The Unexpected Journey and How It Actually Happened

The Ever-Growing Tension Between Love and Hate

"S-so you speak Quenya?"

Bilbo and I rode side by side. The dwarves were ignoring us still, except for Fili and Kili, who would get an earful from Thorin and Dwalin once caught. We'd been traveling for three weeks, and Bilbo and I used the time to get to know each other better: exchanging tea recipes, comparing the tastes from memory, and chatting about what wild plants could be used to replicate it. We'd gossip about the last drama we heard from The Shire. Or about places we would want to visit, and why, if we could just teleport there, not needing to waste energy on long journeys like the one we were on. Our conversations were warming us and filling our stomachs as the rain had fallen. It had been raining since midday a few days ago and stopped at night, giving us some hope of dry weather until it would start again the following morning. And provisions were now given sparingly, even for me. The wetness didn't bode well with the dwarves. Their grumpiness would ebb and flow as they complained, accepted it, then complained again. I'm sure they had tried to blame it on my presence, a sign of bad luck. Bilbo and I were probably the only ones speaking to ignore it; if the others were, the rain was too loud to hear. Hoofs kicked up mud, puddles splashed in, and all our clothes stuck to our skin. No amount of layers could protect us from the downpour. We were shaking silly from the coldness of it all, and it was hard for the princes to take no notice of it.

"I d-do. I can read and w-write in both Quenya and Sindarin."

"Who taught y-you?"

"Alright, I can't take much more of your teeth-chatterin'," Fili burst out. "Kili, make the hobbit sit with you. Warm him up. I'll take Lady Mairia." His brother nodded in response and pulled his pony back to slow down. He grabbed the Hobbit and plopped Bilbo in front of him. With the reigns of Bilbo's pony in one hand and the other covering the Hobbit, Kili warmed him up.

"Oh, that's much better, thank you."

Fili did the same, pulling himself back, but instead, he jumped onto my horse and sat in front of me. He took the reigns from my hands, "Use your legs, and I'll handle the reigns." Though I wanted to protest, the warmth emanating from his body was too good to decline, and I leaned against his back with a sigh. I was fully aware of my chest pressing against him, and I knew he could feel it, but the cold was too much to bear after days of wetness, so all shame and embarrassment flew out the window as I wrapped my arms around him. The brothers kept the equines close together.

"Thank you," I whispered into his ear with a smile, my lips lightly grazing against him. He deserves a reward, and I've already done this much. I turned my face back to Bilbo and felt the heat from Fili rise.

Dori shouted to Gandalf, who was still trailing behind us, "Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" A look of disturbance shot through his eyes as he examined the four of us.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf," Gandalf replied. "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."

"Are there any?" Bilbo spoke out, "Other wizards?"

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are two blue wizards... do you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?"

"Well, that would be Radagast the Brown."

"Is he a great wizard? Or is he more like you?"

"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."