Chapter Eight
The Company turned, as they approached Oin. Belle already came out of her unconsciousness, but she could barely move. "Belle!" gasped Thorin, as he knelt before the hobbit woman. "She has broken her right leg, and several places I'm afraid, from the impact when the orc thrown her." said Oin, as he bandaged up Belle. "Which means that one of us has to carry her for a while, until she is healed." said Dwalin. Thorin looked at Belle. "Belle, why did you do it? Why did you run out there, unharmed and face the orcs? You had set yourself up on a suicide mission!" said Thorin.
Belle remained silent. "Belle, you didn't have to do that for me. Especially after the terrible things I've said and done to you, which I like to take back Belle. Please find it in your heart to forgive me, Miss Baggins." said Thorin, placing his hand on Belle's face gently. "I suppose I forgive you, if you still love me." whispered Belle. "Of course I still love you, Belle. Nothing is going to change that." said Thorin. "Lets find a place to camp. Thorin, you may carry Miss Baggins if you wish." said Gandalf. Thorin nodded, as he picked up Belle carrying her bridal style off from the Carrock.
Once the Company set up camp, just a few yards from the Carrock, Thorin gently placed Belle down on her bedroll, and he sat beside her, pulling Belle into his arms. "Here, you may rest on me if you like." said Thorin gently, as he allowed Belle to lean back against his broad chest. "Belle, just promise me you don't do anything that stupid again." said Thorin. "You heard him, sister. And you promise me that, as well." said Bilbo approaching them.
"I won't do anything that stupid again, I promise. But when it comes to your safety, Bilbo, and everyone else's for that matter, I cannot stand alone without a fight." said Belle, stubbornly. "But you were unarmed, Belle! You cannot just fight something without a weapon! It would have been a different story if you had weapons on you." said Bilbo. "Well, excuse me for the Great Goblin confiscating my clothes and weapons!" snapped Belle. Bilbo looked at Thorin. "If you choose to court Belle, just to warn you, this is what you have to put up with! Her stubborn, flighty ways." said Bilbo stiffly. Thorin chuckled.
"That will be something I'm starting to get used to. Apparently you two are quite different." said Thorin. "More ways than one. Not one ounce of stubborn in my body." said Bilbo. "Bilbo, don't say that. You have your moments! Don't give us that!" said Belle.
And she stuck her tongue out at him. "And yet, childish!" said Bilbo, and he sat down, lighting up his pipe. Fili and Kili smiled as they watched Bilbo and Belle interact. "And I thought we was bad at it." grinned Kili. As the night progressed, Oin had came a few times to change Belle's bandages. Gandalf also informed the Company their next stop will be at Beorn's home where they will get supplies, and much needed rest before the next leg of the journey.
The next morning, Gandalf informed the others of a river nearby that everyone could bathe in. Belle and Bilbo both wanted baths, but remained behind. "You need help getting bathed, Miss Baggins, with your broken leg and all." spoke up Gandalf. "No, Gandalf! That wouldn't be necessary. I'll just hold off on the bath." said Belle, quickly. Belle felt very uncomfortable at the idea of someone helping her bathe, considering that she is the only female amongst fifteen males. "Belle, you really need bathed. Maybe I can help you once the dwarves are done." said Bilbo.
"No, no! I'll be fine really!" protested Belle. An hour later, the Company returned from their bathing. Thorin noticed that both Belle and Bilbo hadn't gotten their baths yet. "Why haven't you two bathed yet?" Thorin asked them.
"I was waiting on all of you to get done with your baths." Bilbo replied. "And what of you, Belle?" asked Thorin. "I didn't want to get one knowing that I would need help to get one. Its just its awkward to have someone help me." spoke up Belle. Thorin caught on to why Belle's uncomfortable feelings and he understood. Thorin leaned towards her ear. "If it makes you feel any better, I will help you bath." whispered Thorin. Belle's eyes widened. "No, no! I cannot let you do that!" exclaimed Belle. "Please, Belle?" pleaded Thorin.
"Alright, alright. But don't stare at me okay?" said Belle. Thorin rolled his eyes. Thorin picked up Belle, and helped her walk to the river. Thorin assisted Belle as he undressed her. She told me not to look! How can it be possible NOT TO LOOK?! Thorin thought. "You're not staring are you?" asked Belle, with her back against Thorin. "I don't see how since I'm the one that has to help you!" grumbled Thorin. "You really didn't have to help me, Master Thorin, but you volunteered." said Belle, stiffly. Thorin sighed as he continued to undress her.
When he had finished, he undressed as well so he could assist her into the water. "Thank you, I got it from here." said Belle quickly. "Uh-uh! You're going to get helped bathed. I'm going to scrub you down!" said Thorin. "Over my dead-!" began Belle, sharply.
When suddenly she could feel Thorin's large hand covering her mouth. "Why do you have to be so difficult?!" whispered Thorin, his voice filled with amusement. "And why do you have to be such a pain in the rear end?!" shot back Belle. Thorin laughed. "Well it seems that I'm not the only one here who could be that way." said Thorin. Belle grunted, as she allowed Thorin to wash her down. "You let me handle the front, Thorin." said Belle quickly. "No, kidding Belle. I know that." said Thorin.
As Belle stood to wash the front side of her, Thorin couldn't help but stare at her naked body, at her beautiful fair skin. Thorin, just look away, if she catches you, you will never hear the end of it, thought the dwarf. "I'm done!" Belle called out. Thorin moved over to her. "Belle." whispered Thorin. Belle turned to look at him, and she noticed the dwarf too standing in front of her, naked, and she released a gasp and she looked upon Thorin's broad bare chest. "What?" said Thorin. "Its nothing. We should get out and dressed." said Belle, quickly.
"Not yet." said Thorin, smiling at Belle, placing his hand on her face. "Thorin, now's not the time. We can do this later-I'm freezing." said Belle. "I will keep your warm!" whispered Thorin, as he pulled Belle into his arms, embracing her in a kiss.
"You are so beautiful!" murmured Thorin, as he kissed her. When their kiss broke, Belle felt weak, and legs wobbling after the kiss. "I love you, Belle!" said Thorin. "I love you too, Thorin!" said Belle softly, as she laid her head upon his chest. Meanwhile at the camp, Bilbo felt restless. "What's taking them so long? Belle normally doesn't take long baths." said Bilbo. "Remember Bilbo, Thorin is with her." said Nori. "Oh, great heaven's above!" wailed Bilbo. All the dwarves laughed.
"What? Why are you so concerned about Belle? She's in good hands, with our leader!" said Dwalin. "Good hands all right. He probably has his hands all over her!" scoffed Bilbo, which that statement set the dwarves laughing even harder, and much louder. "Yeah, that's why they are taking so long! Uncle and Belle are rolling in the grass, love wrestling!" chirped Kili. Balin shook his head and closed his eyes. "Love wrestling? Isn't that what two people do in bed when they love each other?" asked Ori.
Dori, slapped his younger brother in the shoulder. "OW! What was that for?!" cried out Ori. "We should mind our own business! What Thorin and Miss Baggins do, don't concern us unless they decided to do get married. Just let them be!" snapped Dori. "They're having sex, Dori! Sex! Sex, sex, sex!" chanted Kili. "Shut up, KILI!" shouted Bilbo.
"That will be ENOUGH of that!" roared Gandalf, and the company quickly fell silent. "No one is going to make a big deal out of this. Thorin is only helping Belle, bath! And if any one of you is going to say a word to them when they return, you may deal with Thorin's wrath, and you don't want that!" warned Gandalf. Which is true. None of the members of the Company wanted to deal with Thorin's fury, especially Fili, Kili, Balin and Dwalin, whom seen numerous times before.
"Gandalf is right. I highly suggest you keep your mouths shut. Is that understood?" spoke up Balin. "Yes, Balin." said the rest of the dwarves at once. Thorin and Belle shortly returned, and the Company kept their word of keeping their mouths closed. "Now, we must move on to Beorn's. Hopefully, we'll get there before nightfall." said Gandalf. And so the Company begin their journey to Beorn's. "I'm nervous about meeting this
'Beorn'." said Belle. "Oh, it couldn't be that bad. After all, he is someone that Gandalf knows." said Bilbo.
Hours later, they arrived in the bee pastures. Belle gasped. She couldn't believe how large the bees are. Wow! With those bees, we would have enough honey to feed an entire army! thought Belle. "I don't want to think of the idea of getting stung by one of those." grumbled Bilbo.
"Bilbo, you're not going to get stuck as long as they don't bother you, and you don't bother them." said Belle. Shortly, they drew near the large home of the skin changer, and Gandalf stopped. "We're going in pairs, and I will signal each of you to come. Bilbo, Thorin, Belle and Myself will be the first to approach Beorn." announced Gandalf. The Company nodded.
And so Belle, Bilbo and Thorin followed Gandalf to Beorn's front door. Gandalf knocked on the large door with his staff. The door opened, and the hobbits could see a tall man with wild looking hair looking at them. "Who are you, and what do you want? I don't care much for visitor's!" The tall man grumbled. Gandalf began to speak introducing Thorin, Belle and Bilbo to Beorn. First Beorn turned his attention to the dwarf. "I am not overly fond of dwarves, but Thorin Oakenshield I have heard of well. Come in, and sit down. I was just about to get supper ready." said Beorn. Then Beorn turned his attention to the hobbits looking down at their feet.
"Why are you bringing the Halfling folk with you? The wild is no place for gentle folk." said Beorn. "That's what Dwalin had said when he first met us!" Belle whispered to Bilbo. Bilbo nodded.
"I invited the hobbits on this quest for very important reasons, which I will share with you over dinner here shortly. Now in the meantime, I will introduce you to more of the my friends." said Gandalf, smiling. "There are more?" asked Beorn. Gandalf made signals to the Company to enter Beorn's home. After the Company is introduced, they gathered at the dining room table for dinner, and sharing more stories to Beorn, and in exchange for their tales, Beorn told a few tales of his own.
Belle felt bored, and she wandered off in the dining room, playing with some of Beorn's animals. Belle loved animals very much, and she had a blast playing with four cats, and three dogs. Thorin looked over at Belle and smiled. Belle wanted to invite Thorin to join her, but she knew Thorin wasn't much into animals, so she left him with the Company. And it was decided the Company will stay there for a couple days to rest and relax, and gain their strength for the next leg of their journey. When supper ended, Beorn left for the night for his usual night watch, while the Company moved into the Great Hall, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of a fire pit.
Bilbo went to bed, while Gandalf went and joined Beorn. Belle couldn't sleep, so she decided to sit beside Thorin, whom was sitting with his legs crossed in front of the Company on the floor.
After talking, and telling stories and jokes, and laughing merrily, one of the dwarves called out for some music and singing. Thorin took notice of a mandolin sitting nearby, and the dwarf leader reached for it, while Bofur took out his flute from his jacket. Soon as Thorin began to play the mandolin, while Bofur started playing his flute, Thorin began to sing, shortly joined in by the other dwarves:
The wind was on the withered heath
But in the forest stirred no leaf;
There shadows lay, by night and day
And dark things silent crept beneath.
The wind came down from mountains cold
And like a tide it roared and rolled;
The branches groaned, the forest moaned
And leaves were laid upon the mould.
The song shortly ended when Thorin plucked a final chord on the mandolin. Belle, now resting her head upon the dwarf's shoulder, almost half asleep on him. Thorin took notice of Belle about to doze off on him.
Thorin placed the mandolin aside, and he pulled Belle into his arms, holding her close to his chest. "Sleep, my love. You will need it!" Thorin whispered, as he kissed Belle on the cheek. "Uncle, you really do love Belle, don't you?" asked Fili. Thorin smiled and nodded. "She is a remarkable young woman, and stubborn at fault." said Balin. Thorin laughed. "Yes, that she is. That she is." said Thorin.