Beside the Undying Fire

Chapter 21

I sat with her, for what felt like a second. But it must have been hours, a day perhaps. I reminisced in all of her memories. Telling her lifeless body how much she'd helped me but didn't know it. All of the amazing things she'd done, all of the memories we had, all of the advice she'd given me, how alive she'd kept me through the years. That was all taken away in a second.

But it would stay with me for as long as I shall live.

I held her hand once again "I wish it could have been me." I teared up as I brought her hand up to my face and gently kissed it. Kissing the memories of her goodbye.

~

A long while had passed, it was now almost past midday. I walked along the main path to Erebor. I took Ariannell's bow and arrows with me. Leaving her her lifeless corpse was difficult, even if she was gone, because I knew she'd never done that in her life, she'd never left me when I needed it. No matter how difficult I could get.

Dried tears made marks down my cheeks. I had Ariannell's bow and arrows on my back along with my sword.

I trudged back to Erebor, in pain.

The cut on my forehead had only barely stopped bleeding.

The trees were still the beautiful green colour, it didn't give me hope as it usually did.

Dusk was closing in quickly. I picked up the pace.

I was in shock. I didn't believe she was gone. I'd taken her for granted, I know I had. She'd tried so many times to make my life better. Encouraging me to tell Thorin what I needed to tell him, helping me through the passing of my parents, teaching me so many things I could not possibly have survived without. But in a split second, she was gone. This part of my life was gone, I couldn't see her anymore. I couldn't be in her presence. I couldn't be with her.

Her arrows suddenly tumbled down from my back. How? They were completely secure.

I turned around and kneeled to pick them up.

My heart burned when I touched the arrows as the image of Thorin shot into my head.

I shook it off as I placed them back in their holder.

My long, dark green coat was a touch dirty on the end, the sleeves were covered in blood from my forehead and hands. And the right side had a touch of blood from leaning on Ariannell.

I shook my head as I looked down again, placing my hand gently on her blood.

The image of Thorin shot into by mind again, along with a shooting pain on my side, where Azog had implanted his mace. The same pain I'd felt days after the battle. But it was just a scar. Why would it hurt?

I took my hand off of the blood spot and the image of Thorin disappeared.

I placed my hand in my pocket and grabbed the bead. I looked at it.

"I did it." I thought, smiling. "But for what? The price of Ariannell's life!" My smile faded as I put the bead back into my pocket.

~

I walked.

I was perhaps 1/2 a mile away from Erebor, the mountain was tall and proud. The trees drowned my sight of it as I walked closer.

Until.

I saw Thorin.

He was fast approaching. I shook my head again to clear the image. But it was not an image. It was him.

My side gave a surge of pain, getting closer and closer to the pain I'd felt as Azog's mace hit me. It grew stronger as Thorin got closer.

I kept myself up through the pain, fighting the urge to kneel into it.

He closed in.

"Where have you been!" He questioned firmly.

The pain in my side got worse.

"I was simply on a run." I answered, working through the pain.

I didn't let him see I was in agony. I couldn't.

"5 days, Madeira!" He nearly yelled. "What were you doing!"

The pain increased. "It's nothing to be concerned of!" I barked. "How did you even find out I'd gone?"

He just stared at me, not saying a word.

"Why in Durin's name would you as Kíli what that filth looked of!"

"What filth?" I almost began to bend over in pain, I was fully aware that he was speaking of the Orc who'd taken his bead.

"Did I not tell you it's a dangerous world! That you can easily get yourself killed!" He shot.

I walked closer to him, putting my hand in my pocket, trying with everything that I had not to whimper from the increasing pain.

It increased more and more as I got closer.

He looked disappointed, but that disappointment was drown out by the anger in his face.

I got close to him and pulled the bead from my pocket, putting it in my hand and presenting it to him.

More pain.

He lifted his hand and grabbed it with his fingers.

I lowered my hand.

I nodded as I exhaled, trying not to make it obvious i was in pain.

"You returned my necklace." I looked at him, still holding the bead. "The least I can do is return this."

"This is unacceptable, Madeira!" He grabbed my hand and shoved the bead back into it. "You could have been killed!"

My face dropped as the bead fell from my hand. "But I wasn't!" I snapped, almost screeching in pain.

"Is there an excuse as to why you were gone for that amount of time?" He growled.

I stood in shock. Shock that almost masked the pain. "It took longer than I thought!"

"Your friend informed me she was going to find you, just as I began to walk out the door. Where is she?"

I looked down again and nodded my head slowly. "No, she's. she's not here."

"Your stupidity for a bead cost her her life." He glared.

"She chose to come! She chose to help! I would have gotten out fine even if she had not of been there!" I defended.

"Gotten out? You were imprisoned?" He snapped. "You were in Mirkwood, captured by the Elves! Weren't you!"

"I wasn't IN Mirkwwood!" I snapped back "They arrested me for being there 9 years ago!"

I realized what I said and quickly covered my mouth, holding back a screech.

He facial expression changed from anger to confusion. "9 years ago! What in Durin's name were you doing in Mirkwood all those years ago!"

"You've defaced my trust, Madeira! I've told you many times not to go into things such as that! Battles are dangerous! Know you should see why I wouldn't let you come all those years ago! You lost someone from a minor quest! Imagine a battle!" He turned and began to walk powerfully away.

I fought the urge to bend over in pain. A tear nearly escaped my watering eyes.

The pain increased more.

"Thorin!" I put my hand out hoping he'd stop, I quickly unbuttoned my mothers coat and pulled my shirt up slightly, revealing the scar of Azog's mace.

He turned. "I don't have ti-" His face dropped.

The pain in my side stopped.