The Navigator

Kindness

Tears sting Vistial's eyes as she flies as hard as she could. Her brain didn't fully register where she was, but what had happened on the rampart kept replaying in her mind.

'I...I almost killed Thorin. I could've hurt someone. I'm a monster.' Visital thought to herself. Eventually, the exhaustion from the pain she had gone through won and she crashes into a forest below. Vistial manages to slow her fall and shifts as she lands heavily on the ground. Her skin was covered in sweat and her vision was going in and out. Vistial somewhat pulls herself to her knees and pants heavily. A small gasp captures her attention and she looks up. A small dwarfling stood just a small distance away. He pulls on his vibrant red hair out of fear.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you." Vistial says. She knew she must've looked startling to a young dwarfling. "Please, I need help." The dwarfling suddenly turns and takes off running.

"Wait! Wait, please!" Vistial tries to stand, but falls once more. She stares at the sky as her vision goes dark and her entire world goes black.

~~~

Duvira picks a handful of berries and places them in the basket along with the others.

"Momma, Momma!" Duvira looks up as her son appears. Gimli runs up and pulls on her skirt. "Momma, there's a girl in the woods! She needs help!"

"What? Show me." Duvira places the basket down and follows her son into the woods.

"Over there." Gimli points. A girl was lying on the ground, face-up. Her dark hair was plastered to her skin and her face was covered in cuts and bruises. She groans as Duvira kneels next to her.

"Oh, Mahal! Gimli, go get the cart. We need to get her into the house." Gimli nods obediently and runs off. Duvira takes her handkerchief and gently wipes some of the sweat out of the girl's face. Gimli returns, the cart pony's lead rope in his hand as he practically runs back.

"Here, Momma." Gimli stops the pony next to his mother.

"Thank you, Gimli. Spread the blankets out in the cart." Duvira instructs, lifting the girl. Gimli obeys, taking the folded blankets in the cart and spreading them across the bottom. Duvira gently sets the girl in and places a blanket over her.

"Will she be okay, Momma?" Gimli asks, standing on his tiptoes to look into the cart.

"We'll find out when we get her back to the house." Duvira replies."Gimli, I want you to watch her as we walk back home. Let me know if she wakesup at all." Gimli nods and clambers up into the cart. He sits down by thegirl's feet and trains his eyes on her steadily. Duvira smiles at her son'sactions and starts leading the cart pony to the dwarves' home.