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I am sitting quietly when Thorin walks into the large house. "I'm glad you're safe, Isabel."
"Does Kili feel that way?" I ask, not bothering to look at him.
"I'm afraid not." He responds disappointed. "I'm actually surprised he didn't come to your rescue. Every time I complained about you when we were riding the horses, he'd always come up to me and practically shout at why we should keep you. I was rather annoyed and wanted to drop him on the side of the road." We both chuckle.
"Yeah." I sigh. "Didn't you want to drop me on the side of the road too?"
He laughs sheepishly. "In a sense, I did. But, I also wanted to murder you as well because you were so stubborn. You wouldn't stop pestering me about how a woman can do exactly what a man can."
"That's because we can." I state. "I can fight off orcs, run from a giant man-bear, be heroic, and protect and warn you about upcoming hardships."
"The last one's because you can see the future." He says plainly.
"Makes me all the better."
When it was time to sleep, I carefully placed my weary body on the cold, hard floor. I rolled my bag to form a makeshift pillow and pulled the grimy blanket up to my shoulders. Taking a deep and long breath, I smelled the floor and my surroundings. The house had a musty animal scent and everybody around me needed a bath, myself included. Remind yourself to tell Thorin everybody needs a bath before we go. I told myself.
I tossed and turned for hours, but without Kili's lap under my head, sleep was near impossible. Silently, I got up and tiptoed to the far end of the hut where a small bundle of sleeping warmth lay. "Bilbo." I whisper as quietly as I can. "Bilbo."
Bilbo rolls over and I see his pearly, white, drowsy eyes look at me through half-closed eyelids. "What is it Isabel?"
"I can't sleep." I say.
"Then you should talk to Kili." He tries to roll back over, but I grab his shoulder and gently roll him back to face me.
"Kili and I aren't on good terms."
He sighs and lifts his blankets up, exposing himself to the cold air around us. "Fine. Come and lie here 'till you fall asleep."
"Thanks, Bilbo!" I say as I crawl underneath his blankets and snuggle up next to him.
"Anytime." He rolls back over so his back is facing me.
I rest my head on his pillow. Slowly, I begin to press my body against his, feeling the warmth of his back. Bilbo notices this pressure on his body and turns back around to face me. "Isabel, what are you doing?"
"Trying to stay warm."
He sighs again. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to him. My face ends up pressed against his chest so I can hear his steady heartbeat. In return, I wrap my arm around him and rest it on his side.
I fall asleep quickly.
I wake up before Bilbo does, but I find another being staring at us. I turn my head to see Kili looking at our position with a distraught look plastered to his face. "What's wrong, Kili?" I ask drowsily.
"Why are you with him?" He asks. Anger perks into his husky voice.
"I couldn't sleep."
"Then why didn't you come wake me?"
"Because such a low class person like myself shouldn't bother you with such trifle matters."
"You know I had to say that."
"Why though? I mean, we're probably never going to see Beorn again in our lives. Why shouldn't we spill our guts to the guy?"
"Because he could tell the enemies."
"Who? The orcs? You heard him. He hates dwarves, but he hates orcs more. He wouldn't tell them anything."
"So. He still has leverage on us."
"Still doesn't mean anything."
"Grah!" Kili shouts. Thorin looks at me, then Kili, then me again. I shrug.
Bilbo stirs next to me and I look over at him. His face is perfectly lit from the rising sun and he looks so peaceful. "I heard the entire conversation." He says quietly.
"You did?"
"Yeah." He opens his eyes to me. "He has no right to treat you like that. You should really tell that guy what's what."
"Yeah. I know."
"Than why don't you do it?"
"Because it would tear the entire team apart. It's better to have two people fighting than the entire company with only Gandalf to hold together. Thorin would chose Kili's side and so would Fili. They are family after all."
"All the dwarves are family. They'll all stand for what they think the family will deem correct."
"It's all so frustrating."
"I know." He says sympathetically as he begins to stroke my hair. "Now let's go get something to eat."
"You all need a bath." I say as I walk into the kitchen. Each dwarven face looks at me with either disgust or confusion. "You all reek."
Gandalf is the first to speak after my outburst. "She is right you know. The orcs probably find us so fast because none of you take a bath."
"What about you Gandalf?" Oin asks.
"Wizards are never in need of a bath. We can just make you think we smell like a field of flowers." He replies with humor.
"Now, Beorn," he looks to me, "where is the nearest river and can we borrow three bars of soap and 16 towels?"
"Why 16?" Gandalf asks.
"Because no matter what you say on being clean, you are getting in that water and we are all going to throw you in if you don't." I say fiercely.
"Ay!" Gloin shouts. "Gandalf is going to be wet!"
"To the water!" I yell at the top of my lungs when Beorn gets the soap and towels and points to the river across the yard. I usher everyone out of the house.
"What about you Isabel?" Fili asks.
"Don't you worry, Fili! I'll make sure to take my bath after you all are gone." I say.
"But why won't you take a bath with us? After all, you're the one that kept saying how a woman can do all the things a man can?" Thorin interjects with a silly grin on his face.
"Yes, a girl can bathe herself, but, a girl needs privacy like everyone else does." I say as I start to undo my hair from its messy bun atop my head.
"So, are you going to jump in?" Gloin asks.
"With you? No." All the men sigh in disappointment. "But, if you can get Gandalf in, I might make an exception." With that, all of the dwarves race off to find the wizard himself.
All those who were left were only Bilbo and myself. We both released a storm of laughter. When the laughing fit ended, all 13 dwarves came back carrying a very upset wizard. "Put me down you smelly dwarves!"
"Not until you're well in the water!" All the dwarves said before they reached the edge of the river and tossed him into the sparkling pool.
"Now you!" Thorin calls to me with an almost smug look on his face
I start to laugh. "Now, Thorin, if I am going to jump into the water, it's going to be on my own terms." I say as I jump into the water, creating a big splash. When I come back up to the surface, I see an angry company that is dripping wet. I scowl. "What're you waiting for? Jump in! You reek!"
All 13 dwarves and Bilbo jump into the river. Gandalf comes up to the surface finally and tries to get out. One by one all the other dwarves' heads pop up and cling to him to try and keep him in.
"Gandalf, we forbid you from getting out until you have scrubbed behind those hairy ears of yours." Fili says with a laugh.
"Fine!" Gandalf sighs displeased.
We stayed in the water until our skin turned to prunes and the sun fell beyond the horizon. Gandalf said we were going to stay at Beorn's for one last night before we would leave for the lonely mountain. I just hope there is no more trouble, which is very unlikely.
I hope you liked this chapter. I had a good time writing this and imagining what your faces would be like. Review!