тнє нєαℓєя[тнσяιи σαкєиѕнιєℓ∂]

Chapter Thirty Six - Healer Instincts

No news had been heard if any of the people or their friends had escaped from Laketown before it disintegrated into ash and smoke. It had nearly been a week since the defeat of Smaug the terrible. Now that the mountain was finally there's, Thorin had kept himself confined in the depths of the treasure hoard, searching for the one thing that would truly name him as the rightful King of Erebor. 

Maura couldn't understand the importance of a jewel. If she had learn anything whilst traveling with these Dwarves is that Thorin has always been their King, even before this quest had even begun. So why all of sudden did he think his kin's loyalty was not enough? The healer would not dare to step foot in the treasure room, seeing that look Thorin had in his eyes when Bilbo had informed him that he failed to find the Arkenstone, it was dark, like he was willing to kill a friend or even one of his own kin for it. 

What was even more baffling was that the king hadn't sent anyone to search for his nephews or Bofur and Oin. And worse the Wizard still had yet to show up, which made her believe that something had indeed happened to him, when he took his leave of them at the entrance into the forest of Mirkwood. 

The healer leaned against the stone wall, looking out into the night sky over the ledge. She was growing anxious by the day, wondering...hoping that she would see the 4 Dwarves again. Maura was almost ready to leave this mountain to go find her friends. Thorin probably wouldn't even notice that she was gone anyways. He was too preoccupied searching for that bloody stone, she could slip out of here no problem. But then again, despite him being absent for most of the day, except for at feasting times, he always seemed to know where she was. And if he failed to noticed, she knew well enough the others wouldn't. Her companions all felt protective of her in their own ways, just like she felt protective of all them. Maura had been through so much with them already and would die for any one of them if she had to. 

The half-breed was pulled from her gaze when she heard movement and looked to see it was Bilbo. He informed her that the others were gathering in the feasting room to eat. Maura, hadn't been feeling hungry these last few days with everything that was going on and she told him to go on without her. The Hobbit just stood there, looking at his aunt and finally told her he wasn't going anywhere unless she was coming. Not wanting the lad to starve Maura admitted she was feeling a little hungry herself and the two of them made haste down the hall. 

Rounding the last corner she saw the Dwarves were sitting down at the long tables, quietly eating their food. Most meal times were filled with silence and not the usual cheer Maura and Bilbo had witness on this journey. Bombur filled a bowl for both the healer and Hobbit. Maura thanked him and gave him a smile as she and Bilbo took a seat at the table with the others and began eating. 

Not much time had passed when a figure emerged into the vicinity. The company looked up to see it was Thorin. Judging by the scowl on his face, it was another days search that failed. The king was even annoyed that none of his men had joined in the search for the stone. He was their leader wasn't he? He should have to ask them. They should all know that he couldn't search that entire hoard on his own. Thorin took his bowl and sat at the far end of the table, away from his company Maura was the only one to notice the dark circles that seemed to be forming under his eyes from the lack of sleep - which was none at all. But that wasn't all that caught her attention. On the right side of his shoulder, they're appeared to be remnants of fresh blood on his clothing. He was hurt. Whether he was aware of it. She knew from personal experience how Thorin was good at concealing his own pain, but ever so often she would catch the slight flinch he would make when he lifted his arm. 

Thorin finished eating and got up without saying a word and left. The healer looked up from her own bowl and saw the king walking out of the room. Maura knew she couldn't let him continue to walk around here with a bleeding shoulder wound. Not saying a word she abruptly got up from the table, ignoring Bilbo and a few others calling her name, demanding where she was going and the healer disappeared out of the room and wandered down the hall towards the treasure room.