Chapter Nine
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The trip away from Beorn's was a little bit nicer, she rode on a horse. First time for everything Verity guessed, listening in as the coms lit up even heavier. Loki or Rok speaking to her about how the repairs were going on the ship. They had managed to get more of the ship's offline guns working and were aiming to fixing the thrusters that had been damaged in the crash landing as well as getting new glass for the windows and repairing the shielding. They still had no account for how many men they lost during the crash, but Loki was making a quick calculation for when she got back on board the Santa Maria.
It was nearing noon when the group made it to the woods that they were supposed to go through. "Wow, so homey." She stated. Sliding down from the horse and patting it on the rump in farewell. The others debated keeping their mounts but were quickly told no by Gandalf who was still on his horse.
"Where are you off to old geezer?" She asked, helmet once more in place on her head. Gandalf ignored her and took off on his horse in the opposite direction. "Great, he sends you nitwits out on this adventure and then leaves half the time for you to get yourselves in trouble. Verity grumbled watching as all the Dwarrow and Hobbit turned and looked at her like she was speaking in another language. "Men." She stated and started down the pathway after shouldering her bag onto her shoulder and grumbling about the stupidity she had to deal with.
The dwarrow moved behind her more amused by her grumbling than anything else. The observation that they had done while they had been at Beorn's had showed her in a different light, especially after finding out all they had about where she had come from and what had been going on outside of their own little planet. Mind blowing, to say the least. Oin was worried the woman was too familiar with death and fighting to ever really settle down and be at peace, but Balin had assured him it was up to Verity to decide and when she was ready she would choose what was best for her.
The longer that the group was in the forest. The more it seemed to sap all of the happiness from the group. Verity seemed to be on high alert, watching for anything that moved and trying to keep the path in sight at all times. Soon the group was separated into smaller ones. Seemingly walking in circles around the forest without knowing which way to actually go. Verity followed behind Oin and Dwalin, both were sticking closer to the taller woman as she seemed to see much better in the dim light that was shown along the way.
Spiders soon came upon them, and the fight for survival started all over again. Verity cursed as she opened fire at the massive eight legged monsters. "Flood, I would take the flood any fucking day of the week. Why did it have to be spiders." She grumbled, shooting another in the face as it came at her. She was back to back with Thorin on this, Bilbo was off taunting them and the sound of him making up a little taunt seemed to echo in the stillness of Mirkwood. The elves came later, landing in front of the group and pointing arrows or swords at them.
"Just what we needed." Verity muttered. Lowering her firearm and raising her hands to the sky as they were chained up. "Careful with that thing or else you are going to blow off your head." Verity snapped at one of the elves as they were looking over her pistols right down the barrel with a finger on the trigger. The apparent leader ordered her to be quiet and she glowered at him as he moved away from the group to push them into a march toward their living space.
"Well, you could have put in a nice welcome mat while you were at it." Verity snarked as she was pushed forward into the group as they passed over the bridge. "Not a bad place you've got, hope it's a five star or you won't be getting any repeat visitors." She pointed out. The elves of course ignored her ramblings as did the Dwarrow used to the snark by now.
The group was stopped before a step of a dais leading up to an overly dramatic throne, where sat a tall long blonde haired male. Thorin glared at him from where he was beneath the dias and throne. Verity wanted to add a comment about the flare and dramatics but wisely kept to herself as she observed the way the Elven King portrayed himself. A man just as stubborn and cruel as Thorin was when in the right mood to be.
Her robotic eye could see something was wrong with his face, but it seemed blurred. Her Com was silent, thankfully, as the small device was wedged deeply into her ear, but Loki was putting things up onto the screen of her helmet as she gazed around, making points of possible escape routes that the group could take in the likelihood of such an event occuring. She watched as the blond haired king started down his throne.
"Why Thorin Okanshield has not been seen East of the Misty Mountains for years, but where does your journey end?" Thranduil stated, coming down to stare down at the smaller male. The dark haired dwarf glared up at him, blue eyes like stones. Thranduil turned his attention to the tall male that stood almost in the center of the group with a helmet that obscured his face. "Remove his helmet." He ordered and a guard stepped forward to do just that. Only to get a boot to the chin as the man brought his foot up and knocked the elf backwards.
"I don't need help taking my helmet off, thank you." Verity stated, reaching up with her chained hands to pull the damaged helmet away. Her eyes stared boldly into Thranduil's as he moved to look her over.
"A woman in your party, my aren't we getting desperate." He stated, looking her over with a sneer. Verity rolled her eyes.
"We got lost, your wood's are the shortest path to my destination. I am paying good gold for these dwarrow and you have taken us prisoner without even a by your leave." Verity stated. Balin had been opening his mouth to speak before Thorin could cause any lasting damage to the fragile relationship that remained of the elven alliance with the dwarrow of Erebor. "We come East of the Misty Mountain because I paid them to do so. Gold is Gold is it not?" Verity lifted her head like she was a noble woman and Balin would have applauded her performance if Thranduil hadn't brought a blade up to her throat.
A smirk graced her lips in reaction to the threat, and the blade was removed. "Who are you?" Thranduil commanded. Verity arched an eyebrow.
"I am Major Verity Amezcua Commander of the Battleship Santa Maria. I paid these men to lead me back to my ship over the East to the waters far past the mountains." She stated, all without blinking an eye. "I came to speak with Lord Elrond about a possible Alliance between my people and his. Now I am returning with news of such negotiations." She stated. Head still level and even as she looked at the Elven King.
Thranduil moved back looking at her, "I have never heard of you?" He stated.
"Understandable, I traveled a long way across the sea of stars." She answered back, not lying but not fully telling the truth either. Being as evasive of the truth as Gandalf was.
"Put them in the dungeons until I decide what to do with them for the time being." Thranduil told his guards. Verity rolled her eyes as the group was led away by being tugged on by the chain.
"Nice save lass." Balin told her with an approving nod in her direction. She nodded back, walking into her cell and sitting on the cot that was there, watching as the others but Bilbo also took their spots inside their cells.