Happy Thanksgiving to all those living in America and around the world. Today is a day to spend time with your family and reflect on what you are thankful for. I have my cousin here today and there's so much food I could burst. I definitely feel like a dwarf.

A big, big secret was revealed last chapter. I promise that will be fully explained and even continued to be worked on as the story progresses. I'm excited to have Frerin back.

As always anything that comes straight out of the Hobbit belongs solely to J.R.R Tolkien.

Enjoy!

Mels xoxo


Third Person POV

Dawn rose over Dale and Thranduil and Bard readied themselves to set out for Erebor. They mounted up, one on horseback the other on an Elk. Gandalf mounted his own horse determined to ensure that the negotiations went smoothly. He needed to convince all parties that they shared a common enemy, that they needed to join together to battle the Orcs that were sure to come. Convincing the Dwarves would not be difficult, they at least knew about Azog, but Thranduil was stubborn and refused to listen to reason.

As the three men approached the gates of Erebor they could see that an opening had been made in the barricade just large enough for a man to pass through. They dismounted from their steeds and crossed the moat on foot over the stepping stones before bending low as they ducked through the barricade and entered Erebor. It took them several moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the mountain but when they did they found two Dwarves waiting for them, Gloin and Bombur. Gandalf greeted the Dwarves who bade that they follow them.

Thranduil casted his eyes around the darkened interior of the mountain suspiciously as if he was waiting for an attack whilst Bard stared at the large hallways and cavernous space in awe, having never seen such a thing in his life before. The three men were led through the halls of Erebor to a large room, in the center of which was a large stone table. Already the other members of the Company sat around it, waiting for the meeting to begin. Thranduil went to sit at the head of the table but was told that that seat was reserved for the Queen Under the Mountain. Thranduil sneered and sat to the immediate right of the chair, Bard sitting one seat down from the chair to the right as indicated by Nori.

Several minutes passed then several more and Thranduil began to drum his fingers on the table as he was offered refreshment. As it was anything but wine he was not in the mood to be forgiving. A knock sounded on the doors into the hall then and a blonde and brunette hair Dwarf stepped up to the doors and opened them and the darrowdam who had so rudely spoken to Thranduil entered the hall, her head held high. She smiled at Bard and nodded at Thranduil respectfully as the blonde haired Dwarf quickly moved from the door to the chair at the head of the table and pulled it out for her. She thanked him and moved to sit.

"Adaira, Queen Under the Mountain!" The big burly Dwarf who was practically bald announced as he stepped up behind her chair and she threw a look at him that was almost disgruntled before she turned back to the table, sitting down in her chair and allowing the Dwarf behind her to push in her chair slightly. An older white haired Dwarf who had entered behind the "Queen Under the Mountain" sat to her immediate left as she gazed down at the long table, everyone but the almost bald Dwarf now sitting.

Adaira's POV

I sighed in relief as I finally sat, just glad that I hadn't tripped on my way in and made a fool of myself. Dwalin refused to sit, instead standing behind me so he could guard me in case Thranduil tried something. I did note that he was armed as was Bard, but that was to be expected. Thranduil sat to my immediate right and he already looked bored which was not a good sign. I smiled as I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and Balin nodded at me urging me to begin.

"Welcome to Erebor, King Thranduil and to you Bard, Dragonslayer," I said as I looked between the Elven King and Bard, trying to be polite and politically correct while not knowing at all what I was doing. "I thank you for accepting my invitation to discuss negotiations of peace," I said and Thranduil sighed loudly as Gandalf got out his pipe and lit it.

"Yes, let's do get on with it," Thranduil said, rolling his eyes and I raised an eyebrow at that.

"Why would you usurp your own King?" Bard asked me, frowning in confusion and I turned to look at him, sighing heavily as smoke rings began floating over my head.

"Thorin is sick and I would be remiss if I did not try to help him. When one has a cold, you would recommend bed rest, but this is a sickness of the mind and for that I do not yet know how to help him," I told Bard honestly. "I do not want a war with either of your people, but Thorin is not in his right mind. I know he has burned many bridges with both of you," I said and both men frowned at my odd turn of phrase.

"I am not Thorin. I am prepared to give you a token as a sign of our good faith," I said and as I spoke some of the Dwarves got up from their chairs and walked over to where two chests were waiting, picking them up and bringing to the end of the table, putting one in front of Thranduil and the other in front of Bard. "The white gems of Lasgalen," I said as Thranduil stared with wide eyes at the necklace that was nestled amongst other white gems and gold I had to offer the Elven King.

"Balin told me of their history. That they were given to you by your father as a wedding gift for your wife. That you then gave them to Thror years later when the necklace they were in was broken and needed repairing. Thror overcome with greed kept them when he was meant to present the repaired necklace to you, thus the fude amongst our people," I said as Thranduil picked up the necklace and inspected it. Balin had told me the history of the necklace in the night as I tried to figure out what I could do to entice Thranduil.

"I do not wish to keep something that never belonged to us to begin with," I said as Thranduil looked to me, his eyes narrowing as he stared at me suspiciously and Bard opened his own chest that was filled with gold and I turned to look at the man whose eyes were wide.

"The first payment of several," I told Bard, the man looking at me and frowning. "Gold can never repay the debt we owe to your people or to you for slaying Smaug. It cannot bring those you lost back from the dead, but it can help you rebuild your lives. Once Dwarves start returning to the mountain I promise their help in rebuilding your town, wherever you might decide to build it," I pledged to Bard who shook his head.

"You're right, gold cannot bring the dead back to life, but this is a start," Bard told me and I nodded at that.

"All I ask is for peace," I said, looking between Thranduil and Bard. "Haven't we lost enough? I've seen enough death. Our people are the ones who will suffer if we go to war," I told both men and I shook my head, frowning.

"We might never be allies," I said as I looked to Thranduil who frowned at that, his look telling me that he agreed with that assessment. "But we do not need to be enemies," I said and Thranduil and Bard looked at one another, seemingly conferring with one another.

"For now I am satisfied," Thranduil said as he closed the chest I had presented him with and I sighed in relief.

"As am I," Bard said as he turned to me. "But my people will not survive the winter in Dale," He told me grimily and I nodded at that.

"Then we will move them into the mountain," I told him as I thought about how empty the mountain was. "While it may still stink of dragon, there are many homes that are empty. Your people can shelter the winter here in the mountain. Come Spring, our kin from the Blue Mountains will be able to travel here to join us and then we can start helping you rebuild your lives," I told Bard and he sagged in relief. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could a horn blared and I frowned in confusion and looked up as we all turned, trying to find the source.

I rose from my chair, the others rising too and I strode from the room as the horn blared again. The Company rallied behind me as I gathered my skirts and rushed to the barricade barely registering that Bard and Thranduil along with Gandalf were following us. I mounted the stairs quickly and when I came to the top of them I could hear a rumbling in the distance. When I looked up over the ridge to the East I could see it being covered by troops of heavily armoured Dwarves, led by a huge Dwarf riding what looked like a battle pig. Thranduil and Bard's armies which were in front of Erebor raised their shields and stood in defense of this new force as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Ironfoot," Gandalf said from behind me as Thradnuil looked down at his army from the barricade.

"Ribo i thangail!" (Rush the shield-fence!) He shouted to his army and he hurried down the stairs, Bard at his heels.

"Ironfoot?" I asked the wizard as the large Dwarf rode forward in front of the army of Dwarves.

"It is Dain, lord of the Iron Hills, Thorin's cousin," Gandalf informed me and I swore under my breath.

"The raven, Thorin must have written to Dain asking for backup," I said before I rushed down the stairs, the Company and Gandalf hot on my heels. I needed to stop Dain before he could engage with Thranduil's army.

Thranduil had already mounted up on his Elk and he rode ahead down through his army as his Elves and the Lake people turned away from the gates of Erebor and began marching quickly toward the oncoming Iron Hill dwarves. I exited the mountain even as Dwalin yelled for me to stop and I hurried across the moat. The two armies halted a short distance from one another, and Dain rode his pig onto a rocky overlook to address the Elves and Men. I lost myself in a sea of Elves, striding amongst them as I tried to navigate my way to the front.

"Good morning! How are we all?" I heard Dain ask and I could almost laugh as his accent was very similar to a Scottish brough. "I have a wee proposition, if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would ya consider...just sodding off!" Dain shouted and I actually did laugh at that as the townspeople, clutching their weapons, stepped back in fear, while the Elves pulled out their swords and stepped forward. Not good, very not good. "All of you - right now!" Dain added as I made it through the Elves and in front of the group of Lake people.

"Stand fast!" Bard told the Lakepeople from where he was sitting on his horse and I glared up at him before I strode forward taking a deep breath and letting it out.

"Lord Dain!" I shouted in as firm a voice as I could manage as I stepped away from both armies and began to cross the expanse between them and Dain looked down at me from atop his war pig. "Stand down now!" I shouted to the Dwarf as I raised my head high and met his gaze.

"On whose authority?" Dain shouted back as the Company gathered around behind me.

"Adaira daughter of Frerin son of Thrain son of Thror, Queen Under the Mountain!" I yelled back and Dain seemed surprised by this as I knew he would be.

"It is Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror who is King Under the Mountain!" Dain shouted back to me and I nodded as I blew out a breath.

"He was and will be again, but Thorin fell to the Goldsickness that plagues Durin's line. As his heir it fell to me to try and stop this madness," I said and I shook my head. "I know he wrote to you and requested an army, but an army is not what we need Lord Dain. There is no need for a war between Dwarves, and Men, and Elves. There has been enough bloodshed!" I shouted to Dain, hoping he would see reason. "This morning I have met with King Thranduil and with Bard of Laketown and we have agreed on peace. Stand down your army!" I ordered and that was when Gandalf stepped forward with Thrain.

"Lord Dain!" Gandalf shouted and Dain looked at him instead of me.

"Gandalf the Grey. Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood!" Dain shouted and the Lakemen backed up once more in fear.

"There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves as Adaira has said, not when a legion of Orcs march on the mountain! It is true, Thorin has fallen to the Goldsickness. It is Adaira who now bears the burden of the crown," Gandalf shouted to Dain, confirming what I said to be true. "Stand your army down!" Gandalf shouted Dain bristled at that.

"I will not stand down before any elf! Not least this faithless woodland sprite!" Dain shouted back and he gestured toward Thranduil with his giant hammer, Thranduil looking angry at the insult. "He wishes nothing but ill upon my people! If he chooses to stand between me and my kin - I'll split his pretty head open! See if he's still smirking then!" Dain said as Thranduil smiled furiously and I groaned, this was not going well. Dain suddenly turned his pig around and spurred it back towards his army and Gandalf called out to him to no avail.

"Let them advance. See how far they get," Thranduil said, itching for a fight and I whipped around angrily and glared at them.

"We had a deal," I reminded Thranduil who only smirked at me and I realized that it didn't matter. Thranduil had what he wanted and now he would have his war as well. Dwalin came up behind me and ushered me away to safety as Dain shouted back to Thranduil over his shoulder.

"Ya think I give a dead dog for your threats, you pointy-eared princess?!" Dain shouted and I shook my head, groaning. "Ya heard that, lads. We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!" Dain shouted as Dwalin threw me over his shoulder, he and the rest of the Company retreating back into the mountain. We were unarmoured and weaponless and about to be in the middle of Dain and Thranduil's fight. I heard shouting in Khuzdul and the Dwarven army shouting as we made it back into the mountain and the Company moved to quickly seal up the hole we had made in the barricade.

"Stand your men down, I'll deal with Ironfoot and his rabble," I heard Thranduil order Bard as I made it to the top of the barricade, the pointy eared princess riding down the length of his front line on his massive Elk as his army began to advance. Bard held out his hand, holding his own soldiers back, staying out of the fight. I clung to Dwalin's arm as I watched wondering how this had gone so horribly.

"Send in the goats!" I heard Dain shout over the battlefield and I turned and saw something moving from within Dain's army and soon, hundreds of bleating battle rams were moving to the front of his army.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, they're worse than sheep," I breathed beside Dwalin as I watched and Thranduil shouted in Elvish, his Elves pulling out their bows and notching arrows into them, holding as they pointed them up into the air, waiting to send a volley of arrows at the army of Dwarves.

"Thranduil! This is madness!" Gandalf shouted, the wizard having stayed behind when we retreated back into the mountain, still trying to stop this madness. The battle rams charged forward towards the Elves, the Dwarves riding on the back of them carrying long spears and Thranduil raised his spear, shouting in ELvish and his soldiers released their volley of arrows. I closed my eyes as I clapped a hand over my mouth, clutching Dwalin tightly.

I opened my eyes as I heard Dain shout in Khuzdul and heard a whipping sound and saw arrows with some sort of whip like thing attached to them being sent back from the Dwarves. They flew through the air and as they collided with the Elven arrows they completely turned them into nothing more than pieces of wood chips. I sighed out a breath I didn't know I had been holding before crying out as the Dwarven arrows knocked into the line of Elves, Elves flying backwards by the impact, their armour rent. Thranduil's front line was decimated by the blow and he looked back in shock before turning back to stare at Dain.

"Hey! How do you like that, the old twirly-whirlies!?" Dain shouted mockingly to Thranduil across the battlefield and Thranduil ordered for another volley of arrows. Dain called for another volley of these twirly whirlies as the battle rams finally met Thranduil's front line.

The Elves performed a complicated maneuver, turning about one another until their shield bearers were out front. They managed to get their spears out and lay their shields down just as the rams attacked, jumping over the Elves' shields and crashing into their army. The Elves drew back, forced back by the sheer force of the ram's horns, but still the rams fell until some well placed blows with the Elves' spears, Dwarves jumping off to fight the Elves on foot.

Dain called for a charge and his foot soldiers rushed the Elves who were already overwhelmed by the rams and he rode into the frey as Dwarves and Elves attacked one another, the two armies mixing, the sounds of battle echoing around the landscape. I put my head in my hands, unable to watch the bloodshed, but then I heard a rumbling and I looked up, feeling dread fill my heart. At the base of a spur of the mountain the rumbling grew louder and as it did, both armies stopped fighting and grew silent as they turned to look.

The rumbling grew louder until it no longer sounded like rumbling, but loud roars and I swore loudly as we watched from the ramparts as at the spur of the mountain where the rumbling was coming from, massive worms, hundreds of feet long and dozens of feet thick, came bursting through the rocks. Their mouths were huge drilling machines, looking strong enough to crush the toughest rocks in their jaws. Both armies looked on in shock as worm after worm broke through the spur of the mountain. Gandalf had said that legions of Orcs were coming and no one had been willing to listen to him it seemed.

The worms suddenly retreated and for a moment I was unsure of what was going to happen next but then loud horns blared out and I snapped my head around. I could just make out as the mist cleared Several massive contraptions made of wood, rope, and cloth, on top of a hill across from the mountain. The wooden structure began to open up and immediately, legions of Orcs began pouring out of the tunnels the worms had broken though.

"The hordes of hell are upon us! Fight to the death!" I heard Dain shout and his soldiers ran out of the ranks of Elves and began to regroup in order to fight the now approaching legion of Orcs. They ran across the plains, the Orcs rushing them intent on destroying them. "To battle! To battle, sons of Durin!" Dain shouted as he rode his pig towards the horde of orcs and Fili looked at all of us.

"I'm going over the wall! Who's coming with me?" Fili asked and the others cheered and agreed, preparing the climb down.

"No!" I shouted and everyone turned to look at me surprised.

"What?" Dori asked me, his mouth hanging open.

"Are we to do nothing?" Fili demanded as he stepped up to me. "I know you're scared, namad, but…," Fili said and I raised my hand at that, stopping him.

"It's not that I'm scared, I am scared. I'd be a fool if I wasn't," I admitted to Fili before I shook my head a small smile on my face. "I just think maybe you shouldn't go into battle without armour or even a weapon," I told him, reminding him that while he had gotten so caught up in the moment he was unarmed and unarmoured and Fili looked down at himself sheepish.

"Oh," He said, turning pink and I looked at the Company.

"I will not stop any of you if you chose to fight," I told them, looking down at my feet. "It's apparent that I never could have stopped this battle even if I wanted to. But be smart. Do not go unarmed or unarmored," I told them as I looked at them all sadly. "Go," I told them, knowing that they were waiting for my permission.

"Are you sure?" Dwalin asked me as he stood in front of me and I took his hand in mine and held it over my heart.

"As long as you remember to keep your promise," I told him, looking up into his face and Dwalin frowned for a moment before remembering as I reached up with my other hand and tugged slightly at his braid. "Return to me, no matter what battle you go to fight," I reminded him and Dwalin nodded before leaning down and kissing me soundly as he drew me to him, the sounds of battle ringing out in the air.

"Always, amrâlimê," Dwalin told me as he broke our kiss, putting his forehead to mine and I held off my tears for now.

"Go," I told him again, knowing I would not be able to say it a third time and Dwalin nodded before turning around and taking the others with him. A single tear fell down my face and I wiped it away before I decided that I had to make a choice. War was now upon us and there was only one person I could think of that could help us. I inhaled deeply before I hurried away from the ramparts.

Third Person POV

As Dain and part of his army of dwarves rushed toward the oncoming Orcs, the Elves stayed right where they were. The dwarves were clearly outnumbered by the Orcs, but still the Elves made no move to aid them. Bilbo who had not seen the Dwarves retreat stood beside Gandalf who was amongst the Lakemen, watching the battle.

"The Elves, will they not fight?" Bilbo asked Gandalf in confusion and Gandalf only shook his head, not knowing the answer.

Thranduil looked back at the Iron Hill Dwarves, who had stopped on the plains and built a shield wall with their massive spears pointed outward, led by the chants of a leader. The Orcs were fast approaching the shield wall and just as they were bearing down upon the Dwarves, the Elves suddenly leapt up over the shield wall from behind, wielding their swords, and they began raining down blows upon the Orcs. As the Elves pressed forward, the Dwarven shield wall was raised and the Dwarves rushed forward, cutting down Orcs with their spears. Dain rode furiously through the Orcs, smashing them left and right with his hammer as the remaining Elves marched toward the battle, Gandalf and Bilbo standing in one place.

"Eh, Gandalf - Is this a good place to stand?" Bilbo asked the wizard as the Elves moved past him with no problem, Gandalf turning this way and that before finding what he was looking for.

"Send in the War Beasts!" Azog shouted, in the Black Speech of Mordor standing at the top of the hill as he commanded his legion of Orcs. The wooden signalling devices changed their position to show a new signal and Gandalf, seeing the signal, looked toward the tunnels to see new legions of Orcs, including massive trolls and other monsters, come out. Thranduil shouted to his troops as he rode along through his soldiers and the Elves stopped and pulled out their bows, releasing a volley of arrows upon the fell beasts which struck some of the trolls dead as the Dwarves drove chariots through the new legion of Orcs to bring them down.

"Destroy their war machines!" Azog ordered and another horn blared, the signalling device changing positions once more and the trolls rushed from amongst the Orcish army towards the Dwarven chariots, attacking them. They crushed the Dwarves that rode upon them under foot and club and destroyed the chariots. "They cannot fight on two fronts. Now we make our move," Azog said with a sneer before he made his next move. "Attack the city!" He ordered and as a horn sounded and the signalling device changed again, another legion of Orcs that had been waiting for the signal, turned and marched toward Dale, which was between the current battle and the tunnels.

"Azog - he's trying to cut us off," Gandalf said as he realized what the pale Orc's plan was and massive trolls, each large enough to carry multiple other Orcs and wooden structures such as catapults on their back, marched toward the city along with the armies of Orcs.]

"All of you, fall back to Dale! Now!" Bard ordered the Lakemen and Bard, the Lakepeople, Gandalf, and Bilbo rushed toward the city, trying to intercept the Orcs.

"To the city! Bilbo! This way!" Bilbo shouted as both he and the Hobbit ran towards Dale.

The Orc mowed through the Dwarves on the battlefield, cutting them down as King Thranduil was engaged in battle, his Elk bleating as it reared, Thranduil thrown back in his saddle as he continued to fight before regaining his seat. He cut through the Orcs around him as the monstrous trolls approaching the city stopped at a rise overlooking Dale. They bent over and planted all four legs on the ground, thus making their backs horizontal. On their backs were catapults loaded with large rocks and Orcs on the trolls' backs wound up the gears of the catapults.

At a signal from their leader, who struck the ground with his mace, the catapults were released, and the rocks flew toward Dale. They smashed into the walls and towers, destroying everything they hit. As Bard, at the front of his army, rode across a bridge into Dale, the Orc army approached the wall from another area. A troll with a giant triangle-shaped rock strapped to his head ran up to the wall and smashed into it headfirst, knocking it down and knocking himself out in the same motion. The troll fell to the side and the Orcs behind him rushed into the city through the hole, entering the houses and killing whatever people they found. The Battle of the Five Armies had begun.


Khuzdul:

Namad- Sister

Amrâlimê- My love