In a Father's Embrace

Chapter 18

"Thraya," Thorin whispered softly, gently lifting her head off the ground.

Her eyelashes fluttered for a moment before her green eyes met his. She exhaled a questioning hum, propping herself up on her good arm.

"How are you feeling?" he asked tenderly.

"Sleepy," she muttered. "What time is it?"

"Obnoxiously early in the morning," he answered. "The sun is yet to rise, but everyone else is already set to depart. I let you sleep as long as I could."

"Mmmm," she hummed. "Five more minutes."

"Thraya," he said in a firm tone. "We have a head start against the orcs from the Eagles, but they will catch up to us eventually."

At the mention of the orcs, Thraya's eyes widened. She sat up all the way and her hand went to her wounded shoulder. "They wanted you," she whispered in a shaky tone. The hazy, fear-tinted memories of the last day began settling with all their implications and foreboding. "There's a price on your head!"

"I know, mizimith. I know. But worrying about it won't fix anything. The best we can do for now is to keep moving."

"I'll slow you down," she murmured.

"Not significantly. But that's another reason why we need to get started."

"You should leave me behind. They aren't looking for me. I'll make my way back to Rivendell and recover. Then once you've retaken the mountain, I'll come home."

Thorin's face fell. "Would...would you prefer Rivendell to this company?"

"No! Of course not! I...I'm just trying to determine the wisest course of action. You're on a time limit and I've become a hindrance. Adad, I want you to succeed! I want you to win back the home you've told me so much about. And I think you have a better chance without me slowing you down. You should leave me."

Thorin's hand curled around the back of her head. He leaned towards her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Ibine, no place is home if you aren't there. I refuse to leave you behind. I made a promise to your mother and I will keep it. And since I can't see to your safety if you're travelling alone to a place I don't entirely trust, I'm keeping you with me. And it isn't even the slightest inconvenience. You're recovering nicely and even if you aren't at top fighting condition yet, you're up for travel. You won't slow us down. Even if you were in a state where you couldn't keep up, I can carry you easier than you'd imagine, naithith. Sometimes I think you don't quite realize just how small you are to a dwarf."

"Thraya!"

Fili and Kili had appeared over Thorin's shoulders.

"Boys!" she mimicked.

"Let's get moving, namad!" Kili sang cheerfully. "Or are you being a dramatic martyr?"

"Judging by her face, I'd say Uncle successfully beat it out of her," Fili commented dryly. He grabbed her pack from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on," he encouraged with a nod in the direction of the rest of the company. "Who would we have left for intelligent conversation without you?"

"Balin," she answered immediately. "And Bilbo. Albeit an entirely different strain of intelligence."

"Fair," Kili agreed. "But what about humorous conversation? You may have noticed these old dwarves are a dull lot."

"Bofur," she said without hesitation.

Thorin stood and pulled her to her feet. "But those backup plans are not necessary. Let's be on our way."

He stayed close by her side every step of the way. Thraya appreciated the concern and care for maybe the first hour, but very quickly became annoyed. Between Thorin and his nephews, she wasn't getting any personal space and was rather frequently losing circulation in her hand thanks to her father's protective grip.

They travelled for days in this fashion before they began to catch signs of the orcs catching up. By that point, Thraya's wound, though not exactly healed, no longer hindered her. She wasn't quite sure if that was because the pain was lessening or if she was simply numbing to it.

The howling of wargs carried on the wind in a bone-chilling echo. The sound was not that of an immediate threat, but it was alarmingly close. Between the wind and the echoes bouncing through the rough terrain, even Thraya's sharp ears couldn't quite pinpoint the distance between the company and their pursuers.

"I can get a closer look," she suggested. "I'll go back a bit and see how far they are. You all can continue on and I'll catch up."

At least five voices, including the hobbit, immediately shot her down.

"You're still injured," Kili reminded her.

"It isn't slowing me down any more."

"But it will severely decrease your chances in a fight," Fili warned.

"I won't be in a fight. I'm small, light on my feet, and good at blending in. If all goes well, I'll get the information I need and be gone before they catch wind of me."

"Absolutely not!" Thorin growled. "You've got a best-case scenario plan, but if all does not go well, you'll die. You can't rely on your fighting prowess as backup when you're still recovering!"

"I just have to get close enough to see them!" she countered. "And my vision has more range than theirs. I'll never be in any danger!"

"You don't know that," Balin said softly. "They might be spread out to the point that when you find the main pack, the scouts can find you."

"Thraya," Bilbo said, an unsure tremor to his voice. "You stay with the group. I'll do the reconnaissance."

Thraya was stunned for a moment. "What? No! You'll get yourself killed!"

He smiled. "Not by your own logic, I won't. I'm small, quick, light on my feet, and extremely stealthy. No reason for me to be seen. And even if I do get too close, hobbit-scent isn't exactly recognizable to them. And I may not be the most skilled warrior among us, but thanks to you, I'm not entirely hopeless. And, all things considered, you're more help to the scouting expedition if you stay with the rest of the group. That way if I do run into trouble, someone might hear me call for help."

Her jaw dropped and she stared in shock at the halfling for several seconds. Then she very suddenly leapt forward and wrapped her good arm tightly around his shoulders.

"Be careful, you idiot," she said softly.

Bilbo awkwardly patted her back. "Uh...yeah. Absolutely. Careful."

She stepped back and smiled at him. "You're changing, mellon nin. For the better, I do believe."

He opened his mouth as if to reply, closed it and awkwardly rocked on his feet a few times. "Uh...thanks?"

She giggled.

"Good luck, Master Burglar," Thorin said solemnly.

mellon nin:  my friend