365

mar.20.22

The elf's wounds were looking like pink scars now; the human, Lullaby Taylor, had leaned them and used an earthy cleanser on them. There were no more scarlet blood against the elf's pale porcelain skin.

Lullaby sat nearby, at the side of her woolen blankets, a book open in her lap. Taking up majority of the blankets was the elf himself, sleeping. He'd capped the flask of berry wine, it set in the sand beside him.

Lullaby looked up as Fili and Kili approached; seeing the elf sleep, they padded on the front of their boots. They sat on the short grass near Lullaby.

"He going to live?" Kili asked, gesturing to the sleeping elf.

Lullaby nodded. "Not sure if he would have, in Thorin's care."

Fili held a mug out to Lullaby; she accepted it and sipped it. The chamomile tea warmed her spine. "Ruthless, he was." Fili said it like he disagreed with his uncle's ways.

"How'd it happen?" Lullaby asked.

Kili exhaled then, it sounding heavy. "We traced back over some trails, and the elf was up in a tree – we didn't even see him, but Thorin did. He threw his axe, caught the elf in the stomach. Once the elf was on the ground, Thorin...." Kili paused to clear his throat; when he spoke again, he spoke low. "Thorin cleaved him, two more times."

Lullabu clenched her teeth, anger in her veins. "That explains the gouges to his ribs. And his wrists were of the rope."

"To which Thorin insisted they get tightened more," Fili added.

"And his face? I know he slammed the end of his axe once here."

"Multiple times, before we came back," Kili answered; sorrow filled his voice. "When the elf would not move or speak, Thorin would hit him again."

Silence lingered amongst them for a while. The calling of dinner is what broke it; Kili and Fili stood. As Lullaby went to stand, Fili held her shoulder. "We'll bring some, for the elf and you, too."

Lullaby smiled and nodded; Fili had a pure heart.

As the boys went to the food, Lullaby caught the elf, moving to a sitting position. Lullaby was over to his side in an instant. He leaned against the trunk of the birch tree.

"How much of that did you hear?" Lullaby asked, offering the elf some berry wine.

The elf accepted it, taking a sip. "All of it."

"How much of it was true?"

His blue eyes fell to hers. "All of it."

Lullaby clenched her jaw; she wanted to scream, break things, take her anger out on something satisfactory. Seeing her rage, the elf held her hand. She looked up to him.

"If it not for you, and those two dwarfs with which you just spoke, I would not be alive," the elf said. "I am eternally grateful you three."

Lullaby held his hands. "After supper, if you're well enough, you'll be free. You are not a prisoner."

The elf smiled a little. "I will have to see what happens."

It was then that Fili and Kili came back with four bowls of stew, and a mountain of fresh dinner buns.