Adventures Of The Powerful, Strong, and Desperate

Chapter 9 Nights on the Road

Grace

~~~

We rode all day and by the end of it my leg was stinging and my huge side gash was burning real bad. Some of the stitches had torn so I was bleeding again.

~~~

The red hot sun beats down on me and I can't help but sag over my horse. My head is pounding painfully and the loss of blood starts making it really hard to think straight.

"Miss Grace?" Ori asks gently tapping my shoulder.

"Yes?" I reply groggily and gingerly turn my head to face the young dwarf.

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale," Ori questions nicely.

"Me I'm just peachy," I mutter and completely slump over on my horse, barely conscious.

"I don't think that's very true," Ori says.

"It's...uh...it's not," I grumble completely giving up on playing it tough.

"Mister Oin!" Ori calls worriedly.

"Yes Ori?" Oin asks without turning around.

"Miss Grace is passing out I think," Ori announces and I can feel everyone turn to stare at me.

"M'fine," I utter barely audibly. I hear hoofbeats and next thing I know a hand is pulling me upright while another touches my forehead. "Stop touching me," I mutter and steer my horse away.

"You have a fever miss Grace. Your wound must be infected," Oin concludes moving his pony next to my horse again.

"Great," I utter and crack my eyes open slightly. "It'll break I'm fine."

"Grace Grace! Turn the horse around Thorin!" Allie yells at Thorin.

"You're in the front you have the reins!" Thorin snaps back.

"Oh please like you haven't been controlling the pony the entire ride," Allie counters and grabs his hands pulling them to the reins. "And move your Yavanna-dammed sword it's poking me!" Thorin flushes and inches back on the pony and I glare. I don't think that it's the sword poking her.

"You are an insufferable halfling," Thorin hisses and Allie promptly yanks on the reins making the pony rear up causing Thorin to fall off.

"Call me halfling again I will make a body part of yours half of something," Allie threatens and steers her pony to my horse. "Grace are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine," I grumble flopping over.

"Bullshit," Alex snaps.

"Thorin we need to stop and rest for a night!" Emily declares.

"No we don't," I object.

"You can't seriously be asking that it's just past midday!" Thorin exclaims.

"He's right and I'm perfectly fine," I insist.

"No you're not," Allie remarks.

"I'm not asking Thorin. We are stopping," Emily states coolly.

"I suppose since we have sick we can stop but Durins Day is nearing so we can't stop like this again," Thorin relents.

"I'm fine!" I declare exasperated.

~~~

My skin is on fire by the time camp is set up. I admit to moaning in pain and sweating profusely.