Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 13 of Seven Wonders. I want to thank those who have left reviews for this story. It truly does mean a lot to me that you guys are enjoying this story. I hope that you guys don't hate Artemis just yet. I promise she'll grow as a character. There is a trigger warning in this chapter about self harm. I am giving the warning now before we dive into this chapter. I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. Without further ado Chapter 13. ENJOY!

Chapter 13

They split up into their groups which all contained two people each. Bilbo and Gandalf, Thorin and Balin, Dwalin and Nori, Kili and Fili, Dori and Ori, Oin and Gloin, and Bifur, Bofur and Bombur together. The thoughts in their mind were that they could find her. They all knew that Thorin had to apologize to the small woman and not leave her behind in Rivendell as he had planned.

Each group began to look wherever they could in this vast land of Rivendell. Each group had hopes that they would find the 25-year-old.

Thorin and Balin had taken the east part of Rivendell; Bilbo and Gandalf had taken the palace; Kili and Fili took the West; Dwalin and Nori took the North; Dori and Ori took the east also; Oin and Gloin took the North as well; and Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur took the South.

"Gandalf?" Bilbo asked softly.

Gandalf looked over at Bilbo out of the corner of his eyes. "Yes, Biblo?"

"You are worried about her, why?"

"As anyone else should be worried about her. She doesn't have many people who care about her Bulbo. And that is what she needs here. Friends and perhaps a family. Thorin does not know what kind of damage that he has done by saying that to her. She will see herself now as unworthy to be part of this company. A dangerous thing he did. She'll despise him for the rest of the journey if she even decides to continue."

"Do you think that she'll stay behind in Rivendell?"

"I hope not, Bilbo. She is needed for this entire journey. Thorin is just too stubborn to realize how much she is truly needed." Yes, he was worried about Artemis as if she was his daughter and she was his to protect and watch over while she was in this world. He of course could only hope that she would be able to return to her world when it became time to do so. He could only hope that she would be able to if she wanted to.

Time seemed to have passed by and the company had yet to find the young woman. Which caused them to worry more. They had almost looked everywhere for her and there was no sign of her.

Artemis was next to the ocean looking out. Her eyes were red from the tears that she had cried because of what Thorin had said to her. Her arms were crossed underneath her chest and her feet were still very much bare. She moved her hand to wipe another tear that had fallen from her eyes. She could not understand why Thorin didn't trust her, but she was not what he had said she was. She was not a liability. She was a healer. She grabbed onto her necklace as she let out a shaky sob.

"Brother, do you hear that?" Kili asked his older brother softly.

Fili nodded his head. "Has to be Artemis."

The two of them were close to finding her. "Artemis." The two of them called out to her causing her to jump.

Artemis's eyes grew wide. She could only hope that they hadn't heard too much of her crying. "Fili… Kili… what on earth are you two doing here?" She asked softly, her voice cracking from how much she had cried.

"We've been looking all over the place for you," Fili told the young woman that he had grown to love her as a sister.

"We?" She asked, tilting her head to the side confused.

"The entire company. Gandalf was concerned about you." Kili told her.

Artemis let out a sigh. "Nothing to worry about. I just needed time away. What your uncle had said was greatly uncalled for." She lied, shaking her head. "But he does have a right to his own opinion of me regardless. He does not like me and I know that. There is nothing that is going to change his mind unless he does it all on his own. And by far he is the most stubborn dwarf that I've ever met."

"Come… we are supposed to meet for lunch," Fili said softly. With a smile.

"But…"

"Don't worry about Thorin. He will not say a word to you." Kili said, trying to comfort her. He didn't want her to not join them for lunch after the whole company spent so much time searching for her.

Artemis ran her hand through her loose brown curls and sighed. "Alright. I'll come with." She really could not say no to Kili or Fili because they would end up just dragging her along even if she said no. So she thought why not and began to walk with them. She remained silent as she walked behind the two princes.

They went to the courtyard where everyone said that they would be meeting up for lunch. Everyone was already there hoping that the young Durin princes had found her.

Balin smiled when he saw her. "Artemis lass you gave us a right scare." He told her. "You alright?"

Artemis forced a fake smile upon her lips. "I am perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about. Just needed some time away."

Gandalf locked his blue eyes with her brown ones. He knew that she wasn't telling the truth, but she didn't want to alert the company. "Artemis."

"Yes, Gandalf?"

"We will have to talk privately after lunch." He told her with a nod of his head.

"Fine we will Gandalf." She told him before they all sat down to begin to eat the lunch that the elves had made. So far still much to their distaste no meat was in their meal again. Artemis ate in silence ignoring the look from the company's leader. She would snap at him if she dared talk to him or even if he dared to talk to her. She was still sour about what had happened between the two of them and she would not be forgiving him so soon.

"Artemis, dear girl, come with me. We have much to speak about." Gandalf said getting up and leaving the table.

Artemis rose up to her feet and followed Gandalf away from the group. "Gandalf, this isn't an important talk and I know it."

"Dear girl it is." Gandalf said, looking at her. "You had done something to yourself."

"That does not matter Gandalf. So what if I have a few cuts on my arms." She shook her head. "It's not like I am an important piece to this puzzle. You only brought me here to change events and save three dwarves' lives so Dain will not get his hands on the Lonely Mountain that belongs rightfully to Throin and his nephews. Then I am going home once it all ends."

"Adding more scars to your body because of something that Thorin says does not have to be done. You don't have to believe what he says. Now show me your arms."

Artemis sighed knowing that Gandalf would not stop until he saw the wounds that she had given to herself. Artemis held her arms out to him like a child about to be scolded for something that she had done wrong and only being scolded because the person cared about her well-being.

Gandalf rolled up the sleeves of the gown to look at her arms. He ran his fingers over the six new marks that were on each arm. Twelve total new wounds. He was glad to see that they were not too deep from her cuts. That would have been a lot more concerning to the wizard if she cut way too deep and had more of a permanent damage on her nerves. "Artemis my dear. Please don't do this again to yourself."

Artemis leet out a sigh. She couldn't promise something like that. It was too hard to do so. "I cannot promise something like that Gandalf and you know that. Please tell me that they do not know about this."

"Artemis I had to tell them. I had to tell Thorin that he had made the mistake of talking to you the way that he did."

She let out a groan. "All more reasons for him to hate me Gandalf. Wonderful. He'll see me as a liability because I self harm." She took her arms back from him and fixed her sleeves. "Let's just face it Gandalf, perhaps him getting the dragon sickness and being killed in the Battle of the five armies…." She shook her head. "I can't help someone that stubborn make it through that and still succumb to the dragon sickness…. His greed will be far too great." She said as she began to walk away from him.

"And you could save him from that greed." Gandalf told her, causing the young woman to stop walking away from him.

Save him from his greed? How was she supposed to do that? "And how exactly am I supposed to do that? I can't fall in love with a bastard like that. He is too damn stubborn for his own good." She told him, crossing her arms. She looked down at the ground with a look of distraught. "Besides he sees me more as a thorn in his side and nothing more."

"He does not see you that way. You fail to realize that he sees you more than a thorn in the side."

"As a healer, yes. But nothing more. He thinks because I am a woman I know nothing of fighting. He mocks me Gandalf."

"Perhaps dear girl you can show him much more. Try to prove yourself to him. And I know you will do just that." He said, patting her shoulder lightly with his hand.

Artemis let out a sigh. She knew what Gandalf had said was true. She was going to have to prove herself to that stubborn dwarf even though she had thought that she had proven herself enough to him. She ran her hands through her brown hair and groaned. Throwing would never accept her and she knew it. She paced back and forth. She could save him but what would that lead to then? She would leave this world a place where she kind of belonged to go back to a world she hardly fit into in the first place due to her magical abilities.

Artemis began to walk back to where the dwarves were. She could only hope that Thorin would keep his mouth shut upon her return.

"Artemis, we were about to go and look for you." Fili said, looking at her.

"No need. Gandalf and I needed a private chat about something important. Nothing to truly worry about." She said waving it off as if the chat that she had with him wasn't none too important.

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This is the end of Chapter 13. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I tried my best to write this out. I've been writing this chapter out of my notebook. I know that there is now a trigger warning in this story of self harm. I hope that it won't trigger anyone. I tried to just skim over it and not go into great detail about it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Reviews will help me keep going when it comes to writing. I hope to have the next chapter out soon. Until next time.