Ok so fun fact for you, the beginning of this chapter was actually the very first thing I wrote for this story. It was this scene that came to my mind randomly and I could not get it out of my head, so I just wrote it. Then of course I wanted more so I started writing and creating ideas/events/characters. Hope you are all enjoying I am sorry if updates have been a bit slow but I have been struggling with the next few chapters on how exactly I want them to happen. But here is at least something for now.

Disclaimer: I only own my own characters and additions to the story.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Sickness and Banishment

Fili looked over toward the dwarrowdam sitting slouched on a piece of old rubble. She was staring at the ground with a lost look reflected in her face. Her hair was matted with dried Orc blood and was more of a dull grey from the smoke and ash that she had been running around in just hours before. Her face was covered in a layer of black with streaks on her cheeks where tears had washed away the dirty grim. Her clothes were disheveled and singed in places where the flames of the dragons fire had reached out to engulf her in fire. Despite her ragged look Fili had never seen something so sad and beautiful at the same time. His attention was taken away from the lone figure when a hard roll and strip of dried meat was pressed into his hand. He looked up to see the large form of Bombur move on to his brother and other dwarves in the company handing out the Same rations that lay on his hands. As Bombur gave a hesitant look over at Rylynn he began to make his way over but before Fili even knew what he was doing his feet had carried him over to the burly dwarf and took the meager rations out of his hand.

"Let me" he said.

Bombur looked almost relieved as he gave a slight nod of the head and handed the food over to Fili's out stretched hand. What was he doing? Fili had no idea what to say but he knew there had to be something he could do and that was to make sure she kept going. Eating was one of those things. So many months had passed by but never had he realized just how much this lass had affected him until he saw the lake town going up in flames. Yes he had told her he loved her but there was something agonizing knowing that she was down there trapped in a maze of buildings and unfamiliar territory with a dragon raining terror and destruction upon her surroundings. It was as if his heart tore from every cord and dropped to his abdomen. Never did it occur to him that love would be so painful. He never thought that he would feel such sorrow of the thought of losing her from his life. So much had changed over the last several months, at first she was distant and seemed to always be mad at him or at the least annoyed with anything he did for her. Normally he would have just ignored it and moved on but somehow along the journey his feelings changed and there was something that drove him towards her. It was this drive that had made him offer a truce of friendship. For that drive he was thankful for because never in his life he had felt more alive and had reason to be so motivated. But now he was not so sure about the future, Rylynn was not the same person as when the went separate ways just the night before.

She didn't even move or acknowledge that he was there when he approached her. She just sat there staring at the ground her eyes were glazed over as she submerged herself in her sorrow. Bending down to a crouched position to get eye level with her, he placed a hand on her knee and thrust the food in her line of sight.

"You need to eat" he said sternly.

Her eyes broke away from their transic stare and her blue eyes moved to meet Fili's. At first he thought she was angry with him, her eyes blazing like the blue flames of fire shining brightly in contrast with the black soot that covered her face. But then he realized it wasn't anger, it was sorrow. Her eyes flooded with tears and her arms wrapped around a surprised Fili's neck as she hugged tightly to him as if her life depended on it. Fili sat down on the ground wrapping Rylynn in his arms and sitting her in his lap as he cradled the slim form of the dwarrow maid. Looking over the top of her head that was now buried into his chest he looked to see that every dwarf that was in the room staring with their mouths agape in astonishment at Rylynn's reaction. She had not said a word since she had arrived.

Balin could not believe it. He had given up on the young lass when even Bilbo's small attempt to get her to talk failed and for all people for Fili to get such a reaction out of her he could not believe it. Balin had felt bad for the poor lad he had tried so hard to get the pretty maid's attention when the two sisters joined their journey but she had ignored him so much that he thought Fili would just given up. But now that Balin thought about it he realized that it had been a long time since he saw Rylynn act hostile toward Fili. As Balin thought more and more about the past few days and weeks he could not picture a time when he didn't see the two together. There was not a specific time when he could pinpoint the change but as he thought about it, it was obvious. How did he not realize earlier? Balin had pitied the the poor lad because he could see the attention Fili had kept giving her but had determined that there was no hope as far as Rylynn returning the affection but now...was it the sorrow over her sister or did she change over the past months. Fili was just a young lad eager for adventure when they had left but now he was grown, he had changed. The journey had turned him into a man well past his seasons. It had been a hard long journey for all of them, Balin thought, they had all changed.


Thorin walked into the great hall were the rest of the company was gathered. Many of them had fallen asleep unable to fight off the fatigue after the events of the past several days. Rylynn had woken earlier from her short but heavy slumber and was now sitting beside Fili quietly. Fili himself had not yet gained any sleep but he was happy to sit by Rylynn in silence waiting to do whatever it was that Rylynn needed. At the moment she just needed a friend to sit by. Thorin made his way out of the treasury and towards the front gates.

"What are you louses doing!" Thorin roared as he approached the group and seeing them sitting around the campfire. "You should all be down in the treasury looking for the Arkenstone. As I said before no one rests until we find it."

"Thorin the dragon is gone," said Balin approaching Thorin cautiously. "We will find it in time but you have to let them rest. You need to rest."

Thorin was already shaking his head as Balin finished. "No. I am not weak like them, I will not rest until I find the stone. If they need rest then so be it. But as soon as dawn approaches you are all expected to pick up where you left off." He looked around at the group his eyes scanning each individual thoroughly before moving onto the next one.

He looked at Fili then moved on to Rylynn. This is where he stopped and his stern glare turned even colder. "What is that traitor doing here?" He asked pointing to Rylynn.

The tension in the air grew so thick Fili felt as if he could cut it with his sword. What was going on? Why was Thorin acting this way? Was it not him who spoke so highly of Rylynn, him who defended Rylynn, who said she was not at fault? No, thought Fili, this was not him, that Thorin was not the dwarf standing before them this was not his uncle. Immediately Fili became worried as to what was about to happen. If Thorin was calling her a traitor there was no knowing what he would do to her not with this new version of Thorin.

"You, stand up." said Thorin walking towards Rylynn.

Rylynn was still staring off into her own mind and was oblivious to what he was saying. Thorin repeated himself but again was ignored by Rylynn. Growing even more angry he grabbed her by her arms and pulled her to her feet. Withdrawing his sword he raised it to her neck. The contact brought her back from her thoughts and for the first time she lifted her blank stare to Thorin's blazing eyes.

Fili stood immediately and moved to pull Rylynn away from Thorin but as he moved Thorin looked at him warningly. Several others moved forward as well but stopped as Thorin yelled at them."Do not interfere," he warned.

"Thorin" said Balin carefully. "You are not well, remember Rylynn is the reason why any of us are standing in this hall. You yourself said she was not at fault."

"That was before I realized what a liar she was, my eyes have been opened since then, I see more clearly. She has done nothing but manipulate and lie to you, all of you." This last part was directed at Fili. Thorin let his eyes linger on his nephew before looking back at Rylynn. "Even me. But I realize now that she is just like Hod. She spins lies to her benefit, she has done nothing but betray everyone. She is selfish, only looking out for herself and taking care of others only when it is a benefit to her. Is that why I do not Milla her with us. Did you no longer have any use of your sister? Did you no longer need her to make excuses for the unforgivable acts that you have done?"

At the mention of her sister's name Rylynn's eyes grew dark. Fili watched the transformation of the hopeless oblivious Rylynn turn into something entirely new, something he had never seen before. Her eyes were no longer dim and lifeless but a burning rage ignited as she stepped closer to Thorin. "Milla is dead. She died killing the dragon that your were supposed to slay! Some KING you are, you call me selfish? Look at yourself, you hid in your treasury surrounded by gold as innocent people die because of you. Laketown is destroyed because of your selfishness for gold!"

Thorin's eyes grew wide and he brought his sword back as if to swing down on her but paused as Fili and several others shouted. Rylynn did not even even flinch in fact, he face softened and she looked up at Thorin.

"Do it" she said quietly.

He looked at her confused then back at the others as if checking to see if he heard her right. "What did you say."

"Do it, kill me. You said yourself I was a traitor, you once told me that traitors are executed so if I am a traitor then kill me!"

"NO!" yelled Fili moving forward but was stopped by Kili.

"Wait" Kili whispered as he looked at Thorin's face.

It was not the face of a mad man anymore. Instead it was the familiar face of his uncle. Thorin brought down his sword and looked at his hand clasped around the handle. He dropped it and took a step back from Rylynn. For a moment Fili thought that Thorin was back but then his eyes grew dim and they narrowed at Rylynn.

"No, that would be too kind of a punishment," he said cruelly. "You do not deserve peace. Your father would be disappointed in what you have become."

Rylynn's mind flashed with a flood of memories as Thorin spoke. Her father was lying in his bed making her promise to lead the rightful heir to Erebor. Then she was standing over him with a knife in her hand as blood trickled from his neck. Her vision went red as she looked at the blood on her hands, then Milla was lying before her, blood was covering her front, then she blinked and Thorin was in front of her again. She tried to control it, to hold it back but she could not help it, her body was shaking too much and she had to release the build up.

"You know what, you are right. I am a liar, I am a disappointment to my father. I made him a promise once to make sure that only the true and rightful heir made it through that door. But now I see I broke that promise, you are no rightful heir. I once said you were a good man and thought that you would be a just and honorable king. But this!" she pointed to him. "This it not that man, you are not worthy of it."

"That is no way to speak to your king!'' bellowed Thorin.

"You forget, Thorin. I have no King! I am not under your rule," she snapped back.

"Get out," he said, his eyes bulging as he looked at her with malice. Rylynn stayed put. She continued to stare at him, refusing to let her eyes fall from his. "Get out! Leave! You were waiting for my decision and sentence, well here it is. Rylynn, daughter of Jorra of the Aglamond dwarfs, I hereby banish you from Erebor and the Northern lands that fall under the rule of this mountain."

Fili's heart was beating furiously as he watched the scene before him. He could not believe the what was happening. His arms were numb and he watched as Rylynn stepped back, turned, and walked away from Thorin towards the front gates.

"You cannot not do this!" Fili yelled at Thorin. "You already said that she would not be banished, you gave me your word!"

"I have had a change of heart," Thorin replied flatly as he stared at Rylynn's retreating back.

"Then I am going with her," said Fili as he went to follow Rylynn as she walked by.

Thorin's eyes grew wider as the shock of Fili's announcement hit him. He went to yell to Fili, to stop him but it was Rylynn who was faster to react. She immediately stopped to face him. She grabbed his arm, slightly pushing him back from her. "No. Stay here with your brother, you cannot abandon him her alone. He needs you."

"Rylynn I cannot let you go alone, I said I would be there to protect you," he argued.

Rylynn just shook her head again. "I will be fine." she looked back to where the rest of the company was standing looking conflicted by what was happening. Then she looked to Thorin who was glaring at her. "He needs more protection than me, if you leave with me he will only become worse."

"Fili," said Thorin in a low growl. "Let her go."

Fili looked at Rylynn who gave him a reassuring squeeze on his arm and a small smile. "It's alright Fili, I promise I will be fine, I will return to my homeland, to where my father's people are." She looked back to Thorin and spoke loud enough for him to hear. "You once promised to take care of my sister. Her body is under the care of Bard the lake man. Her dying wish was to be buried inside of Erebor. It is the least you can do considering she is the reason why your dragon is dead." With that said she turned back around and began to walk out of Erebor.

Fili watched as Rylynn retreated from Erebor until her body was swallowed by the darkness of the night. He fought the burning hatred towards his uncle that was building up in his chest and mind. He knew that once Thorin was back into his right mind things would be put right, but there was still that hanging worry that Thorin would be lost forever for his madness. That and middle earth was a vast land, what if he could never find Rylynn, even after Thorin's sanity was back. He yearned to run after her but Rylynn was right, he could not leave his brother alone, he could not be selfish.

As always I am always eager to know what you think and any advice that could help me improve would be awesome.