A/N: Hello to all! There have been some new followers in the past few days and I am so thankful to have you! I hope some of my long time followers are still out there. I hope everyone is doing well in these strange times. All is well where I am (at the moment) though we're all going a bit stir crazy. Hopefully another chapter of the story will take your mind off things ... at least for a few minutes. We are now moving on from The Desolation of Smaug and we'll now head into the finale and The Battle of the Five Armies. Please let me know what you think!
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April: Thanks! Here's the next one!
Crystal: Your wish is my command!
Guest: Thank you! Hope you enjoy this newest chapter!
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It's all Tolkien's and PJ's. Only Rhae and her bit in all this belongs to me.
Morning dawned clear but cold. Rhae could hear the Company downstairs as they ate and prepared to leave the inn. Her steps were slow, she was not looking forward to the confrontation with Thorin, but eventually even she made it down to the main room. There was a little bread and jam left but she found she wasn't very hungry. Glancing around she realized that, just like in the movie, Bofur was no where to be found. Before she could say anything about it Thorin told them it was time to go and the remaining members filed out the door. Throwing her pack over her shoulder and giving Maud and Eldon a heartfelt thank you she followed behind the dwarves.
It seemed like most of the town had turned out to see them off. They called out blessings and encouragement to the company as they made their way to the pier where the promised boats awaited them. Bilbo was the first to notice Bofur's absence as they made their way through the growing crowd. Thorin brushed it off causing concern to appear on the hobbit's face.
"I'm sorry to say it but we can't wait if we wish to find the door in time," Balin added though it was clear he was a bit upset as well.
"Don't worry. Bofur will be fine. I will see to it," she whispered in his ear when they finally halted by the dock.
"How?"
"Trust me." She gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile.
He appeared ready to respond but Thorin approached them then and he scurried away. It made her a bit sad to see that their hobbit seemed afraid of their leader now when he never had been before. Perhaps he had seen the changes as well.
"I would like for you to remain here until we have found the door and entered the mountain," Thorin finally said after a long hesitation.
She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
His cheeks colored a bit. "I feel only dwarves should be there when we take those first steps into our home."
Rhae tried to put an expression of offense on her face though his wish played right into her hands. She had to stretch this out a bit longer, though; he knew she wasn't one to give up easily. "I am not good enough to step foot in Erebor?"
"Nothing like that, marlûna. Once we've entered the mountain I will send someone to come get you. Then we can face Smaug and retake our home."
"I have been a part of this Company since The Shire and helped you through much. I don't like the thought of being abandoned now." Her words sounded convincing enough.
"I am not abandoning you."
"What about Bilbo? He is not a dwarf."
"Our burglar signed a contract and has a job to perform. He will not be with us when we take our first steps into Erebor, though. It will be just dwarves. Once he enters to find the Arkenstone I will send for you." He stepped to her side and placed a hand on her cheek. "We do not know exactly what we will find when we open that door. I would prefer to know that you are safe, marlûna."
Giving a sigh that was part relief, part act Rhae nodded. Thorin's shoulders visibly relaxed and he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"I will find Bofur and keep him out of mischief but if we don't hear from you within seven days we will head to the mountain."
He pursed his lips, obviously not liking her giving her own stipulations, but he – wisely – didn't argue.
"It shouldn't take you longer than four days to reach the mountain, giving you plenty of time to find the door and … see about Smaug."
"I look forward to you joining me in the greatest dwarf kingdom of Middle Earth." He gripped her hands close to his chest. "Then you will give me an answer to my question."
A blast of fanfare and cheers kept her from having to respond and they listened to the disgustingly fake good will speech from the Master. It was clear he was quite glad to see them leave and while the promise of gold had been his motivation the entire time he clearly hoped never to see the Company again.
Everything was going smoothly and of that she was very glad. The discussion with Thorin could have been bad but he'd already decided on his own that he wanted her to stay in the town. Relieved as she was to have avoided an argument Rhae nonetheless worried about the motivation behind the decision. Though she knew part of him, that part that was still Thorin Oakenshield, truly wanted her safe that other part, the part that was giving in to the gold sickness, most likely had convinced him she didn't deserve to step foot in the mountain. The thought of what she might have to contend with once she did enter Erebor made her shiver slightly.
When she made no move to get on the boat with the Company, however, the smoothness of the morning faded. Filí reached out to help her on and when she refused confusion then disbelief flooded his face.
"I'm not coming, Filí."
"What? What do you mean you're not coming? Of course you are."
"No, I will be remaining here until sent for."
"Why would you do that? You're part of the Company, Rhae, and - "
"Because I asked it of her," Thorin interrupted. "I have decided it is safer for my future Queen to stay here until we see what we are facing in the Mountain." She noticed he made no mention of the fact he didn't want non-dwarven feet entering with them. A myriad of expressions crossed Filí's face and his eyes darted between the two of them. She wasn't exactly sure what was more upsetting to him: the fact Thorin had asked her to stay behind or the fact that she had just publicly been called his Queen.
"You would leave her behind, uncle? She is a part of us."
"She is not a dwarf." Thorin's words came out harshly. "One day you will be king and you will understand." Filí looked over at her and she gave a slight nod.
Stepping back she watched as the rest of the Company boarded the boats and they had to endure a final word from the Master. However as the ropes were loosened and the boats moved away from the dock Filí leapt back onto firm ground and came to her side.
"Filí! What are you doing?"
"I will remain here with her for protection, uncle."
"Don't be a fool. You belong with the Company."
"And so does she. As you said, I will one day be king and a king, a leader, does not abandon one of their own."
"Filí," she hissed. "You can't do this."
Thorin opened his mouth to argue further but Kilí then tried to follow his brother and his attention became focused on keeping his youngest nephew in the boat.
"Don't worry, Kee. I will see you soon," he called. The boats had moved too far for anyone to get on or off at that point and the men rowing didn't appear inclined to stop. She watched as Thorin slipped further and further away from her and a streak of pain shot through her body. He was about to face the toughest fight of his life and she would not be there to help him as she'd promised.
"Did he truly ask you to stay here?"
"He did."
"What reason did he give?" He placed her hand on his arm and they began to make their way from the dock.
"As he said: my safety." The look on his face made it clear he knew there was more to it than that. She sighed. "Your uncle did not want someone not a dwarf to be among the first to step foot in the Mountain."
"Thorin actually said that to you?" She nodded. "What excuse did he give for allowing Bilbo to travel with them?"
"He signed a contract to find the Arkenstone though he said even Bilbo would not set foot in the Mountain with them at first."
Filí stared straight ahead. "Are you to become my uncle's wife?"
Rhae contemplated whether to tell him or not. Thorin hadn't told her his proposal was to be kept a secret but she still felt a bit uncomfortable saying anything without his approval … especially now. "He has asked but I have not given him an answer yet."
"Why not?"
"I just … haven't. Things are …" Her words trailed off as she truly didn't know what to say.
"Uncle has changed."
She looked at him in surprise. "You have seen it as well?"
"Of course. It is hard to miss when you've known someone your entire life."
"Do you know what is causing it?"
"I have my suspicions. Balin warned me weeks ago."
"I believe his request stemmed more from that negative influence than any wish for me to remain safe."
"Yet you willingly agreed?"
"I had already decided I needed to stay behind." He stopped and faced her fully.
"Why?"
"Because my assistance will be more needed here than in Erebor."
"I don't see how you could help the men here."
"Filí, I wish I could tell you more but please trust me on this. There are more things at stake here than just defeating Smaug. As soon as your uncle has reclaimed his throne and my task is fulfilled I promise to tell you, all of you, everything the Valar have thus forbidden me to reveal."
His lips pressed together and she didn't know what else she could say if he pressed her further but Bofur happened to run up to them right then.
"Ah! So you missed the boat as well?" his cheerful voice said.
"Where have you been?" she asked with a grin.
He smiled sheepishly. "Asleep as far as I can figure."
She could only shake her head. "Come. We need to find some place to stay until we leave for the mountain."
"Why don't we just go back to the inn?" Bofur asked.
"It was only being paid for until the Company left."
"Then what do you propose we do?"
"I have an idea, Filí. Follow me."
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After asking a few different stall merchants for directions they were in front of a house that was strangely similar to the one in the movies.
"No. I'm done with dwarves. Go away," Bard scowled when he saw who was standing there. He tried to close the door but Bofur stuck his foot in the way to stop him.
"Bard." Rhae's quiet but stern voice caused the man to pause. He hadn't noticed her at first and couldn't understand why she was on his doorstep – why any of them were on his doorstep – when he knew the Company had already left for the mountain.
"What do you want?"
"We need shelter for a few days," she said.
"Why are the three of you not with the rest of your group?"
"For reasons that will not be explained while we stand on your doorstep." Her voice was a tad harder this time. Bard hesitated another moment then stepped aside to allow them in.
"Stryker!" Sigrid cried, rushing down the stairs. "What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving today?"
"A couple things came up and we have remained … at least for a few more days."
Bard's eyes narrowed in thought and she knew he was well aware the entire truth hadn't been revealed. After directing Sigrid and Bain to find some extra blankets he pulled Rhae to the side.
"Why are you still here?"
"Bofur enjoyed the ale a bit too much last night and Thorin requested that I remain behind. Filí chose to stay with us."
"I find it hard to believe that Thorin would embark on his journey without such a skilled warrior by his side."
"He has asked me to be his Queen and would not risk my life in the uncertainty immediately ahead of them. I am to wait until he sends for me." Bard stared at her in shock. For a moment he felt a flash of compassion, or possibly respect, for the exiled dwarf king. To be more concerned for the lives of those closest to him showed deeper feelings than the man had thought possible. Perhaps his greed hadn't wiped him completely clean of common sense.
Bard sighed. He hadn't wanted to see another dwarf and now it seemed he would be shackled with three of them for at least a few more days. "You are welcome to stay here as long as needed."
"Thank you again. I am well aware that you probably hoped to have seen the last of us but I promise we will not remain longer than a week."
Later that evening Rhae stood outside the door of Bard's house, staring at the Lonely Mountain in the setting sun. Where were they now? The boats would have gotten them across the lake already but how far towards the mountain had they made on foot? She wanted to be with him, help him, support him. It was not in her nature to be left behind, unable to be in the action. All she could do was wait and hope.
"You said the Valar sent you to help Thorin. Is that true?" Bard came and stood by her side, arms resting on the railing, and stared across at the mountain.
"It is."
"How is that possible?"
"I cannot reveal all the particulars at the moment though eventually, when the dwarves have reclaimed Erebor and all is safe, I will tell you where I come from and why the Valar sent me. Just know they desire Thorin to be in his rightful place."
"But why must your dwarf enter that mountain? Why is this so crucial? Is his greed for gold so strong that our lives mean nothing?" She didn't even look at him.
"It is his birthright. It is his home. The dwarves did not choose to leave Erebor, they were forced out, leaving many of their own behind to burn, unable to save them. They were forced out into a world that refused to help them and they have struggled to survive. He has yearned to return for over a hundred years. The hope of one day reclaiming it has been like a flame inside him. If he were to lose that, let that flame go out, he would fade. We have traveled far, suffered through much, so Thorin can return Erebor to his people."
"But if they wake the dragon...I have heard the songs, the prophecy; I know what happened to Dale. If they wake that beast we will all die." Rhae finally turned and met his eye, her face hard.
"As I told you days ago, if Thorin and his dwarves are not successful, if Smaug is not defeated, it will be better to die now than face what is coming." Confusion crossed the man's features. "You do not know much of the goings on in this world, Master Bargeman. There are worse, darker things coming and you will welcome the might of the dwarves then."
The days passed slowly.
They didn't have much to occupy their time and they had agreed it would be best to remain hidden at Bard's. There was no way of knowing what the Master might do if he found them still in town. She did not trust him or his little sycophant Alfrid in the least. Looking out Bard's windows it was clear whatever the Master might say he had done nothing to help the people of Laketown. The dirty dilapidated state of all the buildings looked so much worse than what had been portrayed in the movies. Dampness, rot, and the smell of the lake worked their way into every home and there was no escaping it. Rhae and Fíli had taken to sitting outside in the evenings (the smell was surprisingly not quite as bad outside), just staring at the mountain, lost in their own thoughts. They talked of everything and nothing, comfortable in each other's presence. He shared stories from his childhood in the Blue Mountains and she told him about her travels around their world.
"Did you enjoy all the traveling?" Durin's Day had fallen and they were standing at the balcony railing, staring at the mountain, knowing that their future was hanging in the balance at that very moment.
"Yes, I suppose so. I am thankful for the knowledge I have gained from the life I've led, the people I have met. It is quite different from where I lived up until almost nine years ago."
"Yet you are glad to have come here? To have learned new skills?"
Rhae nodded. "I will freely admit that I did not have such an outlook on it in the first couple of years, especially being separated from my son, but I learned - matured - and I know now that I have become a much better person than I ever could have been had I remained at home." She patted his arm. "I have met and become friends with amazing people in my time here and I will never forget any of you."
"What do you mean you'll never forget us? Are you going to turn down my uncle's proposal and return to the West?" There was shock on his face.
"I do not know exactly what I will do yet. This … this isn't my home …" she replied, hesitation in her words.
"Of course it is. Home is where the people you love are."
"You sound a bit like, Thorin."
"I should hope so. Everything I learned about home and family I learned from him." He took her hands and rubbed them between his own. "I'm not sure what your old life was like but surely you can see that you have found a place, a family, here with us? We all love you, Rhae, and we want you to stay here in Erebor with us."
His words were not helping her hold on the plan of returning to Virginia with David when all this was over. Everything he said – and what Thorin had said many times – rang with so much truth. To hear such sincerity from Filí was quite … poignant. Throughout this entire quest she had hoped to gain the trust and respect of the Company and now, close to the end when she'd have to leave them all, to hear that she had finally achieved it was almost heart breaking.
She opened her mouth to respond but a distant, muffed roar accompanied with a slight tremor in the ground had them momentarily frozen in horror. At a cry inside they hurried back through the door and saw Bard trying to comfort his youngest daughter. There was another, louder tremor, the reverberations causing dust to fall from the ceiling.
"Da?" The fear was plain on Sigrid's face.
"It's coming from the mountain!" Bain cried from where he and Bofur were staring out the window.
Fíli and Rhae looked at each other, realization dawning on them. A cold chill ripped down her spine. He walked over to Bard.
"You should leave us. Take your children. Get out of here." In that moment Rhae could see the king he would become one day and she wished Thorin was there to see it as well.
The man shook his head. "And go where? There is nowhere to go."
"Are we going to die, Da?" Tilda whimpered.
"No, darling."
"The dragon, it's going to kill us," she persisted.
Bard looked at his children in silence, his gaze eventually flickering to the two dwarves and female as well. In a quick movement he reached up and ripped down the metal rod that had been used to dry plants. Rhae stared at the tip in amazement; it was a black arrow. She met the man's eyes, his decision clear.
"Not if I kill it first."
"Is that …?" she was almost afraid to utter the words.
"Yes. It is the only one remaining. My ancestor, Girion managed to hide it and brought it with him when construction began here on the lake." He moved towards the door. "Bain, come with me. Sigrid, look after your sister." He paused and looked down at Rhae. She quickly stood. "If the dragon attacks, there is a boat at the bottom of the stairs. Get my family to safety." She nodded and he was gone.
"The dragon is coming, isn't it?" Tilda asked quietly. Rhae pulled her into a tight hug, trying to comfort the girl.
"I do not know but we will not leave you."
