Half the day was spent on climbing down the cliff. The rocks had formed a staircase like structure for them to walk down from. Then Gandalf led them on an hour-long hike to a safe haven where they could rest.
"Oin," Dawn asked. The older dwarf turned, holding his ear trumpet close to his ear.
"It may seem your hands are full with healing everyone. Can I help you?" Oin nodded and smiled. As he found a rock, he placed his bag of medical instruments down and began to assemble them.
"Those wounded, come over here," Dawn said. One by one each person from the company came up: each person had at least a cut or two and a bruise. First was Thorin. He was thankfully alive, he was still banged up badly. As Dawn put some ointment on a rag, she began to lightly dab it on Thorin's cuts upon his face, while Oin bandaged his Warg bite.
"I still can't believe you saved me," Thorin said to her. She looked up and smiled.
"What did you see before you woke up?" Dawn asked.
"White. I was in white shores. If you saw it, you would cry at its beauty. There was a large door where I knew I had to enter. But then I saw something. I saw a mirror, showing you, crying at my body. I reached the mirror and I soon found myself awakening from the dream." Dawn was amazed. What a story it was in such small words.
"Alright, Thorin. Your all good. Next," said Oin.
A couple of people later, Fili and Kili approached.
"Alright, lads. What happened to you?" Oin asked.
"I think a narrow scraped my side and a few bruises,of" said Kili.
"Same here. But I think I have a cut on my arm," said Fili.
"Let's take a look. Shirts off," said Oin. Kili paused. Take off his shirt? In from of Dawn? He began to blush hot red.
"Kili, I'll look awafrom you want," Dawn softly said. This wasn't her first time to look away. When Ori came up a while ago, he had a large bruise on his left side, and was too embarrassed to have Dawn see.
"No," Kili protested.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Shirts off." With that order, the brothers quickly took off their shirts.
"Dawn, you take care of Fili," Oin said. Dawn paused for a second. She then looked at Fili. She then approached the blonde dwarf.
"You have a really large bruise here on your right shoulder, and you have a few scratches on your face," Dawn said, examining his body. She first put ointment on his bruise. But as she looked for any more injuries, she saw his left arm. It had a large cut from the shoulder to the elbow. The cut was deep and Dawn swore she could almost see his bone.
"Oh Fili," she murmured.
"It's nothing," Fili said. But he knew he was lying. His arm hurt like crazy, and parts he felt numb. But he couldn't tell Dawn that.
"It isn't, Fili. Oin, do you have a needle?" Dawn asked. Fili gulped. Needle? He would never admit it, but he hated needles. He could handle swords, knives, and other sharp objects, but never needles. They were so small, yet so sharp. He watched nervously as Oin gave Dawn a spare needle.
"Is it really necessary, Dawn," Fili said, trying not to sound scared.
"What is it, brother? Are you afraid?" Kili chuckled.
"I most certainly am NOT, Kili," Fili protested. Dawn looked at Kili and gave him a deathly glare. His smile went away.
"There's nothing wrong with being a little scared," she said calmly. Before she began. she took a wet cloth and dabbed it on the cut. And then she began to sew. Fili slowly got over his fear, feeling almost nothing. To distract himself, he looked at Dawn. Her face more beautiful than the last. He then stopped himself. Why was he feeling this way? There was no chance she had these same odd feelings for him.
"Done," Dawn said with a smile. Fili snapped out of his daze and looked at his wound. Though it was still red, the stitches made the wound appear to be smaller. "Was that so bad?" Fili frowned for a second, but then his smile returned.
As Dawn began to bandage the wound shut, Fili saw the concentration in her eyes. She wanted the wound to be wrapped up good and tight. And once she tied it up, she felt quite accomplished. After Dawn finished healing his bruises, Fili then got up and went to his brother.
"How's your arm?" Kili asked.
"Pretty good. How are you doing?"
"Nothing much happened to me. Just a few cuts and bruises. Mostly bruises from Goblin Town." Kili then noticed his brother was more distracted than usual. He looked in the direction he was looking in and realized he was looking at Dawn. She was currently tending to Bilbo while Oin took care of a flesh wound on Bombur.
"You've done nothing but stare at her every time we hit a resting spot," said Kili. "Not to mention you gave her a victory kiss when we were at the cliff."
"I don't need you to tease me right now, Kili," said Fili.
"I'm not this time. I swear." Fili then laid down and turned, wanting to sleep.
"I don't think you protect her because Thorin told you to anymore." Fili ignored the comment.
"Answer me honestly here, Fili." Kili swallowed, hoping Fili wouldn't kick him in the gut when he asked the question.
"Do you love her?" Fili paused for a second. Love? He then thought some more of it. Every day it seemed harder to approach Dawn. Every day she seemed more beautiful than the next.
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Dawn inspected the hobbit for any massive injuries.
"You're quite lucky, Bilbo. You just have a lot of cuts on your knuckles. But we'll fix that up." The hobbit smiled. As Bilbo watched Dawn get the bandage cloth, he noticed her looking in a direction. As Bilbo turned to her direction, he saw Fili.
"You're doing it again," Bilbo said.
"Doing what again?" Dawn asked.
"You're staring at Fili again." Dawn paused. He caught her. She opened her mouth to deny it but then was cut off. "Don't lie," said the hobbit. Dawn brought her attention back to Bilbo's knuckles. She then gently tied the cloth.
"He likes you, you know," said Bilbo. Dawn looked up to Bilbo.
"Is Kili trying to be matchmaker again?" she asked in an irritated tone.
"N-No. I'm just saying this from observation. Ever since the adventure began, you and Fili have become quite close. And that's saying a lot." Dawn bit her lip. "He...also kissed you at the cliff." Dawn looked up for a moment. The kiss at the cliff. It felt so amazing. But it was just for memory. Nothing for the future.
"I think he might..." Bilbo paused.
"He might what? Why did you pause?" Dawn said.
"If I finish, you'll kick me in the ribs," he said looking down at the ground. Dawn laughed at the hobbits assumption.
"Why would I do that?" The hobbit looked up with a smile. "I promise if you tell me, I won't kick or punch you in the ribs or other areas." Bilbo swallowed. And then he spoke.
"I think he might actually be in love with you." Dawn had the faintest gasp you could ever hear. She seemed surprised at Bilbo's point of view. But he couldn't tell. She was caring to everyone in the company, so certain emotions were not so easily labeled.
"Your all fixed up. You should rest now," said Dawn, trying to sound unaffected by the comment. As Bilbo got up and curled up in a little ball to sleep in, Dawn thought more.
"I think he might actually be in love with you."
That would be impossible. As far as she knew, Fili only saw her as a friend and took great responsibility in protecting her. That kiss didn't mean anything romantic to him. But for some odd reason. It did to her. Was he in love with her? Come to think of it, was she in love with him?
Dawn looked around at an atmosphere she did not recognize. It was a mountain-like hill, where a river was frozen solid, and it was bitter cold. She circled around the place, and then stopped. In front of her was Fili. His face was pale and full of tears. As he kneeled down, he began to cradle something with his sobs. "Fili, what is it. What happened?" Dawn said very frightened. But there was no reply. He just continued to sob. Dawn got on her knees as well to see what it was he was cradling. It was her. At her chest, there was a large mark of blood at the heart. And where her eyes were, traces of blood.
"Fili! Look at me! I'm right here!FILI!" Dawn begged feeling tears run down her face. As she tried to shake him, her hands went right through him. What was going on? But as she wondered in confusion, footsteps were heard. As Dawn looked at the new figure, she saw it was the fearful Azog. His hand was red and dripping.
"It is the strangest thing, isn't it," he said. "One moment, she is alive, breathing, and blinking. The next, her heart has stopped beating..." He paused as he opened his hand, revealing very bloody spheres. As Dawn looked closer, they had signs of green. "And she no longer needs to blink." They were her eyeballs. Dawn screamed, but of course, no one could hear her.
"It seems your way to cheat death has ended." Azog then began to walk towards Fili.
"No! Stop! Get away from him!" Dawn shouted. But as she charged at him, she went right through his armor.
"You monster! She was more than that!" Fili shouted.
"Oh, I know. She was also your destruction." Azog then lifted his metal arm and aimed it at Fili's heart.
"No, leave him alone! Please!" Dawn begged. But the Orc couldn't hear her plea. But before Dawn could cringe to the action, the scene turned completely white, with a small vision if a figure.
"No!" Dawn shouted. She looked around to see she was at the campsite. But the dream was still in her thoughts. Feeling tears come, Dawn quickly grabbed an empty vial from her bag and pressed it against her cheek, and then tears rolled down. She felt so confused.
"You monster! She was more than that!"
"Dawn?" said a concerned voice. Dawn turned quickly to see Bilbo. He seemed a bit more concerned once he saw the vile, and her eyes watering.
"What are you doing?" Bilbo asked.
"If I cannot cry on command, I have now a vile of them in case."
"But...then why are you crying?" he asked. Dawn stopped, as she placed a cork in the vial and placed it in her belt,
"A dream. Where I was dead but I could witness everything. See a moment where Azog was about to win and Fili defeated with grief. But he wouldn't miss me any more than a friend." With that, she began to sob some more. Bilbo took out his arms and hugged the girl. She hugged back somewhat tight. He began to pity her lightly. Almost the same pity that he had towards the Gollum creature in the caves. Imagine the burden she had. To have the lives of three heirs on her shoulders and the fear of failing. But then something came to mind: Fili. She dreamed of Fili and had great worry towards him.
"Dawn, you're in love with Fili." Dawn looked up to the hobbit. "What?"
"Back in the Shire, there were ways to tell if you were in love. If you dream of someone, you're in love." Dawn's eyes widened. "We hobbits may not be the wisest, but we do know about love." Dawn thought. She did dream of Fili. She did feel strongly for him. And when they kissed on the cliff it felt amazing. At this moment, Dawn knew what she wanted.
"Bilbo...I think I am."