Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Neniel woke up and she could see the Company changing into their regal armor, as she decided to walk around the kingdom. She noticed Thorin changed into his golden armor, and now wearing his grandfather's crown. She watched as Thorin presented a mithril shirt to Bilbo, and she couldn't help but smile. She could see there was still part of the old Thorin she knew somewhere in that gold obsessed mind of his.
After that, Thorin turned his attention to Neniel. "I know you're angry with me, Neniel, and I still want to give you something." said Thorin, as he presented her silver armor. "Thorin, you shouldn't have.." gasped Neniel. "You need this to protect you in battle." said Thorin. "Battle, what Battle? Am I missing something here?" asked Neniel. "We're going to War against the Elves and Men, Neniel. We will get our home back." said Thorin. "Wait, are you saying you're going to fight with the men and elves all because of gold?!" snapped Neniel, angrily.
"Don't play dumb with me, Neniel! You heard me the first time." snapped Thorin.
"Then, I'm sorry, I cannot accept the armor. Going to war over something ridiculous as treasure is nothing worth fighting for." snarled Neniel, and she walked away. Fili followed her. "Neniel, I feel the same way as you, but you have to remember this is our home too." said Fili. "Fili, don't you start with me, now. I'm not in the mood for it." said Neniel. And there was a brief silence. "Causing death and destruction over gold is not worth fighting. Fili, there are an army of orcs approaching Erebor as we speak, there are bigger things to fight about than to fight over gold." said Neniel.
"Wait a minute! How did you know this?" asked Fili. "I spoke to Gandalf last night, that's all I'm going to say." said Neniel. "We better go out to the Front Gate. Thranduil and Bard as arrived." said Fili. Neniel nodded. As they stepped out onto the Front Gate, they could see Gandalf, Bard and Thranduil, amongst thousands and thousands of men and elves behind them. Neniel stood as she witnessed the heated words exchanged between, dwarf, man and elf. Suddenly, Bard took the Arkenstone out of his pocket, and Neniel closed his eyes.
She had a feeling that Bilbo in danger now, so she remained close by. She will not allow Thorin to hurt the hobbit.
"That is not the Arkenstone, it still remains unfound in the treasury!" snarled Thorin. "Thorin, its not a fake. I have taken the stone and I given to Bard." spoke up Bilbo. Thorin quickly turned to Bilbo, his eyes flashed with anger and hurt. "You have written in the contract I would have a fourteenth share, and I took it." said Bilbo. "It is not yours to claim! How dare you!" hissed Thorin, angrily. Suddenly, Thorin turned the company. "Throw him off the ramparts!" demanded Thorin. But the dwarves didn't move, when suddenly as Thorin lunged at Bilbo, Fili tried to stop Thorin, but Thorin shoved his nephew aside, as he grabbed Bilbo by the throat, hanging him over the ramparts.
"You descendent of rats! YOU TRAITOR! Gandalf should have never brought you along!" roared Thorin. "Thorin, there is no need to man handle our hobbit! Put him down!" demanded Gandalf. But Thorin ignored the wizard, still hanging Bilbo over the ramparts. "STOP IT! STOP THIS NOW!" screamed Neniel, as she sprinted out, reaching for Bilbo. "BILBO RUN!" Neniel demanded. Bilbo nodded, as he bolted away, when suddenly Thorin spun around, as he thrown Neniel to the wall. "THORIN!" barked Dwalin, as he charged at Thorin, pulling him back, before he went further to attack Neniel.
"Fili, take Neniel to the healing chambers." said Balin.
Fili nodded, as he carried Neniel to the healing chambers. "Isn't that Dain?" asked Kili, pointing ahead, seeing an army approaching. "Yes it is Dain! He's arrived!" said Dwalin, smiling. Meanwhile, Fili and Oin remained in the healing chambers with Neniel. "How badly hurt is she?" asked Fili. Oin looked up at Fili. "When she slammed against the wall, it had broken her neck, I'm afraid." said Oin, gravely. "Which means, she may not survive?" asked Fili. "I don't know." said Oin, gravely. Fili growled. "I'll be back to check on her." said Fili as he quickly left, tears of anger falling down his face.
Someone needed to stand up to him, and Fili couldn't hold back his feelings anymore, he needed to talk some sense into his Uncle. By the time he entered the small private dining area, he could hear Kili yelling at Thorin. And pretty soon, Thorin apologetically approached Kili, and he looked up at the rest of the Company. "I know this isn't my place to say this, but will you follow me one last time?" Thorin spoke up. The Dwarves cheered, and Fili approached Thorin, his eyes flared in anger.
"You will be missing one member of the group. She won't be fighting." said Fili. "What do you mean?" asked Thorin.
"Thorin, Neniel is hurt, badly hurt, and this time she may not survive." said Fili icily. Thorin's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly turned away, hot tears pouring down his face, as he fell to his knees. "What have I done?" moaned Thorin. Thorin knew he could not live with himself after this. If Neniel was to die on them now, it would be his fault, because he had done that to her. He felt his heart shatter to pieces, and he sobbed openly for the first time in a long time in front of his Companions.
Balin approached his friend, placing his hand on his shoulders. "Don't blame yourself for this, laddie. You weren't yourself. There is still time to make things right." said Balin gently. "No there isn't, Balin! She may not survive! Didn't you just hear Fili?!" snapped Thorin. Oin soon entered the room. "There is still hope in her." announced the dwarf, with a smile. Thorin's head snapped up, turning to Oin. "Hope? You mean to tell me she's fine?!" exclaimed Thorin. Oin nodded. "She's not as injured as I thought, her neck isn't broken. However her lower back is fractured." said Oin.
"Is she awake, Oin?" Thorin asked again. "Yes, but she doesn't want to see anyone right now. She wishes to be alone." said Oin. "I'm not leaving until I speak to her." said Thorin.
"But Thorin, there is army of orcs approaching, led by Azog! We have to go and fight." said Dwalin. "I said I'm not leaving until I speak with Neniel. Kili, a word with you please." said Thorin. "Yes, Uncle?" said Kili. "I understand that Captain Tauriel has healed you, am I correct?" said Thorin. "Yes, yes. Why?" asked Kili. "Send for her, see if she could work on Neniel." said Thorin. Hearing this took Kili by surprise. "Wait, did he just ask for help from a wood elf?!" whispered Fili. Kili grinned. "Yep, you heard him." said Kili, and he walked away as he went to find Tauriel.
Kili shortly found her. "Uncle Thorin needs your help!" Kili called out to Tauriel. "Really? What for?" asked Tauriel. "Your sister is hurt, badly. He needs your skills to heal her." said Kili. "Of course." said Tauriel. "Don't you even go with that dwarf scum, Tauriel!" spoke up Thranduil. "But my sister is badly hurt!" shouted Tauriel. "Please, Your Majesty, let her help! Thorin had sent me himself to ask for help." said Kili. "Will I get something in return?" asked Thranduil. Kili stood and thought about it. "Yes. Your blessing in my courtship with your Elf Captain." said Kili.
This took Thranduil by surprise when he heard this. Tauriel closed her eyes. Kili, why did you go and do that for?! thought Tauriel.
"I was hoping for something a bit more than that, but if you really care for Tauriel, you have my blessing, however-!" began Thranduil. "However what?" said Kili. "You must have your Uncle's blessing as well." said the Elf King. "Well that's going to suit well like a ton of bricks!" grumbled Legolas. "Shut it, Legolas!" hissed Tauriel. "Agreed." said Kili. "I'm also asking for the necklace as well." said Thranduil. "Agreed." said Kili. Kili, you yutz, what have you gotten yourself into? Uncle isn't going to like this one bit! thought Kili, as he led Tauriel to his home.
"Kili, how are you going to explain this to your Uncle?" asked Tauriel, sternly. "Very delicately." said Kili with a sigh, as they entered the Mountain. They soon entered the healing chambers, where they found Thorin and Neniel. "Well sister! This is a pleasant surprise!" exclaimed Neniel. "Yes, I'm here to get you better, sister." said Tauriel, kneeling towards. "You really don't want to know how it happened." said Neniel. "We're not going to talk about what happened." spoke up Thorin. Thorin and Neniel have made amends while Kili went to get Tauriel.
"Uncle, how did you manage to ask for her forgiveness?" Kili whispered. Thorin smiled. "I sung to her." said Thorin. "Of course!" chuckled Kili.
"Yes, he even brought his harp with him too!" said Neniel, pointing at the golden harp sitting in the room. Tauriel laughed. "I need to get better so I can fight in the battle." said Neniel. "That's why I'm here for, sister." said Tauriel. As Tauriel begin working on her, Kili turned to Thorin. "Well, Thorin embrace yourself for what I'm about to tell you. As I was retrieving Tauriel for her help, Thranduil was nearby." said Kili. "Shit!" snarled Thorin, rolling his eyes.
"Well, at first he wouldn't let Tauriel to help Neniel, but then I spoke up offering a deal with him." Kili continued. "What kind of deal?!" snapped Thorin. "That if she was to help Neniel, I asked for his blessing in-um-courting Tauriel-and accepted, but there is more. He also is still asking for the necklace." said Kili. Kili stood, feeling worried how his uncle would react to this. But to his surprise, Thorin laughed. "You're laughing, why in the hell are you laughing? You're not going to get mad, swear, and curse at all?!" asked Kili in shock.
"No, Kili. I've done some thinking, thanks to Neniel here. Its time that our differences should be put aside. It has been going on far too long." said Thorin. "Save me, Mahal from having a heart attack!" chirped Kili. "I really mean it, Kili. As for the necklace, he will have it. And by the way, you have my blessing as well, with Tauriel." said Thorin.
"Who the hell are you and what have you done to Thorin?!" asked Kili. Thorin laughed. "Thanks to Neniel, here, she have talked some sense into me." said Thorin. "Yes, I smacked him in the back of his head." Neniel said. Tauriel laughed. "That will do it!" said Tauriel.
After Tauriel done her job, Thorin thanked her and she and Kili left the room, allowing Thorin and Neniel have their private time together. "Neniel, like I said before, I really truly am sorry. I've been a terrible person throughout this, I feel terrible." said Thorin. "I understand, Thorin, you weren't yourself." said Neniel, as she could feel Thorin's arms wrapped around her. Neniel laid her head on Thorin's chest. "You really mean you're giving the necklace to Thranduil?" asked Neniel. Thorin nodded.
Neniel laughed. I wish I could see Thranduil's reaction on this! thought Neniel. Suddenly, Dwalin entered the room. "The orcs are here, we must go!" said Dwalin. "Come, Neniel." said Thorin. Neniel nodded. "Are you still willing to accept the armor I was going give you?" asked Thorin. "Yes, please!" said Neniel. Neniel and Thorin went to the armory, and he gives Neniel the silver armor, and after that Neniel went for her weapons as she followed Thorin and the Dwarves out on the battlefield.
Neniel's POV:
As we fought many orcs, fighting side by side with the dwarves, elves and men. I got to briefly meet Thorin's cousin Dain, whom was quite a delight to talk to! After a while of fighting, I ended up getting separated from everyone, because several orcs got in my way. Hours later, Gandalf found me. "Neniel, you must go to Raven hill immediately." said Gandalf. "Why there?" I asked. "Just go!" hissed Gandalf. Something tell me there is reason why I should be at Raven hill. And so I listened to Gandalf, and headed towards Raven hill.