Skin Changer : A Hobbit FanFiction (Discontinued)

Unacknowledged Feelings

Thorin paced the riverbank anxiously, his gaze constantly going upriver. Behind him, Fili sat beside his brother, holding his shoulder encouragingly as Oin attempted to clean out the gruesome arrow wound. His nephew's pained expression was clear in Thorin's mind, and he flinched with every groan.

This was not how it was supposed to happen.

He looked up into the dreary sky. It was as if all the world had somehow muted itself, leeching its color until all that remained was a monotonous grey veiling what Thorin knew was a very vivid forest. Perhaps it was the brightness of the elven kingdom that had sensitized him to the general lack of color in the world he called his own.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he knew without turning that it belonged to Balin.

"Lad," the older dwarf said glumly. "We cannae wait any longer. Kili needs help, and we've no food, no weapons." He sighed, long and hard through his nose. "If she were coming, she'd have been here by now."

Thorin stiffened angrily under his friend's grip. "What are you suggesting?"

Balin hesitated. "I'm only saying, Lad... Ilma will catch up with us, ye know she will. Whatever's keeping her wont last forever."

"So we should abandon her?" Thorin asked darkly. "After all she's done for us?"

"I didnae say that," Balin replied hastily. "Only that we are running out of time, Thorin. And Ilma is resourceful. If she truly wishes to find us, nothing will stop her."

Before Thorin could argue, Kili bellowed sharply from the pain. Conflicted, Thorin resumed his pacing.

Despite their dire situation, Balin began to chuckle. "Why, Lad, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were smitten with the lass."

Thorin froze mid step, teetering before he found his balance. Sparing a glare for Balin, he muttered darkly under his breath as he stormed inland, yelling over his shoulder for the Company to move out.