I Regret Nothing (Kili Story)

I Regret Nothing: Mirkwood

            The dwarves had stumbled upon hearty breakfast late the next morning out on the veranda. Before Bilbo had woken up, they had devoured most of it, but not quite all of it. Bilbo finished what he could before the others did.

            “Where’s Gandalf?” Bilbo asked.

            “Out and about somewhere.” Gandalf was not seen at all that morning. Neither was Camellia.

            “Has anyone seen the lassie?” Balin asked as it neared close to noon.

            “She’s still asleep.” Fili responded, laying out on the veranda.

            “Asleep? At this hour?” As if on cue, there was a soft yawn and Camellia immerged from the hall.

            “I heard my name.”

            “We were wondering where you were.”

            “Sleeping. I don’t know what you weren’t sleeping more.”

            “Things need to be done.”

            “We’re going to be travelling again. The best thing you should be doing is sleeping, and eating.” She stepped out onto the veranda. “Look at this!” She directed their attention to the table. “You have left all of the vegetables!”

            “The green food?” Ori asked.

            “Yes, all the green food.”

            “I don’t like green food.”

            “Neither do I!” Camellia sighed and grabbed what was left for her breakfast. The day was quiet. Neither Gandalf nor Beorn was spotted until late that evening. Supper was laid out in the same manner as it was the night before. The animals that had been waiting on them were absolutely wonderful. They could not communicate to one another, but they had somehow knew exactly what the dwarven company wanted.

Gandalf had returned shortly before sunset and just before supper. He hadn’t said much, he was much too busy getting his fill of food. He had eaten more than any of the individual dwarves had and even more than some of them combined.

“Where have you been, Gandalf?” One of them had asked, but he did not answer. He was engaged in sending smoke rings of all shapes, sizes, and colours into the air.

“I’ve been picking out bear-tracks.” He explained that there have been bear meetings and he believed that Beorn was making it to some of them, but not all of them because there were far too many of them and of varying sorts: big bears, small bears, gigantic bears, etc. He further explained how he travelled pass the river and to the forest before returning. “I passed Camellia on my way back.”

            “How? She’s been here all day,” Bofur said, confused.

            “She left several hours ago,” Kili said. “She followed the animals out after lunch.”

            “Why’d she do that?”

            “Ah, the girl’s just curious,” Gandalf said as he took a long inhale from his pipe.     

            “Why didn’t she tell anyone?” Bofur asked.

            “She told Kili, probably thinking he was the one who would notice her absence first. And she was right, if I’m not mistaken.” A small blush came over Kili’s cheeks. “I suspect she will be back soon. Perhaps, on her way now.” But Camellia did not come back. The dwarves had gone to sleep without so much as a word from their spunky redhead. The moon was high in the sky when Camellia finally set foot back in the hall. A fire burned dimly in the hearth, bathing the sleeping company in its warm light. She crept over bodies and objects to her corner. Before laying down, she placed a light kiss on the cheek of her dark hair dwarf who was drooling onto his pillow. Kili had stirred slightly, but remained in a deep sleep there on the floor next to her. She stole his half disregarded blanket and closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. It wasn’t too long before Kili pulled the blanket, and her, who was wrapped tightly in it, toward him. Camellia opened her eyes and saw nothing, but an abyss in the colour of brown. She had woken him.