That's Another Story For Later

Casualties

I held down the screams, and bile. I couldn't get over the taste of iron and acrid scent of crimson. It was almost like everywhere I looked, there was a body. Someone that would never see again, and never be seen again. Orc, troll, warg, and dwarf all mixed together. If this was war, I never wanted to be in another. If this was the outcome of war, I would surely be scarred. Physically and mentally.

It felt like a long trek back to the mountain past the hundreds, dare I say thousands of bodies, but it wasn't that slow. Dwalin pushed ahead, shouting at the dwarves. "Make way for the king! Medic!" He shouted. Oin shuffled forward as we placed him on a makeshift cot. The dwarf felt for Thorin's pulse, and heard his breath with the hearing trumpet. That thing had been through hell, but never failed him

"He is alive. How did you know?"

"I heard it." I answered. Many dwarves came over, and proceeded to tend to Thorin's wounds. I stood, and sighed, before pain washed over my body. I fell back, unable to keep myself standing. My adrenaline failed me now, and I was incapable of staying strong. Thorin would be taken care of, and so I had no more obligations to anyone else, except Kili. I tried to step to make sure my prince was alright, but my body failed me.

"By Mahal. Iridian!" Kili said. He hoisted me into his arms, avoiding the arrow in my back. He set me down. I cried out, the arrow embedding deeping. "Fili, get the arrow out of her calf." He said. I was lifted again, and I heard a quiet count, and then ripping white hot pain. I couldn't stop the cry. "Get bandages. Oin!" Kili shouted.

"I've got this lad, just keep holding her steady." A cloth was pressed to my calf, dipped in some ointment. I hissed at the stinging feeling. Then it was wrapped with a cloth. "She'll make a full recovery. You'll be fine, lass." He reassured, patting my head gently. "Now, let's check for more injuries."

"Wait... Thorin..." I trailed off. They had to save him, he was the king. They had to so I wouldn't live with the guilt. My duty was to die for my king, and I would. "Save Thorin first. Thorin..." I panted heavily, struggling for breath. "...first." Oin put up a hand to stop me.

"He's well taken care of by Iron Hills medics." The medic said. "We need to make sure you're alright. You have a habit to get severely hurt." He laughed, and then his face fell. "Where else are you wounded?" He asked. I laughed dryly, and fixed a sarcastic stare.

"The better question... where am I not?" I laughed again, and coughed from the pain in my stomach. "Let's just start from the arrow in my shoulder blade, and then my arm wounds, and we'll finish off with my burns on my torso." I rationalized. Oin nodded.

"Kili, set her down on her feet. Get her armor off." My fiancé obliged, and held my elbow. Fili helped peel the armor off. I wobbled, leaning on my non arrow wound. Oin moved behind me. "Fili, hold these supplies." The healer instructed. "Alright... one, two-" Before he said three, he pulled out the arrow wound. I covered my mouth, tears seeping from my hand. Oin set to work, wrapping the wound. "Kili, you'll need to wrap these better later." Oin said, clearly being polite because I was still clothed. My love blushed a bright red.

I rolled my sleeves up to my shoulder, looking at my arms. I gagged. They were red, covered in dried and still fresh crimson. There was no sight of my actual arm. There were cuts from orcs, and the glass wounds were pretty bad. "Oh, lass. How it is you hurt yourself the most?" Oin asked in a teasingly serious tone. I shrugged as he set to work.

"I'm just doing everything I can to prove my worth and protect those I love." He cleaned off the wound, and I started to see my pale arm once again. The blood didn't well up to the surface. Oin bound the arm snugly, and moved to the other. "Don't sound so disappointed. I heal fast. You know that." I continued.