Hobbit / LotR One Shots

Nori X You part 2

It took some time before he realized who she was, she was so thin now, dark circles under her eyes set against pale skin. She looked so diferent than the girl he had robbed so many months ago. He could see a long scar on her arm, one that he realized he had given her that day, and many more that hadn't been there before.

At first he thought he had frightened her and that was why she had thrown him her coin purse but she didn't call the guard on him. She hadn't reported the robbery at all. Now he knew why.

"Why did you stop me?" Her sad voice startled him out of his thoughts. He hadn't even realized she was awake.

"I've seen too many dwarves fall to their deaths because of bad rock....." Their faces flash in his mind all the same terrified realizations before they disappear into the rock slide. She however hadn't shown fear until he stopped her from falling. Until he put himself in danger.

Nori brings his pipe to his mouth, lighting the pipeweed and inhaling the smoke. Her eyes follow the pipe as if it were water and she had been in the desert. He offered her the pipe and she grabs it quickly bringing it to her mouth, breathing in the smoke like it was the oxygen she needed to survive.

He watched with each puff as her muscles slowly began to relax, the constant look of pain began fading from her face. Nori packed himself another bowl in a different pipe and lit up. "I am Nori." He offers her after a moment of silence. "What is your name?"

"Y/n." She answers barley pulling away from the pipe. "Did Bofur make this pipe?" She asks as she recognizes it. Each of his pipes were unique. This was the one she had bought that day she gave Nori the bag of gold. Unfortunately she had put it in her coin purse after she bought it. Hadn't even realized it until the next day.

She noted the recognition that passed over Nori's face. "Yes." Was all he said but she could tell he was searching her face. She wondered if he recognized her.

"How're you feeling?" Nori asks and she could feel the meaning behind his words.

"I'll feel a little better after this." She says nodding towards the pipe. He had offerered her good pipe weed and she knew though it wouldn't take away her pain, it would help her to not focous on it...... For a little while atleast.

He saw how much it helped her so each morning when she woke up Nori was there with a pipe already packed for her. She smoked almost nonstop but he knew this was something she needed to get through her life. It helped to take the weight off her shoulders for a little while and sometimes she found herself enjoying the odd bit of borrowed life that Nori had given her. She knew eventually they'd grow tired of having her around but because Nori had asked her to she stayed with the brothers of Ri.

The first few days she slept a lot or not at all and didn't eat or speak much. Mostly she observed their lives and smoked. Ori, the youngest brother, was kind and sweet. Making her feel not like a stranger in their home but a friend. Dori, though never cold to her, made her feel uneasy. Every once and a while she would catch a look in his eyes as if he knew what she had attempted and disapproved. It was with Nori that she felt most comfortable.

In the evening, a few days after Nori had saved her, she over heard he and Dori talking. Or more Dori complaning to Nori. Their voices slightly muffled by the closed kitchen doors.

"Ori is finally better and the last thing he needs is to be around someone who is constantly smoking!" Dori said fuming.

She was supposed to have been going to bed but she had heard raised voices and went to investigate. Now she wished she hadn't. Her heart began to beat painfully as they continued.

"Ori is better!" Nori said almost but not quite yelling. "He has been breathing strong for almost a month!"

"I'm not willing to risk Ori's health. Especially for a stranger and you shouldn't be either!" Dori hissed.