Carrying the Past - The Hobbit

Chapter 9

The company had woken early the next morning, Freya had aroused unwillingly her head still spinning from the ale, noise and Gandalf's second hand smoke. The majority of the company had the same problem but most of them were a bit more hung-over. They were making their way out of Bag End when Freya noticed Balin place a contract on Bilbo's chair.

"Where's Bilbo?" Freya asked. Balin looked up to her with a sad expression.

"We have lost our burglar, he will not come" Balin replied.

"Oh" Balin left and Freya followed. She liked that hobbit, she hoped he'd come so she had someone to talk to because he wasn't a fighter like everyone else like her. They made the way to the edge of the town, to Freya's luck all the ponies were tied up near her's, she packed him and got him ready for the trip, stroking his nuzzle.

"Stay with me old friend" she whispered softly.

"That's a nice pony" It was Fili he had walked his up to her and was mounting it.

"As is yours..." she smiled and the pony nudged her so she would stroke it some more. She hopped on his back and looked towards Fili on what way to go.

"Mind if I... I mean do you want to ride, along-side me?" he tried to make sound less awkward "So you can tell me more about yourself?" Freya smiled and gave a nod.

"Yes that'd be nice" Freya rode up beside him and they followed the company.

"I wish that hobbit came" Fili said "He'd be good to tease" She looked at him and laughed.

"That's mean" she paused "Although, it is fun to see his reaction, it's like a little angry puppy" this time Fili laughed.

"Too true, too true" he answered. The two rode for a while in silence until the company came to a halt and a familiar figure came up from behind. It was Bilbo.

"I signed it!" he said excitedly and Freya saw as Kili and Bofur came up behind him and plonked him on top of a pony, it was a sight to remember.

"Now we have someone to tease" laughed Fili excitedly and Kili turned around and smiled at his brother to agree but then spotted that Fili was riding next to Freya. Kili shot Freya a wink and Fili noticed. "What's that all about?" he asked her, a bit of jealousy in his voice.

"To be honest I really don't know..." she replied, a bit confused by Fili's tone.

"He said something at dinner didn't he..." he asked curiously.

 "No well ah..." Kili turned around to give her pleading as if to say, please don't tell him I told you. Fili continued to look at her, expecting an answer, it was quite intimidating. "He was drunk Fili"

"Ah so he did say something!" he exclaimed.

"He just said that you told him that you thought I was cute, ok!" Freya got frustrated and then apologised when she realised how stubborn she had been on him. "Sorry, but that's all I swear and I know he doesn't mean anything by it..." she tried to relax the situation "As if you like me, in that way" Fili looked away and went a bit flushed. Freya bit her lip and watched as Fili trotted ahead on his pony, giving Kili a slap up the back of the head on the way past. Freya lowered her head in guilt. For the remainder of that day's journey she rode alone sometimes Gandalf checking on her and at one stage Bilbo who needed advice on how to ride his pony properly.

"Just relax your arms, put them down!" she laughed.

"But it will rear up at me if I do!" he complained.

"No it won't" she assured him. Bilbo lowered his arms and the pony continued on. Bilbo finally relaxed more and Freya giggled.

"See isn't that easier, if you're relaxed your pony is relaxed" Bilbo nodded his head in understandment and the two rode on together, sharing stories and asking questions. Freya knew she needed Bilbo on this trip for that very reason. But through her interesting conversation with Bilbo she couldn't help but look longingly at Fili, she didn't know how she was meant to feel about what happened earlier, she even thought Kili hated her for telling him. But what was she meant to say. Great at making friends aren't you? Stupid self-conscious but yet it was right. So far her efforts at making friends were a wizard and a hobbit, she wasn't even sure if Thorin appreciated her existence.