Too Far Gone

Chapter 7

His faced had nearly dropped. He walked towards me and stopped not a foot away.

"You have not perished." He looked dead at me. "It was thought that you certainly had."

He brought a hand up to my stabbed shoulder, studying it. I cringed at his touch.

I jumped back.

"Gajut men, but who are you?" My eyebrows arched.

"Madeira, what has come upon you!" His voice had an edge of irritation. "It is I! Thorin! Son of Thrain, Son of Thròr!"

"Who is this 'Madeira'?" I asked.

"It was a pleasure meeting Thorin, Son of Thrain. But I must continue on this unending road to the Blue Mountains! My kin are already there."

The woman I'd ran into earlier, who claimed she knew of who I was popped up from the crowd.

"You're overtired! Please, Madeira." She pleaded.

"Do not be foolish! I'm quite fine! And I do not know where that name came from but I don't believe it belonged to me."

"We are venturing towards the Blue Mountains. Please, stay amongst us! We are your kin. You need rest, you're delirious!" Ziraz placed her hands on my shoulders.

She almost hit my wound. I flinched.

I looked back at Thorin.

"We will be camping for the night soon." He explained, and crossed his arms.

"You're one of us." She said, still holding my shoulders. You're overtired, or perhaps shock has taken over."

"Very well." I gave in.

~

Nightfall hit, the countless amounts of Dwarves settled in on a large field, rocks stuck proudly out of the ground.

I stayed on a boulder on my own. Families gathered around it, embracing.

I was not about to sleep here. Keeping watch was more my thing.

My shoulder ached fiercely. It was sore and throbbed.

So I stood atop the rock and gazed at the endless amounts of stars filling the sky.

"I wish I was with my people again." I took my gaze from the stars down to the boulder under my feet

"I believe you are." A voice came from behind.

I turned to see Thorin standing on the rock.

"May I ask what has come about with you?" His hands locked behind his back.

"Whatever do you mean?" I questioned.

"Well, you claim you do not know of who I am, or any of us for that matter."

"My apologies, but I do not. These people cannot be my kin, for the ladies have beards as big as the men's! I, however do not."

"These are your kin." He affirmed.

"Then perhaps something is wrong with me. I have not a beard!" I sat down on the rock.

"I do not even know how I got here! Everyone claims to know of who I am, what name I belong to, yet I've heard not of them!"

The look in his eyes said it all. He'd lost hope, all hope that was left. There was no coming back for me.

The breeze blew his dark hair into his face as he studied me.

"I am sorry for what happened to Erebor." I still gazed at the sky.

I stood up.

I walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. I could see the hurt in his eyes. Even though I did not know of whom he was, I saw it.