CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Mr Baggins, this is a private matter. You have no business here," snapped the king.

"No business here? No business here?" Bilbo parroted, his voice almost a shriek. "Do you have any idea…any idea…what that poor girl is going through? She is not a thief, and to have you all sitting here in judgement, while that blackguard sits there smirking…pah!"

"Pray, Mr Baggins do not upset yourself so." It was Balin, ever the diplomat. "We none of us thought that Miss Anna had taken it", he said in a soothing manner. The dwarfs nodded their heads vigorously. Gloin shifted uncomfortably, and mumbled, "What's a dwarf to think?"

"As Thorin said, it is a private matter. This is dwarven business only. Pray be assured that there is nothing for you or Miss Anna to be upset about."

All eyes turned towards the woman sat in the distance, and there was a collective hiss as they realised she was sobbing. Several of them made to stand up, but were waved down by Balin. "I think the lady could do with your company right now," said Balin looking Bilbo square in the eye.

"Of course," said Bilbo, rather mollified, and turning on his heel he scurried over to her side.

"And now, "said Balin to the assembled company, "what to do?"

"The penalty is clear" said Gloin, feeling guilty and wishing to make amends. He had never been fond of Nori, and was angry that he had made such a fool of himself. "I will do it myself".

"That's Dwalin's job," whispered Kili in horrified tones, aware that Ori had started to cry.

Nori sat with his back straight, his face schooled into a nonchalance he was far from feeling, his chin up and an air of defiance in his gaze.

"Dwalin" said Thorin hoarsely, brushing a hand over his hair in agitation. Dwalin nodded slowly never taking his eyes from Nori's face.

"No" protested Dori and Ori in unison. Thorin looked around the company. Every face was grim, his nephews' eyes wide with fear, Bombur's head resting on his chest, his eyes to the ground. What to do indeed? The penalty was clear, Gloin was right about that and Thorin doubted that Dwalin would feel too squeamish about carrying it out, but he knew that it would damage the company terribly if one of them was to be flogged. He looked to Balin for council, but the old dwarf was looking away, no doubt himself feeling distressed at the thought. What to do?

"Please sir, your majesty", sobbed Ori, as Dori shushed him feeling sick with shame but fearful for his errant brother. "Please don't…"

"Don't worry Ori" piped up Nori in a surprisingly cheerful tone. "I am not afraid" he almost spat the word at Dwalin. "Innocent as I am, I can take the punishment. As I told the lady Dis herself, the last week in February when I found her walking by the inn alone…" he said this with a pointed look at Dwalin, who stiffened. Thorin looked puzzled, wondering what on earth his sister could have to do with this. Dwalin coughed.

"Thorin" he said "A word please" and Thorin nodded, standing up. They retreated some yards from the group.

"It'll go down badly with the lads."

"I know."

"Is there nothing else we can do?"

"Dwalin, he stole something- Mahal knows why- and let another take the blame - a woman, Dwalin. Would you rather flog her?"

Dwalin was thinking fast. He knew exactly why Nori had mentioned the princess.

"He has not admitted to it, not in so many words, and without a confession…"

"Yes, you're right." Thorin nodded vigorously; glad of the opportunity his friend had unexpectedly given him. "You never cease to surprise me," he smiled, grasping Dwalin's arm in thanks.

Thorin returned to his men. "As Nori has not confessed to any crime…" there was a collective murmur of surprise, "and nothing can be proved against either party, we will forget this matter and move on"

Gloin looked mutinous; Dori and Ori gasped in relief, and Nori leered at Dwalin. There was a strained silence and then one by one all the dwarfs rose to their feet.

Oin turned to his brother. "My hearing's getting worse" he said. "What was all that about?"

By now the day was somewhat advanced and Thorin had a headache. His attempt to regain some ground with Anna by helping her with her bedroll had backfired spectacularly. Now the company was divided, half of them not speaking to Gloin and the Ri brothers; the lady herself was in tears which made his stomach clench, and one of the ponies was lame.

"Thorin, that was well handled… I think", said Gandalf, "but it would be best if we all took a little rest to calm ourselves down. Let Miss Anna compose herself." Cursing the wizard for the umpteenth time for bringing them on this foolish quest, he made a decision.

"We have wasted enough time with this nonsense. We press on," he all but growled. There was no challenge forthcoming, although the Halfling looked at him darkly. Gandalf merely raised his eyebrows but said no more.

Steeling himself he approached the woman. "Miss Anna". She looked up, red eyed and wary. He wanted to apologise, to explain, but it was complicated. "You will ride with me", he said, surprising them both with his decision.

For half an hour neither of them spoke. The landscape rolled monotonously by, punctuated only by the occasional sob that still racked the young woman's body. When these had died away, Thorin cleared his throat. "I apologise for all… that. I had no choice when Gloin made an accusation. I am sorry if we have offended you."

She was silent for a moment, and then very quietly said, "Aye. You have offended me, for I am no thief. You scared me too. Why was I not allowed to defend myself?

"It is not our custom to let outsiders encroach on our affairs."

Anna harrumphed in reply. "So it was Nori?" she asked.

"We cannot prove anything".

"And if you could, what would have happened to him?"

"He would have been flogged"

She turned in the saddle to face him, eyes wide.

"No, I would not have had you flogged, "he said. "Miss Anna, please believe that I did not think for one moment that you had taken the damned trumpet."

"You looked very angry with me"

"Not with you. My ire was because I knew that N… one of the company must have taken it, Mahal knows why- probably some silly joke that has fallen rather badly flat."

He was perturbed at this, for he could only think that she had been targeted somehow because of this stupid wager. Well he would put a stop to that as soon as they made camp that night.

They rode on in silence once more and Thorin began to feel uncomfortable. When she had turned to look at him the woman had shifted in her seat, bringing her behind closer to his groin. They were not touching, but as soon as he had noticed it, he had felt a twitch and then a tightening he had not felt for quite some years. Mahal no he thought, glancing downward, his eye catching the curves of her buttocks outlined against the pony's back. He must have moved or made a sound, for she turned once more. "Is something wrong my lord?"

Contact. Thorin definitely made a sound this time, something between a squawk and a whimper, which he deftly managed to turn into a cough. "Just some dust from the road" he gasped, but the jerking movement of his over enthusiastic cough caused him to rub his groin against her. The tight feeling in his breeches intensified and another glance down confirmed his suspicion. Durin's beard! What was he to do? He could not move any further back, it would unbalance the pony. He could not ask her to move, for fear she should guess at his predicament.

"Thorin, er, your majesty", she started to say; turning toward him again, her touch making his loins tingle.

"Yes?" he answered in a strangled tone, but heard not one word of what she said after. The pressure was both unbearable and delightful at the same time. Without noticing he leaned into her, remembering the last time he had been with a woman.

It was about 10 years ago, when he and Dwalin had been returning from a trade mission in Dunland. They had struck a good deal and feeling plump in the pocket, had stayed at an inn in Tharbad. As a rather boozy evening had worn on the tavern seemed to fill with whores plying their trade, and Dwalin's eyes alighted on a pretty blonde with a heaving chest and they had soon disappeared to a room at the back of the inn. "All alone dearie?" said a shrill voice to his left. He'd looked up at the woman. She was neither old nor young, neither pretty or ugly. Her nearly naked breasts were in his face. "How much? he whispered, and nodded as she named her price. Soon they too were in a small dank room at the back of the inn, with only a pallet on the floor for furniture. The whore laid herself on the mattress and hooked up her skirt. She was naked underneath and Thorin clambered on top of her, taking what he needed. He didn't last long, and when it was finished he handed over the coin, and she patted him atop his head, as if to emphasise his shortness, and laughed.

"Are you quite well? said a loud voice in his ear. "You're making a funny noise. And there's something digging into my back".

Thorin felt like he'd been slapped in the face. "Um, yes. I'm fine" he grunted, gritting his teeth and realising that the rocking of the pony and the feel of her against him had almost brought him to completion. He could feel that his face was flushed red but he wasn't sure if it was with shame or pleasure. He was not often flummoxed but for now he knew he had to get off the pony and away from her. He pulled up, holding up his hand imperiously and waited for the others to draw near and stop.

"We make camp here" he ordered, to the astonishment of all the seasoned travelers.

"Here?" said Fili incredulously.

"There's no cover"

"Or water"

"And you said we would look for a stream so I could freshen up," said Anna.

"When did I say that"? He asked, momentarily diverted.

"Just now. I asked you and you said yes. You said it twice Thorin, I distinctly heard you."

Grasping her around the waist Thorin lifted her off the pony and almost flung her at Bofur. "I'll scout ahead" he mumbled and kicking the pony's sides broke into a canter, leaving his companions behind in puzzlement.