Concerning Hobbits

Night had fallen, the party rested near rock formations, they quickly made up camp. Pansy watch as each dwarf sat down to start up their meal. She wasn’t to rest at all; no in fact she was wide awake. “I don’t understand why we could not travel a wee bit farther…’tis not late yet, the suns barely gone from the sky” Pansy called Bilbo hobbled by her, his manner far less present than it had been back in the shire “of course…you’ve been napping the day away” He mumbled pushing past her to help make supper. Pansy watched Bilbo suddenly feeling a bit guilty, she looked down at her hands and sighed “hear I’m faster, let me” She called going to the fire Balin nodded at her a smiled a bit, patting her shoulder he got up and walked to Dwalin’s side. She cooked silently and quickly, she hadn’t really thought about just how useful she would be on this whole journey, she had only really focused on her own desire to see the rest of the world. In truth she had not intended on really doing much of anything of importance. In her books most of the women were beauties, healers, figures of comfort & home. They helped out; yes this is very true, but in subtle ways. It was becoming clearer that Pansy would need to be able to offer more than just that kind of aid and she was not so sure she could.

Strange sounds came from the distance deep into the night, Pansy held in her hands two bowls of the stew she had managed from what spoils they had gathered from the Trolls cave. “What was that?” Bilbo asked creeping back to the group. Pansy’s eyes searched the horizon as she absent mindedly handed the bowls of stew to Fili & Kili. The two brothers glanced at one another an ill-behaved glinting in their eyes. “Orcs” Kili said gravely “O-orcs” Bilbo stammered tiptoeing almost prancing even closer to the group. Pansy jump as another cackle came from the distance. “Maybe I should have looked for some sort of dagger back there in that cave” she thought closing her eyes she went back to the pot that was perched above the bonfire, and filled another bowl. Trying to control her own fear “just bloodshed” She heard Kili say her heart shank, and she gulped. She had been trying to tune out the Conversation and yet came in one the worst part. Her hands began to tremble in her fear. Snickering came from Fili & Kili as they watched the Hobbits reactions. Thorin glared at the young dwarves, Pansy’s hands stopped their trembling as she handed the bowl of stew to Balin, and she looked over to the two youthful brothers un-amused. “You think a night raid by orcs is a joke” Thorin called scolding the two brothers. Kili hung his head a bit. “Sorry…I did not mean anything by it” He said like a child who had displeased his father. “No you didn’t. You know nothing of the world” Thorin said, Pansy's eyes seemed glued to him as she walked over to the edge of the hill that the rock face was perched on. Fili and Kili hung their heads at disappointing their uncle. “Do not be troubled lads…Your Uncle has more reason to hate Orcs than any other…” Balin said walking over to the brother they looked up at him, as did Bilbo they could feel a story on its way. Pansy stirred the stew, “after Smaug took over Lonely Mountain…The dwarves went back to Moria to reclaim their home, but the Orcs had already taken it…” Balin said Pansy closed her eyes and her head began to hurt, she reached her hand into her hair, and she shut her eyes tightly in pain. Grunting softly, a vision like that of a day dream came into her mind as Balin spoke.

There in the vision was a great battle, nasty, great, frightening creatures clad in heavy armor fought against the dwarves. They were fighting a losing battle. Yet their face looked so familiar, she saw the face of Balin, yet younger more his hair was no longer snowy white, Dwalin only he sported a Mohawk of hair and he was not completely bald. Gloin…he didn’t look much different. Her vision flashed, a Noble looking dwarf stood before a giant blue Orc. He towered over the dwarf who struggled to shield his blows. Pansy groaned, she could feel an ache in her bones for every strike upon the dwarf. Kili tore his eyes away from Balin’s tale and eyed Pansy; his eyes darted over her but eventually traveled back to Balin as the story continued. Pansy shook her head her eyes still closed as the Blue Orc raised his mace and with one effortless movement the Head of the Noble looking dwarf was knocked clean off. The Blue Orc took the head and held it high up into the air, roaring in victory. However no one took notice at first, infuriated by this the Orc tossed the head, it rolled down the hill and landed before a pair of feet. The Orc smirked pleased, the owner of those feet was horrified, and his face was all too familiar. Pansy's eyes fluttered open and she caught a glimpse of the real world around her, her eyes fell on Thorin, he still had his back to everyone. Before she could grasp the world around her in full another sharp pain rushed through her head. She whimpered softly and grasped each side of her head with her hands. The Vision returned.

Thorin looked up at the Blue Orc “no!” He cried at the top of his lungs “Thorin faster went mad with the grief, we where kingless, leaderless, and death was upon us.” She could hear Balin say in real time. She tried to see the world around her but all she saw was her vision. Thorin meanwhile looked off into the night, memories flowing back to him, the wind slid through his thick air, yet it was not comforting. “And then I saw him, and young prince, rose to face the pale Orc” Balin said. Pansy was lost in the vision, Thorin stood before the blue Orc, his sadness turned to hate and white fire burned in his eyes as he stood before the great Orc, ready for a fight, even if it would be his last, his grandfather, his king would not have died in vain, not while he could still breath, not while he still had strength. But as they fought, it became clear the Orc was mighty, He knocked Thorin free from any armor he once wore. On the ground now, Thorin looked for something to stop the Orc’s attacks. Nothing was available nothing but an oaken Branch, he grabbed it and it made for a suitable shield with his own strength behind it. Pansy’s breathing became labored as her body shook, she could feel every blow and it was almost as if she could feel the weight o the Orcs attacks. “The Orc went to strike Thorin down, yet the dwarf quickly grabbed a sword and in a blur of a movement he cut clean through the Orcs arm, blood shot from the wound and the Pale Orc cried out in pain. Dropping to his knees, Thorin rose to his feet and looked down at it hatefully.

“Azok the deifier learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken” Pansy heard Balin say. Her vision was beginning to fade away and the real world around her was becoming clear. “Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back” Balin said, Bilbo kneeled beside Pansy “are you alright?” He asked but he didn’t get a response. “Our enemy had been defeated, but there was no feast, no joy in that victory, for our dead was far beyond the count of grief….We few had survived” Balin added In Pansy's vision though fainter now she could see tears roll down the younger Balin’s face. His eyes turned away from the dead to a figure walking slowly up a hill, in his hands grasped a oaken tree branch battered. “and I thought to myself then” The figure’s head was hung low as he walked out of the shadows and up the hill into the light “there is one, there is one who I can follow” The figure rose his head a bit and looked over the death below him, “There is one I could call king” In Pansy's Vision the figure looked up the wind tossing his hair behind him, flowing in its breeze like a banner of triumph.

Bilbo looked down at Pansy worried as her eyes were open but it was as if she was blinded to the world in front of her. Thorin turned around to look at Balin and his nephews. His eyes held sorrow for the memory of it all was nothing but sadness, yes that day there was a victory but the loss was even greater. Pansy’s vision began to return to her, her eyelids fluttered open and shut before she gained back the real world, her eyes locked onto dark eyes of Thorin. The wind had picked up his hair just as it had in her vision, only there was no glorious light of day around him. Only the haunting shadow of night, He looked down into her sharp silvery grey eyes, like dim stars in the night. She did not see the same King she saw in her visions, before her stood something broken. Thorin looked over all of the dwarfs tearing his eyes away from Pansy's. Everyone looked to him silent, he avoid everyone’s eyes and began to walk back to his resting place. Pansy watched him as he past her, she frowned and bit and looked at the ground. “Azok? What about him?” Bilbo asked. Thorin sneered “that filth died of his wounds years ago” Thorin called as he walked through the other dwarves. Balin glanced at Gandalf, both elders held some uncertainty in their eyes.

Pansy went back to her stew, she made sure she got bowls to the other Dwarfs, and then grabbed the last bowl; she got to her feet and timidly walked over to Thorin, whose resting spot had been farther off from the others. He seemed to be in deep thought yet again gazing at the ground aimlessly. Pansy stood before him in an awkward silence. She looked down at the stew not exactly knowing what to say. In a way she wanted to say something to lighten the mood a bit. It accrued to her that Thorin was always so serious about things, not that it wasn’t called for it’s just, a laugh or a smile might be nice sometimes. The other dwarfs did it, just not him. While she was trying to find something clever to say, she hadn’t noticed that he had broke free of his thoughts and was now looking at her. Pansy’s eyes finally wandered away from the bowl and she saw him waiting patiently for her to say whatever it was she had to say. “oh” he gasped “sorry I kind of got lost” she muttered feeling silly she drew her eyes away from his and looked off want to kick herself “um, I” she stammered she looked down at the bowl and walked closer to him holding it out “here, I made this” she paused as he slowly took the bowl from her “It tastes better than it looks, I promise” She said quickly as he looked at it and flinched. “Troll rations, heh” she added with a nervous laugh. Thorin took up the spoon and tasted the stew, Pansy held her breath. After a bit of time he nodded and continued to eat “It’s good” he said looking up at her “thank you” Pansy smiled and then her smile turned into a grin “You are very welcome My lord” she said going to turn to leave. “Thorin” He said to her loud enough for her to hear, but not exactly calling out for her to hear. Pansy paused in her steps. “Alright Lord Thorin” he said turning back to him with a short bow, before continuing on back to Bilbo’s side. Thorin shook his head and a smile fragment of a smile came to his face.

Pansy made herself and Bilbo a bowl before setting down to enjoy it. Those strange sounds sounded off into the night once more. Pansy looked around in hear and thing she remembered it. Reaching into her small pack she pulled out a dagger, Thorin’s dagger. “You shall be my tree branch little knife, when all other strongholds have broken” She thought setting it in her lap, she finished eating, and though the strange cries persisted, they no longer scared her. Bilbo watched her for a moment, wondering I she had altogether forgot about her episode back there. The fact was, she had. “What happened back there a few minutes ago?” He asked her, Pansy set her bowl on the ground she looked a bit shocked, how could she have forgotten “I-I saw the story, no I <i>felt</i> the story, Bilbo.” She said turning to face him “It was like the world melted away and I was sucked into a different place” she added, “I told you no good business comes from Adventures” He said quickly Pansy smiled and tried to hold back a yawn, “oh Bilbo what makes you so sure it was a bad thing?” She asked “did it hurt?” he asked bluntly “a bit” “then it’s a bad thing” He stated before lying down for the night. Pansy shook her head “well isn’t that a bit of good hobbit sense” she thought.

It was a new day; all was still very quiet from the night before. The air was very uneasy, and Pansy could not stand it. She shifted around in discomfort behind Thorin as they rode on. Finally they had decided to rest the ponies for a bit. Pansy watched the dwarfs go on about their business with dulled eyes. She was Bored and she was far less enthused about this whole business, if she wished to be completely honest about it. Kili looked over to her from where he had been talking with Fili. He chuckled at her bored expression as she grew circles in the dirt with a stick. He went over to his Pack and rummaged through it. A smile came to his face as his hands grasped a small finely detailed Cross bow; he pulled it out and looked it over. Pansy grumbled to herself as a foot stepped in her dirt circles. She looked up to see Kili grinning at her so wide she swore she saw every tooth in his mouth. “Should I be frightened?” she asked slowly. He shook his head and reached for her hand pulling her to her feet in a swift movement. Pansy stumbled a bit as her feet were not ready to stand. “No silly Baggins, Today’s the day” he called handing her the cross boy. Pansy looked at it lost, she couldn’t figure out what it was. “The day for what? What is this?” she asked bewildered. Kili chuckled “it’s your bow, a cross bow, your lessons remember” he said amused. Pansy eyes lit up with joy “right, right, that’s right” she said grasping the cross bow eagerly “what is a cross bow?” she asked, Kili shook his head “it’s almost like any other bow, come I’ll show you how to use it” He said leading her away from the others.

“maybe we should not stray so far from the others” Pansy called as she followed Kili “you have nothing to worry about, There are no enemies near and if there should be, I could manage him” Kili boasted, Pansy mumbled to herself and looked back at how far they had gone. She could no longer see their camp site. Kili stopped in a gather of trees; Fruit trees “this is an odd place for these fellows to be growing. The soil must be wondrous here for them to survive” Pansy said gazing up at them. You see Pansy was at heart a simple Hobbit, she loved simple things, cook was one of them, reading another, but she also loved pants and gardening, which many hobbit women do. “I am glad you like them, the fruit will be your targets” Kili stated, “but that’s such a waste, why not pick the fruit and bring it back to the others, we can use this on the journey” Pansy said, Kili laughed “it that what you and the burglar call good hobbit sense?” He asked playfully “you will not shoot down all of the fruit, and even if we do take some back, we couldn’t take all of it, because it would rot” He added. Pansy nodded as Kili took the cross bow from her, he held it as if he were ready to fire “you hold it like this, and draw back this string hear” he said, she watched him demonstrate intently “hold it eye level and keep steady, and then just draw back and fire” he said before handing it back to her. “it looks easy but it’s not so you have to focus” He added. Pansy nodded and was confident in herself, she took the cross bow and took her stance. Kili began to laugh “not that’s wrong” he called and walked over to her.

“I’m doing everything you did?” he stated almost pointy and in disbelief, Kili shook his head “no you’re not” He said he stood behind her, and gently kicked her foot making her leg separate away from the other leg. “Your feet are not apart, you need to hold your ground” He instructed, Pansy nearly lost her balance as he used his feet to position her own. “Your arms are to low” he went on he grabbed her arms with his and used his arms to guild her own. His head looked over her shoulder “hold them back,” he instructed. By now pansy was flustered, she’d never been so incredibly close to a man what wasn’t considered family. “Hold what back?” she peeped “your shoulders hold them back, high” He said chuckling softly. “Oh right” Pansy said quickly rolling her shoulders back. Kili stood around her like a brace, holding her arms, legs, and back into position. “See that fruit up there…the green ones” He asked using his arms to guild hers, they lifted the cross bow up pointing it into the air. “Y-yeah” Pansy stuttered, her face was hot, her hands were sweating, and above all else, Kili’s body heat was making everything worse. “Aim for that one in the middle” “middle of what there’s a ton of them” “the one there the dingy one...it’s not ripe yet” Kili said. Pansy just nodded feeling that it was probably best for her to just shut up. “Draw back the arrow and the string along with it” Kili ordered, he placed his hand on top of hers and helped her draw back the arrow. “now hold, and make sure you have an accurate aim, it won’t matter how fast you fire if you miss, because if you miss an enemy, he’ll kill you, if you take your time, and even if he is just inches away before you fire, If your aim is perfect, you will take him down” Kili said. “so serious” pansy said amused, Kili smirked “I can be” he said she would feel his breath on her neck, and became flustered again, her arms veered off to the side a bit “keep your aim steady” Kili called moving her arms back in place. “Sorry” she muttered quickly. “Don’t worry, now, are you focused on your target?” He asked. Pansy let out a breath of air and nodded. “Yes. I think so” she said. “Then release” he said simply, he removed his hand away from hers, at the very second Pansy let go of the string and the arrow soared through the sky. With a thud, the fruit it the ground, and the arrow was lodge in the center of it. Kili backed away from Pansy and she let out another breath of air, grateful for the space. And yet, she felt the rose tenting come back to her face. “Well done!” Kili called out joyfully, clapping “why are you clapping it only hit the mark because you moved my body” she paused poor choice of words but she tried her best not to show it “for me” she continued. Kili smirked “true, but your arms could have shaken to the side once I let go, anything could have happened but your aim stayed true” He added. Slowly a smile came to Pansy's face and she nodded “You’ll be able to fire on your own soon, for now let’s gather what we can and head back” He said.

Pansy looked up at the tree “it’s too tall” she said standing beneath it. Kili laughed “not it’s not, you’re just a bit to short” He said, Pansy went to speak in protest but before she knew it Kili had her up on his shoulders, “can you reach that branch?” He asked. Pansy looked up to see a slender branch just above her head, she smiled. “Yes” she said as she grasped it, and with the skill of a monkey she pulled herself up onto it, she climbed up to a higher branch “you ready?” she called down to Kili who held open a small sack. “Ready!” he called. Pansy began to pick free the fruit that looked ready. Kili caught them below. After they had enough Kili tied up the sack. “Can you get down?” he asked. Pansy giggled to herself, she had always climbed trees back in the Shire, and after all they made perfect reading spots. “Yes I can fair well enough” she called proudly, swing down to a lower branch then another, one more branch before she could climb down the trunk. The branch cracked loudly, and broke under her weight. Pansy’s look of confidence turn into horror, she screamed loudly as she found herself falling. Kili dropped the sack and dodged the branch, moving quickly he held out his arms. Nearly falling to his knees under the force of gravity, He caught her, pansy landed in his arms with an “ooofh” She looked up at him a smiled shamefacedly “thank you” she said. Kili sighed and set her on her feet “My Uncle would Kili me if our Burglar quite on us because I let his Kin be harmed doing such a simple task” Kili said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding Pansy’s eyes. She giggled “oh yes I bet” she said, he smiled at her. “Now let’s go back before your actually do hurt yourself” He said picking the sack of fruit back up and leading her back to the camp site.

Pansy ran to Bilbo grinning ear to ear, leaving Kili to find his way to Fili who met up with him quickly. “Bilbo! I can wield a Cross bow!” she called holding out the bow “were you supposed to keep it?” Bilbo asked, Pansy looked down “oh!” she breathed, and went to turn around and go back to Kili, Fili who was facing Pansy looked up and nodded. Kili turned to face her, however he refused to look her in the eye and he stumbled on his words. “you keep it, it is yours…you need it to learn with” He said quickly before turning back to Fili who was snickering silently poking fun at his brother, although Pansy could not tell. She shrugged in confusion and went back to Bilbo. “Apparently it’s mine to keep” she said slinging it around her back, its strap holding it in place. The group was on the move again, Thorin rode the pony around to Pansy and held out his hand for her. She found it strange; that he would come for her, as if he was counted on to share a horse with her. When there where plenty of others she could ride with, it made more sense for her to ride with Bilbo after all he was her family. Nonetheless she took his hand and mounted the pony. Thorin looked over the Cross bow, before turning ahead “you seem to be acquiring quite the set of weaponry Little Baggins” he stated, a smirk on his face, though it was very well hidden. “I feel like a real Ranger now…that what they are called right, the travelers” Pansy asked with a smile on her face, Thorin nodded slightly, Gandalf watched the two and his eyes shimmered knowingly as a smile replaced the smirk on Thorin's face. “Aye that is what they are called, Little Ranger Baggins” Thorin said this time the amusement was evident in his voice. Pansy locked her arms around his waist. No longer feeling as awkward about it, and smiled as they began to move on. The air was less tense, and Pansy's Spirits were high, “on we go!” she called pointing ahead of the troop and over Thorin's shoulder. He glanced at her taken back slightly, she drew back her hand “oops” she muttered, as felt him chuckle and smiled again “The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. Today and tomorrow are yet to be said. The chances, the changes are all yours to make.” Pansy sang gleefully, Thorin shook his head at her antics she arched an eyebrow at him but did not stop her song “The mold of your life is in your hands to break.” She sang, he glanced back at her, but her eyes where closed she stopped singing but hummed on softly.

Those words of her song echoes in his hears in her sweet innocent little voice, and yet they hit so hard, without her even meaning it “ The mold of your life is in your hands to break…..”