The Adventure of Andrea Baggins

Death to the King!

The company stayed at the cliffside for a few minutes longer, discussing if Thorin's Guardian Angel might have survived that fall or not. The weather only got worse and they were forced to look for shelter. Shortly after, they found a cave.

"It looks save enough", Dwalin called out, after taking a look around the cave.

"Search the back, caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied", Thorin commanded.

"There's nothing here", Dwalin reported back.

"Right then. Let's get a fire started", Gloin called out, dropping his bag pack onto the floor.

"No- ", Thorin barked. "No fires. Not in this place. "

Uneasy his eyes trailed along the walls surrounding them. "Get some sleep, we start at first light."

"What about your guardian angel?", Kili called out from his spot near the wall. Tired Thorin turned around.

"First, she's not my guardian angel. Second, she fell. We won't lose time searching for her. If she survived, she will find us again. Just like she said." He hoped his nephew would drop the topic and spare him a headache.

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan", Balin spoke to Thorin.

"Plans change", was all he answered and walked past him. "Bofur, take first watch. "

After everybody laid down to sleep, Kili was staring up at the sealing. "Fili?", he whispered to his brother, who laid next to him. "Are you asleep?"

Fili opened his eyes and left out a sigh. "Not anymore", he whispered back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about Uncle's Guardian Angel", Kili answered. "It's the second time on this journey, that she helped us. She must be traveling close. "

"Probably", Fili mumbled and turned on his other side.

"But she left no tracks at all. That's impossible! "

"Who knows, maybe she has wings and can fly?", Fili muttered and shut his eyes.

"She's a big person, so the wing must be massive.", Bofur joined their conversation. "How could we not have heard that?"

"So, she had to be following us close by foot", Kili summarised. "How did we not hear her? "

"Well, Andy always keeps us occupied", Bofur snickered.

"She must know the Guardian", Kili spoke after a moment of silence. "She jumped into the river, after Fili. And then the Guardian saved him. She's was covering her friend, when she told us she saved Fili!"

"From what?", Fili asked. "It's not like we would have scalped her friend as thanks. "

"That rather sounds like something Andy would do", Bofur thought. Fili and Kili nodded in agreement.

"And I'll do it as well, if you don't finally shut your gobs and sleep!", Dwalin called out. Immediately, three of them fell silent.

"Sorry Master Dwalin", they muttered and laid back down. It only took a few moments before Kili spoke again.

"Do you think Andy is going to kill us, when she finds out we left her behind?"

"Kili!"

"Alright. I'll shut up", he muttered and turned to his other side, pouting a little. The only sound the dwarves heard was the pouring rain outside. Their muscles finally relaxed and exhausted they fell asleep.

"Get up! Get up!", Thorin suddenly shouted, startling everybody. It was too late. The floor they were lying on broke away and they fell into the deep.