Chapter 20 and an extra long chapter, woohoo!I really like this one as well, I hope you do too!
The next chapter will give you all the answers from the ending, so have patience :p

Thanks for the new followers and favourite, so pleaseeee, make a review, I've missed those!And this chapter is quite a lot of work and I've been busy for hours.

The idea for all this chapter and the previous ones with the same subject come btw from Kíli and Tauriel, where he gets shot with an orc arrow and gets infected, then Tauriel heals him^^

Enjoy!

Visiting the elves

'Mm? What?' I ask sleepily and blink me eyes. I had spent several hours sleeping, but I'm still tired.

'I said that we need to go.' Grodri says. I look up at see him already standing next to the bed, looking ready to leave. 'Dwarf, I'm still in my nightgown. Let me change first. You go and already pack the ponies, Thorin will help me.' I say while I'm coming out of bed, rejecting the help from my friend or brother. I shoo him out of the room and Thorin helps me putting on my travel clothes, gives me something to drink and eat and we walk outside together.

It was apparently still very early in the morning, because really no-one was here, and dwarves already cross these streets when most of middle-earth is still awake. The sky is light enough to see, but it's still a bit dark.

When we arrive at the ponies, Grodri had done as I told him too and packed the ponies. A small group of dwarves were already standing around. As a princess, I already know them all, but some better than others.

'I chose the best fighters along with the most loyal. I think that would be a wise decision.' Thorin whispers in my ear. I nod as a reply, looking around the group. 'It's good, thank you.' I whisper back. I walk to my pony, stroking him gently. I know that riding a pony is going to kill my arm even more, but two dwarves on one pony is going to slow everything down.

I look around, suddenly realizing that this might be the last time I see this place. And, there's the lump in my throat again. I must be the most baby-like dwarf ever. My gaze finally stops at my brother. This might be the very last time I see him. Not many can say a real goodbye to their beloved ones before they die, so I want to take my change, only hoping it's not a real goodbye.

'Thorin.' I whisper, but words falter me. What can I say to him? Goodbye dear brother, this is very likely the last time I see you but I love you so don't cry for me? Yeah, that's not really helpful.

Instead I strike his raven black hair back, the exact same hair as mine. We look quite a lot like each other. Except those eyes, they match Frerin's. I give a deep sigh and place my forehead against his. 'I hope to see you again, my brother. If not…' what do I say now? 'this will be our last meeting. So remember this, Thorin. Remember I love you, like I've always loved you and will always love you for as long as I live, and if I can love you in death I will as well. You're my brother, I will think of you before I die. Just promise you'll think of me as well.' I whisper, so that he's the only one who can hear it.

'I promise.' He says, patching my shoulder.

A smile appears on my face. 'Good.' I step back and with his help I get onto my horse, my arm again screaming for attention. Really, fuck my arm.

'Let's go, we have no time to lose.' Grodri announces, making his pony turn around and rides away, followed by the other dwarves.

'Goodbye, Thorin.' I say, giving him one last glance before I turn around as well and follow them while the sun starts shining through the clouds. If he had said something, I couldn't hear it anymore.

The road was very quiet, no man, dwarf, and luckily also no orc to be seen or heard. Only the sound of our own ponies clattering on the grass or stone was the only thing that filled our ears. Even the dwarves were quiet, which actually is quite unusual for dwarves.

If Frerin was there, he and Grodri might have another argument on whose sword was the best, and if Thorin was here we would actually not be here but still some kilometres away, arguing about which is the right way to go. Thorin, or mister sense of direction. The incredible stupid dwarf. I must say that I'm not that skilled in directions either, but at least I don't make a fool of myself. How he gets lost I don't know, but you could put him in a forest a thousand times and then he still doesn't know the way, even if you would give him a map and a guide. He would throw away the map and argue with the guide.

A yell of one of the dwarves interrupts my thoughts, and I immediately look up again, searching for the reason the dwarf yelled. But I can't see or hear anything. 'What is it?' I ask, looking in the dwarf's direction.

'I believe I saw something move, in the distance. I'm sure of it, something black that was looking at us.' The dwarf says, pointing.

I frown, looking where he's pointing at, but nothing catches my eyes. 'Are you sure it wasn't just a bird?' I ask, moving my pony in that direction.

'No, it definitely wasn't a bird, it was way too big for that!' he says irritated.

'But in the direction you're pointing at – it's a clear field, so if there was something we should see it, shouldn't we? It hasn't got any trees or bushes to hide behind, and orcs are never alone so you should see some more.' I notice, letting my pony stop next to Grodri.

'Are you seeing or hearing anything?' I ask him softly without looking at him, my eyes still searching the field.

'Nope.' Grodri replies.

'Are you smelling anything? Except for yourself, than.'

Grodri grins. 'Except for myself, and you my lady, and all those other dwarves, and the ponies, not really.'

'I wanted to say good but now you insulted me and I can't say that anymore.' I turn my pony around at the dwarf. 'Are you sure it came from that direction?' the dwarf nods. 'As we all can see, there's nothing there. Let's not waste anymore of our time, let's go!' I say and move on. The dwarf gives me a dead look, but I don't care and pretend I didn't see that.

'Is it true? That you are dying?' he suddenly asks. I stop my pony and look over my shoulder to him. All the other dwarves are standing like they've been frozen, except for Grodri who looks like he could murder the dwarf. No, not could, is going to. He opens his mouth, his expression furious, but before he could say the most nasty things he might regret (well, he wouldn't, I know him well enough for that) I speak.

'Yes, that's true.' I simply say, ready to turn around and walk on again, but he isn't finished.

'So we're going to the elves right now, just for you? Dwarves from our people die everyday, but only because you're the king's sister he arranged that we need to do something extra, so you might live?' he says with anger in his tone. I suddenly remember that this dwarf had lost half of his family in the battle of Azanulbizar and some died on the road, others even in the settlement, and I can't help to feel for him. This must feel so dishonest for him, and for more I guess.

'You've lost many family members, haven't you?' I ask.

'I believe I heard we had a maximum of two weeks. Why? Will you be dead in two weeks?' he continues asking, ignoring my question.

'If we don't hurry, yes.' With these words I turn around and move on, realizing my words when I say them. I know that he will stop asking questions now, because I'm from Durin's line and he will have to listen to me. That probably might be the only advantage of being the sister to a king.

I indeed hear them following me, and the next second Grodri is riding next to me, looking very angry. I can't help to smile at that. Not that he's angry, but the reason he's angry.

'What's funny?' he asks irritated.

'Nothing.' I say quickly, pulling my face back to normal.

'The nerve of some dwarves, I'm going to-'

'No, Grodri!' I immediately interrupt him, not wishing to know what he was going to say if I didn't. 'You're not going to do anything, do you understand?'

'But you heard-' He starts, but again I don't let him finish his sentence.

'Yes, I heard what he said. But didn't he had the full right to know, why he's here, what we're doing? And wouldn't you be angry?'

'Why should he be angry?' he grunts. 'If we don't get there on time you're… not here anymore.' He swallows.

'Yes, but he's right. Only because I'm the king's sister I can go to the elves to ask for a medicine. You know he wouldn't have done that for anyone else who is still alive. If I were your sister instead of Thorin's, he wouldn't have allowed it, simply because his hate for elves. That's not the only reason of course. We have often sick or injured dwarves who will eventually die, so you can't seek for help every single time. Orcs will find out and kill us because we're in smaller groups divided, so that means we're all going to be killed. But wouldn't you be angry, if I would die, and Thorin had another sister who was as ill as me, and she could go on this journey that I'm taking while I would die? He has the full reason to be angry, and I let him to.' I end with a soft voice, looking over my shoulder to the angry dwarf, feeling more sorry for him than ever. I knew him before, not much but not that little. He's a nice dwarf, for as far dwarves can be nice.

I look back at Grodri, who looked down at the manes of his pony. He finally speaks in a low voice: 'You could not be another one's sister than Thorin, you look too much like him.'

I frown. 'That wasn't my point of the story, idiot.'

He's silent for a while and I didn't expect an answer back, but he did. 'I know, but I want to change subject. I don't want to think about you being dead.'

I open my mouth to say that actually wasn't the point of the story either, but this time I get interrupted by a growling scream coming from the left. I look past Grodri and see orcs on wargs riding this way. I curse under my breath, turning my pony around, and Grodri does the same thing. 'Orc attack!' I yell with a raised voice, but all the other dwarves had already turned around.

I'm surprised to see the orcs on wargs. I knew that they were riding on it sometimes, but although I'm fifty-two, I've never seen it before. They were always on foot when they attacked us, and when we were on the road they also always seemed to be on foot.

I charge my pony forward with a battle scream while trying to ignore the stronger getting pain in my arm and attack. Immediately after me the other dwarves and orcs follow and I already feel desperate. We weren't with that much dwarves, and these orcs were on wargs, who were a lot faster than ponies. I already feel half dead and tired just at the beginning.

The sword is starting to become to heavy for my arm, so I take out my bow and arrow. I need to move my arms more, but it's going to hurt anyway and at least it's not that heavy. And I'm a master in archery, if you compare me to most dwarves at least.

I mostly shoot the wargs first, causing the orcs to fall of them, and shoot the orc or let someone else kill the orc if there's another warg heading someone's way. I hear a pained scream and look at the dwarf quickly. A guilty relief comes over me when I see it's not Grodri but a dwarf I hardly know. Shame on me, what kind of princess am I? What kind of dwarf am I?

I turn my head again, seeing that an orc on his warg had come this way and is nearly approaching me. As quick as I can I get another arrow, but my already very hurt arm seems to fall off at that point, and I'm not quick enough. The orc arrives just in time to slice my head off, but he didn't. And there's a very good reason for that; he couldn't.

My pony pranced, his hooves whirling around in the air and finally kicking them against the orc's chest, who falls off his warg with a very painful sound, something like cracking bones.

I still held the bow and arrow in my hand and when I see the warg ready to bite my pony, I fire an arrow through it's head, his eye to be specific. Seeing it so close made me feel even more sick, but that was not my problem. Because I fired the arrow I wasn't holding anything; and that's not good when you're on a vertical standing horse.

I also fall of the horse, and when I hit the ground my breath is taking away from me some seconds. When I try to get up I see the warg lying dead on the ground, blood pouring from what seems to be everywhere, but I haven't got much time to look when the orc that was kicked off it stands above me, a dagger in his hand.

He gives me a creepy smile and drives the dagger down. Than I kick him as hard as I can in his balls, assuming orcs have those, and as I expected he gives a cry and drops the dagger.

Being a young girl with two older brothers who kept sneaking things out of your room when they thought you hadn't noticed, gives some nice tricks to give them back. They said I really shouldn't do that because it really hurt, but I don't give a damn and I never will. And as is visible now, it has worked.

I quickly pick up the dagger before the orc has a change to recover from the pain and cut his throat with it. Ha, killed by your own dagger. That will learn him.

The orc falls over, on top of me, causing me to fall again. Mahal, the smell!

I try to pull the body away, but my arm aches to much for that, even when I use my other arm. I groan in pain and kick with my big boots, not that it really helps.

I can't hear any more noise, so I assume that the fight is over. But who won? Or was I the only one left alive? I feel worried but before I can call, someone calls my name.

'Dís? Dís, where are you?' a desperate voice calls. But before I can give a reply, he apparently sees my, and with a scream he runs my way. I couldn't hear what he screamed, or what he's saying now, so I just wait for him to take the orc's body away. But then the words become clear: 'no, no, no no no no no!'

Shit, because I'm lying still on the ground buried underneath the weight of an orc he must think I'm dead. I make a small noise to make clear I'm still alive, but under his own curses he can't hear it. The body is thrown away from me and I assume he would've noticed me alive now, but I immediately get flung into his arms, his face buried in my shoulder.

I slowly move my hand upwards, moving away the blonde hair from his face and whisper in his ears. 'Grodri, it's alright, I'm alive, I'm ok- are you crying?'

His head immediately is from my shoulder, his eyes facing mine. Sick, tired and worried, but alive.

'Dís – Mahal, I thought you were – but…?' he stumbles. He stares another second at me before giving me a big kiss on the mouth, almost making me jump in surprise, but I just go with it, but he already retreats.

'Shit, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?'

'No, I'm fine. Just help me up, will you?'

'Yes, of course.' He replies and helps me up. 'I saw you falling of your horse, but when I tried to get to you I was stopped by three orcs at the time. I'm sorry.'

'Don't say you're sorry, you can't help that.' I say when I'm standing up straight and look to the dwarves. They were all still alive, except for one, who was torn apart by a warg, his blood flowing in the ground along with all the dead orcs and wargs.

I look questioning to the dwarves very surprised and confused faces, though some have wounds where blood was still coming out. Where they all also thinking I was dead? It takes me some seconds to figure it out, but than I know. They had just seen a probably dead princess who actually wasn't dead and just a simple dwarf who works a the forge crying while holding the 'dead' princess, who suddenly woke up and received a big kiss from the simple dwarf. I realize that the only one who actually knew we were together was Thorin, but maybe Óin.

Standing a bit uncomfortable I lean onto Grodri, searching the angry dwarf who had spotted the orcs first a while ago before they attacked.

'I have to apologise to you, master dwarf. It turns out you were right spotting those orcs, and I was wrong not to listen to you. A princess should always listen to her people, and I know I don't make a very fine princess, but at least accept my apologies.'

He doesn't look like he was going to, but that doesn't matter, because I wasn't finished. I just needed to breath deep in and out, because the world was going dizzy and blurry, everything turning around.

'It turns out you have the best eyes from all of us, and you're probably the most intelligent either.' A 'hé!' sound came from the other dwarves, even from Grodri, but I ignore it and keep my eye contact with the dwarf. 'So I also would appreciate it if you would go in the front of our group and guide us to Rivendell.' I say, forcing myself to smile.

The dwarf looks immediately pleased. 'And of course I will accept your apologies, my lady, and guide you to Rivendell along with the other dwarves.' He says, nodding his head.

Grodri immediately protests. 'But, Dís, you can't do that!'

I look at him, my eyelids feeling heavy. 'I'm too sick to lead the way, and he is the best in spotting things.'

'But he doesn't even know the way; I can do it, Thorin told me how to get there!' he still tries.

The dwarf approaches, his eyes looking dark at Grodri's.

'I'm sure he can do it, Grodri. If he doesn't know the way he can and will ask you for help.' I say, looking sharp at both dwarves.

Grodri opens his mouth again, but I shut it. 'No more protests – you know we haven't got much time and since I'm a bloody princess you will do as I say. Do you both understand?' I say strictly, and in my own ears I sound like my grandmother. I hope not though.

'Good. Let's get back on our ponies and continue our travel.' I say.

One of the dwarves calls Grodri, causing him to turn his head away and loosen his grip, just when I was about to take a step and the whole world turns and turns endlessly, my vision even blurrier, and the pain in my arm even greater. Was that still possible, I'm starting to think.

I fall over but before I hit the ground the dwarf catches me. I can't even remember his name, and yet I put him in the lead. What would Thorin have done? I wonder, while stroking Grodri's beard who was now hanging above me before he disappeared and the world went black, the screams who called my name all gone.

I open my eyes and blink, but all I can see is a black darkness covering me, and I can hear absolutely nothing. Am I dead? Is this what death looks like? Did I die in the arms of the dwarf I can't remember his name anymore while looking with a pleading look in Grodri's eyes. I can't remember if I said it, but what I thought was: 'Don't let me die!' But did I?

There's suddenly a cold hand on my forehead and I gasp for breath. It was a very cold hand, but was it dead?

'Hush hush.' A soothing voice says, and I immediately relax. I'm not dead. Or Grodri is dead now as well?

When that thought wells up in my head I look concerned around, trying to find his face, but there was only darkness. Where is he, where am I? The hand slips away from my forehead and is replaced by a kiss, which calms me down. No, I couldn't be dead. You can't fake that feeling, could you? You couldn't feel when you were dead, right? Or am I still in that place where I thought I had died?

'Grodri?' I cry, because I simply couldn't think of another way to figure everything out.

'Sshh, I'm here Sissy. Don't worry. You're alright. And now you're awake, I'm alright too.' His low voice whispers in my ear.

'Am I still alive? And you are as well?' I ask in a small terrified voice, afraid of the answer. Nothing like me at all.

'Yes, we're both still alive.'

I finally let out a relieved sigh, but my mind isn't satisfied yet. 'What happened? Why can't I see you?' I ask.

'You mean what happened after you passed out? Well, first we thought you were really dead this time, but then we checked your pulse and found out you still weren't. Than I put you in front of me on the same pony and we have been riding all day and most of the night. We're having a small break for the ponies and us, but we're continuing in a couple of hours, so I would sleep some more if I were you. But if you want you can sleep on the pony as well, because I put you in front of me again, but I don't think you can sleep very nicely on a pony.' He says, followed by something that sounded like grinning. 'You can't see me because we're in a bloody dark cave, and I didn't even know you were awake until you gasped. How long were you awake already?'

I cough and let my hand find his. I can almost feel his worried gaze at me. 'I just woke up some second before you put your hand on my forehead, and then I gasped. But I passed out for quite a while, haven't I?'

It takes a while for an answer, and I guess he first nodded, and then remembered I couldn't see him. 'I mean, yes, for quite a while.'

I let out another small sigh. 'You said we will be leaving in some hours-'

'Yes, so you can better sleep.'

'Don't interrupt me.' I say and I can hear him grin. I know what he's going to say: Hear who it says, but I don't let him and continue. 'But have you got any sleep yourself? I know you.'

'Sadly, you do. No, I haven't got any sleep. And because I know you, you're going to say now that I need to get some sleep as well.'

'Exactly, master dwarf. And if you don't do it I kick you in the balls like I did to that orc who tried to kill me with his dagger, and believe me, he didn't like it.' I say determined.

'You kicked an orc in the balls? That's awesome, Dís!' he says excitedly, and I can't help to grin.

'Yes, but he didn't like it as much as you do.'

'He didn't? I may hope so.'

'Nope, and do you remember what I said? If you don't go to sleep right now, I will test it on you, to see if you're still as excited about it as now, and to test if you still like me.' I say with a smile, and although I know he can't see that, I know he knows I'm smiling. I'm right.

'I can just hear you smiling, Dís!' he calls out. 'Well, fine. I'm not so sure if I would like you that much, and my nuts definitely wouldn't. Still, I was hoping you would do other things to my-'

'Sleep!' I laugh, but it turns into a cough. I hear him lying down on the floor next to me, and I put my hand on his body, feeling he has no blanket. 'Let we share again a blanket, like we did before, shall we?' I ask, but don't wait for a reaction. I put it over him, ignore his protests and just kiss the part of him that's straight before me. His neck.

'Goodnight.' I murmur softly, and his reply sounds already half-asleep, and indeed not even a minute later, I feel his regular breathing against my skin, making me fall asleep as well.

We left that day very early in the morning, most of the dwarves haven't slept for more than a few hours. To everyone's annoyance, this kept going on the whole week. And, the one after that.

Today is exactly two weeks later since I heard the news I would die most likely within two weeks. Well, fourteen days later and I'm still alive! But how… Everyday my strength had lessened, I didn't want to eat or drink anything more because my stomach couldn't take that, I would wake up from the pain at night if I could sleep at all and riding a horse made me feel even more sick. According to Grodri and the other dwarves I had turned into an alarming ghost-white colour and my eyes were dull, like I was already dead. I kept coughing and often we needed to find extra water, hoping I would not vomit it out again, what happened three times in one week already.

I barely slept but didn't want to wake up Grodri to worry him even more, who was never leaving me for a second in the whole day. That's quite exhausting, but I'm happy about it, knowing I would immediately fall if I was alone.

Still, one thing worries me more: we weren't exactly that close to Rivendell. We had made a lot of progress, but our tempo has slowed down because the ponies were also tired.

According to the leading dwarf, it would take at least two days in this tempo. Could I afford another two days, or would I die before that? Who knows.

Grodri said it out loud and that we need to hurry, so we did. But the faster tempo made me feel even more sick. I had almost lost the feeling in my upper arm, where the wound was. The only thing I could feel there was the insanely great pain.

Despite all of this I didn't cry; I couldn't cry. Maybe I had run out of tears, or I was simple to exhausted to cry. I didn't want to cry either, so that wasn't really a problem. But it makes me feel even more weird.

'We must let the ponies rest!' a dwarf announces, but Grodri (as expected by everyone) didn't agree.

'We haven't got much time left; we must go, now! And ride on until we arrive at Rivendell.'

'That will still take a day and a half, you bloody idiot. We must rest so that we can go on a real fast tempo and arrive still alive.'

'If we rest now we won't all live!' Grodri shouts so hard that even I have to look away. A big silence follows, but not for long.

'We stay here.' The dwarf decides and turns his pony away from us, leaving Grodri crushing his teeth.

'It's okay, dear. Help me off the pony, will you?' I say quietly and fortunately Grodri obeys without protesting. The miracles haven't left the world yet.

'Are you sure, we really must hurry.' He continues. Okay, maybe they have left the world. I hope not, though.

'I'm sure; I want to sleep anyway and I indeed can't do that on a riding pony.' I try to give him a smile, even a weak one would be enough, but I can't manage to smile anymore.

Grodri helps me lie down on the ground (if I did it by myself I would just drop on the floor and probably never come up again) and strikes my hair out of my sweaty face.

My hair was usually braided beautifully with all sort of things in it; now it was hanging in threads next to my face, and because it's so very dark black it makes me seem even more pale.

After a rest of half an hour we continue our journey in an indeed higher tempo, although I know that wouldn't be for long, because half an hour rest is like nothing. I was right again, because not much later we slowed down a bit. I close my eyes a bit, trying to catch sleep, but sleep doesn't want to catch me. Fuck it.

I feel dizzy so I open my eyes again, only to see everything very blurry. I expect there's just something in my eye, or it's caused by the sleep, but no matter how many times I blink or rub my eyes, the vision doesn't become any more clear. It's actually becoming blurrier.

I throw my hands in the air before my head because it feels like someone is hitting me with a hammer, but all I grasp is just air. It's a hammer from inside my head that's hitting me inside.

I let out another exhausted groan when the world is suddenly spinning, and I take Grodri's hands while I throw my head backwards so it can rest on his shoulder.

'It's okay, it's all okay, Dís.' He whispers in my ear, like he always did when I felt sick.

I have always said 'I know' until now. Because it wasn't the truth anymore. 'No… it's not.' I gasp, and before I know it I fall out of his arms, though I always thought it was impossible to escape from that firm grasp, fall off a horse again and hit the ground where I am unable to move even a finger. A scream causes everybody to stand still, and I find myself lying in Grodri's arms once again. But this will be the last time, I can feel it. It feels different than before. More… dangerous and real. More like the end. A sad ending of a tragedy. There's no room for happy endings in the line of Durin. I can only pray that my brother will get one. But what will happen to him if he finds out I'm dead?

'Dís?' Grodri's hand strikes past my rough cold skin and my eyes look up at him. My head was in his lap, his face upside down above me. 'Come on, we're almost there.'

'I'm so… tired.' I gasp again.

'I know, you can sleep, but promise me you'll wake up again.' He begs, putting a thick grey blanket around me on which I hold onto like it's my lifeline.

'I can't promise anything.' I say hoarse. Than I close my eyes, not caring if I live or die now. If this is how I must live one day longer, I prefer to be dead.

The first time I had passed out, I woke up in a complete and utter darkness. Now I'm waking up in an extreme light place, where everything seems to be white or a deep golden colour. Dwarves like gold, but not white. It gives me an even bigger headache than I already had. I wonder where I am. Caves certainly don't look like this. Is this what heaven looks like?

Nothing like I had in mind, and I can honestly say I hate it. It looks to much… elf like.

Elf like, I think and gasp for breath. Elf like! Had I somehow made it to Rivendell? But how could that possibly be true, if I wasn't any near that place when I had passed out or died?

I remember falling on the ground, my head in Grodri's lap, thinking about Thorin, and finally everything going black what seemed to be for the last time.

But it looks like I'm alive and made it to Rivendell. But they said it would take another day and a half?

Wishing to find answers, I look around. This was surely elf-like. Not that I've seen anything that actually was elf-like. I only know Thranduil, King of Mirkwood, and that he always came to Erebor with some guards to pay homage to grandfather, and when Erebor was attacked by Smaug, they just turned away.

Maybe it's heaven after all instead of Rivendell. But how can I be sure, there's no one to be seen in this room, if that's what it is. No elf or Frerin is here. Maybe you go to heaven alone and there's no one waiting for you at the other side, how would I know? It's actually quite stupid to think that someone will be waiting for you on the other side; dead is dead.

Since then I never thought again someone would wait for me on the other side, and that when you're dead you're just dead. There are no Halls of Waiting. It was all just a lie, one we were all silly enough the believe in.

I jump frightened in the air when the door is suddenly opened, causing a pain shock through whole my body.

'Lay still, that will hurt you.' An elf said who had come into the room. He doesn't look at me and say anything else, just pulls away the blanket (rude) and takes up my arm. I'm amazed how careful those fingers could hold something, like my arm's from mithril or gold.

Well, it's just a dead arm with a disgusting looking wound. I'm surprised it's not cut off. I want to ask if I'm alive, but that would seem like the most stupid question in the world, one I dared only asking to Thorin or Grodri.

Instead I just keep my mouth shut and look at my arm. It was covered in a white bandage without any blood, but maybe he just put it on like a minute ago and only was going to the toilet or something.

But he takes of the bandage, and I gasp again (it's becoming really annoying now) when I see the once so disgusting, deep and sickly red blood pouring out of it, now being no more than an ordinary wound. It was stitched and there wasn't any blood, or anything else, coming out of it. It still hurts, like everything in my body, but at least I have stopped coughing and don't have the desire to vomit anymore.

'Am I in Rivendell?' I can't help to ask. 'Yes.' Is the elf's reply.

'How did I get here?' I continue asking, hoping for an answer. 'It's a long story; maybe you should let your friend tell that.'

'Grodri? Is he here, and is he okay?'

'I don't know his name, and he isn't here so I don't know if he's okay. Stop asking questions, drink this, and than go back to sleep.' The elf says, putting a cup with something really gross looking in it in front of my face.

'What do you mean he isn't here, what are you talking about, elf?' I ask dominantly, feeling three times as big as him, though I should be a tree than.

'I said drink this.' Is the only thing he says, pushing the cup into my hands.

'Not before you tell me something.' I say angrily. 'I'm not going to drink this at all, actually. It's looking really gross, so how would I know you're not trying to poison me or something?'

'Why would I first rescue you, heal your wound, make that stuff that you really need to drink because it helps healing you and then try to poison you?' he asks wonderingly. 'You will get answers, I promise. The most important thing for you to do now is resting, so do as I say because I can just as easily put you back in the wilderness along with your other little friends and – what was his name, Goaty or something?'

I don't care to correct him and smell, just give him another angry look, and then sniffle at the stuff in the cup. It doesn't smell nice either, like green and vegetables.

'Drink it or I will throw you out.' The elf commands.

'Oh, how nice.' I say, but finally obey and drink the stuff. I immediately want to spit it back out, but he noticed and put his hand before my mouth.

'I promise you, that if you spit this out, you will be spit back in the wilderness. This takes much time to make and it's very hard, so be grateful, dwarf.' He warns me.

More because I want to ask him another question than his warning, I swallow the stuff, making a gross face.

'It takes much time to make? But for how long have I been here?' I ask curiously.

'I said stop asking these questions and drink.' The elf holds on. Doesn't he know how stubborn dwarves are? Well, not with everyone he would have warned to thrown me out.

'You are grumpy for an elf.' I say and take a bit more of the green stuff in the cup, trying real hard not to spit it out and keep making gross faces, simply because I can't help it. He doesn't seem to mind anything, as long as I drink my whole cup empty. When I'm finally done, I clean my hand with my sleeve (I noticed that I was wearing something differently, and I don't even want to know who changed and cleaned me, because I'm also suddenly very clean while I was covered in dirt) and hand over the cup to the elf, who looks like he is smiling.

'What's so funny?' I ask annoyed.

'Your face when you drink this.' He says amused.

I open my mouth to protest, but realize I must have looked really stupid while drinking it, so I shut my mouth again. And open it again, because I can't keep my mouth shut. 'Well, that's not my fault, it's incredibly gross. Seriously, have you ever drunk this? What is it anyway?' I ask.

'To be honest, no, I haven't drunk this before so maybe I shouldn't judge you too much. But I've seen elves drinking it and they didn't look difficult. It are healing spices, but made so that you could drink them, because some people who need this couldn't eat.'

I decide not to ask any further on that last subject, and just decide to insult him than.

'Well, you elves are eating nothing else than vegetables because you're vegetarians, so that's your problem, not mine.' I say and wrinkle my nose.

'Is there something wrong with that?' he asks with a small laugh. 'And it turns out now it is your problem, because you could barely drink it without spitting it out. I really thought you wouldn't take notice of my warning, spit everything out and throw the cup in my face.'

'Why? Was the warning untrue or did that happen before?' I ask with a smirk on my face.

'Not your business. Now go to sleep.' He says.

'But I don't want to go to sleep before I know everything, especially where my friends are.' I protest again.

'You really sound like that blonde dwarf, you know that? Well, I'm sure they'll be here soon to tell you everything about it. Now please sleep before you're giving me another headache, like that blonde dwarf, and simply because I said that you sound like him you don't have to be like him.'

I can't help another little smile, knowing he's right. We both keep protesting and interrupting each other past the point were even other dwarves had stopped because they were too tired from each other or they would've killed each other when they're in a bad mood, or simply not really liking each other.

'Yes, I know. Hearing all the trouble you've done for me, especially making me drink the most horrible thing ever while I've lived on the road or in bad environments for years, you probably wouldn't kill me in my sleep.'

'And if you wanted to you already would've.'

'Don't you think if I wanted I already would've done so?'

We say at exactly the same time.

'Right, I'm going to sleep.' I say, pushing the blankets over me (for the first time since two weeks without dying from the pain) and the elf gives me a little smile.

I close my eyes and dream about Grodri and Thorin, and that I hopefully would see them again.