Chapter Seven

The First Day Is Always The Hardest

As we start traveling, rather slowly I might add, I heard muttering behind me, glancing around, I saw Fili and Kili acting strange and were watching me. When they caught me watching them, they looked anywhere but at me.

"What are you two doing?"

"We um," began Kili "heard you talk to the pony."

"I always talk to animals." I point out.

'Though they don't normally speak back to me!' I thought shaking my head, looking to the front again.

I heard a laugh and saw Loki looking at me with a smile on his face.

"How did you know your pony was named Midna?" asked Fili "I don't think anyone mentioned any ponies name!"

I shrugged, how could I answer that?

"The name came in my head." I admitted to them.

Well that was true, except her voice came with it.

"Are you a seer?" asked Ori, shyly.

"Not to my acknowledge."

Maybe I should ask Gandalf. He might know what had just happened. Hearing a pony speak to me was not something I was used to, that's for sure.

"Who wants to bet to see if Bilbo and Hetti will turn up?" said Kili riding up to me "I say he won't come, what about you Fee?"

I was thankful, the brothers changed the subject.

"Well, I'll say he'll come" replied Fili "What about you, Elaina?"

"I think she's in her own world at the moment," laughed Kili "Elaina."

"Hmm, Sorry, what?" I reply, glancing at Kili.

"We're doing a bet to see if Bilbo and Hetti will turn up!" explained Kili.

"I hope they do turn up!" I admitted.

"So your betting that they'll turn up too." grinned Kili.

"Hmmm, tempting offer but I have no cash on me." I reply seeing some confused faces.

"She means coins." remarked Loki, grinning at me.

"If I win the bet," smirks Kili "I want to hear a fairytale story."

"Hurry up Bilbo!" I remark, hearing several chuckles.

"I mean it." said Kili.

"Fine, if you win, I'll tell you a bedtime story!" I reply.

I only hoped Bilbo and Hetti would indeed turn up.

o0o

~~Bilbo's POV~~

I wake up to the comfort of my own bed and stretch. For a few moments I just stare up at the ceiling. Something felt wrong, it was to quiet for my liking. I was used to the noises in the kitchen, where Hetti would make us breakfast or the running down the hallway when Elaina had forgotten something important to her. No something felt different and I did not like it in the slighest.

Getting out of bed, I went to my wardrobe and chest of drawers and got out my dark trousers, white shirt, my dark green waistcoat and put them on. I then opened the door and walk through my house. Yes, something was different. I walk around my home two more times, expecting to see those dwarves from last night, but no one was here, except Hetti who was sitting by the table with a cup of tea.

"Hello?" I shout out.

"They've all gone," said Hetti "and I think Elaina has joined them as well!"

I look at Hetti in shock. Then look around the dinning area, everything was clean and tidy. I walked in my laurder and my eyes grew wide when I saw all my shelves filled up with food when only last night, everything was bare. What was going on?

I walked back in the living quarters and noticed something on my mantlepiece. I walked up to it and realised there was the contract that Balin had given to me and a note. I read the note and I was completely blown over, Elaina had so much faith in me and yet I was, contemplating on what to do.

I do like my little adventures that I go on sometimes. So why was I scared to venture out to the unknown. I glanced at Hetti and again I am shocked, she had with her a black bag and she had a smile on her face.

"You know you want too!" was all Hetti said.

A smile slowly came across my face and I ran back in my room, throwing all my clothes in my bag. I picked up my red jacket, before putting it on. I then placed my own bag around my back and walked back in the living quarters.

I picked up the note Elaina had written and the contact. Grabbing a quill, I swollow hard befrore signing it. Hetti had hers in her left hand and was now standing up waiting patiently for me.

"Ready?" asked Hetti, who was placing her bag around her back.

"Not really," I admitted "but we can't stay here and think of the 'what if scenario.' It is time for a new adventure!"

"Here, here!" grinned Hetti "We had better hurry though."

Nodding I followed Hetti out of my home. I took a long look at Bag End and sighed. Hetti broke me out of my thoughts by placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Come on Bilbo, we have to hurry," began Hetti "They do have a head start after all."

Nodding my head, Hetti and I make a dash for it and run down the path, holding tightly to the contact in my right hand. Hetti and I run through Hobbiton like we were having a race. Though either of us knew where the running would lead us too.

While Hetti climbed over a fence, I jumped over it before we both picked up speed again, searching for Elaina and Gandalf. I noticed my neighbours and they were shaking their heads but, that did not stop us for carrying on running to our destination, wherever that was!

"Hey! Mr. Bilbo! Where are you off to?" I heard one of my neighbours say.

"Can't stop, I'm already late!" I replied, running past more of my neighbours near a field with pumkins.

"Late for what?"

"We're going on an adventure!" Hetti and I say in unison, which we both chuckle at.

o0o

~~Elaina's POV~~

I knew I was not imagining it, we were traveling at a snails pace. I somehow knew this had something to do with Gandalf and I smile at the knowledge that Gandalf was stalling for time, hoping Bilbo and indeed Hetti would finally show themselves.

I did hear the mutterings of some of the dwarves however saying,

"Waste of time."

"Use of a hobbit!"

All of which, I frowned at. It seemed it wasn't just Thorin who had no respect for Bilbo and that angered me. I was deep in thought thinking about Bilbo that at first I did not hear a voice.

"I signed it!" said Bilbo holding the contact in his hand.

I turned my head and saw both Bilbo and Hetti running up to us, completely out of breath. I stopped Midna by gently pulling the reins and smile down at my two friends.

Bilbo and Hetti manage to find Balin and they both hand over their contacts. Balin put on his little glasses and read through the contacts, before glancing down at them both.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins and Miss Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." smiled Balin who was holding the contacts now.

I glance at Thorin and saw the look of disgust on his face, which really made my blood boil over.

"Give him a pony!" said Thorin.

"Turn that frown upside down!" I whispered, unaware he had heard me as he caught me watching him.

"What does that mean?" asked Thorin, softly.

"It means, that you should smile more often, frowning really doesn't suit you!" I reply to him.

"I have my reason's." said Thorin.

"Well, so do I sometimes," I admitted to him "but even if you feel like crap on the inside, one should always have a smile on there face on the outside."

"No, no, no, no, that-that won't be necessary, thank you, but I-I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I-I-I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once-WAGH!"

I turn my head and saw Bilbo being picked up by both Fili and Kili and placed on his own pony.

"You," grinned Kili to Hetti "will ride with me."

The look she gave him, made me smirk, she looked completely aghast.

"No your alright," began Hetti "I'll-,"

"Oh for Mahal's sake!" I heard Dwalin mutter before scooping Hetti up and placed her in front of him on his own pony. "Hold onto the reins tightly, or you could slip of. Though I will hold you tighty"

Hetti again, looked a little put out and I saw her clench her jaw.

"I'll have to remember that!" said Thorin.

"Remember what?" I asked him, turning around again, facing him.

"Remember to watch your smile. See if it light's up your eyes, see if the smile is genuine or not."

I was speechless and I avert my eyes towards Bilbo who was riding his pony very stiffly I noticed.

"You'll be fine Bilbo." I reasured him.

'Please go easy on him.' I thought to the pony, who was neighing and shaking her head.

To my surprise, the pony seemed to have settled down, which left me a little spooked out, as it appears I could speak to ponies and they understood me. No this was creeping me out a little.

"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on." said Oin.

A lot of noise causes me to look around me. I saw nearly every dwarf catch a bag of coins that had been thrown in the air. One came right for me and I instinctively caught it.

"Quick reflex you have there!" grinned Loki.

"Very handy when a stray apple gets thrown in your face." I confessed to him.

"Hey, hey, hey!" said Oin.

I could see Bilbo looking around with confusion on his face.

"What's that about?" asked Bilbo to Gandalf.

Gandalf turned his head and looked at Bilbo, before returning his attenion back to the front.

"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't." replied Gandalf.

"What did you think?" asked Bilbo watching Gandalf closey.

"Hmmm." said Gandalf before catching some money before putting it in his bag, caushing me to laugh a little.

"My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second and neither did Elaina." smiled Gandalf looking at Bilbo.

Bilbo catches me looking at him and smiles who then suddenly sneezes.

"Bless you Bilbo." I say, gaining some laughter.

I just roll my eyes.

"Ohh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction," exclaimed Bilbo searching for something in his pockets. "No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around." said a shocked Bilbo.

Begrudgingly, we all stopped and watched Bilbo looking frantically for something. I raise my eyebrows again, wondering what the problem was.

"What on earth is the matter?" asked Gandalf, watching him with slight amusement.

"I forgot my handkerchief." confessed Bilbo.

Despite myself I snicker at that. I then watch Bofur tear of a piece of clothing from his own clothes.

"Here! Use this." Bofur replies and toss his piece of clothing to Bilbo.

Bilbo catches it and looks at it in disgust. I roar with laughter seeing Bilbo's look as do many others.

"That blasted halfing!" I heard Thorin say. "Move on!"

"You'll have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you, the world is ahead." said Gandalf to Bilbo.

We traveled through many beautiful areas of Middle-earth, including a forest, many hills, and plains. For a good while that was all we saw. I was must surprised to see Thorin gallop of somewhere before coming back saying,

"There is shelter over there. We shall stop there for the night!"