Can't believe I actually made it in four chapters like I thought. This one purposely has a lot of different scenes, I promise it isn't horrible. I think I'll be splitting this story up as the movies are, not sure if they will be labeled with different titles or not. Anyways, thanks to all my readers and reviewers, enjoy this next chapter.

Side note:I own it all said the blind man to the deaf man.

Chapter 26 Last Days of Rivendell

It was finally Midsummer's Eve day and everyone in the company was on edge. Gandalf had made his reappearance for the first time in days on that morning to inform Thorin where and when they would be meeting that evening. Helena knew once Thorin found the information he needed from the map they would be leaving Rivendell with the day or two afterwards. Taking Elrond up on his offer to leave some of her belongings here, she met with Arwen at the elleth's room so she could see where her gifts were going to be kept. She was leaving behind Balin's notes, Ori's drawings, the toy Bifur and Bofur carved, and Gloin's tinderbox. Helena had given a brief thought about leaving the arrows Kili had made for her, but they were part of her weapons and she had almost run out of her other arrows from shooting Orcs in the valley.

Helena now sat at the same overlook Elrond had spoken to her five days ago, turning the music toy over in her hands with her robin at her side. Daemyn hadn't been around for some time, making friends with the elves and had come back with numerous stories to tell her. Helena ended up forgiving his absence quickly as he sang to her Right now her mind was on Estel as she hadn't seen him since that day and was unable to give it to him as she wanted. It saddened her a little bit. From her brief interaction with the boy, he seemed a little lonely and from her experience, music can ease loneliness from one's mind for a while. As if she had wished him there, the man-child was at her feet, staring up at her with dark eyes. Helena jump as she hadn't heard or taken notice of someone else near her until he was literally in front of her eyes.

"Hi." Surprise coloring her voice as well as her face.

"Hello."

Helena saw his eyes move to the instrument in her hands and held it out for him to take. "I've been looking for you. I wanted to give this to you as a gift."

Delight lit up his somber eyes as he gently took it from her. "I was with my mother, she hasn't been well lately." He offered as an explanation.

"Maybe you can cheer her up some by playing for her."

He looked at her oddly. "But you haven't taught me how yet."

She smiled down at him. "I don't believe music is something that can always be taught, that there are people with music already in them waiting to burst free." Hesitantly, Helena reached her hands forward to hold his hands in hers. She hadn't spent the last few days idle, but did as Lord Elrond suggested. She worked on her growing gift and meditated, using Fili when he was available to sit with her, holding her hand as a focus point. Now with the young boy's hand in hers, Helena focused on him and felt a glimmer of emotions come forward.

Joy, loneliness, and doubt were at the forefront of his mind, something she had already suspected. Letting go, she sat back up and Estel had his eyes on his gift. "Have you ever played an instrument before?" At the dejected shake of his head she sighed softly. "How can you know then that you don't have a talent lying in wait, ready to be heard? You must remember how to hold this one. Good, then do so, let your fingers move on their own. Don't think too hard about how it will sound, think about how you feel." Helena waited patiently for him to follow her instruction.

Same as before, a long, lonesome note came forth from the instrument and filled the air. His eyes were closed and he tentatively began to move his fingers into different positions. Helena sat in awe as the notes circled them in a sad tone, betraying the calm look on the child's Daemyn was enjoying the song as he hopped and bobbed around him. Once he finished and open his eyes Helena grinned at him, "Told you."

Night had fallen and why Helena had been dragged along to this meeting was a mystery to her. Almost on the same level as why Gandalf insisted Bilbo to come. Neither of them knew much about Erebor or runes so how they could help was beyond her. Elrond led them to a cliff at the edge of the last homely house that held an altar near the edge where small waterfalls were coming from above. She and Bilbo hung back as Thorin, Balin, and Gandalf surrounded the moonlit table with Elrond.

Elrond spoke the translation out loud. "Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo asked taking a step forward.

Gandalf turned to him. "It is the start of the dwarves' new year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together."

Thorin turned to Balin, "This is ill news. Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us."

"We still have time." The white hair dwarf assured him.

Bilbo looked at Helena curiously who shrugged her shoulders. "Time? For what?" He asked in general.

Balin looked back at them. "To find the entrance. We have to be standing at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened."

"So this is your purpose, to enter the Mountain." Lord Elrond took a step back.

Thorin glared up at the elf and Helena sighed to herself. "What of it?" He demanded.

"There are some who would not deem it wise."

Thorin snatched back the map in anger, Helena walked over to him and laid a hand on his arm to calm him.

Gandalf stared at the Elf Lord. "Who do you mean?"

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-earth."

The five of them watched as Lord Elrond turned and left the bluff, leaving most of them confused.

Helena looked at Thorin and then at the rest of them before sighing. Seriously, she could have been sleeping right now. At that thought, she tugged on Thorin's sleeve to get his attention. "Do you know the way back to the rooms? I think we all need to get some sleep."

Thorin didn't say anything, just tucked her hand into his elbow and led her, and the rest, from the cliff and through the hallways to the room the company was staying. Fili was waiting up outside the door for her when they arrive and immediately took her hand from his uncle's and held it in his. Helena smiled up at him before bidding the others good night, noticing then they had lost the wizard somewhere along the way.

Helena slowly came to consciousness as she felt something or someone playing with the hoops on her ear. She batted a hand at whatever was bothering her so she could return to sleep. A deep chuckle met her ears as her earring were yanked on again. This time she slapped her hand over her ear, protecting it from the abuse it was receiving.

"How do you remove these?"

The muffled question filtered through her hand and Helena turned over to glare at Fili who was grinning down at her, looking slightly perplexed at her hand covered ear. "Why do you want to know?"

As an answer, he held out his hand palm up and she spotted connected silver rings with a caged jewel in each one. Her breath caught as she admired the jewelry Fili present her and Helena sat herself up to touch the rings in his large hand. "Where did you get these?"

"I made them."

Her hand froze millimeters from his, her eyes meeting his in shock. "W-what? When did you…" She trailed off trying to think of when he had time to construct the earrings.

"You needed a courting gift. Lord Elrond gave me permission to use some of the elves materials to make you one and I spent every day working on them."

Helena thought back to the previous days when he would disappear for some hours each day, but no one would say where he had gone off to and she didn't want to ask him. The thought of him nicely asking for something from an elf struck her humor and she said, "You asked?"

Fili frowned at her tone, "Of course I asked." The impish smile that came over her face had him yanking on one of her braids in retaliation. "Now, how are these rings removed from your ear?"

Helena brought both of her hands to her ear and showed him, the small ball popped free of the metal ring and she pulled it free from her ear. Holding it in front of him, she showed how the ball went back into place and stayed there. She removed the other five and set them on the side stand before turning to Fili expectantly.

He eyed the earrings she had taken out with interest, he would have to find his own way of recreating those. Fili took one of her hands and had her hold the jewelry he had made. Picking up the jewel rings, he threaded them through the holes in her ear, bending the metal slightly to mold it with the top curve of her ear. He took up a dainty silver chain Helena had failed to notice before, and a pair of the smallest plier looking tool she had ever seen, and bent the open parts of the silver rings into the chain securing the earrings in place. Fili worked the silver cuff that sat towards the end of the chain onto the middle of her ear and secured it, tugging lightly to make sure it wouldn't fall off. He let the rest of the chain fall from his fingers, the stone end of it brushing the juncture of her neck and shoulders.

Fili pulled away and Helena lifted her hands to her new adornments, a thrill shooting through her as she tugged on the chain that dangled before and after the cuff. She lifted the end of the chain to examine the diamond bound with silver, clear and bright as the red stones in the rings above it. Helena threw her arms around Fili's shoulders and neck, embracing him in a hug. His arms came around her as her strength pushed him back onto the bed and he laid there with her on top of him, her face buried into his neck.

"Thank you."

Fili only gripped her tighter at the whispered words. Helena pushed herself up and brought her hands to his face, fingers smoothing at the skin of his cheeks and beard. He watched her eyes flick between his eyes and lips as her face was contemplative. Fili held his breath as she leaned down, brushing her full lips across his in a light kiss and looked him in the eyes again. "I love my gift."

A shudder ran through his body as Fili fought to control himself, he allowed one of his hands to run up her back and grip the thicker part of her braid. "You are most welcome ê abnâmul ugrur."

At the look in his eyes, Helena tucked her head back into the curve of his neck and her hands to fall from his face, one to his chest and the other wrapping around his shoulder. She allowed her body to relax and breathing to slow, drifting back into sleep that she had been deprived of the night before.

A knock at her door woke her up this time. Helena opened her eyes and saw the sun was a lot higher than before. Turning over, she saw Fili was gone and she was clutching the pillow he usually slept with. Groaning, she threw the covers back to check if she was decent and she was. Well enough, Helena thought. It was a night shift that covered her entirely even if it was a little tight. None of the dwarves would bat an eyelash at her attire for they had seen it before and as she was being courted, none of them would look her over more than necessary.

"Come in." She called out sitting herself up on the bed.

The door opened and Lord Elrond's sons stepped into the room with confidence and shut the door. "Good Morn…" the one stopped talking as they both stopped, staring at her.

Helena had no idea why they were staring at her like that and they would never tell her. Her wide, sleepy eyes were hazy, her cheeks blushed from just waking, and the nightshift was very form fitting and outlined every curve from her hips up.

"Oh now how is it fair that such a beauty is going to marry a dwarf? Elladan and I are so much better looking than him."

"Said dwarf would probably kill us if he knew we were here." Muttered Elladan. He spoke louder, bringing his dark eyes to her confused ones that were green at the moment. "How about it? Elrohir and I would take excellent care of you if you want to trade up."

Her brows knitted together at the twins words. "But I don't want you two, I want Fili."

Elladan snorted and Elrohir put on a crestfallen look. "That's it brother, we shall never find love." Elladan patted his brother shoulder in a consoling fashion.

"Did you two want something?"

"It's not that we want something…"

"But that we have something to give to you."

Both of them came closer to her bed and she watched them with a wary eye as Elrohir has his hands behind his back. They were not five feet from her when the door reopened and the Durin brothers stepped into the room. Helena beamed at Fili around the twins and Kili grabbed onto the back of his brother's coat as his eyes widened on her and the elves.

"What are you two doing in here?" Fili gritted between his teeth feeling Kili's strong grip at his back.

The elf brothers smirked at him, turned sideways so none of them could see what they were hiding. "We merely wanted to give our favorite guest a token of our appreciation for keeping you dwarves in line." Remarked one of them.

The other brother opened his mouth to speak and was stopped by a pillow hitting his face. They turned to see Helena looking at them with disapproval. "I may have been polite, but you two sure as hell weren't the entire time. Now for the umpteenth time, stop insulting my dwarves!"

Elladan lifted his hands in surrender, "We apologize. Will you accept our gift?"

She narrowed her eyes at them. "Depends on what it is."

Elrohir drew his hands from behind his back making Helena gasp and the dwarf brothers to take a curious step forward. In his hand laid a white violin with ebony filigree and a matching white bow with black strands. He went the final steps to her and gently placed the instrument on her lap, quietly back tracing his steps to his brother's side.

"What…Where…How did you know?" Helena was unable to speak clearly as she was stunned by the beauty of the violin before her. She didn't even want to touch it.

"We have our sources" Elladan said. "It belong to our grandmother's brother, Finrod, we were given permission by our father to give it to you." He smiled at her, "Even if you are to leave it here with your other gifts, it will be waiting here for you."

"Will you play us a song?" Elrohir asked hopefully.

By this time, Fili and Kili were at her side admiring the instrument as well. At the elf's request they both turned to her, also excited at the prospect of hearing her play her favorite instrument.

"I suppose…" Helena picked up the violin, setting it into position on her shoulder. She ran the bow across the wires to gain feeling, if it was different from a violin or fiddle in her world. Thankfully it wasn't. Helena thought back to a song she had heard performed when she was younger. Closing her eyes, she saw the music float before her closed lids and her hands started to move.

None of the males in the room moved when she started playing. The slow, lilting notes took over their senses and they stood mesmerized as she drew them in with each chord struck. They still hadn't moved when Helena finished her piece and opened her eyes. That was until one of the elves hit his knees at her feet.

"I will give you anything you want to stay here."

Helena blinked at him. "That wouldn't do you any good since all I want is Fili."

Elrohir sighed and Elladan patted his head. "Struck out again brother. Better cut our losses and see to our duties." Pulling his brother to his feet he nodded to the dwarves and then to Helena, "Enjoy the rest of your day."

They left the room and Kili turned to her. "What was that about?"

"They've been trying to bribe me to trade in fiancées." Helena laid the violin next to her on the bed and tugged on Fili's coat, bring him and his attention to her and away from the door. The bed was high enough she could rest her chin on his chest. "What are you two up to?"

"Making sure we haven't left anything laying around. Thorin wants to leave in the next few days." Fili brought a hand to her head and traced a finger over her new earrings, smirking when she closed her eyes at the sensation.

"I suppose I should do the same then. And get dressed."

That night, when darkness had fallen and the moon shone bright, Helena and Bilbo were wandering the stairs and halls of Rivendell taking in the peaceful nature of the elf home. The robin, now continuously following her, flew in circles around and above them. With neither of them speaking, both heard Gandalf and Lord Elrond's voices coming from their left and stopped to peer over the edge of the staircase. Below and ahead of them were the wizard and the elf talking, walking over a narrow pathway to an elevated room. Both remained quiet as their voices carried over the air to them.

"Of course I was going to tell you" Gandalf said. "I was waiting for this very chance. And really, I – I think you can trust that I know what I am doing."

"Do you?" Elrond replies. "That dragon has slept for sixty years. What will happen if your plan should fail? If you wake that beast…"

Gandalf cut him off; "But if we succeed! What if the dwarves take back the mountain, then our defenses in the east will be strengthened."

"It's a dangerous move, Gandalf."

As they listened, Helena feels a presence behind her and turns to see that Thorin is standing behind them. She nudges Bilbo who also looks behind at the dwarf king.

"It is also dangerous to do nothing! Oh, come – the throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright! What is it you fear?" Gandalf asked.

"Have you forgotten, a strain of madness runs deep in that family. His grandfather lost his mind. His father succumbed to the same sickness. Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall? Gandalf, these decisions to not rest with us alone. It is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle-earth."

Their voices faded away and Helena turned to Thorin and Bilbo remained looking at the pavilion the two had walked into. She knew nothing could be said to make him feel better, but it was better to try than to not. Placing herself at his side, Helena grabbed his had in both of hers. "I believe in you, and trust that when the time comes everything will turn out right."

Thorin's squeezed her hands in thanks but continued staring off into the night. It wasn't until her head jerk to the side and her hands tense did he look to her. "What is wrong?"

This got Bilbo's attention as well and he too focused in on her.

"We need to leave tonight. The white wizard wants to stop us from leaving to continue this quest."

"Were you warned again?"

At her nod, Thorin turned to Bilbo. "Go tell the others, we leave in one hour. Come Helena, I'll retrieve your belongings from your room with you."

The hobbit skipped down the steps to tell the others of the news while Thorin and Helena rushed to her room to gather her things and anything Fili had left. Strapping her weapons on her and bags carried by herself and Thorin, they clung to the shadows to the room everyone else was in currently. Much to her surprise, everyone was ready. Fili came and took his bags from his uncle so he could take on his own.

"Let's go."

Thorin led them out the door only to be stopped by the children of Lord Elrond.

"Quieter than normal but not enough, right brother?"

"Right you are brother, they'll be caught sneaking away in no time."

"Maybe we should help them."

"But what's in it for us?"

"Perhaps a kiss from the lovely maiden?"

Arwen swept in front of them, slamming her foot down on one of the twin's foot making him hop in place. She smiled at the company, her eyes on Fili who looked ready to run a sword through her brother. "They are right in a sense, you may be caught by one of the elves wandering around. We offer our assistance to guide you out of Rivendell without being spotted."

"Why would you help us, for what reasons?" Thorin demanded.

"Oh we have different reasons…" one of the brothers started and then shut up at his sister's look.

She turned back to Thorin, "Everyone deserves to have a home. I do not agree with Saruman's decision to keep from your quest to get yours back."

Thorin considered her for a moment before trading glances with Balin. "Our thanks in your support."

Arwen took his answer as acceptance of their help and she turned, pushing her brothers ahead of her, leading the company through the halls to the side entrance that not many used. "Good luck in your travels."

"And if you ever tire of the dwarf Varmino, you know where we'll be."

Arwen pushed her brothers again, only this time back into the hall as a growling Fili was drug away by Kili and Helena, the little robin on her shoulder chirping good-bye to his elf friends.

You Raise Me Up in violin by David Garrett

Normally I don't get attracted to celebrities, no use in imagining what can't happen, but this guy... rwor. All about that bone structure. Anywho... that's it for Rivendell. I think next chapter will be them going over the wild but not yet into Goblin Town, we shall see. I'm still in a serious debate about whether to make this a M-Rated story or not...if I did, them two having sex won't happen for a long time. Not to say something else won't occur.