Returning Home: A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 17 - The Misty Mountains

~~Celia~~

They set out early the next morning on ponies borrowed to them by the elves on condition that they be released once they reached the Misty Mountains. It was early enough that Celia gave up on trying to brush through her hair, and just piled it into a very messy bun on top of her head, unwilling to have to deal with it at such an early hour. 

Though Kíli quirked an eyebrow when he saw her, he gave no sign of amusement other than his twitching lips as he helped her onto their pony. He did, however, compliment her on her new braid, which was somewhat visible in her bun, and somehow was miraculously still intact after the tossing and turnings of the night before. 

The journey was fairly quiet for the next hour or two, as everyone in the company seemed to be feeling the earliness of the hour - everyone, that is, except for Kíli, Nori, and perhaps Fíli. 

"Why are you so cheerful?" Celia moaned, leaning her head against Kíli's back. "The birds are barely awake yet. Why are you?" 

He just laughed. 

"He's always been like that," Fíli told her, stifling a yawn. "I always believed that it was just so he could jump onto my bed and wake me up. You know, being the typical little brother."

Celia shook her head, not lifting it from Kíli's back. "It's not a little sibling thing. I'm completely exhausted. I don't know why you're like that," she grumbled, poking him in the back. "Unless... no. You are!" She gasped in horror, her eyes wide in a bleary, dazed sort of way. "You're a morning person!" she declared with disgust. 

"A what?" he asked, the laughter evident in his voice. 

"You know. A morning person. Someone who likes getting up early, and is wide awake as soon as they get up. El and I are night owls - we prefer to stay up later, and it takes us longer to wake up."

"If you wake up at all, apparently," Fíli said meaningfully, glancing behind him with a smile. 

Celia frowned, turning to look, only to snort as she saw her twin leaning against Fíli's back, sound asleep. "How long has she been asleep?" 

"Since shortly after we left Rivendell," Kíli informed her. "We actually placed bets on whether or not you were going to fall asleep too, but it hasn't happened - yet." 

"She must like you, Fíli, if she's willing to trust you enough to fall asleep on you. That, or you're really boring," Celia smirked, before turning to his brother. "What's your bet?" she asked him. 

He shrugged. "I could see the bags under your eyes. But I've also gotten to know you. If left to your own devices, I bet that you'd fall asleep quickly. But you're also stubborn enough that you'd stay awake just to spite someone, if you wanted."

She smiled sleepily, her eyes heavy. "Well, you're not wrong on that count. Count yourself lucky, I guess. You win a bet, and I get some more sleep. So try not to ride crazy today, please?" 

The dark-haired prince snorted. "As if I would do that to someone who's trying to sleep - particularly when they asked so nicely. No, I'll wait until you're starting to wake up before I set off into a gallop - that should wake you up very quickly." 

She shrugged slightly. "Okay. I'm so tired right now I don't even care anymore. Wake me up when we reach Erebor." 

"Go to sleep, Celia," Kíli told her gently. "We'll wake you up when we stop, or if there's any sign of trouble."

He said more, but Celia had already closed her eyes, and started to drift off. Somewhere, a distant part of her brain pointed out that she must trust Kíli enough to fall asleep on him while riding a horse too, but it was quickly lost as she fell asleep.