The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

10 | Rainfall

{Rigmor POV}

The sounds of angry, moody Dwarfs echoed through the forest, but I didn't pay attention. Instead, I had my chin held up high, my eyes closed as Aqua stepped through the mud, the water splashing onto my face as if it was a waterfall.

"Enjoying yourself, aren't we?" Myrna said sarcastically, shivering like a straw as her cloak was soaked with the cold liquid.
"Oh, cheer up!" Myrna shot me a glare.
"Why would I? I am freezing and my hair is getting frizzly. I don't understand why you like rain so much!"

I sighed deeply, looking at her. "Oh, I think you quite understand that, Myrn."

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't act dumb. You could say I am in my element!" I said in a sing-sang voice, spreading my arms as the water seeped into my clothes.

"You are going to catch a cold, you know?" I heard a tiny voice next to me say. It was Bilbo, huddled onto his pony, Myrtle was her name if I recalled correctly.
I smiled and shook my head.

"Trust me, I won't get sick." The Hobbit huffed unconvinced and Dori started talking to Gandalf, who was riding in front of us. The edges of his hat were dripping water onto his long grey cloak.

"Here, Mr Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" His voice was shaky.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard." Gandalf responded.

"Are there any? Other wizards?" Bilbo asked, joining in in the conversation. "There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards, you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

Bilbo frowned. "And who is the fifth?"
"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown." Gandalf said, looking at me and Myrna. "The one who raised my apprentices over there."

Bilbo looked at us for a second.
"Is he a great wizard or is he... more like you?"
I had to stifle a chuckle by pressing my hand against my mouth.

Myrna however laughed out loud at Gandalf's offended expression.
"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

His response was perfect and nothing else than complete truth. When we still lived with him, Myrna and I went to the market of Lake Town once a month to get sugar and cloth, of course wrapped in a disguise.

Once, when we returned, the wizard was horrified, but he did not want to tell us why. Gandalf said it was because of some evil powers, so we decided not to ask further. Whatever had happened that day, Radagast had tried to figure it out and I was proud of him because of that.

As quick as we had left the camp at dawn, as soon we had to settle again because of dusk. The day went quicker than I expected, and all Dwarfs put their clothes to dry as Oin and Gloin followed their leaders orders to make a fire.

"I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf advised.
"I have told you already, I will not go near that place!" Thorin growled through gritted teeth.

"Why not? The Elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice." My eyes widened. The Elves place sounded nice, and Myrna had Elven blood.

"I do not need their advice." Thorin snarled as I sat down next to the fire, following their conversation secretively.

"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us!" Gandalf tried.

Thorin spun to the wizard, looking him into the eye angrily.
"Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father!"

Gandalf's mood seemed to drop instantly, disappointment filling his wise eyes. "You are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."

"I did not know that they were yours to keep." Thorin sneered.
Gandalf stomped away with big steps, away from us and the Company.

I saw Bilbo following him shortly after. I couldn't hear what they were discussing, so I focused on eating the soup Bombur had handed me a few moments before.

"Hmm... This is good." Myrna grinned.
"Thank you."
"Wait, you made this?" I asked, my eyes widening.

"Yeah, with Bombur's help." She patted him on the shoulder.
"You two are quite a team!" I said, taking another bite. "This is heavenly, I swear!"

Finishing the dish, I washed my empty bowl in a nearby river. Running my hands through the water, I sighed. I was kind of sad I couldn't use my powers to defend myself, but I had no choice.

Drying off my hands on my tunic, I returned to the camp. It was darker than a few minutes before and I sat down next to Bofur.

"He's been a long time." Bilbo said, slurping some hot soup.
"Who?"
"Gandalf."

Bofur shrugged. "He's a wizard! He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favour, take this to the lads."

With two bowls of soup, the Hobbit took off to Fili and Kili, who were guarding the horses just outside of the camp.
"You want some more, miss Rigmor?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you Bofur. My bowl is just clean." Bofur grinned.
"So, you are doing the dishes then?"

I couldn't even protest before he placed a big pile of bowls in my arms.
"There you go, lass. I would like to have them back absolutely spotless."

I sighed and went to the same river where I was a few minutes ago. My eyes shot up from one of the wooden bowls as I heard talking in the distance, accompanied by a horrible smell and loud footsteps.

The light of another fire shimmered through the trees. Other campers?
I shifted in my position, pushing myself through the bushes to get a better look upon the scene. Trolls. Two big, fat trolls were sitting around a fire, stirring through a pan of what seemed like soup.

From between the trees, a third Troll appeared, carrying... Myrtle and Minty! I gasped silently, clasping my hand before my mouth. One of the ugly creatures wore a dirty apron.

"Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrow." The cook muttered, angrily stirring the soup.

"Quit yer griping. These aunt sheep. These is West nags!"
The one who had hitched the ponies at the fence behind them spoke.

"Oh, I don't like horse. I never have. Not enough fat on them."
"Well, it's better than the leathery old farmer. All skin and bone, he was. I'm still picking bits of him out of me teeth."

I shuddered at the thought of the Trolls actually eating a human being. One of them sneezed into his handkerchief and mumbled something about floaters and flavours.

Suddenly, some movement behind them. I wanted to yelp when I saw who it was, but I withheld myself just in time. Bilbo was sneaking past their feet, reaching out for the ponies in the pen, but his Hobbit hands were too small to untie the ropes. I silently cursed him for doing such a stupid thing in attempting to rescue them.

"What is talking you so--"
"Sssh!" I pulled Myrna down to my level as she shut up.
Luckily, the Trolls hadn't heard us.

"I hope you're gonna gut these nags. I don't like the stinky parts."
The one that cooked hit the complaining one with his ladle.
"I said sit down!"

The two Trolls kept bickering on and in the end, compliments over the food poured out. The one that had sneezed earlier reached out for his handkerchief again, about to sneeze, but instead...

He grabbed Bilbo.