A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

22. A Trap

I grumbled in annoyance, shaking my head free of the sleepiness that rose. I have been lightly dosing, nothing that could be counted as actual sleep, but still enough to offer more energy for the next day of walking. Drowsily, I looked around the cave and sighed in annoyance, bored out of my mind as I waited for daylight. Usually, out in the open, I have something to occupy my time when I can't sleep. Be it watching the stars and the moon or listening to the creatures in the surrounding area, maybe watching the flames of the fire.

I get none of that in this damn cave. The only glow lighting the cave is the small amount of light coming in through the entrance and the pattering of rain. Only now that too is gone, as the rain was slowing. I leaned my head back against the cave, staring at the roof as I kept my eye focused there to stay awake.

I am not falling asleep only to whimper in my sleep or something. In the wilderness I am least had other sounds and more space from the others to cover the fact that I have a problem with sleeping. In this damn cave I have none of that, the only covering sound is the snores of the dwarves.

I started listening to the snores to avoid boredom, playing a guessing game of which snore belongs to who. It least it's keeping me from falling asleep. Well, that extremely loud obnoxious snore is coming from Bombur, if I remember correctly from the first night on the Great East Road. The more gurgling snore that really doesn't sound healthy is coming from Bifur.

I listened closer, frowning a touch as I tried to identify the hilarious whistling snore, looking over a smirking in amusement as I realized that snore is coming from Dwalin of all people.

I continued to entertain myself by guessing who's snores are who's until I ran out of snores to guess. There are only four people currently not snoring in this cave, and that is Bilbo, who is clearly awake, Thorin, who I don't know if he is awake, or if he even snores, and Bofur and I, as Bofur is now on watch, having taken Fili's place.

I looked to the cave entrance and grumbled quietly, deciding it's better to get up and maybe make small talk with Bofur then spend the rest of the hours till dawn trying not to sleep. I pushed off the save wall, looking up and spotting the white of Fairfin's feathers before making my way carefully over sleeping dwarves. I took a seat on the rock across from Bofur, nodding to him.

He looked up from watching the cave entrance in shock, frowning as he studied me. I probably looked tired, but if he asks questions I ain't answering them. And if he tries to tell me to try sleeping, I will definitely threaten him so he gets the point.

Luckily, he didn't ask about why I look half awake and am sitting here, which I am grateful for. I had not missed Bofur, Bombur, and Bifur not giving me worried looks or being overly protective just because I am a woman. I don't know if they have met warrior women before or just don't care, either way, it's why I like being around them more than dwarves like Balin or Dori.

I pulled a knife from my inner sleeve of my long shirt, studying the knife in the glow of the moon into the cave as I looked outside, lost in thoughts as I twisted around and around on my fingers, knowing where the blade is so was to not cut myself.

Some time passed before I heard shuffling in the cave behind me. I turned and noticed Bilbo standing up, pack carefully picked up off the ground and walking stick in hand as he stepped over the dwarves, freezing as he stepped on Bombur and made him snort before the dwarf fell asleep again.

I stopped spinning the knife, sad that I was right and sad to see the only other outsider than me go. Bilbo has a kind heart and soul, innocent in many ways as he is unaffected by the gruesomeness of the dark belly of the world. It was kind of nice, having someone around who isn't affected by having to kill, or fighting only to watch others die when you couldn't fight enough. His weird comments about third breakfast and all that were rather odd but, beyond that, a lot of what he spoke of made me think of the normal life I never lived. A life that was always interesting in a curiosity way to me. But, from the moment I watched blashes clash in the training area, I always wanted to be a warrior.