"Alright Tukko -- could you go look for some mushrooms? Those would taste nice with some pork" and he had already dashed away. "I think you should run after him or he will become some troll's breakfast" mumbled I to Amorey who shaked her head in agreement and was soon gone as well.
"Be careful, Tahi. If you do not find any boars, then hind is good enough"
"I always am careful, miss" and he grabbed his bow and disappeared into the woods. I turned my back on him and looked at Bennidict who was kipping on the ground, snoring a bit and mumbling in his sleep something unintelligible (lads tend to do that even when they're awake whereupon I did not become worried), before sneaking into the nearby wood as well. I found no mushrooms but some herbs! they would have been precious if I was to sell them later in the Shire. Nah, we would have starved without them. I do not find meat very tasty without good seasoning.
Tahitoa brought us some venison that I roasted and flavored, Tuk found some poisonous mushrooms (luckily Tahi came across some appetizing ones) that would have caused some nasty knots and indisposition, Amey took him to wash his hands... that is what can happen when travelling with a Took but I don't mind even though he is all the time in trouble. At least we others have someone to laugh at.
The following dawn as we left I was hungering again but did not say anything, only caught my backpack that was gravely lighter than at that time when we left Ost Guruth behind. I was not the only one; I noticed Tahi would need a shorter belt before Rivendell or he'll have to run amongst the Elves without pants. That would not do.
Amey and I were reading the map together once again and pointed out a nice lake not far from us. On the map it looked like a little, little sweet pond to me but it proved to be wrong impression, not that I knew much about maps anyways, it was large and had some flows I was afraid could take a grab of a hobbit leg and drag their poor victim down the waterfall ... the lads ran wild immediately - I shall have my revenge, they forgot that I am the only one of us who can call herself "a cook" ...
After washing ourselves we were all clean and odourless, refreshed by the wonderful water and ready to travel more of the endless miles awaiting in front of us ... but as we strolled briskly towards Thorenhad -
"Tukko, I can not see your friends anywhere ... Tukko? Tuk?"
He had disappeared , like a smoke from a pipe or Mad Baggins on his eleventy first birthday, and I mean it! first he was there and next he was not. I could see it or rather could not see it ... "I shall look for him, you wait by the road" Amey told me and Tahi, then trotting back to whence we came.
For how long we did wait, I do not know but I could see Tahi fidgeting and squirming restlessly, peering around and smoking his pipe incessantly. I was not less apprehensive but knowing that all we were to do was waiting -- the time felt neverending, sitting and humming familiar merry tunes of the Shire, staring at my toes or Tahi's ... but in the end we saw two familiar faces appearing behind the hill in the distance. Appearantly Tuk had been found in a troll's kettle or that's what Amey told but I'm not sure if she was being serious or only jesting.
Thorenhad: another ancient ruin but this one is full of Elves, the Firstborn, whatever you want to call them, I do not think they really care much what they are called by this small folk. They are, well, breath-taking and tall, pale and they have mostly long straight hair, very pointy ears and they are a bit frightening to me. They seem so noble and sublime that I begin to feel very tiny amongst them, but they are also benevolent. They are glad and sad at the same time, and even though I have not spoken with any Elf very much, it is like they felt everything deeply and they carry the sorrows of many Ages.
"I must go, take a short walk in the nearby woods", I interrupted Amey's song and they let me go with nods. I wandered for an hour or so, peering into the distance and roaming aimlessly before sitting down on a rock. There I sat, thinking of Silas and the Elves and my friends who were here with me and also the ones who were not. When I became aware of me surroundings, it was getting dark and dangerous so I stood up and noticed I was sitting almost beside a troll! It had green skin and odd clothes, and it was grumbling and rumbling, humming and coughing and I ran head over heels back to our encampment in Thorenhad.
Amey told me that we are now close to the Fords of Bruinen and Rivendell.
XXX
