An unexpected family (the hobbit/thorin Oakenshield love story)

Chapter 4: traveling

((Katiea pov))

I rode my pony happily...you couldn't imagine the feeling of freedom I got when we stepped out of the Shire. How I have be aching to leave the Shire and see something new!

"Hey, Katiea!" I turned to Kili as he called my name. The brothers had a very devious look on their faces. "Wanna see something funny?" He said and I nodded. I watched as Fili tied a sausage he had from breakfast with a string, then tie the other end of the string to a long stick. "Watch this..." Fili whispered. I watched as Fili stretched his arms out and holding the stick out. He proceeded to slowly lower the dangling sausage in front of bombur who was riding in front of him. Suddenly bombur saw the sausage and reached to get it but fili yanked it up before he could. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing, kili was doing the same. At one point fili cut the sting and have bombur the sausage. I laughed and looked at Fili who had a very proud look of his face. "Wait! Wait!!" We all stopped and looked back to see Mr. Baggins running towards us.

((Thorin POV))

I stopped and turned to see Mr. Baggins running towards us. "I signed it! I signed it!" He said slowing down and handed it to Balin. "Mr Baggins!" Katiea shouted as she hopped off her pony and hugged him. "I'm so happy you came!" She said looking up at him. "Well," Balin said. "This all seems to be in order, welcome...Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin said. Bilbo looked at me and I looked away. "Give him a pony. Katiea come here." I said coldly, ignoring his rejection to having a pony. In an instant Katiea was by me looking up at me. I held out my hand "hold on." She grasped my hand with her tiny one and I pulled her to sit behind me on my pony. "So I'm riding with you then?" She said with a laugh as she held onto me around my waist. "Yes." I said looking ahead.

Katiea was very quiet for a while...I hope she's okay. "Are you alright?" I asked and I felt her jump up. "Oh uh haha yeah! I'm sorry...I dozed off. I didn't sleep well." She said. "Well, you can sleep now if you want but that might make you not be able to sleep later when we stop for the night. You'll be no use to is if your tired and groggy all the time." "Okay Mr. Oakenshield." She said softly and I felt her lay her head on my back once again and her arms slightly tightened. "Wait! Stop! We have to turn back!" We stopped hearing Bilbo yell. "What on eat his the matter?" Gandalf asked. I was already irritated with this hobbit. "I forgot my handkerchief! We have to turn back." I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Here," Bofur said tearing off a piece of his coat. "Use this." He tossed it to him and bilbo looked disgusted. "Move on." I said as I turned my pony back around and started off again.

We rode for a long time and suddenly I felt Katiea grab onto my coat tightly. "Are you alright?" No answer. "Katiea?" No answer. I shook my shoulders and felt her sit up. "Yah?" She said in a very tired tone. "You should stay away the rest of the trip so you can sleep tonight." I said not really having an explanation for waking her up. "Ohkay, can I steer the pony?" She asked. "Will you go back to sleep if I don't let you?" I asked. "Yup." I sighed and stopped, getting off and allowing her to move to sit in the front. I mounted back up and reached placing the reins in her hands. "Alright, let's go." I said and she easily made the pony go. She would randomly giggle whenever the pony made a noise or jilted it's head up. I never really realized how much smaller than me she really was. I let go of the reins and fully let her steer. I let my hands fall and placed them on her waist.

We rode for quite sometime until we came to a good place to stop and proceeded to set up camp.