I live! Hello everyone. Sorry I have been MIA for a few weeks. College work has really been keeping me busy, but I have not abandoned the story. So today I have a double update for you to make up for me being gone. Enjoy!

xoxo Mels


Third Person POV

Gandalf awoke, bloodied, bruised, and burned only to find himself trapped in one of the spiked, hanging metal cages he had seen before when he had explored the ruins of Dol Goldur. His cage hung over the edge of the stronghold, a drop of several hundred feet below him. He looked around and spotted Thrain in a cage near him, the Dwarf unconscious, but alive by the looks of him. He was battered and bruised as well, but Gandalf was thankful that he had survived. A horn blared then and Gandalf looked around before finally looking down, his eyes widening in horror as he saw legions of Orcs and Wargs marching out of Dol Guldur, armed and equipped for war.

Days passed and Thrain awoke at last, his mind still tainted by the years he had languished in Dol Goldur and now darkened by Sauron. Gandalf began to lose hope. He could feel his powers weakening and Thrain began to ramble on nonsensically. Gandalf knew that the army of Orcs and Wargs were going to march upon Erebor and he could do nothing to warn his friends. Suddenly, a voice that was not his own spoke in his head and Gandalf looked up with a start.

"You are not alone, Mithrandir…" Gandalf heard Lady Galadriel say within his mind. "... Ae boe i le eliathon, im tulithon," (If you should ever need my help, I will come.) Lady Galadriel told him and Gandalf felt hope fill him once more.

Gandalf took several deep breaths before he began chanting, knowing that help was on its way and there was still something he could do. From his home, Radagast began chanting as well, sending out his strength and power to Gandalf to aid in the Grey Wizard's casting. Both wizards fell into a trace of sort and unseen by Gandalf, an Orc approached him from behind, his sword bared.

"Spells will not save you, old man," The Orc told Gandalf in the Black Speech of Mordor and he picked up Gandalf's cage, and threw it with Gandalf still inside it. Gandalf cried out in pain as he was knocked about in the cage and as the Orc approached him, Thrain began fighting in his own cage to get to Gandalf, his cage swinging precariously over the edge of the stronghold.

"You have something my Master wants," The Orc said as he pulled open the cage and lifted Gandalf up with one arm, Gandalf's cries of pain sounding loudly in the night as the Orc abused him. "Where is it?" The Orc demanded before he threw Gandalf forcefully onto the ground, Gandalf groaning and rolling to the side as the wind was knocked out of him.

"One of the three Elven Rings," The Orc said as he slowly walked over to Gandalf who had inched his hand towards a chain which he picked up and swung behind him, hitting the Orc in the face. The Orc spit out a mouthful of blood as Gandalf groaned in pain before he was picked up by the Orc and slammed down once more.

"The Ring of Fire!" The Orc continued, unbothered by Gandalf's attempt to fight back and the Orc held Gandalf by the wrist, holding out his fingers as he placed his blade under them. On Gandalf's middle finger was a ring inlaid with a ruby. Gandalf stared at it as the blade pressed into his fingers from below.

"Where are the others?" The Orc demanded as in the stronghold, Lady Galadriel pushed open a gate that was covered in dead vines. The ring on her finger shone with a white light in the darkness and she walked through the ruins of Dol Goldur barefooted, heading in the direction of the sounds of Gandalf's cries of pain.

The Orc began speaking in Black Speech, something Gandalf did not know as he was dragged over to a piece of rubble, his hand placed flat upon it and fingers spread out as the Orc readied his blade to cut off his fingers. Gandalf felt a presence behind him and he turned his head and saw as Lady Galadriel walked up the stairs towards him. The Orc raised his sword to strike it down but stopped when he saw her and he growled lowly in his throat.

"I come for Mithrandir," Lady Galadriel said in a steady voice, her words echoing around the stronghold and the Orc growled lowly once more, his eyes on her. "And I will leave with him," She said and the Orc snarled, throwing Gandalf aside. Lady Galadriel's face showed her ire at this and the Orc turned to face her.

"If you try to stop me, I will destroy you," She warned the Orc, taking a few steps towards him and the Orc roared and then ran at her. Lady Galadriel lifted her arm, and a shockwave of power and energy expanded all around her, lighting up the sky for miles around, as loose rubble flew around from the massive pressure.

The Orc lay dead once the light died down and quickly Lady Galadriel hurried over to the cage that Thrain was in and pulled it back over the edge of the stronghold before she opened it, releasing the Dwarf. Thrain hurried over to Gandalf's side as Lady Galadriel rushed over to him as well and she gently picked up the Grey Wizard who was almost dead.

"Hurry, this way," Thrain told Lady Galadriel as he led her through the ruins, limping as he walked. Lady Galadriel followed the Dwarf, keeping a careful hold on Gandalf. As they walked down a long set of stairs, Sauron's voice spoke out of the darkness and Lady Galadriel stopped.

"Shre nazg golugranu kilmi-nudu. Ombi kuzddurbagu gundum-ishi," (Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky. Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone.) Sauron intoned in the Black Speech of Mordor, his voice echoing around Dol Goldur and Lady Galadriel's face fell as Thrain looked around whimpering.

"Nine for mortal men doomed to die," Lady Galadriel finished the next lines of the well known verse and she looked around in shock, gasping as the nine Nazgul slowly became visible around her, in corporeal yet partially translucent forms.

As the Nazgul slowly drew closer to the trio, wielding their weapons, Lady Galadriel stumbled back until she was sitting on the pedestal of a statue in the courtyard she was trapped in, with Gandalf in her lap. Still unconscious, Gandalf groaned as Thrain stood in front of Lady Galadriel still whimpering and clutching his head now as he shook like a leaf and rocked back and forth.

"You cannot fight the shadow. Even now you fade. One light alone in the darkness," Sauron continued as Lady Galadriel felt both her power and Gandalf's draining with every passing minute and she looked up with a determined face.

"I am not alone," She told Sauron and behind the Nazgul, Lord Elrond and Saruman, the White Wizard, strode out of the ruins, Lord Elrond wielding his sword and Saruman his staff.

"Are you in need of assistance, my Lady?" Saruman asked Lady Galadriel and the Nazgul snarled and leapt forward to confront both him and Lord Elrond. Saruman looked between the two Nazgul who leapt forward at him in surprise as he was faced with the reality that Gandalf had been telling the truth all along.

"You should have stayed dead," Lord Elrond said before he and Saruman leapt forward to attack the Nazgul.

The Nazgul disappeared every time they were hit, yet they kept coming back. As Saruman's staff hit the Nazgul a burst of white light lit up the darkness. Saruman managed to knock one of the Nazgul off of a cliff, but it clambered back up the side of the cliff and resumed attacking him.

Lord Elrond spotted Thrain and took a second sword from his belt and threw it to the Dwarf who caught it and gained some courage with a sword in hand once more. He yelled loudly before he began attacking the Nazgul, fighting back against them and keeping them as far away from Lady Galadriel and Gandalf as possible. As the fighting continued around her, Lady Galadriel knelt in close to Gandalf.

"Mithrandir, come back," She said and she leaned down and kissed Gandalf's head, as she pushed her strength into him. Gandalf suddenly breathed in deeply and woke up, gasping for breath.

"He is here," Gandalf strained to say as he gasped for breath and looked up into Lady Galadriel's face, trying to warn her of the danger.

"Yes - the darkness has returned," Lady Galadriel told Gandalf as Saruman and Lord Elrond continued to fight, the Nazgul coming back as soon as they were down. Radagast drove his rabbit-pulled sleigh through Dol Goldur and burst into the courtyard then.

"GANDALF! Gandalf, climb on!" Radagast told Gandalf hurrying to try and help him onto the sleigh. As Gandalf tried to get on the sled, Lady Galadriel laid on the floor, weakened from bringing Gandalf back from the brink of death. She tried to help him up, but she was too weak herself.

"He is weak. He cannot remain here - It is draining his life," Lady Galadriel told Radagast quickly as Gandalf finally managed to pull himself onto the sled and Radagast prepared to leave.

"Thrain!" Gandalf managed to yell, the action taking all of his effort and the Dwarf in question grunted as he fought back against the Nazgul before he ran for the sled, fighting his way towards them.

"Go! Quickly!" Lady Galadriel ordered as Thrain made it to them and jumped onto the sled next to Radagast, the doll he was carrying falling from his pocket. Gandalf reached back then and grabbed Galadriel's arm tightly.

"Come with me, my Lady," Gandalf pleaded with her in a hoarse and weak voice and Lady Galadriel looked at him sadly before she pulled her arm away from him with effort. Her skin became white and her eyes and body shined with a strange, powerful, and dark light as she turned to face the Nazgul.

"GO!" Lady Galadriel ordered and Gandalf groaned as Radagast hurried off.

Lady Galadriel laid on the floor, too weak to move, surrounded by the fighting while her outstretched hand brushed against the child's doll. Saruman smashed his staff into the midsection of a Nazgul and it was thrown backwards, falling into a pillar which crumbled as the Nazgul was destroyed. Lord Elrond caught his sword into another Nazgul and threw it away from him and the Nazgul was flung over the cliff, also being destroyed. It took only several more minutes until Lord Elrond and Saruman managed to kill the remaining Nazgul and they paused for breath as the stronghold fell silent.

Lord Elrond backed up and bent down beside Lady Galadriel to see if she was alright, the Elven woman holding the doll in one hand, pressed against her chest. The wind began to pick up, and a shriek rent the night as a nearby tower exploded in a massive ball of fire. In its place was the flaming eye of Sauron. Saruman and Lord Elrond flinched in the face of its power, Saruman's mouth falling slightly open in shock.

"It has begun. The East will fall. So shall the Kingdom of Angmar rise," Sauron said in the Black Speech of Mordor as the pupil of the Eye expanded to reveal Saruon's old form. Beside him rose the Nazgul, all of whom he had resurrected. Saruman held out his hand which was shaking as he felt the raw power of Sauron once more.

"The time of the Elves is over. The Age of the Orc has come," Sauron continued and as the Nazgul raised their weapons and approached, Lord Elrond and Saruman prepared to fight, Lady Galadriel rose, Lord Elrond's mouth falling open in shock as he took a step away from her.

Lady Galadriel was glowing with a green light, and her entire appearance had changed to one of power. No longer was she beautiful, her grace falling away as she took on this new form. She raised her hand, in which was a bright light coming from a phial, and the Nazgul were blasted away, back into the Eye. In her other hand she held the ragdoll which glowed with its own ethereal light and the Nazgul shrieked as a blast of power radiated out from Lady Galadriel at them.

"YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE, SERVANT OF MORGOTH!" Lady Galadriel said, and as she spoke her voice changed into a deep, booming, and powerful tone which echoed around Dol Goldur. The fire around the Eye disappeared, leaving only Sauron's armored form. Sauron was chanting as well, trying to fight back against her as he began flashing in the fire of his Eye.

"YOU ARE NAMELESS, FACELESS, FORMLESS!" Lady Galadriel continued as the Eye kept flashing with fire and Sauron chanted in Black Speech, while Lord Elrond and Saruman raised their hands to shield themselves from the battle of power between Lady Galadriel and Sauron.

"GO BACK TO THE VOID FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!" Lady Galadriel shouted and the force of her power extinguished the Eye's flames and sent Sauron hurtling into the sky. Lady Galadriel's powerful form disappeared, and she staggered back, Lord Elrond and Saruman stumbling back as well and Lord Elrond quickly caught Lady Galadriel as she collapsed. Sauron hurtled toward the horizon, disappearing in the distance.

Outside of Dol Goldur, Radagast pulled his sled to a stop and he, Gandalf and Thrain looked back as Sauron was banished from Dol Goldur. Gandalf, now free from the evil of Sauron, was stronger and nearly back to himself. Thrain mumbled under his breath, still gripping the Elvish sword tightly in his grasp as he breathed his first free breaths in years. Gandalf stood as a rumble sounded in the air. For now it was over.

Inside Dol Goldur, Lady Galadriel gasped and panted in Lord Elrond's arms as he held on to her tightly, supporting her. Even having seen what he just had he could not believe that Sauron had returned. In the Second Age, he had fought with the Last Alliance of Elves and Men when Sauron had been defeated. He had been there when Isildur took up his father's sword and cut the One ring from Sauron's hand, defeating him. He did not think it possible for Sauron to return.

"Dandollen hon," (We were deceived.) Lord Elrond said in shock as he looked at Saruman. Gandalf had been right in his fears all along.

"The spirit of Sauron endured," Lady Galadriel said weakly as she shook violently.

"And has been banished," Saruman said as he looked to where Sauron had disappeared over the horizon.

"He will flee into the East," Lady Galadriel told him as she gasped and shook, turning her face into Lord Elrond's armor as she clutched the ragdoll to her chest.

"Gondor should be warned. They must set a watch on the walls of Mordor," Lord Elrond said worriedly as Saruman walked closer to the tower which Sauron had just been at and he began to rise, Lady Galadriel holding on to his leg.

"No. Look after the Lady Galadriel. She has spent much of her power. Her strength is failing. Take her to Lothlórien," Saruman told Lord Elrond as Lady Galadriel reached up and held onto Lord Elrond's hand as she continued to shake and gasp, feeling dizzy and weak.

"My Lord Saruman, he must be hunted down and destroyed, once and for all," Lord Elrond told the White Wizard firmly. Sauron must never again be allowed to rise to power or else all Middle Earth could fall to him.

"Without the Ring of Power, Sauron can never again hold dominion over Middle-earth. Go now! Leave Sauron to me," Saurman said as Lady Galadriel laid her head down on Lord Elrond's leg, Lord Elrond placing a hand on her back as Saurman turned to face the direction in which Sauron was hurled, with a strange expression in his eyes. Lord Elrond turned to Lady Galadriel and knelt beside her once more, about to pick her up when he noticed the ragdoll that she was clutching tightly to her chest.

"What is this?" Lord Elrond asked the White Lady as he frowned in confusion and Lady Galadriel slowly lifted her shaking hand and showed him the ragdoll.

"A child's doll. The girl…," Lady Galadriel said weakly and Saruman turned back to the two, an eyebrow raising to his hairline.

"What girl?" Saruman asked as he drew closer to the two and looked down at the child's toy.

"The Heir of Durin's line, Adaira daughter of Frerin son of Thrain son of Thror. This was hers," Lady Galadriel said as she passed the doll to Lord Elrond who turned it over in his hands, feeling a power radiating from it.

"How did it come to be here?" Lord Elrond asked as he looked around, wondering how such a thing ended up here of all places.

"This is where she was conceived, where she was born, hidden in a realm of darkness until the Valar themselves rose up and took her so far from here that not even Sauron could find her," Lady Galadriel answered Lord Elrond as her breathing slowed back to normal and she closed her eyes taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

"Why?" Lord Elrond inquired as Lady Galadriel reached out with her mind and saw flashes of the mountain, of the girl and her inner turmoil.

"I see it. Now in the East. Turmoil grows in the mountain. A decision must be made," Lady Galadriel said, opening her eyes as a loud croak and the flutter of wings came from near them. The three turned and looked as a large raven flew towards them. Saruman gripped his staff more tightly in his grasp as the raven flew towards Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel.

"A raven," Lord Elrond said with a frown as the raven flew over his head, dropping something which fluttered down towards him. He reached out and caught the fluttering piece of parchment as the raven landed on a bit of rubble nearby, fluttering its wings.

"Rivendell" The raven croaked before it began to bounce up and down on its perch. Lord Elrond looked down at the folded piece of parchment and broke the seal on it before he unfolded it and began reading.

"It's a letter from Erebor, from Adaria, daughter of Frerin," Lord Elrond told the others, frowning more deeply the further he read.

"Frerin?" Saruman asked, not knowing that name.

"Brother to Thorin," Lord Elrond answered him as Lady Galadriel closed her eyes, searching ahead in the future for what was to come.

"Well, what does it say?" Saruman demanded impatiently and Lord Elrond lifted his eyes from the letter.

"She writes to beg for my aid. Thorin it seems has fallen to the madness of his line," Lord Elrond said with a grim look settling over his face as Lady Galadriel opened her eyes.

"She has seen it in the water. There will be a battle. A battle of five armies. The fate of the mountain hangs in the balance. One prophecy has already come true and now another is coming to fruition," Lady Galadriel told the others as Lord Elrond helped her to her feet, the man having to hold her up as she barely had strength to keep her eyes open.

"What prophecy is that?" Saruman asked Lady Galadriel and she closed her eyes before she began reciting it, seeing the words carved in the stone of Durin's resting place.

"The Lady of the Mountain, The Queen of Carven Stone, The Savior of Durin, shall come into her own. And the Mountain will sing in gladness, at it's Daughter's return, it's Halls shall echo from within, a defining noise of Broken Curses. Find the Glowing Stone, Hidden deep within, all that glitters is not Gold, nor Gifts of Named Kings. A Sacrifice must be made, heed these Words well, for more than Dragon's slumber under its Spell," Lady Galadriel recited, her voice taking on a strange tone and the doll in Lord Elrond's hands glowing slightly once more.

"The Queen of Carven Stone?" Lord Elrond asked Lady Galadriel with a frown of confusion. It was Thorin who was now King Under the Mountain if Erebor had indeed been reclaimed.

"If she can do what needs to be done," Lady Galadriel answered him as she opened her eyes once more, a frown on her face.

"Does this have anything to do with why you requested soldiers from Rivendell to meet us here?" Lord Elrond asked the woman, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"And why I brought my own as well. You must hasten the two forces to the Mountain. There is still time to render them aid," Lady Galadriel hurriedly told Lord Elrond, her knees buckling under her and she fell slightly before Lord Elrond caught her and wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

"You are still too weak to travel alone, hiril vuin," (My lady) Lord Elrond said as he gently picked up Lady Galadriel and cradled her to his chest. A sound of footsteps came from behind them then and Lord Elrond turned quickly, Saruman's grip on his staff tightening.

"Adar," An Elf, Elrohir said as he stepped into the courtyard, his brother Elladan a step behind him.

"I thought I told you to wait outside," Lord Elrond admonished his sons who he had ordered to stay with the other soldiers outside of the fortress of Dol Goldur.

"We were worried when we saw Mithrandir without you," Elladan said as he and his brother approached, a frown on his face as he took in the scene.

"Let us take your soldiers East to Erebor," Elrohir told his father, speaking for the two of them.

"Adaira is our mellon. We would render her aid," (Friend) Elladan added and Lord Elrond studied both of his sons for a long minute as he weighed his options. He sighed heavily then as he looked down at Lady Galadriel who was barely conscious.

"Very well. Go, but be careful," Lord Elrond told his sons who bowed to their father before they turned and hurriedly strode away "I shall take you to Lothlorien. Is there nothing more we can do for them?" Lord Elrond asked Lady Galadriel as he swept his eyes around the ruins of Dol Goldur, the raven croaking loudly.

"No, the rest is for Adaira to decide," Lady Galadriel said weakly before she fell unconscious.

Gandalf, Radagast, and Thrain continued on to Rhosgobel, Thrain's condition improving the further away from Dol Goldur they were. As soon as Radagast pulled his sled to a stop in front of his house, Gandalf was stepping off of it as quickly as possible.

"I need that horse!" Gandalf told Radagast as he limped towards where Radagast had a horse already saddled, tied up.

"What? Gandalf, where are you going?" Radagast asked the Grey Wizard in confusion as he hopped off of the sled and hurried after Gandalf.

"To warn Erebor. They have no idea what is coming," Gandalf answered Radagast, turning back to face the Brown wizard. "I saw them with my own eyes - rank upon rank of Moria-orcs. You must summon our friends, bird and beast - the battle for the mountain is about to begin," Gandalf told Radagast firmly as Thrain got off of the sled and began heading towards the two wizards as he overheard their conversation.

"Wait," Radagast said, taking a few steps towards Gandalf and Gandalf stopped and turned back around as Radagast continued towards him. "Take this," Radagast told him as he held out his staff towards Gandalf and Gandalf walked over to Radagast and accepted the staff from the other wizard. "If what you say is true then you'll need it more than I," Radagast told the Grey Wizard who was inspecting the staff with awe.

"Thank you," Gandalf said gratefully, putting a hand over one of Radagast's.

"A word of warning, it can be a bit dicky sometimes. You just have to twiddle with the top. I expect you'll manage," Radagast called in warning to a retreating Gandalf. Gandalf walked over to the saddled horse and found Thrain waiting beside it and he looked down upon the Dwarf.

"You'll be safe enough here with Radagast," Gandalf said as he started to untie the horse from the post.

"I'm not staying here Tharkûn," Thrain told Gandalf firmly and Gandalf stopped what he was doing to look down at the Dwarf.

"I ride for the Mountain. Those Orcs will march upon Erebor. I very well could be riding into the middle of battle. Stay here, rest. Your mind still needs to heal," Gandalf told Thrain as he reached over and placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"My son and my granddaughter are at Erebor now. I may be an old Dwarf but there is still a fight in me yet. I won't stay here knowing Azog the Defiler is leading a legion of Orcs to war against the only family I have left. I'm going with you, Gandalf," Thrain said firmly and Gandalf sighed, knowing that there was no way that he was going to talk the Dwarf out of the idea. He was a Durin after all, and Durin's were particularly stubborn.

"So be it," Gandalf said and he untied the horse and helped Thrain upon it first before swinging himself up into the saddle in front of Thrain. He groaned, still feeling the pain from his earlier abuse even if Lady Galadriel had healed him. He turned the horse around and spurred it on, the horse galloping away from Rhosgobel, Gandalf hoping that he would make it to the mountain in time.

Gandalf rode hard and fast towards the mountain, not stopping for more than just a few minutes to let the horse take a drink of water or to catch its breath. Thrain was still gripped by fear and mumbled to himself often, clutching his head, but the further they rode from Dol Goldur, his mind began to clear. He had suffered many tortures and abuses at the hands of Orcs and Sauron himself, but he would not stay behind when there was still a chance to render aid to his son and granddaughter.

He had lost his father and his son, seen his people decimated and the mountain laid to waste, but he was a Durin and fighting was in his blood. As long as there was still a breath left in his body he would fight to protect his family. Thorin and Adaira were among the only kin he had left. He would not abandon them. It was time he repaid Azog for the death of his kin before the Defiler could send anymore Durin's to their Maker.

Fire welled up in Thrian like never before. He would bring the fight to Azog, show the Orc that no matter how he tried to lay them low, Durins would keep on fighting. If there truly would be a battle for the mountain then by all rights Thrain deserved to be there. Thrian only hoped that they would make it in time to warn Thorin and Adaira of the danger. He knew that the Orcs had a head start on them, but they were marching towards war. One horse carrying two riders could move more swiftly than an entire legion. Mahal was with them, that much he was certain of.