A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

38. Walking On Through The Pain

Soon, we were on the move once more, faster than before. I was still to the back of the company but able to keep up some. Fairfin, who had been in a tree while Thorin was cleaning his leather armor, flew out and back to Thorin's shoulder now, making me sigh.

Did I really anger my raven so much? My heart hurt at the idea, which made me scowl at the ground as I walked, unwilling to show Fairfin he really was hurting me. My emotions were tied closer to me than one could tie a knot. I feel sort of... claustrophobic when I hold my emotions so close like this. Best way to describe the feeling is squishing yourself into a box smaller than you are and staying there. My emotions want to be expressed outwards to the animals around me, even if I myself don't like to express anything other than anger, annoyance, and determination on my face.

Plus, holding my emotions in like this almost makes my skin itch in an odd, uncomfortable way. Why couldn't I have just been born a short human with no powers whatsoever? Things would have been simpler that way...

But would I have become the person I am now?

No, no I wouldn't have.

The ground changed under foot as the trees became more sparse, the rocky uneven ground had me falling back more and more as my ankle protested every uneven step. Fairfin eventually stopped ignoring me as he saw me struggling to walk on this rocky land, flying over and landing on my shoulder, which surprisingly helped a bit with keeping my balance. I petted Fairfin's feathers in comfort as he preened the bit of hair falling out of my braid in a sort of apology for ignoring me.

I looked up as the ground began to rise and sighed, knowing my ankle would not handle the strain of climbing up hill on a rocky uneven surface. I looked at the nearest tree and grumbled as I walked over to it, Bombur, Bilbo, Fili, and Bofur stopped while the others continued, watching me curiously.

I pulled my sword free and chopped of a thick, sturdy branch, cutting off the smaller branches and leaves connected to it before cutting it to my height. I tested it in my hand before walking towards the others with my hiking stick.

I refused to call it a walking stick. There three dwarves and one hobbit did not comment on my choice, for which I was thankful. It's bad enough I even need it to climb uphill. Still, though they said nothing to my choice, Bombur and Bofur fell into step beside me while Fili and Bilbo moved on ahead.

I looked at the two brothers as we climbed uphill, leaving trees behind to nothing but rock. You would not know they are brothers with how different they look. Bombur is large with a ginger braided bit of his hair that connects up to the other side of his head and hangs down his chest, which I don't get. He doesn't really have a beard, more just a mustache and hair on the sides of his face, his chin had no hair at all. Now that I studied Bombur's gingery hair, it could almost be near the shade of mine, or somewhat close. Hilariously, now could actually assume we are related if they just looked at our hair. My hair is definitely more vibrant and stand out-ish then his, but his isn't that far off.

Bofur is his exact opposite. With brown hair thrown in with golden hair, he only had a small patch of a beard, his mustache very long, hanging off his face like two locks of hair. His funny hat covered most of his actual hair, but I could spot some braids hanging out from under that weird hat. I don't even want to know how those two braids curve up into the air like that, did Bofur use the same strangeness that makes his hat curve upwards?

I was touched, though I didn't let it show, that the two brothers stuck by my side through the long climb. Even Bifur fell back after a time, walking on Bombur's other side, nodding to me. I looked down at the rocky ground and smiled a touch, feeling like I was accepted into something, though I don't know what.