Okay on-my-knees writing at the moment! So as such no witty responses (which I know you all totally love ;) to the reviews but of two things I am certain. I love you guys and I so need sleep it physically pains me. Anyway, pretty dialogue heavy.

And yes, apologies for the archery contest. The more I thought about it the more unlikely it seemed it would be any real challenge. Legolas is like 3,000 years old apparently! So yeah. My bad :(

3insteinComplex
Lovely
SaintAequitas
kaaayyytteee(so happy you stayed btw)
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Beinedhiel
Vault108
Ilya
Guestgirl

This was probably the most ridiculous, bizarre and all other such synonyms thing I had ever seen. Elves and dwarrows bonding. Naturally Thorin sat to the side but this was me trying to show him that he didn't hate elven kind, just the Elvenking. It wasn't working. There was no coming back from a century old grudge that had morphed into casual racism. Also, mostly never casual. Just pure racism. Balin sat by his King remembering the aftermath of Erebor all too well. Those who didn't were the ones joining in. The evening had been boring and tense so I had introduced them all to the game of Stuck In the Mud. You know the one which is basically tag but when you've been caught you have to stand in a T and wait for someone to run under your arm? Yeah well this was easy when the dwarrows got so caught up in the game they actually endeavoured to help the elves and walked under their arms without needing to bend. Already there were broken noses and good-natured fights had broken out but nothing with any real harm. Elves gave as good as they got and for all their peace-loving, dandy-looking ways they were as violent as the dwarrows. This discovery pleased them all. There was no way in hell I was ever going to introduce them to the sheer brutality of the game British Bulldog. Death would most certainly be involved.

It was the third night of our six day trek to the other side. We were a few days ahead of book schedule but I figured the other three days would put us bang on target. Not that I fully understood what that target was, it just felt right. The second day had been less terse with just good ol' riding and the night was actual archery practice. Kee and Legolas took turns in teaching me and were very interested in learning from each other as well. Between the three of us we could yet unite the two houses in some kind of companionable alliance. I immediately rescind that thought when Kee punched Legolas in the face for an imagined slight. Naturally Fee and I were better with each other but the problem of his lack of action and defence in the face of his uncle still lingered. We'd fix it during our break in Laketown. Now was not the time for antagonism, especially with Thorin and Balin holding that particular fort down all by themselves. Speaking of those two.

I spent my third night cuddled up to Thorin and his fire. And by that I mean wrapped in Fee's coats (no law against it please stop judging) by the fire and discussing the Battle of Five Armies with him. It was here Balin and I would put our plan into place. Thranduil's cure for dragon sickness hadn't been so much of a cure but more of a distraction and a hope that foreknowledge and lots of it might bring about some semblance of control. Also a blood bond shared with someone who wouldn't feel the lust of gold. A very extreme and very old, almost unheard-of bond that dwarrows used long ago in this aid. Back when elves and dwarrows had been friends, before whatever ancient grudge began, blood bonds stopped the gold lust. Apparently. It's been a super long time since then. I obviously would not be making the bond since I had to die for this bloke, I wasn't about to bleed for him too. That and I really do love pretty things. Balin and I settled on Bilbo. Although we hoped it would never come to this. Only Fili knew of our plan. The plan that unravelled when I started to speak of BoFA.

"And where will you be Lady Gallagher," his hurt over my leading him straight to Thrandy was fading so the use of my name was returning, "when all of this battle takes place? Surely not in the battle." His concern was touching and it made me feel almost guilty.

"I shall be in the battle Uncle." I had been asked to call him that, "but I'm afraid I won't be fighting for you. My loyalty will lie only with Fili." I was saying this all as brazenly as possible. Thorin's jaw tightened but he said nothing. He probably thought this was to do with his mean treatment of me over the past couple of days. Balin stepped up by asking why in convincingly fake shock.

"Uncle will fall into a crazed dragon sickness and try to murder Bilbo and then exile him." A dead silence between the three of us with the background noise of light-hearted insults and laughing. I looked up and shrugged as if this was nothing new. Well to me it wasn't but to Thorin it was confirmation of his greatest fear. When he spoke next his voice was quiet. His face remained as stone like as ever but his eyes actually glistened. All in the eyes is Thorin and I can't help but breach protocol by giving his clenching hand a gentle pat. I continue on with the shock treatment anyway, "this battle will begin because you refuse to part with gold. You believe it's yours when it's not. That gold belongs to Erebor and should be used to reward her allies."

"What happens if I refuse to part with the gold?" Thorin whispered although his quavering voice suggested to me that he didn't want this to happen in the slightest. There was a new determination in his eyes I was pleased to note. Balin turned to me. I was very reluctant for this but both Fili and Balin said that I should. So I compromised by giving a vague answer,

"Certain death." Now death was certain in all battles but I naturally heavily implied all of theirs.

"Apart from you and a few blessed Lady Gallagher." Balin grinned although it was a sad smile. To think that all of this could go wrong. "Please tell Thorin what you told me." Oh Lord. Here it was. The big one. My explanation surrounding my deaths. I wondered if my lies and half-truths would ever catch up with me. Spoiler alert: they didn't but after my writing this I have a feeling they're all about to come crashing down on my head. Luckily I had prepared the half-truth.

"As you know Seers are very rare, even amongst my people. When we're born it's usually for a much greater purpose. My purpose is to save the Line of Durin from their fates. By forewarning them of future events and by dying in their place." Whew! I felt so much better now that that was out in the air. A large grin came over my face which looked slightly like I was stoned in the hazy firelight. There was another silence but Thorin was a clever man and grasped what I was telling him rather quickly thank god.

"You have saved my nephews from death by meeting it twice. How can we repay you?" There was a new awe in his face. I didn't like it. It felt very strange to me. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid. Putting it like that makes it sound so glamorous where it truly was the furthest thing from it. It was a lot of pain and then waking up in a very strange place.

"Three things. Listen to me when dragon sickness takes over. Allow Fili and I to hug, hold hands and things. Also, I'd rather you didn't tell them please Uncle." I added lightly. I had no desire for both of our relationships to be coloured by this at all. Kee would be inclined towards hero worship and Fee might threaten to marry me then and there. Let's wait slightly. Thorin turned over the three things in his head before giving me a curt nod. With a grin I chirped back happily, "Who knows? Maybe I'm a phoenix. To die and die again, only to rise up from the ashes even more awesome than before."

"What is a phoenix?" Balin's tongue stumbled around the new foreign word. I kept forgetting that the mythical creatures of my other world had nothing to do with this one.

"A bird who dies in flames and is reborn from the ashes." I poke the fire in front of me with a stick as if to emphasis my point. Suddenly a great roar goes up behind me as the Company declare themselves the winner. As predicted Stick In the Mud had dissolved in to chaotic fighting. Legolas had fought bravely until the end, enjoying his moments of nostalgic childhood when fighting was allowed. As a grown-up prince physical violence other than battle clearly was not allowed. However he'd admitted defeat when Ori of all people had tackled him to the ground and sat on him until he submitted. Fee looked over to check that I was watching their triumph. We both laughed although I can't remember at what. All I remember of that moment is Thorin muttering under his breath with clear satisfaction,

"The Phoenix Princess of Erebor."

OH MY GOD GET ME A TIARA GUYS. I AM A FUCKING BADASS.