In Time

Chapter One

The crunch of leaves woke one of the sleeping travelers. His eyes flashed open. Drawing his sword, he stood. Being sure not to wake the others, Thorin crept into the forest. Only because of his excellent training, did he make his way through woods without making a single sound.
                He turned sharply at the sound of crunching underfoot. Thorin followed the sound to a dead hollow log. A soft whimpering came from the log. Curiously, Thorin peaked into the log. To his surprise a small girl, a dwarf girl, was shivering inside it. Guilt pulled at the black haired dwarf's heart strings.
                He rapped on the side of the log. Her hazel orbs snapped open. She scrambled backwards.

            Frowning even more, Thorin opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. After a few more moments of silence, he finally spoke.

"It's alright. I won't hurt you."

                The king watched her body relax.

"I'm Thorin Oakensheild," he said softly.

The king under the mountain," she whispered. The little girl's eyes widened and fixed on to him

     Winching at the name, Thorin nodded.

The girl crawled toward him slowly. She was tiny with long russet hair cascading her face.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"I... I think so," the girl said quietly. She took a few steps but fell to the ground.

"I guess not," he mumbled. Thorin scooped her up in his arms. "Tell me your name," he ordered.

"Ren," she said in a soft voice.
               
                Upon his return, Thorin found that the others had awoken. His nephews bore worried faces.

       Balin hurried to Thorin, and peered curiously at the girl, "What's this?"

    "It's a dwarf girl," Thorin replied.
    Fili and Kili's face lit up in delight. "A girl!" the brothers chirped, rushing to their uncle.

       Fili reached for her, but Thorin jerked her protectively toward his chest. A sly grin crept upon Kili's face.

      "What happened to her?" Bombur asked. 

"What's her name?" Bofur asked. Neither waited for answer before crowding around him.

    "Her name is Ren. I have yet to learn her story," Thorin pushed them all away.

                Dwain sauntered to him, "What are you going to do with the child?" he asked in a dark tone.

  "Now Dwalin,-" Balin started.

"We already have too many mouths to feed," Dwalin barked.

       "We're keeping her," Thorin decided.

      Bilbo appeared at Thorin's side. "I think that's a dangerous idea," the hobbit stated.

"LOOK!!" Fili cried, "SHE'S SMALLER THAN BILBO!" the dwarves broke into laughter. A small smile crept onto the little dwarf girl's face. Though her coughing turned the laughing to silence.

      "We need to get some food in her," Thorin said. He down leaving the girl on his lap, and gave her a roll. "It's not much, but it will do," he said.

      "We can't keep her," Dwalin glared. "Then why is she still here?" Fili glared back.

                "Someone should restart a fire," Bilbo prompt as the group settled into  the darkness.
        Thorin set Ren down on his bed mat and went to start one.

     The two sons of Durin sat beside the little girl. "So little Ren," Fili said, pulling her on to his lap, "What happened to you?" Kili looked at the girl on his brothers' lap.

                The dwarf girl was shaking, neither of the brothers were sure if it was out of fear or cold. She held out a golden coin in her palm.

       Kili took it gently from her and examined each side. "You're from the Iron hills," Kili said, handing her the coin back.

   The child's eyes watered at the mention of the Iron hills.

"Oh! Don't cry," Fili said, trying to rock her.
               
                Thorin appeared over them. "What did you do?" he growled.

"Nothing!" the brunette squeaked. "We only asked her what happened," the blonde cried.

   Thorin took Ren back in his arms. "Leave her be," Thorin glared.

    The two brothers scrambled away. Sitting closer to the fire, Thorin rocked the small girl. "You don't have to tell us, not yet," he murmured to her. "We will know in time."