Torn Between

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It seemed like I had just closed my eyes when I felt someone shaking me awake. I groaned and turned over, pulling my blanket over my head.

"Amariel?" I heard someone ask tentatively.

"What?" I said, sighing as I pulled off the covers. My eyes blurred for a moment when I opened them, but then Kili's face came into view.

"Uh, you have to get up," he whispered as he stood up and walked to the door. I mumbled incoherently and my head flopped down onto the pillows.

Twenty minutes later I was sitting on the back of a particularly sassy pony. As I tried to calm it down, I asked Gandalf, "Do you think he'll come?"

"Hm?" said Gandalf, whose head was digging around in his bag.

"Bilbo? Do you think he'll come?" I questioned again.

"What do you wager?" Bofur said, his pony ambling up to me.

I saw a sly glint in his eye. "What do you mean?" I said. "How much are you willing to bet?" he said.

I laughed. "I'll bet 5 gold coins that he will come," I said to Bofur, handing him the gold.

As Bofur and his pony waddled away, Thorin said, "We need to get moving." I glanced back one last time before turning my pony's head and following Thorin.

As we walked along the border of Hobbiton, I found myself riding next to Fili and Kili. We talked on and off about our past, our lives at home, our hobbies, though I never let slip my true lineage. After a while, we trotted into the thin woods surrounding Hobbiton.

"It doesn't seem as if Bilbo is going to come!" Bofur shouted to me from the front of our pony parade. "He will," I replied confidently, even though I was getting worried now. Loosing the 5 gold coins didn't matter, but going on an adventure with out Bilbo didn't seem right.

"Wait! Wait!" I spun my head around and saw Bilbo running towards us, the contract unfurled and raised in his hand. I grinned and inwardly sighed in relief.

"I signed it," Bilbo said proudly. He handed it to Balin who took out a magnifying glass and looked at Bilbo suspiciously. After a few seconds, he said, "It all seems to be in order. Welcome, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo smiled and put his hand on his hip, still breathing hard from the effort to catch us. I noticed Thorin looking annoyed and suspected he wished Bilbo hadn't arrived.

"Get him a pony," Thorin grunted.

"No, no, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I-I've been on my fair share of walking holidays, I've even-- Ah!" I laughed as Kili and Fili hoisted Bilbo up onto a pony named Myrtle.

"Com'on Nori, pay up!" I heard one of the dwarves shout. This made me think of my own bet with Bofur.

"Yea, Bofur, pay up!" I said. Bofur didn't turn around. Instead, he tossed a small brown sack at me. A shake told me my gold was inside. I smirked. I heard other dwarves catching their bets and mumbling with amusement.

I slid my money into my pack and noticed Bilbo watching me. "What was that about?" he asked. "Oh, we were betting on whether or not you'd show up." I replied happily.

Bilbo's eyebrows furrowed, and then shot up as his pony whinnied and tossed its head. Bilbo gripped the reins tightly, and I laughed at his worried face.

A few minutes later I heard a sneeze, and I turned to see Bilbo digging in his pockets, looking for a handkerchief. It seemed as if he couldn't find one, because when he looked up, he said,