Expectedly Unexpected *Thorin*

Orcs?

We rode out on ponies thought Thorin recognized that I was a bit taller so like Gandalf he found me a larger horse. And then as we were riding I heard him. 

“Wait! Wait!”Bilbo was crying out and we stopped. “I signed it!” He said as he caught up to us and handed the contract to Balin.

“Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.”Balin said and Thorin looked unimpressed.

“Give him a pony.”Thorin said and he was hoisted up by Fili and Kili. WE rode on but Bilbo wanted to go back for a handkerchief but he got one from me. As we began to camp out that night I sat with the boys and Bilbo looked rather nervous.He heard something and his ears perked up.

“What was that?”Bilbo asked.

“Orcs.”Kili replied.

“Orcs?”Bilbo asked again.

“Throat-cutters. There’ll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them.” Fili said.

“They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone’s asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood.”Kili said and Bilbo looked scared and as they laughed I was angry.

“You think that’s funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?”Thorin asked walked over angrily.

“We didn’t mean anything by it.”Kili defended.

“No, you didn’t. You know nothing of the world.” Thorin replied and walked to the cliffside to sit in the moonlight.

“Don’t mind him, laddie, lassie." Balin said walking over.

"Well you two should know better scaring Bilbo like that!" I said.

"Calm down lass, Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin’s father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us." I was terribly shocked.

"What happened next?" I asked intent on hearing what Thorin had done.

That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent…wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King.” Balin finished the amazing story.

“But the pale orc? What happened to him?” Bilbo asked and Thorin came over.

“He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago.”Thorin replied and walked back over to the cliffside but this time I followed him and sat by him.

"I'm terribly sorry about your grandfather. Your family wasn't the only one hurt by him. I was very little but I remember how my parents died. He killed them brutally but I ran and I ran all the way to the Shire. Bilbo found me. Bilbo saved me. But I needed adventure in my life after all of these years. " I said.

"It takes a great deal of courage to tell someone you hardly know about such tragedy." He replied taking my hand in his.

"If I don't talk about it no one will know and I'll forget about them. That's why I came with you I need to fight like I know they did once." 

"You're not a hobbit are you?" 

"I don't know what I am or where I belong. I don't have a home and Bag End can't be that place anymore."

"Then hopefully if this quesst goes the way we hope it will we will help you find your home the way you helped us reclaim ours. Goodnight Lady Elanor." 

"Please just call me Elanor." I said and as we stood up Thorin gently kissed my forehead. I felt sparks go up my spine and I smiled. 

"Goodnight Elanor." He replied.

"Goodniight Thorin." I said and got under my blanket near my brother. I wouldn't let him go home and take me with him we would help these dwarves if I had to tie Bilbo to his pony. I wouldn't let Thorin down because believe it or not I was truly beginning to feel something for the dark haired dwarf who had been through so much. Just like I had.