A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

21. Slowly Earning Trust

I and the rest of the company watch as Dwalin's torch fades, before coming back, Dwalin rounding the corner.

"There's nothing here." Dwalin calls out. The collective sigh from all of us told me just how worn out we all are. I walked in, the rest of the company piling into the dry cave.

I stood away from the others, pulling my soaked hair over my shoulder, pulling out the thin knives kept in my braid as I undid it, before squeezing my hair to drain the water from it like a rag. I continued to do so till my hair felt a bit less like a giant weight on my neck and back. Then, so no one has to see how this mess dries, I braided my still wet hair, making sure the braid is tight.

Knowing my hair when it gets washed like that, it tends to be even more crazy and curly after it dries. So I made sure the braid is tight.

Fairfin climbed out of my jacket as I took it off too, squeezing out the water with my back turned to the dwarves. My shirt is soaked to my body and I know how these dwarves seem to be about treating a lady right, didn't want one of them offering me their jacket just to protect my honor.

I rolled my eyes at that, but I didn't doubt the dwarves would do it. Finally, once my jacket was drained like a wet rag of water, I shook it out and threw it back over me, tying off the belt tight to cover my shirt.

Then I sat heavily next to my dropped pack, exhaustion taking over from my lack of a good night's rest the night before. I fought it off, flipping my hands and gritting my teeth. Maybe I should consider gloves for the future, my hands are covered in dry blood and scrapes, a few deeper cuts. Ya, I do believe i need to consider gloves.

The only reason I do not like gloves is they cut off the feel of control over every minute movement of a sword, or a knife. I kept away from gloves because they muted the feel need to make complex maneuvers in a fight with one's sword. Maybe it's just me, but I think I need to consider them now, with the state of my hands.

I dug in my bag, pulling out an old shirt I turned into rags, which is also soaked by the rain. In this case, that's a good thing. I used the soaked cloth to clean away the blood, studying the scratches on my hand as I dug deeper in my bag, finding dry bits of the old shirt I turned into rags.

I pulled it out, ripping off long shreds of the shirt and carefully binding both my hands, pulling the knots tight on the back of my knuckles. I looked up, noticing a few dwarves staring at me and what I was doing. I glared at them, telling them through my glare to stop staring at me. They immediately turned and went to doing other things.

I don't know how I am going handle more months of these dwarves over worrying for me, I may be a woman, but I am not frail. If one dwarf asks if I need help or says again that a woman shouldn't be here, then I might be cutting a few braids off their head. I shook my head, pushing away my temper, knowing such things might trigger a fight and I don't think we need that now.

I pulled my somewhat dried coat around me, leaning against the wall as I did my best to warm up from the cold of the drying rain. Fairfin, who had been sitting next to me, climbed up to my shoulder, seeming cautious, his eyes flitting everywhere in the cave as he turned his head, seeming tense and alert. I frowned, reaching up and smoothing one of my wrapped hands down his feathers in an effort to calm him, but he was not swayed at all.

I looked around the cave myself, now tense and on edge because if Fairfin cannot be calmed, then something must be amiss. I studied the walls and the ceiling, now beginning to wonder how such an odd cave developed this high in the mountains.

Fairfin never relaxed, so neither did I.

I stiffened, looking in Gloin's direction as he dropped some of our wood and the remaining destroyed elf furniture on the cave floor, rubbing his hands together excitedly. The sound of the dropped wood echoed in the cave, setting me on edge. That small sound should not echo that way through rock like this.