Returning Home: A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 31 - Family Reunion

~~ Celia ~~

When they woke up that morning by the river, it was to a cloudy sky that hinted at fog later on. It wasn't overly bright and cheery, and there were no rainbows in the sky, but even the patches of blue that peeped through were enough to lift their spirits after so long without seeing anything but gloomy trees, and the warmth was pleasant after the oppressively dank air of Mirkwood.

"At least it's not raining," Ori declared, stretching before pulling out their meager stores of food. "And if we're careful to ration it, we might be able to make this last until we reach Lake-town."

"And, maybe now that we're out of the forest, we'll be able to get something fresh to eat, whether it's fish, or some non-poisoned greens," Celia pointed out, taking her bit of salted meat with a grimace. "I mean, I know you guys aren't big on things like salad, but surely even you have to admit that it'd be nice to have a change to our usual fare."

Kíli nodded, quickly downing his own portions before drinking from his water-skin. "Just because we can survive on salted meat for long periods of time doesn't mean that we actually enjoy them for that whole period of time. I'll see if I can put together some sort of fishing rod, maybe we can have some fresh food tonight."

"What's that saying? Hunger is the best sauce, or something like that?" Celia mused, finishing the last bite before wiping her fingers off on her tunic. "I mean, I guess it worked for a while, but even the best seasonings can go bland after a while. I am more than ready for something fresh. But speaking of seasoning, I think we all need to take a dunk in the river."

"What does seasoning have to do with it?" Kíli asked quizzically, tilting his head to the side. 

She grinned. "I mean, none of us have really had the chance to bathe since..." She trailed off, counting backwards in her head. "I think it was before we even reached Beorn's house. We stopped by that river after leaving the Carrock, and all got cleaned up there. Anyway, I'm saying we should all probably take this chance to at least get wet and try to rinse out our clothes. I don't even want to know how greasy my hair looks right now."

"At least it looks natural?" Kíli tried.

Ori shook his head. "It's a natural look on you, Kíli. But Celia tends to be a bit better at maintaining her appearance."

Celia hid her grin behind her hand as Kíli shot an outraged look at the third member of their group. He seemed to have lost most of his shyness once they were in a smaller group, and was revealing a delightfully sarcastic sense of humor. 

"Don't be ridiculous, Ori. We all know Kíli's the most vain one of us all. He positively spends hours combing his luxurious hair. He's probably the most relieved of all of us to see that river!"

"I may be thrilled to see that river, my lady," Kíli snarked, getting to his feet with a threatening air that had Celia getting to her own warily. "But never let it be said that I'm not a gentleman who refuses to let ladies go first!" 

Celia darted backwards with a scream as he suddenly lunged for her with the very clear intent to dunk her in the water. "Just because I said I thought we should all go for a swim didn't mean I wanted to be thrown in! That water looks very cold, and I really think that you should go first to test it out," she called over her shoulder as she ran around the clearing, looking for a place to hide.

"I would never deprive you of the chance to go first!" he refuted, gaining on her. 

Putting on a burst of speed, she darted behind Ori and peeked over his shoulder, Kíli skidding to a stop in front of them with his eyes narrowed. "Ori! Save me!" she begged.