Back again, ya'll! :D
Seriously, my inspiration for this story just hasn't been stopping! At this rate, I may finish it soon ;) Or, at least, I'll get through the third movie, but I do plan to continue a little past the end of BotFA. That is, if I don't lose any readers before then, because...well, sh*t's about to go down :P
On that note...enjoy the calm before the storm xD I will just say this: Aelin's got some attitude in this one and boy, do I love it! xD haha!
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The hour of the day was growing late and the darkness of nightfall was falling upon the Lonely Mountain. Within, all of the Dwarves were scattered throughout the mountain, either resting or taking care of some last minute matters.
Aelin made her way back down to the treasure chamber and positioned herself behind a pillar, peeking out from behind it to make sure that Thorin wasn't nearby. From what she could see, there was no sign of him. She had to have maximum stealth, considering this was a treasure room and she would walking on top of thousands of gold coins that would surely move beneath her feet when she stepped on them. Swiftly and quietly, she descended the stairs into the chamber, keeping her eyes open and her wits about her. It was strangely quiet; there was no sound of coins rattling or jingling anywhere. Was Thorin even in the room? She didn't want to be fooled by the silence, so she still was going to proceed with caution. With great care, leading with the tips of her toes, she furtively started moving across the room as quickly as she could while making as little noise as possible. Every few steps, she would stop and listen to make sure there were no other sounds about.
She spotted the pile of gold that she remembered meeting Thorin behind; where the table with the jewels should be. Quickly, she took one last look around, saw there was no one, and then made a dash for the gold pile, only making a couple coins jingle on the ground. As she reached it, she ducked around the other side and put her back against the gold, peering back around the corner to see if anyone had heard or seen her. There was still no sign of any of the other members of the company around. It seemed like she was in the clear.
Feeling a sense of relief, Aelin turned around, ready to snatch the gems off the table and was suddenly so shocked that she had to cover her mouth to keep from gasping aloud.
Standing right in front of her, with his back facing her, was Thorin.
Frozen with dread, Aelin remained where she was with her hand still over her mouth, not even daring to breathe. No wonder she couldn't see Thorin when she came in; he had been behind this hill of gold. For that brief moment, she stayed completely still, just waiting for Thorin to turn around and catch her. She glanced down with her eyes to the table and sure enough, it was still covered with the small diamonds and the Elvenking's jewels were still there amongst them. If Thorin were to catch her, should she still try to tell him she changed her mind or should be just grab them and run? No...the latter would definitely get her into more trouble than if she told him she wanted the gems after all. She just had to go based off his reaction.
However...he did not turn around. He was only standing there, his head facing towards the floor. He was as motionless as a statue. She wondered if he had even heard her come up behind him. There was nothing from him. Aelin became slightly confused. What was going on with him, she wondered. This was very bizarre. She began to question if she should try and sneak back out before he realized she was there.
Right then, Thorin's head slowly began to turn towards his right shoulder. His movement was almost snakelike. Aelin stiffened up even more, readying herself for something to happen. Her heart was pounding in her chest so loud that she could feel it in her head and ears. Thorin's eyes did not lift up from the gold, though. His body gradually followed his head and turned to face towards his right. Aelin dared not move.
Suddenly, his head whipped to his right and he was looking right at her.
Aelin froze, a small gasp escaping her lips. She really was in for it now!
All he did was stare at her. He looked even worse than he had earlier that day. The color in his face was diminishing more and more; one could have thought he was a ghost. The circles under his eyes were a dark, ashy gray that highly contrasted his pale skin. He looked tired; almost like an undead being. She couldn't fathom how badly and how quickly this sickness was affecting him. His eyes were glossy and distant; his sight was single to something outside of the very reality of the moment.
Thorin then started slowly walking towards Aelin and she kept absolutely still, not saying a word. Her fear was overwhelming her and her ability to speak was failing. What was he going to do to her? What was he going to say or think? At this point in time, she really had no idea. He came right up in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers. Her breath caught in her throat, threatening her chest to burst if she dared to breathe. One of his hands came up and she braced herself for whatever he was about to do.
Then his hand came forward and, to her complete surprise, he placed it beside her head and rested it on the gold, softly running his fingertips over the sides of the coins and jewels he touched. She looked to the side at his hand and then back at Thorin. His eyes were still trained on her, but there wasn't any kind of emotion or feeling in them. He seemed...in a trance. Aelin's heart grew cold and her blood ran chill in terror.
Could he even see her?
Cautiously, she inched away, sidestepping where Thorin's remaining arm was still at his side. Neither his gaze nor his body followed her; he kept his hand on the treasure and his eyes were fixed upon it.
"Oh, my love...what has become of you? Where have you vanished to?" Aelin thought sorrowfully to herself.
She turned to the table next to her and carefully withdrew the necklace of white jewels from beneath all the tiny diamonds. Thorin still had not turned around. Taking the opportunity while she had it, Aelin took off as quickly as she could while still treading lightly across the treasure room back to the other. She took one last look inside as she got to the top of the stairs. There was no sound from Thorin nor could she see him. He was still on the other side of the gold mound.
"I'm running out of time. He's losing himself faster than we anticipated," she told herself in her head.
With that, she ran out of the treasure room. She had to meet Bilbo up at the ramparts. As of that moment, time was of the essence.
"There you are! Did you find the jewels?" Bilbo quietly asked Aelin as she came up the rampart.
"Aye, I did," she said breathily. "Remind me to speak with you about what happened in the treasure chamber later. Right now, let's get out of here."
Bilbo looked a little curious when she mentioned "what happened in the treasure chamber", but knowing that they were short on time, he kept his curiosity to himself and set right off to the edge of the rampart where he had started securing a thick rope to a large, metal ring in the wall. Aelin moved up beside him on the furthest side so she was ready to go once the rope was tied.
Suddenly, a voice said behind them, "You should be inside."
Bilbo jumped, startled and turned around, while Aelin ducked behind the wall. She peeked around and saw that it was Bofur, out on the night watch.
"Out of the wind," Bofur added, a small grin on his face.
"No, I...needed some air. Place still stinks of dragon," Bilbo replied to him.
Bofur walked towards Bilbo and Aelin moved back behind the wall. She wasn't sure if Bofur had actually seen her.
She figured he must not have because he went on to say, a little gloomily, "The Elves have been moving their archers into position. The battle will be over by tomorrow's eve. Though, I doubt we will live to see it."
Bilbo, at first, was a bit unsure how to respond, so he simply said, "No, these are dark days."
"Dark days, indeed," Bofur replied. He looked over to Bilbo and then told him, "No one could blame a soul for wishing themselves elsewhere."
Both Aelin and Bilbo realized that Bofur believed that Bilbo was trying to leave before the battle. They both felt a little guilty but, at the same time, it was touching to them how understanding Bofur was of the situation, even though he was misinterpreting it.
"Must be nearing midnight," Bofur then stated. "Bombur's got the next watch. It'll take a bit to wake him." He raised his eyebrows at Bilbo before turning away.
"Bofur!" Bilbo cried out. When Bofur turned back, he said to him encouragingly, "I will see you in the morning."
Bofur just simply smiled and replied, "Goodbye, Bilbo," and then walked back down the rampart.
After he was gone, Aelin came back out from behind the wall. "I can't believe he actually thinks you would leave the company," she commented.
"There is a war coming tomorrow. I think anyone who has never had to deal with such things would possibly leave, so I don't blame him for thinking that," Bilbo replied.
"Well, come on. Let's get to Dale," said Aelin.
With a nod, Bilbo finished tying up the rope and threw it over the edge. Aelin was the first to climb down the barricade wall and Bilbo followed after her. Once they both touched ground, they took off as fast their feet could carry them towards the ruins of Dale.
"How will we know where to find Bard or even Thranduil?" Bilbo asked as they snuck through the refugee camp and hid behind a few larger stones.
Aelin kept a sharp eye out for the two people Bilbo had just mentioned. Who knew where they could be amongst all the people there?
However, as they came upon a clearer part of the city, she spotted a large, gold tent that was being lit on the inside. It was far too luxurious of a tent for anyone from Laketown to possess, so she knew right away whose it was. And, as luck would have it, she saw Bard standing in front of one of the openings, now dressed in a dark blue coat; a change from his normal cream one, talking to...Gandalf.
"By Durin, Gandalf's here, too!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice. Then she pointed to the tent. "That tent right there has to be Thranduil's. It's the nicest one here and Bard is standing right there with Gandalf."
"When did he get here?" Bilbo inquired.
"I'm sure we'll find out," Aelin answered. "Come on."
They both emerged from behind the rocks and approached as they heard Bard tell Gandalf, "This is a fight they cannot win."
The two of them knew right away that Bard was speaking of the Dwarves.
"That won't stop them," Aelin called out, signalling their approach.
Bilbo added, "You think the Dwarves will surrender. They won't. They will fight to the death to defend their own."
"Bilbo Baggins! Aelin!" Gandalf cried out, shocked at seeing them there.
"And where have you been all this time, Gandalf?" Aelin questioned him.
He hummed to himself and then answered, "That is a story for perhaps another time. Come inside."
Aelin gave Bilbo a sideways glanced and said to him, "He's being vague again...shocking."
They followed Gandalf and Bard into the tent where Gandalf announced their presence to the Elvenking. The Elf was dressed in long, silky silver robes that trailed behind him and a silver headdress with a single crystal in the center adorned his head of sleek, silver-blonde hair. Aelin couldn't help but grimace a little as she saw him. He gave her a quick look over, without saying a word, before looking at Bilbo curiously.
"If i'm not mistaken…," he said, sitting on his chair, "this is the Halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards."
Bilbo got a sheepish look on his face. "Yes...sorry about that," he said.
Aelin scoffed. "I'm not," she replied. "You got me out of that wretched cell that I was unjustly imprisoned in." She cast a cocky glance at Thranduil who looked more than unhappy with her. Then the thought of her being in that cell reminded her of the reason why she had been put in there in the first place and she decided to tell Thranduil with a bit of begrudging attitude, "By the way, your Fabulousness, you will be overjoyed to learn that my father is dead and you now have whatever justice you were looking for."
His head perked up at hearing the news of Norin's death, but then his eyes narrowed at her. "I need to be absolutely sure," he said. "How did Norin meet his demise?"
Folding her arms across her chest, Aelin clarified for him, "He was actually in Laketown...and I killed him myself."
Both Thranduil and Bard's eyes widened in surprise.
"You failed to mention that before," Bard stated to her, referring to when she informed him of Norin's end at the gate of Erebor.
She just shrugged. "I didn't think it was relevant at the time." Then she told them, "He had violently threatened my friends, one of them wounded him and I dealt the final blow. Now the world is better off for it."
Bard looked to the Elvenking. "You knew Norin, as well?"
Thranduil's face was etched with disdain as he recalled his encounter with Norin and answered, "Yes...he stole from me once and escaped."
Aelin lightly chuckled and said condescendingly, "Really, Thranduil, you've got to up your security by at least tenfold because you keep letting Dwarves escape on your watch."
"Enough, Aelin," Gandalf warned her.
"That is not why we're here," Bilbo reminded her.
Aelin just smirked and rolled her eyes. She was having fun messing with Thranduil.
Bilbo took out a wrapped piece of cloth from inside his jacket and declared to Bard and Thranduil as he put it on a table, "We came to give you this." He removed the cloth and revealed the Arkenstone to them.
Thranduil pushed up from his chair, his eyes glittering at the sight of the glowing jewel on the table. "The Heart of the Mountain. The King's Jewel," he gasped in awe.
"And worth a King's ransom," stated Bard as he too approached the side of the table and admired the stone. Then he looked to Bilbo. "How is this yours to give?" he asked.
"I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure," was Bilbo's simple answer.
"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty," said Bard.
"I'm not doing it for you," Bilbo replied bluntly. He went on to explain, "I know that Dwarves can be obstinate and pigheaded and difficult...they're suspicious and secretive with the worst manners imaginable…."
"Oi, watch yourself, now…!" Aelin warned him as she was starting to feel slightly offended.
Bilbo kept going, "...but they're also brave and kind...and loyal to a fault. I have grown very fond of them and I would save them if I can."
Aelin couldn't help but smile at Bilbo's declaration. It was amazing how loyal Bilbo was to the company and she felt grateful to have him there.
She went on to say with certainty, pointing to the Arkentone. "Now, Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war."
The bowman and the Elvenking exchanged unsure looks. Bard, at least, was starting to look convinced; however, Thranduil was not.
This was where Aelin knew the plan she had devised would come into play and, more than likely, prove successful. She then said, "I also have something for Thranduil."
He gave her a curious glance, wondering what on earth she could be talking about. With a devious look, Aelin pulled out White Gems of Lasgalen from inside her shirt and held them up for him to see.
Thranduil's eyes were wider than when he had laid eyes on the Arkenstone. "My gems…!" he exclaimed.
"You have no other reason to be here, Thranduil, so I can assume that these jewels are why you and your soldiers suddenly showed up," Aelin said to him, "...which is why I have brought them to you for the same reason we have brought the Arkenstone: to trade."
Now, Thranduil was even more suspicious. "What would you ask of me in return?" he questioned.
"You leave," she answered seriously, her face and voice hard as stone. As he gave her a wondering look, she lowered the jewels and continued firmly, "When the trade of the Arkenstone for the gold is complete, you will pull your forces back and return to Mirkwood with no threats; no violence or bloodshed. I will even see to it personally that your army leaves and when they're all gone, then will I give you the jewels."
There was silence for a brief moment. Thranduil's expression was growing more stern and almost angry as he continued to stare at Aelin. Then he declared, "I will not consent to this. I am not leaving without the gems."
Aelin was prepared for this and she shot back with more intensity, "And I will not give you the gems until your people have departed these lands...so it looks like one of us is going to have to relent and I will tell you right now: it's not going to be me."
Thranduil continued to glower at her.
She straightened up and proceeded to inform him, "Need I remind you, Thranduil, that you are on Dwarven territory and, therefore, are in no position to make demands."
He grimaced and retorted, "You are not in much of a position yourself, seeing as how you are not the ruler of this realm."
"One day, I will be," she answered immediately with confidence, a defiant smirk on her face.
Next to her, Bilbo and even Gandalf couldn't help but grin themselves.
"But that does not matter," she went on to say. "I have come as a representative of Erebor since its ruler is currently unfit and the others in our company are unwilling."
He still appeared unhappy and even insulted that this Dwarf woman was trying to make demands of him, which only stirred up her already boiling blood within her. She was not backing down. "You can be the last to leave, Thranduil, for all I care, but what I want is for you and your army to return to the forest from whence you came. Once all of you are gone, I will give you the jewels. The point of this is that I trust you about as far as I can throw you, so you have to uphold your end of the bargain before I hold up mine."
His frigid stare kept its unwavering hold on her. This was going to be the final move.
"That is my deal on the table," she stated to him in a strong voice, "Either take it and you regain what is rightfully yours or leave it and the necklace goes back into Thorin's treasure horde and you will never see them again."
Bard, Gandalf and Bilbo all looked from Aelin to Thranduil anxiously. They were impressed with Aelin for being so steadfast in her demands and now they were eagerly awaiting to see what Thranduil would do.
The Elvenking remained silent for a brief time until he inhaled and sighed sharply. "You're determined and persistent, I will give you that," he said to her.
Aelin grinned triumphantly. She knew she had won. With a grin, she replied, echoing Thorin's earlier words, "Just goes to show you that you should never underestimate Dwarves."
His face, while still displeased, seemed to soften a little as he then responded, "Very well. If a bargain is reached for the return of the Arkenstone, then I will order my forces to retreat and we shall return to the Woodland Realm."
Aelin so badly wanted to say to him, "See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" but she figured that, for once, she would be more mature, especially since she had declared herself a representative for the kingdom of Erebor and figured she should act as such.
Instead, she put the jewels back in her shirt and said, "Excellent. We have an accord, then." She turned to Bilbo. "Shall we be off, then, Master Hobbit?"
He nodded in reply.
"Allow me to see you out," offered Gandalf.
The three of them exited the tent, leaving Bard and Thranduil to mull over their plans for the following day.
As they walked through the town, Gandalf said to Bilbo and Aelin, "Rest up tonight. You must leave on the morrow."
That was not they were expecting him to say. "What?" asked Bilbo.
"Get as far away from here as possible," Gandalf added.
"I'm not leaving. You picked me as the fourteenth man. I'm not about to leave the company now," Bilbo protested.
"There is no company. Not anymore..," Gandalf countered, "...and I don't like to think what Thorin will do when he finds out what you've done."
Astounded that he would even suggest such a thing, Bilbo replied, "I'm not afraid of Thorin."
"Well, you should be," Gandalf said ominously.
Aelin stepped up. "Gandalf, you were not with us when this happened, but Thorin and I are together now," she told him. "I can't leave him, especially now. If only you knew the state that he was in…."
"I am sure I can picture it well enough," said Gandalf. He looked back at Bilbo. "Don't underestimate the evil of gold; gold over which a serpent has long brooded. Dragon-sickness seeps into the hearts of all who come near this mountain." Then he grinned, looking between the two of them. "Almost all."
Then he looked to the side and cried out, "You there! Find this Hobbit and Dwarf lady a bed and fill their bellies with hot food. They've earned it."
Aelin and Bilbo looked and saw that it was the gangly, unibrowed, mousy man who had been assistant to the Master of Laketown. He rolled his eyes as he came trudging over, clearly not wanting to do anything.
Aelin frowned. Fili had told her how, after they all had left for the mountain, Kili had gotten worse and they had sought help from the Master, who turned on them and treated them like they were diseased gutter rats. Then his little assistant, who Fili had said was called Alfrid, had treated them the same and told them to clear off. Knowing this and seeing Alfrid made her angry and she wasn't so pleased that he was the one Gandalf had called over. Before they went off, Gandalf muttered something to Alfrid and then proceeded to walk away.
"Move it!" he rudely ordered them and they started walking. Then behind them he began muttering, "Stupid Hobbit. Stupid Dwarf."
Aelin didn't want to hear this the rest of the way, so she stopped in place, withdrew one of her knives, spun around and pointed it up underneath Alfrid's chin, causing him to let out a high-pitched squeak.
"Mutter another miserable word to yourself and I'll cut that unibrow right from your head before you can scream for help," she threatened, raising her eyebrows daringly.
Alfrid groaned in annoyance and she just sheathed her knife again and resumed walking. Alfrid took them to an empty house and told them they would sleep there. A few minutes later, he returned with two bowls of steaming soup, gave them to Bilbo and Aelin and then left again.
Once they finished their soup and realized everyone outside was retiring for the night, Aelin looked across the room at Bilbo and stated, "Gandalf is madder than Thorin if he thinks I'm going to leave now."
"Agreed. Let's get back to the mountain," Bilbo concurred without hesitation.
With nothing more needing to be said, they got off their beds and peeked out the door to make sure Alfrid wasn't there. They weren't surprised when they saw that he was nowhere in sight. After checking to make sure that no one else was around, they darted from the house. They didn't stop running until they reached the outskirts of Dale and knew that they were far enough away.
"I really hope our plan works," Bilbo commented as they kept on walking towards Erebor.
"It has to work," Aelin replied, "...or else I don't know what else we can do."
"By the way, Aelin, I think you are going to make a fantastic Queen one day," Bilbo complimented her. "The way you handled the negotiations with Thranduil; you seemed so dignified and steadfast."
Aelin chuckled. "Thank you, Bilbo. As one who used to be a thief for hire, I learned to negotiate well in order to get paid the prices I wanted," she said in response.
"You definitely looked like you knew what you were doing," said the Hobbit.
"Well, all I have left to do to become Queen is marry Thorin and make it official, but...I can't do that with the state that he's in." She then stopped and faced the Hobbit. "Bilbo...I saw Thorin in the treasure chamber and discovered that things are worse than we realize."
Now concerned, Bilbo inquired, "What happened?"
She swallowed nervously, recalling the actual fear she had felt upon seeing him earlier. "I came up right behind him on the other side of a gold mound and I was sure that he had heard me. However, he didn't make any indication that he did. The jewels were on a table between us, so I waited to see if Thorin would see me and be ready to explain myself. He then looked right at me and...I was actually afraid of him. He said nothing and came right up to me. I was so sure he was going to be angry, but then...while looking right at me, he lifted a hand and started stroking the gold behind me. Bilbo...I don't think he could even see me...because when I moved aside, he did not follow me. But the look in his eyes...was terrifying. He is becoming less of a person and more...I don't even know how to describe it. It seemed as though he was almost in an undead-like state. He is nothing but a shell of himself. That treasure is all he knows right now; he is so consumed by it that he is losing all sense of reality and what's around him. If our plan tomorrow fails, then I fear Thorin will be lost to us forever."
Bilbo took a step closer to her, put a hand on her arm and declared to her, "I am not going to let that happen, Aelin, I promise. We will get Thorin back."
"If the plan fails, then we will be going to war with Mirkwood and Laketown...how are we going to get Thorin back in the midst of all of that?" she questioned.
"I don't know, but we will find a way. Keep the faith, Aelin, and do not despair. We will get your true love back again," he promised her.
"I really hope so," she sighed. She looked to the mountain ahead of them. "I have a really uneasy feeling about tomorrow," she admitted.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know what it is...but something is telling me that something is going to happen tomorrow...to me."
"To you?" Bilbo repeated.
"Aye," said Aelin. "Either to me or it will involve me, but I can't make out this feeling I'm getting." Then she shook her head. "I am sure it's nothing. I think I'm just paranoid and worried about the outcome of tomorrow."
"I would pay no heed to that. Everything will be fine," Bilbo reassured her. "Come on, let's get back and get some rest tonight. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
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The sad thing here is we all know what becomes of the plan with the trading of the Arkenstone...but is it actually going to all go down like we remember from the movie? :P We will see in the next chapter, which is already underway!
Just where is everything going to go from here? How will the actual Battle of the Five Armies play out? Stay tuned to find out!
Love you all! Drop me a review or a PM with your thoughts!