That's Another Story For Later

Searching For the Found

"Fine. I shall let you rest until you are sufficiently healed. But then, you will help search." As much as I hated the fact that I wasn't pulling my weight, I knew it was good for me. Kili looked at me, touching the inside of my wrist. He kissed my cheek, before heading down to search. I climbed onto the balcony where I was last night. Thorin paced around close the the railing. He looked down at them all, watching them comb through the mountains of gold.

I perched on a table on the balcony, and crossed my legs. My eyes darted from Kili, Fili, and Dwalin for the most part as they carefully looked at each piece of gold for the Arkenstone. After quite a long time of watching them search, Thorin called out. "Any sign of it?!" He brused his hand across the table as a habit, resting his fingers on the cool top. He'd done it multiple times throughout the hours.

"Nothing yet!" Dwalin shouted back.

"Nothing here!" Nori said. If Nori wasn't having luck, then there was trouble. He was a pickpocket at its finest, and he could get anything. Yet, this supposedly obvious gem was evading him.

"Keep searching!" Thorin demanded.

"That jewel could be anywhere!" Oin answered.

"The Arkenstone is in these hall- find it!" Silence descended on the group for a moment as they had the same thoughts I did. What if it wasn't here?

"You heard him- keep looking!" Dwalin spurred them all into action once again. They continued their painstaking process. Bilbo paused, looking quite awkward. Everyone else was to absorbed in looking, Thorin to out of it to do anything. Bilbo felt my eyes bore into his and he continued searching but his eyes held a weight to it. In fact, his entire Hobbit being looked like he was holding the world, like that god.

"If you're so obsessed with finding this stone, why don't you look for it yourself?" I asked the man watching like a vulture. His eyes swiveled to me, beady, cold, and almost terrifying had I not known who Thorin truly was. "I'm just stating a point, if you want this stone so bad, why aren't you aiding your company?" He looked quite angry, practically fuming at the edges.

"Who do you think you are to speak to the King like this?" He growled, instead of answering my questions.

"I am Iridian, the one you invited on this quest with you. I am your friend, a companion just like everyone else here is. And yet, here you stand, like you are to good to get down there and search for this stone. Thorin Oakenshield would be down there helping his company."

"How dare you speak you speak to me in such a tone? You should know never to speak to a king that way." He said menacingly, and I almost backed down at seeing the furious look in his eyes.

"Then I am not speaking to Thorin the King. I am speaking to Thorin, leader of the company of Thorin Oakenshield. The dwarf whose loyalty runs deep with these people. The dwarf who stepped forward in the goblin tunnels to save Ori and myself! The dwarf who stands up for his company no matter what the cost!" I stood, standing with my shoulders squared, despite the stretching of my skin.

"Iridian..." I heard three voices mumble lowly. I ignored them, trying to knock sense into Thorin.

"How dare you! How dare you speak to me in such a manner!"

"And how dare you!" I screamed back. "How dare you 'let us' have a reunion, and then don't join us yourself! Your nephews are back and alive. Kili is cured, and all you can think of is this stone!"

"Get out of my sight." Thorin said lowly, and I barely heard him. "I said, get out of my sight! Never catch me around here for the rest of the day!" He boomed. I flinched at his voice, unknowing it could be so powerful. I set my face in a hard line, and curtseyed mockingly.