Something in the Night

Chapter Five

After they finished eating, Thorin looked over at Dwalin. "A word, if you don't mind?"

Dwalin looked as if he very much minded, but still followed Thorin to the far side of the room, where they would be out of earshot of Elrond, Lindir, and Nina. "What is it?"

"I might ask you the same thing," Thorin replied, folding his arms as he leveled a long look at Dwalin. He'd served as Thorin's right hand for as long as Thorin could remember, and he held Dwalin's opinion in high regard. So, if something troubled him where Nina was concerned, he wanted to know it and why. "You'd rather she not accompany us?"

Dwalin glanced over his shoulder at the table, where the three were deep in conversation, then looked back. "I would rather that, yes," he said with a nod. "I don't trust her."

"Nor do I, simply because we know nothing about her. But, there are two of us and one of her and I think the numbers are in our favor."

"They are, or they should be," Dwalin replied, his voice lower than usual and a nod accompanied his words, "but she is no typical girl. We saw that for ourselves last eve, didn't we?"

"We did. And she came to our aid."

"Thorin, just because she fought off Orcs doesn't make her automatically trustworthy or on our side. Ye know this."

"I do. And I'm not suggesting she is. But, she had no cause to step between that arrow and me, so that weighs in her favor." Thorin glanced over at Nina. In the light of dawn, it was a wonder he hadn't noticed she was a girl instead of a boy. She was small, and compact, but her hair alone should've given her away, as it was a bushy mess of coppery curls that spilled halfway down her back.

"Just take care. Ye don't know her, don't know why she stepped in the path of that arrow."

He nodded. He understood that, of course. And he was just as curious as Dwalin as to why she'd done as she had.

"You're right, I don't know. Nor am I foolish enough to think if I ask, she will tell me the truth. But, she is only a girl. She would be no match for you and I together."

Dwalin didn't look all too convinced even as he nodded. "I suppose."

"She won't be. So, worry not. We will keep a close eye on her, and make certain she does not put a foot wrong." He slapped a hand against Dwalin's back. "So, let's gather up what we need to take back to Erebor with us and think about being on our way. We have a bit of a journey ahead of us."

Dwalin rolled his eyes. "Just a bit. Remember how long it took the last time we left here to go to to Erebor?"

"Ah, but this time around, we will not be being pursued by anyone—hopefully—and if Thranduíl is alerted ahead of time that we will be arriving, we shouldn't have the same trouble we did the last time."

"No, instead he's dealing with the fact that yer nephew wishes to marry the captain of his guard."

Thorin grinned at that. "Well, we will cross that bridge when we reach it. As of right now, Kíli remains in Erebor, Tauriel in Mirkwood and Thrandy isn't at all aware of their plans."

Dwalin chuckled. "How are those plans coming?"

Thorin rolled his eyes. "Make no mention of it, please. Dís was driving me mad with trying to come up with a way to convince Kíli he really should marry someone a bit less elvish and a lot more dwarvish. But to do so in such a way as to keep him from figuring out she's doing so."

"And how is that going?"

They took their leave of the Great Hall before he answered with a soft sigh. "About as well as you'd imagine. Kíli feels he owes his life to Tauriel and I find it difficult to argue with him. She did save his life with her quick thinking. She's done so twice. So, Dís is angry with me as well."