For the Sake of Kings (Thorin x OC x Aragorn romance)

7. The Land of my Kin

It had been an eventful day since we'd left the trolls behind. The brown wizard, Radagast, had appeared to discuss something with Gandalf, then assisted us in escaping as a pack of wargs and their riders appeared and chased us over a rocky plain. We'd just been drawn into a hole by the grey wizard, Kili descending last. Annoyance was radiating off of Thorin as he seemed to be piecing together where Gandalf was leading us after pulling an arrow from an orc that fell in behind his nephew.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads, do we follow it or no?" Dwalin called from the back of the rocky cave we were in.

"We follow it of course!" Bofur called back, and everyone began following the passage that led us further from the sounds of dying wargs.

At the end of the path, we found ourselves looking over Rivendell. I moved past the dwarves as they marvelled - or glowered - at the sight, and began to descend towards the beautiful buildings.

"Materia!" Thorin shouted after me, but I ignored his call and continued on, sprinting across the bridge and through the gate.

Some elves greeted me as I passed, slowing as I headed towards the bedrooms within the palace, entering one near the end of the hall I'd reached.

"Materia." a voice greeted from my doorway as I pulled my cloak off and let it drop onto the bed. Turning, I found a brown haired elf woman.

"Arla." I greeted in return. She came further into the room and helped me in removing my sword and bag.

"You've been away quite some time." She commented as she stepped back, allowing me to remove my riding pants and tunic on my own.

"Just scouting around."

She followed me as I made for a small room attached to the bedroom, where a large basin was built into the stone floor. Water flowed into it from a small hole in the wall, and holes could be seen drilled on the side of the basin near the bottom, where small swirls could be seen within the water as it flowed out. I stepped into the cold liquid and submerged myself.

Arla watched me with wary blue eyes, scanning my back as I lifted my head out of the water again. "You haven't been applying the athelas ointment have you?" She accused, crossing her arms as she stared down at me.
I lifted a hand to my shoulder, brushing my fingers over the ridged skin of my upper back.

"Not as religiously as I should, I suppose." I replied quietly, before submerging myself again, brushing my fingers through my hair to rinse away the dirt and oils. When I surfaced again, I looked at the girl who'd acted as my handmaiden any time I stayed in Rivendell. She was frowning deeply at me.

"What? They don't hurt as they did." I huffed, scrubbing at my arms and legs for a bit as we fell into a silence.
When I felt sufficiently clean, I pushed out of the tub, met by a warm but rough towel that Arla ran over my shoulders and hips for me.

"You'll never be rid of the dragons fire if you don't put the ointment on." She whispered as she worked.

"No need to be rid of it, Arla.. it stands as a reminder of a fallen kingdom." I defended, before taking the towel from her and continuing to dry myself. Arla instead moved to the wardrobe, pulling a deep burgundy dress from it for me.
As she set it out on the bed, I stood before a mirror, my back turned to it so I could examine the scars she complained so heavily about.
From the base of my neck, down to my mid thighs, and from one side of my back to the other, my skin looked as though it was textured like solidified lava. I grimaced at the sight, as it wasn't one of beauty. But nobody except Arla and Rivendell's Lord Elrond had seen it. I had no worries about anyone looking at it in horror otherwise, as I wore clothing that covered it at all times in the presence of others.