“Well, ye’re not quite at all what I’ve seen b’fore,” Bruce answered, delicately holding the back of Bilbo’s shirt collar between his massive thumb and index-finger before picking the poor ‘Hobbit’ off the ground- though only for a moment before returning him. Considerably lighter than a human, even with size considered, the Olog mused, mentally cataloguing everything about the novel creature from scent to the feel of his clothes and hair. After all, for someone living in Mordor all their life, Bruce hadn’t come across many individuals of races other than Orcs, Ologs, and the occasional human. Bilbo was new and fascinating.
Still… each flinch and rapid inhale which the ‘Hobbit’ gave each time the Olog’s finger poked about Bilbo’s clothes and hair only further indicated that he was not quite enjoying Bruce’s inquisitive behavior. Though his curiosity urged continuance, Bruce halted his intrusive behavior; he couldn’t make too sour an impression now, could he? He let his massive hands fall back to the ground, supporting his enormous self as he hunched over close to Bilbo, evidently failing to consider ‘personal space’ as a concept.
“Aye, quite unfortunately so,” the Olog confessed with a deep sigh. “I’m ‘fraid the East isn’t quite as… green as this place, much less any friendlier- at least in Mordor.” His nostrils flared, catching the scent of rain. Perhaps it would pass. “I would assume ye’re not from the East, eh? Now what brings a ‘Hobbit’ all the way out—?” Before he could so much as finish his thought, Bruce felt a sudden cascade of harrowingly great raindrops. Nothing compared to the fiery embers that swept from Mount Doom, but water and time could move mountains. And idling in an open field, covered in metal, the Olog stood quite the chance of tempting a lightning’s blow.
“And ‘ere I was hopin’ it would pass o’er us,” Bruce grumbled. Not a second later did he finished that the droplets transformed into hurling force of pattering arrows descending upon them both in a blinding fury.
Bilbo felt an urge to run away when the Olog-hai picked him up at his shirt’s collar - not that he could run anywhere, but this whole exploration was getting more and more uncomfortable. He understood that probably this was the first time he had ever seen a Hobbit, but this was a little bit too much. Especially because there were many other folks who had not seen a Hobbit ebfore, but luckily, they did not examined him like this. “Well, you aren’t the only one,” Bilbo admitted.
He let out a relieved sigh, when Bruce finally let him go, but then leaned closer to him, continue his observations. He was too close to make the Hobbit feel comfortable, but at least it was a lot better than the poking and touching.
He nodded at the mention of Mordor, although he hadn’t heard much about the place. He only knew that it was somewhere in the East and that it wasn’t a pleasant place at all. “No, I’m from the West,” he said. “And I have never been near Mordor,” he added. “By what you said about it, I don’t really wish to go there.”
As for his next question, he hesiated a bit, not being sure how much he should tell to the Olog-hai. Their quest was not a secret anymore, but one could never be careful enough. However, he couldn’t say a word as at that moment it started raining. And it wasn’t a short summer shower - it was heavy and cold, followed by lightnings. He quickly tried to pull up his coat to cover his head, but ti did not help a lot. “We need to find shelter,” he stated. “Can you see a place we can go?” he asked, as Bruce was a lot taller than him.
