Thorin Oakenshield The Feeling Of Betrayal

Part 3

Once morning rolled about, we all readied for the journey. I cleaned up a bit to make it seem like we were never there. Bilbo wasn't coming so no one wanted to be rude and leave a mess behind. All the boys gave me strange looks when they noticed I had laid with Thorin. Nothing happened so why were they being so childish. Loading all our things onto the ponies, we were off. Thorin wanted me to ride next to him, which made Fili and Kili whisper. I threw a rock at Kili to make them stop. 

Balin was right behind me, so he trotted forward a tad to give me wise words. "I see you shared a bed with our Thorin." 

I groaned, slowing down a bit so Thorin wouldn't hear us. "Balin, it was nothing. You lot make it seem like Thorin and I are madly in love. But we aren't. We are friends that shared a bed, I guess." 

Balin raised a brow at me. "Maybe you should listen closely to what your heart is saying. Thorin is a rough one, we all know that." 

I was very much thankful when Bilbo was yelling and running after us. Everyone stopped to see what he wanted. 

"I sighed it," he huffed, holding the contract out and handing it to Balin. 

"Everything seems to be in order. "Welcome, Master Baggins... to the company of Thorin Oakenshield," Balin gladly announced. 

Thorin ordered one of the boys to get him a pony and to keep moving. I pulled my pony next to Thorin who smiled over at me. Thorin took the lead when Gandalf went behind to talk to Bilbo. 

We stopped when night fell. Fili and Kili were up by the fire. Gandalf was over resting on a fallen tree. Thorin was in the opposite direction sitting against the rocky hill we were on. I sat at his feet, resting my head against his leg. His hand came down and rested on my shoulder as he rested his eyes. The rest of the company was asleep. That was until a loud shriek echoed in the night. 

Bilbo looked about. "What was that?" 

Kili looked at the dark night sky. "Orcs." 

Bilbo came bouncing closer, clearly scared. "Orcs?" 

Thorin jolted awake by the sound of that word. I grabbed his hand to soothe him. 

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there," Fili informed. "The low-lands are crawling with them." 

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood," Kili continued, then looking at Fili as they both giggled for scaring poot little Bilbo. 

I gave a frown at them as Thorin stood up. 

"You think that's funny?" He grumbled. "You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?" 

Kili gave a sigh. "We didn't mean anything by it." 

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world," Thorin hissed, going over to the edge of the cliff. 

Balin walked over to us. "Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs led by the most vile of all their race: Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the king. Tharin, Thorin's father was driven mad by grief. He went missing. Taken prisoner or killed we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young Dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. And our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast... not song that night... for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then there is one who I could follow. There is one... I could call king." 

Thorin turned around and everyone was looking at him. I dropped my head, remembering that day. 

"And the Pale Orc? What happened to him?" Bilbo questioned. 

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came," Thorin growled coming back over to me. "That filth died of his wounds long ago." 

Thorin placed his hand on my shoulder. The memories of that day opened up an old wound and he could see that. Settling down he had wrapped an arm around me to rest his eyes once more.