Chapter:4 The Journey's beginning.
Once again the sun was warmly shining in all the bedrooms and this time both the twins woke up at the same time and felt that they were ready to take on the adventure they had before them.
" Oh I needed that sleep," Della said as she stretched her body.
" Yeah yesterday was wild" Donald answered as they left the bed and dressed, took their bags filled with en and then they noticed that the house was so quiet,no sound at all.
" Wait,where is everyone?" Donald asked,he really hadn't expected this much silence.
" Maybe they left early?" Della suggested.
"Come on let wake Uncle Scrooge"
Since the bedrooms were inline with each other it was not hard to find it,but to their surprise the bedroom was empty the bed was newmade,no track of their Uncle anywhere.
Della began to feel a bit scared but tried to not show it.
"Okay now I'm both confused and a bit terrified" was all she could say.
" He wouldn't just leave us,right,he has never done that before?" She continued,her anxiety rising.
Donald put a arm around her and then a voice was heard behind them:
" Are you still here?"
They turned around and saw Bilbo standing right behind them,but for some reason he now wore a red west and was holding some kind of walking stick.
" And where is your Uncle?"
They shrugged.
" We don't know" Donald truly answered but then Della came out from Scrooge's room with a small letter and some kind of paper:
" Maybe this will have some answers"
She opened the letter and read:
" Kids first I can assure you that I did not abandoned you Thorin wanted to leave early and I couldn't really argue even if I wanted,he was very clear and they couldn't wait for you to wake up so I didn't really have any choice to join them so that we wouldn't be left behind,but the wizard left a map to you so that you both can join us later so when you read this hurry so that we won't get far.
P.S" Please hurry so we can get home.
When Della finished reading,she gave a sigh of relief but also felt some anger but instead of talking about that she looked at her brother opened the map and continued:
" Well come on we need to hurry like he said now it begins!"
Donald turned to Bilbo with a smile and asked:
" By your choice of clothing you are coming too,right?"
The hobbit was still for a moment but then nodded.
" Yeah I will join this quest as a burglar"
" Why,I thought that you didn't want to leave?" Della asked
Bilbo couldn't stop his face from cracking up a little:
" Well I guess the Took side finally won after so long"
He then walked to the door and opened it and made a "after you" gesture with his hand:
" Well,shall we?"
The twins were outside before he even finished the question he ran after with the contract,as he closed the door to his beloved hobbit hole.
They ran down the small path from the door to the gate and they just kept running and running with the map and contract flapping in the wind.They jumped over fences, and a cart that a confused hobbit was pushing. It was like some magic power had filled their bodies with energy and nothing could stop them.
When they ran past a farmer type of hobbit he called out:
" Mr Bilbo,where are you and your young friends going?"
" Sorry we are late!"
" Late for what?"
" We're going on an adventure!" They all three yelled as they ran out from the Shire,towards the unknown.
Thankfully it didn't took long before they saw a whole caravan of ponies and two horses:all the ponies had dwarves,and the horses had two tall figures.
" Wait!" Bilbo screamed out.
" We are here!" Della followed.
The caravan slowed down,everyone turned it's heads and saw the last parts of their company finally arrive.
Scrooge gave them a small smile,happy that they were there.
Bilbo ran forward to Balin with the contract and gave it to him as he said:
" I Signed it!"
Balin took first the contract, then some glasses which he used to read and seemed satisfied with the results.
" Everything seems to be in order,welcome,master Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."
He turned to the twins.
"And of course my Young friends,welcome to the beginning of the Journey"
They all smiled at him then looked at the others who seemed satisfied,all except one…. Thorin just gave them a look,like they were a mistake.
" Give them some ponies" he grumbled as the caravan slowly continued forward,but Bilbo being a bit humble tried to turn down the offer:
" Oh that's not necessary,I think I keep up with you,I done some walking holidays you know,got so far as Frogmorton once"
But he was quickly stopped when two dwarves lifted him up and sat him down on his own pony,the same happened with Donald and Della,they had their own two ponies all for themselves and now the adventure was truly beginning.
Suddenly some dwarves tossed tiny pounds with money to each other almost of they had been betting,which Gandalf confirmed when Bilbo asked him:
" Oh they were betting if you or the Young ones would arrive or not,most bet that you wouldn't".
" And what did you think?"Bilbo asked.
The wizard was quiet for a moment before a money bag was thrown to him which he pocketed with this answer.
" My dear fellow, I didn't doubt any of you for a moment."
They all three smiled at him but the nice moment was interrupted by Bilbo suddenly sneezing:
" Must be all the horse hair,I'm sensitive"
He searched his pockets,but no handkerchief was there,much to his horror.
" Oh wait,wait! Stop, we have to turn around!"
Everyone stopped at this request,and Gandalf asked the question everyone had:
" What on earth is the matter?"
" I forgot my handkerchief"
Bofur had a solution which was a piece of his outfit that he teared off.
" Here,take this"
He tossed it to Bilbo who catches it with a disgusted look and they continued forward and here Gandalf gave a speech that neither Bilbo or the twins would forget at least the last part the twins would remember.
" You will have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs,and many other things,Bilbo Baggins,before we reach the 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."
Even if the speech wasn't aimed at them they( even Donald) felt like it was since their home was far behind them too and this new world was ahead of them and of course they was very excited to explore everything they could and seeing it's wonders (and of course in Della's case to face all monsters in it,fight them and survive them).
They traveled across small rivers,giant meadows and deep forests and every place they traveled showed the beauty of this world,the twins had never seen this much green before,everything seemed to just be nature, and they both felt some kind of peace with this setting,in the adventures back home they had always sort of just rushed without enjoying any of their surroundings,but here they had a nice,calm horse trip through a beautiful landscape and they loved it,( even Della who is not the calm type)
" Hey Della you must admit this is very Nice too right,to just travel at a slow pace,and be able to take all this in". Donald whispered to his sister who nodded.
" You know I agree with you,this is actually very relaxing".
Donald looked shocked,she had never said that about an adventure before.
" Who are you and what have you Done with my sister?"
Della rolled her eyes:
" Come on,just because I like danger and all that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy a nice, calm trip once in a while".
He gave a nod as they sounded reasonable,but he still made a " I'm watching you" gesture which made her give a comeback.
" I thought you were supposed to be the older and responsible twin" she said with quote marks on the last part.
" Ha Ha very funny" he answered with a hint of sarcasm but also amusement in his voice.
Gandalf, who was a bit in front of them, chuckled as he couldn't help but find their banter a bit amusing.
Scrooge didn't react since
A few hours later when the sun had disappeared they had set up camp in a small cave at the end of a cliff,it was a cozy moment with the campfire that spread a warm light over them all,and when they had eaten their food,they all fell asleep.
Well almost everyone,two Young children, two dwarfs,a wizard and a hobbit were awake and the hobbit walked forward to his pony with a gift : a nice red Apple.
" Here you go Myrtle,but don't tell anyone,It's our little secret" he whispered but Donald and Della saw everything and had a warm feeling in their hearts,at the hobbit's kind gesture.
They both sat at the campfire,and talked about everything that had happen in just one day:
" You know I still somewhat believe that it is a dream,because how could we get so lucky?" Della asked.
" We are related to Scrooge Mcduck" Donald answered simply.
Della couldn't help to let out a small laugh at that statement since it was because of him they had traveled around the world on amazing adventures.
"Okay true"
But before they could continue their conversation ,a loud scream was heard out in the night which awoke Fili, Kili and Scrooge.
" What was that?" Bilbo asked and unintentionally asked the kids's question,which got it's answer from Fili:
" Orcs".
" Orcs?" Bilbo and the kids asked in unison.
" Throat-cutters, there'II be dozens of them out there,the lone lands are crawling with them."
" But what are they,monsters?" Donald asked
Kili took over the story telling:
" Yes they are,they strike in the see small hours when everyone's asleep, quick and quiet no screams, just lots of blood"
And with that Bilbo quickly turned around almost like he thought that a Orc would jump out from the ground,which got the two dwarf brothers to laugh a little,but that got the attention of Thorin.
" You think that's funny?"
Everyone turned towards him:
" You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"
Kili apologized immediately;
" We didn't mean anything by it"
Thorin walked away and said with no mercy:
" No you didn't,you know nothing of the world,none of you"
He walked away from the campsite and went to the edge of the hill where he stood and looked out over the landscape as Balin walked up the dwarf brothers with a sympathetic expression.
" Don't mind him you all,Thorin has more reason than anyone to hate Orcs".
" Why?" Donald asked, a bit curious but also nervous.
Balin looked a bit nervous but decided to tell the story:
" It's not a pretty story,laddie,after the dragon took the mountain, our king Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria,but our enemy had got there first,Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs,led by the most vile of all their race: Azog the Defiler."
They weren't sure why but the name caused chills to run down the twins and Scrooge's spines as Balin continued.
" The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin"
Della let out a gasp at that for once a bit terrified.
" You know I think it time to go to sleep" Balin didn't want to say this NeXT part for children but Della didn't like that:
" Please Balin,you have already begun,don't worry we can handle it,I know it"
Balin turned towards Scrooge with a look that asked:
" Can they?"
Scrooge met the old dwarf's gaze and nodded,trusting his niece and nephew.
Balin took a deep breath and decided to countine the story:
" Very well"
" So what happened then Balin,in the battle,did the king charged with his army and defeat the enemy?" Della asked with an excited spark in her eye.
But Balin shook his head.
" Sorry young lady,but as I said Azog's goal was to wipe out the line of Durin and he began…by beheading the king,Thorin's grandfather,defeat and death were upon us"
Della let out a gasp at that for once a bit terrified.
But then Balin gave a short smile full of pride as he looked over at Thorin.
" And that was when I saw him,a young dwarf prince facing down the pale Orc,he stood alone against this terrible foe,his armor destroyed,wielding nothing but a branch for a shield and separated one limb from his body,Azog the defiler learned that day that Durin's line were not so easily broken."
" And then our forces rallied, charged the army of monsters,with new fire and a strong leader and drove the Orcs back,and our enemy had been defeated".
Donald and Della just stared at the ancient dwarf before them,completely in the story,they could see every part he had talked about,but the next part stab their hearts,but at the end warmed them too:
" But there was no feast,nor song that night,for our dead was beyond the count of grief,we few had survived,and I thought to myself then(he looked over at Thorin once again) there is one who I could follow,there is one I could call king."
Thorin turned around and saw that everyone had raised and looked at him with respect,their leader who began to slowly walk back to the campsite when the hobbit asked his question.
" And the pale Orc,what happened to him?" Bilbo asked which Thorin answered.
" He slunk back into the hole whence he came,that filth died of his wounds ages ago"
But Della noticed that Gandalf had a troubled look like he knew something that might prove that wrong.
And if anyone had look towards the other side of the cliff they would have seen two Orcs sitting on each wolf,satisfied with their find.
" Send Word to the Master,we have found the dwarf scum". One of them said in their language,clearly the company's adventure would be no easy one.
A/N I know that fans don't like the Azog part of the movies,but I thought that it could show Della and Donald that it is danger in this world too,now they have heard his story,and when they see him,they will see how dangerous he really is.