So I was having a real dilemma as to whether to just upload one big chapter of awesomeness, or to break it up and draw it out. Guess which one won? Hehe, yeah, I'm drawing it out.
This story is coming to a close too, but I've already got ideas in the works for another Hobbit fic so don't despair!
Edit - Apologies to those who may have read this in the last 24 hours! I was so excited with my progress I didn't edit it to include paragraph markers! Deepest apologies but it is fixed now!
Chapter 23
Bilbo woke from unconsciousness, seeing the Eagles soaring overhead.
"The eagles are coming..." he murmured sitting up. He turned to look across to the frozen river. He saw Azog the Defiler, sprawled on the ice with a sword through his chest. Bilbo stared in disbelief for a moment before he noticed Rilien, the wood elf that seemed to accompany Valisilwen everywhere since they had escaped King Thranduil's realm, sprinting towards the Great Wolf. Valisilwen lay beside the Pale Orc's body, and was struggling to crawl towards the waterfall's edge, where Thorin was now stumbling.
Bilbo watched as the Dwarven King looked out over the edge to the battlefield below, where the remaining orcs were being routed. To Bilbo's horror he collapsed onto his back.
Bilbo sprinted over in surprise, looking down at Thorin.
"Bilbo..." Thorin murmured, looking up at the Hobbit.
"Don't move! Don't move! Lie still!" Bilbo said hastily, beginning to examine Thorin's wounds, before recoiling in shock when he realised the severity. "Oh!"
Thorin gave a small smile. "I'm glad you're here..."
"Ssshh" Bilbo soothed, before looking around to see if anyone was there help. He saw Valisilwen was trying to crawl her way to them, but Rilien was trying to tend to her wounds too, and Bilbo could see there were a great many through the Great Wolf's thick fur coat. Red blood could be seen seeping through the white parts of her fur.
Thorin drew his attention back to him. "I wish to part from you in friendship..."
"No. You are not going anywhere, Thorin," Bilbo scolded, before he tried to put on a cheerful tone. "You're going to live."
Thorin ignored him. "I would take back my words and deeds at the gate. You did what only a true friend would do. Forgive me... I was too blind to see. I'm so sorry that I have led you into such peril..." He choked slightly, coughing blood, much to Bilbo's dismay.
"No, no, I'm glad to have shared in all your perils, Thorin – each and every one of them. And it's far more than any Baggins deserve."
The pair smiled at each other as Valisilwen finally managed to get to her feet, with the help of Rilien, after much argument and her threatening to rip his hands from his arms if he continued to impede her progress, and limped her way over.
"Thorin..." she growled as she collapsed beside him, the elf kneeling between the two of them, quickly inspecting Thorin's wounds but frowning and sighing.
"Valisilwen," Thorin greeted, his breathing becoming ragged, he reached a hand out and placed it on her furry head, between her large ears that laid back at the gesture. "Lady Ranger, I apologise for ever doubting your skills. I hope you shall resurrect your kind to roam the world proudly again..."
"Don't be absurd, Thorin, you'll have plenty of chances to do the same again," she sneered in reference to his doubting of her skills. Bilbo noted she ignored his further comment about her people.
Thorin gave her a smile before turning back to Bilbo. "Farewell, Master Burglar. Go back to your books and your armchair. Plant you trees – watch them grow..." he choked again, before continuing. "If more people valued home above gold this world would be a merrier place..."
Thorin gasped deeply as he began to struggle to breath.
"No! No! No! No! NO! Thorin! Oh, don't you dare!" Bilbo shouted, grabbing him about the shoulders.
Thorin released his last breath and lay still, the light diminished from his eyes.
"Thorin, Thorin, wake up. The eagles...the eagles are here. Thorin... the eagles..."
Bilbo stared at Thorin for a moment, before looking to Valisilwen and Rilien. They looked sadly down at Thorin and Valisilwen shook her head. Bilbo felt tears welling in his eyes as Valisilwen struggled to her feet once more, struggling towards the very edge of the waterfall, before lifting her head to the sky and releasing a howl that rang out over the mountains and into the depths of Erebor, causing Bilbo to cry as he looked down at the still form of the Dwarven King.
He was shaken from his anguish when Valisilwen collapsed to the ice.
oOOo
Valisilwen opened her eyes. She stood upon the frozen river, overlooking the battlefield, watching as Rilien and Bilbo hurried to her side, Rilien immediately tending to her wounds while Bilbo tried to rouse her.
She looked down to see her hands. She was in human form although her limbs felt ice cold to her. She wiggled her fingers in hope to warm them but it did not seem to have any affect. She looked around again and jumped with fright when her eyes fell upon a large mass of people walking towards her. They were dressed in rags, with shackles around their necks, wrists and ankles.
Her immediate instinct was to grab at her swords, but she soon found that she was weaponless. She began to back away slowly, her fear getting the better of her as she looked around.
"Valisilwen..." came a familiar voice, causing her to falter. A familiar form made its way to the front of the approaching mass. The Ranger looked at the person standing in front of her in disbelief. It was impossible for her to be seeing this person. She closed her eyes and shook her head, hoping that perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her. When she opened them, she had achieved nothing but allowed them to get closer to her.
She stepped back hurriedly, frightened.
"Baba, its okay, it's me."
"Mama?" she breathed in shock after hearing her mother's pet name for her, as she looked at the dark haired and olive skinned woman in front of her.
"Yes!" the woman said happily. Valisilwen didn't move but looked around at the people who stopped and looked at her. They were all smiling at her. "You did it."
"Did what?"
"Survived." A man appeared behind the woman, resting his hands on her shoulders. "You have made us all very proud."
She stared at him for a moment, she could feel a lump building in her throat as she tried to keep in control of her emotions as she stared at the man with the golden coloured eyes. "Papa?" she breathed.
He grinned at her. "You are more than we ever dreamed you would be, Valisilwen."
"But... you're..."
"Yes, we may no longer be on this plane, but we watch you carefully, Baba. We needed to make sure that you fulfilled your destiny," her mother spoke gently.
"Destiny?" Valisilwen asked in confusion.
"We always knew the time of our people was coming to an end, Baba, but there was a greater purpose for you. We needed to ensure you lived long enough to fulfil it."
Valisilwen's head was throbbing now. This wasn't real, surely. She looked behind her and saw Kili, Tauriel and Legolas had now joined the Hobbit and Rilien to treat her wounds.
"The companion we chose for you, has served you well," her father commented lightly, appearing beside her and watching as they hastily tried to tend to her wounds.
She turned to stare at him in disbelief. "You chose?"
"Of course, we knew we needed someone as strong and stubborn as you to help you, but who had something you seemed to have come to lack as you grew," his father said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. She looked at him dubiously before looking to her mother.
She gave a small smirk. "Love, Valisilwen."
She flared her nostrils before taking a deep breath. She watched as she and Thorin's body were carried from the ice, along with Fili's. A thought struck her and she looked to her parents. The ghosts of her people were now gone, leaving only them behind. "What now?"
"Hmm?" her father raised his eyebrows expectantly, making his golden eyes seem to shine a lot more than should be possible.
"What do I do now? If that was my destiny, then what? Am i done, am i to join you?" she asked hopefully, feeling a little excitement to finally be rid of her sorrow of being alone.
"But you aren't alone," her mother said, apparently reading her mind and smiling lovingly, her ice blue eyes full of wisdom. Valisilwen balked at her mother's words. "What of your company? The dwarves, the Hobbit, the elves? Rilien?"
Valisilwen furrowed her brows at the mention of the dark haired elf, who seemed to refuse to leave her side without argument, by name. "What of them?"
Her mother sighed and looked at her pointedly, she moved forward and went to touch her shoulder. Her hand drifted through Valisilwen's shoulder. "You're not ready yet, Baba. You have too many people who still care about you on this plane to join us yet. You are not ready to be with us. You have much to do yet."
"But you said yourself, I've fulfilled my destiny."
Her father looked proudly at his daughter before lowering his head and looking her straight in the eye. "But have you fulfilled your life yet?"
They walked to stand by the edge of the cliff then, Valisilwen moving to stand beside them as the sun shone down onto the battlefield below them. "You have locked yourself away from the world for so long, Baba, you need to experience life with freedom. This is something you have yet to do."
"But, I have, I have lived and fought with freedom, is this not enough?"
"Have you though? Your heart has been locked away by your sorrow and loneliness," her mother replied sadly, looking into Valisilwen's eyes with sadness. "Do you not think its time you set it free? Perhaps it's time to stop fighting."
She screwed up her nose at that. She knew nothing else. Her father sighed. "Perhaps that is our fault for not being there to show you how to live a life without conflict..."
"None of this is your fault!" Valisilwen exclaimed in exasperation at the comment. "The fault lies with that monster!" She motioned towards the dead body of Azog. "Never for a moment do I blame either of you for my situation."
"Perhaps, my child, but do you understand why we want you to move on now? That rage and sorrow you have carried around in your heart, that has kept it locked away for so long? You've lived with it all your life, you're now free of it." Her mother explained, raising an eyebrow and looking at Valisilwen pointedly. It was as if her ice blue eyes could see right through her when she did that.
Valisilwen thought for a moment, realising right then, that it was like her heart was indeed shattered free of its binds. It was at the moment, she felt warmth returning to her hands and her surroundings became fuzzy. "What's happening?"
"Live your life, Baba, live! Do not pine for us, we are always with you, and will see you when your time does finally come," she heard her father's voice
Her mother and father smiled and held each other, before looking towards the sun and walking from the edge of the waterfall, leaving Valisilwen to watch them as they ascended towards the sun.
"My beautiful Valisilwen, do not shun those that care for you, embrace your life now. You have true freedom now," her mother's voice was but a whisper as the Ranger was plunged into darkness.
Valisilwen's body felt heavy as she felt the darkness subside. She began to try and move her toes, they were stiff but manoeuvrable. She moved her fingers then, first her left hand, which was also quite stiff as well as sore, but manageable and then tried to move her right but found they were impeded.
She made to tighten her fingers around what was in their way, feeling warmth and smoothness.
"Huh?" she heard someone say, before there was movement beside her. It was a familiar aura, like a brilliant bright and light feeling. She tried to smell the scent on the air, but all she could smell was the metallic smell of blood and the scent of healing herbs and oils, hanging thick in the air.
She then noticed that there was something soft and fluffy against her face and she realised that she felt like she was lying on her stomach. It was uncomfortable, but not too much so.
She began to try and lift her heavy eyelids, the light hurt her head at first as the darkness began to ebb away. As they cleared she felt as if someone was very close to her side. It alarmed her, but her body didn't want to react, when she tensed she felt pain along her back and shoulders.
The cloudiness before her eyes began to clear, and she made out a figure standing over her. She made out long, dark brown hair, but could not see their face as they appeared to be leaning over her. She squeezed her hand again, trying to get movement back into her body, to feel a hand squeeze back.
"Valisilwen," she heard Rilien's voice whisper as the form above her leant down and moved closer to her face. Her eyes shot open in alarm and she went to push herself up quickly, causing severe pain to shoot through her body as she tried to force herself up, allowing a gasp of pain to escape her lips as she struggled to move.
Strong hands grabbed her quickly and held her shoulders. "Whoa! Valisilwen, calm down. It's just me." She stopped fighting and squinted, willing her sight to clear faster. Sure enough, it was Rilien, he held her shoulders and looked at her with grave concern.
She released a breath she had not realised she had been holding and looked down in relief, before easing herself back onto her stomach. "My god, Rilien," she muttered, before bringing her hand up to push the loose strands of her hair from her face. "You should know better than to get too close to me." She pushed herself up and sat up carefully, her back pained but she ignored it, turning her body to face Rilien with her blankets still draped over her.
He gave her a small smile of amusement but didn't say anything as she looked around at her surroundings. She was inside a tent, she recognised it as his tent. A small table had been placed not far from the stretcher she was laid up on, covered in bandages and a basin of water that looked quite dirty and dare she believed it, bloody.
Having noticed the basin, she tried to turn her head to look over her shoulder, immediately feeling the pain along her neck. She ignored the pain and continued to strain to look, noticing a bandage that extended down past her collarbone. It was then that she noticed she was not wearing her own clothes.
"Uh...?" she began, propping herself onto her elbows for a better look at what she was wearing, it appeared to be a large undershirt, most likely from one of the male elves. She narrowed her eyes, before lifting the blanket that was over her slightly. "Whoa!" she exclaimed before bringing the blanket back down quickly, looking at Rilien in shock.
"Calm down, Valisilwen, Tauriel took care of your clothing," Rilien said, raising his hands in the air as a way to show his innocence. "I just patched you up."
She still narrowed her eyes at him, uncertain whether or not that was a good thing, before curiousity overcame her better judgement. She turned to look over her shoulder, pulling down the sleeve of the undershirt. She noted the first bandage began on the very top of her shoulder.
She sat up carefully feeling pain in every movement she made, making sure the blanket over her covered her appropriately, before she pulled the sleeve down further, more bandages spread along the back of her arm and around her sides. She gulped as she pulled her arm from the sleeve, careful to hold the shirt about her chest. She carefully reached back and felt many a bandage, spread across her back, criss-crossing here and there, her back tender to her touch.
She bit her lip and dropped her hand back to her lap. Still, she would carry the scars from her original captors.
"I'm sorry," Rilien muttered, looking ashamed and gloomy. Valisilwen looked at him in confusion, unsure of what it could be he was apologising for. Seeing the look on her face he looked back up and explained himself. "I promised that i would protect you, i was unable to do that."
She raised her eyebrows. "Rilien, that's not a promise that i accepted. I chose to stand alone and try and take my vengeance finally, and I chose to stand alongside Thorin..." She trailed off then, remembering the Dwarven King who had lost his life in his effort to finally rid the world of the Pale Orc. His face as he passed, burnt into her mind.
She felt a lump form in her throat, looking to her hands in her lap again. Rilien sat beside her, careful not to sit too close. "You did what you could, Valisilwen, his time had come. He knew it himself."
She bit her lip again, she would have liked to have believed the young elf, but the doubt settled in her mind. She thought of what she could have done differently, and felt herself become emotional, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I should never have left them, I should have stayed with them. It's my fault..."
"You had no choice!" Rilien exclaimed in exasperation, surprising her. She looked at him in awe, as he rarely raised his voice in that tone at her. "Valisilwen, you did everything you could, do not beat yourself over this. You've beaten yourself for most of your life, be at peace!"
She raised her eyebrows and could not remove her eyes from the elf that sat before her. He stared at her intently, his frustration with her seeming to calm. He reached across and took her hands in his, a look on his face that seemed familiar to her but that she could not read. She blushed as he held her hands gently in his own larger ones. "If not for you, Gandalf may not have been able to warn the city in time. If not for you, Kili would not have survived." He paused for a moment. "If not for you, I would not have survived."
She furrowed her brow, trying to recall the battle. Yes, she had saved Rilien, when Bolg had pinned him to the ground. She recalled the rage that had boiled within her, as she saw Bolg smash Rilien with his mace, recalling the same images from so long ago, as Azog had done the same to her father. The rage she had felt to see the same thing happen to another of her loved ones...
She froze in place. The thought that had just run through her head made her do a double take and she stared at Rilien. He looked back expectantly at her, still holding her hands in his own. She recognised the look in his eyes now, the softness that he now looked at her with. It was the same look she would see her mother and father look at each other with in their eyes during happier times.
She then recalled the dream she had just had. Or was it a dream. It had seemed so real. Her mother and father's words rang in her mind repeatedly. 'Do not shun those that care for you, embrace your life now.'
She gulped upon the realisation, feeling her heartbeat quicken as she looked down to his strong, yet soft and warm hands that wrapped around her own. The hands that had worked to try and heal her body, had leant their strength to her in all the battles she had fought since their first meeting in Mirkwood.
She looked up and met his eyes. His bright, green eyes watched her intently, a slight tinge of concern appearing there, as she continued to say nothing but look about with a confused look on her face.
She took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again. "And how are you feeling? You were knocked about the head, are you well?" she asked, trying to push such thoughts of the elf from her mind.
Rilien frowned slightly, before releasing one of his hands to scratch his head slightly. It amused Valisilwen to see the elf's cheeks colour slightly pink. "A bruised ego, more than anything else. The healers say I must have a strong head."
Valisilwen let a slight chuckle escape her lips, before pressing them together in a bid to stop herself, lest she hurt the elf's feelings. Rilien's eyebrows raised slightly, but he smiled at her. "I've not heard you laugh before." She bit her lip. "You should do it more often. It's a rather pleasant sound."
She gulped and looked away bashfully."Don't tease, Rilien, or i'll knock your head from your shoulders."
Rilien laughed a little at her threat, although she was not joking. "I don't doubt you would, but I was not teasing." She looked to his face in surprise, to find him smiling softly at her.
She was about to question his response when there was a flurry of noise as the tent flap was pulled back by Gandalf.
oOOo
As Gandalf pulled the tent flap back, he saw a hurried movement made by the Ranger and the slightest look of disappointment, or was it annoyance, by the Woodland Realm elf guard she had. "Ah, Lady Ranger, I see you're finally awake." He moved to stand beside the stretcher to peer down at the Shape-Changer's face.
"Yes," she replied simply, looking at the wizard, before she furrowed her brow with a concerned look on her face. "How long have I been out of it?"
Gandalf saw Rilien shift slightly beside her, seemingly uncomfortable at the question. Gandalf looked from the Ranger to the elf before looking back to the Ranger. "Why, 3 days, it was the good elf Rilien here, who has been tending to your needs since then."
"3 days?" she whispered incredulously, looking from Gandalf to the ground. He saw her cheeks flush slightly, as she glanced sideways quickly at Rilien.
"Indeed," Gandalf said, smirking to himself but quick to hide it as the elf glanced back at him. "Young Rilien here patched you up with Tauriel's help, then would not leave your side, ensuring all your care was personally taken care of. I believe he even rested in here with you."
He saw the Ranger stiffen and gulp, as did the elf. He was thoroughly enjoying their reactions when there were voices to be heard from outside the tent.
"I believe there are others who wish to see if you are well, Valisilwen," Rilien commented, trying to cut through the tension within the tent. Gandalf moved to the tent flap and pushed it back, as Bilbo, Kili and Tauriel appeared at the entrance.
"Is she-" Bilbo began, leaning through the open entrance, before he spotted the dark haired Ranger and raced the rest of the way inside. "Valisilwen!" he exclaimed, throwing his little arms around the Lady Ranger.
She gave a small laugh as well as a wince of pain. "Ow, hello Bilbo."
"Oh, oh, sorry." He quickly released her and jumped back. She gave a small laugh after rolling her shoulders back a little. "But you're awake! We've all been so worried about you!"
"Aye, we weren't sure you were coming back to us," Kili said quietly. Gandalf frowned at the young dwarven prince. He had been, indeed, gloomy these last few days, regularly walking to the tent to speak to Rilien and keep him company while watching over the Ranger. The little dwarf had suffered much loss in one day and Gandalf sensed that, although, he had found love with the former Woodland realm Captain of the Guard, had they lost Valisilwen, Kili may not have been able to live with the grief.
"Now, Kili. I thought over this journey you would have learnt at least one thing about me?"
"What's that?" Tauriel asked, for the dwarf who looked slightly ashamed at the mock scolding by the Ranger.
"It takes a lot to put me down for good," she replied matter-of-factly, motioning for the dwarf to come closer. He inched his way towards her and she put an arm around his shoulders carefully, only wincing slightly at the movement.
Gandalf couldn't help but glance at her elf guardian. He could see just a hint of envy behind those green eyes, and Gandalf grinned. It was a most peculiar development.
"You really do look terrible," Tauriel said to the Ranger in elvish.
"To be honest," Valisilwen began, releasing the dwarf. "I feel terrible." She looked behind Tauriel as if searching for someone, and then to Rilien with raised eyebrows. "But where is Prince Legolas?"
Rilien, Tauriel and Gandalf all looked to each other then, they weren't really certain where he was. "He... has decided to journey through Middle Earth," Gandalf decided to answer for the elves. He had spoken to King Thranduil about the absence of his son after the battle. The King had been short in his reply, but Gandalf knew for certain that he was alright, mostly, aside from his dented pride and broken heart. "It would seem, the battle has ignited a thirst for knowledge of the world outside the Greenwood."
Gandalf glanced at Tauriel who looked gratefully at the wizard's explanation, before glancing back to Kili lovingly.
Gandalf could see in Valisilwen's face the recognition that was happening right before her eyes as she raised an eyebrow. "I see."
Before she could say anything else there was a ruckus outside and a familiar, argumentative voice could be heard approaching up the hill. "Let me through, ye pointy-eared pests! I'm going to see that damned fluffy Ranger whether ye let me or not!"
"Dain is still here?" Valisilwen whispered dully, looking around at their company.
"Uh, it would seem he might have grown a wee bit fond of you," Kili murmured, looking apologetic.
The angry dwarf appeared in the tent. "So it's true! Ye finally awake! About damn time!"
Valisilwen cringed at the booming voice of the dwarf lord. "Dain! Inside voice, please."
The dwarf faltered. "Uh, apologies," he said dropping decibels noticeably, which caused several within the tent to attempt to stifles giggles. "Well, it's good to see you awake, lass. Ye had us all worried."
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Dain, but the Lady Ranger is a tough one," Gandalf said, speaking for the Shape-Changer.
"Aye, that she is! Many thanks for your assistance in the battle," he said nodding towards her, before he began to shift uncomfortably. "Uh, and sorry for the... uh..." Valisilwen looked at him expectantly, doing her best to hide a smirk it seemed. "Uh, you know..."
She smiled, before answering. "Never mind, Dain. I would not be a Ranger if I couldn't handle a little ribbing now and then."
Dain perked up at that, before his gaze turned to Rilien, who slowly stood to face the dwarf. "And ye, ye left in the midst of our competition!"
Rilien grinned good naturedly down to the dwarf. "I did, my apologies," he said, bowing his head slightly. "So how many did you end up with?"
Dain grinned proudly. "205!"
Rilien glanced sideways at the company gathered around Valisilwen and grinned mischievously before answering. "Ah, 3 more and you would have had me beat, Master Dwarf"
Dain's draw dropped while Gandalf tried not to laugh aloud, covering his mouth with his hand in the pretence he was playing with his beard.
"Why, you...!" Dain turned and stormed from the tent, shouting obscenities as he went.
The company looked around at each other before they all burst out laughing.
"Rilien, did you truly mean what you said?" Kili asked, when he had calmed enough.
"Well," Rilien began slowly. "I actually lost count at about 208..."
There was another roar of laughter.
xo
Krayzee