The Fifteenth Member (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Chapter 49

I awoke the instant before the knife hit me. Wani was by my side looking very concerned. I was back in my room but I couldn't get the vision of Thorin's headless body falling to the floor. I had to see him. I was sweating, my sheets were drenched and my nightgown was nearly see-through. My heart was in my throat and my lungs were begging for air.

"Mereniver! Are you ok?"


"No." I said weakly, "Thorin's dead."


"What?! No he's not!"

"He is, don't try and hide it from me. Arwen is too. Both by Rynry's hand."


"Mereniver, what are you talking about? Rynry is still back in our nameless village hundreds of leagues away!"


"No he's not! He's here!"


"Mereniver–"


"No! Don't try to hide this from me! I was there!"


"I'm going to get Oin. Stay here." Wani fled the room, neglecting to lock the door behind her. I curled up in a fetal position as best I could, wishing I could just melt away into the mattress. Why was Wani trying to trick me? It was useless, I had SEEN him die, I must've been drugged and now they were trying to convince me that it was all a dream. I began to cry softly. Not only was the love of my life gone but now one of my dear friends was too.

Thorin's POV


I awoke with a start. Again. This was the third time in a row and just like before it was by an outside force. I felt it again. Pure sadness and emptiness overcame me. From what I couldn't tell but I did know that those emotions weren't my own. A door opened and slammed nearby. Dwalin and I were staying at the far end of the royal hallway in my father's old room. Mereniver would never think to look here. I heard footsteps running down the hall and then the emotions intensified, causing pain in my chest.


"Mereniver." I murmured. There was a spare room, the first one on the left, at the start of the hallway that was vacant and the emotions I felt were incredibly strong and that meant that she was nearby. Why had Wani been running? What was wrong with her? I looked across the room. Dwalin was still asleep on the floor between me and the door. I got out of bed as quietly as I could, Dwalin tended to sleep lightly. I stepped over him and made a dash for the door only to be tackled a foot from the handle.


"Where do you think you're going?"


"To see Mereniver. She's in pain."


"How do you know where she is?"


"I can feel her negative emotions. They're so strong they're hurting me. I need to get to her."


"Fine. There's no more hiding her location from you. Come on." Dwalin got up and hauled me to my feet. We ran down the hallway and came to a stop at Mereniver's door.


"Wani's not there."


"What?!"


"She ran out and down that way right after I woke up, that's the reason I have to see her. Something's horribly wrong."


"Then she probably locked the door."


"Not her, she forgot to tie up the laces on her dress once, Mereniver told me."


"Oooook then. I'll just check the handle but until the council approves it, I can't let you see her."


"Fine." Dwalin pushed on the handle. It opened.


"Here goes nothing." Dwalin entered her room, shutting the door behind him. I leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Not thirty seconds after the door shut, Lord Zundan came around the corner. The lords of the council stayed in the hall to the right of the royal hallway, he must've been disturbed when Wani ran by.