An Unexpected Companion
Chapter 4
The Prancing Pony
Rain poured down from the black sky. Thunder rumbled, making Tiki's ears twitch whenever a particularly loud crack echoed through the air. The road she and Gandalf trekked was slick and waterlogged; the dirt now nothing more than ankle-deep mud. What made the march to Bree even more difficult was the hilly landscape the road knifed through. Hills that Gandalf took the long way around.
Why did Gandalf take the long way around the hills instead of cutting straight through the wilderness? Well, according to the old wizard: "The road is safe. The wild is not". Which did not make much sense to Tiki. The road was in the wild, after all. Doesn't that mean the road is also the wild?
They're both equally muddy. Tiki grimaced when her foot sank into a deep puddle of mud. I'm looking forward to a warm bed.
Her hopes were boosted when the pair crested a damp hill with grass battered and bent by the winds and rain. A few miles away sat a small, walled town. Although, the wall wasn't much to look at. It appeared to be a simple palisade with a couple of rickety towers overlooking the landscape. Chimneys belched smoke into the cool air, and Tiki could see candlelight flickering in house windows.
"There is our destination," Gandalf said. "The village of Bree." And with that, he continued marching.
Tiki followed him. "I assume there is a comfortable place to stay?"
Gandalf chuckled. "If you are assuming that it'll be as comfortable as Rivendell, you'll, unfortunately, be disappointed. That being said, it does the trick in a pinch. The Prancing Pony is a fine establishment, with a warm hearth and hot food."
"Meat?"
Gandalf gave her a cheerful smile. "Plenty."
That made Tiki's stomach growl, and it added a light skip to her step.
Within no time, the two weary travelers reached the gates of Bree. They were shut. But, when Gandalf approached, a small window in the gate opened. A stern voice snapped out from the gate. Beyond the window, Tiki spotted a man with piercing blue eyes, wearing a hooded coat with raindrops dripping from the fringe of the hood.
"Yes? What?" The man asked.
"Ah, good afternoon to you sir," Gandalf began.
"It's hardly a good afternoon. It's wet. I'm wet. The roads are a mess and no less than four carts have gotten stuck passing through the gate."
Some sympathy passed over Gandalf. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. But, I can assure you, we do not possess a cart."
"We? Who's we? I only see an old man in a ridiculous hat."
Gandalf sputtered. "R-ridiculous-"
"Hello there," Tiki chirped with a wave. The eyes flicked to her, and Tiki gestured to Gandalf. "I'm with him and, if you don't mind, we would like entry to get some food and shelter?"
"Don't mind? Not my place to mind. It's my place to mind the gate and only the gate," The man grunted. He gave Gandalf and Tiki a suspicious once over before humming. "Alright, alright, you two don't look like trouble. An old man and a young lady caught in the rain can't harm much. Mind your business inside."
The wooden gate groaned open, and Tiki and Gandalf passed through. Out of the corner of her eye, Tiki spotted the gatekeeper return to a small shack beside the window, taking shelter from the storm. He didn't give either of the travelers a second glance.
That one's a charmer. She thought.
A horse's whinny made Tiki snap her attention back to the narrow road in front of her. True to what the gatekeeper said, the roads were a mess, and a fifth cart had gotten stuck in the mud. Several short people, shorter than any folk Tiki had ever seen before, scurried around the cart. Their bare feet sloshed through the mud as they tried to urge a small pony forward.
"Hobbits," Gandalf said, noticing Tiki's curiosity. "Probably a group from Buckland. They tend to have more business than usual with the folk of Bree."
Interesting. Tiki thought, her emerald eyes staying on the hobbits as they passed by them. One of the hobbits, a portly one with curly black hair, blinked in surprise when he saw her, before blushing and retreating behind the pony.
"Shy?"
"Even the hobbits of Buckland tend to mind their own business and wish others do the same," Gandalf nodded in reply.
Towards the center of the village, Tiki spotted a larger building with many candles burning in windows. A small group of men and shorter, stout, bearded folk stood outside of the building, smoking pipes and conversing despite the pouring rain. A stable was attached to the building. Swaying in the wind was a sign with a horse on it in faded white paint. Above the white horse were letters that read: The Prancing Pony.
Oh good, food and warmth. Tiki thought, one of her hands reaching up and pulling some of her soaked, green hair off of her forehead.
Indeed, the inside of the inn was very warm. A roaring fire burned in a large fireplace that dominated one wall of the large dining and common room. Many chairs and tables were scattered around the room. Most were occupied by soaked travelers and villagers enjoying a hot meal and a pint of mead.
Once inside, Gandalf removed his hat and wiped some of his long, gray hair from his brow. After taking a deep breath, he gestured for Tiki to follow him to the long counter that acted as a serving station and bar. A pair of hobbits scurried behind the bar, hoisting trays laden with mugs of ale, before rushing out from the bar towards the tables. A stout man stood behind the counter, wearing simple clothing and a stained apron. A short, patchy, red beard covered a blubbery chin while a hat hid his balding head. A rag sat in one hand as he cleaned the inside of a mug. When he spotted Gandalf, he gave the wizard a nod.
"Good to have you back, Gandalf,"
"And it is good to be back. How is your boy Butterbur?" Gandalf asked.
"Growing like a weed. He's out at the stables if you rode here."
"Not this time," Gandalf chimed. "I only need food and shelter for a certain amount of time that I am uncertain of at the moment."
"Very well," The man, who Tiki assumed was the innkeeper, said. "Just for yourself again?"
"Oh, no. I do have a companion with me on my travels this time. It would be good if we could have separate rooms."
"She the lass behind you?" The innkeeper asked.
"That she is," Gandalf nodded.
The innkeeper nodded. "I'd give you two rooms if I had them. Unfortunately, I do not. The weather has driven travelers indoors for the day. I do have one room with two small beds available."
Gandalf furrowed his brow. "It is not a hobbit room, is it?"
"No, it was designed for dwarves. But the beds should be long enough for you two."
Tiki blinked. There are dwarves too? She glanced to the door as a group of stout, bearded men entered, boisterously blustering about mead and meat. Yup, those would be dwarves.
"I'll make sure the room is clean. In the meantime, find yourselves a seat. I'll have Nob or Bob bring you something to eat and drink. Mead alright?"
"A pair of pints would be lovely," Gandalf started to turn away, but paused. "Oh, and an extra helping of meat for my companion."
"Meat eh? I've got bacon available."
"That would be perfect," Tiki piped in with a smile.
The innkeeper smiled back. "I'll make sure it is brought to you."
Gandalf offered the innkeeper one more nod before turning away. Tiki followed him towards a table off in the corner of the dining room. It was a little far from the fireplace, but the hearth was crowded. Tiki guessed Gandalf desired some privacy.
Once they sat down, a hobbit rushed by with a pair of frothy mugs filled with mead. Tiki, while not usually a mead drinker herself, gratefully accepted hers and took a small sip.
"Not bad," She said before taking another sip.
"An inn would not do well if it did not have good food and drink," Gandalf commented. He did not touch his mug. Instead, he reached into his robes and pulled out a completely dry map.
Tiki's eyes fixated on the map as Gandalf spread it out on the table. Gandalf then reached for his pipe and lit it. As he puffed on his pipe, he studied the larger map, hummed, then reached into his robes and produced a smaller, weathered scrap of paper. Strange markings littered the paper. The most recognizable feature Tiki could see was a drawing of a lone mountain.
"Looking at something in particular?" She asked Gandalf.
Gandalf's blue eyes flicked up from the map. "This smaller parchment is a dwarven inscription about their old kingdom of Erebor, or The Lonely Mountain," He tapped a mountain that sat alone in a plain on the eastern half of the map, above a large lake.
"And what's so special about it," Tiki asked.
"Well-" Gandalf was about to explain but paused when the inn's door opened and closed.
A new dwarf stepped into the inn, shaking off rainwater from his coat as he entered. His long, black hair had small streaks of silver hidden within it. While the other dwarves Tiki noticed had long, bushy, elaborate beards, this one's beard was trimmed shorter than the others. Dark, stern eyes studied the patrons inside of the dining room before finally landing on Gandalf. His booted feet clomped against the wooden floorboards as he marched towards their table. As he approached, Gandalf discreetly tucked the parchment about the lonely mountain back into his robes.
When the dwarf reached them, Gandalf gave the man a warm look.
"Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf said. "I trust your travels find you well."
"Well enough," The dwarf grunted. He glanced at Tiki. "Who is this?"
"A friend," Was Gandalf's short reply.
"Is she the burglar you spoke of when we last met?"
Tiki's eyes widened. "I'm most certainly not a burglar."
That made Thorin Oakenshield's gaze harden. "Then what are you doing here? I have business with Gandalf, not with you."
"She is my traveling companion, Thorin," Gandalf remarked. "And she may prove to be of some assistance; if she decides to assist, that is," The wizard gestured to the open seat at their table. "Please, join us. Bob or Nob are bringing food soon. I'll make sure they bring you another pint as well."
Thorin gave Tiki a wary look, then he grunted and took a seat. Once he sat down, his hands rested on the table. He flicked his eyes at the map of Middle-Earth, raked one hand through his soaked hair, then sighed.
"Alright, if she is not the burglar, then who is?"
Tiki's eyes flicked back to Gandalf.
"I assure you, I have someone in mind, Thorin. He is, in fact, a hobbit and-"
Thorin scoffed out a derisive laugh. "A hobbit? You cannot be serious. Hobbits have no interest in anything other than their little farm patches and drink. Such simple folk are not fit for our quest."
"Quest?" Tiki asked.
Thorin gave Tiki a withering look. Then, he turned his gaze to Gandalf and nodded, as if giving the wizard permission to discuss the topic.
Gandalf cleared his throat. "Lady Tiki, this is Thorin Oakenshield, son of King Thrain and grandson of King Thror, of the dwarven kingdom of Erebor."
Tiki's eyes widened. Why would royalty be meeting with a wizard in a common inn? Did it have something to do with the quest?
"Pleased to meet you, your majesty," Tiki said with a respectful nod.
"I am majesty of nothing, at the moment," Thorin said, although his expression softened a little at Tiki's words. "Although, the gesture is appreciated."
"Yes, and becoming someone who is majesty of something is part of the reason for this quest," Gandalf continued. "The Lonely Mountain was once a thriving, wealthy dwarven kingdom… until Smaug came down from the north."
"He torched Erebor and Dale. Left nothing but desolation," Thorin growled, his gaze distant as his fingers tapped the tabletop. "That vile wyrm stole my people's lives, their livelihood, and their homes."
"Thorin and I met not so long ago in this same inn by chance," Gandalf continued. "During that meeting, we discussed the Lonely Mountain and Smaug and concluded that something must be done about the dragon."
"I proposed we show up in force with armies of my kin," Thorin said.
Tiki furrowed her brow. "That would be foolish. A dragon would make mincemeat of an army." Gandalf gave Tiki a hesitant look, one she did not miss. She quickly cleared her throat. "At least, that's what I've heard in tales."
"Gandalf said much the same thing," Thorin admitted. "He then proposed that we enter with stealth and slay the dragon using more underhanded methods."
Tiki leaned back in her seat, understanding dawning on her. "And you need a burglar to get in."
"Specifically, we need a burglar who isn't a dwarf," Gandalf pointed out. "Dwarves are not the stealthiest bunch, and Smaug will keep a wary eye out for them. Which is why I have suggested a hobbit. Smaug will not be accustomed to the smell of a hobbit, and they can be surprisingly sneaky in a pinch."
"They lack the courage," Thorin stated.
"The one I have in mind is different. He has a certain strangeness to him, according to the other hobbits. And, I am quite sure he has courage. Courage enough to assist in this quest," Thorin gave Gandalf an uncertain look, to which Gandalf frowned. "You trusted me to find a burglar and I believe I have found one."
"I have half a mind to just ask Tiki to be the burglar," Thorin grumbled. Nob returned and placed down a third mug of mead in front of Thorin before scurrying away.
"While I'm flattered by the offer," Tiki began. "Burglary is not within my realm of expertise. However, dealing with uncooperative dragons might be."
Thorin gave her a puzzled look. Tiki was sure he was about to ask her how she could possibly know how to deal with dragons when his eyes briefly widened. He had spotted her pointed ears.
"Gandalf, is Lady Tiki an elf?"
"I'm-"
"Yes," Gandalf interrupted, drawing a sharp look from Tiki. When Tiki spotted the pleading in his gaze, she decided to remain silent. The old wizard probably had a good reason for lying. "Tiki is an elf."
Thorin leaned towards Gandalf and lowered his voice, thinking Tiki could not hear him.
"I do not want one of them on this quest," He whispered.
"I assure you, Tiki is not from the woodland realm or any other elven realm. In fact, she is from a realm far to the east, past Rhun. She has no quarrel with your kin, Thorin."
Tiki furrowed her brow, more puzzled than offended by the conversation. Gandalf lied to Thorin by telling him she was an elf, as if that was a better option than referring to her as a Manakete. Just from the snarl in Thorin's words, Tiki inferred there was bad blood between elves and dwarves. Recent bad blood at that. The venom with which Thorin said 'elf' was not lost on her.
"It does not matter," Thorin hissed. "Elves cannot be trusted."
"This one can because you may have something she wants."
"I'm not giving an elf a single, gold coin from Erebor."
"I'm looking for information, not gold," Tiki said, causing Gandalf to close his eyes and sigh while Thorin gave her a surprised look. Tiki gave him a toothy smirk, doing her best to resist the urge to flash a sharp canine or two. "I'm sort of lost here in Middle-Earth and trying to find my way home."
"Since Erebor traded with the people of the north and east, the archives within the Lonely Mountain might have the information she seeks," Gandalf said, piggybacking on Tiki's words.
Thorin gave Tiki a wary look. "Information on your homeland? What sort of information would you be seeking?"
"Directions," Tiki shrugged. "I'm quite anxious to return but I do not know the way."
"How did you arrive in Middle-Earth if you do not know the way to and from here?" Thorin pressed.
"It's complicated," Tiki replied.
Thorin looked less than satisfied with her explanation, but he must have realized he would get no more information from Tiki. So, with a small harrumph, he grabbed his mug, gulped down some mead, then wiped the remaining droplets from his beard with the back of his hand.
"If you believe she can be of help, then she may come," Thorin relented.
Gandalf smiled. "Wonderful! Now, do you have your party chosen?"
Thorin nodded. "I do. They are on their way here as we speak, from the Blue Mountains."
"In the morning, go meet up with them," Gandalf said. "Tiki and I will head to the Shire to get our burglar. You will find us at a door with my marking on it in Hobbiton."
"Hobbiton?" Thorin shook his head. "Not even selecting an adventurous Bucklander," He buried his face in his mead, took another gulp, then set it down again. "He better be up for it, Gandalf."
Gandalf gave him a confident smile. "Oh, I assure you, Bilbo Baggins will be more than up for an adventure."
The savory aromas of smoked bacon and stew filled Tiki's nose, making her mouth water and her stomach growl. The two hobbits, Nob and Bob, returned to their table with three large bowls of beef and potato stew as well as a plate of bacon. Tiki's eyes gleamed as her more draconic side relished in the smell of bacon. After saying thanks to the two hobbits, the trio dug into dinner.
Tiki tore off a bite of bacon, munched, then swallowed.
"So, what is Bilbo Baggins like?" She asked.
Gandalf smiled between mouthfuls of stew. "Hopefully he shares Belladona's Tookish nature."
"And if he does not?" Thorin asked.
Tiki tilted her head as she munched on another strip of bacon. What did Gandalf mean by Tookish nature? What he said next made Tiki wonder if Gandalf had even spoken to Bilbo Baggins about this quest at all.
"Well… I'll figure out something to urge him from his hole."
It happened to Tiki again, but for the first time since Rivendell. The nightmare returned, more vivid than ever. The details were stark.
Blood glistened bright red all around her, staining every white stone wall and brick a sickening crimson. Fire burned so hot Tiki thought her skin was boiling. Then, there were the unholy roars reverberating through the air. The sounds of Grima, the Fell Dragon, declaring victory as his titanic maw looked to the sky.
All of that was enough to make her jerk awake, sweat beading on her skin, chest heaving up and down in ragged, choking gasps. When she awoke, she realized Gandalf was also awake. At first, she suspected that he had been reading, or thinking as he smoked his pipe. As the sleep left her eyes, she realized that he was instead, giving her a worried look.
"You were snarling in your sleep, Lady Tiki," He muttered as he sat in a chair near the door, his staff leaning against the crook of his arm. "A nightmare?"
Tiki swallowed hard. She inhaled deeply through her nose, then exhaled slowly. After biting her lip, she nodded then looked down at the wool blanket covering her lap.
"About what?" Gandalf asked.
Tiki's emerald eyes flicked to him again. A small candle burned on a table beside him. She saw the map of the Lonely Mountain was unfolded, dimly lit by the candle. The fact that Gandalf had set it aside even though he had agreed to terms with Thorin about the quest told her that she caused quite the ruckus in her sleep.
"What was Sauron like?" Tiki asked.
Gandalf's brow furrowed. "Sauron? Why would you want to know that?"
Tiki grimaced. "Dark Lords are tricky things, Gandalf. Even when you think you might be free from them, they linger," Her hands folded in her lap and she tucked her chin. Even now, just thinking about the nightmare made a shiver run up and down her spine. Part of her was beginning to wonder if it was even a nightmare at all. "My own dark lord refuses to leave me alone, it seems."
"Your own dark lord?"
Tiki let out a nervous sound. "Well, not exactly a dark lord. He's actually what we call a Fell Dragon," A deep, pondering look passed over Gandalf's features as she spoke. "His name is Grima. The reason I'm so anxious to return to my homeland is because my friends were fighting a war against him."
Understanding dawned on Gandalf's face. "The war was not going well, I assume?"
Tiki shook her head. "No, it was not."
Gandalf pocketed the map of Erebor, rose to his feet, and stepped to the empty bed beside Tiki's. As he sank onto the mattress, he let out a long sigh. He then set his staff behind him, on the mattress, and rested his elbows on his knees.
"You sound like you have lost hope."
A sharp flash of anger flared in Tiki. "I have not! I'm just," She caught herself before her voice rose further. After taking a soothing breath, she continued. "I'm afraid for them. None of them have ever faced an enemy like him before."
"And you have?"
"Several times," Tiki snorted. "Medeus, Gharnef, those two were problems. Not as big of a problem as Grima, but they caused their fair share of suffering."
Gandalf nodded. "Well, Tiki, I can say this much about your situation: never lose hope. The loss of hope is when the war ends. That is when someone truly surrenders to the darkness. Cling to it. Keep it bound tight in your heart and never let it go. The fire it lights within you will carry you back to your friends, and to victory over your own dark lord."
A small smile formed on Tiki's lips. "Is that the advice you would have given Elrond and his friends when they fought Sauron so many years ago?"
Gandalf returned her smile with a gentle one of his own. "Yes, that is what I would have done. That is what they did, so long ago," He exhaled and sat up. "Now then, we must rest. The Shire isn't much further down the road, but if the weather is not in our favor it will still be a long walk."
Tiki nodded, some sleepiness returning as her draconic body decided to remind her of how weary traveling made her. She uttered a yawn, which must've shown a fang or two because Gandalf froze in his seat. Then, she laid her head back down on the pillow.
"Thank you for the advice, Gandalf."
"You're most welcome, Tiki."
And she drifted off sleep, no more nightmares plaguing her dreams that night.
And chapter! This is such a fun little story to write! Most of the setup for this little adventure is already done, and now we are going to head off to the Shire. Time to meet our daring soon-to-be adventuring hobbit! I'm excited to write him and Tiki interacting. It's going to be great!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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