Now this update came surprisingly fast, didn't it? ^^
As for the anon I annoyed by not answering a question, I am deeply sorry about that. I didn't mean to disrespect or annoy anyone, I just had forgotten someone asked me something in the reviews. My bad.
As for the question if Galadriel and/or Gandalf ever learn that Thranduil has the Dragonhelm stolen from Thorin and Lili, I can only say...no! First of all, it would make no change in the course of the story, because they are in Dol Guldur anyway and have no clue what was going on in Mirkwood and now in Laketown/Erebor. And secondly...who said Thranduil is still in the possession of the helm? Just sit back and be a bit more patient, my dear readers!
And now, I hope I have answered all open questions and you can all enjoy this story! Like I promised, this chapter will be longer than the previous one :)
Even though Lili's knees felt rather wobbly, she wanted to be with the other dwarves instead of being locked in Sigrid's room the entire day. Sheera helped her get up while Billy sat on Lili's shoulder and together they went out and into the living room, where they found Fili, Oin, Sigrid, Tilda, Bard and Bain standing quite helplessly in front of Kili who was lying on some kind of bed, writhing in pain.
„Where is Bofur? What takes him so long?" Fili asked desperately and looked at Bard. „Are you certain there is Kingsfoil somewhere nearby?"
„It is, he just has to find the pigs. It shouldn't be too long," Bard said and looked over as Sheera and Lili joined them.
Oin's eyes grew wide in surprise and he approached her quickly. „Why are you up? You should rest!"
„I rested long enough. Kili needs you more than I do," she said dismissively and shifted her weight from one foot to the other to ease the pressure on Sheera's shoulder a bit. Now that she saw it with her own eyes, she began to understand why Thorin had left Kili behind. He would have been too much of a burden, even more than she would have been. Without any knowledge of what would await them at or inside the mountain, his decision had been wise. Kili would've been unable to run or to keep quiet. Right now he was writhing and hissing in pain.
„Sheera—" Lili whispered. „Take me outside. I want to speak with him."
The half-elf didn't even need to ask who she was talking about and nodded lightly. Oin groaned and said,
„You overstrain yourself! Are you going to meet your father? That is not a good idea. He will only upset you and you shouldn't put yourself under stress at the moment."
Lili sighed heavily. „Listen, I feel better and my—my baby is well. I can feel it. All I need to do is to get rid of that demon that invaded my mind and poisened my body. And he is sitting outside, tied up and he has to listen to me, if he wants it or not. And no one is going to stop me. Take care of Kili. I will be back quickly."
Oin seemed to be reluctant, but finally he turned his attention back to Kili. Bard stepped closer and touched her arm lightly.
„Shall I go with you? Just in case—"
She smiled lightly at him. „No, thank you. I think I can handle that. Sheera will be with me."
He nodded and watched them step outside and finally began to wonder what was taking so long for the other dwarf to find the pigs and return to his house with the kingsfoil. Something was off. He had the feeling that something was definitely not right this night.
A frustrated sigh escaped the dwarf king as he stared at the map in his hands. He couldn't believe this had just happened. After all the perils they went through to get to this point, after leaving his One and his nephews behind in Laketown with their fate no longer in his hands, he just now had lost the light. The light in his heart, but much more important to him in this very moment—the light of day.
Durin's Day should be upon them in this very second, but the sun was setting lower and lower while they desperately tried to gain entrance into the mountain after Bilbo had finally spotted the staircase and they had climbed up the mountainside to reach the little rock-walled clearing. He had been so overwhelmed and happy when he saw the stone wall in front of him, for he had been certain that this was the spot where the door would be. And yet, after frantically searching and knocking and pushing, the wall did not gave way. Not even a keyhole was to be found which only frustrated him more and more.
He lifted his map again and studied it, just like he had done excessively the past months. There had to be another clue. Another sign. Slowly, he even doubted the words of the elf in Rivendell. Had Lord Elrond fooled him?
„The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says," he mumbled and dropped his arms while the others muttered in anger and frustration. He looked back at the map and finally at Balin in hope that his eldest friend and trusted advisor would know an answer.
„What did we miss?"
He made a step closer to the white-haired dwarf and looked at him with so much pain and disappointment in his eyes. „What did we miss, Balin?"
Balin thought for a moment, but there was no way to answer that question. He had no clue what had happend. The only thing he knew was that this probably was the end of their quest.
„We've lost the light. There's no more to be done. We had but one chance," he patted Thorin's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him at least a bit. „Come, laddie. We should go back. Let us return to Laketown. You and Lili, you can both live a prosper life in the Ered Luin. We all do."
Thorin's head hung low for a moment, just like the rest of the company until they turned, one by one, and walked silently back to the staircase. Bilbo couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Were they serious? This wasn't over. This couldn't be over. They have come so far and now they simply gave up because of one setback. One of many. They had been through so many setbacks and now they gave up?
„Wait a minute! Where are you going?" he exclaimed and stepped towards Thorin. „You can't give up now!"
Thorin seemed to hesitate for just one second before he lifted the key and dropped it. He turned away and pressed the map against the hobbit's chest and left him standing alone, following the rest of his company to the staircase. The hobbit might think this wasn't over, but he knew better. This quest had failed and he had risked way too much already.
Bilbo looked down at the map, desperately trying to find any evidence of how and when the door could be opened. He was certain that the door was somewhere right in front of him.
„Stand by the grey stone—"he mumbled and approached the wall again. „When the thrush knocks—"he turned around in search of any sign that a thrush was nearby, but there was none. Not that he really believed there would have been a thrush, sitting on a stone and waiting for her sign to knock. „The setting sun—and the last light of Durin's Day will shine. Hmm. The last light. The last light."
He turned away from the wall, mutterin to himself, thinking hard what this could possibly mean. Oh, he wished Lili would be with him right now. She might have an answer to their problem. Or Gandalf—where the heck was he? He said they would meet at the lookout, but he did not come. Typical. When you needed the wizard the most, he was not there. He grumbled quietly and cast a glance up at the sky as if something had drawn his gaze towards it. His mouth dropped open when he saw the clouds part and gave way for a brightly shining moon casting its light down into the clearing. Suddenly, he heard a faint knock behind him. He frowned and slowly turned around, surprised to see a thrush sitting on a stone. Over and over again, it knocked against the stone with a snail in its beak. And that was the moment, the light of the moon hit the wall in front of him.
The thrush lifted up into the sky and left an excited hobbit behind. Bilbo stared at the wall with the biggest smile on his face. He drove his hand through his locks and chuckled in utter disbelief.
„The last light!"he mumbled and squinted at the wall, suddenly aware of the keyhole which had appeared in front of him. „The keyhole!" he exclaimed and turned around and ran halfway back to the staircase. „Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon, the last moon of autumn!" he called excited and laughed in relief. This quest wasn't over! He had known it!
That was when he remembered that Thorin was no longer carrying the key with him. He had dropped it. Bilbo ran back to the clearing and searched the ground frantically, but he didn't see it. Oh no, had the wind blown it over the edge? Was the key lost? Suddenly, he felt something metallic beneath his foot, but before he could react, he saw the key about to drop over the edge. His heart seemed to stop beating for a second, when suddenly an iron-clad boot slammed down and stopped the key from falling. The hobbit looked up in surprise and saw Thorin staring back at him for a moment, before the dwarf king bent down and picked up the key.
„It isn't over—"Thorin said with a light smile while the other dwarves watched him in awe as he stepped towards the keyhole in the wall. He felt his heartbeat increasing rapidly in his chest and all the sorrow and concern was blown away in this very second as he felt the key sliding into the hole. He turned it and heard a very faint snap inside. Immediately, he pushed against the wall and that was the moment the door was finally revealed to them. He pushed even more and slowly the door swung inside, giving way to a long, dimly lighted tunnel which was leading into the mountain. Thorin stared into the tunnel, unable to move or speak while old memories, childhood memories, flooded his mind.
„Erebor," was the first word that came to his mind once he found his voice again.
„Thorin—"Balin choked on his words a bit as he stepped closer to him, tears clearly visible in the old dwarf's eyes, while the rest of the company looked in stunned awe.
Thorin placed his hand on Balin's shoulder and smiled softly. „We made it," he whispered and finally made his first step into the mountain. He was home again. No matter what was waiting for them inside, but he was back. This was the place he grew up. The place where he had lived peacefully with his family. How much he wished Lili could share this special moment with him.
„I know these wall—these walls, this stone. You remember it, Balin. Chambers filled with golden light," he said quietly and touched the stone walls tenderly as he stepped further into the tunnel, aware that Balin was right behind him as well as the others.
„I remember—"Balin whispered and smiled, lost in his own memories, just like Thorin.
One by one, the others stepped inside and Nori was the first who spotted the carving on the wall above the door. They turned and looked up in awe. Gloin's jaw dropped slightly open, his eyes grew wide. The carving showed the throne of Erebor, with the Arkenstone above it, sending out rays of light in all directions. Gloin stepped a bit closer to the door again and read the inscription,
„Herein lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's Folk. May the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defense of this home."
Bilbo frowned and looked from the carving to Balin in hope the dwarf would explain this to him. Balin smiled and said,
„The throne of the king."
„Oh—" Bilbo nodded and looked back up. „And what's that above it?"
„The Arkenstone."
Now that confused the hobbit even more. „Arkenstone—and what's that?"he looked back at Balin, but much to his surprise, it was Thorin who turned towards them all and looked him straight in the eye with a light smile as he replied,
„That, Master Burglar, is why you are here."
The crisp evening air played with her hair and Lili wished she'd have Thorin's coat in this very moment. Sheera felt the other girl shiver lightly.
„We should go back inside,"she insisted and was about to turn around, but Lili stopped and looked at her sternly.
„No, please. It's fine, really," her voice was thick of desperation and determination. Sheera hesitated a moment but finally she moved on. Together they surrounded the house and came closer and closer to the toilet booth. Lili began to walk slower when she spotted him. She stopped.
„Sheera? Can you leave me alone with him? There are still things about me you don't know and I prefer to tell you in private sometime and not when being said in a heated argument with my—father," she said and almost spat the word 'father'.
„Are you certain?"
She nodded. „Yes. If I need help, I will call, don't worry."
„Don't let him upset you too much. If you feel the need to leave, just leave. You are still not back to your old strength. And your little one shouldn't be stressed too much as well," Sheera brushed lightly over Lili's tummy before she turned and left her alone. Lili watched her leave and finally she took a deep breath, straightened herself and approached the dwarf sitting tied up on the ground. A wide range of emotions flooded her the closer she stepped until he looked up at her with such a spiteful expression, that her own emotions narrowed down to simple and pure hate again.
Silently she stood right in front of him, her emerald eyes flashed in the light of the moon. She looked up. The last light of Durin's Day. She really hoped that Thorin had found the door by now. Maybe he was already inside the mountain. The cold hand of fear closed around her heart as she thought of her beloved one, facing the dragon. Oh, she wished he'd had the Dragonhelm with him. That elf king could've taken anything. He had taken Orcrist and Gurthang. But swords can be replaced. An ancient aritfact and heirloom of her family—not.
„If you came to stare at me like a caged animal, you better leave again," Finian grumbled and looked at her without any clear emotion. Though his voice told her he was angry.
„I came to talk to you."
„We have nothing to discuss, wench! You tied me up here-"
„I did not tie you up!" she hissed and stepped closer. „But I would if Dwalin hadn't done it already! You deserve to sit on the ground, unable to move! While you deserve so much worse. You shouldn't even breathe the same air like me!"
„Oh, stop that nonsense—"
Lili paced back and forth in front of him, desperately trying to bring her emotions into words. There was so much she wanted to shoot at him, to yell at him. But what first? And how? Should she really cause a commotion? She felt her body began to tremble lightly, if from the fresh air outside or from the anger, she did not know. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, fighting it down to take the stress away from her and her baby. Her hand lowered down to her tummy and stroked gently over it, as if she tried to soothe the little one inside her.
„Mahal, don't tell me you carry a bastard inside you," Finian said in a mocking fashion when he saw her gesture. Lili turned and glared at him again.
„Don't you ever use the name of Mahal in front of me! And my child is no bastard, unlike you!"
„If I remember correctly—aren't you a bastard, too? Born from that stupid wench—what was her name again? I might have quitten forgotten."
The sound of flesh slapping flesh hung in the air for a moment and Lili stared down at her hand that had just slapped her father's cheek with such force, that it had left a red mark on his face.
„Lalaith! Her name was Lalaith!" she yelled at him and slapped him again. „Do you remember her now? Huh? Do you?"
„You're just as insane as she was!" he hissed and rocked back and forth violently in an attempt to break his cuffs. He knew he would kill her. He would kill all of them. And he knew he'd get the chance and she would beg for mercy, but he would not hear it. He would drive a sword through her heart. Or better—through her belly to kill her bastard first. „I will kill you, you know that right? But you know what? I might rape you first! Yes, I would rape you like I did with your mother and I will enjoy it! I will destroy you and make you suffer like I made her suffer and in the end I will finish it like I should have back then! I will take a knife and cut you open and make you bleed like a pig!"
He hadn't seen it coming when out of nowhere, her fist crashed against his jaw. It wasn't a hard punch, but still it hurt more than he had thought it would. She reached down and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. „Get up! Get on your feet!" she hissed and tugged at his shirt violenty until he groaned and slowly got up.
„What now? Now you want to kill me?" he chuckled. „As if you would really do that. You're just a whiny wench that had let herself impregnate from some dwarf lord."
Another punch met the other side of his jaw. „His name is Thorin! Thorin Oakenshield and he is your king!"
„Is he? Too bad I don't care about royalty too much. Your mother was a highborn lady, too. Didn't stop me from violating her highborn body," he grinned at her, a line of blood trickled down his chin and Lili realized just now that she had knocked one of his teeth out. He didn't seem to notice it yet and she had not the intention to tell him.
„I should kill you right here, Finian," she spat. She wasn't able to call him father. This dwarf might be the one who made her, but she was not him. It was disgusting enough that she shared his blood, but she would no longer accept him corrupting her soul.
„Ah, like father like daughter, huh?" he chuckled mockingly again. „Such a tight bond that we even share the urge to kill the other."
„Be quiet, already! Be quiet! Be quiet! Be quiet!" she yelled and punched his face over and over again and with a final move she grabbed his shoulders and drove her knee right between his legs, crushing him and making him cry out in pain as he sunk to the ground, groaning and almost whimpering. Lili panted heavily and stepped back, surprised about her own ability to make him feel at least a bit of the same pain he had given her mother once. She looked down at her fists, covered a bit in blood. Her father's blood. And she did feel nothing else but relief washing through her body. He was still alive, yes. But he no longer scared her or angered her.
Suddenly she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She jumped startled and turned. „Bard-"she whispered and saw his angered expression but it was directed at Finian. „It's fine—it's—just take me back inside," she said reassuringly and walked away from her father who still sat writhing in pain.
„You will pay for that!" he hissed but Lili ignored him. Bard placed his arm around her shoulder, feeling her body relaxing again.
„I'm glad you came. For a split second I thought about taking a stone and crushing his skull to end his life forever," she said as they stepped into his house again.
He smiled softly. „I don't know if I might have stopped you. As far as I can tell, it's all he deserves."
As they entered the living room again, she saw that Bofur had returned again with a bundle of kingsfoil in his hands. Sheera approached Lili and Billy jumped onto her shoulder again, nuzzling his little nose against her neck.
„How do you feel?" the elf asked and led her to the sofa where Lili lowered down with a heavy sigh.
„I feel—free. Better, somehow. I think, I finally cleared my soul from him."
She looked over at Kili, still obviously in pain, but he had stopped writhing. Fili sat right next to his brother, stroking over his head while Oin tried to figure out what to do with the kingsfoil now.
And all of a sudden—the earth shook violently.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It might have been a bit more violent, but I think it was exactly what Lili needed to do.
Stay tuned for Bilbo & Co vs Smaug …. and of course, Legolas & Tauriel vs Orcs ^^