Author's Note: I own nothing.

11 Hurts and Healing

The moment Thorin woke up he knew something wasn't right. He'd fallen, Azog's mace sending him flying onto a rock. He was still laying on a rock but the pain was receding. But the mace was not the last the he remembered. Just before he lost consciousness entirely he'd spotted a head of honey brown hair gilded gold in the light of the burning forest her little sword held out in front of her glowing like a valiant little star in the night. But kneeling over him now was not the brown eyed hobbit, nor the pale orc, but the grey wizard, shadowing Thorin's face with his large grey hat.

"The hobbit?" He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud. But he was concerned. Where was she? If she'd come to his defense against Azog she would have been torn to shreds by the monstrous white Warg. Gandalf smiled lightly.

"She's right here, quite safe." He assured as he helped Thorin sit up. He was sore, his shoulder still aching from where Azog's mount had sunk its teeth into him but he needed to see the hobbit to make sure she really was alive. His eyes slid over the company as he looked for a head of honey brown hair. Everyone looked a little beat up, a little bruised and battered. But among the dwarves he found her. Her skirt was torn, she'd lost the last few buttons she'd had on her vest. She was scratched but no more battered than anyone else in the company.

"What were you thinking?" Thorin demanded, perhaps it had been a little harsh but he was confused. She'd never proved the least bit violent yet she'd stood between him and a pack of Orcs when no one else could or did. "You could have gotten yourself killed!" The company was watching them unsure of what to do. "I said you would not do well in the Wilds, that you were not fit for this company, or this quest." Hurt flashed in earthen eyes. She drew back slightly, Thorin stepped forward, drawing her into an embrace. "I have never been more wrong in my entire life." He admitted and felt more than heard her laugh. The rest of the company cheered and gathered around the two of them clapping backs and congratulating the Hobbit on her bravery in standing up against the Orcs.

Gandalf called them back from their revelry. They were sure to be found sooner or later. Azog likely had orcs working for him and they were only a day or so ahead of them. They needed to care for their hurts now and move on quickly. The eagles, happy to help any who were friends with Gandalf, hunted them up some supper. Oin and Bella helped them dress their hurts using some fabric she pulled from her pack, which was the only one they had left. Thorin frowned as Oin wrapped the large bite wound on his shoulder. He recognized this fabric. It had once been the brown skirt Bella had worn while they were in Rivendell. When asked about this she shrugged.

"I washed it before we left, it's the only clean cloth we've got." She explained tearing another strip from the fabric and handing it to Oin. She did look slightly sad about the loss of the skirt though and silently Thorin promised himself that he would replace the loss with something much finer. After all she was one of them now, she'd proved that back on that cliffside. They moved quickly but by the time everyone had been treated and eaten night had fallen once more. It was agreed that since they had not had any rest for at least the last few days, none of them were quite sure how long they'd been under the Misty Mountains in Goblin town, they would set a watch and sleep the night through here where the eagles had left them. They wanted to be as rested as they could be before having to run again. Hopefully though the Orcs would have lost their trail with the aid of the eagles since it was difficult to track anything through the air. Thorin sat next to the fire they'd allowed themselves, not knowing when they would get the chance again. Someone sat down next to him and he looked up, expecting Dwalin who was on watch but he was surprised to meet the bright brown eyes of their resident burglar.

"You should be sleeping." She said, it was almost a chastisement. In spite of himself he felt a smile tugging at his lips.

"So should you Miss Baggins." It was the first time he'd called her something other than the Burglar or the Hobbit. He glanced at her and saw that she was smiling at him, just a little bit. She shook her head, adding a few more sticks to the fire.

"I don't know if I will ever get a proper sleep after what I've seen these past few days." She said with a slight laugh. Thorin frowned lightly as she shivered. He didn't know if it was from the cold of the night or from the horrors she'd seen. She still hadn't said exactly what had happened to her after her fall in Goblin town. Without really thinking about it he pulled off his large blue coat. It was warm, lined as it was with fur. He swung it around her shoulders without really looking at her. She was one of them now, he defended his own, even just from a chill. She shook her head.

"I can't, you'll…" She began.

"Dwarves are made for colder climes than this Miss Baggins." He said with a slight smile. "Sleep. I need to relieve Dwalin from watch." He said standing. It was still a little early for him to relieve Dwalin according to where the moon sat in the sky but he was feeling a bit warm sitting next to the fire anyway. He headed over to Dwalin who appeared to have heard their whole conversation.

"You gave her your coat?" Dwalin asked, a teasing note in his voice, though he was kind enough to speak in a language Bella did not know, lest they be overheard. Thorin rolled his eyes at his friend.

"She doesn't know what it means. She's one of the company now, she proved that." Thorin said and Dwalin quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Just because she doesn't know what it means doesn't mean no one does. I just hope the lads won't be too disappointed, Ori adores her and Kili likes her quite a bit too, if he thinks you're staking a claim."

"I'm not staking any claim." Thorin said with finality. Dwalin raised his hands in surrender and said nothing. Thorin shook his head sending Dwalin off to get some sleep. But as he glanced back at the fire he felt a strange warmth in his heart spotting Bella falling asleep under his coat. It didn't mean anything he thought to himself and not for the first time in the past few days he wished for his One's song to echo again in his head. He shook his head and took up the watch in earn