****** A/N - Feb 2021 - I just realized that this chapter was never uploaded. It's a little late now, but new readers still find the story so I guess it's worth fixing. *****

When Lin, Ardin, and Hilaeg arrived at the outpost after spending one night in the woods, they had no idea that Lin was now the crown princess. The outpost had also been evacuated except for Walum who stayed behind to tend to the remaining animals and his wife Frid. They were surprised to see General Amayla's children and the crown princess and immediately began bowing and offering their services.

Lin took them into their confidence. "We need to send a raven to Erebor and then await a return message. We may require ponies and supplies for travel depending on the raven message."

Hilaeg and Ardin exchanged frowns before Ardin challenged her. "Lin, we were told to get you away as quickly as possible. We should leave at first light tomorrow."

"NO! I will give Erebor a chance to get back to us. I want to make certain before leaving my kingdom and I will not hear otherwise!"

Hilaeg put her hand on her brother's arm and volunteered to go with Walum to send the raven note while Lin and Ardin glared at each other until Frid broke the tension by offering to show them where they could spend the night.

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It was raining heavily the next morning, delaying any returning raven message.

"I think we should leave now. It is unlikely that the enemy would travel in this weather. It would give us a chance to get far ahead," Ardin suggested over breakfast.

"NO!" Lin answered. "I am staying here."

"Until the raven returns and tells us to go, right?" Hilaeg questioned, hearing the determination in her friend's voice.

"No. I thought about it last night and decided that I'm not leaving here. I was ordered to leave Erebor and go someplace safe and I did. I'm safe here and I'm not leaving!"

"Lin, stop acting like a dwarfling and . ."

"Shut up Ardin!" Lin said slamming her hands on the table, rattling the plates and utensils. "I know what you were ordered to do and Mahal forbid that you shirk your duty, but let me make this perfectly clear to you, I am the future queen of Erebor and I am not just going to run away when my people are in danger!"

"But the king and your father ordered us . ."

"I don't care! Nobody discussed it with me!" Lin shouted, before taking a few breaths and calming herself. "Don't you see Ardin, we all know the stories of Uncle Thorin leading his people after Smaug came. He didn't save himself and hide away. He took care of his people. How can I ever hope to be queen if I just hide away? I won't do it! We are staying here so that if Erebor truly falls, we can help the refugees. They'll need me and I'll need the help of you two."

Ardin opened his mouth to respond but Hilaeg beat him to it. "Brother, let's give it a few days. Lin is right. She is safe here for now. We can wait for news from Erebor."

Ardin pushed away from the table, resorting to his old habit of scowling and stomping. "I don't like this one bit! We have our orders!"

Finally, Frid came in and to see what all the fuss was about. She stated that nobody was leaving in the heavy rain and that the three of them should go check out the storage tunnel to see if there were any supplies they needed. "And it's a little messy in there, so stay until it's straightened up!" she ordered, brooking no further discussion.

The three grabbed their packs and trudged off.

"I'll lead the way," Ardin insisted.

"Do you think we don't know the way?" Lin snapped back.

"I've been here more than you," Ardin replied. "And I wouldn't want you to go down the false tunnel."

"We both have perfectly fine stone-sense Ardin," Lin answered icily. We know the difference between the two and where the trap lever is. You can quit talking to us like dwarflings!"

"I'm not treating you like dwarflings! I am supposed to protect you! It's my duty!"

"Yeah, yeah. We both know how devoted you are to your duty. Just keep walking," Lin ordered while Hilaeg just shook her head at her companions' continuous bickering.

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As they were in no hurry, they took their time looking around the storage room, debating whether they might possibly need any of the dried food, tools, or clothing if they had to make their way to the Misty Mountains. After a couple of hours of packing and repacking their bags and then cleaning up the shelves, they headed back. What they found, froze them. Almost twenty Easterlings were standing at the mouth of the tunnel, holding Frid and Walum at sword point. With their hands full, the three could do nothing to prevent the soldiers from seizing them too. Among the soldiers, was one man wearing the uniform from Dale.

"They're looking for the tunnel into the mountain," Frid shouted in Khuzdul before yelling in pain from being knocked to the ground by a hard slap by one of the soldiers.

"We told you none of that Dwarvish talk, wench. Do it again and I'll slit your throat!"

"That goes for you three, too," the soldier holding the sword on Ardin sneered.

But the three had received Frid's message loud and clear. The men thought there was a tunnel into Erebor. The man from Dale was the likely source of the idea. For years, there was speculation about the tunnel from those who were deployed at the outpost, but only a very select few knew of its true purpose. Lin was determined to lead them to the tunnel but knew she couldn't be too eager about it.

"See Captain! They must have come through the tunnel! I told you!" the man from Dale grinned at the Easterling in charge.

"They came here two days ago," Walum argued.

"Then why didn't you tell us that it was just the two of you here," the Captain snarled before ordering their hands to be bound.

He then slowly walked over and looked the three up and down. He grabbed Lin's face, turning it side to side. "If not for the beard, this one would be quite pretty. I'm partial to blonds," he leered.

"Keep your hands off her!" Ardin shouted, struggling against his bindings.

The captain quickly turned to Ardin, bending over to get in his face, "If you want no harm to come to her, tell me how you got here."

"We walked," Ardin spat.

"I'm sure you did, but I wonder where you walked," the captain replied, chuckling evilly. "It would have taken you several days to walk here, outside, through the forests and over hills. But the battle hadn't reached Erebor by then. There were have been no reason for you to have left that early. However, through a tunnel, I imagine it would have been much quicker, wouldn't you agree?"

"We walked outside," Ardin repeated.

The captain slammed his fist to Ardin's stomach. Ardin let out a large "oof" but straightened up quickly and glared at the captain. He only smiled and moved on to Hilaeg.

"Another female? I thought they were supposed to be rare. Hmmm, this one is not quite as pretty as the blond, but on her back with her legs spread, it really doesn't matter."

Hilaeg responded with a swift kick right into the Captain's groin, causing him to double over in pain. One of the other soldiers struck her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. Although slightly stunned by the hit, Hilaeg used her fall to pull a small blade out of her back waistband and hide it in her palm.

"Stop it, you cowards! Can you only attack helpless dams? What kind of men are you?" Ardin shouted.

"The captain and guards turned their attention back to Ardin. "Such big talk from such a small being. I might hurt myself bending over to beat you."

"Release my hands and I'll show you how small I am," Ardin taunted.

"Shut up, dwarf!" the captain shouted before turning to two guard. "Have at him."

Ardin took the beating with only the slightest of grunts.

Lin wanted to cry out after the first hit, but bit her tongue. She knew Ardin was capable of withstanding quite a lot of pain, having watched him train over the year, but still she cringed, and the tears began to fall.

Finally, she cried out for them to stop. It was part of her plan, but deep down she couldn't stand to see Ardin suffer anymore. "Stop! Please! I'm begging you! Stop hurting my husband! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

Hilaeg's eyes went wide at Lin's declaration, but she had a feeling she knew what the princess was up to. She turned to Frid and Walum who were also showing signs of shock, trying to signal with her eyes for them to go along with the ruse. She used the first name that came into her head, which happened to be the name of Lin's pony, "Nundel, no! Don't say anything!"

"Hilga, I must!" Lin replied. "Hargin can't take any more!"

"NO! Wife, say nothing!" Ardin gasped out.

The captain held up his hand to stop the beating and walked over to Lin. "Your husband, you say?" he sneered. "Well if you want my men to stop, then simply tell me what I want to know!"

"And you promise not to hurt him anymore? Or any of us if I tell you?"

"Of course, my pretty. Now tell me, is there a tunnel?"

"No!" "Don't say anything!" Ardin, Hilary, Frid and Walum all yelled.

Lin hesitated, looking between all the dwarves.

"Or do you want my men to continue?"

Lin turned to Ardin, "I have to do this. It is my duty as your . . . wife. I am my father's daughter."

Lin let a few tears fall, which wasn't difficult, and slowly nodded her head to the captain. "We came through the tunnel," she whispered. "My husband was posted here several times and knew of it. He had driven some of the injured back and knew the battle would be lost so he got his sister and me and we came here."

"See, now that was very simple, wasn't it my dear," the captain drawled while rubbing a lock of Lin's hair between his fingers. "Now you will show us the way."

"Show you the way?" Lin gasped. "You never said anything about showing you the tunnel."

"What did you expect, my pretty little fool. You will show us the way or you can watch my men beat your husband to a pulp and then watch while I have my way with your friend. Your choice."

Lin played her part well, acting as if giving in to the captain anything but exactly what she wanted to do. Hilaeg joined in practically begging Lin not to do it. For Ardin, it was no act though. Letting his princess, the one he had spent his entire life protecting, go off with enemy soldiers hurt more than any blows the men had landed. And yet, a small part of him was proud of her.

After what Lin felt was a suitable amount of time to "think", she gave in and agreed to show the men the way. "You must untie my hands though," she insisted.

"No," replied the captain.

"If you don't, I won't be able to find the way!"

"We will have torches," he answered bluntly.

"You don't understand," she pleaded. "I am a dwarf. We don't find our way through tunnels with our eyes, but with our touch. It's not that I won't show the way with my hands behind my back, it's that I can't! I have to be able to touch the stone. It's the only way I'll remember."

The captain relented and ordered his men to tie her hands in front. She held them out as she had been taught by General Amayla and had practiced with Hilaeg hundreds of times. She then turned to her friends trying to send a look of love and encouragement to them before the soldiers pushed her forward. Two men were left behind to guard the remaining captives.

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Lin led the way, staying against the side of the ever-narrowing tunnel. She did need to feel the wall, as even with the torches, the secret door to the escape tunnel was essentially invisible. She had to concentrate as it had been several years since she had last traveled down the tunnel. Patrolling on horseback had never been her strength, so she was never stationed at the outpost; but she insisted that her father allow her to spend time there helping with the chores necessary to keep the outpost running so that she, as the future queen, would appreciate the effort it took to keep the three kingdoms safe.

She led them for over an hour when she knew they were close. Having studied the Easterlings armor during the walk, Lin determined that the best place to stab the man guarding her was the side of his chest. She went over the plan in her head over and over again. When I reach the spot, I pretend to stumble, grab the knife in my waistband, free my hands, stab him in the chest, press the button, go through the door, slam it shut, and pull the lever. I can do it!

She to start breathing slowly to try and calm her nerves. Her hands were starting to shake, and she really wanted to pee; but when she felt the secret button, she acted completely on instinct. She yelped innocently as she stumbled and then followed her plan. The feel of the knife plunging into actual flesh nauseated her, but it didn't stop her from pushing the button, leaping through the door, and slamming it behind her as she heard the shouts of the soldiers. It took her a second the catch her breath before fumbling in the pitch dark to pull the lever that brought the ceiling down on the Easterlings, trapping them in the dead-end tunnel. As the walls shook, Lin slid down to the ground and covered her head, praying to Mahal that the ceiling above her would hold.

At the sound and rumbling of the cave-in, Ardin and Hilaeg nodded to each other. As soon as the two guards turned their backs on them, Hilaeg, who had much earlier freed herself from her bindings, rushed over and cut her brother free. Like siblings who had been raised by Erebor's greatest warriors, the two jumped the guards and easily unarmed them. They quickly released Frid and Walum, found some torches, and rushed down to the other end of the escape tunnel to try and find Princess Lin.

Ardin strode briskly the whole way, forcing Hilaeg to practically jog to keep up with him. He did occasionally look back to glare at Frid who seemed unable to stop talking about how brave Lin had been. Suddenly Ardin stopped, shushing everyone, "Do you hear that? Those are footsteps!" He broke into a full run with Hilaeg falling in behind, both of them shouting Lin's name.

Lin screamed back their names and started running as fast as she could while still keeping one hand on a wall. When they met up, all three embraced in a group hug that only stopped when Frid and Walum finally caught up.

"I don't care if you are royalty," Frid cried out. "I am hugging you my brave, brave lass!"

"Aye lassie," Walum joined in. "The king will be proud of you - all three of you! And we'll make sure to tell him.

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******** Author's Notes *******

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This chapter was kind of "The Hobbit, The Next Generation". I needed to wrap up a foreshadow I laid out many, many chapters ago. I also wanted Lin to be proactive and somewhat heroic.

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