Not Your Ordinary Life

Chapter Five

Two months later...

 The time came for everyone to leave to find the portal. A few weeks before that, Angelina had promised Thorin she would take him him out on a 'date' in exchange of Thorin teaching her the dwarven courting rituals, in which one of them, he already braided her hair, embedding beads with the braids.  The Company even made a special celebration for the two of them.  Caroline also confessed to her Aunt, that her and Fili had been courting, long before she knew of Thorin and her Aunt 's relationship.  So that day, everyone packed their belongings. Angelina had a long time friend, and she decided to leave her home to her friend. "Go ahead and sell the house, Jen. I doubt that we're coming back!" said Angelina, and she finished her call.  "So is Jen going to take care of things?" asked Caroline."Yes she is. I told her to go ahead and sell the house, because I doubt that we're coming back." said Angelina sadly. "Can we say goodbye to our home first. Especially the tree in the backyard, where we used to climb and have our names carved in it." said Madison. Balin smiled. "Allow the lassies say their goodbyes." said Balin.

 The Company followed the young girls in the backyard as Caroline explained the wonderful memories her sister and herself shared with the tree. Everyone smiled as they shared the story, even Bilbo smiled. "I want to take a part of this tree with me." said Madison. "Me too! Look, there is three acorns on the ground!" said Angelina.  All three women picked up the acorns. "May I have one too?" asked Bilbo. "Of course!" said Madison, as she given one to Bilbo. "Thank you." said Bilbo. "I got an idea! Why don't everyone carve their names in the tree? Bilbo, you go first!" said Caroline. "I'll be happy too! But I need something to use to carve." said Bilbo.  Caroline went for a knife, and returned, as she handed the knife to the hobbit, as he carved his name on the tree.  After Bilbo carved his name, the Company, Gandalf too, signed their names. "That will show them that we've been here." said Madison. 

 "That is a beautiful way to keep memories." said Balin, smiling at the girls. "I'm sorry--we're very sentimental people, especially when it comes to home. We lived here most of our lives." said Caroline. "That's okay." said Dwalin.  After that, Angelina took a photo of everyone as a group in front of the tree, and everyone piled in a blue van that Angelina had rented,and we set out to the waterfalls that is located on the outskirts of Springfield.   

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Madison's POV:

 Two hours later, we reached our destination, and it was a pretty long hike to get to where we needed to go.  My backpack was feeling quite heavy with all the stuff I'm carrying. There were times I had asked Kili if he wouldn't mind carrying some of my stuff for me, and of course he did.   Caroline was singing to herself with Fili joining in with her, and I couldn't help but chuckle, but it was something Caroline like to do to pass time, especially on road trips.  Angelina called out for camp. We didn't realize getting there was much longer than we anticipated. "We should get there by tomorrow morning." said my Aunt.  "Gloin, Oin, get a fire going!" Thorin ordered the dwarves. "Wait, wait! Don't, I can get it! I got good pyro skills!" Caroline spoke up.  A pyro alright! She nearly burned down our kitchen from cooking, I thought to myself with a soft chuckle.

And so while Caroline started the fire, we set up camp.  Caroline and I set up our bedrolls together. I rather stay with my sister, especially when we're out doing new things and traveling together. I didn't want to be seperated from her.  "I don't get it. You two sleep in seperate rooms, but out in the open, you're together." said Fili. "That's because at home, we like to have our space. If we don't have our space at home, we fight. That's how our dynamics work!" I explained to Fili.  "Oh." said FIli. "We don't like being seperated. Wherever Maddie goes, I follow her. I just don't want anything to happen to her." said Caroline. "That's the same with Kili and I." said Fili, as he sat on the right hand side of Caroline.  Our Aunt, of course, sat with Thorin, with the two of the courting now, and she was telling Thorin about her job as a Special Agent.  Thorin took quite an interest in it, even some of the dwarves were fascinated by my Aunt's occupation.  Yes, our Aunt--the hero who takes down bad guys.