The Archers of Erebor {ON HOLD}

Chapter 26

Dastan and I sat on the eagle and let it follow after, who I assume, Gandalf. Over to my left, I heard Fili, yell for his uncle in concern. I looked back down to my foot and felt like I was about to pass out.

"Avilan." Dastan said. I looked at him.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Let me see your wounds." He said calmly. I take my boot off and turn to face him. He gently take my foot and starts to examine my injuries.

"So, what did you say to Kili." I ask as he takes out something from his pack and tries to stop the bleeding. It was some cream and stung a little.

"It's Elvish, by the way. Nothing important." He said simply as he puts a gauze on my foot. The swelling went down and I couldn't feel my foot, with little pain.

"Fine." I said.

"You can put your boot back on." He says. I put my boot on and sit up straight.

"Thank you. For everything." I say.

"Yes, well. I only can speed up the healing process. I've only done what I can, Gandalf can do more when we land." He says and looks out over to the others. I decide not to push him to get information. Eventually, I drift off into sleep.

"Dastan, wake me when we land." I say and lean my head on his shoulder and fall asleep.

Someone woke me by shaking my shoulder.

"Sister, wake up. We're landing, Gandalf needs to tend to your wounds." Dastan says.

"Five more minutes." I mutter and shift myself.

"No, get up now." He repeats gently. I groan and sigh and sit up. The eagle in front flew down and over a rock spire and set something down. As we got closer, I saw it was a very wounded Thorin. Gandalf hopped off his eagle and rushed to the dwarf. The others quickly gathered round the two as Gandalf was performing some sort of magic. Dastan and I were the last ones on the rock, and I limped towards the group. Every step felt like every bone in my foot was shattering each time my foot hit the hard rock, and my leg was being burned by dragon fire. Dastan must have noticed, because he wrapped an arm around my waist and helped me limp on one foot.

"Did I not say you would be a burden? That you have no place amongst us? That you do not belong in the wild!" I caught the last of what Thorin was spitting out at the hobbit. "I've never been so wrong, in all my life." Thorin said and pulled Bilbo into an awkward hug. I smiled as the others cheered. I was looking out past the company and out at the horizon. The sky was a pleasant blend of orange, pink, and light blue, with a touch of dark navy blue of night. I limped away from Dastan and stood at the edge. Someone comes up from behind me and wraps me in his arms. It took me a second to realize who he was, and when I did, I wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank Durin your okay." He says, muffled in my hair.

"Don't worry about me. I'm alright. Worry about your uncle, Kili." I say against his chest.

"How can I? I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt." He says. I look up at him and stare at his large, chocolate brown eyes. I could get lost in them if I could. I find myself thinking of words that never ran through my mind before. Do I really feel this way? Am I really going to put my feelings for him on the line? Am I willing to spend the rest of my life with this one man? The answer to all my questions are yes. But, one question runs through my mind before the words leave my mouth. Does he feel the same? The only way I will know, is if I tell him. And, we might not get tomorrow, so let's make today count.

"Kili, I-" he cut me off with a kiss and I don't resist. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer.

"Does that solve your doubts?" He asked, breaking the kiss. I only give him a look of confusion. "I could tell you were thinking. I know you doubt my true feelings. But, I can assure you, that I only want to spend my life with you, and only you. No other woman could satisfy me. I don't need to worry about you as much as I would with another. Your strong, brave, courageous, kind, selfless. And a thousand other things I can't name. You are my one and only. I love you." He said. He said it. Those three magic words that make any girl feel weak at the knees. It's a good thing my arms were still around him, else I would have fallen. I don't give him a response at first. Only a kiss. He pulls me closer and runs his fingers through my hair. I break the kiss and look him in the eyes and smile.

"I love you too." I whisper. I lean my forehead against his and close my eyes. I don't know how long we stood like that, but soon my foot started hurting more. The pain was demanding to be felt and my only concern. My knee buckles again, and I almost fall. Kili caught me and called Gandalf over. He was standing next to Thorin, Bilbo and the rest of the company.

"What is wrong?" Thorin asked.

"A warg caught her foot. Gandalf, can you help her?" Bilbo asked.

"Yes, I can try. But we must move off the rock, and soon. But, I will heal her before, and she should be able to move on her own." Gandalf informs.

"Right. Let's get on with it." I say and sit down. Gandalf crouches and I remove my boot and he starts unwrapping the bandages Dastan applied.

"Dastan did this?" he asked.

"Yes." I say.

"He must have trained with healing in Rivendell. This is good work to stop the bleeding." He says. He starts chanting quietly and an intense pain adds up to my already existing pain. I shut my eyes tight and grab onto the closest thing. Kilis hand. He sat closer to me and pulled my head on his shoulder and held me close. After a few seconds, the pain has disappeared completely and I opened my eyes. I looked down at my foot and it wasn't bloody or cut. All that was left were a few thin, pale scars.

"Now try and stand." Gandalf commands. I stand up and lean on Kili before putting my foot down. I put more pressure on it, and felt no pain. It was completely healed! I looked up at Gandalf, beaming.

"Thank you!" I cried.

"Yes, you are very much welcomed. Now, we must get on the ground soon. We have not seen the last of Azog, yet." Gandalf says.

"Right, this way!" Thorin says and we all follow him down a narrow path.