The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 26

I woke up the next morning to Thorin massaging my shoulders and back. His touch was soft but firm as he pushed and pulled my skin so I felt loose. I opened my eyes to see that it was still completely dark outside.

"It's time to go my love, dawn is almost upon us."

I know. I sat up slowly, taking note of where the bathroom was in case I had to make a dash for it. No nausea overwhelmed me when I stood up and walked to answer the knock on the door either.

"It's Balin. I have your clothes for today, courtesy of the Master." I opened the door.

"All clear this morning Balin, thanks."

"No problem. Here are your things." He handed me a heap of clothes and left the two of us to get dressed.

"It seems they thought of everything!" Thorin exclaimed when I dumped the clothes on our bed.

"I'll give you the pleasure of sorting through them while I go brush my hair." I went to the bathroom and used the mirror to judge my appearance. My hair was a bit disheveled but nothing about ten minutes with a comb wouldn't fix. I found a metal one on my nightstand and used it to make my hair look at least presentable. Thorin took the clothes that were meant for him and put them on. He now wore a red shirt with a loose black tunic over that and a fur coat that was no where near as nice as his other one. He buckled his borrowed sword to his waist but refused to wear the helmet they'd provided.

"That thing will make anyone look ridiculous!" I just laughed, they had not given me one. I wasted no time putting on the matching blue shirt, black trousers and tunic they had given me along with a chest plate obviously meant for a male. I had to loosen the straps all the way so my chest wouldn't be flattened. It was Thorin's turn to snicker.

"We're in a hurry, are we not?" I turned and walked out the door and downstairs to find the whole Company waiting downstairs.

You do know they are waiting for you, right?

Coming. I heard him thumping downstairs. "Come! We must hurry if we are to reach the mountain by sunset!" We followed him outside to where a rowboat was waiting for us in a canal that lead towards Erebor. I was the first to board and the rest of the dwarves followed, crowding in so I was forced to the front. Thorin stayed on the dock, handing in spare weapons. Kili the last in line to board but Thorin stopped him.

"Not you. We must be fast and you will slow us down." Now that I looked closer, Kili was looking very pale.

"What are you talking about? I'm coming with you."

"No, no."

"I'm going to be there when that door is opened. When we first look upon the halls or our fathers–" Kili, who was beginning to realize that his uncle was serious about leaving him behind, began to raise his voice, drawing the attention of the other dwarves.

"Thorin Kili, stay here, rest, join us when you're healed." Thorin embraced Kili.

"Aunt Mereniver? Some help please?"

"She is not your aunt yet so you cannot look to her for help." Oin got up.

"I'll stay with the lad. I belong with the wounded."

"Uncle! We grew up on tales of the Mountain, tales you told us. You cannot take that away from him!"

"Fili!"

"I will carry him if I must!"

"One day you will be king and you will understand, I cannot risk the fate of this quest for the sake of one dwarf, not even my own kin." Fili couldn't reply, instead, he went to get up but Thorin grabbed his arm.