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

Chapter 52: Apologies

Thorin had taken this welcome opportunity to speed for the river, the two elves close behind. The moment Thorin had seen Sara's face he knew this was not something that was going to be easy for Sara to cope with. The Orcs were driven off, the raft freed and soon they were moving away with all aboard. All save one. By the time Thorin or any of the others had reached the raft Ruven's body had already been sucked away by the pull of the river.

Sara was motionless, her face blank and emotionless. Thorin knew that expression well. She was in shock. She did not respond as he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to reassure her. She stared down at her bloodstained clothes and hands, her tongue licking her lower lip. She looked as though she were about to be violently sick. He was not wrong. He held her firmly as she wretched over the side of the raft, but even when the foul fluids had ceased to come forth from her mouth, her body still heaved with convulsions. He was not sure when exactly those convulsions had turned to tears. All he knew was that one moment she was sick and the next she had collapsed into loud sobs in his arms. She said not a word but there were few words to be said as they rode down the river in near silence, a somber mood settling over them.

The other raft was some distance ahead of them but had tethered themselves to a rocky outcropping to await their arrival. To his relief no one else was missing from the second raft, but he felt a pang as Tauriel, conscious once again, awaited them anxiously. Her face sank into deep lines of sorrow when she failed to find a familiar face among the others. The sun had climbed just past its zenith by the time they had arrived at the mouth of a river leading into the large lake. To their right was a small dock and in the distance to the Northeast they could just make out the outline of what appeared to be a town floating on the lake.

Thorin let the packs in his arms drop into the dry sand at the docks edge to join the others and looked for Sara. She had wandered some 50 yards up the shore and sat on a large piece of driftwood, her back to them. He was not the only one to have noticed. Dwalin watched her as he urged Oin to finish his work on his shoulder quickly.

"We have no way to reach Lake Town except on foot," said Nori, arguing with Airidan, rolling a barrel to the docks edge. "Unless you have paddles or a sail with you."

"Well we can't stay here," said the elf, narrowly missing Thorin's boot with another barrel, bringing him out of his own thoughts.

"I agree, but even if we do manage to make it to Lake-Town, it's only a matter of time until Saruman sends someone after us, or worse yet gets his hooks into the master of the lake," said Nori. "So unless you can best a wizard I still say we need to send for Gandalf."

Thorin could not help but agree with him. As grateful as he had been for the distraction the elf guards had provided, he knew how unlikely they were to capture or take down the pale orc. Now because they had been seen, Saruman was sure to send reinforcements to try and recapture Sara. Not for the first time Thorin wondered what knowledge Sara held of the future. He shook himself. There was work to be done and decisions to be made and at the moment it was clear that Sara was not up to helping in that particular task.

"He has a fair point," interjected Bofur as he passed by, his arms full of the others packs. "But only Mahal knows how we would find him. No one knows where he is."

"Actually, we do," said Bilbo after a moment of quiet. The little hobbit sat on a stone, shivering. They all turned to look at him but his attention was on the huddled form of Sara further down the beach.

"Are you saying you know Gandalf's whereabouts?" asked Balin, from behind Bilbo.

"Well yes," said the hobbit, clearly uneasy with all the eyes on him. He began to run his fingers through the hair atop his large feet, suppressing a shiver as the breeze picked up. "I overheard Saruman say that he sent him away to inspect the ruins to the South."