A Treasure Beyond Compare (ThorinxOCxOC)

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R Tolkien, WB, MGM. This is a fanfiction, a non-commercial derivative work. I do not own the characters.

The abandoned remains of a farmstead appeared in the distance, the only thing left of the house a weathered and rotting frame. It was the first sign of habitation I had seen since leaving the Shire.

A chill breeze ruffled the long grass as we approached. I shivered, pulling the collar of my coat higher. Though summer was well on the way, the climate still clung to the cold. "Wonder what happened here?"

Balin shook his head. "Who can say? Perhaps, the occupant died and had no heirs to take over."

"At any rate, it will be a good place to camp for the night." Thorin remarked, steering his horse in the direction of the farm.

Gandalf cast a suspicious glance about the empty field and the moldering building. "This might not be entirely wise. It would be better to press on."

Thorin did not share the wizard's concern. He scoffed. "We will not find a better location before dark."

"We could make for the Hidden Valley." Gandalf countered.

"The elves? I will not seek refuge with our enemy!" Thorin snapped.

I tuned out the argument that soon broke out between the dwarf king and Gandalf. As someone who had been on the receiving end of Thorin's ire only recently, I wanted to give him a wide berth. Instead, I eased myself to the ground from Stardust's back.

Kili, striding by, caught me around the waist to steady me. "Careful. Don't need to twist the other ankle, merar."

I shot him a cool look and he quickly released me. "It's only a minor sprain."

"Whatever you say." Kili grabbed Stardust's reins and led her over to where the rest of the ponies were grazing under Fili's watchful eye.

"How's the ankle?" Oin asked when I hobbled over with my pack.

"Manageable." I winced and perched beside him on a fallen log. "Do you have any more of that willow bark?"

"Aye."

The bark had a bitter aftertaste that lingered even after a healthy swig from my canteen. Grimacing, I swallowed and stretched out my leg. "That'll wake you up in the morning."

Oin seemed confused. "Tis afternoon."

"It's an expression that means its bracing." I explained.

The dwarf muttered something under his breath then joined Bombur in setting up the campfire.

Soon I was alone except for Bilbo. The hobbit had spoken very little to me in the weeks we'd been on the road, hurt by the truth Gandalf revealed. I felt guilty and wished to mend the rift between us.

Licking my lips, I cleared my throat. "Bilbo, I...owe you an apology. I should have been honest about the blue wizard. But I thought you would turn me away if I told the truth."

Bilbo snuck an apple from a saddlebag and tucked it in his pocket. "And afterward, when you'd been in the Shire for a time?"

I winced. Fair point. Nothing had stopped me from telling him except my own insecurities.

The rest of the company were busy, so I grabbed the hobbit by the arm. "Come with me."

"H-hey! Where are we going?"

Moving slowly along the uneven ground, I led him a good distance away from the camp until I figured we were out of earshot. I eased down beside a gnarled tree and patted the ground beside me.