Bloodstained (Thorin x OC)

On the Eve of Battle

"Thorin?" Dwalin called after following a few drops of blood into the gallery of kings. Thorin sat on his knees in the middle of the golden floor which had blood scattered over it, staring down at his reflection. "Thorin, what did you do?"

"She betrayed us..." Thorin muttered. "She betrayed me!" He balled his fists.

"What are you talking about? She was our friend!"

"She said...that if she had found the Arkenstone....that she would not give it to me..." He slowly stood.

"Maybe that would have been for the best." Dwalin replied angrily. "Do you not see what you are becoming? What that stone has turned you into?"

'This gold has warped you into a monster, Thorin.' Agarwaen's words bounced around in his head. 'It's driving you mad!'

"No!" Thorin shouted as he turned to face Dwalin. "That elf is no friend of mine. She is a filthy traitor!" Dwalin shook his head in disbelief. "She is lucky I did not end her life right here." Thorin then stalked off past the other dwarf, wondering why he didn't kill her, for his reasons were now forgotten amidst the greed.

He did not remember looking upon her pleading face, and remembering how he'd promised multiple times that he would not allow harm to befall her. He forgot how he realized that she said what she did out of love. He forgot that in that moment, his sword poised to strike, he realized that he could not kill her because he cared too much for her.

Gandalf and Bilbo eventually left the tent, and Thranduil gave an order to another elf to find some more suitable armor for Agarwaen. The elf, Rhosgnir, one of her old friends from the guard, led her to where extra armor was being kept.

"Why are you not dead?" He asked bluntly.

"I'm a dead woman walking." She responded. "I've promised Thranduil my head after all this is over." Rhosgnir stopped and turned to her.

"You make no sense. What happened to you?"

"There is another army, an army of orcs coming from Dol Guldur. I am joining your side only to protect the mountain and the dwarves inside."

"If there was such an army, my king would have informed the ranks by now."

"He does not believe us, but I tell you, it is the truth." She said firmly, and he began walking again before stopping another elf who walked among the crowds. "Send a healer to the armory." He ordered before continuing on.

"What happened to your face?"

"That's for me to know." She ended the conversation and they continued to the armory where she was given a new breastplate, chainmail, cuirass, bracers, boots, faulds, helmet, cape, pauldrons, and elven robes.

"She tossed the cape and robes aside, not caring for them as they were mostly present for style. After shedding her bloodied, ill-fitting dwarven armor, the healer finally arrived and as reluctant as she was, Agarwaen had to let her tend to her face.

"This was made by a sword." The healer muttered questioningly. Agarwaen stared ahead and did not answer. She wanted nothing to do with these elves, but had little choice in the matter.

"How long for it to heal?" Agarwaen finally spoke as the healer dumped out the bloodied herb water she'd brought and wrung out the reddened cloth.

"A week or so. But it will likely be longer if you move your face too much."

"So two weeks, then. Hannon allen." The woman nodded and left.

"You were never much of a healer." Rhosgnir commented as he leaned against the post of the tent.