Drifting Apart
Two Elven guards continue to hold Thorin by the arms. His body remains tight; he's looking for the right moment to break free and run for Kayley.
Thranduil strides down the steps of his throne.
"Fond of her, are you?" Thorin's eyes shoot daggers at the elf. Thranduil isn't bothered by his glare. He goes on, "Hard to miss when you're attention darts in the direction where she will be well taken care of - I assure you. But your own kin, do you think they are more taken care of in the dungeons than your lover?" The elf smiles. He sees Thorin's body relax and his expression softens. Thranduil guesses right.
"Amusing that Thorin Oakenshield has found a lover." He steps beside him facing the opposite way, their shoulders even. Thranduil leans to the side so he can easily whisper in the Thorin's ear, "Someone of my kin."
Thorin flinches ready to throw a punch at the elf if only he wasn't being held back. Thranduil steps back most amused by his reaction.
"Her grandmother was my cousin. Merilineth. She fell in love with a young, dark-haired Lord of the North Downs. She gave up immortality to die with him." Thranduil's smile disappears at the thought of his cousin and slowly turns his back on Thorin, who is standing firm, his mind clouded with the very idea - truth that Kayley is kin to Him.
Thranduil lets out a heavy sigh, "Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand. A quest to claim a homeland and slay a dragon." He turns back around facing Thorin. "I myself thought a more prosaic motive. Attempted burglary, or something of that ilk." His eyes narrow in on his prisoner. "You have found your way in. You seek which will bestow upon you the right to rule. The King's Jewel. The Arkenstone." Thorin's mind drifts away from Kayley. The elf notices how precious the jewel is. "I understand that," he continues. "There are gems in the mountain that I too desire," his eyes grow hungry. "White gems of pure starlight." The king blinks to compose himself. He nods and the guards release the prisoner.
"I offer you my help."
Thorin smirks. It's his turn to be amused. "I am listening."
"I'll let you go. If you but return what's mine."
Thorin turns in thought. Listening but not accepting. "A favor for a favor," he muses.
"You have my word," The elf says. "A king to another. And His queen."
Thorin stops. Is Thranduil promising Kayley to him? If he agrees to his favor, he'll be set free. Take back what is his and have Kayley - no. No matter what happens, Kayley will be sent back to the North Downs where a suitor will be waiting for her. The elf offers empty promises. And Thorin will never give back the gems that rightfully belong to his kin.
"I will no trust Thranduil." He shouts for anyone to hear, "The great king to honor his words should the end of all days be upon us! You!" he turns around pointing, accusing the elf who stands erect and offended, "who lack all honor!" He storms up to the elf, "I have seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help. But you turned your back! You turned your back on the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! IMRID AMRAD URSUL!"
Thranduil snaps and lunges at the dwarf. Their faces nearly touching. "Do not talk to me of dragon fire," he hisses. "I know it's wrath and ruin." His elegant, god-like face twists in pain so he may show the dwarf his scars. "I have faced the great serpents of the North." He withdraws and his scars fade without a trace. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed summon. But he would not listen." He retreats gracefully up the steps to his throne to better look down upon the dwarf.
"You are just like him." Thranduil raises his hand and instantly his guards grab Thorin by the arms. "Stay here if you will and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the eyes of an elf. I'll give Kayley your love."
Thorin is raging, struggling to break free of the elves hold on him but to no prevail as they carry him away to the dungeons with his kin. And Kayley is somewhere in a room dying.
The guards throw Thorin into a cell and slam the door shut and lock it before Thorin slams his full weight against it with a roar.
As the guards leave, Balin walks up to his bars and asks, "Did he offer you a deal?"
Thorin tightens his grip on the bars, "He did." He smirks and looks up at Balin, "I told him to Ishka Kra-an Dol Nul. HIM AND ALL HIS KIN!"
Balin releases a heavy sigh. "A deal was our only hope."
Thorin forgets their troubles instantly and his eyes lighten as he thinks of Bilbo. "Not our only hope."
"What about Kayley?" Kill asks. His uncle turns away and sinks into the back of his cell. Everyone saw Kayley faint in front of their own feet and some saw her limp body carried away into another corridor. They understood Thorin's silence, them too thinking she could be dying or dead as they are locked in cells. But they don't know too of her relation to the king holding them prisoners.
A couple of elf maids were leaving the room and close the door behind them, only it would open seemingly on it's own once they were gone.
Quietly and carefully the door closes again and once he heard the safe sound of a click, Bilbo slipped off his ring and placed it carefully back in his pocket.
The chamber is beautiful. Sunshine lit the entire bedroom and by a window is a bed occupied by a young lady.
Bilbo walks slowly to the side of the bed not sure what to expect. He reaches out to touch her hand and it's warm. He sighs with relief and swallows.
Kayley's skin glows with life. Her raven hair shine's in the sun's rays; it's been washed and brushed. She looks so perfect, so peaceful.
Bilbo flinches when her hand holds his. "K-Kayley. My lady? It's Bilbo."
"Bilbo," she breathes. Her eyes open, however her eyelids still fall heavy with tiredness. A smile curves on her lips. Then her brow furrows with confusion. "Where's Thorin? Where are the others?" Her voice remains soft.
"They're here. Thorin's here. They're all here. But in the dungeons. I'm going to get them out. Somehow," he says this last thought to himself.
Kayley's soft smile returns and her eyelids lift to reveal her stunning blue eyes. Bilbo thinks they looks like gems in the sunshine. "I'll help you."
Bilbo heard her words, soft and slow and yet he still admired her bravery. "N-no, my lady. You must rest. The elves will take care of you."
Normally he would expect her to leap out of bed and pull him along by the arm and lead him to the dungeons to free their companions. But the cursed forest and the spiders' poison was too much for her body to bear.
"I think I love him." Again normally Bilbo would expect any young lady to feel an uncontrollable happiness when they discover their first love. But Kayley is different. Her first love is Thorin Oakenshield. Her eyes showed fear and her smile disappeared. She sighed and closed her eyes, mumbling. "Where is he?"
Bilbo leaned in closer, "Thorin?"
"Thorin." Kayley falls asleep.
Bilbo stares at her. "Kayley?" he whispers. "Kayley?" he says a little louder. She's asleep and perhaps it's for the best.
Hours drifted by. Days. What could have been an eternity. Hardly anyone would say anything. Bofur would try to sing a merry tune but he could never find the strength or desire to finish one.
"I'll wager the sun is on the rise," he says breaking the silence. "Must be nearly dawn."
Ori sighs tiredly and sits on his cell floor like a child locked away in his room, stripped from his privileges. "We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?" Fill looks across from his cell trying to say something positive, but the prince could think of nothing. Perhaps Ori is right.
"Not stuck in here you're not," Everyone looks up at the familiar voice and it's Bilbo! and he has the keys to their cells!
They all shouted in cheer and Bilbo tries to silence them, "There are guards nearby!" He opens Thorin's door first. "I found Kayley." Thorin's eyes lit up however dimmed anticipating the worse. "She's alive."
Thorin reaches out and places his hand on Bilbo's shoulders and squeezes, bowing his head in great relief.
"Oi! Let us out of here!" the dwarves shout impatient and anxious.
Once they were all out, Bilbo led them out of the dungeons and where there were stairs descending up, Thorin immediately started climbing.
"Thorin! Thorin this way!" Bilbo calls.
"I'm going to find Kayley."
"Thorin," Bilbo runs up the steps to stop him. "She's alive, but she's weak. Very weak."
"Then I'll carry her if I must," he turns to continue up the steps but Bilbo grabs his arm.
"She told me —"
"I'm not leaving her here."
"What is the matter with the lass?" Balin asks stepping into the conversation; the others all keenly lean in.
"She's fine," the hobbit explains to Balin. "She glows with life. But she is very weak still."
"Thorin listen to Bilbo. This is only causing us to delay. If we collect the lady as well that will only harm our chances more trying to escape."
Thorin still is tense and eyes the stairs ahead.
"She will be looked after. There her family," the dwarves all look at Bilbo surprised and Thorin glares reminded of Kayley's relations to that whom calls himself king. The hobbit clears his throat, "From what I've heard." No one knew he was there when Thorin was alone with Thranduil.
Thorin shoves pass Bilbo and Balin down the steps then Bilbo continues to lead them down into the cellars.
Kayley wakes up and the sunlight seeping threw her window blinds her at first but her eyes quickly adjust. She looks around her room remembering seeing this place before - Bilbo! Of course, Bilbo was here! He came and told her he would help the dwarves escape. The dwarves. Thorin.
Kayley leaps out of bed and tears off her nightgown and runs naked across her room to find her trousers and tunic all clean, but Kayley could care less if they were dirty or clean; she throws them on, pulls on her boots, ties up her jerkin and runs out the door grabbing her belt and buckling it around her waist as she runs down the corridors.
She runs into the Throne room where she nearly runs straight into two guards. She skids to a stop, jumping at the sight and smell of a decapitated body and an orc's head being carried away. Legolas sees her.
~*Lady Kayley is awake,*~ he announces to the king then leaves out the main gates to carry out orders.
"They are gone," Thranduil says approaching her.
Kayley doesn't hurry to answer aloud. They had escaped. Bilbo had done it. She was so glad to hear, but deep in her heart she wishes she had too. And what about the orc?
"You should know I have delivered orders that no one is to leave nor enter from the moment on. you will be under my protection from now on. Until I see it right to send you home."
"Why was there a dead orc?" she asks finally not knowing what else to say.
Thranduil arched an eyebrow. "You should know. You have after all been traveling with Oakenshield all this time."
Kayley did know. If Thorin and the others had only just escaped, and an orc was brought forth into this sacred fortress…. Fear sank into her heart.
"And you will do nothing?" she asks.
Thranduil doesn't care for her questioning. She is beginning to sound like his captain of the guard.
"If you will do nothing then I will." She turns on her heal to storm away to find her weapons and a horse.
"Kayley," Thranduil calls. She stops in her tracks without daring to look at him.
~*Why do you care about him? He is no more than a dwarf. A dwarf of the line of Durin. What will happen should Oakenshield succeed?*~ He stalks over to her, ~*He will be king of Erebor and you will be his queen. He comes from a proud race. Do you think the sons you give him will be accepted by his kind? And the gold.*~ He stands directly behind her, ~*The gold which drove his grandfather into darkness. A sickness that runs through Thorin's veins. Do you think he will love you as the years pass?*~
Kayley isn't saying anything. She stands still thinking about the way he holds her, the way he touches her, the way makes her feel. She wonders if that's love. She sees the guards return and is reminded of the decapitated orc. Her eyes fill with determination and she pivots around to face Thranduil.
"I volunteered myself to join the Company of Oakenshield. I have survived a thunder battle in the Misty Mountains. I have proven myself a fighter with the same mountains in the goblin tunnels. I have befriended them all and I have come to … care, truly care for them all. I will not stop now and sit behind high walls while Thorin is being hunted as we speak. Your words nor your walls can keep me from away from him."
Thranduil's smile takes her aback. He held on to every word and caught how she dropped 'company' and ended with 'Thorin.' She is in love. Poor naive little thing. "Well said. However, I must add you will from now be banned to your room. Guards will accompany you at all times. One will stand outside your door and the other will stand in your room. I cannot have you jumping out the window now, can I."
"You can't —" Hands grabbed her shoulders.
"Take Lady Kayley back to her room. We are finished."
"No!" Kayley tugs trying to break free and kicks her legs but the guards hands grip her like eagles' talons. "Let me go! Thorin!"
Bilbo walks somberly back into the hall, it's floor now shines gold in the moonlight and the heat still warms the soles of his feet. At the front of the hall he sees the dwarves and they all look down with heavy hearts. Oin, Bofur, Fili and Kili are in Lake Town. What have they done?
Bilbo hears echoing down the halls a cry of anguish and Balin and Dwalin are the only two who look out towards the noise. When Bilbo approaches them Balin gives a heavy sigh and places his hand on the hobbit's shoulder. Their eyes meet and as if Balin understands Bilbo's question he gently squeezes his shoulder encouragingly then Bilbo walks down the hall.
The cries of anguish and guilt finally turn into sobs. Rounding the corner Bilbo sees him. Thorin is on his hands and knees, his body shaking with every sob. "Kayley. Kayley," he sobs, but as Bilbo listens more carefully, empathizing with the king, he understands Thorin isn't saying Kayley, but Kili.
Kayley is safe in Mirkwood, regaining her strength. Kili was left in Lake Town now under sieged by Smaug, sick and weak with his brother beside him and Oin and Bofur as well.
