A Better Place - The Hobbit Fanfiction

Sixth Entry - Preparing for Mirkwood

Gandalf did not return until nearly sundown. He ignored all the dwarves' attempts to question him until he got food before himself, and then he was too busy eating to bother further with them. I was sitting on a small bench off to the side of the dining room with a dagger Fili had loaned me, with an expression of great amusement when my eyes had widened at the sight of it. I used the very pointy tip to pick Oin's careful stitches out of the ends of the bandages and unwind them. After freeing my hands I dipped them into a dish of water one of the dogs had found for me, rinsing and wringing the balm out of the fabric before hanging the strips back and forth over a branch I'd taken down, so they could dry overnight. I had finished washing the strips, squeezing out the water, draping them, and even found a place to prop the branch up outside and returned before Gandalf had set aside his plate, refilled his tankard and begun to speak again.

"I have been picking out bear-tracks," said Gandalf, and after that he said a lot of other things. "I had to walk miles before I found a place where the river was wide and shallow enough for me to wade and swim, and then miles back again to pick up the tracks again. By that time it was too late for me to follow them far. They went straight off in the direction of the pine-woods on the east side of the Misty Mountains, where we had our pleasant little party with the Wargs the night before last. And now I think I have answered your first question."

"So why were you following the bear tracks?" I wanted to know.

Gandalf's pipe slid out of his mouth and he stared at me, as did everyone else in the room. We didn't know where Beorn had got to. "Were you listening at all to a word I said, child?"

I pressed my lips in with a slight embarrassment. "I lost track of the listening part."

"Beorn and a host of other bears had a meeting last night and surveyed the place of our and the Wargs' confrontation," Balin answered for me at last.

I blinked. "Oh."

I had eaten supper already so not long after that I went to bed. After the late night I'd had before I felt the need to catch up on sleep now. Just because I could go without sleep didn't mean I wanted to. I might as well stockpile some now. I had heard the talk of the dwarves and knew that there was yet a long journey ahead of us, or at least until we reached civilization. I propped myself into a corner after dragging my pallet into one. I just felt like occupying a smaller place than I already did tonight. A sheep clopped closer and flopped against my side, and with a giggle I pillowed my head against its curls.

"Mabyn?"

I didn't feel entirely conscious of myself at the moment. The rough bottoms of my feet were very far away from the watery rest of myself. A hand tentatively reached out of the gloom and touched my shoulder, and I stumbled, the solidity of my muscles and bones sweeping back into me.

Bilbo's hand instinctively flew back, but then it and its brother flew back in again to catch me by the arm and shoulder before my unsettled balance threw me into the wall. "Mabyn, are you all right?"

"Oh, gracious hells," I muttered. "Tarnation, damnation and exsanguinations!" I sighed, leaning against the wall while I waited for the air around me to stop spinning.

"Mabyn-"

"Mr. Baggins-"

"Bilbo's just fine."

"Bilbo, I am so sorry. Don't mind me, I walk in my sleep a bit. I don't get far, honest. The second I trip I wake up."

The gentle hobbit still had one hand on my shoulder, and was frowning down at me, lips pursed with concern. I tugged a smile toward my lips but was having a hard time making it fit.