A/N: This one is nearly double what I normally write, a treat for you dear readers, because I am happy that I have completed my dissertation. Now all I have to worry about is my essays.

I liked this chapter.

Enjoy~

She was humming a song under her breath, a tune he could hear before he began to descend the steps into the dungeon. Hers was the first cell, the most comfy – if you could call a prison cell comfy – and the warmest, he'd made sure she was placed in that cell. He wondered if the song had any words, he wondered if she could sing, most mortal women could not. But she had defied his every expectation so far, why not in this? He approached the cell wearily, lingering in the shadows a long while before stepping into the light and revealing himself.

"Blondie!" she grinned at him, unbidden, he felt his own smile surfacing. "Have you come to rescue me? Wait…" she paused as if mulling over something, before sighing and shaking her head. "I'm not a princess, you're not a knight in shining armour. Too bad. You can't rescue me."

"I do not understand," he frowned at her.

"Fairy tales, blondie," she tutted and shook her head disapprovingly. "Stories children are told. In them, the princess always get into some danger, and the knight in shining armour rides in on the white horse to save the day."

"Ah," he nodded, finally understanding her words. "And I cannot save you because you are not a princess, I am not a knight and this is not a story."

"Give the elf a cookie! He figured it out!" her laugh was deeper than that of an elleth's, but no less enchanting. "So, blondie, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"You speak in a rather unique way," he commented, watching her with a fascinated look. "I assume you mean to inquire as to what brings me here. I am here to bring you to my father."

"Ah, the big cheese demands my presence," she waggled her eyebrows. "To important to come collect me himself, huh?"

"Big cheese?" he understood the meaning, but the words baffled him, he shook his head to clear her strangeness from his thoughts. "The king is too busy to do such menial tasks."

"Are you implying I'm a menial task?" she pouted, but the twinkle in her eyes told him she was playing. "You're rather two-faced you know, blondie, I mean in the woods you all but wanted to ravish me. Now you're saying I'm a menial task. It's enough to give a girl whiplash."

Feeling a playfulness rise within himself, he smirked at her. "I would never dare to ravish a lady in the woods, it is unsightly and disgraceful. My bed, on the other hand, is open to such activities."

"Oh my," she fluttered her eyelashes in such a dramatic way he was forced to hide his laughter, "I fear for my poor virtue the longer I spend time with you. I still don't know the name of the elf who wants to do such naughty things to my poor virgin body." She threw him a salacious wink.

"Forgive me, my lady, I am Legolas." He placed his hand over his heart and bowed, before freezing, her words suddenly clicking within his mind. "You are a maiden?" he blushed, feeling mortified at having responded to her teasing with his own. Quickly, to stop himself from blabbering like an idiot, he unlocked her cell and motioned her forwards. Biting his inner cheek to stop words of apology slipping from his tongue, he led her up the stairs.

"Yeah I'm a maiden," she snickered at saying the word. "My name is Amethyst."

"I apologise, Lady Amethyst," he blurted out, unable to contain the urge any longer. "I should not have implied that my bed was open to you, or that I wished to-"

"Hey, Legolas," she cut him off, "chill out. Please. Just because I'm a virgin, doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun. 'Sides, I'm the one that started it. I'm not some shy blushing maid, ready to flee at the first hint of sexual innuendo. C'mon give me more credit than that. I love Rock N Roll and you can hardly find a song that doesn't feature sex, girls, or some highly vague metaphor. It's harmless."

He stared at her as thought she'd grown another head, incredulity coursing through his body, he couldn't quite believe what he had heard. Elves were much freer with their bodies, after all they lived a long time and many did not find their mates until they were several thousand years old. The Edain were far more conservative, their women saved themselves for marriage, though they were usually married young. Sex was an act of procreation, not the pleasurable experience it was for the elves. "Are you human?" he blurted out before he could clamp down on the urge.

That was another thing he was discovering about the girl before him, she chipped away at the stoicism all elves were trained to have, leaving him as uncensored as an elfling.

"Depends on who you ask," she laughed whole heartedly, not as offended as he thought she'd be. "I mean I was born human but then I died, became the owner of the Deathly Hallows, died again and travelled to a whole new world. I'm not sure what I am anymore. I'm open to suggestions though."

Clarity hit him like an arrow, she was the Hope of Middle Earth, the one the prophecy spoke of, the realisation made him breathless. Her behaviour was completely otherworldly, he'd even mentioned that fact to his father, so why had it not clicked until now? He was horrified at his casual behaviour with her. "My lady," he bowed deeply, "I did not realise who you were. Please, forgive my actions and careless words."

"Excuse me?" she was taken aback and frowned at him.

"You are the Hope of Middle Earth." His frown matched hers, not understanding why she allowed him to tease her, never mind how he treated her in the forest. "I was impolite and cruel to someone above my station. Please forgive my ignorance."

"I'm not above you," her sneer had him taken a step back. "Merlin, blondie, what about my behaviour suggested I was insulted or cared?"

"Yo-You are the one mentioned in the prophecy, you are destined for-"

"I see," she took her own step backwards, "well, let me impart on you some important information. Prophecies are nothing more than a few words spoken to ruin someone's life, they are nothing more than a nuisance. I'm so sick of people like you, of people who can't see beyond those words. Yes I'm supposed to do some great things, but I'm so much more than a bunch of words, I'm a person who has feelings and ambitions of my own. I thought we were becoming friends, Legolas, but here you are apologising to me for being yourself."

He saw his error just as quickly as he saw the hurt in her eyes, obviously she was used to being treated by accordance to what someone dictates. Guilt began to eat him for causing her this hurt, along with a pain in his heart that he could not explain, he opened his mouth to apologise but realised it would not be an apology she would want to hear. Instead he thought to what she had last said and gave her a wry smile. "I would be honoured to be friends," he settled with saying and by the beaming smile she gave him, he had chosen correctly.

"We can be the very best of friends, blondie," she declared, linking her arm through his and leading him down the hall.

"Blondie?" he questioned with a raise of his eyebrow, pulling her left down a side corridor.

"It's your nickname," she told him, before pausing slightly. "Though I know many blondes. Galadriel, Celeborn, Haldir, Orophin, Rumil. I'm beginning to think I know too many blondes."

"Do you give nicknames to them all?"

"Of course not, though I do call Haldir a dick sometimes. But only when he acts like one. He's so uptight." She laughed, clearly picturing the strict Marchwarden. "Oh, I forgot Glorfindel! I know him too. He's my fellow partner in crime along with Elladan and Elrohir. Glorfindel is awesome, he doesn't have a nickname yet, because I cannot think of one that would do him justice."

Clearly she was fond of Glorfindel, the thoughts unsettled him, she had given Legolas a nickname so quickly. It was almost insulting to be told that she had not gifted the Lord of the Golden Flower because she wanted one so perfect. Jealousy rose within him and he was hard pushed to squash it back down, he did not want her to give Glorfindel a nickname, he wanted to be the only one with a nickname. There was no denying that the Balrog slayer was great, he was handsome and so filled with life and joy with a skill for fighting that Legolas could never dream to possess.

You are being selfish, he thought scathingly, Amethyst is a lovely woman, she is sure to have many friends. Your jealousy has no place here.

Still, he could not shake the feeling completely. His father was waiting for them in the solar when they arrived, looking as he always did, arrogant and royal. The chair he sat upon was a smaller version of the throne in the throne room, dramatic and over the top. He shifted awkwardly, praying that Amethyst did not judge him based upon what his father did. A glance at the feisty woman was enough to tell him this was going to be a strange encounter, she was not at all intimidated, rather, she looked amused.

Looks like Malfoy sr. has a doppelganger too, she thought, the edge of her lips twitching as she tried to contain the urge to laugh.

"I know who you are," Thranduil began, leaning forwards slightly.

"What a coincidence," she interrupted a mischievous smile on her face, "I know who I am too. Small world eh?"

"You are the child whose arrival was foretold," he continued as if she hadn't interrupted him, though the slight clenching of his jaw had her smirking. "The one who will-"

"Defeat the darkness, make kingdoms rise, make some friends, yada, yada, yada." She rolled her eyes, "can we move past this? I mean I've done this whole revelation thing two times already. It's old news." It was like being the girl-who-lived all over again.

"Indeed," his lips pursed sourly, before he gave her a devastatingly handsome smile. Okay so there is one difference between the two senior Malfoy's, this one is so much more handsome and he knows it too… Jerk. She thought, unable to hide her reddening cheeks. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves no?"

"Shouldn't that have happened first?" she muttered absently kicking at the ground.

"Yes you are right of course," he bowed his head, though his eyes held their superiority, "I am Thranduil Oropherion, you've met my son, Legolas."

"Amethyst," she responded begrudgingly.

"You are a sight to behold." His eyes roved over her figure, taking in details even she could not see. "Unlike those of your kin and those you travel with… tell me, what is your relationship with Thorin Oakenshield is. He seemed quite possessive of you when I spoke with him."

"He is the leader of the Company, that is all," she said coldly, her eyes narrowing, she didn't like where this was heading. He stood in one smooth motion and approached her.

"Somehow I do not believe you," his words were cold and his own eyes narrowed upon hers, "he cares for you a great deal more than just a leader would. Have you given him your allegiance? Have you lain with him? Is that what it takes to have the power you are said to hold? A pleasurable night… I can give you far more pleasure than the dwarf can."

"Ada," Legolas called warningly, "do not play your games with her."

"Game? I play no game, Legolas," Thranduil laughed, his gaze deadly serious, he turned from her and moved closer to his son. "She is beautiful is she not? A gem of starlight amidst coals. It would be no effort to bed her. Though I do wonder… you have never cared what games I play with my prisoners before…" he smirked circling his son as though he was a puzzle, "why start now?"

Legolas tensed, revealing to any with eyes that his father's treatment bothered him. It was wrong to treat her like a common harlot, as though she was to conform to every stereotype they knew of human women, she was far more than that. As they had said earlier, Legolas was her friend, and he didn't want his friend to receive such harsh and crude words form his father. "I just wondered if it was wise."

"Excuse me," Amethyst called waving her hand, "remember me? I'm the girl you're discussing, you know, the one you're talking about fucking."

"Such a crude way to put it," Malfoy Sr. was amused. Legolas nearly groaned, the differences he saw in Amethyst, the ones that attracted her to him, would be the very same ones that sparked his father's interest.

"Yeah well it isn't happening, sparkles," she huffed, her hands on her hips. "My bed remains very much closed to all who isn't me, so take your desires and go fuck some other poor sucker because you won't be doing it with me. Neither is Thorin for that matter. What is wrong with you people? A girl can't spend five minutes alone with a guy without automatically screwing him? Some of us have standards you know, and morals."

She couldn't decide on whether or not she should be amused or insulted. If he wanted her allegiance he wasn't getting it, besides there was only one person in all of Middle Earth she would swear fealty to, and it wasn't the blonde, arrogant, Malfoy wannabe.

"You mean to tell me that you have been travelling with Thorin and he has not tried to bed you?" he seemed confused for a brief moment before he snorted. "Of course the dwarf probably thinks himself above such carnal desires."

"Can we please, for the love of Merlin, move past my sex life? It's inactive and really rather boring. You're a king, not some gossip girl." she pleaded, the whole thing was getting beyond the point of awkward and soon would be reaching the point of pissed off.

"Very well," he seemed to be growing more amused, Legolas just looked awkward and embarrassed. "I wish to gain your allegiance, I've told you that, if you do not require sexual favours then what do you want?"

"Nothing," she told him, "you will not have my allegiance. I cannot be bought by anyone of any race."

"Lies," he sneered, becoming cold in the face of her refusal, "humans are such weak deplorable creatures."

"I will not allow you to bed me so now you try to insult me?" she asked with a snort, "you are never going to do anything more than make me loathe you at this rate."

"If you will not be willing I shall simply have to force your hand, it would be a shame if the dwarves never reach the mountain would it not?"

"Let me clear something up for you, sparkles," she began, her tone clipped and angry, "I am the heir of the most powerful wizard in the history of my world. I defeated the most feared and powerful Dark Lord in all of magical history at the age of seventeen. I have travelled the entirety of my world and seen things you could never even begin to dream of. I have seen life and all that is good, I have seen death and all that is bad. I have travelled worlds." She spoke slowly, her words echoing around the halls, she flicked her wrist and her wand, hidden by a multitude of enchantments, dropped into her hand. She pointed it at Thranduil, her magical aura flaring wildly. "And you dare to threaten me? Threaten my friends? You should have gone about this differently, instead you stereotyped me into what you knew of the humans you've seen and that was your mistake. You should have sought my friendship, not to control me, for I value my friends above even myself. You are a cruel and selfish elf, but more than that, you are a coward. The dwarves are my friends, harm them and I will end you."

"You would threaten me? The King of the Woodland Realm? Over a few dwarves?" He was utterly perplexed and a little afraid of the angry witch. He had seriously underestimated her.

"I would die for my friends," she responded seriously. "I don't respond well to threats, but I'm a bigger picture kind of girl, and I know it's hard to see beyond what you know. You want my loyalty? Seek my friendship. But I will never bow down to you nor follow you blindly."

"I… apologise…" his pause told her he didn't offer apologies often, Legolas looked surprised. "How do I gain this friendship of yours?"

"For a start," she grinned, sheathing her wand once more, "you could let Thorin and his companions go. Call it a token of good will."

"I will not," he sneered, "they will awaken the dragon and Smaug's wrath will come upon us all."

"Afraid of a little dragon are we?" she sneered back at him, taunting him with her tone, "Why do think Gandalf wanted me on this quest? I'm not like the Istari, nor am I like the humans who think themselves powerful by creating illusions. Smaug is my responsibility. A creature born of magic can only be ended by magic." Actually, she hoped to reason with the great beast, not to kill it, for a dragon was magic and so was she and that created a bond between them.

"You have no idea the wrath and ruin of dragon fire," he spat at her, appearing in that moment rather insane and broken. "You have not seen what I have seen. Dragons are monsters."

"No, I have not," she told him softly, "but then you have not seen what I have seen either. Dragons are wise creatures, but people fear their wrath and thus never accept them. Has it never crossed your mind that Smaug is how he is because he was never given a chance to prove himself otherwise? How can we progress, when others will not let us? I once knew a man," she paused, turning away from the king and his son, "he was a great man, kind and with a heart of gold, yet once a month, on the night of a full moon, he would turn into a werewolf. He could not help it, he did not want it, it was a curse given by another. But for all his good qualities, and there were many, people would sneer, ridicule and put him down because of the beast within. How is that fair? How can you sit upon your throne and judge others, when you cannot possibly know their hearts? How can you call an entire race monsters? When it is you who will not allow them to change, who cannot see beyond the knowledge you hold. The world is changing, Thranduil, my presence alone signifies that, and it will be a long road and it is only made lighter when an opportunity for change presents itself to those in need of it. What will you do? Are going to sit by, like an idle king, or will you stand up and prove yourself a being capable of gifting others a chance?"

He was blown away by the human before him and the words of the prophecy were made that much clearer to him. The tiny creature that threatened him with her magic – and what a terrible thing her wrath would be with such power under her control – and had managed to gain his respect with a few short words. She possessed an insight he had never seen in the Edain, far more so than any female who were easy to sway with a few pretty smiles. He looked towards his son and found himself in shock once again, for Legolas was utterly enthralled by the woman, he looked awed and proud of Amethyst. But there was another emotion swimming within the eyes of his son, a fondness and adoration that spoke a thousand words, but it was unacknowledged within Legolas. Thranduil smiled and turned away from the sight, he would not tell his son what he had seen, nor reveal the secret to the woman before him. But that didn't mean he couldn't help things along. He could only hope that it wouldn't remain unacknowledged for long, a mating bond was a precious thing and it would only cause heartache should it remain unconsummated.

Amethyst's words held potential, she could rally many to her side with her passion and eloquence, she would make a great queen for his people for her words were correct, he had sat by idly for far too long. Perhaps it was time to change that, but first there was the small matter of the return of his deceased mate's starlight gems.

"My king!" another elf came running up the wooden bridge, "the dwarves have escaped! They're using the river!"

"Well would you look at that?" she laughed softly, thanking her lucky stars for a certain hobbit, because she just knew Bilbo had a hand in this. Burglar material indeed.

'Find them, Legolas,' Thranduil ordered sharply, a piercing look aimed at Amethyst. But it was clear she had nothing to do with their escape, though she was highly amused by the situation. Legolas left the room, a lingering glance at Amethyst that the king did not miss. He smiled a true caring smile and leaned back in his throne. 'I like you, young traveller,' he told the girl. 'You are a rare gem and I can see why it is you who are the hope for this world. There is a wisdom within you, perhaps not like the all knowingness of Galadriel or the riddles spoken by Gandalf, but an altogether different type.'

He stood, discarding the long cloak and stepping down to be level with the mage, he approached her slowly. 'You have surpassed my expectations and more,' he pressed his hand against her cheek, a sadness in his eyes and a bittersweet smile coming to his face. 'I see your heart,' he told her. 'You have much love to give, courage to share and enough power to protect those who have your love. Perhaps that is all that this world needs. The wisdom of a kind heart.'

Thranduil was not as cold hearted as he first appeared, she mused as she was led away, he was merely jaded. She couldn't blame him. His home was no longer the safe place called the greenwood, it was attacked daily by the spiders and the threat of darkness clung so heavily to the trees. It was enough to make even the kindest of souls weary. Their last exchange revealed the heart beneath the carefully constructed façade. Thranduil had to be the bad guy to protect his people, he had to be the one to make the hard decisions, and he did it alone. She noted the absence of Legolas' mother and she saw the longing and pain in his eyes when he spoke of her heart. A pain that had been reflected in Snape's eyes when he clung to her dead mother. She sighed softly, gave a sad smile and followed the guard without complaint.

Her status apparently entitled her to an upgrade in accommodation, she smiled when she saw the feather bed. Felt the soft silken texture under her fingers. There was nothing like flying coach, only to be told you were being upgraded to first class, she snorted. She sat on the bed for only a moment before exhaustion hit her, she didn't even bother to take off her clothes, or get under the sheets, she merely crawled into the centre of the bed and fell asleep. She did not wake for several hours, when she did, she felt less tired and actually took the time to explore the room. The wardrobe was fully stocked with tunics and breeches, a pair of boots lay beside it. It looked lived in. She thought nothing of it, passing it off as an elvish weirdness, she was far too curious to stop looking.

Through a door on the right saw a small hot spring, the steam rose from the surface of the water enticingly. She should go after the dwarves and Bilbo, but the desire to bathe and sleep in comfort overwhelmed her.

Shrugging out of her clothes, she cast a spell to clean them, placed her wand on the vanity and grabbed the oils that were placed on it. She placed them on the side of the bath, before stepping in, all but moaning as the hot water did wonders to her aching muscles. Yes, the dwarves can handle themselves for a short while. It's time for some Amethyst TLC. She dipped her head into the water, ran her fingers through her hair, then surfaced. She gathered the oils, smelled each one of them, they were all rather masculine, but in her desire to wash, she did not care.

Lathering the oil in her hands she began to rub over her arms, when she got to her shoulders she slowed down, rubbing the muscles. This time she did moan. She took the time to wash her body completely, kneading the tense muscles, until she was completely satisfied. Her eyes were closed, from both tiredness and relaxation, her hands ran up and down her neck. Gently she massaged the oil into her breasts, her thumbs brushing over her nipples, they pebbled beneath her touch and caused a small spark of pleasure to run through her. She hummed contentedly, absently circling the sensitised flesh.

A choked sound, a mix between a groan and an exclamation of shock, had her eyes opening quickly to see Legolas stood at the edge of the bath, watching her with a wide eyed interest. He was shirtless, his weapons and boots were gone, and no doubt he intended to bath. She couldn't stop herself from looking at his muscled chest, there was some definition and he clearly kept in shape, but it wasn't over the top like human males in her world strived to. There was strength in his body.

She swallowed thickly and, realising she was still touching her breasts, quickly dropped into the water until it was up to her neck.

"What…" he coughed, a flush rising hotly up the back of his neck. "What are you doing here?"

She looked from the water to him and gave him an incredulous look. "Bathing," she responded dryly.

"I can see that," he pressed a hand against his forehead. "But what are you doing in my private bath?"

"Eh?" she was confused, "this is where your father told the guard to take me. He said I was to stay here. I didn't know it was your room."

"Ada," he groaned and began muttering under his breath, no doubt cursing his father. "I apologise," he told her stiffly. "My ada is clearly playing games. I did not mean to intrude upon you, nor see your form, my lady."

He was being so uptight, so impersonal, there was nothing of the elf that had teased her in the hallways within his hard gaze. She didn't like it, so Amethyst decided to break him of that stoicism.

"I shall leave you to finish," he bowed to her and turned sharply on his heel.

"Hey, Legolas!" she called, pushing herself forwards in the water, she came to the edge just as he turned around. Her arms came out of the water, to rest upon the edge. "Wanna join me?" she asked with a teasing grin.

Predictably, his eyes widened and the tips of his ears turned pink, he made a choking sound at the back of his throat. "You should not jest about such things, Amethyst," he told her seriously. "Someone might take you seriously."

"Oh? Are you scared to do it?" she challenged wickedly.

"It is not I that should be scared," he grinned at her, leaning forwards slightly to look her in the eye. "I am not the virgin here."

"I should hope not with how long you elves live," she chuckled, moving to rest her chin on her arms. "But I'm not the one who blushes like a virgin at the first mention of anything untoward."

"It is not my fault. I do not expect such things to come from your sweet face. Your looks are deceiving, my lady, for you look as though you were fashioned from the stars themselves, but you are a minx."

"Well, if that wasn't the sweetest back handed compliment ever," her laughter rang around the room.

"I will decline your offer," he smiled and turned away from her, walking back towards the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "This time."

OoO

Gandalf entered Dol Guldor with a great amount of trepidation, as Radagast had pointed out to him, the old fortress looked abandoned. But he could feel the magic that hid the place, making it look no more than a ruin. He feared to enter for more than one reason, he did not want to find what he knew he would and he did not wish to leave behind his companions. He gripped his staff tighter and hoped that Radagast got to Galadriel sooner rather than later. Glamdring was clenched in his other hand, held out in front of him defensively, he was tense and quick to startle.

"You shouldn't tense your body old man," Amethyst's words echoed around his head along with her tinkling laughter. He often sparred with the girl though he could not deny she was far better than him. "Loosen up and allow your instincts to guide you. Fear cuts deeper than swords."

"Fear cuts deeper than swords," he found himself repeating, the memories of the girl he considered his closest friend warming him and giving him courage. Still he couldn't rid himself of his fear entirely, but then he supposed that was good, fear prevents you from being reckless.

He swallowed thickly and continued his assessment of Dol Guldor, intending to reveal the magic on the place. "Cé ná ulco sís nurtaina… I ettuluvas caninye! Cánin i sá tanuvaxe!" the Quenya slipped from his mouth easily, commanding the forces of evil to show themselves. He would have to repeat the enchantment a few times, for the spell on the fortress was strong and it did nothing to calm him. He wished Amethyst was by his side, for though she was young and brave, she was intelligent and powerful.

"You don't have to be powerful to be strong you know? Neville proved that when he stood up to Voldemort. It's not a matter of skills or magical strength, it's about standing up for what's right no matter what. To look evil in the eye, no matter how afraid you are, and not break."

Young she may be but she was not a fool and she had taught him many things, and her words were a comfort to him now. He repeated the words of the spell again, rounding a corner, only to let out startled groan as he was jumped. He could not really say what happened, it was all adrenaline filled movement and running through the maze-like ruin. It was Thror. As relieved as he was to see his old friend he knew without a doubt who now lay within Dol Guldor. It did not bode well for any of them.

They had to leave, he knew that, so with Thror beside him he made for the exit.

Thror spoke of his ring, how it was taken from him, and of the mountain, of how Thorin must not enter it. The dragon was in league with the One, he said, Thorin must not go inside. But how could he stop them now? Gandalf couldn't, not even if he somehow got word to them, Thorin was too set on entering that mountain. What have I done? He found himself thinking.

He knew they wouldn't be making it out alive the moment he felt the spell lift, and there was Azog the Defiler, waiting for his moment to kill both Gandalf and Thror.

"Where is your master?" Gandalf asked, his staff keeping the white orc at bay, but Azog only jeered at him. He repeated the question.

"He is everywhere," Azog finally replied, laughing at the frightened wizard.

Gandalf stepped back, keeping his eyes on Azog, until he stepped close to the ledge and peered below. What he saw made his worry grow, for there was an army of orcs and wargs, Azog's mocking laughter filled his ears. They would march upon the mountain, he knew that, for it was a prime location for the forces of evil. Even as he realised this, he knew the dwarves had a chance, because Amethyst was with them. He was probably giving her too much credit, relying on the words of prophecy, but she was his only hope.

He blinded Azog with a flash of pure light, taking the chance he grabbed Thror and fled, the orcs hot on their tale. He had magic on his side though and as soon as they had crossed a bridge he turned and commanded the rock to crumble. It smashed through the bridge, taking a warg with it, and for a moment he had hope. But as they reached another bridge he felt the all-consuming darkness that made him quiver.

"You shall not escape here wizard," the voice hissed and Gandalf almost fell, the black void appeared before him and he felt Thror tremble and grab his robes.

"Tell Thorin," the dwarf said, "tell him that I love him. You tell him that Gandalf. That I always loved him."

"You will tell him yourself," Gandalf responded, fighting back, his staff raised to the push the void away. But it shot around him, grabbing Thror and the last Gandalf heard was his pained cry. He created a sphere of light around him, but the darkness pushed against it, it became a battle of magic. Gandalf knew he would lose, but he would not do so without a fight he gave it everything he had. Pouring every bit of his magic into it.

Sauron shattered the sphere and the heat of his wrath disintegrated Gandalf's staff, he threw Gandalf back against the wall appearing before him as a great fiery eye. Gandalf stuttered out his name, wondering if this was to be his last moments, he trembled with eyes filled with tears and regret. Then suddenly he felt it, an all too familiar magical power and beside him a creature appeared. A silvery-white doe. He was filled with warmth, with good magic and the doe inclined its head towards him. You are not alone, the creature seemed to say. The very air vibrated with magic and the visage of Sauron seemed to quiver as though he was unsure what to make of it.

"It cannot be," he hissed, "the Hope of Middle Earth… it cannot be."

The doe snorted and stamped the ground as if to say oh but it is, watch me, and see the power of Hope. She cantered forward, charging into the eye and a burst of pure white magic erupted over Dol Guldor, the doe and Sauron disappeared. Gandalf knew he would be back though, Amethyst's magic had only delayed him, but Sauron now knew that Middle Earth wasn't quite as defenceless against him. They had forced Sauron's hand, and that could mean a great deal in the long run. He smiled, collapsing to the ground, knowing he would live another day as he succumbed to blackness.

A/N: So there you have it! The end of the chapter! Legolas and Amethyst are fun to write together, they just bounce off each other and practically write themselves. Thranduil is more complex then first appears, eugh, writing him is a challenge. Aaaaaand you got to see what Gandalf's been doing. Also, it's Thror with him and not Thrain for a reason, think of Thror more like an illusion. Thrain has a bigger role to play in my story.

Next chapter is half way done, so it shouldn't be long until I post it.

Please review~