6. Exercise

In spite of Bilbo's earlier optimism about the weather, it was slightly too chilly outside to be comfortable without some kind of coat. The light breeze that lifted from the valley ruffled the new leaves on the trees below and made them shiver along with them.  A very determinedly overcast sky carried darker patches fading down in veils in the distance where it was raining.  The three dwarves and one hobbit came out from underneath the sheltering rock entrance and all of them immediately tilted their heads up to give the sky consideration before squinting in the breeze that lifted and waved their loose hairs around their faces.

Dori led the way down one of the gentler paths that wound along the side of the mountain. Bilbo walked along beside him, swinging his walking stick at the tips of the dry grasses that clumped among the rocks and sipping at a mug of tea he'd carried along.  The steam lifted and quickly wafted away in the cool wind.

"Rotten weather," Bombur commented, waddling slowly along after them.

"Nice and brisk," Dori corrected cheerfully over his shoulder.

Bifur, bringing up the rear, sniffed at the wind and tucked his beard in at his belt. They made their way down one leg of the path and around a bend but found Bombur was already beginning to pant.  Dori looked down at Bilbo, who gestured to a nearby ornamental coloured gravel-and-ground cover patch with a Dwarven sun-dial sculpture in the center of it.  It's small, neat paths looped out and back again in a compact cloverleaf.  Dori nodded.

"How much further?" Bombur asked.

"We only just left," Bifur muttered.

Bombur stopped and turned to him.  "Look here," he directed with reasonable good nature considering the situation. "How many feet do you have?"

"What?" Bifur frowned at him uncertainly and even glanced down at his boots.

"Two," Bombur continued, answering his own question.  He began laboriously walking again. "Same as me.  But how much Dwarf are your feet carrying? Only a bit! A snippet!  A nibble!  Now mine… Phooo! How much farther, Dori?  I'm tired."

"Not far at all," Dori said.  "Look. We've reached the garden.  You can go around the paths as long as you're able, but we won't have too far to go when it's time to go back."

Bombur considered this.  "All right," he said reluctantly.  "Anything to make you happy…" He maneuvered onto the graveled path and slowly ambled along it.

Bilbo sat down on a low rock wall, propping his stick up and swinging his legs.  It was fascinating to watch Bombur walking, how his amazing bulk would all sort of jiggle, flow and lunge to one side and then to the other like a giant jelly in a bag.  He'd seem some enormously big hobbits in his day, but he couldn't recall any that ever achieved this degree of noble fatness. Perhaps because nearly all of them still did at least enough walking to get them to the nearest inn for their ale.  Considering the size and shape he personally thought Bombur was doing quite well.

He finished his tea with a long swig, before it could go cold.

Bombur bobbled around the corner and came back towards Bilbo's perch, panting slightly.  He looked at the hobbit hopefully.  "Did you bring along anything to eat?  I'm famished."

"You don't need anything to eat," Bifur cut in from where he stood at the edge of the paths, his arms folded over his beard.

"I need to keep my strength up if I'm to keep on with this sort of thing," Bombur explained reasonably. 

"You have plenty of extra strength hanging about you already," Bifur replied, unmoved.

Dori was still walking, though slowly, around the looping paths to keep him company.  He gave Bifur a warning look and turned towards Bombur with a smile.  "Every time you think about eating, just do a bit of exercise instead!"  he suggested in an overly optimistic tone. 

"Every time I think about eating I eat.  It's much simpler," Bombur replied.  He went back to the path, turning another corner in a way reminiscent to Bilbo of one of the big bobbing barrels they'd ridden in the water, perhaps a full one when it is turned by a pole, all tipping and sloshing. 

As if on cue, the leading edge of one of the rain clouds reached them and it began to rain.

"Now can we go in?" Bombur asked unhappily puffing.

"Yes," Dori said, not wanting to press their luck with his cooperative nature. "I think we made an excellent effort, don't you?"

Bombur didn't comment so Bifur replied on his behalf.  "Yes, I think we did.  Come along, Mr. Baggins.  It looks like it's going to be wet!"

They shambled back up the path towards the entrance, raindrops spattering around them, ducking back into the shelter of rocks as it began raining in earnest, churning up the smooth eddies of the river into a froth that matched the rapids. 

"Just in time," Bilbo observed. 

"I told you it was rotten weather," Bombur pointed out. 

"We really weren't out very long.  Maybe we could keep going, just inside," Dori suggested hesitantly. "Up and down some stairs, maybe."

"What you need is some time at the forge," Bifur postulated from behind him. "Swing a few hammers, work the bellows.  That'd do it."

Bombur gave a little groan.  "Now look here, isn't it bad enough that I'm being half-starved? I've had quite enough for one day.  How about a snack, to hold us until lunchtime?"

"Bifur," Dori said politely. "Would you be so kind as to fetch our friend a healthy snack?  I believe Bofur had something ready for him." Bifur took a side-hall without comment, leaving Bilbo to follow Bombur into the smaller dining hall.  The fire felt welcome after the coolness of the outdoors.   The hobbit chose a low bench, scooting back as the heavy Dwarf shambled past him to a large chair and flumped down into it, leaning back his head and breathing.  After a moment, Bifur returned bearing a small covered tray.

"Would you like a snack also?" he asked in a courtly manner, addressing Dori first.

"Oh no, I'm still quite full from breakfast, I don't need it," Dori replied formally with a bow.

Bombur rolled his eyes.  "Enough already! Just give it to me, will you?  Then go away.  I don't need you hovering around watching me."

Bilbo scootched back off the bench and retrieved the tray from Bifur's hand to prevent any more bickering, taking it to Bombur's eager hands.  Bifur and Dori shrugged at one another, then as the cover came off the tray they slipped out the side-door.

"CABBAGE?" hollered Bombur after their retreating backs. "I'm starving, I walk halfway to the hills, I'm wasting away here and you bring me shreds of cabbage?!"  He looked half inclined to throw it, but after a moment lowered his hand and started grouchily eating it instead.  Bilbo considered this and decided to take the way of wisdom - he tiptoed out, leaving Bombur alone to groan over his cabbage.

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