A Sword and A Shield [The Hobbit X OC]

5 - Trollshaws

That morning, I stirred to the feeling of cool moisture on my face. Shifting in my bedroll to look at the sky, I noticed that it wasn't far from dawn: the clouds were dark and heavy with the promise of rain, though in the east they were tinged with the first hint of red. A light, misty drizzle was falling. I sighed: though I loved the rain, the sensation of wet clothes wasn't all too pleasant.

I rose quickly and wandered over to the ridge. Even from such a high vantage point, I could only see a little more than a mile before the horizon turned grey and hazy in the mist.

"It's going to be a foul day," sighed a voice.

Thorin appeared at my side, his cloak wrapped around him as protection from the elements. His rugged face pale in the dawn's light, simply looking out westwards over the plains as though searching for something.

Glancing back to see the other campers begin to stir, I nodded. "It won't be fair again for a couple of days. Better make the most of it." I closed my eyes and tilted my head back to allow the rain to fall on my face, a small smile gracing my lips.

After a moment, the dwarf asked: "Did you not sleep at all?"

I smirked. "Showing concern? That wasn't in the contract."

He didn't appreciate my tone. "Concern or not, it's only right to have everyone switch off. You're no good if you're sleep-deprived and barely able to wield your own weapon or ride your horse."

"I can operate without sleep rather well, thank you. Call it an occupational hazard."

I lingered for several seconds more before returning to camp.

Thorin gazed at my back. The rest of the company would never have had such a serene response to the foul weather: there were grumbles and groans even then as they rose from their slumber. Most of the company had leather cloaks or hoods to protect them from the rain, so seeing my enjoyment of it both annoyed and intrigued him.

⛰

Once everyone else was up, I packed up my bedroll and helped Dwalin with his, too. Bombur and I then cooked up sparrow eggs, which I scavenged from nearby bird nests; it was a feat to scale so many trees and retrieve enough eggs to feed the entire company. My acrobatic skills impressed Bombur and several other dwarves; my advantageous height made them jealous.

Soon after, we packed up camp, saddled our horses, and were back on the road once more, riding off into the wilderness with Thorin leading.

Mostly the weather had been as good as May could be, even in merry tales, but then it took a nasty turn. A thunderous crack echoed in the gray clouds above our head. I reached back and pulled a hood over my head, only once in a while allowing my face to feel the cool sensation.

"The times when you forget your hat," Bilbo said. He regretted running out of his cozy home with no knowledge whatsoever about traveling in the wild and only his blazer to cover him.

I rooted around in my bag and pulled out a spare cloak. "You can borrow this," I said, tossing it to him. "Might be a little big, but I imagine it will work just the same."

"You seem to be in a good mood despite the weather."

"I don't mind a bit of drizzle."

Spoken too soon, the rain abruptly turned torrential. It was the kind of rain that seeped down one's collar and into clothes, chilling the skin regardless of the number of layers.

"But this is a bit much." I wrapped myself in the soft comforts of the cloak from Gandalf.

Talk became scarce as the ponies splashed their way along the muddy path, the main topic of conversation being miserable whines and grumbles about wet tobacco. The rain was cold and sharp on my hands. My hood dripped into my eyes, the cloak and my hair full of water. Arod splashed alongside the ponies, who were getting tired and stumbled on rocks.