Halien pulled the blanket over Frerin's hands when he finished feeding and she laced her blouse back up. She looked down at her son as he fell asleep in her arms and she smiled.

"You're so much like your father..." she whispered and felt more tears slip down her cheeks. She looked up at the sky, seeing the sun as it began to slowly set and she couldn't help but let the tears fall freely down her cheeks.

"Halien?"

The elf maiden turned and saw Bard standing there. She turned away and sighed. "What did Thorin have to say?"

Bard came to stand next to her. "He will not give us what he promised and he is willing to risk war. Your father and I will march on the mountain at dawn."

Halien looked down at her son and felt as if more tears should have fallen, but it was like there was nothing more for her to shed at that moment. "Then all hope of peace at has been lost."

Bard looked at her. "No, there is still a chance at hope. I will speak to him again when we reach the gate tomorrow. We will try one last time to come to some kind of arrangement with him to avoid bloodshed."

Halien shook her head and looked up at him. "No, Bard. There is no talking to him now... Before I left, I felt a bit of the Thorin I knew pushing through, so I tried to make a connection to that light. I managed to pull that light through close enough to talk to him. It was my Thorin, Bard, he's still in there but he's slipping quickly. I do not think there will be anything left of him soon. I may have lost him forever already."

Bard didn't know what to say to her as she looked towards the setting sun. "Halien..."

"Bard, please, just whatever you do, don't let him suffer." she said, staring at the setting sun as it colored the sky red as blood. "War will come and we cannot stop it..."

Before Bard could respond, a messenger came up and informed them that they were requested in the Elven King's tent.

Halien nodded and followed the messenger to the tent, Bard silently following behind her. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, to comfort her, but he could not find the words or the courage to do so. She was so upset, but she seemed to have come to terms with the fact that she's losing Thorin and will never get him back.

When they arrived within the tent, Halien greeted her father and Gandalf, who was waiting as well. She stood to the side and listened as Bard informed them of what was discussed with Thorin and they began to form a plan of attack. Gandalf also informed them that Sauron was back and was building a massive army led by Azog the Defiler on one side and Azog's son, Bolg, on the other side. Bolg had gone to Gundabad to raise his army and they would be upon them soon. Darkness was quickly returning to the lands of Middle Earth.

Halien sat there with Frerin as the babe slept in his mother's arms. She didn't give any input to anything that was said, but heard every word as if it were said in a shroud of mist. She did not say a word until Bilbo suddenly appeared and presented them with the Arkenstone.

"Halien, I am sorry, but you were right. Thorin suspects that one of the others has the Arkenstone and he thinks they are going to betray them. For some reason he completely trusts me and does not think I have it. In fact, he is convinced that I am the only one on his side." Bilbo said, looking at her. "I thought perhaps if I gave you the Arkenstone, you could use it to bargain with him and get what was promised to you." he added, looking at Bard. "You have helped us in many ways, risked your safety to get us this far. Thorin covets the Arkenstone above all else now and if he sees that you have it, I'm certain he will do anything to get it back."

Halien sat there and listened to the responses from Bard and the others as they spoke with Bilbo about the Arkenstone. 'Bilbo, thank you.' she sent to the hobbit as she stood. 'Let's just hope this will be enough to stop war from starting.'

Bilbo watched as Halien left the tent, holding Frerin close to her. He looked to Bard. "Is she alright?"

Bard sighed. "I do not know. My daughters said she's been like that for hours, since she returned to Dale this afternoon. Whatever was said between her and Thorin when they connected has her rattled."

Bilbo looked in the direction Halien had gone. "Halien managed to connect all of us to her and Thorin earlier. She managed to grab onto a small bit of him that was left in the darkness in his mind and she extended the connection to the rest of us so that Thorin could apologize for everything that's happened. He asked us to forgive him, but then we felt him slipping back into the darkness." Bilbo explained. "I think the connection was severed from everyone else, but I remained connected and I heard what he told her before we lost him to the sickness again."

Bard looked at the hobbit. "What did he say?"

Bilbo looked at the bowman, then at Thranduil and Gandalf, then back to Bard as he said, "He told her that he loved her, that she was his greatest treasure. He said that if he could not overcome this, she needed to take Frerin and start a new life. He doesn't want to hurt either of them and told her to leave Erebor. He said that he loved her and their son and that he could not have hoped for a greater life than the one she gave him. If it came down to her leaving Erebor behind, Thorin told Halien to give Reva to Balin for safe keeping and that if he overcomes this sickness, he would come for her and Frerin. But if he can't, he told her to move on."

Bard looked out towards the direction Halien went. "Reva is the ring he gave her."

Bilbo nodded. "Halien loves Thorin more than anything in this world. The only thing she loves more than him is her son. She has never strayed from Thorin's side and has never done anything to hurt him. For her to leave Erebor to bring Frerin here and keep him away from Thorin has us all shocked. The things Thorin has said to her are cruel and unfair and we all know them not to be true. That sickness has clouded his mind so much that he cannot see the love that woman has for him." He looked over at Thranduil. "Your daughter has always fought hard to do what is right, sire. She has never once strayed from the path set before her. Thorin is not of the right mind, you must understand that. Use the Arkenstone to get what you are owed, bargain it and avoid bloodshed for her sake."

Thranduil considered the hobbit's words carefully and nodded. "Very well. You are quite brave to bring this here at risk of your own safety. I will give the dwarf king one last chance to concede. For the sake of my daughter only."

Bilbo thanked the elven king and went with Gandalf as they concluded the meeting. Bard bid the elven king a good night and went to find Halien.

Halien was laying on a pile of hay that had been set up in one of the store rooms used to keep the children safe and warm. The women were in the next room, connected to the children through a large archway. Bard sat next to her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She had fallen asleep, holding a bundled Frerin close to her as the babe remained asleep. He pulled a blanket over her and sighed.

'What are we to do, Halien...?' he wondered silently to himself.

'We hope for the best.' she replied, stirring as Bard's mind connected to hers.

'I didn't mean to wake you.' he said, leaning back and stroking her hair.

Halien managed a small, but sad smile and looked at him sleepily. 'It's alright. I don't think I can get much sleep as it is.'

Bard stroked her cheek. 'Bilbo told me what Thorin said to you when the connection was broken between you and your companions. Somehow, he remained connected and heard what was said. I'm sorry for any pain that may have cause you.'

Halien looked at her son. 'I can't just let him go, Bard. Thorin is everything to me. Losing him would be like losing a part of myself. I can't just move on even if there's a slightest chance of saving him.'

'Thorin just wants what is best for you and Frerin.' Bard said, looking at her.

'I know, but it hurts to hear him tell me to move on and give Reva to Balin as if I am never going to see my Thorin again. I can't think like that, but his words haunt me.'

Bard leaned in closer and rolled onto his side. 'Then hope that he will pull through this. You found that light once before and even if it seemed dim, it was still there and there could still be a chance that you can pull him out of the darkness. Keep onto that thought and everything should be fine.'

Halien looked at him. 'Thank you, Bard.' she said with a smile.

Dawn came and Halien stood on the ramparts watching as Bard and her father advanced towards the mountain. Sigrid and Tilda stood next to her, watching their father. Frerin whimpered in his mother's arms, sensing something wrong.

"Hush, now, my son. It will be alright." Halien said, looking at him.

Tilda looked up at Halien. "Will Da be alright?"

Halien nodded. "I hope so."

Sigrid looked at Halien and sighed. "You want to join them, don't you?"

Halien nodded. "I should be there with them, but I must look after my son."

Sigrid came over to her. "Leave him here, with us, Halien. Go get ready. We'll look after him so that you can go and protect Thorin and your family."

Halien looked down at the girl. "Sigrid, I couldn't. I do not want to abandon my son if I should fall in battle."

Sigrid smiled. "Then promise to come back."

Halien looked over at the fields before Erebor and saw her family standing along the wall at the gates. She could hear their worry and fear in her head. Looking down at the girls, she sighed. "Look after him. If I should not return, please raise him like a brother. He needs a family and I do not trust anyone else."

Sigrid took Frerin from her and held him close. "We promise. Now go, Lady Halien. We'll be fine."

Halien nodded, kissed her son's forehead and hugged the girls before she went to change into armor. She changed out of her dress and into a set of silver armor- like her father's- that was left in his tent. She smiled as she realized that it was her mother's old armor and that her father must have expected her to join them or need the armor. She hooked the belt bearing Fenumë Dagnir around her waist and headed to the stables, mounted into Torwen's saddle and rode out to join her father and Bard.

"Halien, what are you doing?" Bard asked, staring at her as he saw her in a full set of silver armor.

"I cannot just stand by while my family fights over a treasure that holds such jealousy and hatred. I will not do nothing and besides, my magik will come in handy." she said, looking at him.

"But what of Frerin?"

"I left him with your daughters. They promised to look after him and asked me to join you." She said, then looked to her father as he spoke to her.

"I see that you found your mother's armor." he said, nodding in approval. "It suits you well, my dear."

"Thank you, Ada. But I wonder why you would bring it with you here." She said, raising an eyebrow.

Before Thranduil could answer, an arrow hit the stone in front of his elk. They all looked up at the gates of Erebor and saw Thorin with a bow drawn.

"I will put the next one between your eyes." he said, aiming at Thranduil.

"Thorin, stop this!" Halien called, urging Torwen a little further ahead of her father and Bard.

"You come here, as ready for battle as your treacherous father!" Thorin shouted, glaring at her.

"Thorin, I came to try and stop this! I will not stand by and watch as that treasure you are so desperately trying to protect destroys my family! Thorin, please!" She shouted back, trying to reason with him. "Thorin, please, listen to me. I am still your wife, still your queen, and whether you cast me out or not, I still love you. Please, for our son's sake, stop this at once!"

Thorin ignored her and raised the bow he held, aiming an arrow at her. "Go back to your father and the Dragonslayer. I will never welcome you back here." He shot the arrow towards her, but Halien drew Fenumë Dagnir and blocked the arrow swiftly, causing it to become embedded deeply into the ground next to her.

"Halien, are you alright?" Bard asked.

"Aye, do not worry about me. There is nothing left for me to reach with that shell of what once was my husband. The Thorin I knew is gone. There is no more reasoning with him." She said, looking at him as she fought back her tears.

Bard looked up at the gate and glared at the dwarven king. The other dwarves looked at him, disturbed that their king would so quickly turn on his queen. Beside him, Thranduil began to speak to the dwarves.

"We have come to tell you the payment of your debt has been offered and accepted."

Thorin looked at him. "What payment? I gave you nothing! You have nothing!"

Bard reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the Arkenstone. "We have this."

Thorin's face fell and he lowered the bow as Kili called them thieves and demanded to know how they came by it before telling them it belongs to the king.

"And the king may have it. With our good will." Bard replied, tucking the Arkenstone back into his coat pocket. "But first, he must honor his word."

Thorin began to tell the other dwarves that it was a ruse, a trick, a lie, that the Arkenstone was still within the mountain.

"It's not a trick." Bilbo said, coming forward. "The stone is real. I gave it to them."

The dwarves all turned to look at the hobbit.

"You?" Thorin asked, feeling utterly betrayed by the one person he felt he could trust over everyone else.

Bilbo nodded. "I took it as my fourteenth share."

"You mean to steal from me?"

Bilbo shook his head. "Steal from you? No. I may be a burglar, but I'd like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."

"Your claim?" Thorin said, scoffing at that. "Your claim... You have no claim over it, you miserable rat!" He started to advance towards him.

"I was going to give it you." Bilbo said. "Many times I wanted to, but-"

"But what, thief?" Thorin asked, glaring at him.

"You are changed, Thorin." Bilbo said. "The dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word, would never doubt the loyalty of his kin!"

"Do not speak to me of loyalty!" Thorin retorted. "Throw him from the rampart!" he demanded, looking at the company. When they would not heed his command, Thorin tried to do it himself and that was when the dwarves had had enough and pulled Bilbo free from Thorin's grasp. "Curse you! Curse you and the wizard that brought you into this company!"
"Thorin, no!" Halien cried.

"You will not harm my burglar!" Gandalf shouted as he finally joined them. "Please, don't damage him! Return him to me!"

Thorin stared at Gandalf as he came forward.

"You're not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain, are you Thorin, son of Thrain?"

Thorin let Bilbo go and glared down at Gandalf. "Never again will I have dealings with wizards or Shire rats!" he spat.

Halien dismounted from Torwen and ran to meet Bilbo as Bofur helped him get to the rope he had used the night before and climbed down the wall. "Are you alright, Bilbo?"

Bilbo nodded and hugged Halien as she embraced him. Behind them, Bard asked if they were resolved, the return of the Arkenstone for what was promised. Halien and Bilbo hurried over to them. Halien looked at Thorin as Bard asked him for his answer.

"Will you have peace? Or war?" Bard asked, fearing the answer that was sure to come.

Halien watched as Thorin looked towards the horizon as a raven landed on the rampart.

"I will have war." he said.

Halien heard the marching of an army and turned to look at the horizon as Gandalf said, "Ironfoot." Her chest tightened and knew that he spoke of Dain Ironfoot, lord of the dwarves in the Iron Hills and Thorin's cousin. He was the only other dwarf next to Thorin, Fili, and Kili who could claim the throne of Durin and rule over Erebor should they all fall.

Thranduil commanded the elven army to about face and they all turned, preparing to face the Iron Hills army. Gandalf explained to Bilbo who Dain Ironfoot was and that he always found Thorin the more reasonable of the two.

"Good morning!" Dain called. "How are we all?" His boar came to a stop, his army as well behind him. "I have a wee proposition, if you wouldn't mind giving me a few more licks of your time?" He looked at the elves and Men. "Would you consider just sodding off?!" he shouted, scaring some of the Men. "All of you, right now!"

"Stand fast!" Bard ordered, trying to calm his men.

"Come now, Lord Dain." Gandalf said, hoping to reason with the dwarf lord.

"Gandalf the Grey." Dain said, not to happy to see the wizard. "Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood!"

Halien pushed her way through to reach Gandalf and she looked at Dain. "Lord Dain Ironfoot, keeper of the Iron Hills. I graciously beg your forgiveness, but we cannot and will not adhere to your request." she called, bowing to the dwarf lord.

"And who are you, lassie? An elf wench who thinks she can stand up to me?" Dain retorted, laughing.

Halien ignored the comment and stood upright, taking on her regal disposition. "I am Halien, wife of Thorin Oakenshield and mother to his son, Frerin II. As Queen of Erebor, by marriage to your cousin, I humbly ask that you refrain from hurting my family or my people and that we may resolve this peacefully."

Dain started to laugh. "You? Queen of Erebor? An elf? Ha! Is this a joke?"

Halien ignored the disrepect. "I understand that you could not possibly understand, as my own father had not, but I assure you that I speak the truth. I was the ambassador of my people to Erebor many years ago, before the dragon came, and I did my duties well. Now, I will ask you once more, as the wife of the King under the Mountain, please do not cause any bloodshed. A promise was made and it must be kept."

Gandalf walked forward. "There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men, and Elves. A legion of Orc marches on the mountain. Stand your army down."

"I will not stand down before any Elf, not even one who would make such claims to be Queen of Erebor!" Dain replied. "Least not this faithless, woodland sprite!" he added, gesturing towards Thranduil. "He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin, I'll split his pretty head open! See if he's still smirking then!"

"He's clearly mad." Thranduil said, smirking indeed. "Like his cousin."

"You hear that lads? Let's give these bastards a good hammering!" Dain called to his men, circling back towards his men.

As the elves readied themselves, the ground began to shake and large worm-like beasts burst forth from the ground. Halien stared in fear as the disappeared back into the ground and hordes of Orcs came flooding from the holes left behind the worms.

"No..."

Dain and his men moved into position and charged at the onslaught of Orcs. Halien looked at her father and gaped at him as he did nothing. She ran to her father and looked at him.

"Father, why won't you help them?" she demanded.

Thranduil looked from her to the dwarves of the Iron Hills, the sons of Durin, as they charged into their deaths.

"Father!"

When he would not answer, she whistled for Torwen. She mounted up into the saddle and looked at the dwarves. "If you will do nothing, as you did before the dragon came for the mountain, then once again I will honor the alliance you forsook so long ago." Halien looked at her father. "I thought perhaps you had changed, Ada, but it would seem that I was wrong." She urged her mare forward.

"Halien, wait!" Bard called to her, catching up to her before she left ally lines. "You cannot go alone!"

Halien looked at him. "What am I to do then, Bard? I will not let my family or my people be slaughtered by Orcs!"

Behind them, Thranduil made the decision to take action and ordered his men to ready themselves.

Halien smiled. "Thank you, Ada."

Thranduil nodded. "I do this for you and for my grandson and the sake of my people. Nothing more."

Halien nodded and charged forward. Bard and the others charged with them, but he and the Men were cut off from Halien and the elves and dwarves. Halien watched as they made for Dale, trying to reach the women, children, and wounded. She turned and watched Dain's boar fall to a spear. As she tried to reach him, an Orc cut down Torwen and Halien was thrown from the saddle. She called to her mare, but it was no use. The mare she had grown up with, that she had bonded with beyond measure, was dead.

Halien fought back her tears and saw her father rushing past, heading towards Dale. She heard Bard calling for her so she summoned her magik and moved a mound of earth up beneath her and she forced it forward, guiding her to the ramparts of Dale. She leaped off the mound of earth, letting it crumble beneath her as she landed on the stone wall of the ramparts. She searched for Bard, for his children and her son, cutting her way through the Orcs. She came around the bend of a street and saw Bard flying down the street towards a troll that was about to attack his children and Frerin. She ran to him as he took down the troll and embraced his children.

"Halien!" Tilda called, running to her.

Halien embraced the girl and held her close. "Thank the ancestors you're safe!" She looked up as Sigrid, Bane, and Bard came to join them. Halien hugged them and looked down at her son who had begun to cry. She reached out to him and told him everything was going to be alright, that she was safe. He seemed to calm down as soon as she reached out to him and opened his eyes to look at her. She looked up at Sigrid and asked how he was doing.

"He misses his mother, but he is fine otherwise. He's a brave lad, for one so little." Sigrid said, smiling. "We've kept him safe, like I promised."

Halien smiled. "Thank you, Sigrid." She looked up as more Orcs came towards them, but she used the ice from the falling snow and shot shards of ice at the Orcs. She looked at Bard. "They need to get somewhere safe, somewhere easy to fortify."

Bard looked at her and nodded, then turned to his son. "Get the women and children to the great hall. Locks the doors, barricade them, and do not come out for anything or anyone but me. Do you understand?"

Bane nodded and took off with his sisters, Frerin, and Alfrid- who was asked to go with them. Bard looked at Halien.

"We need to fight them back. For our children's sake."

Halien nodded and they gathered the men. They began their attack against the Orcs and fought them back. The elves soon joined them and they were able to quickly overrun the Orcs within Dale and force their retreat. Halien went to find Gandalf and she found him and Bilbo on the northern side ramparts. As she came to join them, Legolas returned with Tauriel and news. She hurried over as her brother explained that Azog the Defiler had sent his son, Bolg, to Gundabad to gather the Orcs there and they were nearly upon them.

"They're coming from the north?" Halien asked, looking at her brother.

He nodded. Halien looked in that direction and saw Raven Hill in the sunlight. Her heart fell and she turned to look at Gandalf.

'Mithrandir, Thorin is up there!'

Gandalf turned and looked at her. "Halien..."

"I must go."

Bard came over and watched her starting to leave. "Halien, where are you going?"

"Thorin is up there, on Raven Hill, and he does not know what is coming for him. I must go." Halien, then hugged him. "Look after my son, if I don't return." Before anyone could stop her, she ran passed the people of Dale and passed her father as he gathered his men.