"Legolas, there's no way yer gonna make it. It's too far!"

"You underestimate me, Gimli." The elf looked down at his dwarf friend with a smirk. The dwarf was getting older and you could see grey hairs growing in his long beard. The elf on the other hand was still blonde and would be for many years to come. He was still carrying his weapons like he did when they first met.

"There's huge gaps and people still use these! You might hit someone." Argued the dwarf. He was right. People used it often below the first few floors but near the top was broken after Smaug took the castle many years before. In some places you could still smell burning and the walls by the front were always warm.

"I can jump them. They aren't big. And everyone is in the banqueting hall for Dûrin' s Day." Legolas never went to the Dûrin' s Day feast. He stood out too much being one of the tallest even if the Human Kings visited like Aragorn was today.

"The feast of hours away. People are still getting ready." He sighed. "Don't do it, lad. This place is old. It's got too many secrets to trust it. My friend tried it once. He fell to his death. You don't want to fall and end up with Thorin." Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain lay deep at the heart of the mountain. Buried after his death in the Battle of the Five Armies with his sword, axe, various precious items and the Arkenstone.

Legolas imagined himself slipping off his shield and falling to his death. He imagined what the other elves would say when they heard the news. He shook the thought out of his head.

"I've got better balance than dwarves. All elves do."

Gimli blushed. He had a terrible balance, even for a dwarf. He couldn't ride a horse on his own because he kept falling off. Riding horses was uncommon for dwarves. They were too small and unstable. They preferred round, stumpy ponies that just plodded along.

"Shouldn't you two be getting ready for the feast?" Said a voice behind them.

They turned round to see King Aragorn in as full a glory as it was possible for a man of his age. Being a human meant that his life was shortest and he aged almost twice as fast as his friends. His beard was nearly all grey and his hair was the same. Still, like Legolas he carried his old weapons.

"Aragorn!"

They ran over to their friend and bowed.

"You really don't have to do that." Blushed Aragorn. He hated being better than his friends.

"You look so awful we wanted to!" Joked Legolas.

"You're so tall it wouldn't make a difference if I bowed." Laughed Gimli. He wouldn't normally joke about his height as he was taller than most dwarves of his age. Today though, he has already drunk a fair bit so was light-hearted about it all. Expect Legolas' crazy idea.

"Legolas, why is your shield on the floor?" Asked Aragorn. "This better not be another game. I'm getting too old for this."

Legolas laughed awkwardly, knowing that his friend wouldn't approve.

"He wants to go down the stairs on it. The wee bastard could fall and die. Or kill someone! He hasn't thought it through at all."

"Someone's over-protective." Laughed Aragorn.

Gimli blushed and held his axe tightly.

Aragorn looked down the staircase and thought for a moment.

"Well, if you fall, you're in deep shit there." Aragorn had also been at the drink.

"But, I think you could make it." He said finally.

"What are ye talking about, Aragorn! The gaps were made by the tail of Smaug himself!"

"Yes but they are lower down and by then, he will have built up enough speed to make the gaps." Aragorn clasped his hands behind his back.

Legolas smiled. At least Aragorn thought he could do it. He looked at his shield. It was worn from many years of battles and practicing sliding down hills, mountains and stairs. The paint stayed bright though, as all elven goods seemed infused with time/wear resistance spells, like the elves themselves.

"How long until Arwen gets here?" Asked Aragorn. She stayed in Dale nearby for a while with their son. On the ride there he'd found many bushes to snag his clothes on and plenty of muddy puddles to splash in whilst the horses rested. So Arwen took him to get some new clothes for the feast later and into Dale to buy him a special toy.

"She will be here soon." Gimli said. Aragorn relaxed a little bit started pacing.

"You shouldn't worry so much about her. She's a strong lass and her guards will defend her to their last breaths."

Aragorn looked out the large hole in the wall made by Smaug on his entry to the Mountain.

"I know but I'm getting old and she's hardly aged a day!" He looked at the large town of Dale, secretly hoping that he might see her riding up to the Great Gate.

"I haven't got long left. I'm weak. Just carrying my old weapons is getting too much!" The old king sighed. "What will she do when I'm gone?"

Legolas and Gimli looked at one another.

"She will look after your son. Yes, she will mourn but she always knew that it would be this way."

"But what about her! She has needs! Who will be there for her when she needs help?" Aragorn was scared. His normally calm voice had raised close to a shout.

"We will be here for her. So will your friends. So will your servants. We all will."

Aragorn looked at the floor.

"Do you think she will find another?" He asked, now starting to calm.

"No."

"Can you be sure?"

"Aragorn, when elves commit to someone like Arwen did to you, they will stick by it until the end of time."

The king sighed again. There was a pause. He looked back up at his two friends and straightened himself up.

"Are you going to go down those stairs or what?"