me," Eryn laughed, "Though I appreciate the compliment." She looked down at her feet and felt the warmth creep into her cheeks as she pondered his compliment again, it was very kind of him. Eryn thought she would never get to a place of general conversation, let alone praises, and she was thankful.
Her train of thought was derailed by a loud droning noise. She looked up from their usual resting place and saw bees, great bees, bigger than her thumb. They were in the flowers, and in the air all around them, they took notice of the flowers in Eryn's hair and began investigating them as well.
Bilbo looked at her nervously as did Thorin, but Eryn mouth widened with excitement.
"It's fine; they're just bees," she giggled, "They are more interested in the flowers than me." She smiled and carried on walking.
"Would you like me to remove the flowers for you?" Bilbo asked. His eyes were wide.
"It really is fine; they won't sting me. Bumble bee's get bad publicity because wasps or hornets will sting you for no reason at all. Bees can only sting you once, and they normally don't unless they're troubled." She observed as another bee took up residence in the flowers atop her head. "These little guys are particularly cute too," she giggled, "They really don't even look like they should be able to fly, those fat bodies carried by their little wings, but they make it work." She shrugged.
"We are close," Gandalf interrupted, "We are approaching his bee, pastures."
Sure enough, after only a few more moments, they arrived at a wall of magnificent oak trees, and behind that, a tall hedge of thorns. Talk about home security, Eryn thought.
"There should be a gate just over there," Gandalf pointed with his staff, "Now, I will go in first, Bilbo, you will accompany me. Each of you will enter in pairs, and I will give you the signal when you can start filing in, but please, do not crowd in, leave at least a few moments between each pair." Gandalf was flustered, and this, in turn, made everyone nervous.
"Are you nervous?" Bilbo asked as he approached Gandalf, but Gandalf ignored his question.
"Bombur, you count as two… so do come in alone." Gandalf instructed, then retreated quickly towards the gate, "Master Baggins, I insist you keep up."
Before anyone could protest, Gandalf was gone.
"Wait," Bofur breathed, "What's the signal?"
Eryn sighed; this was going to be an exciting evening.
Thank you to JessieMay7, T00thl3ss, basketball4444 and MaryElisabeth for F&F!