*Hey guys! So this is the last update from me until the 17 of July, for I am going to camp Wednesday! Sorry this chapter is just a little shorter than the others, I had no good stopping places. Thank you all so much for the reads and votes. Please continue reading, voting and commenting! See you all soon! Ciao!*
"Iridian!" Bilbo said. I shook my head, clutching it lightly.
"Just a vision. No worries. Except it seemed that Azog was riding toward Erebor. I fear this could lead to war. I don't want to tell Thorin, for he will not listen. But we need to be prepared... I am not sure, Bilbo." The sun started to set. I suppose the days were getting shorter. "Let's get some dinner started for the others. I'd imagine they're hungry." He nodded, and we headed for the area we were currently residing.
"It's just like Rivendell." I remarked as we lit the fire. He nodded, and helped in preparing a broth with rabbit. "I'll go hunt tomorrow." I mused to myself. Bilbo nodded once again. We descended into silence, until we heard murmuring of disapproval. They sounded quite annoyed. In came the dwarves, looking quite exhausted. Dwalin lead the charge, but he looked more frustrated than angry.
I stood, and made my way to him. "I take it you didn't find it?"
"We searched everywhere. But it is nowhere. We combed over every piece of gold and jewel, and it still evades us!" He growled in annoyance. "Thanks for making dinner, Iridian." He added with a tired face. He walked past me, and I made my way to the brothers, who looked very upset. I kissed Kili's cheek as I sat down, handing them rations.
"Where is it? How hard is it to find such a thing? I mean, we searched everywhere." Fili started.
"Why can't uncle just leave it be?" Kili continued, eating his ration.
"Don't you remember what Balin said? It's the dragon sickness. I can smell it. Well, not smell but more like a permeating mind sense. But whatever." I shrugged. I took a bite from Kili's piece of meat. As much as I regretted it, I was starving. "Don't you have any?"
"I had some before you all came in." I lied. His eyes showed he didn't believe me.
"Liar. There wasn't enough was there?" He asked in resignation. I shook my head.
"I'm going hunting after everyone heads to bed." I admitted. He sighed once again. He set aside the plate, and grabbed my hand. He pulled it to his lips, kissing it lightly.
"I'll go with you." He whispered softly. Fili stared on, smiling. I nodded, leaning against him.
"Aren't you all tired?" I asked to the general group.
"Quite." Came many replies. I sighed, thinking of ways to try and snap Thorin from this trance. He'd never yelled at me, or anyone for that matter. Much less over something as trivial as being king. He'd respect any of our opinions and not bring titles into anything. He wasn't himself, as I've stated.
A while later, the fire was stamped out, and soon the snores of the company was heard, exhaustion taking hold. I stood from my bedroll, and grabbed my bow and arrows. I didn't want to wake Kili, who had fallen into a doze. His face was slack, but I saw the exhaustion lines that had already formed. He turned toward Fili, and the two looked like children for a moment. My fingers gripped the familiar wood. I knew it was going to hurt a little, but it was worth it. The company was running off little food. Combined with little sleep, it was equally bad given Thorin's state.
I made it past the gates without being seen, and I stole through the night, making no sound. I saw tracks in the low moonlight, and I started to follow them. "Iridian." I whipped around, to see Kili standing with own bow and arrows. "Why didn't you wake me?" He asked, a small bit of hurt in his eyes. I winced, my shoulders slumping slightly.
"I didn't want to. You looked so exhausted. But you're here now." I shrugged, and he came next to me. "I found these tracks." We continued to follow the imprints silently, not wanting to disturb whatever it was. We found a large stag at the end of the way, and I raised my bow silently, taking a half second to aim. I shot it, and the stag fell dead, an arrow in the eye. Another shot from the bushes. Kili shot it before it got far. I smiled, glad he came along. We were the perfect hunting companion, our eyes and skills unstoppable.
"Come on. This should be enough for a while." He said softly. The atmosphere was surprisingly peaceful. The wind outside had cleared my head. I picked up the stag I shot, Kili the other. They were larger than we realized, and it was a long trek back in our minds. Once we got to the foot of the mountain, we skinned the deer, and put the meat into a pouch I had grabbed.
We headed back in, and put the meat on a leather mat, so it didn't touch the ground. I headed to a small corner where I hid what I was supposed to eat. Kili's eyes widened. "You-you had something all along?" He said, almost betrayed. Again I winced, looking at the food in my hands with sadness.
"I'm giving it to Thorin. I know that Bilbo is right, he hasn't been eating. So I'm giving it to him." I muttered shyly. Kili sighed, and stepped forward, putting his hand against my cheek. I leaned against the rough callouses upon his hands. It was not touch others might not like, but in fact a sign that time has treated him, not frailly.
"What did I do to deserve you? You're so selfless." He sighed. I shrugged. It was what Dwalin would say to me sometimes. My eyebrows raised as my eyes met his.
"Guess things just turned out right." I answered with a smirk. He smiled back, and kissed my lips softly. "I'll be back." I said. I went to set down my bow first, and then started my way toward the treasure hoard. I heard Thorin muttering over and over like a madman before I even saw the gold. I went down the stairs, approaching slowly. He hadn't noticed I had arrived. I made little noise on the coins, and yet he still didn't notice.
"Thorin." I called softly. His eyes whipped around, and he seemed to have no memory of earlier today. I handed him the meat, and he took it in his hands, surprised. "It's for you. Bilbo mentioned you hadn't eaten much. So... I'm making sure our leader stays healthy." I mumbled. For a moment, his eyes turned back to normal, and I saw sanity in his eyes. He looked thankful, and I thought I saw a flash of a smile.
Just like that, it was gone, and he wolfed down the ration. "Begone. I must search for this stone. You better heal soon. The more we have the better." He said gruffly. I sighed, and turned away without a goodbye. "Gold... it's all for us... but we have to find the Arkenstone." As I walked away, I heard voices in my head.
"You have no power here, servant of Morgoth!" It was the same female voice, but it was not at the same time. It was deeper. "You are nameless, faceless, formless!" She shouted. I saw the eye in my vision, flashing in fire. "Go back to the void from whence you came!" She screamed, her voice very booming and powerful. Just like that, the eye was gone, and so was the voice. I shuddered, and continued my way back.
Kili was still awake when I came back, and he had been waiting for me it seemed. He had been sitting up, and he turned toward me, standing and walking the short distance. "How did it go?" He said. How should I say that...?
"He took it, and he almost regained some sanity. His eyes cleared for a moment, before they clouded over again." I answered. His eyes saddened. "Don't worry, melamin. He'll snap out of it." I reassured, touching his cheek.
"I sure hope so." He said. He pulled me by the hand gently, toward our bedrolls. I sat down, and exhaustion crossed over my expression. Kili wrapped his arms around me, and I curled into his side, resting against his arm. My eyes fluttered closed, and I felt our hearts sync. "Goodnight, Amralime. Sleep well." He pecked my temple, before resting his head in the crook of my neck.
~ ~ ~
I wasn't sure where I was, but it looked like some sort of ruins. I was dressed in a leathered breastplate, and blood and grime covered my body. My shirt was ripped at the sleeves, and an arrow shaft was sticking from my calf. Tauriel was wounded over to the side, watching the scene. It was Bolg, and Kili was over the knee. His sword lay to the side.
It was all to familiar of a dream. The metal headed for Kili's heart, and it pierced the armor. Kili screamed in pain, and his eyes turned to mine. A tear escaped his eye, and dripped down his nose. "Amralime." His lips mouthed. Bolg pushed him to the ground, and went for Tauriel.
She launched him over the edge of the cliff that was near, and she went with. I screamed, running for my love. I dropped to the ground, and saw he was weak. "It'll be okay." I whispered. He fingered the bead in my hair before it dropped to his body. I clutched his body.
"Iridian. I love you. I'll see you when you return to me." He said, pressing something into my hand. "I love you, men tharreth. Amralime." He breathed on his last exhale. I screamed again, pressing my forehead to his.
"No. NO!"