The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when the company began to wake. Bilbo shook Poppy's shoulder when she didn't get up right away. The Half-breed blinked the sleep from her eyes and yawned. It was time to go. She wished they had more time in Rivendell. Instead she took her now washed clothes and changed out of the Elven dress. It felt comfortable to be wearing breeches again, yet she sighed as the dress was draped over a chair. It really was lovely... even if originally for a child.
"Quietly," Thorin spoke lowly.
There were no Elves to stop them, nor guards that manned the gates and paths that lead out of Rivendell. These warriors were too lax in the prince's opinion. However, it worked to their advantage.
When no longer in hearing range of any sensitive ears, Thorin addressed them once more, "Be on your guard. We enter the Wild just past these mountains. Dwalin, you know this path, lead on."
The Dwarf grunted and moved to the front to guide the way. Bilbo turned to take one last look upon the beautiful city of Rivendell. Unsure if he would ever see it again.
"Maser Baggins, I suggest you keep up."
A hand gently rested on his shoulder that caused him to turn to see Poppy smiling at him.
"Don't worry, maybe when we go home we'll take this path again," she stated. He nodded with a small smile. The cousins looked to Rivendell once more before leaving it behind.
"And what of Gandalf?" Dori asked.
"He will find us later," Balin answered.
Gandalf was not with them. He had been called away late last night with Elrond and hadn't been seen since. But he promised Thorin to meet them at the mountain pass. They were to wait for him there.
They traveled on foot through the plains of the Wild and basked in the warm rays of the sun. There wasn't a cloud in sight. Poppy wished for her pony, Windy, to ride over the hills with excitement like before. The view continued to be breathtaking. It grew late into the day when they approached mountains. They waited until sundown for Gandalf. Yet he did not appear. Impatient, Thorin made the decision the company pressed on and entered the pass without the Wizard. Slowly, the air grew thinner the higher they climbed. Even the road became narrow and treacherous. It forced them to travel single file in a line. Still, if one slipped there wouldn't be time to recover. The fall over the edge would be the death of them.
The company didn't get far when storm clouds began rolling in. Soon the sky opened up and began to downpour, the storm much worse compared to when they rode through the woods. The rock grew slick, which forced their trek to slow for safety. Every hood was pulled up on their cloaks in an attempt to protect them from the elements. Though it did little as the water soaked right through within minutes. Thunder clapped in the sky. So loud it made Poppy's chest vibrate and ears ring. This was difficult with the mud squishing under her boots. One hand always had a firm grip on the rock wall to prevent a deathly fall.
The sound of a section giving way from the rain caused the Half-breed to turn. A scream escaped her in horror when she saw her cousin's form begin to drop. An arm stretched out before her to press the young woman's back against the rock and hold her there. To be certain the blacksmith made no sudden movements to place herself in danger. One of her hands gripped the limb in shock and squeezed tightly in fear.
"Bilbo!" Bofur shouted.
The Dwarf reached out and pulled their burglar back onto the path to safety. The Half-breed breathed a sigh of relief that he had been saved. She glanced at the owner of the arm and found Thorin at the end of it. He was the one to worry that Poppy may race towards the Hobbit without a thought that her own safety would be at risk. Or one of his comrades. Slowly, the prince lowered the arm and she released him as well.
"We must find shelter!" Thorin yelled over the rain.
"Look out!" Dwalin shouted
Their eyes followed his pointed finger. Out of the thick clouds came a boulder that flew from an unseen force in their direction. All cowered against the rock face powerless. The ground trembled when the object made contact above their heads and the company hung on tighter. It broke apart and rained down on their position before falling into the gorge.
"This is no thunderstorm! This is a thunder battle!" Balin shouted. "Look!"
The company watched in awe and amazement as a mountain adjacent to them seemed to move. It uncurled itself to stand to full height. Whatever it was towered over them. And it wasn't alone. Another came running through the mist and slammed a fist into the unexpected creature's jaw. It stumbled back to regain its balance. In retaliation the being picked up another rock and hurled it back at his attacker.
"Oh, bless me," Bofur exclaimed. He was the only one brave enough to peel away from the wall to watch. "The legends are true! Giants, Stone Giants!"
A stray rock hurled in their direction and Thorin realized how exposed the Dwarf was, "Take cover, you fool!"
Dwalin reached forward to snatch the back of his coat. He tugged his companion away seconds before the falling rocks could crush him. Suddenly, the path below them began to tremble. But not because of the assault.
"Hold on!" Dwalin shouted.
All stumbled to regain their balance when the rock split right down the middle. Somehow the back part of the company was pulling away, Fíli the first to realize it. He stood the closest to the growing gap and stretched out a hand towards his brother.
"Kíli, grab my hand!" he yelled.
But their grip slipped from the slick rain. He watched helplessly as they moved further away from one another without a solution. They were standing on the knee of a Stone Giant who confronted his opponents' head on.
"Bilbo!" Poppy shouted over the roar of the wind and thunder.
There was nothing they could do as a boulder smashed against the Giant's face. The stone legs buckled. The attack turned enough that the so-called path on one knee drew back to the mountain. It allowed the front half of the company to scurry away from the danger to solid ground. The giant teethed on his feet and swung around. An opposing creature charged and avoided the attack. It was a finishing blow that now had the other knee facing the mountainside. However, the Dwarves and Poppy watched in horror as it came to meet them. They were powerless to prevent the creature from falling forward. They would be crushed. Poppy screamed when Bilbo disappeared from view, lost in the noise of impact.
"No!" Thorin yelled.
The fear of watching the demise of his kin hit the prince hard and feared the worst. When the rock pulled away the Giant continued to fall further into the gorge. Where the knee had been the space lay empty. Without hesitation they rushed further up the trail. The prince rounded the corner first and a wave of relief filled him at the sight. Every member was alive. Even if the groans expressed their discomfort, they were moving and mostly unharmed. Possibly a bit disoriented, but the feeling would pass.
"Where's Bilbo?" Poppy shouted. Her eyes searched for the Hobbit, yet could not make him out in the pile up. "Where's my cousin?"
"There!" Bofur answered.
They glanced over to the edge of the cliff and found Bilbo clinging onto the rocks for dear life. He dangled precariously with an expression of sheer panic. One sudden move and it was all over for him.
"Get him!" Dwalin ordered.
The warrior dropped onto his stomach to reach for the Hobbit, along with Bofur and Fíli, only to be just out of reach of a hand. Poppy went to help when Thorin stepped into her path and swung down on the rocks. The prince gripped the back of his coat and lifted Bilbo higher for the others to grab hold of. But the stone under the Dwarf's weight began to give way. He nearly lost his own hold and quickly latched onto another section before he could fall to his death.
A hand clasped his own. He found Poppy there as she struggled to keep him in place. "Hold on!" she shouted. "Dwalin!"
The stronger Dwarf reached over and immediately grabbed the prince's low arm. With a strong tug, he hauled the prince over the edge. All collapsed in relief that they were safe.
"I thought we lost our bugler," Dwalin breathed.
"He's been lost since he left home," Thorin seethed. The glare sent in the Hobbit's direction made Biblo glance away. "He should have never come. He has no place among us."
Poppy bit back her tongue to defend him. This wasn't the place to get into an argument after the near-death experience. They needed to find shelter. It was Glóin who found a cave further up, cut deep into the mountain.
"Looks safe enough," Dwalin muttered.
"Search the back," Thorin ordered. "The caves in the mountain are seldom occupied."
Only a few were allowed in to check for any danger. When they returned empty handed the rest filed in quickly. The company was glad to finally be out of the harsh weather.
"Let's get a fire going," Glóin said excitedly. The promise of a warm flame made the others eager when the prince dashed their hopes,
"No, no fire. Not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."
Some sighed in disappointment. Their outer layers were discarded to dry before they searched through their packs for something more sensible. None of them wished to freeze in the night.
"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us," Balin pointed out to their leader. "That was the plan."
"Plans change," Thorin stated. Clearly there was no room for discussion on the matter. "Bofur, take first watch."
"What did the map say?" Nori asked. "Was Lord Elrond able to read it?"
"Yes," the prince answered. The attention was on him anxiously awaiting an explanation. "We have until the last light of Durin's Day to find the hidden door. Only then will the keyhole be found."
"Durin's Day is not far off," Dori mumbled.
"Which is why we must hurry. There's a hidden path that leads up the mountain. At the top is where we will find what we're looking for."
With that in mind the company fell silent. Even though they were soaked to the bone and exhausted, the Dwarves were left with a sense of hope. It was a sensation they rarely felt in the past.
Poppy and Bilbo set their things in the back of the cave for more privacy. Their mats rolled out before eating some of the food from the packs. Meanwhile, the Dwarves lounged about to settle in for the night. The cave was fairly large and lucky for them all could fit with a bit of room at their disposal. Still, without a fire they were cold. Poppy stripped off her outerwear and took Bilbo's coat to hang over a rock to dry out. Thorin refused to acknowledge either of them and neither spoke a word. It was better to keep to themselves.
Poppy and Bilbo laid down comfortably facing each other in the dark cave. What little chatter there was from the company fell deaf on their ears. They stared each other in the eyes, just able to make out their features. She could see the lost look in his expression.
"Don't listen to him, Bilbo," the blacksmith whispered. "His words are harsh... but they're not true. He's just scared."
The Hobbit gave a short laugh, "Scared? I highly doubt that."
"He's just trying to push you away. And me for that matter since the two of us are related."
"I honestly don't see how you can speak on his behalf when he's been so rude to you."
Poppy gave him a small smile. "I've had customers who've been worse." A sigh then escaped her lips. "Gandalf said we're here for a reason, and I believe him. But Bilbo, if you wish to go home I won't stop you. We'll go back together."
He watched as the young woman rolled over on her side and pulled the thin blanket up higher. The Hobbit stared at the back of his cousin's head and lay there in thought. Should he stay? There had been countless times to turn away. But why wait until now? There were Stone Giants out there they barely managed to escape unharmed. Even if the storm outside ceased the obvious path was gone. He would need to find another, which was dangerous without the skilled warriors for protection. There was no telling what else may be out there. Still, the prince's words echoed in his head. He couldn't shake it. When Bilbo turned over on his side, he noticed that the rest of the company turned in. But sleep would not come. It was at that moment his decision became quite clear.
He didn't belong here. Neither of them did.