Chapter 4

In which Thorin gains a new travel companion

Thorin walked silently next to Hermione as they traversed up the muddy street away from his workshop. It was a short walk and they would soon be upon the inn. He turned to look at his companion's profile. Her hair had been tied back with a tight black band and eyes were quickly cataloging everything in the town as though it were the most interesting thing she had seen in weeks. Glancing around, Thorin could not help but disagree. There was absolutely nothing interesting about the town. It was small and dirty, and had few redeeming qualities in his eyes.

As they grew nearer to the inn he spoke. "Ilirra is a good and kind woman," he explained. "When I first arrived here I made use of her inn and she was more welcoming than I had anticipated anyone in the town would be. I expect that she will be able to help you as well."

Hermione hummed and nodded her agreement as they continued to trudge along through the mud. They stopped in front of the Inn, and stood looking up at the building. It was one of the few buildings in the town that had a second story and abundance of windows. "Thank you for helping me this far," Hermione said as she turned back towards him.

It was Thorin's turn to nod at this. "Of course," he replied steadily. "I hope that you will have better luck in your travels after this."

A small laugh seemed to escape her. "Oh, I hope so to," she said before pausing and glancing at the door. "Will you be coming in with me?" she asked.

"No," Thorin said as he shook his head. While he liked Illirra just fine, her husband was an entirely different manner. He was a pig-headed and unfriendly sort, that Throin wished to avoid if he could. "You only need to explain to her that you have come to ill-fortune while traveling the roads by yourself. I am sure that is all that will be required to acquire her assistance."

If possible the woman seemed to deflate a little bit and her shoulders slumped in a bit. "Oh, alright," she replied, her tone a bit flatter than it had been moments before. "Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now then. I am sure I will see you around town."

"That is unlikely," Throin said with another shake of his head. "I am planning on leaving this town tomorrow."

"Right," Hermione said, a frown beginning to form, "well, then this really is a more definitive goodbye. Thank you so much for all of your help yesterday and today. I probably would have drowned in all of that rain yesterday."

Thorin nodded in acceptance of the thanks. "I am glad that you did not drown," he replied stoically, though he could feel his lips turning up slightly in amusement. "I wish you the best in all of your future travels. May Aulë guide and watch over your footsteps. Until our paths cross again, safe travels," Thorin said with a small bow.

"Safe travels," Hermione murmured back with a slight bow of her head. Thorin noticed that the slightly confused look had returned to her face. Shaking his mind free of concern, he stood straight and said, "Goodbye, Hermione." And with that, he turned on his heels and began walking back down the road from which they had come.

''Goodbye, Thorin!" he heard her say.

Thorin wondered, once he returned home if may he should have gone in to talk with Ilirra about the young woman. Who was he to cower and run away from an unpleasant man? He was the son of Thráin and wandering King of Erebor! But then again, since he was King did he really need to spend his time worrying over a woman of the men-folk? No.

Pushing the matter from his mind, he went back to the forge to continue working on the few remaining pieces of work necessary for the jobs he had accepted. He continued to work well into the afternoon and after collecting his meager pay from the grouchy pub owner, the farmer and the townsman for his work he continued to a small stall at the town's center to purchase provisions for his journey. Satisfied that the hard cheeses, dried meat and bread would last him until he reached the next town, he walked purposefully back to his workshop to continue packing up the last of his personal belongings.

That evening, Thorin surveyed the progress he had made on his pack. Everything seemed to be in order except he had somehow managed to misplace his waterskin. How that had happened he had no idea. He had searched high a low throughout the workshop to no avail. It was missing and he would have to see about buying one off of the local merchants come morning. While he had been planning on leaving at first light, he would now have to wait until the merchants were up and manning the few shops and stalls in town.

Settling in for the night, Throin climbed into his bedroll, on of the few items that was still left out from his pack, and made himself comfortable. It would be a long trek tomorrow and he planned to be well rested. Pulling the bedroll tight up around his face, he could not help but notice that there was the pleasant scent of the woman who had used it last lingering in the furs.

While he had slept peacefully through the night, Throin was abruptly jolted out of his sleep by a soft knocking on his door. A blade was immediately in his hand as he pointed it in the general direction of the door, his eyes blinking away the sleep.

"Thorin?" a soft voice called to him.

Cursing under his breath at whoever was foolhardy enough to come knocking before the sun was properly into the sky, Throin untangled himself from the bedroll and in nothing but his breeches and undershirt, he approached the doorway. The very first light of dawn illuminated the figure that stood in his doorway. It was Hermione. 'What was she doing here,' he wondered to himself as he slowly lowered the small blade he kept beside his bedroll.

"Good Morning," she said briskly. "I am sorry I woke you. I thought you would be up already."

Thorin felt himself bristle a little bit at that. He had meant to be up by now, packing away his bedroll, and taking care of the last of his preparations before he made to leave. When he did not immediately reply she seemed to plow right on ahead.

"I would like to travel with you."

"What?" Thorin found himself blurting out before he could stop himself.

"Ilirra made it quite clear to me that I would not find my way home staying with her, and she insisted that I not travel without a companion. As you are currently the only person that I know to be traveling, it became quite obvious that I should ask if I could impose on your kindness one again and ask if I could travel with you."

"You do not even know where I am going," Thorin protested, a small part of him a bit horrified at the very forward approach that this woman was taking.

He watched mystified as Hermione shook her head. "I imagine most anywhere will be an improvement from here. I will continue to ask for advice from those we meet as we travel together."

'As we travel together….' Thorin thought to himself. 'No, no, and no!' She must have seen the way his face was darkening because she began speaking once again.

"Please, you know as well as I do that there is nothing for me here," she pleaded, her voice beginning to take on the very first edge of panic. "Plus, who knows if the next traveler will be quite as kind and friendly as you are." Thorin could feel himself jolt on the inside. He was not kind and friendly. He was a grouchy and brooding dwarf, and he knew it. "And we are already at least a bit familiar with each other, even if we have only known each other for such a short time. Surely this would be better than traveling with a complete stranger!"

Thorin could feel his lips pressing into a tight line as he took a moment to look her over. She did indeed look ready for traveling. Ilirra must have provided the gear as the woman had nothing on her when he had last seen her. Over her shoulders sat a thicker coat than what she had originally been wearing. A pack was strapped to her back, brimming with who knew what, and her hair had been done up into a rather fetching braid. Quite the unusual hairstyle for her kind based on what he had seen of most of the women men-folk.

He looked into her face and found pleading dark honey colored eyes staring back up into his. She had her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at him, and Thorin could feel his defenses begin to crack.

"Are you experienced at traveling," he found himself asking, his voice coming through his clenched teeth.

"Some," she replied easily.

Mahal save me, Thorin thought to himself.

"I will not be held responsible for your safety while we travel together," he replied gruffly.

"I wouldn't expect you to be."

"And are you fully equipped for traveling?"

"Yes, Ilirra gave me everything that I would need."

Thorin continued to stare at her, but she did not waver under his deep frown, which said something about her bravery. Even some of his most trusted friends would have had the grace to look away at this point.

"Fine," he bit out, perhaps against his better judgment. "I have a few things to accomplish, and we leave as soon as I am done."

"Thank you," she said in earnest, a huge smile spreading across her face. "Thank you."

Thorin just nodded his head stiffly at her, before moving to finish his preparations. His journey home had just become far more complicated that he had originally anticipated.

A.N. Currently not betaed. All mistakes are mine.

Huzzah! They have finally started their journey! Hope everyone is as pleased as I am about that!