A Single Dream is More Powerful Than a Thousand Realities

Follow The Butterflies

With a low 'oomph' Lyla landed on something sturdy. Something Solid.

"Confound it all Halfling," Thorin muttered, pushing her off him gently as he struggled to his feet, "What happened?"

"Slipped," she murmured distractedly, gazing upward into the tangled web of tree branches above her. Her hands were shaking, her heart racing. The shrieking noise that...thing...made was still ringing in her ears.

"Halfling."

What on this good earth WAS that? What had she just seen?

"Lyla."

Had she imagined it?

Thorin grasped Lyla's chin, turning her face towards him, as he kneeled next to her, his eyes narrowed and assessing. "Are you alright?" He questioned, his blue eyes searching her face.

Lyla's heart rate spiked at the contact.

"Fine," She murmured, "I'm fine."

Thorin's narrowed gaze remained on her as he released his hold on her. Clearly, he didn't believe her.

"Here Mistress Boggins," Kili was by her side bright toothy smile on his face as he offered his arm to her, "Let me help you."

Lyla nodded, but retorted, "It's Baggins Kili, not Boggins, and if it's all the same to you can you NOT call me Mistress anything anymore? I feel terribly old when you do that."

Fili and Kili both laughed laughed as the younger dwarf wrapped his arm underneath her own and hoisted the flustered hobbit to her feet. "Alright then, no Mistress Boggins from here on out." He gave her a wink.

Lyla gave a grumble of agreement as she stumbled forward, trying to dispel the dizziness from the fall. Kili's grip was firm on her arms and she gave him an appreciative look.

"Where are the others?" she queried, brushing off her coat, and plucking leaves from her hair. Only Fili, Kili, Thorin Dwalin and Balin had remained behind. Surely they had not ALL taken off down the path?

"Took off down the path after Bombur," Balin remarked with a low sigh.

Apparently they HAD.

"Aye, that dolt just couldn't be patient," Dwalin snorted, his eyes sweeping over Lyla's face in a careful manner. "And if yer done climbing about like some wild animal, I think it best if we catch up to that lot before they do something completely reckless, aye?"

Lyla would have been offended by Dwalin's gruffness, if the dwarf had not given her a grin and a clap on the shoulder as he walked by.
She felt the tension in her shoulders ease a little at the familiarity and friendliness of Dwalin's company and snorted at his comment (appreciative of it and annoyed all at once).

Wild animal indeed!
*****
It took several minutes, of blindly following the overgrown and gloomy path in search of her companions, before Lyla could hear the snatches of conversation from the missing company members.

"Can you see any-"

"A boat on the other side-"

"Where are-"

"Look! I see-"

"Bombur don't!"

A loud chorus of yells and a louder splash echoing into the silent air had Lyla and the others scrambling forward, towards the rest of the company. As they crested a small overgrown hill and Lyla and the others came upon a startling sight. Bombur had fallen into the water. Why wasn't he moving?

"What's going on?!" Thorin shouted sauntering forward, "Get him out of that water! Why's he unconscious?"

"Don't rightly know," Bofur grunted in annoyance, hat askew, as he stood on the steep, muddy riverbank and hefted his brother's beefy leg upwards, "The big lummox fell in and...well that was that."