Chapter Seven

The company met out in the courtyard. Once they met up, Thorin guided the company out of Rivendell. "Gandalf isn't coming?" asked DJ. "He's still in a meeting with Saruman, Elrond and Galadriel. Gandalf has told me we had to leave right away. He didn't say why." replied Thorin. As they continued to travel, DJ continued to worry. After Ariella' s confession, DJ felt worried of their status in the company in case Thorin and the others do find out about Ariella' s true identity. DJ promised her friend she would keep Ariella 's identity a secret, knowing the repercussions and the reactions from the dwarves, especially from Thorin.

After riding for a long time, they stopped and made camp. Nori showed everyone all the things he had stolen from Rivendell. "NORI! I thought you given that up!" snapped Dori. "I'm sorry, but all those pretty things in there were interesting. Besides that, the musical instruments look nice." said Nori, opening a bag, dumping out a bunch of musical instruments. Bofur grinned. "Party time!" said Bofur. "No, we need to not make a sound. There could be orcs or goblins in these parts and we don't want to do anything to attract them." said Thorin. "We could play quietly, Thorin." said Bofur.

Thorin sighed. "Very well." said Thorin, sitting down cross legged, leaning his back against a tree. "I know this isn't your harp, Thorin, but you know a little bit of the lute, if you don't mind joining in with us." said Fili, handing over his Uncle a lute. Thorin took the lute. Thorin didn't feel like playing music with them, but it seemed like he didn't have a choice in the matter. DJ sat beside her, resting her head on his shoulder. Ariella sat down, her personality started to change as she looked at Thorin and DJ, this time darkly. They will never reach the mountain, Ariella thought.

Ariella stood up, picking up her belongings and she left the company. She was going to make her way home to Mirkwood to see her father, Thranduil. Meanwhile, Thorin led the dwarves in singing a beautiful old dwarven ballad on his lute, with the other dwarves playing instruments alongside with Thorin on the lute Fili given him. Nobody noticed the disappearance of Ariella. As Thorin sang, Thorin looked over at DJ, and he took notice a change in DJ's mood. She looked sad and very worried. And it worried Thorin. In fact, Thorin slipped on a chord on his lute, and the music and singing stopped.

"Thorin, are you okay laddie?" asked Balin. "I should be asking that to DJ." said Thorin. Thorin turned to DJ. "DJ, something's wrong! You don't mind telling me your troubles?" said Thorin gently. "I can't tell you, Thorin. I made a promise to a friend I wouldn't say anything." said DJ. "Are you talking about Ariella? DJ, I don't like it when people hide something from me. I need to know what's going on." said Thorin, firmly. Suddenly, DJ looked over to where Ariella is sitting. She gasped. "ARIELLA! She's gone!" cried out DJ. Thorin turned. "Where did she go?!" snapped Thorin. "Don't ask me, Thorin! I didn't even know she left! I have no idea where she went to!" cried out DJ. DJ now had no choice but to tell them the truth.

Ariella had left them, without a word. And DJ had a bad feeling that Ariella was going to turn on them. This time, DJ had to do something and she had to do something now. Before Thorin sent out a search party to look for Ariella, she stopped them. "WAIT! Wait! Everybody stop what you're doing! I have something to tell you!" cried out DJ. Now all eyes turned to DJ. "What is it, DJ?" asked Thorin. "Its about Ariella. She came to me last night after she spoken to Lord Elrond, and she confessed to me, she's not who she is who she says she is." said DJ. DJ's heart ached as she was about to reveal the truth to the company.

"Are you saying she's not a genie? What is she? A wizard?" asked Thorin.

"She's not a wizard, Thorin. She's an elf. She's the youngest daughter of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm. Thorin-I swear to God, I didn't know this until now, I swear! She told me this last night!" said DJ quickly. "WHAT?!" barked Thorin, anger and raged clouded over the dwarf. "And now, she's disappeared. Lord only know where she is going." said DJ. "She's probably going home telling the Elf King about us!" barked Gloin. "DJ, how come you are friends with this backstabbing Traitor?!" yelled Thorin. "Thorin, she just told you she didn't know until last night!" spoke up Balin.

"Silence, BALIN!" barked Thorin. "Thorin, please don't blame me for this. I had no part in this. This was all on Ariella. She came to me in my world telling me that she's a genie. And now that we're here, and she told me who she really is, I didn't know what to do or think and I'm scared, scared out of my mind! And heart broken-!" DJ concluded, and she walked away from the company. "It doesn't matter now, we have traitors amongst us." snarled Thorin, still glaring at DJ. DJ spun around, sparks of anger, hurt and rage reflecting from her eyes.

"I'm not a traitor! You hear me, I'm not a traitor! Damn it, Thorin! Get a hold of yourself!" screamed DJ.

"DJ, you are therefore banished from the Company, and therefore you will return to Rivendell." said Thorin darkly. "No, no! Thorin don't do this!" screamed DJ. "Thorin! This isn't DJ's fault!" fumed Balin, standing in front of his friend, glaring at the dwarf. DJ turned and walked away from the others, crying hysterically, and she collapsed to the ground. Bilbo looked over at her, feeling very sorry for her. Bilbo wanted to go and talk to her and console her, but he decided to give DJ her privacy.

"Listen to me Thorin, we really need DJ with us. DJ shouldn't be to blame of Ariella' s actions. DJ didn't know she is an elf until last night. Think of how DJ feels right now. DJ feels betrayed. The same feeling of betrayal you felt when Thranduil didn't come and help us. You should at least be supportive of DJ." said Balin. Thorin now went from being angry, to confused, not knowing what to say or do for DJ, and the loss of her friend. DJ had a feeling in her gut since she noticed Ariella' s disappearance, they were going to get betrayed, and she was going to get betrayed by her friend, now formal friend.

"I have over reacted Balin. I should've remain more calm when she told me." said Thorin, calmly. "Go and talk to her. She needs you right now more than anything." said Balin.

Thorin nodded and walked away. Thorin shortly found DJ firing arrows at a tree, taking out her anger and frustration. "You are wasting your arrows doing that, DJ." spoke up Thorin. DJ quickly spun aiming the arrow at Thorin. Thorin gently approached her, lowing DJ's weapon. "Put away your weapon, DJ." said Thorin softly. He could see DJ's eyes are red from crying. "DJ, I apologize for over reacting the way I did earlier. It was callous of me, and I should've thought of your feelings first." said Thorin gently.

"Thorin, there is so many feelings in me right now, and one of them is hurt and angry. When she left us, I had this gut feeling she is going to turn on us, Thorin. She left us without a word of farewell, or bye or anything. I knew right then, she is going home to her people, informing the Elf King about us." said DJ, tears streaming down her face. There was a brief silence between the two of them. "I trusted her! When we first met, I trusted her! She brought me here after I wished to be here! We became such good friends from the beginning, and how she helped me, and I helped her. I fought tooth and nail for her! And for what? THIS?!" screamed DJ.

DJ fully broke down, cursing Ariella' s name in the process.

Thorin took DJ in his arms, holding her close to him. "It hurts, Thorin. It really hurts!" sobbed DJ. "I know-it hurts, DJ." whispered Thorin, running his fingers through her hair. Thorin allowed DJ to cry in his arms, letting out all the emotions she had kept inside her. "Come, lets go and join the others. Bombur has finished supper." said Thorin. "I'm not really all that hungry, Thorin." said DJ. "You really need to eat, DJ. You need food to have your strength!" said Thorin. "Okay. I'll eat." said DJ.

When they arrived back at the camp, they sat down. Balin brought over some food to DJ and Thorin. "Are you better now, DJ?" asked Balin gently. "I don't know, Balin. I never felt so betrayed in my life. I put my full trust in someone and this happens." said DJ. "DJ, that's how it is. You shouldn't trust anybody. No matter who they are. You don't know who would be your real friend or not." said Dwalin gently. "You're my only real friends I have. And you're right, Dwalin." said DJ. Everyone ate in silence for a while. "Gandalf is going to be upset when he finds out Ariella has left the company." said DJ.

"Gandalf should be the blame for this. He's the one that invited her in the first place. Wasn't it her and Gandalf that brought you here?" asked Gloin.

"Yes, Gloin. It was mostly Gandalf's idea, but Ariella helped." DJ replied. "Here, DJ. Rest on me." said Thorin gently. Thorin wrapped his arm around DJ, as DJ laid her head upon Thorin's broad chest. Thorin gently ran his fingers through her hair, humming a soft tune, to help DJ relax. "I love you, DJ. Everything is going to be fine as long as I'm with you! Good night, my azuygal." whispered Thorin.