Note: Italics is thoughts, unless specified otherwise i.e flashbacks or visions. / is timeskip
ALEXA'S POV
A gasp left Alexa as she sucked in the air around her, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Leaning against the stone wall, she placed a hand over her racing heart, her eyes fluttering closed. What the fuck was that?
Opening her eyes, she took in the two burning braziers; the only light in the otherwise dark night. Green-grey orbs flashed over to the two Dwarves standing just outside the forge, both holding an axe. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Bilbo sneaking past the two, and up the steps to the ramparts. What is happening?!
Remaining in the shadows, she breathed deeply, trying to come to terms what she had just seen. Did she just dream all of that?
"You have been shown a possible future, use your knowledge wisely. For every choice you make affects the outcome of the Dwarf Kings future. Go now Knight Alexa," a familiar voice echoed in her ears, making her gasp in surprise.
"Master Windu?" she murmured in disbelief,
Turning her head this way and that, she looked for the form of the old Jedi Master but to no avail. Inhaling shakily, she gazed at the hulking form of Dwalin, who was talking with Gloin, his free hand clasping the ginger Dwarf's shoulder.
A small smile found its way onto her lips as she stared at the burly Dwarf, the images of them together flashing before her eyes. Yet at the same time, a sadness ensnared her as the words she had heard rang in her head. Every choice you make affects the outcome of the Dwarf Kings future.
Alexa had an inkling that if she didn't heed these words, something terrible would ensue. Like if she followed the path she had been shown, she would not succeed in saving the line of Durin and in doing so fail her mission. Her green-grey eyes grew misty at the thought. Knowing that if she failed, she would be forced to watch her vision come to pass. Forced to watch him die.
And with that, she knew what she had to do. She allowed herself to mourn what could have been, though she did not linger on the thought. She was on this quest for a reason, and it was not for that.
Shaking her head, she remained in the darkness and eluded the pair, her footsteps soundless as she climbed the steps to the ramparts. Sparing a glance to the right, she watched as Bilbo struggled to tie a rope around the very same rock as the one in her vision? No. She could not indulge in what she was shown. She had work to do. The Line of Durin's fate was more important. Thorin was more important.
Sensing another form approaching, she curled further into the wall behind her. She watched as Bofur walked up the steps and began conversing with Bilbo, their conversation making them oblivious to her. Using this to her advantage, she leapt on top of the barricade. Without looking back, Alexa dropped to the ground outside of the Dwarf Kingdom, a soft crunch sounding beneath her boots as she landed.
Breathing softly, Alexa closed her eyes briefly before leaping across the moat. With a new fire in her eyes, she ran towards Ravenhill; the force aiding her with the journey.
A second or two went past before Alexa stopped, having arrived. Her arms soon crossed her chest as a shudder shook through her body. Force it was freezing! Scanning her surroundings, Alexa's eyes widened as she realized where she was.
She stood only a few feet from where she had seen Azog hold Fili's lifeless body. Biting the inside of her cheek, she turned and walked through the tunnel that she had gone through in her vision. Running her hand along the rough walls, she stopped before an intersection. Flickering her eyes down the one on the left, she unclipped her lightsaber and activated it.
The woman paused momentarily, before entering the tunnel that Fili had been cornered in. Stopping just inside, she placed her palm on the wall and closed her eyes; feeling her way along. Her eyes snapped open as a smirk grew on her lips; having found what she was looking for.
Without a word, Alexa deactivated her lightsaber, causing the darkness to encompass her once more. Breathing deeply, her eyes fluttered closed. Shifting her feet into a strong stance, she held her treasured weapon firmly against the wall in front of her and activated it again.
Moving the blade, she grit her teeth as she slowly guided it through the rock. The problem wasn't cutting the stone, no, it was making sure she didn't make a mess of it and cut through something that would bring the wall down. The smell of coal entered her nose as she cut through the rock, but she paid it no mind. It wasn't long before she opened her eyes and her lightsaber was once more clipped on her belt; deactivated.
Placing both palms on the charred rock, she pushed. With a resounding thud, the thick rock fell from its place in the wall. Following the piece of stone, she walked through the hole in the wall and stepped off into a hidden room. Coughing she wafted the dust and activated her lightsaber, the green light illuminating the small, dusty room. One that must have been closed off long ago and simply forgotten.
As quickly as she had entered, she left the small room and travelled back through the tunnels. She had only completed one part of the very long plan to saving the Line of Durin, and it would do her well not to hang around for long.
Sucking in a breath, the woman shivered as she stared out into the night. She still had a lot to do, and with this in mind, she ran over the hill and away from Erebor.
Arriving at her next destination, she forced a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her heavy breaths of exertion. The loud clinking of armour and animalistic roars echoed below her; the sounds signalling Azog's first army.
Pressing herself against the rock she was hiding behind, she willed herself to peek at the army. She watched as legions of orcs marched past her, with dozens of trolls and ogres amongst the lot. A silent gasp left her as she observed the army. It was one thing to see it in her visions, and another to see it in person.
Ducking behind the rock, she waited for the opportunity to execute the next part of the plan to arise. Whilst she waited, she busied herself with thinking over her Master's words, over Qui-Gon's, and over Mace Windu's. While she had not seen Master Windu, she could've sworn it was his voice that she had heard.
The stern tone of the late Master had been ingrained in her memory since she was a child. He was originally going to be her Master after all, but that had all changed when Master Yoda had decided that it would be Ki-Adi Mundi. To this day, she still wondered why the great Jedi Master changed his mind, as had many of the council members.
Breaking from her memories, she thought over the oncoming battle that she had seen claim the lives of Fili, Kili, and Thorin. A lump rose in her throat as the image of Thorin's lifeless body flashed before her eyes. Even with his recent behaviour towards her and his angry outburst, she still cared deeply for the Dwarf. She knew deep down that it was not him that had threatened her, that had moved to harm her. No, the Dwarf she knew, that she cared about would never hurt her. Not that it hurt any less.
A sudden idea came to mind as she thought about the gold-sick Dwarf. Like Master Windu had said not two hours ago, every decision she made impacted Thorin's survival. So, she would have to level out the playing ground, give him a better chance. The Thorin she had seen fighting in her vision was weary and malnourished. In her world, this problem could be easily fixed, but here? Her eyes lit up as the realization dawned on her. Oh, thank the force she had stayed with Elves for the past four years!
Another hour had passed before the time the opportunity she was waiting for came by. Glancing over the rock, she watched as the end of Azog's first army marched past her. Slowly raising her hand, she curled her fingers slightly.
"You will stop walking,"
The words had been muttered under her breath, yet the orc had heard her as if she had been right in front of him. The brutish looking orc halted in his step, repeated her words and listening wholly to the next.
"You will come to me. Quickly,"
The orc repeated her words and quickly followed her command; leaving his comrades with haste. Hearing his approach by the noise of heavy footfalls and clinking of armour, Alexa breathed deeply. It's now or never, she thought.
Peering at the orc, she looked behind it towards the army, who had yet to notice his departure; but that didn't mean that they wouldn't eventually.
"Faster," she whispered, causing the orc to break into a sprint.
The foul beast stood before her, its heavy breaths sounding loudly through its helmet. With a jerk of her hand, the Orc's neck snapped; its body falling to the ground promptly after. Quickly, Alexa yanked on its armoured legs, dragging its body towards her and hiding it from sight. No sooner had she, one of the ogres had looked in their direction.
Its nostrils flared as its beady eyes scanned the landscape, looking for anything suspicious. After finding nothing, a grunt left the massive creature before it continued onwards. A sigh of relief escaped Alexa as she sensed the beast and the rest of the army continue on their way.
Glancing down at the orc she had killed not moments ago, she found herself feeling bad for the creature. Before shaking her head at the notion, it's an orc! A foul creature who kills for pleasure! Nope, she would not feel a shred of pity for it.
Another hour passed before Alexa allowed herself to move from behind the rock. She had to make sure that the army was far enough away that they would not be able to see, hear or smell her. She wouldn't risk it.
Releasing a sigh, she steadily got to her feet. Cracks and pops sounded as she twisted her body and stretched her limbs. Once that was done, she looked down at the orc and crouched over its body. With quick movements, she undid the straps that held the armour to its body and roughly removed its helmet, revealing its gnarly face.
Gripping its arm, she yanked its body towards her before wrapping an arm around its waist. Shortly after her nose wrinkled as the pungent smell of orc overcame her senses. Foul creature.
/
- Time Skip -
/
The sun was beginning to rise as she disposed of the body inside the small secluded room that she had found in Ravenhill. Once that was done, she raised an arm and wiped her sweaty forehead. Her chest rose and fell irregularly, as she was exerted from the journey back. Though she had carried Bilbo with ease back at Beorn's, it was a much shorter distance, not to mention that he was alive, and a Hobbit, and therefore much smaller than an Orc, and more pleasant in every way.
She had also stopped along the way at Mirkwood and searched the kingdom for the Elvish bread known as Lembas. She had also made sure to break a few things along the way. Thranduil would ever find out it was her, though she secretly hoped he did, the bastard. Sadly, with his army already gone, they had taken most of the Elvish bread. But she had been able to find an unfinished offcut, and if she remembered correctly all she needed was a few herbs and it would be done.
Now glancing around the small room, she nodded to herself and turned back to the thick piece of stone that now lay on the floor just outside the entrance to the room. Using the force, she lifted the rock with ease and swiftly cut through a third of the large piece. Smiling at her work, she deactivated her lightsaber and walked back through the hole in the wall.
Once she was on the other side, she clipped her lightsaber back on her belt and faced the empty room. With an outstretched hand, she lifted the rock she had cut previously and beckoned it towards her. A bead of sweat dripped from her forehead, and her tunic drenched from her exertion clung uncomfortably to her body as she concentrated fully on the rock. Shifting the piece until it covered the entrance, she had made hours ago; hiding the secret room once more.
Once that was done, Alexa made sure to remember exactly where the room was; making a mental note in her mind. As while the rock was charred on the edges, it blended in rather well with the rest of the wall.
The woman allowed herself one moment for a quick breath before she continued on her way; not hanging around longer than needed. This was because she knew that Bard and the blonde Elf prick Thranduil would be outside Erebor with their armies at dawn.
After she had sealed the entrance, she had gone to find the ingredients she needed for the Lembas bread. Once found, she tucked them into one of the pouches on her belt before adjusting the Lembas that rested safely inside her outer tunic. Once that was done, she quickly force ran back to Erebor; hoping her absence hadn't be noted.
Once there, she leapt across the moat; landing heavily on her feet. Ignoring the tingling sensation pulsing in her feet and up her calves, she quickly gathered her bearings. As she was about to leap back up to the ramparts, she sensed a presence. Through the force, she felt that this particular signature was intent on harming her.
She did not hear the twang of an arrow being shot, nor did she see the Elf who had released it, but she did sense it. Swifter than an Elf and unnaturally fast for a human she caught the shaft of the arrow. Peering at the bolt now in her right fist, she looked at the sharp head which was mere centimetres from her eye. Without a word, she dropped the arrow and looked off towards where her senses told her the Elf was. Sending a smug grin at the hidden Elf, she jumped the impossible height of approximately twenty meters.
A laugh left her, as she imagined the shocked look on the Elf's face. Brushing off invisible dust on her tunic, she hopped off the ramparts and walked towards her designated room, her hand resting over the bread.
/
- Time Skip -
/
Walking through the corridors of Erebor, Alexa avoided the ever-rumbling sounds of the company snores, making sure she was not seen. As the woman neared the chamber that she had come to see as her own, or at least the one she was crashing at for the meantime; she reached into her tunic and pulled out the Lembas bread.
A sigh escaped her lips as she stopped before the chamber door. Turning the knob, the door opened with a loud creak, breaking the eerily silence. Ignoring the unsettling feeling it gave her, she padded inside.
Moving towards the desk, she gently placed the unfinished bread down before reaching for the pouch containing the rest of the ingredients. With a soft sigh, she took out the plants and herbs and began.
A proud look etched itself onto her tired features as she looked down at the Lembas bread she had made. She could only hope that she had remembered Lord Elrond's instruction down to the smallest detail, or else it would not work.
Just as she was covering the bread with the leaf wrappings, the hairs at the back of her neck stood up and her body tensed. Before she could react, an unsettlingly calm voice travelled to her ears in a low rumble, making her shiver. But not from fear.
"And where have you been, my Queen?"
