DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters or happenings of middle earth. They belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and sometimes Peter Jackson's stuff might fall in too. I only own my OC. Please, feel free to leave any comments and questions. Follow the story in which ever way you would like, but make your thoughts known. Thank you!


~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~


CHAPTER 28

I blink at his words in incredulity. 'He wants me to... leave?' What a joke... a joke so funny... I forget to laugh it's so funny. I turn towards Gandalf to ask him what in the world is going on, but Thorin grips my arms tighter and forces me to look at him. His skin is caked with blood, sweat, and dirt but it's the pure rage on his face that catches most of my attention. Unease bubbles up in my stomach and I try to pull away from his hands but he refuses to let me budge.

"Let go." I command, shifting from foot to foot nervously "You're hurting me..."

"Oh? Azog hurt you as well." he bites out cruelly, his face turning an angry shade "Yet you went running into his arms, did you not?!"

"Thorin, come now." Balin tries to intervene, approaching with calming hands "Let go of the la-"

"No! She does not understand how dangerous her actions are." He drops one of my arms to roughly jab a thick finger into my stomach. Though the wound is not life threatening, the act does cause more pain than I would like. I shove his hand away with a grimace even as he continues his rant "This is merely a love bite compared to what he could, and would, have done to you."

"I know but-"

"You know? You know nothing! If the eagles hadn't arrived all your foresight would have given you is a taste of what vile acts would have been bestowed upon your person. This is no game for you to meddle in as you see fit! Do you not understand?!"

"If you could just-"

"He would have raped you, Thia. RAPED. YOU. Plundered your body and given it to his legions until you were well and truly beyond saving! A fate you scarcely avoided by the aid of giant fowl!"

"I-I knew they were coming!" I push my feet against the floor, trying desperately to find footing both mentally and physically "I'm not suicidal. I only had to wait it out! You don't understand that if I change things-"

"Suicidal?! No, you left you suicidal tendencies on a ledge in the Misty Mountains." he scoffs, clenching a fist at his side and completely disregarding my explanation. He is clearly beyond reasoning with and I do not know what to do "We thought you dead. We MOURNED for you, stupid girl!"

"Thorin-" Gandalf starts sternly but is ignored by the king

"Let me give you a sound warning about this righteous aim you believe you are heading for." he takes up the hand that I am using to try and pry his from my arm, squeezing it tightly between his rough fingers. He leans in to breathe against my ear, whispering as though he were sharing the ugliest of secrets "The way you are going, you will die before this journey is complete. Reveal all you know and I will save you from your own foolishness. Don't, and this cliff will be where we part."

"Don't threaten me!" I try to back away from him again; he's too close and I don't like it at all. I flick my head away from his, hoping he can not heart my heart pounding in my ears "W-we signed a contract, you can't make me do this. I won't let you!"

He uses his left hand to secure my right arm, while using his other to pull my other arm up and behind his head. The position is uncomfortable but not painful, due to his slightly lower height. It does however twist my torso in an odd arch like stretch, tugging my body towards him but also keeping me in place. It pulls on my strained muscles, making them tremble as I try to keep my balance. He leans forward once more until we are nose to nose so he can sneer into my face with eyes so strangely sad, that I almost feel as though I really have wronged him.

"I wish I'd never allowed you to sign that contract." He pushes me away and I stumble, landing on my behind in the dirt "It is proving more trouble than its worth."

There is an awful pang in my chest and I look down expecting to see an arrow. Upon finding no wounds, I can only guess that it is emotional. I reach up and place my hand between my breasts to try and sooth away the intense sorrow that has made a home there. My heart thuds erratically behind my palm, trying to break free of its fleshy cage and express the words my head is too stubborn to admit.

Sadness, agony, and despair rush over me in waves; I close my eyes to block out the swirling of the scene. It hurts so bad. 'Heart ache.' I was warned, wasn't I? Who thought it'd be so soon. Or maybe the advice was late? Still, the tender sting in my heart is not displayed on my face. I reign in all my feelings of misery and grief and leave them to torment my core in the darkness away from all eyes. Clearing my face of any emotion, I lift my head back to his.

"My ring." I call out dully "Give it back."

"...I lost it."

He walks away from me and settles on the other side of the rock. I know that I'm shocked; I barely notice when Bilbo rushes to my side to check me over for injuries. In a daze, I am only vaguely aware of the pitying looks the company gives me. I hardly register that Balin is quietly scolding Thorin for his behavior but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. 'He lost it.' Vision muddled by emotion, I reach my arms out in a desperate attempt for human contact and grasp Bilbo. Though not technically human, he will do. Pulling him into a hug, I bury my face into his stomach.

"Do not cry Miss Thia." He tries to sooth me, petting my hair before patting my back instead "He... he doesn't mean it. He's just… worried for your safety."

"'m not crying" my words are muffled by his coat but it's true. I'm too shocked to cry right now "I wouldn't cry for him."

It's a lie, my being unaffected by the dwarf. I cried at his death scene; despite knowing of its coming for 3 years, it broke my heart. I hold onto Bilbo until my shock wears off and my anxiety grows too high for me to ignore. Leaning back, I smile sadly at the hobbit before moving to the edge of the rock and sitting down.

Alone, my thoughts turn vicious. 'He doesn't want me here. Not that I'm surprised. I annoy myself on most days with my uselessness. But... He lost it.' I bring my fist to my chest again when it offers a twitch of discontent. The words bounce around my skull until I want to scream, unable to find a fault in them. 'Why stay where I'm not wanted?' I am not left alone extensively, as it isn't long before Gandalf makes his way over to me. Taking out his pipe, he lights it up and sits quietly by my side. After a few minutes of silence, I understand that he's not leaving.

"Smoking isn't good for you" I state, voice drier than I'd expect. Clearing my throat with a sigh, I press my hands into the earth by my thighs and ignore the sting of rocks "And its even worse for me."

"Hmmm." He hums before putting out the pipe, to which I am thankful "How are you doing, my dear?"

"Oh you know." I say coldly, staring off into the distance as the sun slowly makes its way across the sky "Picking burial spots apparently."

"Do you plan to die?" he asks seriously

"I think most people just die rather than plan it." I shake my head and sigh again but this time in defeat "No, I'm not planning to die. Suicide is a sin, and I'm not letting a mouthy dwarf determine where my everlasting soul will reside."

"Very good then." He tips his hat as though he were wishing me a good morning, which it is in no way "Then I ask, what are you doing all the way over here?"

"Wondering how far it is to Beorn's house."

The honesty of my answer clearly surprises him as well as the content. 'I guess he thought he was the only person crazy enough to plan on becoming a shape-shifter's house guest.' It's true though, I am seriously wondering how many days it would take to get there. How many hours I'm going to have to spend trying not to become a dwarf murderer. 'He doesn't want me here. He lost it.' I shake my head as the words start to flit around my head again.

"I wish I could skip the whole trip."

"Can you not?" Gandalf replies

"Huh?" I pause to think again "Oh yeah. I can. I think. It'll probably do me some good to practice... and to get away. I don't really want to hang around him right now. It would seem that he doesn't really want to hang around me either."

"I mere temporary oversight on his part, easily blamed on the events of last night."

"... Beorn would be much better company until this passes over."

"Are you sure, my dear?" he frowns "Beorn can be-"

"I just got nearly disemboweled by a spear toothed sociopath to help defend a guy who then tells me he wishes he had never brought me along for the ride in the first place." I caress my stomach lightly and wince "I can handle a giant bear. If I can't, how am I supposed to handle a fire breathing dragon?"

"Hn. Let Oin assist you with that,my dear."

"..."

"Smaug is-" I nod before he finishes his question "I see. If you think this is best, then I will not stop you."

"Thanks." I stand and walk over to Bilbo to tell him the good news, calling quietly over my shoulder "I'm leaving in the afternoon."


~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~


"What in Mahal's bloody beard were you attempting to do, Thorin?"

While rare, Balin, when the occasion calls for it, can swear just as well as his brother. As the dwarves remain settled on the cliff's edge, the elderly dwarrow determines this to be one such moment. Having been scolding his long time friend on the idiocy of his actions for nearly 3/4 of an hour, and receiving only silence, the dwarf is nearly ready to give up.

"Your amad, rest her soul, would turn in her grave if she saw the way you acted with Miss Thia."

"You know just as well as I that my mother has no grave." The statement brings the snowy dwarf up short, as the king rarely makes such cruel mention of the subject. Having been killed during the sacking of Erebor, the late queen does not have a grave as her body was not able to be recovered. Before he can comment on it, Thorin turns towards his adviser with a scowl "Just the same as the woman if she continues her self sacrificing ways!"

"Perhaps she does not act in the most... healthy of ways-" Thorin scoffs at the expression, disagreeing with it's mildness "Yet her heart was in the right place. She was protecting-"

"The halfling, I know." Staring off into the distant in displeasure, the king places a hand over his recently bandaged ribs. Breathing deeply he drops his hand to press it into the earth, welcoming the distracting sting of the rocks "Twice she has quite literally thrown herself into the face of danger for him. It tells too much about the placement of her heart..."

"I should most certainly hope so." The growl that follows has Balin contemplating the subject further, deciding quickly that the king is jealous... in his own way. Thus, he seeks to alleviate his angst, as it will be better for the group as a whole... even if his cousin deserves some unease for his acts against the woman "She was defending a friend, the very same act she attempted to do for you yet we refused to let her go. An honest and brave act you condemned her for..."

"... It was not my intention to... upset... her..." though unable to admit it, Thorin is not relieved to be seen in the same light as the hobbit. In fact, he feels a sort of discontentment with the comparison for reasons he is not ready to disclose. It will do none of them any good, but ignoring it has led to him nearly harming the little woman; an act he would wish to avoid "My only intention was to show her-"

"-that she only needs to fear you?" The two dwarrows glance up, watching as Bilbo approaches. The hobbit, apparently emboldened by his earlier acceptance, stops a few feet away from the pair and glares down at their forms "Because if that was your goal then congratulations; she's leaving."

"Leaving?" Thorin questions in disbelief. Though he had threatened to have her separated from the company he did not expect her to carry it out herself "Leaving to where?"

"To a friend's, it would seem."

"She has no friends." The statement slips from the king's mouth and he immediately knows it did not come out as intended. Knowing that the majority of the company is not aware of her otherworldly origins, his statement comes off as crass "She has no friends in the area. Her only allies reside on this cliff."

"That is debatable, as she still goes."

"She has told you this?" Balin asks Bilbo, though cutting his eyes at the monarch for the cruel statement. At the hobbit's nod, he sighs and rises to his feet "I will speak with her and see if you have not cost us her counsel... and friendship."


~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~


To say he is upset is putting it very lightly. Bilbo is furious, but not with me. He is ready to tear Thorin a new one for making me feel unwanted. He would have been tossed off the side of carrock but he would have defended me if needed. He's a good friend. I tell Bilbo and, soon after, Balin of my plan so they wouldn't worry because angry or not they matter to me.

Shockingly, Balin agrees that some time apart would be best. I would have taken the hobbit with me but the company will need him. I parted with the group a few minutes ago and I now stand at the gate of bees with the sun high above my head. 'I hate bees.' I've never been stung before but the noise they make if truly horrifying. I mill around the gate for a while hoping one of the animals would come and ask me in or something. It took me a few minutes to get the location right but I managed.

"Who are you?" is all it takes for me to jump forward in fright and accidentally flip over the tall gate, in my surprise.

I peak between the wooden bars at the owner of the voice. The man is huge, even bigger than Azog by at least a foot. 'They grow them big out here.' His shoulders are broad enough to give him trouble walking through a normal door and his skin is a baked tan as a testament to his time spent outdoors. Heavy, broken, and rusted shackles encase his thick wrists. They are old and worn, but securely in places; the sight of them causes a knot to form in my stomach. The blackness of his hair and beard remind me of… well a black bear and his sharp honey colored eyes are currently watching me curiously.

"Oh um" I sit up straight "I'm... Thia Malcolmson."

"And what is a woman doing skulking around my lands?"

"I'm not skulking!" I say offended before clearing my throat and fingering the edge of my sweater "I'm just… standing."

"Ah, but you are not." He waves to my spot "You are kneeling."

"That's your fault." I cross my arms and glance away "You made me do it."

"I have never made a woman kneel before me unless she wanted to."

I swing my head back to him wide eyed. 'Did he just say that?!' I open my mouth to scold him, yell at him, anything but I end up looking like a fish. He chuckles loudly at my face before setting his huge ax down and taking a seat, pretzel style.

"Now Thia" he says my name as they do back home, without a Miss and full of naughty promises. Having been away from such forwardness for so long, I feel my face heat up. I don't take it personally, as he gives me a vibe that he is the type to pounce on anything with internal sexual organs "My name is Beorn. Tell me why are you here?"

I explain as much as I can without betraying any secrets or destinations. The company will tell their side of the story when they get here anyway, so I just indulge in the parts when I separated from them. Hours later, I'm sitting at a table with honey toast, complaining about a dwarf king.

"What about your ring?" Beorn asks intrigued, biting into a piece of toast himself "It seemed of some importance to you."

"My mother gave it to me about ten years ago, upon my request." I feel tears prick my eyes but I blink them away "It's a purity ring, symbolizing a promise I made with God."

"What promise did you make?"

"... To remain a virgin until I marry." I take a slow bite from my toast, pushing it to the side of my mouth absently "It's not such an obvious thing where I'm from anymore. But I made the vow and Thorin, he…"

"He threw it away." He growls out, pushing his plate to the side "He took your oath and broke it."

Something inside me wants to defend Thorin but I can't bring myself to because it's true in a way. His loss of that ring was like him throwing away something much more important. It's only a symbol but it means something to me and his disregard... hurt. I nod slowly and the bear man pushes away from his seat roughly with a growl. I don't want him thinking Thorin actually took my virginity and ran off on me, so I follow him out the door.

"Beorn! He didn't physically touch me." I manage to catch up to his long strides "Only the symbol."

"You swore an oath of protection and created a physical representation of it did you not?" he rumbles turning to face me "He then took that oath into his own hands?"

"Yes, but-"

"He was careless and lost the symbol of your purity," he continues looming over me, though I am not threatened by it "is this true?"

"Beorn-"

"Is. This. True?"

"...Yes however-"

"Then whether he laid with you or not" he turns away and begins walking again "He has stolen something precious from you. Dwarves are not known for their kindness of races outside their own. Selfish creatures they are, that care only for themselves."

"They aren't like that at all!"

"... How many came to your aid when this Thorin expressed displeasure in a most despicable way? How many stopped their leader from harming a woman they called friend?" I stare at his back and say nothing. The group had remained mostly silent, even Balin and Gandalf merely uttered a few words of reprimand before giving in to the king's wishes. Yet would it not be treason or some other traitorous act to go against him? I would have liked for aid but I'm sure they had their reasons for not helping "How many would have stepped in had he been any rougher with you?"

"... He is their lea-"

"Then they follow a fool. How many?" I have no idea. None would be happy standing back but I'm sure they would restrain themselves for as long as they could. For the first time I find myself wishing they had less self control. My silence is all the confirmation Beorn needs as he departs my presence "Stay in the house with the animals. They will provide you with whatever is needed. Do not come out in the night, I will return in the morn."

With that he walks away from me and into the woods. I stand in the archway watching his retreating back before sliding to my knees and dropping my head into my hands. 'Not good. Not good at all.' I really really really hope I didn't screw this up. If Beorn doesn't take in the dwarves, they really will be killed by Azog. And it'll be all my fault.


~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~


Sheepgirl: Sure, why not! Come on in. I'm sure I can find a place for you.

16. : We must all keep our secrets close, for the good of the story.

Dr. Sparkeater: Yes, she jumps on evil doers faces.

cjsl8ne: Please stay till the end!

SethadoreVGC: Muahahaha

Things got a little out of hand. How do you like how it turned out? Speak to my heart through your comments. They keep me alive. This chapter was written in between watching vines. I don't 'do' vines but I'll watch the heck out of them. Until next time