A/N: Requested by AmberNinja_03 I post this. I said to pick a number 1-26 and she picked 16, therefore page 16 I shall post.
A twinge of horror and sympathy for Thorin shot through Kali, starting within her stomach and shooting up her spine, jerking her back to reality when she realized Thorin must have seen the head of his grandfather. She'd heard the stories, but could never imagine anything like that happening. Balin continued the story, gazing into the dying fire, "Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad with grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed we do not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us." Kali looked at Thorin's back. Just by his stone-still posture, she knew he was thrown back into that battle, back into the horrors and bloodlust of the Orcs, "That is when I saw him: a young Dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against the terrible foe, his armor rent... wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few survived. And i thought to myself then, there is one I could follow," Balin moved his gaze from the fire to look lovingly and with honor, loyalty, at Thorin, "There is one I could call king."
Thorin turned, mildly surprised, it seemed, but still very somber looking. His face showed signs of being close to shedding tears. All dwarves who were awake, which was everyone now, alert from the story, were looking at Thorin the same way: in awe. Thorin made his way closer to the fire, standing directly across from Kali. Bilbo, being the questionable hobbit he is, asked, "But the Pale Orc. What happened to him?"
Thorin answered fiercely, "He slunk back into the hole from whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago."
Kali's brows furrowed. Something underneath his tone seemed off, "You do not seem so convinced of that, Thorin."
Bilbo, who was nearest to her, almost fell backwards into the fire from shock, giving her an incredulous look. Gandalf was silent, off in the corner shaking his head, as if he knew Kali would return.
Thorin, however, was an entire different story, "How long have you been hiding there?"
"I found you since before nightfall and I have been sitting on this rock since Balin had begin telling the story of The Battle Of Azanulbizar. Hardly hiding," Kali slid down the rock and stood.
"How did you reach us so quickly on foot?"
"I was not on foot," she answered his scowl with a hard glare, and the dwarves were shell shocked in seeing someone stand up to Thorin so plainly, "I had split off on the road to Bree, retrieved my belongings, supplies and pony and rode off to catch up with you."
"Good. Then you can go back to Bree with no trouble at all," Thorin stepped around the fire and towards the younger Dwarf, "Goodbye."
Kali matched him and stepped forward as well, closing the distance so they were toe to toe, "I have business out East. I shall ride with you until my journey ends or I die."
"And if I refuse you?" Thorin challenged, his eyes narrowing.
"I will follow you anyway. There is nothing you can do to deter my plans, Thorin Oakenshield."
"What if I do not let you near the fire, or share food or shelter?" he asked, stepping back when he realized their close proximity. It made him uncomfortable, "What will you do then?"
A/N: Oooooooooooooooo ish is about to go down deeper than the Dwarven mines of Erebor
