The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 13

Her horse, a loyal and well trained creature, continued to follow Bilbo’s horse, dropping behind and slowing to give them some distance.

Feeling a body, Bilbo immediately whipped his head up- smacking his skull into her face with a sickening crunch. Aelith grunted, but years of training kicked in, and instead of losing focus, she ignored the pain and slowed Bilbo’s horse to a stop right in front of the copse of trees.

Bilbo, turning and seeing his rescuer now clutching a nose that was bleeding profusely, immediately began apologizing.

Aelith, eyes watering and feeling slightly dizzy, ignored him, trying to regain her balance.

“Aelith?” he said asked. “Aelith, are you alright? I need you to nod if you can hear me.”

Aelith gingerly bobbed her head a bit, wincing as it caused another wave of dizziness.

Biblo, having dismounted turned to help her off the horse only to see she’d already dismounted in a manner of sorts and now lay, unconscious, next to his peacefully grazing horse.

Just then, the rest of the company came galloping up to join them. Thorin, Gandalf and Avice quickly came over, Neinna, Nora and Runa following worriedly.

“What happened?” demanded Avice, kneeling over her friend.

“She leapt onto my horse,” explained Bilbo, “but it startled me and when I jumped, I hit her with the back of my head pretty badly. She managed to slow the horse before fainting.”

“Blast,” muttered Avice, unsure what to do.

Here someone took charge, but the identity of that person shocked the entire company.

“Avice,” Bilbo said, the legendary common sense of the hobbits finally kicking in, “you, Thorin and Runa carry her into the clearing in the trees, clear an area for her to lay and then elevate her legs slightly.

“Fili, Kili, and Nora, you three get some water and some simple food. If we have time, make a broth for her. We want her food to stay in her stomach.

“Nienna, you and Gandalf see if we have any healing herbs or if there are any around here that we can use.

“The rest of you, set up camp.”

The company stared at him with wide eyes, unmoving. With a raised eyebrow and shooing motion of his hands, Bilbo said,

“Well go on. Hop to it!” Hasitly, the company went about their assigned tasks. Gandalf smiled knowingly and whispered,

“Ah, hobbits. They never fail to surprise you.” Then he followed Nienna who was already rummaging through her personal pack of healing herbs.

 

* * *

 

“Whaapenmd…” Bilbo, who’d been bathing Aelith’s head with a wet cloth, jumped at the sound of her voice.

“Aeltih!” he shouted, then regretted his loud excitment as she winced, eyes still closed.

“Aelith,” he tried again, softly, “are you awake?”

Aelith opened one eye at him, giving him her classic sardonic look, before responding,

“I think so…” Bilbo laughed before helping her tilt her head up and giving her some water.

“Where is everyone?” she asked, noticing the clearing void of the usual chatter and movement that accompanied her traveling companions everywhere.

“Out hunting, gather firewood and fetching water,” Bilbo responded. Aleith nodded, then let her head fall back down with a groan, closing her eyes.

“Are you alright?” asked Bilbo worriedly, only to receive another fearsome glare.

“Right,” he laughed, “useless question.” Aelith managed to half-smile at him before closing her eyes again and falling asleep.

Bilbo watched his charge for a moment, before gently brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. He was surprised by how soft her hair was, given she wasn’t living a pampered life, but his ponderings were interrupted by Runa bursting back into the clearing, the rest of the company in tow.

“IS SHE ALRIGHT?! IS SHE AWAKE?! DID SHE DIE?!”

Bilbo, started by the noise, hesitated too long in responding, so a very miffed Aelith responded for him.

“Yes she is. She’s also trying to sleep!” Runa, hearing her friend’s voice rushed over delightedly, ignoring the anger directed at excitement.

“Aelith! You’re awake!”

“Gee? Really?” asked Aelith sarcastically, causing the rest of the company, who’d followed Runa over to laugh.

“Yes,” said Avice knowingly. “She’s fine if she has the energy to be sarcastic.”

Aelith shot a glare at her friends, then asked,

“What happened?”

“Well,” explained Nienna, “after Bilbo smacked you in the face, your nose isn’t broken by the way, and you slowed the horse down, you sort of fainted and fell of the horse, so you do have a rather nasty cut on your forehead, because you landed on you face-”

“Nienna,” interrupted Aelith. “Go away.” Nienna humphed and flounced off as best as an elf can managed with their long, elegant strides.

“The next person who speaks,” continued Aelith, eyes closed, a hand on her forehead, “will be fed to an oliphant.”

Her tone was deadly serious and the rest of the company gingerly backed away, avoiding twigs that could snap under their feet and awake the demonic side of Aelith.

Moments later, Aelith and Bilbo were the only ones left on their side of the clearing and Bilbo was trying not to snicker at the fearful glances that were being thrown back at them from time to time.

He took the cloth off Aelith’s head, rewetting it before he replaced it.

She sighed contentedly at the feeling of a cool cloth on her aching forehead.

“Phanz…” she said. Bilbo frowned in confusion.

“What?” he asked, leaning in so he could hear.

“Thanks…” she breathed again. Bilbo, straightened with a smile, watching over her as she drifted off to sleep.