Bloodstained (Thorin x OC)

Laketown

"This is everything I have." Agarwaen gave Balin her coin purse. A dense fog had settled upon the icy lake, and she remembered just how cold she was when her fingers started to go numb. She rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm herself up.

Remnants of a long-since destroyed town loomed menacingly over the boat, providing dangerous obstacles in the water. After receiving frightened shouts from Bofur, and a sceptical comment from Thorin, Bard assured them that he had no intention of drowning the party in the waters he was raised on.

"I've had enough of this lippy lakeman." Dwalin grumbled. "I say we throw him over the side and be done with him."

"What, like you tried to do with me?" Agarwaen crossed her arms.

"You fell."

"And you walked away."

"The past cannot be undone." Thorin cut in. "But we can surely learn from our mistakes. And that means we have to trust the man."

"Oh, Bard. His name's Bard." Bilbo said annoyedly, also trying to keep himself warm.

"How do you know?" Bofur asked.

"Uh, I asked him."

"I do not care what he calls himself. I don't like him." Dwalin was still wary.

"We don't have to like him, we simply have to pay him." Balin said from where he sat, counting out their coins. "Come on lads, turn out your pockets." Everyone patted themselves down, coming up with nothing more. Balin informed them that they were ten coins short.

"Gloin..." Agarwaen crossed her arms at the one dwarf that didn't bother searching for anything else in his pockets. He looked up at her, feigning outrage.

"Don't look to me, elf, maybe those earrings of yours could be enough to settle the difference. I have been bled dry by this venture!" He then went on to rant about the subject. The other dwarves all started to rise however, when they caught sight of the mountain in the distance through the fog. Agarwaen smiled slightly and stepped back, letting them have their moment. She'd seen the mountain plenty of times, but for some of them, it was their first glimpse of it. Standing there in awe, Gloin simply handed Balin the rest of his money. That was when Bard crossed the boat, looking ahead of them.

"The money, quick, give it to me."

"We'll pay you when we get our provisions and not before." Thorin protested.

"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead." Everyone looked forward to where the faint outline of Laketown began. Silhouettes of people milling about changed Thorin's answer.

"Give it to him and get in the barrels." Agarwaen stepped into the barrel closest to her, grimacing at the returned pressure on her cracked rib as she slid down and sat with her knees to her chest. As Thorin looked over the barrels, he saw her look of pain.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes. I've just got a cracked rib, that's all." Thorin felt the rage he had toward the other elves return, and clenched his fists.

"Thorin, I'm fine. Get in a barrel." She said when she noticed the look on his face. She wasn't sure where all this concern for her had come from all of a sudden. Even while they were in the forest, he'd been nice to her and comforted her a couple times. That was all fine and dandy, but now? Instead of having someone else support her on their way out of Mirkwood, he did it himself. He gave her his shirt for Iluvatar's sake, and now he was acting all concerned whenever she dared show a small sign of pain. She was thankful for having people who care about her, but this was unlike the Thorin she knew before. In all honesty, the change was slightly annoying. She wasn't used to people asking her if she was alright.