The Royal Thief (Thorin/OC)

Introductions

The first thing Nyssa heard was voices all around her. She felt warm under the blankets in the soft feather bed. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but there was something that did not feel right. As she slowly regained consciousness, her memories were also coming back. The last thing she recalled was being shot in the thigh by an orc arrow.

The events of leading up to the attack were flashing through her mind. She came upon an orc pack, fought and killed as many as she could, and then she made a break for it. She ran along the banks of the lake before she was hit. So, how did she end up in a bed?

Nyssa groaned as she forced her eyes open. She heard a female voice tell another person that she was waking up and to go get someone. She couldn't comprehend anymore because of the pounding in her head and the cotton in her ears. All she could do at that moment was to take in her surroundings and try to find out where she was.

Nyssa tried to push herself up into a sitting position when a pair of hands gently pushed her back down by her shoulders. Nyssa blinked a few times to focus on the person trying to talk to her.

The young girl had a round face, straight nose, brown eyes, long blond hair in a series of braids, and what looked like facial hair around the chin and lips. This woman had a beard. It took a moment before Nyssa realized that she was staring into the face of a dwarrowdam. She had never seen a dwarrowdam before. They usually stayed hidden away like precious treasures. When they did come out in public, they were dressed like the dwarrows. It was nearly impossible to tell a female dwarf from a male.

"Don't hurt yourself, dearie," said the dwarrowdam as she gently pushed Nyssa back into the bed. "You need to rest. Your fever only just broke a few hours ago."

"What happened? Where am I?" Nyssa asked.

"You're in the healer's house in Dale. You've been very sick for a good week now. My name is Iona. I am a healer's apprentice."

"How did I get here?"

"You were quite sick when the captain of the King's guard had you brought in. He said you were taking on a whole pack of orcs on your own when you got shot. You were delirious with fever when you got here."

"I only remember getting shot by the arrow. I don't remember anything else."

"I don't doubt that. The poison from the orc's arrow was working fast. If it weren't for that elf maid, you would have passed into the shadow," she explained.

At that moment, as if on cue, an elf maid with long red hair and a green dress entered the room. She was carrying two bowls of different size. One was a large bowl with steaming hot bandages. The other smaller bowl had a green pasty substance inside. She stood at the door like she was waiting for permission. Iona sensed her presence and turned to face her.

"I see that she is awake," said the elf maid.

"This is Tauriel, the elf who saved you," Iona said to Nyssa.

Again, Nyssa tried to sit up but was pushed back down by Iona. Tauriel walked to the bed without a word spoken and pulled back the blanket to examine Nyssa's leg. She took away the old wrappings to see the wound.

The leg was healing nicely. The purple blotches were subsiding as was the infection. Tauriel cleaned the wound then too the small bowl filled with an athelas poultice. She began applying the mixture to the wound.

Nyssa let out a hiss through her clenched teeth. The poultice stung and was very uncomfortable. Nyssa's leg jerked when a sudden shooting pain tore through her entire leg and body. It took a few seconds for the pain to subside leaving behind a soothing coolness coming from the poultice. The pain lessened, and she regained control of her body.