Title: I should have been there

Disclaimer: I don´t own any caracter of Middle Earth, never have and never will.

Setting: During The Hobbit

Summary: Thorin sits thinking until he hears something

We are in the Lonelands now. From now on we will have to be careful, this area swarms with Orcs and an attack is likely at any minute. No trading caravan has ever passed without at least one attack. Of course, we don´t have any tradegoods with us but that will not stop them. They always attack anyone they find. We have started to take turns at watches, even Bilbo who seems to be quite good at it.

As I sit calcualting distances and wonder how long it will take us to reach the Misty Mountains I see Gandalf having a quiet pipe and studying the area. He wants us to head for the Hidden Valley. He has said that there are many good things we can get there but I have told him I will not go near that place, not if I can help it. I don´t trust the Elves, they will try to stop us if they get the chance but Gandalf doesn´t see it that way.

Then I see Bilbo rise up from his bedroll, stretch and go to his pony. Myrtle likes it when he comes, he has taken up the habit of giving her an apple which he saves from the daily ration. I haven´t mentioned it to him but it is good to see that they get along together and it also proves that he is a Hobbit who cares about ponies.

Suddenly I hear a howl in the distance, it is too far away to be bothering me right now but Bilbo looks worried. Turning to Fili and Kili he asks what it is, not only do they tell him, they do their best to scare him. When they laugh about it I have to act, I rise up and ask them if they think it is a funny subject, if they think a nightraid by Orcs is a joke. They look at me and admit that they didn´t mean anything by it. I tell them that they know nothing about the world and leave them, so they can´t see my face.

I go to the edge and look at the surroundings but I do not see them, I see the dreadfull battle with my mind´s eyes. I do however hear steps coming toward me. Without looking back I say "I don´t need a minder".

"I know you don´t need one" I hear, it is Dwalin´s voice. Standing beside me he says nothing for a while until I look at him and raise my eyebrow. "I saw the pain in your eyes when the youngsters spoke flippantly about Orcattacks, it is clear they have never seen one" he continues and I nod, still seing the horrors of that day. Without knowing it I say "I should have been at his side, maybe I could have rescued him".

"Maybe" he says. "I still believe it was best for you to be apart, he couldn´t kill both of you quickly that way". I wait for him to explain why until he says "ursurpers fear many things but most of all that the rightfull King comes back to reclaim what is his". Nodding I say

"and that is what my grandfather did, he tried to reclaim our ancient halls".

"He did" Dwalin says "and he did his best to do so. He was old but he still fought as if he was half his age. Azog hadn´t fought his way up the valley however, had they been more evenly matched there is no knowing what would have happened. It could have been the other way around." I nod and listen to Balin as he tells the youngsters as well as Bilbo Baggins about how the battle ended and how dreadfull our losses had been. When I turn around to look at them all are standing up facing me and greeting me as a hero. Going back I hear Bilbo asking what had happened to the pale Orc. "He slunk back into the hole whence he came" I tell him and that the heap of dung died of his wounds. I am not sure, he still lived when his servants dragged him into Our halls, but he left a trail of blood so I hope he died of bloodloss. To good for him, but none gets all wishes granted. I hope I will never see him again.

The end