Alliance?
"We have come to a conclusion" the curt voice of Thorin boomed behind the cold stone.
The trio turned so that they were facing the small hole in the wall. The hole now held Shayla's scroll, which she retrieved but did it open.
"Our terms and conditions are as written." Was the short but restrained response to the small group.
When she released that was all the Dwarf wanted to say, Fraya spoke "That's it."
"Ai, I suggest that you leave now if you wish to make it back before dawn. I hope all shall go well. "
Thorin then bowed and disappeared from the view of the hole.
For not the first time that day, Shayla was speechless.
"That was…fast" Fraya was the first to comment
"Well to be honest it did take them a good 3 hours to decide." Rayson argued
"Tis still not that long."
"In the verge of battle, and to a mortal, it was a lifetime." Rayson concluded
"well then." Shayla regained her voice. "I guess we should head back." She said slowly.
The companions turned, still rather dumbfound, away from what was once the entrance and began their journey to the camp.
A scuffle from behind alerted Shayla and she turned, arrow notched and pointed at the infiltrator.
Said spy dropped what he was holding and gave a small yelp, holding his hands up in defence. When the small being recognised Shayla, he sighed a barely audible "Lady Shayla" and clutched his heart in relief.
"Bilbo?" Shayla asked, lowering her weapon.
"Shhh" was the frenzied response of the hobbit.
"A Hobbit?" Rayson's question was ignored by all.
"What in Eru's name are you doing Bilbo." Shayla continued in a hushed voice.
Bilbo picked up what he had dropped and looked around anxiously, making sure no one was around and constantly turning. He pulled Shayla more into the shadows of the rocky mountain.
"Bilbo?" Shayla tried again.
"Its Thorin" Bilbo said rushed and silently. "The gold its…." He trailed off. "He's got Dragon sickness Shayla. He's not… Him. He's not in his right mind." He paused to regain himself. With surprising calmness he continued. "Do you know how much persuading it took from the company for him to even consider an alliance, he almost took Balin's head when he was the first to say it wise."
"Then why did he agree?" Shayla questioned.
"I don't know, he couldn't go against the whole company I suppose?" Bilbo sighed "He has these…moments, where its him again, the old him. I saw It once before, I was talking to him, about home."
"Then why-" Shayla cut herself short when a thought occurred to her. "Bilbo what are you doing out here?"
It was then that Shayla noticed what Bilbo had dropped. It was a Gem, no bigger than the palm of one's hand, it was clear, but with swirling colours of purples, blues, reds and more. Even to those, Such as King Beren, who never took interest in the beauties of gems, could not deny the fact that this gem was glorious. Like it was part of the mountain itself. The heart of the mountain. The Arkenstone.
"Thorin must have been pissed." Rayson said, but for once it held no amusement.
"Bilbo-" Shayla started
"Like I said, Thorin's not in his right mind, there are people he owes depts. to, promises that have been unkempt. The people of Laketown" Bilbo paused, it didn't take an elf to detect the sorrow on his face, "They deserve their share of the treasure, they need it."
Bilbo held the stone out to Shayla. "Take it."
In the corner of her eye Shayla noticed Fraya shaking her head. They both agreed on this one.
"Bilbo I cant-" She started softly
"I trust you to find a way to right Thorin's wrongs, someone must." Bilbo stated
"Its not that easy Bilbo."
"Nothing ever is Shayla." He pushed
"Bilbo, I don't think you understand. We may have made an alliance with the dwarfs of Erebor. This, its not something that happens lightly, nor does it occur often. We can't afford not to have allies, not now when the shadow grows. I understand how big this is to you, but this, this possibility of an alliance? This is bigger."
"It could be the stop to a war." Bilbo argued, arm still outstretched, eyebrows furring in confusion, not understanding Shayla's reasoning.
"I know." Shayla sighed the whisper
"I can't let Thorin have it, it'll only make things worse." Bilbo said in defeat.
It was silence that followed, so loud in the empty expanse of land. The bird had still not returned, their absence had not gone unnoticed.
" Take the stone to Dale. Maybe if the men of Laketown had it, they could use it as leverage to Thorin, it may bring him back to his senses." Shayla finally suggested.
Shayla watched as Bilbo considered this and saw a plan forming on his features.
"Yes, yes I'll do that." He closed his hand around the stone. "Yes" he said again already lost in thought. "I must go." He said in a hurry as he turned. He stopped however mid-turn. "Thank you Shayla." He said with a smile.
"For what?" Shayla asked.
"I don't know. Just… thank you."
Shayla smiled curiously at the small being who returned the gesture.
"I must go" Bilbo stated as he began to hurry of.
"stick to the path." Shayla called lightly to the hobbit. "And for Eru's sake Bilbo be careful."
In response he held a thumb up above his head without turning around.
"Not even going to ask" Rayson said as the group turned and began their late journey back.
"Was that really the wisest decision?" Fraya asked softly and genuinely.
"Today has been filled with wise decisions, thought I might as well add mine to the list." Shayla replied with a smirk, earning a light punch from Fraya causing the group to laugh. It would be a long time before they would laugh again.
Xxxxx
Despite their delays, the trio managed to make it back just as the first rays of sun hit the grassy land. Shayla still had not read the scroll, it was the right of the king to see it first.
Rayson and Fraya stayed with Shayla as they went in search of the king, both curious of what had been written. Guards had alerted the king of their return and joined the small group halfway through the camp.
The trio bowed and Shayla handed the king the scroll wordlessly. Finwe was beside the king and Fraya and Rayson slightly behind Shayla. Other elves were on patrol, scouting, on guard duty or checking their weapons, all giving the king his privacy.
Without showing haste, the king slowly unrolled the scroll and read it to himself In his head, eyes scanning the page. He read it three times as the group waited patiently for the news.
"Our terms have been met." The king said gradually, "Their conditions are as follows" he gave a deliberate pause "Stealing of the riches in Erebor is forbidden"
I was a strange condition as stealing would go without saying as being illegal, it made Shayla grimace as she remembered Bilbo's words. Dragon sickness.
"Land cannot be traded only bought or gifted. "Another pause by the king. "And finally, The illegality of killing a dwarf by an elf (vis/versa) stretches beyond just the Dwarfs of Erebor, but all Dwarfs, Unless the killing is justified. These are his conditions and if they are broken the alliance shall be severed.
As alliances go, Shayla was sure that these conditions were justable, and there was nothing to strenuous. It just seemed like general agreements, apart from the killing of Dwarfs part. However even this condition was not demanding, as Shyarvan elves only kill shadowed creatures anyway, rarely does the need for killing a human, dwarf or another elf arise, and those deaths are not taken lightly, by any party involved.
The King had wanted an Alliance with the Dwarfs of Erebor, and when the king has his heart set upon something, the kings gets it.
"Finwe ready the horses and gather the Warriors." The crown prince nodded and ran off. "Rayson, take the alliance to the council."
the council was a group of 10 elves, nobles including the Stewart, captain of the Guards and other important elves, that were in place to go over every decision made by the king. If the vote of the council went against the king, the matter would be taken to the high court, where the matter would be resolved by all elves of Shyarvan. That had never happened, and Shayla knew that today it would not happen either.
The king, it appeared also knew this as he had already sent Finwe for the warriors.
Rayson bowed taking the scroll and disappeared, Fraya followed after him.
Shayla too went to find her brother but the king stopped her.
"Shay you should know." He started with the formal voice of a king. "That I intend to give orders to fight against the orcs and shadowed creatures….. as well as Mirkwood."
Shayla stood their stunned, had she heard right? Surly not.
"Come again?" She said in a less formal voice then her father.
Calmly the king repeated "The Shayven elves will fight against Mirkwood."
Shayla stood there, open amazement on her face. "Why" was all she managed to gasp out.
"They intend to fight against the Dwarfs, it is our duty to protect the Dwarfs from all Foes."
It finally all made sense to Shayla. The alliance was a ploy, an accessory to Beren's true goal. Shayla couldn't believe it, her father was looking for a reason to attack Mirkwood, and Shayla had helped him find one. Rage boiled within Shayla. Rage at herself, Rage at the King, rage at anyone and everyone. For so long she had tried to find a peace with Mirkwood, to bring the Realms together but she had done the opposite. She wanted to scream and lash out and cry all at once. But just stood there steadily.
When she thought she could speak quietly she stated "You can't do this."
"I can and I will." The king now had a hint of anger in his voice.
"There is a bigger threat, there will be no time to attack Mirkwood as well. You're going to get your people killed." Shayla stated, some nearby elves had stopped and were staring at the two. The king seemed not to notice.
"You are young and Naive, you do not see the pain Mirkwood has caused our realm, the losses we have endured." He replied hotly.
"And you are an old man and a fool if you cannot see the pain you will cause when many more lives are killed as a result of fighting Mirkwood!" Shayla replied with equal hostility
"I have no attention of any of my people dyeing today!"
"No one does! But that will not change the fact that this is war elves will die, and if it's not you then it's the elf next to you!" Shayla said angrily "And it sucks but it's the truth. Do you want even more Shayvens to die from a pointless attack on Mirkwood." She ended quietly.
The king noticed the small group around them "leave us!" the elves dispersed in different directions.
King Beren sighed, "Shay" he started softly putting a hand on her shoulder. "What I do, everything, I do for the good of the Kingdom. I understand that you wish for a peace with Mirkwood, but it's too big to just sit around and wait for it to happen when we know it will not. I know you've been trying to find a way to make it happen and as king, I want you to stop. Sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing….."
Shayla didn't believe a word he was saying and stopped listening. There was no changing his mind, It was a war he had wanted, and that is what he would get. He was to blinded by revenge to see the real threat.
"He's not in his right mind" Bilbo words echoed in her head. Shayla cringed. Like dragon sickness, Beren was blinded, but not by gold.
"… and so" the king was saying "that is why I want you to announce to our people who we will fight and give them the hope of the alliance. By saying it, maybe you too will come to realise all threats we face." with that, the king turned and left Shayla standing there dumbstruck.
It was like torture, Shayla had to tell her people to fight Mirkwood by order of the king, and there was not a damn thing she could do about it. She kicked a tuff of dirt on the ground in her anger.
A/N.. things speed up in the next chapter.. like a lot, so don't worry. Anyway please review (:. in the next chapter... Can Shayla fix this, Mirkwood reaction to seeing an army Shayvens after so long. the WAR finally... all in next chapter-"Shatter" chow