1 | dark pasts [oakenshield]

Twenty-five

The ruckus was soothed later that night, and the company was surprised when the Master offered them rooms in his too large of a home.

"We mustn't let the company of the King and Queen be uncomfortable, shall we?" he hummed as he took a drink from his wine bottle.

Thorin and Anne instantly grew red while the Dwarves—except Bofur, who was still out and underneath that same table; nobody really moved him at all, yet Dwalin, Fili and Kili were surprisingly sober now... or as sober as they could be—howled with laughter. The Master frowned in confusion.

"We're not... uh..." Anne stammered, clearing her throat and slowly craning her neck to Thorin. "Help?" she squeaked.

"We're not married," Thorin mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Nonsense," the Master grumbled, waving them off.

The Dwarves kept laughing like maniacs. Fili put his arm around Anne's shoulder, Kili also doing the same thing from her right. She groaned and shook her head, burring her face in her hands.

"I hate you all so much right now," she mumbled.

"You know you love us, Auntie," Kili teased.

"Agreed," Fili said.

A pause. "Auntie," he finished with a snicker.

"Call me that again, and I will personally make sure that when Thorin leaves in the morning you two are stuffed in closets and the doors are locked."

That was fifteen minutes ago. Now as Anne was sitting on the windowsill, staring at the mountain from afar, she sighed and shivered slightly. The night was coated in a dark blue, but the mist and fog from afar made it more into a light navy blue. The light snow was dying down, but the air still made it cool.

Anne exhaled slowly through her nose, bringing her legs to her chest and hugging them, looking at her room. It was actually quite large, with a big bed and a bathroom, the dresser in the main room filled with clothes her size. Granted, they might have been a little big, but they were enough.

Her attention returned to the mountain, sighing as she leaned her head back on the window wall. She didn't want to stay at Laketown alone with Kili, she wanted to go with Thorin and defeat the dragon. Maybe if she talked a little more sense into him, then—

Anne jumped and gasped quietly in surprise, her head whipping to the door; someone was knocking softly. She cautiously hopped off the windowsill and walked to the door, grabbing her dagger. She stood on the side of the door, cracking it open quietly. The person on the other end opened the door, and Anne extended her arm and put the cool tip of the dagger on his throat.

"I mean no harm," Thorin said, raising his hands in defense.

Anne smirked. "I know," she said. "I was just being cautious."

"You mean deadly?" Thorin asked, though his voice was teasing as he pushed her arm away from his throat.

Anne's smirk grew. "Not necessarily deadly," she said, putting her dagger on the table before leaning on the doorway.

Anne automatically felt nervous when she saw Thorin standing there, looking tired while his raven gray streaked hair was behind the shoulders of his blue tunic, yet it seemed messy. His blue eyes seemed dull, and Anne knew then that something heavy was weighing on his mind.

"Trouble sleeping?" Anne asked; words could not describe how concerned she was. Was he okay?

Thorin sighed and nodded. "May I come in?"

Anne made a face. "Do you really need to ask?"

Thorin shrugged. "I was being polite," he responded honestly.