A/N: I'm posting this a little earlier than normal, but hopefully you don't mind too much ;) Thank you all for your continued support - I seriously appreciate it. Anyway, here's the first chapter from the Desolation of Smaug :))) I shall warn you ahead of time that this chapter once again ends with Alana falling unconscious :P It's something of a habit at this point, I think. Also makes a rather convenient end-point for a chapter, too.

Big thanks to the following people for following/favouriting: cjewellm, Katt8500, Toujours-Pur-XXX, JJCME GaaraSandNiN, BubbleGumEcstasy, annabanna23, MountainCat3, pmoon1995, WideAwake94 and cupidosneaks.

Review Response(s):

Sparky She-Demon: I can't imagine living with men for so long. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against guys, but I'd be itching for a bit of female companionship after a while.

Just4Me: Well, she isn't, really. Not anymore ;)

CrystalVixen93: Thanks, and here ya go! :)

Dreamer4life16: I actually had a conversation with my friend the same day I said that to you, and he told me to make a note of the fact I said the words 'It's not fun if it's not crazy', so I say full steam ahead! ;) In Thorin's defence though, being stubborn is in his nature - he is a dwarf, after all. As for your two favourite elves, you may have to wait a little before they show up. We've got a lot to get through at Beorn's and in Mirkwood first. Thanks for reviewing, as always! :D

CheekyLittleFoxy: That was a LOT of caps lock ;) And here, you got less of a wait than normal :P

'A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less of his share of the credit.' ~ Arnold H. Glasow

Chapter 14:

The rather peculiar company of one hobbit, one wizard, one woman and thirteen dwarves moved slowly down the steep, tall steps of the Carrock. Thorin, in his eternal stubbornness, led them forward at a pace far too harsh for his severe wounds. Alana trailed at the back, having to rely on Dwalin for support as she stumbled behind the others, avoiding putting weight on her mangled ankle as much as she could; though when the steps were as large as they were, this wasn't easy.

Their trip on the eagles' backs had created a large gap between them and their hunters, meaning they could get away with a slightly slower pace. Thorin had even agreed to give them a day of rest when they reached the bottom, but to get there involved a hellish climb down steps too large for even for the tallest of their group to handle comfortably.

So this was how they found themselves descending slowly from the top of the Carrock, in a single file line except for those who were too injured to walk without support (not that these people didn't try to convince the others they were fine to go alone).

The sun was just beginning to dip below the treeline when the company finally reached the bottom of the Carrock, all hungry due to the fact they had no food, and had been unable to hunt during the day, for obvious reasons. As soon as they found a decent place to camp for the night however, Kili marched off into the trees to find something to eat.

As much as she wished to, Oin would not allow Alana to go and wash off in the river before he had checked her wounds. Her back was almost black and blue from severe bruising, except for the small area on her side where the red-hot brand had been placed, leaving a dark red and angry mark that throbbed dully. Her shoulders and arms were covered in bite marks. The worst of them all was her foot. Her right ankle was almost completely obscured by the blood that had flowed from the scratches (which had reopened at some point during the day), and her foot was weak and cold from the lack of blood it was receiving. Oin informed her that it was fine for the moment, however without his herbs there was little he could do to stave off infection beyond wrapping a bandage tightly around her ankle.

By the time all her injuries had been checked, Kili had returned carrying two limp pheasants in his left hand and four rabbits in his right. While Bombur lit a fire and began roasting the meat, Oin moved away to check on Thorin's injuries, not forgetting to tell Alana sternly not to move for a good half-hour.

Alana resigned herself to the fact that she would be overly doted on for the next several days until she healed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a hopeless invalid," she replied bluntly to the blonde Prince as he flopped onto the ground beside her.

"Ah, come on, your leg was used as a chew toy by a warg," he joked. "What did you expect?"

"Not to have my leg used as a chew toy," she muttered. Fili just laughed. "How's Thorin?"

Fili shrugged. "I wouldn't know - he's not letting anyone see him but Oin. And Oin keeps sprouting stuff about patient privacy. Sounds like an excuse to me."

"Thorin's the leader of this company," Alana reminded him. "No doubt he feels he can't afford to show weakness in front of you."

"He's not invincible," Fili shot back.

Alana snorted. "Tell that to him."

He was quiet for a moment. "Uh, no thanks," he murmured, looking slightly terrified by the idea. Alana chuckled, only to wince when her back twinged in complaint at the movement. Fili chewed his lip for a moment, before asking her, "What did they do to you?"

Alana's eyes widened, and she shuddered against the memory. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because we could hear." Her face whipped up in alarm. "We weren't so far away that we were completely in the dark. I know no one else will ask, but we all want to know." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry. You don't have to te-"

"It's fine," Alana bit out. "They branded me first, which is the reason for the mark on my side." She shuddered again, and Fili rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Then they whipped me."

"We heard," Fili told her with a coarseness to his voice.

"And then they bit me."

"They bit you?"

A grimace flashed across the Ranger's face. "It was the worst of them all, you know. Goblins have incredibly dull teeth."

Fili cringed. "Alright, I think I get it." He attempted a smile. "Thank you for not handing us over."

Alana shrugged. "I told him about Thorin."

"It could have been worse. Besides, he's dead now, so what does it matter?"

"It could have changed everything."

"Don't dwell on what could have been," Thorin called from across the camp. It was only then the two realised their conversation was not quite as private as they had thought. "We are here now, and that's what counts."

"You were hurt because of me."

"You also saved my life," he reminded her. "And we got out fine. Just forget it ever happened, if you can."

Slowly, and not without hesitation, Alana nodded her head. "I will try," she said. Thorin nodded in satisfaction, and suddenly the tense atmosphere was gone. Conversations started up everywhere. Fili moved to join his brother, leaving Alana alone again, but she didn't mind. She took this chance simply to lift her eyes to the stars that shone merrily above their heads.

"Alana."

Her gaze lowered, and she found Bofur in front of her with a portion of meat in his hands. With a grateful smile, the Ranger accepted the meat and began eagerly digging in along with the rest of the company. The silence that wrapped itself around them was comforting, for while there was no speech, and there was no need for any. The mere presence of each dwarf was enough of a reminder to them all that they had survived with no casualties. The injuries that had been sustained would heal with time.

Once Alana had finished her meal, she met Oin's eye and received a brief nod from him, before struggling to get to her feet. Limping badly, the Ranger made her way towards the sound of running water, thankful she could take the chance to clean her clothes and body of their coating of grime, blood, dirt and old sweat.

Having to peel her tunic away from her side was painful, as she had to lift her arms above her head, pulling at every sore part of her body. She balanced haphazardly on one foot as she tried to pull off her breeches, having left her mutilated boots back at the camp.

When finally Alana's clothes all lay at the side of the bank, she tiptoed carefully into the river, hissing through gritted teeth when the cold water stung at her ankle. Setting her jaw, Alana slowly walked towards the middle of the river, where the water was at its deepest. At this place, only her shoulders and head were above the surface of the river.

With agonisingly slow and cautious movements, Alana began to systematically clean each part of her body. Her hair was a nightmare, especially since she had nothing to use to comb it out (not that she could, since holding her arms above her head caused her back to burn with fresh pain), but she managed to rid it of the majority of its filthy load. Once she was thoroughly cleaned, Alana lay herself along the surface of the water, bobbing gently with the current.

As she lay there, staring up at the glittering stars, her lips parted, and she started to sing.

"Tinuviel elvanui
Elleth alfirin edhelhael
O hon ring finnil fuinui
A renc gelebrin thiliol..."

A sigh left her lips as the final word escaped them, before she scrambled out of the river. She knew the dwarves, as much as she loved them, were incredibly protective of her simply because she was female. If she was gone too long, they'd likely send someone to look for her.

And indeed, just as she was pulling her tunic on, Thorin stomped into the clearing.

"You came yourself?" Alana asked disbelievingly. "Didn't anyone protest because of your wounds?"

Thorin managed to look somewhat sheepish, an expression Alana found frustratingly endearing. "As far as I am aware, none of them saw me leaving."

Alana sighed in exasperation. "Thorin, you're the leader of this group! How can you go wandering off on your own without telling anyone? They'll be in a panic within minutes."

The dwarf rolled his eyes. "I think you're overreacting, Alana."

Alana folded her arms over her chest, only to wince when her wounds tugged painfully. "And I think you underestimate just how much these dwarves value you."

That seemed to catch him off guard. "What do you mean?"

Alana chuckled. "You really don't see it, do you?" His blank expression told her everything she needed to know. "Thorin, each and every one of those dwarves in that camp has an astonishingly high opinion of you. And not just the dwarves - Gandalf, Bilbo and I do, as well. The thing is, you never expect more of us than you give yourself, and you expect the world from us. You demand every ounce of our being and then a little bit more. And we're all absolutely happy with that because what you give in return is almost beyond imagination. We will follow you anywhere, Thorin Oakenshield, be it into battle or through a burning forest, and with no hesitation. You are a natural leader, but you don't see it. That in and of itself is an admirable quality - you see all of us as living people, and you do not expect to be given something without somehow returning the favour."

Thorin was speechless for a good few seconds. "You... really believe that?"

The insecurity and doubt in his voice made Alana want to unashamedly walk up to him and hug him, then smack him over the head for being so dense. Instead, she just smiled. "Of course I do! It's hard not to believe something that has been proven true. I... We all think the world of you." Her confidence suddenly dried up, leaving her to lower her gaze and nervously toe the ground, only to stop when once again her injuries drew attention to themselves. "You know," she began thoughtfully, "many people are driven away, I think, by your inability to sugar coat anything. You are truthful every day, painfully so sometimes. You underplay your own pains and needs in order to provide for those you love and care for. I..." She nervously bit her bottom lip, before catching herself and forcing her to stop.

"You... what?" Thorin's voice was low and tender, though his curiosity was also clear.

"I like that you don't try to hide yourself away. You lay out your beliefs, strengths and yeah, sometimes your weaknesses too. That's an incredibly difficult thing to do. Each time I discover something new about you, I can't help but feel so privileged to have befriended someone like you." Alana rubbed the back of her neck. "And I would appreciate it if you forgot I just said all that. I think I'm beginning to lose my mind."

Thorin chuckled. "I can keep a secret," he promised with a crooked grin, one that spread across his whole face and lit up his eyes. "But to promise to forget it?" He shook his head. "I can't do that, I'm afraid." His face became serious again. "Thank you," he murmured. "Sometimes it helps to be reminded that I'm not alone."

"You'll never be alone, Thorin. You've always had someone fighting beside you. And even when you're gone from this world, everyone you had to live through losing will be back where they belong - by your side."

"Yes, well, hopefully that day is still a long way off."

Alana snorted. "Don't for a moment think I believe you want to die. And as long as you allow people to help you, the day you pass will be after a long life, and you are dying of old age rather than a blade to the gut." She smirked. "And with that happy note, let's get back to the camp. We could both use the rest."

Their day of rest did them all a lot of good, though to call it a 'day' would be a bit generous - it was mid-afternoon when their luck took a turn for the worst. Somehow the orc party had caught up with them, the howls and cries of the pack causing the company to quickly pack up their camp and begin moving again.

Thorin and Alana's severe injuries had both gotten better, Thorin's more so than hers; Alana still needed the aid of one of the dwarves to move beyond ten metres, and even then she struggled to move quicker than a snail.

As dusk began to creep over them, Thorin ordered Bilbo to do some scouting. His renewed faith in Bilbo's burglar abilities was clear to them all, and he offered Bilbo an encouraging smile when the poor hobbit blanched when he was told of his duty. Nonetheless, he scampered off towards the north in search of a better vantage point.

"Alana."

Alana moved her eyes away from the surrounding trees and met the hardened gaze of their leader. "Yes?"

"We may have to run. Will you be okay?"

Alana grimaced, but nodded. "I'm sure whatever pain I put myself through in doing so will be better than being ripped apart. I'll be fine."

Thorin's face twisted at the rather gruesome image her words prompted, but he nodded anyway. Alana could see however, through examining the set of his jaw and the tension in his shoulders, that he did not wish to ask this of her. But they both knew they had little other choice - she could not be carried by one of the dwarves, so it was run or be killed.

When Bilbo came tumbling back down the hill, there was an expression of profound terror on his face. His chest heaved as he came to a stop.

"How close is the pack?" Dwalin demanded at once.

"Too close; a couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it."

"Did they pick up our scent?"

"Not yet, but they will. No, we have another problem."

"Did they see you?" Gandalf demanded. "They saw you!"

"No, that's not it!"

Gandalf smiled. "What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse; excellent burglar material." The dwarves murmured in agreement, but Alana was watching Bilbo's growing agitation.

"Will you- Will you just listen?!" Everyone quietened. "I am trying to tell you there is something else out there!"

"What form did it take?" Gandalf asked slowly, as if already knowing the answer. "Like a bear?"

"Y-Yes," Bilbo replied, "but bigger. Much bigger."

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur queried accusingly. Gandalf didn't reply, but instead turned away to think about their options. Bofur turned to Thorin. "I say we double back."

Thorin dismissed the idea immediately. "We'd be run down by a pack of orcs," he stated gravely.

Gandalf suddenly whirled around. "There is a house," he said, "not far from here where we might take refuge."

"Whose house?" Thorin questioned harshly. "Are they friend or foe?"

"Neither," the wizard stated. "He will help us or he will kill us."

A heavy sigh left Thorin's lips. "What choice do we have?"

As if answering the dwarf's question, an ear-splitting roar echoed through the night air, causing each member of the company to jump and reach for their weapons.

"None," Gandalf stated glumly.

"We need to move," Alana muttered, and after receiving several nods of agreement, the dwarves took off with Gandalf leading the way and Alana limping at the rear. She didn't fail to notice how Thorin and surprisingly Bilbo lingered close to her. They seemed to have come to an unspoken agreement to make sure she didn't fall behind for any reason. While she was grateful for the sentiment, the fact it was necessary at all vexed her.

They ran for close to an hour near constantly, pausing for a few seconds every few minutes to listen out for any sign of their pursuers. Alana's foot wound had torn open after about fifteen minutes, and due to the slow decrease of blood in her body, she often found herself stumbling. Thankfully Thorin was always there to steady her before she fully collapsed. Still, this couldn't go on much longer, and the pain in her foot was borderline unbearable.

As luck would have it, the next time they paused the snarls and barks of the orc pack were drowned out by the bellow of the bear. It would seem they were being followed by not one but two parties.

"Move, come on!" Gandalf yelled, and they began running again. Thorin had to yank on Bombur's beard in order to snap the dwarf out of his fear-induced stupor.

Instinct drove Alana to reach out and grab Thorin's hand, sending him a frantic look when he turned to look back at her. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, then started to pull her faster. Alana let out a yelp of pain as her foot caught a precarious branch, which then rolled under her foot, and she twisted her ankle. Her breath was coming out in high-pitched pants by the time they reached the open plain, revealing a large wooden house which was bordered by a tall, stone wall.

"To the house!" Gandalf yelled. "Run!"

Their desperate sprint to the house became even more frantic when the sound of heavy footfalls reached them. Alana knew it would be seconds before the monstrous bear was upon them, and she fought past the agony searing through her foot and back to keep herself from falling behind.

The first dwarf to reach the giant door to the house was, strangely enough, Bombur, though he simply ran head-on into it and bounced straight back off. "Open the door!" Gandalf called forward, and barely a second later the massive form of a brown bear burst from the trees behind them.

Thorin, hand still grasping Alana's, fought his way through the crowd of dwarves in front of them, then hurriedly lifted the door barricade they'd somehow all managed to miss. The doors flew open, and the company rushed inside, spinning around to slam the door shut. The snout of the enraged bear was caught between the two doors, and it took the combined effort of six dwarves to provide enough force to cause the bear to withdraw.

Over the sound of heavy breathing came a single word - "Ow."

The company turned to see Alana gripping her side, foot completely drenched in her own blood, and her skin was pale enough to be mistaken for snow.

Thorin was alert immediately. "Oin, take her somewhere more private and take care of her wounds."

"Thorin, you-"

"My own can wait," he snapped in return, predicting what she was going to say. His eyes and tone both softened. "If it pleases you I will have them looked at afterwards. But only afterwards."

Alana sighed heavily, only to wince when her side twinged again. Still she nodded, then accepted the hand Oin offered and hobbled over to a wooden column with his aid. Once there, she draped herself on the ground, back supported by the column. Her chest was rising and falling very quickly, and her sight was growing dim.

She was suddenly numb to anything - there was no pain and there was no worry. A darkness crept over her from the edges of her vision. It whispered to her. It begged her - give in to the dark, it said. And she wanted to. She wanted to more than she'd ever wanted anything before.

There was a stranger before her, this she could see, and she knew he was saying something, but she couldn't hear him. She frowned lightly, trying to work out his words from the shapes his mouth was forming, but he was speaking too fast for her to be able to keep up. There was a moment when his face turned, before he moved away completely and was replaced by someone... familiar.

She knew this face... Right? There was something comforting in the dark hair, the dark beard, the stormy eyes. Who was he? He was important to her, yes? But... Why couldn't she remember him? If he was important, surely then she'd know who he was. What was his name?

He looked worried. Why was he worried? What was wrong? Was it her? Was something wrong with her?

The man before her frowned and then gently grasped the sides of her face with both hands. Her fuzzy eyes zeroed in on the creases between his brows. They shouldn't have been there. He wasn't happy. He should have been happy, been smiling, been laughing. Something was very wrong.

With all the strength she could muster, she lifted her shaking hand and pressed a finger between his eyebrows. She gave him a stern look, but his frown only deepened. She opened her mouth to speak, but she wasn't sure what to say. So she settled with something simple.

"Smile."

And then everything came crashing back. Her senses and the memories. She knew who he was again.

Thorin sighed. "How can I smile when one of my company is in such a state?" he asked her softly.

Alana tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. "You should smile more," she murmured. "You look nice when you smile. It lights up... the whole... room." Her head lolled to the side, and the darkness crept further over her.

Thorin's warm hands gently shook her. "Stay awake, Alana," he ordered gruffly. "Don't fall asleep."

"So tired," she murmured. Alana gripped his sleeve. "Going to sleep."

He shook her harder. "No, Alana! Stay strong. We need you awake."

"But-"

"Stay awake!"

Alana stared at him for a long moment, before sighing. "I'll do my best."

"No," he said sternly. "You will not fall asleep. Got it?"

Huffing, Alana nodded. "Fine," she grumbled. Thorin stared at her for a long time, before nodding and stepping back to allow Oin access to her.

Despite her promise, within just a few minutes Alana's eyes were too heavy to keep open. The pain in her ankle soared even higher when Oin pressed an alcohol-soaked rag against her wound, and it was enough to send her tumbling over the edge once more.