Hummingbird Heartbeat

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They trudged down the lane towards Hobbiton Proper and saw heavy foot prints meandering around the path, as if she had run this way and that, spinning and taking everything in.

"Who do you think she was?" Kili asked in excitement. Fili shrugged and looked around, braids swinging around his frown.

"Whoever she was, she wasn't there when we got there, and the door never opened, so she must have gotten in another way."

"Cool," Kili said with a broad grin. Dwalin shook his head at the babbling youths and continued on their way. They stopped outside a pub called 'The Green Dragon' because a large group of children were huddled around something or someone and laughter was pouring from them. Kili went over curiously and saw that the children were gathered around the girl, all of them listening to a strange music pouring from the purple box that now had a huge blue thing attached to it, shaped roughly like a cut jewel. She seemed happy to share her music box with the children and they loved it

"Someday when my light is glowin', I'll be in my castle golden. But until the gates are open, I just wanna feel this moment." Kili thought it an odd song but the music was funny and fast paced, if a bit confusing and with instruments unknown. Clearly she was some powerful sorcerer.

"I found her!" Kili called and suddenly the fauntlings found themselves without music as Dwalin hefted the girl onto his shoulder and started back to Bag End. She waved and sang along to the music as it played. Halfway there it changed and she laughed as it played.

"From that day forward our boy Hercules could do no wrong. He was so hot, steam looked cool," she said with a wink a the Durin Boys. Kili grinned and Fili blushed slightly. "Bless my soul, Herc was on a role. Person of the week in every Greek opinion poll. What a pro. Herc could stop a show, Point him at a monster and you're talking SRO. He was a no one!" she sang and kicked her feet, making it very hard for Dwalin to walk as she beat out the rhythm on his back while Fili and Kili tried to control their laughter. They finally arrived back to Bag End and the girl marched in as soon as Dwalin put her down, still listening to the music which was now playing through the white cords in her ears.

"When he smiled, the girls went wild with, 'ooh's and 'aah's," she said leaning back against Dwalin's chest dramatically making the mighty warrior turn slightly pink. It disappeared when she shot her hand up and it connected with his cheek. "Then they slapped his face on every vase," she sang dancing out of his reach and dodging past Nori who was grinning fiercely.

"I like her, can I keep her?" he joked to his older brother Dori, who smacked his shoulder scolding even as the girl grabbed Ori and led him in a wild spinning dance that made the shy lad smile for the first time in days. She span him like a top and he bumped into a very angry Dwalin who caught him easily. The girl laughed and skipped down the hall, still singing about some zero and hero. Thorin stormed after her determined to get the truth.

She was humming and searching through the pantry for any remaining food when he stormed in. She span when he grabbed her arm, and her smile disarmed him for a moment. "And the nicest guy," she sang and leaned forward for half a moment. She snatched and apple from a basket on the shelf and ducked under his arm and back down the hall, bouncing on the balls of her feet spinning wildly, her hair flying madly. Thorin trailed after her, confused at her complete refusal to listen to them. She flopped down on the couch once more, eating and bobbing her head to a new song.

"Is she mad?" Balin asked and Dwalin nodded seriously.

"No. There is music in the little purple box," Kili said excitedly. "We heard it from the diamond in her pocket." The whole room stared at him and he blushed slightly.