I'm so sorry it have taken so long to update, but I've had a lot of test, together with a writing block, so please forgive me.

I hope you'll get pleased to hear that this chapter is longer than the earlier. Please, enjoy.

Chapter 12

"Do we have to go any further?" Bilbo asked beside me. It was so dark around us, that I barely could see his face, and suddenly it was so silent that I could hear nothing but the other's breath. "My toes are sore and crooked, my legs hurt, and my stomach slaps inside me like a void of content."

"A bit further," was Gandalf's reply. Inside me I sighed.

After a while so long it felt like a year, we reached a clearing in the forest. The moon had appeared, and was shining down at us. But somehow it didn't feel romantic, as you may think. There was something scary about it, something which made me clench Kili's arm. I knew he was tired, and so was I too. I just couldn't stand more scary experiences, and together with Kili I felt safe!

Suddenly a howl could be heard a bit further down the slope. A long, strident howl which made nearly all of us shudder, and which immediately got answer from somewhere to the right, and closer. Then a new howl was heard from left, this time much closer. It was the wolves who had gather to howl at the moon.

I had only had experience with wolves once earlier, and then I hadn't only heard them. It felt as if my upper arm began to pound slightly. Thanks to Elrond, there were now only some small scars left, but it still felt as if there were open cuts.

I swallowed and pressed myself close to Kili. He wrapped his arms around me, and a few seconds later I could feel Fili's warm body against my back as he put his arms around me and Kili, as if he wanted to protect us from the wolves.

"What shall we do, what shall we do?!" a thin voice wailed. At first I didn't recognize it, but then my eyes fixed on Bilbo. His face was pale, and his eyes wide, and it seemed as if he was about to fall apart. "We got away from the goblins, only to get caught by the wolves!" I swallowed again. Never if I had imagined Bilbo to be that scared. He was like a father to me, and fathers shouldn't show that they were scared. They should be strong!

"Hurry!" Gandalf shouted. "Up in the trees!" Fili let go of me and Kili, and a few seconds later we were running, together with the others, to find some trees we could climb up in. Trees with low branches, or with a slim stem. And it didn't take long before we found what we were searching for. Even if we were tired, scared, and our feet nearly couldn't carry us, we climbed as high in the trees as possible. I, Fili and Kili had climbed up in a high larch which was strangely similar to a Christmas tree. Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin had sat nestled in a spruce with branches in the top which were sticking out like the spokes of a wheel. Bifur, Bofur, Balin and Thorin sat in another tree, while Dwalin and Balin had climbed up in a hight, slim pine with few branches, and tried to find a good place to sit high up in the green treetop. Gandalf, who were bigger – meaning taller – than the rest of us, had found an enormous spruce standing nearby the clearing. He was totally hid between the branches where he sat, except from when his eyes glimmered in the moonlight when he from time to time peered out.

But where was Bilbo? At the edge of panic, my eyes searched for him. He hadn't climbed up in a tree, but was fussing around from stem to stem, as a rabbit who is pursued by a dog, and can't find his hole.

"It seems as if we've left him in the lurch again," Nori told Dori, when he glanced down.

"I can't lug around with a burglar on my back, down in caves and up in trees," Dori snapped back. "What do you think I am? A carrier?"

"He'll be eaten if we don't do anything," Thorin interrupted, 'cause the howls approached. "Dori!" he shouted, 'cause Dori was the one sitting lowest in the tree, and it was easiest to him to climb down. "Hurry up and help Mr. Baggins!"

With a sigh I leant my back against the stem. For some seconds I had been so frightened, and even if I still was, it wasn't as much as before. I ran a hand through my hair.

"You look terrible," Kili commented. I glanced at him and grinned.

"Thanks the same," I replied. My voice was hoarse. He returned the grin, before shifting a bit, reaching out for me, and pulling me close. I closed my eyes as I felt his warm presence. Again I got the feeling of being totally safe. No one could hurt me when he was there. Never. At least I thought so.

Suddenly the lower branches shook. I snapped for breath when wolf-eyes appeared, and then disappeared. Under us I heard growling and some barking, followed by a howl.

"We're surrounded!" Fili shouted, and there came similar shouts from the other trees where the rest of the company had climbed to safety.

"They can't climb, right?" I asked. My voice sounded thin and high pitched.

"Not even evil wargs can climb trees," Kili replied. Now he was holding me with one arm, while the other hand clenched the branch above us, to keep us from falling. I didn't breath out, but I knew we were safe. At least for the moment.

"Thank Mahal, it's not blowing," Fili muttered. "Otherwise it would've been quite uncomfortable to sit here the rest of the night." Beside me Kili agreed. A small thought fell into my head. Kili had changed. I, however, didn't think more about it. There was no time to think of it, and at least not to talk to Kili about it. Instead I was wondering what the wolves were doing at the clearing.

It could probably be that the clearing was a meeting point for them, 'cause new wolves came increasingly. Some of them placed themselves on guard under the trees, while the others – it seemed to be hundreds of them – went to the clearing where they sat in a circle with a huge, grey wolf in the middle. They talked to each other at the scary language of wargs. I didn't understand it, but it sounded as if they told about cruel and terrible things. Sometimes all of them answered the grey warg chief in common, and then there was a riot which almost made me fall from the tree.

It continued for something which seemed as hours. Then something unexpected happened – I mean something more unexpected than what already had happened. A pine cone enveloped in blue flames shot out from the tree Gandalf was sitting in. The pine cone hit the back of a warg, and the shaggy fur immediately caught fire. The warg began to jump around, running here and there, while it came with terrible howls all the time.

Two new pine cones flew out from Gandalf's tree. Those flaming red and green. They hit the ground in the warg circle, and sent out multicoloured sparks and smoke. A especially huge pine cone hit the leader wolf at his nose. He jumped ten feet into the air, and then ran terrified in circle while he snapped and bit after the others in anger and fear. I heard the dwarves and Bilbo cheer, and I couldn't help but join in. It was scary to see how angry the wargs became, and the clatter they made, made it reverberate in the woods.

Soon the clearing was filled with wolves who rolled around to extinguish the flames, and those who already were on fire, ran howling around and put the others on fire, until they were chased away and ran howling and wailing down the slope to search for water. But before they ran away, they managed to put the clearing on fire. Small fires appeared all around the clearing. The only problem was that it didn't make the guards run away too. Instead the ran angry and agitated between the stems, while they howled and send their curses up toward us, in their terrible language, with their tongues hanging out of their mouths, and eyes shining red of anger, reflecting the flames.

It was then the goblins appeared. First they seemed confused, but then they spotted us. If I hadn't been as frightened as I was, I'd probably had buried my face in the fabric covering Kili's chest. However, the goblins didn't attack, as I had expected them to. Instead some of them sat down, laughing. Others swung their spears and pounded on their shields. The goblins weren't scared of flames, and they quickly came up with a plan which made them laugh even more.

Some of them gathered the wargs, others went to gather twigs and branches, and some third ran around the clearing to extinguish the flames where it had spread. But they kept live in the fire around the trees we sat in, and it didn't take long before the flames began making their way up the stems.

"We're going to die now, right?" I asked, clenching Kili's arm and peering up, into his dark brown eyes. He rested his forehead against mine.

"At least I won't let you die," he muttered.

"All of us can survive, or none of us," I replied. I knew he was about to argue, but I stopped him with a finger on his lips. "I can't live without you. You know that very well." For a few seconds we only gazed into each others eyes, but then Kili pulled away with a nod.

"Fine," he said. "All of us... or no one."

At first I though I had began crying, but then I realized it was the smoke which made everything cloudy, and my eyes water. I held up a hand in front of my nose and mouth. It helped, but only a bit. Through the smoke I could see the goblins dance in a circle around the flaming trees. Outside the circle, the wargs stood in respectful distance and watched. Somehow it sounded faintly when the goblins began to sing:

"Sixteen birds in pine cone trees, their feathers were burned in the fiery breeze. What funny little birds they have no wings, oh, what shall we do, with the funny little things! Oh, what shall we do, with the funny little things.

Roast them alive or stew them in a pot, raid them, blind them, eat them hot. Bake them, toast them..."

I covered my ears and didn't want to hear more. I didn't want my life to end like that, nor did I want the others' lives to end like that either. A sudden light made me open my eyes and look toward Gandalf's tree. Gandalf, however, was nowhere to be found in the tree. I lifted my gaze, and there I found him, high above the trees, at the back of a huge eagle. I removed the hands from my hears.

"Gandalf!" I cried. Both Fili and Kili glanced up at the eagles.

"Down!" Fili exclaimed as he frenetically tried to get me and Kili away from the eagles who circled lower and lower, and closer and closer to us. The first picked up Fili who yelled, and told it to put him down. I grabbed Kili's arm to keep him from knocking an arrow at the eagle.

"They're trying to save us!" I told him as I watched the huge birds picking up the other members of the company, one by one. Suddenly a huge shadow fell over us, and Kili was grabbed. I let out a cry of shock and angst as I was lifted up, together with him. Then we fell. I clung to him. We were going to die. No doubt that. The eagles didn't want to help us, but kill us, just as the goblins! The treetops rushed toward us, but suddenly an eagle back was there. We landed at it, me first, and Kili at the top of me. I had shut my eyes when I realized we were going to land at the eagle, but didn't open them just yet.

"We're alive," I heard Kili gasp, as if he couldn't believe it. "Rosie, we're alive!" Slowly I opened my eyes. Kili's face was above me, and some of his dark brown hair tickled my cheeks.

"We're alive," I whispered, only repeating his words. He beamed down at me, but then froze when we heard a voice.

"You're fine!" Kili got off me, careful with not falling off the eagle, and both of us turned to Fili who was sitting there, a tired smile on his face. Then he pulled Kili into a hug. I couldn't help but smile. Nothing could separate them. Not even a goblin-attack, followed by a bunch of eagles.

It seemed as if we flew for ages, but eventually the eagles began circling above a huge mountain ledge, and one by one they landed to let off their passengers. Our eagle was the last, and when I got off, I nearly wasn't able to stand. I stumbled over to the mountain wall, sank down with my back against it and buried my face in my hands. Easy, girl, I told myself. You're fine! All of you are, so take it easy! I, however, couldn't stop the tears from burning my cheeks which still were cold after the long flight.

"Rosie?" I recognized Bofur's voice. He carefully placed a hand at my shoulder. "What's wrong, lass?" His voice sounded like another voice I had heard long ago, I just couldn't remember where. As he pulled me into a comforting hug, I let my hands fall from my face, and rested my head against the light brown skin in his coat. "It's okay," he said as he rubbed my back. "No goblins, no wargs – we're safe." I continued sobbing into his coat.

"What's wrong?" Suddenly Kili was there. "Are she hurt?"

"No," Bofur replied. "I don't think so."

"Rosie?" I knew I made Kili worried, and I tried to stop crying, I just couldn't.

"I-I was so s-scared," I sobbed as Bofur carefully let go of me, and I leant my back against the mountain wall. "And n-now everything's f-fine." Kili carefully placed a hand against my cheek, and made me look at him. There was a small smile on his face as he wiped away the tears with his thumb. None of us noticed Bofur who rose and went over to the others, to give us some privacy.

"I was scared too," Kili whispered.

"B-but you d-didn't show it!"

"No," he agreed. "I've never been the one to hid my feelings, but when we met, I suddenly had a reason to try and hid my weakness. I felt I had to stand strong when you were weak, so you could lean on me, and find safety and comfort in me when you needed it." Then he gently placed a soft kiss on me lips. A kiss which made me close my eyes, and miss it when it was gone. "You are the most beautiful creature I've ever known," he whispered, his lips brushing against mine when he spoke, "and even if you're beautiful when you cry, you're shining more than all the stars at once, when you're smiling." I slowly opened my eyes, and when I did so, I found his dark brown eyes close to mine. I also found myself drowning in them.

"You will always be here for me, right?" I questioned. I knew I maybe sounded like child, but it didn't matter. Kili had seen me when I was weakest, and he had seen me when I was strongest.

"Always," he replied softly, his forehead resting on mine. For a while we only sat there in the darkness. If we wanted, we could hear the other dwarves talking to each other, or Gandalf and the Lord of the Eagles, but we didn't. We only listened to the other's breath, and held our eyes closed.

We didn't pull away before a scent of fried meat drifted toward us, and we realized how hungry we actually were. Soon our stomachs were filled, the fire lit up the mountain ledge, and everyone were tired. I curled up between Fili and Kili, with my head in Kili's lap, and his hand resting at my waist in a nearly protective way. Like that I fell asleep like the second of sixteen.

I was the first to awake. At first I didn't want to open my eyes. Right then I could just lay there, pretending I was back in Bag End. It was midsummer, the sun was shining in through the white curtains, and I was laying in the soft bed, waiting to hear if Bilbo had awoken yet.

It was then I realized what I first had thought was a "pillow", slowly raised and sank, raised and sank. I opened my eyes. Above me I could see a blue sky. Slowly I turned my head. There I found Kili's face. He seemed really peaceful when he lay there, even if there was goblin-blood at his clothes, hands and face, mixed with some dirt. I guessed I didn't look much better, but to me it didn't matter right then. The memoires from the day before appeared in my mind. I wished they could just stay hid in my mind, but of course they didn't.

Suddenly a shadow fell over me. I glanced at the one standing there, blinking at the sunlight. It surprised me to see Bilbo up at that time. He wasn't one of those who used to be up early, but this time he was.

"Good morning," I said silently. He spun around, but relaxed when he spotted me.

"Good morning," he replied. Then he noticed Kili, and he frowned. I knew he still wanted me to marry Merry, even if he had said I could chose by myself. "Have I missed something?" I smiled, and put my hand over Kili's hand which was still resting on my waist.

"A growing relationship?" I suggested. Bilbo sighed.

"Fine. It's your life." I felt my smile grow. That was right. It was my life.

As the sun continued to rise, the others awoke, and soon we had eaten some cold rabbit, packed what few things we eventually still had, and climbed up on the backs of the same eagles as the day before. All of us – except from Bilbo – told the Eagle Prince good bye, and the dwarves promised to reward him if they ever returned.

We didn't need to fly just as long this time. I knew that some of the dwarves were light at heart, while the rest clenched the eagles feathers, and tried not to fall off. I, Fili and Kili watched the landscape go by beneath us as we flew, and once when we looked ahead, we could first see some meadows with small clusters of woods, while further ahead we could see a huge, dark green forest which disappeared in the horizon and we could see nothing else – except a lonely peak of a mountain at the other side of the forest.

The eagles began circling in huge circles. We were above one of those meadows with clusters of woods, and through this meadow there ran a river, but from the riverbed a steep rocky outcrop towered, as a last outpost of the mountains, a piece that looked to be slung there by a giant among giants.

The eagles quickly lowered themselves toward this outcrop, and let us off.

"Good bye!" the shouted as they rose into the air again. "Good bye where ever you go, until the journey is ended and you're welcome to the nest!" I didn't really understand the last part of it, but it seemed as if Gandalf understood it, 'cause he replied: "May the wind under your wings carry you where the sun sails and the moon walks!" Then the eagles disappeared back toward the Mist Mountains. None of us glanced back after them, wishing to sit at their backs once more. Maybe none else than Kili who had seemed like the most excited of them, to fly.

At the top of the outcrop there was a flat ledge. A track with many steps led down from the top of the river, over a ford with many huge flagstones at the other river bank. There was a small cave with fresh air and the floor covered in small stones, and it was a short way from the ford. In this cave we gathered, to decide what to do next.

"I had always planned to see you over the mountain safe – as far as possible," Gandalf said. "And at least a part of it I managed, thanks to both skill and luck. We've actually come much further east than I had planned to follow you. When all this is said and done, it's not my adventure after all. It may be I detour you once before all of this is over, but I also have many other things to look after."

At this, nearly all of us sighed, while all of us seemed quite miss courageous. I guessed we had began to think he would follow us all the way, and that he always would help us out of danger.

"I'm not going to disappear just now," Gandalf quickly added. "I can follow you a few days more. I can probably help you out of the immediate difficulties, and I need some help myself. We have nothing to eat, no equipment and no ponies, and you don't know where you are. The last I can tell you. You find yourselves still about six miles north of the trail we really should have followed if we had not left the mountain pass in haste. It should not be many people in these parts if there are new to since I was here last, and it's some years ago now. But I know of someone who does not live too far from here, and that someone is the one who has carved out the steps in in the outcrop. I think he calls it the Carrock. It's quite rare he comes here, certainly not by noonday, and it's no use waiting for him. It would be dangerous. We have to go and look for him, and if all goes well as it should when we meet him, then I think that I may leave."

After this little speech, most of us asked him to stay. The dwarves offered him dragon gold, silver and gemstones, but Gandalf was unwavering. "We may see, we may see," he only told us. "I do think I've deserved some of the dragon gold, if you get hold of it." That was when we stopped begging him to follow us further, and instead the dwarves began discussing a matter which made my cheeks turn red.

"I believe it would be refreshing with a bath," Dwalin said in a matter-of-factly tone. "We've been travelling days without possibilities to take a bath." All of the dwarves agreed, and I felt really embarrassed.

"Er... uncle Bilbo?" I asked, slowly moving backwards out of the cave. "I'll... er... go to the other side of this... Carrock, just to be... out of sight..." Right then I got the feeling like I could disappear down in the ground. I got the whole company's attention, and everything became silent.

"That would probably be the best," Gandalf said with a small chuckle, I nodded, turned and had to concentrate to walk out of the cave. As soon as I was out of their sight, I began running.

It didn't take long to reach the other side of the Carrock. It was peaceful, and all I could hear was the voice of the clear, shallow river, and a faint laughter of the dwarves. I sank down by the river, pulling off the boots and letting my feet slip into the cool water. I closed my eyes and listened the the dwarves' laughter. Some rather perverse images appeared in my head, and I thought desperately of something else. A picture of Kili's face appeared in my mind. He was smiling teasingly, but then it seemed as if the picture began zooming out and got bigger and bigger. I groaned and opened my eyes. They had done it on purpose. I was totally sure of that. They knew I wouldn't be able to stop the pictures popping up in my head.

"Stupid imagination," I muttered as I rose, picked up a stone and threw it into the river. Afterwards I glanced down at my hands. They were covered in dirt and blood after all I had been through, and suddenly the idea of taking a bath seemed so alluring. I sat all silent and listened to the dwarves laughing and shouting. It would take long time before they finished. Maybe I would get time to take a bath meanwhile?

Quickly I undressed and waded into the river. It reached me perfectly to my waist, and I couldn't help the smile which appeared in my face. Scrubbing myself clean, I totally lost the track of time.

I felt like born again. The sun warmed my skin and quickly dried it, and even if I knew I should get on my clothing, it felt good to feel the sun again. I had been in the goblin's halls for so long. Finally I opened my eyes which I had kept closed, and reached for the pants and blouse. I had washed them. The pants were already dry, while the blouse was still a bit raw. I pulled them on, before I rose, pulled on the boots and put on the rest of the things.

Afterwords I slowly began making my way back to the others. I went silent, in case they weren't finished yet. As I approached, I heard them talking. I pressed my back against the wall behind me, and peered around the corner. The moment I did so, I wished I had taken a few minutes longer.

Most of the dwarves were sitting there with their pants and boots already on, but the two youngest were and exception. Fili was pulling on his pants, while Kili was only holding his. I felt the heat stream into my cheeks and quickly took a few silent steps back. I could feel my heart pounding fast in my chest. Fili and Kili laughed, together with a few others.

"I'll go looking for Rosie," I heard Bilbo say. My eyes widened. If he found me there... Oh God, what would he do if he found me there? Then I reminded myself he'd have to put on his shirt, vest and coat. Quickly I went nearly all the way back, before turning. I took one step, just as Bilbo appeared. "Rosie!" he shouted with a smile on his face. "We're nearly ready to continue. What about you?"

"I'm ready whenever you are," I replied as he stopped to wait for me getting over to him. Then he led me back.

When we came into the others' sight, my eyes darted over to Fili and Kili. They were down by the river, with their backs turned to me.

"You look refreshed," Bofur commented. I felt myself slightly blush as I stood beside Bilbo.

"You too," I replied, silently cursing the blush. Bilbo went over to where he had left his coat, sword and cloak, and began putting them on. I felt really awkward, standing there between 13 half-naked dwarves.

"Hey, Rosie!" Kili suddenly called. I turned to him, before walking over to him and Fili. They were both looking at something in the water. Without taking their eyes off whatever it was, they moved slightly so I got space between them.

"What is i- oh!" A small gasp escaped my lips when I found what they were looking at with such interest. "It's... beautiful!" I whispered. Kili smiled as he lifted the garland of water-lilies. The flowers were hold together by a white ribbon, and something which seemed like pearls were placed in between. Kili held it between us, and a smile I never had seen at his face before, appeared there. It seemed as if the garland shone with it's own silvery light. It lit up Kili's face, and right then my heart was racing in my chest.

"We made it for you," he said, still with that smile.

"Kili!" Fili chided. "You only got a little help from me!" At this, Kili's ears turned light red. Then he placed it at my head. I was totally awestruck. Never if I had been able to imagine him making something like that.

"Come on, we have to get moving!" Thorin commanded with an unhappy glance over at us. I got out of the daze, and returned Kili's smile.

"I love it," I said, "but I hope you understand that I won't wear it in such an open area."

"Of course not!" Kili exclaimed. "Therefore..." He took the garland off my head, and showed me a small hook made of the ribbon. He grinned when he noticed my surprised look. I took the garland and hang it at the belt, beside the dagger, as I shook my head in unbelief.

Soon we were at the road again – or actually there was no road, only high, green grass, oaks with their broad treetops, and the high elm trees.

"Why is it named the Carrock?" Bilbo questioned in front of me, where he was walking beside Gandalf, while I was walking between Fili and Kili – as usually.

"He named it the Carrock because carrock is his word for such things. He always calls such things carrocks, and this is the Carrock because it's the only which is close to his house, and because he know it so well."

"Who is calling it so? Who is it knowing it so well?"

"It's this Someone I mentioned. A very significant person. You've got to be polite when I introduce you to him. I think we should take it slow, only two each time, and you've got to be careful not to annoy him, 'cause then no one knows what happens. If he turns angry, he can scare you to death, even if he can be nice when he's in a good mood. But beware, 'cause he can easily turn angry."

Most of the company heard their conversation, and those who hadn't, quickly got to hear it, and soon all of them gathered around the wizard. "Is that the person you're leading us to?" they questioned. "Couldn't you find someone who's more good-natured and who doesn't spray up so fast? And why can't you express yourself clearly?"

"Yes, it's him. No, I can't find anyone else! And I've explained that very carefully!" Gandalf replied. I could hear he was annoyed. "And if you finally want to know it, then his name is Beorn. He's very strong, and a shape-shifter."

"What? A furrier, one of those who say that rabbit skin is fox skin, if then don't turn it to squirrel skin?" Bilbo questioned. I stared at him with wide eyes, before lightly slapping him over the left side of his head, which was the part closest to me. He turned with an confused look, and I glared at him in return. Some of the dwarves chuckled, but quickly turned silent when Gandalf spoke.

"No – for God's sake, no, no, no!" the wizard exclaimed. "Don't be such a fool, Baggins. And don't call him a furrier once more At least not in a radius of many miles from his house. He have nothing to do with clutches, chairs, coats and such things. He's a shape-shifter. He can change skin. Sometimes he's a big, black bear, and other times a big, strong, black-haired man with huge arms and long beard. More I can't tell you, but it should be enough. Some thinks he's a bear, descended from the huge mountain-bears from old times who lived here before the giants came. Other thinks he's a human, who descended from the first humans living here before Smaug and the other dragons came to this part of the world, and before the goblins came from north and took the mountains. I can't tell for sure, but I think the last is the truth. He isn't that kind of man who are trying to ferret out too much. One thing is for sure: No magic effect him, except from his own. He lives in a oakwood in a big log house, and as humans he have cows and horses which are just as strange as himself. They work for him, and they talk with him. He doesn't eat them, and doesn't go hunting for wild animals either. He have a load of beehives with some huge, angry bees, and lives most of cream and honey. When he's a bear, he roams far and wide. Once I spotted him sitting at the top of the Carrock and stare at the moon which was going down behind the Misty Mountains, and I heard him say in the language of bears: "The day shall come when you'll perish, and I can return." Therefore I think he once lived in the mountains."

After this little speech, at least I had got something to wonder about, and when the silence fell upon the company, I understood they too were wondering about what person this man was. We still had a long journey ahead. Over hills and down in valleys we went. It began getting warm in the sun, and sometimes we took a small stop under a tree. We were all very hungry, but couldn't help it.

It was late afternoon when we spotted parts of meadows where flowers seemed to be sowed. It was most clover, mohawks, red clover and white clover, with a perfume of honey, and we could hear the bees who were busy collecting honey.

"We're closing," Gandalf told us. "We've reached the meadows were his bees collects the honey."

Some more time went by, and we reached a spinney with old oaks, and when we had went through this, we reached a high hawthorn hedge which was so dense that none of us could neither look through it, nor go through.

"The best would be if you waited here," the wizard told us. "When you hear me whistle, you can follow me. But remember, only two by the turn. And let at least five minutes pass between each pair. Bombur is the thickest, so he goes as two. The best is if he comes as the last. Bilbo and Rosie, come here! There is a gate somewhere nearby..." I exchanged a look with Bilbo, before quickly squeezing Kili's hand, and following the wizard. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but no way back now.

It didn't take long before we found a high and broad gate of tree. One side we could see a garden and low log houses. Some of them were thatched, others were built of unpeeled logs. There were barns, stables, outbuildings and sheds, as well as a long, low farmhouse. On the south side behind the high hedge stood rows on rows of beehives that had straw roof. The hum of the big bees filled the air.

Together we pressed up the huge, creaking gate and went up the broad garden path which led to the house. Some black, polished horses came trotting through the grass, stopped and glanced at us with their wise eyes. Then they galloped back to the houses.

"They're going to tell he's getting visitors," Gandalf stated.

Not long after that we reached a courtyard. The tree sides of the courtyard was enclosed by the farmhouse and the two wing buildings. In the middle of the courtyard there was a great oaken stem with branches hewed off. Nearby stood a giant of a man with black hair and beard, and bare arms and legs. He wore a wool jacket which reached him down to his knees. He was leaning on an axe. The horses stood beside him and had their muzzles against his shoulders. There was also a girl. She seemed really small compared to the man, but I quickly realized she was small – about the size of a hobbit, maybe a bit higher than me. She had long, silvery hair, emerald eyes which shone in the sun, and was dressed in a long, green dress. A bucket of something was standing in front of her, as if she just had put it down.

I really hope you enjoyed it. The girl at the end belongs to Labbetussa on deviantArt. She'll become... important to Rosie, Kili and Fili later on.

Please, leave a review and tell me what you think of this story so far!

Thank you3