The Hobbit: An Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 2

And so, the two companies of Thorin Oakenshield and Fróia Wolfguard joined together as they traversed through the forest of Ruh Daur. Thorin and most of the company, minus Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, took position at the front; the other three brought up the rear of the wandering dwarves, acting as guards. Mira was also put on guard at the rear of the group. Kili and Dwalin both caught Fili and Mira stealing glimpses of each other. Kili chuckled to himself; Dwalin rolled his eyes.

Fróia made her way up and down the line of her people, informing them of their decision to align themselves with the Oakenshield company for an unknown period of time. The dwarves, from what Bilbo could see, found no objection to this agreement. And why would they? From the sorry look of the Wolfguard company, their number of fighters was no more than a dozen; they could need all the help they could get.

While the leader of the larger group of dwarves weaved her way up and down her line of followers, the other dwarves under the leadership of Thorin Oakenshield pressed their leader about his relationship with Fróia.

"Did you know Lady Fróia before the fall of Erebor?" asked Gloin, having lost a game that elected him to be the one to query.

Thorin kept up the pace and refused to look back at his kinsman, but he didn't not answer the question. "Our paths crossed a couple of times. As the eldest, she could often function as a messenger for her father as he worked on projects within and outside the mountain."

"Her father was an architect?" said Ori.

"Chief architect of Erebor! Most of his designs are what the mountain looks like now! Grigin had been a skilled sculptor and my grandfather and father both commissioned works of great import to him. Many allies, as well, asked for Fróia and Mira's father to work for them, sculpting exquisite sculptures and monuments, not to mention architecture," explained Thorin. The dwarf's mind wandered back to the time before the dragon, when everything was as it was. When the Lonely Mountain was what it was: a home.

"You two act as if you share some secret," Bilbo cut in. His input earned him a hard look from Thorin, but the halfling put his arms up in defense; as if the other dwarves weren't going to say it.

"Thorin..." Balin bellowed, putting a comforting hand on his friend's arm. Thorin relented and turned his back to the hobbit. It was a few seconds before he answered the question.

"Fróia was a bit different than other female dwarves. Most she-dwarves never venture outside of their family homes. They manage the halls and caves while most of the males go out to fight. Fróia was an exception. Since her father would frequently leave Erebor to do work for the other dwarf families or elves, she was given unique insight into the world outside of the Lonely Mountain. She wanted to do the same as Grigin. More than once she came to me, pleading to come with us on a scouting mission since her father had forbidden her from joining him on his work expeditions." Thorin's mind drifted back even further, thinking back to the last time Fróia had asked him if she could join him and a few other dwarves on a reconnaissance mission.

"Prince Thorin?" a familiar voice called out from behind the door of Thorin's room.

The prince was seated at his large table, reading over the reports from guards and travelers. The orcs had been surprisingly reserved the past few months, despite the warm weather. "Come in!" he answered.

The door swung open and Fróia stepped through, carrying a leather-bound folder with her father's most recent sketches in them.

"Fróia!" the dwarf prince smiled at the sight of the she-dwarf. She was wearing a dress that was a favorite of his: a teal toned gown, simple with brown sheathed sleeves. Her hair had been tied back much simpler back then too; having no need to pin it back for conflict. Only a single braid crown ran around the top of her head, allowing her wavy locks to blanket her shoulders and back.