Blackfoot

Chapter 18

They were thrown into a cell together, the others instantly calling out to them.

Thorin, through very clenched teeth, explained what happened as Selene lent heavily against a wall.

The numbness would've kept a tight grip on her had her leg not suddenly buckled under her, causing her to crash down hard with a groan.

Thorin had stopped mid sentence, rushing to her side.

"Selene?"

His voice broke through her haze of pain and she blinks wearily at him, barely registering his concerned expression.

"Are you alright?" He asked carefully, noticing her fight to stay conscious.

Selene shakes her head, her stomach churning as her leg throbbed angrily.

Thorin carefully pulls away the leg of her pants and she hisses with pain, her leg swollen and starting to turn black.

He stares at it. "Oin, please tell me you have any advice for dealing with spider bites."

There was silence for a moment. "Not without my bag. How bad is it?"

"Very bad." Thorin looks back at Selene, who's head had fallen to her chest. He gently lifts her head back up and her eyes half open. "You have to stay awake."

She nods, afraid that if she spoke, she would be sick. This was unlike any pain she had experienced before, even as heavily wounded as she had been before.

She could stay awake, it shouldn't be that hard.

Her world seemed to spin and she groaned again, trying desperately to get it to stop.

Thorin's face turned grim as he rebound the wound, firmer than what she had, he wasn't going to say anything, but his heart was racing, he was worried more than he had ever been.

"Bind the wound tightly Thorin, it's all that will slow the poison down." Oin called.

"I did." He said softly, carefully pulling Selene into his arms, resting her legs over his and holding her close as he lent against the wall.

"Thorin," Dwalin said. "She will be alright."

Thorin doesn't respond. Selene instinctively stirs, turning in his arms to nuzzle into his chest, one of her hands clenching tight to his coat as her body trembled in pain.

He rests his head down on hers. "You will be alright Selene."

Selene continued to tremble and let out a small whimper. "I am sorry about Thranduil."

"Do not worry."

"Thorin-"

Her voice broke and Thorin swallowed hard. "I can place a new one in. Focus on healing."

He was right of course but at the moment this was a distraction from the pain.

"I am sorry."

"It is not your fault."

"I shouldn't have let him bait me."

"He baited us both. You are not singularly to blame."

A heavy shudder went through her as pain gripped her again. She tried to focus on Thorin's breathing, timing it with his, but everytime pain shot through her, her breath would catch and she'd have to start again.

Slowly, it sunk in that she could die here.

She went to talk, to say something to him, but instead, she found her thoughts drowned out as Thorin began to sing.