Barely Breathing

Chapter Eight: The Iron

Thorin's POV:

"If I didn't I wouldn't be here, Eflin. I wouldn't have held back the way that I did at your request," I crouched down but didn't touch her. "Who was he?"

"Malleus. One of the many men trying to get ahold of me for my power, yet refer to me as a monster who should be slain."

"What does he want with you?"

"He wants me to join him," she spoke flatly, shooting a small fireball info the fireplace, igniting it.

"For what?" I asked worriedly, watching her movements. She grabbed a long flat stick of iron that looked about the width of a ruler.

She propped it up in the flame so it grew hot. She quickly lifted her shirt to reveal the wound at her side. "He wants to use my power for his guild, and breed me to make more like me," she growled as she painfully removed the bandages on the large wound on her side.

"You heal but you still feel pain," I replied slowly as she grabbed a clean rag from the table and rolled it up.

"Unfortunately," she placed it in her mouth and before I could stop her, she pressed the hot iron to  one side of her semi circle shaped bite wound, cauterizing it.

Her face twisted up in anguish, but she did not scream. Unable to hold back, I reached out and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. "You didn't have to do that, you said yourself you'd heal," I whispered, trying to soothe her.  She removed the rag from her mouth.

"Another one of those things are coming. He will be here soon and I need to be in fighting shape," she breathed weakly I nodded softly as she propped the iron back in the flame.

"Let me get some snow for your wound, to ice it," I spoke standing up but she gripped my hand.

"Please, just wait," she moaned in pain as she readjusted. "Can you get some water please?"

I nodded gently and her grip went weak as she released my hand. I quickly moved into the small kitchen area. I grabbed a bowl filled with water as well as a cup for her to drink from. When returned, she was already pressing the iron toner skin again.

She was drenched in sweat, but the  iron was tossed back into the flame again as she removed the bandage  from her arm. As I stood there, she cauterized the smaller bite wound there as well. Each one seemed to cause her more pain than the last as adrenaline coursed through her body.

She tossed the iron back into the fire one last time and set the bowl down beside her. She took the cup and drank from it. Giving me a hoarse, "thank you."

I nodded as she removed her first bandages, from the purple beast and closed that wound as well.

She dipped the rag into the bowl of water and began cleaning the blood trails from her wounds. "I'll go get that snow," I said softly, wanting to do something to help her.

"Wait, I'll come," she replied softly and painfully. Using the small table, she pulled herself to her feet.

"Ef," I whispered worriedly as I scooped her up into my arms.

"Put me down Thorin," she spoke weakly, little fight left in her. "Please," she begged.

"No, and you can beat me up for it later, but you are accepting my help right now," I growled at her angrily. "You don't have to do this alone."

I carried her out of the back door into her fenced in forge area. A wide area blanketed with undisturbed fresh snow sat at the center of the yard. I walked over to it and set her down on her feet.

"Do you have a clean bucket?" I asked her looking off to the side. When I looked back, she was laying stomach- down in the snow. Her face rested on her good arm, protecting it from the icy ground.

"I'll just stay like this for a bit," she mumbled tiredly. "I'll be fine."

I plopped down onto the ground next to her. "Aren't you cold?" I whispered, stroking a few strands of hair from her face.

"It's better than the alternative, your highness," she mumbled back.

"Please call me Thorin, Ef," I said softly.

"Well, Thorin, there are at least two more of those things coming. One red, one green," she spoke tiredly.

"Rest for now, in a bit we'll head inside so you don't catch hypothermia," I smiled down at her.

"You would get it before me, I'm not entirely human, remember," she teased.

"I don't care what you are, but I care about you," I whispered back to her as she drifted off to sleep.

After what seemed like an eternity. I carried her sleeping body inside. I carried her up to her room and woke her as I set her down in the small chair.

"I'll give you a moment to change," I said quietly.

"There's no need," she smiled, waving her hand as her clothes magically changed into newly clean and dry black leather armor without any tears or scuffs. Her face, hands and hair were also cleaned.

I chuckled, "Do you every wear anything that isn't armor?" I teased.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She teased back.

"Ef, are you sure you're okay?" I asked her.

She waved her hand across me and my clothes were cleaned and dried. Her blood no longer stained my shirt or my robes. I looked at my hands and they too were clean.

"I'm fine Thorin. I just need a bit of rest," she yawned.

"Sleep then," I smiled softly. I sat on the bed beside her and pulled her blankets up to cover her. I  removed a few small strands of hair from her face and placed a small kiss on her forehead. I stood to leave, but her hand gripped my wrist.

"Please just stay awhile," she whispered.

And that was how I found myself sliding into bed behind her, wrapping my arms around her and drifting off.