The Dragons' Daughter (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Search for the Arkenstone

Clarrei groaned as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams were plagued with darkness, smoke, blood and pain. She gasped for air as she felt an intense pain in her stomach, and a deep voice cried out:
"CLARREI!"
It was that voice that woke Clarrei, and her eyes opened, sweat pouring down her forehead. Something was wrong, something was desperately wrong. Putting a hand to her throat, Clarrei felt the rough gauze over her injuries. She smiled, before tearing them off. Sleep was a natural healer, and it had accelerated her already speedy healing abilities. All that was left of the wound on her neck was a slight red mark, and her ribs felt infinitely better. She sat up in bed, sighing as she saw the smouldering wreckage that had been her armour. Though it had melded to her skin when she shifted, it had still taken the brunt of her battle with Smaug, and so now resembled mashed and slashed silver rather than the gleaming armour she had worn a day before. Clarrei winced as she got to her feet, with a twinge from her ribs reminding her of yesterday's events. She looked about herself, taken aback by the sudden silence. Last she remembered, her wounds were being tended by Oin, and Thorin had left to take care of "business." Now that word gave her the chills. Something was most certainly off about this whole thing, and she had to find out what it was.

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"Keep looking!" Thorin called, as the Company dug through the piles of gold. "It has to be here!" He had found an old cloak of his grandfather's, which was now currently draped over his shoulders, making him feel every inch the King. Thorin paced across the gold, peering in every crevice in the treasure for the shining jewel.
It must be here, it must.
As he searched, Thorin was faintly aware of someone calling his name, but he didn't pay attention to it until a hand rested on his shoulder. He whipped around to see Clarrei looking at him with concern in her blue eyes.
"Thorin?" She asked, taking in his ragged appearance. "Is everything alright?"
Thorin smiled widely and gave her a hurried kiss.
"Of course, everything's fine, my love. I'm having everyone search for the Arkenstone."
Clarrei smiled at him, rather stiffly, and nodded.
"Alright. Would you like me to help?"
Part of Thorin's mind wanted to tell Clarreito go and rest and make sure she was feeling better, but the more dominant side of him demanded he make her search with the others. So, they compromised.
"Yes, but don't hurt yourself." He said, laying a hand on his beloved's shoulder. She nodded, and went to join the others. As he watched her leave, Thorin went back to the riches he had been admiring beforehand. A long wooden table stretched in front of him, covered in glittering, shining jewels. Thorin gently picked up a string of gleaming diamonds, a smug smile spreading across his face.
"The White Gems of Lasgalen." He said, looking to the ceiling of the great chamber. "I know a certain Elf who would pay a pretty price for these." Thorin chuckled, throwing the precious jewels back onto the glittering pile.

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Clarrei sat down on one of the stone benches in the corridor that led to the armoury. Her ribs and leg ached, and she was sweating from the heat of the treasure chamber. Combing her damp hair back with her fingers, Clarrei was startled to see Bilbo sitting on the bench next to her. She tried to limp over to him, but the hobbit leapt to his feet and pushed her back down by her shoulders.
"Absolutely not. I will not have my head on a spike because I let you wander around in pain." He said, sitting next to her. Clarrei gave a weak attempt at a smile.
"I doubt Thorin would notice anyway." She said, bitterly. Bilbo' eyes widened, and he took in the young woman's ragged appearance, her sad eyes, and wondered what had happened to take it that absolute faith in her beloved.
"What's happened?" He asked, trying to meet Clarrei's eyes. She took a shaky breath, trying to stop the quivering lump in her throat from bursting into tears.
"I'm just...afraid." She said, her voice shaking. "I'm afraid for Thorin."
Bilbo frowned, his little face creasing up in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Clarrei grasped the blue sapphire around her neck tightly, as though it was her only lifeline to the man she loved. She looked out over the plains that lay between Erebor and the ruins of Dale, before turning back to Bilbo with the look of a woman who had lived a thousand years of misery.
"Thorin's family has suffered a disease throughout the ages, one that cannot be cured once it sinks its claws into you. A sickness caused by the cursed gold in this bloody mountain. It drove both his father and his grandfather mad, and I don't want him to-"
Clarrei broke off, burying her head in her hands as she sobbed. Bilbo hated seeing his friend like this, Clarrei was usually the one comforting others. She had supported the entire Company through thick and thin, and now here the roles were reversed. He awkwardly patted his friend's back, smiling at her as she looked up.
"Clarrei, I am going to tell you something that Thorin should be telling you himself. That man loves you more than anything on this earth, and would absolutely do anything for you. And no dragon-sickness is going to take that away from you two."
Clarrei wiped away her tears, taking a deep breath and forcing a smile on her dirty face.
"Thank you, my friend. It's only now I realise we haven't had much time to talk since arriving here."
The hobbit smiled.
"I suppose so."
Clarrei looked to her friend, and wondered what he would do when this was all over, and said so.
"What lies back in the Shire for Bilbo Baggins?" She asked, pushing her dirty hair back from her face. Bilbo chuckled, before pulling a small acorn out of his pocket and turning it over in his hands.
"Well, first off, I plan on taking this back and planting it."
Clarrei stared at him in astonishment. She looked about herself, not seeing any trees nearby.
"Where did you get that?" She asked, pointing to the tiny nut in Bilbo's hands.
"I got it from Beorn's garden. I'm going to take it back with me, plant it in my garden. I figure, if a little acorn can make that long journey, then so can I."
Clarrei chuckled, marvelling at this little, determined creature, content only with his acorns and his trees, and wished the world favoured what he did. If it had, it may have been a merrier place. But a sudden call from Thorin made the two look up. The dwarf prince stormed over with a face of thunder. He was glaring at Bilbo, and pointed to his hand, which was now clenched around the acorn.
"What is that in your hand?" He demanded. Clarrei stepped forward, laying a hand on Thorin's shoulder, but he shrugged her off.
"It's Nothing." Stuttered Bilbo, meeting the furious dwarf's eyes shakily. Thorin eyes flashed, and he growled:
"Show me."
Bilbo took a deep breath, and slowly opened his hand to reveal the acorn. Thorin peered at the nut, before looking at the hobbit in confusion.
"I picked it up in Beorn's garden."
"You've carried it all this way." Thorin wondered, and Clarrei felt the knot of unease in her stomach loosen as the corner of his his mouth twitched.
"I'm going to plant it in my garden in Bag End." Bilbo explained sheepishly, avoiding Thorin's eyes. Thorin chuckled quietly.
"It's a poor prize," he said, "to take back to the Shire."
Bilbo allowed himself a small smile.
"One day it'll grow." He said. "And every time I look at it, I'll remember. Remember everything, the good, the bad. And how lucky I am that I made it home."
Thorin and Bilbo smiled at each other, and Clarrei sighed in relief. Her ears twitched as she picked up the sound of hoof steps outside the Mountain, so she could only hear a slight muttering from Bilbo before Dwalin called out:
"Thorin. Survivors from Lake-Town. They're streaming into Dale. There's hundreds of them."
Thorin turned slowly to glare over the battlements, and Clarrei felt that knot of fear appear in her stomach again.
"Call everyone to the gate." He said, darkly. Clarrei placed a hand on his chest.
"Thorin-" she said, but her prince just glared through her and bellowed, right in her face:
"To the gate! Now!"

A.N.// IM SORRY PLEASE DONT HATE ME!!! I really enjoyed exploring the dragon sickness in this chapter, and I can't believe that soon we get to the Battle of the Five Armies, and let me warn you, tissues will be needed for that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you soon, my hobbits!
~ Luna 💘🐉🌹