A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

28. Falling Tree

I yelled out as the branch I was sitting on cracked, pushing off with my good foot to the branch above as the branch I was sitting on gave it, yelping as I was only able to catch the branch with one hand, gritting my teeth in worry as I groaned under my breath from the pain. I grabbed the tree branch with the arm that had been yanked on a few times today already.

My eyes widened in horror and fear as the branch I was holding with on hand began to crack, my feet and body swinging freely over the edge of the cliff as I looked down in pure fear, unlike any I felt since that night when I discovered the damage the warg dealt to my arm.

"No, no, no!" I cried out, swinging my feet desperatly as I try to reach out to another branch with my other hand, breathing heavy.

"No!!" I shouted as the branch cracked free of the tree under my hand and, for but a moment, I was falling.

Then an arm grabbed mine in a strong grip, making me hiss out air quietly as the pain flared through my already in pain arm. I looked up from where I was, swinging over the cliff, hearing a strained grunt of my savior. Instantly, my eye locked on deep blue eyes I should not find so familiar. I breathed out a sigh of relief at not dying through, thankful Thorin caught me.

I strained, reaching up with my other hand to catch his other free hand as he grunted, closing his eyes tight at the strain of pulling me back up onto the truck of the now horizontal tree. I scramble with my legs for footing as Thorin pulls me up onto the trunk, where I collapse for a moment, breathing heavily, arm so strongly protesting that, if I survive this, I wouldn't doubt it stiffing up for a time and not allowing me much moment of the arm.

I looked up from hugging the tree to see Thorin looking at me with relief, such strong relief in his blue eyes that I blinked, sure I was seeing things. Next moment, it was gone like that open expression was never there to begin with. I must be hallucinating with all this pain. That's the only clear explanation I can think of at the moment.

Suddenly, Thorin eyes looked over me hugging the tree to behind me, which I turned my head while hugging the tree to see Azog across the flames, staring at Thorin in challenge. My eyes widened in horror as I looked back at Thorin, to see such intense rage in his eyes to the white orc that I almost flinched. I have never seen such strong rage in one's eyes before. And Thorin's rage wasn't flaming, no it was worse than that, it was icy cold, like sticking one bare hand to the coldest part of a glacier and enduring the biting pain sort of glare.

There are not many glares that can make me nearly flinch, yet Thorin's glare nearly did. I gripped the trunk once more as the tree shook slightly, Thorin standing on the tree and moving around me hugging the tree with ease. I gripped on tighter, knowing better than to reach out and grab his leg to try to stop him, I would only make him fall too probably.

I looked behind me as Thorin pulled his sword free, moving down the tree in Azog's direction.

"Thorin!" I called out, finally getting a better grip and more on the side I can actually stand on as I pushed up with my arms, putting my good foot under me in an attempt to stand. But, the second I place my twisted ankle down, it gave out under the slightest of pressure. I gasped, hugging the tree once more, this time facing the scene before me instead of away from it.

I watched with horror as Thorin stepped off the tree and onto the cliff, stepping through flames. I couldn't see Thorin's expression, nothing but his back as he walks towards the white orc I could see. The flames blocking my vision at points.

Azog's smug, bright grin like this is exactly what he wanted did it for me. I gripped tighter onto the tree, summoning all my leftover strength as I placed my good foot down on the trunk once more, testing my ankle and trying to apply weight to it so I can stand, the ankle was refusing to work with me.

I looked up in horror as Thorin cried out in pain, the dwarves hanging onto the tree around me called out in worry and fear for their leader as I spotted Thorin, his torso gripped between the jaws of Azog's warg as the warg savagely chomped down on him, drawing out his pain and filling me with pain and sadness, like I too could feel Thorin's pain.

I looked around, seeing dwarves trying their hardest to climb the tree to help Thorin, falling and gripping onto breaking branches. I looked back at Thorin, breathing heavy as I sat on the trunk of the tree, pulling an obsidian knife free of my boot so quickly I cut my leg and my pants, but I didn't care.

I flicked it in my hand till I gripped it by the point, knowing I only had one chance as I drew my arm back, closing my left eye as I eyed the moving targets, knowing I would have to throw it just right not to hit Thorin.

The noise of crying out dwarves, of the cracking tree, or the fire and growling wargs, it all faded to only the sound my breathing and pulse in my ears as everything seemed to move slowly as adrenaline spiked through my body.

Deep breath in, watching the shaking warg's muzzle holding Thorin.

Breath out. I spotted the near perfect moment to throw, knowing I would have to time it perfectly.

Aim....

I brought my arm forward with all my might, the obsidian blade slicing through the air with a whoosh, cutting through the flames and lighting the leather of the handle on fire as the black blade was like a dark point in the fire, before flying through the flames, the spinning blade only visible due to the flaming handle.

I watched in slow motion as the warg lowered it's muzzle to toss it up again to keep shaking Thorin, my aim holding true.

THUNK!