My rest did not last longer than a bare handful of hours, rising well before sunset and disappearing from the tent with long strides, searching to know what exactly was going on. Dale was a hive of busyness, everyone rushing to gather weapons and as the people formerly of Esgaroth armed themselves, my eyes widened in alarm until I saw a familiar hat moving through the crowds. "Mithrandir!" Crying out with unbound relief I flew forwards, moving effortlessly through the thick crowds as his grey pointed hat turned and his bruised and worn face turned to meet mine. "Mithrandir, what in Valar's name happened to you?" I breathed in shock, hand going to his face to inspect his injuries.
"Asta my dear, it is a joy to see you again. I feel as if I have aged centuries since we last saw one another." He said with a sigh, Bard standing with him as I shook my head and embraced him like an old friend, worrying for his health as it seemed he had met his fair share of trouble and I could sense a dark heaviness within him. "Where is your father? I must speak with him immediately." At the mention of my father I drew back and looked away, smile fading in an instant.
"I could not say, but I suspect he is with his men. I shall show the way." Mithrandir did not miss my change in demeanour, humming in thought but said nothing for the time being as I turned and gestured he follow with Bard. Upon seeing their leader the people parted, murmuring about Bard's heroism but he ignored it pointedly and with humility so I looked to him with respect, encouraging him to relax a little as I then called out in elvish, requesting to know where Thranduil was and one of his men instantly showed us to his tent. He must have returned just after I left.
"Ah, so the Grey Pilgrim has returned." Thranduil drawled as he sat upon his large chair like it were his throne, not rising as Mithrandir, Bard and I entered. I intended to take my leave, making to disappear however Mithrandir caught my hand before I could make my escape, drawing me further inside so that I would remain and partake in the following conversation.
"Do not hurry away my dear, I could use your help in this matter which I suspect you may already have some insight to." With a stern look and tensely serious tone he had me stand beside him and I bowed my head, not lifting my gaze as Thranduil glanced towards me but said nothing. His behaviour was only further confusing me. Towards me in person he was gentle, warm and considerate but he banishes me, he keeps my letters for over a century yet when we meet again after all that time he offers nothing but insults. It were as if he were trying to drive me away from him yet could not quite bring himself to do so. Wanting me close and far away at the same time. "I bring news from Dol Guldur. Dark forces are amassing with the intent to strike a blow against the eastern front and I have come to offer you my counsel in how to answer this crisis." Mithrandir announced and instantly my head shot up, staring at him. Is that where he had gone when he had ridden away from us at the Elven Gate? Such folly, I knew that place to be dangerous and forsaken, what purpose could he possibly have for going there? "You must set aside your petty grievances with the dwarves. War is coming and the cesspits of Dol Guldur have been emptied. You are all in mortal danger."
"What are you talking about?" Bard demanded with a deeply furrowed brow however as Thranduil rose to his feet I felt a flicker of irritation at the smirk that he carried with him, holding a goblet of wine in one hand as if this news was nothing more than a trivial report of a scuffle upon the border. His regal countenance never once left him as Thranduil moved with the air and grace that held him apart from our kin and brethren, the expression of a king used to the weight of his crown.
"I can see you know nothing of wizards. They are like winter thunder on a wild wind rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm." He spoke smoothly and my fists naturally tightened at my sides until Mithrandir placed his withered and cooling hand over mine, bidding that I remain calm with the simplest of gestures. "But sometimes a storm is just a storm."
"Not this time." Mithrandir responded with urgency. "Armies of orcs are on the move and these are fighters that have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength." Our enemy. His name whispered at the back of my mind but I dared not speak it or even allow it come to full voice within my own head for fear of summoning him.
"Why show his hand now?" Thranduil questioned, his deliberate footsteps ceasing as he poured himself more wine then resumed his seat, fixing a disbelieving gaze upon Mithrandir who spoke in exasperation at their stubbornness.
"Because we forced him! We forced him when the company of Thorin Oakenshield set out to reclaim their homeland. The dwarves were never meant to reach Erebor, Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them so that they would not succeed in their quest. His master seeks control of the mountain not just for the treasure within, but for where it lies, its strategic position." Of course, whoever controls the mountain controls the eastern border, it would be a vital part to any intent to take over the east and then the north before proceeding west. "This is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the north. If that fell kingdom should rise again, Rivendell, Lothlorien, the Shire, even Gondor itself will fall."
"These orc armies you speak of, Mithrandir. Where are they?" At that Mithrandir fell silent, mouth closing as he could not answer the question that Thranduil had posed. It made him smirk further as I fell deeper into weary exhaustion and frustration as dusk drew on. I lifted my head, finally looking my father in the eye for the first time since entering his tent and spoke with a voice that I had learned from listening and observing my betters for more than a century. The voice of a leader, confident and firm.
"It is unwise to dismiss the advice and wisdom of a wizard, Thranduil Elven-King. More so, the words of a seer such as I." With these words my eyes clouded over however I strangely retained my focus, milky gaze fixated upon Thranduil as the atmosphere grew cold and dark around me, stretching through the tent and Bard retracted slightly in alarm. "War is coming upon fleeting shadow and it will claim all in its path. Every tree, rock and stone…it means to spare no one." Breathing lightly I calmed myself, eyes darkening back to deep brown as I touched a hand to my head, feeling a little drained. "I can feel it in my mind, trying to conceal itself from me. It is clever and strong, this nameless void that keeps me from seeing clearly."
"Perhaps you should sit down my dear, you seem deeply troubled by many things and you are far too young to be so heavy laden with burdens." Mithrandir suggested, kindly drawing up a chair and sat me down upon it, one hand rubbing my shoulder as he fussed over me a little though I assured him that I was well, a little embarrassed to be under such attention though he was not wrong. I truly did feel burdened, and the strain was beginning to get to me as it continuously built up from these past few days of endless emotional and physical demands.
"I still fail to see how we should be concerned over armies of orcs that are not anywhere to be found. Many of my scouts have reported that there is nothing more than plain wilderness beyond the border." Thranduil said, tapping his fingers in a rolling drum against the armrest of his chair. "What are we to be fearful of, a phantom army?"
"Since when has my council counted for so little? What do you think I'm trying to do?" Mithrandir demanded, growing agitated as his hand remained rooted against my shoulder, standing at my side as I sat perfectly still, Mithrandir smoking deeply from his pipe to calm himself. Either that or to choke himself in a bid to free him from the maddening amount of stupidity that seemed to have gathered within this tent.
"I think you are trying to save your dwarvish friends and I admire your loyalty to them, but it does not dissuade me from my course. You started this, Mithrandir. You will forgive me if I finish it." Thranduil's pale whisper was dark and coarse as Mithrandir choked down the smoke he had inhaled, utterly disbelieving that none other than I would heed his warning of what was to come. He had witnessed it himself, and yet his truth fell upon deaf ears that heard nothing but the sound of their own voices instead of the wisdom that was offered to them freely. With a swift movement Thranduil exited the tent, calling to one of his own. "Are the archers in position?"
"Yes my Lord."
"Give the order. If anything moves on that mountain…kill it." With a void expression Thranduil looked back to Mithrandir and I, feeling no remorse or guilt upon his conscience. "The dwarves are out of time." Yet refusing to give up, Mithrandir strode from the tent and turned to Bard so I rose quickly also, still standing within the tent as I remained silent.
"You, bowman! Do you agree with this? Is gold so important to you? Would you buy it with the blood of dwarves?" Mithrandir asked of him and Bard avoided eye contact for a moment, turning his head before hardening his features.
"It will not come to that. This is a fight they cannot win."
"That won't stop them." A small voice announced and instantly I was flying forwards like a breeze, staring in astonishment at Bilbo as he stood clothed in an oversized blue coat with grease and sweat sticking to his usually impeccably clean face but it still suited him as he spoke with determination and valour. "You think the dwarves will surrender? Well they won't. They will fight to the death to defend their own."
"Bilbo Baggins!"
"Bilbo mellon nîn!" With a bright voice I flew to him with open arms, dropping down upon my knees to bring him into my embrace and hold him there, feeling him jump slightly before he then returned my affectionate gesture, patting my back a little shyly but this only broadened my smile as I drew back and looked to him, smoothing aside his curling locks as I looked to him and pressed my hands to his face. "It is wonderful to see you my dearest Bilbo, most wonderful indeed. I am relieved to see you unharmed and in good health."
"It's good to see you too Miss Asta, I thought you would be thrown into the dungeons the moment we were found to be missing and locked away forever." He admitted, the two of us sharing in another secret smile before I kissed his face, elated to see him safe and in one piece still, perfectly untouched and unharmed from his involvement with waking Smaug. "If it is alright, I might have a way of avoiding all battle and bloodshed. May I speak to everyone in a position of authority here?" Bilbo requested and immediately I nodded my head, rising to my feet and gesturing for him to go first where Mithrandir spread his hand and presented him before Thranduil and Bard, both of whom had returned to the tent and taken a seat each as Bilbo hovered at the tent entrance.
"King Thranduil, this is my good friend from the Shire, Bilbo Baggins." Mithrandir introduced and Bilbo managed to bob a small bow, looking anywhere but at the elf king who arched an eyebrow slightly.
"If I am not mistaken, this is the Halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards." Amused by Bilbo's uncomfortable expression he stood in silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond and I chuckled quietly, giving him a nod to assure him that everything was alright.
"Yes…sorry about that." Clearing his throat he stepped into the tent whilst bringing something out from the oversized folds of his coat, revealing a brown cloth which was wrapped around an item which he set upon the table as he spoke, beginning to reveal it to us all. "I came to give you this." With the final layer being opened, I saw a rounded stone of light which shone and glowed as if it lived and breathed as we did, shimmering like pearly opals and its beauty brought both Thranduil and Bard to their feet, approaching with awed expressions as well as surprise. In response to the stone before me I staggered slightly as a strong headache took hold of me, seeing flashes of the past rush through me as the stone was mined from the heart of the mountain and secured the madness that infected the line of Durin.
"The heart of the mountain, the King's Jewel."
"And worth a king's ransom." Bard agreed as I stayed well away from that jewel, rejecting it overtly as I retreated back a step, feeling the air grow thin as that unsuspecting jewel brought more grief and heartache than a thousand lifetimes put together. It reeked of death and I wanted no part of it, wishing it far away from me. "How is this yours to give?"
"I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure." Bilbo informed us all and Mithrandir smiled to him fondly though Bard remained in a state of bewilderment.
"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty."
"I'm not doing it for you." The resilient hobbit informed him quickly, shaking his head and I tilted mine towards him, curious to hear what he had to say. "I know that dwarves can be obstinate and pig-headed and difficult, suspicious and secretive…with the worst manners you can possibly imagine." He added and once more the soft voice of my chuckle sounded as I finally allowed myself to relax, walking around to stand next to him with Mithrandir also, my hand going to his shoulder. "But they also brave and kind and loyal to a fault. I've grown very fond of them, and I would save them if I can." Mithrandir shared a look with me, a silent conversation passing between us before Bilbo then continued. "Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, I believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war."
For a long while there was a brooding silence in which Bard and Thranduil looked over the jewel so I reached out my hand and covered it once more, shielding it from view as I then spoke my piece. "It is better to have a fragile peace than a violent war. Blood is still blood as it is shed, therefore I too would see these dwarves be kept from harm and I would stand between the arrows of both sides if those involved cannot be persuaded to abstain from conflict." Bilbo looked to me gratefully so I squeezed his shoulder before letting go. "The hour draws late and nothing more can be done or said tonight. I suggest we all find our rest for whatever tomorrow may bring, we will need our full strength to endure."
"Agreed. Come Bilbo, we shall find you a bed." Mithrandir called and Bilbo left the Arkenstone in the care of Thranduil and Bard, the former giving it to the bowman who carefully tucked it away for safekeeping before he too left. In alarm I realised that I was about to be left alone with Thranduil so I hastily turned on my heel and hastened to leave however the tent flaps suddenly closed in front of me, the guards outside dropping them and I halted, a little startled before I then felt a chilling coldness creep up inside me.
"Will you not join me for refreshments, Eleniel?" Thranduil asked me as he placed another goblet upon the table and filled it with wine. "Food will also be arriving presently."
"I have no interest in your twisted games." I told him quietly, not even turning to face him as I could not bring myself to do so. "You have banished me from you realm now you seek to toy with me like I am nothing more than an expendable amusement for your own satisfaction. I want no part of it."
"You mistake me, I simply know that when you are as pale as you are it means you have not been taking proper care of yourself. Tell me, when was the last time you ate a full meal?" A full meal? I could not even remember. It must have been before I left Imladris, I did not count the honey and milk of Beorn's home to be considered a full meal, delicious and nutritious as it had been. "Do not be tenacious, child. Did I not teach you better manners than this?" Irritation sparked within me but I controlled it, slowly turning around with coiled emotions as I slowly accepted the wine, drinking only a sip after Thranduil toasted in our own tongue.
He sat down upon his chair once more, watching me with quizzical eyes but I remained standing, not drinking any more of the wine despite it being sweet and refreshing to the taste. We were so long in silence that the food came before another word was spoken, Thranduil accepting the attendants inside who placed another table inside the tent and filled it with food selections but I did not move to take any, remaining with my back facing directly against the side of the tent as Thranduil rose and began to select a few items, eating with his fingers which I found odd. It was something I had never seen him do before, even when all the food had been prepared as finger food or bite sized portions he would never deign to touch it with his own hands, he would always use a utensil of some kind yet here he was, picking away without a care in the world. "If there is something that you wish to say, Eleniel, then by all means speak your mind. You have my full and undivided attention." Eyes darting to watch him, my lips thinned unhappily at him.
"Believe me, you would not want to hear what I wish to say, for the most part they are only insults at the present." His lips curled into a smirk, gaze catching my own so I looked away. "And since you will not listen to Mithrandir's advice then I shall not even waste my breath attempting to convince you myself. I know that all that matters to you are those jewels. It is as if you yourself are possessed with dragon sickness."
"Do not speak of things that you do not understand!" Thranduil hissed dangerously however I was unafraid by his fearsome tone, looking to him coldly.
"I am able to see into both the future and the past. I know exactly of what I speak. Do you think I could wonder through halls so thick with memory and not see every aspect of what happiness used to dwell there, as well as the pain and sorrow that followed?" I questioned him, placing my goblet down as I tired of simply holding it. "I saw how dearly you loved her, how much you devoted your life to her and when she was taken from you, I watched as you suffered. I have seen it all. You know also that I too know of loss, my mother was taken from me when I was still but a child, that pain never ceases to exist, I carry it with me even now, so do not be so ostentatious as to presume that you know better than all, Thranduil-King."
Having remained in a somewhat calm tone throughout my tongue lashing I rose quickly to my feet with a graceful rush and whirled about, intending to take my leave but Thranduil spoke to me in elvish, bidding that I stay with a familiar softness I could recall hearing all through my childhood. It was his tone which made me hesitate once more, no longer hearing anger within. He invited that I at least sit with him for a while and to try and find an appetite to eat even if it was simply for my own welfare and not for his satisfaction. As he moved closer to me he stretched out his hand, palm facing upwards with long fingers dipped towards me. My forgiving heart brought me back to him despite everything and I placed my hand upon his, allowing him to elegantly lead me to a chair before he then brought my abandoned goblet back to me, murmuring softly that my wilfulness had not changed at all since I was a child.
"Of course, but you would not know considering you forced me to leave your side." I answered him a little bitterly, still having no appetite to eat however as I started to pick at certain foods their delicious flavours began to tickle my fancy and gradually I began to eat a little more, Thranduil joining me and not speaking another word. Glancing up to him, I thought of the letters that he kept in his study, wondering the meaning behind them. "I know that you kept my letters which I sent to you. Why keep them when I am nothing but a burden and a nuisance?" I asked but Thranduil pretended not to hear me, swirling his drink as he brooded in silence, eyes looking as if they were a thousand miles away. "I never called anyone else father. Not even Lord Elrond. In my mind you are the only father that I shall ever know first and foremost. I never once doubted you in my absence, however I see that my love and trust were misplaced. After tomorrow is done, you shall never see or hear from me again. You have my word." Rising to my feet I thanked him for the food before taking my leave and this time, he did not stop me from leaving.