A Heart of Gold

Chapter 3

The next day, Helga woke up early, deciding to take a walk around Hobbiton to take her mind off the quest and at the same time, look for her stubborn horse. She stood up from the uncomfortable armchair she slept on and stretched her limbs with a satisfying crack and a yawn. She looked around and smiled softly at the snoring dwarves and wondered how in Arda she was able to sleep through the noise.

She tiptoed her way out of the living room and made her way first to the bathroom. She looked at the mirror and checked the wound on her head. She smiled in satisfaction when she found that it was healing quickly and doesn't need the bandage anymore. So she removed it and threw the dirty bandages in the bin before leaving the Hobbit Hole. When she got out, she just had to stop for a second and take in the scenery.

Last night, she didn't appreciate it that much because she barely saw a thing last night, but this- this is something that you would hold on to forever. Such a shame that very few people only think of the Shire as home for gentlefolk and those who can't fend for themselves, when in fact, for Helga, The Shire was one of the very few purest places in Middle Earth. Her train of thoughts were cut off when she suddenly smelt Old Toby. She looked to her left and jumped a bit as she saw a dwarf sitting back the bench and smoking his pipe.

"Oh, hello," She said, and the dwarf just turned to her and nodded. He was quite a stout dwarf, but not really as rotund as the other one. He had white hair and had very intricate braids on his beard, with a simple beard hanging just below his chin. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there Master Dwarf." She spoke.

"Helga, right?" He asked and she just nodded and they both looked back at the scenery.

"It's quite a something, isn't it?" She asked him and he made no move that he heard her. "Truly, things like these are one of the reasons I'm grateful to be alive," She said and he still sat back, as if she wasn't there. He didn't even bother to offer his name. Helga felt suddenly awkward and coughed. "Well, I better be off. I need to find my horse before the company wakes up." She said and she stepped out of the gate and wandered around the streets of Hobbiton.

Later on, when the sun was shining a bit more, Helga finally found Shadowmere, munching in what seemed to be a tray of apples near a small hobbit hole. She glared at him, who didn't mind her, and knocked at the door of the owner to claim her horse back. She paid the hobbit for the trouble before yanking Shadowmere's reins and guiding him back to Bag End. She stopped by the market to buy her personal supplies when a certain stall caught her eye. She walked towards there, and the lady hobbit gave her a wide smile.

"Good mornin' miss, may I interest you in some freshly baked chocolate?" She asked, holding out a tray to Helga, who ducked to take a whiff of it, her mouth immediately watering at the sweet scent of it.

"I'll buy two bags, please." She said, instantly smiling. If you haven't noticed it yet, one of Helga's most embarrassing weak spots was her sweet tooth. If she can't eat something sweet for a day -berries, chocolates, caramels, anything sweet!-, she'll go mad!

"Just a minute, miss!" She said, going to her crate to bring out her order.

"A sweet tooth, eh?" A voice said beside her and she turned to her right to see the young brown-haired dwarf from last night. "We'll take half a bag, please." He told the lady hobbit and she just nodded.

"You're money." She told him and he just smirked.

"Don't worry. My brother will pay for me, right Fee?" He asked, looking at Helga's left to see Fili taking the bag he bought and paying the lady.

"Well, it's my money, so my sweets." He said, and Kili looked at him in disbelief. Helga just shook her head and took the two bags of chocolate, thanking the lady, and placing it on Shadowmere's saddle.