Hey again! Now I'm not really gonna spend a lot of time on this trilogy of this story because I have other things in plan but I think this will make a difference all the same. Please check out killthepain62's fanfic Welcome Home for ye mind shall be blown!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit however I do own my characters and the artwork I put into this series.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Terrors Within The Mountain
Lian felt her consciousness slowly coming back to her and nearly wished she'd stayed in dreamless slumber for her body ached all over. The most concentrated area of pain was located along her back, deep, powerful throbbing matched her pulse and sent tingles of pain throughout her sore muscles. Her throat felt as though it had been rubbed raw; Lian felt horrid and lied upon the cot trying to recollect her scattered thoughts.
Sounds of cracking flesh and weak whimpers vividly played through her head, causing her heart to accelerate slightly. She clenched her jaw, practically hearing her teeth grind against each other as she tried to gain a semblance of composer; she was not going to display how much the encounter had deeply disturbed her.
Her ear twitched at the sound of footsteps beside her and it was then that she noticed she had been laid out on the cot on her stomach so her back may be easily accessed. She felt uneasy and cracker her eye to see a pair of legs stop beside her cot; her heart began to race and she snapped her hand out to grab their wrist when she saw them reach for her.
"What are ya doing?" She growled out, eyesight blurry as her muscles screamed but she refused to loosen her grip both out of pain and anxiety. The person stiffened and she heard shuffling from them but her vision was too blurry to see what they may be doing.
"L-lady Lian! You're awake!" They exclaimed and it was then Lian's vision sharpened and she took in the stranger beside her cautiously. It was a man, standing about 5'10 with soft features causing him resemble a boy more than a man; his body was lean and looked rather weak, not a trace of malicious intent on his face but she couldn't seem to put him in the same category as Ori. There was something within those pale grey eyes; something disturbing that Lian couldn't put her finger on.
"What are ya doing?" She said again, drawing it out into a low snarl as she never broke eye contact; finally he looked away rather meekly, eyes darting towards their connected flesh as if it embarrassed him.
"I-I was only checking your wounds, milady." He squeaked, pale face turning white and she finally released him after one more look over the young lad.
"Where am I?" She asked, noticing that the room was dimly lit with dwindling fire light from the half burned out torches, causing shadows to dance along the walls as the flames flickered. It must be night judging from how poorly lit the room was, the oil would have already been refilled if not.
"The hospital wing, you came in earlier today with ghastly wounds. If…if I may ask; what happened to you, milady?" He spoke softly, rubbing his wrist where she'd previously had a hold of him.
Lian watched the boy intently, carefully picking her words; odd that the one tending to her wasn't informed of her situation. "Ask around, I'm sure it's buzzing about." She snipped out, still untrusting of this man.
"S-sorry." He stuttered and Lian grew greatly annoyed by this attitude; as if she would randomly lash out on him. There was a hint of guilt towards her unusually cold demeanor but she was too weary to head much mind towards it.
"Milady, I really need to treat your wounds." The lad suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts and she once again narrowed her eyes upon him and she pursed her lips into a hard line.
"I can do it myself." She spoke stubbornly and she couldn't blame the lad for giving her a baffled look; she could hardly move much less tend to her own wounds; not like she could anyways considering they were on her back. The arm she had shit out now hung limply off the side of the cot; burning slightly from the exertion of the action, she must have pulled several muscles in her mad dash away and lack of exercise.
She lied glaring up at the lad until finally she had to except logic but not without a few threats. "If ya try anything funny I'll bite yer fucking fingers off." She snarled, meaning every word and the lad seemed to understand this as he cautiously reached forward to unravel the bloodied wrappings around her entire torso. Her cheeked heated up in shame when she was forced to show her nude top half towards this stranger but she tried to keep some dignity and not let it show how much it affected her.
She flinched violently however when his icy finger connected with the swollen and raw flesh of her back; stifling a cry of pain behind gritted teeth. She hadn't thought it would be this painful but she was sadly mistaken as she twitched and convulsed under every touch to the wound; forgetting her decency at the moment. Finally after applying a strong smelling salve to her wounds he wrapped her wounds once more and she slowly began to relax her stiff and throbbing muscles.
Her breathing was coming in a bit heavier now but she ignored it as she glanced over at the lad once more. He seemed genuinely sympathetic towards her and she wondered if she had been a bit judgmental towards the lad. However she did not get the chance to ponder more on the subject before the doors to the room opened to reveal a worn looking Thorin, dark locks falling into his tired expression.
Lian felt her previous guard slip away at the sight of the dwarf, rigid features softening as she looked upon the man with absolute adoration. His features however did not soften upon the sight of her open eyes; instead they hardened, causing Lian to freeze.
"Leave us." He growled at the lad and without a word he did so, leaving the two alone in the dimly lit room.
"Thor-." She began but he was quick to cut her off.
"What where you thinking?! You should have never been wandering around without a companion; you're lucky you escaped with only scratches!" He bellowed, not holding back the brute of his rage. Lian flinched back, not expecting this but her stubborn streak couldn't help but rear its head back as she narrowed her eyes once more.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't excepting to find some man-eating monster roaming about!" She yelled back, temper rising as her back muscled screamed with every twitch.
"You're lucky it wasn't you, Lian! You could have ended up mutilated beyond recognition just like the body we found!" He growled, broad shoulders tensing up as he clenched his jaw.
"If I hadn't have stumbled across it we'd still be in the dark on the matter and even more victims would fall prey to the beast!" She retaliated; voice cracking unintentionally as she grew in volume.
"Stop playing the hero, Lian!" He roared, slamming his fist into the bedside table, causing the wood to groan under the force of his rage.
She went silent, throat tight as she watched Thorin, stubborn tears threatening to brim as she set her jaw. Thorin's temper finally sizzled down and he allowed a soft edge onto his features, kneeling down to take her face into his hands as she lay on her stomach. "I can't lose you too, Lian. Not now; not like this." His voice trembled slightly and Lian felt her bottom lip jut out at his display of emotion.
"I'm not leaving ya, Thorin." She whispered, lip trembling as she locked eyes with the dwarf and she began to force her arm to reach up and cradle his worn cheek. He held the hand there with his own, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath as he pressed their foreheads together. When he finally did open his eyes he peered over at her bandage clad back, pain contorting his features at the sight but she quickly drew his face back to hers; showering him in light feathery kisses as best as she could while on her stomach.
"Don't be afraid, Thorin. Ya should know I'm far too stubborn to die over some cat scratches." She breathed, adding a playful edge to her words as she brushed her lips softly across his closed eyelids; the dwarf sighing heavily under her touch. He pulled away slightly, opening his eyes to stare into hers and she could tell he was still greatly disturbed.
"We found out the name of the woman in the mines from one of the search party members; her family didn't even know she was missing until we told them. Her name was Priscilla; her family came with the Men of Dale to attend the gathering." Thorin whispered, his deep voice almost melting into the crackling of the torches. "Barely a woman…still so young to the world."
Lian felt her throat close up at the memory of the said woman; Lian had been there when she was still alive, heard her whimpers and she couldn't help but wish she could have done something. Thorin had looked sick recalling the memory and she could only imagine what shape the body was in when they found it; It made her own stomach lurch.
"You should have seen her family, Lian…Their faces when they found out she was dead and how mangled her body was; I had to tell them why they couldn't see her." Thorin spoke through clenched teeth now, jaw flexing as guilt colored his expression
With a grunt Lian brought her arms up under her and pushed herself onto her elbow while facing the dwarf beside her. Her muscles were on fire and Thorin instantly tried to lay her back down but she swatted him away. "Thorin Oakensheild, don't ya dare blame yerself for the tragedies that have befallen that girl; ya are not at fault here." She said, a bit breathless but she held his clear gaze with determination.
"If ya want to somehow make it up to that girls family then find and kill the monster that killed her; that is the only thing ya can do to lessen their pain. The rest is something they need to bare on their own." Lian's tone had softened and she took Thorin's large hand in her smaller one and gave a firm squeeze.
"You should rest; your wounds are still fresh." Thorin softly laid her back down, rough hands gliding over her exposed arms and Lin couldn't help but shiver at the contact. The dwarf placed a tender kiss against her temple as the weight of her exhaustion hit her; she was so tired but she didn't want him to leave.
"Wait, where's Rowan?" Her voice was thick with her sudden exhaustion and she's sure she was mumbling.
"Don't worry; my sister is taking care of her." Thorin reassured her, petting her soft hair that had been recently washed along with her wounds. Lian grew more and more tired listening to the deep rumbling of the dwarves voice, skin tingling pleasantly as she hummed in appreciation.
"I didn't know…yer sister…was here..." She struggled to form the words around her heavy tongue but she forgot all about it as she drifted to sleep. Not knowing if her words were even coherent enough to understand or if he'd even said anything back at all.
"Why can't I go back to my own chambers?" Lian complained; brows furrowed in displeasure as she attempted to crane her neck towards the dwarf.
"Because it's more convenient and far safer to keep you here so stop complaining; Denson will take good care of you." Oin reassured her, motioning towards the lad she'd met the previous night. She glared openly at the boy, flaring her nostrils as her anger bubbled up inside her at just the thought of being under the care of this brat.
"He looks like a twat." She spat crudely, causing the two males to bristle at her vulgar language; she wasn't usually this aggressive but something about the lad had her feathers ruffled.
"Well he's my apprentice so he'll be the one to look after you while I'm away so deal with it." Oin huffed, not in the mood for the girl's inappropriate comments; he had full faith in the lad despite him being of the world of Men. He wasn't about to let her bratty complaints deter him from his work even if she's a friend and fiancé to his king.
"I refused to be bathed and cared for by this blubbering buffoon!" Lian shouted as Oin made his way towards the door of the infirmary.
"You have no choice!" Oin finally snapped, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving the fuming girl and fidgeting apprentice.
"Lady Li-." Denson begun but she cut him off.
"Don't try to fool me with yer meek attitude, boy. I can smell the worm ya are under that sweet exterior so if ya dare do anything beyond yer job then I'll beat ya black and blue." She seethed, green eyes narrowed as the lad shrank back.
"I-I have you know that I am very professional when it comes to my job." He replied as if trying to hold his own but Lian simply turned her nose up and away from him.
Lian knew her attitude was rotten towards the lad but every time she thought of possibly making peace with him she'd get a gut retching feeling just watching him scurry around doing his work. His entire existence was like a punch in the gut to her, making her constantly on edge with him.
Her kin came and visited her and she felt glad to let her guard down a little, Oin's leave had come at the worst time possible so she took comfort in her companions as much as possible. Almost all the dwarves had visited her when they could spare time from their busy lives; they updated her on any new occurrences and whatnot. Sadly their visits had grown fewer with the busing of the kingdom and she was left with more and more time left watching Denson closely.
Thorin had been visiting every night but she had to send him away almost immediately from the horrid state he was in; dark bruises colored his eyes from lack of sleep and she noticed a few more grey hairs popping up along with the haggard appearance of his face. He was killing himself over finding the beast as well as trying to keep peace with the clans; the attack had made them all weary and fearful they may be next. The last three nights Thorin hadn't come and Lian felt completely useless knowing how much he wore himself down and though he'd sworn and up and down he was fine she could see through the half-hearted lie.
The only person Lian could count on visiting everyday was Dis, Thorin's sister, she brought along Rowan and Lian felt grateful for the woman's loyalty. It was so odd that her own kin had stopped visiting regularly and hurt her deeply; she found herself sinking into almost a depressed state at times until she slapped herself out of it; sometimes literally. Dis was incredibly sweet and great company; she too was concerned about the recent state of the kingdom and its people.
Another woman had been found in the same condition as the last, this time in the Entry Hall in plain sight. The event sent everyone into a panic and it was setting a thing sullen mood for everyone; everything was grim and fearful. Lian herself had grown stressed through the week after the attack; her caution towards Denson hadn't lessened and she worried not only for Thorin's health but the safety of anyone who could be the next victim to the monster she'd seen. Tension was heavy everywhere and she knew something had to give eventually, she just hoped it wouldn't be in light of another attack.
Lian could feel it; the heavy breathing bathing her face in heat as every hair on her skin stood up in alert. The wet sound of stretching flesh and the rumbling of a growl as it crawled up the creature's throat; it was preparing to feast. Her heart was pounding; skin squirmed and muscles twitched as her natural instinct to fight surged through her body but she was frozen. Everything was dark and she could not see anything but she made up for it with her other senses; the putrid smell of rotting flesh was thick and she felt her stomach jerk in an attempt to empty her stomach but nothing came up.
'Flesh…rich and tender…I need flesh but not any flesh will do. I need woman meat! So soft and willing when coaxed the right way. Yes, it's very easy…except one. She disturbed me and exposed me! I tasted her flesh and need it the most but devouring her would surely lead to my death! It's her fault! She sent me into hiding so she must pay for it but not with death. No she's far too rare for my kind; I will savor her until the day she dies. She'll be Mine!"
Lian's chest constricted dangerously and without thinking she threw her arm out, fist connecting with something soft and her eyes snapped open, finally awake to reality. Her breathing came out heavy and sweat moistened her skin as her body trembled. A loud grunt drew her attention and she looked over to see Denson cradling his nose; blood pouring from his hands and she felt her stomach drop.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to!" She suddenly blurted out, unable to stop herself from her initial reaction even if it was towards him. She quickly hopped out of bed, wincing at the ache on he back but it was far better than when she had come in a week and a half ago.
Lian found a rag and quickly rushed over to place it against the lad's bloodied nose despite his insistence that he could do it himself. Her hands were shaking as she held the rag to his nose, still in the aftereffects of her nightmare. His nose wasn't broken luckily but she still insisted that she be the one to clean him up; it provided an excellent distraction.
She wiped his nose clear of blood gently, focusing on the task at hand but the lingering horror of her dream still nagged the back of her mind. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice that she was being spoken too until Denson grabbed her hand gently.
"Are you okay?" He asked and for a second she lost herself in his clear grey eyes, almost luring her in but Lian quickly snapped back, appalled to find that she had been subconsciously leaning in. Her stomach suddenly tightened up in knots and in that moment she couldn't hold down the heave of her gut, barely having enough time to turn her head and empty her stomach on the ground.
Cool hands brushed against the bare flesh of her neck, holding back her hair as she vomited. This however only made her feel even worse and in-between her heaves she pushed him away aggressively; her racing heartbeat almost drowning out everything.
"Don't touch me!" She spat venomously but the threat didn't have much power to it for as soon as she finished she was forced over in another heave. Her arms felt as if they were about to give out under her they shook so bad and her breathing came in ragged drags as a cold sweat broke out across her flesh. "What did ya do to me?!"
"I haven't done anything." He insisted and for a moment her head spun with reconsidering her accusations and even more so when she felt his slender arms wrap around her waist. Her wounds began to burn at the feel of his chest against them and she cried out in pain; flinching away from his touch.
"Lies!" She gasped, contracting muscles attempting to empty more of her stomach but there was nothing left and made for a dry heave instead. Denson places his lips against her ear, softly trying to hush her but this only made her fight harder. He wasn't human, he was something far worse; he was an abomination!
"What have ya done to me?!" Lian screamed, throat almost feeling raw from the action; however she didn't even have the chance to find out as the existence of her consciousness receded into the dark and she passed out.
Lian just be feeling Bleh. Just Bleh.