Despite their tenacious course of pursuit, Bolg escaped after about an hour, as the Warg had more endurance than the malnourished horse that Legolas and Avalain rode. They spent another hour searching for him, however, just to make sure. When at last it was deemed hopeless, Legolas agreed to let Avalain return to Lake-Town so she might say farewell to Fili before he set out for the Mountain again.
When they got there, a nasty shock awaited them.
Lake-Town was completely destroyed. It had been burned by Smaug; from what whispers Avalain heard, Bard had slayed it with the help of his son. She was anxious to locate the Dwarves and the bargeman's family after this, as she was very worried about them all.
Luckily, she found them before long. Legolas walked with her to the Dwarves; Tauriel was with them. As the prince of Mirkwood began speaking to the redheaded She-Elf, Avalain moved toward Fili, who had a small smile upon his face.
"Is this actually farewell this time?" he questioned jokingly, though his eyes were sad.
Avalain laughed quietly and replied, "My heart tells me it is. It is time you go see your homeland, a'mael naug. You must find your uncle and see the halls of your forefathers. And when next I see you, it shall be in that Mountain."
The Dwarf smiled at this, and he gently grabbed her hand. "It will not be long," he said, his voice revealing his hope and belief in this statement. "A few days, perhaps."
"Yes," she agreed. "In the meantime, I must return to Mirkwood, if only to tell King Thranduíl that I still breathe, and that I shall be coming back here for my life. I owe him that."
He nodded and sighed quietly. "I know you do, and I know you must go to him. But I cannot help the part of me that wishes you did not have to, so that I would not have to go without seeing you even if it is only for a few days."
At this, the Elf girl chuckled. "Do not worry, Fili. After these days are over, you will not have to wish as such any longer."
"A soothing thought," he mused with satisfaction, making her giggle again. But then he kissed her hand and said, "I shall see you in a few days."
"A few days," she promised; and she watched him go to the boat that the others were pushing out to the lake. As the Dwarves looked back at her, she waved—they waved with cheerful grins on their faces.
Fili looked back and smiled again at Avalain before setting off; she remained until the boat was out of sight.
Next, she turned to Legolas, who was watching her curiously. He saw the sadness in her eyes and offered a hopeful smile, though he said nothing. Avalain took it gratefully and asked, "Shall we return to Mirkwood?"
"You shall have to go with this guard, Talinor," answered Legolas, a stormy look erupting in his own eyes. "Tauriel has been banished, and there is something I must see to…"
"What is it?" questioned Avalain.
"Bolg. I know where he's going—to Gundabad."
"Gundabad?!" gasped the She-Elf. "You are going there? Alone? Nonsense—I'm coming with you!"
"No, Avalain, it is too dangerous. You should return to my father; and I shall not be alone. Tauriel is coming with me."
Avalain frowned, though she said nothing except, "You better come back, Legolas, and tell me everything," before mounting the horse that the guard Talinor was riding.
She heard him chuckle and reply, "I would not dream of doing anything else," before being rushed off back to Mirkwood.
The journey was less than an afternoon's ride; throughout it Avalain had grown more and more nervous. She still wondered if King Thranduíl was furious with her for helping the Dwarves to escape… the possibility that he may no longer love her consumed her entire being.
When, however, she arrived at his throne room and was instantly greeted by, "Ai wilwarin, Avalain!" and a tight embrace, her immediate fears vanished. If nothing else, at least he still cared for her…
Once he pulled away from her, Thranduíl kept his hands on her arms, as if she would slip away again. "I thought I'd lost you," he sighed, his composed self once again. She smiled weakly, but could say nothing except, "I am sorry to worry you, my Lord."
"It matters not now," he answered finally. "I am simply glad that you are alive and well."
That, however, was when the Elf girl realized that he looked as if ready to travel. His long scythe was upon his person, as was a traveling cloak. Concerned, she asked "My Lord, where are you going?"
"I have heard of the dragon's demise, and I must go to the Mountain to negotiate the return of what's mine with that stubborn Dwarf," answered Thranduíl, his icy blue eyes flashing.
Avalain knew that despite the Elf king's stubbornness, it was equally rivaled by that of Thorin Oakenshield. "I do not know if your attempts will prove fruitful…"
"It is certainly worth a shot. Besides, I have something that will convince Oakenshield to give me what I want."
"And what is that?" asked Avalain, raising an eyebrow.
Thranduíl smirked. "An army," he answered simply, which made the girl pale. Would he truly threaten the inhabitants of the Lonely Mountain with an army? Fili was in there—would he be hurt?
Before she could express these concerns, King Thranduíl spoke again. "If all goes well—and I believe it shall—no one will be hurt. I will spare your friends. It is only Oakenshield I must overcome. And Avalain, for your own safety, remain here in the wood. Talinor shall be with you, as shall many exceptional guards. Nothing else will touch you so long as I am King, and they are allowed to use whatever means to keep you here. Is this understood?"
Avalain sulked seeing how well Thranduíl thought this through. "Yes, my Lord…"
"Very good," he smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I shall be back quite soon, I believe."
The Elf girl nodded, not quite sure what to say. She only watched Thranduíl left…
As soon as he was gone, she whirled to the stables before the guards could find her. A grim smile appeared on her face; Belutha whinnied happily at seeing Avalain.
The Elf bolted out of the stables upon her horse before any of the guards could even notice she'd gone. She was very careful to let Thranduíl and his army have a head-start, however, and Avalain made sure to remain a full day behind him.
When she passed Lake-Town, another feeling of guilt washed over her. Belutha's ears twitched uneasily; she felt the stench of death and nickered reproachfully as Avalain remained for a moment to observe all the destruction. Upon noting the uneasy state of her poor horse, the Elf finally allowed Belutha to move forward.
But the girl was still bothered… where had the citizens of Lake-Town all gone? They had disappeared…
Her questions were answered when she arrived at Dale. Not only were the Men present, but so was Thranduíl's army. With a sharp gasp, Avalain bade the horse to hide behind a large stone column so she would not be spotted. She had to make it past the army somehow…
With a puzzled frown, she thought that perhaps she could ride straight up to the gates of Erebor. After all, the Dwarves were sure to be inside the Mountain now that the dragon was dead. She decided to ride up there, just to make sure they were safe…
It took her only an hour upon horseback to arrive at the front gate of Erebor. What she saw, however, made her stop short.
The magnificent door of the Mountain was blocked by hundreds of tons of large rocks. They were solidified into a barrier, as if to keep everyone out. The bridge leading up to the blocked door was destroyed, so Avalain could not draw any closer unless she wished to risk stepping on the rocks in the water.
Atop the ledge stood Thorin Oakenshield, glaring down at Avalain.
"I thought you were returning to Mirkwood!" he shouted, none too kindly.
"I had, but then I learnt that Thranduíl meant to bring an army to your doorstep, so I came back!"
"How am I to believe that is the truth? You might be a spy!"
Avalain was highly affronted. "Me? A spy? After all I've been through with your Company?! How can you possibly think that?"
Thorin opened his mouth to respond, but another voice interrupted him. "Avalain, you should leave. It isn't safe here!"
The Elf girl squinted to see the hobbit, who was staring at her with wide eyes. It appeared he was trying to tell her something, something important, through merely his gaze… when the halfling shot an alarmed look in Thorin's direction, she finally caught on.
Thorin had succumbed to the dragon-sickness.
But if anything, that made her more determined to stay.
"Do you realize that you may be killed if you do not give Thranduíl what he wants?" questioned the girl hopelessly. "Does your life, your kingdom, your people, mean anything to you now?"
The leader of the Company only continued glaring. With a menacing frown, he disappeared behind his wall.
Avalain sighed. Things had not turned out the way she'd hoped…
Just then, a pounding of hooves entered her ears. She whirled around to see Bard riding up to the mountain. When he caught sight of the Elven princess, he started and exclaimed, "I did not honestly believe you had returned."
"I had gone to Mirkwood for a very brief time before returning, yes; but seeing the obstinate King now, perhaps it would be better for my stress if I hadn't!"
Bard chuckled grimly. "So you've had no luck with him either? Despite King Thranduíl's army, he refuses to back down."
Avalain was startled by this. "Thranduíl's already been here?"
"Indeed. The only reason I am here now is because Gandalf noticed you passing through Dale, and he sent me to bring you back there before you can be hurt."
The Elf princess was surprised by the news that Gandalf had returned, but she was even more shocked by the wizard's fear. "Impossible. The Dwarves would never hurt me…"
Bard, however, only gave her a look and waved her onward. "You better hurry. It will be dark soon."
Knowing that this much was very true, Avalain ruefully followed Bard back to the desolated city, where many of Lake-Town's denizens were training with old swords while wearing rusty armor. "You are preparing for battle as well?" she exclaimed. She had to admit this was a surprise.
The bargeman nodded. "We too need what is due to us. We have nothing now except what Thorin Oakenshield promised us. Either way, we shall die unless he gets off his high horse and cooperates."
"Not likely."
"I know. A foolish hope, but it is something to hold onto."
The girl looked around and suddenly saw the wizard—and King Thranduíl. She swallowed uneasily and trotted over to them. Belutha felt her mistress's anxiety and whinnied once or twice.
Once she arrived, King Thranduíl announced, "So! You deliberately disobeyed me."
"Yes," replied Avalain with as much defiance as she dared.
"Do you care to explain?"
"Certainly. I will not let you hurt my friends. I know you will go to whatever lengths necessary to retrieve what you are owed, and I believe that it should be given to you. I do not, however, believe that you are entitled to use whatever means to get it! You claim to be patient—so be patient. You do not need to resort to bloodshed for those diamonds, my Lord. That is folly."
King Thranduíl watched her as he spoke and shook his head. "You do not understand the depth of their meaning, Avalain," he said sharply. "I will take my leave of you tonight. Gandalf wishes to speak to you, at any rate."
As the Mirkwood Elf moved away, Avalain swallowed. He was certainly angry with her now… She turned to the wizard gloomily and mumbled, "Hello, Gandalf."
"Good evening, Avalain," replied the wizard. Now that Avalain was closer to him, she could see that he was quite haggard and weary. Her concern for the wizard peaked, but before she could ask what had happened, he held up a hand. "What happened to me is a story for another time. I must tell you, Avalain, that it is not safe for you here. It is likely a battle between the Elves, Men, and Dwarves is about to begin. You must not endanger yourself again."
"But—"
"Quiet, Avalain. King Thranduíl and I are very worried about your safety. Please remain on the hillside of Lake-Town while the others approach the Mountain tomorrow morning."
Knowing that since she had already disobeyed Thranduíl once, she would be severely punished if she should do it again, Avalain sighed and curtly nodded.
"Good," harrumphed the wizard. "Tonight you shall remain—"
"Gandalf!" huffed an out-of-breath voice. Both the Elf and the wizard started to see Bilbo Baggins in their midst.
"Bilbo!" cried both of them. Gandalf immediately proceeded to question the halfling, and they walked away as Bilbo exclaimed that he needed to find King Thranduíl and Bard. This left Avalain alone.
Bain walked up to her then and smiled. "Hello again, Avalain," he said. "Let me show you to where you can sleep tonight."
Although Avalain wished she could return to the Mountain to plead with Thorin to be reasonable, to see Fili and be comforted that he was indeed well and safe behind the walls of Erebor, that was not to be. And so she followed the boy towards the buildings of Dale, and once he left her, she simply stared at the stars, wondering about what would happen the following day.