Hiding Myself. A fem!Bilbo Bagginshield fanfic

Chapter 9

     Bella shivered and drew Kili's cloak closer around her. The Company surrounded her on both sides as they trudged through Mirkwood. Behind her Thorin walked with an angry look on his face. Even Fili and Kili were silent, not making any jokes like they usually did.
     "Where are we in this accursed forest? " Fili grumbled. Bella looked up at the blonde dwarf. His face was set in an angry scowl. Kili walked ahead with Bofur, rubbing his arms for heat.
     "Ye alright, laddie? Ye look cold. Where's yer cloak? " Bofur rattled. Kili forced a smile.
     "I'll be fine. I gave it to Bella. "
     Bofur looked surprised at this. "Why? Not that I'm sayin that was bad, because it wasn't, but I can't think why. "
     Kili shrugged. "She needs it more than I do. I'll not let her freeze when I can handle the cold much better than she. I'm used to the cold from living in a mountain, but the Shire seems much warmer. "
     "That was kind, lad. " Bofur said, then realised something. "She's special to ye, isn't she. "
     Kili nodded with a small smile. "She reminds me of Mother. She's stubborn and does what she wants. She's like a sister. "
     Bofur grinned. The small burglar did remind him of the spirited Lady Dís, Thorin's younger sister by fourteen years. As far as the two were in age they were closer than any siblings any of the dwarves had ever known. Often, she would be the first to scold Thorin. That is, if she hadn't joined him already.
     Yes indeed. The hobbit was just like Dís.

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     That night the Company camped beside the path in quiet darkness. Bella was sitting in between Fili and Kili, wrapped in the latter's cloak. Kili had an arm around her shoulder in an attempt to help keep her warm. Fili stared into the darkness surrounding their camp.
    As they sat, Bella saw eyes watching them. They would appear and disappear over and over.
     "Kili? What are those? " she murmured. He looked down and tightened his grip.
     "What's what, little sister? "
     "Those.... Eyes. I've never seen anything like them before. "
     The dwarf narrowed his gaze at the eyes. "I don't know, and I get the feeling I don't want to know. " he muttered.
     "Yeah. "
     "Here. " Kili said. He pulled a leather chain out of his pocket and held it in his palm. Bella stretched a hand out and touched the ring on the end.
     "What is it? " she murmured. He smiled, mussing up her hair with his free hand. He picked up the chain and fixed it around Bella's neck.
     "It's a good luck charm. Mother gave it to Uncle, he gave it to Fili, and Fili gave it to me. I wanted to pass it on. " Kili explained in a quiet voice. "You are like my sister, after all. "
     The hobbit smiled and held the ring on the leather chain in her small palm. Kili enclosed his larger hand over hers and closed her hand around the ring. He smiled and leaned back onto the tree. Bella then settled herself back in between the two brothers and closed her eyes to sleep.
     Not far away, Thorin watched the exchange between his nephew and the hobbit. He handed her something, they talked, and then he closed her hand around it tenderly, like how he himself would act around Dís. Kili seemed to act brotherly towards Bella, as did Fili to a lesser extent.
     However, Thorin had felt an unexplainable pang of jealousy when any of the Company would act anything near lovingly towards the hobbit. He didn't love her, he couldn't. Never mind the fact that she was beardless and so wouldn't fit in, she wasn't a Dwarven princess like one he was destined to marry one day. He'd been taught his whole life that he had to marry a highborn princess of another kingdom to raise an heir, not a lowborn hobbit from the West. Being the heir of Durin and Erebor had it's issues.
     But he couldn't help but wish he was free to do whatever he wanted and marry whoever he loved.
     Did..... Could he actually love the small, loveable hobbit? It shouldn't have been possible, but maybe it was.

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     "Everyone get up! We need to get through this forest as soon as possible to reach Erebor by Durin's Day. " ordered Thorin. The Company gradually woke up and began gathering around him. Fili stood near him, carrying his own bag. The Dwarven king looked around for his younger nephew.
     Kili soon arrived, carrying two bags. One was his own and the other Thorin recognised as Bella's by the pink handkerchief hanging out of it. The small hobbit stumbled behind him as she blearily rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Kili turned around and, grasping the hobbit's hand, pulled her ahead.
     "Everyone's here, Uncle. " Kili reported after a quick headcount. Thorin nodded in confirmation and began walking. The Company followed his to a river that barred their way. Bombur was the first to kneel at the edge and lower his hands towards the water for a drink.
     "No! Bombur, get back! " Thorin ordered. The large dwarf was pulled back by Bifur and Bofur, though it took some struggling. Bella stood at the edge of the river, peering into the darkness.
     "Thorin, look! There's a boat on the other side of the river. " she announced.
     Thorin couldn't help but smile at the hobbit lass. "Any way we can get it? Otherwise it's useless to us. "
     The hobbit appeared to think for what felt like a long time before whipping around. "A rope! Does anyone have a rope with something on the end to grab the boat with? "
     "Here! I've got one! " Kili exclaimed. He moved forward to stand next to Bella and, with her direction, threw the hook on the end into the water far on the other side with a splash.
     "Try again, you just missed it. " she murmured.
     Another throw.
     Splash!
     Another.
     Splash!
     Fourth try.
     Splash!
     Finally, Kili tossed the rope with all his might and grinned at the clunk when it caught on the boat. He pulled, but to no avail. Fili grabbed the rope and pulled, then the entire Company except Bella, who was watching the boat, and Thorin.
     "Woah! "
     Thorin stepped back as twelve dwarves barreled backwards. The small boat bumped against the shore and stayed there. "All right. Kili, do you have another rope and hook? " he asked. Kili nodded and tossed it to his uncle. They soon rigged up a system of pulling the two ropes to get back and forth. (I can't figure out quite how they got back and forth, so I'm just gonna say that. The order the dwarves go in and what Thorin says are pretty much directly from the book. )
     "Who's going first? " Bella questioned. Thorin turned to her with a most unusual expression.
     "I shall, and you will come with me, and Fili and Balin. That's as many as the boat will hold at a time. After that Kili and Oin and Gloin and Dori; next Ori and Nori, Bifur and Bofur; and last Dwalin and Bombur. "
     Bombur grumbled unhappily. "I'm always last, and I don't like that. It's someone else's turn today. "
     "You should not be so fat. As it is, you must be with the lightest load. Do not grumble against orders or something bad will happen. Now, let's move! " Thorin said. Bella followed him and Fili into the boat. Balin was already in it, holding the boat secure for the rest. Fili stepped in and Thorin followed. Bella stood hesitantly by the shore before strong arms lifted her off of it and into the boat. She looked up to see the Dwarven king holding her securely for a moment before letting go and turning towards the far shore. Bella smiled, blushing lightly, as their boat moved forward. It was small, causing her to be pressed up against Thorin's side. Fili stood at her side with an arm across her back to prevent her falling.
     They disembarked, the boat returning to the other side. In this way the entire Company was ferried across. Bombur was just climbing onto the shore when disaster struck. A deer leapt across the river, dwarf bows twanging with flying arrows. Their jubilation was cut short by Bella's shout.
     "Stop! Bombur! Bombur has fallen in, he's going to drown! " she shrieked. The Company sprang into action and, with no small amount of effort, pulled Bombur out of the water.
     "He's asleep. Of course.... The damn river's cursed. " Fili muttered.
     "We will have to carry him somehow... And find a way out of this forest. I don't like the feeling that I'm getting from it... Not at all. " Thorin said.
     Bella looked up at the Dwarven king. His face was swathed in shadows with a frown. But somehow, when he caught her gaze, his brooding look softened.
     What was this fuzzy feeling in her chest whenever he looked her way?