A Better Place - The Hobbit Fanfiction

Alternate Entry Nineteen - One More King

Once we’d rolled in the grass enough to dry and put our shoes back on Bofur and I strolled over toward the other side of the mountain, where multiple wooden structures had bloomed since Erebor had been restored. The dwarves didn’t have much use for horses—they were too tall for us to saddle and ride—but goats, pigs, cows, ponies and small mules often came in handy. Bofur tossed me an apple he’d had tucked away somewhere and ate one of his own as we walked. He asked me about my lady lessons and I told him truthfully what I thought of them—my opinions were softening, however that did not mean I liked them by any stretch. It was nice to be able to choose what we ate every night though.

When we reached the pastures—I noticed this new one was distinctly smaller—I hopped right up to stand halfway up the fence but Bofur bent underneath one of the boards and gestured for me to do the same. “Come along. They’ve only arrived today so I don’t know if they’re out yet.”

So I vaulted the fence and followed him. “You’ve got your smug socks on,” I told him when I caught up.

“I do not, I’m just enjoying the sunshine.”

“You’re mighty pleased with yourself for just enjoying the sunshine.”

“Gods save me from the suspicions of Little Mistress Mabyn!” he exclaimed. “Can’t you accompany me to visit the lady horses without wondering just why I’ve got a certain smile on?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “You couldn’t express more smugness even if you twirled your moustache. This living together thing has taught me to get to know you too you know.”

He heaved a sigh worthy of my own use and simply shook his head at me. “Someday we’ll cure you of this suspicious heart of yours.”

“I like my suspicious heart. It keeps me out of trouble.”

He guffawed. “I would hardly say that.”

We reached the stables and pushed open the bottom half of the door, the top half already being open. The sounds of all the creatures in their stalls were just the same as they were in Dale’s stables, but all distinguishably more diminutive. I was smiling already as I ran to the first one and leaned over the side—the walls were only up to my ribs. The miniature horse inside this one was gray, and when he looked up at me from a height of only about my waist he pulled his lips back and whinnied.

I grinned. “Saucy fellow.”

Bofur joined me with his elbows hooked over the stable wall. “See? They’re adorable little things. What ulterior motive could I possibly have in showing you something that I knew would wrap your shining heartstrings around their little hoofs?”

I stuck my tongue out and blew it at him. This particular lady horse wasn’t interested in getting to know me so I moved on to the next one. She had a dark little foal suckling at her belly and I decided not to disturb her.

“Mabyn, what about this one?” Bofur asked, having moved on to another low stall. He had been joined by another man, with whom he was chatting and gesturing into the stall when not stealing glances at me.

“I’ll get there eventually.” Whatever he was up to, I’d get to it on my own time. He’d made me swim, now he could wait. I greeted four more tiny horses before coming to his side. “This one’s pretty too,” I equably agreed as I peered down into the stall, which housed a brown mare and her roan-and-spotted foal. This foal still of a suckling age as well. He—nope, she—came up only to my thigh in height. The mother’s head was only a little shorter than mine.

“What do you think of the foal?” the stablemaster asked, lifting the latch so I could go inside, which I did only hesitantly—I had been born a city girl, and large animals weren’t something I had a lot of experience with. “You can let them share the rest of that apple if you’re done with it.”