Short Affections (Thorin x Reader x Bilbo) Book 1 of 3

Chapter [3]

You were awoken by the harsh tug of the rope that was around your wrist. "Get up, now! We're wasting daylight!"

Thorin gave you a harsh shove before dragging you to the front of the party. You got sympathetic looks from Bilbo, Dori, Ori, Fili, Kili, and Gandalf along the way. "My dear Thorin, do you really think it necessary for all this?"

"Yes Gandalf, I do. She nearly out ran Fili and Kili." Thorin answered while giving you a nasty look.

"Oh great, you're going to keep me in check today." You said sarcastically while rolling your eyes.

He only turned his pony around and started to trot away. He jerked on your restraints, causing you to stumble behind him. Something warm started to trickle down your arm. Scabs that had formed last night were now gone, causing blood to flow freely from your wrists, new red marks were starting to appear around the skin on your wrists, and skin was being rubbed away from your wrist, causing new wounds to form.

This is going to be a long day.

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Around midday you felt a jerk of the rope. You looked up to see Thorin looking at you. "So, what is your name spy?"

A puff of air left your nose. "I am not a spy, and like I told Fili and Kili, it's none of your business what my name is, so piss off!"

Thorin glared at you before picking up the speed, so you had to move faster to keep up.

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Every day was the same: get up, be forced to walk miles upon miles on foot, stop to make camp, get tied to a tree or something else that was around. You didn't eat the food that they fixed, sleep, then repeat it all over again. But sometimes bilbo, Gandalf, Ori, Dori, Fili or Kili would stop and chat with you.

But things have gotten bad for you. Your wrists were sore, bruised, and they stung horribly bad. And to make it worse, you were nearly starving to death from your lack of food. Every day it was getting harder and harder to walk or even stand.

Then finally the day came when you couldn't go any farther. You had collapsed during the long walk. Shouts were heard all around you, you could see figures leaning over you. They called to you, trying to make you stay awake.

You could feel many hands wrapped around your arms as they dragged you to a nearby boulder. You were leaned against it's cold, bumpy surface.

"Balin, what's wrong with her?" Bilbo asked. He looked at your tall form that was slumped against the rock.

Balin looked at you, he noticed how pale you were, and how your cheeks were thinner than they were supposed to be. He got down on one knee and placed his hand on your stomach. He could feel your ribs. He stood back up and dusted himself off before turning to face the awaiting group. "I fear she is exhausted and very malnourished. She may, or may not recover from this, though she has managed to keep it hidden for this long, I think she will recover in time."

"And how long is 'in time'?" Thorin had pushed his way to the front of the crowd.

"Well, it all depends on how much she eats and sleeps. If she eats and rests enough, well- The fastest is about three to four days." Balin estimated.

Thorin's frown deepened. "we do not have three to four days, we have to keep moving."

"There is another way, you can't make her walk so many miles on foot without anything to drink, it to is slowly killing her. She must ride with one of us, and once we stop to make camp, we have to make sure she eats, and the ropes must be removed, it's hurting her."

Thorin scowled. "Fine, I will do all of this, but the ropes stay."

Thorin turned away from Balin and walked back to his pony. "Kili. You and Fili will ride with her until we stop for camp."

Some of the other dwarves helped to place your limp body onto Kili's pony before climbing onto their own. Then the party set out again.

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