The next day was fraught with rain. Thraya rode by Thorin's side, knowing he would want her comforting presence after all that was said the night before.
"They're all in rather high spirits," she said. "Or they were until the rain. They have much more hope and faith in the quest after hearing of your victory at Moria. Before, the quest was a fool's dream. Childishly hopeful. Now, the victory seems imminent."
"But it's not. There's still a dragon."
"Possibly. Possibly not. He could have fallen asleep and died of old age. Or perhaps he accidentally knocked the ceiling down on himself. Or he laid down on a weapon that was pointing the wrong way. Maybe he suffocated. Maybe he starved. The dragon could be dead."
Thorin chuckled. "Your sweet optimism is encouraging, Mizimith. I wish I could share in it."
Thraya shrugged. "Well, I would say I'm only cautiously optimistic. There's a good chance the dragon is still there. But he could very well be so soundly asleep that he shall never wake again. We will kill it in its slumber."
Thorin looked at her with a bright smile. His daughter was such a beautiful and kind girl. How had he raised such an angel? Even with her hair wet and straggling around her face, her bright green eyes danced with perpetual merriment. Her dark green hood was a wonderful color against her dirty blonde hair.
He was so proud of the wonderful young woman she was growing into.
"Oy! Thraya!" Kili called.
Thraya glanced back quickly and smirked. "I'll be back with those idiots." She slowed her horse, allowing most of the company to pass her until the brothers caught up with her.
"Is something the matter?" she asked, her face full of dramatic concern.
"Oh, don't get all motherly on us," Fili groaned. "One mother is enough."
"But she isn't here," Thraya pointed out. "And Aunt Dis would not be happy with me if I let you go un-worried over."
"Oh, come now, Amralime," (my love) Kili teased. "You know perfectly well you're only trying to annoy us."
"That is true. And please don't call me that. That's just weird."
"Well, you see, I was just returning the favor. You annoyed us, so someone has to share the annoyance with you. It's only fair."
Fili let out a low chuckle. "This is going to be one long journey if the two of you continue on like this."
Thraya laughed. "Well, it looks like you are in for a tedious journey. But it will be fun for us."
"We'll see," Kili said, with a wink. "I haven't completely given up hope. You're going to fall for me at some point, Thraya. Just you wait."
Thraya laughed loudly. "If I didn't know you were joking, I would knock you off your high horse right now."
"Whatever you say..." Kili said vaguely.
Thraya peeked over her shoulder, rolled her eyes, and muttered under her breath. "Idiots."
"What?" Fili protested. "No, it's just Kili. I'm being perfectly sane right here."
She let out a laugh. "Well, Kili's always an idiot, but right now I was referring to the fools back there who tried to ask Gandalf to control the weather. We have a wizard with us. Not the freaking Valar."
Thraya never minded the rain. It was only slightly irksome in cold weather. But now with the fading warmth of summer, it was lovely. The dwarves could complain all they wanted, but the rain brought fresher air with it. And as the water fell, it cleansed the air of dust and dirt. Much to the brothers' amusement, Thraya tossed her head back, allowing the water to flow over her face. Unlike the rest of the party, she was actually disappointed when the rain stopped.
After a long and rather boring day of riding, they came across a ruined building that was once probably a small house.
"We'll make camp here for the night," Thorin announced. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."
"Thraya, you coming?" Fili asked.
She glanced quickly to Thorin who shrugged.
"Sure." She slung her quiver and bow over her shoulders. "And maybe you can help me improve my aim, Kili."
"Well, you'd have to have an aim in the first place," Kili smirked.
"Kili-of-the-line-of-Durin-I-will-get-you-for-that!" She shouted in one breath, chucking a stick at his head.
The two of them ran off towards the ponies while Thorin sighed.
"Don't worry, Uncle," Fili said with a smile. "I'll make sure they don't kill anything."
Thorin rolled his eyes with a small smile.
The three children (they really are just little babies...) went a little way into the forest, finding a decent area for the ponies. Once they had settled in, Thraya adjusted her quiver.
She carved a few concentric circles into the bark of a tree.
"Will that do?" she asked Kili.
"Oh, it's a mess, but I can still hit the center."
"Give me a break. Can you carve a perfect circle?"
Fili smirked. "No, he can't. Last time he tried to make a target, it looked more like a potato than anything."
Kili gave his brother a little shove. He stood a few paces back from the target and gestured for Thraya to join him. She took her stance and drew an arrow.
"Alright, hold right there," Kili protested. "Your stance needs work. Who taught you how to shoot?"
Thraya raised an eyebrow. "I did."
Kili tutted lightly. "Well, no wonder. You really need some help."
He dropped the snide comments for a while, actually showing her how to stand and how to hold the bow.
"Annnd...release!"
Thraya let the arrow fly, hitting the third ring.
Kili gave her an overly exasperated look.
Fili leaned against a tree a little ways back and watched. Kili was a good teacher once you got past the sarcasm. He would carefully correct her technique and help her remember what she was doing with encouraging words and a friendly smile. Then she would fire and he would make a snarky comment about how a blind man could do better. Then they would laugh and he would go back into helpful mode.
It was a decent hour or so before Thraya finally hit the center.
"Fantastic!" Kili shouted, giving her a hug and rumpling her hair again. "Now, that's enough work for one night, eh? I'm sure your fingers are getting sore."
Thraya heaved a dramatic sigh. "Alright, if you insist." She collected her arrows from the makeshift target and put them back in the quiver.
That was when she caught sight of the ponies.
"Fili?"
"What is it, namadith?"
"Please tell me I just miscounted. There should be sixteen ponies, correct?"
Fili furrowed his brow in concentration.
A twig snapped behind them and Thraya whirled, coming face to face with Bilbo who was trying his best to carry three bowls of stew.
Fili and Kili hadn't spared the hobbit a glance and were trying to make sure their counts were correct.
"What's the matter?" Bilbo asked.
"We're supposed to be looking after the ponies," Kili said, worry creeping into his tone.
"Only we've encountered a slight problem," Fili continued.
"We had sixteen, now there's fourteen," Thraya hissed.
"Daisy and Bungo are missing."
"What?" Bilbo muttered. "Well, that's not good. And that is not good at all. Shouldn't we tell Thorin?"
Thraya rolled her eyes. "Honestly, what good is he?" she whispered to Kili.
"Uh...no," Fili said to Bilbo. "Let's not worry him. As our official burglar, we thought you might like to look into it."
"Well...uh..." Bilbo looked around, slightly flustered. "It looks as if something big uprooted these trees."
"That was our thinking," Kili agreed.
"It's something very big, and possibly quite dangerous..."
Fili moved deeper into the woods. "Hey!" he whisper-called back. "There's a light. Over here!"
"Boys," Thraya muttered, shaking her head. She and Kili followed after Fili. After a moment, so did Bilbo, albeit reluctantly.
"Stay down," Fili hissed.
"What is it?" Bilbo asked apprehensively.
"Trolls," Kili whispered. The brothers and Thraya crept closer to the campfire, eventually followed by Bilbo. As they made their way closer, a third giant came lumbering by, carrying two of the ponies.
"Well, now it would appear we're down to twelve," Thraya whispered.
"He's got Myrtle and Minty!" Bilbo whispered. "I think they're gonna eat them. We have to do something!"
Kili nodded. "Yes, you should. Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small. They'll never see you!"
"Me?" Bilbo nearly squeaked. "Me? No...no no."
"It's perfectly safe," Kili assured him.
"Um, Kili," Thraya began, only to be cut off by Fili.
"We'll be right behind you. If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a brown owl."
The brothers pulled Thraya back behind a shrub.
"This is a horrible idea," she said. "That little halfling will get himself killed. You can't expect him to take on three fully grown mountain trolls!"
"You're quite right," Fili agreed. "We aren't abandoning him. We're giving him a chance to prove himself. And should things go sour, we'll be right here."
"I'm going to get the others. Don't do anything stupid until I get back."
"Who, us?" Kili asked, falsely innocent with a devilish smirk.
Thraya gave him a flat look before turning and making her silent way back to the camp