Chapter VII


The company rode pretending like nothing happened earlier, yet there is still this sheer awkwardness that lingers in the air.

"Oh look the lad has fallen asleep." Balin bemusedly told the dwarves.

"Yeah, I think the thing earlier was just too much for him." Nori said

Bilbo was observing the whole company from the back. From there he saw Markus riding at the back with Fili, his arms loosely wrapped around his waist and head resting on Fili's back while he slept. The rest of the dwarves were riding and talking to each other in hushed tones for them not to wake up the sleeping lad. Gandalf on the other hand was riding on his pony next to him while smoking from his pipe.

After a while of riding, Markus woke up.


Maryse POV

I didn't notice that I fell asleep until I woke up from a dreamless sleep. I was about to stretch my upper body when I realized that if I do that I might reveal the bump I am hiding underneath these clothes I'm wearing. I looked around as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and saw some of the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf looking at me.

I grinned at them.

"Oh thank Aule you're awake, my back's starting to hurt." Fili said and tried to sit up properly straightening his back.

"How long was I asleep?" I my voice cracked. I licked my lips and saw how dry my throat is. It's like I stuffed my mouth with forty cotton balls.

"Here, you might want to drink some water lad." Bofur offered up.

"Oh thanks." I cleared my throat and as I was about to reach out my hand, I felt a pang of pain through my hand.

"Oh god." I suddenly held my wrist as the pain became more and more painful by the second, burying my face immediately into Fili's back to muffle the screams of pain.

"MFMFMFMFFFF!" I held my wrist tightly in attempt to ease the pain, but unfortunately it only made it worse. I could already feel tears welling up in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" I heard Fili's voice laced with concern.

"I-I don't ahhh fuck!" I closed my eyes tight shut, curled up my body, and bit my lower lip so hard until I started to taste blood. Why is this suddenly happening?!


The dwarves and even Bilbo started to panic once they saw what was happening with their lad.

"Brother, do something!" Kili told Fili who immediately went down from his own pony and dashed towards where Markus and Fili were.

"I-I don't know what's happening!" Fili turned himself around on the pony and faced Markus only to see him curled up while gripping his wrist tight and his lip bleeding.

"He's bleeding laddie!" Balin too rushed to where Markus was and was about to touch Markus when he heard Gandalf's voice.

"Don't touch him, just let him be, he'll be fine in a few." The said wizard told them. Well, not actually told them, it's more of like commanding them.

"But-" The white haired dwarf protested his eyebrows met in worry.

"Trust me." Gandalf said, his tone more gentle this time

"Are you sure?" Thorin's voice full of concern startled them. He was on his pony beside Gandalf and the rest, in his eyes you can see how worried he is than the other dwarves. All of the anger he felt earlier now gone and replaced with slight fear and worry. Fearing of what shall happen next to Markus.

"Yes." Gandalf replied calmly.

While they heard Markus' muffled screams, they could do nothing except watch him wearily. Thorin just stared at him as he tightened his grip on the steering rope of the pony until his own knuckles went white. For he could do nothing except watch Markus scream and lips bleed, he clenched his jaw. But that didn't go unnoticed by the dwarves.

They saw how worried he is for the lad, and the way he looked at him. When Fili and Kili, with the rest of the dwarves saw him in that state, something in their brain clicked as they connected the events of last night, earlier and now, they realized that their leader the king under the mountain, Thorin Oakenshield loves Markus.

"Balin, is this what you meant?" Bofur whispered to the said dwarf after recalling the events of last night.

"Aye." Balin grinned.

"Uncle loves Mister Markus?" Kili muttered under his breath upon realization hit him.

And the rest of the dwarves gave each other knowing looks and grinned at each other.

Bilbo sent a questioning look towards Gandalf and the wizard just gave him a smirk and nodded at the hobbit.


Maryse POV

When the pain finally started to fade into slight numbness, I slowly opened my eyes and saw the whole company looking at me and Fili looking down on me, the concern in their eyes evident, well except for Gandalf. I carefully sat up properly only be face to face with the blonde dwarf.

"Are you alright?" His voice laced with concern

I slightly nodded when suddenly I was hugged by Fili.

"Thank Aule!" He said before he pulled back and went down the pony. Fili offered his hands, I took them and used them as support as I went down the pony.

"What happened?" Bilbo asked.

"I don't...actually know." I said and frowned in confusion.

I loosened my grip on my hand and felt the pain now completely gone. What the hell? I thought as I flexed my wrist checking out if it still hurts. But no, it's like nothing had happened. I frowned, licking my lips, I cringed.

"Ow. What the hell?!" I softly touched my lips only to cringe again in pain.

"You're lips are bleeding laddie."

"Oh.." My voice trailed and I looked around only to find Thorin on his pony.

Our gaze met.

"Are you fine now?" He barely whispered, yet I heard it. His eyes don't anymore have that anger I saw earlier, but what I saw was concern and slight sadness.

"I-I guess..." I mumbled and looked away and turned around to face the other dwarves. When I turned around I heard Thorin let out a weary sigh and the pony move away, I lightly squeezed my left upper arm. I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again. I saw the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf looking at me with weird looks. Such as stupid grins, smirks and amused looks glued on their faces.

"What?" My lip curled upwards.

"Oh, nothing." Fili chuckled.

"Oookay?" I rasied an eyebrow.

"Here's an ointment laddie, for your lips." I took the small leathery pouch Oin handed me.

"Thanks." I said.

"Here's some water to wash out the blood in your mouth." Bofur offered up.

I nodded in thanks before I took a swig from the water pouch Bofur gave me and spit out the water and returned the pouch again. After I applied the ointment on my lip, I gave Oin the pouch back.

"Are you fine now Mister Markus?" I smiled up at Bilbo before I nodded and he too nodded in return.

"Can we um...talk later Gandalf?" I asked the grey wizard. I don't know, I just had this sudden urge to ask Gandalf for a talk.

"Of course Mister Markus." He grinned before he steered his horse and began to move with Bilbo following him from behind.

"I guess we ought to move shall we?" I heard Fili from behind me. And the rest of the company agreed as they mounted their own ponies and began to move.

"Sure." I said and before I knew it, Fili put me on the pony before he too as well climbed on and we started to move.

The rest of the journey went slow. Most of the time I was quiet and pondering about what happened to my wrist, answering the questions the dwarves ask me, and after a few hours my lower back started to hurt. After again a few more hours of squirming, cursing out, and sighing, it was already night time and my prayers were heard. Thorin decided to stop and set up camp for the night.

"Oh thank heavens!" I flailed my arms in the air and decided to sit on a rock while Bombur sets up the fire and started cooking dinner. Soon, the dwarves started piling and sitting around the fire. After we ate, the company started to get ready for bed. I remembered, like in the movie, Fili and Kili were sitting beside each other in comfortable silence, Gandalf was leaning on a tree while smoking his lungs out. The others were now sleeping. And Bilbo too was sleeping.

"Now's not the right time Mister Markus." Gandalf said just when I was about to sit beside him.

I sighed. "Fine." I said before I went to where Fili and Kili were.

"How's your lip?" Kili piped up.

"It's fine now." I grinned

After a moment of silence, like what I also saw in the movie, Bilbo got up looking slightly pissed at a snoring dwarf and fed his pony with an apple. I giggled.

"What's funny laddie?" Balin suddenly showed up from the side.

"Oh nothing" I shook my head when out of the blue; we heard a screeching like howl.


"What was that?" Bilbo asked Fili and Kili.

"Orcs" Kili said, the fire softly illuminating his face.

"Orcs?" Bilbo tiptoed towards the brothers and Markus, in which Thorin was suddenly woken up the moment Bilbo, mentioned Orcs.

"Throat cutters, there are dozens of them out there." Fili said while a pipe in his hand and kept telling the poor curly haired hobbit about the orcs. Bilbo stared out at the forest when Fili, Markus, and Kili chuckled.

But the fun was all ruined when

"You think that's funny?" Thorin glared at the three.

"You think a night raid of orcs' a joke?" He added.

"W-we didn't mean anything by it." Kili mumbled feeling slightly ashamed.

"No you didn't, you know nothing of the world." The king scolded. And Markus just rolled his eyes at him.

"Forgive him laddie." Balin told the brothers and Markus before he went on with the story of Thorin as to why he hates orcs.


Maryse POV

I didn't anymore bother to listen to Balin's story, for I already knew because of the movie to what is Thorin's story for his hatred for orcs. So while Balin tells the story to Fili and Kili, I sighed and rested my head on my hand and stared at Thorin's back. I could actually relate to him, I mean, I already lost my parents and him too. So I know how he feels, even though if it's just a little. I let out a sigh again and ran a hand through my hair. I just wish he wouldn't be such a jerk to me sometimes.


After the white haired dwarf had finished the story, Fili and Kili now understood to why their uncle hated orcs so much. During a moment of silence the three dwarves and Bilbo observed how the lad, Markus looks at Thorin with a look of longing.

"Do you think Mister Markus likes uncle?" Kili mumbled

"What makes you say that?" Bilbo popped in.

"You heard that? That was supposed to be a thought." The brunette said.

"Well, you obviously thought out loud brotha" Fili chuckled

"Thought what?" Bofur butted in.

"I mean, I don't know...I'm just starting to have a feeling about it. Or maybe it's just me" Kili rambled on as the others just watched him in slight confusion an amusement.

"Ohhh...I think I know what you mean laddie, I feel it too." Bofur raised his eyebrows.

"You do too?"

"Yeah." The hatted dwarf grinned

"But how can you be so sure?" Bilbo asked

"Yeah brother." Fili nodded in agreement

"Ask him then" Balin rolled his eyes

"Well that doesn't seem right." The hobbit said.

"Oh I know!" Fili sent his brother a look. And Kili grinned mischievously.

The two brothers walked silently towards where Markus was sitting who by the way was now gripping his hair and with the looks of having such conflicts with himself.

"UGHH!" He suddenly shouted out making the sleeping dwarves stir in their sleep and startling Balin, Bofur, Kili, Fili, Bilbo and even Gandalf who was just smoking while leaning on a tree.

"Hey Mister Markus!" Kili and Fili sat down beside the said dwarf after.


Maryse POV

My mind was clouded with my thoughts. Thoughts of what the hell, what the heck, and what the fuck happened to my wrist earlier?! And thoughts of Thorin. Yes, Thorin. I just ughh! I feel so bipolar! I don't know! I just...I think I love him. My inner girly side says How come?! My inner thoughts screamed. I DON'T KNOW! Yesterday, I like him, earlier I hate him, and now I love him?! What the fuck?!

Maybe it's because of his looks? My inner fangirl suggested.

"UGHH!" I gripped my hair with both hands and just rested my head on my hand, letting out a weary sigh in defeat. I just, don't know anymore.

"Hey Mister Markus!" I was suddenly snapped out of my own bubble or rather inner conflict with myself when I heard Kili's voice.

"What?!" I snapped.

"I-I..." I saw Kili's eyes with slight fear in them.

"Do you like uncle?" Fili suddenly said as he leaned towards me and looked me in the eyes with a stupid grin on his face. I heard some chuckles coming from the other dwarves.

I twitched.

That's it.

"YES! OH MY GOD! YES! YES! I LIKE HIM OKAY?! IN FACT, I DON'T LIKE HIM, I LOVE HIM! NOW STOP IT ALREADY!" I blurted out as I flailed my arms in the air.

I froze.

"Oh..." I barely whispered.


Oh no! Ahahaha! I AM SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I was so busy with the moving to the new house and stuff! But, here! I hope you enjoy this new chappie! It's a little bit shorter than the others, but that's okay~ ahaha! I want to thank all of my reviewers and followers! R&R!