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"So, you want me to let them go after they have brought this danger into my realm." Thranduil looked at his daughter-in-law critically. She only nodded. Arguing with him would get her friends nowhere except the grave.

"It will get the Orcs out of our lands faster." She answered. She knew that Legolas had a different idea, but she would let him speak when their father wished it. "They will take the danger with them."

"Legolas tells me that a few of them recognized you. He told me that you are friendly with the Dwarves. This isn't a ploy to help them escape my realm, is it?"

"Of course not, Majesty." She answered with the calmest face she could muster. In fact, that was exactly what she was trying to do. But she knew she had to be careful. One wrong word and there would be a war between Lórien and Mirkwood. She knew that Legolas knew what she was trying to do, but he wasn't going to stop her. He knew that if she got the Dwarves out of the castle, she could follow them and the Orcs, killing the one who sent her mother away.

"Legolas, what have you to say on the matter?"

"I say that you allow us to take two patrols and destroy the Orcs before they get within sight of the palace." Eleryna barely managed to keep her surprise in check. She had thought Legolas would tell his father to let the Orcs come. She had never guessed he would offer to go out and kill them for her. In her heart, she smiled, somehow knowing that this was for her and not his father. "There would be no reason to release the Dwarves and no need to arm every one of our soldiers for battle."

"Will two patrols be enough?"

"Two of ours will be enough." Legolas answered confidently. Legolas looked at the two of them. He had noticed that his son acted slightly differently around his wife. The older Elf could not place what it was, but he sensed a kind of admiration from his son towards the Elf he had married.

"Take three, to be on the safe side."

"We'll be gone before the sun sets." Eleryna and Legolas bowed and hurried out the door. As they exited the door the throne room, she thought she saw the flash of a small creature, about as small as a Dwarf. She smiled to herself. Thirteen was an unlucky number for the Dwarves. It only stood to reason that a fourteenth had escaped. She beckoned to the creature to follow them. She smiled when she heard the soft padding of short legs trying to keep up. She knew then that it wasn't a Dwarf, but a Hobbit.

"Grab my things for me. I'll meet you in the barracks." She said, breaking off to go to the cellars where she knew the keys were kept. But they were out of reach of the Hobbit.

"Actually, I have a gift for you. Whenever you finish what you are going to do, meet me there." She raised an eyebrow but nodded. They broke off to go their separate ways. She could hear the Hobbit struggling to keep up with her.

"Stay close to me." She whispered to the Hobbit as she walked into the cellar and saw the captain with a large flagon about to take his first drink. "Captain!" She barked. The man jumped, sloshing whatever drink he had down his front. Both she and the Hobbit saw the keys on the beam behind him. With great thinking, the Hobbit would be able to take the keys. "Those keys are supposed to be on your belt. Why are they hanging on a hook where anyone could take them?"

"I thought,"

"You are not here to think. You are here to be the captain of the guard. It also means that you are in charge of whoever is in the dungeons and the keys to those dungeons. Perhaps the position is too much for you."

"No, of course not, Highness. A simple mistake on my part." The captain quickly placed the keys on his belt. Eleryna gave them a quick tug to make sure that they were secure, pointing out the latch to the Hobbit.

"Do not let this happen again."

"On my life, Highness." Eleryna nodded and began to walk away.

"That is all I can do to help you. You must do the rest." She whispered to the Hobbit.

"What was that, Princess?"

"None of your concern, Captain. I will check the prisoners when I return." She hurried back up the steps and to the room she shared with her husband. He was waiting for her, a bundle on the bed behind him. He was already in his armor. "What is this?"

"I told the patrols to wear armor. I was going to wait until your birthday, but since we are going out in armor today, I figured I should give it to you now." He gestured to the bed. She walked over and opened the bundle. In varying shades of green were a chest plate, leg armor, arm armor, and a helmet. She picked up the chest armor, awing at the craftsmanship.

"It rivals that of my father's smiths and the smiths of Lórien." She ran her hand down the front and felt etchings. She turned so her back was to the light and saw them. Her breath caught in her throat. On the armor were the two symbols of her family: The Flower of Rivendell and the Leaf of Lórien. She traced them with her fingers and looked at the other pieces. They were the same. Each piece had one of her symbols on them. She turned to Legolas. "You thought of this?" She whispered. He nodded, a smile planted firmly on his face. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn't believe that he had done this for her.

"I know how much you miss your family. I actually sent a letter to Elrohir asking for your father's smiths to etch the symbols into the pieces. Something to," she stopped his words by kissing him deeply. It was the first time they had kissed since the quick peck at their wedding. He pulled her close and returned it. They stayed like that a moment before she pulled away. He watched as she expertly donned the armor herself. When she was done, she looked so much like something out of a dream that it took his breath away.

"Let's go kill some Orcs." She said. He handed her long knives to her and she slung her quiver over her shoulder. The patrols were waiting outside the gate. Kira looked at them expectantly. "We go to kill the Orcs that dare invade our home. Make sure none survive." She ordered. The Elves nodded and she and Legolas led the way.

Bilbo quietly led the Dwarves down the same path that the Elf woman had taken him down. He was surprised that she had helped him. He thought that she would want the Dwarves to remain locked up like the rest of the Elves here. The fact that she had beckoned to him while in the company of the prince made him wonder what her plan was. He pointed the Dwarves to the barrels and put the keys back on the captain's belt. He had seen the Elf woman yell at him for not having the keys on his belt. Though, it again begged the question what her motives were since she had also shown him how to take the keys from the belt. One by one, he packed the Dwarves into the barrels, keeping a sharp ear for sound from the upper halls. Thorin was last.

"Tell no one she helped you." He said as they stood outside his barrel.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Elf woman I have no doubt you are wondering about. She is not here completely by choice. She had to do what needed to be done for her people. She found a way around her oath. She led you down here and made sure you could get the keys."

"But how did she even know about me? And who is she?"

"She is a friend of my house. She has been for most of her long life. She knows our customs and knows that thirteen is an unlucky number. Remember, tell no one of what she has done. Think of it as paying a debt. She helped you free us. Now you help her prevent a war among the Elves." Thorin climbed into his barrel. Bilbo knew how she had seen him. When she had come out of the throne room, he had been twisting the ring on his finger and it had slipped. It was after that moment that she had beckoned to him to follow her. Which led him to this point.

"No one will know of her involvement." Bilbo swore as he fitted on Thorin's lid and they waited.

"You seem to know how these creatures think, Princess. What do we do?"

"They'll know they can't get past the main gates. What times are the barrels being sent back down the river?"

"Should be getting ready to open the gate now-shit!"

"Let's go." The combined patrols hurried to the east water gate. They found Orcs guarding the banks, waiting. The Elves fell upon them like death. Below, the gate opened and several barrels swept past. Legolas and Eleryna, along with a few others, used to barrels to jump across the river. Eleryna nearly stepped on Bilbo who had caught a ride holding onto one of the barrels. The fighting continued. Eleryna looked around for the Pale Orc. She couldn't find him. She moved to avoid the blow that was aimed for her. The Orc managed a light scratch before she killed him. Then she saw the Orc that was giving orders. She didn't know him, but it didn't matter. He knew where the Pale Orc was. Legolas saw him at the same time. They ran to him. She reached him first, getting his attention quickly. He smiled. He had orders to kill her if she appeared while he was hunting the Dwarves.

He swung his large weapon at her. She moved swiftly to avoid it. She battled back and forth with the Orc, ignoring the bruises that were forming beneath her armor. She wanted to know where the other Orc was. She needed to find and kill him. That was the only way she would find peace about her mother's departure. After a few minutes, she was able to cut his legs off and disarm him. Legolas caught up to them. "Where is he?" She demanded. "Where is Azog?" The Orc only laughed and said something in his foul language that she couldn't understand. "Answer me! Where is he!"

"You'll know soon enough." He laughed. She severed his head and threw it on the ground, her chest heaving. Around her, the Orcs died. Legolas pulled her out of the way of an arrow aimed at her. It grazed her elbow where she didn't have any armor.

"Are they all dead?"

"Except one. I want to know why they were chasing the Dwarves. And since you killed their leader,"

"He is only the one who was put in charge. He's not their leader. Their leader is somewhere else. Let's get back to the castle." Legolas kept her tucked under his arm as they walked back. They crossed where the water gate stood and found no traces of blood. It gladdened them both. "Let's go check on the Dwarves." She said. "I promised the captain that I would."

"You think they could have escaped?"

"You forget that I know the Dwarves very well." She made to walk freely when she collapsed. Legolas caught her before she hit the ground. Their patrol gathered close around them.

"Why did you that? You promised to set him free." Legolas dropped the head, unable to keep the look of disgust from marring his features.

"And I did. I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."

"There was more the Orc could tell us. Like why they focused on Eleryna during the fight."

"There was nothing more he could tell me."

"And Eleryna? Don't you care that she has been poisoned by them?"

"She will live, will she not?" Legolas remained silent. Thranduil began to walk away. "I want the watch doubled at all borders. All roads. All rivers. Nothing moves but I hear of it. No one enters this kingdom. And no one leaves it." Legolas nodded to give the orders. After he had, he went to sit at his wife's bedside.

Really looking froward to your thoughts on this chapter. Am I doing a good job making Legolas the good guy? Thanks for reading