Hello All! Sorry that this chapter was delayed, I've been in the process of moving and haven't had the time to write. Hopefully since things have settled down somewhat, I'll be able to update more frequently. Anyhoo…. Here's the next chapter!

Chapter 21-

Thorin continued to hold Margaret's hand as they ran down the hall. He looked behind and saw Fili close behind, followed by a handful of dwarves from the banquet room. Thorin let his mind wander as his feet automatically led him towards the mines. He could still feel Margaret's hand in his and he couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to hold her properly in his arms. He dared a glance in her direction and was surprised to see her eyes staring back at him as they ran. She flashed him a small smile before giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Margaret had been startled when Thorin had first grabbed her hand and begun to run with her towards the mine. Her body had automatically followed him for several seconds while her mind tried to digest what was happening. While her mind went through several logical scenarios, she chanced a glance in his direction and saw him looking at her. She had smiled and squeezed his hand; a large, rough hand that, while capable of great strength, was gently holding her hand. All too soon, they arrived at the site of the mine collapse.

Margaret gave an involuntary gasp as she saw the destruction that lay before her. Everywhere, there were miners, some alive, some dead; all the while they could hear the screams and cries of those imprisoned. Thorin let go of her hand as the rest of the party caught up with them and he began issuing orders. The miners all surrounded him and he was soon lost to her sight. She almost jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turning, saw Oin standing next to her surrounded by several dwarf women carrying baskets. Margaret nodded at Oin and gathered several of the women and led them to the cleanest corner of the room that housed the mine shaft entrance. Every once in a while, she let her gaze wander from her patients over to where the able bodied miners were working to clear an exit tunnel. She always found Thorin in the center of the action, either directing the workers or lending a hand to move a boulder or to shore up a wall. However, she was soon to busy helping Oin and attending to patients to even keep track of the workers.

Several hours later, Thorin sat down and wiped his forehead. The work was proceeding at a maddeningly slow pace; but he knew that the work needed to be done safely. As he stood, he swayed slightly and reached out to steady himself on the wall. He hissed as he felt sharp pain pass along the palm of his hand and looked down to see blood welling from a deep cut in his left hand. A sharp piece of iron protruded several inches from the broken wall. He sighed as he tore a clean piece of cloth off of his already dirty and torn shirt and wrapped it around the wound. Thorin glanced around to see if anyone else had seen his momentary weakness, then picked up his abandoned pick and headed back towards the shaft.

Half an hour later, there came an exultant shout from the miners when finally, a clear hole was made into the shaft. Thorin didn't hesitate for an instant before he grabbed a nearby lantern and headed into the hole. Inside the shaft, the air was thick with stone dust and broken pillars and rubble lay all over the floor. As he picked his way along, Thorin kept an eye out for any miners who might still be alive. The shouts of the trapped workers had faded over the last hour and he was worried that they all had perished. He turned around to head back to the rescue party when he felt something tug at his leg. Looking down, he saw a dirty hand clenched around his ankle. Thorin lowered the lantern and saw that the miner was lying face down in the dirt and he reached to turn him over on his back. The miner coughed and wheezed before slowly sitting up with Thorin's help.

"My Lord….." he stammered. "It happened so suddenly….. we were working at the southernmost end of the tunnel when there was a great explosion and the walls began caving in….." He broke down into a fit of coughing and Thorin had to pound his back before he was able to speak again. "After the explosion, there was a great cloud of something… it spread amongst us like fire, and some dropped dead then and there. Others, like me self, used our shirts to breathe through and made it this far before we found the tunnel was blocked…" His eyes began to flutter closed as he pushed out the last sentence. "Trie….. tried to save as many as I could…" The miners eyes slid closed and he went limp in Thorin's arms.

He put his hand on the miner's chest and was reassured by the steady heartbeat underneath. He knew he could not carry the miner and the lantern both, so he put the lantern on the ground and lifter the prone form onto his shoulders. He grunted as he shifted his load into a more comfortable position and headed down the passageway. Soon, the feeble lights of lanterns shone through the dust and he was soon outside the shaft, surrounded by the rescue party. Thorin could not stifle the sigh of relief that escaped his lips as the miner was taken from him. His body felt weak and his limbs had a leaden feel to them that seemed to have grown worse over the past several hours. Shaking his head and taking a drink of water from a proffered canteen, he led the way back down into the mine shaft.

Margaret sat down wearily on her bed and began to carefully unbraid her hair. She knew she should wash it before falling asleep, but she was too tired. All the night and into the early hours of the morning, she had been at the mine shaft, helping Oin with the miners. They had been able to save many, but her natural healers instincts had cried out in anguish at the sight of so many dead. If only they had been able to get there sooner…. Shaking her head, she broke that dangerous train of thought and went back to unbraiding her hair. She had not seen Thorin since they arrived at the mine, but she had talked to the miners and listened as they praised Thorin for rescuing them. He had even carried some of them out of the mines; or so they had said, she thought with a smile.

Standing, she removed her dress and slipped into her nightgown before pulling back the covers of her bed and crawling in. She had told Oin to wake her if he needed, but he had insisted that he would be able to cope with the few remaining miners until she returned. Sighing, she was about to fall asleep when there was a pounding on her door and she heard a Fili's familiar voice calling out:

"Margaret, Margaret! Come quick! Uncle Thorin is unconscious!"

Well, what can I say….. I love picking on poor Thorin! Reviews make me write faster!

Thorinsgirl900