"Gandalf!" Elle called to the wizard as she and the few stragglers at the back of the group finally made their way to the cave. Some of the group had already explored the cavern at this point, and were reconvening outside the entrance enjoying deep gulps of fresh air. The wizard was the last to exit, and he turned as Elle came up to him.
"Gandalf, I was wondering if you would look at-"
"Not now, my dear girl." The wizard said distractedly, "There are others in this company who would be more suited to aid you than I… Bilbo!" He called and moved past her to talk to the hobbit.
"What on earth…?" Elle muttered very much taken aback. Feeling slightly put out, she watched the old man hand Bilbo a small blade. His eyes opened wide as he carefully received his first weapon, and she couldn't help but smile fondly. She would have to teach the hobbit how to use it.
"Someone will have to teach him how to wield that blade." Elle turned around, startled. Somehow, Thorin had snuck up on her from behind.
"Yes." She paused and attempted to breathe normally again, "Yes, I had just been thinking something similar." She waited for the dwarf to make a complaint, or request something of her, or issue a command, but he did none of these. Instead, he simply stood contemplating her with something that looked suspiciously like respect. Elle blushed under his intense scrutiny. After a moment he spoke gruffly, but not unkindly. "I'm sorry to have startled you. I only wanted to convey my gratitude for… earlier with the trolls. You came to my aide, and… consequently, I am in your debt." He bowed stiffly, but instead of turning to go as Elle would have expected, he remained where he stood, staring awkwardly at her feet.
Elle grinned in surprised happiness at this recognition, but she couldn't resist poking fun at the ridiculously serious nature of Thorin's thanks. "Of course you are most welcome, noble Thorin. I will be sure to remind you of your debt next time I find my life is in peril." Thorin's head shot up indignantly, but when he saw the playful smirk she was barely managing to conceal, he relaxed. Not wanting to push her luck too far, Elle swallowed her laughter, but the smile remained. For a moment it looked like a smile was hiding behind Thorin's beard as well, but if it was, it quickly disappeared as his eyes dropped down to her makeshift sling.
"You are hurt." It was more of a statement than a question. Elle opened her mouth to brush it off as nothing that warranted concern, but Thorin was suddenly approaching her, and her words were lost in a surprised swallow. She watched as Thorin reached out to examine her arm, but he suddenly hesitated. He looked up at her carefully as though it had occurred to him that maybe she wouldn't want him to touch her. "May I?" He asked softly. Concern shown clearly on his face, and Elle nodded, unable to find her voice.
Thorin's touch was gentle as he carefully lifter her arm out of the folded sleeve. With one hand he cupped her elbow, and the other carefully slid the sleeve of her tunic up over her arm. The innocent action felt incredibly intimate to Elle, and her heart began to stutter with uncertainty. As she savored the feeling of Thorin's hands tracing gently over her skin, she found herself peeking up at him from underneath her lashes. His face was relaxed, but there was an intent concern there that warmed her heart. He no longer looked like the cold-hearted, prideful king. No, this Thorin seemed more like the kind dwarf she had come to care for so many years ago. Maybe she had misjudged him earlier. Perhaps his attempt to cut her hair really had just been about getting away from the Trollshaws, and not at all about humiliating her. Valar knows where one bad thing – or in this case three bad things - settles in, many more usually follow.
"Does that hurt?" Thorin asked as he squeezed her elbow lightly. He glanced up, and Elle blinked hard before dropping her gaze in embarrassment.
"What? Oh, no." Elle let out the breath she had not realized she'd been holding. She stared hard at the ugly bruise spreading over her arm, her pink cheeks growing even hotter. "No, that doesn't hurt."
"What about this?" Thorin carefully began to un-bend her arm. The limb was stiff with swelling and didn't move far, but the throbbing ache began again and Elle winced.
"Yes, that hurts a bit."
Thorin nodded and slowly threaded her arm back into its sling. "It doesn't appear broken, which is good. Obviously, it will be a few days before you can use it… which will be a pity for us if we run into any more trouble." He looked up at her again, and there was a tentative smile playing across his features. Elle obliged him with a smile of her own in return.
"Since when did Thorin Oakenshield become a healer?" She asked trying to sound relaxed. Her nervousness got the best of her, however, and her voice was breathy with suppressed energy. Luckily, Thorin didn't seem to notice, and he chuckled in reply. The soft, deep laughter resonated around the tight clearing, and some of the company looked up in surprise. Taking no notice of the others curiosity, Thorin nodded to Elle pleasantly and took his leave. However, before he left her, he added hesitantly, "We… dwarves are hearty people. You will not take long to heal."
Elle didn't know what to say; she simply stared dumbfounded as Thorin left and made his way over to talk with Dwalin. She'd hoped against hope that this journey would help change Thorin's bad opinion of her, but she hadn't expected his acceptance so soon. Feeling happy, but very, very confused, Elle turned to go find Fili and Kili. Maybe they could help explain Thorin's strange change of heart.
Leaving Elle behind him, Thorin headed over to where Dwalin was standing alone surveying the rest of the company. He smiled as he thought about the shocked look on Elle's face after he had recognized her dwarf heritage. Thorin was slightly surprised by how easy it had been to act with civility towards her. At first he had been unsure of how to approach her, but it was incredible how easily his façade of rejection had fallen once he had her attention. There was no way of knowing how she would react, but he already felt as if an incredible weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and that alone was enough of an improvement, for the time being. He would take his time, but now Thorin had confidence that he could earn back her affection.
Just as Elle reached Kili, a shout of warning rang out amongst the company. The sound of something very large and heavy crashing through the underbrush grew louder and Elle saw many of the dwarves draw their weapons in anticipation. Her heart sank. None of them were up for taking on more trolls.
But it wasn't trolls at all. It was a very strange sled led by the largest rabbits Elle had ever seen. On top of the sled sat a raggedy old wizard Elle recognized from Gandalf's stories. It was Radagast the Brown. He seemed incredibly upset, and he glanced around the group anxiously.
"Radagast," Gandalf said approaching his friend, "Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you, Gandalf. Something's wrong! Something is terribly wrong…" Elle and Kili looked at each other to make sure they'd both heard the wizard correctly. Surely there were dangers in the wild woods, but what kind of beast frightened a wizard?
"Yes?" Gandalf encouraged the frightened man to continue, but Radagast seemed to be having trouble composing his thoughts.
"Just give me a minute… Oh, I had a thought-" The brown wizard paused and his brow furrowed in concentration, "And now I've lost it! It was right there on the tip of my tongue!" He stuck out his tongue to Gandalf as if to show him just where this thought had been, "Oh! Iths noth a sthought at thall! It juthst a little… Gandalf reached up to pull something from his friend's mouth, "…stick insect!"
Elle looked to Kili again, and they both smirked with suppressed laughter as Gandalf rolled his eyes and pulled Radagast a little ways down the path to talk with him in private.
"Well that's certainly the strangest old bat I've ever seen." Said Fili as he stepped warily around the giant rabbits and came to stand with his brother. The rest of the company was dispersing as well. None of them seemed very comfortable around the animals, which made Elle laugh. Only dwarves could not think twice about waging battle with a camp of hungry mountain trolls and still act nervous around giant herbivores.
"What's that he's showing Gandalf?" Kili questioned, trying to get a better look at the two wizards. However, his curiosity was quickly extinguished by a long, low howl in distance. Elle's blood ran cold in an instant, and a quick glance between her friends told her that they recognized that sound as well. Both brothers drew their weapons, and Elle pulled out a throwing axe. It would suit her well enough in a fight.
"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo questioned, noting the sudden change in his friends' demeanor, "Are there- are there wolves out there?"
"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur said, voicing the fear of those around him.
Another crash sounded through the trees. Elle whipped around just in time to see a Warg sprinting towards the group down a rocky crag. Thorin was nearest to the beast, and struck it down with a single blow. Another beast burst through the trees, but it too was brought down by an arrow from Kili, and a well-placed blow from Dwalin's hammer.
"Warg Scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind." Thorin exclaimed, re-sheathing his sword.
"Orc pack?" Bilbo was frightened. Elle stood behind her small friend, and gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
Gandalf turned to Thorin in anger, "Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?"
"No one."
"Who did you tell!?"
"No one, I swear! What in Durin's name is going on?"
"You are being hunted." Gandalf replied, and an anxious murmur went up throughout the group.
"We have to get out of here." Dwalin said.
"We can't! We have no ponies, they bolted." The company groaned. There was no way they could outrun a pack of Wargs.
"I'll draw them off." Radagast offered.
"These are Gundabad Wargs; they will outrun you." Gandalf cautioned his friend, but Radagast only smiled.
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits! I'd like to see them try."