Fulcra: Chapter 7

Author: Feyarcher

Rating: T for language

Disclaimer: The author of this story does not own "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien and is not making any money.

A/N: I would like to thank all of the reviewers and hope you will continue to read and review!

Sarah woke slowly to the sounds of men's voices and the crackling of a fire. As she lay there and cracked her eyes open she remembered what had happened and was a little surprised they didn't kill her, or at least leave her. She shifted slightly and wonder of wonders, noticed her wound had been packed and bound and her battle dirty paws had been cleaned. Her heart filled with great relief. She could at least be with people and they seemed to care enough about her to treat her wounds and wash her paws.

It was night and the stars were glorious above her. Any astronomer would have a heart attack at the clarity the heavens could be seen above. The field around was free of orc bodies and she wondered what happened to them, then noticed a smoking heap some ways away downwind. No one had noticed she was awake yet and she took the chance to study them. They were gathered around a few fires eating rations and passing some sort of liquor to each other. Most were having quiet conversations but a few were silent and seemed to be sulking for lack of a better word.

She had a good idea what they were sulking about. "It's probably me. I bet I have caused all sorts of problems being here," she thought. "Do I really want to get involved any more than I already have?" but her heart answered before she could go any further. Somehow she felt she should help this world in the oncoming war. She had many things to plan. She could not afford for the eventual outcome to be changed in some way by her presence. Thoughts of getting herself killed as an insurance flitted across her mind before she pushed them away.

Her morbid thoughts were interrupted when Halbarad, sitting a few feet away turned as if to check on her and noticed she was awake. He put his hands up in a placating way and spoke softly as if to a frightened horse. Some of the men jumped up and laid their hands on their weapons. She couldn't help but to roll her eyes. Lifting her head off the ground she madly suppressed a yawn that crept up on her, probably giving her a demented expression. She hurried to address Halbarad.

"Thank you Halbarad for your kind treatment for my injury." and bowed her head.

She knew he only understood one word but a flicker of recognition and acceptance crossed his face before he bowed his head in return. Her long ignored stomach decided to make its presence known again and it gurgled loudly. Embarrassed she turned away, and Halbarad walked away from her. "I am not going to eat anyone, Jeez," she said to herself. But Halbarad came back from one of the fires hauling one deer leg that seemed to be put aside for her. He knew she was eying the meat and seemed to be nervous to outright give it to her, like she might be a vicious dog that would bite the hand that fed her. She smiled at him without showing teeth, encouraging him with a little bob of her head.

Once he finally got close enough he dropped it on the ground and backed up quickly. To grateful to be offended she restrained herself from just ripping into it and grabbed it in both front paws. Noticing the watching Rangers and embarrassed she had to eat like an animal, she shielded her body with her wings from prying eyes. It was cooked but extremely rare. She felt like a bird of prey, ripping the flesh off with her front teeth. But she was not going to chew on the bone. Even if she could eat the bone the thought rankled her. She enjoyed it but it was gone before she felt satisfied. As if expecting this Halbarad was back with the other hind leg of the deer. She could not refuse and this time Halbarad actually handed it to her. She smiled and ducked under her wings to finish her meal.

When she pushed the bones away her stomach was pleasantly full. But her injury started to burn and the ache that she felt only slightly was becoming deeper. She became worried. She thought by surviving she was in the clear but what if she wasn't? "What if the poison isn't just immediate but slow acting too? Do they have a cure for it?" she wondered with growing unease.

She placed her paw on the bandage as if she could press the pain away and couldn't help a slight hiss from escaping her muzzle. She laid her head back down and closed her eyes hoping to pass out again. She felt a hand on her wing. Halbarad was being especially nice in her opinion, caring for a monster the way he was. She moved the wing aside and let him change the bandage.

"Halbarad, I'm not gonna lie! That really hurts!" she said in a whinny almost childlike voice. "That earned a little grin." she congratulated herself. He poked around her wound and seeming unsatisfied called to someone nearby. A few minutes later he came up with a small kettle of steaming water. Halbarad motioned to her that he was going to pour the water over the wound. She nodded to him in agreement and braced herself for the pain. The young man seemed incredulous that he was chosen for this task but poured the water over the wound anyway.

Her claws dug into the ground and she grimaced to the sky. A low groan very human like coming from her throat. The men were watching her again and through the haze of pain, noticed some actually seemed concerned. Halbarad wiped away the paste that he had previously put on examining the wound closely. He seemed to begin to trust Sarah. " What a time to trust me man!" she thought, " I so want to punch you right now!" She couldn't punch him though. Not with her paws anyway. "Be nice and don't entertain those thoughts Sarah!" she shouted in her mind. Another bowl of that greenish paste was brought by one of the men she saved from the wargs. He handed it to Halbarad's waiting hands and stood next to her, daring to pat a wing reassuringly. She smiled and knew she wasn't alone.