Trapped

Chapter Three The ride

Fili and I stood there, not knowing what to do.

'Will you ride with me, perhaps?'

Fili hesitated, then seem to edge towards her when she said, 'It will leave more time for drinking. But quickly. We must hurry, if we wish to really ride on the way.'

I watched in interest as Fili struggled with his want of drinking, and the thought of leaving Thorin behind.

Eventually his beer side of his mind won, and he declared that Silver shouldn't go alone, and that we would accompany her. Our gear was already packed into our packs at the door, and our ponies were at the gate. We packed our ponies with the bags, and then mounted.

Silver Mist nodded at us, then took off at a canter down the road, scattering the early risers of the hobbits as she went. Suddenly I was filled with an un-surpassing joy, and all I wanted to do was to gallop after her, and race.

Whooping and cheering, we took off after her, charging off down the shire.

*Silver Mist's POV*

As we took off, I heard a sudden stream of cursing and swearing behind us. I grinned as I heard Thorin's voice screaming "Fili! Kili! Get back here!"

They, however, didn't appear to hear him, and were still trying to catch us across the fields. Soon, I slowed and they walked up to me and my horses. After walking for a while, we reached a little wood, and waited there for a bit.

I heard the sound of horses hooves across the fields, and spun back to find it was Thorin and the rest of the dwarves, and Gandalf trotting towards us on their tiny ponies. Thorin was angry, and had screwed his face into such a strange shape I couldn't help but laugh. When they heard me laughing, Kili and Fili turned around, and their faces turned so quickly from shock to guilt I couldn't help but laugh again.

Spinning Mookari around, I called to Thowra, and we disappeared into the trees. Racing across the forest floor, we weaved through the trees, and bounded over logs, Thowra right next to Mookari, leaving the angry shouting of Thorin behind us. When we reached the ridge I spotted out before, that towered over the clearing where the dwarves where standing, I let out a shout, and Mookari skidded to a halt, before spinning around to face Thowra behind him. I gave another shout of joy, ending it with a laugh, and they both reared, pawing at the air, snorting madly. The ponies underneath us became restless, and wouldn't stay still, the opposite to their owners, who stood stock still, gaping up in awe at us.

*Kili's POV*

The sunlight caught her shadow as the horses reared, and as she laughed and shouted, it seemed to glow around her, catching the joy in her.

"And that is why you don't ride with the wolf queen, Kili, Fili. Once you have ridden with her, you cannot stand riding with anyone else. They seem too dull." Thorin frowned, and shook his head, turning her pony to face her.

"Ride ahead, my lady! Fly like the wind!" He shouted, suddenly joyful at her, and then turned his pony to follow the route that she had taken through the trees. The rest of the company turned and followed him, and I was the last one standing there. As Fili rode past me, he grinned and winked up at Silver Mist, and dug his elbow into my ribs.

I ignored him.