Disclaimer: Not mine
To those who read all my stories, please don't bother commenting on chapter length or frequency of updates. Uni is very time consuming this semester plus I am looking for causal work. Updates happen when I have time and as to the length of a chapter being 'too short' I do my best to make sure they are between 1-2000 words and there are many stories out there with chapters that are shorter.
Chapter 6
Hari fought the urge to simply kill the simpering man on the spot. It would have been better for the man if Gandalf was still with their party, however he wasn't. The idiot was trying to get promises from Thorin that no king would ever make. He was a greedy coward, the worst of humanity and those he surrounded himself with were no better. "Enough." He finally called, gaining their attention. "Thorin return to the others, I shall deal with this rabble." The look on his face had Thorin smothering a smirk even as he nodded and left the so-called mansion to return to the inn. He did not like dealing with men like the Master at all, unless he was allowed to use a blade. "You have no authority over the King Under the Mountain, Master. Nor do you have any to interfere in the business of the Istari or White Council. We shall be continuing on to Erebor in a few days and you will not try to stall us. If you do you will not enjoy the consequences. Am I understood?" He asked, standing tall, shadows writhing on the walls and the men nodded nervously. "Good." He left the house and moved to wander the walkways. Eventually he knelt and dipped his hand into the icy water, feeling the sickness of the lake. He began murmuring softly in a long forgotten language, lending healing energy to the waters.
"What are you doing?" A curious voice asked and he looked over to see a child standing on the bottom steps of the nearby house.
He smiled at her. "The water is sick so I am helping it heal." Hari pulled his hand out and wiped it dry on his robe. She giggled at his answer, watching him with wide eyes. "And what are you doing here M'Lady?"
She laughed. "I'm not a lady, I'm Tilda!"
"Well it is very nice to meet you Tilda, my name is Hari."
"Did you come with the dwarves? You don't look like a dwarf."
"I am a Wizard but I am travelling with a group of dwarves."
"Tilda come away from there."
"Sigrid come see! There's a Wizard here." Tilda called back and Hari watched an older girl emerge from the house. He gave her a polite half bow even as she startled and stared at him with wide eyes.
"Good evening Miss Sigrid. Your sister was just asking me about my travelling companions." He explained even as she walked quickly down the stairs to stand behind her sister, one hand on her shoulder protectively. She looked to be seventeen, maybe even eighteen so it was odd in these parts for her to still be at home.
"I am sorry if she disturbed you sir."
"It is never a disturbance to answer the honest questions of a child." He assured her. Physically there was very little between them in age and yet millennia separated them in experience and somehow she seemed to recognise this. "But I suppose I should return to my companions before they bring the inn down." He grinned slightly and Tilda laughed. "It was a pleasure to meet you both."
"Will we see you again?"
"We are at the inn for a few days Tilda so maybe." He bowed slightly to them and then vanished, making Tilda clap excitedly which was why he had done it.
Hari smiled as he watched Bofur dance and be silly in order to entertain Tilda. The girl had appeared on the doorstep earlier that afternoon with her older brother in tow. Apparently he hadn't believed they were real so she had been determined to prove it. Bain was a quiet, serious lad but had soon been drawn into conversation by Kili and Fili while Tilda laughed and played amongst the others. Other customers watched but said nothing as the group welcomed the two children amongst them. Children were few among the dwarves, especially during their years of wandering. Fili, Kili and even Ori had very few age mates to play with growing up since so few were born.
The door opened and Bain stood up, shifting from foot to foot as Sigrid and a man entered. He was a grim looking sort but the way his eyes searched out his children proved there was more to him than that.
"Da!" Tilda cried, throwing herself at him and he caught her up in his arms, holding her close. "See, the dwarves and wizard are real!"
"So I see. You aren't bothering them are you?"
"The children are no bother at all sir, it's always nice to see such happy young ones." Balin spoke up and Bard nodded.
"Can we stay longer Da?" Bain asked and Bard hesitated.
"I have to leave soon." He admitted and the children wilted, they didn't like it when he left at night, the waters were more dangerous then even for one born on them.
"We don't mind watching them for you, do we Uncle?" Kili called and Thorin stood to approach the group.
"We may not but he may mind strangers watching over his children." He pointed out.
"But you're not strangers." Tilda denied. "You are Thorin and he is Kili and that is Fili and Hari and" Bard hushed her and looked the group over, they were travel worn yes but they did not feel like a threat. His eyes went to the one man among them, a wizard if the rumours were to be believed and yet he looked almost Sigrid's age.
Hari nodded at him. "Your children will come to no harm among us."
"Can we see some magic Master Hari?" Bain asked and the younger dwarves perked up at that too.
Hari pretended to think about it before blowing over his open palm and the children stared in awe as a horse made of flame appeared before prancing about without burning anything. Bard looked at him and nodded, moving back. Besides the innkeeper Peter was an old friend and would keep an eye on them too. He said his goodbyes and then shouldered his bow and heavy cloak before leaving. Sigrid took a seat to watch over her siblings but was soon dragged in for a dance by Fili once the music started. Kili was dancing with Tilda and Sigrid laughed when she saw Bofur grab Bain. They danced and talked for hours before the two younger children were put to bed and Sigrid sat beside the fire even as the dwarves settled in with their pipes.
"I hope we did not exhaust you miss." Fili commented as he sat beside her.
"I will be fine Master dwarf."
"Fili. So what does your Father do that led to him leaving at night?"
"He is a Bargeman. The Master does a lot of trade with King Thranduil and there will be many empty wine barrels to be collected in the morning. Crossing the lake on a large barge takes many hours which was why he left tonight, he will be able to sleep a few hours once he arrives at the mouth of the river until the barrels arrive and then he will return with them by later afternoon."
"Hard and sometimes dangerous work by the sound of it."
"Da's been sailing these waters since he was a child, no one knows them better." She told him, not wanting to admit she feared for him every time he travelled the lake at night.
"And what of you lass?"
"Me? I look after Bain and Tilda."
"What of your mother?" He asked curiously.
"She died in childbirth to Tilda." Was the soft answer and he winced.
"I'm sorry Sigrid. Kili and I lost our father to a mine collapse before Kili was born." He shared their own grief with her and she nodded, putting her hand over his in shared grief and comfort.
Kili saw the action and grinned, nudging Bilbo and Hari. Bilbo and Hari smiled sadly at the sight. A hobbits sensitive hearing had picked up on most of their conversation so he knew the action was one of comfort and Hari knew it too. Even if there was something there like Kili thought Hari knew it would never happen, Fili was Thorin's heir and she was the daughter of a bargeman. Such a union would never be smiled upon and that was not taking into account the fact they were of different races. Fili would outlive her by many, many years.
Several hours later found the inn's main room empty except for Hari who stretched out in front of the banked fire since he had given his room to the children. It was times like these he almost wished he had taken up pipe smoking as many males did, even his brethren. It wasn't like it could kill him after all. He closed his eyes and sent his consciousness searching out for the others, smiling slightly as he brushed against Gandalf amongst a host of elves. So Elrond had agreed to march on the Hill of Sorcery…as had Galadriel and Celeborn, that was good. Soon they would attack and hopefully drive the enemy back to Mordor, that was the best they could hope for with the One Ring mi….no, it wasn't possible, was it?
A scream had him return to the inn and all but flying up the stairs. Fili was already slamming the door open, swords in hand even though he was without armour due to sleeping. They found Sigrid and Bain covering a terrified Tilda, armed only with a water jug and Hari's staff which he had left in the room. Fili moved swiftly to take the orcs head off even as the sounds of wood breaking and battle filled the inn. Hari snatched his staff from Bain and nodded at the boy. "Get your sisters into the cellar and bolt the door!" He ordered and Bain grabbed the doors, Fili watching their backs as they ran downstairs.
They made it to the main room and Fili pushed the children at the innkeeper and his wife. "The cellar!" He yelled but the man understood and ushered the small group over to it and then down into the dark, the heavy door slamming shut and locking behind them. Hari swung his sword at another orc, killing it, before moving on to another, bashing its head in with his staff. Soon the others joined them, seeking the larger room to give themselves more space to swing their weapons. The door suddenly slammed open and an orc dropped with an arrow through its eye as two familiar elves burst in.
"Father was right, you really can find trouble anywhere old friend." Legolas called and Hari laughed.
The fight was suddenly interrupted by a scream of agony and they all turned to see Kili stagger back, an arrow shaft protruding from his chest. "Kili!" Fili screamed in horror even as Thorin roared in rage.
Hari slammed the butt of his staff into the floor, a wave of magic slamming into the orcs and sending most running. He turned to see a massive orc outside with a cruel bow in its hands. Emerald eyes glowed with magic as their gazes met and then the orc was ordering his fellows to fall back. He then turned to find Kili collapsed in his brothers' arms, Thorin holding one of his hands even as Oin ripped his shirt away from the arrow. Tauriel quickly joined him even as Hari approached Legolas. "What brought you here?"
"We found their trail on our way back to the palace and realised they were tracking you."
"So you returned the favour." Hari finished and Legolas nodded, eyes locked on Tauriel as she gently probed the wound.
"The arrow missed his heart and lungs." Oin announced and many relaxed.
"Uirebon, Legolas!" Tauriel called in alarm and the two were swiftly at her side. Hari touched the arrow and swore.
"A Morgul shaft." Legolas whispered in horrified shock, he had heard of them but never seen one before. "How is this possible, they have not been used since…"
"Since the days of the Last Alliance." Hari finished for him even as he knelt beside the already sweating Kili.
"What is happening?" Thorin demanded.
"That is no normal arrow Thorin, it is poisoned."
"Then get it out!" Fili demanded.
"The damage is already done Fili, it is in his bloodstream already."
"Fee." Kili whispered in fear and his brother tightened his grip on him.
"I will do it." Legolas whispered and Tauriel closed her eyes in pain, there had to be another way.
"Do what?" Thorin snapped angrily.
"It is no normal poison Thorin, it will not kill him. If Lord Elrond was here he may have a chance but I am no healer, I can stave off death but that is not the problem. The poison will draw him into the darkness, into the shadow realm. He will become a wraith, a servant of Sauron if the poison is allowed to finish its work." Hari explained, staring at Kili sadly, if he could save him he would, no one deserved such a fate. Kili groaned in pain, eyes filled with terror.
"Then what have you offered to do elf?" Thorin snarled at Legolas who met his angry graze with sad eyes.
"I have offered to save him in the only way we can."
"A mercy killing." Tauriel whispered, reaching out to touch Kili's fevered brow.
"No." Fili choked.
"If Kili dies before the poison can work fully he will simply die. Would you condemn him to an eternity of torment and servitude? The Kili you love would no longer exist." Legolas explained. "I would spare you the pain of seeing that or of ending his life yourself."
"And give you the pleasure of killing a dwarf." Dwalin growled.
"I am not my Father, I have no quarrel with any of your people. When the dragon came I was on patrol on the other side of the forest. I gave what aide I could when I returned or did your people think those supplies came from nowhere?" He asked and they all stared in surprise. Packages of supplies had been found near the forest almost a week after the dragons attack as they travelled along the borders of the trees. None of them had ever expected to find they had been left by Thranduil's own son. "Some of my own kin fell to arrows like these or the blades like them during the war with Sauron as did those among men. That was before I was born though I have read the accounts of what they do to the victim. We do not have much time and no healer."
"If we had Athelas then we could maybe buy him time to get to help but we don't have any." Hari pointed out.
"Athelas?" Oin asked and Tauriel nodded.
"Men call it Kingsfoil." She whispered even as Kili cried out in pain.
"It's a weed." Bofur muttered and then his eyes widened. "I saw some! The pigs. I'll be right back." He scrambled for the door.
"Let's move him to a bed." Oin said and between them Fili and Thorin carefully lifted him, carrying him upstairs and laying him on his bed. Fili lay beside him, holding him carefully since the arrow was still there. "Should we remove it?"
"Wait for Bofur to return with the Athelas." Tauriel answered even as she sat on the edge of the bed and bathed his face with a cool damp cloth. Thorin obviously didn't like that but stayed quiet when Fili shot him a glare, nothing was to be done or said that could upset Kili.
"Hold on Kee, please." Fili whispered even as his little brother writhed in his arms, gasping and moaning in pain. He was pale, so pale already yet his body was burning with fever. Thanks to the arrow still being lodged in his body he wasn't losing much blood yet but what would happen when they pulled it out?
Hari slipped from the room and went back downstairs to open the cellar doors. "It's safe now." He called and they slowly emerged, Tilda running straight to him. Hari hugged her gently.
"We heard screaming." Sigrid whispered and he nodded.
"Kili has been hurt badly." He admitted and Tilda pushed away only to run up the stairs.
"Kili?" She called from the doorway and Balin blocked her view of the bed.
"You don't want to see this lass, why don't you go back downstairs with your siblings?" But she slipped past him and scrambled onto the bed, eyes wide as she saw Kili.
"Will he be okay?" She asked, pale enough that her freckles stood out.
"Bofur has gone for a herb that should help." Tauriel told her gently. "Come here little one." She held her hand out and Tilda moved to lean against the elf.
Kili's head rolled their way and brown eyes struggled to focus on then, he even managed a shaky smile. "Hi." He coughed and moved his hand a little, Tilda took it and squeezed.
"You're going to be fine." She told him.
"Okay." He agreed and then gasped, going into convulsions. The dwarves quickly moved to hold him down so he couldn't hurt himself more.
Sigrid and Bain stood in the doorway, watching even as Hari moved to his side and placed a hand on his forehead, murmuring softly in ancient elvish. Kili stilled but passed out. "Hari?" Thorin asked in alarm.
"A healing sleep, it won't do much but spare him some pain and let him save his strength. I can't do anything else."
"Uirebon the orcs have fled the city for now." Legolas called from the doorway. He had slipped away to make sure the orcs didn't cause any more damage to the town. They all turned, hands on weapons as someone came barrelling up the stairs only to relax when Bofur appeared with a bunch of Athelas in his hand.
"I found it!" He yelled and Legolas grabbed it, tossing it to Tauriel as she was the better healer of the two of them. Tauriel grabbed the arrow shaft and Thorin stopped her.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to save him." She whispered.
TBC….