Homeward Bound Part One: An Unexpected Journey

Chapter Eighteen

Once back at camp Bilba submitted to Oin's complaints as he re-bandaged her leg and hand, apologizing profusely the entire time for forcing him to repeat his work.

After he was finished she made her way to where Fili sat sharpening one of his knives and stood before him with her hands clasped in front of her.

At his raised eyebrow, she said, "I wanted to apologize for...attacking you...before."

He grinned at her. "Was that an attack? I thought perhaps I had crumbs on my jacket and you were brushing them off."

Bilba rolled her eyes in exasperation even as something in her relaxed at his easy forgiveness.

"Hold on," Fili said suddenly, reaching down beside him, "I have something for you."

He grabbed something and held it out to her. "It was in that cave with the other weapons. It'll probably serve you better than the one you've been carrying."

He was holding a small sword, long dagger really, complete with a sheath. Bilba took it carefully, surprised at its weight, and drew the weapon. The blade was long and curved with etching on the metal that shone and glittered as she turned it.

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed. "Thank you!"

Fili beamed, looking pleased with himself.

Bilba carefully sheathed the sword again and strapped it on. As she did she glanced across the clearing and caught, for just a moment, Gandalf's gaze. The man had barely spoken since she'd lit into him, seeming content to sit by himself and stare off into the distance. He'd become almost worse than Thorin in that regard. Bilba sighed; she'd have to speak with him too, but not right then. Perhaps she was a coward but, after talking to Thorin, she didn't feel up to anymore talks just then.

Speaking of Thorin, he'd apparently decided late morning was long enough to rest up from the night before and was getting everyone up and ready to depart.

As she watched, Balin moved up next to him and began speaking in a low voice. His eyes darted toward her as they did, concern evident in them, and she looked away quickly.

She could guess what he was asking and what Thorin was telling him. A sense of relief flooded her. The story could be passed around without her having to retell it over and over again.

Moving over to her own pack she knelt gingerly and started getting ready to go. As she did Bilba experienced the unmistakable feeling of eyes boring into the back of her head.

She turned and found Nori leaning against a tree watching her, which wasn't really new. Nori, she found, watched EVERYONE.

Of all the Dwarves in the Company he was the one she found the most...unusual. She could categorize the rest of the Dwarves. There was Thorin the Brooding Prince in Exile, the carefree Pretty Twins, Dwalin the Warrior, Balin the Scholar and so on and so forth.

Nori didn't fit any category.

The way he dressed and wore his hair created a striking look but he usually chose to hang back and blend in. He involved himself in every conversation but hardly spoke, seemed to pay attention to nothing but she was sure saw everything.

Dwalin didn't like him and Dori tried to keep Ori away from him. The word was that Nori was a thief but she was convinced it was more than that. There was no reason for Thorin to ask a thief along; particularly when he then went out and hired a Burglar as he so liked to call her.

No, there was something more to Nori.

He raised an eyebrow and Bilba realized, with a start, that she'd been staring. She jerked her head away and saw caught Thorin looking between her and Nori with a frown. Bilba raised an eyebrow at him in confusion, then shrugged and finished packing, eventually taking her old sword to her pony and strapping it on to the saddle before shouldering her pack and mounting. The rest followed suit and soon the company was moving out.