Chapter XI: And So it Begins...

A/N: This is the fastest I've ever finished a chapter for this story. I was on a roll. Again, I apologize for Soren and Ashara's moments of foul language. Nothing ever happened or will happen between Soren and Ashara. Their relationship is only that of close siblings. Bold is elvish or Gandalf shouting at Thorin. Bolded italics is Ashara understanding the Black Speech. Thank you Blondiezhere for your help! Enjoy the chapter! SSD

"What the fuck are you thinking, using yourself as bait?" Soren growled the moment they were in the armory and well out of earshot.

"Would you bet any money on Bilbo lasting long in a fight against a heavily armored, highly skilled, gold mad dwarf?" Ashara shot back. She could almost feel her eyes flashing.

"You aren't doing this just to protect the hobbit. I'll grant that you're a talented liar, but even after 15 years, I still know you better than anyone in that tent," her friend hissed back.

"I told no lies in Thranduil's tent," Ashara muttered back. There were some people from Laketown in the armory now, including the nyarro that had used to work for the former Master.

Such a shame that Bard didn't let him get strung up when he had the chance Absorbed in her thoughts, Ashara almost missed what Soren said next.

"Aye, you did not. But you weren't telling the whole truth."

"What in Eru's name are you talking about," Ashara whispered.

Soren sauntered over. The smirk on his face told her that he was about to say something that he found amusing. "Don't think I didn't notice that crimson flush that came to your cheeks when you were discussing our resident mad king. You have feelings for the bloody dwarf."

Despite her best efforts, it felt like flames licked her skin from her neck to the tips of her ears.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Ashara replied as she continued her search for armor.

"Oh I think you do. The only person in the room you're fooling right now is yourself," Soren snickered before also continuing his search for armor.

After finally finding armor that would fit the both of them, Soren had forced her to eat some hearty venison stew and several slices of bread. When she finished, Ashara went looking for Bilbo.

She found him sitting on his cot. Looing up at her he said, "You braided your hair."

"It'll be easier that way to keep it under the helmet," she replied sitting down next to him.

They were silent for a while before Bilbo blurted, "I still don't like your part of the plan."

"Now that you have brought it up, there is something I need to say: No matter *what* Thorin says, in Khuzdul or Westron, do not react to it or reveal yourself to be the thief! " Ashara was looking directly in his eyes.

"But..." the hobbit began before she cut him off again saying, "No buts. Do I have your word, Bilbo?"

Bilbo nodded, clearly unhappy.

"You should head back to the mountain. Before anyone notices you're missing. Good luck mellon nin." She hugged the hobbit.

Once Bilbo was out of earshot, Ashara said, "I don't want you reacting to what he says either Soren."

The Ranger slunk out of the shadows with a "Who me" look before drawling, "I won't make any promises, but I will do my best. You're like my sister, and no one insults my sister and gets away with it."

Ashara smiled at that. "So much of this relies on chance," she said as she tracked Bilbo through the No Man's Land.

"Aye, and the hope that none of the dwarves realize that you were never near that horde," Soren replied.

The elven army was lined up in perfect formation. A part of Thorin appreciated a well disciplined army.

The larger part of him however, only seethed at the presence of elves at his doorstep. Looking up and down the line, Thorin still did not see the only elf that was welcome in Erebor.

Thranduil and Bard were riding up with a guard on either side. The armor the guards were wearing were of Dalish make.

Just as they got close enough, he shot an arrow so that it would hit the ground at the hooves of the elf king's steed.

"I will put the next one between your eyes!" Thorin called out. The rest of the Company began cheering.

Of course the cheering stopped when at a signal from their liege, the archers prepared for a volley.

Sounding like he was enjoying himself far too much, the point ear said, "We've come to tell you. Payment of your debt has been offered. And accepted."

"What payment? I gave you nothing! You have nothing!"

Thorin didn't like the look Thranduil gave Bard. And he was right when the Man reached into his jacket and said "We have this". It was the Arkenstone.

"They have the Arkenstone," Kili breathed, but Thorin wasn't really paying attention. All that mattered was the Arkenstone.

It almost seemed to be speaking to him. And he kept on trying to understand.

"And the king may have it, with our goodwill," Bard said to Kili as he tossed the stone into the air before putting it back in his pocket. "But first he must honor his word.

Thorin couldn't believe it was the real think. He growled, "They're taking us for fools. This is a ruse, a filthy lie. The Arkenstone is in this mountain, it is a trick."

"It's not a trick."

It's showtime Ashara thought as she removed her helmet before saying, "The stone is real, I gave it to them."

It was could that she couldn't see Bilbo as that might blow the game early. She hoped he kept his mouth shut.

Thorin seemed to be blindsided by her supposed betrayal, his eyes were wide. She couldn't help but snark, "Thorin Oakenshield rendered speechless. Surely that must be a sign of the end of days?"

That snapped him out of it, and Thorin started yelling at her in Khuzdul.

"I'm not sure what he's saying, but I'm pretty sure it's negative," Soren hissed as he nudged his horse towards the other side of her horse.

Before she could do more than glare at Soren to keep his mouth shut, Thorin sneered, but in Westron, "You likely did not understand a word of what I said, did you?"

"That would be correct Aran nu i Orod. Though I can hazard a guess that my ancestry was questioned along with suggesting that I commit unnatural acts with farm animal?" Ashara knew she had her scary smile on her face.

"I should have known better than to trust an elven whore much less one who is descended from a witch," Thorin snarled.

Ashara noticed that Soren was gripping his sword so tight, his knuckles were white in his effort not to respond to Thorin's insults. Even she was starting to have trouble biting her tongue, especially when he called her a whore.

The focus had to be kept on her. And it was working so far.

Fili had been shocked when Ashara had come forward as the thief. He racked his memories as to whether she'd been near the horde.

Coming up short, he asked, "How could you have gotten the Arkenstone Ashara? You were never anywhere near the horde."

He got his answer in the form of blood draining from her face, making her even paler than usual.

FOOL OF A DURIN! Couldn't Fili keep his mouth shut? Ashara mentally groaned. Nothing left to do now than to try and still keep Bilbo out of it.

"So... You are not the thief yourself. You care for them," Thorin sneered before continuing, "Now that your game is up you will tell who thief is."

"Now... why would I do that? As you said, I care fore them. What could possibly make me want to betray a friend for a pile of gold? Lennapuitho intyë!" Ashara stretched in the saddle.

Soren started to laugh, but quickly turned it into a cough. She did not dare look in Bard and Thranduil's direction. Bard would not understand what she said, but Thranduil and his army definitely would.

Thorin was definitely not amused at all. "I am the king, you will tell me what you know!"

"One, you're not *my* king. Two, anyone who has to say that, is no real king," Ashara shot back through gritted teeth.

Before Thorin could snarl anything back, "Will you two just shut up? I'm the one who took the Arkenstone!"

"BILBO NO!"

Thorin was far from surprised it turned out Bilbo had been the one to take it. The she-elf would stick her neck for the shire rat no matter what. He noticed the Man sitting on the horse to her immediate left. They seemed... Close.

The hobbit said, "I took it as my 15th share of the treasure."

"You would steal from me," he hissed in reply.

"Steal from you? No. I may be a burglar, but I like to think I'm an honest one," the hobbit replied before saying in an obvious attempt to calm him, "I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."

"Your claim? You have claim over nothing," Thorin snarled.

"I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to but..." the halfling seemed lost for words before shooting back with, "You have changed Thorin. The dwarf I met in Bag-End would never had gone back on his word, never doubted the loyalty of his kin!"

"Do not speak to me, of loyalty," he growled back before shouting "Throw him from the ramparts!"

None of his comrades moved or made a sound. The only noise was the clang against his armor. Looking down, Thorin saw that it was the dagger that he'd given to the bloody she-elf.

When she realized that she had his attention, Ashara began to say something in one of the elven tongues. Judging by the reactions of the Man to her left and Thranduil, it wasn't complimentary.

Since none of the others moved to do his bidding, Thorin yelled, "I will do it myself!" and yanked Bilbo towards the edge.

"Cursed be the wizard who brought you into this Company!"

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY BURGLAR, RETURN HIM TO ME!"

In his shock, Thorin loosened his grip on Bilbo who'd shot off.

Once Bilbo got down and scampered towards the army of elves, someone yanked him up on by the scruff of the neck onto their horse. It was Ashara.

"As much as I want to strangle you for revealing yourself, I'm happier you're alive." Ashara's smirk was more of a grimace.

"What did you say to Thorin when you threw that dagger at him?" Bilbo knew it was definitely negative.

"If we survive this day, I will tell you *exactly* what I said to him," his friend replied.

Ashara's friend Soren piped in, "Though you'll be happier not knowin!"

"Give us your answer. Will you have peace or war?" Bard had a pleading tone in his voice.

Before Thorin could answer, a raven alighted on the ramparts and seemed to be speaking to him.

"I will have war," Thorin replied with a satisfied smile, looking to the East.

Glancing in the same direction, Bilbo heard the sound of marching.

Gandalf muttered, "Ironfoot." It seems that the playing field had been evened up, with the dwarven reinforcements.

Thranduil shouted a command in elvish, and his army marched in the direction of the new threat.

Bilbo was also pleased to notice that Ashara and Soren were sticking with the refugees from Laketown.

I should not be surprised that Thorin called for backup. He may be completely insane at the moment, but even in his twisted mind he knew that he couldn't hold onto the Mountain without help, Ashara thought as she observed the armaments of the Iron Hills dwarves.

"Where did they get all of those magnificent toys," Soren drawled.

"Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of those war chariots," she replied.

Bilbo asked, "Who is that? He doesn't look very happy."

"It is Dain, Lord of the Iron Hills. Thorin's cousin," Gandalf answered.

"Are they alike?"

"I've always found Thorin to be the more reasonable of the two," Gandalf replied.

The other three shuddered at that.

After signaling to his army to stop, Dain called out, "Good morning. How are we all? I've got a wee proposition if you wouldn't mind givin' me a few moments of yer time."

Ashara suspected that his proposition would not be to anyone's liking.

"Would you consider... JUST SODDING OFF! ALL OF YOU, RIGHT NOW!"

As the people of Laketown flinched, Bard ordered, "Stand fast!"

"Come now, Lord Dain," Gandalf walked up.

"I doubt even Gandalf's silver tongue, can stop this fight from happening," Soren whispered.

"Gandalf the Grey. Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood!" Gandalf had his work cut out for him with Dain.

"There is no need for war between dwarves, men, and elves. A legion of orcs march on the Mountain, stand your army down!"

That's not going to happen, Ashara thought.

"I will not stand down before any elf. Not least this faithless woodland sprite. 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 wheeled his war pig back towards his troops.

"He's clearly mad, like his cousin!" Thranduil was not helping matters.

"You hear that lads? We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!"

Before the armies before Erebor could do more than prepare, a rumbling began to emanate from the ground.

"What the bloody hell is that!" Soren was having trouble controlling his horse. Ashara's horse also spooked a bit at the sound.

"Wereworms," Gandalf whispered as the subterranean beasts burst forth.

"Oh come on," Dain groaned.

An only too familiar voice roared, "Come forth my Armies!"

Orcs streamed out from the holes made by the wereworms.

"The hordes of hell are upon us! Battle, Battle Sons of Durin!" Dain ordered as he rode along with part of his army to form a shield wall.

"The elves. will they not fight," Bilbo queried.

"I know at least one elf who'll fight," Ashara muttered.

Just before the orcs hit the shield wall, elves leaped over it and into combat.

Any conflict between elves and dwarves would have to wait for another day.

"All of you, fall back to Dale, NOW!" Bard ordered when a flanking force of orcs headed towards Dale.

They barely got to the ruined city ahead of the orcs.

"My children, where are my children," he was hoping that they still lived.

An old woman called out, "I saw them down in the old market."

The old market? Where are they now? Bard wondered before he called out "Tilda? Sigrid?"

"Bard! Orcs are storming over the causeways," an old city guard called out.

To him Bard said, "Get the bowmen to the Eastern parapet. Hold them off as long as you can."

After hearing that the market had been overrun, he said, "The rest of you, follow me!"

Bard hadn't been fighting long before he heard Tilda scream out "DA!" He saw Sigrid and Bain with her. His children were alive, at the present moment.

Noticing a rather large goblin coming towards them, he righted an old cart sent it barreling towards them.

"Bain, Sigrid, GET DOWN!"

On the final bounce, Bard propelled himself and his sword into the goblin.

"Glad to see me now?" Soren shouted.

"Just like old times!" his best and most clever friend shouted back as she laid into a squad of orcs with Lightbringer, which had an eerie white glow.

He had been providing her ranged support, but soon ran out of arrows.

Now they were fighting side by side, killing every orc they could reach. Orcs were now starting to avoid their blades. Now the beasts were showing some cunning and started using their archers to try and pick him and Ashara off.

He and Ashara were fast, but even they were starting to have trouble dodging the arrows. Soon they were pinned down in an old blacksmith shop by three squads of orcs.

We're good, but neither of us are that good!

Before the two of them could charge, the squads were blasted away by Gandalf.

"Come on, things are not going in our favor. We need to head to the Great Hall," the Istar urged.

As they took off at a run, Soren thought, I'm not much of a praying man Eru, but can you get us some damned help?

A/N 2: Had to split the battle into two chapters. Next chapter is when things start to diverge from canon. I've figured out how I'll save Fili, Kili, and Thorin. Looking forward to seeing what you think!

Sindarin/Quenya Translations:

nyarro- rat

Aran nu i Orod- King Under the Mountain

Lennapuitho intyë- I'm not exactly going to say what this means, but it's definitely negative.