Take My Pain Away

Chapter 14

Thorin stood high above the doorway to Erebor. The dwarves bustling around looked tiny below him; Arfindel's entourage were making their way around the dwarrow hard at work rebuilding the grand entrance.

Thorin looked out over his lands and sighed. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. So many questions were swirling through his mind; what to do about the hundreds of dwarrow who were streaming in most every day, how he was going to feed them all. There were also repairs taking place at Dale, humans from Laketown were determined to reclaim their own home.

Now he anticipated trouble with Dain. He still had no idea why his cousin had sent that buffoon to represent him. Perhaps he should have sent Dwalin with them to ensure all was well with Dain...

And Abrâ. He sighed again. She was arguing to be allowed up and around. She was nowhere near healed enough to even consider getting out of bed, let alone working; but she was determined. Yesterday he had caught her trying to remove her blanket; today she had managed to pull it off.

Thorin took one last look down the valley and was just about to turn away when he saw something flash in the distance. He focused and shook his head. Another beardless wonder of an elf. He pushed himself away from the rock wall and made his way down to the vast foyer.

When the horse entered Erebor he was surprised to find 2 elves. Elves he recognized. They jumped down from their mount and bowed to Thorin.

"Greetings Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror," Legolas declared with much grace.

"Welcome, Legolas Greenleaf," Thorin placed a hand to his chest and nodded to the young elf.

Legolas gestured toward the female elf, "Might I introduce the leader of our forces, Tauriel."

Tauriel stepped forward, bowed and spoke, "Majesty, we have come to warn you of imminent danger."

Thorin raised a brow and chuckled. "And what could be so threatening?"

"An army of Orcs is being raised at Gundabad by the Necromancer. Azog the Defiler is his general." Thorin's blood ran cold. "They number in the thousands¼"

Thorin gestured, "Come with me," and led the elves to his meeting room. There he found Balin and his brother. He introduced everyone and told Legolas to repeat his information.

"Can you convince your father to fight?" Balin asked.

Tauriel spoke up, "I cannot think of any way to engage my Lord Thranduil, short of invading Mirkwood."

Balin turned to Thorin, "We will need to send a message to Lord Dain," he made a face. "And we will have to let the people of Dale know what is coming."

***

Abrâ fixed Oin with a glare. "I will get up!"

Oin wagged his finger at the girl. "Young lady, you are much too ill to be up and about. I demand that you get back into that bed, right now!"

Abrâ was standing beside the bed, holding tightly to the bedpost. A sheen of sweat was across her brow, "And what are you going to do to stop me, Master Oin?"

By this point in her recovery the company no longer waited outside the door for news. At this exact moment in time, it was just Abrâ and Oin.

"Are you really going to walk out of here?" Oin raised a brow. "Naked?"

Abrâ pulled the blanket from the bed and gingerly wrapped it around herself before making a face at the older dwarf.

At that moment the door opened and Thorin stepped in. He took a breath and closed his eyes, what more was he going to have to deal with? "Abrâ, please get back into bed."

"No!" She raised her chin. "I need to start moving, contributing..."

"Contributing? What are you talking about?"

Abrâ's chin started to quiver. 'Why do I keep crying,' she thought to herself. "I am taking up everyone's time. There is much to do, and Oin is here tending me, and Incànus has to keep coming to tend to me, and Kili brings food and tends to me...I am a burden."

Thorin looked to Oin in order to ask him to leave and noted the fondness on the old dwarfs face. Oin caught the look Thorin gave him and excused himself.

Thorin sank down onto his haunches, "Abrâ, Ghivashel, you are no burden. And what do you mean to say you aren't contributing? You have made a grave sacrifice."

Abrâ looked confused.

"You are the one who ended the reign of Smaug. You saved us from him." Thorin rose to his feet and continued, "Please get back into bed; you look like you will fall over any minute."

Abrâ had to admit that standing for this length of time had taken all of her energy. Re­luctantly, she sat. Thorin sat next to her. "You have no idea how I wish I could take you in my arms right now," he whispered.

"Yes, I do."

They sat in companionable silence for many moments.

"I think I need to complete my role with the ring."

Thorin tensed, "What do you mean?"

"Incànus told me about it; he thinks it is the one ring."

The learned amongst the people of middle-earth knew about the rings of power, although it was not spoken of. Abrâ had travelled enough to have learned about Isildur, while for Thorin it was part of tales immemorial.

"I can feel it," she nodded her head, "it is calling to me. Thorin, I must destroy it!"

Thorin stared at her. "I do not want you to go. I want you to stay here forever."

"And what, Thorin?" She desperately wanted to get up and pace. "We can't marry, not least of all because of the curse," she spat. "I am a lowly dam; not worthy of a king..."

"You are," he said gruffly.

She smiled, "You know I would not be accepted." A shadow passed over her, as she put her fingers to her face, "And now, I am even less..."

"Never in my eyes, Agyâdê.*"

**

Thorin met with Balin, Dwalin, Gandalf, the elves and Bard, who had joined the refugees at Dale.

Dwalin gave them an update, "We must be ready for any attack. I have instructed our best smiths to make an inventory of our weapons and to make repairs wherever needed. Once they have finished here, I will send them to Dale," he nodded at Bard, "to assist you."

"Our forces are very small. I have sent word to Laketown, hopefully the master will see fit to send troops."

Gandalf snorted, "The snivelling coward should, if he knows what is good for him. Surely if they get past our defences they will head straight for Esgaroth." He paused for a moment, before pointing the tip of his pipe at Legolas, "If Azog the Defiler is amassing an army at Gundabad then I have no doubt that another is being sent from Dol Goldur. Legolas, you must return to Mirkwood and warn Thranduil."

"I do not think my father will listen."

"None the less," he replied in his gravelly tone, "You must warn him."

* my happiness