Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Eight]

The day was growing late. The wizard had stormed passed the dwarves and the hobbits and disappeared into the forest from being flustered with the leader. Freya was sitting on the ground looking around, wide eyed; scared that trolls would snatch her for a snack. They could not move in daylight, but the sun would be settling down soon and they would be able to strike.

" Lass! You ready?" Dwalin asked as he approached her with his sword drawn. She looked at him confused. After her failure at sword fighting with Thorin, she had forgotten that Dwalin was going to be teaching her.

" Oh, um yeah, sorry it slipped my mind...." She said as she looked at his pointy end of the sword and then at the dwarf himself.

" Don't worry Freya, he'll be going easy on you." Balin assured the hobbit as he approached his brother's side and smiled at the girl. She smiled to Balin and got up from the ground. The three of them went a few feet away from the others. Balin had found amongst the company a smaller sword for the girl to practice with, and handed it to her. " Now remember to plant your feet and just practices blocking the blows my brother will through at you, don't worry lass you'll be fine."

" Are you going to let the girl practice brother? Or talk her ears off?" Dwalin questioned his older brother, getting impatient. Balin smirked and put up his hands, indicating he didn't want to fight and that he was gone to leave them both to it. The older dwarf headed back towards the others, who were gathering firewood and setting up camp, while Bombur prepared supper.

" Okay, I'm ready..." Freya said as she held her sword in front of her, digging her feet in the dirt as she waited for the dwarf to make his first swing at her. Dwalin stepped forward swinging his blade down at her, she moved her blade in front of her face and their blades met; crashing against each other.

" There you go lass, you've got it. I'll make a fine warrior out of you in no time." Dwalin stated, feeling quite pleased with himself at the moment. The dwarf continued to come at her from different angles.

" Are you surprised?"

The prince turned to his left to see Balin. The older dwarf approached the leaders side, and watched as his brother and the hobbit were sparring.

"She's determined." Thorin muttered clearly surprised she hadn't given up from his brutally attack on her from the night before. The older dwarf let out a low laugh, hearing the shock in Thorin's voice.

" She's defiantly full of surprises, this one."

Thorin had to agreed and was in deep thought before he answered on that as he continued to watch his best warrior and the girl spare as Dwalin swung his blade over her head and she ducked just in time, swinging her blade back at him; liking Dwalin better for training her, then the princes ways of teaching her how to fight.

" Maybe, or just incredibly foolish."

Balin looked at the prince befuddled by his response. She had come on her own to help them reclaim their homeland, willing to do whatever it took to be able to fight and had warned the leader of what could be possibly lingering in the area and he dismissed it; and now the prince was already quick to condemn her.

" Thorin, she's not as useless as you think she is. At least giver her a chance to show what she can do." Balin snapped at the leader, they starred at each other for a brief second, when Thorin walked away. Balin looked at the ground in disapproval with the leaders rudeness towards this girl.

" Well lass. Let's call it a night, we will train more tomorrow. Let's get something to eat, you've earned it." Dwalin said to Freya as he patted the hobbit on the back. They both were sweating from the training and they made there way back over to the fire. Bombur had prepared a wonder full meal for them: a pot of hot soup. Freya thanked Bombur when he handed her, her bowl and went to join her cousin who was also sipping on his soup, but something else was distracting him from fully enjoying his meal.

" What's on your mind, cousin?" Freya asked as she placed her soup beside her and turned her attention to Bilbo. Bilbo got up from his spot and looked towards the forest where the wizard had disappeared into from earlier.

" He's been a long time." Bilbo stated, not mentioning who he was referring to.

" Who?" Bofur questioned as he was dishing up two more bowls full of soup.

" Gandalf."

" He's a wizard! He does as he chooses. Here, do us a favor: take this to the lads." Bofur indicated as he gave the bowls of soup to Bilbo and pushed him in the direction of where Fili and Kili were looking after the ponies and Bilbo leaves. " Stop it, you've had plenty." Bombur looked upset that his brother wasn't letting him have a fourth bowl of soup. When Bofur wasn't looking Freya handed her bowl that was still half full of soup to Bombur who smiled at the young girl and began eating it. She smiled, glad that her food wouldn't be going to waste.

Hours had passed, Freya hadn't seen her cousin return from delivering the bowls of soup, she was worried.

" Freya, relax. He's fine. He's probably just having a good chat with the brothers." She muttered to herself, trying to pull herself together.

" Help!"

Freya and the others jumped up from there spots.

" Kili. What is it?" Thorin questioned, looking at his youngest nephew.

" It's Bilbo! He's in trouble. There's trolls! They are taken our ponies! " Kili freaked. Thorin looked at Freya, clearly shocked she had told the truth; maybe the older dwarf was right, maybe he should've trusted her instincts. On the other hand he was not to thrilled with their burglar.

" Arm yourselves!" Thorin ordered. The dwarves drew their swords, charging into the forest following Kili. Freya pulled out her sword, running when she was yanked back by her hood of her cloak.

" What are you doing?" Freya questioned, looking at the leader bewildered.

" Stay here." Thorin ordered her.

"No. I am not just going to stay here, while my cousin is in trouble." Freya yelled as she went to push by Thorin but he pulled her right back no problem.

" Yes you are. It's bad enough one hobbit is captured we don't need two." He snarled at her and snatched her sword out of her hand and ran into the forest with the others. Freya stood there annoyed at his utter rudeness towards her and sat by the fire waiting anxiously for their return; hopefully with her cousin.