Chapter 23

I woke before dawn to the sound of horns blowing. My eyes snapped open, and Thorin was also rising to his feet from where he was at my side. I threw the blanket from my shoulders and stood up to look south. I could just make the Orc's out using my good eyesight. I inhaled a breath and prepared myself for what had to come next.

"You come back to me," Thorin said, from where he stood by my side.

"I will," I promised, as I jumped up on the stone ledge.

Jumping down, I transformed to a hawk and flew quickly toward the city, heading to the south entrance. I landed and turned human and rushed to where the army was coming from. There weren't many, about a hundred, but they had several large war beasts with them. With all the wounded that were still here, I couldn't let them pass. It would be a massacre if I did. Bard and Thranduil were on top of horses when I walked between them.

"Arina," Bard said in surprise.

"Thank you, My Lord Thranduil," I said, looking at him.

"My Lady," he nodded.

"Stay here, and protect yours in case any get past me. Which I can probably assure you that they won't," I replied walking forward as the sun started to rise.

I could still see Erebor, and I knew that Thorin and the others would be able to make out what was happening. I cast them out of my head, focusing on what I had to do. The lead Orc was riding a large warg, and he stopped his army when he saw me walking towards them. I focused solely on what I had to do, casting my feelings aside.

"You have one chance," I said loudly to him. "Leave, or you all burn!"

He roared at me from where they stood and we faced off for a bit with no one moving. They weren't sure of what I was, and it worried them. Let them worry, they had no idea. The stand off was broken when an arrow shot from my blind spot and buried itself deep in my shoulder. I winced, and gasped at the pain. Looking at it, I grabbed on to it, and pulled it out with a hard yank that almost had me crying out.

"Fine," I said quietly, and my eyes glowed.

I transformed into a dragon before them and it sent terrified cries through the army. Even the war beasts backed away. I stood on four legs, and my tail curled so that it did not hit anything. Spreading my wings slightly, I glared at the Orcs and then roared. The ground shook beneath me as I moved forward and then let out a tongue of flame as it gathered in my belly. It burned through the first wave and with a mighty pump of my wings, I took to the sky.

It took me only minutes to burn my way through the army, but I didn't delight in the mass killing. This was necessary to do however and I continued to burn them with bursts of flame until there was nothing left. They really stood no chance against a dragon. It made me think of Smaug, and had he lived I was sure the beast would have sided with Azog and his army. That would have laid even more destruction across the land. I pushed the thoughts from my head, and instead figured that it was a good thing I could do this. No one would challenge Erebor with a dragon on their side. Even Sauron might think twice before he thought of waging war on the dwarves.

Landing quietly back where I stood, I faded back in to my human form and glanced at the wound on my shoulder. It wasn't something that would cause a problem, so I turned back to Thranduil and Bard and made my way over to them. I paused when I saw Bard's expression go from relief to horror in seconds and my body tensed.

"Arina!" Bard shouted, suddenly kicking his horse forward.

I spun and ducked as a stray Orc came running forward, and swung his weapon at me. I caught his wrist as he came down with every intention to kill me. His blade came down on my already wounded shoulder, and he kicked my feet out from under me. I cried out as the blade sliced through skin, unable to help it. Pushing forward to stand back up, I kicked him away from me as Bard swung his sword and cut the Orc's head off in one swing. The blade had slid from my shoulder when I had kicked him back, and I shuddered in pain. Thranduil came forward, his horse cantering over as Bard circled back to me, and I held on to the horses' mane to keep myself standing. The elf king swung out of his saddle and looked at the wound quietly and then met my gaze.

"It was a poisoned blade," he said quietly.

"What kind?" I asked.

Thranduil went to the dead Orc and picked up his sword to look at the blade. "It isn't poisoned like the Morgul. It's something that will make you weak for a time. Hemlock. Interesting. An ordinary man it would kill in a few hours. You, it will not."

I trembled a little, and wasn't sure if I was more scared of that or going back to Thorin, and it made me laugh suddenly. "I think I'm more terrified of going back to Thorin than I am of the blade."

"Yes, well I can imagine he won't be pleased either," Bard said quietly. "Is there anything we can do?"

"I will send up a messenger with something to treat the wound. I am heading back to the Woodland Realm today. I'll leave others behind, so I will leave as much as I can," Thranduil replied turning to us. "Send a raven if you need something."

"Thank you, King Thranduil," I said bowing my head, finally calling him by his proper title.

"My Lady," he nodded, getting back on his horse.

Bard looked down at my trembling hand and then reached out to me. "Come, let's get you back to the mountain," he said quietly. "Unless you feel like walking?"

"No, I don't," I admitted, and took his hand.

He hoisted me up behind him, and I hung on as he pushed the horse into a fast canter. As we road up the path, I pressed my head against his back as my vision blurred slightly from the poison as it began to have its affect. My body began aching, and the wound felt like it was burning it's way though my veins. I shuddered, but forced myself to clear my vision as best I could.

"He's going to have my head," I sighed, as we got closer and it made Bard laugh.

"You have been poisoned and you are more terrified of King Thorin?" he asked, as he slowed the horse as we approached the front gate.

"You have no idea," I laughed, but it hurt.

"King Thorin!" Bard shouted, as he got close enough to the ramparts.

I pushed myself up to sit up straight as Thorin came out, closely followed by his nephews and a few guards. Bard turned the horse to the side as Thorin approached us and helped me down with his arm. I landed on both feet, and a painful breath whooshed out of my lungs as I leaned hard against the horse he was riding. The beast steeled all four of his legs, and snorted loudly as he turned his head.

"Good boy," I said softly, grateful for his help.

"What happened?" Thorin demanded as he got to me, and his face paled a little seeing the wound on my shoulder. "Why is it not healing?"

"A stray Orc caught us off guard...the blade was poisoned. King Thranduil is sending up something to help fight it," Bard spoke for me. "It won't kill her, My Lord. You have our word."

"How can you be sure?" Thorin asked, as he looked at the wound.

"Thranduil knew what the poison was," I answered quietly. "You can yell at me later...I think I might fall..."

Thorin reached out instantly and caught me as I started to lean. My legs shook, and he lifted me in to his arms, so I wrapped my good arm around him as the wound in my shoulder burned. I let out another painful breath, and I almost grunted as the burning got worse.

"Arina," Thorin whispered, and I could hear the profanity leave his mouth in his own tongue.

It made me smile a little. "Sorry," I replied, laying my head on his shoulder quietly.

There was another set of hoof beats and I briefly heard Thorin thank Bard before hurrying me inside. I blinked a little, and cleared my vision for a second as I realized how much this had to hurt him. His wounds were still healing, and here he was carrying me through the halls.

"Your back," I protested, and his hold only tightened.

"I cannot feel it," he said sharply.

There were a few worried shouts from around the hall as he ushered someone to get a bed ready for me. He glanced behind him at whoever was following us as I shuddered. Thorin walked in to a large room and laid me down on a bed. Pushing myself to sit up, I stared at my knees for a moment and pulled forward some of my power and steadied myself.

"Out," Thorin said firmly, and suddenly it was quiet.

Lifting my head, I met his blue eyes with my own and tried not to hang my head at the look on his face. I had put it there, I knew it, but it wasn't like I got wounded on purpose. Had the poison not clouded my head I would have made a joke about this just to ease his own pain. However, I found myself at a loss of words.

"Thorin," I whispered.

"We need to expose the wound so we can treat it," he said, taking out a knife. "Sit still."

I did as he said, and reached for the blanket to cover my front as he cut my top off. The wound arched from my shoulder and down across part of my chest. I was able to cover myself at least, and Thorin helped me wrap the blanket the rest of the way around tightly. He put his hand over mine where I clutched the fabric, drawing my gaze.

"I put that look on your face," I whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

"This is going to be unpleasant," he rumbled, ignoring what I said. "She's ready."

I lifted my head as Tauriel came in, and I relaxed just a little at that. She had prepared something in a bowl, and Thorin reached up and turned my head back so that I looked at him. His expression was suddenly firm, and he was ready to deal with what happened next. I found I was suddenly staring directly at The King Under the Mountain

"Look at me," he commanded.

"This is going to hurt...isn't it?" I asked, shaking as he blurred in front of me.

"Very much," he nodded, and I shook a little more.

Tauriel laid a hand on my hair for a moment, and then got to work. She pressed something into the wound, and spread it across the whole thing. In just seconds, my whole body went rigid in agony and I couldn't help the scream that ripped itself out of my chest. My flesh felt like it was burning from the inside out, and it was only getting worse. The poison was being drawn back out of my body and into whatever she had prepared. I faintly heard her elvish voice float over us, but I wasn't listening. I went to shove them both away from me, but Thorin rose and called for help. I didn't know who came in, but suddenly my legs were held down, and Thorin moved to help hold my good shoulder down. Thorin kept his hand where it was, and as Tauriel continued to speak, another wave of pain came forward and hit me. I tried so hard not to scream but it was pointless, it hurt so much. It was Thorin's other hand that had pressed down on my shoulder, and I felt him move it to my forehead to draw my head back against his own.

"She's almost done," I heard Kili's voice. "One more, Uncle."

"Arina," Thorin spoke lowly in my ear, and I squeezed my eyes shut as tears streamed from them. "Arina, listen to me."

It took all I had to turn my head into the crook of his neck and force myself not to scream at the last blinding wave of pain. My vision went white, so I closed my eyes tightly and focused hard on Thorin as he spoke lowly to me in Khuzdul. I wasn't sure what he said, but his voice provided some comfort. Suddenly, it stopped and the hands that held down my legs were gone. I sagged against Thorin, and a hand ran past my forehead, moving some hair from my face.

"She's okay," Tauriel said, softly backing up. "It will heal on its own. Best we let her sleep."

I felt my body shudder violently, and Thorin moved and picked me up so that I was back on the bed, lying on my side. He was in front of me then, clearing my tears away with a warm cloth. It was the gentlest I had ever seen him. Opening my eyes to look at him, I took in his expression. He was a little breathless, like he had just got done fighting a battle that had taken all of his strength. He reached out and took my hand gently, before pressing a firm kiss on my forehead.

"Just let go," he murmured. "Go away for a while, love."

I couldn't fight the exhaustion that swept over me and I felt my eyes shut and then, there was nothing.

This story is going to continue for a while, so please please keep reading. It gets better! :D

Review, favorite, follow, all that lovely stuff!