The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 5

I never really fell asleep. There was always some sort of loud noise keeping me awake, whether it be the dwarves shouting or the trolls arguing amongst themselves. Even when Bilbo struck up a conversation with them to try and buy time, I was too far gone to pay attention. I felt sick from not eating, I felt exhausted from not sleeping and with every breath I took, I felt a burning pain in my side. Thorin was my only comfort, he knew I wasn't asleep so whenever none of the dwarves paid attention to him, he whispered to me softly in a comforting tone.

I don't know how long I hovered between reality and dream-land, but I was pulled back to reality when I heard a sound that sounded much like a sword fresh off the anvil being stuck in cold water. I cracked my eyes open to find the sun up and the trolls turned to stone. Gandalf then descended from somewhere behind us and began cutting us out of our sacks. When he cut mine, I didn't move for I had no strength left. When Thorin was cut free, he moved so that he cradled me with one arm and started to push up my shirt. This startled me into full alertness and I tried in vain to stop him.

"Shhhhh. I need to see how badly you are injured." I relaxed and he pushed it up until it was just below my breasts. I gasped softly from pain and surprise when he placed a large, rough hand on my left side and I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Oin! Get over here now!" Oin, who had already been liberated, rushed over. I lifted my head as high as I could and I saw that I was skinnier than I thought. All of my ribs were jutting out of my sides and most of the left side was black and blue.

"She has broken at least three ribs and won't be able to do much for a while. The process would go faster if she gained some weight. I have been watching her and I saw that she refused to eat so the fact that she is malnourished is not a surprise."

"It's my fault," Thorin admitted, "I treated her differently from the rest of you. All she really wanted to do was help out and did this to prove she was strong enough to do it when I turned her down."

I didn't like it when people talked about me like I wasn't there but I was too weak to protest. Thorin went to speak with Gandalf while Oin went to get me some food and water. Fili and Kili, and Balin came over but before they could say anything, Thorin called them to gather everything and move out. Balin, having already gathered his possessions, scooped me into his arms, despite my protests that I could walk.

"Don't bother, lassie. I heard everything you said to Thorin and what Oin said about your condition. You are not walking anywhere. We're not going very far I don't think." I sighed uncomfortably but I knew it would be pointless to argue. We only walked for about three minutes before we came across a cave that reeked of the trolls. Thorin, Gandalf, Dwalin, Bofur, Gloin, and Nori went inside. As soon as they were out of sight, I was surrounded by concerned dwarves who were bombarding me with questions.

"Are you ok?"

"What happened?"

"Nice thinking attacking from above but it looks like it backfired on you."

"Are you hungry? I have some bread here."

"You look very tired. Are you alright Mereniver?"

I could answer any of their questions, they were coming too fast and I was too tired.

"Back off! All of you!" Oin shouted at them. Then he handed me a water skin. "Drink this. I will go and get something for to eat as well."

When everyone came back out of the cave, Thorin and Gandalf were both armed with new swords and Gandalf gave a smaller one to Bilbo. We were about to move on when we heard in the trees, opposite of the way we came.

Everyone drew their swords and Kili readied his bow while I just sat there holding the dagger Fili lent me. A sleigh pulled by rabbits burst out of the foliage and on it was a short man wearing shabby brown robes and a brown hat that was much like Bofur's. His teeth were a discolored and crooked and while his hair was brown, he had a mysterious white substance caked into it on the left side of his face, mostly in the front. Momo and Axel ran and hid in Oin's medicine sack, they were terrified of the rabbits and had ever right to be, the smallest rabbit there was bigger than Axel!