The Adventure of Andrea Baggins

Home sick

After a few days of time for recovering, the company made its way down the carrock. The few bruises and scratches of the dwarves were almost gone and they were getting all giddy, being stuck rather high up from the ground. Oin advised against it, since Thorin and Andy weren't fully recovered yet. Thorin's warg bite was closed, but rather easily reopened again. Being stubborn as he is, he ignored Oin and decided to finally move on. Azog wouldn't be far behind. Knowing he was right Andy agreed to leave and swung her back pack over her shoulder.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hell no!", Kili exclaimed, jumping in front of her. "You are nowhere close to recovered. "

"Neither is antsy-pants over there. You heard your king, didn't you?", she dared him. "He said were moving out. Are you disobeying his order?"

Kili gave her a disapproving look but knew, that he had no chance against that argument. Snickering, Fili laid an arm over his brothers' shoulders.

"You should know better by now. Andy doesn't take orders. Not even from uncle. However," he turned to Andy, " at least let us carry your bag for you. Not like we have anything else to carry anyway. "

In the end, Andy was not allowed to carry anything, except her twin daggers. They also wanted to take them off her but as she started threatening to shove them of the carrock, they backed off. Step for step they got closer to the ground. It took them a while to get down but they all were relieved, as they finally did.

"Mister Gandalf? Do you know where we are?", Nori asked the wizard. Without uttering a word, the old man just started walking in a direction and the dwarves trotted after him. Asking him where he was leading the, would get no answer, so why bother asking again. Andy staid at the back, not wanting to talk to anyone, since they were getting on her nerves. All they asked about was how she was felling, if she needed a break or if she needed something else.

She felt in pain, her ankle was protesting after the long climb down, a break would be amazing and she needed a bath and something else to eat than the rabbits the eagles brought them twice a day for the last four days. She didn't say anything out loud, of course. She said she was fine and they should stop asking.

Andy didn't notice Thorin fell back to her, until he cleared his throat.

"Manwë's beard, what was that for?", she snapped, holding a hand over her heart.

"I'm walking next to you for almost two minutes now", he explained plain.

"Oh", was her reaction. "Sorry?"

Thorin's lips twitched a little. It was so small and quick, Andy already thought she imagined it.

"What's up?", she asked, to get the conversation started.

"You're limping, walking stiff - probably cause to the cut of the whip - and breathing heavily, due to overexertion and pain. "

"Is that an observation or a question?", Andy asked mockingly. Her face twisted into a grimace, as her foot weirdly stepped onto a root because she wasn't looking where she was going. Thorin's hand wrapped around her waist, stabilizing her.

"You need rest", he spoke, a stern expression on his face.

"We've got no time for rest. The bastard Orc is still on our tails. And, in fact, so do you, princess", Andy shot back, not missing Thorin's frown. He didn't get the chance to say something, as Andy's head shot up.

"What?", he asked alarmed.

"Water", she spoke, a smile crossing her face. The soft sound of water rippling over stones met her ears. "There's a river up ahead", she shouted, falling into a sprint, leaving Thorin behind. "Shit, shit, shit", she muttered every time she stepped onto her bad foot. But she didn't stop until she reached the river. The company caught up with her the moment she jumped into the refreshing water with only her trousers and her breastband on. After a few seconds she broke through the surface again, flipping her hair back.