Chapter 9: The Fourth Encounter Part IV

The sound of Asha's frantic voice caused Fili to pry his eyes away from the struggling Thyra, and look to the scarlet haired guild leader. Asha looked nearly hysterical as she continued to repeat the same line over and over in Régan.

At first Fili assumed Asha was telling the girl to give up but that assumption was quickly rectified as a strangled protest sounded from Sigurd's throat.

Fili looked to his right and saw Sigurd gapping as her head turned back and forth between Thyra and Asha. Over her head he saw his brother doing the same, but his eyes had a lot more worry held within his soft brown irises as he looked at the distressed maiden.

Kili had been so enthralled with the fight, Asha's first shouts had fallen upon deaf ears. But the moment Sigurd let out a whimper, he instantly turned to her. Sigurd's face was ashen as she gapped soundlessly at Asha in disbelief. He put a hand atop of hers which was gripping the fence post.

"Sigurd, what's wrong?" he asked quickly.

Sigurd's blue eyes blinked then looked up at him.

"Asha told her not to lose!"

Kili instantly knew what that meant but it seemed Fili did not quite process the gravity of that command.

"Thyra will be breaking her oath if she loses," Kili explained.

When Fili did not look as stricken as he should, Sigurd looked at him with worry filled eyes.

"Do you not remember! If she breaks her oath, Thyra must give up her life. It's part of the life debt! This is no longer a matter of if the Guild helps. Thyra's life depends on this match!"

Kili gave her hand a small squeeze of assurance which drew her attention back to the taller brother.

"Then she will win," Kili reassured her. "If she is anything like you say...she will win...she will live."

As her eyes began to flood with unshed tears, he felt his heart pound against his chest as he felt her own hand shift to grasp onto his own more tightly. She gave him a weak smile and nod before looking out across the area where Thyra's struggle was becoming a losing battle. Sigurd kept her hand tightly clasped with his as she watched on.

The reality of Thyra's situation did not dawn on Fili fully until Sigurd stated it plainly. The moment she looked back to his brother, Fili let his eyes move to the girl being crushed by the large dwarf on top of her.

It was obvious the lack of air was already taking its toll on Thyra as her thought process seemed to not be functioning. Her movements where no longer calculated but frantic and automatic in attempt of survival

Asha called her name once more, this time more loudly, and the familiarity of it seemed to bring a small glimmer of registration within the girl.

Thyra's head flopped to the side and angled awkwardly so that her eyes could look in the direction of Asha's voice. Fili caught a glimpse as her unfocused eyes ran across him as they struggled to process what they were seeing. There was a dimness to them that he caught just before they moved on to finally find Asha.

The moment she found the source calling her name, Thyra stared blankly at Asha as the older woman shouted at her. Her voice going beyond desperation and turning to anger as her tone went from pleading to commanding.

Thyra's eyelids were barely lifted, leaving only half her cloudy iris visible. But as Asha continued to repeat herself, Fili saw something. Her lids lifted just slightly as if her mind seemed to slowly process what was being demanded of her.

Like fog being burned off from the rising sun, the dullness began to be erased from her eyes as their usual dark luster began to return. Slowly they moved to focus on something else, just slightly to the right of Asha and Fili could have sworn he saw something that could be a kin to apology flash in her eyes. But it was gone with a blink as she looked back to Asha.

Thyra's head slowly moved in the slightest of nods. This small gesture seemed to be enough to at least give Asha some ease as her shouts became less and less. For a moment, Fili saw no comfort in this. She was still pinned down and it would be impossible for her to free herself. Already her muscles would be starved for oxygen and weak from fighting against the heavy weight piled on top of her.

But then it happened.

Thyra closed her eyes fully and for a moment she went utterly still. Fili, as well as several others were beginning to question if Dwalin had rendered her unconscious, but before anyone could voice this, her eyes snapped open. Pools of wet tar, shining and brilliant stared out. Like a spark, jumping from a fire onto a field of dry grass in the middle of a long drought, it was an eruption of flame.

Her eyes burned wildly as she suddenly began to push up against the force of Dwalin's heavy body. She lifted her hips just barely enough to free one arm. With lightning speed her hand shot out to Dwalin's that pressed down on her throat.

She grasped firmly around his wrist and slowly but steadily, began to lift his hand up and away from her neck. As his arm moved, so did the rest of his body as he was forced backwards enough that she was able to curl up from the ground.

Dwalin's eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

Taking advantage of this, Thyra wriggled he second arm free and she grabbed at his other arm before he could grab hold of her neck again.

Blood stained teeth clenched as Thyra let out a slow grunt as she pushed with unfathomable strength, her eyes blinked widely as the steady trickle of blood from her forehead began to pour down her face again and blurred her vision. She let out one loud, anguished cry of force and to everyone's shock, shoved Dwalin enough that he fell back so that only her lower legs were pinned.

Kicking frantically, Thyra freed her legs out from under him and quickly rolled away, putting several feet between them. When she distanced herself enough, she fell into a low crouch as her breath came in and out in strained lungfulls. Her arm wiped at the blood that had still yet to clot.

Fili could see the agitation written on her face by the distraction of her sight being impaired. Suddenly she let out an annoyed growl and plunged her hand into the loose ground beneath her. With a fist full of dusty dirt, she brought her hand up to the wound and swiped it across the cut.

Fili heard Sigurd hiss and cringe from the action but the immediate results left him impressed.

Already the bleeding had stopped flooding her eyes as the dirt absorbed the blood and created a temporary scab to stop the flow. Her dark eyes remained pinned on Dwalin as she watched his every move. It was obvious by the expression on his face that Dwalin had thought he had won. Now he stared gapping in disbelief.

Every second it took for Dwalin to recover from the shock of her sudden escape Thyra took advantage in regaining her breath.

Suddenly Dwalin moved and Thyra jolted into action, but her movements were still slightly sluggish when compared to her swiftness at the beginning of the fight. Before she could move to try and roll away, Dwalin grabbed her by the arm and leg and tossed her in the air. She flew several feet until she collided with the fence. A large dust cloud rose around her as she landed and covered her with another layer of dirt.

After a moment, she began to move her legs and pull herself up, using the fence to support her.

"I suggest you stay down girl if you know what's best for you," growled Dwalin as he walked up to her.

She glared at him and pulled herself the rest of the way up. Her chest heaved as she stood, slightly bent over as she held a hand to her side.

Fili wondered if she had a cracked or possibly broken rib. He could already see a large purple bruise forming beneath the layer of caked dirt and mud in the middle of her forehead. There was no telling what her skin looked like beneath her tunic after the beating she had already recieved.

As Dwalin approached her, he wrapped a hand around her throat and lifted her into the air.

Thyra grabbed at his hand but gave up quickly. Instead she changed tactics and pulled her legs up and sent a kick into his throat.

Dwalin immediately dropped Thyra as his hands went to his throat and he bent over into a coughing fit. Again Thyra twisted around to his back and kicked forcefully down on to the back of his knee. His leg gave out and he was quickly brought down to both knees when she struck another swift blow to the other.

While he was still kneeling, Thyra jumped onto his back again, this time wrapping her legs around his torso and locking her feet together. Dwalin let out a choked roar as he tried to throw her off again. He stood and using the same force as last time, he bent forward in an attempt to throw her off. But the result was not the same. With her legs now clamped around his torso she stayed firmly latched on.

His breath became ragged as she wrapped her arms tighter. Dwalin face was bright red. He slowly walked to the large training posts nearby, turned his back to the post and threw himself back. Thyra's back rammed into the post. She let out a grunt of pain but gritted her teeth as she kept her hold. Dwalin repeated the movement, this time with less force as he struggled to breath.

Fili's eyes grew wide with shock as he watched Dwalin's face turn from red to purple. His efforts to break Thyra's grip grew weaker and weaker until he fell to his knees. Dwalin gripped her arms but his muscles were weak from lack of oxygen. Thyra's teeth gritted with effort and strain as Dwalin's ragged breath struggled to fill his lungs.

There was something consuming about her. Her eyes were sharp and every muscles within her constricted and flexed. Fili had never seen such raw power. It was something written in fairy tales and myths. Like a mouse defeating a bear.

Dwalin attempted to ram himself back again but his legs collapsed beneath him. He fell forward, one hand outstretched to catch himself while the other strained to pull at Thyra's arm locked around his neck. Her grip only seemed to get tighter and not long after, his breath was no longer ragged as the airway was completely cut off.

Bloody drool stringed from his mouth and pooled on the dusty ground. It formed into a muddy maroon puddle as he slowly folded forward. His blue face hit first then the rest of the body as he collapsed into a pile of jerky movements and muscle spasms.

Thorin stared at the scene before him.

They were going to lose. His chance for an army was about to be swept out from under his feet. What seemed like moments ago, he was about to have an army marching with him to Erebor.

Now, it looked as if he would leave the Guild with one less dwarf than when he came. He caught Dwalin's eye and he could see the look of determination but it was obvious it was a lost cause.

He knew Dwalin would not give up and that knowledge gave him appreciation for his dedication. But he would not let his friend suffer anymore.

To his left Asha was frozen. He did not know what had caused her sudden episode of frantic calling but whatever she had said, it had turned the tables of this match.

He had seen the look Thyra had given him. It had been sadness.

Combined with the conversation he had with her earlier that morning, he knew that it was an apology. It was in that moment, he knew they had lost. It was also in that moment, he found out the reason why Asha had chosen Thyra.

Slowly, he reached out and grasped the hanging rope attached to the bell. He hesitated but after one last look at Dwalin's indigo face, he gave it a pull.

The sound that rang out as the clapper hit against the strike point was disturbing. It felt as if he were ringing his own death knell but the light angelic sound that echoed across the arena did not match the somber ambiance.

The instant the bell rang, Thyra froze. Her eyes flashed up to where the bell hung, the faint look of hope in her eyes dimming when she saw that it was Thorin's hand holding the pull rope. Her eyes trailed again to meet Thorin's gaze. The remorse in her eyes touched him and he returned it with his own look of understanding. She nodded a fraction then released her hold on Dwalin, who gave out a deep gasp as his lungs filled with fresh air.

Thorin caught shifting in his peripheral and turned to see Asha looking up at him. Within her face he saw a twisted mixture of conflicted emotions. He noticed that she was keeping her hand firmly on the fence to steady herself as she faced him. Asha took in a deep breath and raised her eyes. The moment her hazel eyes connected with his blue, a veil fell across her face as it became free of any signs of her inner turmoil.

"You can stay as long as you want," she said. "Food and provisions will be provided when you are ready to go on your way."

She turned and began walking away but was stopped when a firm hand wrapped around her forearm. Asha crushed her eyes shut as she took in a breath but she refused to turn around.

"Asha…" Thorin began.

"I have things to do," she said curtly. "So unless you are going to say goodbye...please...let go of my arm."

Her last words were barely audible but Thorin caught them. His hand protested to relinquish its grasp on her silky skin but he mentally sent the command down to his arm and was grateful when his hand obeyed just enough for Asha to slip from his grip. He watched her retreating back disappear swiftly into the crowd that had begun to disperse. The crowd excitedly buzzed with the aftermath of the entertainment they had just witnessed. The occasional distinct jangle of coins being exchanged as gamblers collected their winnings mixed with their excitement. But it was all just muffled noise in his ears as Thorin stood numbly.

Kíli stood staring in shock after what he had just witnessed. He had heard the bell ring but he had not been able to move his eyes away from the pair of fighting dwarves.

After the bell had sounded, Thyra did not delay in toppling off of Dwalin where she laid sprawled out on the ground breathing heavily. Dwalin had only moved enough to lie on his back as his chest heaved in and out with lungfuls of life sustaining air.

He felt a slight pull on his arm and finally looked away from the pair to see that Sigurd was still clutching his hand as she moved to climb under the fence to enter the arena. Under any other circumstances, Kíli would relish the feeling of her hand in his, but at the moment, he could not feel anything. His hand was numb from all feeling and he could see the tips of his fingers ashen from the lack of blood that Sigurd had pinched off in anticipation of the fight.

When their arms went taught, Sigurd looked up at him and quickly let go as if she too just realized they were still holding hands. A delicate blush colored her face and she abruptly let go as she ducked her head and ran off towards the two prone figures laid out in the fighting ring.

"Come on," Fíli said as he nudged his brother from his wanton staring of the girl. "She will need some help getting those two to the infirmary."

Thyra let out a hiss and turned her head away as Sigurd dabbed a wet cloth at the wound on her forehead. Sigurd responded with a small huff and grabbed Thyra's chin to force her to face back as she clucked her tongue.

"That was stupid of you," Sigurd said bluntly. "Did you not think about the infection that you could get from rubbing dirt in your wound! Honestly, you do understand the phrase rub some dirt in it is only an expression. It's not meant to be taken so literally. Apparently we need to work on your Westron more because it…."

Kili watched Sigurd treat Thyra from a small distance as he and Fili assisted Oin in helping Dwalin with his wounds. They were sitting in the infirmary and listening to Sigurd lecture Thyra while she sat silently and listened. Or at least pretended to listen.

Kili was not sure how Thyra had managed to muster the energy to finish the fight, but from whatever inner storage she had withdrawn it from, it seemed she had completely drained that source and more.

At the moment, the girl looked as if she would fall asleep sitting up.

When they had first arrived to their sides, both Thyra and Dwalin where sprawled out on the ground. Dwalin was wheezing as his body lay limp from exercertion and while Thyra was breathing heavily and sprawled out as well, hers was a different breathing. It was not one that was rigid or strained as Dwalin was, but instead it was rapid and rushed as if trying to keep up with the adrenaline that coursed through her body. Her dark irises had been consumed by her pupils as she took in each breath. She had easily stood on her own, shoving any help offered to her with unfathomably strong motions where as Dwalin had to be practically dragged all the way to the infirmary tent. It was not until nearly half an hour later that Kili noticed the dissipating energy that was quickly leaving Thyra's body.

Now her shoulders slumped and her eyelids fought desperately to stay only halfway lidded. Given by the vacant expression that was written in her face and eyes, Kili was certain she was not listening to a single word of Sigurd's lecture. He was not sure she even had the ability to even if she wanted.

It was this thought that had caused him to look admiringly at Sigurd. She was a completely different person when she was around Thyra and had forgotten that others were present. But while he noticed that Thyra seemed to bring out a less shy version of the dark haired beauty, he was certain that it was not Thyra that was putting Sigurd at ease, it was here work.

He had noticed it yesterday as well when she had been tending to the sick dwarf that had been released that morning when his fever had broken. She was good at what she did and it was as if her work erased away her usual uneasiness that she carried around her.

Kili had noticed since the beginning that she was shy but it seemed to be more than just shyness. It was an extreme case of insecurity that caused her anxiety. Kili could relate, he had felt that all too well as a child but when comparing to Sigurd, his was a mild case.

As he watched her have a one sided conversation as Thyra ignored her, Kili could not help but want her to be that way with him. He had noticed she was slightly more open around him but she was still often shy and quiet around him. Certainly more relaxed than others but still reserved.

"...I can't believe her," muttered Sigurd as she continued to speak. "She should not have done that. She should not have asked you to do that."

"I swore debt," came Thyra's monotonous tone. "Do not blame her."

From the corner of his eye Kili noticed Thorin's attention become drawn to the two girls. His eyes narrowed as a deep frown developed upon his face.

Suddenly, Thoroin stood.

His actions bringing pause to all activity and drawing attention to himself. Without a word, he abruptly walked purposefully out of the tent, his right hand in his pocket as it habitually handled the contents within.

Thorin slipped into the tent of his destination and immediately noticed Asha sitting at her desk. Of all the times he wished for even just a glimpse of her in the past years, he could not savor the opportunity as it presented itself. Asha had still yet to notice his presence but there were concerns that Thorin could not wait to address for his selfish desires and the Asha he wanted to look at, was not the one before him at the moment.

"I may not be completely familiar with the Régínn as you, but everyone knows the value of their word. A promise from a Réginn is as valuable as any gold or silver and their life debts...they are beyond the value of the rarest gems," Thorin said casually, but then added in a more somber tone, "I know of the life debt that Thyra swore to you. I am disappointed. I never thought you would ever stoop so low as to put that girls life in jeopardy. If you truly did not want to help, why offer a wager?"

Asha's head finally rose to look at him. Her eyes full of conflicting guilt.

"People change," was her answer as she looked back down to the documents she was writing on. "The woman that you knew died long ago."

She was so focused on ignoring Thorin's suffocating aura that she failed to notice he had come closer. That is until she heard something hard tap against the top of the table. She looked up to see Thorin's hand covering something beneath, from what she could tell, it was a piece of torn parchment. With confused eyes she looked up at him.

"There is nothing wrong with changing," Thorin said softly. "We are all born with flaws that will cause us many regrets. Me more than any. But our younger selves still held good qualities. I was a fool and let myself be poisoned by hatred. But with time I found an antidote." He paused for a moment of thought. "Unfortunately the damage had already been done. So I made it my vow to become a better man, a man worthy of someone he could never have. It is unfortunate that woman I saw today was not even a fraction of the girl I knew."

Asha looked up at him. Her eyes a stormy mix of conflicted emotions. It settled on a hardened look as her brows drew together.

"Why do you care?"

A long pause passed between them as Thorin's eyes darted back and forth as he tried to understand her. Finally he let out a sigh and looked down at the table. He tapped a finger to the piece of paper beneath his hand thoughtfully.

"It is obvious that you think it impossible for us to ever mend things between us. And maybe you are right," he said quietly before looking back up at her. "But for what it is worth, in regards to your comment last night. I have only ever wagered on those things that are truly of any worth to me in this world."

He leaned forward slightly.

"A young water nymph once taught me how hope makes our wants possible. I don't know what your hopes are anymore. But the girl you once were, always knew what to hope for. I am afraid the harsh world we were forced to grow up in took that away from you."

He slid the piece of paper to the middle of the table.

"Perhaps a reminder of what that hope once looked like will give you some peace. Forgiveness seems unimaginable and it is something I do not deserve. But the girl who once harvested hope deserves resurrection." He paused for a moment before adding. "She is something this world needs."

With that he lifted his hand from the table and turned around to exit the tent.

Asha stared down at what had been hidden beneath his palm and what had been the cause of the heavy tap on the table. Sitting upon a folded letter with a broken seal, embossed with a familiar imprint, lay a small irregular river stone.

It had once been rough on its surface but years of constant handling had smoothed and shined its exterior. For anyone else it would look like any other stone but this one was all too familiar to Asha.

As it should be since she was the one who had found it along a lakeside and placed it on a bench to be found by Thorin.

"You kept it?" she said just barely audible for Thorin to hear. "After all these years?"

Thorin paused at the entrance but did not turn around. "They were the only treasures I took with me when fleeing Erebor. They were the only things of worth to me."

Asha's wide eyes flashed up to the tent's opening but Thorin was already gone. She looked down at the worn letter and gently unfolded it.

The paper was worn thin and torn in the places it had been folded and unfolded countless times. It was barely held together in one piece by the small fibers that still remained intact to keep it from becoming three separate pieces where it had been folded into thirds.

The ink of the scrawled writing was also worn and faded. Water prints had caused some spots to bloch, leaving some words hardly even legible. But having been the one who had composed the letter, Asha had no trouble making out every words meaning.

As her hazel eyes ran over the final sentence, a single salty drop fell from her eyes, then another. Each of them adding another blotchy spot to join the many other spots that had been caused by another person's many tears over countless years.

Thorin's return to the infirmary was just as quick as his departure. He could have sworn he had spent much longer speaking with Asha but given the small changes to the environment from when he left, he could not have been gone for as long as he had thought.

Dwalin's wounds had just been fully attended to and the large dwarf was heavily wrapped and covered in healing balm. The smell of witch hazel was pungent within the confines of the canvas walls but it did not bother Thorin.

What bothered him were the dark bruises that had formed beneath Dwalin's eyes from his broken nose that was now swelling. Along the column of his neck, Thyra had done well to leave her marks. Purple, blue, and black blotches blossomed around his neck and with each swallow, a pained expression came to Dwalin's face.

He moved his eyes to Thyra who was still being tended to by Sigurd. For such a short amount of time that he had been gone, he was taken aback by the progression of her weariness.

She looked as if she were asleep sitting up and it was the only occasional half lift of her eyelids that indicated she was still fighting pull into slumber. With each lowering of her eyelashes, the delay in their reopening was longer than that last.

A deep purple bruise was displayed across her forehead. With the cut now clean, Sigurd spread a thin layer of healing ointment across the wound. He winced at the matching bruises she had displayed along her own neck. However, seeing them on her was even worse than the sight of Dwalin. Despite the raw power he had seen her manifest less than a few hours ago, at this moment, Thyra looked frail.

That is until Balin posed a question that caused her dark eyes to open fully as she became intune with the conversation about to proceed.

"Thorin what now?" came Balin's inquiry.

Thorin shook his head as he slumped forward and ran his hands over his tired face.

"We will depart in the morning," he announced. "There is no use delaying our journey. Therefore no point in us remaining longer than necessary."

A silent pause occurred before it was broken. This time it was Kili who spoke up.

"Who will we seek out now?"

"There is no one else," Thorin sighed. "The Guild, while not an original idea, was our last resort. From now on, we take this quest with no plans of receiving aid. There is no point in dabling in false hope."

Knowing his words were not ones of a leader who had confidence in his followers. Thorin took in a breath and lifted his head to look at each of his members individually.

"But it is of no concern, we do not need help," he said strongly. "I know that we will be successful in our quest. We will retrieve the arkenstone because of our trusty burglar. Isn't that right Mr. Baggins?"

Thorin looked at the small hobbit who looked nervous under the dwarfs scrutiny. But he swallowed deeply and nodded his head confidently. Thorin gave a small smile of satisfaction.

"Then it is settled," he said as he looked around at his company. "We do not need anyone's help."

While not members, Thorin's eyes eventually fell upon the two girls present.

Sigurd was actively trying to feign her ignorance of the conversation as she tried to look as though she were deafly tending to Thyra's injuries. Her attention set on Thyra's torso as she felt along her ribs and assessed the damage of Dwalin's kicks.

Thyra on the other hand was unabashedly looking at him, fully intune with the conversation being held between himself and his men. He saw her wince slightly as Sigurd proded a sensitive area on her side. But it was but a brief moment before a look came over her face and Thorin knew, she saw past the lie he had just fed his men.

Thyra stood. Her legs wobbled beneath her but after swaying a few moments she had regained her balance.

With slow steps and a disregard for Sigurd's raised protests, she swiftly walked out of the tent with only a single phrase in Régan to Sigurd's numerous questions that left the latter girl with a perplexed expression.

Thyra returned to the tent an hour later and looking as if she were a dead corpse walking. Her movements were beyond sluggish as her feet failed to lift fully in a shuffle towards the back of the tent.

Sigurd immediately began interrogating her and moved to take up where she left off in her healing. But her words fell upon deaf ears and her hands where nudged away as Thyra walked past her and collapsed face down onto her cot. The last of her energy was spent on pulling a blanket halfway up her legs before she passed out from exhaustion, her consciousness diving into a void far deeper than sleep.

Sigurd let out a discouraged sigh but it seemed her concern for Thyra's welfare was not enough to tempt her to try and rouse. Instead she went about cleaning up the bloody and dirty mess that had been left behind from tending to the two competitors.

The rest of the company who had paused in their dealings of packing and preparing for their departure in the morning, went back to their own menial tasks. But they did not get far into their duties when another disruption came in the form of Asha.

Her hazel eyes swept the room, landing on Thyra sleeping for a moment, then finally settling on Thorin. Her heart beat a little faster but she kept her composure indifferent.

"We will be out of your hair tomorrow morning," Thorin said.

Asha shook her head, causing a look of confusion to overcome the dark haired man.

"Make it at least the day after. We have things to discuss if I am to help you."

Thorin's confused expression deepened into a perplexed gaze.

"I am sorry but I thought that…"

"Are you saying you do not want my help?"

"No," Thorin quickly protested. "We do. I just…"

He drifted off when Asha lifted a brow and he knew it would be best to only stay quiet.

"It's late. We will discuss the details in the morning," she said with her arms crossed. "Until then goodnight."

She swiftly turned and walked out of the tent, leaving a stunned room. Even Sigurd looked taken aback by the announcement. All eyes stared at the flap that Asha had just walked out of. All except the slumbering Régínn who was now sprawled out on her back with one foot hanging off the cot as she continued to sleep on, unaware of what had just taken place.

Thorin suddenly bolted from the tent and scanned the area to see Asha only a few tents away.

"Asha," he called taking several quickened steps to close the gap between them.

When she stopped and turned, Thorin looked straight into her eyes as he breathed deeply, unsure of what to say. With a quick conclusion, he decided to express the only words he could form in his disbelief.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

"Do not thank me," she said quietly. "Thank Thyra."

Thorin tilted his head as his brows pulled together.

"Thyra?" he asked, not understanding her answer.

Asha nodded.

"I have never heard that girl request anything from anyone. Not even after recovering when I first found her and she had not drunk for three days did she even ask for a drop of water. But today she did, and after what I had done, how could I have denied such a selfless request."

She said no more and turned to return to her own quarters, grateful that Thorin did not ask for more or follow. She was weary and drained. Her answer had been honest.

Thyra did technically ask her, or in better terms demanded her to help. What she had not told him was that Thyra's request did not change her mind but only instilled it. The moment she had finished reading her letter Asha had changed her own mind. She just hoped she would not regret this decision.

. . . . . . . . . . . .