Over the Mountains // Thorin Oakenshield

Chapter 10

When Sepha awoke, she found both Fili and Kili sitting on either side of her, watching her protectively.

"Hey nerds," she whispered.

"You're awake!" they cried happily.

Sepha smiled and gripped their hands, "Can you help me sit up?"

Both at once jumped forward and gently helped her to a sitting position. She groaned but when she was up straight, she felt better, "How long was I out?"

"You came in and out in bursts," Kili replied. "You were out till Eagle Rock and then you woke up when Oin put stuff on your side, then you were out for a good full day till we got here, then after the stitchings you have been out for almost nine hours."

"Where is everyone else?" Sepha inquired, slowly rising to her feet.

Fili wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her, "They're greeting Beorn."

"Uh oh," Sepha sighed, "I should go help Gandalf before he gets them all eaten."

Before the two could object, the girl had limped towards the door. Beorn had been taking in the sight of the dwarves and was glaring, not looking very friendly.

"Why should I let dwarves here?" he spat.

"It's alright, they're friends," Sepha said weakly.

All eyes snapped around to look at her and all the dwarves gasped her name. Sepha realized that THorin was the closest to her, about three feet away and his blue eyes were staring at her with a look she had never seen before but it made her heart flutter.

"Persephone," Beorn said happily, dropping his axe and approaching her, "What happened to you?"

"Oh just a little scratch," Sepha assured him.

The large man knelt down in front of her so that he was eye level with her, "A little scratch? Your screams last night spoke otherwise. I'm glad you're here. I will not let you leave till you're healed."

"And we're not planning on leaving till she heals," Oin said.

Sepha smiled at him as the other dwarves nodded in agreement.

Beorn sighed and looked at the girls, "They're your friends?"

Sepha nodded and smiled. Beorn didn't seem to believe her, "All of them?"

Sepha's eyes lifted and green met blue as she looked at THorin. She could see the hurt in his eyes and she knew he was upset. She could see the fear, concern and sorrow for what had happened. She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"All of them."

Beorn nodded and led the girl inside, the dwarves following. She completely missed the shocked face cross THorin's face while Balin and Dwalin exchanged knowing smirks.

LATER

"So you are the one they call Oakenshield?" BEorn asked. "Tell me. Why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"

"You know of Azog?" THorin asked. "how?"

"My people were the first to live in the mountains," Beorn replied. "Before the orcs came down from the north. the Defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved. Not for work you understand but for sport. Caging skin changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him."

Thorin felt a cold hand clutch his heart as he saw Sepha's eyes pool with tears at those words. He saw Fili wrap an arm around her shoulders and he was glad his nephew was brave enough to comfort her when he was too cowardly to even talk to her.