Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Imagines

Connected 14

Hey everyone, sorry this took so long to write.  This was incredibly difficult, and I don't think the next part will be much better.  I don't think I've ever struggled with something so much before, but hopefully it turns out okay.

Thorin paced, his hands running through his hair.  "I...I didn't even know what was happening till she fixed it."

Keeva glared at him.  "You kept telling us that you wouldn't fall for it."

"I didn't know I was."  He said, all eyes on Thorin and Keeva.  "Not until it was too late."

"That's not good enough."  Keeva growled.  "She's my sister, your one, and now what are we supposed to do about this?"

They all watched as Thorin deflated a little, his eyes showing his pain.  "I don't know."

Dwalin grabbed her as she tried to launch forward.  "This is your fault Thorin!  All this has been your fault!"

"Keeva,"  Dwalin said.  "Stop.  He didn't know, there's no good in throwing it on him.  We just need to deal with this."

"There's no cure for dragon sickness."  She struggled against him.  "And your damned response is to lock her in a room!"

"To protect her."  Balin spoke up.  "A few of us here have seen what the sickness is like.  The less Veera is exposed to the gold, the better."

Thorin shudders.  "I can still feel it, whether it's through her or my own weakness, I do not know."

"It should be you under it's influence."  Keeva growled.  "It should be you trying to deal with this, not her!"

"I know."  Thorin's eyes shone as he stared at her.  "Dammit, Keeva, I know.  I don't need you to tell me, I already have enough guilt on my shoulders as it is."

"Don't," Dwalin growled in her eas as she tried to pull forward.  "He's hurting enough Keeva, can't you see that?"

Keeva stared at Thorin, really looked at him for the first time, and saw the weight of it all bearing down on him.  For the first time since all this started, she felt a little of what he was feeling.

Irritated, she yanked herself away from Dwalin and stormed off.

Dwalin sighs.  "I hope you weren't intending for her to like you."

"She is the least of my problems right now."  Thorin growled and walked off towards the room where they were keeping Veera.

Balin's face was grim.  "We may not have lost him to the sickness, but we may yet lose him to grief."

"We can't afford to think like that."  Dwalin said gruffly.  "We've just gotta...we've just got to do what we can."

Thorin paused outside of Veera's door, his head resting against it as he drew in shuddering breathes, trying to withhold everything he was feeling, feeling that Veera was awake behind the door, but so unfocused that it made him feel physically ill.

"Thorin?"  Her voice was faint behind the door, but it made his eyes hopeful, thinking that she could still recognise his presence, that she wasn't entirely gone.

Drawing in a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside.

Veera was sitting on the bed and smiles widely at him as he enters and closes the door behind him.  "There you are."

He gives a strained smile.  "How are you feeling Veera?"

"Perfectly fine, I don't know what you are worried about."  She pats the bed next to her and he joins her, his hand taking hers.  "Is everyone else okay?"

Thorin nods slowly.  "Shaken...but okay.  Smaug is dead."

"Oh..." A strange expression came over Veera's face, a darkness passing over her gaze.  "And...what does that mean?"

Thorin could feel the hidden meaning behind her question and a slight frown creases his forehead as he thinks about how he should answer.

"Thorin?"

He looks up at her and holds her gaze, worry gnawing away at him and trying to think of a way to safely answer her question.  "I'm not going to let anything happen Veera, I promise."

What ever was passing across her mind, his words seemed to ease her.  "Good.  Now, why don't you show me around?"

Thorin shakes his head.  "You are sick, you need to stay here."

"I feel perfectly fine."  Veera stands, moving towards the door.  "Now come one, you talked about it so much and now I want to see Erebor."

Thorin's shoulders sank and he suppresses a sigh as he follows after her, keeping a firm grip on her hand.  "There's been a lot of damage Veera, you need to stay with me."

It seemed like hours before Fili, Kili, Bofur and Oin arrived, and by then, it became very clear as to how bad Veera's condition was.

Keeva was outside at the gates with Dwalin, she was glaring hard at the ground as Dwalin rubbed his neck, looking uncomfortable.

"Hey, you guys made it!"  Bofur called out cheerfully as they approached.

Dwalin looked up at them, looking relieved to see them but his expression was still grim.  "Yeah...most of us are alright."

"Most of you?"  Fili asked nervously.  "What's happened?"

"Veera is sick."  Keeva's voice croaked.  "And no one is willing to do anything about it."

"There's nothing we can do Keeva," Dwalin said.  "Just talk to her."

"It makes me sick."  She snapped angrily.  "Seeing her like that, acting as if it's all normal, I can't stomach it Dwalin."

Dwalin sighs and looks at the others.  "Head inside, you'll know what we mean."

They were hesitant but it was clear that Keeva was upset to the point that she wanted to hurt someone, which meant that Dwalin was the best person to leave her with.  They went inside and continued on until they found Bilbo with Balin.

Balin's face was grim.  "I wouldn't recommend seeing Thorin yet lads, he's...he's trying to sort out Veera."

"What happened to Veera?"  Kili asked, sharing a look with Fili.  "I mean, we were all fine, her and Keeva-"

"Veera was protecting me."  Thorin's voice growled as he stepped up to them, his eyes dark.  "Just...don't go near her, I doubt the rest of you would be able to handle the influence of her power.  She's put a block on it but that doesn't mean that nothing will come through, especially if she touches you."

"Uncle...are you alright?"  Fili asked worriedly.

Thorin pauses and then nods slowly.  "I will be fine, just..."  He seems unsure whether to say anything.  "Just...keep away from her, please.  I can handle this, this was meant to come onto me in the first place, so I can handle this, but I do not want it on any of you."

"Thorin, you cannot think that this will not affect you too."  Balin said.  "We've all been witness to-"

"I know what is happening Balin," Thorin said.  "And I've already felt that she will not let it fully take me, but for the rest of you...I cannot say."  He hesitates.  "I...I want to seal us in, if this gets worse, then I cannot allow it to happen to anyone beyond these walls.  If a lie must be told, then so be it."

"Thorin, all those people will want help."  Bilbo said.

Thorin nods.  "I know, but for their sakes, with Veera like this, we cannot risk it.  It will end in bloodshed."

He walks off, leaving them watching after him, a heavy weight on his shoulders.