Author's Note: I own nothing.

3 A Few Little Lessons

They woke before dawn the next day and traveled through the sleepy town. It seemed that most of the people here did not rise early, the occasional heavy yawns from the back of the group punctuated that point. Belladonna had swapped her simple skirt and apron for a green skirt, still quite simple, and a red vest, belted in brown with a few small pouches there. She, like the others had a pack slung over her shoulders. Over that she wore a simple blue cloak. She had pulled her hood up so her face was hidden and that perplexed Thorin a bit. But perhaps, as a burglar she was not well liked. That assumption was cast aside though when the innkeep of the Green Dragon was roused from his slumber. He grumbled until he spotted Bella in their midst.

"I see they found you alright Miss Baggins." He said smiling at her, which he hadn't done to any of the Dwarves. Bella pulled her hood down, looking only a little bit exasperated.

"That they did Bruno. Would you mind helping us with the ponies?" She asked and he nodded.

"That I will Miss Baggins." And he did without complaint, his grumblings having ceased in their entirety as he amicably chatted to Bella, always calling her Miss Baggins and respectfully nodding in agreement with what she said. It confused Thorin greatly. If she was such an upstanding citizen, and the way the innkeep spoke to her he thought very highly of her, why had she gone hooded through the town as though in fear of discovery. It wasn't until Kili and Fili helped her onto one of the ponies that Thorin came to have some kind of understanding of the situation.

"Miss Baggins, you're going with them? I thought they were just friends of your ma's coming to visit." He was frowning that look of judgment he'd shot Thorin the night before returning to his eyes. Bella blushed pulling up her hood.

"Can't be helped I'm afraid. Would you be kind enough to deliver this message to Hamfast Gamgee? He'll see to what needs to be done." She asked pulling an envelope from one of the pouches on her belt. It was addressed to Hamfast Gamgee, whoever that was. The innkeep nodded eying the dwarves with a whole new kind of mistrust.

"Aye Miss Baggins if that's what you wish. I'll see to it." He said tucking the envelope into a pocket. "You stay safe out there Miss Baggins. See you don't fall into bad company." He called after them as they set out. A few of the dwarves, Bofur, Fili and Kili to name them, laughed lightly but Thorin frowned as Gandalf pulled his horse up beside Bella showing her how best to hold the reigns. Dori had noticed this as well.

"Here lassie have you never ridden a pony before?" He asked as they set out in earnest and Bella shook her head, squinting in the light of the dawn.

"Honestly no. I've never taken a trip outside the Shire before." She admitted and Thorin exchanged a dark look with Balin who was eying the Hobbit.

"The innkeep said he though we were looking for your mother?" Balin questioned and Bella nodded.

"My mother was a bit odd by Hobbit standards. She was always running off in search of adventure at my age. It's not something polite Hobbits do really. Made it as far as the base of the Misty Mountains according to the stories she told me. Never crossed them though. I suspect I'll be the first Hobbit in an age to see the other side of the Misty Mountains." She said a small smile playing across her face. Fili tilted his head at her.

"Why did she never cross the mountains? She must have been curious." He asked. Thorin shot him a reproachful look. It wasn't polite to question someone like this. Secrets were meant to be kept. Kili was the second youngest of the Company, only slightly older than Ori who looked curious as well but was too shy to ask their newest member anything. Bella though seemed to not know that secrets were a thing to be kept.

"She once told me her Tuning is what kept her from crossing the Mountains." She said wiggling slightly as though to get comfortable in the saddle. Ori it seemed could be silent no more.

"What's a Tuning?" He asked and ducked his head as though to hide under his hood, ashamed for having asked this of her. She glanced back at him looking confused. But she shrugged.

"That's right, mother's books said every race on Middle Earth has a different name for it. We Hobbits call it the Tuning. Men call it the Calling, Elves call it Soul Singing, but her books didn't say what Dwarves called it. I don't think mother met many Dwarves on her travels." Bella said almost apologetically.

"Nor was she likely to. Your mother went on her wanderings before the fall of Erebor, there were not many Dwarves in this area at the time." Gandalf pointed out. Bella nodded slightly. "She had settled down with your father by the time Erebor fell."

"Wait," Dwalin interjected. "Lass how old are you?" Balin shot his brother a look. Bella looked a little affronted as she sat up straighter in her saddle. Even Fili and Kili were shooting a look of surprise at Dwalin for his bluntness.

"I happen to be fifty one." There were gasps from several of the Company. Bifur spoke, as always in Khuzdul.

"She's but a babe! Bad enough we're bringing young Ori on this quest. She's barely of age!" He said shaking his head. Bella frowned at him, clearly not having understood the words but the tone had been one of reproach. Gandalf saved her from having to ask what had been said.

"I assure you by Hobbit standards she is of age."

"I am not a child if that's what you're saying. I am middle aged. Hobbits come of age at thirty three." She stated shaking her head at the lot of them. Nori laughed at that.

"Careful with that tongue of yours lass, you may slip all the secrets of the Shire before journeys end." He admonished lightly. She frowned at him genuinely confused.

"We don't really have secrets in the Shire, except old family recipes. Knowledge should be free." She said and Ori's eyes lit up with excitement. He was always eager to learn but it was often difficult for him to do so as Dwarves kept so much secret even from their own kin. Knowing now that he would not be judged Ori pulled his pony up to trot next to Bella's and started asking questions. Their conversation carried them through the first day and the second all the way to the border of the Shire. There Bella paused looking back at the green fields behind them and out at the world in front of them. She took a deep breath and urged her pony down the road at the tail end of the Company. There would be no going back now.