The Wind Fell Silent

2. Quite A Merry Gathering

 Renn’s Point of View

 Dishna and I had been riding constantly for just under a week when we first saw the quaint town of Hobbiton.  The sun was just starting to set, and Dishna was complaining about her aching hooves incessantly. To appease her and gain some reprieve from her nagging thoughts, I set out on foot while she took the form of a small bird.  “Stop flitting about so! It is getting me dizzy!” I scolded her as she circled around my head, she of course paid no attention to me and continued her infuriating little dance, much to my annoyance. 

 Dishna and I had been searching for Mr. Baggins’ home for quite some time before Dishna, who had long since taken the form of a wolf, spotted a small, blue, slightly glowing mark on a round green door. “Thank Yavanna, I am exhausted!” I groaned inwardly as I opened a small gate. “Don’t thank Yavanna, thank me!”  Dishna exclaimed loudly as she padded into the closely cared for garden. “Hurry Dishna! Take a different form, I do not think it wise for the dwarves to know of you yet.”  I scolded, completely disregarding her snarky comment. With an annoyed “Humph”, Dishna became a small cricket, and hid herself in my long black hair. “A cricket, great, as if you could chatter anymore.”  I said laughing to myself, which earned me a few choice curses, courtesy of Dishna.

 Third Person

Renn knocked on the round door, hearing a steady stream of voices that issued from a slightly ajar window. The voices ceased immediately, and a hobbit answered the door.  His curly, brown hair was somewhat askew, and the expression on his face was comical. Bilbo Baggins stood at the door utterly bewildered. Arenna waited for a moment, then decided to introduce herself, “I assume you are Mr. Baggins, my name is Arenna” she said with a smile that pulled Bilbo back to reality.  “Oh, yes, come in”, stuttered Bilbo before he allowed Arenna to pass into the parlor where she was instantaneously greeted by Gandalf. “Arenna! I was beginning to think that you would not come” the old man said as he ushered her into the dining room. “Well this house was especially difficult to find!” Arenna said quite irritably as they entered a room filled with dwarves. They all stared at her quizzically, and Arenna looked down at her feet awkwardly, before Gandalf stepped in and started the introductions. “Arenna this is the company of Thorin Oakenshield. This is Thorin, his two nephews Fili and Kili. Over to your right is Oin, Ori, Dori, Balin, and Bombur. To your left is Gloin, Bifur, Nori, Dwalin, and Bofur. Everyone, this is my dear friend Arenna, I hope to make her the 15th member of the company.”

 “A woman?" Thorin questioned Gandalf “You did not say that your friend was a woman.” Arenna shot Thorin a rather dangerous look, “Is there a problem master dwarf?", she asked, eyebrows raised.

 Thorin looked at her critically for a moment, “What weapons do you favor?"

 “A bow, daggers and sword are my weapons of choice” Arenna said coolly.

 Thorin questioned her further, “Do you have any experience in open combat?”

  Arenna paused for a moment before answering, “More than I would like". She smirked at Dishna’s obvious pleasure in her cryptic answer. Thorin looked at her harshly for a moment before he relented and sat down. “Now that we are all here let us discuss why I have summoned you” Thorin said, addressing the group of dwarves. Arenna silently snuck off to a shadowy corner of the room so as not to bring any more attention to herself, she absolutely detested being the center of attention.  

 Thorin was telling Bilbo, who was completely oblivious as to what was going on, the tale of the Lonely Mountain.  Gandalf had already told Renn the story of the Erebor, so she allowed her mind to wander.  She was trying to memorize the dwarves’ names, and failing miserably, when she felt someone staring at her.  When she looked over, she saw that it was the young dwarf named Kili.  He was watching her rather intently, and she raised her eyebrow questioningly, this seemed to pull him out of his trance; Kili’s eyes widened when he realized that Renn had caught him.  She smirked as he, red faced, trained his eyes on Thorin.