A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

10. Troll's Stink

Thorin's POV

I growled to myself, angry at my distraction which had allowed the Trolls to catch us, I was just glad that Philomena was back at camp and not here in this mess.

Philomena.

I mind unintentionally went back to when I touched her arm, the strike I felt was like someone blasted me with enough lightning to disintegrate a tree, shocking me to my core. Mahal's sense of humor must be a strong one, making my One be the most stubborn female I have ever met, who is not even a dwarf and is hiding a thousand secrets behind those hard grey blue eyes.

I had already determined after meeting her and talking to her that there was a lot she refused to speak of, only small bits of her past did she show. She held a guarded look one only gained from trials through life. I hadn't realized in the two days since I had met her that I had been trying subtly to crack that shell she had created but it was made of iron, not a lot can get through. I found her extremely annoying in her stubbornness but she was too intriguing, the oddest and most different female I have ever met. I also have not missed the fact that she has a temper. She hid it well after the first time, when she called me out on giving a hobbit an axe. I saw it a few other times, how her grey blue eyes became blue flames and she glared down the person who annoyed her.

She is definitely pretty too, though in an odd, not dwarf way. She looks fragile, but I have seen enough from her recently to assume she is not in any way fragile. The amount of weaponry she carries is a lot, which is surprising for a short human woman. Her hair alone makes her stand out like a torch at night, being a vibrant shade of lightened orange from the sun, her hair looks like actual flames. She definitely does not blend in.

I refused to let thoughts of her distract me, she may be my One but I do not care nor will I act on it, I have a quest to fulfill, not a lover to find. I thought stubbornly.

None of these thoughts mattered now, we were all tied up in stinky sacks, about to be dinner for trolls. I looked around, planning and trying to think of a way out of this situation. Dori, Dwalin, and a few of the other's were tied up in ropes over a fire, slowly spinning as trolls intended to roast them. The rest of us were stuffed into stinky burlap sacks with the rope around the top tied tight.

"Don't bother cooking 'em! Let's just sit on 'em and squash 'em into jelly!" The rather stupid troll of the three spoke. I looked down at the ropes as I tried to reach for the knife I kept in my boot, but Bombur was annoying crushing my foot so I couldn't reach it. We were all just piled together, the others trying to find a way out as well.

"They should be sauteed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage." The cook wearing an apron said. I looked at the rope tied around the sack and sighed, grabbing it with my teeth and trying to either break it or make the knot at the back the troll tied loosen.

"Oh, that does sound quite nice." The stupid troll said.

"Never mind the seasoning, we ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, let's get a move on! I don't fancy been turned to stone." The third troll said as I continued to yank on the rope with my teeth.

"Wait! You are making a terrible mistake." Bilbo suddenly called out. I looked in the direction of the annoying hobbit I wish we never brought along. It's because of him we are in this situation to begin with. I glared at the hobbit as he hopped to his feet inside of the sack, struggling to stay standing as he spoke. He hopped toward the fire like a bunny while I was trying to figure out what the stupid hobbit was up to.

"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori called out to Mr. Baggins.

"Half-wits? What does that make us?" Nori called out as well.