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

Chapter 30: Flight of the Dwarves

In which dwarves fly and Kili has a rough day.

Before she ever opened her eyes Sara could tell that the sun had already risen, for there was warmth on her cheeks and a faint red glow behind her eyelids. The air was still and quiet around her and assuming herself to be alone she pulled the blanket higher over her head, only to have her sense of smell remind her that this was not a blanket. Her toes curled and flexed remembering Thorin's smirk from last night as his scent flooded through her, and all at once she was very much awake. Cold air seeped in under the coat and she pulled the soft fur closer to her face sniffing loudly. Admittedly, not all the smells were exactly attractive but they faded to the background as the sweet notes of Thorin's pipe tobacco mixed with the smell of freshly turned earth and dust; but under it all was a smell that Sara was coming to associate wholy with Thorin. Taking one last breath she sat up, humming appreciatively. The smile slipped from her face when she spotted Thorin sitting a few feet away, lacing up his sturdy boots, looking highly amused.

"Sleep well did you?" he smirked, as he got to his feet. They were alone in the nest though she could occasionally see one of the others bustle by the gap in the wall.

"Well it's definitely not as comfortable as my bed back in Rivendell," she said, throwing his coat at him. He caught it and raised an eyebrow. "But I do have to admit it beats sleeping on hard rocks soaking wet." She reached for her boots.

"Most things are better than sleeping on rocks when wet," conceded Thorin. Her fingers fumbled with the shoelaces and she winced. Her left hand was throbbing particularly painfully and though she could move her right, it still hurt as the tendons worked beneath the surface of her wrist. "Do your burns pain you?" asked Thorin, coming to crouch in front of her.

"Yesss," she hissed as pain lanced up her arm. He took her shoe and unlaced it, holding it out for her foot. Feeling a little embarrassed she slid her foot inside and he pulled the shoe laces tight. "Thanks," she mumbled as he finished tying her second boot. "Sorry to be a bother."

"You are not a bother," he said, gripping her elbow and pulling her to her feet. "Everyone requires assistance from time to time."

"Everyone?" she questioned in disbelief as he tugged on his coat. "Even the almighty Thorin?"

"Clearly," he said gesturing towards his shoulder as he led her from the nest. "We will have Oin tend to your arms." After he had located the healer and situated Sara near the warm fire, he left to find Gandalf to inquire about the day's events. Soon she had a fresh bandage and the soothing balm had been reapplied, the aching in her arms greatly diminished though not altogether dispelled. Oin had looked over her burns once again and while he said there was no sign of infection, much to Sara's relief, he also informed her that she was sure to carry the scars for the rest of her life. She showed him the patch behind her ear and he said that there was a chance she would never grow hair there again only time would tell.

"Other than the scars do you think there will be any permanent damage?" asked Sara as Oin stowed his supplies back in his bag. He stopped and thought for a moment, twirling a bit of his beard between his fingers.

"Hmm... I would not like to say for sure," he said. "But it is a good sign to me that you are able to use your hand the way you do, despite the considerable pain and the lack of strength. It seems to me that Azog was very meticulous when he branded you, though why he should have been so I do not know."

"I guess even psychos can take pride in their handiwork," scowled Sara, picking at her bandaging.

"Whatever the defiler's motives, your burns do not seem to have damaged anything that will affect your ability to use your hands in the long run," he said, reaching out to still her picking fingers. "But I would not be surprised if you suffer from pains in your left hand for quite some time to come. We will have to apply the salve regularly while you heal. It should help ward off much of the pain as well as ensure that the scar tissue that forms is soft and pliant." Once she was reassured, Oin went in search of his brother to inspect his leg. She was enjoying the heat of the fire when Ori came to sit beside her.