Chapter Eight:

The next day, Bella awoke bright and early once again, just before the crack of dawn. Sitting up, she took one look around her room, just the same as it was yesterday, and the many days before then. She was now about to leave it for an adventure of her own, following in the footsteps of her mother. She knew she would miss her childhood home of Bag End terribly, but she could not contain her excitement for adventure as well as her determination to help the dwarrow of Erebor reclaim their rightful home. She especially wanted to help because of what the quest meant to her Heart Song, who was one of the many in the company deeply affected by the desolation of Smaug.

Standing from her bed, she went about her morning routine of taming her hair and washing her face. Also indulging in a bath, for who knew when she would have a warm and proper bath. Besides her bath being a little longe than usual, her morning routine was lengthened as well seeing as she took the time to triple check her rucksack had everything she would need for the quest. She had already checked her clothing for any tears or holes, so that was not something she had to worry about.

Once her bag was packed, she set it in front of her door in the hallway and got about getting dressed in her traveling clothes she had set aside. Correction, she set aside her mother's traveling clothes. Belladonna promised herself that her first true adventure she would take, she would wear the traveling clothes her mother passed down to her. They were meant to be a gift for when she hit her coming of age, but her mother had decided to give them to her early.

The outfit consisted of a dark green tunic with sleeves that hit her elbow and overtop it would sit a deep brown leather corset that went over her shoulders to give her the support she needed for her breasts, and instead of the usual laces for her regular corsets, these were held together with three small buckles an d loops as if they were small belts. Next to keep her warm was her mothers shearling coat, the fur lining came from the wool of the Old Tooks finest sheep who's coats were softer than anything anyone had ever felt; the hide itself came from an animal with a lovely shade of tan fur, what kind of animal, Belladonna could not recall.

The only thing about the coat she could recall was when she was a fauntling, she had found it in one of the footlockers in the smial and had walked around with it. The coat was huge on her tiny form and she toddled around, dragging the end behind her. Her parents thought it adorable and were not angered in her finding it.

Grasping the neckline of the coat and hugging it to her chest, she pressed her nose into the collar and began to tear up, thanking the Valar that it miraculously still smelled like her mother. Slipping her arms into the coat, it immediately felt like her mother was hugging her.

Releasing a heavy sigh, and wiping away the fallen tears, she stepped out of her room and left the door open for Feydra who had just woken up.

"Come on, Feydra. It's time to go." She said and the warg gave a huff in agreement and walked behind her.

Stepping out into the hallway, Bella heard footsteps and voices out and about in her home. The company in various areas, weaving in and out preparing for the first leg of the journey. Whatever could not be

found or repaired in the Shire, would be purchased or fixed in Bree where they would rest at the inn of the Prancing Pony.

"Have you everything you will need?" A voice nearby said. Turning around, Bella saw that it was Thorin who had spoken. He was strapping his own sword to his waist.

"Everything I will need is in my rucksack here. My weapons are in my writing room where I left them last night." She said to him, and he nodded.

"Lead the way then. I have yet to see your swordstaff." He said to her. She grinned and led the way to the writing room.

This room had been where her father had taught her to read and write, how to sum up her numbers for the household finances. So many memories of Bella as a fauntling, sitting on her father's knee as he read her stories of elves, dwarves, princesses, the Rangers of the North, even the Ents of the forests.

Kneeling before the large footlocker beside the oak desk, Bella opened it to reveal not only her mother's bow and quiver of arrow, but another weapon as well; only this weapon was covered by a velvet cloth. Thorin peered over her shoulder as she pulled the cloth back to reveal a magnificent weapon indeed.

It was a tall white staff made of white oak with a brown leather hide wrapped at the very center to act as a grip, and the blade itself was 12 inches long and 3 inches wide with a sharp edge to it. It looked to be well taken care of, with the occasional nicks and bumps here and there to show that it has seen a few fights, but not so much battles.

"A fine weapon you have, Bella." Thorin commented. He held both hands out towards the weapon, "May I?" He asked her, not pushing. She smiled and handed him to sword staff, taking his inspection as an opportunity to strap on the quiver to her back.

Thorin inspected the bladed, checking its sharpness as well as seeing if there were any nicks he had to repair for her once they arrived at Bree. He found a few, but they were not too alarming and then proceeded to inspect the wooden base as well. What his eyes had before thought were nicks were not only just that, but a few carvings as well, as if someone had taken a knife to it. Thorin said something written in a language he had never seen before; it was not Weston, or Elvish, or even Khuzdul.

"These writings, what language are they?" He asked her.

"It is the Green Tongue, the language of the hobbits." She informed him.

"Hobbits have a language of their own?"

"Yes, it's something that our people have used since the wandering days; when Ents were thriving more and spoke with us. The Wandering Days were a time when hobbits were a nomadic people, but also hidden seeing as we did not like to interact with Big Folk."

"What changed?" Thorin inquired.

She smiled at him and answered, "The Green Lady led us to a land with lush green valleys, flowing rivers, and land that needed our care and green hands. She found us a place to call home permanently, and so we thank her by planting our gardens,sowing the fields, and dancing and singing beneath the party tree we planted in her honor. We thank her by giving our fauntling a home to run and play."

He smiled as she spoke of how the wife of their Father blessed their people so. He wished the same for his people, and he hoped that maybe Bella could help them in some way shape or form; starting with helping them reclaim their home.

"It is a wonderful thing Lady Yavanna has done for your people." He said to her, smiling still. Looking out at the window behind the desk, he saw the sun beginning to rise on the horizon. "I'm afraid it is time for us to depart." He handed back her weapon and watched as she looked around her study.

Thorin and Bella met everyone in the lounge where everyone had just finished gathering their things and with a nod, everyone began to file out of the smial, with Thorin and Bella walking out last. Thorin stopped at the doorstep and watched as Bella looked around her smial once more.

Bella began to try to commit every item and room in her smial to memory; her fathers red arm chair, her mothers cedar rocking chair, her and her fathers books, her mothers glory box. She didn't know how long it would be before she stepped into her smial again, or if she would see it again at all. So she wanted at least the memory of her childhood home to rest in her minds eye.

Feeling Feydra nudge her hand, she sighed and began to close and lock the large round door behind her, she saw the company standing off to the side with a group of ponies, but before them was a sight that brought tears to her eyes. Cousin Drogo, Miriam, Lisa, Odo, the children, all her Took uncles and aunts, their spouses and their children, and finally Old Took.

Bella choked back a sob and walked up to her family, Old Took meeting her in the middle and taking her hands in his.

"May the Green Mother and Her Stone Husband watch over you, your Heart Song, and your company in your journey to reclaim Erebor." He kissed her forehead and wiped away her tears as well as giving Feydra a quick pat on her head. The rest of her family repeated that blessing, and once Old Took stepped back to stand beside the family, they all bowed their heads with their hands over their hearts, and reached their hand back out to Bella who repeated the gesture.

Bella turned to Cousin Drogo and handed him the key to her home, he took if gently from her and smiled, "I will look after your home for you."

Turning back to Thorin who held his hand out to her, she smiled tearfully and took his hand to let him lead her to where Feydra was waiting. It seemed as though Gandalf had taken the time to place her saddle and harness on Feydra for her, thankfully. Feydra stood waiting beside Thorin's pony where Dwalin who had taken to watching over them while Bella said her farewells. Thorin helped Bella onto Feydra before mounting his own pony. Once their leader had mounted his pony, the rest of the company followed suit.

"You look after Belladonna and Feydra for me, Gandalf." Old Took said to the wizard, who nodded his head from atop his own horse.

"You have my word, old friend." Gandalf replied, repeating the hand and heart gesture to the older hobbit.

Old Took smiled and bowed his head before once again turning back to Bella. He then proceeded to make a few more gestures with his own hand and said to her, "Never forget this land."

"I promise." She vowed to him.

Bella turned back to Thorin and nodded, letting him know she was ready. Thorin gave the call for them to start their journey and led the company on the road with Bella beside him, as was her right as his One. As they continued to trot down the road, Thorin looked to her beside him to see that despite the tears now falling freely, she kept her head held high, even as the other Hobbits of the Shire began to step out of the homes and gawk at them. Thankfully, no hobbit had said anything, just watched them. And yet still, Bella's head was held high and he respected her for that. He understood how painful it was to leave home, forced out or not.

"I promise you, Bella. You will see your home again." Thorin said to her. She said nothing, but smiled high her tears and reached over, squeezing his hand. The gesture though was more than enough to convey her thanks for his words, words that Thorin will see through or die trying.