Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my original character. Everything else is property of New Line Cinema, Peter Jackson, etc.
Author's Note: Lucky you! Two chapters in one weekend! Consider this an apology for making everyone wait so long between chapters 4 and 5.
The Company dismounted from their respective eagles and rushed over to Thorin's unconscious body. Gandalf knelt beside the dwarf and placing a hand on Thorin's brow, muttered a spell under his breath. Thorin's eyes fluttered open, and he asked after the Halfling. After Thorin had thanked Bilbo for saving his life, and admitted he had been wrong in his assumptions about the hobbit, the Company looked out and got their first glimpse of the Lonely Mountain.
Gwyn fetched her pack, which she had miraculously hung onto through all of the chaos of Goblin Town and the fight against Azog on the cliff. The others had not been so lucky, many of them now without supplies. Rooting around in her pack, Gwyn quickly found the satchel of healing supplies Lord Elrond had given her. Drawing out a small jar of greenish paste that said "to treat deep wounds" on it in neat script, Gwyn began tending to Thorin's injuries that were within her reach. Oin noticed though that Gwyn kept drawing her sleeve across her forehead. Sitting her down, the old dwarf realized Gwyn had a cut above her eye that was bleeding freely.
"You should use some of that Elvish paste on yourself lassie, lest that cut of yours become infected," the healer said.
"I'll be fine. Thorin needs this paste more than I do," Gwyn replied.
"Oin's right, Gwyn. That would be a terrible wound to be infected," Kili said, with an uncharacteristically somber look on his face. Fili, standing next to his brother, nodded in agreement.
"I promise, I'll be fine. This is merely a cut, while Thorin probably has bruised, if not cracked or broken, ribs as well as various puncture wounds, which could very easily become infected, because who knows what kind of nastiness that warg had in its mouth. He needs tending to more than I do," the girl insisted.
"You should at least let Oin clean that cut, otherwise it might scar," Fili added. The other members of the Company chimed in with their agreement, and Gwyn acquiesced, realizing she was outnumbered.
Oin drew out of her satchel a small bottle that said "for cleaning cuts" on it in the same neat script. Dampening a clean bandage with the liquid in the bottle, the dwarf began wiping at the cut on Gwyn's forehead. The liquid stung quite a bit, so Fili and Kili sat on either side of her, trying to distract her from the pain. When the other members of the Company were satisfied that Gwyn had been tended to satisfactorily, they began preparing to set up camp, for they had not rested in many days, nor had they eaten in that time. While the others were bustling about Gwyn continued to clean Thorin's wounds.
"I have thanked the hobbit for his actions saving my life, but I have not yet thanked you for your actions. Your quick thinking in Goblin Town saved not only my life, but the lives of all of the members of this Company. For that I am forever grateful, for my sister's wrath would have been worse than a dragon's had anything happened to my nephews," Thorin said. Gwyn was quite startled by Thorin's gratitude, and his attempt at humor. She blushed and quickly finished her task, before muttering "You're welcome," and walking away.
That night, once again nestled between Fili and Kili, Gwyn found it difficult to sleep. Her mind was racing, trying to process everything that had happened since the Company departed Rivendell. Her mind lingered particularly on Kili's words in the cave, before the Company was dropped into Goblin Town. "Well, we wouldn't want our princess to catch cold," he'd said, but what did he mean by that? Then there were his and his brother's actions in Goblin Town, when the Great Goblin was threatening to kill Gwyn. They'd both looked absolutely murderous at the thought of any harm coming to me. The other dwarves wanted to protect me, sure, but Fili and Kili both looked like they would kill anyone who harmed me. Why are they so protective of me? Of course, these thoughts led Gwyn down the path of thinking about how she felt about the two dwarves. She knew that she was attracted to them, but she wondered about how deep that attraction went.
Morning came and Gwyn had barely slept. She did not let that slow her down though, and soon the Company was on the move again. The trek down the Carrock was slow and occasionally treacherous, but by the end of the day the entire Company had made it down safely. The dwarves set about setting up camp again, and Gwyn set off to gather firewood. She had a sizeable stack of wood in her arms when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She froze for a moment, listening closely, before continuing her chore. After a few moments she called out, "I can defend myself you know." She heard laughter and turned to face Fili and Kili.
"We've come to help you. You looked very tired today, so Kili and I thought you might appreciate the company and the assistance. Besides, Uncle said that no one was to leave camp alone," Fili said with a rather charming smile. Kili flashed her a grin before reaching to take the stack of wood in her arms.
"Thank you. I am tired, but I can manage gathering firewood just fine on my own. I do appreciate the company though," Gwyn responded with a small smile.
"Why couldn't you sleep last night?" Kili asked gently.
"I was thinking. How did you know I couldn't sleep?"
"We were on either side of you, we could feel you tossing and turning. What were you thinking about?" the darker haired dwarf answered.
"Oh. I am terribly sorry if I disturbed you. Aren't you tired today also?" Gwyn avoided answering Kili's question about what she was thinking about, keeping her confusion to herself for the time being. Although Gwyn had realized, over the course of the sleepless night, that she could very easily find herself falling in love with the handsome dwarf princes. The brothers shrugged, and the three soon had a large stack of firewood to take back to the camp.
That night, as the Company settled down to get some rest, Fili and Kili settled themselves on either side of Gwyn, as usual. They settled themselves a bit closer to Gwyn than they usually did though, pressing close to her and wrapping their arms around her. She figured it was because the brothers had lost their bedrolls in Goblin Town and the ensuing madness, and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from her sleeplessness the night before, and from the exertion of climbing down the Carrock. For the brothers however, sleep did not come as quickly, their thoughts taking a similar path as Gwyn's had the night before. The brothers both knew that they each cared for the girl, and while a situation like theirs was uncommon, it was not unheard of, especially among close siblings, for there to be a shared One between the siblings. Eventually though, the brothers fell asleep, each dreaming of the girl they held in their arms.
The next morning the Company set off again, Gandalf promising a safe place to stay and resupply. Gwyn noticed that since her minor injury in the fight on the cliff Fili and Kili had stayed particularly close to her. She felt herself flush with the implications of the brothers' actions. If any of the other members of the Company noticed the girl's red face, they made no mention of it, although several dwarves did throw winks to each other behind the backs of the girl and her two dwarven guards.
After walking for several hours, Gwyn heard something following the Company. Catching the others' eyes, Gwyn gestured that they were being hunted. She quickly climbed a tree and surveyed the area. That was when she noticed the orc pack heading for the Company. Jumping nimbly from the tree, she informed the others of her discovery. Gandalf and Thorin began urging the Company to run, with Gandalf assuring them that they would be safe with a friend of his.
While they were running, Gwyn tripped over a small outcropping and twisted her ankle with a cry. Fili and Kili turned back to help her stand, and when it became clear that she would not be able to run, Fili hoisted her onto his back as Kili relieved her of her pack. The brothers set off running once they were sure their cargo was secure. After a while Gwyn noticed that the Company had passed through a gate, and they were surrounded by bees that were easily as large as her hand, bobbing clumsily from flower to flower. Looking behind, Gwyn saw the orc pack emerge from the woods behind the Company and she gave a shout. Gandalf knocked on the door of the house at the other end of the meadow and when the door opened he quickly requested entrance for himself and his companions, who then piled through the door, relieved to be safe and indoors.