Stay With Me [Thorin Oakenshield]

Chapter 14: Mirkwood

"How are your wounds, Louisa?", Fili asked while fastening their pony's reigns. 

Beorn had kindly provided them with several ponies to help them make it to Mirkwood safely. Currently he seemed to be having a rather serious conversation with Gandalf and Louisa, who was supposed to help Fili, had been glancing over at them repeatedly, having a fair idea of what they might be discussing. She shifted her attention from them however when Fili addressed her, turning to look at the young dwarf. She smiled, grateful for his concern for her, but was quick to dismiss it. 

"They're perfectly fine, Fili. The ointment Beorn provided me with worked absolute wonders, there's nothing left but a scar. Besides, they really weren't as bad as Thorin made them out to be.", she answered with a slight chuckle. She had expected a light-hearted response but was met with surprising sincerity. "Well, he cares for you. As do we all. Of course he worries.", Fili pointed out, meaning every word. That was when a smirk crept onto his face. "Although I must say, he seems to have grown especially fond of you, my dear.", he teased. Louisa tried to hide the blush that rushed to her face, but it was no use. 

"Shush, Fili, don't say that. I'm sure that's not true. At least not in the sense that you're implying.", she immediately turned a deaf ear to it. Fili actually laughed out loud at this. "Oh my, Louisa, sweetheart, are you blind? Maybe the warg did get your eye, should I take another look at it?", he asked sarcastically, cupping her face to inspect her eye with faked concern. A very unladylike snort escaped the hobbit as she swatted his hands away. "Seems more likely that you hit your head somewhere, judging by your gibberish. Maybe we should take a look at that instead. Oh wait... no, you've always been nonsensical. My bad.", she fired back with a smirk of her own. 

Fili mockingly placed a hand over his heart and stumbled back a little. "Oh, you wound me, my love. I really thought we had something!", he exclaimed dramatically. Louisa's smirk only widened. "Well... like I said. Nonsensical."

Fili gasped, shocked by her sassiness despite visibly taking delight in it. "Oh no, you didn't...", he said threateningly as he quickly approached her. Before Louisa even had the chance to run, he threw her over his shoulder and began spinning in circles rapidly. Louisa shrieked with laughter, now drawing the attention of the other dwarves. "Say you're sorry!", the dwarf demanded, laughing too as he kept spinning her. Louisa was quick to give up, feeling dizzy already. "Alright fine, I'm sorry, just put me down, I beg you!", she whined. 

Her friend grinned in victory as he put her back on her own two feet and took a step back. Louisa stood still for a moment, trying to stop her head from spinning when she noticed that the company was looking on in amusement. "What are you all looking at?", she asked in a playfully agitated tone as she took a few steps towards her pony. She didn't get very far however before the dizziness hit her again and she stumbled off sideways, falling to the ground in a heap. 

Louisa groaned as she looked up from her spot on the floor, hearing the dwarves chuckle at her misery. Fili's face appeared within her field of vision with a satisfied smirk. "Let that be a lesson to you.", he said as he held out a hand for her to grasp, which she gratefully did, allowing him to pull her to her feet. "Ugh, you're annoying, you know that?", she grumbled a little, not liking that he had gotten the better of her as he led her back to their pony, swiftly lifting her on top of it before climbing on behind her himself. There weren't enough ponies for all of them and they had decided that Louisa and Bilbo should each ride with a dwarf as they were the lightest. 

They had just settled, when they suddenly heard some leaves rustling and birds squawking loudly. The company visibly tensed, becoming a little more on edge. "Gandalf. Time is wasting.", Thorin called out, eager to get as far away from the pack as possible. They waited on the wizard for another minute before he finally joined them, just as a distant howl could be heard. "Go now, while you have the light. Your hunters are not far behind.", Beorn said as he glanced at Louisa one last time, nodding to her in farewell. She sadly returned his gesture.