The Half Breed Ranger

Chapter 3: 70 Coins

Amanda awoke the next morning the the sun shining softly down onto her face through the small round window. Amanda scruntched her face to get her eyes used to the light. She looked out the window and could see the small dust particals floatin ggently thorugh the rays. The sound of birds singing their soft morning song. Amanda sighed and smiled softly to herself as the warmth of the mroning light hit her face lighting up her brown eyes to look like fire.

Amanda then felt a grumbled underneath her. Fusing her eyebrows together she shook her head and closed her eyes again. But something was not right, the ground felt like a tunic which struck Amanda as odd. But what really caught her was the fact that the ground was moving up and down. She then realised there was two strong stapped holding her down around her waist. She wanted to remove them immediatly but somethng within her, deep inside was telling her she wanted to stay. The keep what ever was wrapped around her waist there because she felt... safe. Protected even. Amanda opened her eyes and looked down to see the tunic she was, was infact a tunic. A blue one too be exact. Those straps around her waist was large arms that held her close. Her eyes trailed slowly up as she sucked in a breath. Amanda stared for a moment as Kili was the body that lay under her.

" HOLY SON OF DURIN!" Amanda yelled jumping up in fright sending herself flying out of his arms and over the back of the long sofa they were sleeping on. Kili jumped up after getting a fright but ended up landing on the floor with a loud grunt. The other Dwarves was brought into a wakened state of shock from the loud thud and yell. They saw Amanda standing behind the sofa some what glaring at Kili who was rolling about on the floor in front of the sofa.

" What happened?" Fili asked looking to his brother who seemed to be in a bit of pain and then up to Amanda who was glaring at him.

" Nothing." Amanda growled and marched out the room.

" Yeah... nothing." He squeacked out as he held his breath in pain. Amanda pushed open the small round door and walked out into the morning sun. The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the Shire seemed to calm her down completely. She walked gracefully over to the ponies in which the company would be using and made sure that they had had food and water for the journey ahead.

" Do you have a pony?" A low grumble sounded from behind her. The voice could only belong to one dwarf. Thorin.

" No, I walked here." Amanda said as she patted on of the ponies heads.

" Then you will have to ride with one of us." Thorin said as they started to tack up the ponies.

" No thanks. I can walk." Amanda said to him but he stopped and looked to her shaking his head.

" No, it is a long way until we will camp for the night. I cannot have you so exhausted that you cannot even fight." Thorin said in a way insulting her.

" Thorin, I am a ranger. I can walk for three days and two nights straight with no sleep and barely anything to eat before I get so tired I cannot fight." Amanda growled to him defending her abilities that he seemed to think were not as good as she said they are to be.

" No. You are riding and that is final." Thorin ordered her leaving no room for argument. Amanda growled to him and continued to tack the ponies.

" Stuborn Dwarf!" Amanda growled lowly. Thorin stopped what he was doing and sighed before continuing on. Once all the ponies had been tacked up and ready the company walked out and tied their provisions onto the saddles.

" Someone has to ride double with Amanda." Thorin growled as he mounted his horse. No one said anything, not even Gandalf offered her. Amanda sighed and looked to Thorin.

" Again! I will walk." Amanda said to him as she began to walk in the direction they were heading. But she was grabbed a hold of by her collar and pulled up and onto the back of a pony. It reminded her so much to how her mentor would do the exact same if she refused to ride. He would pick her up with ease and through her onto the back of his horse. Amanda looked to see who it was that had done so and she saw black hair.

" Kili." She grumbled as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hid her face into his back to hid her forming blush. She did not quiet understand as to why she was acting like this. She has fought hugged and ridden with many of the opposite sex before, but she has never reacted to being so close to a man like this before.

" Lets go!" Thorin called out as Amanda took her head from his back and looked around.

" Wait! What about Master Baggins?" Amanda asked Thorin. Thorin did not even turn around to look at her.

" He is not coming." Thorin grumbled to her. Amanda let out a sigh as she pulled herself closer to Kili. Once they had made it out of Hobbiton they made their way through a small wooded area.

" I say 10 coins the hobbit does not show!" Gloin called out to the company. Amanda rolled her eyes and looked back. He had to be coming, even he could not refuse this.

" I say 10 he does!" Kili called out to him.

" As do I!" Gandalf said agreeing with Kili. Amanda was happy there was some in the company who thought well of the hobbit.

" 20 coins says he does!" Bofur called out while the rest of them all bet he would not show.

" Amanda! Your bet!" Gloin called to her. Amanda smiled and looked back. She had a lot of faith in the hobbit for some unknown reason.

" 70 coins to say he does show." She smiled as everyone looked to her in disblief.

" You must have a lot of faith in the halfling to bet that much." Fili said as he was riding next to them.

" I have faith." She simply put it and with a smile to him as he smirked. Fili had seen the slight tinted to his brothers cheeks and Amanda rested the side of her head onto his back.

"Wait! Wait!" Voice called not too much time later, intercepting the dwarves arguing bout a waste of time trying to get the hobbit to join them. Every stopped their ponies and looked to the hobbit as he ran to the company. Amanda smiled as he walked up to Balin.

"I signed it!" The hobbit said slightly out of breath as he handed the contract to Balin. Balin took the contract and pulled out a glass piece and held it to his eyes to read the paper. He smiled with a nodded to the hobbit.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin said to the hobbit as Amanda smiled to him. Bilbo looked around and sighed happily. Thorin, looked his usual self. Not happy with this new outcome.

"Give him a pony." Thorin ordered in a slightly irritated tone. Amanda smiled to the hobbit as Kili pushed the pony forward.

"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!" He yelled out as Fili and Bofur lifted him up and onto the back of a pony. Amanda chuckled and watched him as she rested her head on Kili's back again. She felt him stiffen up under her touch but relaxed soon after. His back muscles worked in sync as the pony moved underneath them. Amanda could feel just how strong he was from her arms wrapped around his waist. Kili and Amanda rode up next to Bilbo.

" Master Baggins. Relax. The pony sense your distress and is become agitated." Amanda told him as the pony reared its head. Bilbo nodded and relaxed upon the back of the pony and it calmed down. He sighed with a smile and Amanda felt Kili chuckle.

"What?" Amanda asked him as Kili shook his head.

"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on." Oin called out and quickly after bags of coins were being thrown about. Amanda caught her pouch and smiled as she put winnings into her bag. Everyone laughed as they handed out the winnings.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked confused. Gandalf then began to explain as to why money bags were being thrown around. They traveled over grassy plains and past Bree. All the whole Amanda held onto Kili and both of their cheeks held a slight tint.