35. Betrayal and training

Tauriel took care of my leg to magical extent. Her hands worked real magic, and when she wrapped a new bandage around the wound, it wasn't hurting. At. All.

"Hannad, meldis." My hand put itself onto my heart.

Her green eyes settled on me with a fair smile. "You know, I really despised you at first." I chuckled. "What with you being able to enter the Halls without my knowing and everything. I really despised you for it."

I smiled. "And now?"

"Now, I trust Gandalf when he says you are brave."

"Thank you, Tauriel, Daughter of the Woodland, it really means a lot to me."

She smiled again before leaning back up. A smirk formed onto her lips. "How are you with a bow?"

I winced. "Rubbish, I'm afraid." I looked sideways at Fili's present, lying onto the table of Tauriel's tent. "I am no good for a mithril bow."

"I'll teach you." She smiled again. "When you come back from that...meeting, I shall teach you."

Again, my hand went up to my chest, and I bowed my head.

"I'll leave you to rest now."

"Tauriel, this is your tent."

She winked. "I can share with Legolas. He won't mind."

I smirked. "I'm sure."

We both chuckled, and the Elf left the tent, closing the lapels behind her.

I had made a friend, it seemed.

But all-too-soon, morning came. I had not rested, or for a few moments only, when Gandalf came to wake me.

I wrapped my bow and quiver on my back, put Sting safely at my hip, and followed.

No limp when I walked anymore. No pain.

"You seem tense, Miss Ari."

I sighed as we walked towards Thranduil and Bard, waiting for us not far. "Gandalf... He has only started to trust me back in the Elvenhalls. And now I'm betraying that trust."

"You're doing it to save them all. I am certain that Thorin will come back to his senses before the end."

A lump formed in my throat. "Yes, the end..."

The Elvenking welcomed me with a bow of the head.

I really didn't like him, for reasons all my own, but still answered as politely as I could. "Mae arad, Elvenking. And good-morning to you, Bard."

"Miss Ari. Glad to see your leg is better."

"Thank to Tauriel. She is a precious warrior and healer."

"That is why she is my Head of Guard." Then the Elf looked up at Gandalf. "Shall we go?"

The wizard nodded, and we started our somehow long journey towards the Front Gate.

The Mountain stood so near I was afraid they'd see me come with their by then enemies and start freaking out.

My hands shook so hard I gripped Sting's hilt as strongly as I could.

"Everything will go fine, Miss Ari. I promise."

Erebor's gates had been left open after the dragon broke the huge doors, opening onto darkness and an empty hall leading to the throne-room.

In the doorway, I could make several figures. And then more adding themselves to the lot.

Soon, it was certain that all dwarves had come out.

And had realised I was not in my room anymore.

Finally – or too soon, following your trail of thoughts – we arrived onto the doorstep.

Several steps above us, my twelve companions stood, their eyes widening in disbelief at both my and Gandalf's presence among the delegation.

"Good-morning, Thorin Oakenshield."

But the dwarven prince didn't answer Bard. His icy eyes were locked onto me, and I felt a piercing arrow going through my heart at the profound sadness buried in them. "I dared not believe my eyes, but it is true. You have left our side and joined the enemy."

I shook my head frantically. "No, Thorin, I haven't. If you listen to us, you'll know."

But he was deaf to my pleas. His eyes were now on Gandalf, but he made no comment on his presence.

"Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain, we are here to negotiate peace."

"Peace?" He was back into his old self, a statue of ice surrounding a warm heart deep down. "How can you speak of peace, Man, when such a person stands by you? I haven't forgotten the treatment we were given in Mirkwood. Nor the way the Elves abandoned us when the calamity befell us so long ago."

Gandalf huffed. "Your stubbornness will lead to nothing good, Thorin."

"And your betrayal, does it mean anything?"

"We haven't betrayed you, neither Miss Ari nor me. We are acting for you. To save you from impeding war."

"Ha! So you do admit war is coming!"

Thranduil sighed, the sound so foreign in an Elf's mouth. "Aye, Hadhog, but not with us."

The ice seemed to melt for a split second. "What are those lies?"

I spoke up, feeling all eyes on me. I couldn't miss the look of pain on many of my friends' faces, but decided to stomach it until further notice. "These aren't lies, Thorin. Bolg has survived the fight along the Riverrun. He has gone fetching reinforcements, both from the Misty Mountains and from Mordor itself."

"Lies! The Orc has been defeated!"

Gandalf growled. "How many times will you hide behind this pretence? Once before you made the mistake to believe Bolg didn't hold any grudge against you. See what good it did you when we were attacked that night!"

Thorin remained silent.

Giving Bard the opportunity he was waiting for. "We have something to offer you to prove our good thoughts."

The prince's eyes were back onto the archer's. If looks could have killed, Bard would have frozen to death under that glare. "And what do you think you can offer us that we don't have already?"

"This." And Bard produced the Arkenstone from his pocket.

A gasp ran in my friends' ranks. In the corner of my eyes, I saw that only Bofur...and Nori didn't seem surprised.

Nori?

"How did you-?" Thorin's eyes were back on me. And this time, what I saw broke my heart in a million pieces.

Hatred.

"You. You have stolen it from us. From me. When I trusted you."

I cast my eyes down. "I knew you wouldn't have listened otherwise."

Thorin yelled at that, his booming voice echoing into the plains. "I will not make peace with you! From now on, and until the day I die, Elves, Men and Wizards alike are my enemies, and should I kill them, I will be saved from their lies and deceits. And you," his finger was pointed in my face, "if I ever lay eyes on you again, my sword will meet your neck."

And with that, he whirled around and got back inside, Dwalin, Dori, Bombur, Gloin, Fili and Kili behind him.

The remaining dwarves were still staring at me.

I looked up at Balin. "I hope you will forgive me, Balin. I swear I haven't betrayed you."

"I wished I could believe you, Miss Ari, I wish I could." And he took got back inside, Ori on his heels.

Bofur made a pace forward, as if he wanted to rejoin me, but two arms put themselves before his chest to stop him.

Nori and Oin.

Nori's eyes locked onto me. "I knew. I trust you."

"And I."

I felt tears flowing in my eyes and blinked them away. "Thank you."

Then the healer turned to my lover. "Come, Bofur. She will be fine."

Bofur's grey eyes seemed solidified when they locked on mine for one last time. I nodded, and he turned around, pausing a split second before getting back inside too.

Gandalf's hand soon found my shoulder. "I am sorry. But we all knew Thorin to be stubborn."

"He's not only stubborn. He hates me."

"He won't. Soon enough, he won't. And see, you have at least three friends left among your companions."

I smiled sadly. "And I am about to lose them all in a stupid battle."

"No battle is stupid, Miss Ari. I've learnt that with time and experience. Come now, I believe you have an archery lesson you can't miss."

"Quiet, Ariana!"

For the umpteenth time, my arrow fell into the field.

"You have to let all your thoughts to the side. It is no good to think too much."

I snorted. "Easily said."

The Elf entered my sight, a sorry smile on her lips. "Yes, I know. Let me give you an advice. Think then, about one moment you felt calm, safe, and strong. Focus on that memory, and release."

I notched another arrow, and sighed. A happy thought? What, like, what Lost Boys needed to fly? Ridiculous.

"Feel it, don't question it."

And now I was an open book. Nice.

I closed my eyes and brought the arrow to my cheek.

A happy thought. A moment in my life I felt calm, safe and strong.

A picture imposed itself in my mind.

A song. A camp-fire. Harps and violins and flutes.

Ori falling asleep on a tree-stump. Fili and Kili laughing.

That night in Rivendell.

I released.

"See? Almost perfect."

I opened my eyes.

My arrow had locked into the aim, a few inches left of the centre.

My best shot to date.

I turned to Tauriel and smiled widely. "That's brilliant! Again!"

She chuckled – like a bell chiming – and walked to the aim. "If you carry on like that, you'll be as sharp as an Elf by the end of the day."

I gritted my teeth. "As soon as I can shoot an Orc in the head, I'm happy with that."

And if by doing so, I made sure three of my friends didn't die, it'd be even better.

And screw it if it changed the story too much.

I loved them too bloody much to let them die.

One arrow for Thorin. One for Fili. And one for Kili.

"No, you won't die. I won't let you."