Words Like Wind ᚠ Thorin Oakenshield

ѕєvєn: σvєr híll αnd undєr híll

THE company had set off in the hours after the map had been read, the winding and narrow path that led out of the valley. When the sun had risen they all trekked single file, Arethusa and Bilbo trailed behind the dwarves, Gandalf would soon come to meet them in the mountains. "Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths; lead on." The white haired dwarf took the place of leader, Bilbo turned back and looked down into the valley as the sun illuminated Rivendell. Without ponies, the day seemed to drag on endlessly. Bilbo struggled to keep up and Arethusa was being tormented by Fili and Kili.

At one point she had walked beside Thorin but his face was in a grim line and he said little. Soon she and Ori came to speak again. He had asked many questions about fairies and Arethusa was happy to answer them all, several of the dwarves remained near her while she spoke. Bilbo had moved ahead and walked beside Balin. "I can wiggle my ears, though." The fairy lifted her ashen brown hair away from her pointed ears and surely enough she could wiggle her ears. Afterward, she had caught Kili and Ori several times each trying to wiggle their own ears.

For traveling on foot, they had covered a great deal of distance and when the sun began to set the company stopped to make camp for the night. Bedrolls had been laid out on the forest floor surrounding a fire. The first watch belonged to Dwalin, the second to Bifur, and the third to Thorin. Arethusa could not sleep, dark thoughts entered her mind and kept her awake though she feigned to be aside until it was Thorin's watch.

The fairy rose from her bedroll and stepped forward on a sore ankle until she could sit next to him. "I saw the limp in your step, your ankle still troubles you." She frowned at his observation and pulled off her boot, rolling the leg of her breeches up further and unwrapped the white cloth to reveal the swollen joint, the top of her foot was a mixture of purples and blues. "Have you no medicine to ease the pain?" His voice was low while the rest of the company slept but they did not see that the hobbit was awake and listening.

"I do, but I dare not use my remedies on myself. There may come a time when someone else needs them more than I." The dwarf sighed and accepted her answer but when she began wrapping her ankle once more he took the bandage from her and pulled her foot so that it rested on his thigh. With an expression of deep concentration, Thorin began to wrap her ankle. She shivered at the feel of his hands, hot and rough, as they glided along her skin. "Thank you." Arethusa did not meet his gaze and for some reason he could not comprehend, it bothered him that he could not look into her violet eyes.

"There are still a few more hours until dawn, sleep." To his surprise she did not return to her bedroll, instead, the fairy leaned against him but there was an ample amount of hesitancy in her action. With her head upon his shoulder, she was able to slip into a light sleep. The rustling of bags and clinging of cookware startled Arethusa from her rest, what was most surprising was that she and Thorin had both been asleep, leaned against each other while the others packed for the day.

The others seemed not to take notice that she was awake yet. Her hand brushed over the fur trim on his outer coat. "Thorin, it is time to wake." He grumbled in a language she had never heard before, his ice blue eyes were transfixed on the fairy. They both stood, stretching stiff joints before falling in with helping the company.