"Who goes there?" Thorin had barely stepped foot inside the hold before a strong, masculine voice called out aggresively. He looked up and saw archers in the rafters with their bows drawn, and their arrows aimed straight at him. A man clad in steel plate armor stood at a tower before the iron gates which led into the main keep.
"Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain." Thorin answered, his low voice sounding somewhat irritated. "I am here on official business."
"What are your purposes here?" The guard insisted.
"That is to stay between your lady and I only." He retorted, his brows furrowing. He did not like this meddling man.
The guard hesitated for a moment before giving a nod. "Very well... You may enter after we take your weapons." As if on cue, two men in black cloaks, presumably mages, came from behind the pillars. One of them roughly rid him of his sword and the other searched him for other hidden weapons. Thorin stifled a sigh of immense irritation.
"I have no more weapons." He said quietly and emotionlessly. "Now let me pass."
The two mages decided he was telling the truth after a minute of thorough searching, and they walked back into the darkness from whence they came. The iron gates opened and Thorin strode into the keep as if it were his own home.
Thorin navigated his way through the endless stone corridors of the keep. Seldom did he see soldiers, but he saw the odd few people tending to their duties. He guessed the soldiers stayed elsewhere in the stronghold.
Eventually he came to a long hallway only lighted by candles on the walls. At the end of the hallway was a simple wooden door. He inhaled deeply and prepared to continue walking forward when he heard her smooth, low voice behind him.
"Well, well. If it isn't Thorin Oakenshield, great King under the Mountain." He turned to face her. Her head was cocked slightly and she was leaning up against the wall behind him. He didn't bother to ponder how she got there without him noticing, as she was quite masterful of stealth. "I never thought I would see the day when you graced my halls with your presence." He was unsure whether the words were in a mocking manner or not.
Her dark hair was tied back and her intense silver gaze pierced his own. She was clad in tight fitting black leather which he assumed was armored to the best of her ability. She had two daggers of a presumably Elvish make at her back and a trace of a smirk graced her lips.
"A warm welcome would suffice, Elysian." He answered, his voice quiet and low. "After all, were we not allies?"
"Oh, long ago, yes." She answered, pushing herself off the wall. Her arms remained crossed underneath her breasts. "But that was... Fourteen, fifteen years ago? Times have changed, Oakenshield. And I dare ask you what the hell you're doing in my keep."
"I come with a proposition." He held out a sealed letter. "If I may ask, could we speak about it in private?"
One eyebrow raised and she kept her gaze locked to his, examining his worth/truthfulness/trustworthiness or whatever() before she finally submitted and turned. "Alright. Come."
x
Thorin Oakenshield? As soon as she saw him in her halls, she was curious. But it was hard to ignore the twinge of pain in her chest. After all, their history was not necessarily nice.
Elysian entered her quarters and allowed Thorin to close the door behind them. She strode to her desk, sitting in the wooden chair and turning her eyes to his, encouraging() him to speak with a single hand gesture.
It was a few moments before he spoke. "I am finding that my armies are in need of a captain." He said. "It would serve my kingdom well if you were to take that role." His voice was laced with discontent. "Much to my disappointment."
"Yes, I get it. You would rather have one of your own kind as captain rather than a bloody half-Elf. I get it." She sent a venomous glare his way before clasping her hands in front of her and resting her forehead on her hands.
"I'll be expecting a letter by the week's end." His husky voice was the last thing she heard as he turned and exited her quarters, the door shutting behind him.
She darted to her feet and swung the door open once more to see him making his escape. "Oh, no you don't." She called out, making him come to a halt. He turned, his blue eyes withering.
"We have things to talk about." Her gaze was definitely as piercing as she hoped it would be, as Thorin wouldn't meet her eyes. "You lack information, and that is what I need to come to a desicion. So get your ass back here and speak with me."
Grudgingly he rolled his eyes and trudged back to her room. She turned and entered again, sitting back in her seat. Thorin stood there somewhat awkwardly, his eyes on the floor.
"What do I get out of it, hmm?" Elysian cleared her throat before deciding to break the heavy() silence. "Money, jewels... They mean very little to me. So what can you possibly offer me?"
"It is not so much an offer, but an understanding." Thorin answered. His voice was decidedly unhappy. "You and your legion come to stay in Erebor, you get to command my army and you have an alliance with the strongest army in Middle-earth."
"You aren't yet," Elysian pointed out, placing the letter on the table and crossing her arms. "You have to come up with a better argument than that."
"With you in command, my army will be the most powerful in Middle-earth. You do not see my motives." Thorin seemed to be getting impatient. "It is obvious you have nothing better to do with your time. Just look at this place." He gestured around the room. Bottles of alcohol lay around, books were strewn across her large table and targets were lined with arrows and slashes from her daggers. It was obvious that she was getting bored with whatever she was doing outside her room.
Elysian bit her lip, mulling it over. "I suppose you are right..." She mumbled. "I do not know how to respond. Thorin, this is a big move. I would like at least a week to come to a decision. This is very sudden."
"Then I will be expecting a response by the full moon." He spun around, his fur cloak flying behind him. "Good day."
She watched him leave her quarters and she stood there for a few moments after he disappeared from sight, her hands on her hips. He was a stubborn man of little patience, and not a man to toy with. She would have to come to a decision in his favor, whether she liked it or not.
Elysian flopped back down in her chair, weighing up the pros and cons in her mind. I suppose staying in Erebor would present a good chance for my men to get out into the battlefield... Oh but then Fanthorpe would be vulnerable to attackers! She let out a groan of frustration. "I'll sleep on it." She decided aloud. She then got to her feet and all but fell into her bed. But she found that sleep came hard with Thorin and his proposal on her mind.
x
"Thorin! Welcome back!" He was greeted by his kin almost as soon as he walked into Erebor. Dwalin came and whacked him on the shoulder. As glad as Thorin was to see his friends again, he found their excessive chatter irritating through his grumpy, sleep-deprived mood.
"Leave him, he has had a long journey." Balin came and shooed the other dwarves away, and his gaze suggested he knew something was up. Thorin plonked down on his throne, massaging his forehead.
The rest of the dwarves, save Balin, left the throne room. He sighed, relishing the silence, until Balin broke it.
"What business did you have near the Grey Mountains?"
Thorin looked at Balin with tired blue eyes. "Seeking out a potential captain for the army."
"Oh, no, not..." His voice trailed off and Thorin nodded.
"Yes, the captain of Fanthorpe Hold." He responded, his voice quiet and low.
"She is a powder keg, your Majesty." Balin warned. "You know that, don't you?"
"She's our best option, Balin. And last time I checked, you are not King."
Balin hesitated before giving a slow nod. "Yes, you're right. Apologies." He turned and shuffled out of the room without another word.
Thorin sighed, massaging his forehead. He knew it would be challenging to put aside his misgivings for Elven-kind, but business was more important than his own feelings. He had been rudely introduced to that fact several times.
He just hoped that he had the willpower to get through the ordeal without going insane.
x
Elysian woke the next morning, her hair an absolute mess and the abundance of random items she had used to kill time were still all over her room. And she still had no idea what to do.
"Good morning." The deep voice of her second in command, Dellian, came from her desk. She rolled her eyes and turned over in her bed to face him.
"I believe I didn't give you permission to enter, Dellian." She said, arching an eyebrow. He didn't say anything for a few moments.
"Erebor, hmm?" He inquired. She sensed his obvious disrespect seething through his teeth.
"I believe I did not make myself clear. Leave me until you have permission to be in my personal quarters." Her voice hardened and she turned over heavily to face the wall. A few moments later, the door closed with a soft click.
She honestly was not very fond of her second in command, and he was not fond of her either. She sighed. They used to be quite good friends, until Dellian just changed. It was a shame.
Elysian sat up, caressing her messy black hair and running her fingers through it to make herself look somewhat presentable. She swung her legs out of bed and got to her feet. There was no rest for the wicked, and she had a lot of things to do.
She swiftly put on her armor and examined herself in the mirror before walking out into the hall. She walked down the stone corridors in silence, encountering no one. She made her way to the soldier's courtyard and was pleased to see about twenty men practicing their skills and training. Elysian continued across the courtyard towards the barracks, which were quite large in size to accomodate her 200 or so men.
"Good morning." Elysian called out upon entry to wake any men still slumbering. "Come on, you've all got things to do today. Hurry up." She walked through the bedrooms and into Dellian's small office.
He was sitting at his desk with, to her annoyance, a letter on his table. He merely looked up at her and back down at the paper again upon her entry.
"What?"
She stifled the urge to pull a dagger on him. "That is not a fitting way to greet your lady." She rebuked, pacing the room. "How many men do we have in exact numbers?"
"209, your grace." He sneered. Elysian could hear the obvious sarcasm and disrespect in his voice as he folded the letter.
"Where are they at, skill wise?" She kept her level tone, goodness knew how she wanted to box him around the ears... with a knife.
"Everyone is doing well. The new recruits are coming along nicely, although hands-on experience would suffice well."
What are you suggesting? She almost said it out loud. "Then I suppose Erebor would be a good training regimen for them." She raised her eyebrow only slightly, as if challenging him to go against her.
He held her gaze for a few moments before looking back down at his table and picking up the letter in his hands. "Whatever you say, my lady." He sneered again. "Now, I have business to attend to." She barely heard the sentence before she turned and sauntered out the door.
Her mind was still unmade. She was sure her forces would withstand, and she could leave at least a quarter of her men here to defend the fortress, but she was unsure of whether it was wise to join forces with Thorin Oakenshield once more. As much as she hated to admit it, she could see how it would be a wise move to become an ally of Erebor and become captain of his army but she doubted her strength of will. Thorin Oakenshield was not an easy man to work with, because of his stubbornness and almost silly proudness.
"I need more time." She muttered to herself as she quickly made her way out of the barracks, further away from her insufferable second in command and into her room.