I would like to dedicate this chapter to BitterClearWarrior! She is a great writer and has some amazing stories! She has been very supportive of my story and also helped me realize that I have a lot of potential! I would just like to give her a big thank you for that! (:
We had walked for what seemed like ages. No one spoke. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of children crying and the moans of pain from the injured. My mind slowly began to come back to me. I began to wonder if my mother was alive. Thorin was leading us to the Iron Hills where we would seek temporary refuge. We stopped for rest and I began to look around, searching the mournful faces of a once great people, robbed of everything, left with nothing. I finally came across a wagon. It was filled with injured victims. I heard my mothers voice whimpering. I called out to her. "Mama?" She heard me.
"Roslina!" She called from the wagon. That's when I saw her. I saw her face. One side was badly burned and the other had a claw mark from her temple that sliced down to her upper lip. Her once flawless face was ruined. I ran to her, trying to hide the look of horror on my face.
"Mama, I'm here. I'm so glad I found you. I feared you would be lost forever." I said with tears filling my eyes. I was leaned over her mangled body holding her hand.
"My darling..." She breathed out. I knew then that she would soon be lost. My tears poured down my dirty face. "Your father... Whe-...Where is he?" She didn't even know yet. This made my heart shatter and more tears came. I didn't have to say anything for her to figure it out. A single tear streamed down her face. She was too weak to shed anymore. She had lost so much blood. Her hand was cold in my hand. I knew she was fading away from me.
"Rose" was all she could choke out of my name. "I...I lo-..." she took a final deep breath, "I love you." Her eyes the drifted to a blank stare. She was gone.
"Mama!" I shook her lifeless body. "Mama! Mama! Don't leave me! You can't leave me!" I screamed. I cried uncontrollably and made no effort to keep quiet. I was practically screaming. Strong arms scooped me up. He did not speak. He just held me. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. His ran his fingers through my hair trying to sooth me. I felt a dizziness come over me. My knees buckled and I fell into him. I lost consciousness.
I woke up a few hours later. I was laying on top of Thorin's coat. He was seated next to me, staring into the distance. It was dark now. There were a few fires here and there and that was the only light there was. He eyes shifted to the fire in front of us. He hadn't noticed that I was watching him. A tear fell from his eye. I had never seen Thorin cry. Ever. He didn't. I honestly believed for a long time that he couldn't. I was wrong. This single tear made me come to the realization that we had truly lost everything. Our home, our wealth, our families, our dignity, and our innocence. All gone.
I reached up and laid my hand on his arm. He turned to look at me. Saddness and despair flooded his deep blue eyes. "I'm sorry." He spoke softly. "I'm sorry that I couldn't prevent this. I'm sorry that I failed you. That I failed our people. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you."
"Thorin..." I sighed and sat up to look at him. I pulled his face to make him look me in the eyes. "None of this is your fault. There is nothing more you could have done. You did everything in your power to get us out." I could tell that nothing I said would make him stop blaming himself. He only nodded and went back to staring into the fire. Every night, I relived that terrible day in my dreams. I would wake up in a cold sweat, screaming. He was always there to comfort me. He was all I really had left in this world. But even that would not last.
Once we had arrived at the Iron Hills, darkness took over Thorin's mind. He let hate and anger boil into his mind and he could no longer find joy in anything. He only wished to get his revenge. Dis tried to console me and cheer me up as much as she could. Her efforts would last only seconds before the memories pushed through the happiness. She could never understand the things that we had seen that day, for she was not there. I envied her. I longed to have that innocence back. I knew that no matter how much I wanted it, it would never be.
The King made the announcement that they were going to attempt to retake Moria. So much death and destruction had already been dealt to us, I didn't understand why he had agreed to go to war. Moria had been overrun with orcs and goblins. I knew it would be a nasty battle, but I also knew that I could help. I told Thorin that I wanted to join them.
"No!" Thorin's fist came down hard on the table. "Absolutely not. I will not allow you to put your life in danger."
"You know that I can fight as well as any man."
"That may be but I refuse to let you risk your life in battle. I will not be able to protect you if you need it."
"I don't need your protection. I can take care of myself."
"You are not going." He said sternly.
"I am going whether you like it or not. If you say no, I will follow you." I furrowed my eyebrows.
"You are not going! End of discussion!" He shouted in my face. I didn't flinch. We were glaring into each others eyes. Thror suddenly entered the room.
"What seems to be the problem? We can hear you two through the walls." He asked us. Thorin and I never broke eye contact.
"She is being foolish!" Thorin scolded.
"And you are being stubborn!" I glared at him.
"Foolish? How so?" Thror asked.
"She wants to fight in the battle. The answer is no!" His fist slammed into the table again.
"You know that I can do it! I have more skill than half the men in your army!" I yelled in his face.
"Thorin, if she thinks she can fight, let her." Thror said calmly. I knew that his mind was still not all together, otherwise he never would have agreed to letting me, a woman, fight in a battle.
"I will not!" He shouted.
"You will listen to your king!" Thror shouted. Thorin had no choice anymore. His say did not matter once the king made his decision. Thorin became enraged. He picked up the large wooden table we had been standing next to and slammed it into the wall. It broke to pieces. Then without another word, he stormed out of the room.
A silence fell upon Thror and I. We just stood there looking at one another. It was the first time I had seen him for months. He seemed to have aged dramatically.
"My dear Roslina." He spoke, holding his arms out. I hugged him, though I felt I barely knew him anymore. "Do not let Thorin's actions trouble you. He is under so much pressure. And I know he would die if anything happened to you."
"I can take care of myself" I restated.
"I do not doubt you, my dear. You are skilled, but you have never seen battle. You are young and naïve. War is no simple task."
"There is a first time for everything." I stated.
"So there is." He smiled down at me and I looked up at him. "You have grown into a fine young woman, Roslina. Your parents would be proud." I winced at the thought of my parents but also relished in the thought that they'd be proud of me. I hugged Thror again. I felt a tear trickle down my face and I sniffed. Thror lifted my face up and wiped away the tear. That's when I saw him again. Not the sick minded king that coveted treasure, but the man who treated me as his grandchild and loved me like I was a part of his family. "You are strong. I have faith that you will get through this and these difficult times." I sniffed and smiled up at him. "There is that beautiful smile that I have missed so much! There is no other maiden equal to you in beauty, my dear." I grinned and hugged him once more.
"Thank you." I said softly. And with that, he turned to leave. He stopped at the doorway and turned tp face me.
"You can save him." He stated. I looked at him confused. "Thorin. You have the power to save him from himself. I believe that you will be his salvation." What could he possibly mean by that? I wondered. When I snapped out of my thought, Thror was gone.
