Bring On The Wonder[Thorin Oakenshield]

Chapter Two: The Quest Has Begun!

Its the next day. The sun was just starting to come over the mountains. Bella woke up when she heard the shuffling of heavy traffic go past her. She squinted her eyes to see four beards walk passed her chair. She sat up and stretched her arms and got up. The dwarves were moving the hobbit's furniture back to its rightful spot. Bella remembered when first upon entering the home, it was quite a mess. Food was thrown all over the floor. Furniture had been pushed down the hall to make room for the others. 'At least the dwarves had somewhat manners' she thought to herself as she pack up her few belongs she brought with her. The woman was amazed the home was put back to the way it was when they first entered it.

"Are you ready lass?" A dwarf with a white beard, known as Balin asked her kindly with a smile. She nodded her head and the woman followed behind the dwarves out the door and she quietly shut it behind her. Bella looked around and noticed the wizard wasn't among them.

"Where's Gandalf?" Bella wondered in concern. 

"He's meeting us on the borders of the Shire with ponies." Thorin answered as he started making hast down the pathway. The woman noticed he was not one for long conversations but she continued down the path with the others. The sun was just slowly coming over the trees when they left the hobbit's home, she walked beside Balin who she found quiet enjoyable to talk to. He was very curious in learning where she came from, but it remained a mystery to him as she only told him certain things about her life that she was willing to share. The only thing the elder dwarf was certain of, was that she wasn't a dwarf, she was far too beautiful to be a dwarf woman, since she lacked the beard. He suspected her to be human, but at the same time she could easily be an elf with how fair her complexion was but her hair concealed her ears so he had no way of knowing.

The dwarves and Bella reached the borders of the Shire and sure enough their was the wizard on his horse with sixteen ponies waiting for them. The dwarves wasted no time in removing their supplies off their backs and tied the satchels to the ponies. Bella chose a black pony named 'Midnight' and the two of them got along quickly. The pony enjoyed the attention it got from the woman and the occasional pet and stroke she would give. Thorin was traveling behind her, talking with Balin wondering what they talked about. The white bearded dwarf spoke of nothing of the conversation he had with her and told him that if he wanted to know anything about her to talk to her himself, which the dwarf king mumbled his decline in that suggestion and Balin simple let out a chuckle. The two dwarves heads turned in the woman's direction when they heard her talking to the animal as if it understood her and Thorin found it strange while Balin just thought she was the sweetest thing ever. 

The sun was now beaming over them. It had turned into a beautiful day. Bella found she had to remove her cloak just the heat alone was causing her to sweat. The two young brothers, Fili and Kili had joined on either side of her after being convinced by their uncle to get any information out of her. Bella found the two young dwarf lads very entertaining as they told her stories about their occasional pranks they had accomplished back at home in Ered Luin. She busted out laughing when she realized most of them had been done to their leader and she could imagine his response when he figured out it was them. The two brothers then started asking her personal questions, and like Balin who had questioned her earlier, she answered them very carefully. When they reported back to their uncle they told him the only thing they now knew about her that she revealed about herself was that she had a brother. Thorin paid them both with two coins for discovering something about her, Balin wouldn't tell him anything. 

They continued through the forest, Bella was beginning to wonder what they were going to do when they reached the mountain without their burglar. She had expressed her concerns to the wizard about this but he seemed certain the hobbit would join them soon. She couldn't see it. When she met the hobbit, he seemed the type who was quite content where he was, but then Bella knew who was she to questioned the wizards. A few months ago, Gandalf had asked her to take part in this quest and she had told him no and now here she was. 

"Wait! Wait!" A familiar voice of a hobbit yelled from behind them. The dwarves all pulled on their reigns and their ponies came to a halt. Thorin was probably the one more surprised then anyone else to see the hobbit running to catch up to them. " I signed it!" Bilbo exclaimed as he brought the contract over to Balin, who took it happily and pulled out his eye glass. 

" Everything appears to be in order. Welcome Master Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin proclaimed. The others cheered to have their burglar with them, while Thorin on the other hand didn't show the same enthusiasm as the others.

"Give him a pony." The dwarf, grumbled, and nudged his pony to start moving again. After hearing that, the hobbit, began muttering how he would do just fine on foot and that he was sure he could keep up. As he rambled on, the two young brothers came up on either side of him and pulled him up by his clothing and set him on a pony. Bilbo took the reigns hesitantly, unsure of what he was supposed to exactly do with them. Bella was the only one kind enough to show the hobbit how to properly hold the reigns and in no time he was a little more confident with the animal. 

As the day progressed on, Bella was growing incredible bored with this steady pace and nudged her pony with the heels of her boots, getting it into a full on gallop and she flew passed Thorin, who was not impressed by this sudden action. The wild was a dangerous place and she was a woman. He felt the air blow past him again and saw his nephews racing to catch up to the strange girl. The three of them giggled as they were now all going at the same pace, Thorin came up to them not long after that and got himself in front of all three of them and Bella had to yank on her reigns to slow the pony down before she knocked into the dwarf.

" You will travel at the pace the rest of us are going at. This is no place to be acting silly and reckless." Thorin barked at the woman and turned to his nephews. " You two should no better." and the two bowed their heads in shame for disappointing their uncle. 

" It's not their fault" Bella protested, not wanting the boys to be in trouble for something she started. 

" Their my nephews and they know better." Thorin growled and he ordered the two boys to start heading back. " You best remember your place on this quest, Miss Bella." She let out a huff once the dwarf took off back to the others. Bella waited for them and traveled at the back of the group with Gandalf and Bilbo. The day was growing darker and they found a place on the edge of the cliff. While a few of the dwarves began setting up camp Bombur was preparing supper for the others and Bella offered her assistance.