Var is back sooner than Nori expects, slipping into the mountain at a little after midnight the following night, the elves are moving quickly and they do not tire as easily or rapidly as the other races.
"Didn't try and get too close," he admits when he reports in. "Elves are tricky bastards at the best of times. They'll be here by morning at the rate they're travelling."
Which would not be as much of a problem, were it not for the fact that Dáin's reply via raven indicated that he would not be at the mountain until the afternoon. There will, once again, be an army of elves and Men between Erebor and the Lord of the Iron Hills. Nori wants to scream. At least the Men have not approached for a second time yet, although it is clear that they are not intending on leaving any time soon.
"Any idea who they were?" Thorin presses.
"Never seen many elves up close," Var shrugs, "at least not ones that weren't in the town trading. Pretty sure most of them were wood elves, judging from the few I saw while I was in Lake Town. Not sure about the rest though, they weren't dressed the same. One of them was riding an elk, never saw anything more ridiculous but there were others deferring to him. Got out of there sharpish when they got closer, figured it would be better to let you know what I saw rather than get caught trying to hear more."
"Good call," Nori agrees. "Go get something to eat and get some rest. I've got a feeling the next few days are going to be busy."
Var bows and hurries away.
"I do not like this," Thorin mutters, a scowl pulling at his face. He has been short tempered since the discussion on the wall and the others are mostly avoiding him.
"The only advantage I can see is that any orcs that might be watching the place will likely think twice about wading in if there's three armies out there," Dwalin comments.
"You and I both know," Thorin shoots him an exasperated look, "that they are more likely to attempt to take advantage of the chaos."
"I'm trying to think positive," Dwalin shrugs.
"Don't," Thorin huffs. "In this situation we need to plan for the worst, not hope for the best."
"No harm in doing both," Nori cuts in. "On which note, if it comes down to a fight I want you and the boys staying inside this mountain." Thorin gives her a quizzical look, she has overstepped and she knows it, but she cannot regret that. "If you're out there, Fíli will be. If Fíli's out there, Kíli will be and if Kíli's out there Briar will be."
"That's a lot of steps to keep Briar-Rose Baggins safe," Thorin says, his voice oddly gentle.
"It isn't just Briar," Nori shakes her head. "I know I'd have more luck telling the sun not to come up than I would getting Dwalin to stay out of it, but if the orcs come, it'll be carnage. The lass doesn't need to see that, and nor do the lads. Besides, Hela needs Fíli to come home for the sake of their baby."
"And you love my nephew," Thorin finishes. Nori shrugs one shoulder. "It is clear to anyone who cares to look," he tells her, "at least, if they bother to look. And in many ways you have been more of a mother to him than the one who birthed him. It is understandable that he would carve a corner of your heart out for himself, as you have in his. But you know we cannot stay in the mountain, much as we would wish it. If it comes down to an all out battle, we will all be out there." She shakes her head. "You may not wish to believe it, but if you are out there, Kíli will be as well. I doubt there is any order you could give him now which would cause him to stay in the mountain. It won't matter if everyone else he loves is in here. If you are out there, he will follow."
"It's my job to keep you safe," Nori insists.
"Actually," Dwalin corrects, "in a fight that's my job. You're there to handle all the sneaky stuff, I'm here to stand between anyone who decides to be obvious about going for him. You've done everything you can," he adds, "and if the orcs comes as well we aren't going to be taken by surprise, but if it comes to a battle we both know there isn't anything we can do to ensure the outcome. You can't ask them to stay in the mountain, lass, I've nearly lost you to a fight once, so's Kíli. Do you really think either of us want to take that risk again?" He pulls her against him. "You watch our backs, we'll watch yours," he tells her.
"It might not come to it," Thorin says, "loath as I am to say it, I hope that the arrival of an army of elves might knock some sense into the Men. I will even give Thranduil those blasted gems my grandfather denied him if it will get him to leave us with what is ours. We are in no position for a fight, galling as that is to admit."
The change in Thorin between this life and her last is immense. The Thorin of her past who was so controlled by the call of the gold and the magic of the dragon would never have considered giving any of the treasure to the people at their gates. That this Thorin is considering it is an immense change and one that she can hardly account for. She can hardly believe that the little changes she has been making since waking up in Bree fourteen years ago has made this much of a change in her king. But even without the influence of the gold she could hardly imagine the Thorin of her past deciding to take a course of action which would involve willingly giving up some of the treasure they have been through so much to get back.
"Balin's worn you down, then?" Dwalin asks, looping his arm about her waist as they make their way to the building they have all been sleeping in.
"He hardly needed to," Thorin sighs. "I have had too many reminders over the last decade of the importance of family. Knowing that one of the bodies we will eventually uncover may well be those of my mother and sister, seeing so many of our kin fallen because my grandfather's greed drew a dragon to this mountain, I will not and cannot permit that to happen again. I will not doom our people to die for the sake of a chest of gems or a measure of gold which was never ours to behind with. And I refuse to allow Fíli and Kíli watch me fail and fall as I watched Thrôr lose himself." He shakes his head. "We should rest. With the elves on the way tomorrow will be a difficult day. Lord Elrond I can stomach dealing with, but my memories of Thranduil are of a demanding elf more impressed with his great age and diseased trees than with the world outside them. If it is him at his gates I would pay a great deal to get rid of him."
"What if we need him?" Nori asks.
"Then perhaps that aid will go some way towards making amends for allowing so many of our people to die during Smaug's attack," Thorin sighs. "Perhaps it will make up for allowing us to wander the world starving rather than offering even a miniscule amount of aid." He shakes his head. "Perhaps I have allowed my bitterness over my stolen youth to control my thoughts for too long," he admits after a beat. "And maybe I am too old to change."
"Never too old for change," Nori shakes her head. Her husband, however, seems to notice something that Nori has missed.
"Still blaming yourself for your mother and Nís?" Dwalin asks abruptly. They all pause. "You brought her up on the wall. You haven't spoken about them for decades."
"She was two days old," Thorin says in a low voice. "My mother had not yet left her bed. The announcements hadn't been made. And instead of going to save my mother, I went to save my insane grandfather. I made my peace with the fact that I chose my king over my mother years ago. I even made my peace with the fact that Dís didn't remember them and Frerin hardly remembered the second sister Mahal gifted us with. I realised yesterday, however, that I am the only one still living who met her, held her. I am the only one alive who knows she had a mess of golden curls and the same blue eyes every member of the line of Durin except Kíli has had for generations. I realised yesterday that my grandfather had his life, and he squandered it in his lust for gold. My sister never even got to see the halls outside my mother's chambers." He takes a deep breath. "My grandfather's hoard of gold drew the dragon here, the dragon killed countless dwarves and Men, but I was the one who made the decision to leave my mother and sister to die."
"You did what you had to in the moment," Dwalin says, "the same as we will if it does come to a pitched battle."
"I am aware," Thorin sighs, looking down the corridor with a sigh, "but being here, finding the bodies of our fallen kin… it reminds me of what was stolen from us, something worth far more than gold. And it makes me wonder if, maybe, Dís would have fared better in life if Nís had lived."
"You can't know that," Nori tells him as he starts walking again.
"No," Thorin agrees, "and that is the horror of it."
He continues forward while Nori and Dwalin linger. This is a side of Thorin which she knows Dwalin sees regularly, far more so than she does although it has been seen more often since her marriage. That Thorin carries the wounds of Erebor's loss so deeply is no surprise, but to hear that he has realised how much those wounds have affected his temperament is a shock. Somewhat less of one, however, than the immediate realisation that Thorin's behaviour over the last few weeks has been sufficient for her to forgive him the way that the last time she did this ended. If he can survive the battle that Nori knows is coming and continue as he is, she suspects that he will become one of the greatest King's of Durin's Folk to ever live.
"He's changed since sending Dís away," Dwalin comments softly, "thinks more before he speaks, especially where the lads are concerned. He's lost too much, I think he fears losing anything else."
"He isn't the only one," Nori admits.
"Come on," he steers her in a slightly different direction. "If our suspicions are right we won't get a chance to have any time to ourselves for a bit. Let's go find somewhere, just you and me."
"And good acoustics," Nori adds with a wicked grin.
Dwalin's answering smile is lascivious. "Aye, I like that idea."
They should probably get more sleep than they do, Nori knows what is coming after all, but when they curl up together neither cares about the lack of sleep or the hard stone beneath them. Nori knows what is coming and if she is to face death again in the next couple of days she would rather do it tired after spending a night loving her husband than well rested. All other things aside, Nori is a simple creature with simple needs most of the time, and Dwalin fulfils those happily.
The elves have arrived when the sun rises, the early morning rays glinting off brilliant elven armour as they wait far enough away from the ramparts to avoid any sort of attack but too close for comfort. They were spotted on arrival, of course, but the dwarves wait for the rise of the sun knowing that they will be able to keep the elves a little off kilter by implying that they are not a threat. Nori is somewhat concerned to see that there are more of them this time around. It does not make sense that there would be additional elves.
At least, not until several figures approach. She recognises Thranduil, though she pretends otherwise, but it is the three with him that have her biting her tongue to keep from uttering curses. Fíli, on the other hand, wastes no time in leaning over the wall to shout down to the pair of dark haired elves riding, somewhat nonchalantly, next to another elf Nori recognises. The Master, Bard and the still unnamed guard trail behind them.
"What are you two doing here?" He calls to the twins.
"We can't visit friends?" One shouts back, a picture of false innocence.
"Is that what they are?" Thorin mutters.
"If we could be serious," Thranduil drawls, just loud enough to be heard. "I have as little desire to be here as the dwarves have to see me," he continues. "However, personal preferences sometimes need to be put aside and Lord Glorfindel has managed to persuade me that this is one such occasion. Must we be forced to shout the news we bring you for all to hear?"
"The twins and Glorfindel are trustworthy," Dwalin advises softly. "My wife wouldn't be here if not for them. I'd trust Thranduil and the Men about as far as I could throw the mountain, but I doubt the elf came out of his woods with that many warriors to play games. At the very least, we need to keep them talking until Dáin gets here."
Bombur has, in fact, left a section of the rebuilt gates which will be easy to remove quickly should they need to. Surprisingly, the one who suggested it had not been Nori. Rather, Thorin had specified that he did not want to be leading Dáin's troops through the treasury or keep them outside waiting while the work done to secure the mountain is undone.
"Dori and Ori will remain here and keep watch," Thorin says after a beat. "We will clear the entry way and meet with these elves and Men just inside. Glóin, Óin, I want you both to keep guard at the door to the treasury in case any of them slip away."
"Be easier to avoid that if you go into the guardroom on the east side," Dwalin points out. "It'll be big enough, no furniture but no sense in letting them make themselves comfortable anyway. I can stand guard on the door and make sure no one goes where they aren't meant to."
"Have Fíli and Balin in with you, I'll take Kíli up to the landing above and we'll watch from there," Nori adds, "and I'll station Var outside in case anyone gets any bright ideas about distracting Dwalin."
"They'll see you go up," Thorin warns.
"There's a second entrance on the other side. Door's destroyed so we should be able to slip in once everyone's inside and keep an eye on things," Nori shrugs.
"I dislike the idea of them coming in here," Thorin mutters.
"Better on your terms than theirs," Gandalf advises.
"And that is the only reason I'm allowing it," Thorin tells him. "I think it best you be in the room with us as well. Best we leave no doubt about the fact that this was not entirely our idea."
A.N: Still procrastinating! Because yay, procrastination. And beer. Somehow, Special Relativity makes WAY more sense with beer. Good Cornish beer. St Austell Breweries Tribute (the only good ale for a steak and ale pie, incidentally, although any real ale works in a pinch). Mmm, steak and ale pie, there's a good idea for next week's dinner... So yeah, I'm three chapters ahead right now. Which is why you have another chapter tonight. For all my procrastination, though, I'm actually enjoying my units right now. I just want to get this done SO badly. So badly.