Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not my own, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not making any money off of this. (Though I wish I could.)
A/N: Hey now.. Check out my avatar for a picture of me rocking Talya's dwarven braids, minus the beads of course. If you havent guessed... Talya looks a lot like me. Short, long dark hair, blue eyes, etc.
With the dwarves all taking turns rowing, it did not take long to get across the lake. The boat hit shore shortly before dusk and the dwarves quickly hopped out of the boat. I found that I could barely move. I had been up for more than 48 hours at this point, had not eaten at all during that time, and had pushed myself way too hard. My ribs ached horribly and I was just so damn tired.
Fili and Bofur were out first, quick to help steady Kili as he stepped out of the boat, still stepping on his leg tenderly. Oin held out a hand to me and I took it. It seemed like I was always being pulled to my feet by the dwarves, in more ways than one.
I stepped gingerly out of the boat and closed my eyes as the world tilted and shifted. Oin barely had the time to ask if I was alright before I felt grey begin to creep up around my eyes. I swallowed thickly and was about to say that I needed to sit down when my legs went out under me and I passed out.
The drums began to beat and we all turned to look back at the tower. Even from this distance, we could see the shuffling of bodies begin to creep towards the decrepit balcony. Azog's pale body came into view first, his face twisted in a satisfied smirk that chilled me to the core. Behind him, he was dragging Fili, who was kicking and struggling against the orc's hold.
Thorin started towards Fili and I ached as I watched him realize he could do nothing. We all looked on helplessly as Azog lifted Fili up.
Azog began to speak in a harsh tongue that I could not understand, but I did not need to. I knew all too well what he was saying. Fili's struggling was renewed as Azog hoisted him farther up.
"No!" FIli cried out. "RUN!"
With that, Azog pulled back his bladed arm and rammed it through Fili's back. Fili's eyes widened in shock at the suddenness of the blow and I watched, heartbroken, as Azog pulled his blade free and dropped the golden-haired dwarf prince. I felt myself start forward as he fell and I stumbled to my knees.
"FILI!"
"Talya. Talya!" I inhaled sharply, startled awake by the voice. The first thing I realized was that I was moving and second, that I was being held by someone, bridal style.
"What…?" I asked softly. My throat ached with the effort as I tried to open my tear-filled eyes. When they finally managed to open, I peered up, unfocused, at Fili. I cried out in relief at seeming him whole and quickly turned to bury my face in his chest, a quiet sob tearing through me. Fili adjusted me in his arms and coughed awkwardly.
"If I had known you could speak my name so tenderly, I might have had to pursue you myself." He said softly, teasingly. I frowned, then realized that I must have called his name out loud during the nightmare. I choked back a laugh, not because I found him at all funny right then, but because he was alive to make such a crappy joke.
"How do you feel, lass?" Oin asked softly, having come to stand in front of Fili and I.
"Like shit," I muttered truthfully. Oin nodded, a grim set to his face.
"Come, Fili, set the lass down and we'll make camp here for the night. Bofur and you can set about making camp. Kili, be a good lad and set about making some tea."
Fili gently set me down on the ground and touched my shoulder in concern. Now that the relief of seeing him alive had passed, I could not look at him without seeing his face torn into a mask of agony as he died. Bofur and he bustled about, laying bed rolls that they must have brought from the boat and building a fire while Kili sifted through the contents of a pack, pulling out various dried plants. Oin settled next to me, watching me sharply.
"I can't believe I passed out," I muttered after a moment, my voice hoarse.
"You lost a lot of blood and have pushed yourself hard in the past few days. You helped take out a dragon, lass. Be thankful you yet live." Oin tugged his pack into his lap and began to sift through it for cleans linens and wraps. Upon calling for water, Kili tossed a water skin over and Oin snagged it, offering it to me first. I took it gratefully. I drank a fair amount before passing it back to Oin. He drank a few sips, then began to pour the water on the cloth.
"I did not want to try to tend you while you were unconscious. I thought it best to let you get what rest you were able." He explained as he began to dab at the many scratches, abrasions, and burns on my person.
"I have never your voice so broken, lass." He said quietly after a moment, glancing up at the others before looking back down at my arm. He dabbed at shallow gash there, tugging bits of wood from it as he went. "What could you possibly have dreamt of?"
I hesitated, grimacing slightly at Oin's ministrations.
"Fili's death." I answered simply, tired. Oin frowned and shifted in his seat.
"But we are all alive, lass. There is no need for tears." He pointed out. If only he knew.
He motioned for me to lift up my shirt and lay on my side as he fumbled around in his pack. Fili, Kili, and Bofur, now having finished their tasks, came to sit around Oin and I, cups of hot tea in their hands. I could have teased them then, about their little tea party, but I did not have the energy. Instead, I kicked off my boots, which had definitely seen better days, and set about tugging off my shirt. My sleeves had been mostly singed away and I was sure I had lost more fabric than what was left. I grit my teeth as the cloth brushed against burns and cuts, the blood crusted fabric tugging on wounds that had already begun to scab over.
Kili set his cup town and reached for my hand as Oin began to tug out the torn stitches. I took it gratefully and exhaled.
"So Talya," Bofur said, conversationally. I opened one tired eye to look at him. "You know…. Erebor is grandly huge, I am told. Halls and caverns so large that trolls, standing three high and six abreast, can walk through even the more simple passageways."
I frowned. "Okay…?"
"In such a large place, I am fair certain that sounds could carry all the way from the front step to the very forges below the earth."
"Bofur,"I grumbled irritably. I was tired, hurt, and angry at the world at that moment. "What in Mahals' name are you getting at?"
I frowned at the slip and Oin chuckled softly behind me.
"Only thought to warn you, lass. I don't know about the others, but I don't fancy hearing yours and Thorin's reunion."
It took me a moment to let his words sink in and when I realized what he was eluding to, I felt myself blush scarlet. I narrowed my eyes and glared daggers at the dwarf.
"How could you even KNOW?" I demanded. FIli scratched his head and was suddenly very interested in a rock next to him. I dropped Kili's hand and chucked my boot at him, ignoring Oin's grumbling as he tried to tie off a stich. Fili ducked.
"You told him?!" He cleared his throat and glanced at me guiltily.
"Well… He made an inquiry as to where you sustained the rather oddly placed reddish bruise on your throat." Fili explained. I didn't think it was possible, but I blushed harder and groaned. Oin pushed me back into my place and returned to re-stitching the wound on my ribs. I hardly paid any mind to him.
"Why didn't anyone say anything?" I asked, mortified.
"And what would you have had us say, Talya?" Bofur asked, a smirk on his lips. "'It looks like Thorin got a little over eager and left a bit of a passion-mark on your neck.'?"
"Besides, what would you have done?" Kili asked, far too amused for my liking. I shot him a dirty look and he put his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
"I could have covered it up or something," I muttered darkly.
"Oh come now. I am sure Uncle rather enjoyed seeing the mark on you." Fili added cheerfully.
"Stop," I groaned, bringing up a hand to hide my face.
"I always did enjoy leaving a bit of a mark on my lovers," Bofur continued. "Like a little, lovely reminder of a night of desire."
"Shut upppp,"
"Aye, a little suck mark is alright. I always enjoyed a bit of teeth myself." This came from Oin and my mouth dropped open. The other three laughed so hard that Bofur practically fell over.
"I hate you all." I growled out. They only continued to laugh at my discomfort and I flipped them off for their efforts.
"Stop moving, lass." Oin scolded. He was trying to hide a smile and I glared. "Fifteen stitches this time. You ought to be more careful. I think I've stitched you up more than anyone else."
"I'll get right on that." I muttered sarcastically.
Oin re-wrapped my ribs and Kili passed me a shirt from his pack. I gingerly pulled it over my head, the dark grey fabric settling over me and, despite the fact that Kili had the slimmer build of an archer, I still swam in the material. Bofur passed me a spare cloak and I took it, gratefully wrapping it around my shoulders.
We ate then and settled in for the night. Bofur took first watch and the dwarves settled in around me. I could feel sleep beginning to tug at me eyes and it wasn't until Fili and Kili began to talk about the stories of Erebor that they had grown up with that I finally drifted off to sleep.
We had a late start the next day, Oin insisting that I rest as long as possible before we carried on. Once the fire was out and our things gathered, I tugged my nearly destroyed boots back on and stood slowly. I was pleased to find that my vision did not swim even a little and, after shooting Oin a reassuring smile, I began to walk on, the Lonely Mountain looming above us.
There was a palpable excitement within the four, now that their ancestral home was right there in front of them. The smiles on their faces reminded me of the soldiers of home returning to their loved ones after deployment and I could feel myself smile sadly. The feeling of coming home was not one that I had known in nearly a decade. Not since my mother finally had to sell the home we both had grown up in after my grandparents' deaths.
It was nearly night when finally we caught sight of the great doors of Erebor, a gaping hole in the side of the mountain where Smaug had erupted from. I tiredly leaned against a rock as the dwarves crept forward in wonder. Bofur let out a loud cry of amazement while Oin wiped back tears and the brothers embraced. I watched them, heart aching. While I knew that the happiness would be short lived, and that in the end it would be hard won, I was happy for them in that moment, despite the fact that I yearned for the same feeling of home coming.
"Erebor," Fili said, wonderingly. "The halls of our fathers."
"Home," Kili whispered.
I sighed softly and glanced at the ground, frustrated with myself for feeling even a little jealous for my friends. Oin took notice and clasped a hand on my shoulder smoothly.
"This could be your home too, lass. No doubt Thorin wishes it to be so."
I looked at him and smiled slightly.
"Now let us go and greet our kin, for I am sure they have wondered of our fate."
Fili and Kili bounded back to me and each put an arm around me in a familial way, steading me, with Fili gently bumping his shoulder against me. I snuck my arms around their waists and, with Bofur and Oin leading the way, we headed towards the gates of Erebor.
As we neared, I could see two small forms begin to take shape, both leaning against a large boulder. They jerked their heads up at our approach and I realized it was Dawlin and Balin.
"Oin? Bofur?!" Dwalin yelled loudly, straitening suddenly and running towards us.
"Fili! Kili! Talya!" Balin called, following after. When they finally reached us, Dwalin grabbed Oin's head in his hands and they smashed their foreheads together before Dwalin punched Bofur solidly in the arm. I rolled my eyes at the masculine displays of affection and gingerly stepped out of Fili and Kili's grasp as Balin assaulted them both with massive hugs.
Balin pulled away from the brothers and spun towards me while Dwalin turned to greet Fili and Kili. I held up a hand to stop him from rushing me.
"Oi, Talya. You are a right mess!" He stopped before me and touched my face gently, his old calloused palm cupping my chin.
"I'll be alright, Balin." I smiled as he patted my cheek.
"We must find Thorin. He has been near out of his mind worrying about you five." Balin said, stepping back and motioning us forward. I frowned, his wording pulling at me. I stumbled a little and both Fili and Kili resumed their spots at my side, carefully helping me traverse the rocking and debris strewn ground.
Dwalin jogged on ahead and began to cup his hands around his mouth as he called out for the others.
"Thorin! The others! They are back!"
Slowly but surely, other shapes began to take form in the dimming light and I smiled tiredly as I looked over the rest of the company. Fili and Kili stepped forward once more to greet their kin while Bilbo shot ahead to gently hug me around the middle, deftly avoiding the obvious bulge under my shirt where my ribs were bound. My eyes scanned the group as I hugged Bilbo back and I frowned when I realized Thorin wasn't there.
"Where….?" I asked softly. Bilbo grimaced.
"When we watched as Smaug destroyed Lake Town, Thorin became incensed. He was sure he had doomed you all to your deaths. He has thrown himself into the task of looking for the Arkenstone."
I shuddered at the word and looked at Bilbo sharply.
"I do not know how you knew of the stone when no one had before spoken of it, but once I saw Thorin's reaction to it…. I understood your concern."
I watched him searchingly and he nodded once.
"I have done as you asked." He said simply and I sighed in relief. Bilbo had the stone. Now I just hoped that Thorin could be saved from the madness that had claimed his grandfather.
Ori must have run ahead to find Thorin because suddenly, the two of them appeared, the flicking light of the far away forges and the torches lit from within casting their faces in shadow.
I stepped forward hesitantly and nearly cried in dismay when I realized that Thorin was wearing a crown on his head already and the fine clothes of royalty, his face a mask. He walked forward slowly, his eyes lighting on Bofur and Oin first, then traveling to Fili, and Kili before his eyes finally settled on me.
He slowly stepped forward to take me in his arms, his face so very serious. He cradled my head to his chest as I clutched at his tunic, my face burrowing against him.
"How are you here?" He asked, wonderingly, first looking down at me before glancing at the others with his brows narrowed. "We saw Smaug attack."
"And we saw him fall. How?" Dwalin asked, glancing at Oin.
"It is Talyas story to tell," Oin said simply. Thorin stepped back and held me out at an arm's length, eyes searching.
"Talya…?" He asked questioningly. I gave a small tired smile.
"They give me too much credit," I answered and he winced when he heard how gravelly my voice sounded. "It was Bard who shot the beast down."
Thorin's eyes hardened at the mention of the man, but said nothing.
"Why don't we all get inside and settled?" Balin said. "We can hear the story once everyone is taken care of."
Thorin nodded to Balin.
"To the west wing common room, then. Nori, take Bifur and stoke the fires. There is a chill in the halls that we must be rid of. Bombur, Bilbo, prepare for dinner. Dori, Ori, Gloin, Dwalin…. Search what stores you are able to find clothing and blankets. Balin… Take Bofur, Oin, Kili, and Fili through the gates. Let them see the splendor that was and will again be, Erebor, for the first time."
The company immediately began to do as Thorin bid and I watched as Dwalin shot an irritated look at me, obviously not pleased with my return.
Thorin and I remained at the gates while the others slowly made their way inside. He turned his piercing blue eyes on me and suddenly the mask dropped and Thorin was looking upon me with such relief and tenderness it stunned me. He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to mine.
"Amrâlimê," He whispered, oh so softly. I pulled away from him, shocked at his admission and he opened his eyes. He offered a small smile at what he must thought was confusion.
"It means…"
"My love," I finished for him shakily. He frowned, then chuckled softly.
"You never cease to amaze me," He sighed with a small laugh. "Tell me now, are you a scholar in Khuzdul?"
"Ah, no," I answered, smiling at him. "It's just… something I've heard."
"I could teach you," He offered suddenly and, more than his admission of love, that surprised me. I knew dwarves were so very secretive, particularly when it came to their culture and to their language.
"I doubt I could ever say a word properly." I admitted, glancing down. Thorin took my hand in his, gently weaving his fingers into mine.
"Ahm- rahl -lim –may." He prompted, sounding out each syllable, the word rolling easily from his lips.
"Uhm- brahl –a- may." I frowned, trying to get my mouth to form the right sounds. Thorin nodded his head slowly in encouragement.
"Ahm- rahl –lim –may." He repeated, slowly. There was a roll to the r as he said it, making it almost sound like a b.
"Ahm- rah –leh- may." I said slowly, softly. "Ahmrahl-limmay."
The last attempt must have been close because Thorin wrapped his arms slowly around me and kissed my forehead.
"Amrâlimê," He whispered once more, holding me close to his chest.
Thorin took care in guiding me through the halls towards the room he spoke of earlier. I had thought that Erebor's rocky halls would be stark and barren. I had not expected the sheer beauty within the vastness of stone. To know every rock was hewn and shaped by hand was astounding, and I had a hard time grasping the idea.
His face was animated and his voice was filled with such reverence as he spoke of his family and the halls around us that I could hardly tell he was the same stoic dwarf I had met all those months ago. There was such love in him, such selflessness, that I didn't want to believe that the dragon sickness could ever take him.
We were walking arm in arm, with Thorin bracing me when he finally sighed.
"It's so cold and dark now, Talya. So quiet." He said, looking at me suddenly. "But when all of the forges are lit, when the halls echo with the sound of voices, of laughter… of children… "
He trailed off, his voice so full of longing.
"I would to see the glory of these halls returned. To see the homecoming of my people. To finally have a future that we do not have to fight tooth and nail for."
I stopped and turned to him. I wasn't used to him being so open, so free with his words. I wasn't used to his casual displays of affection and I wondered if this is what he always would have been like had such a burden not been thrust upon him.
"And you will," I promised. I had already decided I would do whatever I had to in order to save him and is nephews no matter what the personal cost.
He smiled at me, a full, true smile that lit up his eyes. He lay a gentle kiss on my lips and, arm in arm, we turned the corner and entered the common room.
The others were gathered around a great fire place, stretched out in a half circle, on the remains of furniture that they had dragged into place. As we made our way towards them, Bilbo and Balin shifted, beaming, so that there was room enough in the center of the half-circle for both Thorin and I to sit together. He helped ease me down gently before taking his place besides me.
"So. Tell me of Lake Town. Tell me of Smaug's fall." Thorin said after we had finally settled into place.
I stayed silent as Oin, Bofur, Kili, and Fili took turns telling their parts. My throat was still very much raw so I was content to listen, rather than talk. I knew fairly well what had happened and their accounts of the event did not vary much from what I had expected. The others interjected with questions now and again, much to the annoyance of the story tellers.
FIli had just been explaining how they had barely escaped the fiery blaze when they heard a great roar.
"Smaug flew up into the sky, twisting and turning wretchedly, his voice a snarl in the wind. He let loose one last mighty cry before it was cut short, and he began to fall, faster and faster until at last, the dragon crashed into the center of town, leaving nothing but embers in his wake."
"Yes, yes, But why did he fall? How was the great beast slain?" Dwalin asked impatiently. Fili, Kili, Oin, and Bofur looked at me expectantly and I let out a long sigh. The eyes of thirteen dwarves and one hobbit were on me and I glanced off into the flames of the fire. Someone passed me a water skin and I cleared my throat.
"After I left the others behind," I started, a few of the dwarves frowning at the hoarseness of my voice. "I gathered up my weapons, and Galadriel's bow. I knew I had to find Bard. He had given me the last Black Arrow of Girion for safe keeping. Only with that could Smaug be slain."
I took a sip of water.
"I ran towards the prisons, sure that the Master had something to do with Bard's absence. He had already managed to break the bars free of his cell when I arrived. It was just a matter of helping him up to the roof top. By then, Smaug had already lit fire to the town and screams rent the air, flames licking up from the town center, consuming everything in its path. Bard and I made our way to the great tower where the wind- lance stood. Everywhere around us, buildings burned and people screamed.
"It didn't matter how fast we were, for the inferno was faster. It wasn't long before we were running through it, the flames licking at us, striking out like whips to singe away at our clothes and skin. My heart was racing so hard, my blood thick with adrenaline, I could not feel anything at all. I could only focus on getting to that tower."
I coughed again, took another sip of water, and continued.
"It seemed to take forever to reach the tower, though I know now it must have only taken fifteen minutes or so. We made our way up as quickly as possible, our eyes hardly able to leave the dragons' wretched form. He was soaring to and fro, fanning the flames of the fire to greater heights with his massive wings. There was no way Bard could have made the shot from the distance we were at, and surely not at the speed in which Smaug flew.
"We started to shoot at him with regular arrows, trying desperately to distract him. I couldn't say what finally caused him to seek us out, because the arrows obviously didn't bug him a damn bit, but when he did… He flew right above us. I don't know if he did it on purpose, or if it was just shitty lucky, but his tail lashed out and caught the top portion of the tower, as well as the wind- lance. The sheer force of the blow reduced it to rubble, and Bard and I barely managed to hold our ground."
I was staring off into the flames, but in my mind, I could see the terrible reptilian eye of the dragon turn to peer at us. I could still hear his voice echoing in my head.
"He began to taunt us then. Telling us how hopeless it was. How there was nothing left for us, but death. Smaug prowled after us, tasting the air and grinning maliciously. Bard had tried to put the pieces of the wind lance back together, but it was too mangled. I told him to use my bow, the bow Galadriel had given me. I wasn't sure if the bow would hold, or if it would even support the weight of the black arrow, but we had no other choice.
"I helped steady Bard as he drew back the arrow. We waited for an eternity, it seems, for Smaug to draw near enough to shoot. When finally he drew breath and began to bring up his hell fire, Bard took his shot. The arrow sung, straight into the spot on his left breast where a scale was missing."
I coughed again and I could myself starting to lose my voice.
"He roared then, a terrible noise. But it was nothing compared to the screams that night. They will haunt me until my dying day…"
I let out a shuddering breath and blinked hard, snapping out of the near trance I had been in. The company was watching me, various emotions written on their faces. Thorin's face alternated between shock, awe, worry, and at some points, jealousy. I felt myself frown, then shook my head.
"Smaug crashed into us then, and we fell into the lake below. I hit hard, the air forced out of my lungs. The water was so cold after the fire above that it was shocking. I barely managed to avoid the falling debris as I finally broke the surface. Bard had fallen just on the other side of the now crumpled tower and, once we found each other, we began to swim out of town. The rest you know."
I sat back, drained the rest of the water in my skin and closed my eyes, trying to pull through the warring emotions raging within me. So much death and destruction.
"I think I'd like to go to bed now," I finished softly. My voice was all but gone.
No one spoke as we all settled down into the various bed rolls and furs piled around. Despite the fact that we were now in the halls of Erebor, everyone seemed reluctant to sleep apart. I was glad for it. I did not know how many days we had left together.