The Wolven Warrior (The Hobbit x Oc) [𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧/𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡]

The World of Men

It was after around an hour or so of swimming that Thorin called the company to the bank. Amaris, who phased to her human form after having shaken off the water from her pelt, made a b-line for a spot next of a rock and got to work on removing her armor to examine the wound at her flank.

The dwarves that tented to approach Amaris out of curiosity soon changed of heart and gave her a wide berth covering their noses. They had noticed that after just changing back from her lupine form, Wolvens retained a strong and musky—some would say dog-like— smell that clung to them and waned within a matter of hours depending on how long the Wolven has assumed to form of their wolf.

And after just have spent a happy hour of doggy-paddling through the river, Amaris's usually warm and woodsy sun-warmed stone scent was now masked under a strong stinging wet-dog stench wafting around her sloping form.

Amaris merely gave the dwarves that reacted an irritated grunt and a pointed and unfriendly look as she continued to tug at her armor.

After having successfully removed her shoulder pads, breastplate, and tunic, she lifted her dirty, blood-stained and soaked undershirt to examine a small, clean puncture in the shape of an arrowhead just below the ribs leaking a flow of dark red blood. Amaris hissed softly as she prodded the wound to see how deep it was, which—thankfully—it wasn't. She concluded it must have been more of a warning shot not aimed to kill but injure.

"Looks like it only tore through muscle," concluded Oin, who Amaris had not noticed was observing from afar with a hand over his nose. "You're lucky its a clean wound lass," he chortled as he searched his coat for a cloth to wrap the wound in, "Who shot you?—Oh." He winced in embarrassment as the cloth he pulled out was soaked in river water and dripped onto the bank.

"Twiggy did," she said curtly as she took the cloth and ringed it out in an effort to dry it. When Oin gave her a quizzical look she remembered he doesn't listen to her internal monologue and rephrased herself, "The blondie. Mean face, came to collect me in my cell? The one who arrested us?" She tried until he gave a look of recognition and an 'Ah'.

Now with a relatively dry cloth, Amaris wrapped it around her sculpted torso littered with small scarred cuts and scratches here and there among the freckles. Amaris heard the distinct sound of a smack over the head and chastising from Dori about staring to someone of the company. When she raised her head curiously she saw Nori rubbing the back of his head resentfully, which brought a small tug to the corners of her mouth. After having secured the knot around her torso and re-donned her clothes, she noticed a shift in the atmosphere, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

They were being watched.

Amaris felt a growl rumble in her gut. Predators don't like feeling like prey. So when she noticed a shadow on the ground near Ori, she was the first to turn with the ring of a sheathed sword at the ready. But Dwalin beat her to it and stood between the threat, who was standing against the bright light of the afternoon sun, and the youngest member of the company with a branch. The unknown figure appeared to be armed with a bow since he shot an arrow at Dwalin's branch and the rock out of Kili's hand before he could blink.

"Do it again," a man's voice sounded from figure, "and you're dead." He moved his bow from side to side, settling his aim on Amaris when he noticed she was armed and poised to attack. The two stood in a stand-off, each studying their opponents. Now that he was turned, Amaris saw a man, he had dark eyes and hair that came down to his shoulders and a scruff on his jaw, he was dressed in a worn coat and boots, with a bow and quiver of arrows. The strong smell that rolled off him suggested he was a fisherman.

"Excuse me, but," Balin approached the figure, rating the man's attention with his arms held up in surrender, "but-um. You're from Laketown, are you not? That barge, over there. It wouldn't happen to be for hire, would it?" Balin asked slowly as the man lowered his bow and cast wary glances all around.