A/N: This is more of a filler chapter, consisting of a sparring session with a certain grumpy King... Not to worry about the length of this chapter, though! I've got at least 15 chapters more that I've already completed and revised, with more chapters that I'm revising at the moment. So you will not be kept waiting for too long!

Thankfully, my period doesn't last as long as usual, probably because of us walking long distances every day. The dwarves had stayed away from me as much as possible, for which I couldn't blame them, Bilbo supportive as ever, used to this happening every month. That we're both used to it happening every month, does not mean I'm not terribly relieved when my bleeding's over one morning, though. I instantly feel a lot better, and the others seem to pick up on that, becoming less frightened and cautious around me.

Speaking of which, they had been surprisingly understanding, and even if they didn't say anything, they showed it in their own way. Each evening when he was making dinner, Bombur would make sure to boil some extra water to fill up a drinking satchel, turning it into a warm water bottle for my cramps. I had been given more sweaters and cardigans then I could count whenever a dwarf noticed me shivering from the cold, and Bilbo had massaged my back whenever I asked for it. Even Thorin had looked after me in his own way, by taking breaks a lot more regularly than usual. It had been terribly sweet of them. Currently, I was sparring with Dwalin, whilst the others set up camp for the night.

"I don't think the axe is really your thing, lass." Dwalin decides, making me scoff. He'd been trying to get me to like the weapon, but two minutes ago I'd toppled over when I tried to lift the stupid thing above my head, and now I was still lying on the ground, tired and sweaty.

"I already told you, I want to train with a sword!" I answer with a pointed look. It was the only thing that seemed easier than knives, which I had been using before this. If we had to fight against a dragon, however, I wasn't so sure how knives would be of any use.

"I know, but there's only one person in our group that excels with one. Fine, you asked for this yourself. Thorin, come here!" Dwalin gives in, and panic fills me when he calls for the dwarf. I quickly scramble to stand up as quickly as possible, as Thorin walks over to us, an unimpressed look on his face at the sight of me.

"What is it, Dwalin?" He asks, serious as always.

"Cameron wants sword training. You know I hate swords, and you're the only one who has one apart from Bilbo. You should train her." Dwalin states, making me look from the one dwarf to the other, panicking.

"I-You don't have to, really. I wouldn't want to w-waste your time." I stutter, locking eyes with Thorin.

"I'll do it." He answers, although he does not seem too happy about it.

"I will leave you two to it, then." Dwalin says, and he flashes me an amused look before sauntering off, re-joining the others by the fire. Silence falls between me and Thorin. Awkward.

"Have you fought with a sword before?" Thorin asks after a while, eyeing me.

"Sure… if you count wooden sword fights at the summer fair." I trail off, and I can see him sigh inwardly.

"Let's just see what you remember. You take this." Thorin orders, pulling his own sword out, before offering the hilt to me. I take it from him, a bit surprised by its weight, but it's better than the axe for sure. When I look back up at Thorin, he's taken off his big fur coat, leaving him in a pair of dark trousers and a white tunic, some of the skin on his chest showing. God, he looked amazing.

"Alright, focus. Get into position." He orders, snapping me out of my drooling thoughts. Nodding, I stand a bit straighter and keep my sword slightly aimed at his knee.

"Bend through your knees more. You'll be able to anticipate your opponent's first move better." He says, and I obey, looking up at him once more.

"That's better. Now, attack me."

I stare at him for a moment, not certain whether I heard that right.

"But you don't have a sword." I protest weakly, frowning.

"I said, attack me." He insists, and when he gives me a stern look, I do just that.

I don't even know how, but Thorin easily ducks underneath my sword, grabs my shoulder with one hand and my hand that's holding the sword with the other. He applies pressure until I have to let go of my sword, but I grab his other arm out of reflex and toss him over my back. He hits the ground, but quickly jumps up, holding my sword in his hand. Fuck.

"Now you're armless. Which means you're probably dead too, in a battle." He states, tossing the sword away. I'm still catching my breath, when he charges at me. With a yelp, I jump to the side, and add a kick to his knee while he's close enough. He grunts, but spins back around, and I have to dodge a punch next, ducking underneath his arm. I forget to protect my left side, however, and he kicks me there, making me gasp for air. Next, his leg sweeps my legs from underneath me, and I hit the ground with my back harshly. I try to punch him when he appears above me, but he takes my hands and pushes until my arms are pinned above my head, his hand holding my wrists tightly so I can't move them. I try to buck my hips and kick him off, but he quickly straddles me, his weight preventing me from doing anything.

"Wow, you're really strong." I bring out, breathing heavily. He smirks at it, and my stomach does a flip. Then, I realize he's still on top of me, straddling me, and I can feel my cheeks heat up. Why did he have to be so hot again? His eyes are darker than usual, as they're staring down at me. His hair has come loose from the fight, a few strands of curls brushing my cheeks, beads of sweat covering his forehead and chest. He's breathing heavily too, his full lips open slightly, and I have to resist the sudden urge to kiss him. Fuck. What the hell was I even thinking?

Subconsciously, I shift underneath him, and it's like electricity runs through my body. His eyes widen, and then he seems to realize our position. Quickly, he pulls himself off of me and stands up. Then, he offers me his hand and I take it, allowing him to help me up.

"You're not that bad." He mutters, surprising me.

"You had me on the ground in less than 5 minutes, I was bad." I argue, shaking my head at him.

"I didn't expect you to last longer than one." He states. I scoff at it, but then he smiles. Is he actually joking?

"Alright, let's just go over some movements." He adds, and the next hour or so I'm busy repeating movements he shows first. He's standing beside me, and I mimic his motions. Occasionally, he has to adjust my footing or the way I hold my hands, but I think I'm doing rather okay. At the end, I'm growing increasingly more sweaty and tired, and Thorin seems to pick up on that, for he tells me that we're going to stop for today.

"Thank you, for teaching me." I say to him as I wipe off my forehead with my sleeve, putting down the sword where Dwalin had laid it ready for me.

"You're a fast learner. I want you to be able to defend yourself, you'll need it on our journey." He answers, and the look in his eyes is surprisingly soft when I look up at him.

"I actually enjoyed the training. Thank you." I answer with a smile.

"No problem, really. You'll feel it tomorrow, though, so don't thank me yet." He responds with an amused look. "You can go to bed, I'll gather the weapons."

"Goodnight, Thorin." I say, giving him one last look before walking back to my bedroll.

"Goodnight, Cameron."