Wow, it's had to have been a little less than a year since I've updated this story. With the Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies coming out soon I've suddenly developed my love for the hobbit back and I've been able to write four chapters. Not to mention that I'm about to get two weeks off from school which will be spent by the fire, sipping hot chocolate and writing. Thanks to those who click back on this story and it would be incredible if you could leave me comments and reviews. I do accept criticism with an open mind, but please don't just write me a hateful review that doesn't help me improve this story in anyway. Those kind of reviews will simply be ignored. I'm so happy to be back, getting this story wrapped up. Enjoy!
The Valley of Imladris
"Gandalf. Where are we?" Bilbo asked the wizard as the company quickly made their way through the narrow, winding passage that was carved deep in the rock.
"Can you feel it?" Gandalf asked Bilbo, his voice barely above a whisper. The young hobbit quickly turned to face the wizard, his curls bouncing atop his head as he nodded.
"Yes. It feels like...well...it feels like magic."
"That's exactly what it is. A very powerful magic." Gandalf told him.
"There's a light ahead!" Dwalin's deep voice echoed through the passage from where he had called out up ahead. Sure enough a sliver of bright light could be seen leaking through an opening up ahead and everyone let out a slight sigh of relief. Clianna could finally be properly looked at by Oin and Bombur himself was especially happy to have found a way out of the terribly narrow way. One by one they filed out only to become frozen in shock and awe.
"Clianna, you might want to see this." Kili whispered, gently nudging her head up with his shoulder. By now her energy had all, but drained and still she found it in herself to crack her eye lids open and gaze at the sight.
The valley that lay before them was covered in bright greens, rich blues, violets, and pinks of spring. The charming sounds of birds whistled through the air along with the thunderous sound of the magnificent waterfalls that fell from the surrounding cliffs and glistened in the mid-day sun casting rainbows with their mist. The buildings below were crafted from the finest of marbles and other glistening stones, their roof tops arched and the rest of the lands overflowing with the beauty of nature. A large river ran through the deep valley, where the waterfalls joined up and flowed with the strength of a hundred men.
Clianna felt as though her entire being was being manually relaxed, unable to help it as her tense and torn muscles, once laced with fear and pain, started to loosen. The knots in her stomach slowly untangled and the air around her head almost felt lighter than the air they had left behind when they jumped down into the passage. Whatever magic this valley held was doing miracles for her injured body.
"The Valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it's known by another name." Gandalf spoke, making his way to the front of the company.
"Rivendell." Bilbo was the one that first dared to whisper the name.
"Here lies the Last Homely House East of the Sea." Gandalf informed them. The dwarves let out a chorus of grumbles and angered whispers as they realized just who's Homely House they were in. Slowly their arguing started to grow louder and louder, all of them ready to turn right back around until they heard the rigid gasp. Thirteen heads snapped around, wide eyes meeting Kili's mortified face before looking down at the girl in his arms. Clianna's convulsing had come back with a vengeance as the pain broke through the calming hold of magic. It felt like hands were dragging her down into darkness, everywhere they touched burned with the heat of a thousand suns. She wanted desperately to scream, to let someone know how much it hurt, but her voice became caught in her throat and all that came out were gasps of pure agony.
"What's happening? What's happening to her?" Kili begged to know the answer.
"The calming spell has worn off." Gandalf explained as if unfazed.
"Then put another one on!" Bofur cried, his gut wrenching as he watched his daughter once again crumble against the pain.
"A calming spell is much like a virus. It can only last so long before the pain learns how to fight it off. If I put another calming spell on her it would have to be a very strong one and who knows when she would wake up. No, our only chance to save her is to seek help from the elves." Gandalf said, directing an apprehensive gaze towards Thorin.
"Oin can take care of Clianna just fine. She'll be in the good hands of her people." He said, his mind set against seeking anything from the tree hugging filth.
"Perhaps back in your homelands Oin would have what he needs to heal her, but you are not in your homelands and she is deteriorating….fast." Clianna's heavy sob broke through the argument.
"K-Kili, it h-hurts." She managed to collect herself enough to form a small sentence before the pain became too overwhelming. Kili, who had stopped trying to hold back his tears, looked up at Thorin with glistening brown eyes. He silently pleaded with his Uncle to look past his prejudice and seek help from the elves for Clianna's sake. A battle raged on in the King's mind as he looked from his company, to Bofur, to his nephews and finally down to Clianna. The memory of his argument with Kili on the morning of the council meeting raced through his head.
"She isn't ready." He muttered.
"She needs this, Kili."
"She could get hurt!" Both fell silent after Kili's outburst. "Do you not care about that?" He asked, lowering his voice.
"I care for all the men I am to ask on this quest and Clianna is no different. To see her obtain injury on this quest, if she joins us, would bring me great sorrow, but all quests come with their share of risks. Do you wish to keep her hostage in this mountain until she dies of old age?" Thorin fired at him and to his surprise Kili answered without hesitation.
Thorin new that many, many being Dwalin, would not like his decision, but the guilt he felt and his wish for Clianna's well-being outweighed any ill feelings for the elvish folk. Without saying a word he simply nodded to Gandalf, who gave him a pleased grunt in return.
"Now, if we are to be successful in dealing with the elves, this will need to be handled with tact…and respect…and no small degree of charm, which is why you will leave the talking to me. Quickly now, follow me." Gandalf said turning and beginning to make his way down the stone pathway. Kili wasted no time as he followed behind the wizard careful to keep Clianna steady in his arms as she twisted and pushed against him.
Not even the feeling of his brothers comforting hand on his shoulder was able to ease his feelings of guilt. He felt as though Clianna's pain was his and found himself wishing that it had been his leg the Warg bit down on. Everything he had feared was coming true and knowing that Clianna would stop at nothing to continue on the quest had him wondering if there would be a repeat. His hold on her tightened visibly at the thought of Clianna getting injured a second time and he didn't dare to think about losing her along the way. Shaking the terrible thoughts from his mind he continued hurriedly down the path, his only goal to see Clianna healed.
"Mithrandir." A smooth voice called from the stone stairwell and Kili tore his gaze from Clianna long enough to watch as a tall elf made his way towards them. His long brown hair and shaven face made many of the dwarves snicker.
"Is it a she or a he?"
"I'm not sure."
"Not much hair on that one."
"Are they all like that?"
The group continued to murmur quietly to themselves as Gandalf greeted the elf with a smile as though they had been friends for a very long time and knowing Gandalf, they probably had been.
"Ah. Lindir." Gandalf said and the elvish man placed his hand over his heart and then held it back out to Gandalf, with a pleasant smile upon his pale features.
"Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen."The elvish tongue was foreign to the dwarves and many of them tensed at the fact that they couldn't understand the man's words.
"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf told the elf.
"My Lord Elrond is not here." Gandalf frowned at Lindir's words. Of course, at the time he needed Elrond the most, the elvish Lord would not be there.
"Not here? Where is he?" He asked and, sadly, his question was answered by the familiar sound of an elvish horn and the beating of horse shoes on the stone walk way. Upon hearing the horn, the company turned to search for the source only to catch sight of the many horsemen cantering towards them and suddenly the panic was back.
"Ifridî bekâr! Close ranks!" Thorin shouted, pulling the dwarves into a tight circle. Kili, held tightly to Clianna and turned to face the inner circle making sure she was blocked from any oncoming attack. The tall horsemen circled the group of dwarves menacingly before they finally slowed to a stop, but still the dwarves kept in a tight circle, growling and cursing the elves that had made them feel threatened.
"Gandalf!"
"Lord Elrond." The elvish lord dismounted his mare and removed his head armor, smiling at his old friend before bowing his head respectively.
"Mellonnen! Mo evínedh?" Gandalf seemed to take many of the dwarves by surprise, Bilbo was certainly taken back as the wizard spoke fluidly back to the elf.
"Farannem 'lamhoth i udul o charad. Dagannem rim na Iant Vedui." Lord Elrond replied before looked down at the circled Dwarf company. "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders."
"Yes, that may have been us." Gandalf admitted, also turning his gaze to look upon his friends. As Lord Elrond took his time glancing around the company his eyes narrowed at the sheer amount of blood that covered a few of the members. Red blood to be precise which meant that it came from no foul orc. It was then that his eyes fell upon Clianna's pained face, her teeth now digging into her lip to keep her cries and gasps at bay. Gandalf noticed Lord Elrond's gaze as it landed on her and he quickly began to explain.
"We had just been spotted by the warg scouts when she was bitten. The injury is far too severe for our healer to care for at the moment and I'm afraid she's in a great deal of pain." Lord Elrond frowned at Gandalf after hearing this.
"Why did you not say something sooner?" He asked and started to step forward only to be met by Thorin's sword pointed at his chest. Immediately the elven warriors reacted and drew their bows aiming for the King.
"I must take her to the healing wing where I can properly give her my aid." He said, motioning for his own companions to lower their bows and Thorin did the same, but the scowl on his face wasn't easily missed.
"Some of my men will escort her there and remain in her presence for protection. Do not think for a minute that I give you my trust simply because I am willing to accept your help." He warned through clenched teeth as he turned toward his company.
"Bofur, Kili, escort Clianna to the healers." The two nodded, Bofur casting a grateful glance at Thorin for allowing him to stay beside his daughter. The two started to hurry by in order to keep up with the long legs of the elves.
"Kili, stay sharp and don't let her out of your sight." Thorin ordered as his young nephew walked by and Kili paused for a moment to nod before walking off. Everyone watched them leave until they were out of sight and then Gandalf proceeded to turn back to his friends.
"Do not fret. She will be in good hands, I promise you. Now, I've been here more than a few times and shall show you a small place where you may rest for the night. Perhaps I'll even show you a bath house, you all desperately need it." He whispered under his breath. The dwarves cast weary glances at the surrounding elves before following Gandalf.
Lord Elrond burst through the large door of the healing ward, directing commands towards each of the nurse maidens before pointing to an empty bed.
"Set her down here." Kili gently placed Clianna down and stepped back, not wanted to get in the way of anyone. The nurses came back one by one, some carrying towels, herbs, bottles, clothes, wrappings, and one carried a large bowl of steaming water setting it on an oak table next to Lord Elrond as he took a seat beside Clianna.
"I must remove the fabric from her legs, so I ask that you turn around to preserve her modesty." Kili was about to strongly argue against the fact that the elf lord would be the one to remove her pantaloons, but seeing the Bofur turned without hesitation made Kili turn as well. He stood there for a moment, just staring at the cream colored stone before Lord Elrond allowed them to turn back around. What Kili saw finally weakened him and he fell to his knees, Bofur turning and emptying his stomach in the closest bucket he could find.
Clianna's skin on her left leg was an unnatural red from the dried blood that covered it and gaping uneven holes, four on each side, where cut into her leg. You could see where the serrated edge of the warg teeth cut through the muscle like it was butter. Thankfully there was no sign of bone, but that did nothing to ease the sickening feeling crawling through both the dwarves. A nurse next to Lord Elrond handed him a small glass cup and Kili could tell that it was filled with a hot liquid by the way columns of steam rose from it.
"What are you giving her?" he asked, pulling himself together and slowly walking towards the bed keeping his eyes trained on anything, but her leg.
"It's a Valerian root tea. It will dull the pain and put her to sleep, so I can clean and sew her wounds without having to restrain her. I need her to drink this." Lord Elrond explained with urgency as he held the cup out for Kili. He took it in his hands, careful to spill any and lifted Clianna's head slightly off the bed.
"Clianna, you must drink this." He whispered, but she didn't budge.
"Clianna please it will make you feel better." He tried, but still she wouldn't move. Whether it was because of the pain or because she was just stubborn he didn't know. Kili turned towards Bofur who had regained his composure and handed him the tea.
"Bofur, she might listen to you better than she listens to me." He said and continued to support her head and Bofur stepped forward.
"Clianna, please drink this for us. Just a few wee' sips and then they can heal ya'." Bofur's voice was so gentle and hearing her father's voice seemed to break through the pain just slightly. She managed to open her eyes and nodded, whimpering as she let go of her bottom lip, allowing the cool rim of the cup be placed there. It was tipped back slowly and a sweet taste spread throughout her mouth. She swallowed heavily and within seconds the herbal tea began to work. Her mind became hazy, and a pleasant numbing sensation spread through her limbs, the pain evaporating into thin air.
Lord Elrond and the others watched the teas effect and felt as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Reaching over to a pile of wash rags, he grabbed one and dipped it into the steaming water before bringing it to Clianna's leg. As the water slid down her leg in small droplets the blood lifted, leaving her now snowy white skin behind. Kili wanted to find something to do, something that would help in anyway, but he wasn't a healer and certainly didn't want to cause trouble either. Instead both he and Bofur stood by the edge of the bed, gently holding her hand and rubbing circles on her wrist. It took a few moments for every wound to be carefully cleaned out and by the time it was done the steaming water was tinted a crimson red.
"Bring me Athelas." One of the nurses hurried to grab the jar of herbs, opening it and placing it in front of the lord. As he grabbed the boiled and mashed herb in his hand he noticed the uneasy stares coming from the two dwarves.
"To your people it is known as Kings Foil. It will absorb all infection and keep it from spreading into her blood. In time it will simply deteriorate and become part of her like a fallen apple deteriorates to become one with the ground beneath it." He assured them and the dwarves shoulders relaxed in knowing that it was simply a commonly used herb and that her wounds would not need to be reopened to clean it out. Their job was to protect Clianna and protect they would. Lord Elrond took his time spreading an even amount around the inside of each open wound, making sure to cover all showing muscle before washing his hand in a clean bowl of water. Delicately sewing her up with a swift and steady hand he lowered the rest of the white sheet over her exposed legs. Already luscious color was returning to her ashen face.
"She will need time to heal and recover. In three days' time she should be strong enough to begin your journey, but she will still be very weak. She will rest her for the night under the watch of my most trusted nurses and if she were to wake up myself and your company will be informed. You have my word." Kili and Bofur were pleased to know that Clianna would indeed heal with time and they left it at that, following Lord Elrond out of the ward after whispering their goodbyes.
"Let us seek your company." He said and began to lead his guest down the hall towards the roaring laughter of the dwarves.