Hey, everyone! So sorry for the long hiatus. I had some other projects I wanted to work on. I'm kicking myself back into writing mode to get this story and future stories finished!
Clill rode her pony beside Bilbo as rain fell heavily from the sky. She looked at everyone who were covered for the most part, except for Bilbo. Bofur filled his pipe with tobacco, but couldn't light it at all.
"Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked.
"It is raining, Master Dwarf", Gandalf said. "And it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."
"Are there any?" Bilbo asked. "Other wizards?"
"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards; you know, I've quite forgotten their names."
"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked.
"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown", Gandalf answered fondly.
"Is he a great Wizard or is he...more like you?"
He looked back at Bilbo, almost slightly offended. So in Bilbo's eyes, he wasn't a great Wizard. Clill looked Bilbo disapprovingly. For someone who was supposedly respected in his community, he sure did have bad manners when it came to conversations.
"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way", Gandalf said. "He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."
Clill pulled her pony back, riding beside Bilbo. She watched as he shivered slightly as he kept his head down from the rain. Clill sighed and pulled her hood back as she unclasped her cloak.
"Here", she said handing it to Bilbo. "You look like you need it."
"Me?" Bilbo asked looking at it. "What about you? Don't you need it?"
"I'll be alright", she said wrapping it over his shoulders. "We can't have our burglar dying of pneumonia, can we?"
"We can't have our queen die of pneumonia either", Thorin said watching her. "Clill, you know how fragile your health is. I will not lose you before your rightful time."
Clill looked at him and sighed as she rode ahead with him, leaving her cloak with Bilbo. Thorin rolled his eyes as he wrapped his cloak over her shoulders. She lowered her eyes as she held his cloak tightly.
"Must you always be so harsh on the Hobbit?" she asked. "He is out of his element. He needs time to adjust to the wilderness."
"We don't have time for any of that", Thorin said. "Summer is almost ending. We have to get to Erebor before winter. I do not want your health to fail before we get there."
"You could at least help him try to adjust."
Clill pulled her pony back as she rode with Bilbo. Thorin watched her and shook his head. He knew she was just looking out for the Hobbit, but she couldn't coddle him the whole trip. Balin looked at his daughter and his son-in-law with a sigh. The sooner they got to Erebor, the better.
