Chapter Twelve

It Never Rain, But It Pours

~~Hetti's POV~~

Dwalin had never interrupted me once, as I explained my past to him. I told him about that black shadow, how the weird thing hoverd over Elaina, the sudden light that came from within Elaina and the repeating attempts of the pounding of the window. All in all, I told him everything that I could remember.

Even if Dwalin did not believe me, I was relieved that I had finally opened up to someone. The silence that followed was not nice however, so I looked elsewhere, he finally spoke up,

"You've kept this inside you, the whole time?"

I nod my head, not knowing what to say. He then brought me out of my thoughts by wrapping his strong arms around me.

"She is safe now lass."

"You believe me?" I asked him.

"Aye, I do and it's thanks to Gandalf that your both safe," replied Dwalin "We better get back, we shall be leaving shortly."

I stepped back as Dwalin picked up the empty bowl and we walk back to where the others were residing. As soon as we stepped back I saw Fili and Kili walk up to us and I groaned. I was not in the mood for any of their jokes this morning.

"Hetti," began Kili not looking at me but at his boots, "I'm sorry for scaring you about those Orcs noises."

I refuse to look at the pair of them, nor do I say anything.

"Aye, I'm sorry too," replied Fili "I shouldn't have encouraged him."

"Er, I wasn't scared of weird noises in the dark." I admitted to the two brothers, noticing Gandalf and Loki smirking in the corner.

"You walked of though!" pointed out Kili.

"I er-,"

"Oh for Mahal's sake," groaned Dwalin "Just drop it Kili. Everything is settled now."

o0o

~~Elaina's POV~~

We are now riding on our ponies/horses through a muddy forest as it pours down with rain. We are all getting soaked to the skin. I am riding alongside Loki on one side and Bilbo on the other, who looks just as miserable as I feel.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" asked Dori.

"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." remarked Gandalf, causing me to smirk at his reply.

"Are there any?" asked Bilbo.

"What?"

"Other wizards?" asked Bilbo.

"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."

Two foreign names came in my mind and I whispered,

"Alatar and Pallando!"

"Yes that is there names," remarked Gandalf looking at me with shock "How on earth did you know that?"

"Lucky guess." I replied, but I could tell Gandalf didn't really buy that but he did not press me for more answers, thankfully.

"And who is the fifth?" asked Bilbo, breaking the weird mood that I may have caused.

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown."

"Is he a great Wizard or is he...more like you?"

I found that funny as did many others but glancing at Gandalf, I could see he was not amused, which made me laugh even harder.

"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." said Gandalf.

There was a few minutes of silence before Hetti surprised me by singing.

"There are 100 green bottles, hanging on the wall." sang Hetti.

"Good grief!" I muttered.

I heard Loki's laugh.

"I take it you don't like the song Elaina?" asked Loki.

"No I do not," I admitted "It's very annoying."

Loki laughs.

"And if one green bottle, should accidentally fall, there'll be 99 green bottles, hanging on the wall."

Hetti then repeated the song again and I heard several groans but that did not stop Hetti.

"At least she isn't singing 'There's a hole in my bucket' Now that song is more annoying then this one." said Bilbo.

"Don't," I smile at him, "She might sing that later."

Bilbo's face was a picture. We both remembered when Hetti was younger, she used to sing those two songs when the mood suited her. She used to sing while she was baking. She does have a nice voice, but those two songs, especially this one, was just annoying!

"What's that song about?" asked Bofur.

"It's about a bucket with a hole in it!" I reply, matter of factly, causing some laughter from around me.

"I gathered that, but what happens?"

"It's about an old married couple who find a bucket and try and mend it with stupid items like straw and such, but the straw is to dry. See even this song is rubbish. It's like this one, It's on a loop." I said.

"Loop?" asked Thorin.

"Going round in circles, saying the same thing over and over. Just like what Hetti is singing now."

"There are 95 green bottles, hanging on a wall." Hetti continues.

"Someone please knock those damm bottles of the wall, perhaps she'll shut up singing about them." remarked Loki.

Despite myself, I burst out laughing, noticing a few were laughing with me.

The song keeps going on and I am fed up with it. To drown out that most awful song, I try and think of something else and absent mindingly hum a tune that is in my head.

I have always had this same tune in my mind for as long as I could remember but, no one in The Shire had taught it to me. I had no idea where I had heard it, but the tune always calmed me down, when I felt anxious about something. Which wasn't that often, thankfully.

I could tell everyone was listening in to my humming but they never said a word.

o0o

I wish I could say the scenery was nice as we traveled on but it wasn't. We were now on a field and I noticed an old home and a feeling went through me that something bad had happened here.

"We'll camp here for the night." I frowned when Thorin said that, something did not feel right.

"Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them" said Thorin, getting of Petal the pony, as I get of my own pony.

I walk up to the farmhouse and that feeling was very strong now. Something bad had recently happened here.

"A farmer and his family used to live here." remarked Gandalf standing besides me and I glanced up at him.

"Oin, Gloin." called out Thorin.

"Aye?" replied Gloin.

"Get a fire going."

I felt Thorin's gaze on me but my eyes return to the farmhouse, yes, something bad had indeed happened here. I could feel it.

"Right you are" repiled Gloin.

Gandalf walked where Thorin was but I stayed where I was, looking at the ruined farmhouse. Just what had happened here?

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

"I have told you already, I will not go near that place." replied Thorin dryly.

I look at the pair of them, wondering what they both were going on about.

"I do not need their advice." spat Thorin.

I glance at Thorin then, glaring at Gandalf.

"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us." confessed Gandalf.

"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." remarked Thorin sounding angry now.

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

"I did not know that they were yours to keep." spat Thorin.

'Oh for the life of honey bread.' I thought to myself.

I hated fights.

I saw Gandalf walk of in a huff.

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" asked Bilbo.

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

"Who's that?" asked Bilbo looking worried.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day." said Gandalf walking of to the unknown.

"Great!" I mutter to myself.

"Come on, Bombur, we're hungry." said Thorin.

I watch Gloin get a fire started, while Bombur set to work on preparing our meal for this evening. Before I slowly walked up to Thorin. After all, I wasn't sure if his temper had died down yet.

"Is he coming back?" asked Bilbo "He's been a long time."

"Bilbo, it's only been three minutes." I remark to him with a smirk on my face, as I carried on walking.

"Elaina, I know what you are about to say!" began Thorin who was now standing next to Loki.

"You mean you can read minds?" I asked him.

"No I can't read your mind." smirked Thorin.

"Then why say you know what I am about to say?" I point out seeing Loki smile at that.

"Your going to say I should listen to Gandalf." remarked Thorin.

"Actually no I wasn't. I was going to say, that something stinky and massive recently ransacked this farmhouse and they could still be around!"

"Really!"

"Yes really, everything has been knocked to pieces, I think something bad happened here." I reply glancing at the farmhouse again.

Loki walks away, leaving us to talk in private, well whisper in private.

"Is that really on your mind?" asked Thorin watching me intently.

I nod, watching the broken table and the smashed up crockery, the smell of the house was revolting.

"Yes, a very bad feeling."

"Nothing will happen." whispered Thorin stepping closer.

"Famous last word!" I quoted to him.

"Elaina!" growled Thorin, yanking me to him and pulling me in the shadow with him.

"...I can understand what Gandalf has said as well."

"I knew it." smirked Thorin, wrapping his arms around me.

"Not all elves can be-,"

Thorin cut me of by crashing his lips on mine as I place my arms around his neck.

"All elves only think for themselves," breathed Thorin his lips teasingly brushing against mine "They do not care for outsiders."

I was comprehending what Thorin had said but his lips went back on mine and we were both unaware we were being watched.

o0o

~~Bilbo's POV~~

I pace around the camp, just where was Gandalf.

"He's been a long time." I remark.

"Who?" querred Bofur, filling up some stew in some bowls.

"Gandalf."

"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favor, take this to the lads."

I took the two bowls that Bofur handed out and I sighed before walking to where Fili and Kili were, well I try to as Hetti ran up to me.

"Want some company?"

My answer was a relieved smile. We walk a little way from the camp and Hetti and I could see that the brothers were watching something. I tried handing them their stew but they just ignored me. Just what are they staring at?

"What's the matter?" I asked them both.

"We're supposed to be looking out for the ponies." replied Kili, glancing at me then at Hetti then back to what he was staring at.

"Only we've encountered a slight problem." carried on Fili.

"We had sixteen." points out Kili.

"Now there's fourteen." replied Fili.

Hetti and I went where the brothers were, crouching down and examine the remaining ponies.

"This is not good!" whispered Hetti.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing."

I look at Kili in shock.

"Well, that's not good. That is not good at all. Shouldn't we tell Thorin?" I reply.

"Yes," agreed Hetti "That is an excellent idea."

Hetti was about to walk back to camp when Fili grabbed her arm.

"Uhh, no. Let's not worry him. As our official burglar here, we thought you might like to look into it." said Fili now looking at Bilbo.

I wasn't really listening to what Fili had said, I was looking around and I noticed some trees recently uprooted and laying on the ground.

"Well, uh...look, some-something big uprooted these trees." I say to them.

"That was our thinking." said Kili.

"Something very big, and possibly quite dangerous." I whisper looking at the trees.

"Which we should tell Thorin about!" demanded Hetti, finally managing to snatch her arm back from Fili's grasp.

"No, he wouldn't understand." said Kili, shaking his head.

"He might." replied Hetti.

Kili just shook his head.

I turn my attention on the uprooted trees and see a light or something nearby.

"Hey! There's a light. Over here! Stay down." whispered Fili.

All four of us quickly run a little deeper in the forest, heading straight for the light. We all hide behind a fallen log when we all realise the light we saw, is really a lit fire. Laughter comes in that direction and I caught Hetti's shocked expression

"What is it?" I asked looking ahead of me, once more.

"Trolls!" replied Kili.

The two brothers decided to investigate further by running towards the fire. I start walking and stop, as I have forgotten to pick up the bowls that was lying on the log. I quickly pick them up and make my way towards Fili, Kili and Hetti.

I hid behind a tree and watch in horror when a massive troll walks toward the fire, carrying a pony under each arm.

"He's got Myrtle and Minty! I think they're going to eat them, we have to do something." I exclaimed.

I had really grown to love that pony. This was completely wrong. Thorin should be told about this, yes maybe I could get Hetti to-

"Yes, you should. Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small." remarked Kili, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"N-n-no-," I stammer.

"I agree, you go yourself!" spat out Hetti, coming to my defense.

"They'll never see you." said Kili, ignoring Hetti and my plight.

"No, no, no!" I repeated.

"It's perfectly safe! We'll be right behind you." reassured Kili.

"If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl, once like a brown owl." said Fili.

"No," snapped Hetti "this is completely wrong. Bilbo could get hurt."

"No he won't, his so small." replied Kili.

"And your an idiot!" spat out Hetti, not noticing the hurt look on Kili's face as she walked up to me. "I'll come with you Bilbo."

"No!" remarked Kili.

"Bilbo should not do this on his own," said Hetti "but should anything happen to Bilbo and myself, I will personally-,"

"Hetti," I interrupted "L-let's get this over with."

Hetti and I begin walking towards the fire. I began whispering Fili's instructions to myself about barn owls and brown owl, trying to remember them, but I get mixed up. Just what have I let myself in for.

I gulped and slowly made my way towards the trolls. I was grafeful Hetti had come with me. I just hoped we would not get caught by these trolls.