Cloaked in Green

Chp.3 Full Bellies

We traveled on for another day, riding from dawn till dusk. Luckily enough I was able to doze off for a couple of hours during the second night. Thorin has yet to assign me or Bilbo to watch duty, but it was understandable to me that he wouldn't just yet. It is hard to trust a stranger, a faceless one even more so than that, regarding Bilbo...it was probably best if the hobbit wasn't given any chances to hold back the journey farther in anyway. 

Gandalf had asked me the following morning after the first night the hobbit had joined us, if I could help him keep an eye on Bilbo. The poor thing was greener than his door to the world outside of the shire, but Gandalf is passionate about getting the halfing to the mountain., so I agreed. Thorin and most of the others weren't used to the idea of someone being so dependent on them, and that in turn seemed to create a target of a kind on the hobbit.  

The next day I rode next to the hobbit, nodding along as he hummed 'walking songs' to himself. I was hoping that my presence would hinder any more comments or jabs from the others and it worked till again, the poor hobbit sneezed so hard he fell off his pony. Even the 'scary' L.D. couldn't kept those teasing remarks away. 

"Do you ever plan on telling the rest of our company your identity?"  Gandalf spoke softly even though we were far enough away from the others as they mounted and loaded their ponies and finished cleaning camp. 

I shook my head. "I do not know," I spoke in a smaller whisper. Gandalf let out a big sigh, " Do you ever get tired of it? - of hiding."

"I am not hiding myself." Tightening Hithui's saddle straps. "I am merely trying to avoid the inevitable pity-"

"None of them could blame you for wh-."

"I know that." I turned harshly towards him, "But it doesn't help the way people stare at me either." I lowered my head glancing at the ground between us. "Besides, I don't care what they think of that, it has more to do with the fact of me, being a woman, I want to prolong them knowing."

Gandalf sighed again and scratched at his beard moving to grasp his horse reins to untie "I do agree with the fact that dwarfs might not handle the knowledge of you being a woman very well, but it has to do more with the fact that there are not many dwarf women around. They have been taught to be protective of them." 

"That's not helpful." I let out a small laugh and Gandalf smiled softly.

"However, they are also taught to respect them." Gandalf nodded firmly as he swung himself up onto his saddle.  He continued as he adjusted. "They are fast learners of change 'L.D'. I say at least give them a chance to react."

~

Gandalf was right. It was unfair of me to judge the dwarfs and Bilbo on the actions of past others. Yet, How can I know that? And how can I be sure that they'll keep my secret? I needed to let myself get to know them, yet I wasn't sure how I was supposed to do that. It was harder because I knew my voice would give it all away. So after some thought, I decided that the only way was to watch them all more closely and learn more through observation than verbal exchange.

I started this morning by riding in the middle of the line, putting myself in the pathways of various conversations. Listening as they all talked to one another, and taking mental notes of each dwarf and hobbit's behaviors. 

Starting with Bofur, I realized shortly that he could probably outlast Fili and Kili when it comes to talking to great lengths and his hilarity. Something I did not think at all possible, after listening to them bickering all day yesterday. He talked nearly the whole day, stopping only to take puffs out of his pipe and compliment me on my . He told great tales and silly stories to literally anyone who would listen.