The Undecided Title Of Sara Miller *Hobbit Fanfiction* (Thorin/OC)

Chapter 24: Contemplation and Persuasion

Sara had not been the only one with wandering eyes. He observed her doings more and more as the days passed and he was not entirely sure that his scrutiny went unnoticed. Kili could be annoyingly observant at times. His nephews notice, however, had been nothing compared to the Lady Galadriel's probing. When she had come to dinner that last night, Thorin had been leery of her, though he was not sure why. He had been shocked and irritated to find a voice that could only be hers echoing in his mind. The white lady had been particularly interested in Sara and Thorin had been hard put to drive thoughts of the girl from his mind during dinner so as not to give away any hint of her origins. He had been relieved to finally leave the table and follow Lord Elrond and Gandalf out of the dining hall to inspect the map. He only hoped the others of the company had schooled their thoughts as well, but apparently it had mattered little in the long run as Gandalf had revealed Sara's story to the council anyway.

Thorin felt that Lord Elrond and Lady Galadreil could be trusted to keep the girl's secrets to themselves for elves had always put much store in the will of the Valar, but it sat ill with Thorin that the White Wizard too should possess Sara's secrets. He had seen the way the wizard had looked at Sara when he finally found them in the gardens and the wizard had looked anything but wise or benevolent as he held the girl in his painful grip. Recalling the encounter made Thorin's blood boil. He remembered the small crescent cuts on Sara's arm. He had insisted that Oin tend to her after their assent from The Hidden Valley and the healer had assured him she would be fine as the cuts were not deep nor serious.

Thorin's fists clenched involuntarily and he looked at his hands when he heard a pop. The leather cords in his hands had snapped. Sighing heavily he let them fall to the ground at his feet. His mind wandered to the other events of that night and inexorably he found his thoughts turning again to the moments that he and Sara had shared behind the curtain after Estel's departure. She had been pressed so close to him, standing on his toes, bringing her level with him. He had never before allowed himself to study her face so openly, but as she stood almost nose-to-nose with him he had to admit she was very pleasing to look at, and he would be a liar if he said he had not enjoyed her small frame in his arms as she flushed under his gaze. He had not wanted to concede it at the time but in retrospect he could now accept the truth; in that moment as they hid behind the curtains, he had desired the girl Sara Miller. He had entreated her to call him by his given name and when she had done so there in that quiet space he had been achingly close to giving into his desire for her. Thankfully her words had called him back to reason, allowing him to shake the spell, or so he had thought, for it became clear as they traveled in the days after, that she would not be so easily disregarded.

He had tried for several days now to come up with reasons why he should simply forget the girl; why he should smother the feelings he knew were growing in him. But though his mind knew it was unwise, he could not, and admittedly, would not, stifle his waxing desire to have her in his arms once again. The training from the other day had almost done him in. It havd been Kili's idea to send Thorin to capture Sara while he and Fili distracted the others, and it had surprised Thorin how readily he had agreed to this plan, though he did not miss Kili's subtle gratification. When Sara had used her trick to flip him into the snow and then taunted him for falling into her trap, it was all he could do not to reach out for her and drag her down into the snow beside him. Thankfully she had been just out of reach. This however, did not stop him from chasing her down and when he had caught her, he reveled in holding her tightly against him... that is until she had slipped from him once again. He had fallen for another of her tricks, and so easily. She made it very difficult for him to think clearly. Thorin let out a long breath and leaned forward, his hands in his hair as his mind swirled around in circles, his thoughts and emotions battling for dominance.