ThorinPOV

We gazed at our lost home in the distance. From here it was just a small stone beyond green woods. The eagles circled and left soon after. They were truly beautiful creatures. Large, magnificent, and other worldly.

There was a cry of a bird in the distance when I turned I saw yet another eagle behind us. It was a small, darker feathered eagle that flew to the rock. The great bird deposited its load gently to the ground. Caldeon was placed on the ground, she was still in the same condition as I last saw her which didn't assure me.

I felt pity and even physical hurt to see this child in so much pain. I walked and scooped her into my arms. She grunted slightly and was stirred from her unconsciousness, her eyes creaked open and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Thorin." said Dwalin,"You should let one of us carry her, you are still injured."

"I'm fine." I said," We should take advantage of the sun and get as much distance between us and the orcs." Gandalf strode to the stairs craved into the stone and I followed suit.

I looked at Caldeon. Her face was covered in grime, sweat, and dried tears. It was a mask of concentration. Her breathing was erratic and she was shaking. If the circumstances were different she would have just been an exhausted child in my arms. But the truth is that she was just tortured and she was in pain.

Though she has been a pain in my ass, I couldn't help feeling affectionate to her. In so many ways she looked and acted familiar, but who I couldn't place. So I continued down the stone path.

CaldeonPOVDREAM

The plains of my home were before me. Dry, golden,tall grasses were illuminated by the early summer sun. I ran my hands through the grasses, it felt like smooth cloth.

I sensed a smile spread across my face and a laugh escaped my mouth and I ran. I whooped and yelled and tumbled through the field. I just collapsed on my back and stared at the sun, only then did I realized the white gown I wore.

I stood back up looked at the world around me. I spotted a figure on the horizon. "Hello." I called out. I walked closer and realized the person was male and his back was to me. He had long hair that was the color of the grass around us. He looked around the age of eighteen. Even from behind he looked familiar.

Then it hit me,"Regardo."I said hesitantly, he didn't turn."Regardo." I said again starting to get optimistic."Regardo!" I finally yelled happily, I ran to him. I held his shoulder and turned him around. His face had a hooked nose like me and he had grey eyes like me, but they were blank.

I hugged him and buried my face into his shoulder. He didn't put his arms around me and he stayed still. Until a moment later when he pushed me away."Regardo." I said confused. His eyes were cold and his lips were twisted into a mocking grin. He closed the distance between us and grabbed me by the shoulders. Then he shook me, hard. He pushed me to the ground.

I opened my eyes and suddenly I was in my old room. I laid on an intercut rug above oak floors. The man above me was my father. Fear tightened my crest,"Please." I begged,"Please."

"No child of mine begs." he said spitting out the last word. He brought his foot back then down onto my ribs. A shout came from my throat. I closed my eyes and curled into a ball.

My eyes flew open when hands grabbed at me. Goblins surrounded me, their eyes were dark and lustful. "Whore. Whore. Whore." they chanted. They tore at my clothes and groped my chest through the thin fabric of my underclothes. I screamed and yelled as the fabric was torn away and I had to cover my modesty with my arms. I started to cry as fear encircled me.

"Please. Please." I said. They only laughed as they pulled at my arms. A moment later all the hands and laughs disappeared, but I continued to cry. I shivered, something soft and warm was placed over me and I clung to it like a life line. A gentle hand stroked my hair, at first I was afraid and flinched, but some soothing force calmed me down. The kind person collected me in their arms. I rested my head against his solid chest and cried.

"It's ok. You're safe now." he said. I looked up suddenly to see Thorin. I was in the arms of Thorin Oakenshield. His raven locks fell over his shoulders in soft waves and intercut braids, the way I would imagine him if we weren't on the road. His eyes were soft oceans blues, not the shards of ice that I was used to. "They won't come back to hurt you. And if they do I'll be here." he said."I will be here and there to take care of you." I felt comforted by his words and the warmth in his eyes. I let myself lean into him and listened to his heart beat. "It's ok now. It's over. Wake up."

BalinPOV

We couldn't have entered Beorn at a better time. Caldeon started to wake. Her breath came in gasps like she was sobbing. Thorin laid her down on a pile of straw while Oin and I prepared to care for her leg.

I tried to focus on my work but Caldeon's whimpering distracted me. She woke up with a gasp and a small yelp. Fili and Kili came forward to help but Thorin shooed them away."Give her some space, laddies." I said. Thorin pulled her head into his lap and calmed her down.

"We're going to treat your wounds ok." Thorin said."I'm sorry, but we are going to have to hold you down." She nodded.

"B-before you do my leg, could you check my," Caldeon took a breath,"Could you check my ribs."

Oin being the more skilled physician went next to her and put his hearing trumpet to her chest. He pressed his hand to her chest. She had an intake of breath at the sudden pressure."They're just bruised, it's gonna hurt but it could be worse."

I made eye contact with Gloin and Dwalin and nodded. They knew what to do, they went to either side of Caldeon and placed and hand on her ankles and the other above her knee. I untied the tourniquet as gently as I could.

The wound was just a mess. The first cut caused by the goblin blade was deep and wide, lazily dripping blood, and though the whip marks were shallower it made the injury look more inflamed. The area around it was swollen and red and just looked like it was radiating heat and pain.

I had to look away to focus on what was needed to be done. I looked to Fili and Kili, who looked eager to help, and told them to be her comfort.

Oin crushed some herbs and such in a mortar and pestle and added water the thin it out. I found a strip of leather and placed it between Caldeon's teeth. She closed her eyes and clung onto Thorin's shirt.

"Could you please?" said Oin to me holding the mixture of herbs. He took a globule of the stuff and rubbed it into Caldeon's wound. She yelled behind the leather and she tried to get her legs away from the thing of pain. By the end she had several new tear streaks and the leather had teeth marks. Oin took some bandages and wrapped it around her leg. I reached and grabbed the leather.

"It's all done." I said. She collapsed into Thorin's lap and took several deep breaths. When Thorin went to stand she whimpered and held onto his coat.

"Please, please don't go." she said. So he sat back down and put her head in his lap.

Everyone prepared for the night. "Do you need anything?" I asked Thorin.

"A blanket please. We'll find her some clothes tomorrow." he said. By now Caldeon had fallen asleep. I hoped and prayed that she wouldn't be plagued by the events I the day.

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