I AM ALIVE! Yes, I know I haven't updated in a veeeeeery long time. been way too f*ing busy. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 11 Something is Wrong

"Dain wants the throne for himself, he wants to be King of Erebor."

Silence followed the announcement and the other three in the room gave the older dwarf an array of expressions. Of course, Kili was the first to speak and with little concern.

"Well, that solve more than one problem of mine then doesn't it? When can I give it to him?" Balin's jaw dropped, Ildri looked to him curiously while Tauriel shook her head. Kili watched his advisor flounder for words before the ability to speak came back.

"Give it to him!" Ildri looked down at Balin in concern at his outburst. The usually calm dwarf was turning red and she could see anger lining the edges of his face. "The crown isn't some trinket you can just….give away. You are next in line, the only way Dain would receive the throne is through your death!"

That comment drew concern from the two females in the room as their attention turned back to Kili, who still looked nonplussed. "So I die, then the world can leave me alone."

Balin's shoulders fell, his fingers unclenched, and tears came to his eyes. "Why would you say such a thing lad?"

Ildri and Tauriel couldn't agree more. However, both had an idea he didn't mean he wished to die. Tauriel motioned to the other red head and nodded her chin for them to step away. This wasn't their conversation nor a world they truly understood, Kili and Balin would have to talk, or yell, this discussion through.

Kili approached Balin and set his hands on the hunched shoulders before him. "In no way did I mean I wished to actually die, Balin. But for the life I truly wish to live, it would be simple and easier for everyone if I didn't exist to them anymore."

"This is your home, whether you lived here or not. And what of your mother? How would you expect her to understand this decision?"

"I can't say I know, but think about it Balin." Kili took a step away and waved to the two women standing at the other side of the room watching them. "Do you really think dwarves will accept a King with two Ones who aren't dwarves themselves? Asking them to step into that position further is asking for trouble, and I don't believe just from those here in Erebor." He turned back to the older dwarf, "you know this to be true. Not everyone can or wants to try and understand what is different like you. Therefore, if Dain wants the throne, I will gladly disappear."

"How did you turn out so different but with the same dwarven stubbornness as Thorin?"

"Stroke of luck."

Balin let out a sad laugh. "We will speak more of this tonight, when there isn't an audience behind the door trying to listen in on us." He pulled Kili into a hug and they embraced in silence for a moment. As they separated, Balin took a deep breath and slapped Kili on the shoulder. "Come, you have much to catch up on. You are still King today."

Kili was taken away by Balin and his guards, leaving Tauriel and Ildri up to their own devices. It was a reluctant separation and it took some persuasion to make Kili go about his duties for now. Ildri decided to return to the hall from a few days prior alone while Tauriel descended the many stairs to the training hall to exercise since they had been so lazy while absconded in the rooms. It took little time for her to find said hallway and the section of stone that held her attention before. There was something about the mountain in that spot that felt familiar, like a memory just out of reach. A sense that had brushed the edges of her conscious like a warm hug; a feeling she had only recently discovered and could compare. She stood facing the cool stone and placed her hands flat on the mostly smooth surface. Taking a deep breath, Ildri flared out her magic and senses into the mountain

Instantly her magic reacted. It had quickly found the source she was looking for and intertwined with it, caressing movements like lovers meeting after a long absence. Jerking away from the way, Ildri opened her eyes and stared at the innocent looking stone in shock. What in the name of the Valar was happening? Something wasn't right; she couldn't have been told to come here for the single reason of saving Kili. Not that she minded him now, but there was a possibility of an underlaying reason and she only knew of one person who could answer that thought and was in the mountain; Gandalf.

Ildri strode down the hallway, not looking at any of the dwarves or men who passed by her. A deep frown was cut into her face as her robes flapped around her with purpose. Coming to the door she sought, Ildri planted a firm hand upon it and flung the metal door open. Her eyes immediately found her mentor who was sitting by the fireplace, puffing on his pipe.

"Why was I brought here?"

Gandalf cleared his throat and looked across from him where Bilbo was sitting, who Ildri hadn't notice before and didn't care now. Seeing her unwavering expression with her question, he stood and patted the hobbit on the shoulder. "I will return shortly and we will continue our talk." With a gesture to exit the room, he followed her into the hallway where he led her further up the corridor away from other ears. Once he deemed them out of earshot, Gandalf stopped and turned to his former ward. "What is the matter?"

"I've had this annoying feeling in the back of my mind since we met on Ravenhill that all of this,
Ildri waved her arm around her head, "Was arranged. Whether for just me or not, I'm not sure, but there is something going on and I demand to know what is going on."

With a sigh, Gandalf leaned heavily on his staff. "If it was arranged my dear girl, it was done so without my knowledge. I cannot think of a good reason to keep you here longer than you want or trick you into coming here with another purpose other than what you were told."

The dead, cold stare Ildri had leveled at him spoke volumes, mostly insults. "Longer than I want? I wanted to leave the day I arrived!" Her voice bounced off the stone walls. "You practically tricked me into staying here out of pity for Kili and Tauriel."

"That was for you," Gandalf said gently. "Anyone with half a brain could recognize what is between the three of you even if most are too hardheaded to find it a good pairing. You needed them and they you, all three of you were deteriorating from within and it took Kili to meet you for your own mind to realize what was happening to your soul; although you were hardly welcoming to the thought at the time. Is it such a terrible fate, that you might have been tricked into coming to Erebor to find those two who complete you?"

Her glare intensified. "You know very well that wasn't what I speak of, and no; now I find my life a bit more tolerable having them with me. You say that you have no idea that someone could have tricked me here? I seriously doubt that. There is something going on here, more than me finding impossible soulmates."

He took in her appearance and harried expression. "What happened to make you burst into my room?"

"There is something in this mountain, something that was here long before the first dwarf carved their pick into its side. I can feel it, hidden beneath the surface and hiding behind certain walls; a foreign yet familiar magic."

"That is not entirely strange, Osgiliath has a magical feel to it one of its fallen towers, as does Weathertop.

This was news to her since she had lived in Gondor for a time and never felt a magic like this outside her fellow wizards. "Why would Osgiliath and Weathertop have magic in its ruins?"

"There were Palantiri stored at both many years ago for communication, if you remember from your history, one can only assume they were put in specific locations for a reason."

She shook her head, this wasn't the same. "I've been to both and the latent magic stored at both ruins is faint, nothing like what is here." Ildri narrowed her eyes at Gandalf in thought. "You can't feel it can you, what lies beneath the stone?" Silence lingered in the air between them at her question. "How could you know what I'm talking about if you don't know what it is?"

"It is obvious, I would think." Gandalf said simply as he shifted his weight. "You have a connection to this mountain and whatever lies within it, but I would suggest treading carefully as Lord Dain seems to be disgruntled with your dwarf."

"I know, Balin already spoke to us." Ildri muttered in return, her eyes looking around them. "Would you tell me, Gandalf, if there was some plan involving me?"

"I cannot give you the answer you seek, child. However, I do promise if there was ever malicious intent towards you, nothing would stop me from making sure you were safe."

It wasn't what she was looking for, but it was better than the worst answer. At the very least, he cared for her enough to make sure she would personally be safe. There was nothing more to say and nothing was learned in their conversation. Ildri was still discontent with her lack of answer about the magic deep in the mountain and she had a feeling that wouldn't change anytime soon. With a bow of her head, she turned on her heel and walked the path to the front gate. Within her, the magic was in turmoil and begging to be let out. As Gandalf said many times before, it was all connected to her emotions; which right now were in a whirlwind. What was needed right now was freedom and exercise, let her magic run wild as the hills around the Lonely Mountain.

Not longer than an hour after Ildri and Gandalf's talk, Tauriel excused herself from the training hall needing a break. She inclined her head at Dwalin who was watching the soldiers in the ring behind her, to which he returned, before leaving the hall. Even though the time was short, it was a decent stretch for her muscles and she didn't remain completely inactive during their self-imprisonment. Having no where to go nor an idea of where Ildri was, Tauriel made her way to the front gate to inspect the snowfall at the entrance of the kingdom. Judging by what was on the small balcony in the rooms, it had to of been at least a foot. As she neared the entrance hall, loud commotion of voices hit her sensitive ears and Tauriel paused at the adjoining hall to watch and listen to the dwarves at the ramparts. When words like magic and wizard met her ears, she wondered if it was Ildri outside capturing their attention. Her assumption was correct when one of the dwarves commented on the bright red hair, comparing them to flames, and she made her way to the stone steps.

The dwarves parted for her as she walked among them and once at the edge, Tauriel laid her hand on the snow dusted battlements and looked down. Sure enough, there was Ildri; not a hundred yards out and putting on a wonderful magic display with the falling snow. While it wasn't clear to the others what she was creating, Tauriel could see the changing figures and ice sculptures around her One. Curious as to what had Ildri out in the freezing temperatures, Tauriel leapt over the side and gracefully down the wall, over the frozen moat and soft snow until she was just feet away from Ildri. There, she watched the display for a few moments before speaking.

"What is wrong?" There was a slight falter in the wizard's movements which forewarned Tauriel.

"Nothing, why should there be?"

Tauriel half circled around the sculptures, her feet not making an impression on the snow. "I can only assume there might be a problem when you would be out in freezing conditions, putting you and your magic on display for others."

Ildri stopped and looked back towards the mountain and saw her audience. Her response at the many eyes staring at her was unexpected, at least to almost everyone on the ramparts. With her hands flat, she spun in a circle that drew up snow, raised her arms and thrusted them down quickly, making the circle of snow around the two of them into a dome that turned into ice. Tauriel turned around slowly, astounded by the beauty of the frozen entrapment and ran her fingers over the semi clear wall. Mentally shaking herself, Tauriel looked back to Ildri who was slipping into her tormented, frowning expression.

"Something is wrong. What happened?"

Ildri looked down at the scenery she had created, the little figures and structures no higher than her knees. "Do you remember when I had mentioned feeling magic in the mountain? Two days ago."

"Of course."

"There's something more to it now. I went back to see if I could sense any more in the area that would give more information," Ildri tapered off; still looking down at her creation. "When I touched the magic with mine, it was like it knew me and had been expecting me. Something is going on here, Tauriel, I wasn't sent here for the sole purpose of ensuring the line of Durin. I can feel it. Whatever found its way into the mountain before the dwarves is connected to me somehow but I'm not sure how."

Tauriel's own brow was furrowed now. While she believed Ildri and her knowledge of magic, there was no history on the lonely mountain before the first Durin claimed it for the Dwarf Nation. Her only skeptic thought was how could the strain of magic Ildri felt be there in the first place. She didn't voice her thoughts however, seeing how upset her partner was, but instead took slow steps to her. Tauriel cupped the other woman's cold face with her hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling her in for a hug. She had no idea how to handle the stressed wizard and this was her first reaction to how sad and upset Ildri looked.

"We will find out, even if we have to go back to every library you ever visited to find an answer.


So, let me know how you enjoyed the chapter. Please read and review. Have a lovely day!