A Thorn In My Side

So, We're Talking About It?

I stood frozen with those dark eyes on me. How? I thought back to earlier. The fire made me sweat, the firelight had shown through my white tunic, and because I hadn't been wearing my vest, Thorin saw my silhouette. 

"I knew it!" Fili said with a smug grin.

"So we're talking about it now?" Bofur said. "That's a relief."

"Bilbos a girl?" Kili gasped. He was hit on the back of his head by Dori.

Fili looked at Nori. "When did you figure it out?"

"On three we say. 1...2...3! Trolls!" they all called.

Kili looked at Dwalin. "Did you know?"

Dwalin sent him a look. "'Course I knew. It rained, remember?"

There was a collection of ohs and yeahs. All the while I stood frozen in Thorin's hard gaze. What was he thinking? If there was ever a chance of him accepting me, it seemed like that was diminishing under the hard gaze of the king. 

"You lied to this company, to me." His voice was quiet, but everyone fell silent under the power it commanded.

"I know, but-"

He turned to Gandalf, cutting me off. "You knew." It wasn't a question.

Gandalf nodded gravely. "Indeed I did. I knew you would not accept Bella as a woman, you hardly accepted her as a man."

"You knowingly put a woman in danger." His voice took on a deadly tone.

I huffed. "It makes no difference whether or not I'm a woman-"

"It makes every difference!" He roared, whirling to face me in his rage. "Woman are to be protected, not throw to dragons!"

"I can take care of myself! I think I very well just proved that!" I matched his tone, outraged that he felt I hadn't the right to be here.

"You shouldn't have had too." Thorin growled.

I shook my head, growing angry. "I am apart of this company Thorin Oakenshield, and I intend to keep my word. I signed the contract."

"As Bilbo, not Bella." He argued.

"You think I'm so dull as to not sign my name?" I demanded. I clenched my jaw. "None of this matters Thorin. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Balin cut in. "How are you feeling?" He stepped in between us.

"I'm fine." His eyes flickered over to me, and he stilled.

"What is it now?" I demanded. Kili burst out laughing, followed by his brother. "What?"

"He's," another laugh. "Remembering the trolls."

My face turned bright red at that. Why did they have to bring it up now? I cleared my throat uncomfortably. The others were all roaring in laughter. Gandalf chuckled from where he stood leaning on his staff.

"Yes, well, that was unfortunate." I said, still fighting a blush. "Shouldn't we move on now?"

"Aye." Dwalin said. "As soon as you and Thorin are looked over by Oin. That was a reckless stunt you pulled there, lass."

I smiled at the pride that gleamed in his eyes. "It's nothing you wouldn't have done."

He snorted. "You did well halfling."

I beamed at him. 

We had lost all of our supplies in the cave when we had fallen victim to the goblins. Fili and Kili were sent to find anything that might be useful. I listened to Bofur as he told me what had happened to them when they were brought before the goblin king. I laughed as he went on to tell me just how bad goblin music is. His comment was met with a lot of "Aye!"'s. Thorin made sure to let his displeasure with me widely known. 

Thorin's POV

The halfling sat laughing at something Bofur was telling her. I stood with my back pressed against a cliff, watching her in displeasure. In my mind I found myself noting the soft roundness to her face, small delicate hands. A woman through and through. I should have known, should have refused to let her join my company. She want from liability to distraction. 

Betrayal writhed in my chest when Dwalin clasped Bella on her shoulder with a smile I never thought to see on his face. In a way this cleared a few things for me. Why Dwalin seemed to take a sudden interest in the hobbit for one. Where dwarvish women know how to protect themselves, this small woman could barely hold onto the hilt of a sword. 

Oin approached me with a knowing look. I allowed him to inspect the wounds I had received. "She's unlike any woman, isn't she?"

I grunted. "She should be back at home with her books and doilies."

Balin came to stand next to me. "She really is quite remarkable, wrote her signature in an ambigram."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Is there no way to send her back to rivendell?"

"She saved your life, Thorin. I say she has earned the right to be here." Balin said. 

I said nothing.