A Long Expected Adventure {A Hobbit Fan Fiction}

Čhåptėŕ Twëņtý-§įx

Čhåptėŕ Twëņtý-§įx

The first rosey lights Dawn signified that night had vanished and a new day was breaking, the day the Company was leaving to continue their journey. With many grumbles the dwarves pushed themselves off of their cots, some taking the extra blankets with them for warmth and sleep. Aezalia gazed at the paintings once more before she had leave them behind, the one of her reflecting in her eyes. She was lost, like a stray pup who had been left behind; she had none left except Bilbo, much like Shaheir,  both of their families taken from them, leaving them alone to decide their destinies. With a sigh, she took a quick sweep of the room and left, the skirt Beorn had given her billowing behind her.

"Aezalia, the ponies are-" Bilbo began but then saw the brightly colored skirt with golden balls sewn on the hem. "Where did you get that?"

"Beorn gave it to me as a parting gift, and one of friendship." she explained, looking down at the beautiful fabrics.

"It looks nice." he told her softly.

All Aezalia could do was smile and blush slightly as she pulled the skirt up several inches to reveal a pair of pants, "Don't tell Beorn."

"Your secrets safe with me." he whispered before he turned and made his way out the door, "Come on!"

Aezalia smoothed the skirt out once more then raced out of the door, looking behind her to see the interior for the last time.

'I'm going to miss this place.'

Once outside Aezalia saw that fourteen paint ponies had been tacked along with two hardy looking horses. Beorn led one of the horses over to Aezalia and began to stroke its dappled face, whispering something into its ear.

"This is Kalaheir, daughter of Shaheir, she is for you to use for the journey to Mirkwood. She's a loyal horse, she will serve you well."

"Thank you Beorn," she said as she took the reins. Obediently, the dapple grey knelt down low enough for the hobbit to climb on her back then stood when she was seated comfortably on her strong back.

"Remember," Beorn called as the Company began to ride away, "My ponies will only go to the outskirts of Mirkwood, you must let them go when you reach the forest."

When the Company reached the bottom of the hill in which the great house rested on a great noise was heard and Shaheir burst out of the trees. Kalaheir tossed her head and snorted in greetings to her father. With a flick of his ear he gracefully trotted over to the hobbit and kept one ear trained on her. Aezalia reached out to touch the great horse but he rolled his dark eyes, showing the whites, and shied just out of reach. Kalaheir nickered to her father which caused him to turn and look at the two females, only to snort and go into a canter which the others quickly followed.

For a full day the Company rode hard on their ponies, growing tired much more quickly than the horses themselves. Finally, when they felt as if they would fall from the sleek backs of Beorn's livestock, the ponies slowed into a soft trot and stopped before a great forest. Some of them cried in fear and tossed their heads at the sight of the blackened trees, but the two royals simply snorted and stomped their dark hooves into the soft grass.

"We travel by foot from here." Gandalf instructed as he dismounted his brown horse. The dwarves did as they were told and dismounted their ponies, untieing the leads so they would not get caught under their hooves.

"It looks as if the forest has a sickness to it." Bilbo noted as he slid off of his black and white pony.

"It does, doesn't it." Gandalf murmured as he ventured into the forest.

'Let us go! An evil rests in there that should not be awakened!' a frantic voice appeared into Aezalia's head.

'Who are you? And what evil?' she questioned the voice.

'I am Kalaheir, the horse in which you sit upon now.' the heir turned her neck to where she was facing Aezalia and she saw that the horse's eyes were wide with fear.

'What evil is in there?' she asked again as she dismounted the horse.

'A new evil, an arising Evil One that is steadily growing.' a new, deeper voice said, 'Not even the Silent Ones can destroy all of it.'

'Shaheir, who are the Silent Ones?'

'We must flee, but you will soon learn. Pay head to the ones around you, Young One, watch for allies that none know of.'

With a flick of his ear he and his daughter took off with tails waving in the air like flags. The ponies still stayed, however, waiting for their last comrade to be untacked so they could depart.

"Don't untie that pony!" Gandalf commanded as he ran out of the diseased forest. With agility that he should not have possessed, the grey wizard mounted the pony and pulled it's head sharply around.

"Gandalf, you're not leaving us, are you?" Bilbo asked, his voice becoming thick with emotion.

"I have to, there is something in there that I don't understand."

"But you can't go!" Aezalia cried, "We need you in Mirkwood!"

"There's no need to fear," Gandalf reassured, "You will be no where near the borders of their kingdom. You will be fine without me, just don't stray from the marked path."

"Gandalf please," Aezalia pleaded,  "I have fear, fear for what I have become. I've learned of both my allies and my foes. I can't go in there without you, you even warned me of this place."

"Aezalia dear," Gandalf said gently, like a grandfather might speak to his granddaughter,  "I'm needed elsewhere and you know that. You've learned so much about yourself and of your abilities up here." he pointed up to his head and Aezalia knew he meant the voices she heard when she was near important animals, "Use those to your advantage. You're strong Aezalia Brandybuck-Hackaby, you can make it through this forest without me."

And with that said, Gandalf spurred his pony into a gallop and went bounding over the green hills, a dark creature going in the opposite direction. When their fellow companion had left without them the remaining ponies squealed in farewell then followed after the dark figured who had been following them to the dark forest.

Aezalia watched the Grey wizard disappear behind the startling bright grass, getting farther and farther away from the Company. Tears welled in her eyes for the magician served as a friend and a protector to the young hobbit, he knew about her name than she did. As she stood there she felt a hand grasp hers and slowly pull her towards the forest. When she finally turned around around she saw that the hand did not belong to Bilbo, but to Fili Arkin; in surprise she almost dropped the hand and stopped walking.

"Sorry," he apologized, blushing slightly and dropping her hand, "The others had already gone in and Bilbo thought you had followed."

"Kili," she interrupted, a small smile forming on her saddened face, "It's fine, there's no need to apologize, you startled me is all."

"Well, um, we should still go." he stuttered and began to walk away.

Aezalia followed the blonde dwarf but not after she saw two ravens fly in the opposite direction. One was white with neatly kept feathers while the other was pitch and she could see that several of its feathers were missing. Without thinking twice she turned her head and continued on into the forest.

Sorry that this one's short but now they're in Mirkwood so the chapters should be longer now! And please, only give constructive criticism. ~God Bless

-Ninja Out