тнє нєαℓєя[тнσяιи σαкєиѕнιєℓ∂]

Chapter Forty Four - A Curse Broken

Maura hadn't peeled her eyes away from the war going on down below them. Bilbo was out there. She couldn't even begin to imagine what must be running through the Hobbit's mind in all that chaos. The healer placed her hands on the edge, exhaling a shaky breath. She was no warrior or even had an ounce of skill, wielding a sword but she couldn't just stand here and watch. The woman made a promise long ago to her friend, that she would always watch out for him after she was gone. She couldn't break her promise. She was all the Hobbit had left.

The healer grabbed a sword that happened to be lying on the ground, and she had to re-grip it when she realized it was a lot heavier then it looked. She was terrified and knew she probably wasn't going to survive this, but she wasn't going to let Bilbo die alone. Maura walked over to the rope Bilbo had used to climb over, she tossed the end over the wall. She was about to climb over it when someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from it.

"Maura, where are you going?" Kili demanded.

"I'm going to find Bilbo. I won't leave him alone out there."

" But you'll be killed!" Fili shouted.

"I DON'T CARE!" She screamed in frustration. Both brothers backed away from her. " Fili, Kili. I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell at you both like that." she insisted, shaking her head. This was just too much for her, her whole world was coming apart on her and she slid against the battlements to the ground, tossing the sword in front of her. The two Dwarf's came and sat down beside her Kili took her hand and Fili wrapped an arm around her shoulder pulling her into a hug.

"Aunt Maura, Bilbo will be okay." Fili whispered. " Gandalf is with him. He won't let anything happen to him."

"I know. Its just...I've already lost your uncle. I can't lose Bilbo or any of you too." She murmured, trying so hard not to cry.

"Aunt Maura...we know how much Bilbo means to you. We know we couldn't convince you not to go even if we tried," Kili begun looking at the healer.

"But we won't let you go alone. If anything happened to you, we know Thorin would never forgive himself and we couldn't forgive ourselves. Maura you're family to us and we protect our family." Fili declared.

"You boys aren't going anywhere. Your king gave you all an order. And I know you are all loyal to your king, even with the current state of his mind. You two will remain loyal to your uncle." Maura told them.

"How can you defend Thorin, after what he did to you." Kili said, pointing a finger at her neck. The healer instantly pushed the ends of her hair to cover the bruising. Not thinking the brothers had already noticed it.

"Thorin didn't mean to do it. I know he didn't." She pressed, getting up from the ground.

"Didn't mean to do it!? He left you on the ground unconscious, Maura! We thought you were dead!" Kili shouted at her. "Why are you being so blinded! He doesn't care for you, he doesn't love you!"

"Kili--" Fili tried, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, but the young Dwarf just kept pushing to the point the healer was back in tears. " Kili that's enough!" Fili growled.

"What's going on here?" Dwalin interrupted coming up the steps, seeing the state the woman was in.

Nothing..." Maura hissed and she ran passed Dwalin and descended down the stair, making her way through the others who all looked at her with concern.

"Maura-," Bofur called but she ignored him and disappeared down the long corridor.

"Why would you do that Kili?" Fili growled at his brother.