The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 6

For the next few minutes or so, we walked through the narrow passageway, I could tell Gandalf was getting tired of carrying me so I offered to walk on my own.

"No way," Thorin said, "You are still hurt and tired and don't bother saying you can manage, the ground is harder than it looks so if you fall, you would injure yourself more and we need to get to a suitable resting place as soon as possible.  Fili, Kili, take turns carrying her at five minutes intervals.  She may be light but she is larger than you and I need everyone strong in case of another attack."  They nodded and squeezed their way back to Gandalf who handed me over to Kili without a word.

They held true to their order, trading me every five minutes or so.  I let this happen about five times and every time they traded me, I began to feel more and more like spare baggage.  When Fili was holing me for the third time, I said

"Can you at least let me walk for a few minutes?  I'm loosing feeling in my legs."  Fili repeated the question to Oin, being careful not to let Thorin hear.  Oin sighed in reply.

"Fine.  But no longer than ten minutes.  I can tell you have at least three broken ribs and probably several other injured ones but I cannot tell how long you will take to fully heal or if you will at all."  Fili sighed and placed me on my feet.  My first steps were shaky as I attempted to regain some feeling in them and I felt me side burn with pain with every breath.

I was soon walking somewhat normally and the tunnel soon opened up.  Being near the back of the group, I had to stand on my tiptoes in order to see the view.  It was Rivendell, the last Homely House east of the Sea.

"This was your plan all along."  Thorin hissed at Gandalf. "To seek refuge with our enemy!"

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield  the only ill will to be found here is that which you bring yourself."

"You think the elves will give our quest their blessing?  They will try to stop us!"

"Of course they will but we have no food or supplies, Mereniver is injured and in need of care that we cannot provide for her on the road and we have a map that we can't read without the aid of Lord Elrond."  The dwarves moved out onto the path towards Rivendell, I was near the back of the line.  I was very tired but I wasn't about to let it show even though I knew sleep would soon overtake me whether I wanted it to or not.

Lost in my thoughts, I tripped on a loose stone and fell forwards.  Strong hands caught my shoulders from behind and turned me around.  My dark brown eyes met Thorin's ice blue ones and I froze.  Our faces were inches apart and, for a second, he seemed to freeze up too.  My heart sped up and I stopped registering my surroundings until he scooped my into his arms.

"Put me down!"

"Absolutely not, you will only hurt yourself more.  It isn't much farther and as much as I hate to admit it, but Gandalf is right.  We do not have the resources to see to your recovery.  You are practically weightless so it won't be a problem."  I gave up the argument and relaxed against his chest, knowing that struggling was pointless.

He walked over a narrow bridge that lacked a railing and I was suddenly glad he was holding me and snuggled a bit closer to him.  There was no way I would've made it over.  The dwarves formed a cluster in the gathering area in front of a flight of stairs. I looked up to see an elf descending them.  He wore flowing robes and had straight brown hair that went half-way down his chest.  When he reached the bottom, Gandalf began to converse with him in elvish.