Hummingbird Heartbeat

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Maranda span and flew swiftly to Thorin's side and landed, sliding next to him. Her eyes searched his chest, one huge chasm was in his chest, piercing mail and fabric and skin and blood. She gritted her teeth and her hands flew to her neck. She needed to save Thorin.

"Mara." The name was wet in his mouth, blood filling his cheeks. She was scrambling to rip the acorn from the necklace, trying to save him like she had saved Kili.

"Shut up a minute," she gasped finally getting it off into her hands. But before she could place it in his wound, his hands were closed over hers, holding them against his heart.

"Mara, listen. I...I was wrong to ever doubt you...to go back on my word as I did, to strike you." One hand drifted up to the cut on her cheek, still oozing blood.

"Just shut up and let me heal you," she said through clenched teeth, her eyes wet.

"There is no healing this. I go now to the halls of my fathers," he said softly, eyes flickering over her face.

"No, you're not, I'm right here, I can heal you I know I can," Maranda sobbed as the others started down to the ice. Thorin smiled faintly, cupping her cheek, and pulling her closer. Their foreheads touched gently and he sucked in a deep breath as she sobbed softly.

"Mara, I was wrong to send you away, to deny you help, deny you love..." He was running low on time, he knew this. He wouldn't let go of her, not until his last breath. "Mara, Dwarves only love once."

"And you'll find her, I know you will, she's out there just waiting for you to make her your queen," Maranda gasped softly. If he would just let her heal him!

"I hate to make her wait...maybe Fili will make her a queen. Or Kili." He didn't really mind letting Kili have her. The prospect of letting his One be with his family wasn't a grim thought. As long as she was safe.

"No, no she'll only have you," sobbed Maranda pitifully. "I know it, no one would ever take someone else over you. 'Cept Marian, but we all know she's a bitch." A moment of breathless laughter from the two. "Just let me fix you," she begged and his eyes grew dim.

"Oh Mara...tell them I said goodbye. It was an honor to fight with them...and apologize to the Hobbit for me...Bilbo should know...if more people..."

"No, no, shut up!" she screamed wrenching her hands away. She pressed the acorn against his wound even as the breath left his body for the last time, his eyes fixed on her. "Shut up you dumb fucking Dwarf!" Thranduil was watching with Gandalf at his side as Fili clung to his brother who was holding him back , eyes fixed on Maranda, hoping against hope. Tauriel looked shell shocked and Legolas held her close, the only one who could comfort her. Dwalin was broken, on his knees, shaking as silent tears rolled across his face into his beard. Bilbo was looking at Maranda with a fierce expression.

"Mara..." he started.

"NO!" roared the Fairy, eyes glowing in gold. "No, you idiot wake up!" she roared as her hands slowly started to glow green, her magic running low. "I have traveled far to long, through too much pain and suffering putting up with your bigoted bullshit for you to flake out now!" she screamed, her wings were buzzing wildly, hair flying madly, but she was grounded next to Thorin, who wasn't moving. "You promised, remember! You swore by the blood of your father that you would show me every crevice of that mountain! Said you would help rebuild Dale! Rebuild Esgaroth! You promised to teach my Dwarven songs and how to make rings and beads and swords."

Her hands were glowing in earnest now, a green and gold light spilling from the tiny bronze acorn pressed over Thorin's wound. Maranda's eyes all but burst into flame with the golden light she was letting off. "You vowed on your beard you would. You and me and Kili and Fili would all go to the Blue Mountains to get Dis, remember! One last great journey before your coronation. We were going to steal a bunch of Thranduil's ponies just to piss him off, just to spite him for what might have been. It was going to be amazing!" she roared.