The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings -oneshots II

Last straw - Bofur

Warnings: robbery, Bofur crushes toes with his hammer
Word count: 1369
Other:
Requested: DwarfMaiden

You are down on your luck as it is, and when you are at the market, someone tries to take the little money that you do have. A surprising savior appears.

You sighed as you ran your eyes across all the vegetables and fruits on the stalls you were walking past. They were so alluring with their bright colors and sweet scents, but you knew you could not afford them, at least not now. You continued on with a sigh and one last wistful look towards the delicacies you so wished you could have. You walked past dozens of vendors, each trying to lure the people walking past to visit their stalls, filled to the brim with spices, soaps, fabrics, and everything else imaginable. You squeezed the handle of your basket tighter and continued to thread through the people bustling about in the area.

You slipped past a particularly relentless spice salesman, giving the man a polite if not a forced smile as you continue on your journey toward the baker's cart. It was situated at the edge of the market, right next to their bakery. You could smell it before you could see it, the delicious smell of baked goods and bread wafting into your nose as you walked around a seamstress's cart. Slipping around a group of ladies shopping for fabrics, you could finally see the red and white fabric covering it, shielding the products from the sun.

You greeted the baker, master Grogan a large man with a thick mustache with a small smile as you took in the options on the cart.
"Good evening, Y/N!" He wished, making you jump as his loud voice boomed above the chatter in the marketplace. The large, still steaming bread rolls were calling to you, but seeing the price tag, you knew you would have to settle for the loaf bread, situated at the corner of the cart, tucked away but still there if someone would want to get them. They were probably remainders from yesterday, but you didn't mind at all. They would taste just as good nonetheless, and to your great happiness, you could just afford two.

You squinted your eyes towards the sky as the few drops of rain fell from the sky and landed on your bare arms. Shivering, you gave a nod as a goodbye and hurried off, hoping to reach home before you got soaking wet. The sky was darkening at a surprising rate, and you had only made it to the edge of the marketplace when it was pouring rain. You brushed your hair out of your face, making it stick to the top of your head, the short strands that fell onto your forehead dripping with water, landing on your face. You resisted the urge to groan and picked up your pace, not wanting your bread to be soggy when you got home. You weaved through the buildings, hoping to find an eave that you could hide under and wait for the rain to lighten a bit.

You didn't pay attention to where you were going until you reached a darkened nook in an alley where you could cover from the rain. But with your luck, the rain was already slowing down, and when you reached your desired hiding place, only a few stray drops were falling here and there.
"Give me your money." Your eyes caught the gleam of the knife that was held in a tight grip in front of the man threatening you, and you swallowed air, tears pooling into your eyes. You squeezed the handle of your basket tighter, pulling it to your chest.
"I- I don't have any money, I-" You stuttered out, your hands shaking, glancing around.
"Don't lie to me. How did you buy those, then, hm? He sneered, taking a threatening step towards you while glaring at your basket where the pieces of bread were peeking out.
"That was all I had-" You pulled the now empty pouch out of your pocket and presented it to him, slightly shaking it in the air. It didn't clink with coins, only gave a slight shuffle as the fabric rubbed against itself. But he clearly wasn't satisfied, as he grabbed you by your shoulder and shoved you against a wall, the impact knocking the air out of your lungs and leaving you gasping for air.

"I would let the lady go if I was you." A calm voice sounded from your side, and your and your captor's eyes snapped in the direction. A dwarf, holding a massive war-something on his shoulder stood there, the worn hat on his head dripping with water.
"And why would I do that?"
"As she said, she doesn't have anything worth stealing. And even if she did, it wouldn't be yours to take."
"It would, 'cuz this is the backyard of my store."
"Well, what a coincidence, because my store is just around the corner and I have never seen you here. So how about you make yourself scarce or I will make sure your teeth don't see another good day." The weapon twitched in his hold and the robber decided that it was probably best for his health not to argue, so he dropped you to the muddy wet ground and set to run away. But before he could, the flat head of the weapon landed on his toes with a thud, making the man squeal in pain. He turned around, a threatening look in his eyes, but as the hammer rose up for another strike, he decided that he had had enough, and disappeared behind the corner, limping as he went.

As the man disappeared behind the corner, limping slightly, you broke down in tears. Everything that had happened in the last few weeks hit you all at once. You collapsed onto your knees on the muddy ground, covering your face with your hands, and just let the tears flow. Why would you try and stop them?
"Come now, lass, let's get you inside from this rain." The rain was getting heavier again, your hair dripping once again. He began leading you away, and you hesitated, but only for a moment. He had saved you, after all, and there was something in his brown eyes that you trusted.

When he opened the door of a small shop, a bell rang as he pushed the door open and gestured for you to get in. You did, looking around in wonder as you entered. You had not thought that he would be a toymaker.
"Suprised?" His tone was teasing, and you felt a blush cover your cheeks.
"Slightly, yes." You wiped your face, trying to get it to dry. Most of the drops on your face were water, but you were sure that there were some tears mixed in as well, and you didn't want them to dry on your cheeks.
"Let me get you a towel to dry off with." He offered, but you were quick to shoot him down. Or at least you tried to.
"No, no! You don't have to, I'll be on my way shortly. You have already done too much for me, I couldn't possibly ask for more."
"Nonsense. It is my duty to assist everyone that is in need of my help. Especially if they look like you." He slipped out of the room with a wink, leaving a furiously red you behind.

I had trouble with this at first, but after my break pieces seemed to just slot together and I finished this in one sitting!

I'm back! Motivation disappeared completely and I did not even want to think about writing for a while, but now it's back.
Quite a lot has happened since I last posted, I took reading books again and I started riding at a stable nearby. All good things and my studies are slowly coming together as well.
I'm hoping that during the end of the summer break I will be able to get some sort of routine going with my writing, so I can easily continue with while my studies start as well.