CHAPTER THREE

— The journey begins —

A beautiful sunrise had just started to illuminate the Shire when Dwalin knocked hard on Fíli and Kíli's door. The sound roused Fíli from deep slumber, and the light from an oil lamp helped wake him up. He looked across the room at a framed map hanging on the wall, unable to tell where he was, and then he remembered. Today was the day when the real journey begun.

"No sleeping in today, lads!" Dwalin called from the other side of the door. Then his heavy footsteps wandered off and he knocked on another door.

Fíli did not believe he had ever slept so soundly. He was in a small, round room with no windows, deep in a pocket of the hobbit's hole, laying in the softest bed he'd ever slept in. On a thick mattress on the floor lay Kíli, sprawled out underneath a blanket. The pillow lay far away from him on the floor.

"Wake up, Kíli," he said, but did not get up himself. Part of him wanted to stay in this bed forever.

His little brother did not move, and his relaxed breathing did not change. Shaking the drowsiness out of his head, Fíli grabbed one of his own pillows and swung it over himself. It landed on Kíli's chest and the younger dwarf was startled awake.

"Good morning, dear brother," Kíli muttered and glared up at Fíli.

Fíli threw the cover aside and swung his feet onto the floor, right next to Kíli's face. Kíli wrinkled his nose and turned away, throwing Fíli's pillow right back at him.

"And good morning to you," Fíli grinned.

He stretched his face in a long yawn, then got up and gathered his clothes from an armchair. He ran his fingers through his messy hair, realizing he forgot to unbraid it before going to bed last night. It'll be hell untangling this, he thought. Then he glanced at Kíli, and he changed his mind. It'd be hell untangling his little brother's hair. After they had both gotten dressed and packed their gear, Fíli making sure that every knife and axe was where it should be on his person, he sat his brother down on a chair and attempted the impossible. When he had finally brushed through the black mop of hair, he spun two locks from either side of Kíli's head and attached them with a silver clasp in the back.

"At least now you will look a little respectable," Fíli chuckled upon inspecting his work.

He knew Kíli cared quite little about such things compared to most in their family, but he was a Durin after all. Once Fíli had redone his own braiding, the two of them left the room and made their way to the dinning room, where Gandalf was sitting with Thorin and Balin, noses buried deep in grandfather Thrain's map. Thorin was listening intently to what Gandalf was saying, fiddling mindlessly with the secret key and did not notice his nephews' arrival.

They had taken the longest to get ready, that much was for certain. Two tables in one of the sitting rooms had been shoved together and filled with whatever was left of Mr. Baggins' food stash. Around it sat all three Ri brothers, Óin and Gloin, Balin and Dwalin and Bifur, each one with their plates full. Kíli and Fíli sat right down.

"Good morn, lads," came Bofur's voice from over Kíli's shoulder. "I think you took my seat."

"Take a new one, then." Fíli said and winked, and Kíli snickered childishly. Bofur raised an eyebrow at the two rascals, smiled and grabbed a new chair from a corner.

Kíli reached over his brother's plate to grab a chicken leg from a bowl. Even in the Blue Mountains, where food was in the plenty and the ale was good, Kíli had never had such a fine breakfast. The bread was freshly baked and the lamb stew was still hot when the brothers sipped on it.

"My own recipe," Bombur explained with his mouth full. "The meat is a bit stringy, though."

Neither Fíli nor Kíli cared about that and devoured their second helpings hungrily. Just as they were finished and made to put their bowls away in the kitchen, Bifur grabbed them by the arms.

The disabled dwarf shook his fist in the direction of the entry hall. "Nainkhî. Mud naimkhihi khirabîn." Then he pointed at Fíli's chest. "Rumush?"

Kíli sighed and looked to Fíli. They'd hoped they wouldn't have to get the ponies, but then again it was better than sticking around here with the dishes. Fíli nodded to Bifur, who headed for the door with the brothers in tow. Fíli grabbed his two swords, carelessly thrown on the hallway floor by Mr. Baggins last night, and sheathed them on his back. Kíli threw his quiver over his shoulder and off they were.

The Shire was just as beautiful in daylight as it had been cloaked by night. It looked smaller when they could see everything. Kíli thought it rather cute when three hobbit children that reached him half-way up his thigh ran past him on the road, laughing and stumbling. He could only imagine what he and Fíli and their friends had looked like when they ran about Ewardor, wrecking havoc where they went, so many years ago.

Bifur lead them to an inn on the outskirts of Hobbiton. It was little more than a big, wooden cottage with stables and pens behind it. It was overgrown with vines and the roof was covered with moss. Above the door swung a sign saying Green Dragon Inn. The reception of the inn, which housed the bar as well, was quiet this early in the morning, but heads turned when the dwarves barged in. A lone barmaid sat behind the counter, a hobbit of course, with long black curls and rosy cheeks.

Bifur went up to her. His appearance startled her. She could not take her eyes off the little axe piece that was wedged into Bifur's head. Fíli realized quickly that this was not going to work. As soon as Bifur started speaking Khuzdul with the barmaid, Fíli stepped in and moved Bifur aside.

"I'll handle this," he said. Bifur shot Fíli a confused look, but Fíli had his attention on the barmaid. "Madame. How many ponies do you have for trade?"

"Seven, last I checked," she said, still glancing nervously Bifur's way. "Dwarfish gold, I guess?"

Fíli looked out the window in the back, facing out over pens where the ponies were gracing the grounds. They looked in good health, with thick manes and groomed fur. He threw Kíli a questioning look and the younger brother nodded back.

"We'll take them all," Fíli said and unhooked a pouch of dwarfish coins from his belt. The barmaid gave a look as if he was kidding her, but when Fíli started pouring coins on the counter, she dropped it.

Two young hobbit lads helped them get the animals ready for the long travel. Saddles, straps for gear and barrels woven from straw to carry supplies were all firmly attached to the horses. Kíli checked every one of them, but the hobbits ad done a great job.

Thorin had only requested they would have fifteen ponies all together. That was one for each of them, including Mr. Baggins, and one for carrying supplies only. As most of the company had brought their own ponies from the Blue Mountains, they now had sixteen ponies. That proved to be very good when one by one the rest of the company arrived with their arms absolutely full of supplies and paraphernalia. Once everything had been secured to the ponies and divided between the company, not a single more potato could they carry. Thorin had made sure that Fíli and Kíli carried the least. The brothers knew why, for their uncle had made it clear to them before he left the Blue Mountains.

"You are among the youngest of this company, and I know I can trust you," he had said. "You are my best fighters and you have the best sight of us all. I will expect you to use these skills when I tell you to. Is this understood?"

Fíli and Kíli did not complain. While the others struggled with heavy packs and inconveniently hanging cooking gear and tools, they had but a few things and their own backpacks and weapons to carry. But they'd have enough to do to drain their energy, Thorin had promised them that.

It was not long before the last of the company, more specifically Thorin, Balin and Gandalf, arrived on their own ponies down the road. Thorin rode straight up to his nephews with a solemn look.

"I wondered where the two of you had wandered off to," he said, just a hint of sarcasm on his voice.

Both brothers were puzzled. They were sure their uncle had told Bifur to take them with him this morning. "Bifur said we were to get the rest of the ponies," Fíli explained.

Thorin's lips twitched into a faint smile. "I told him to take Bofur and Bombur, but no matter. We're all here and we are ready to go."

The brothers gave their uncle a nod and made for their ponies. In the corner of his eye, Kíli saw something grey flip in the wind and a glint of white vanish behind the inn. He turned to look but the object was already gone. But when everybody had mounted their horses and gathered on the yard beside the road, he noticed — Gandalf was missing. When he pointed it out to Fíli, the older only looked confused.

"Thorin," Kíli called. "Where did the wizard go?"

Thorin scanned the group around him and a frown came upon his face. He exchanged a few words with Balin, then turned back to the company patently awaiting a verdict. "We shall wait until the strike of eleven. Then we must be off. If Gandalf is not back by then, we leave without him."

They waited, and they waited. Hobbits went about their business around them, casting discreet glances their way. Patience was draining from Kíli, who resorted to polishing his battle bow with his tunic and tugging at the spun locks in his hair. Then finally Thorin started onto the road with the long line of dwarves in tow. The clock had struck eleven in every home that housed one, and there was no wizard to be seen.

The road lead straight out of Hobbiton, through a little settlement called Bywater and then ended the populated areas of the Shire. Now came forests so lush and warm it was hard to believe that it was only still April month. Fíli drew long breaths of the flowery air. It was hot in the sun, and the cooling gusts of wind were few. He thought about removing his fur coat, when suddenly he noticed a new presence a few rows in front of him — white horse and a grey cloak draped across it. White hair flowed down the back of the figure, topped off with a pointy, grey hat. Fíli had not noticed Gandalf's return. It felt a bit better to have him around, though… even if he had not killed a hundred dragons like Kíli had suggested.

"Fee," came Kíli's voice from behind Fíli. The younger pushed the pony so that he came up beside his brother. "Do you think Mr. Baggins will come with us?"

Fíli pouted. "Don't call me that. And we've already left him behind. We're on our own."

"That's too bad. I started to like the little guy." Kíli sighed and the conversation seemed over for a bit. "And I call you whatever I like. Fee."

Fíli rolled his eyes and kicked his pony forward a bit, leaving Kíli to chat with Bofur and Nori behind him. He overheard their babbling about their burglar. While Nori shared Fíli's opinion — that Mr. Baggins had made his choice already — Bofur seemed unwilling to believe that Bilbo had deserted them.

Kíli rode up beside his brother again. "You want in on the bet? Ten gold against Nori that Bilbo will turn up."

"Ten? You're stupid, Kíli, I don't think he is going to—"

"WAIT!"

The entire company came to an abrupt halt. Fíli felt the shame creeping into his face. The voice did definitely belong to Mr. Baggins, and when the brothers turned around to look, the little figure was running as fast as his little legs would carry him up the road. He still wore no shoes, and in his little hand was a long piece of parchment. Fíli did not believe his eyes. The whole company looked on as the hobbit ran straight up to Balin and handed him the parchment.

"I signed it!" the hobbit declared. Balin took up his looking glass and inspected the contract.

"I underestimated him," Fíli said under his breath.

Fíli dared glance to his right where Kíli was, expecting another slug smile on his brother's face for once again beating him on a bet. But Kíli looked as surprised as his brother, the corners of his lips twitching. It was Fíli's time to smile.

He didn't think Bilbo would show up either.

"Everything appears to be in order," Balin said and rolled up the contract. In a loud voice he called: "Welcome, master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Kíli couldn't help it — he was surprised. He did not know why, but he had believed that maybe the small, neat creature from last night had not been the real burglar they were looking for, and that somewhere along the road a professional burglar with thieving skills worth Nori's approval would turn up. But here was the same hobbit who had almost locked them out of Bag End last night, smiling innocently and carrying little luggage. He did not look any braver, but something on his voice was different.

In the very front of the company, Thorin looked no more impressed than he had yesterday. "Give him a pony!"

The line of riders started moving again, none with any thought of actually giving Mr. Baggins a pony. Not that the hobbit seemed any interested in one.

"No, no, no. That won't be necessary," he proclaimed flurried. "I can, I'm sure I can k-keep up on… on foot, you kn– I've done my fair share of, uh, walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as—"

Fíli raised an eyebrow at his brother, who got the hint. Kíli turned and nodded to Dori behind him, who had the spare pony tied to his saddle. As the dwarves together lead the pony forward, Fíli and Kíli grabbed each one of Bilbo's shoulders and lifted him into the air. The hobbit shrieked and kicked but could not break lose.

"Easy, Mr. Baggins!" Kíli said as they lowered Bilbo into the saddle of the pony. Fíli handed him the reigns. The hobbit glared at the two of them resentfully, but they did not care.

The day continued on in a slow ride through the forest lands surrounding the Shire. The hills turned less round and rocks speckled the grassy landscape. The hobbit slowly returned to his usual self again, asking about things that should be obvious and complaining about food and horse hair. He even had the whole company stop once, stating that they had to turn back to fetch his handkerchief. Kíli's opinion about Bilbo was swaying again.

What is such a person doing on a journey like this? he thought.

Four nights passed with little change. The weather was fine and they always stayed in places not far from a farmer's home or a village. They slept, stocked up on supplies and left the following morning. Not that sitting on the back of a pony all day was something Fíli and Kíli enjoyed, but they agreed it could be worse. They passed the time playing little tricks on the hobbit when nobody was looking, or listening to old Óin and Glóin telling stories. In return they sparred with swords in the light of campfires in the nights before they went to sleep. Most of the company enjoyed watching them, and it let them blow off some steam.

The sun had creeped down behind the horizon on the fifth night since they had left Bag End. The entire day had passed in pouring rain, and a lightning storm had blown in over their heads. Kíli huddled in his coat that the rain had long since soaked through. He was tired and annoyed and wanted nothing more than to sit down by a warm fire. He had fallen behind to the rear of the company, with a very silent Ori to accompany him, and did not notice that Thorin had ordered them to stop. He was roused when his pony stopped moving.

"What's going on?" Kíli asked Dori.

"We're camping here," Dori said and slid out of his saddle.

Here? Kíli thought irritably. The ground was as soaked as his coat, and the trees did not offer much cover from the rain. They would be swimming in the mud before they could make up camp. But he knew it was futile to argue with his uncle, to he sighed and started unstrapping his sleep mat from the pony.

Just then, a shrill cry pierced the air like lightning. In the front of the line, Kíli saw a dark stag rise on his hind legs. Another horse started neighing and took fright at the sudden commotion. At first it was hard to see who's pony it was, but Kíli recognized the struggling figure as the pony pranced high in the air and then took off into the woods. The disappearing dwarf's screams came like an echo of desperation to Kíli.

"FÍLI!" he cried out.

Here's where the book and the movie sort of become one — you who have read the books know of what I speak. For you who haven't... well, you'll just have to wait and see what happens to our brave little warriors.

Your reviews are so wonderful, it really is a privilege to read them! You guys and gals are so awesome, and I hope that you will continue to like and review the story! Viola hopes you had a great holiday and that Mahal will bless all of your New Years.