Bring Me With Her

Dark Circumstances

With a tough blink, Talia woke up that next morning sore and stiff...and alone. She looked around her to see the men packing their things while breakfast was being prepared. The young woman had to admit that she was a bit disappointed to wake up without Thorin by her side, but what else could she expect?

The only time Thorin had ever showed Talia any affection in front of people was during the incident in Rivendell, when he felt threatened by his own nephews spending more time with her. Other than that, under normal circumstances, her Dwarf would hardly even be caught holding her hand in public. There was no way he would ever risk the stares and smirks of his company by being seen sharing a bedroll with her. The young woman smiled slightly and rolled her eyes at the thought, and slowly got up to join the others.

Nearly everyone was gathered around the fire that Oin and Gloin had built, save for a few others who were packing their bags. She spotted Thorin sitting in between his nephews in a comfortable silence. It was Dwalin who looked up and saw her heading towards them first. "Well, look who's finally decided to grace us with her presence, lads!" he announced. The young woman gave a tired smile as the rest of the company greeted her with their own smiles.

Talia walked over to sit down when Kili scooched over to make a spot for her between him and Dwalin. The young woman gladly took it, and rested her head against Kili's shoulder when he wrapped his arm around her, nearly drifting off to sleep again as the heat of the fire kissed her face. "How are you feeling?" Kili asked.

"Fine...but I wish I could sleep the whole day." she softly chuckled.

"Well after yesterday, I'd say you deserve it." the young Dwarf replied, bringing a laugh from Talia's lips.

"If only..."

She knew they couldn't stay here. They couldn't stay anywhere for more than a night. They didn't have the time. No matter what happened, they had to keep moving. Talia didn't need anyone to tell her that...she could already feel it. It only took the simple action of standing up, but Talia could feel the Ring becoming ever so slightly heavy around her neck. It wasn't bad, but the young woman could notice a significant difference from how it felt yesterday. That told her that there was no time to stop, that the Ring would only become heavier and heavier the longer they waited.

Talia opened her eyes and looked up to find Kili looking at her with concern. "What? Do I have dark circles around my eyes?" she asked. That brought a smile to his sweet face. He shook his head, and Talia turned her gaze ahead of Kili to find that her comment hadn't exactly settled Thorin the same way. His eyebrows were creased with hidden concern, and it was clear that he could tell that she hadn't regained her full strength.

The young woman sharpened her look so he would truly meet her eyes. Her expression softened as she gave a small shake of her head. Please don't look at me like that. she mentally told him. Thorin seemed to get the message to let it go, but the feeling didn't leave his eyes. Talia didn't know what to tell him. She knew what he was feeling at the moment, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't stop the fellowship from continuing the journey, and he obviously couldn't control Talia's muscle strength or endurance. She would either arrive at Moria's mines completely exhausted, or she'd collapse on the way.

If only it were still night, and everyone was still asleep, when he would allow her to give him the comfort she so desperately wanted to. Now, she could only hope that she wouldn't be too drained to speak with him tonight, and tell him more than just one sentence before passing out. It had been two weeks since they had a true conversation...she would've given anything just to hear him speak to her the way he did before all this happened. There's always tonight. she told herself. Just be patient.