SEVEN DEVILS, fili durin

CHAPTER FIVE

"I'll draw them off."

She could feel the phantom touch of hands skimming over her body everytime she as so much as took a small tumble upon the uneven terrain, could feel eyes constantly flickering around her body, breath curling around the back of her neck as everyone watched her move around, bodies tense and ready to catch her. Nymeria was simply ready to start lashing out everytime she caught their gazes when they occasionally crossed, her hands clenching and unclencing by her side as she walked across the uneven earth and purposely ignored them all.

In all honesty, she wasn't quite sure the dwarves had even noticed as they surrounded her at all sides in a protective circle, somehow still giving her a wide berth when she'd almost bit one of them, but close enough that if a danger came forward, she'd be the safest she'd ever been...And spirits did she hate it, hate the feeling of weakness in her still healing bones, hated the way that they seen her as something to protect...and not something to fear. Nymeria was a creature capable of great destruction, and just because she acted tame around her hobbit, did not mean that the wilderness had ceased to swirl patterns in her godly blood of golden elixir.

Speaking of her hobbit, Bilbo was still by her side, carring all of their things around his back with his face flushed with strain and everytime she'd so much as lift a finger to help him, he'd instantly start off into a rant about how she was lucky he was allowing her to continue to move around, about how she should be resting instead of going with the others to find the Troll's cave, seemingly very cross with her indeed but only getting crosser everytime he noticed the small smile he'd receive at his fussing that stopped him in his tracks.

"I still fail to understand how you even got captured by those vile creatures? Surely I would of heard you yell out from the campsite?" The faè questioned after calming another one of his rants, grunting slightly when her ribs gave a nasty twinge as the bone continued to heal over, muscle forming around the broken skin and it was only her who could hear the disgusting squelch, and behind her, unaware of the way the dwarf princes had suddenly frozen in fear at the line of questioning.

"Ah yes, well about that..." Bilbo began, chucking slightly under his breath awkwardly as he nervously fiddled with his suspenders, refusing to look over at his companion and instead trailing his gaze to the wizard far ahead of them with a low wince. "That might of been my fault, you see when I went to give Fili and Kili their dinner, we realised that the ponies were being taken and that's where we found the trolls, then they suggested that I go free them because-"

"What?" Nymeria hissed, eyes flashing as she didn't even let him finish, ignoring his indignant huff at being interrupted as she turned around to stare down the suddenly sheepish looking dwarfs who'd both insisted on walking behind her in case the fell, her face twisting into a hellish expression of rage as it blossomed under her skin, filling her every crevice with burning anger as she thought how close she'd come to losing her hobbit. "Are you telling me you sent my hobbit into that territory alone? Knowing that there were Trolls there? You little-"

The faè took a step forward, hands glowing their ominous swirl of red hues that made hairs stand on edge and chills creep up spine, the unnatural aura of it all striking even the most bravest of hearts, but it seemed that her body didn't agree with her aggressive approach as she grunted in pain, a grimace taking hold as her still healing bones shifted and splintered inside her prison of immortal flesh. She felt her step sway, but before  she could fall, she felt the familar hands of the blonde dwarf catch her, palms clasping around her forearms and steadying her quickly with his blue eyes flickering around her face, an emotion she had yet to acknowledge shining in his eyes as he held her still, worry on his brow with his lips thinned.