Halien pulled the blanket over Frerin's hands when he finished feeding and she laced her blouse back up. She looked down at her son as he fell asleep in her arms and she smiled.
"You're so much like your father..." she whispered and felt more tears slip down her cheeks. She looked up at the sky, seeing the sun as it began to slowly set and she couldn't help but let the tears fall freely down her cheeks.
"Halien?"
The elf maiden turned and saw Bard standing there. She turned away and sighed. "What did Thorin have to say?"
Bard came to stand next to her. "He will not give us what he promised and he is willing to risk war. Your father and I will march on the mountain at dawn."
Halien looked down at her son and felt as if more tears should have fallen, but it was like there was nothing more for her to shed at that moment. "Then all hope of peace at has been lost."
Bard looked at her. "No, there is still a chance at hope. I will speak to him again when we reach the gate tomorrow. We will try one last time to come to some kind of arrangement with him to avoid bloodshed."
Halien shook her head and looked up at him. "No, Bard. There is no talking to him now... Before I left, I felt a bit of the Thorin I knew pushing through, so I tried to make a connection to that light. I managed to pull that light through close enough to talk to him. It was my Thorin, Bard, he's still in there but he's slipping quickly. I do not think there will be anything left of him soon. I may have lost him forever already."
Bard didn't know what to say to her as she looked towards the setting sun. "Halien..."
"Bard, please, just whatever you do, don't let him suffer," she said, staring at the setting sun as it colored the sky red as blood. "War will come and we cannot stop it..."
Before Bard could respond, a messenger came up and informed them that they were requested in the Elven King's tent.
Halien nodded and followed the messenger to the tent, Bard silently following behind her. He wanted nothing more than to hold her, to comfort her, but he could not find the words or the courage to do so. She was so upset, but she seemed to have come to terms with the fact that she's losing Thorin and will never get him back.
When they arrived within the tent, Halien greeted her father and Gandalf, who was waiting as well. She stood to the side and listened as Bard informed them of what was discussed with Thorin and they began to form a plan of attack. Gandalf also informed them that Sauron was back and was building a massive army led by Azog the Defiler on one side and Azog's son, Bolg, on the other side. Bolg had gone to Gundabad to raise his army and they would be upon them soon. Darkness was quickly returning to the lands of Middle Earth.
Halien sat there with Frerin as the babe slept in his mother's arms. She didn't give any input to anything that was said but heard every word as if it were said in a shroud of mist. She did not say a word until Bilbo suddenly appeared and presented them with the Arkenstone.
"Halien, I am sorry, but you were right. Thorin suspects that one of the others has the Arkenstone and he thinks they are going to betray them. For some reason, he completely trusts me and does not think I have it. He is convinced that I am the only one on his side." Bilbo said, looking at her. "I thought perhaps if I gave you the Arkenstone, you could use it to bargain with him and get what was promised to you," he added, looking at Bard. "You have helped us in many ways, risking your safety to get us this far. Thorin covets the Arkenstone above all else now and if he sees that you have it, I'm certain he will do anything to get it back."
Halien sat there and listened to the responses from Bard and the others as they spoke with Bilbo about the Arkenstone. 'Bilbo, thank you.' she sent to the hobbit as she stood. 'Let's just hope this will be enough to stop a war from starting.'
Bilbo watched as Halien left the tent, holding Frerin close to her. He looked to Bard. "Is she alright?"
Bard sighed. "I do not know. My daughters say she's been like that for hours since she returned to Dale this afternoon. Whatever was said between her and Thorin when they connected has her rattled."
Bilbo looked in the direction Halien had gone. "Halien managed to connect all of us to her and Thorin earlier. She managed to grab onto a small bit of him that was left in the darkness in his mind and she extended the connection to the rest of us so that Thorin could apologize for everything that's happened. He asked us to forgive him, but then we felt him slipping back into the darkness." Bilbo explained. "I think the connection was severed from everyone else, but I remained connected and I heard what he told her before we lost him to the sickness again."
Bard looked at the hobbit. "What did he say?"
Bilbo looked at the bowman, then at Thranduil and Gandalf, then back to Bard as he said, "He told her that he loved her, that she was his greatest treasure. He said that if he could not overcome this, she needed to take Frerin and start a new life. He doesn't want to hurt either of them and told her to leave Erebor. He said that he loved her and their son and that he could not have hoped for a greater life than the one she gave him. If it came down to her leaving Erebor behind, Thorin told Halien to give Reva to Balin for safekeeping and that if he overcomes this sickness, he would come for her and Frerin. But if he can't, he told her to move on."
Bard looked out towards the direction Halien went. "Reva is the ring he gave her."
Bilbo nodded. "Halien loves Thorin more than anything in this world. The only thing she loves more than him is her son. She has never strayed from Thorin's side and has never done anything to hurt him. For her to leave Erebor to bring Frerin here and keep him away from Thorin has us all shocked. The things Thorin has said to her are cruel and unfair and we all know them not to be true. That sickness has clouded his mind so much that he cannot see the love that woman has for him." He looked over at Thranduil. "Your daughter has always fought hard to do what is right, sire. She has never once strayed from the path set before her. Thorin is not of the right mind, you must understand that. Use the Arkenstone to get what you are owed, bargain it and avoid bloodshed for her sake."
Thranduil considered the hobbit's words carefully and nodded. "Very well. You are quite brave to bring this here at risk of your safety. I will give the dwarf king one last chance to concede. For the sake of my daughter only."
Bilbo thanked the elven king and went with Gandalf as they concluded the meeting. Bard bid the elven king a good night and went to find Halien.
Halien was laying on a pile of hay that had been set up in one of the storerooms used to keep the children safe and warm. The women were in the next room, connected to the children through a large archway. Bard sat next to her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She had fallen asleep, holding a bundled Frerin close to her as the babe remained asleep. He pulled a blanket over her and sighed.
'What are we to do, Halien...?' he wondered silently to himself.
'We hope for the best.' she replied, stirring as Bard's mind connected to hers.
'I didn't mean to wake you.' he said, leaning back and stroking her hair.
Halien managed a small, but sad smile and looked at him sleepily. 'It's alright. I don't think I can get much sleep as it is.'
Bard stroked her cheek. 'Bilbo told me what Thorin said to you when the connection was broken between you and your companions. Somehow, he remained connected and heard what was said. I'm sorry for any pain that may have caused you.'
Halien looked at her son. 'I can't just let him go, Bard. Thorin is everything to me. Losing him would be like losing a part of myself. I can't just move on even if there's the slightest chance of saving him.'
'Thorin just wants what is best for you and Frerin.' Bard said, looking at her.
'I know, but it hurts to hear him tell me to move on and give Reva to Balin as if I am never going to see my Thorin again. I can't think like that, but his words haunt me.'
Bard leaned in closer and rolled onto his side. 'Then hope that he will pull through this. You found that light once before and even if it seemed dim, it was still there and there could still be a chance that you can pull him out of the darkness. Keep onto that thought and everything should be fine.'
Halien looked at him. 'Thank you, Bard.' she said with a smile.
