For the Sake of Kings (Thorin x OC x Aragorn romance)

3. Our First Interaction

The dwarves were finishing up their meal and getting ready to clear the table, so I felt it time to make myself scarce and continue to stay out of their sight before they emerged into the halls, slipping down the passage to Bilbo's bedroom, where I tucked myself just inside the door and peeked out as the dwarves began to sing. A blonde one who looked younger than the others started tossing plates and bowls to a brown haired one that looked younger still, yet they had some similarities between them. Brothers?

Bilbo looked mortified as he watched the tableware flying through the air. I had to stifle a laugh and look away, listening to their jovial song.

Blunt the knives, bend the forks
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and crack the plates
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth, tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door!
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowls
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you're finished if they are whole
Send them down the hall to roll
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

They all burst out laughing as I looked out again and saw Bilbo standing dumbfounded at the entrance to his dining room.
Three loud knocks echoed through the house, making everyone go quiet and Bilbo looked towards the door. The dwarves trickled out into the hall and gathered as Gandalf let in a regal looking dwarf.

Thorin.
Something warmed in my chest at the sight of him; he was a decent looking dwarf, though that could be attributed to a short time I'd spent in their homeland many moons ago, when I'd been accepted as his friend. I sighed and retreated back out of sight as memories flooded my mind.

Lord Thranduil, my host for a short time, had brought me to Erabor, kingdom of the dwarves, as he went to pay homage to Thorin's grandfather, Thror. Before Thranduil left, I'd asked if I could remain in the mountain, wanting to learn of how dwarves lived. With some convincing from me, Thror and the elf king had allowed me to stay, the former assigning his grandson to show me around.
At the time, Thorin seemed to have no issue with the task, guiding me around in the first couple of days I was there.
He'd been quite sweet even. When he wasn't busy with his own tasks after I'd settled in, he brought me to various sections of the mountain, showing me how they sorted through gems and where they did their mining. At one point he even took me into the grand treasury where Thror kept his wealth.
I'd noticed the growing closeness between us as time went on and it had given me an irreversible soft spot towards the dwarf.
But I'd been there when Smaug attacked, separated from Thorin in the panic. When I found him again after his battle at Moria, he rejected my offer of joining their travels. He thought I'd left them during the dragon's attack, and thus grouped me in with the rest of the elves that he considered traitors for turning their backs on the dwarves. He hadn't even let me explain where I'd been during the escape.

I was drawn out of my memories by the sound of my name. Peering out from the bedroom, I saw Gandalf looking around, his head poked out of the dining room.
Bilbo was headed in my direction. With a sigh, I walked out of my hiding place.
"Ah there you are!" Gandalf said, pleased as I came closer, though I stopped a few feet from the archway, standing out of the sight of the dwarves. "Come meet the company, dear girl." He urged, motioning for me to come closer.

"I'm not sure if that would be wise, Gandalf.." I replied quietly, dropping my gaze to the floor. "I don't think me being here was your best plan."

"Oh nonsense!" He emerged fully and came to put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me to stand behind Thorin, who was holding a key and scanning over a map of his destination.
The other dwarves, who'd been murmuring to themselves when I was coming down the hall, went silent; all eyes on me. Balin, an older dwarf who I recognized from Erabor and from a more recent encounter, stood and hurried around the table, giving me a tight embrace.

"Ah, Materia! Bless you, lass, it's good to see you!" He gushed, pulling back to look up at me. "Where've you been?"

I gave him a half smile and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Various places, Master Balin."

"You shouldn't have left so quickly last we met. I hadn't the time to thank you for saving me."

"Balin, this elf woman saved you?" The brown haired dwarf from the dishes throwing spoke up.

"Aye, Kili. She helped me out with an orc situation near the Blue Mountains a year and some ago. Dragged me out of there when I thought things would turn for the worst, she did. I owe her my life I'd say."

I gave an awkward smile as 'Kili' stared at me with a hint of wonder in his eyes. Beside him, his brother was eyeing me curiously. My vision of them was cut off though as Thorin stood from his chair, his broad shoulders blocking my view. I swallowed and Balin went back to his chair after giving my arm a small squeeze.

"We just can't seem to be rid of you, can we elf." Thorin said in a low voice, the annoyance in his tone apparent as he turned to me, arms crossed. Something flickered in his gaze as it landed on me, before his stare began drilling into me. A knot formed in my chest as I crossed my arms over my stomach to prevent myself from fidgeting.
"No matter how far we go, you somehow seem to appear before us."

"I.. well.." I fumbled, breaking eye contact with him.

"Thorin, she's here as another member for your company." Gandalf said, in a poor attempt at lessening Thorin's intensity.
It didn't work; the furrow in Thorin's brow increased.

"I didn't want you joining us when you came to Moria. What makes you think I'd want you joining us now?" He growled at me.

"Thorin, I didn't realize you were involved in the quest Gandalf invited me on. I'm not here for you. I just want to help these dwarves get home." I said, standing straighter - as much as I was able to given the low ceilings of the hobbit hole - and finding my voice again. The tightness in my chest grew worse.

Gandalf watched Thorin from the chair he'd lowered himself into. "She's telling the truth. I didn't mention who she was helping, only that she was helping a group get home. She didn't even know dwarves were involved."

I tried to give the wizard a look of thanks, but couldn't quite manage it given the circumstance he'd dragged me into. "I only wish to help. I want nothing from you in return, not even your trust." I offered, forcing my arms to fall back to my sides.

"Good. Because you will get none." Thorin spat. He stared at me for a few moments before letting out an aggravated sigh. "Give her and the burglar the contract." He turned away from me, sitting down rigidly on his chair.

Bilbo took the contract from Balin, who shot me a small look of apology, his eyes flicking to Thorin and then back to me. I turned away from the dwarves altogether, and watched as Bilbo paced slowly, murmuring out the contract terms just loud enough for me to hear.

"In.. cineration?" He said, sounding floored that that would be one of the hazards on our journey. He'd stopped his pacing to look between Thorin, Gandalf and Balin, willing one of them to say it was a misprint.

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." The dwarf beside Balin spoke up, the flaps on his hat dancing as he gave a nod.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked cautiously.
Bilbo's eyes flicked to him.

"Huh? Yeah, I-I feel a bit faint.."
I took a slow step closer to the hobbit at his words, ready to stop him if he made good on those words.

"Think furnace, with wings."
I shot a glare at the talkative dwarf, trying to figure out if he was trying to ease Bilbo's mind, or make the poor hobbit's anxiety worse.

Bilbo's request for air brought my attention back to him.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

Bilbo took a deep breath, straightening himself, before giving a quick 'no', and keeling over, making me lunge down onto my knees to catch him before he could hit the floor.