For the second time on our journey, some daft fool thought that early morning horn blowing after a late night of drinking (and other such indulgences) was a good idea.
Bofur and I were rudely jolted awake as the jarring music, if it could even be called that, drifted through both window and wood wall, and thusly affronted our rather sleep-deprived senses.
I moaned and turned over into the pillow, Bofur however sat straight up.
"By my beard, is that the time?!" He exclaimed as he tried to untangle himself from the blankets, earning another unhappy moan from myself as he partially uncovered me in the process.
"I have to go, love, I'm late!" He said as he stood up and scrambled around the room for his clothing.
My slowly churning thoughts finally caught up with me, and then went into overdrive. I pushed myself up as well, my grogginess leaving me in an instant as I understood what his words meant. This was goodbye, yet now we had no time for it. I clamoured to my feet, pulling a sheet off the bed with me to cover myself, and quickly retrieved Bofur's hat and scarf as he frantically pulled on his boots.
I followed him, sheet and all, as he ran downstairs and to the door. He reached to open it and I felt my chest tighten, yet then he dropped his hand and turned to look at me, his expression unreadable.
"I'm sorry I made you late." I said with a small, sad grin as I pulled the sheet up closer against my chest.
Bofur smiled, his eyes suddenly filling with warmth as he stepped up to me.
"I wouldn't have traded last night for anything." He said, placing a hand on my cheek. He then guided me down into a quick, but heartfelt kiss.
"We will see each other again." He said briskly, nodding as if in assurance.
I felt a lump form in my throat as he opened the door. I whispered a weak goodbye when he shot me one last look, hesitating on the threshold, his eyes full of sadness. I nodded at him, as if in assurance as well, and then he stepped out and took off towards the harbour.
The finality of his departure set in when I shuffled forward to close the door. I turned back to look at my empty home. I was alone now. On my own. I numbly tried to think of how to fill my day but nothing quite seemed worth my time. I managed to muster the will and energy to relight my fireplace and mechanically ate a jar of preserved applesauce. I even got dressed, donning my travel clothes, more for nostalgic value than anything. That, and the fact that I was so used to wearing trousers from weeks of travel that I now found wearing a dress rather restrictive. And then I sat, and watched the patterns in the flames of my fireplace, and let time slip by unnoticed.
When frantic knocking jarred me out of my reverie I sat a moment longer, frowning in confusion at the noise. I then deliberately got up and opened the door a crack, ready to bluntly turn away any visitors. I definitely did not expect to see not only Bofur, but Kili, Fili and Óin waiting on my doorstep.
"Miss me?" Bofur asked with a small grin as I opened the door its full breadth, my mouth hanging open in surprise. Bofur looked back at Kili, who was being heavily supported by the other two, and when he turned back to me his expression had darkened. "We need help. He's unwell..."
My breath caught in my chest as I took in how truly sick Kili appeared. I silently cursed the stubbornness of dwarves, knowing he did not make good on his promise last night to get treated, but I quickly stepped aside to let them in. Fili guided his brother to sit down. I ran and fetched a glass of water then sat beside him.
"Kili?" I asked gently, though he seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. I repeated myself more firmly and his glossed over eyes finally seemed to focus on me for a moment. "Here, try to drink." I said as I lifted the glass to his lips. He only managed a small amount before his eyes drifted and closed once more. I set the glass down and then leaned forward and pressed my cheek to his to check his temperature, a method my mother used when I was a child.
"He's burning up." I said when I pulled away. I fearfully looked up at Óin and spoke more loudly. "What do you need?"
He listed off a few medicinal items plus a few herbs that he thought would reduce his fever.
I stood up and shook my head. "I don't have anything here. We should take him to the Master, he will know of a healer, or at least where to get supplies."
The others agreed and Fili hoisted Kili up once more. I shot a concerned glance at Bofur as they went out in front of us; he frowned, which did nothing to reassure me.
"Had you missed the others this morning then?" I asked Bofur as we hurried towards the centre of town. "Or did Thorin want all of you to stay behind with Kili?"
"Nah, I didn't make it to the dock in time, they were well underway." He said with a shrug as we kept pace behind the others. "I'm not complaining though, I'd rather be here to help... Plus I damn near turned around just to stay with you anyway." He added more quietly. I cast him a small smile.
As we approached the mansion, the town square was lined with guards. We quickly shoved past them and saw the Master and Alfrid just ascending the stairs.
"Please wait!" Fili shouted as we lurched to a stop at the bottom of the steps.
"What do you want? I've had enough of dwarves for one day." The Master spat, waving his hand dismissively as he turned towards his door.
"Please, we need your help! My brother is sick!" Fili begged.
"Sick?" The Master repeated worriedly as he pulled out a handkerchief and held it over his mouth. "Get back! Alfrid, don't let them come any closer."
I scowled and stepped forward. "Surely there is something you would be willing to-"
"Oh no, you get away!" he said, pointing at me and taking a few steps backward towards his door. "We know what you are! Traitor to your people, isn't she, Alfrid?"
Alfrid sauntered to the edge of the stairs and sneered down at me. "What? Thought you're actions last night went unnoticed?" he drawled as I stared up at him in utter bewilderment.
"It's a disgrace!" the Master half-shouted, shaking his finger at me.
"Just revolting." Alfrid added haughtily, tilting his head.
"Revolting!?" I shrieked at him. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"
The Master tutted and moved to open his door. "It was smart of your mother to sell you off." he added, looking back at me. "Best choice she ever made, really. Better than her choice in men at any rate."
"She did not sell me, you bastard!" I spat, glaring at him with as much detestation as I could muster. The venom in my voice caused him to pause and look down on me over his shoulder.
"Oh-ho! But you don't know, do you?" he exclaimed almost gleefully, turning to face us and rubbing his hands together. "Indeed! She sold you into labour for a purse full of coins to fuel her -ahem- addictions. You were nothing but a burden."
I moved to lunge forward, wanting to run up the steps and throttle the man senseless, but Bofur quickly took my arm and held me back.
I angrily spun around, ready to simply wrench out of his grasp, but he shook his head slightly, his face turned down in fearful concern as he glanced back at his companion, at our friend. I looked at Kili's slumped figure and nodded, taking a steadying breath and trying to let my fury die. Now was not the time.
"Come," I said softly. "There's one other who may help."
The guards were eager to shove us away from the square, which did nothing to help my agitation as I began to lead the dwarves through the town, but after a few turns my memory began to fail me.
"Bard." I said suddenly to Bofur. "You were at his place; do you remember where it is?"
"I don't think he'll let us in." Bofur said quietly as I looked around, completely at a loss of where I was. My gaze fell on Kili, who seemed to now be in a dead faint as Fili and Óin appeared to be struggling to hold him upright.
"It's our only option!" I cried, becoming increasingly frustrated with wasting time. "Do you know where to go or not?"
Bofur nodded and took my hand, squeezing it before pulling me in the right direction.
I ran forward and pounded on the door when we found the right house. Similar to my own mannerisms this morning, Bard only opened it a crack, peering out suspiciously. His expression softened when he saw it was me and he opened it a little wider, but then he noticed the others coming up behind me and stalled his movement.
"No. I'm done with dwarves." He said firmly. "I'm sorry." He added, glancing at me apologetically before beginning to pull the door shut once more.
"No, please!" I shouted, jamming my hand in and causing him to halt his action lest he wished to crush my fingers. He sighed and looked at me impatiently, waiting for an explanation.
"Please, Bard, no one will help us. Kili is sick. His wound has festered." I said quickly and pleadingly. Bard looked over my shoulder and then sighed once more before permitting us inside.
He allowed Kili to be brought over to a small bed where Óin quickly undid the bindings on his leg to examine the injury. I hovered back, waiting to see if he needed anything.
Bard lightly touched my arm and quickly introduced his children to me. I vaguely remembered the older two from when I still lived in town, but would likely not have recognized them if I had seen them in passing.
"The head of the arrow is still there, I need to cut it out." Óin announced, talking a few steps towards us. "I need hot water, clean cloths, more light, and a needle with sinew or thread. And a clean razor - your sharpest."
While materials piled in, he made Kili as comfortable as he could be, laying him with his top half up on the bed and his legs over the edge, his wounded leg stretched out on one of the table benches, which he had first covered with a clean scrap cloth. The last piece to arrive was the razor, boiled to disinfect it as best they could. Óin sat on a chair beside the makeshift sick-bed, positioned his supplies within hands reach but out of harm from potential flailing limbs, and then bade us all near.
"The less he moves the better." He stated simply. "Hold him." He instructed, nodding to our party. Fili and I took up positions flanking Kili's shoulders on the bed, where I laid a hand on his brow. The others did likewise along the length of his body.
"Bofur..." Óin began, drawing my attention to the nervous wreck of a dwarf holding the candle. "...best you just hold the light. Bring it closer now." Bofur smiled in thanks for not being expected to get too near the trauma, but it turned sheepish under my gaze. I smiled softly to reassure him that it was alright.
"Hold him steady now." Óin said as he washed his hands. He then took up the razor and positioned the blade at the base of the arrow shaft which, though jagged and broken mostly off, still protruded from the wound. "Alright laddie, this will hurt." He met Kili's gaze, the young dwarf was breathing rapidly to retain some lucidity.
"Do it." Kili begged, and Fili shoved a chuck of leather into Kili's mouth then nodded at the healer to begin. Kili's muffled yell echoed through the small dwelling as the blade pierced the hot, infected flesh.
Óin cut away from the arrow shaft a small distance in one direction, widening the wound in a razor thin incision. He did the same in the other direction. Our party leaned all our weight on the patient, with Fili almost draped across his brother's chest - all his pain and anguish channelled into fighting to keep his brother's uncontrollable writhing from causing more harm.
Óin then slowly inserted a finger into the new incision, tracing the shaft down into the wound and causing a whole new level of pain. I lay my body against Fili's back, my arms with his pushing down to keep Kili still.
"Bless me...the arrow hasn't hit bone. And no arteries either." Óin exclaimed, and then reinserted the razor blade to make two quick, precise cuts to deepen those he made prior. He then set the blade down, gripped the exposed metal end of the arrowhead and pulled hard. The wicked looking black arrowhead came free, and for a brief moment we all gaped at the horrid perfection that had gone into this piece of weaponry. Then, before our eyes, the arrowhead crumbled to ash.
"Blasted orc sorcery." Óin grumbled, dusting his hands together, though he seemed to make no more of it as he began to clean the wound. Kili's body relaxed slightly and I stood up and stepped back beside Bofur who was looking at the floor as he held out the light. I placed a hand on his shoulder and waited while Óin finished stitching the wound shut with needle and thin sections of sinew before binding it with the clean bandages.
Kili still looked ashen, his clothing soaked through with sweat, but when Fili removed his grip on him he seemed to be laying quite peacefully.
"There now, his body should be able to start healing properly." Óin said as he wiped his hands clean. "Give him some water then let the lad rest. If we're lucky his fever should go down by tomorrow."
Fili busied himself in tending to his brother, settling him properly in the bed and retrieving some water while Bard and his eldest daughter, Sigrid, cleaned up the surrounding area. Bofur went and spoke with Óin quietly for a few moments then sidled back to me and touched my hand.
"Let's go get some air." He said quietly, setting down the candle holder.
I nodded and followed him out the door.
"Some air?" I repeated teasingly once we had walked around the corner, looking at him with a grin and raising my eyebrows suggestively.
Bofur laughed and grabbed my middle, causing me to laugh as he reeled me gently around and pushed against the outer wall of the nearest house.
"That is not what I meant." He said into my neck with a smile, trailing a kiss along my skin. "But don't tempt me."
"Don't tempt me then." I giggled, pushing him off me, worried someone would see.
Bofur grabbed my wrist and tugged me along with him.
"Truth is I really did need to get out for a while. Óin says Kili will likely sleep for most of the day, he should be fine." Bofur explained more seriously.
I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my chest; I'm sure Bofur felt similarly.
"Lunch at my place?" I asked lightly.
"Lead the way." He replied with a smile.
A few minutes later I was desperately shoving aside dusty jars in my house's old, ill-stocked pantry looking for something actually decent to serve to my guest.
"So when I said lunch... I actually meant -" My words faltered when I pulled aside an old milk crate and suddenly revealed rows of bottles: gin, whiskey, beer, wine. It was quite the impressive array of drinks; more than one household should have, more than we could have ever afforded when I lived at home.
I sighed, my thoughts darkening.
"Everything alright?"
I jumped at the nearness of his voice and tried to shove the crate back into place, attempting to hide the secret, but Bofur was already behind me, a hand on my back, and his expression told me he had indeed seen the collection.
I turned and smiled stiffly.
"Yes. Yes of course." I said, my voice rather high pitched as I tossed my hands into the air. "We can just down a bottle of scotch for lunch, like my mother apparently did."
I stomped past an open-mouthed Bofur and rushed upstairs as he called my name and stumbled after me.
I began tearing the room apart, searching for something, searching for signs. I found another half empty bottle in the nightstand. I rifled through her vanity, and found nothing, which was also a problem. She once owned a few pieces of jewellery that my father had brought back for her from trading ventures. Jewellery she treasured and had promised to me when I was old enough. I found none of it. Bofur said my name slowly, but I ignored him and continued to frantically search, hoping to find some sign, some explanation, perhaps a hidden box of the precious items from my father. I needed to know she didn't sell those too in place of the bottles that seemed littered throughout my childhood home.
I yanked all the clothes out of the wardrobe and then dropped to the floor, defeated and feeling utterly betrayed.
"She sold it all." I muttered, absently sliding the piles of clothing away from me.
"What, love?" Bofur asked, sitting on his knees behind me and placing his hands on my arms.
I looked around, overwhelmed and almost confused by it all. "There was this opal necklace... And other things, from my father." I said listlessly. "Not really valuable... But priceless in other ways. She sold it all… I don't remember her drinking much, but perhaps she hid it from me, or maybe it got worse after I left." I paused for a moment, not quite wanting to voice aloud my next thoughts, but needing to get them out of my head. "What if the Master was right? What if she sold me as well?"
"No, lass, don't think that. I'm sure that's not what happened." Bofur swiped my hair over my shoulder and kissed the back of my neck. "You said you signed a contract to become employed."
I sighed and nodded. "But that could have been part of it for all I know, some hidden clause about a payment to go to her." I shook my head, trying to accept this new reality, and leaned back into Bofur as he wrapped his arms around me. I suddenly felt naive and embarrassed, I had been living a complete lie. I held my breath for a moment in anger, then let it out in a huff. This was not my life now, I had a new one, and I was not about to let it get any fouler.
I spun around and looked at Bofur. He, understandably, seemed unsure what to say but lifted his fingers and brushed my hair away from my forehead.
"Kiss me." I said calmly but slightly pleadingly. Bofur studied me, his eyes searching mine, but when I said no more he nodded slightly then abruptly grabbed behind my head and claimed my mouth with a hungry passion set to distract me.
For a while I was appeased. I kissed Bofur with a one-track mindedness that allowed me to become fully comfortable with exploring him, trying to learn his rhythms and likes as he attempted to do so for me. I was still in new territory and it was quite exhilarating. We somehow tumbled onto the bed and I willed myself to forget, everything, to erase the world around me and focus solely on the feeling of his hands on my body, his mouth against mine. Eventually, however, I realized that I could not completely let go of the nagging worries and disappointments I was now faced with. These dark thoughts kept trickling into the back of my mind and I had to focus harder and harder to ignore them. Bofur eased up slightly, likely sensing my growing lack of enthusiasm. He lightly kissed the side of my mouth before moving back to look at me, taking up my hand and weaving his fingers with mine.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently.
I slowly shook my head. "I'm feeling a little tired. Perhaps I'll just rest a while."
Bofur nodded and pulled a blanket up, arranging it over us as I turned over and closed my eyes. He wrapped an arm around me as I attempted to clear my head by letting sleep take over.
I was able to nap for most of the day. Bofur left in the evening to check on Kili and I woke when he returned. He assured me everything was fine, Kili was still asleep, and that we could wait until morning to visit him again.
"Did you tell someone where we were, just in case they need us?" I asked, still somewhat anxious since I hadn't seen Kili with my own eyes.
"Aye. Bard seemed to know the house. He also sent some food, if you're hungry?"
I nodded and followed Bofur downstairs to see a savoury meat pie of some sort waiting on the table. I made a mental note to pay Bard and his family back as I gratefully served each of us up a piece.
We turned in early that night as I was still harbouring a rather dark mood and did not feel up to talking much. Bofur, fortunately, did not seem to mind, and I felt a jot of happiness strike through my gloomy thoughts when he helped me fall asleep by gently stroking my back while humming softly under his breath.
The following afternoon we quietly let ourselves in at Bard's without bothering to knock. Bard was in the back rummaging through a cupboard and his children were in another room. Fili got up when he spotted us and walked over, his expression somewhat strained.
"His fever hasn't gone down." He said, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. "In fact it's gotten worse."
"Worse!" Bofur repeated worriedly. "How?"
Fili shook his head and we followed him back to Kili's beside. Though still in a restless sleep, Kili's body was trembling and his skin remained pale. We wordlessly pulled up chairs and sat at his bedside. A short while later he woke. Nearly immediately his face scrunched up in pain and he began moaning and tossing about despite our efforts to calm him.
The day dragged by as we took turns helping Óin brew teas and poultices or helping Bard's daughters prepare meals. Fili, however, would not leave Kili's side and spoke to his brother softly in Khuzdul while holding a cool cloth against his head.
Finally, a few hours after the sun had set, Kili seemed to stabilize, and Óin told me to go home to get some sleep. Bofur said he was going to stay behind a while to take over for Fili so that he might get some rest. I nodded in acquiescence, noting how tired the young prince looked. He had likely not slept at all since Kili fell ill.
"I'll send Bain if anything changes." Bard promised, noting my reluctance to leave. When I still hesitated, he set me a task to do on the way back to his house the next morning.
"My stores are dwindling. I hadn't expected such company..." He explained as he handed me a rather sparse feeling coin-purse. "Stop at the market tomorrow when it first opens and see if any fresh food has come in. If not..." He glanced back to the dwarves, who had already imposed so much on his hospitality. "Well, we'll settle for something less fresh." He flashed me a grim smirk, and then bade me goodnight.
The next morning I awoke and prepared hurriedly, eager to get to the market to procure the best food I could find - primarily to help speed Kili's recovery, but well cooked meals would also serve the purpose of keeping everyone's spirits up in such a troublesome time. I dug out from the pantry the only basket that seemed somewhat presentable, pulled my coat on, checked for the coin-purse I had left in my pocket the night before, and then bustled out the door. I was in such a hurry that I didn't even notice the dwarf sitting on an upturned bucket outside until the door slammed behind me, causing him to let out a loud snore.
"Bofur!" I half-shouted in surprise, causing him to automatically jump to his feet and right the hat which he had pulled down over his eyes to keep out the first rays of morning light.
"What time is it?" He asked blearily, rubbing the side of his face, before noticing that it was me. "Ah - good morning my dear."
"You startled me! What are you doing sleeping out here?" I exclaimed, dropping the basket and moving to smooth out his coat a bit. He drew me in closer.
"The door was locked," he began, then paused to plant a kiss on my lips before I could retort. "But I noticed that the hardware is all rusted out, I could have easily broken in - then I thought that others might have the same idea. So standing guard seemed like the safest option. Desperate times make for hard folk." He stated, casting a wary glance about us.
"Bofur, who's going to rob an old, derelict house?" I demanded, pulling away from him with some frustration at the trouble he had gone through to keep me safe. I retrieved my basket and then offered out my arm for him to take. He linked his arm in mine and I began to guide him towards the market.
"It isn't robbery I was worried about." He stated bleakly, but said no more about it, leaving my imagination to fill in the blanks.
We arrived at the market and I collected as many useful food items as I could afford with Bard's coin. We got more than a few second glances, and a few folk stared directly at Bofur with curious expressions. It had been many years since dwarves had been present within the town, and children especially gaped at my companion with a mixture of awe and fear. Bofur, however, just smiled and tipped his hat, which would cause a lot of the bairns to smile back shyly as he passed by.
"I still need flour and eggs if you see any." I commented after procuring a bundle of carrots.
We made it through the next few stalls without purchasing any of their wares, for much of it was close to spoiling. It was hard to turn down the shopkeepers' offers - perhaps they expected the dwarves of Erebor to come laden with treasures, and yet here we were spending borrowed coin. Many looked on the verge of destitution, and yet they all remained civil even when we dashed their hopes by politely declining their goods.
"Oh, there's Bard there." I said as I spotted him on the edge of the market speaking to an older man. I felt a moment of panic rising in my chest wondering if his presence meant that something had happened to Kili and he was trying to find us. Yet when I saw Bard glance at us, but not immediately try to gain our attention, I reasoned it was nothing urgent. We continued on, finding a small cask of flour (nearly insect free) and a dozen eggs.
After seeing his conversation come to an end we wandered over to the bargeman, Bofur laden with the cask and vegetables and I with my basket. He greeted us as we approached, appraising the goods we had gathered and accepting the now nearly depleted coin-purse back. When we asked how Kili was, Bard seemed characteristically bleak.
"He was awake and aware when I left, though for how long is anyone's guess. The older dwarf - Óin, was it? - asked that if I saw you to send you his way."
We hurried back to Bard's and Óin accosted us before we got to Kili's bedside. I handed over our groceries to Bard's eldest and waited for an update.
"He's no better." Óin admitted without much preamble. "If his fever doesn't break soon... well, no good can come of it."
I tried to keep breathing calmly though I felt a wave of cold fear wash over me. Fili got up and joined us, his face sombre.
"Bofur and I could leave, try to catch up to Thorin-" I began, but Fili shook his head and cut me off.
"No." he said glumly. "If he were to hear of any ill-news regarding Kili he might abandon the quest altogether, then it will have all been for nothing."
"I fear it will be a hard few days." Óin commented before he returned his attention to Kili. We followed behind him and watched as he prepped his workspace in order to change the bandages. I watched behind Óin's shoulder as he exposed Kili's leg. It was obvious that the injury was continuing to fester as pus oozed out between the stitching.
"He may still pull through." he muttered as he set to work.
I looked back at Fili and Bofur. We all had the same fearful expression and, though we would never dare to vocalize it, I knew were thinking the same: What if he did not pull through?
Three more days passed worryingly by as there was no improvement in the young dwarf. There were periods when he was awake, and in those times we managed to feed him light soups and replenish his fluids. Yet we could all see the paleness growing in his skin, his face becoming gaunt and his strength continually fading.
Though I was loath to leave in case anything happened, I found I needed time away from Kili's sickbed as it was emotionally draining and I hadn't the energy to watch him night and day. With the continued reassurance that Bain would come to fetch me if there was any change, I retreated to my house for regular breaks, in which I set myself to mundane organizing and cleaning, or even just napping. Curiously Bofur took up whittling when he had no duties to attend to, both at Bard's house and at my own. At first I watched him with interest, but it seemed a very slow process so I soon tired of it and left him be.
I was surprised when I got up the next morning to see him sitting at his allotted workstation at the table with four completed wooden toys sitting in front of him; horses of such detail that I let out a noise of wonder as I carefully picked one up to inspect.
"These are wonderful!" I commented as I gently set it back down and turned to beam down at him. Bofur grinned in thanks and sat back in his chair, stretching his hands out.
"They just need a quick coat of oil. I had a mind to try and sell 'em at the market today." he explained. "Perhaps I can make enough to get a bit more food and supplies."
I nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good idea. I'm certain they will sell, for a decent price even. Laketown hasn't had a decent toymaker since... before I was born at any rate." I looked the horses over once more, smiling in admiration. "My toys were rubbish compared to these. In fact, I may be somewhat jealous of the children that get them."
My shriek of surprise turned into laughter as Bofur suddenly reached and grabbed onto my waist, tugging me down so that I mostly fell onto his lap. He secured his arms around me as I placed my own about his neck.
"You flatter me." he said into my neck before placing a brusque kiss upon it. He then moved up to my ear. "You know I'll craft you anything you like, I'll whittle you a whole cavalry if you desire."
I turned my head and pressed my lips to his, then smiled against his mouth.
"Alright." I said, pulling back slightly to look him in the eye. "One day I'd like you to make me a dog figurine. And I don't mean a cute little dog; I'd like a hunting dog, a noble hound."
"That's it?" he asked as he rubbed my leg absentmindedly. I nodded with a grin. "Well, I think I can manage that."
I left him to finish up while I got ready and we travelled back to the market together. As I suspected, it wasn't long after he had set the wooden horses out on a tray in front of him that he had a flock of children coming up to view the toys, and it wasn't long after that before a few of them managed to drag one of their parents back to see them as well. Within an hour all four had sold, and he had to assure a few townsfolk that he would try to craft more. He earned enough to purchase fresh bandages, a fair few bundles of vegetables, a small sack of apples that had just arrived, and even a large haunch of venison.
Unfortunately we arrived at Bard's to hear that there had been no improvement in Kili's condition, however it was satisfactory that we were able to repay Bard in some small way for his generosity by supplementing his meagre pantry with our recent market purchases. Sigrid took the raw venison with a measure of excitement that hinted at their impoverishment and began preparing it to be cooked for dinner.
It was the next day, a week since arriving in Laketown, that Kili's condition went from bad to worse. He did not wake up for the entire morning but simply thrashed about in fever dreams, a sheen of sweat covering his face.
After I ate a quick lunch, I ordered Fili to do the same while I took over for him. Sigrid brought over a cold cloth and handed it to me. I thanked her and moved up beside Kili's head. He had calmed slightly, though his chest was rising and falling rather rapidly so I knew he was not fully asleep. I set the cloth on his forehead and left my hand there, applying a slight pressure over top of it. His eyes cracked open and his gaze darted across the ceiling until I gently said his name and he turned his head slightly and focused on me.
His brow furrowed and he tried to croak my name but his voice was so unsteady and weak. I quickly hushed him and moved my hand down to grasp his, trying to offer words of comfort and reassurances, but his face did not relax and he began to shake his head while trying to speak once more.
"I- I might not get out of this one." He managed to vocalize, even attempting to grin sardonically before his features once again turned into a grimace of pain.
I immediately tried to object but he interrupted me and his voice was so quiet I was forced to stop talking in order to hear him at all.
"Can you do something for me?" He whispered, looking at me seriously before squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, his breathing becoming laboured. I nodded and leaned forward slightly, quietly assuring him I would do anything he needed.
"If you ever see Tauriel again... can you tell her-" he clenched his jaw, shifting on the bed as I'm sure his pain threatened to overwhelm him. He took a few deep breaths in through his nose then finally was able to speak once more.
"Tell her... I thought she was beautiful... exquisite really."
He glanced at me and likely saw my rather surprised expression before I caught myself and rearranged my face.
"Will you tell her for me?" He asked again, his face straining in agony once more.
"Of course." I said quickly as I squeezed his hand. "But I think you can tell her that yourself." I added firmly with a smile. He tried to grin once more and nodded to himself, but after a few moments he seemed to fall back into either unconsciousness or restless sleep; it was getting difficult to tell.
I made room as Fili stepped up to the side of the bed as well.
"Was he speaking to you?" He asked, gazing down at his brother wistfully.
"He only woke for a moment." I replied, letting go of Kili's hand. "He wasn't really coherent." I said with a small shrug, not wanting to reveal Kili's rather personal request.
"Ah." Fili replied dismally, his gaze not leaving Kili's face as he took up his hand.
I stepped aside to allow him to regain his place and then wandered over to Bofur, feeling as hopeless and lost as we all looked.
By that evening Óin was in a panic.
"He's deteriorating." he announced after hastily checking his temperature and vitals. He began to unwind the bindings to check the wound itself, ordering Bofur to boil fresh water. As he cut Kili's pant leg open wider, we were all able to see dark veins under his skin spreading from the injury. The healer muttered something in dwarvish.
"Can you not do something?" Fili asked desperately, looking to Óin as Bofur returned with a boil of steaming water.
"I need better herbs. Something to bring down his fever."
Bard took another quick inventory of his dwindling medical supplies, spreading them out on the table. "I have nightshade. I have feverfew-" he began, but Óin interrupted.
"They're no use to me now. Do you have any kingsfoil?"
"No. It's a weed. We feed it to the pigs." Bard replied with a quizzical frown.
"Pigs!" I heard Bofur repeat, then he reverted to muttering under his breath to himself before he seemed to make up his mind as he suddenly proclaimed, "Right!"
He ran back and pointed at Kili who was still writhing in pain. "Don't move." he ordered before hastily leaving the house without another word.
Perplexed by Bofur's rushed exit, I stood for few moments in confusion, wondering how to best spend my time. Likely seeing my deliberation, Óin stepped over and assured me there was nothing else I could do to be of use, as even he knew not what to do, and so I made my way into the kitchen area where Bard and his children were sitting at the table.
Bard got up when I approached and offered me his chair.
"Please, sit." He insisted, then bustled around for a few moments and proceeded to set out mugs and a teapot plus some bread and cheese. He then poured two cups of tea and brought them over to Óin and Fili before returning and pulling up a new chair for himself.
We ate in determined silence for a while, then when the girls were through Bard gently ushered Sigrid and Bain to take Tilda to the other room. Then he looked at me.
"How is he?" He asked after a moment.
I sighed and set down my mug. "It doesn't look good." I admitted in a soft voice, feeling a lump form in my throat as I accepted the seriousness of Kili's situation.
Bard remained silent for a moment, glancing over towards the bed where Kili lay.
"I'm sorry to hear that." He offered sympathetically as he looked back to me.
I nodded in thanks, sipping my tea quietly for a few moments, trying to think of something else to talk about, to distract myself. I began to chew on a completely unrelated question, but wasn't sure how to comfortably bring it up.
"Bard," I began, looking thoughtfully at the grain of wood in the table. "I know you knew my father before he died... And you knew my mother as well... You said she was a good person... But... Well, was she in the end?"
"Why would you ask that?" He replied cautiously.
I shrugged, taking another sip of my tea. "I've heard some things..." I answered softly, keeping my gaze to the table.
I heard Bard sigh and glanced up to meet his concerned face.
"Look, the thing you have to understand is-"
A sound like distant thunder cut his words short, trembling the entire house and shaking dust from the ceiling. He stood up as his children rushed in, looking to him for an explanation.
"Da?" Sigrid said worriedly.
"It's coming from the mountain." Bain remarked, his voice slightly laced with panic as he glanced outside the window.
Fili then approached and looked to Bard.
"You should leave us." He insisted. "Take your children; get out of here."
Bard looked back at Fili, his expression dire. "And go where? There is nowhere to go." He uttered, making the reality of our peril become instantly real.
"Are we going to die, Da?" A small voice broke the silence as Tilda looked at her father, her face displaying a concern that should not be seen on one so young.
"No, darling." Bard immediately replied.
"The dragon, it's going to kill us." She insisted, and for the first time on the journey I truly felt afraid of the beast that had always seemed so abstract... so fabled.
Everyone then looked to Bard, as if we all needed that typical unwavering comment of hope he would offer to keep his daughter from being frightened. His eyes remained fixed on his children and there was a moment of terse silence where he did not quickly provide that reassurance. We waited with baited breath. Then, to everyone's shock, he suddenly looked up and roughly yanked down an immense arrow, that which, moments before, had been nothing more than a drying rack for plants, completely disguised and hidden in plain sight.
"Not if I kill it first." he said with severe determination.
"A black arrow!" Bain exclaimed, skipping forward and admiring the weapon that Bard held carefully at his side.
"I need to go." Bard said after a moment. He looked at me. "Will you watch them?" He asked, his expression softening.
"Yes. Yes of course." I said, wringing my hands nervously. I opened my mouth to speak but Bain beat me to it.
"Where are you going? Can I come?"
Bard frowned and looked at his son. "I need to set it to the wind lance, without notice from the guards." He explained quickly.
"Let me help." Bain pleaded and after a moment Bard surprisingly relented with a nod.
"I may need a distraction." He said, taking his son by the shoulder and leading him to the door. "We shouldn't be long." He told his girls before he left. "Stay inside."
Sigrid nodded and led Tilda back to their bedroom. I paced around Bard's house as Fili and Óin returned to Kili's side. Why was Bofur taking so long?
Sigrid soon joined me as I was brewing another pot of tea.
"Tilda's asleep." She explained quietly as she began to tidy things around me. "It's been a tiring week. We don't often get company."
I smiled at her in understanding, knowing what an adjustment it must have been to have a bunch of dwarves unexpectedly accost their living space.
"I babysat you and your brother once." I offered conversationally as I poured us both fresh mugs. She looked at me in confusion and I grinned. "I think you were around the age of six at the time."
"I'm afraid I don't remember." She remarked with a small laugh as we sat down. "Da told me you were born here, but spent the past few years in a town called Bree in the west?"
I nodded as I absentmindedly played with the braid Bofur had put in my hair. "I had always thought this to be my home, no matter how long I stayed away." I said, though as I uttered the words I felt an odd feeling in my gut as I knew it wasn't turning into the home I had always thought it would be.
Sigrid then asked me about my travels, and I told her about meeting the dwarves and a few rather edited tales about some of our 'excitement' on the road. She seemed particularly interested in hearing about the elves and kept veering the conversation back to my time in Rivendell and Mirkwood.
"Honestly, I don't have much to tell you about Mirkwood," I said rather regretfully after her enthusiastic questioning. "We were locked up and I only really saw the path to and from a bathing area, until we escaped in the cellars that is."
"Did you see the King? What was he like?" She inquired, her eyes bright.
I pondered for a moment. "He was... polite." I offered, but she continued to look at me expectantly. "Intense. Smart... Really intimidating."
Sigrid smiled as I took a luxuriously slow sip of tea.
"And... obviously handsome, if you're into the whole perfect immortal-being thing." I added with a smirk, causing her to laugh.
We both jumped as Bain slammed open the door than shut it with a thud behind him, completely out of breath. Sigrid jumped to her feet and ran to him. I stood up as well.
"Where's Da?" Sigrid demanded.
"I don't know!" Bain huffed, still trying to catch his breath. "The guards, they were after him, we split up."
"What?" Sigrid shrieked. "What do you mean, what happened?"
Bain looked somewhat desperate, his cheeks flushed. "I was hoping he'd already be back here." He explained. "We were being chased. I hid the arrow while he led the guards off."
Tilda suddenly tugged on Sigrid's sleeve, having been awoken by the commotion. Sigrid was forced to calm down, and the three of them sat at the table to talk amidst themselves.
Though I knew nerves were suppressing appetites, I took it upon myself to try and provide some kind of actual meal and rummaged through Bard's stores. I managed to provide everyone with a rather impressive plateful of cooked eggs, bacon and toast that I insisted rather menacingly that they all eat. Though when I sat down to my own I did find it quite difficult to actually swallow each bite, and even so, I hardly tasted it.
I couldn't believe Bofur was still absent, it was well past dark, and I was beginning to worry about him along with everything else. After I had forced down that last bite of my bread, I cleaned up then walked back to Kili's bed, taking Óin's place as he went to boil fresh water. Fili glanced at me; his normally calm, handsome face was strained with worry.
I tried to offer him a small reassuring smile. "Fili, he's going to be fine." I said softly.
Fili frowned then slowly reached forward and pulled up the bottom of Kili's tunic, revealing his bare side and stomach. My hands began trembling when I saw the darkened veins travelling up from his one hip towards his chest, a clear as day indication of blood poisoning. Fili quickly tugged down the shirt after he knew that I saw it. I looked back at him in fear and saw the same fear reflected in his eyes. I tried not to let my own fill with tears, but I no longer knew what to say. Instead I placed my hand on his shoulder then leaned down slightly and rested my forehead against his in what I now knew was a typical dwarven gesture for displaying camaraderie or love. His hand gripped the back of my neck and we stayed like that a moment, eyes closed as we fought back the overwhelming dread.
"He will be alright." I managed to whisper, "he has to be."
"He will be." Fili said softly after a moment as he pulled away, nodding to himself. "He's always been a fighter."
I opened my mouth to respond, but then stopped as we heard the creaking of dock boards from nearby outside. Sigrid sprung to her feet and moved to the door while everyone else glanced towards it, anxiously awaiting both Bofur's and Bard's return. There was no other noise for a moment and so Sigrid stepped outside to check, quietly calling for her father.
We knew something wasn't quite right when the creaking continued, but this time on the roof. When Sigrid's scream broke the quiet we all sprang to our feet, and immediately were forced to react as the girl backed into the house, followed immediately by the hulking form of an orc. Óin launched an armful of empty bowls at it, forcing it back. Simultaneously, more of them began to break through the ceiling.
Fili placed a hand on my arm, looking rapidly from me to his brother, but then a second shout from Sigrid forced him to leave us, charging headlong to grapple with the first of the assailants. I looked to Kili as well, worried he would be an easy target, but he seemed to be having a moment of clarity spurned by adrenalin.
"Go!" He grimaced through clenched teeth, clearly in pain, but lucid enough to see I was of no use fretting over him. "I'll be fine." He reassured, no longer looking to me but at the battle. Another orc burst through the window next to us, but Óin, returning to his patient's side, grabbed the orc by its throat and swung an upended bottle at its head.
The shattering impact of the bottle against the creature's skull forced a subconscious gasp and a jump from me. The older dwarf shouted at me over his shoulder "Help them!" and I was galvanized into action. Fili was busy brandishing a broom to hold off several orcs at the doorway, and though they seemed to be toying with him, he was in less peril than Bain, who was protecting his sisters beneath the table.
He cleverly used the table bench to stun the one nearest, and then upended it to try and topple the creature, but the orc was stronger, and simply caught the bench, halting its momentum immediately. I moved towards Bain almost before he registered his attack had failed, my hand grabbing at the nearest makeshift weapon - a knitting needle from a half knitted scarf forgotten on the windowsill.
As the orc wrenched the bench aside, I raised my hand behind my head and then swung with all my might, forcing the needle deep into the temple of the surprised assailant. My success was short lived though, as more orcs had broken through behind us forcing us to whirl around to meet them. Fili was being slowly pushed back, faced with superior numbers and armaments.
I ploughed into one of the new arrivals before it could recover from the drop, forcing it back into the wall next to the kitchen entrance. We struggled there, and it was all I could do to keep the orc from freeing its weapons. Kili was dragged from the bed nearby, Bain and his sisters beset on all sides, and Fili was taking wild swings at the multitude of orcs streaming through the doorway.
I grabbed at the orc by the face with one hand, my other still pinning its sword. My fingers dug in with strength borne of desperation, black blood running rivulets down their length as they burrowed into its flesh. I grabbed and pulled the orcs head away from the wall, then putting my whole body weight behind my shoulder, I forced it back into the wood with such ferocity that the orc collapsed in front of me. I reeled around as I saw another spring towards me out of the corner of my eye, but before I could so much as scream, much less avoid danger in some way, I was grabbed by the throat and forced with all the momentum of a charging orc into the corner of the room.
My back met the wall, and the orc began to tighten its grip on my throat. I struggled for air, my hands scratching and scraping, trying to find purchase on the arms of the vicious killer. The orc sneered, and then its other hand roughly grabbed a handful of my hair and twisted my head to one side exposing my bare neck above its other hand. Jaws opened and revealed horrible filed teeth through which rancid breath reeked, and my gasps for air turned to whimpers.
My eyes then grew wide, and my struggling abated as I noticed Tauriel, the Mirkwood Captain, unexpectedly enter Bard's home through the open front door. I wanted to call out to her, cry for help, but I could make no sound. The room suddenly erupted into a maelstrom of blades as the elf warrior wrought fury on her foes.
Yet my own assaulter remained unimpeded, and he lunged forward to rip my throat out - right up until a strung bow descended from overhead and around the orc's neck. Another elf, Legolas, forcibly yanked the creature away and then quickly snapped its neck. He pulled free his bow, glaring down at the now fallen orc for a moment. He then turned his gaze to me. I stared dumbly back, drawing raspy breaths.
"You are fine." He stated, and then whirled away, drawing his daggers to join the battle. I, however, was in no state to continue fighting and simply watched our rescuers in action while trying to stay well out of the way. Though it sounded like Legolas' words were in admonishment for my slow recovery, I couldn't help but feel like that was some unpractised attempt at reassurance on his part.
The battle lasted under five minutes, and ended as quickly as it had begun.
I stood fixated on the scene of carnage and destruction all around me. My strength was drained and my muscles were beginning to shake. I raised an unsteady hand to my aching throat, and then my mind caught up with me; we were attacked, Kili was dying, Bofur was nowhere to be seen - fallen to the orcs perhaps - it was almost too much to bear.
"You killed them all." Bain said in awe as his sisters emerged from underneath the table.
"There are others." Legolas stated as he stalked towards the front door. "Tauriel. Come." he ordered.
An agonizing cry then rent the air. Kili's. I forced myself back into motion and ran to him, dropping to my knees alongside Óin and Fili. I could see the darkness of his poisoned blood now creeping up the veins in his neck.
"We're losing him!" Óin said pleadingly, looking at Fili with panicked hopelessness.
I looked to Tauriel, who was staring at the scene with wide eyes, almost appearing in a state of shock herself. She blinked a few times then turned away and followed her prince towards the exit. Scrambling back to my feet I rushed forward and grabbed her arm. She easily pulled out of my grasp, looking somewhat affronted. Legolas had lingered on the threshold, where he spoke her name one last time before disappearing after the orc pack. She looked after him and took another step towards the open door.
"Please, he'll die!" I shouted in a strangled voice."There must be something you can do!"
Tauriel hesitated in the door frame. I watched her with blurred eyes as I cried, hoping she would reconsider, but instead she looked away and stepped out into the night. I shook my head, lifting a hand to cover my mouth to try and quiet my sobs. I numbly saw Bofur shove past her and into the house; his worried eyes instantly met mine and he rushed over to me.
"Are you hurt?" Bofur asked quickly, his eyes wide with questioning fear as he studied my face. I shook my head, trying to stop myself from crying long enough to speak.
"Kili… He's not- he won't make it." I choked out before covering my mouth once more.
Bofur looked towards Kili, who was yelling incoherently, struggling against the poison that now coursed through much of his body as Óin and Fili knelt beside him, looking at a loss of what to do. Bofur's gaze returned to me, his expression one of numb shock.
I shook my head again and wrapped my arms around Bofur's neck, clinging to him desperately while feeling utterly useless. And he held me just as tightly, shoving his face against my neck as he pulled me close. I managed to look up though it all and saw Tauriel watching us, then she looked down at Kili, and a long minute seemed to pass as she stared at him. My crying subsided slightly as she unexpectedly stepped inside, shutting the door behind her and tightly gripping what must have been the kingsfoil plant.
Suddenly she was demanding hot water. I let go of Bofur and he was immediately called over to help Óin and Fili lift Kili onto the tabletop. Sigrid fetched the kettle and poured its contents into a bowl Tilda was holding, and Tauriel began to tear up the plant, dropping the pieces into the steaming water.
"Remove his bandages and clean the area." She ordered me as I approached the table.
I nodded and hastened to untie the strips of cloth Óin had replaced earlier. I noticed Bofur take a few steps away, looking anywhere but Kili's leg. I tried not to blanche when I pulled the last strip of material away, revealing the dark, infected wound. The sickly smell of it tested my resolve as Sigrid handed me a new wet towel and I blotted around the dying flesh. I moved aside as Tauriel approached. Her face seemed to betray a moment, just a few seconds perhaps, of apprehension as she looked at the injury and then to Kili's face. He stilled somewhat, almost appearing to see her through his fever, but was soon struggling once more.
"Hold him still." Tauriel instructed to everyone around him, now showing no traces of emotion. She grabbed his upper thigh and pushed his leg down against the table to keep it from moving. She then pulled out a dagger and we stared at her in shock as she deftly cut through the stitching Óin had threaded that morning, and then rather roughly pulled the torn flesh apart. Kili yelled and struggled violently, despite all of us holding him down. Sigrid quickly joined, and called Tilda to come help as well. Bofur, however, still hung back, holding a candle for light nearby but making no move to come closer.
Tauriel then took some of the prepared kingsfoil in her hands. She closed her eyes and began speaking in her own tongue as she rubbed it between them, and then brought them down and pushed the mixture into the wound, causing Kili to yell in agony. She continued speaking, weaving her fluent and unknown words as she pressed down on his leg. We all watched her with fascination, and as the minutes passed by, our grip on Kili lessened as he gradually stopped struggling. When she finished, Kili's breathing steadied and he finally laid still and quiet, a hint of colour returning to his skin. The other dwarves stared at the elf with a glint of awe in their eyes, surely something they would never admit to. Yet we all knew we were in her debt, for she had just saved his life.
Although I wanted to speak to Tauriel, to question the magics of her healing, I left her to have a moment alone with her patient and instead helped Sigrid and Bain right some upturned furniture. We quickly realized there was so much damage from the attack that there was not much we could really do that night to improve the appearance of the place, so we instead focused on cleaning up broken glass and shards of pottery so no one would cut themselves on it.
Bofur had taken a spot on Kili's previous sick bed and was sitting on it with his back to the wall, his eyes closed. I wandered over and settled beside him when Sigrid agreed it was time to get some rest.
I absentmindedly watched Tauriel still tending Kili as my eyelids started to become heavy. I smiled secretly as I noticed her fingers entwine with his as she stared down at him with a soft expression gracing her face.
I slumped down in my seat enough to rest my head on Bofur's shoulder, being careful not to let the flap of his hat poke me in the eye as I did so. I let my eyes drift close, but found I needed to open them every few minutes to look around, as if my subconscious were urging me to remain vigilant - after the evening's events I still felt rather vulnerable.
During one such sleepy but protective survey of the room, I saw a flash of red hair as Tauriel quietly albeit quickly let herself out. Despite my exhaustion I roused myself and sat up.
"I'll be right back." I whispered to Bofur, but he just 'hmmmd' at me, his eyes still closed.
I tiptoed across the house and followed the elf outside, but saw no sign of her as I closed the door behind me.
"Tauriel?" I said into the darkness, looking down the dockside but seeing no one. I frowned, wondering why she would simply leave without saying goodbye. I repeated her name once more, taking a few steps alongside the house.
"Up here." I heard a voice utter, and I looked up in confusion.
"On the roof?" I asked speculatively, my voice cracking uncomfortably when I tried to speak louder. When she did not quickly respond I began to pull myself up onto a side rail.
"Here." Tauriel offered, appearing over the eaves and reaching down her hand. I hoisted myself up to grab it and then she pulled me the rest of the way. I picked my way over the damaged shingles and sat down beside her, wondering what had drawn her to this vantage point. She had her knees pulled up slightly and she let her gaze wander to the sky. I looked up as well; there were a few patches of stars gleaning through the dark clouds.
"Thank you." I said quietly after a few moments. "For saving him." I then thought of her companion, of Legolas, and remembered how she had nearly followed him without question. Was she compelled to obey him because he was her superior… or something else. I glanced sidelong at her and my next words were somewhat questioning. "I know it must have cost you something."
Tauriel didn't respond but she looked over at me, her eyes searching mine.
"You love your dwarf?" She asked suddenly, catching me off guard.
I smiled. "Yes."
"And he loves you." Her words held more of a statement than a question.
"I- I'm not sure… he may grow to at any rate." I replied softly. Though he certainly now freely displayed his affection towards me, I wasn't quite sure if it was love on his part. After Balin had described to me some of the particulars of dwarven marriage, it did not sound as if dwarves fell in love very frequently, nor likely as quickly as humans were prone to.
"Dwarves are not known for their affiliation with other races. That they could love outside their own, it's quite unheard of."
I smiled at her and paraphrased some words Gandalf had once told me. "Not common, but perhaps not impossible for their loyalty to extend beyond their kin… And not all dwarves are the same." I insisted softly. I paused as her eyes searched mine, looking for what I suspected was validation, but she remained quiet.
"Kili, for instance" I continued, very quietly as I knew she would hear me no matter how low I spoke. "He is not like his forebears. He was quick to befriend me when I first joined the company, while some of the others may never be partial to me." I hesitated, unsure if I should bring up what Kili had requested, feeling almost embarrassed to do so, but then I decided that it was maybe what she was hoping to hear. I cleared my throat and tried to think of how to best phrase his compliments to her.
"You know, he had wanted me to tell you something if I ever saw you again - and he did not."
Tauriel raised her eyebrows slightly. "Oh?" she questioned lightly.
"He wanted you to know that he thought you beautiful." I said earnestly. "No, exquisite was the word he settled on."
For a moment I could have almost forgotten she was an elf, as across her face played an array of emotions I could clearly read. She blinked and opened her mouth slightly, at a loss for words, then looked down, biting her lip and holding back a smile, and I swear a slight blush graced her high cheeks.
"Anyway," I added as Tauriel glanced at me once more, "the point is, I think he's quite taken with you."
She said nothing but returned her gaze upwards, as if seeking council from the stars. I let her remain pensive for a few moments but then couldn't stop myself from eventually breaking the silence as I felt I might soon fall asleep if I didn't keep speaking.
"Have you ever seen a dragon?" I asked her in a hushed voice.
"No." Tauriel replied, looking towards the mountain. "And I had never expected to."
We both paused as we heard the door of Bard's house open and suddenly I heard my name. I smiled at Tauriel and she grinned and nodded at me as I moved to the edge of the roof. I peered over the edge.
"Can you catch me?" I asked mischievously. Bofur stepped back and looked up, a smile cracking across his face.
"What are you doin' up there now?" He questioned as I swung my legs over the edge.
I lifted my shoulder in a shrug and grinned at him. "Catch me?" I repeated, scooting closer to the edge, the drop wasn't high, but I likely wouldn't be able to land on my own without the risk of twisting an ankle or hurting my knees.
"Come on then." He said, holding up his arms.
I glanced back at Tauriel who smiled and shook her head in amusement before I pushed myself off the ledge, shrieking slightly as I dropped. I felt Bofur's arms slide up my legs and my momentum stopped as his hands came to rest below my arms and he took on my weight. I laughed as he set me on my feet.
The corners of his eyes were squinted in mirth and he kept his hold on me, but suddenly his smile disappeared and I heard his breath catch. His hand moved to my neck, barely touching my skin as he trailed his fingers along the bruise I remembered must be forming.
"I'm alright." I reassured him softly, reaching up and touching my throat as well. His frown deepened.
"I'm never there when you need me." He said sadly, dropping his gaze from mine. "I'm no good at protecting you."
"I don't need protecting." I said quietly, finding his sleeves and putting my cold hands up them, grabbing onto his arms. "And without the kingsfoil, Kili would have died, so do not, for a moment, feel bad about being away from me to help save him tonight."
I stooped down slightly and pressed my forehead to his, closing my eyes for a moment.
"Bofur," I said slowly, my mouth temptingly close to his. "Are you, by any chance, scared by the sight of blood?"
The question seemed to catch him off guard, but the side of his moustache quirked up slightly in amusement. "What? Me? Nonsense!"
I tilted my head back, my eyebrows raised. "Well, I could have sworn you had been avoiding looking at Kili's leg at all costs. Though," I mused, suddenly remembering another instance when he was around injury, "you seemed fine when I was getting my shoulder stitched up."
Bofur looked somewhat abashed. "Truth is, I usually don't do well with that kind of thing." he admitted. "With you I, ah, faked it. I wanted to help in what little way I could... And I didn't want you to think me a coward."
I smiled, brushing my lips against his. "I would never think that." I whispered. "I've seen you drop enemies as easily as knocking down scarecrows. Does the blood not bother you then?"
Bofur thought for a moment, his one hand softly rubbing my back as he did so. "That's different. You don't have time to think about much of anything. That, and I've only ever had to strike down orcs and goblins and other vermin, nothing that bleeds the same as us."
Another deep tremor then rumbled from the mountain, causing us to break apart and turn towards it, squinting in apprehension towards the dark cloud shrouded peak. I glanced nervously at Bofur, but his eyes were fixed northwards, his features strained with a new fear. I realized it was not fear of the beast, however, but fear for his brother, his kin, and his friends who were in that mountain with what we were now quite sure was a very alive and clearly very awake dragon.
I could offer no words to him but simply pressed myself against his side, gripping his hand tightly. We both started as Tauriel suddenly landed gracefully beside us.
"We have to go. Now." She demanded curtly as she opened the door and began rousing those inside. After a quick look at each other, we followed her in. Bofur moves to try and help Kili to his feet and I grabbed Tilda's coat for her.
"We're not leaving." Sigrid insisted, standing uselessly in the way.
"Not without our father." Bain added adamantly.
"If you stay, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?" Tauriel asked bluntly as she gathered a few supplies. Bain had no reply for her.
I grabbed Sigrid's arm. "Quickly." I said. "Get your coat on, and pack some food."
"There's no time." Tauriel insisted. "We have to go now."
She led us out the back and down a set of stairs to where a small boat was docked, as was typical for all households in Laketown. No sooner had we piled in and pushed into the narrow canal did we hear a great whooshing overhead and saw a truly goliath form whip through the clouds above.
Death was upon us.
Death, dragon fire, and ruin.