The Fifteenth Member

Gratitude

Attara's POV

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I woke to a familiar feeling, something I hadn't felt in many many years. The claws of a giant eagle were wrapped around me. As I came to my senses pain seared through my shoulder and left wing. I grimaced.

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"Thorin!" I heard Fili yell. I glanced over to see Thorin hanging limply from the claws of another eagle. He couldn't be I though.

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We approached a huge rock shaped like a bear. My eagle gently set me down, and I stood up slowly. The rest of dwarves, Bilbo, and gandalf dismounted from the eagles and ran toward Thorin as his eagle gently placed him down.

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"Thorin! Thorin!" Gandalf exclaimed as he rushed towards him. Thorin did not respond.

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Bilbo ran toward him along with the rest of the dwarves, while I hang back. Gandlaf leaned over him and whispered a spell. Thorin's eyes fluttered slowly open.

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"The hafling?" Were the first words out of his mouth.

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"It's all right. Bilbo is here. He is quite safe." Gandalf assured him.

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Dwalin and kili helped Thorin to his feet. Once he stood up he shook them off and approached Bilbo. "You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place among us?" He asked angrily.

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He walked towards Bilbo until they were face to face. "I've never been so wrong in all my life!" He exclaimed before embracing Bilbo.

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I left them to continue their conversation. I did not want to intrude.

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"And you!" I heard Thorin say. I turned to face him. "If it weren't for you I would have died."

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"It was nothing really" I told him sheepishly.

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"Are you hurt?" He asked, suddenly. I realized that I had been holding my shoulder. Upon pulling my hand away I noticed it was covered in blood.

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"I'll be fine." I said "I just need a little water."

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All the dwarves looked concerned, but Gandalf just looked on knowingly. Kili handed me a waterskin and watched curiously.

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I slowly peeled my shredded shirt away from my shoulder, revealing the wound. There were four deep puncture wounds from the claws of azog's warg.

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I made some of the water rise out of the skin and float towards my shoulder. Once the water reached the wound I put my hand over it and closed my eyes. I felt my shoulder begin to tingle.

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When I took my hand away the wound was mostly healed. Where there had been deep puncture wounds before, were now shallow cuts. I looked up to see dwarves with eyes wide.

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"Incredible" kili breathed.

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"What about that wing?" Gandalf asked. He was the only one unfazed by my act of healing.

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He walked towards me slowly, but waited for a nod before placing his hand on my wing. I felt him gently moving his hand over my left wing before he spoke. "This is going to hurt a little." He warned before pushing my wing back into place.

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I yelped in pain. My wings were very sensitive in general, and this was almost more than I could take. Tears stung my eyes.

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"You won't be able to fly much for awhile I'm afraid." Gandalf informed me.

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As I turned back towards the group I saw the variety of expressions they held. Some looked sympathetic, others in awe, but most of all they looked curious. I'm going to have to tell them I thought.

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"Well" I started awkwardly "I guess I have a lot to explain"