The King and Dragon Lord

Ch. 5

A few days have passed and everything healed completely except for my ribs. Although they healed just enough so I can get up and walk around. Kili took over training the group in archery until I was fully healed because I couldn't move my arms so much in any direction without a shard pain filling my ribcage.

Tauriel and Legolas showed up a few days after I started to heal. Legolas came to help Kili with teaching combat and Tauriel came to assist me with some simple everyday tasks like getting dressed/undressed, making sure I get in and out of my bath safely because despite my leg being healed, more damage came to it than I thought and it's very weak.

"Thank you guys for coming," I said as Tauriel helped me get up from my bed after I slipped on my boots.

"Of course." She smiled at me. "I'm surprised Thorin even let me and Legolas near the entrance to Erebor. Considering he probably still has a thing against elves."

"Eh. I talked him into letting you guys come."

"How?" Tauriel asked as we exited my room and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Well, for one I had to get it through his, thick, dwarf head that y'all are rogues and then I had to explain to him our history."

"Legolas tried to get Aragorn to come with him but he wouldn't."

"Why not?" I looked at her kind of sad.

"Aragorn doesn't mind dwarves but he's heard about Thorin and Erebor and didn't want to get near him." Tauriel glanced at me with disappointment in her eyes.

"I mean, I don't blame him. He's also far more solitary than I am as a ranger." When we made it to the kitchen she made sure I sat down safely. All of the dwarves came in except for Thorin. As usual.

After a while of chatting with everyone, I had Tauriel walk with me up to the platform that ran across the entrance to Erebor.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?"

"I'm going to be here for a bit." She nodded at me and walked off. My eyes kept focusing to the East of Erebor (map view), thinking I would see another orc. After what felt like hours of standing there I turned to walk back into Erebor. I stopped when I noticed Thorin and the rest of the company heading to exit Erebor.

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously. I looked at them and realized they all were geared and had small bags with stuff in them. Legolas and Tauriel came when they heard me. "Wherever you guys are going I want to go too." Everyone stopped when Thorin did.

Thorin looked over his shoulder. "No." He turned his head more, just enough so he could look at me. The look in his eyes showed he didn't want to say "no" and it hurt him doing so. He gestured for everyone to keep going.

"Why not- AH!" My left leg gave out when I ran forward a bit. Tauriel and Legolas caught me and they stood me up, holding each of my arms around their shoulders. The gait to Erebor shut once they all walked out. Legolas and Tauriel helped me back to my room.

————

My eyes were fixed on the ceiling. Thorin and the company had been gone all day. I keep replaying in my head when Thorin said "no." His eyes and the look on his face. It hurt him to have said no and walk away.

Curiosity and wanting to be with the company, and Thorin, heavily motivated me to get out of my bed and get dressed.

Once I finished packing my bag and got ready, I went to leave. My body stopped and I turned towards my closest. Remembering I had started keeping my bow in there.

I grabbed my bow and quiver, slipped out of my room, and headed to Aro's stall. Once I got to Aro I patted him down a bit and proceeded to put his saddle and bridle on him.

Instead of heading to the entrance of Erebor, I led Aro to a different exit that wouldn't make much noise. It was a tunnel that was built to lead out the Western side (map view) of the mountain, not too far from the entrance, after Erebor was flourishing again.

Small echoes filled the tunnel not so far behind me. I stopped and slowly grabbed my bow. When I turned around with it drawn, Legolas and Tauriel stood there. "What are you guys doing?" I said annoyingly as I loosened my bow and slipped it in the quiver along with the arrow.

"You think we didn't know you were going to go follow them," Tauriel said with a smirk on her face. They also each had their horse.

I sighed and gestured for them to follow.

Once we made it out of the tunnel (making sure the horses got out first) we all closed it back. "Do you know where they went?" I asked them.

Legolas and Tauriel looked at each other. Debating on whether or not to tell me.

"They're heading to my father," Legolas said as we mounted our horses.

Without saying anything I nudged Aro and he started running. Legolas and Tauriel followed.

"They have to be at least a day away by now."