The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

22 | Sneaking away

{Rigmor POV}

I inhaled deeply, the sweet feeling of fresh air in my lungs hadn't felt so good in ages. The Dwarfs around me chattered, happy to be alive.

I smiled a bit at their silly antics as they hugged each other and messed up one another's hair, heavy patting on shoulders to be heard.

Yet, I didn't feel relieved, for Bilbo was still down there in the mines.
All feelings I ever had towards him felt like they were shattered in my chest along with my heart, and a dry sob left my throat.

I slowly approached Gandalf, who was counting the Dwarfs.
I tried with all of my might to not cry when I halted next to him.

"Where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit?"

I looked at the wizard with teary eyes and I think he understood what I meant. "He isn't dead, is he?"

I shrugged. "I... I don't know."

Gandalf's expression turned solemn and he leaned towards me.

"Listen to me. You two need to leave, now. Another danger is coming and I can't risk you two losing your lives in there again. Don't worry, I will send eagles your way to help you out a bit. Before anyone notices, go!"

He pushed his bag into my hands and I knew it was food supply.

"Go!" he urged and I turned towards Myrna.
"We need to leave, now." I muttered, quiet enough for the Dwarfs not to hear.

"Now?!" she gasped, her face just screaming sleep deprivation.
"We will rest later, I promise. Gandalf sensed another danger, so we need to go. Now!"

I grabbed her wrist and ran down the steep hill, but towards the east from the direction they were heading. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, the fatigue also starting to take its toll on me.

"Where are we headed?" Myrna asked as we slowed down a bit, checking if anyone had followed us.
"I think we should head towards that forest Gandalf spoke about, eh?" Myrna nodded and got the map from her bag.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked absentmindedly while rolling open the paper scroll. I reached in the pouch Gandalf gave me and pulled out two fresh apples.

"Good! This is good..." I mumbled as I sunk my teeth into the fruit, letting it's juices flow through my mouth as thirst was the thing I felt even more.
"So, this is where we were..."

Myrna mumbled while chewing on her food. She pointed at the map, a mark with the words Goblin Town scribbled next to it. "Seems pretty accurate." I spoke, looking for a waterskin.

"Aren't you just yearning to bend again?" Myrna muttered as she finished her apple, a look of disappointment covering her face since she didn't want her food to be gone already.

I took a sip from the water, the liquid feeling heavenly down my throat.

"I am, yes. But we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves, you know. Gandalf sensed a danger nearby, and maybe it is watching us right now. If we don't bend, we can still make it believable if we say we are just adventurers or something."

Myrna hummed. "Fair enough." I found an unlit torch in my bag and smiled.

"This seems convenient... But not for now. However, it reminds me of something." I mumbled, referring to our time imprisoned, looking at Myrna.

"Shall we rest and make a fire?" My friend looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"Oh yes, please! I want to sleep for at least a month now." I chuckled.

"Remember that this isn't a nice camping trip. Gandalf told us he would send his eagles, we can rest until then."
"Okay... I think I can catch some sleep until then."

The flames were crackling loudly as we sat around the warm fire, our hands in front of us to warm them.

"Do you think Bilbo is alive?" I asked, staring into the fire as a spark landed on my pants. I licked my finger and pushed it out to prevent it from damaging the cotton.

"Why do you think he is not?"
"I saw him when we got taken by the Goblins, but afterwards he was just... Gone..."

Myrna slightly tilted her head.
"I don't know. He could've died many dangers ago, but still managed to survive. He might be way stronger than he seems."

I nodded. "Agreed..."
"Why do you care about him so much?" Myrna pondered, turning her eyes from the fire to me, a small smile on her face.

I blushed a bit.

"Isn't it obvious?"
"Perhaps. But I would like to hear it from your own mouth."

I grinned and stared at my hands, that laid in my lap now, fiddling with the fabric of my cloak.
"Well... I think I am..."
"Smitten with him?"

My cheeks flushed crimson now.
"E-Exactly." A squeak came from Myrna's throat.

"I knew it!" she cheered. "I bloody knew it!"

I hid my face in my hands. "Okay, you can stop it now. You're making me nervous!"

"But you should tell him!" I swallowed, my mood suddenly changing to a sad one.

"What if he isn't alive anymore... Maybe we'll never see him again..." I muttered, bringing my hand to my mouth to cover my trembling lip.

"Don't worry, Rigmor!" Myrna said, scooting closer to me. "You two will be fine. Promise me you will tell him as soon as you can?"

I thought for a second, then nodded. "But I don't know if he feels the same! I am afraid he'll never liked me anyways, since he wanted to leave before all the Goblin stuff happened."

My gaze had settled upon the fire again and I sighed.
"Of course he does feel the same! Have you seen the way he looks at you? How he gets all flustered when you are around?"

I shook my head. "No... No."
"Well he does. You should really get to him, Rigmor."

I chewed on my lip.
"He'll be disappointed in me to see who I really am. Not a sweet girl, but a lethal bender. He'll be scared of me."

Myrna shook her head and hugged me. "Don't worry so much."
I hummed. "I will try. Anyways, do you have a crush on someone?"

She smiled and shook her head.
"You are really oblivious to it, aren't you?" I asked, grinning.
"To what?"
"Ori." She raised her eyebrow. "He is completely head over heels for you."

"We're just friends. And we kind of got into a fight... But I do not feel any way romantically towards him."
"How about Fili or Kili? Or maybe even Thorin?"

I winked and she shook her head again.
"Not in a thousand years."
"Then whom?"
"No one."

A squeal was audible in the distance.
"What was that?"
"The eagles?"

Suddenly, we got almost blown away by a huge force. The small fire expired from the air that blew over it. Another squeal, louder this time.
Two huge eagles sat on the ground, waiting for us to climb on.

My eyes adjusted a bit to the dark and I gathered my stuff.
"Do you really think this is safe?" Myrna said hesitantly.
"Did Gandalf ever betray you?"

She chuckled and hoisted her bag onto her back before mounting one of the Eagles.
"I thought so." I said, hopping onto the other one and tightly holding on.

"There we go!" I yelled above the sound of the wind as the Eagles started to depart, spreading their wings as they sped up.

There we went, soaring through the night sky, onwards to Mirkwood.