Ch 3: Will He Return for Supper?

Shail was startled awake by the low rumbling of thunder. "Perfect." she muttered under her breath. As a light drizzle began Shail stood stretching out a knot in her back. Most nights weren't so rough on her body, but this location wasn't much to her choosing. Realigning her spine she got right to packing. She shoved her makeshift pillow and blanket back into her pack. Putting on her corset, Shail was dressed for the day. As she pulled up her boots, the movement caused some pebbles to toppled over onto Thorin's head. Waking up his attention turned to Shail. "Best be moving on, storm rolling in." She said, leaping down from the rock. She walked across the line of sleeping dwarves. An unlucky few sprang up as the air left their bodies or their digits were nearly broken under her boots sole. She showed no remorse.

"Why are you up this early? Sun's barely risen." Kili asked, rubbing at his eyes.

"Won't be any sun today, it's gonna be a downpour. You'd better start packing up." She said securing a rope around her pony's saddle.

"You call this a downpour? Tell me, how'd you come to that conclusion?" Kill asked as the drizzle brushed against his face.

"You can smell. That musky scent lingering in the air." She said putting on a cloak.

"Oh, I just thought that smell was you." he retorted with a smirk. "It's a few droppings, should pass by in a couple of moments. Didn't pin you to be worried of messing up your locks." Kili said poking fun at her as the others chuckled. Rolling her eyes, Shail mounted the pony. She pulled her hood up covering for the expecting rain. As she rode off the she-dwarf disappeared into the horizon. The company's laughter died down once the drizzle escalated. The weather turned from a mist shower into an abrupt rain. The others looked at Kili, "What? I'm positive that it will stop. Watch you'll see."

Thorin was skeptical about her sudden exit. Why was she up before anyone else? Had she tempered with their supplies? Gandalf must have shared his same thoughts because the two exchanged uneasy looks. "Check your bag!" He yelled rummaging through his own pack. There were no missing items. His relief didn't last long, for he worried she stole from the others. Thorin turned abruptly seeing his dwarves were not taking this precaution seriously, he took inspection in his own hands. The most obvious target would be their food supply. Thorin went over to Bombur's pack and snatched it from under his head. The portly dwarf's head hit the ground. "Looks like the food is untouched." Thorin said aloud.

"That's good to hear." Gandalf said. The sight of Oin going for a sip of his canteen triggered the wizard. He remembered his worries from the night before. Did she poison their water? Gandalf smacked the canister out of Oin hand. "DO NOT DRINK THE WATER!" The company looked confused at the wizard behavior. "We simply don't know what the she-dwarf could have tampered with during the night. Who was on the third watch?"

"That'd be Bifur." Bofur answered, pointing over to his cousin. Who had been in the same position since shift change.

"He is quite observant…tell me, has he observed anything else besides this one spot?" Thorin asked.

"Not sure, why don't you ask him." He answered back with sass. He did not mean to disrespect the king, but it was too early for such nonsense. Thorin growled in frustration and ordered each dwarf to inspect their belongings. After the brief paranoia the company packed their things and followed after Shail.

She waited for them under a large tree branch, using it as extra coverage. "Glad you all could make it. Can I offer any of you some fresh poison water?" She said, shaking her own canister with a laugh.

Cold, wet, and miserable, the dwarves rode through what was now a downpour. "Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked.

"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 should find yourself another wizard." Gandalf was annoyed by the dwarf's complaining.

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked out of curiosity. "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." Gandalf tried hard to remember his two brothers' names.

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked, counting off only four.

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown." He answered with a smile.

"Is he a good wizard or is he more like you." Bilbo asked.

Slightly offended by the remark Gandalf answered,"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. 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."

"Keeper of the forest sounds more like an Ent to me." She said riding up alongside Bilbo.

"Ent? Who is that?" He asked.

"Not a who, but a what." She answered. Bilbo raised an eyebrow and twitched his nose. "Ents are trees that can walk and talk, who protect the forest lands. Of course they could just be fairy stories." She smiled looking around. "I heard rumors that those who are not welcome to the forest get dragged underground. Their bodies are swarmed with the roots so the ents can suck every last drop of blood." She pointed down to a large tree root stick out from the ground.

"That's enough now. Don't go believing children's stories, master baggins." Balin said from behind.

"Beware the Ents." Shail teased wiggling her fingers in Bilbo's face making a menacing sound. Riding past a tree, Shail drew her dagger. She slashed off a piece of bark with the blade. Bilbo rode past the same tree debating whether he heard a low cry from the plant or a small rumble from his hungry stomach.

A week had passed and the company arrived at an abandoned and disheveled farmhouse. Thorin had the company stop before dismounting his pony. "We'll camp here for the night. Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

"A farmer and his family used to live here." Gandalf said, walking inside the broken home. He looked over the moldy wood and gaping holes in the roof.

"Oin, Gloin." Thorin called to the two dwarves.

"Aye?" Gloin answered.

"Get a fire going." He wanted to reside for the night.

"Right you are." Gloin said, starting to gather up firewood.

"I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf said, trying to convince Thorin.

"I have told you already, I will not go near that place." Thorin growled, walking past the wizard.

"Why not? The elves could help us. We could get food, rest, and advice." Gandalf told the king. Thorin simply looked unamused. "We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us." Gandalf tried reasoning with the king.

Thorin gave a small laugh, "Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past." Gandalf said getting angered.

"I did not know that they were yours to keep." Thorin snapped at the wizard.

Gandalf stomped off in a rage, leaving the Company. Bilbo watched the flustered wizard coming towards him. "Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?"

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense." Gandalf said walking past the others.

"Who's that?" The hobbit asked.

Gandalf yelled back, "Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day."

"Come on, Bombur, we're hungry." Thorin ordered as he glared down at the leaving wizard.

"Is he coming back?" Bilbo asked Balin who was unsure.

As the dwarves set up camp,Bombur decided on stew for the evening meal. As the cow bones simmered in the cauldron Dwalin accompanied Shail with rabbit hunting. She made a small fire blowing smoke into their holes to chase them out. Dwalin caught the fuzzy critters impressed at the lasses' tactics. Returning to camp Dwalin asked aloud, "Who's helping?" The tattoo dwarf held seven bunny carcasses in his forearms as the she-dwarf held the other six.

Taking a seat by the fire, Shail used a blade to skin the rabbit's pelt. She tried to trim off as much meat, but the rabbit had little to offer. Shail noticed Ori drawing in his book and thought what a waste of time. His doodles and strange squiggles would not aid in their survival. Nabbing a rabbit from Dwalin's pile she walked over. The dead bunny dangled as she held it out, but Ori took no notice. He was too into detailing his art piece. Irritated, Shail dropped the corpse onto Ori's journal. "Aye! Go on, you cut this one up." Ori flinched as the limp body landed on the page. The rabbit's lifeless eyes staring up at him. The look of disgust and fear on his face. Shail held out the bloody dagger for him to take. "We need to get 'em done and three dwarves are faster than two." Before Ori could protest, she grabbed the rabbit. Slamming his book shut she tossed the journal onto the ground. "Go on, it's dead already. Cut off the pelt, de-bone it from top to bottom, fish out their eyes, skim off the meat, and bring it over to Bombur. Simple as that." she ordered forcing the dagger handle into his palm. "Be quick, I'm hungry." She said trailing off to Bofur.

Nori looked at his younger brother in pity. "Give it here Ori. I'll show you how it's done." He said giving into his brotherly role. Ori was clueless on how to even hold the knife properly; he smiled in relief when Nori took over showing him the way.

Bofur held the bowl of seasoning as Bombur added flavor into the stew. "Bit tough on the lad, weren't ye?" Bofur asked.

"That boy needs meat on his bones more than in his gut." She said handing over her cuts of meat.

Bilbo paced back and forth, looking to see if Gandalf would be returning anytime soon. "He's been gone a long time."

"Who?" Bofur asked, holding two bowls.

"Gandalf." Bilbo answered.

"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favor; take this to the lads." Bofur said, handing over the bowls to Bilbo. The hobbit left on his assignment, trying to be sneaky Bombur went in for a fourth helping. "Stop it, you've had plenty." Bofur said, slapping his brother's hand off the ladle.

"Here, pass over a bowl. I'm starving!" Dwalin called out impatiently.

"Not bad Bombur." Oin complimented.

"Yeah, Dori could've cooked it." Nori said, taking a jab at his brother. The others laughed.

"Hilarious." Dori sarcastically replied.

"Here you are Balin." Shail said, handing over his portion.

"Thanks lass." He took the bowl, sipping the hot stew. It felt nice on a cold night, warming up the bones. Everyone was enjoying their meal when Fili came running from the woods.

"No need to run, we have plenty of food left over." Bofur assured.

"Bilbo… he's been… taken by trolls." Fili panted heavily. The thought of their burglar being a troll's meal frightened them. "He went to get the ponies back."

Thorin stormed over, grabbing Fili by his jacket. "What!? You two were supposed to watch the ponies, not him." Thorin growled out of frustration. Releasing his grip Thorin equipped himself with a sword. "How far are they from here?"

"Not far. Kili stayed back to keep an eye on Bilbo." Fili answered.

"Take up arms!" Thorin yelled, charging into the woods.

As the dwarves raced to save their burglar, Dwalin detained Shail. "Not you. Trolls are too dangerous, even for a wildlander. Watch for the wizard." He ordered, grabbing his hammer.

"You don't know what I can do. Those trolls will be missing a few teeth after I finish with them" She threatened balling up her fist.

Dwalin grabbed Shail's collar, with an intimidating glare he forced her back onto the log. Irritated, Shail gave in. When the cost was cleared, Shail grabbed her mace making a b-line to a separate path.