Something tickled her face, and she blew out a breath wiggling her nose, she blinked her weary eyes exhaustion clouding her mind for a moment. Something grunted under her head, the vibration echoing loudly in her ear and she squeaked pushing herself up opening her eyes fully to be met by crystalline blue pools, her hands were sprawled against his wide chest and she felt her face burn crimson in embarrassment, she pushed herself off him crashing into the small stool behind her falling backward landing on a sleeping Bofur, who startled blowing of a wheezed breath as she toppled over him.
"Well Good morning, Lass" he grunted out a strained laugh as she scrambled to get off him, her face absolutely burning.
"I'm so sorry, I tripped" she muttered standing up as he laughed looking around the room as the other woke blinking back fatigue as she burned with a blush. She ran her hands down her tunic and smoothed the wrinkles casting her eyes to Thorin who looked unbothered by the incident.
"What's got you so worked up lass" Balin asked with a yawn, and she ducked her head playing with her long curls smoothing them down to distract herself.
Bofur sniffed and stood up "She crashed into me, says she tripped, and hear I thought you were light on your feet" he teased.
She frowned, her cheeks still colored red "I am I was just surprised is all"
"Is everything alright?" Gandalf asked ducking to step into the room, she sighed and nodded "Fine, thank you, are we off then" she turned her expectant gaze to Thorin who only nodded silently.
It was still early on in the day, the sun just beginning its ascension into the morning sky, soft golden rays filtered through the many trees of the Shire and she sighed welcoming the warmth on her face. She had no travel gear except that which was strapped to her person, she traveled light and mostly on foot, she owned a pony once, but it was killed by a pack of Worgs and she hadn't the heart to get another in fear it would meet the same fate.
She watched as the company excited the little home, weapons slung over their shoulder's frowns on their faces, except the two youngsters Kili and Fili they marched straight to her and offered her their arms as escort down the path to the awaiting ponies. She rolled her eyes but obliged linking arms they walked merrily down the little cobblestone path, she felt their enthusiasm contagious and soon the trio was laughing and smiling as they approached the company.
"Hurry along, we don't have time to waste" Thorin grunted mounting his pony and she rolled her eyes leaning toward her fair haired companion "Is he always so irritable"
Fili smirked and whispered "Mostly, this is him happy believe it or not"
She sighed "Wonderful"
They pulled her along to the back of the pack of ponies and pointed at two lovely mares, one a deep chestnut color the other grey with little dapples. Kili puffed up his chest in pride and approached the dapple giving it a pat "This is the finest mount in Middle-Earth Matilda say hello to Riswynn"
She laughed at him as the pony tossed its head up and down causing the young Dwarrow to stumble back a step a sheepish smile on his face.
"Am I get to my own mount as well?" she asked curiously looking up at Gandalf as he rode slowly by on a beautiful large horse, the great beast stomped irritably and she took a half step back as her golden eyes connected with the deepest brown pools of the horse.
"Perhaps my dear, it would seem our Burglar has not arrived you may use his pony" Gandalf said pointing to a lovely little chestnut that had no rider but was greatly encumbered with trunks of luggage.
She nodded and slowly approached the pony hands held out in front of her she pat the soft velvety nose, cooing softly before running her hands slowly down the thick mane. She pulled herself into the small saddle with a smile on her face, her aching feet would appreciate the small break riding a pony would provide.
"Come along Riswynn, you can ride with us" Fili said smiling at her, flashing his lovely white teeth as he pulled his mount alongside hers, she gave him a genuine smile and nodded her head, clicking her tongue to get her pony to trot behind him.
They had only been riding for a few short moments, hardly at the edge of the borders of Hobbiton, when they stopped listening to frantic shouting coming from behind them. She turned and smiled brightly as the little Hobbit Bilbo came crashing through the brambles toward them, a long contract flowing out behind him as he ran. He ran straight to Balin huffing a great breath as he passed the contract to him, leaning over to catch his breath. She rose a brow amused as the old dwarf took his time reading over the contract smirking at Bilbo, he cleared his throat and nodded his head to Thorin, who grimaced at the newest addition
"Get him a pony" he grunted.
Bilbo went to protest when she rode beside him and grabbed his arm "Come along Mr. Baggins it would seem we are to share a nag"
"No no I hardly think that's necessary" he grumbled attempting to pull away from her, she snorted and hopped down to stand next to him
"Would you like me to throw you up into the saddle Master Baggins?" she asked trying to contain her laughter.
He looked appalled taking a half step back "Surely not, I hardly think you could lift me"
She bellowed out a great hearty laugh wiping her eye she leveled him with a playful smirk "Oh I think I could manage, Dwarves are incredibly strong lad, even us dams"
"Get on the pony" she smiled gesturing to the little horse.
Bilbo swallowed and ungracefully pulled himself up, she frowned her little pack horse was heavily loaded down, and she didn't exactly want to have Bilbo practically sitting on her lap. She sighed and patted the pony hard on the flank sending it whinnying and rushing ahead, the poor little Hobbit clutching on for dear life as she laughed
"Don't let her control you Bilbo" she cackled stepping in tow to follow behind her companions on foot. She pulled her small pack higher on her shoulder and watched as Kili pulled his dapple around her the pony trotting prettily at his commands he held out a hand for her, his dark eyes sparkling a smile on his face "wouldn't be proper to let a lady walk while we ride" he said cheekily and she snorted
"Very well, thank you Kili" she said reaching out taking his hand squeaking in surprise as he easily pulled her onto the pony behind him. She blew out a breath fixing her hair and settle herself on the rump of the animal trying to remain as comfortable as possible without falling off, her hands settled lightly on his waist gripping the heavy fabric of his tunic as they rode.
"So Miss Riswynn, tell me about yourself" Kili said turning his head to look at the dam behind him. She smirked and narrowed her eyes "What would you like to know"
Fili rode up beside the pair and leaned forward with a laugh "He wants to know how old you are"
"That's hardly a question to ask a lady" Bilbo grumbled behind them.
She turned over her shoulder and smiled at him, he clearly seemed frustrated with her attention his cheeks tinted a dusty rose color "Tell me Master Baggins, how old do you think I am?"
Bilbo looked away and twitched his nose "This is hardly fair I haven't an idea how long Dwarves live"
She shrugged ignoring the laugher of Kili and Fili looking at Bilbo with a smile, she batted her long lashes "Guess, I promise I won't be offended"
Bilbo gripped the reigns of his pony and narrowed his eyes looking over her face, she didn't look old by any means of the word, her face still held a youthful vigor, her hair still shone like spun gold, she wasn't wrinkled or pruned, her teeth still white and intact "Perhaps fifty or sixty"
She laughed the sound hearty and warm "No Bilbo that's way off"
"Eighty" Ori shouted from his pony clearly eavesdropping, his eyes wide as he started at her.
She shook her head "Guess again"
"Surely not more than one hundred" Fili said his eyes sweeping down her profile.
She smirked "Wrong again"
"One hundred and twenty-six" Kili said, and she rolled her eyes shaking her head.
"Well tell us then" they urged, and she frowned "I have no idea the actual date, my mother never told me, I know it was after the dragon and before the battle to reclaim Khazad-dûm"
It was quiet after her explanation and she looked around at the company, getting mixed signals of pity and confusion she bit her lip "What"
"How can you not know your own birth date" Bilbo asked quietly.
She sighed and looked away her eyes settling on the dark material of Kili's tunic "Its just the way it was lad, my amad and I had a strange relationship, I only know it was after Smaug because I don't remember Erebor at all, and I know it was before the Battle to reclaim Khazad-dûm because I remember when that happened, I was small, but I remember"
"Well then how about we make one up for you" Bilbo tried to sound positive, and she smirked nodding her head at him "Sure Master Baggins"
"When did Smaug take over the mountain" Bilbo asked.
"Well, that was about one hundred and seventy-one years ago, and the Battle of Azanulbizar was about twenty-nine years later" Gandalf said smoking from his long pipe, blowing out a smoke ring as he contemplated an appropriate age "Thorin how old do you think Miss Riswynn is, if I'm not mistaken you were quite young when Erebor fell"
Thorin grunted in annoyance but turned his head to look over his shoulder at Kili and behind him Riswynn, she didn't look as old as she stated, but if she was old enough to remember the Battle to reclaim Moriah then she would likely be almost as old as himself or Dwalin.
She felt his cool gaze on her face, and she gave him a cheeky smile "Aye be nice" she batted her lashes, and he rolled his eyes.
"One hundred and sixty" he grunted turning in his saddle facing forward.
"Okay one hundred and sixty it is" she said. Kili turned and looked over his shoulder at her again steering his pony to the right and bumping into his brother causing him to blush as he was scolded for not watching where he was riding.
"If its any consolation Miss Riswynn you don't look a day over one hundred" Ori said politely and she beamed at him "Well thank you Ori, that's very kind of you"
His brothers laughed covering their mouths with the backs of the hands as they young brother blushed crimson at the attention.
"How long do Dwarves normally live?" Bilbo asked curiously looking back and forth between each member of the group.
Balin smiled at him "Well that depends laddie, each clan is a bit different but the line of Durin is the longest lived typically around two hundred and fifty years give or take"
Bilbo twitched his nose and nodded looking at the back of Riswynn's long flowing hair "If you live so long why aren't there more of you"
"Well, aren't you the curious thing" Bofur laughed from up ahead, the corners of his pointed hat moving as he turned his head to look back at the hobbit.
Riswynn sighed "There aint a lot of women dwarves Master Baggins, and not all of us want to tie ourselves to a bossy Dwarrow"
"Is that why you aren't married" Kili asked slyly
She snorted and patted the top of his head causing the others to chuckle "Oh Mr. Kili, I aint found a Dwarrow that could ever handle me"
"No surprise there" she heard someone mumble from the front of the company.
"What about you little Hobbit, got yerself a lass back home" she smiled at Bilbo.
He blushed and shook his head his curls bouncing as he looked down at his pony "No nothing of the sort"
"Just wait laddie, once we get the treasure you'll have maidens fallin at yer hairy feet" she teased.
"Is that what you want" he asked quietly
She rose a brow and snorted "Hardly want maidens at my feet lad, Dwarrowdam's are greedy, they be quick to pick my pockets they would, id have to smash em with a stick keep em away, cant say Dwarrow are much better, only im sure they'd like to smash me with their sticks" she laughed hard almost falling off the back of the pony as Bilbo gasped in shock, he had no idea dwarves could be so crude especially woman.