A lovely Happy New Year to all of you :)

Yes, I know...I've been away from this story for quite a while! For one, I promise I haven't forgotten it or anything xD I've been busy with work and life and having 2 other stories to write on top of it kinda puts me behind, especially when I get stuck on a chapter xD But I AM still here and this story IS still going, for those who have been wondering and have missed it :)

This one I think is the longest chapter thus far, so I hope you enjoy :)

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Another seven days had passed since the day of Thorin and Lancaeriel's fight. After they had reconciled, things were back to the way they had been. The Dwarf Prince and the Elven Princess were still spending much time together each and every day. They sparred, read together, went on walks and sometimes simply sat in the upper balcony and talked for hours on end. Lana at times would accompany Thorin, which pleased him very much, to Dale when visiting the town with his father and grandfather or Lana would go with him when he went to survey the work in the mines. Each day, they were growing closer and falling even more in love with each passing hour. However, neither of them had still yet to find the courage to admit that they loved each other. They both were too nervous or afraid of saying anything just yet; always wondering if the timing was right. Soon, the perfect time would present itself.

In the afternoon of that seventh day, Thorin had finished his lessons early and went in search of Lana. He looked in the usual places, but could not find her and it seemed that not any of the guards he asked had seen her either.

As he continued looking, he could hear sounds coming from the treasure hall. Almost right away, he had a suspicion of who was inside. He cautiously made his way inside, down a small dark corridor that led to a large glowing room, lit by torchlight, filled with gold and fine gems. As he entered, he spotted a robed figure with raised arms standing in the walkway amongst the gold. It was King Thror, which was who Thorin suspected it was. Over the last few days, Thror had not been looking well physically. He looked pale and tired constantly. Then after his meetings with the Elvenking, he would disappear somewhere for hours on end. But one night, after walking Lancaeriel to her room, Thorin caught a glimpse of his grandfather sneaking into the treasure hall and, since then, had wondered if that was where Thror had been going.

Now his suspicions were confirmed.

As he looked out upon the old Dwarf, Thorin felt something dark and dreary come over him. Nothing about this felt right. He could sense a sort of icy, eerie darkness in the room that made him feel uneasy and almost scared. Something was happening to his grandfather. He hadn't been himself as of the last few days. Yes, Thror would still visit with him and his siblings, but there was a look in his eyes that wasn't the same. They seemed cold and distant; dead, almost. Deep down, Thorin was worried. He didn't know what he could do; he felt useless. All he could do was watch his grandfather slowly succumb to whatever was affecting him.

Thorin had no desire to be there any longer, so he slowly began to back away into the shadows, a deep dread welling up inside him. He worried for Thror. What was happening to him? All the young Dwarf Prince could do was hope that soon, the King would break free of whatever was ailing him.

Just then, he heard the distant scream of a woman. It sounded like Lana and Thorin went frigid with fear. Instinctively, he ran in the direction of the scream, the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He darted around corners and raced through the hallways until he came around one corner and someone slammed right into him. The both of them sprawled onto the floor, Thorin on his back and the other on top of him. The face that looked down at him was Lana's and she smiled.

"Oh, hello, Thorin!" she said through a laugh, sounding a little surprised to see him.

"Lana, is everything all right?" he asked worriedly.

Lana gave him a confused look. "Yes, everything is just fine," she replied.

Thorin reached up and lightly touched her cheek. "I heard you scream, I thought something bad had happened."

"Oh!" Lana exclaimed then she began to laugh. "Oh, no, it was nothing like that."

As she said that, they heard the voices of Frerin and Dis call out nearby in singsong unison, "Lana, where are you?"

Lana smirked and shook her head. "It was those two rascals chasing me and I was acting scared of them."

Now at least feeling relieved that Lana wasn't in fact in any danger, Thorin breathed a sigh and smiled.

There were footsteps approaching and then Frerin and little Dis came around into the hall.

Seeing the two of them on the floor, Frerin gave them an annoyed look. "Honestly, Thorin? This is not the time and place for that! There are children present!" he exclaimed, covering Dis' eyes.

Frerin's comment made Lancaeriel giggle and Thorin groan.

"One of these days, little brother, I am going to make you pay for those comments," Thorin stated, shaking a pointing finger at his younger brother.

Frerin simply smirked and made a gesture pretending to be scared by his brother's threat.

Dis seemed to take no notice of her brothers. Instead she jumped onto Lana's back and wrapped her arms around her neck. "We got you!" she cried triumphantly.

Lana chuckled. "Indeed, you did, little Princess," she replied, leaning her forehead against the little girl's and tapping her playfully on the nose.

Suddenly, they heard more footsteps and then Thrain appeared at the other end of the corridor. "Frerin, Dis, there you are!" he cried.

"Father!" said Dis excitedly, sliding off Lana's back and running into her father's open arms. Thrain scooped up his little girl and held her up on his arm.

"Playtime is over now. It is time for your lessons," he declared, making the two young ones groan.

"Awww, Father, do we have to?" Dis whined.

Thrain grinned. "You ask me that almost every time, Dis," he said, "and what do I always answer?"

Dis frowned and looked down at her feet. "Yes...," she answered begrudgingly.

Thrain then turned to Frerin. "Come now," he stated, motioning for him to follow.

The young Dwarf boy turned back to his older brother, now sitting up of the floor. "Behave, you two," he said warningly, pointing at them.

Thorin shooed him away and said, "Get out of here."

Lana, who was now on her knees, chuckled at her Prince. "Do not let him bother you, meleth nîn," she told him, straightening the collar of his fur coat and then kissing his cheek. "You know he's only jesting, just like brothers do."

All Thorin did in reply as he too got up on his knees was grumble and roll his eyes. Lana lifted his chin gently and brought his lips to hers to help get his mind on something else, which Thorin didn't mind at all. How he loved the feel of her lips, so soft and gentle and loving, on his own. It certainly proved to be a good distraction from most things.

After they broke apart, they both got up off the ground and walked hand in hand to Thorin's bedchamber, where they could be alone for a little while. As Thorin shut the door behind them, he couldn't help but remember what he had seen regarding his grandfather, having passed close by the treasure hall on the way to his room.

His thoughts were halted shortly as Lana was quick to reunite her lips to his ardently. His hands rested on her waist and her arms were wrapped around his neck.

However, when they parted, Lana looked at him curiously, sensing something else was also bothering him. "What troubles you, Thorin?" she asked. Thorin looked puzzled and she went on to say, "I can see it in your eyes. Your eyes always reveal everything; your innermost emotions, thoughts and desires. Right now, I see worry in them and you do not even need to say a word for me to know that something else is troubling you."

Thorin sighed, knowing she was right and there was no avoiding it. "I... I'm worried about my grandfather," he told her. "I fear that he is...sick."

"If he is sick, I'm sure his physicians can help him," Lana replied.

But Thorin shook his head. "It is not a physical sickness of which I speak...but a sickness of the mind. He is not well; he is not the same."

Lana put a hand on Thorin's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"The last few days, he's been disappearing for hours after meeting with your uncle and I've only just discovered where he's been going."

"Where?"

"The treasure hall. I found him in there when I was looking for you." He paused and exhaled sharply, remembering the unpleasant feeling he had felt not long before. "I found him in the midst of the gold with his arms raised in the air...as if he was worshipping it. Even from a distance, I could see a look of...enchantment and almost desire in his face as he gazed upon the treasure. It was not normal...and it scared me. I have never seen him like that, it is unlike him. I am worried about him and yet I feel like there's nothing I can do."

Lana could see that Thorin truly was ill at ease with whatever was happening to his grandfather. She inched closer to him and gently brought his head to her shoulder, cradling it and holding him close. In response, he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Fear not, Thorin," she said softly. "King Thror is a strong Dwarf, I am sure that, whatever is ailing him, he will overcome it. We mustn't lose hope." She carefully eased his head back and placed a firm, comforting kiss on his forehead, letting it linger for a moment.

"Oh, âzyungâl...," Thorin sighed as her lips pulled away and she touched her forehead to his. He was feeling so afraid and yet Lana was there making his fears all disappear.

Feeling his usual pull of desire for her yet again, he tilted his head a little and took her mouth with his firmly, to which she immediately responded with equal fervor.

"I have been waiting for this all day," Thorin sighed between kisses, his hot, heavy breath fanning over her lips.

"So have I," Lana replied in the same manner. She drew back slightly, keeping her lips hovering over his. "While I adore your siblings and the time I get to spend with them some days, I do long for these moments with great eagerness." Then she slid a hand into his hair and kissed him again ever so softly.

"I would rather be spending my time with you than in my lessons," said Thorin, running a hand up and down her back.

She chuckled. "You are a Prince, you must be educated at a young age," she said back.

"I think I'm old enough to not need lessons anymore," he replied, rolling his eyes.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Trust me, Thorin, I have lived hundreds more years than you and there are still many things I have yet to learn. It does not matter what your age is or how wise you think you are, there is always something new to be learned every day."

He couldn't help but grin at her. "You seem to be wiser than me," he commented.

Rolling her eyes, she responded, "Oh, nonsense. I am still considered young in Elven years and I am not that wise."

"Do not be so hard on yourself," said Thorin, running his hands up and down her arms. "You truly are wiser than you believe you are. I have learned much from you."

Lana smiled gratefully. "As I have from you," she told him.

Then she leaned forward, gently nudged his chin up with her nose and then, as light as a feather, began to kiss the soft skin of his neck. Her tenderness nearly drove Thorin crazy as he sighed with desire, whispering her name. His arms nearly crushed her against him as he embraced her closely.

"Thorin...if you hold me any tighter, I fear I shall break," Lana said against his neck, her mouth moving up by his ear.

"My apologies," he said. "I just seem to feel all the joy in the world and all of my cares and troubles fade away when I hold you in my arms."

Lana ceased what she was doing and looked deeply into his eyes. "I can say likewise," she replied with a smile. "I have never known a safer place…," She then wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek against his chest, hearing his heartbeat. "…than right here in your arms."

Thorin held her close, running a hand through her hair and kissing the fiery red and gold strands gently. The way her body seemed to fit against his…nothing had ever felt so right. It was as if she belonged there; as if she were made to fit inside his arms perfectly.

"Lana…?"

She lifted her head and her eyes of hazel met his eyes of blue. "Yes, Thorin…?"

His hand came to her cheek and his thumb ever so lightly caressed her smooth skin. He could feel his heart pounding hard inside him as he tried to say the words he'd been longing to say. "I…Lana…I…I lo—"

Suddenly there was a series of loud bangs on the bedchamber door, followed by a deep, gruff voice crying out, "Thorin! Thorin, are you there? If you're in there, open up quickly!"

Having been startled by the sudden noise, Lana exhaled sharply and said to Thorin, "That's Dwalin! It sounds urgent!"

Even though he was a bit annoyed at Dwalin's unfortunate timing, he knew Lana was right. His friend sounded worried on the other side. He went to his door and found a wide-eyed Dwalin looking back at him.

"Dwalin, what is wrong?" he asked.

"We just received word from the scouts," Dwalin responded. "There is a battalion of Orcs heading for the outskirts of Dale. Lord Girion has called for our aid."

Thorin and Lana cast concerned glances at each other. News of approaching Orcs was never good.

Dwalin continued, "King Thror and your father are rallying the troops as we speak. King Thranduil has also offered to help; he and his four soldiers are readying, as well."

"Then we must make haste," said Thorin as he started to walk out of the room after Dwalin.

"I will go with you," Lana stated, following him.

He stopped. "No," he said right away. "You must stay here."

She was shocked. "Are you mad?" she demanded. "I am not letting you go out there alone."

"I won't be alone. Dwalin will be with me, as will my father and my grandfather."

"Thorin, you have sparred with me, you know I can fight!"

"I know...but I need to know that you're safe and I will not be able to concentrate if I am worrying about you out there."

"Thorin, you can't-"

"Lancaeriel, please!" His hands came up to grasp her shoulders. "I cannot let anything happen to you! Do you have any idea what that would do to me?"

She wanted to say something back to him, but one look into his desperate, pleading blue eyes silenced her. He wanted to keep her safe, she understood that...but did he have any idea what it would to her if something happened to him and she could've been there to prevent it?

"I am sorry, darling, but please...I must keep you safe. And I think your uncle would agree with me," said Thorin, giving her an apologetic look.

Seeing she most likely wasn't going to win this debate, Lana sighed and lowered her head in defeat.

"My grandfather, my father and I will be out there so Frerin and Dis will need someone to stay with them," he explained calmly to her. "Will you do that for me?"

She slowly lifted her head again and reluctantly nodded.

Thorin attempted a comforting smile at her and then turned back to Dwalin. "Go to the armory, Dwalin, and collect my weapons for me. I will meet you down there," he told him. "I'm going to take Lana to the nursery to look after Frerin and Dis. My father will have taken them there."

Dwalin have him an affirming nod of the head. Then he looked to Lana. "Don't you worry, lass," he told her. "Thorin's a tough fighter, he'll be all right. And if something goes wrong, then that's where I come in." He jabbed his thumb onto his chest and grinned. "I'm always there to get him out of trouble."

Thorin grunted at Dwalin and gave him a playful shove while Lana chuckled and replied, "Of that, I have no doubt."

With that, Dwalin sped off to the armory while Thorin and Lancaeriel made haste to the nursery.

Just as they got to the door, Lana stopped Thorin by cupping the back of his head and pulling him close for a long kiss.

"Please, be careful," she whispered, holding his forehead against her own.

"I will, I promise," he whispered back. Then he opened the door to the nursery and they walked inside, finding Frerin sitting on a chair reading a book and Dis was on the floor playing with a doll. The two children looked up at them as they entered the room.

"Lancaeriel is going to look after you while the rest of us take care of the Orcs that are coming," Thorin informed them.

"On the bright side, that got us out of our lessons early," Frerin replied, looking pleased.

Thorin rolled his eyes. His young brother had much to learn still.

He faced Lana again and pulled her into his arms. "Everything will be all right. I will be back before you know it, âzyungâl," he said reassuringly. He gave her a tender kiss on the forehead, clasped her hands tightly to give her a little comfort and then left the room.

Lana stood in place as she watched him leave with an uneasy feeling in her chest and stomach that would not go away. She should have been going with him. She should be going to fight with him and the King and her uncle and her friends. Staying behind while they went out to battle, even if it was just a minor one, made her feel useless.

There was silence for a few moments before Frerin finally spoke, "Go, Lana."

She turned and looked at him confused. "What?"

"Go," the young boy repeated, motioning to the door. "I know you don't want to be here; you want to be out fighting with Thorin, which is where you really should be! I've seen you spar with my brother, you're a fierce fighter! I think they could use your help and Thorin shouldn't have left you behind."

"He cares for me and wishes to keep me safe."

"But even so, they still should've taken you. They could use all their best assets in any fight."

"Thorin said you and Dis would need someone to watch you."

"We have Kima with us, for Mahal's sake!" exclaimed Frerin just as their governess came in from the next room that was adjacent to the one they were in. "Thorin knows that. I think he only used that as an excuse to keep you here. I know he wants to protect you, but he should also trust that you can take care of yourself and hold your own in a fight."

Lana stood facing Frerin, unsure of what to say. Despite his age, he seemed to be a bit wiser than she anticipated.

Frerin straightened up. "Dis and I will be all right," he said. "As I said, we have Kima here."

The Elven Princess cast a glance at the Dwarven governess, who said to her, "You needn't worry, I watch these children every day. And should any Orcs make it this far—Mahal forbid—I can defend them."

When Lana looked back at him, Frerin motioned once more to the door with a tilt of his head and said with a grin, "You go. Go after our brother and fight at his side the way you are meant to."

Despite her original sense of obligation to Thorin that kept telling her to stay with the children, Lana couldn't deny what her mind and her heart were telling her, which was to listen to Frerin and go after Thorin like she wanted. The younger Dwarf Prince was right, she was meant to fight at Thorin's side and he couldn't leave her behind. As much as he wanted to deny it, he really needed her.

She laid a hand on Frerin's shoulder and whispered with a smile, "Thank you."

As she left the room, however, she began to feel doubtful of her choice. What would Thorin say or think if she suddenly appeared before or during the battle? Something kept telling her he wouldn't be happy. She knew she just had to go help him, but what would the repercussions be? And not just with Thorin, but with Thranduil, as well? There had to be something she could do so that she could still go help.

Then an idea came to her mind; one that was most likely mad, but could still possibly work.

She had to get to the armory fast.

It was perhaps the first time in a very long time that Lancaeriel was actually grateful that she was an Elf of shorter height. She was able to fit herself into some Dwarven armor that was still sitting around in the armory and they fit her just right. She took a helmet, a sword and a shield, as well, and was quick to catch up with the Dwarven army just before they reached Dale.

Quickly, the army marched through the city to get to the outskirts on the other side, where Lord Girion and his army were awaiting them and in the distance they could see the Orc battalion approaching. They stood in preparation with the army of Dale for the oncoming attack.

At the head of the army, Lana could see King Thror on his pony. To his left was Prince Thrain and to his right was Thorin. On the other side of Thrain was Thranduil on his mighty elk and the four other Elven guards; Rûdhon, Arandir, Talathion and Draugolë were all assembled next to the Elvenking.

Within moments, the Orcs were upon them.

"Make ready, men!" shouted Girion

"Ifridî bekâr!" cried out Thror, brandishing his sword and calling for his soldiers to arm themselves.

As they took up arms, the Orcs drew nearer and the charge was led into battle. Soon, the forces of Orcs, Men, Dwarves and Elves all clashed together.

The Orcs fought hard, but Lana was prepared. Mostly prepared, anyway. The Dwarven armor she had acquired from the armory was a bit heavier and bulkier than she was accustomed to, so it took her a few minutes to get used to it. Luckily, she was a fast learner and quick to adapt. She fought against the Orcs as hard as she could, slashing and slicing at every one that came at her. She kept Thorin in her sights as well as Dwalin, Balin, her uncle and Thorin's father and grandfather. If any of them ended up needing help, she would be ready to aid them.

Sure enough, she saw Thorin fighting one Orc and there were two more coming up from behind him. Lana leapt in between the Prince and the approaching creatures, did a twirl and took them both out with a single strike.

Thorin happened to turn around in time to see an unknown Dwarven soldier saving his life from two Orcs that were coming behind him. The soldier was swift and precise, unlike any he had seen in the regiment. However, he didn't have time to thank them because there were more coming his way.

The fight went on with every soldier giving their best effort to protect the city of Dale from an invasion. The Orcs battled hard, but the Dwarves, Elves and Men fought harder. They drove the creatures farther and farther back away from Dale.

"Make safe the city!" cried Thorin as they got further away, earning cheers from his warriors as well as Girion's.

Lana, as they all kept going, ended up straying a bit from the fray, fighting a couple more Orcs that were a bit more relentless. Unfortunately, one of them knocked her to the ground and her sword flew from her hand. Her fall caused her helmet to fall from her head, letting her red and gold hair fall over her shoulders and revealing her pointed ears.

"Look!" one of them sneered in a raspy voice. "A She-Elf!"

"Dressed in Dwarf armor," added the second.

"Well done on your observations, filth!" snapped Lana.

The two Orcs growled and began to slowly advance towards her. Lana quickly got to her feet, but, to her dismay, she could not see where her sword had landed. It had disappeared in the brush or the bushes that surrounded her. Now she was defenseless and she was not trained well enough in the art of hand to hand combat. So she did the only thing she could do:

She ran.

One she took off, the Orcs sped up behind her. "Get her!" one of them yelled.

As she ran, she removed parts of the Dwarf armor that she could and tossed them away one by one, as they were slowing her down and she was gradually gaining more freedom to help speed her escape. Behind her, the Orcs began to fire arrows at her. She dodged each one as best as she could. She could hear the release of one arrow and suddenly she felt a brief but sharp sting in her left arm just under her shoulder. With a cry of pain, she fell to her knees and clutched at the spot that hurt. An arrow had sliced through the outer flesh of her arm. Luckily, it had missed her arm just enough to where it didn't pierce it entirely, but merely grazed it. She removed her hand, now wet and sticky, and glanced at the blood on her palm and fingers. There didn't appear to be too much. However, she had no time to worry because the Orcs were gaining on her.

Trying her best to ignore the pain, Lana got back to her feet quickly and continued running through the trees. The sky above her was gray and beginning to darken more and more as time went on. There was the faint sound of thunder in the distance. A storm would soon be upon them.

Suddenly, Lana skidded to a halt, finding herself at the edge of a cliff. She had no idea how far she had run from Dale, but it must have been quite a ways if this was where she ended up. For a moment, she believed she was trapped, but then realized it wouldn't be very hard to outsmart the Orcs and send them over the edge and then she'd be safe.

Right on time, the two filthy creatures caught up to her and raised their weapons up to strike. One lunged for her abdomen, but she sidestepped, grabbed its arm and gave a hard shove, sending it tumbling headfirst down towards the rocky canyon below. The second one came up quick and moved to plunge its knife into her chest. She grabbed its wrists and held its hands back, using as much strength as she could muster, given the fresh wound in her left arm, to keep it from stabbing her. They struggled for a moment, inching closer and closer to the edge, when suddenly, Lana's foot slipped on some loose ground at the edge and they both then fell over. Lana managed to get a hold of some rocks on the cliff face, but the Orc missed and fell down into the canyon along with the other.

Lana pulled herself up onto the thin ledge on the cliff face. Unfortunately, it was too thin for her to sit upon, so she had to stand herself up. Once she was up on her feet, she carefully braced herself up against the rock wall, panting heavily as she looked around. The sky was now getting even darker and soon night would fall along with the coming storm. She looked up above her and saw that the top of the ledge was up too high; just enough out of her reach that she couldn't even jump up to grab it and pull herself up.

The Orcs were gone, but now Lana had an even bigger problem:

She was trapped on the edge of a cliff.

The Men, the Dwarves and the Elves managed to drive the Orc battalion away and there was much rejoicing at their victory. Even more so when they found that there had been no deaths or casualties among any of the ranks. It had been a tough fight, but they emerged triumphant nonetheless. Lord Girion was grateful for the assistance of the Dwarves and the Elves for helping protect his city and his people.

Once the fight was over, the Dwarves and the Elves returned to Erebor. Thorin quickly departed from his family and friends and made his way back to his brother and sister's nursery. He wanted to see Lana as quickly as possible. Now that the fight was over and he had returned, all his thoughts were on her and just being with her.

He got to the nursery and opened the door without even knocking. Inside he found Frerin sitting in the center of the room on the floor, playing with wooden toy horses. He looked around the room and noticed that Dis and Lana was nowhere to be found.

"Dis is in bed," his brother informed him, nodding towards the adjacent room with his head.

"Where is Lana?" he asked, stepping inside.

Frerin looked at him, surprised. "I thought she was with you?" he replied.

Thorin froze and stared at his brother in disbelief. "What do you mean you thought she was with me?" he questioned. "You were in this room when I brought her here; you were standing right there when I left!"

"Yes, I know, but—" Frerin began to say.

"What happened, Frerin? Where is she?" Thorin demanded, now both angry and worried.

"After you left, I could tell she didn't want to be here; she wanted to go with you…so I told her to go."

"You what?!"

"She didn't need to stay with us, Dis and I had Kima here. Besides, you shouldn't have left her behind anyway. Lana knows how to fight."

"I did it to protect her!"

"She's perfectly capable of protecting herself, Thorin, you know that!"

Thorin growled in frustration and turned away from Frerin, running his a hand through his hair. He was getting more and more worried by the second. He had specifically told Lana to stay and it didn't help that his little brother encouraged her to go against his wishes. Frerin said he told her to join Thorin in the fight…yet Thorin had no recollection of seeing her anywhere on the battlefield.

As if he could read his mind, Frerin then asked, now sounding concerned, "Didn't you see her out there?"

Thorin shook his head. "No," he answered. "I know I would've recognized her in the midst of everything…but I never once saw her."

Now the two of them were growing even more anxious. If Lana wasn't with the children and was never out on the battlefield…then where was she?

"Maybe she came back and is somewhere in the mountain," Frerin suggested.

That was a possibility in Thorin's mind. "If that is so, there are only a few places I know she would be." Having said that, he and his brother left the room to search for Lana.

They looked in the only places Thorin had a feeling she would be: the library, the upper balcony and the chambers in which she was staying in. She was nowhere to be found in any of those places.

Thorin was in a panic by now and he and Frerin rushed off to find their grandfather. They found him walking in a corridor near the main hall with the Elvenking, which only made Thorin even more nervous.

He called out for the King and told him, "Lancaeriel has gone missing."

"What do you mean she is missing?" asked Thranduil, his eyes widening.

Thorin explained everything to both Thranduil and Thror from when he had left Lana in the nursery up until that moment. The two Kings looked shocked and worried at the news. Thror then ordered a group of guards to search the mountain for the missing Princess.

An hour's time had passed before the guards returned. The approaching storm had finally come and they could hear the booming thunder, the cracks of lightning and the heavy rainfall outside. Everyone, except for Frerin who had returned to the nursery, had gone in the main hall, where Thror was seated on the throne. Thrain and Dwalin had found them in that time and had been informed of what had happened. Thorin was nervously pacing back and forth off to the side. Thranduil was worried as well, but kept a calm demeanor so as to not get as nervous as the Dwarf Prince was. His four soldiers had joined them upon hearing what had become of of the Elven Princess, as well.

When the Dwarven guards came back, they all glanced in their direction, anticipating hopefully for good news.

"My King, we have searched and searched," said one of the guards, a low tone in his voice, "but unfortunately, there is no sign of Princess Lancaeriel."

Those words were exactly what everyone was afraid of. Thorin sighed in despair and brought his hands up to his forehead. Thranduil simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath, containing his worry.

But then the guard continued, "However, one of the other guards did report that there was armor as well as a sword missing from the armory."

All heads shot up at that piece of information and they each contemplated it.

"That must have been why I never saw her," Thorin stated, now putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "She must have joined the fight disguised in Dwarven armor!"

"But why?" asked Dwalin. "Why would she disguise herself?"

"I do not know…," he replied.

"Perhaps she was afraid she would be in more danger if the Orcs recognized she was a female," suggested Thror.

"It does not matter why she took the armor," Thranduil put in. "What matters is why she is not here and where is she now?"

Arandir then spoke, "It is possible that she never returned to the mountain and she is still out there somewhere."

That was only option left as to where Lancaeriel could be. Several scenarios of what could've happened that caused her to not return to Erebor ran through their minds, each of which were not the best and were all pushed away, not wanting to think of anything terrible happening to her.

"My guards and I will go out and find her," said Thranduil.

"We shall send a search party to help you," declared Thror.

"I will go, as well," Thorin stated.

But Thror said to him, "No, my lad. You must stay here."

"No!" Thorin cried loudly, now that his concern was starting to break through. "I will go mad with worry if I do. It's my fault that she is missing and I will not stand by when she could be who knows where right now. I left Lancaeriel once today; I will not leave her again! She means too much to me and, by my life, I will find her!"

Neither Thror nor Thrain had ever heard Thorin speak with such conviction and determination about anything. They had already known Lana meant a great deal to him, but it seemed it was much more than they realized. There would be no holding him back; he would do exactly as Lana had done and would leave the mountain against their wishes to find her.

"Very well, then," said Thror.

"You must all be careful. There's the storm and it could be difficult or dangerous out there," warned Thrain.

With that in mind, the search party was put together and Thranduil, the Elven soldiers, Dwalin and Thorin all set out from the mountain in search of the Princess.

Lana had been on the cliff face for over a couple of hours now and her body was starting to grow exceedingly sore and tired. She was soaked to the bone from the rain and found it almost hard to keep her eyes open at times from the hard rainfall. The ledge upon which she stood was growing slick with mud which made her tighten her grip on the rocks in the wall that she held onto. She could also feel that her weight was weighing down the ledge along with the weight of the rainwater. It was only a matter of time before the ground beneath her would break, she was almost sure of it.

By now, everyone she knew in Erebor was sure to have noticed she was gone. Were they searching for her there or had they left the mountain to search for her outside? She had hoped it was the latter by now. Was Thorin with them? Knowing him, he most certainly would be. She was sure there was no way he would stay behind when she was in danger. She knew how protective he could be, especially when it came to her. Dwalin would most likely be with him, as well.

She also was sure that Thranduil was out looking for her, too. He certainly would never stay in Erebor while others were searching for her. He too was quite protective of her and would do all he could to recover her if she was ever in danger.

Now she was beginning to feel guilty for leaving Erebor when Thorin had asked her to stay with his brother and sister. If she hadn't, she would still be there and wouldn't have gotten herself into this situation. This was the consequence for her disobedience.

By now, she was just holding on for dear life, hoping she would be able to get out of this.

"Oh, Thorin…Uncle…someone…please find me…!" she prayed desperately, clinging even harder to the wall.

Meanwhile, the search parties had gotten through Dale and were scanning the surrounding areas, calling the Princess's name. Though the hard wind and the thunder were very loud that they hoped she could hear them, wherever she was. The search party split three ways: Thranduil and the Elves, the Dwarves and then Thorin and Dwalin.

Thorin was in a frenzy worrying about Lana. There was still no sign of her. Where could she be? He was frantically calling her name, praying she was all right, wherever she was.

"Calm down, lad," said Dwalin, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We will find her."

"What if something happened to her, Dwalin?" asked Thorin, panicking. "She isn't anywhere to be found, what if she was captured?"

"Don't think like that!" Dwalin told him. "Let's not think the worst now; we still have other places to look."

Thorin let out a sigh, wiping the dripping water from his face. "I have to find her...," he said, his voice shaking. "I have to."

"I know," replied his best friend calmly. Then he motioned to the left. "I'll go this way and you look the other. We can cover more ground if we split up."

The two friends then parted ways and Thorin was left on his own. Despite the loudness of the thunder, he could feel and hear his heart pounding in his chest. He had to find Lana; he was so worried sick about her. If anything terrible had befallen her, he would never forgive himself. He continued calling her name but received no response. Each time that happened only increased his worry.

But then he spotted something in the grass. He stooped down and picked the object up. It was an iron helmet with Dwarven runes on it. Then he noticed up ahead on the ground was also a pair of iron gauntlets.

His heart jumped up into his throat as he gasped. This had to be the armor Lana took! There appeared to be a trail made by the pieces of armor that he could see. He then deduced that if he followed the trail, it would possibly lead him closer to Lana. And that's exactly what he did.

As he kept going, he found more pieces of the armor. He was getting closer, he could feel it.

"Lana!" he shouted, shielding his face from the wind and the rain that beat at his eyes. The only response he got was a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder.

"Oh, gods, Lana... if you can hear me, say something," he prayed in his head. "Give me a sign that you're near."

He continued on and tried again. "Lana! Lana, where are you?"

"Lana, where are you?"

The Elven Princess gasped as she heard a voice calling her name. She knew it was Thorin's. If she could hear him over the sounds of the storm, then he had to be close. She was saved!

"Lancaeriel, can you hear me?"

She lifted up her head and, as loudly as she could, yelled, "Thorin! Thorin, help me!"

Thorin heard her call and his head whipped around towards the direction it came from. Finally, he could hear her! Finally, she could hear him and responded!

"Lana!" he cried again. "Where are you?"

"Help, I'm trapped!"

Just as she said that, there was a strike of lightning that struck the cliff's edge just above her head. Chunks of stone and debris rained down towards her and she shielded her head with her arms, crying out in fear.

Thorin was yards away from where the lightning has struck and he jumped back, startled, covering his eyes from the bright light.

"Lana!" he shouted again.

"Thorin! Hurry!" she replied urgently. The ledge she was on was already a bit unstable from her weight and the rainfall, but some of the stones that fell crashed down and broke parts of it away. She could feel it cracking underneath her feet. Her arms were outstretched to her sides, trying her best to grasp onto the rocks, but she knew it would be no use once the ground caved.

Thorin could hear her; Lancaeriel was close, but he couldn't see her. Where was she? Her cries sounded urgent and frightened; she sounded like she was in trouble.

"Lana!"

"Thorin!"

He listened again for where her voice was coming from. Within seconds he realized that it was coming from the direction of the cliff.

His blood froze within him. "Oh, no…!" he gasped, now understanding where she was and why she sounded so scared. He dashed as fast as he could towards the cliff.

"Hang on, Lana, I'm coming!" he shouted.

"I can't much longer!" she replied, an evident tremor in his voice. Now she was crying out of fear that she wasn't going to get through this. She could still feel the ledge cracking and breaking and parts of it was already slipping from the rain and the mud. Her whole body was shaking with fright and her heart was slamming against her chest.

There was no way out of it now.

One last time out of pure desperation, Lana screamed, "THORIN, HELP ME!"

"HOLD ON, LANA!"

And just then, the ledge gave way beneath her feet.

.

Dun dun DUUUNNN!

Please don't hurt me...! xD

I can't say for certain when the next update will be, but hopefully sooner than this one was, that is if life or anything doesn't get in the way xD

For those of you still with me even during the agonizingly slow wait, thank you so much :) I love writing this story and I appreciate the comments and lovely feedback I get from all of you!

Speaking of feedback: don't forget to leave a review or send me a PM!

Love ya'll tonz! :)

(PS: Battle of the Five Armies...completely destroyed me xD last time i saw it was a few days before New Years...and i'm still recovering xD)