A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

34. Tangled Hair and Peaceful Conversations

Thorin stood as I remained where I was, picking up my boot and shaking out the dirt in it before carefully pulling it over my ankle. With no eyes on me, I didn't have hide as much on how much this freaking hurts. I carefully tightened the one strap at the top of my boot so my boot doesn't fall off but left the rest of them open because my ankle could not physically take it.

"Where is the way down from here, Gandalf, so we can be ready to move?" Thorin asked Gandalf as I looked first from their conversation to the edge where I could throw my feet over and feel less uncomfortable. I scooted over to the rocky edge, throwing my feet over it to give my ankle some time to recuperate and get used to blood flowing there again before I start walking on it once more. I leaned my elbow on my knee, placing my head on my hand as I watched the scenery. Fairfin had hopped off my leg as I moved but now he hopped up on my shoulder, making me smile as he nudged my cheek.

"I will search for it, I have not been here in many years." Gandalf said, nodding to me. I was still pissed that he turned the tables on me by promising to tell my past to the dwarves, so I merely glared at him, arms crossed.

And was even more annoyed when all the wizard did was chuckle as he walked off. I am now wondering if he is more crazy than Radagast. He may be wise, but you don't have to be sane to be wise.

I looked back out, looking up as a curly vibrant red bit of hair fell right in my face, my hair poking me in the eye. I grumbled under my breath, cursing my hair and promising to cut it clear off for annoying me so. I brushed it out of the way in annoyance, sure that I am gaining plenty of looks by looking like some fur ball a cat would cough up, my hair sticking up in every direction, completely fizzy and out of control.

It's going to be a nightmare to try to tame this mess, maybe I am better off just cutting it all off. Fairfin croaked in amusement at my mutterings as I glared at him, pulling the cloak around me once more as Fairfin climbed under my messy halo of hair. It wasn't hard for him to completely disappear from sight, my hair looked like I had gone through a cyclone. This is one point I would so love to have some of those herbs from Rivendell that I stored in my pack, which now is sitting at the bottom of a Goblin cavern.

Those herbs work wonders on one's hair, especially mine. I don't know what they are or where they come from, but they really help control the fizziness of my hair and tame my tight curls. Only now I have none of that, so I am just going to have to deal with it.

I pulled out one of my obsidian knives, faintly hearing Thorin discuss plans from here on out with the other dwarves. I closed my eyes while flipping the knife, reaching my senses out, trying my best to tell if the wargs and orcs were on our tail. Sadly, I didn't find much, we covered a lot of ground and my gift only covers so much distance. While I can reach out to a bird on the edge of this clearly hand built ring, I can't reach any farther out than that. It took me time and practice as well to even be able to reach that far.

I turned my head a touch to the right as I more acutely felt that subtle warmth grow to my right, opening my eyes as Thorin took a seat next to me, his legs hanging off the edge too. I noticed, even from my peripheral vision, that he moved slower than usual while sitting down, seeming to take care when sitting down to not jostle his injuries. While his face may not show the pain he is still feeling, his actions do. I looked back out over the land, enjoying the silence and the moment to just not think, not plan, not do anything really. I still wish I knew what this warmth I keep feeling around one dwarf only is. Is it possible Thorin has some form of magic that I'm sensing? I shook my head from such thoughts I may never know the answers to and relaxed.

This is very uncommon for me, I can hardly even get my mind to slow down, too used to always being on the move, always planning, thinking, counting my coins, planning my route, drink at pubs and causing a few fights, fighting orcs, traveling the roads. There has hardly been a moment in the last century where I just sat and did nothing. I can't even do that before going to sleep, because, unlike normal people, I don't enjoy sleep.