An Unexpected Friendship.

Chapter XXXXXIII

We had been riding for most of the day and I had been riding at the back keeping an eye on my husband and his brother as they would probably play practical jokes on me, the hobbits and older Dwarves including Thorin who halfway through the ride dropped back with me and allowed Gandalf to lead. "You know I still wear it" He told me.

"Wear what?" I inquired.

"Don't you remember the time we were sat on the steps of Erebor and you were carving a wooden wolf head charm for your hair, but gave it to me instead" He reminded me pulling one of his braids forward and on the end was the wolf head I had carved years ago.

"Thorin you were only a Dwarfling, I was how I am now besides your parents trusted me to taking care of you and your sister. Thorin Oakenshield  I have always been there at your side just hidden away when ever I was not out doing my job, then when your nephews came along, I was there but I watched from afar and here I am now married to one of them and now apart of the family again. I still remember the time you burnt yourself in the forges when you were 18" I explained.

"You know when Kili was a Dwarfling he always used to play with the wolf head, but I refused to say anything to him in case you did come back and end up marrying one of them" He added.

"That was wise" I replied.

"Why didn't you recognise me when we met when you saved Kilis life?" He asked.

"Because Thorin, the last years of my life had been filled with jobs" I answered. "It had been a long time since I had seen you" I added, we then noticed the company had stopped. So Thorin and I galloped up to the front and saw a dead Orc laying in front of us but it was a week old.

"Keep going, before it gets dark" Thorin ordered. So we carried on and then as soon as dusk fell we stopped, we were all given our instructions while the hobbits relaxed and allowed all the Dwarves and I to do all the tasks, even though Kili, Fili and Thorin told me not to but I am too headstrong to listen.

"Abrax rest take it easy, there are thirteen of us and one of you we've got it covered" Fili said to me. Bombour soon started cooking, Kili sat on a log above me while I sat on the ground as he rebraided my hair, the hobbits were sat on either side of us and inquired about Kili braiding my hair.

"Braids mean different things and it shows that someone is being courted" Kili answered tugging on my hair a little, I was beginning to fall asleep and Kili pulled my hair a little harder waking me up, once done I snuggled into Kilis chest, then Fili came and sat next to me.

"Brother when are you going to learn to braid properly!" Fili exclaimed, so I ran my fingers over my braids and the only good ones were the courting and marriage braids but the rest were all terrible as they were loose and some of my hair was hanging out of them. I had noticed that since Kili and Fili had become closer to me and more protective of me, even if Thorin was around with me. I soon slipped off to sleep in Kilis safe arms and Filis protective temper. I soon woke up as I was shivering and I found I was laying on my side, Kilis arm wrapped around mine but I pulled my coat over my shoulders a little more, Fili was still on watch.

"Are you a little cold?" He asked looking down at me as he noticed I was shivering.

"A little" I nodded. So he took his coat off and laid it around my shoulders, Kili then pulled me closer towards his chest trying to keep me warm, as my whispers must've disturbed him a little bit, I tried getting back to sleep, tugging my coat over my shoulders and then tugging Filis coat over my shoulders a little more, I couldn't sleep as the chills still plagued my body. I tried to raise my body temperature but it didn't and stayed the same, I must be using the heat to keep the baby warm and its not in enough supply to the rest of my body. I could hear that Filis breathing became deep as he fell asleep, so I carefully took Kilis arms from around my waist and took over his watch, turning into my wolf, the company was camped down the hill, which I climbed and trotted up and down making sure that nothing was near and that we were safe.

Dawn was soon approaching and I knew they would all be waking up soon, so I concentrated my hearing and I heard hoof beats coming towards me, there stood a great stag and it looked at me, it came closer and closer till finally I pounced on it dragging it down the hill with me and we tumbled about, crunching the autumn leaves and snapping the dry twigs, it was calling out as I dug my teeth and claws into its body tearing the animals throat apart, I pined as it kicked at my stomach, we were in the middle of the camp, I had rolled into the ashes of the fire which coated my fur in black soot, I then finally broke its neck with my strength and dropped the carcass on the floor.

Thorin was soon awake and asked "What was all that noise?"

"Breakfast" I said nodding to the stag.

"Well done" He said. "Now go wash that soot off" He said to me, so I turned into human and walked to the lake not far away from the company and I began to remove my garments, my keen hearing picked up the sound of footsteps behind me and I turned around, it was Kili so I hugged him but I rubbed soot all over him, so he disrobed and then came into the lake with me.

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