The Undecided Title Of Sara Miller *Hobbit Fanfiction* (Thorin/OC)

Chapter 24: Contemplation and Persuasion

In which there is contemplation, conversation, and persuasion.

Thorin sat on a rock twisting a cord of leather in his hands aimlessly. He had found sleep difficult that night and so had relieved Nori early from his time on watch. The evening had been filled with much to give fodder to his active mind but adding more to ponder was certainly not helping his state of rest. Thorin knew what was truly keeping him awake and he was reluctant to examine it further for his feelings have been growing in strength and frequency. The chief occupant of his thoughts was of course, the girl, Sara Miller. The girl who had joined the company just over two months ago as no more than a mere nuisance, had grown to be something else entirely. True, he had only allowed her to join them because of Gandalf's threat to abandon the quest, and in the beginning Thorin had been determined to ignore her; hoping that giving her the cold shoulder would send her scampering back to where she came from. The Valar could keep their girl, he did not want her.

At first the company had followed his lead in the matter, save for his nephews who had always been strong willed and unruly, but then as the days turned into weeks the others too had begun to warm to her. First and most surprising Dwalin, followed by Bofur, and then one by one they had all fallen under her sway, and Thorin had despaired of ever being rid of her. When Oin had brought the news that the girl was pregnant, Thorin was sure that he now had a way to be shot of her, but that encounter had not ended as he had intended. The next few days of silence had been promising though. But then, Sara Miller had done something he could no longer ignore, something that forever altered his perception of her. She had risked her own life to save Fili and Kili. After diving into the river after them and making it possible to extract them from the angry water, she had also brought Fili back into the world of the living. Thorin had realized then that perhaps Gandalf had been right about this girl sent by the Valar. Had she not been there that day, the Kings line of Durin would have ended with him, for he had never intended to produce an heir, but instead to pass the throne to Fili when the time came. He had begun to watch this girl from another world more carefully after the incident by the river, and he no longer looked for ways to be rid of her. She had grown closer to his nephews and to the others as well, and as time went on, she even seemed to draw the hobbit into the group with the help of Bofur. Bofur that meddlesome dwarf.

Thorin rubbed a large hand over his face remembering the events of the night they had been captured by the trolls. He reached into a small pouch he kept on his belt and rummaged until he found what he desired and withdrew his hand. He opened a small tin and let the object inside drop into his palm. The silver teardrop shaped sweet rolled back and forth in his hand glinting at him in the moonlight. He was not sure why he had not simply eaten it, but he felt for some reason a reluctance to consume the small thing. Perhaps the name held him at bay. Who named a sweet a kiss? It seemed too intimate a name for something eaten so casually. Sighing he tucked it away again. He was altogether aware that his feelings regarding Sara had grown and shifted from outright nuisance, to grudging gratitude, to concern and curiosity, and now this. He turned to look back at the girl who lay tucked snugly between his nephews. Bofur's accusation of jealousy from the other night came to his mind and he ground his teeth unconsciously.

Ever since he had found Sara that night in Elrond's kitchens, he had found himself no longer avoiding her as he had been before. Instead he had been almost seeking out opportunities to be around her. He had been aware of the way her eyes followed him in the passing days, especially when he was with the boy Estel. At first he thought she watched the boy, but as the days went on he had caught her eyes on him when he was alone aswell. He had been particularly conscious of her attentions during the spar with Elrohir and his keen ears had not missed her tiny gasps and breaths which he found pleasing to the ear but altogether very distracting. Indeed, had his opponent been Elladan, he feared he may not have fared quite so well. He had to admit he had been somewhat preoccupied and he knew he owed his victory more to the elf's agitated state of mind more than anything else. Bless Balin for insisting they switch partners.