Right, here we are! Chapter four, which thankfully wasn't a bitch.
So, this chapter will include Tauriel, the she-elf who will appear in Desolation of Smaug. As we don't know what sort of a person she will be, I took liberations on her character and made her what I imagine her to be. But rest assured that she will not be romantically attracted to any of the dwarves in this story, nor will any of the dwarves be romantically attracted to her. The reason is simply because the only elf/dwarf pairing I approve is Legolas/Gimli, because it's the only one that's at least moderately believable (who am I kidding, I totally support Legolas/Gimli).
Anyway, here's the chappie.
Chapter four
Kíli was just about ready to fall asleep. He didn't understand why Uncle Thorin had to drag him to all the dreary council meetings. It wasn't like he'd be the heir to the throne or anything. Maybe Thorin just didn't want to suffer alone. Kíli let out a deep sigh. It was so dull! He could be outside having fun with Ori and Gimli, but no! He had to be inside and attend the council meeting from which he didn't understand even one fourth of things. Kíli leaned to his palm and looked around. No one seemed to be paying attention on him, so maybe they wouldn't notice if he closed his eyes and took a short nap...
Thorin, however, did notice it, and he kicked his nephew under the table to wake him up. Not that he actually blamed the lad. Thorin did remember how it was to be young and wanting to go on adventures rather than attend boring council meetings. But it was the tradition that the heir next in line to the throne would be there with the king. And as Fíli couldn't make it for obvious reasons, Kíli had to do it whether he liked it or not.
"So, have there been any official arrangements with the Shire about the union?" asked a council member whose name Thorin had accidentally forgotten.
"No", Thorin answered. "I have discussed with the queen about the matter and she says there can't be any official arrangements until Bilbo is found."
"Surely you do not assume he is still alive", said Gimli's father, Glóin, who was the master of coin. "It has been twenty years, your majesty. It is highly unlikely that he would still be alive. There is no proof..."
"There is also no proof that he would not be safe and sound, master Glóin", Thorin said with an icy tone. "The union is vital to both Erebor and the Shire, and I will see it happen. I will fulfil my duty as king, just wait and see."
None of the council members dared to say anything to this. Kíli had a smug smirk on his face. Thorin had showed them all that nobody should ever question him. Kíli had full trust on his uncle. Thorin had never failed his duties. They had taken a long time, perhaps, but never had there been a failure. Kíli was sure Thorin would see this through and find Bilbo, Bofur and Bombur... and Fíli, most importantly to Kíli at least.
Suddenly someone knocked the door. Dwalin came in and said, "Thorin, there's someone out here to see you."
"We're busy here, Dwalin", Thorin sighed. "Can it not wait?"
"No, she says it can't", Dwalin answered and looked like he was going to be a bit nauseous. A female voice shouted behind him, "If King Thorin won't see me right now there will be an outright war between the Lonely Mountain and the Woodland Realm!"
So, a she-elf had arrived to Erebor. Thorin sighed deeply. The last thing he'd wanted was to get tangled with the pointy-eared bastards but apparently he had to. He dismissed the council apart from Kíli and Balin, and asked Dwalin to let the elf in. She was quite agreeable for an elf; she had long ginger hair and her eyes were stormy grey. She also seemed like a no-nonsense type of person, which would absolutely help getting along with her.
"Right", said Thorin. "What is this about? I wasn't aware Thranduil was sending ambassadors."
"He did", answered the elf. "But not me. He sent his son, Legolas, here two days ago and we've heard nothing of him since. My name is Tauriel and I'm the Chief of the Guards in the King's Halls. He sent me here to check the situation."
"Well, Prince Legolas isn't here", Kíli stated and looked at Thorin to seek some support. "You're the first elf to set their foot here in years, Miss Tauriel."
"Then where could he be?" Tauriel demanded.
"That we cannot say", Thorin said. "And we assure that we know nothing of Prince Legolas. So if you are trying to imply that we have done something to harm him, rest assured that it is not the case. It would be highly dishonourable. Dwarves are many things but dishonourable isn't one of them."
Tauriel looked distressed. "Oh, Eru, then what could have happened to him?"
"Well, do you know what road he used?" Balin asked kindly. "Maybe there would be some hints."
Tauriel thought of it for a moment and agreed a bit begrudgingly that Balin had a point. Then she also remembered something else. There had been a couple of reports of a red dragon flying over the forest near Thranduil's Halls. The dwarves looked at each other and thought the same. It had to be the same dragon that had snatched Bilbo. Maybe they would now get some hints of him as well. Thorin, Balin and Dwalin had a quick conversation in Khuzdul about the matter and whether or not they should trust this she-elf. They agreed that it would probably be worth the risk.
"It is settled, then", said Thorin. "I and Dwalin shall accompany you down the road your prince most likely used. The dragon you mentioned was probably the same that snatched Prince Bilbo of the Shire twenty years ago, so maybe it also got Prince Legolas."
"That does make sense", Tauriel stated. "Very well. I don't like this but it looks like I don't have other options. I just want Legolas back."
"Then we are in this together", Thorin sighed. "Because I want Bilbo and my other nephew, Fíli, back."
"Don't forget about Bofur and Bombur", Dwalin added and Thorin added them to his list, tilting his head in acknowledgement to his best friend. Kíli stood up and asked if he could come along, but there were three yells of no at that. Thorin ordered Balin to keep an eye on not only Kíli but also Gimli. He would not want them to try to follow him, Dwalin and Tauriel on this mission because there was no telling how dangerous it would get.
Thorin and Dwalin left for the stables to ready their ponies, Minty and Harley. Minty was getting a bit old, but she still was the fastest pony in Middle-Earth. Tauriel was waiting for them at the gates of Erebor on her palomino horse. She seemed to be quite uncomfortable there among the dwarves. Thorin could very well understand it. He'd felt the same way last time he had been to Thranduil's Halls. Not a place for dwarves, he had thought back then. The whole idea of going to Mirkwood again made him shudder, but as Tauriel had said, there were no other options.
"Shall we?" Tauriel asked.
"Let's go", Thorin agreed.
They galloped off, but they didn't get very far. They were a bit past the city of Dale, on their way to Mirkwood, when Thorin suddenly halted and turned around. Dwalin halted Harley and asked, "Thorin, what is it? You know we must hurry."
"We're being followed", Thorin said with a smirk. "Kíli, Gimli, I know you're there! Come on out!"
They heard some grunting ("Dammit, Gimli!") and soon Kíli and Gimli emerged from a bush a couple of yards behind them. How the two of them had managed to follow them so quickly, Thorin did not know, but that didn't matter. He looked at the lads sternly and asked why the word "no" was so hard to understand. Thorin had been quite clear when he had forbidden Kíli to come along. It had naturally applied also to Gimli.
"You two are impossible", Thorin huffed. "Now go, and Mahal forbid you to do any more stupidities like this one. Do you think I and Glóin forbid you to do this and that out of spite?"
"No, your majesty", Gimli muttered after developing a sudden interest in his boots.
"Good. Now just be happy I don't have you both grounded until the day your beards become grey."
Kíli and Gimli grumbled a bit but they did as Thorin told them and left back to the Lonely Mountain. Thorin shook his head at them and sighed. They were good lads with good hearts, he gave them that, but they were simply too young to attend anything this risky. Under any other circumstances Thorin could've taken at least Kíli with him but right now he did not wish to risk his nephew's safety. One missing nephew was far more than enough. Thorin made sure the lads were going back to the mountain before he, Dwalin and Tauriel took off again. Once in Mirkwood Tauriel dismounted her horse and sent it to Thranduil's Halls. She would carry on tracking on foot.
Mirkwood wasn't exactly the most beautiful place in Middle-Earth. It was dark and dreary and last time Thorin had been there he had nearly fallen into a trap of some giant spiders. That he did not wish to experience again and after the incident he had been suffering from a bad arachnophobia, which wasn't funny even though Dwalin seemed to think so. Tauriel, on the other hand, seemed to understand this and even though she clearly wanted to say something sharp as Thorin reluctantly admitted to have a phobia, she didn't. As for the reason why, Thorin couldn't say. Elves sure were a peculiar lot.
"Right, now you two just stay right behind me", said Tauriel as they ventured deeper into the woods. "If you get lost, there's not telling whether or not you'll find your way out of these woods. And stay cautious."
"We're not stupid, elf", Dwalin retorted.
"Oh, really? Could've fooled me."
Dwalin gritted his teeth but held his tongue (perhaps for the first time of his life). Bickering would be absolutely no use and they couldn't linger. They had to find the place where Prince Legolas most likely had been captured. And after some hours of search they did. It was an open place, somehow more beautiful than most of Mirkwood as there was light and even some flowers, but the sight they beheld was a miserable one. For Thorin it was like returning to the day Bilbo had disappeared and Frerin had died. Tauriel gasped in horror and ran to see the bodies of the elf guards closer. She seemed close to desperate.
"Who could've done this?" she asked, her voice thick. "Many of these elves were my friends."
"It must be Smaug", Thorin said. "Has to be. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."
Tauriel looked up to Thorin (she was kneeling beside a body of an elf who looked very much like her – her brother, Thorin and Dwalin assumed) and said with a shaky voice, "You... could it be... you lost someone dear to you... the same way?"
Thorin nodded. "I don't know what the connection between Smaug and the dragon is, but we must find out. This cannot be just a coincidence."
Dwalin and Tauriel agreed. Tauriel got back on her feet and whistled. As soon as a raven appeared, she sent a message for King Thranduil to come collect the bodies for proper funeral. That was the most she could do – the most the three of them could do. Now they had other things to take care of. This was now a personal matter to Tauriel as well, so she swore to help Thorin and Dwalin find Bilbo and their lost kin, as it was most likely that if they found them, they would also find Legolas. Thorin and Dwalin agreed to take Tauriel's aid. It was a lot easier to wander in Mirkwood with a guide and in truth, neither of the dwarves was much of a tracker. And so they started hunting. They sent Minty and Harley back to Erebor (Tauriel promised they would find their way back home) as the woods started to get thick. Thorin grasped the hilt of his sword, Orcrist, as it gave him courage and confidence. Tauriel said she had a vague idea of Smaug's whereabouts. There was this fortress called Dol Guldur in the southwest part of Mirkwood forest. It was a place of dark magic, so it would make sense if it indeed was Smaug's lair. Thorin and Dwalin asked why the elves hadn't told them this during their earlier adventures in the forest. Tauriel shrugged and said that it was probably because before today the disappearances of Prince Bilbo and Prince Fili had been none of their business.
"Elves", Dwalin grunted under his breath. "Hate them."
"So do I but let's just suck it", Thorin answered. "This is our best lead so far, we cannot let it slip away."
Dwalin muttered something very insulting in Khuzdul but there was no way he'd let his best friend out of his sight. He'd stick by Thorin's side no matter what. Thorin patted Dwalin's shoulder as they followed Tauriel. The elf had her bow and arrows at the ready in case they'd encounter some spiders... or something worse. Thorin and Dwalin didn't really want to know what the "worse" could be. They just tried to keep up as Tauriel's pace got faster (very annoyingly).
Still, as much as they disliked it, they felt safer with the she-elf. Tauriel wasn't very talkative (no complaints there) but she proved to be a very trustworthy guide. With her in the lead they managed to avoid dangerous ponds and poisonous bushes and still remain in the right direction. It was a long way to Dol Guldur, but Tauriel knew some nice shortcuts so that the journey wouldn't take weeks and weeks. As the night fell they put up a camp and decided to take turns at watch. However, Tauriel refused to be given shorter turns just because she was female.
"Dwarves", she muttered. "No idea how to treat other races."
Thorin and Dwalin huffed. They had only tried to be polite. However, Tauriel took the first watch of the night, which was good because the dwarves were tired. The day had been a long one.
The next days weren't that different from the first. They were now deep in Mirkwood, heading for southwest. Thorin and Tauriel would occasionally look up to the sky whenever they could see it, wondering if the red dragon would appear. They were in the right direction, Tauriel assured. She knew the forest better than her own pockets. Dwalin raised an eyebrow at that note, but Thorin was secretly very thankful for it. His sense of direction was simply terrible. Once when he had been exploring Hobbiton alone, he had got lost. Twice, actually. It had been most embarrassing, especially because Bilbo, Frerin and Dís had laughed for hours after he had finally found his way back to Bag End. Oh, what Thorin would give to get those days back...
At the dawn of eighth say they could finally see it in the horizon. Dol Guldur. Even from a great distance the fortress seemed very unwelcoming. Even Dwalin shivered at the sight.
"Well, here we are, almost", said Tauriel. "Oh, I wish I could just turn around and leave."
She didn't, though. None of them did. At this point they could not turn back. It would be stupid to do so, especially since they had learned to put up with each other. Tauriel still clearly disliked Thorin and Dwalin, and vice versa, but there was no hostility any longer.
All of the sudden at around noon Tauriel shot an arrow up to the sky. She had seen something reddish. It had been only a glimpse but she was sure that whatever it had been it came from Dol Guldur. The three of them stayed where they were, looking at the sky cautiously. There was another glimpse and another arrow shot. Tauriel cursed a little. She didn't usually miss her target like this. They started to run towards the fortress when they finally saw what the elf had tried to shoot. A snowy owl and a swan, their feathers most likely turned red by the sunlight. Both birds fluttered their wings for a while and then turned around to fly towards Dol Guldur. Tauriel and Dwalin sighed deeply at the disappointment that it hadn't been the dragon after all, but Thorin started to follow the birds. He wasn't exactly sure why, he just did. It was very foolhardy, he knew it (oh, Kíli would kill him if he knew), especially when hearing Dwalin's angry shouts, but there was something about that swan that made Thorin curious and suspicious at the same time. He wasn't able to say how long he ran but it must have been for very long, since it was sunset when Dol Guldur finally was in front of his eyes. He heard Dwalin and Tauriel yelling insults somewhere quite far off – very nasty insults at that. Thorin wasn't paying attention. He'd lost the sight of the swan and the owl but he was sure they were there somewhere. The place was actually quite beautiful. There were plenty of different trees, lots of flowers and a shimmering lake. Thorin sat on the ground behind a raspberry bush and panted. Dwarves really weren't made to run long distances as they were more of natural sprinters.
"I must be out of my mind", Thorin muttered to himself. He wasn't completely sure what to make of the place. Sure, it was beautiful as stated before, but there was something wrong with it, like there had been forces that didn't belong there (not that it was surprising as Tauriel had said it was a place of dark magic). Thorin remained in the bush for a couple more minutes to balance his breathing. It was starting to get dark and if his eyes didn't betray him, the moon was rising. With his had still on the hilt of Orcrist he stood up, meaning to take his leave, when he saw the swan and the owl again. They seemed to be having a verbal fight about something (which was ridiculous because neither swans nor owls could talk, but that was what it looked like). The swan seemed to huff impatiently at the owl and then flew to the lake. As soon as the moonlight touched its wings there was a light so bright that Thorin had to cover his eyes and turn around. It damn nearly burned his eyes. The light ceased as quickly as t had appeared, and Thorin felt like it would be safe to take his hand off of his eyes. When he turned to see the lake again, he saw something he hadn't expected to see except in his dreams. He stared at the sight in wonder.
"Bilbo?"
I'm evil, I know. Be prepared for the big fluffy Bagginshield reunion in the next chapter (which I've been burning to write ever since I started this story).
Oh, it will be pointed out in the next chapter, but Legolas was in the fortress unconscious for some days before Smaug dumped him to the garden with Bilbo and the three dwarves, just so that you won't be confused of the timing (since it was eight days after Thorin and Dwalin left Erebor but only two days of the planning to get the hell out of Dol Guldur). (Did anyone understand even a bit what I'm trying to babble here?)
Oh, and I named Dwalin's pony Harley because Graham McTavish (the actor of Dwalin) said he wanted to name his pony that.
