Demons

Chapter Five

Thorin

I awoke early the next morning. As I rolled over, I noticed that Dwalin was keeping watch. I looked to my left and was startled when I saw Meg asleep, propped up on the rock next to me. That was when I remembered our 'conversation' from the night before.

I was too harsh on her, I thought. But she hurt me. She abandoned me and let me believe she was dead.

She looked so peaceful as she slept. The morning sun swept over her cheeks, highlighting her delicate cheekbones. Her eyelashes were long and dark; when her eyes were open, they defined them perfectly. Her skin was slightly tanned, probably from travelling. The plait that had tamed her hair a couple of days ago now fell in cascades of waves over her shoulders. My eyes travelled to her rosy pink lips and lingered there. I could almost feel them against mine...

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed that the rest of the company had woken up. They were busying themselves with packing away the camp. I slid from the rock, landing heavily, and made my way over to Gandalf.

"She cannot stay." I muttered to the wizard as he packed away his bed role and lit his pipe. He seemed startled by my sudden appearance but soon regained his composure.

"Why not?" his face was grave.

"Because she will hold us back." I hissed, "She is not strong enough."

"You know that is not true, Thorin! You and Dwalin trained her yourselves. To doubt her is to doubt yourself."

I was about to respond when I heard a soft voice. I turned to see that Meg was now awake and talking to Balin. He seemed to be explaining the plans for the day.

In my peripheral vision I saw Dwalin moving around. I approached him, turning my back on Balin and Meg.

"How did you sleep?" I asked.

"Well. Although, I thought you were keeping watch before me." he answered, raising an eyebrow at me.

"She offered." I grunted.

Dwalin rolled his eyes; he knew me too well, "Don't lie to me, Thorin." He looked at me, trying to decipher my expression, "I know she hurt you Thorin, but you don't want to lose her again." With that, he walked away.

***

The rain pounded down. My hair clung to my neck and face. Sharman looked rather disgruntled, too. Mud gurgled beneath the ponies' hooves as we truded through the forest. Grumbles sounded behind me as my fellow dwarves attempted to light their pipes... and failed.

"Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" asked a voice I recognised as Dori's.

The Wizard seemed amused as he provided his answer, "It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard." 

"Are there any?" this time it was our burglar who spoke.

"What?"

"Other wizards?" calrified the Hobbit.

"There are five of us." stated Gandalf, "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue wizards; you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And the fifth?" pressed another voice. I took a double take and realised that it belonged to Meg. I had temporarily managed to push her from my mind but now her voice rang clearly through the air.

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown."

Megura's next words seemed to cause the wizard slight offence, "And is he a great wizard, or is he... more like you." Her words turned my head, now. A soft and playful smirk tugged at the corners of her pinky lips. A small grumble escaped my mouth as I attempted to shake the image from my mind...

"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the comapny of animals animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the over the vast forest lands to te East, and a good thing too, for aways Evil will look to find a foothole in this world."

As those last words left the Gandalf's mouth the air felt thicker, heavier. They hung above us like ominous dark shapes, animals waiting to pounce; a warning...