AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE LACK OF MITHRA. EREBOR WAS MORE EXCITING AND HAD MORE CONSECUTIVE SCENES AND SCREEN-TIME THAN LAKETOWN. ANYWAY, TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU ALL, I'M GIVING YOU A CHUNK OF MITHRA AT THE START, SO...HERE WE GO!
GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!
~THE LUPINE SOJOURNER
(M)
Tauriel calls for a mortar and pestle and chops the leaves as best and as quickly as she can with her fingers before crushing it with the pestle as fast as possible. While she is doing that, Bofur, Fili, Oin and I get Kili onto the table. Poor Kili is now delusional with agony, screaming and writhing, hardly in control of his own actions.
Fili, we have to calm him down or we won't be able to treat him!" I tell the prince. "Get on the table with him. Try to sooth him. I'll do the chanting again." I swallow and begin chanting again as Fili gets onto the table as instructed. Kili seems to calm enough for me to properly administer the magic. This has the effect of calming him further, just enough that he lays fairly still, though his legs move with an apparent mind of their own. Tauriel at this point is done preparing the athelas and hurries over.
"Hold him down. This is immensely painful, but it will cure him of the poison." She tells us and we're able to do so without him struggling too much. She begins chanting, eyes closed and body subtly swaying as she moves the athelas between her fingers skillfully, with a practiced air. I wonder how often she must do this to be this acquainted with the enchantment. She then presses the plant to Kili's wound, pushing it deep inside. Kili unleashes a roar of agony no amount of my magic will sooth as the plant and spell do their work. The words cause pain only for the first half-minute, give or take, then it seems to pass, and Kili's clouded eyes turn to Tauriel, looking almost bewildered at her presence. Color creeps slowly back into his as Tauriel moves long the ritual, each word a command and every command apparently heeded by Kili's body and the poison within it. Fili looks to Tauriel as Kili lays still, and he watches her movements. It almost seems that he is waiting for her to do something that will hurt Kili again, but nothing seems to pain the Dwarf any more. He looks fairly at ease, now that the worst is past. For her part, Tauriel maintains eye contact with Kili as she chants, her hands and body swaying as the ritual apparently demands as if they were as easy as speaking.
I can't help feeling awed to be a part of this healing ritual. Truly, she is meant to heal, not fight.
=#=#=#=#=
(A)
Fire flares behind us as we dive down the stairs, landing on a small over-poured pool of gold. I end up practically in Dwalin's arms, having slipped a little. I flush a little and hurriedly pick myself up. My heart is pounding a mile a minute and I can't hear anything but it's thunderous beats.
We tear down a hall just as Smaug spews flames up to the ceiling, and they come spewing down. We just got into the hall before the flames would have consumed us. Behind me I could hear Uncle's roars of pain, but couldn't turn to look. When we arrive in the side room, we find Uncle running toward us, with flames covering his back.
"Uncle!" I scream. He rolled, tearing the flaming garment off. He then stands, as if nothing had happened. "You alright?" I ask worriedly.
"Yes. Now, come on." He calls, leading the way down to the next hall. I see that the fire touched the only remaining shirt on his back and pray that his skin hadn't gotten burned. We creep as silently as possible into a hall that leads out into the main area, which is a labyrinth of walkways that have no sidelines or railing at all. This cavern is huge. However, this means that Smaug can see us virtually wherever we are, which puts us at a bit of a disadvantage, even given Smaug's size. Thorin orders us to shush while we scan for the dragon.
"We've given him the slip." Dori chirps in a whisper. I frown.
"Not Smaug. He can smell us, you know." I reply.
"I agree." Dwalin mumbles. "He's too cunning for that." Everyone nods.
"So where to now?" Bilbo asks.
"Good question." I reply. "Uncle?" He frowns, thinking for a moment.
"The western guard room." He decides. "There may be a way out." I nod.
"Good. Then we can sneak back in and come up with a plan to kill him, right?" Thorin frowns.
"Something like that, yes."
"It's too high. There's no chance that way.
"It's our only way." Thorin surmises grimly. "We have to try." I gulp. If Smaug catches us... I look around in wonder, however, marveling at the sheer grandeur Erebor displays.
"This place is amazing." I whisper before I can stop myself.
"Admire later, lass. Keep going." Dwalin hisses back. We walk on in tense silence, all ears craning for the slightest- -
What was that? I look down and see a coin on the ground. I pale. Oh, no...did Bilbo have coins caught in his clothes? Seems so. We all freeze as the echoes ring out. Bilbo is patting himself down, bewildered that a coin should- -Mahal! Smaug is right above us!
=#=#=#=#=
(M)
Tauriel ties off the bandage neatly and efficiently, and I am also surprised by the amount of tender care she takes with Kili. More so than any other person I have seen her treat. She was something of a guard medic, learning from the healers so there would be less chance of fatalities in the field, if it came to that. She was prepared and able to treat many injuries, at least well enough to last the injured until they arrived back in Thranduil's palace. I smile. This whole romance thing is new to me, but sweet and innocent all the same. I can easily read their feelings, though they are young. They will grow. I can tell.
"I've heard tell of the wonders of Elvish medicine. That was a pleasure to witness." I smile.
"Indeed. My only regret is not knowing how and not having enough magic to do it myself." Oin waves my words away.
"Away with yeh, lass! Relieving pain is just as important as cleaning and binding the wound. Too much pain will kill a man, or knock him senseless. Better to keep that from happening." I sigh.
"You're right. I am sorry I couldn't do more for Kili, just the same." Fili slowly takes my hand.
"Mia...you were amazing. Left on our own, we wouldn't have had much of a clue what to do beyond Oin's knowledge. You recalled what to do and brought a level head to things. Thank you." I blush a little and turn to watch Tauriel finish her work.
"That...is nice of you to say, Fili." I reply, smiling and squeezing his hand. It feels nice, holding hands like this.
"Tauriel." Kili calls softly. She turns and her face softens.
"Lie still." She instructs. He breaths heavily, still gazing at her.
"You cannot be her. She is far away. She is far, far away from me..." he tells her, a wistful regretful tone to his voice. His words pain Tauriel at his lack of recognition. She was here, but in his state, he didn't know her. "She walks in starlight in another world." This tips me off that maybe he does know who the Elf before him is, but maybe not why. He smiles a little, too weak to do much of anything right now. "It was just a dream." He whispers, frowning. I tilt my head. Did Kili...think Tauriel was still in Mirkwood and that she...didn't feel what he felt? Mahal, these two are clueless. They share a strong bond, even if they don't know it yet. He slowly moves his hand to half-take hers. She moves her fingers and lets him. "Do you think she could have loved me?" He asks. She doesn't know how to respond, so she stays silent, conflicted and confused.
I am, too, the longer I think on it. Fili and I are very close. We've gotten closer since that night in the hotel, and I can't tell how far I want this to go. I wonder if that is what Tauriel is going through. I step forward, stroking a little hair from the exhausted Dwarf's face.
"Rest, Kili. Get your strength back." I whisper. He obediently lets his eyes close. Tauriel looks at me gratefully as Kili slips off to sleep.
I then go to the porch to let myself catch my breath and collect my thoughts.
=#=#=#=#=
(A)
No one dares breath as the dragon passes overhead. Then, as the bulk of his form recedes, Thorin motions us onward. We tip-toe over, breathing scarce for fear of making an echo that will betray us. Creeping along with the threat of a dragon over your head is not fun at all. We eventually get so far away and enclosed from the main area Smaug still patrols, we feel safe enough to run for it.
"Stay close." Thorin orders. The sight that greets us around the corner churns my stomach and nearly makes me gag.
The ground is carpeted with the bodies of Dwarves in a half-decayed, hideous state before a collapsed exit.. I turn and let out a whimper of pain for these poor souls. Tears fill my eyes and leak down my cheeks. Ori looks ready to puke, so I offer him a hug. He gratefully buries his head in my shoulders.
"That's it, then." Dwalin surmises grimly. "There's no way out." Thorin swallows thickly, pain etched into his face at the loss of so many of his people.
"The last of our kin." Balin tells Bilbo, who looked mournful, but a little confused. "They must have come here, hoping beyond hope..."
"Only to have it crushed." I finish, as Ori pulls away and wipes his face.
"We could make for the mines. Might last a few days." Balin suggests hopelessly. I frown. This wasn't that hopeless, right? I mean, we didn't come all this way just to give up and retreat, right?
"Balin, we can't just give up! We have to think of something, some way to outsmart the beast. That's all." I say, swallowing thickly. "There's still hope."
"Yes." Thorin agrees, stepping into the midst of the corpses and facing us. "I will not die like this; cowering, clawing for breath." He then gets a fire to his eyes. "We make for the forges." I let my eyes widen and jaw drop. That's so insane...it may just work!
"Brilliant, Uncle!" I agree, grinning.
"He'll see us, sure as death." Dwalin points out.
"Not if we split up." Thorin replies. I blink. Yeah...but he'll probably get some of us.
"Thorin...we'll never make it" Balin muses grimly.
"Some of us might." Thorin replies.
"Where's your optimism?" I tease, "We've only got to avoid Smaug and keep him away until we get to the forges. No big deal. We made it here, didn't we?"
"By a stroke of luck." Balin counters. I roll my eyes.
"And stealth."
"What stealth? We're Dwarves, Aili." Nori points out, I sigh.
"Look, my point is, Uncle's plan may just work. I say we try it." No one looks thrilled at the idea, but no one has a different plan.
"Lead him to the forges." Thorin instructs. "We kill the dragon." He swallows, and I can't help the swelling reckless abandon growing inside me."If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together." He concludes, a proud display of sheer willpower.
"I'm with you, Uncle." I reply, bowing my head a little. He nods gratefully.
"That's all I can ask."
"Now, let's go kill a dragon."
=#=#=#=#=
(M)
I am suddenly joined by Fili. I nod in greeting, still mulling things (where he and I stand now, the prophecy, the chances of the others actually killing Smaug and reclaiming Erebor, etc...) over.
"You alright?" He asks. "I don't think magic comes free." I shrug.
"I am a little drained, but not too much, which probably means I could've- -should've- -done more. I'm sorry." Fili frowns and moves to take my wrist. I flinch, jerking slightly before reminding myself that this was Fili, and he would never hurt me. He seems to take note of it before moving on.
"I owe you a debt of gratitude, Mia. You saved my brother. Granted, Tauriel did, too, but...you did what you could before she showed up. You tried, for no reason other than a simple want to help. That means a lot to me...I hope you know that." I blink, swallowing thickly.
"Thank you. I...Fili...This is all so new to me." I reply, shaking my head in bewilderment at why I was changing so much, so quickly. Fili tilts his head.
"What is?" I swallow.
"Caring. Being a part of a group for longer than a month or so." I confess, shrugging.
"And yet, you're not running. You stay, even though you can't understand why." I nod.
"I just...want to. I don't feel bored or restless here...with you and...and the company..." He smiles.
"I like having you around. Kili and Aili aren't as good with swords as I am, and Dwalin is too advanced. No one else is ever in the sparring mood. I'd also have to instruct some if I really wanted to fight." I laugh.
"Indeed. I feel like you would be a good teacher, though."
"Maybe. Perhaps I'll help train the Dwarves once we settle in Erebor and restore it to it's original glory." I frown.
"You act as though it is a given, when Smaug still lives and the prophecy hangs over our heads." He sighs.
"In truth, I don't know what to think. I tell myself that we will make it, that our quest will be completed and that Dwarves once more live in Erebor. I chose to believe that we will make it, instead of letting myself succumb to doubt and worry." I take a breath.
"How? I can't seem to get myself to truly think we'll make it. There's always something I think will go wrong." He lets his eyes close, leaning his head against the wall behind us.
"You think I don't have doubts? I do. I only refuse to let them weight me down. I chose to keep trying, keep moving forward to the best of my ability. I chose to have faith in the goal we strive toward." He then swallows, looking me dead in the eyes. "And in time, I hope you can come to see that, as well." I gulp.
"I...I like to think we'll succeed, but..."
"That's all we can do, Mia. Honestly, we try and we try, but there is no guarantee that we'll really get to our endgame. And yet, we don't give up." I smile.
"We?"
"You're here, aren't you?" He points out.
"Yes...with you. I think it may even be because of you." I immediately want to take that back. I- -no, I don't. I...I like that. I believe it. Oh, Valar, I've done it now!
"Mia...why do you think I keep challenging you?" I shrug, speechless. What will he say? Why would he not reject me? I am a hybrid, he is a prince, the Crown Prince, of Erebor, fer Mahal's sake! He wouldn't want- -what?!
He's...
He's kissing me?!
=#=#=#=#=
(A)
"Aili, you're with me and Bilbo. You are not to leave my sight." Thorin orders. I swallow, but nod. We're really doing this...oh, Mahal. Smaug will be on us as soon as we sprint away. I take a deep, steeling breath before Thorin begins the run, Bilbo and I hot on his heels. We hear wings flapping in seconds.
"Flee. Flee!" Smaug taunts wickedly, landing on outcroppings of rock and striding ever closer, but in no hurry. "Run for your lives." After all, he was the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities. He knew he'd catch us. Or, he thought he did. We'd show him different. I notch an arrow to my bow and come to a halt with Thorin and Bilbo. "There is nowhere to hide." Smaug adds smugly, his large head swiveling on that insanely long neck to create a definitely serpentine look about him, which made him all the more terrifying. Then, as Smaug drew near, Dori and his group of Ori and Bombur call and get his attention. Remarkably, the plan works and Smaug goes after them. Then, Dwalin, Dwalin, and Nori call him and off he goes. This is working better than I thought it would. We just need to keep this up and hope Smaug doesn't catch on before we can implement our plan.
"Come on!" Thorin calls and I remember that we're supposed to be running to the forges. I shake myself and sprint over, catching up quickly and following Uncle's lead. We run and run down halls and across caverns and then we've arrived.
"Uncle!" I call, turning into the doorway.
"Thorin!" Bilbo calls breathlessly. He turns. Before he can reply or move, Smaug appears around the bend. I pale, drawing a little further into the door. Thorin takes a step back.
"Follow Aili!" Thorin orders. "Aili, watch Bilbo! Get the forges lit!" I nod grimly.
"Aye."
"Thorin." Bilbo whimpers worriedly.
"Come, Bilbo!" I call, pulling Bilbo back just as Smaug sends flames down the hall. I head into the forges with Bilbo hot on my heels to avoid the fire. Once it's past, I run back into the hall, watching helplessly as Smaug dives down a cavern, presumably after my uncle. "THORIN!" I scream, but he can't hear me. I am frozen for a moment, wondering if I just lost my uncle. I then gulp, remembering Uncle's orders. Setting my jaw, I spin on my heel and prepare to complete our mission and rid Erebor of this usurper. That is, until the others show up, taking in the scene at a glance.
"Thorin!" Dwalin cries, looking over the edge. I look over, too, and find Smaug raging downward and I then catch a glimpse of Uncle, swinging downward on some kind of swing, I'm assuming. Dwalin then sets his jaw and sends his ax into some mechanism for the swings.
"How will that- -"
"Hold on!" Dwalin calls, and I watch as Uncle then comes zooming upwards, achieving a headstart with the time it took Smaug to turn around and start heading back up, but he makes up the difference with startling speed. Smaug then catches a piece of the swing in his mouth, yanking the entire thing, even the mechanisms above where we were, down.
Thorin lands right on Smaug's mouth and my eyes widen as Smaug seems to smirk. Uh-oh...
=#=#=#=#=
(M)
Neither of us are entirely sure, when we recount the story later, who had started the kiss, really. Could have been either of us.
What we do know is that it is as if we were coming alive for the first time, sending a new breath and fire into our lungs as we deepen the kiss. All too soon, we need air and reluctantly break apart, leaning our foreheads together, breathing in our mingling scents.
"Menu zirup men." He whispers, hand on my cheek tenderly. I let my eyes close, kissing his palm on impulse. I found it far better to act on these impulses and not fight them.
"Gi melin. (I love you.)" I reply, knowing full well he had announced his feelings in his own language, and yet didn't fully understand what was said. So I reciprocated.
"...Are you going to translate first, or..?" Fili asks, chuckling, thumbing my cheek gently. I laugh.
"I just told you I love you, dork!" He smirks.
"And I told you that you complete me." I pull away a little, blushing.
"I...I have never...never been spoken to like that..." I mumble. He pulls me in for another kiss.
"I have never spoken to someone like this before. I am just as new at this as you are, amralime (my love)."
"Glad to hear it. I was thinking you had ladies waiting for you in the Blue Mountains, but...seeing as you're available..." I tease, actually kind of meaning it.
"Never. I knew no connection like this with anyone but you." He replies. I take a breath to compose myself, and put my lips to his and we share another tender moment under the moon with not a care but each other for the moment.
=#=#=#=#=
(A)
Smaug slowly opens his mouth, taking his time, enjoying his victory. I pale, but can't do anything, as Thorin leaps off in the nick of time. I breath a sigh of relief before running to the mechanism for the swing Uncle had grabbed.
"Help me!" I cry. "I don't- -Oh. Thanks." I say as Nori slams the lever, nearly taking it off completely. It does the trick and Thorin soars toward us. Nori and I scream Thorin's name as he nears us and pull him onto the ledge that houses these mechanisms as a wave of flames rises toward us. I hug Uncle to me and we stay for but a moment before getting up and sprinting toward the others.
"I told you to light the forges!" Uncle cries.
"I don't know how and you needed help!" I reply, pushing myself harder as we make it to the forge. Uncle groans, but doesn't comment further. He then pales when he realizes that these huge forges are long gone out and stone-cold.
"The plan's not gonna work. These furnaces are stone-cold." Dwalin surmises.
"He's right." Balin agrees, coming to Thorin. "We've no fire hot enough to set them ablaze." I grin, catching Uncle's eyes as a wild, insane idea came over us.
"Have we not?" Thorin asks. I clap his shoulder.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask. He nods, moving closer to Smaug, who was still rising from the mines. This was insane, but we have had luck with the insane plans so far, so...
Here goes nothing. Time to taunt a dragon.