Of Pony Rides and Conversation
The ground had grown steadily more rocky since their departure from Hobbiton and they had slowed their pace for the sake of their poor beasts of burden. Despite the roughness of the terrain, however, the land about them held a kind of wild beauty. The sky was clear, except for the occasional bird taking flight. The sun shown like polished brass on land that looked like a sculpture of the sea. Rocks rose like small, lapping waves, and green grass rippled slightly in the wind giving a little magic to the picture.
However, the beauty of the scene was nearly completely lost on our small company. Most of them were grumbling about sore feet and the heat. And even Gandalf was beginning to get a headache (though he suspected it had more to do with their constant chatter than the sun and told them so quite irritably). Only Bilbo and some of the younger dwarves had retained much cheer at all and were endeavoring to pass the time pleasantly. They were playing a game where one person made up a situation and asked how one would stay amused in it, rather than looking at their own.
"All right, my turn." Bilbo said thoughtfully. "If you were stuck in a cellar with only some twine what would you do?"
Kili piped up "Would anyone else be there?"
"No, that's sort of the the point of saying 'only some twine'." Bilbo answered with an eyeroll.
"What sort of floor does the cellar have?" inquired Fili, as if it made the slightest difference.
"Dirt" Bilbo answered promptly.
"Well then, that's easy." said Fili.
"You just draw pictures in the dirt with your fingers!" announced Kili, happily interrupting his brother.
"What about the twine?" demanded Bilbo.
"What about it?" Fili asked, not to annoyed by the stealing of his thunder. "You asked how we would entertain ourselves, using everything available was never a requirement."
"I know, but it's a waste of perfectly good twine!" insisted Bilbo. "You should at least do something with it before you start drawing in the dirt!"
Here Balin, who had been listening to the whole exchange with great amusement, broke in. "Knowing them," he nodded at Fili and Kili, "they'd run the twine across the cellar's entrance so whoever came to their rescue would fall down into the cellar as well. Then they'd play in the dirt." He said this as if he'd had some experience, but Bilbo decided it might be wiser not to ask.
"Since we answered yours, it's our turn to ask you one." remarked Kili ponderously.
"If you were stuck in a cave with some boards what would you do?" wondered Fili.
"Oh that's a good one!" Kili exclaimed happily.
"How would I be stuck? Would the entrance be covered with rocks, would I be restrained somehow, what?" Bilbo countered.
"The entrance would be covered with rocks." The brothers declared after some deliberation.
"Then I'd use the boards to lever the rock out of the entrance and go away." Bilbo determined.
"You're supposed to entertain yourself in the cave, not escape it!" cried Kili, distraught at such a dismissal of their wonderful idea.
"That would be the most entertainment I could get out of such a situation, I assure you." returned Bilbo. "Trapped in...a...a..a...cave! With only a few boards! Really! How can you expect some one the amuse themselves in such a horrific situation without trying to escape?"
The ensuing 'discussion' of whether the game had rules, and is so, was Bilbo following them faded into the background for many of the other dwarves, who had resigned themselves to such goings on. Dori leaned over and muttered to Nori "I know how we could amuse ourselves." He paused for a response, and getting none he decided to continue. "We could get one of the water skins, uncap it, and throw it at them. There's a stream coming up soon, so we wouldn't really be wasting water."
Nori brightened considerably at the thought and whispered back "Let's get three." The two schemers looked up to find Gandalf watching them intently. They gulped and began to say they wouldn't really do anything when he said something that surprised them. "Would you like the water any special color?"
