Returning Home: A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 51 - We're All Mad Here

~~ Elena ~~

Dori was the first one to see them. Evidently keeping watch on the large wall the Company had built in place of the broken wall, he was leaning against it when he saw them coming. 

And nearly fell off the wall as he almost vaulted himself over it before remembering where he was. Instead, he contented himself with leaning over the wall as he waited for them to come close enough to speak comfortably.

"Elena! Fíli! Bofur! Óin! You're all right! You're all right!" he called down to them excitedly, whipping around and calling back into the mountain behind him. "Thorin, Celia, Kíli, Bombur, Glóin, everybody! They're back! They're all back from Lake-town!" 

Apparently considering his message delivered, he turned back to them. "Are you all all right? Any injuries?" He was busy looping a rope around a rock with several knots tied in it at various points before lowering it down to them as he talked. "You'll have to climb up that rope to get in, I'm afraid. They've closed off the secret entrance."

"No major injuries," Fíli called back, tugging on the rope experimentally. "But I don't think Elena can climb this with her arm. It's been re-injured, and it won't be able to support her weight." He frowned at Elena thoughtfully. "Maybe if we made a sort of basket, or something?"

"Or a loop to put my foot in?" Elena suggested, rubbing her wounded arm uncomfortably. It would be a fun injury to explain. Not. "I could hold onto the rope with my good hand, and you guys could pull me up?"

"You two figure it out, I'm gonna head on up, so I'll be an extra set o' pullin' arms if that's what ya need," Bofur announced, grabbing the rope and quickly clambering up, Dori pulling the rope to speed his progress. When he reached the top, they lowered it back down to them.

"I'll go last," Óin decided. "That way I can be available to help if anything goes wrong, and I'll have the lot of you to pull me up, not that Dori'll need it, strong as he is. But Elena, you can't pull yourself up with that arm. You'll tear it open again, not to mention that it's not strong enough to hold you right now. It's been reopened and aggravated enough times that doing it again could cause permanent damage."

"Well, then, how do you suggest I get up?" Elena frowned. "Have someone carry me?"

"Actually, that just might work," Fíli said thoughtfully.

"I was joking, Fíli," Elena deadpanned.

"I wasn't," he returned without heat. "If I carry you on my back, and Bofur and Dori pull us up, we can reach the top quickly enough. You can hang on with your good arm, and that way you won't put any strain on your bad arm."

Óin shrugged. "Seems like the best plan to me. Elena?"

She crinkled her nose. "Fine. But if you drop me, I'll never forgive you," she warned Fíli.

He bowed. "A prince never drops a lady. Even one as stubborn as you. Besides, if you weren't around, who would I have to judge for making horrible life decisions?" He smirked as he crouched down by the rope.

Elena huffed, tapping his boot lightly with her own before she clambered onto his back, wrapping her good arm around his neck and letting her injured arm clutch loosely to his waist as he carefully stood up, balancing her with his arms when she started to slide.

"You're going to have to hold on tight with your arm and legs, Elena," he cautioned her. "I'm going to need both my hands on the rope to keep us balanced."

She nodded and tightened her hold, then, remembering he couldn't see her behind him, added, "Right. Holding on. Ready whenever you are." She felt her cheeks heat as she almost buried herself into his back, but reminded herself that she had to do this to hang on.