Here's a new chapter for you lovely people, hope you enjoy! Thank you very much to FizzWizz2011, purple-pygmy-puff16, Erikawaskiki, Miss. J. Nori and sploosh93 for your reviews on the last one. As always, I'd love to know what you make of this one.


Fili was sat in the entrance hall, surrounded by most of his companions and yet feeling more alone than ever before in his life. He had a small piece of rock in his hand, which he was playing with as he thought about the events of the previous day, his face set in a grim mask. He still could not believe that Arinna was truly gone, that she had left the mountain without him. That he had let her go. And yet, he could not find it in himself to blame her, or to feel any other way but sad. She had told him days ago how she felt about Thorin withholding the Lakemen's share of the treasure and about how his behaviour went against what she believed in. Of course, Fili knew that this was all because of the damned dragon-sickness, because of the hold that this gold seemed to have over his uncle, and he knew that Arinna knew it, as well. It was an explanation for his behaviour, yet not an excuse.

What the young prince didn't know was what he was supposed to do. Perhaps he should have left with her, he thought glumly, perhaps that would have shocked his uncle back into his right mind. But, how could he have? This was Thorin, after all. His uncle, his king – the person he had always looked up to ever since he had been a little dwarfling growing up in the Ered Luin. The person that had helped raise him, who had been the closest to a father figure he'd had after his own father's death. Thorin was the person he had always aspired to become when he grew older. How was he supposed to just give up on him?

"A raven!"

Fili jerked out of his thoughts and looked up to see Nori running down the stairs from where he had been on watch duty on the wall atop the gate. Frowning, he watched as the red-haired dwarf waved a small piece of parchment in his hand, handing it over to Dwalin as the burly dwarf asked to see it.

"It's a message from Dain," Dwalin announced in surprise, looking up shortly at his companions as he pointed out the wax seal on the parchment, before he began to read it out to them aloud. "Azog leads an army of orcs and goblins onto the mountain. I have joined my forces with the Elves and Men. Our grievances with them must wait. Cousin, we ask for your help. Join us in battle."

A long silence filled the room as Dwalin let his hand drop to his side, the small piece of parchment held firmly between his fingers. None of the dwarves knew how to react to this unexpected news.

"If this is true, then we must join them," Kili finally said, being the first to regain his voice. He looked around the room, receiving a few nods in return. Dwalin cleared his throat, a conflicted look on his face.

"Nori, go and fetch Thorin," he then said, reminding them all that their king had once more secluded himself in the treasure hall, by himself. The bald dwarf caught Kili's gaze, the younger dwarf simply giving him a quick nod. "He must know."

Nori didn't hesitate and after he had left the hall, Kili looked over to his brother, who was clenching the rock he had been playing with before tightly in his hand. He frowned slightly, before he made his way over to him. He let himself sink down beside Fili, who didn't look up at him at his arrival.

"Are you alright?" Kili asked quietly, his words finally gaining him his brother's attention. Fili's grip on the rock tightened a little bit further, before he turned it over between his fingers.

"Am I alright?" Fili repeated the question lowly, a slight huff in his voice. He shook his head, giving his little brother a pointed look. "Our uncle has gone mad, a war is coming and the love of my life is out there, alone in a camp of strangers, while an army of Orcs is coming her way. No, Kili, I don't think I'm anywhere close to alright."

"She's not alone," Kili uttered, trying to sound optimistic. "Bilbo's with her."

"Very reassuring," the blond dwarf huffed in return, before he suddenly and forcefully threw the stone he had been holding against a nearby wall. "I'm entrusting the life of my One to a hobbit who wields a letter opener as a sword."

Kili sighed quietly, knowing that Fili didn't truly think that Bilbo was as useless as his words made it sound. Though he could understand how he worried for Arinna, as he worried about her himself. Kili had never been in love and didn't know what it felt like to have a One, but still, he could imagine how much it affected Fili not being able to look out for Arinna. Kili himself had come to see her as a close friend over the course of their journey, before it had ever turned out that his brother and her were in love. Now, she was like a little sister to him, and much like Fili, he worried for her and wanted nothing more than to know her safe and sound.

"Gandalf is with her, too," he finally offered up, looking at Fili who merely let out a deep sigh in return. His little brother inclined his head slightly and was about to say something else, when Nori returned with Thorin on his heels, a thunderous look on the dwarf-king's face. Kili's mouth fell shut as he watched his uncle approaching the group. Thorin was wearing a thick embroidered cloak now and a heavy crown on his head, his grand-father's crown, which he had found among the treasure.

"What is this?" the dwarf-king asked gruffly, looking from dwarf to dwarf until his eyes found Dwalin, who was wordlessly holding out the piece of parchment that the raven had brought.

"It came from Dain," he said, as Thorin snatched it up and began to read quietly. They all watched for his reaction as his blue eyes skimmed over the runes, taking in the message. He finished reading with a deep frown on his face, shaking his head before he suddenly crumpled up the parchment in his fist and threw it away. Fili watched it land among a small pile of broken stone, before he looked back at his uncle.

"Nonsense," Thorin muttered darkly, more to himself than any of them, though the room was quiet enough for everyone to hear him clearly, as his gruff voice echoed off the walls.

"It is not nonsense!" Fili answered loudly, unable to hold back his feelings as he abruptly got to his feet, facing his uncle. Thorin sent him a withering look while Kili slowly got to his feet to stand beside his brother, as the blond dwarf went on. "It has Dain's seal on it, so it must be from him. He would not lie about such a thing, what reason would he have?"

"He would not be the first to betray me!" Thorin growled, causing Fili to grind his teeth together angrily. The young prince shook his head, frustrated beyond belief. He stared at his uncle, his jaw clenching as he took a few deep breaths. And then he made up his mind.

"I'm going over the wall," he finally announced, looking around the gathered companions. "Who's coming with me?"

"I am!" Kili was the first one to answer, standing beside his brother with his face set with determination. Just as Fili had said on the day of the company's departure from Laketown, he belonged with his brother.

"Aye! Yes!" Some others called out then, getting to their feet as well. Fili gave them a nod, motioning with his head toward the stairway.

"Come on!"

"Stand down!" Thorin uttered darkly, his voice echoing dangerously off the stone walls. Fili turned his head back toward his uncle, giving him an incredulous look.

"What? Are we to do nothing?" he asked, feeling sudden anger rising up within him as Thorin gave him a stern look and a shake of his head. Fili took a few steps toward him, his voice rising in volume. "I will not hide behind a wall of stone while others fight our battles for us, Thorin! I will not have my One and my kin fighting on their own against an army of Orcs! I will –"

"You," Thorin interrupted him sharply. "Will stand down."

And with that the dwarf-king turned around and walked off, his eyes blazing with fury, while Fili could do nothing but stare after him in utter disbelief. He barely felt the comforting hand that his little brother put on his shoulder, or the sad looks that the others gave him and each other. It was Dwalin who finally let out a deep sigh.

"I'll talk to him," he uttered toward Fili, who barely acknowledged his words, before he followed after Thorin.

He found him only a few minutes later in the throne room. Ever since Thorin had learned that the Arkenstone was no longer in the mountain, he had spent most his time in here, pacing up and down, or sitting stiffly on his grandfather's throne. Now he was standing in front of it, staring at the dark stone as Dwalin approached him slowly from behind.

"Thorin," the bald dwarf said quietly, ripping the dwarf-king out of his thoughts as he whirled around to face him. "Since when do we forsake our own people? We cannot let them face this enemy alone."

Thorin stared at his friend for a moment, his eyes distant. "There are holes beneath holes within this Mountain," he muttered. "Places we can fortify. Shore up, make safe? Yes. Yes, that is it. We must move the gold further underground, to safety."

"Did you not hear me?" Dwalin frowned, catching Thorin's attention again as the dwarf turned to leave, no doubt for the treasure hall. "Dain has asked for our help. They'll be slaughtered, Thorin."

"Many die in war," the dwarf-king said, now giving his old friend a dark look. "Life is cheap. But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost. It is worth all the blood we can spend, do you not see that?"

Dwalin took a step backwards, feeling as though Thorin's words had punched him right in the gut. A sad look filled his eyes as he addressed the dwarf-king in a low murmur. "It is you who cannot see, Thorin. You sit here in these vast halls with a crown upon your head… and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been."

"Do not speak to me as if I were some lowly dwarf-lord," Thorin growled angrily. "As if I were still Thorin Oakenshield. I am your king!"

"You were always my king," Dwalin answered tiredly, shaking his head. "You used to know that once. You cannot see what you have become."

Thorin's eyes sparked with anger. "Go," he snarled. "Get out, before I kill you."


"He has not replied."

Arinna looked up, finding Dain standing beside her. She was sat on top of a small boulder near the river and had been staring up at the Lonely Mountain while playing with the small dagger that Fili had given her. It seemed to her like an age had passed since they had been standing together outside of the troll cave. She wondered whether they'd be standing together once more, before the battle would reach them.

The druid let out a small sigh and gave the dwarf-lord a sympathetic look, seeing him glance toward the mountain as well. Dain had sent out a raven to Erebor the night before and it was now morning, a pale sun illuminating the barren landscape around them in the early hours. No answer had come from the mountain.

"There is still time," the druid muttered, though she did not hold much hope for a reply from Thorin at this point. She feared how badly the dragon-sickness was affecting him by now, however, she did not want to mention this to Dain. The dwarf-lord did not need someone to confirm his own concerns, but a voice of hope. Dain gave her a lingering sideways look, shaking his head slightly.

"It's kind of you to say," he said with a mirthless smile. "But I fear we are running out of time rather quickly. The enemy will be here by nightfall."

Arinna averted her gaze, glancing back toward the mountain once more, before she slowly sheathed the dagger in her boot. "Then we must prepare," she stated simply, as she got to her feet, sending the dwarf-lord an encouraging look. "And hope that our friends might still come to our aid."

Dain merely nodded with a small sigh of his own and together they marched back into the camp, passing Men, Elves and Dwarves on their way.

"It is strange to see," Dain muttered as they walked along, letting his gaze roam around the camp. "To see the three of our races, preparing to fight alongside each other. A rare thing indeed."

"It is as it should always be," the druid replied softly, looking around while Dain shot her a short look. Again, he smiled slightly to himself. "In face of such darkness, one remembers the things we have in common, the things that we all fight for and that unite us. Rather than letting our differences define us."

"I can see why Fili fell for you."

His unexpected words and change of topic made Arinna falter slightly in her steps, and she shot the dwarf a surprised look. She felt her cheeks flush lightly as he gave her an emphatic nod.

"There is something about you," he uttered, his voice amicable as he thought of how to formulate his thoughts. "You are a fierce woman, you show that with your strength, your honesty, your integrity. It could not have been easy to leave that mountain with the hobbit, but here you are, still proving your loyalty to Thorin's company, to Fili, by trying to help as much as you can from the outside, to do what you believe is right. Yet, I can also see such kindness in you, a sweetness that you extend to practical strangers like myself. I am truly sorry we had to meet under such circumstances, lass."

For a moment, Arinna was utterly speechless and she unconsciously halted in her tracks, causing the older dwarf to do the same. He sent her a questioning look upon the strange look that played on her face. "I… I must admit, I am surprised to hear you say this," the druid finally uttered, watching as Dain's eyebrows rose slightly. She took a deep breath, shaking her head slightly. "Thorin's reaction to our courtship was… well, less than positive, shall we say. I didn't expect anyone to really be in favour of the crown prince of Erebor courting someone like me."

"What do you mean by someone like you, lass?" Dain asked her kindly, the expression in his eyes gentle as she gave a small shrug in return.

"An outsider," she explained. "A woman with nothing to her name, no wealth or riches to speak of, no proper home, – "

"Lass," the dwarf-lord interrupted her with a small smile, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "It's true, there might be certain expectations put on young Fili in his position. But these expectations don't matter if he has found his One, not really. It is a sacred bond to us dwarves, and Thorin knows this. Rest assured, Arinna of Evendim, that my cousin knows your worth and that he will come to accept and support your courtship with his nephew once his mind has cleared."

A small, touched smile pulled at the druid's lips and she inclined her head in thanks. His words had rather overwhelmed her once more, and she was at a loss for what to say as Dain gave her shoulder another comforting squeeze, shooting her another smile.

"You are very kind," she finally uttered, before her attention was suddenly pulled away from the dwarf-lord. King Thranduil was standing by the entrance of a tent, talking to one of his soldiers, though when he noticed them standing close by, he gave Arinna a small wave of his hand, motioning for her to join him. The druid merely shot Dain a last grateful look, which he acknowledged with a pat of her shoulder before letting her go. She followed the Elven king's gesture hesitantly, coming to a halt in front of Thranduil, who had by now dismissed the soldier.

"I have something for you," Thranduil said slowly, his cold blue eyes eyeing her intently. He nodded toward the tent. "Follow me."

The druid let out a small breath, bracing herself as she followed after the Elf. She did not know what to expect and her eyes widened when Thranduil came to a halt beside a low table, on which a beautiful silver sword and an intricately ornated bow were laid out beside each other, along with a quiver filled with sharp arrows. She took a few careful steps toward the table, feeling the king's heavy gaze rest on her as she did.

"What is this?" she asked quietly, holding back from reaching out and touching the edge of the sword's sheath with her fingertips. It was curved slightly, the hilt adorned with beautiful Elven carvings. It reminded the druid of the sword that Thorin had picked up from the troll cave many months ago, though she could see that it was only similar, not the same.

"They are a gift," Thranduil finally answered, sounding content at the obvious amazement on the druid's face. "You left the mountain with nothing but the clothes on your back and that puny little dagger in your boot that you keep playing with. Even a powerful druid such as yourself could do with a better weapon than that when going to war."

Arinna looked up sharply at the mention of her origin. "How do you know that I am a druid?"

"I have been on this Earth many thousand years and I know well its many creatures," he answered slowly, before a small and rather unexpected smile began to pull at the corner of the Elf's lips. Arinna hadn't actually seen him smile before. "And the hobbit talks. Apparently, you managed to heal one of the dwarves from the poison of a Morgul arrow."

"Morgul? No, I just –"

"You may take my word for it," Thranduil interrupted coolly, the smile fading from his lips again as she stared up at him. "We captured one of the Orcs that were hunting down your friends. The creature was rather certain that the young dwarf was going to die by the poison of a Morgul shaft."

Arinna's mouth fell shut, her thoughts whirling in her head at his words. She had known the poison that had threatened Kili's life in Laketown had been a strong one indeed, but she had not thought it within her power to heal a wound caused by a Morgul weapon. It was unheard of.

"You seem surprised."

The druid looked back up at the blond Elf before her, noticing that he was eyeing her curiously, though with a knowing look behind his eyes. She merely gave a small shrug, unsure of what to say.

"Gandalf told me where you hail from," the Elven king continued slowly. "It may interest you to know that it was once said that the druids of the East held a much more powerful magic than any of their Western brothers and sisters. That, in fact, druid magic itself was born in these very parts of the world."

Arinna inclined her head, giving him a small nod to show that she had understood. She felt overwhelmed by this information, though she supposed it explained how she had been able to do the things she had done on this journey, the things she had previously thought herself incapable of. She heard the Elf clear his throat quietly beside her.

"Well," he said quietly, giving her one last intense look before he turned and walked away, moving swiftly out of the tent as he spoke without looking back. "Take the weapons. I trust you know how to use them."

The druid stood stiffly for a few long moments after Thranduil had disappeared, before she finally turned toward the table once more. She reached out and picked up the sword, drawing it from its sheath in one swift motion. The blade glistened in the dim light and the druid swung it in the air several times, noticing how light it felt in her hand and how well balanced it was. She shook her head slightly, fastening it to her belt, before she picked up the bow. It, too, proved to be of exceptional craftmanship and she slung it over her shoulder together with the quiver. Slowly, she let her hand brush against the leather strap that held the quiver to her back, feeling for a moment like she had when she had arrived at Bag End many months ago, her old sword dangling at her hip and her bow across her shoulder.

She left the tent shortly after and went to join Gandalf, Bard, Thranduil and Dain in council. Bilbo, who was also there, made big eyes when she entered with her new weapons and complimented her quietly on them, as she came to stand next to him. The druid merely gave him a small smile before she concentrated on the discussion at hand. For several hours the group discussed their battle plans, which so far did not include the company of Thorin Oakenshield. It was decided that Men and Dwarves would cover the Eastern spur, while Thranduil and his army would man the Southern spur, while some would stay behind to protect the people that were still taking shelter within Dale, hoping that this would give them enough cover to not be overrun by the approaching orcs and goblins, who would no doubt attack from different sides.

It was past midday already when they decided to take their places, knowing it was best to form their ranks while there was still time. Arinna was on foot, walking along solemnly behind Dain on his great war hog. Bilbo was marching with her, his hand repeatedly coming up to grasp the hilt of his small sword Sting, as though to reassure himself that he still had it with him.

"Courage, Bilbo," she muttered beside him, when she caught sight of his hand drifting towards it again, giving him an encouraging smile as she felt her own weapons weigh heavy on her. "We will make it through this, my friend, don't worry."

The hobbit just gave a jerky nod and Arinna's gaze moved forward again, finding the Lonely Mountain looming tall before them. Her heart grew heavy in her chest as they approached it, their armies coming to a halt close to the sealed entrance gate, before they would disperse and take their respective places.

It was just as Thranduil raised his sword, preparing to address his men, when a loud noise echoed over the plain like thunder. A few of the soldiers looked up to the sky, though Arinna's gaze had been drawn to Erebor's gate. One of the large boulders that had sealed the gate had fallen from its place, tumbling to the ground and rolling across it with a loud bang. The druid grasped Bilbo's shoulder, the hobbit also staring at the gate with his breath held.

Another crack, another bang. And another boulder fell as the gate shook from within.