Rue (A Thorin Oakenshield/Hobbit Fanfiction)

25

After a few more minutes of journeying through the storm, the Company entered a cave big enough for the fifteen of them. The dwarves sighed in relief, wringing out their wet clothes as they huddled by the opening and out of the downpour's reach. The cave was dark, still and silent, but Thorin and Talia exchanged a glance of unease, knowing that things never were as they seemed from their prior travels.

"It looks safe enough." Dwalin said. The dwarves nodded eagerly in agreement, hoping to convince their leader of the same.

"Search to the back. Caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied."

After a brief investigation, Dwalin returned to the others, unharmed with a lantern in hand. "There's nothing here."

"Come on." Talia nodded the Company further inside. She took to briefly brushing their arms and shoulders as she counted the members, ushering them in. "We make camp here tonight."

Gloin dropped a bundle of wood on the floor, grinning and rubbing his hands together. "Right, then! Let's get a fire started."

"No." Thorin shot down the idea before it was even considered. "No fires, not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."

At his words, the Company settled in, snuggling into their bedrolls and adjusting their packs into makeshift pillows. They murmured quietly as some semblance of food was passed around before the night's rest.

Talia and Balin, however, were not so comfortable with these plans. They exchanged a look before pulling Thorin aside, slightly out of earshot from the Company.

"Do you forget our wizard?" Talia began, gripping her husband's forearm as his eyes met hers. "He bought us time and ensured that we left Rivendell, unnoticed and unseen. You cannot expect us to journey without him."

"I cannot give the wizard more time than the night allows."

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan."

But Thorin would not relent. "Plans change."

Talia sighed, moving past him and Balin to set up her own bedroll. It was disheartening to argue with him, for it felt like it was all they had time to do on the journey. As much as she was happy to be reunited with Thorin after over a century, she wished it had been under better terms. Moreover, she wished her disappearance hadn't changed him so drastically, hadn't hardened him beyond the damage caused by Smaug. Yet, she knew doting on the past was of no use, and right now, she did not feel like wasting the energy to do so.

Thorin saw this, looking to Balin briefly. Though he didn't know of her true tiredness, her friend understood her current frustration. "All I can say is I agree, laddie. Our odds are much more favorable with a wizard in our company."

The King could not argue this, so he chose not to entertain it any longer. "Fili, take the first watch." His nephew nodded, positioning himself at the edge of the cave's entrance.

Hours passed, and well into the night, all of the dwarves were finally silent. Fili had switched his watch with Bofur, but aside from the slightly alcoholic dwarf, every other member had let their exhaustion overcome them and fallen asleep. But then, from the corner of the cave, Bilbo opened his eyes. As far as he saw, no one was awake, and so he quietly rolled up his blankets and began to pack his things.

Meanwhile, due to his lightness of foot, Thorin faced Talia, blind to the hobbit's actions. She was awake too, though she wasn't looking at him like he was looking at her. Her head rested on her pack lackadaisically as she stared at the grey dirt in front of her, tracing a pattern mindlessly in the dust. Thorin was focused on her eyes. Something about her was off, for her mood was worn beyond exhaustion. He felt that she was sad, dejected, almost, though he couldn't tell why.