The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 41

“Avice?” Thorin jolted slightly, coming out of his reverie as Aelith’s voice called out softly.

Thorin had found a corner to hide in whilst he pondered this unexpected development. This corner happened to be right around the corner of Bard’s house and so it was that Thorin found himself overhearing the two girls speaking.

“That went rather well,” it was strange to hear Avice’s voice now --  the same tone, yet softer, more vulnerable… more broken…

Thorin shook his head as Aelith agreed with her friend, refocusing on the conversation.

“All things considered, yes it did.”

“Thorin wasn’t too happy.” The dwarven king immediately perked up upon hearing his name become involved.

“No, but he didn’t react as badly as we thought he would.”

Thorin frowned at that. What did they think he was going to do? Flip a table? Yes, the idea had crossed his mind, but he’d dismissed it as childish.

“Yes, but I just-” he heard Avice interrupt herself with a frustrated noise and a dull thud on the wood.

After a pause that had Thorin fidgeting uncomfortably, Avice finally spoke again, and what she said, shocked him.

“I just feel so… vulnerable. They know me know. I mean, they knew me before, but now… I don’t have any secrets. I hate feeling so exposed. We haven’t even known them that long!”

She had a point. When Thorin thought about it, the company’s bond with the Sisterhood was completely based off their experiences together. They had no prior acquaintance, no knowledge of each other’s backgrounds.

In a sudden epiphany, Thorin came to the heart of the matter as he realized he didn’t even know Avice’s favorite color.

“So?”

It took Thorin a moment to realize that Aelith’s nonchalant question hadn’t been directed at him, but at Avice’s previous remark.

“So? So, they could betray me! They might turn on me! And quite frankly, I wouldn’t blame them!”

Again, the halfling warrior made a fair point. Just as Thorin didn’t know the girls, they didn’t know him or the dwarves.

Thorin couldn’t help but see the similarities between his own distrust and Avice’s hesitation to spill her backstory.

He frowned. If you looked at it like that… well, he seemed like he’d been far too harsh on her…

Aelith once again interrupted his deep thinking.

“They can only hurt you if you let them. If they choose to allow their fear to sway them, they aren’t worthy of our friendship and it’s best we find that out sooner than later.”

There was a slight pause, then Aelith went on.

“Honesty is… frightening, but it can it really hurt you? They know you are half orc and half human now. So what? What can they do about it?”

“They might conspire to kill me!”

Thorin almost snorted aloud at that. Kill Avice? Why that was ridiculous! Yes, he had considered it after she had pushed him off that cliff… but that was so long ago… or was it? A lot had happened between then and now either way.

“Alright fair enough, that’s not going to happen,” he heard Avice admit and grinned at her paranoia.

“Exactly. Now come on, there’s a feast that’s supposedly in our honor. I’m sure the Master or whatever they call that fat idiot would be terribly offended if we didn’t show up.”