In a full out gallop, Arinya reached the gates of Erebor-or at least, what used to be the gates-in a matter of minutes. From within, she could clearly hear the screams of the terrified people, the collapse of buildings, the crumbling of stone, the crackle of flames, and the thunderous footsteps as the dragon marched through Erebor practically unhindered. Smoke billowed out of the open doorway and into the sky. An orange glow emanated from within.
Arinya pulled back on the reins, the white stallion skidding to a stop. She swiftly dismounted, her feet landing on the ash and debris covered stone road. Denali neighed, rearing up on his hind legs. His nostrils were flared and his eyes wild. He did not like being so close to the dragon. The elf woman paused and turned to look at her steed. "I will be right back," she said in a soothing tone, her voice laced with magic intended to calm him. "Wait here."
Denali tossed his head back, his mane flying. He snorted, his feet ever shifting as he moved from side to side, clearly uncomfortable and petrified. But, he did not move any farther than that or run away. He remained rooted in place.
Unslinging her bow from around her shoulder, Arinya quickly notched an arrow into place and ran towards the opening. Before she even walked through the open doorway, she could feel the intense heat of the flames. It was like an oven. The heat was trapped within the mountain with nowhere to go.
Suddenly, a deafening roar emanated from within. Arinya took a step back despite herself, fear gripping her. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as adrenaline raced through her veins. Every instinct inside her screamed at her to run the other way, to put as much distance between her and Erebor as she could, but she knew that she could never abandon these people to their fate. It was the whole reason she had come in the first place-to help them.
So, steeling herself and tightening her grip on her bow, Arinya ran through the open doorway and into Dale. As soon as she entered, the elf woman noticed piles of ash that littered the once pristine marble floor. With a sickening dread, she realized that it was actually the remains of soldiers that had been incinerated when the fire drake had initially broken through the gate. Her green gaze moved away from it, choosing to focus elsewhere. As her eyes scanned the area, she saw pieces of armor and weapons-perhaps the only remains of the soldiers that had stood at the gate. Rubble and the bodies of fallen soldiers were scattered everywhere. Upon closer inspection of the area, Arinya noticed large cracks in the stone floor. They appeared to be the remains of the dragon's footsteps, the floor cracking underneath the sheer weight.
Arinya's eyes cast about, searching for Thorin. In her mind, she simply kept saying to herself over and over "he can't be dead." She took a few more steps into the main entryway, searching each body for the face of the dwarf prince.
Suddenly, a rustling to her left caught her attention. Her head swung in that direction. At first, she saw nothing. Then, with a shifting of a cloud of ash and rubble, Arinya saw Thorin laying on his side, rising up onto one elbow. Relief flooded her features as she rushed to his side. His blue eyes flicked upward as he watched her approach. Arinya kneeled at his side, ignoring the pain as the sharp debris cut into her knees. "Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly. She hand reached out to gently touch his shoulder.
"No." Thorin slowly rose to his feet, Arinya rising with him. Pieces of debris and dust fell off of him as he straightened to his full height. His face and clothes were dirtied. He reached up a hand, wiping it over his face in an attempt to clear away some of the grime. He let his hand fall back to his side as his head turned in the direction of the interior of Erebor. "We need to get every one out. This place has become nothing more than a death trap," he said. Thorin looked over at her, his expression strangely stoic.
Arinya nodded. "What can I do?"
"I need to find the king, but…" Thorin paused, glancing in the direction of the rest of Erebor as a thunderous roar echoed from somewhere deep within. "My sister and brother…"
"I will find them. Do not worry. Now go. Find your grandfather." Arinya began to turn and jog towards a path to her right.
"Tell anyone you see to evacuate. Erebor is lost," Thorin called after her. "And Arinya!"
The elf slowed, glancing over her shoulder to the prince, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Be careful," he said.
She nodded. "You as well." And with that, Arinya turned and began to run deeper into Erebor while Thorin ran in the opposite direction.
Arinya ran for so long that she lost track of time. She dodged bodies and piles of rubble, skirted around mile high flames, and pushed her way through fleeing crowds of terrified dwarves, all intent on reaching the exit. Still, Arinya did not slow. She was determined to reach Frerin and Dis, and she knew exactly where to go.
In past visions of the sack of Erebor, Arinya had witnessed what had befallen Frerin and Dis. The two siblings were in the living area for the royal family and nobles. She had seen them trying to escape, Frerin trying to lead his ten year old sister to safety, but ultimately fails. While running along a pathway, some of the rock overhead crumbles and collapses onto the young boy, killing him instantly. Dis is then left scared and alone. Arinya never witnessed what became of her, but she could assume that the outcome was grim. But their fates are not for certain. If it was within her power, she would not let them die. So, ignoring the heat and falling rock, Arinya lengthened her strides to reach the siblings.
From her extensive viewing of Erebor through her visions, Arinya actually knew her way around rather well. So, she managed to reach the royal wing relatively quickly. Flames engulfed the area, licking at the stone and devouring the carpets and banners that once decorated the halls. Arinya did her best to shield herself from the flames but there was no escaping the intense heat. She could feel her tunic sticking to her back as she sweated. Her eyes burned, irritated from the dry air. She uttered a few strangled coughs as she breathed in some of the low hanging smoke. Her green eyes frantically searched everywhere as she began to walk down the hall, looking in through open doorways as she hoped to find Frerin and Dis.
Finally, she was rewarded when she saw two distinct shapes through the smoke. As she drew nearer, relief flooded her as she saw Frerin leading his younger sister by her hand. The boy looked up as she drew near. He raised a hand in which he clutched a sword, waving her over. "Here!" he called to her.
Emerging from the flames, Arinya jogged up to the two siblings. Her breathing was loud and uneven from her run. She could hear it, and perhaps even her heart beat, over the roar of the flames as they devoured the dwarven city. As she came up to them, she saw Frerin's eyes narrow.
"What is an elf doing here?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"Long story," she answered very simply. "Your brother sent me to find you." Her green eyes quickly strayed over the two of them. "Are you both alright?"
"I'm fine, but Dis," he nodded down to his sister, "fell and hurt her ankle."
Arinya knelt down so that she was at eye level with the young girl. Dis watched her with wide eyes, her grip tightening on her brother's hand. "My name is Arinya, okay?" Dis nodded. "I am going to get you both out of here, but to do that we are going to have to move quickly. To do that, I will need to pick you up so that you do not further injure yourself. Is that alright?"
Dis cast a look up at her brother briefly before looking back to Arinya. "Yes," she answered.
"Alright then. Up you come." Arinya reached behind the young dwarf girl, wrapping one arm behind her back and the other underneath her legs. Rising to her feet, the elf woman drew Dis into her arms. The girl uttered a small cry of pain as her ankle was aggravated, but fell silent shortly after. She felt Dis grab a firm hold of the back of her tunic as her arms wrapped around her neck, her small head resting on Arinya's shoulder. Arinya's green eyes flicked over to Frerin. "Let's go. Stay close to me."
The brunette turned and began to run back the way she had come. She could hear the sound of Frerin's footfalls as he stayed close on her heels. As she ran, Arinya felt the girl in her arms tighten her grip on her shirt-no doubt that the movement was jostling Dis' injured ankle. But right now there was no help for it. Their first priority was to get out of Erebor. If they didn't, then a hurt ankle would be the least of their worries.
They crisscrossed over a series of bridges and pathways that extend over the enormous drop hundreds of feet below. Arinya glanced over the side of one as she ran over it, hearing the cries of those who were perhaps trapped on the lower levels. As she looked, she couldn't help but to be reminded of the miners who worked deep within the earth. Arinya wondered if they were so far below, that they hadn't heard the death and destruction being wrought on the upper levels. Even if they did know, it would take time to bring them all up and get them out of the mountain. An evacuation of Erebor would take a very long time and Arinya was certain that many would not reach the safety of the open air.
The brunette snapped herself out of her thoughts as she saw Frerin pass her and start to veer down a side path, not the way she had come. "This way!" he called, gesturing for her to follow. "It is a short cut!"
"Frerin, I-" Arinya began but stopped herself. Her green eyes wandered upwards, feeling her heart jolt. "Look out!" she yelled in warning.
Frerin stopped midstride to turn and look at her from over his shoulder. He followed her gaze upward until he caught sight of what had her so alarmed. Far above, large cracks had formed on a bridge above where he was standing, and the cracks were only getting larger. Dragon's fire was not like ordinary fire and seemed to take bites from the rock itself. Finally, the bridge could take no more and began to crumble until massive pieces broke off and began to plummet downward, right to where Frerin was standing. The dwarf boy stood there, his lips parting in shock, but he didn't move. He appeared to be frozen-too stunned to move himself out of the way.
Just before the falling rock struck the ground where he was standing, Arinya darted forward and grabbed the back of the collar of his shirt. With a none too gentle pull, the elf woman managed to yank him out of the way before leaping clear herself. She turned away just as the debris struck the ground, shielding Dis from any projectiles. The young girl uttered a frightened scream before falling silent. A cloud of dust, dirt, and ash arose into the air, causing them all too take with a fit of coughing in order to clear their lungs.
Arinya quickly looked down at Frerin. He had landed on his stomach, covering his head to shield himself. He was covered with debris, but it fell off of him as he slowly rose to his feet. Frerin's brown eyes flicked up to meet Arinya's before quickly darting away. "Thanks," he said sheepishly.
"You're welcome. Now, will you please just trust me on the path to take?" Arinya asked, her voice sounding more irritated than she really felt. Frerin nodded. "Good. Now, let's go."
Once again, the small group took off running. This time, Frerin trusted her judgment and simply followed. Arinya led them down a series of different passageways, bridges, and tunnels. More than once, though, they were forced to double back due to rubble blocking their way-the way that Arinya had used before. But she always knew an alternate route, her extensive knowledge of the paths of Erebor coming in handy. They ran for perhaps twenty minutes before they came within sight of the main gate, the blue sky visible through the open doorway. Throngs of soldiers and people poured out of the exit and into the open air.
"We are nearly there," Arinya breathed, relief filing her. They were going to make it.
She spoke too soon. Just as they began to cross a bridge to the main path to the main gate, a massive piece of rock the size of a horse, which perhaps was all that remained of one of the buildings or pillars above them, broke free and began to fall. It plummeted downward, on an inevitable crash course with the bridge. Arinya grabbed Frerin's arm, stopping him in mid stride as he started to cross the bridge. Tightening her grip around Dis, Arinya hurriedly backed up until they were off of the bridge. A moment later, the massive chunk of rock struck the bridge, falling straight through as it continued its swan dive to the lower levels. Left behind was a large gaping hole in the bridge.
"Come on," the elf said, starting to turn around. "We'll find another way."
"But the entrance is right there!" Frerin exclaimed. "We can jump."
"No," Arinya said shortly. "It's too dangerous." She began to turn back around once again, but stopped as she suddenly felt Frerin wrench himself from her grasp. She whirled around to see him dashing towards the gap. "Frerin!" she shouted, her voice filled with alarm, but he didn't slow.
When he reached the edge, he leapt high into the air. To Arinya, it seemed as if he hung in the air for a brief moment as she prayed that he would make it. Then, a moment later, Frerin's feet touched down on the other side of the bridge. He turned around, a triumphant smile on his youthful face. "See? We can make it. Come on!" he called over to her.
Arinya scowled. That was a foolish move on his part. There was no way for him to know if he could make it to the other side or not. It was an unnecessary risk. She took a few wary steps forward, but instantly stopped herself. The bridge was cracking further, no longer able to support very much weight now that its midsection had been removed. Already, the broken edges were slowly crumbling away.
"Frerin, back up!" Arinya warned, continuing to back up until she was no longer on the bridge.
The dark haired boy looked down as she pointed to the gap in the bridge. His brown eyes locked upon the rapidly crumbling stone, widening in surprise. He hurriedly backed up as the cracks in the stone began to lengthen. He looked up at them, his eyes fearful.
Arinya uttered a curse in elvish under her breath. Loosening her grip around Dis, she drew the young girl away from her so that she could look into her face. As she pulled her away, she saw tears trailing down her face. The poor girl. This was a frightful experience for her. She was losing her home, with people screaming and dying around her. She was probably in pain as well from her ankle. Arinya desperately wished that none of this had come to pass as she looked into her young face.
"Dis" she said, speaking her name gently. "You are most certainly not going to like this, but we need to get you to the other side. I am going to have to throw you over the gap to your brother."
Dis' eyes widened in horror. Vigorously, she shook her head. "No, no, no. I do not want to," she cried, new tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. "I will fall."
"Your brother will catch you," the elf woman assured her, but the terrified ten year old continued to vehemently shake her head. "Dis," Arinya began, speaking her name in such a way that drew her attention. "I swear to you, I will not let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?"
Dis looked at her, directly into the eye. The tears stopped falling and the sobs subsided. Her grip on the back of Arinya's maroon tunic tightened once again. A sudden determination appeared on the young dwarf girl's face. She nodded. "Yes."
Arinya smiled warmly. "Good." Her green eyes shifted over to Frerin, who was watching them with distress, not knowing what to do. "Frerin!" The brown eyes locked on her. "I am going to have to throw Dis across the gap to you! Get yourself ready!"
Frerin nodded. He walked, albeit cautiously, out onto the bridge, Arinya doing the same on the other side. Arinya could feel the stone slowly cracking and groaning under her feet, adding to the stress and anxiety that she already felt. When she reached the edge, her green eyes flicked up to Frerin. He had reached the precipice of the gap. He cast a fearful look at the considerable gap, which had widened since he first jumped over, before looking back up to Arinya. He nodded his confirmation that he was ready.
Arinya adjusted her hold upon Dis, moving her into a position that would allow her to throw her more easily. "Ready?" she asked her.
The young girl nodded, but said nothing as she released her grip on Arinya's tunic.
Then, taking a deep breath, Arinya threw Dis with all her might. She held her breath as she watched her sail through the air. Dis let out a shrill scream as she flew over the gap. Then, a moment later, she landed securely in her brother's arms. The elf released her captive breath in relief.
Suddenly, she saw the bridge begin to crumble from beneath Frerin's feet, the new weight of Dis apparently too much for it to bear. "Frerin, run!" she shouted in warning. "Run!"
The nineteen year old seemed to pause in the momentary victory of having his sister safe. His brown eyes flicked downward as he saw the stone beginning to give way beneath his feet. He turned to run to safety, but never got the chance as the bridge collapses. The rock began to fall down the deep chasm, bringing Frerin and Dis down with them, the young girl screaming in terror.
Arinya acted on pure instinct. Her arm raised, her palm pointed at the falling siblings. From the center of her hand, a white hot light began to emanate as her magic flared to life. Arinya could feel the power of her magic as it roared through her veins, igniting her very blood. Her magic reached out to the forests just beyond the rock shell of the Lonely Mountain. She could feel the pines burning as her magic briefly touched them before moving deeper into the earth. The trees themselves were not what she was searching for. It was the roots. Within a fraction of a moment, she found them. Using her magic, Arinya drew them under her command and pulled them to Erebor. She could feel them move, like snakes through the dirt as they rapidly cut their way through the earth to reach her, moving with blinding speed. Suddenly, one of the walls of Erebor to Arinya's left practically exploded. Rock and dirt rained into the air before plummeting downward to the levels below. Through the newly made hole in the rock came massive roots, writhing and moving like giant worms. They surged out of the hole, across the chasm, using surrounding buildings and bridges for supports. Diving downward, the tip of one of the massive roots caught up to a falling Frerin and Dis. It wrapped around them, effectively stopping their fall.
Arinya released the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Her palm still glowing with a bright white light, she made an upward gesture and the roots began to gently draw up the two dwarf children. Arinya suddenly felt exhaustion sweep over her as her magic took its toll. She fell to her knees, her legs no longer having the strength to hold her upright. She began to sag to the side and would have fallen over if she had not braced herself against the floor her hand. With the other remaining, unused roots, Arinya used her magic to utilize them to wrap around the remains of the bridge, securing it and making it useable once more. The brunette could feel her strength being slowly sapped away as her magic drew on her energy. She felt as if her throat and chest were raw, causing pain with every breath as her chest heaved.
Reaching up the hand used to brace her, Arinya covered her mouth as she coughed several times. When she pulled it away, she was shocked to see the stain of red on her hand. Had she just coughed up blood? She felt her hand shaking in from of her slowly blurring vision. Arinya did her best to stave off unconsciousness. She just needed to stay awake long enough to place Frerin and Dis back on the upper level.
Within moments, the root bearing the two siblings appeared from the depths and gingerly set them onto the stone ground. They unwound itself from around them and disappeared over the edge of the bridge. With Frerin and Dis now safe, Arinya let her magic fall dormant once again, the bright glow leaving her palm as she let it fall down into her lap. As soon as her magic left her, the fire in her veins ceased, as did the taxation on her strength.
As they straightened, their eyes wide with fear and shock, they turned to look at the now weakened elf woman who lay upon the floor. Arinya looked into their faces, waiting. She wasn't sure what to expect. That was the first time a non-elf had seen her magic. She half expected them to keep their distance, calling her a witch as they backed away in fear. But they did the opposite.
Frerin set Dis down upon the ground as she continued to squirm in his embrace. Obviously ignoring the pain in her ankle, but still wincing nonetheless, the young dwarf girl hobbled over to where Arinya lay. When she reached her, she threw her arms around the elf woman's neck. "Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you so much."
Arinya's eyes were wide with surprise. She had expected some degree of mistrust, but there was none to be found in this young girl. Her expression softening, she slowly reached up her arms and held her back. "You're welcome," she replied. Her green eyes shifted upward as she saw Frerin walking up to her.
His expression was unreadable as he looked at her. Finally, he said, "You are her, are you not?"
The elf woman's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who?"
"The elf girl Thorin spoke of ten years ago-the one he met in the woods who possessed magic. That was you." The way he said it was more of a statement of fact than a question.
Dis pulled away from Arinya to look at her, the elf woman letting her hands fall back to her sides as their embrace ended. "Yes. Yes, that was me," she sighed, answering honestly.
All Frerin did in response to that confirmation was nod. He leaned down, offering her his hand. "Can you stand?" he questioned.
Grateful for the gesture, Arinya gripped his hand, making sure not use the one that was currently stained with blood. Taking a firm hold of her hand, Frerin hauled the weak elf to her feet. As soon as she was on her feet, she felt rather light headed. She placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes, as if it would soothe it. Her legs felt weak and unsteady beneath her, but at least they could carry her weight. Her green eyes flicked over to Frerin, who still held her hand in case she needed him. She opened her green eyes and offered him a grateful smile. "I am fine now," she told him, her voice reassuring.
Frerin nodded and released her hand, his arm falling back to his side. He bent down and scooped Dis up into his arms, his young sister wrapping her arms around his neck for support. Together, the three of them crossed the bridge, now held together by the summoned roots and began to make their way to the main gate. Behind them, they left the intense fires, scorching heat, crumbling buildings, clouds of smoke, and the burned and mangled bodies as they made their way toward to freedom of the open air.
A/N: Hello everyone. Hope you are enjoying my story so far. I would just like to take a moment to request some more reviews from everyone on this particular chapter. I worked really hard on it and would very much like to hear your opinions on it. Especially on the fact that I just revealed a little more about Arinya's magic. I would LOVE to hear from people I haven't yet. I want to know what you think so far and would like to hear from you at least once. As for my other regular reviewers, thank you sooooo much! I love you all! I can honestly say that I think of you every time I post a chapter because I look forward to reading your wonderful reviews. They really mean a lot to me and make me want to continue to write this story. So thank you! You are the reason that this story is still going!
And I would just like to take a moment to say "YAY" because we have reached 200 follows on this story! I am really grateful for your continued support! If you have anything in depth that you want to ask me or just want to know where I am going with the story, just shoot me a PM and I will respond ASAP. As always, welcome to all of the new followers and favorites! PLEASE REVIEW!
