Ranger of the South ➵ THE HOBBIT

➵ 19 | A T R U E F R I E N D

Thorin was already putting on his clothes when I woke up. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Good morning, sunshine."

I rolled my eyes, knowing I didn't look good in the morning but followed his lead and started to put my clothes on too. I braided my hair so that it wouldn't be in the way and slipped my feet into my boots.

We walked out of the house to our boat. He stopped on the edge and looked at me. "I'm afraid I can't let you come with us."

I froze and narrowed my eyes. "Why not?"

"You would slow us down," Thorin replied, looking down at my leg.

"Well," I said, "you can't stop me."

He sighed and clearly didn't wanted to have this conversation. "I can and I will."

Daylor and Faelar had heard our conversation and climbed out of the boat. "If Keira isn't going than we aren't going either."

"It's okay guys," I said quietly. I lowered my head and limped away.

Oin climbed out of the boat too. "My place is with the wounded," he explained Thorin. I saw Kili and Fili looking at me sadly when they left.

The boat had barely left, or I fell down. My leg was burning. I bit on my cheek, not wanting to scream and Daylor picked me up.

"She got a fever," Oin told them, holding his hand against my forehead. "We need to get her inside."

Daylor carried me to Bard's house. They laid me on the couch and Oin looked at my wound. It was already black. "I need Kingsfoild," Oin said.

"Kingsfoild?" Bard repeated. "Aye, we give it to the pigs."

"I saw some pigs!" Bofur exclaimed. "I'll go get some!" He ran out of the house and Oin took some clothe and dipped it in the water. He laid it on my forehead, trying to get the fever away.

The world was fuzzy around me. I didn't really knew what was happening. Orc were suddenly storming into the house and I took my dagger, trying to protect Tilda, Sigrid and Bain all at the same time. Oin stopped me. "You have to lay down, Daylor and Faelar will take care of them."

"But there are too many!" I argued, already loosing the feeling of my leg. I was about to fall down when Oin caught me and put me on the table.

"Bofur better hurries," I heard him whisper. My hand went to Thorin's ring. Please, I thought, I can't die again, not without seeing him for the last time.

3rd person POV

Keira was loosing consciousness. Oin knew it the moment he looked at her. "Lads!" He called out to Daylor and Faelar. "She's loosing consciousness! Better hurry up!"

Daylor and Faelar looked desperately at their sister, not wanting to lose her again. Orcs keep running into the house and in the middle of their despair, two elves appeared in the doorway. One with blond hair and another with red flaming hair. The orcs were quickly dealt with and Legolas left the house, leaving Tauriel who was looking at Keira with a sad expression.

"She's not good," Oin said looking sadly at Daylor and Faelar who were now standing beside their sister.

The sound of someone running towards the house made all of them look to the door. Bofur appeared, carrying Kingsfoild. Tauriel who was doubting what she would do, leaving with Legolas or staying with her new friend, took the Kingsfoild from the hands of a confused Bofur. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to save her," she replied quietly. She quickly put the Athelas in a bowl and tore it into small pieces. She then put the Athelas on Keira's leg and started singing in Elvish. Daylor, Faelar, Oin and Bofur held tight onto Keira, who was moving from the pain. Tauriel put both of her hands on Keira's leg and started singing in Elvish, the others watching closely.

"T... Tauriel?" Keira said quietly, looking at the red haired she-elf. "Is that you?"

Tauriel smiled. "It's me, Mellon, and I'm not leaving you." She hold out Cirdan's dagger. "I thought you would like this back."

Keira smiled weakly and took the dagger. "Thank you, this means a lot to me." The red haired elleth smiled down at the red haired woman.

"How are the others?" Keira asked. "Any wounded?" She tried to sit up to look at them but Tauriel pushed her gently back down. "Everyone is alright."

Keira sighed relieved. "Without you, we would all be dead. "Thank you." She said in Elvish.

Tauriel looked up from this, not believing a human could speak the Elven language. "You can speak Elvish, how?"

Keira laughed. "I've picked up a thing or two."

Tauriel shock her head, still smiling and saw Thorin's ring on Keira's ring finger.

"Have you married your dwarf?" She asked, teasingly.

"I have," Keira confirmed, "I'm sorry I didn't invited you, it was last minute."

Tauriel smiled. "It's okay, I'm happy you're happy."

They conversed for a few minutes, while the others observed them. They could all feel the friendship that grew between the two and didn't dare to interfere. Daylor and Faelar were mainly surprised by how fluent Keira could speak Elvish. Tauriel laughed at something Keira said and Keira grinned at Tauriel's reaction.

Sigrid came in and gave a bowl of soup to Keira, who send a kind smile at the girl and talked further to Tauriel as if they had known each other all their lives.

"I'm happy I had the privilege to have witnessed the healing magic of the Elves," Oin said, a smile playing on his lips. "It was truly magical."

Daylor smiled when he saw Keira telling the story of how she died once. "And those idiots buried me!" She said loud enough so that they could hear her. Oin and Bofur snickered and Daylor and Faelar looked slightly guilty. Tauriel laughed. "They did?" Keira nodded. "Yeah, without Carden, I'd probably died again."

Tauriel frowned, trying to remember who Carden was.

"Carden is my soulmate, a hippogriff with some attitude," Keira told her.

Keira POV

"I heard that," Carden said.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you did."

I smiled at Tauriel and began telling her how we met.

For a second, everything seemed so peaceful. I laughed with my best friend, not that I had anyone beside Tauriel, and hugged my brothers.

That was until a dragon's roar was heard.

Smaug had come.