Evie stood at attention, Dis' talismans safely tucked away in her pocket and her healer's bag in her hand. She could feel herself right on the edge of breaking, but she knew that she had to survive this just a little longer. Everyone else had proved to be so strong – Thorin and his companion in confinement, the miners, even Dis… Evie refused to be the first to buckle under the crippling weight of what she was feeling, and yet the loss she had experienced felt so very real… It had struck her to her core, and even the heady bliss of knowing her husband still lived could not quite shake off the sorrow still living in her soul. Perhaps when he was in her arms again, when she could touch him and see that he truly was alive…
That time was drawing closer, if it was to come at all. They had almost broken through the rubble – everyone was standing around a single dwarf, Nanir, who had become the quick leader of the group and was now to be the one with the enormous responsibility of making the final motions to free their king and their fellow. Nanir took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he double checked with the other side, ensuring they were ready and clear of where the rocks would inevitably go. Soon there was nothing left to do but act, and so the dwarf raised his pickaxe and sent it driving down, hard, into a crack in the barrier. There was a scuffling rumble, and a few of the rocks were dislodged, tumbling down to Nanir's feet. The noise was matched by a similar yet muffled sound which confirmed that the same had happened on the other side.
Evie's heart leapt up into her throat, strangling her. Her inability to breathe was insignificant to her overwhelming need to hear Thorin's voice again, to know that he had survived and that the specter had not been a vision of what was to come – what if it had been real, but simply too soon? Maybe this was the stone which felled him, this was that dreadful moment and the nightmare had only been a warning… Her cheeks paled and her legs nearly gave way beneath her as the seconds ticked on for what felt like hours.
"Clear."
Evie choked in a breath as if she had been drowning and the water had finally been removed from her sputtering lungs. One hand went instinctively to the curved wall of the tunnel and it became the only reason she still stood. The blonde was too overwhelmed by the situation to be embarrassed of her obvious signs of weakness – the other dwarves surely understood. Proof was that one came to her side, slowly, as if afraid. He stopped beside the queen, swallowing and offering his arm to her. His face was haggard, lines of worry drawn heavily under his eyes and across his forehead. He was growing in years, and even in the dim light Evie could see that his red beard was peppered with gray. Her eyes drifted down to his extended hand and she stared at it for a moment before reaching out to him, her fingers trembling, and grasping onto his forearm. He placed his other hand on top of hers, patting it gently in that kindly way of encouragement a person naturally affects when trying to comfort someone. The hobbit opened her mouth to say something – to thank him politely, to defend her own feebleness, to offer encouraging words… But there were none. None she had the power to give voice to, at least.
The red-bearded dwarf seemed to understand. They both turned back to the rocks, where Nanir was about to strike the wall again, and Evie's grip grew tighter on her companion's arm. His presence beside her made the healer feel a little less alone, at least, as if all Durin's Folk were standing with her, waiting just as she was for the answer to their fervent, desperate prayers for their beloved king.
Evie was all the more grateful for her new friend when the blockade came crashing down – Nanir had tried to pull the boulder before him forward with his axe so that the small avalanche would come towards him and the open passageway rather than the trapped dwarves, and he had been successful. Rocks plummeted down toward them with alarming speed, and Evie and the other dwarf stumbled backward to avoid their path. The other miners were pressed against the wall of the tunnel already, doing the same. A great cloud of dust filled the air, obscuring their sight and making it hard to avoid the onslaught of heavy stone. Evie's companion stood before her, shielding her from whatever came their way. She held her bag tight against her chest and tried to make herself flush against the wall while pulling the red-bearded dwarf to her side and out of harm's way. She did so just in time, and he narrowly missed a great boulder that skipped along past them and into the black open space of the tunnel – a gaping maw which devoured all that entered into darkness. The dwarf looked back at her, brown eyes large and blinking as the dust cleared, and her startled grey ones met them. There were no words – there didn't need to be. They both understood, innately, and were grateful to each other.
But all was not done. Evie staggered toward the origin of the small avalanche, her bare feet marred as she climbed over slippery, teetering rocks. She rushed forward with haste, fearless of the danger yet not of what news she was about to receive.
"Is everyone alright?!"
She called out, and there was a moment's silence before a small chorus of replies assured her that none of the miners had been injured.
Nanir was trapped under a frightfully large boulder, and despite Evie's overpowering need to find Thorin and prove her nightmare false, she could not leave him in such a state. The blonde fell beside him, calling out for help from the other miners. Evie set down her bag and began to push against the stone herself, knowing that it would need to be removed as quickly as possible if there was any hope of saving the unfortunate dwarf's life. She pushed as hard as she could, letting all of her fear and anger and sadness collapse into the desperate force of her effort. Another dwarf fell in beside her, also pushing. Evie could feel the weight of the rock lessen; her eyes shut tight as she focused everything she had left on pushing. The boulder grew lighter and lighter as other miners joined in, and after a short struggle it had rolled aside, leaving Nanir gasping and clutching his chest.
Evie looked breathlessly to the dwarf beside her, the first one to come to her aide, and let out a sob of relief which came out at once like an unstifled cry and remarkably dizzy laughter. It was Thorin.
.
Nanir was in poor condition, but Evie gave him a potion to calm his trembling body and another to bind his insides in case there was any bleeding unseen to the naked eye, which surely there was. Other dwarves arrived with a long, thick piece of wood bordered by metal handles, and the assembled group lifted the suffering dwarf and laid him on it. They carried him away, to be cared for by the team of dwarves Evie had trained in her healing arts. It would be a long recovery for Nanir, should he survive, but Evie was optimistic that he would. He was a kind, responsible soul, and she would do everything in her power to save him, the noble dwarf who had rescued her husband.
The other miner who had been trapped was named Gwanin, and she splinted his broken leg as best she could and cleaned up a few notable scrapes and cuts before they carried him off as well. Thorin seemed unhurt and refused any care, yet Evie could see the way he favored his left hand and recognized the pain in his exhausted blue eyes. He was walking well enough, and she had no doubt he was intent on demonstrating his strength now that he had been freed, so she said little as they made the long walk back to the exits of the tunnels.
It was a quiet journey, save the occasional miner shaking Thorin's hand and expressing their relief at his good health, then professing their loyalty and love for him. The king replied graciously, but paused the collective before they reached the end of their path.
"I want a team of miners to return to where we were and to continue forward through that tunnel. It will be dangerous and they must be exceedingly careful, but now we know the risks and the best way to proceed. I believe the rocks caved in because we are close to a large, hollowed out portion of the mountain. That is why that tunnel is so prone to collapse where it is, and why the others have not been so treacherous. I want to continue digging – any brave souls who are willing to help me can rally there tomorrow. I think there is a cavern close by, and if there is a cavern there may well be water."
His thinking made sense, and yet Evie had to focus on keeping her expression blank to avoid revealing her true reaction to her husband's plan. They would continue digging?! Even after this? Especially after this, part of her thought, these dwarves will defy the very mountain itself until they find what they want. She did not favor the fact any more for being true. Thorin was the most stubborn creature she had ever met in her life, and she could only blame herself for falling in love with him and choosing this moody, obstinate dwarf as her husband. Yet as she followed him through the end of the tunnels and into the soft light of the main mountain fortress, listening to the whispers of their assembled company as they discussed their king's new proposition with excitement and hope coloring their voices, she could not help but love him even more.
The king paused at the exit to the tunnels, where, just as Dis had told her, Evie saw a large collection of banners, pennants, runestones and little figures all assembled as if at an altar. Thorin knelt before them, picking up a particularly ornate needlepoint of his raven sigil and placing the cloth over his heart. He closed his eyes, remaining there for a moment before standing and continuing on with a growing assembly of dwarves at his back. He turned and spoke to them, briefly, thanking them for their service to him and their unfailing courage, and mourning the loss of Pithnir, the third dwarf who had been trapped with himself and Gwanin and who had been killed by a blow from one of the falling rocks when they had first been imprisoned by the stone of the tunnel. He expressed his gratitude for those miners who worked so tirelessly to excavate them, and his hopes for Gwanin and for Nanir, who were both being tended to. He also thanked Evie, giving her a jolt to her senses as his hand wrapped around hers and he spoke of her actions in the tunnels, including how she no doubt had saved brave Nanir's life.
When he had finished his speech, he sent a messenger to bring news to Belinir and the council that he still lived (although they may have heard even by now), and that he would meet with them as soon as he had washed up. The reply came even before Evie and Thorin had made it to their private rooms, owing no doubt to the slow pace of the king as he took each painful step forward and up the stairs to their quarters, his drained, weakened body betraying him. Belinir was sharing the king's messages with their people (one of his dwarves had heard all Thorin had said in the main hall before quitting his group of followers), and insisted that the king get some rest before meeting with his council. All else could wait – they would see him tomorrow.
Thorin and Evie were both impressed by Belinir's thoughtfulness – he had indeed handled the awful situation exceedingly well and it was unlike him to be so considerate. Perhaps in his declining health and old age he had grown soft at last; whatever the reason, Evie did not question it as she called for bath water and sat Thorin down in his favorite, most comfortable chair. She felt as though she was being directed by someone other than herself, that she was going through the motions of everything she knew she needed to do without truly thinking any of it through. In an instant someone arrived with a warm bowl of water (questionably unsafe for drinking therefore designated as bathwater as per the new standards set throughout Ered Luin during the drought), and Evie took it to Thorin's side and knelt before him on a footstool. She pulled off his boots and began to remove some of his clothing, peeling away his linen shirt which had become brittle with sweat and dirt. When she pulled it over his head he hissed, confirming for her that his arm was indeed injured. She would clean him up first and then tend to it – the bone no doubt needed splinting as well. She hoped it wasn't too bad, although it might prevent him from his preposterous idea of going back down into the mines to continue digging… Let others continue the work he had begun. Surely no one would fault him for having done with the mines after being trapped for nearly three days behind rock and earth and nearly losing his life in the process.
Evie was dragging the damp cloth across his skin, washing off dust and dirt and occasionally blood with her eyes glazed over as if she was not really there at all. She was so tired, she had felt so much in such a small amount of time, her body felt broken, and her mind definitely so. Unable to access that cheery, thoughtful part of herself, she simply performed the actions she knew she should and continued taking breath after breath. Thorin was alive, he was here, and he needed her. That was all that mattered. And then, once he was safely asleep and losing the creases decorating his gaunt countenance, she could finally rest as well. She was working on his shoulder, wishing distantly that they had enough water to spare for a true bath (she had nearly forgotten what bathing was like it had been so long), when Thorin's fingers tilted her face up to look at him. Their gazes met, the utter exhaustion each felt reflecting equally in the other's tired, glassy eyes.
"Evie…"
He croaked, her name dry in his throat. Yet there was abject tenderness captured there, and where there had been only empty fatigue a moment before, her entire spectrum of emotions returned in a debilitating wave. One word was all it took from him – she fell into his embrace, tears streaming unbidden down her dusty cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.
"Oh, Thorin…"
She sobbed, and the feeling of his arms around her, holding her close again, in just that way which fit their bodies together so perfectly and made everything seem right in the world, made her lose whatever last shred of queenly dignity she had left.
"Please don't ever leave me again."
She whispered desperately into his hair, which nearly made her cough it was so dusty. He stroked hers, the fingers of his good hand (thankfully, his right one) weaving through the tangled knots of her long blonde hair, which had fallen out of its braid long ago.
"You know I cannot promise such things," he told her, kissing her temple and breathing softly against her cheek. The sensation made her shiver.
"But I can promise that I will fight for you – I will always fight for you and for our people."
As terrifying as it was reassuring, Evangeline accepted his pledge, knowing even then what it would mean some day, and what it had always meant. She was a hobbit of the Shire, and yet she had chosen to marry this incredible, stubborn, stalwart dwarven king and had in that moment sworn her life away for the sake of Durin's Folk. She had known it then as she knew it now… Both their lives were forfeit – a tribute to the success and perseverance of Durin's Folk and destined for that reason and that reason only. Today's nightmare was indeed only a foreshadowing of what was to come… For be it today or tomorrow, Thorin would surely give his life for his people, and, inadvertently, for her. The thought crippled her, but there was nothing she could do. It was the truth – and a truth she had always known, ever since she had first heard him say the name 'Erebor.'
Evie closed her eyes and remained in the supreme comfort of her husband's arms a moment longer, reminding herself not for the first time and certainly not for the last that any moment could be their final one together. Every second she spent at his side was a tiny blessing, and she must not take a single one for granted.
.
.
.
.
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Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long delay in getting this to you! I have been very busy lately with the holidays, and sorting out all my feelings from the newest film! I can't believe the film series is over… And that I've been working on this story since the first Hobbit film premiered. But while the films may be over, Evie and Thorin have quite a road ahead of them. And I hope to continue journeying forward with these characters – but perhaps at a bit of a faster pace! Much love to all of you – I hope you had a fantastic holiday season! I am looking forward to sharing more writing with you in 2015! Xoxo!
