Wow, I put my stories off for months and months, come back and then apparently get two chapters out in a matter of days! xD What's up with that?

Originally I was gonna update one of my other stories next, but my inspiration for this particular story was still running strong, which is clear cuz I got this one written pretty darn quick! That and it's a long one, too xD

Well, not much more I have to say about this other than this one is gonna have a little bit of fun here and there! ;) it does jump through the last two scenes in the movie pretty quickly, so again, I apologize if it feels a little fast-paced. I tried to keep it a little detailed so I'm not just sailing right through it xD

Enjoy! :)

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"Wargs...why'd it have to be Wargs?"

That was the thought running through Aelin's head as she dashed downhill through the trees with the rest of the Dwarves after hearing the howl of a Warg in the distance. There was ghost pain rising up in her right leg as she remembered when they first encountered the Orc pack and a Warg had wounded her during the attack; more specifically, the first time she had saved Fili's life. Naturally, since then, she had an even more serious dislike towards the hairy monsters.

The sun had set rapidly behind the mountains and the dark of night fell upon the hillside as the company continued running, hearing the growls of the Wargs getting closer. They could tell within seconds the Wargs would be upon them.

Just as they predicted, the Wargs came up right behind them. Thorin and Dwalin were the first ones to turn around a strike a Warg, slicing its legs and then stabbing it as it collapsed to the ground. Ori, who had Bofur's war hammer, swung it back over his head and clubbed another one right in the skull.

Aelin turned around and saw a couple Wargs were coming right at her. She took her bow out and withdrew an arrow, nocking it on the bowstring and aiming it at the creatures. She fired her arrow at the furthest one, who was trying to take a shortcut to flank her. The arrow landed directly between its eyes. Then she made ready for the other one and fired quickly, lodging her arrow in its neck. With a triumphant smirk, Aelin flipped back around and resumed running.

To their dismay, though, they soon realized that the hillside ended and there was a cliff down at the bottom. They were trapped!

"Up into the trees! All of you! Come on, climb!" Gandalf ordered them.

The Dwarves and Bilbo all began jumping up onto the large pine tree branches, some of them helping the others up who were having trouble reaching. Thorin and Aelin were one of the last ones left still on the ground at the base of one of the trees.

"They're coming!" Thorin shouted warningly.

"Go, Thorin!" Aelin told him, firing another arrow at an oncoming Warg.

"You first!" Thorin said back.

"You're more important than me! Now, climb!"

"I'm not leaving you down here!"

"Don't worry about me! Get out of here; get to safety!"

"Aelin, I am not doing this with you again!"

"Just go, I'll be right behind you!"

"You impossible woman!"

Swiftly, Thorin suddenly wrapped an arm around Aelin's legs and hoisted her up onto his shoulder, making her cry out in alarm and almost drop her bow.

"You were hurt the last time you tried to do this with me. I won't let that happen again," Thorin declared. He took a few steps back and yelled, "Dwalin! Get her up there!"

He pushed up under her knees towards a tree branch, where Dwalin was crouching in wait and he leaned over and took hold of Aelin's arms. All of this was done so fast that Aelin had next to no time to protest. Dwalin then pulled her up into the tree.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Dwalin asked her gruffly as she positioned herself onto the branch.

"No, I don't," Aelin was quick to respond, really just to spite Dwalin.

She quickly turned and looked down to see where Thorin had gone and he was already climbing up into the next tree over. And in the nick of time, as well, because just after he pulled himself up, the remaining Wargs came down and started trying to jump up the tree trunks to get to the company. Luckily, they were high enough up that the Wargs couldn't reach them. Yet, there was nowhere for them to go.

It appeared that they were trapped.

"Hold on, brothers!" shouted Gloin from another nearby tree.

It was that moment when the Wargs ceased their jumping and turned around, facing the opposite direction. The company all looked where the creatures were looking and saw a bigger Warg with a bigger Orc on its back was making its way down, climbing up onto a large rock at the base of the hill.

However...both the Warg and the giant Orc were deathly white.

Aelin gasped in shock. "No...that's not possible…!" she whispered. Beside her, she could hear Dwalin quietly growl underneath his breath.

It was Azog, the Defiler...alive.

"How can this be…?" Aelin asked. "Thorin said he killed him!"

"Somehow, that Orc scum survived…," Dwalin huffed, his voice full of evident contempt.

Aelin gulped fearfully. It had been Azog heading the Orc pack that had been chasing them the entire time? That definitely meant more trouble than they thought. If it was Azog that was after them, then his motives were certain: he was out for revenge against Thorin for trying to kill him.

"Oh, Mahal, we're doomed…!" she thought to herself.

The pale Orc then began to speak in the Orcish tongue, lightly playing with the hair of his Warg. He would turn and then say something to his followers behind him. Of course, none of them could understand what the Orc was saying—except for Gandalf—so they all remained motionless with fear.

Aelin tried to see where Thorin was in the next tree, but she could only catch sight of his profile. Just as she suspected, he looked terrified, and rightly so. His greatest enemy whom he was so sure he had defeated was still alive...Aelin couldn't imagine what he could possibly be feeling at that moment: Anger, fear, shock, despair, humiliation, uncertainty, regret...any number of those emotions was what she thought he must be feeling, at least. She felt sorry for him...and afraid. Now that Thorin knew the truth that Azog was alive, Aelin was afraid of what he would do. His mind would clearly be on revenge; killing Azog for good. But at what cost?

The pale Orc's voice grew louder and he pointed his massive, stone mace at Thorin. Then he shouted something in Orcish and all of the Wargs advanced towards the trees.

"Oh, not good!" cried Aelin.

The Wargs charged fast and began jumping on and pushing against the trunks of the trees, causing them to shake violently. The members of the company all held fast to the trunks and branches of the trees in which they were in, steadying themselves to keep from falling. The Wargs were relentless in their attacking. With every push, they pushed harder and harder. Finally, one tree near the front was uprooted and began to tumble down into the tree behind it. The force from the fall made a domino effect and the tree it landed on began to fall. The company all jumped from one tree to the next, trying their hardest to stay above ground and away from danger. It all came down to the last tree standing, which was at the very edge of the cliff. The Wargs all waited, growling and barking at them. Sooner or later, the company had to come down.

Aelin had managed to catch Kili as he had jumped on from the last tree and helped pull him onto the branch. "Easy does it, lad," she said as he got up.

"I thought it was Fili that you're supposed to save all the time?" he asked with a nervous chuckle, seeing how close he had come to falling.

"I guess I got you two confused," Aelin replied, smirking.

Suddenly, what looked like a medium-sized ball of flame went zooming past them right before their eyes. Startled, they followed the path of the fire as it landed on the ground below near the Wargs. At the sight of the dangerous element, the Wargs all reared back in surprise.

Aelin looked up and saw that Gandalf, who was at the tip of the tree, was lighting pine cones on fire with his staff and was now dropping one to each member of the group to throw at the Wargs and drive them off. Before long, one was dropped right into Aelin's hands and she had to balance it carefully so as to not burn herself.

"Brilliant, Gandalf!" she thought as she took the flaming pine cone in her hand. She could see other paths of flame falling from the trees as the rest of the company were throwing their own fiery pine cones at the Wargs, making them yelp and step back as the grass was set aflame in front of them. Aelin took her turn, reared her arm back and thrust the pine cone outwards as hard as she could. She managed to hit one Warg right square in the back. The creature howled in pain and turned and fled, its fur now on fire.

Seeing that first Warg running away, the other Wargs followed in terror, whining and yelping in defeat. This act of cowardice displeased Azog and he roared out in anger.

Victorious, the Dwarves all cheered and laughed triumphantly. The Wargs were running literally with their tails between their legs. They had driven them off!

Crack!

The trunk of the tree which held the entirety of the company suddenly snapped and the tree began tipping towards the cliff. Shouts and cries of alarm rang out as everyone tried their best to hold on and keep from falling over the cliff.

Aelin had slipped from her branch, but managed to grab onto another one and held on, wrapping her arms around it tightly.

She heard Ori cry out and looked over just in time to see him lose grip from his branch, fall slightly only to grab onto Dori's dangling legs.

"Ori! Dori!" she exclaimed, terrified she was about to watch them call.

"Mister Gandalf!" Dori called to Gandalf, who was the closest one to them. Just after, Dori couldn't hold on and his hands lost their hold on the branch. Gandalf was quick and his staff shot out so Dori could grab it. He caught them mid-descent and they hung in midair holding on for their lives.

Aelin scanned around where she could to see if she could find Nori, but sadly, where she was, she couldn't see him. She could only hope he was all right, wherever he was. From what she could see, everyone was pretty stuck where they were.

There was Thorin hovering over her on a branch just above her. There was apparent fear in his eyes. She was about ready to cry out to him, but his head turned right and he never looked back. From what she could see, his demeanor changed from being full of fear to full of pure rage. She knew he had spotted Azog...and that nothing good was about to come of it.

"Thorin, don't!" she exclaimed. "Don't do this! I know what you're thinking and you can't fight him! We'll find a way out of this mess, but what you plan to do is not the way!"

Thorin never once looked at her or acknowledged that he even heard Aelin at all. He simply continued to glare in Azog's direction and he slowly began to push himself up.

Aelin noticed this and said, louder this time, "Thorin Oakenshield, don't you dare! Don't you dare walk away! You're making a grave mistake! Listen to me!"

She screamed her last statement, which made Thorin snap his head back to look at her, the reflection of the flames in his eyes only growing in combination with his anger.

"Quiet, Aelin!" he hissed at her. "You are not involved in this; this is not your fight!"

"If it means keeping you from getting yourself hurt or killed, then yes, it is!" Aelin replied, trying her best to get higher up on her branch. "I won't let you do this, Thorin!"

"I'm sorry, Aelin…," Thorin said sternly, "...but this ends now." He turned away from Aelin and fully pushed himself upright, brandishing his Elven sword and his oak shield, ready to attack.

"Thorin, please! No!" Aelin shouted, but it was already too late.

The Dwarf King was already making his way down the tree trunk to the ground and towards Azog. Flames that had spawned from the pine cones danced all around him, only giving more fire to his already-heated rage. The rest of the company watched in horror and apprehension as their leader began his charge.

"You absolute fool…!" Aelin muttered to herself. She couldn't sit there dangling from a tree that was hovering over a cliff while Thorin was about to make a huge mistake. She had to either stop him or help him; either way, she wasn't staying there.

She reached up and grabbed a stumpy part of the tree trunk with her right hand and used it to help pull herself up. However, she didn't have as good a grip on it as she thought and, partway up, her hand slipped off the stump and her body dropped. Her left hand still clung to the branch she was already on, but now she was dangling by one arm over a dark drop.

Dori and Ori could see Aelin from where they were hanging on Gandalf's staff, struggling to keep the strength in their arms up.

"Aelin!" shouted Dori in alarm.

"Hold on, Aelin!" cried Ori.

Aelin used her momentum to swing her arm back up and grab onto the stump again, this time as tightly as she could. With a loud grunt, she pulled on the stump and got herself up high enough to where she draped herself over the tree trunk.

There was a roar and, when she turned her head, she beheld just down the way Azog's Warg jumping up, with Azog still on its back, and slamming its paws straight into Thorin's face, sending him sprawling flat on his back.

Her mouth opened to scream, but the sound became lodged in her throat and only a small gasp came out. Her terror at what she feared she was about to witness consumed her; numbed every fiber of her being. Thorin had been rendered helpless, Azog was advancing on him and there Aelin was, hanging there on a fallen tree, completely useless to the Dwarf she was afraid she was going to lose before her very eyes.

Azog was swift in his next attack. As Thorin moved to stand up, the Orc rode up by him, swinging his mace right into the Dwarf's chest and right below his chin, keeping him grounded.

Aelin heard Balin somewhere behind her let out a heart-wrenching, "No!" She clenched her teeth hard, trying to keep it together. She wasn't going to let herself cry, despite how difficult the situation was for her to endure. No, she had to focus; she had to get herself up. She had to be strong so she could save Thorin. She placed her hands flat on the tree trunk and pushed herself further up until she was able to swing her legs up onto the tree. She took a quick second to catch her breath, having used a bit of strength to get her up there, and then finally stood up. As she did, she heard Thorin's anguished cries from up ahead. The white Warg had him in its giant maw, its teeth digging deep into Thorin's front and back.

"Thorin!" Dwalin bellowed. He too was making his way up a tree branch, but just as he started to move again, part of it snapped and was dangling by a tiny portion of bark.

"Oh, no…," Aelin whispered. She could see the branch was dangerously close to breaking. If it did, it would take Dwalin down with it. Without hesitation, she dashed down the tree towards Dwalin and lunged down to grab him. Her timing couldn't have been better. Just as she jumped, the branch completely broke. She managed to catch Dwalin by his wrist with both of her hands. She called out in pain as she caught him; he was a bit heavier for her to hold onto and his weight tugged on her arm muscles a bit. But she wasn't going to let him fall, not on her watch.

Through gritted teeth, she said, "I've got you, Dwalin!"

"And right in the nick of time, lass!" Dwalin responded.

Aelin tried to pull him up, but her arms were failing her. He was too heavy; her strength wasn't enough at the moment.

"I've got to keep trying!" she told herself in her mind.

She groaned and grunted as she tried to pull the burly Dwarf up, but no matter how hard she tried, it was of no use. Her arms felt as though they were on fire and a cry of pain escaped her throat after a final attempt. But she was determined not to lose her grip on him.

"Aelin! We're coming!" Kili's voice called.

Right after she heard Kili's voice, she heard running footsteps zoom by her. When Aelin looked back, she saw Bilbo zooming down the fallen tree, his sword in hand and glowing blue.

"Bilbo!" she shouted after him, but he kept going. The brave Hobbit was off to help Thorin and Aelin was unsure if he would be able to handle it on his own.

She then heard Dwalin say her name and she turned her head to look down at him. He said to her, "Just let me go, lass. You need to help the Halfling and get to Thorin."

Aelin shook her head at him. "Are you mad? You'll die! I won't let go of you!" she replied.

"You've got to," Dwalin insisted. "I can feel your strength failing you; you won't make it much longer. If giving my life here and now means Thorin will be saved, then let me go. I will gladly do so for him."

"Not today, you won't, Mister Dwalin!"

Just then, Kili appeared on Aelin's left side, crouching down beside her and grabbing his arm along with her. Then Fili came up on her other side to take his free arm. Aelin was overjoyed to see they were all right and that they had gotten themselves up just fine.

"Pull!" cried Kili.

The three of them heaved back with all their might and together, they all managed to hoist Dwalin up onto the tree trunk to safety. They all exhaled sharply once the weight of holding Dwalin was gone.

"Thank you," Dwalin breathed out. He looked to Aelin. "You're a brave one, Aelin, and I have misjudged you. You have proven your loyalty and have earned my trust."

"Save all that for later," Aelin said back right away as she stood up and pulled Dwalin to his feet with her. Then she unsheathed her knives. "Right now, let's get to Thorin. Quickly, now!"

"Come on!" said Kili, taking the lead of the charge as he too withdrew his sword.

Weapons in hand, the four Dwarves sprinted down the tree trunk towards the Orcs and Wargs at the very end. They saw Thorin was lying still on the ground and Bilbo was in front of him, defending him by swinging his sword at the Wargs approaching him.

Kili let out a mighty yell and swung his sword right into the first Warg and Kili followed suit. Dwalin took a big swing into the next Warg's face. Aelin twirled gracefully at one, slicing it's snout. Bilbo even jumped into the fight. They fought off the Wargs bravely.

Aelin saw Thorin was still on the ground and she ran to him, dropping to her knees by his side.

"Thorin? Thorin!" she exclaimed, lightly shaking him. She checked the pulse vein on his neck. There was still a beat, but it was slow and fading.

"Thorin, don't you die on me," she said quietly. She thought about giving him chest compressions, but his body was too wounded from the Warg bites. She started shaking him a bit. "Wake up. Come on, wake up! I know you're alive; I know you can hear me, you stubborn idiot! Please, wake up!"

He would not respond.

"Please, don't leave me, Thorin...not now! I need you," she whispered, more out loud to herself than anything.

Then, in that moment, there was a loud screech in the air that startled everyone and all eyes looked skyward.

A flock of Eagles came flying out of the night sky and they began flapping their wings, fanning the flames towards the remaining Orcs and Wargs. Some simply took the creatures in their talons and threw them off the cliff. The Dwarves all watched this spectacle in wonder, marveling at the perfect timing the Eagles had in their time of arrival. There seemed to be hope for them yet.

Aelin heard an Eagle's cry not too far from her and saw one flying in her direction, it's talons raised up in front of it. She panicked and leapt out of the way as the Eagle took Thorin in it's feet and took to the air. Just as Aelin realized what was happening, another Eagle quickly flew in and scooped her right up, making her head spin a little from the sudden motion. She could see as she was flown away that the rest of the company was all being taken up by the other Eagles to safety and Azog's loud, angry roar at their escape echoed in the atmosphere.

The cool night wind flowed smoothly through Aelin's ebony locks and the feeling of flying made her feel...free. For a moment, for once in her life, she felt burdenless. It was as though she could fly forever and never have to go back to the world where only pain and suffering would await her.

Her mind wandered back to the thought of Thorin back on the mountain, lying bloody and motionless.

"Please, let Thorin be all right and pull through…," she silently prayed.

Aelin remembered how horrified she had been, thinking Thorin was going to get killed and how horrified she had been that she was going to lose him. It didn't help that she had been dangling from a tree while he was getting beaten, unable to help him. She hated feeling useless! Then seeing him unresponsive when she went to save him made matters worse. She feared, even though he was alive, that he wouldn't last much longer...and she couldn't handle that. Thorin now meant too much to her; he had done so much and was too important for her to lose. The thought of losing him made her heart writhe in pain and her body lost all feeling. Not having Thorin in her life...now seemed unimaginable. She didn't want that. She needed him to survive; she needed him to continue on. She needed him…she cared too much for him…she...she….

She loved him.

It all finally hit Aelin like a punch to the gut.

"Balin...what does it mean when I trust him...I have faith in him...I need him...I care about him...I can't lose him…and I protect him?"

"You love him."

She remembered her conversation with Balin back in the caves of the Misty Mountains and, along with that, that she had tried to deny at first that it was really love she felt. But now...she could see that Balin had been right. Almost losing Thorin made her really realize her heart.

Aelin was completely and truly in love with Thorin Oakenshield.

A single tear escaped the corner of her eye and was taken by the wind to fall to the earth. Feeling began to return to her body and she realized just how tired she was; her arms and legs were sore and she could feel fatigue setting in. Then, with the image of Thorin in the forefront of her mind, Aelin's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she succumbed to her bodily exhaustion.

"Aelin! Aelin...Gandalf, what's wrong with her?"

"She's perfectly all right. Aelin is merely asleep; her body is exhausted. Let her rest. She will come to at any time."

Aelin, despite still being unconscious , could hear both Nori and Gandalf's quiet voices. It was as if she was half there and half not. Then she heard Gandalf call out Thorin's name twice.

"Thorin? What's happened to him?" she was still able to think.

Her heart nearly leapt when in the next moment, she finally heard Thorin's voice and he spoke, "The Halfling…?"

"It's all right...Bilbo is here. He's quite safe."

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say you would be a burden...that you would not survive in the wild...and you had no place amongst us?"

"What is he doing…?" Aelin wondered in surprise.

A brief moment of uneasy silence and then she heard Thorin say, "I have never been so wrong...in all my life!" His declaration was then followed by cheering from the others.

"Well...you have been wrong about other people before, you know?" Aelin thought, amused. How she wished she could say that to him.

Then he said again, "I am sorry I doubted you."

Bilbo's voice was then heard. "No, no, I would've doubted me, too. I'm not a hero...or a warrior...not even a burglar."

There was another pause until Fili's voice spoke up, "Wait...where is Aelin? I do not see her!"

"Fear not, young Fili," answered Gandalf, "Aelin is back here. She is just unconscious."

"What do you mean she is 'just unconscious'?" asked Thorin, almost gruffly. There was the loud shuffling of multiple pairs of feet.

"Her body is weak; she used much of her strength last night and she has simply given in to her exhaustion. There is no cause for worry. She will be all right."

"Uhhh…."

Aelin could feel herself regaining consciousness and she tried speaking aloud, letting the others know she was coming to.

Sure enough, they could hear her. "I heard her!" exclaimed Kili. "She made a sound! She's waking up!"

"Aelin? Can you hear me?" asked Nori as he then cradled her head in his arms.

"N...Nori…?"

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and her blurry vision took a moment to adjust. Even before she could see clearly, she recognized Nori's unmistakable three-humped hairdo. When everything became visible, she could see Nori looking down on her along with a few other members of the company.

She looked up at them briefly before saying, "What are you sorry lot staring at?"

They all chuckled at her and Fili stated, "There's our girl!"

"You had us there, for a moment," said Bofur.

Aelin rolled her eyes and smirked. "Oh, you lads worry too much."

"Of course, we do," said Kili, smiling down at her. "You're our girl, Aelin. You're the feistiest of us all and our company wouldn't be the same without you. We all look after you just as you look after us."

"The young lad speaks true," said Balin, who was also grinning.

Before Aelin could say anything back, Kili flipped around and said excitedly to Thorin, "Uncle, I wish you could have seen Aelin last night! She saved Dwalin from falling over the cliff."

"Did she?" asked Thorin.

"Yes! Without hesitation, she leapt into action just as Dwalin's branch was about to break," Kili went on to explain.

Fili continued, "She caught him in midair and held onto him! I've never seen anyone so strong that they could hold Dwalin up for as long as she did!"

"If I'm so strong," Aelin asked, "then why do my arms feel like jelly and lead all at once?"

"I'm a bit heavy, in case you didn't notice," Dwalin answered her. "That's going to take a bit of power out of you."

Aelin narrowed her eyes. "Oh, believe me, I noticed," she stated.

Bofur then came up and declared, "Well, look at it this way, lass: now that your strength has proven true against the likes of Dwalin, one of these days you'll be able to hold good ol' Bombur in midair!" With that, he let out a hearty chuckle and the others did so, as well.

"Are you trying to kill the woman?" asked Bilbo though his laugh.

Snickering herself, Aelin responded to Bofur, "I wouldn't count on that anytime soon!"

Thorin stepped forward and bent over her, slightly wincing as he did so, extending a hand to her. "Come on, let's get you up," he said to her.

With a nod, Aelin took his hand.

"Nori, help me," said Thorin to Nori behind her.

Nori obliged and placed his hands under Aelin's arms, helping her keep her balance as Thorin pulled her up to her feet. Her legs wobbled slightly, but once she regained her footing, she was fine. She looked into Thorin's face as she stood up and her stomach twisted. He was scratched and bloodied pretty good on his cheeks, nose, forehead and mouth. Yet, even with that appearance, he was still handsome in her eyes. She imagined her face probably looked just as bad since a goblin had clawed her earlier.

"You continue to amaze me with your bravery," Thorin told her softly.

"I wish I could say the same about yours, you overeager imbecile…!" were the words that ran through Aelin's mind that she wished she could say to him. Despite how overjoyed she was to see he was all right, deep down she was very angry with him. He had blindly charged head-on against Azog without giving any thought to the others, the quest and, more importantly, what would happen to him. It astounded her how selfish he could be with his own life.

Instead, she nodded and replied, "Sometimes I amaze myself."

Just then, Bilbo spoke up, saying, "Is that...what I think it is?"

All the Dwarves and Gandalf looked out in the direction that Bilbo was staring and made their way over to the edge of the stone tower upon which they stood. Way out on the horizon against the pink and purple sunrise was a single, solitary mountain peak that stood tall above the valleys and hills below. All eyes gazed out at it in wonder.

"Erebor! The Lonely Mountain...the last of the great Dwarf kingdoms of Middle-Earth," Gandalf stated to all of them.

Aelin couldn't believe it. There was Erebor, finally within her own line of sight; a place she never believed she'd really see for herself. It did appear mighty and beautiful from where she stood. She could only imagine what it was like up close.

"Our home," she heard Thorin whisper nearby.

She recalled him telling her back in Rivendell that Erebor was a refuge for all Dwarves and that she too would have a place there upon the conclusion of the quest. Now seeing this refuge even at a distance, Aelin felt a small flicker of hope ignite inside of her.

There was a tweeting noise above them and, as a small, brown bird flew overhead, Oin cried out, "A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain!"

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush," Gandalf corrected him.

"Well, we'll take it as a sign; a good omen," said Thorin.

Next to him, Bilbo commented, "You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us!"

The company gazed out at the mountain a little while longer until Dwalin broke the silence by proclaiming, "Well, I say we get moving and high-tail it off of this tower! Let's take these stairs over here and get back to solid ground!"

"I concur," said Thorin as he turned away.

He caught Aelin's gaze as he walked towards the stairs on the side of the tower. However, looking at him was making her angrier by the second and she couldn't stay there. She felt that she just had to get out of there. She turned away from him and ran ahead of everyone else, moving fast down the stairs, trying to get as far away from Thorin as possible.

Nori noticed Aelin suddenly bolting and felt right away that something was wrong. He didn't call after her, so as not draw any unwanted attention to her, but he quickened his pace down the stairs so he could catch up with her once they touched ground.

Just as he suspected, Aelin turned another direction from where everyone else was wanting go and he followed after her. Once he figured they were far enough away where they wouldn't be heard, he cried out her name. Lucky for him, she stopped the first time.

"I knew you were going to come after me," she said to him.

"Of course, I was, when you suddenly run off like that," he replied. He slowly approached her. "I'm getting a feeling that something is wrong. What is it, Aelin?"

She turned around to face him. With a sharp shake of her head, she didn't even hesitate to answer, "It's Thorin. That's what's wrong. He about threw his life away without thinking!"

"Well, Aelin, when revenge is on your mind, it is a bit hard to really think clearly," Nori said back.

"I don't care!" Aelin spat. "With as important as this quest and this company is to him, you would think that any of that would cross his mind before charging blindly against a giant Orc!"

"Goodness, you're angrier with him than I thought you'd be," Nori observed.

"I'm angry because...because I almost lost him, Nori...and I can't live with that."

Her expression turned quite melancholy in that moment and Nori took notice of it. He didn't think she'd be this sad or this angry over what Thorin had done.

But then he realized exactly what was going on and his expression showed it. "That's it...of course!"

"What?" asked Aelin.

Nori went on, "I knew you cared for him...but I didn't know that now...you…."

He trailed off for a moment, giving Aelin cause to raise her eyebrows and tilt her head impatiently, waiting for him to spit it out.

"You love Thorin."

A small surprised grunt escaped Aelin's throat, although in hindsight, she should've seen it coming. Nori was intelligent and, more than that, he knew Aelin better than she knew herself.

Knowing she obviously couldn't deny it, she nodded her head. "I just...I just can't imagine not having him in my life anymore," she admitted, " and last night, that almost became a reality because he wasn't thinking. He has no idea how much he means to me."

"Well, then, why don't you tell him?"

"Nori, you know I can't."

"Oh, for Durin's sake! I've had enough of this, Aelin! You can tell him how you feel about him and if you don't, I will!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I would dare! You know why? Because I hate seeing you so miserable because you just won't take the chance at love when you know you deserve it! I know you're afraid, but this is plain ridiculous! Tell Thorin how you feel!"

"I...I don't know, Nori…."

"I'm warning you, Aelin; I swear to Durin, I'll tell him for you if you don't."

"What's going on?"

Both Aelin and Nori were startled to hear Thorin's voice behind them. They both looked and saw him approaching them, not seeming to have heard anything they'd said previously.

Nori quickly responded, "Nothing, Thorin. Just checking on her, is all."

Thorin nodded, understanding. "May I have a moment alone with Aelin?" he asked.

Aelin wasn't feeling like being alone with him and was about ready to say "no", but Nori beat her again and said, "Absolutely. Take all the time you need." Then, before Aelin could protest or get Nori to stay, he dashed off through the trees.

"I swear, some days, I really hate him…!" she thought, irritated with her half-brother.

Now it was time to deal with Thorin. She still felt angry and was afraid her anger would get the best of her if she didn't watch herself. She took a deep breath and braced herself for whatever it was Thorin wanted.

He slowly walked up to Aelin, his face etched with concern. "Aelin, are you all right?" was all he asked.

"Aye, I'm fine," she answered flatly.

"Why do I not believe you?" he then questioned. "You could hardly look at me back there. What's wrong?"

"He really doesn't get it, does he?" she thought. Aelin could feel the tension building up inside. "What's wrong?" she repeated. "What's wrong?!"

Whatever restraint she had then disappeared. Aelin curled her hand into a fist and laid a full-on punch directly into his face. Thorin cried out, startled and obviously hurt, as his head reeled back. When he regained composure, he gaped at Aelin, wide-eyed with complete shock.

"What in Durin's name—?"

"I hope that hurts, Oakenshield!" Aelin snapped. Then her frustration and anger at him came spilling out like water from a broken dam that couldn't be stopped. "Let that serve as a reminder that the next time you decide to selfishly throw your life away, you'll remember to actually think about what's important to you and those who need you!" She let the words sink in briefly before continuing, "What were you thinking, Thorin, taking on Azog on your own in a blind rage?! You were a fool! You nearly got yourself killed! I told you that would happen and did you listen to me? No! If you had died back in the Misty Mountains, do you have any idea what your death would've done to your company? Did you think at all about Fili and Kili before charging into the fight and what would the death of their only father-figure would have done to them? Did you think about Balin, who would've lost someone I can tell he loves like a son, or Dwalin, who loves you like a brother? Did you think of me, the woman who...sees you as one of her closest friends?"

In that moment, Aelin still couldn't bring herself to admit her feelings to him. Not in that situation, anyway. She was still too scared, despite Nori having pestered her about it only minutes earlier.

She went on, "Did you think of anyone but yourself and your blinding revenge?! No...you did not. Thorin, you are too important to everyone here to forget things like this. You cannot get pulled into the void of revenge until there's a point of no return or that will result in your death one day. You got lucky this time...but that may not be so if it happens again."

Aelin paused a moment, letting her words sink in with Thorin, who still appeared startled by her outburst, but also guilty. He was beginning to have trouble even keeping eye contact with her. He had no idea that his actions, while as reckless as they were, had affected her that much.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Aelin kept going, "Don't you ever...ever scare me like that again, Thorin. Do you hear me? Don't you do it again! You were lucky to get out of there alive. I had feared the worst...and I couldn't bear it if something worse had happened to you. You have to understand: I do not allow myself to become attached to others so easily, because I have trusted too much and been deeply hurt before. I have allowed myself to trust you, care about you and grow closer to you. You're too important to me now and I...I can't lose you, Thorin. None of us can."

By that time, Aelin had let out all of her frustration and was calmer than before. She hadn't exactly told Thorin her true feelings towards him like Nori wanted her to, but she, at least, made it known that he was important to her and that she cared. For her, it was a start.

She waited for Thorin to respond. He looked quite overwhelmed by everything she had told him; or rather, she had practically screamed most of them at him. His eyes fell to the ground and for what seemed like ages, he wouldn't look at her. It appeared to Aelin that she had left Thorin speechless.

He opened his mouth to speak, but at first, not a word came out. Then finally, he spoke quietly, full of remorse, "You are right. I was a complete fool. Seeing Azog alive led me to believe that I was a failure and that I had to right such a terrible wrong while I had the chance. I was blinded by my hatred...and I lost myself and nearly my life."

Thorin's head lifted and he looked Aelin right in the eye. He took a few steps closer to her until he was directly in front of her. He lifted his hands and gently placed them on either side of Aelin's face, gazing intently into her emerald eyes.

"Forgive me, Aelin," he said softly. "I did not mean to scare you with my actions." Then a small smile crossed his lips. "I am grateful for your counsel. That and I am glad to know that I am important to you and that you care so much about me just as I care about you. I am honored and privileged to have you here with me."

Then, unexpectedly, Thorin leaned forward, tilted his head up and tenderly placed a kiss on her forehead. Aelin froze in surprise, yet a wave of warmth shot through her entire being from the feel of his lips on her skin. Never once did she think he would ever do something like that. When he pulled back, he placed a hand under her chin and carefully lifted her head so that their eyes of blue and green met again.

"I will never let you down and frighten you like that again, Aelin," he promised her. "Can you forgive me?"

More than anything, Aelin wished they could remain right where they were in that moment. Thorin was so close to her and she enjoyed the proximity between them, she longed for it to stay.

But, to keep her composure, she grinned, shrugged and answered, "Oh, I don't know...maybe." Then she smirked at him teasingly.

Thorin noticed her joking look and simply shook his head while still grinning himself as he removed his hands from her face.

Aelin decided to change the subject and told him, "Your wounds look severe. You should have Oin take a look at them right away."

Thorin gave her a nod and said back, "Only if you agree to have him treat the cuts on your face."

She chuckled. His concern over her was amusing by this point. She rolled her eyes yet smiled. "As you wish," she responded.

With nothing more to be said, it seemed, Thorin bowed his head to Aelin in farewell, then turned his back to her and made his way back through the trees towards where the rest of the company had gone off to.

Aelin remained in place, watching him walk away. Her heart nearly pounded itself out of her chest thinking about everything that had just happened. Above all, she was extremely grateful that he was alive and she wasn't going to lose him after all.

He was a good distance away when she could feel a new, welcome feeling arising within her and words she had never spoken in that particular context, and never believed she ever would, travelled from her mind down to her tongue.

Keeping her eyes set on Thorin as he faded from view, she whispered out loud for the very first time, "I love you."

.

How do you like that? :)

Aelin's really coming to terms with her feelings...but what about Thorin? How do you think he feels about her at this point? Possibly in love as well or getting there or just cares for her in a friendly way? He's a bit confusing right now, right? xD

Things are moving along, now we're getting into the events of DOS! What special twists do I have planned for Aelin, Thorin and the company for this upcoming portion of the story? Guess you'll have to stick with me and see with each new update! ;)

Comments or questions? Leave a review or PM me, my lovelies! I was happy to hear from some of you on the last chapter! Glad to know my readers are still out there eagerly awaiting a new chapter :) You guys are all awesome!

Until the next update! :)