When I woke up next it was nearly noon and Laddybuck moved carefully and stood. Groaning, I sat up and felt him nuzzle my shoulder in amusement. Shaking my head I yawned and looked over at the Company. Everyone was still asleep except Dwalin, who looked about ready to get everyone up. So I silently got up and felt something on my cheek crumble off. Remembering the stuff Oin had put on it I went over to the creek and found a small pool. The water was clear and I could see my reflection relatively well. I cupped the water and washed my face carefully, my jaw sore but not in too much pain.
Once my face was clean I saw that my jaw and cheek had a lovely bluish purple bruise. I mumbled, "Well label me impressed and ship me to Rohan. That's a beauty."
Laddybuck had followed and shook his head at me, "It looks awful. Does it hurt?" I shook my head and reassured him, washing my hands carefully and checked my busted knuckles. They looked better and I would need to ask Oin to put some more salve on them and re bandage it. Heading over to the others I saw Bombur start some breakfast, and the others start picking up the camp. Nori whistled when he saw my face, impressed and I winked at him, "Nice isn't it?"
He chuckled and Kili turned to see what we were talking about and yelped, "Ariana! Your cheek! It's.." The smile forming on my lips hurt my cheek but I couldn't help it as Fili exclaimed his surprise and I snickered, "I bit of a shiner huh?" Ori's mouth was wide open in his surprise and I gratefully took the food handed to me from Bombur and ate hungrily as Dori scolded them, "Don't be rude!"
I hid my grin in my bowl and only looked up when Bofur asked, "By the way, whose Nunyo?"
I blinked at him and then snickered, "Nunyo business."
He frowned, brow furrowed in confusion and I grinned at him, "It's just for fun Bofur. None of your business. Nunyo business." He got it and laughed, "That's clever! No wonder you were snickering!"
I continued to chuckle as I went over to the creek and cleaned my bowl. Then Oin had a look at my injuries and re-bandaged my hand and said my ankle would be fine. I thanked him again, having noticed that my ankle no longer hurt. After that we packed up the camp and they saddled their ponies. Laddybuck still didn't have a saddle so I just packed up my pack and mounted up. I looked at Thorin, hiding my discomfort at his hard gaze, "I can lead us to where Gandalf was going to meet us. I asked an owl to take him a message last night saying that we were fine and would meet him."
He blinked and started to scowl, "What do you mean you asked the owl?"
I shrugged like it was no big deal but my nervousness hummed in my ears, "I can understand and talk to animals. Do you want me to lead or not?"
We stared at each other until he finally nodded, "Lead on."
Relieved he didn't push the issue, I nudged Laddybuck and we lead them through the crack and back into the forest we had started it. Instead of heading back towards where we had made camp, I lead them more to the left and along game trails instead of real paths. Dwalin were beginning to grumble that we were lost when we came back to the road and Gandalf sat on his horse, smoking and waiting. I called greeting, "Hello Gandalf. Pleasure to see you again."
He smiled at me and said, "That is a lovely shiner Ariana. Got our Dwarf friends out of a pickle eh?" I winked and moved back down the line, "Just a small one."
He chuckled and called greeting to the others. Thorin whispered harshly to him and Gandalf just shrugged and I figured Thorin was unhappy to just now figure out that I talked to animals. I saw Ori glance at me and I pulled Laddybuck up beside him curiously and Ori said quietly, "I think it's a neat trait...that you can talk to animals."
I smiled brightly at him and said, "I do too." He smiled back and Thorin barked that we were going to move out and Laddybuck moved ahead of Ori but he didn't seem to mind as we went single file. Thorin moved down the line to take a spot behind Ori and scowled at me as he passed and I just rolled my eyes. I couldn't please everybody.
So Gandalf was in the lead. Dwalin, Balin and Bofur behind him and then myself, and then Ori, followed by Thorin and then the others. I secretly thought Ori placed himself there to get out from underneath Dori's smothering mother hen love. As we were riding along, it started pouring rain. I enjoyed it, lifting my face up to it and loved feeling it fall on me. But the Dwarves grumbled and finally Dori called up, "Here, Mister Gandalf? Can't you do something about this deluge?"
Gandalf called back, "It is raining Master Dwarf. And it will continue to rain until the rain is done, if you wish to change the weather of the world you must yourself another wizard."
Interest peeked I asked, "Are there any?"
"What?"
"Other wizards."
Gandalf looked back at me and said, "There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, the white. Then there are the two blue wizards." He paused and then said, "You know I have quite forgotten their names."
He paused again and before I could say anything a noise above caught my ears and I looked up as a ball of gray fur fell from a tree and landed on Dwalin's face with a surprised chirp, just behind Gandalf. Dwalin hollered, startling his pony and as the pony danced the ball of fur leaped to the next rider, Balin. He yelled as well and the bundle of fur jumped to Bofur who nearly dropped the pipe he had a hard time keeping lit and then to me. I caught it in my hands, listening to the shouts around me and laughed, "Calm down! It's just a squirrel!"
Ori was right behind me and rode up to look curiously as the squirrel uncurled in my hands, chattering as if it couldn't believe it had landed on a Dwarfs head. I tickled it's chin and said, "You frightened the poor fellow Master Dwalin."
Dwalin growled under his breath as I grinned at him and said to the squirrel, "Now up you go." I raised the squirrel in one hand to a nearby low branch and the squirrel chirped a thank you as it raced up it and disappeared into the tree. Ori looked rather pleased as he smiled shyly at me and moved back in line and I asked Gandalf, "And the fifth wizard?"
With a bit of fondness in his voice he said, "That would be Radagast the Brown. He's a gentle soul that prefers the company of animals over others." Gandalf eyes crinkled as he looked back at me, "Much like yourself. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east and a good things too. For always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."
Thinking this over, I hummed and looked into the rain. Wondering if I would ever meet Radagast.
