Disclaimer: I own only Eva. Not making money from this (even though I wish I were) so please don't sue.

AN: Thank you for all the new and considerate reviews. I apologise if there has been confusion with the last chapter; hopefully that can be cleared up in the following chapters. Also, thank you for being so patient with this chapter.

Warning: Themes of grief and death. This was a hard chapter for me to write as it contains some quite heavy feels. Even though I have not had these experiences myself, I was quite emotional as I wrote some of this, which is part of the reason it took so long to upload.

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Chapter 17 - The Brutal Truth

Balin turned to his brother to see him wearing an expression that would be best described as grim satisfaction, staring out at the entrance to the courtyard. Balin had been observing his hard-headed brother for most of the evening, so he knew that Dwalin's grumpiness was a well formed mask. Balin was uncertain though as to what Dwalin was so keen to hide from him.

"She was afraid." Balin stated quietly, watching for a change in his face. He was not disappointed.

Dwalin took a deep breath through his nose, poking his tongue outs slightly between thin lips before he answered "Aye, as she should be."

"You seem satisfied that she has been taken." Balin commented, trying to keep his tone light.

"Nay," Dwalin replied as he turned to his brother. "This is the lass' first test of loyalty to the Company, nadad." He paused "She's nae been confronted like this by another. Thorin has no love of khalam. If she holds her tongue with the she-elf, then I'll be satisfied that her reasons be true."

The warrior turned from his brother and left quietly to talk in hushed tones to Thorin. Balin watched the two of them interact and slowly let his gaze drift to the entrance of the courtyard.

Nobody seemed to notice Nori slip silently away.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Lady Galadriel studied the woman that walked beside her as she guided her through the beloved hallways of Rivendell. The halls that her daughter had once joyfully walked before her sailing West. As Eva was a good deal shorter than her, Lady Galadriel looked upon the woman and smiled gently as the firelight of the lit torches bounced and shone off her raven black hair. Eva was quiet, and Galadriel couldn't blame her.

"You are a curiosity." Lady Galadriel began quietly as they walked.

Her elven ears picked up the tiniest of snorts "That's the first time I've been described as that." Eva replied guardedly "Are we going to Lord Elrond's study?"

Lady Galadriel brow rose slightly, though Eva did not see. "No, Lady Eva."

There was a long silence between them; the only sound being of their bare-footed steps against the cleaned floors of Rivendell's hallways. Corner after ornate corner was turned as Galadriel led Eva higher and higher above the beauty of Rivendell. Eva occasionally looked up to the blonde elleth, but her ethereal state made Eva feel almost unworthy of being in her presence….

Almost…..

"We're here." came Lady Galadriel's soft voice, pulling Eva out of her own thoughts.

They were in a small gazebo high above the city. The openness of the structure gave the impression that you could reach out and touch the stars. It was a place that was designed for quiet contemplation or privacy. In the middle was an empty water font.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall…" Eva murmured quietly as she approached the empty font with dread.

"You seem troubled, Eva." Galadriel began gently.

Eva paused to look at the Lady "I am, to some extent." She swallowed "Your reputation precedes you and to be honest, it makes me nervous."

Lady Galadriel favoured her with a confused look. "In what way, Eva? I have stated that you shall not come to harm-"

"It's not that, My Lady." Eva began, obviously agitated "Let's not fool ourselves, you know things… and I know things… things that others shouldn't know, or aren't meant to know."

Now Eva could feel Galadriel's full attention being focused on her "Yes?" she said slowly, trying to encourage Eva to say more, but the hint of an edge to her voice.

Eva leaned against the empty font, staring unseeingly into it "I think you know as well as I do that there are dark times ahead of us, My Lady. I also think that you are aware that those times are the reason why I am here."

Lady Galadriel picked up a pitcher of water that Eva had not noticed before and approached the well "I am not aware of all that conspires in Arda, Eva." she began slowly "But my sight is certainly a gift that has been ... useful on occasions."

Eva glanced at her shrewdly "That's an interesting way to put it."

Eva watched as Lady Galadriel poured the pitcher of water into the font, its sound amplified by the emptiness of the gazebo. As the pitcher was set down, Eva looked up to see that the elleth was looking at her with open curiosity. A gentle breeze rustled at Eva's draped wrap as she set both hands to rest on the edge of the font.

"Will you look?" Lady Galadriel asked softly.

The moment felt surreal to Eva "Haven't you already looked?"

This time, Eva did see Galadriel's brow raise in surprise before a small smile crossed her face "I have looked for the reason why you have come, but only you can see your own path."

"What will I see, if I choose to look." Eva began "I still haven't decided whether or not I should." she added quickly.

Galadriel's mouth rose slightly in one corner as she began to appreciate the fit of this woman amongst the company of male dwarrow. "You will see what has been, what is, and what could be."

Eva drummed her fingers on the sides of the font as she questioned Galadriel, not yet tempted to look down. "And what if I don't like what I see?"

The silence seemed to stretch almost uncomfortably before Lady Galadriel said "Only you can be the judge of that."

As she leaned over the font, she initially saw only herself reflected back at her. As the ripples in the water settled, she looked back to see the mirror grow brighter until she finally recognised the scene in front of her.

The forests of her home were drier than what one would usually expect. A forest of Eucalyptus to be exact. She was standing with a group of people decked out in hiking gear with daypacks full of snacks and small creature comforts. She felt a stab of longing as she recognised the scene.

This was the first time she had met Liam.

Her best friend had organised for her to go bushwalking for the day into the Cathedral Ranges while their share-house was being renovated. She remembered that dry spring day with the wind blowing brisk and the sun shining warm. Liam had looked incredibly awkward as he applied sunscreen to his incredibly pale arms, quietly moaning his ill luck.

She saw the conversation play out in the font, and she remembered asking Liam why he was on the walk. She had found it quite funny to find out that he had lost a bet and that he had been forced to wear 'this ridiculous outfit' and replace one of his friends for the walk.

"It's normal walking gear, though." Eva began, trying to comfort the awkward Liam

"It makes me look like an idiot." Liam grumbled in his light Scottish brogue.

Eva snorted "Best to look like an idiot that to be fashionable and injured."

He gave a non-committal mumble, but a small smile crossed his face.

The scene changed.

Rain had really started to pour down as she watched Liam swing her up and into his arms with ease. She remembered this day too, as they had been married a few months and had managed to buy their first little home together. A home that both she and Liam envisioned raising their family in. It was the sort of house where there was a bit of work to be done, but it was almost ready to move into.

"Ma lassie…" Liam crooned as he carried her over the threshold of their home "Weelcome home."

Eva looked into his hazel eyes, rimmed near the pupil with a thin band of gold "My Prince, I have you. I will always be home."

The scene changed.

The house looked more lived-in this time, and Eva looked down to see her younger self at the dinner table teaching her twin boys how to eat with a spoon. There were peas on the floor and mashed potatoes smeared on the table, and their eldest child Connor swinging his legs on a 'grown up' chair. Eva smiled in remembrance.

The front door clicked open.

"Where are ma cubs tonight?" Liam's merry voice echoed from the hallway.

Connor's cutlery clattered onto the table as he raced to the front door and the twins squealed with delight.

"Da! Da!" Connor chanted excitedly. Eva heard a muffled sound that indicated Liam was just quick enough to catch the excitable boy.

"Daddy!" squealed Orson, her youngest.

Liam had come home still in his emergency services uniform and he looked grimy from work. Dark marks under his eyes told Eva that it had been a tough shift, but he was all smiles for their children.

"Hello, Ma lassie." he greeted with a tired smile.

Knowing that they would talk later, she simply replied "Dinner?"

Liam chuckled in return, a warm smile bleeding the tiredness out of his body as Connor buried his head into the crook of his father's shoulder "Oh, aye, Ma lassie. That'd be luvly."

The scene changed.

Again, it was raining, but this time the rain was falling in thick sheets as Eva struggled to get to the door of the tiny police station. A wave of dread washed over her.

"No…." she whispered

Her younger self pushed the door open to be met with some of the other families in her street. She recognised some of them as some of the families of Liam's colleagues. They were clinging to each other in fear, hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

The head of Liam's team came out from behind the counter, covered in thick mud from head to toe. He was drenched with rain, but none of that hid the fact that this man had been crying.

"Georgia... Eva…." the man trailed off.

"Where are my boys?" her younger self asked. "Danny?"

The forlorn look on the man's face made Eva's stomach drop "I'm so sorry, Eva… we couldn't pull Liam out in time-"

"Oh God… My sons… where are my sons…." she begged, boardline hysterical.

The man took a shuddering breath in, trying to hold back tears "Orson's been taken straight to hospital in town. We couldn't get a response out o' him. Connor and Andrew… the second slide-"

Eva turned away as she saw her younger self crumple to the ground as another woman's arms wrapped around her. The grief was sharp and all-encompassing, crashing into her with all the grace of a sledge hammer. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel it; to immerse herself in the ocean of her loss. Then, she took a deep breath, acknowledged the pain she felt, and put it to one side. She knew her viewing was not done yet.

The scene changed.

This time when she looked at the mirror, she was faced with the inside of Bilbo's smial. It was the night that she had arrived in Middle Earth.

"Lady Eva," began Gandalf grandly "let me introduce you to the Leader of the Company: Thorin Oakenshield."

Gandalf indicated the male with the long black hair and neatly trimmed beard. He held himself regally and Eva stared at him. Her mouth parted as she looked from Gandalf to Thorin and back again.

She burst out laughing. "Gandalf, my good man, I do respect your power, but you've got to be kidding!"

Gandalf's brow furrowed in confusion "Kidding? No, Lady Eva, I do not jest with you."

Eva blinked slowly, mouth falling open before she quickly shut it again "Are. You. MAD?!"

Gandalf wore an air of innocence "No, I'm perfectly within my wits." he replied calmly. Too calmly.

"Who are you?!" demanded Thorin, bring Eva's attention back to him. Gandalf replied to Thorin with a content smile.

"This is Lady Eva," Gandalf said lightly "She will be my companion while I accompany you to-"

"NO!" yelled Thorin and Eva in unison.

"I will not have a woman on this journey!-" Thorin yelled.

"The bloke just tried to KILL ME!" Eva exclaimed

"-hindrance to our Company-"

"-axes and swords blazing! You expect me to-"

"-not a place for gentle folk-"

"ENOUGH!" Gandalf thundered, the room suddenly darkening "If I say-"

"SCREW YOU, OLORIN!"

The scene changed.

"KEE!" Fili yelled.

Eva didn't think as she wrenched her pack open, accessing the rope that Gandalf had given her. Tying one end to the loop around her waist, she tossed the other end to an alarmed Bilbo.

"Tie this to Daisy! Quick!" she urged.

Bilbo fumbled with the rope, but tied it securely to the horn of her saddle. Eva stripped off her heavy travel coat and in one fluid movement, dismounted and sprinted towards the river bank.

"HOLD ON!" Eva yelled as she launched herself straight into the river, the rope tethered tightly to her pony. The water was bracingly cold, but she shoved that aside as she honed in on the current carrying one of their Company away.

"Miss Eva!" Bilbo called out in panic.

"KEE!" Fili screamed as he saw his brother go under the current, feet thundering towards the back of the line of ponies.

Eva's head popped up and she spat out water. The current was strong and she was grateful for the rope as she knew she'd never have the strength to fight it. Kili's head popped up not far from her and he spluttered.

"KILI!"

In the current, he managed to turn his head, his eyes wide with fear before going under again. Eva used her swimming lessons to her advantage as she dove down and kicked hard. She managed to grab the scruff of his tunic and pulled him up to the surface. Through water-logged ears, she could hear the cries of the Company.

Using the slack end of the rope, she wound it around Kili's solid waist, going under water in order to make sure it was secure. He was gasping for air as they rode the current.

"Kili, I've got you!"

The scene changed.

She was in a courtyard that she did not recognise, the sun shining at an extremely inconvenient angle as she spun an exquisitely crafted staff in her hand. She was dressed in elven garb, her hair braided back in a thick single braid down the middle of her back. The braid had been tied off with the red and gold ribbon that she had brought with her from Earth. An elf, tall and regal, prowled the perimeter of the training area, golden blonde hair framing haunted but sharp blue eyes.

"Come, Glawar, wield again."

As Eva lifted the staff once more, the intricate metalwork shone in the morning sun. Vines creeped their way down around what seemed to be a core of oak, which seemed fitting for her. She stood and faced the elf.

"Repeat after me: No matter the darkness, I have my light."

Eva took a shaky breath as she readjusted her staff. "No matter the darkness, I have my light."

The scene changed.

She saw Thorin, Dwalin and herself fighting on the ice of Ravenhill with Erebor standing proud and strong behind it. Azog was snarling at the trio as he swung his mace. They were strong with their backs pressed against each other, but Azog proved to be stronger. Just a split second of distraction had her shielding Thorin's body with her own as Azog's jagged sword embedded itself into her.

It knocked the air out of her.

She saw the sheer desperation of Dwalin as he tried to stop the flow of her lifeblood onto the ice. She swore she could hear his agonised scream as she saw the life leaving her, held tight in Thorin's arms.

Eva squeezed her eyes shut as she realised with dread that she had seen this before… she had dreamed of this scene before.

Eva gazed into the font once more, the image of Dwalin and Thorin curled up either side of her still form on a bed in some type of healing area doing nothing to comfort her. She could see the tears on their faces; the forlorn and lost looks as they gazed at her, willing her to wake.

She suddenly remembered a conversation that she had had with Balin concerning the Mahalmarkel, and it made her freeze.

"The previous Shields… have any survived?"

Galadriel sighed, heavy and reluctant "Alas, to my memory of them, most have not. The dwarrow are very protective of their history, and what I can remember of the Shields is woefully short."

Eva let out a shuddering breath, steadying her frame against the edge of the mirror. She had made a promise to Liam that she would live. The scenes before her had been hard to take in, but she had also made a promise to the Company. She lifted her eyes to Lady Galadriel and was surprised but warmed by the compassion on her face.

"You are strong, Eva Chen." the Lady said to her, pride evident in her voice "You have endured much to be here as well."

Eva sniffed thickly "I was keeping my promise-"

"The Green Lady and her husband have indeed chosen well and wisely-"

"No, My Lady." Eva retorted "What I am is a woman who keeps her promises. I promised my late husband that I would live past them. I swore to Lord Aule and Lady Yavanna that I would keep my promises, and I promised myself that I would be here to the end of this journey. I will keep my promises, even if they kill me."

Galadriel beheld the woman in front of her with sorrow. "Is your life not worth living?" she began softly, imploringly.

Eva's head snapped up "Of course it is! And I will live through the continuation of this journey. But if I die, at least I would have died for something worthwhile. At least, I can die satisfied that I kept my promises."

The Golden Lady sighed, seeing past Eva's harsh words "Your grief still lingers."

Eva sighed deeply, grief plain in her eyes as she looked at Lady Galadriel "Do you think it ever leaves?"

The Elven Lady did not reply to her question, and instead simply smiled sorrowfully as she took the woman's hands. "The Valar bless your journey, Glawar."

Eva looked at Lady Galadriel in confusion "What does that mean?"

"Sunlight." she replied simply

Eva felt a small smile cross her face before she curtsied to the Lady and left.

Unknown to her, a horrified Nori sat in stunned silence on the floor beneath them.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

"You know what her presence means, don't you, Mithrandir." Lord Elrond stated, rather than asked.

Gandalf looked gravely at his old friend "I had my suspicions. I was not, however, aware of the extent of the power that she wields."

Lord Elrond swallowed "Her presence could well change the course of Arda's history if she fails-"

"Arda is already changed for the good because of her presence, mellon nín." Gandalf interjected "Many have become lighter of heart here since they have encountered Miss Eva. She has been a much needed comfort to the dwarrow she travels with."

"What of the White Council, Mithrandir? If my kin felt her presence, then Curunír will most certainly know as well."

Gandalf turned to Lord Elrond and said sharply "Saruman must not be allowed to meet her. Long have I been suspicious of his intentions, and long have I suspected that there is more behind his decisions than he explains to us."

Gandalf leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, lit his pipe and quietly blew out a small sts of smoke rings. Pausing, he turned to his old friend with a troubled gaze.

"While she is safe for the moment, I fear what may happen to Miss Eva if Saruman ever meets her."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Nadad - brother

Khalam - elves (plural)

Mahalmarkel - Mahal's Shield

Glawar - sunlight

Mithrandir - Gandalf

mellon nín - my friend

Curunír - Saruman

AN: Over to you, you beautiful people…. Feedback makes me happy!