тнє нєαℓєя[тнσяιи σαкєиѕнιєℓ∂]

Chapter Forty Nine - Farewell

The weeks of recovery for the three Durin's had gone by faster then Maura could have hoped for. Bilbo had agreed to stay until the winter chill was over. Maura was still traveling back and forth to Dale, attending to the wounded. It also gave her more time to think of the best way to tell Bilbo he would be returning back to the Shire without her. Once Thorin was finally strong enough to start moving around again. The first thing he wanted to do, was keep the promise he made to the people of Laketown. The Arkenstone had been return, which Thorin wanted nothing to do with. It was just another thing to remind him of everything he nearly lost. He asked the young woman to put it somewhere only she would know and to not tell any of them, including him where it was. It was risk he couldn't allow to happen again.

Unfortunately that wasn't the only thing the king has been dealing with. It hadn't gone unnoticed to him the way Kili had been acting out towards the healer. He understood his anger towards him, but not to her. All he knew was this had to stop now. But Kili wouldn't seem to give Thorin the chance to talk to him. Thorin eventually went to Fili, who at least was still willing to look at him and work things out. His eldest nephew explained that his brother was angry at Maura because she forgave him so easily.

Thorin was walking down the long corridor, he was looking for Maura. But at the same time he hoped he'd run into his youngest nephew to solve the issue between them. He just wanted them all to be a family again, like they once were, before all this happened. The king looked up when he heard the woman's voice and saw she was speaking to Kili....well trying to speak to him, but like always he kept pushing her away and Thorin could see the hurt in her eyes. The Dwarf king was still standing in the middle of the hall, seeing Kili heading right in his direction. Maura looked at the ground in disappointment before leaving to go check on the others.

"Kili, we need to talk." Thorin pressed.

"Not now." Kili hissed, elbowing Thorin in the chest as he walked by.

Thorin grabbed his nephew by the shoulder and shoved him into another hallway passage that appeared to be vacant. " Kili this needs to stop now." Thorin said calmly.

"I don't know what you're talking about Thorin." Kili retorted, trying to leave but the king wouldn't let him pass.

"Kili, you know what this is about and it needs to stop."

"Or what? You going to try and choke me to death too?" The young Dwarf challenged. Thorin clenched his fists at his sides and it took everything in him to keep himself calm.

"Kili. You have every right to be angry with what I did. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret what I did to Maura. And because of it, i'll have to live with it for the rest of my life! Knowing I nearly killed the woman I love, because I was weak and I let myself become blinded by greed and madness! But pushing Maura away just to get to me isn't right! I know you and your brother love her dearly. And she loves you both. Please don't treat her like this because of my doing."

"Did you threaten her? Is that why she forgave you?" Kili spat.

"I didn't threaten her Kili!" Thorin growled.

"Then what did you do to make her forgive you!?" The young prince snapped.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE? YOU STILL THINK I'M MAD? BECAUSE I'M NOT!" Thorin bellowed, smacking the wall in frustration.

"I find that hard to believe." Kili returned. Suddenly Fili came from out of nowhere behind his brother and put a hand on his shoulder to stop this, but he shrugged it off.

"WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO CONVINCE YOU HOW SORRY I AM FOR EVERYTHING I PUT YOU AND YOUR BROTHER THROUGH! IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO HURT EITHER OF YOU OR MAURA! BUT I CAN'T UNDO THE PAST KILI! I AM SORRY OKAY! IS THAT NOT ENOUGH!"