DAVINA ⇝ Thorin Oakenshield

Chapter 9

When the Company finally stopped running, Davina bent over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath and calm her rapidly-beating heart. She listened absent-mindedly to Gandalf's voice as he counted everyone, trying to make sure no one was missing.

"Davina." Upon hearing Thorin saying her name, Davina looked up to see him standing next to her, his eyes watching her intently. She straightened up, waiting to hear what he had to say to her. "I..." Thorin let out a deep breath. "I just wanted to thank you... for what you did in there."

"You don't need to thank me, Thorin."

"I feel as though I do," he disagreed. "But if I may ask... why would you risk your life for mine? Especially when it was my fault we were there in the first place – I should have listened to your warning."

Davina smiled slightly, her expression almost bittersweet as she answered his question with utter honesty. "Because you have something to live for, Thorin," she told him. "You have people who will follow you to the ends of this earth; you have a home capable of being reclaimed, a kingdom waiting for you to rule it. And I..." She shook her head and gave a quiet, rueful laugh. "I have nothing to live for – not really. I lost my family, my people, my home – and I can't get any of it back. So if I am able to, I will make sure you do not suffer the same fate."

His heart swelled upon hearing her words, but he felt something within him ache at the thought of Davina thinking she had nothing to live for. In truth, he knew that was honestly what she believed; but Thorin didn't like the idea at all. "I admire your loyalty and your courage... but you're wrong." He took her hands in his, looking at the way her dainty and soft hands looked so small and fragile in his large and calloused ones. "You have plenty to live for, Davina. I meant it when I said you have a place with us now, should you so desire it."

She squeezed his hands. "And I thank you for that."

"Will you accept my offer, then?" Thorin asked, finding that he was impatient to hear her answer. "Will you stay with the dwarfs once we reclaim our home?" Will you stay with me? He wanted to ask, but something held him back. These strange feelings he'd begun to feel for the Viator were something altogether new to him. And although Thorin knew what was happening within his heart, he was still reluctant to acknowledge it. Loving her was something he was afraid to do – especially when he wasn't sure if she felt the same way for him.

But she did. Oh, Mahal, she did.

And it showed, too. It showed in the way she believed the best in him and had faith in his character; it showed in the way she always seemed to find comfort in his presence and even more so in his arms; and it showed even more in the way she had not hesitated for the slightest of seconds to throw herself in harm's way to protect him.

The rest of the Company could see it. But Thorin and Davina could not.

"Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf called out, having noticed there was one missing face amongst the group. "Where is our Hobbit? Where is our Hobbit?!"

"Curse the Halfling!" Dwalin grunted. "Now he's lost?"

Davina broke away from Thorin, her eyes worried as she searched the surrounding area in hopes to catch a glimpse of Bilbo. She felt terrible that her last words to the hobbit had been about how disappointed she was in him. Of course, she had meant everything she had said – but that did not stop her from feeling guilty, knowing that those words of spite could have been the last thing she spoke to Bilbo before something terrible happened to him.

"I thought he was with Dori!" Gloin called out.

"Don't blame me!" Dori shouted.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf demanded.