A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

20. Stone Giants

"Ma! Da!" I called out inside the barrel, my tiny little hands trying to catch myself as the barrel tumbled and shook, moving unsteadily. I saw the hole and stuck my eye up to it, wondering where my parents were. I saw my father, fighting a white large blur, my mother hiding behind him. The blur knocked the blade from my father's hands, which fell into the water.

"Run, Fairaline!" My father yelled as the blur stabbed him though.

"Da!" I called out, but no one could hear me in the barrel.

"Dragx! No! No!" My mother sobbed, dropping to his side.

The white blur said something... in black speech before chopping off my mother's head.

"Ma! Da! Ma!" I cried out, sadness and pain filling me as the barrel I was in fell over the waterfall and down into the river, and red eyes of the blur looking in the direction of my barrel, his face clearing a touch, an evil sneer on a scarred white face.

I sat up fast in my bedroll, two knives flashing out towards my enemy. I blinked, breathing heavy as I realised there is no enemy, just me and a bunch of snoring dwarves. I looked around, catching my breath to see even those on watch had fallen asleep, which isn't smart but it happens.

I looked down, putting my knives away as I focused on breathing, calming the shivers running down my back from that awful nightmarish dream. I focused on the dream, hoping to catch any memories of the dream before it fades, growling quietly in frustration as the images slipped right through my fingers.

Except one.

A barrel?

Why does my worst dream have a barrel in it? My mind flashed with an image of churning water seen through a hole of a barrel, before vanishing just as quickly. I sighed in annoyance, falling back on my bedroll, staring at the stars in frustration. Everytime I have such dreams and wake up with little figments, I wonder what's real and what is made up by my mind to placate me.

I finally sat up, seeing the sun was nowhere near rising, if the placing of the moon and the stars tells me anything. I got out of my bedroll, rolling it up and hooking it to my pack, carrying my pack with me to a higher rock and took over the watch of the two who were asleep, pulling out a knife and spinning it, one leg hanging off the rock, swinging my leg as I watched the horizon, listening to the sounds of snoring dwarves and the land around us.

So that was how I was found, four hours later, when the dwarves finally woke up. They were putting their packs together, wrapping the dried meat and storing it as they kicked dirt onto the charred remains of the fire to cover it. Many looked at me as I hardly move beyond spinning my knife and swinging my leg. A few even looked at my put together pack, cleaned appearance and redone braids.

It kind of gave away I have been up for some time. I sighed, hopping off the rock as I pulled my back over my shoulder. Fairfin, who spent the night in a nearby tree, flew out and over to my shoulder, landing and preening a bit of my hair before looking forward, making me smile a touch.

I spotted Thorin picking up his pack, the long handle of the axe he carried held in his other hand. He stood, throwing his pack over his shoulder and looking up, spotting me approaching. Secretly, though I am angry at myself for doing it, I admired his rather handsome face.

I wasn't about to let that embarrassing fact show though.

"There is a stream ahead, we can refill our water and continue on." I said as I checked my knives up my sleeves, tightening my sword belt as we walked on away from the old camp. I looked up at Thorin, to which he nodded, letting me take the lead. Bombur handed out small morsols of cold meat and vegetables. The dwarves may not like vegetables, and many of them looked like they were considering throwing their vegetables, but we only have so much food.