Chapter two - A journey with Thorin Oakenshield
"I am sorry." Said Winter not very sure about what she was apologizing for.
"Am afraid I am not feeling quite well." She continued, feeling like she was going to pass out.
"I'll make something for us to eat, you must have traveled far." Said Thorin worried about her.
"You have no idea." she said.
"But am afraid you have the wrong person, I had no plans to meet anyone." She said wishing he would help her, and afraid he was someone dangerous.
"So you are not the witch Gandalf sent us?"Said the man looking relieved and upset at the same time.
That name sounded familiar, but she could not put a finger on it.
"I am Winter, and am afraid I was just going home."
He looked at her in pity, and she noticed his deep blue eyes, and felt safe for a moment.
"I would be glad to help, I will make camp a bit further and we can get some food in you." Said Thorin walking away.
She followed him until they reached a plain spot between the mountains, he made a fire and started to go through his bag. Winter looked all around but there were no signs of lights or any trees, she checked her phone, and the battery was dead, she noticed the man started to cook something that smelled wonderful, but she would not have any food from a stranger.
Noticing a small bush of plants, she checked if it was something edible, and saw small purple berries she recognized from one of her mother´s books, it was a bush of Belladonna, very much not edible, but maybe she could slip some into Thorin's food if she was in any danger, she carefully picked some up with her shirt and put them on her purse discreetly.
She then sat by his side, and saw him make the most mouth watering boiled potatoes she ever saw, watching him carefully, she made sure there was no poison or anything dangerous in the food, still it was against her better judgement to eat food from a stranger, but it just seemed to have harmless ingredients, he put a rustic plate right in front of her.
"What happened to you anyway? A lady walking in the night, in the middle of the mountains, alone, doesn't seem very proper." Asked Thorin putting a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth.
"I don't really know, I was walking to my house and then…" She was bringing the spon to her lips, then paused trying to remember how she got there. It did not seem like she forgot or got carried away, she wondered if there was something wrong with her.
She put a spoon of potatoes in her mouth, and made a pleasing sound.
"I guess I was tired from work and lost my way." She continued with a mouthful, afraid the real answer would make him think she was crazy.
"I see…"Replied Thorin, while still devouring his dish.
"How about you? Do you camp often?" She asked after an uncomfortable silence.
"Not really, I am on a Journey somewhere, and the only town close enough is as far as a two day trip, so it was odd finding you here." Said Throin, seeming like he was getting tired.
"Two days? but Yorkshire it's probably closer then that."Said Winter ironically.
"Never heard of that place…" Said Thorin in a serious tone.
Winter chuckled, she was confused and tired, and didn't know how she would get back home, it seemed like she was dreaming, but her natural good humored disposition seemed to find that comment amusing, Thorin laughed back at her siliness.
"What are you laughing at?" He said.
"I don't understand! I was just going back home, where am I?" She said smiling at that strange situation.
"Maybe…" Thorin's eyes darkened. "You are who I am looking for."
"How come?" She asked.
"Gandald said he knew someone who could help us, a witch from another world." He said, and his words seemed so sincere she wished she could believe them.
"Maybe he didn't really asked you, he could just put the idea in your head, and then he put you here!" He continued looking proud of his own discovery.
"But I am afraid I am no witch, though this whole situation could go gracely on to a new novel, I am just a normal person." She said, finishing her plate.
"So you are a writer?" He asked.
"I wish I was, but I just work in a tea shop."
The fire started to burn out, and the light deemed, making Winter notice the sky, she had never seen a night so beautiful, full of hundreds of the most colorful stars, she layed on the grass and just stared at the sky.
"This is crazy, have you ever seen something like this Thorin?" She said softly.
"See what?" He asked, confused and still eating.
"The sky." She said almost insulted.
"I guess I never really pay attention to these things." Said Throin looking up.
Winter fell asleep under the stars, and Thorin put a blanket over her after he was done eating.
Winter opened her eyes the next day expecting to be in her warm bed, but her back was sore, and she was covered in grass, she was startled, and angry. She got up, and started walking, talking to herself, as she passed Thorin who was sleeping across from a burned out fire. She wanted to go home,she had work, and was still dreaming of that bath, her shoes were terribly uncomfortable which made her take them off.
Winter walked until she felt damp sand on her feet, there was now an ocean in front of her, even though there was none close to where she lived, she ran and stopped when the sea was reaching her knees.
"Winter stop, stop it please." She didn't notice Thorin had ran after her and was now holding her by the shoulders, he had large warm hands, that were very comforting, she started to cry uncontrollably.
She turned to him, and looked in his blue eyes.
"I just don't know what to do." She said being honest about her feelings.
"Stay." Said Thorin. "I will take you to the nearest town."
They went back to the camp silently.
Thorin got his things ready and they walked until they reached an isolated farm, he got them ponies to continue their journey, Winter had no idea how to ride it properly but it sure lifted her spirits, she was having a lot of fun riding and looking around at nature, Thorin every couple of minutes looked back to see if she was still following him, and was surprise by her joy in doing something so simple.
After a while, with her mind clearer, she started to rethink all of the events leading up to that moment, that strange encounter with a man at work, appearing in that new place, meeting Thorin, the farmers in medieval clothing at the farm, it was all starting to somehow make sense.
"What did you mean by saying you expected a witch?" Said Winter catching up to Thorin.
"A woman with understanding of healing and potions I believe, she would be very useful for our quest." He said simply.
"You said you were looking for someone named Morison…" Said Winter feeling the pieces of that puzzle falling together.
"At first I thought you meant as a first name…" She continues.
"What are you trying to tell me?" Asked Thorin.
"I guess, I am meant to be here after all." Concluded Winter.
"So you are Morison?" Asked Thorin, confused, gazing at her.
"I am." She said.
At that moment two men appeared on the dirt road, both of them walking, also wearing strange clothes, one of them with yellow hair with braids and grey eyes, and the other with dark, long, wavy hair and dark eyes, Thorin smiled when he saw them.
"Do you know them?" Asked Winter.
"Winter, these are my nephews." Said Thorin.
Both of them got close enough and they both stopped their ponies.
"Fili." Said the men with grey eyes.
"And Kili." Said the man with brown eyes.
"At your service." They said in union.