Thorin and I rested for a few days by the bend of the stream. The pain of my wounds slowly subsided and I could hobble around without the need of Thorin's arm around me. The urge to find the company itched at us, so we prepared by hunting and gathering what we could. We stayed together, quietly walking through the woods as we checked traps and found edible plants. There was not much conversation, but it was peaceful. I became accustomed to the dwarf and his natural need to protect something. With the company far away by now, he only had me to look after. Which was no small feat for Thorin since I didn't make it easy. On many occasions, he would turn around to find me gone and would run through the trees to find me once more. He would refrain from yelling at me though because it wouldn't solve anything. He accepted the fact that I was independent but when either of us couldn't see the other, the worry of being alone set in.
As I walked quietly through the forest, my eyes looked for the traps we had set the day before. The pain in my leg was almost gone, but I wasn't as strong as I had wished to be before we left the next morning to find the company. Thorin was not far behind, treading almost as quietly as I was, which was something I had never heard any dwarf do. We stayed close as I bent to examine the trap, a dead rabbit hanging from the small noose it had walked through. As I picked up the rabbit, there was a snapping of twigs in the distance. I stood up staring and pushed Thorin into the brush behind us. He stooped to ground, his dagger drawn and his other hand resting on the small of my back, pulling me closer to protect me from whatever was out there. Everything was quiet as I listened for anymore noises. The walking footsteps started once more and I pushed thorin farther back into the brush, my back resting against his chest. If I had had my bow, I would have used it. But we only had Thorin's knife and the small knife I had in my boot.
Suddenly, branches were pushed back on the far side of the clearing, and an orc came blundering out of the shadows. I held my breath, Thorin stiffening behind me as he saw the monster through the branches in front of us. A smaller goblin came from behind the orc and I could tell he was from goblin town. His pale skin and large eyes looked the same as the goblins that had captures us.
"You said the dwarf and ranger fell from the cliff. Where are they, rat!?" The orc snarled, turning on the smaller creature who shrunk into itself.
"I saw them fall and land at the base of the cliff. If they weren't dead when they hit the ground, then animals must have killed them and dragged them off." The goblin wailed, trying to reason why we weren't at the edge of the cliff where our bodies should have been found.
"Or maybe you lie! If you don't find those bodies, I will rip the flesh from your bones with my teeth." The orc roared, looming over the goblin who fell back on the ground in fear. As I watched the interaction, Thorin adjusted behind me, which led to the cracking of a branch under his heel. Both of us froze in place as the orc whipped around to face where we were hiding.
"Maybe they're not dead at all." The orc mused, walking slowly towards our hiding place, drawing his large mangled looking axe from his back. I glanced around quickly for something to stop him, when I found a small stone. Deftly, I threw the stone to our left, hitting a tree farther in the forest. Both creatures turned to the noise and they both took off for it, hoping that it was us. Once they were out of earshot, I grabbed Thorin's hand and ran the opposite direction back to our campsite.
"We need to leave now before they come back this way." I exclaimed, wading across the brook to what was left of our fire. Thorin rushed to grab the small store of food we had as I dosed the embers with water, hoping that the heat would be gone when the orc found this place. Thorin began to walk along the shore but I grabbed him and lead him across, making it look like we headed into the forest before doubling back and walking through the center of the stream.
"He may be a good tracker so we need to send him the wrong way to give us more time." I explained to the dwarf as we jogged through the water, careful not to slip on the rocky bed.
"We need to get to high ground to see where we are going." Thorin advised, splashing behind me, turning back every once in a while to make sure we weren't being followed. The stream went on for a while but I didn't dare walk onto the shore for fear of the orc. There could be more of them not far off or more goblins helping him find us. As we ran, the stream grew wider and deeper, the current pushing at us more as we traveled down stream, an opening ahead of us telling me the stream went into the open plains ahead and became stronger. Reluctantly, I lead Thorin to the banks, the fear of orcs still present in my mind. I jogged along, looking out into the plains when Thorin stopped suddenly behind me. I looked back and his eyes were fixed on the horizon, a look of disbelief and pure joy flooding his eyes. I turned to see what he was looking at and in the distance, a lone peak stood out in the haze of the beyond, snow capped and solitude.
"There it is. Erebor." He commented, his voice nearly above a whisper. The sight of the mountain caused my heart to leap for joy. There was his home, the place where he belonged. The tiring journey that we had been on seemed worth it for just a glimpse at the Lonely Mountain. I looked back at the soon to be King Under the Mountain and found his blue eyes already fixed on me. There was a wide smile that I had never seen before on his face. I couldn't help but beam back at him, his happiness filling my soul. He chuckled and came towards me, his giant arms wrapping around my waist and hoisting me into the air. My arms grabbed around his neck as he turned us in a circle, his joy contagious. We were almost there! He set me down eventually, but his hands stayed on my waist. His face sobered a little, but his eyes still showed hope and determination.
"Thank you. We wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for you." Thorin said, his eyes taking in my face. I smiled and gave a nod. It was all I could offer him. We stayed like that for a while just smiling at one another, the occasional glance back to the peak in the distance. But the happiness soon faded as my thoughts slowly came back. I knew this river! I knew the slope down into the valley below and the plains that stretched on ahead. And in the distance I could see the forest of Mirkwood. I knew this land! My hands dragged down Thorin's arms as I turned to survey the land, to see anymore landmarks I recognized.
"I know a place where we can rest. Gandalf knows of the place as well. Maybe we can reunite with the company there." I stated, turning back to Thorin who had come to stand behind me. He nodded and gave me a smile, gesturing for me to lead the way. I began to walk down the slope, my eyes looking for any threats, but the hope of reclaiming Erebor filled my mind. We were close and soon Thorin could rebuild the city to it's former glory.
The rest of the day passed with little talk but a happy mood. Neither of us wanted to rest with the Mountain so far ahead of us, teasing us with its snowy peak. But my leg began to ache from the long walking and Thorin was slowing down, though he wouldn't admit it out loud. Trees dotted the field around us and as the sun set ahead of us, I scanned the open land for a place to take shelter for the night. As I did, roaring and great commotion came from behind us. Both of us turned to see wargs charging across the field, but their eyes weren't on us, they were glancing back at something behind them. And not far behind the warg riders was a giant black creature. It was a ginormous bear with teeth as long as my arm. The wargs scattered in all different directions, but the creature saw us in front of him and his large black eyes locked on us. Thorin grabbed my hand and we began running across the plains, the dwarf dashing for the grove of trees not too far ahead of us. The large creature lumbered behind us, roaring in anger and growling with each stride. We pushed on, running as fast as our legs could take us, our fingers interlocked still. The grove became closer and I saw the cabin nestled in the trees with small building surrounding it. I knew this home. I lengthened my stride, pulling the dwarf along, hoping beyond everything that the door wasn't locked. When we passed through the threshold of the wooded area, the cabin door opened and Fili was standing in front of us, becoming us to run faster.
"Hurry!" Kili yelled, appearing behind his brother. I pushed Thorin ahead of me, the two of us tripping over one another in our haste and crashing to the floor of the cabin. The door was slammed behind us but I didn't bother to look up, my forehead rested against the hard warm flesh beneath me as I tried to catch my breath. We laid there for a moment before I was lifted off Thorin, arms wrapping around my torso and squeezing me hard. I gasped but let it happen, not sure who was hugging me but not minding the contact. When the person pulled away I was lifted off the ground by Fili, Kili laughing behind him. The dwarrow laughed and exclaimed their happiness as they hugged and touched Thorin and I. Bilbo was the last to approach us and I saw Took in his arms. The kit jumped from the hobbit's hold and at Thorin, who caught him just in time. I leaned down and hugged Bilbo tightly, glad to see him. He breathed deeply, as if relieving a weight from his shoulders. I let go and the hobbit smiled up at me and a large hand came down on his small shoulder. Thorin handed me Took, who nuzzled into my neck, making happy whining noises as his tail vibrated quickly from side to side. I looked around at the company and joy filled my heart. They were all safe and smiling back at me. Gandalf stood behind them all, giving me a grateful smile. He knew I had done everything I could to save Thorin. I nodded to the grey wizard, chuckling to myself.
"I had hoped you remember this place little Ranger." Gandalf spoke up, relief in his voice.
"In truth, I never stopped here in my travels, but I knew Beorn lived in this area." I sighed, letting Took down to the floor, where he weaved between Thorin and my legs. Suddenly Bombur appeared in our view and grabbed each of our hands, leading us to the large fireplace on the other end of the cabin. They had a fire going and a pot was bubbling above it. We were seated and a large fur was thrown over both our shoulders, soon followed by large bowls of stew and bread hunks. We ate heartily. The warmth from the stew seemed to ease the aches in my bones and I smiled. Thorin shifted as he ate, hi arm and leg pressing into mine. I didn't think of it until now, but that was how we had begun to sit when we were by the river. The contact comforted our nerves in the wild. Even now, it had become habit for us to seek the other's touch. Gandalf sat before us by the flames, his pipe clenched in his teeth. He let us eat for a few minutes before he asked us what had happened.
"I was able to slow our fall with the orc dagger so we didn't die when we hit the ground. Once we made sure we were alright, we found a spot by the river to rest." I said, leaving out the fact that Thorin had to carry me because of my wounds. Thorin nodded, glancing over at me as I spoke.
"We rested tended our wounds there for a few days, but we were almost found by and orc, so we headed down the river." Thorin recounted, tearing off a piece of bread and dunking it into the stew. "We were about to rest for the night when the large monster out there chased us here. He scared a few warg riders to death as well." I smirked at the comment, remembering the large bear chasing the orcs away like a cat chases away mice.
"May I see your injuries?" Oin asked quietly, pulling the furs back to get a better look. He examined my leg, wincing at the sight of the large gashes that were now healed. But he made no comment that they were infected, just smiled and looked over Thorin. When he was satisfied with the care I administered, he went to work mixing an elixir for the pain.
"Ah yes, Beorn is a good fellow when he wants, the bear, not so much." Gandalf chuckled, smoking circling his head like a crown. I nodded, remembering the stories of Rangers who'd come across the skin walker from time to time, sometimes as a man, and sometimes as a bear. He was always kind to the Rangers, so I hoped that the company's presence would not be a bother to him. The dwarrow soon gathered around us as we ate, telling us their flight on the giant Eagles and their trek across the plains until win chased much like us by Beorn just hours earlier. I listened to all of the dwarrow complain or joke and I smiled. I missed their boisterous talk and jokes. My eye soon caught Dwalin, and he was looking at me with a peculiar look on his face, playing with something in his hands, though I couldn't see what it was. He met my gaze and gave me a small smile, but there was something different about the way his eyes looked at me. Sadness mixed with happiness and longing. It confused me but I smiled back, turning my attention back to Thorin. His body had shifted again, leaning back on his hands, his arm pressed against my back as he listened. His warmth was welcome and I rested my chin on my hand, my body leaning closer to his. Gandalf was telling a story and everyone was listening intently. Except for Balin. His eyes were trained onto Thorin and I. He gave a knowing look and then returned his gaze to the wizard.
After a few more hours, the company left one by one to find a corner to rest in. Though I was tired, my body wasn't ready to rest so I stayed by the fire. Bilbo sat with me and Took for a the longest, telling me all about the little fox and how he was while I was separated from him.
"He learned how to hide when commanded. Watch this." The halfling exclaimed in a hushed voice, setting the bright red fox down. "Tooky, disappear." and the little fox pounced away, dashing behind the logs for the fire place. I giggled at the sight and in a few second, the little yellow eyes were peering over the top logs, waiting for Bilbo to call him back.
"Good boy!" Bilbo praised, causing the little creature to chitter and roll around on the ground, grabbing at his tail. We laughed at the little fox until he settled down in my lap, sighing deeply and falling asleep. "I think I will follow his example and take my leave for the night. Good night Frea." Bilbo whispered, standing up and pressing his hand on my shoulder as he passed. I smiled into the fire and watched the flames dance, casting shadows along the walls and ceiling. Footsteps came up behind me and I turned to see Thorin. He and I had changed earlier into new clothes that weren't tattered rags. He wore a light blue tunic and leather pants. He gave me a soft smile as He sat down once more next to me, two large cups half filled with elderflower wine.
"I found this in the cellar downstairs." He commented, taking a sip of the sweet wine. I smirked and took a sip as well, relishing in the sweet flowery drink.
"I never pictured you as a partaker in elderflower wine, your highness." I teased, earning a low chuckle from him.
"There are many things you don't know about me, my lady." He retorted, causing me to scoff at the formality. After we finished chuckling, he sobered. Nostalgia appeared on his face as he stared into the cup in his hands.
"My mother used to drink elderflower wine when we were young. Dìs and I would sit with her in the Lonely Mountain when we were children. She would tell us stories about our grandfather and her brothers. When Smaug attacked, she perished in the mountain, but our Father saved us in time. Dìs grew to love elderflowers so we would drink it together often before Kili and fili were born. She made me promise that when the Mountain was reclaimed and restored, that we would sit in our mother's old chambers and drink the wine she loved so much."
I listened quietly to his story, surprised at the tenderness he felt for his sister. I knew of his love for his nephews, but none of them ever mention her in front of the others. Thorin was quiet for a moment before turning to me.
"Do you have siblings?"
"No." I replied, shifting my weight a little, "I was the only child my mother ever had. I think she would have had more if my father came back to her. She loved him I think. Or at least she didn't love any of the men in the village. I think I would have liked to have a brother or sister." I contemplated, staring into the flames ahead of us. Thorin's chuckle turned my attention to him once more, Took shifting his weight and sliding off my legs and rested against my hip.
"I think you overestimate siblings." He joked, leaning back with his hand resting behind me once more. "We fought constantly when we were children. Drove our mother to insanity many times. And we fought over the smallest things!" He laughed, shaking his head. I grinned and pulled my knee to my chest, resting my chin there. Thorin looked at me with a thoughtful smile.
"I think you would make a good father." I told him, giving him a small smirk. His eyes widened in shock for a moment before he dropped his head.
"I was almost married once." He confided, giving me a tight smile.
"What happened, did she realize how bull headed you can be and run for the Iron Hills?" I teased, leaning my shoulder into his chest. He gave me a playful glare as he chortled at me.
"No she was going to marry my brother, Frerin, but when he died in battle, my father betrothed her to me. We were engaged for a year before I broke it off. She was only happy with my brother and I couldn't force her to love me." He said, giving a sad smile. I nodded at his words, contemplating the hard life Thorin had overcome. He had lost almost everything. No wonder he was so protective of the brothers. They were one of the few things he still had in his life.
"Ranger usually don't marry." I mumbled, "we're too busy being alone in the woods to find someone to love." Thorin chuckled, leaning closer to me.
"Have you ever thought of leaving the Rangers? Of settling down and starting a family?" He asked, studying my face. I furrowed my brow slightly at his questions. When I was training to be a ranger, I took a liking to helping the younger boys with their work and would often be their shoulder to cry on. But I never thought of being a mother.
"No, I never thought of it. But it doesn't sound like a horrible idea. Though I doubt a man would marry me. Being half dwarf usually isn't appealing to either race. And besides, I'm not a damsel waiting for a man to save her. I can save myself. I'm everything men do not want." I replied, looking over at him. He gave me a critical stare before replying.
"Any dwarf would be honored to marry you, if you would give them a chance that is. You are more like us than a human anyway, tougher and not afraid of anything. I admire that about you. You have more courage than most dwarrow I know." He stated, his eyes locked on mine. My eyes widened at his words. I wasn't used to compliments for anyone, especially a dwarf. A smile slowly crept onto my face and I looked away, my cheeks warming slightly.
"You forget that your kind isn't fond of half dwarfs." I chided, turning slightly to face Thorin better. He studied my face for a moment before chuckling and pulling my hair from behind my shoulders, wrapping it around my face like a beard.
"With a little honey and some brushing, we could give you a beard just like any dwarrowdam. None would be the wiser." He joked, studying his "handiwork" with a grin on his lips. I rolled my eyes at him and shoved his chest lightly, earning a chuckle as his hand came to rest on my shoulder, his fingers still playing with my hair.
"No your hair is too smooth and silken to pass for a dwarrowdam. Your pretty auburn locks would give you away to quickly." He mumbled, his blue eyes looking over my hair as he fingered a strand of it. I smirked at him but didn't move. No one had played with my hair this way since I was a child. It felt nice. Thorin's relaxed smile soon faded into his kingly face of indifference and he retracted his hand, looking towards the fire as he cleared his throat. The changed in his demeanor caused me to feel embarrassed, so I dropped my head to look at Took, hiding my red face from him. It was silly anyway. When Erebor was reclaimed, Thorin would be on the throne. He wouldn't give me a second glance after that. I was a passing fancy, if he even fancied me at all. With that, I scooped Took into my arms and stood quickly, causing Thorin to look at me with confusion.
"It's getting late and I am tired. Good night." I said curtly, giving him a nod before retreating to the dark. The company was strewn around the cabin between animals, Fili, Kili and Bilbo dominating one corner of the room not far from a few goats. There was a space next to the blond dwarf so I sat down, the rustling of hay caused Fili to wake.
"Sorry, go back to sleep." I whispered to him, the absence of the fire causing me to shiver. I had left my blanket by the fire and I wasn't returning to grab it and face Thorin once more. Fili noticed me cling the still sleeping fox to my chest and he opened his blanket up.
"Can't have you shivering all night." He teased quietly, his blue eyes gleaming in the dim light. I gave him a smirk and placed the fox above his head, then slid down under the cloth, leaving space between us.
"Thank you." I mumbled, looking up at him. He nodded, his hand coming to rest in front of him, very close to my own hand.
"You and Uncle gave us quiet a scare." Fili muttered, his eyes searching my face for something, though I didn't know what. I shifted and smiled at him.
"In truth, I wasn't sure if we would ever find you again. I had no clue where we were for the longest time and both of us were injured fairly bad. I thought we would have to travel on our own all the way to Erebor." Fili chuckled at my words.
"I would have made everyone wait for you two. We wold be lost with out you, Frea." Fili replied, giving me a sincere smile. I grinned back at him, placing my hand over his. His fingers moved, allowing my own to fall in place between his large digits. The warmth of his hand was a welcome feeling and I smiled, my eyes closing slowly from sleep coming to my body.