Hurry, hurry, hurry, you’re going to miss him. Babette crashed through the bushes, stumbling out onto the path.
Ahead, she suddenly heard her brother’s voice saying “Wait, wait, stop. We have to go back. I forgot my handkerchiefs.” She heard other deeper voices speaking as well, but she couldn’t make it out as she dashed in their direction.
Flashes of color and movement showed through the trees and she sped up, determined not to lose them. Suddenly she was no longer running through the tree, but was flat on her back in the dirt with a heavy weight on her chest.
Wheezing and dazed her gaze traveled from the boot, which was keeping her pressed into the ground, to the owner of the boot. This was obviously no hobbit. He stood a full head taller and was broader than any hobbit she’d ever known, and his hair. It was so straight and long, and he had a short beard.
“Can’t breathe.” She gasped, clawing at the boot. “Why are you following us?” He narrowed his brown eyes down at her and Babette noticed the bow in his hands for the first time. “I-I needed-”
“Bette, what are you doing here? Get off, Kili!” The others had circled back by this time and Babette didn’t think she’d ever been so happy to hear Bilbo’s voice. ‘Kili’ took a step back and she inhaled deeply while she coughed.
“I can’t believe you took off without me.” She said accusingly to her brother. Struggling to her feet and rubbing the spot Kili’s boot had pressed with one hand, she held up a carefully packed bundle out to Bilbo who was gaping speechless. Without pausing she looked at Kili again and said flatly, “What do you eat, stones? You’re heavy and you really didn’t need to step so hard to keep me down.”
“Enough chatter.” A deep-voiced dwarf, who was even taller than Kili, spoke authoritatively, “Boy, why are you here?”
Babette heard Bilbo beginning to splutter and sniffed, “I’m not a boy; I’m 35 so I’ve been an adult for two years.” It wasn’t a lie, but it didn’t completely dismiss the idea that she was male. “My brother is all that was keeping me in the Shire. If you don’t want me tagging along that’s fine, but he needed to know that I was leaving.”
She stared up at the fearsome black-haired dwarf and willed her knees to not to knock together. “You have determination.” Bette’s heart almost stopped at his dark tones before she noticed that the corners of his mouth were quirking upwards. “What is your name?”
“People call me Bette.” Fingering the brim of her cap she added, “At your service.”
“You’re still no more than a babe, but I was younger than you when I saw the dragon. I am Thorin Oakenshield.” He paused before speaking again, “You may travel with us as long as you can keep up, or until you wish to part ways.”
Bette sagged with relief and grinned, “Thank you.”
“Well laddie, up you go behind your brother.” One of the dwarves clapped her on the back intent on throwing her up onto the pony.
“I can do it myself.” She squeaked, jumping. She winced inwardly, not only did she sound very childish, now all of the company was watching with thinly veiled amusement.
Clenching her teeth, Babette walked up to the animal. Grabbing Bilbo’s hand and grasping as much of the saddle as she could reach, she stuck her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself upwards.
As she stumbled back to the ground, Bette braced herself for the Dwarves’ laughter or snickers. There was none, they were watching but not mocking.
Bette suddenly felt herself being lifted and deposited on the saddle behind Bilbo.
“We are wasting time.” said Thorin, moving on and mounting his own pony. Bette felt her ears burning from embarrassment. Realizing that she was staring, she looked down quickly.
“Bette, why are you doing this?” Bilbo asked softly. Babette sighed and leaned slightly into her brother, “Everyone says you are just like our Father, but I’m just like our Mother and this sedentary hobbit life not what I want right now, one day but not yet.”
Bilbo remained silent so Bette began listening to the others and attempting to puzzle out each Dwarf’s name.
“That’s wrong.” Bilbo’s word’s startled her from figuring out if the dwarf in front of them was Ori or Nori.
“What?”
“I’m not just like Father.” Bilbo clarified, “Father never would have invited a wizard to tea, he never would have let Dwarves into his head and he definitely never would have even considered going on an adventure.”
Babette grinned at the back of his head, “There must be some Took in you after all.” With that they fell into a comfortable silence. |