No one saw me leave or return to the mountain. I stayed out of sight of the Comapny as I waited for dawn. When it came, the Dwarves were on top of the wall and I could hear the army outside. I was in the shadows to the side and winced as Thorin shot an arrow and it hit right at the elks feet, "The next one is between your eyes."
The Dwarves cheered. I looked down and Thranduil looked amused and I thought it was because of what was about to happen. Bard looked serious and concerned as the legion of Elves behind them whipped up their bows and arrows and aimed at the Dwarves. All ducked but Thorin, who didn't not release his bow. Bard looked at Thranduil, who raised a hand and the Elves lowered their bows.
Thranduil called up, cool as a cucumber, "We have come to tell you that payment of your debt has been offered and accepted." My palms were sweaty and my heart raced as I walked out of the shadows. Thorin yelled, "What payment? I gave you nothing. You have nothing."
Then Bard reached into his coat and pulled out the Arkenstone, "We have this." Thorin lowered the bow in shock. Kili gasped, "They have the Arkenstone. Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That jewel belongs to the king!"
Bard said calmly as he tossed the jewel up, "And the king may have it with our goodwill." Before putting the jewel back in his jacket. During all this Thorin gazed at the stone with mad longing. "But first he must honor his word."
Thorin shook his head, "This is a trick." The others looked at him in shock as he yelled, "The Arkenstone is in this Mountain! It is a trick!"
Taking a deep breath I said, "It's no trick, Thorin. The stone is real." Making my way through the others towards him I said firmly, "I gave it to them."
I ignored the others faces as I kept my eyes on Thorin who turned and looked at me as if I had wrenched out his heart, "You?"
I nodded, chin up and firm, even as my heart bled at the look on his face, "I took it as my 14th share." My hands shook at my sides as he said quietly, "You would steal from me?" I shook my head, "I did not steal. It is in the contract, I took my 14th share of the treasure. So that you would keep your word and war did not fall on your doorstep! I took it as my claim."
Thorin sneered, "Your claim? You have no claim over me, you miserable wench!" I hid my flinch as I tried to get through to him, "I was going to give it to you, many times but.."
He snapped, "But what, thief?"
I growled back, not backing down, "You've changed Thorin! Your not the man I met at Bree! That man would never have gone back on his word. Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!" Thorin swayed slightly, "Do not speak to me of loyalty!" He was looking as though his was torn between fury and sadness. He chose fury as he yelled, "Throw her from the rampant!"
I froze, not expecting that and the others whispered around me, unwilling to step forward. He grabbed Fili, "Didn't you hear me!?" But Fili tore away and Thorin turned on me, "I will do it myself." I couldn't bring myself to duck or dodge as his hands wrapped around my throat, "Curse you! Curse you on the Wizard that forced you on us!" He shoved the others aside who tried to help.
A thundering voice sounded from below, "If you don't like my burglar, then please don't damage her. Return her to me."
I didn't break eye contact with Thorin as he raised me and slammed my on top of the rampart, his concentration now on Gandalf below us. I didn't grip Thorin or try to get his hands off my throat, which was slowly cutting off my air. I knew I couldn't stop him, nor could I save him. Tears leaked from my eyes as I stared at him in fear and sadness.
Gandlaf called almost jovially, "You not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain are you? Thorin, son of Thrain?"
Thorin snarled and thrust me off the rampart and into the hard stone wall. Gasping for air I got to my feet, brushing off Bofur's help as Thorin yelled at Gandalf, "I will never again deal with Wizards!"
Bard called, "Do we have a deal? What is owed for the Arkenstone?"
I glanced back at the company once more, seeing the horror on their faces of what almost happened and managed to say, "Take care of yourselves." before throwing the rope over the side and quickly sliding down it. There were some rocks I could use to get over the moat and I headed for Gandalf, who looked greatly relieved as I snatched some snow from the ground and pressed it to my aching throat. Thorin still hadn't given Bard his answer as Bard called, "Will you have peace or war?"
I walked into Gandalf's embrace, hiding my shaking in his cloak. Then I realized I felt something else from the earth as a raven landed next to Thorin, "Gandalf."
I pointed to the hill nearby as I heard Thorin say, "I will have war." and Gandalf looked as an army of Dwarves lead by one riding a boar crested the hill. Gandalf murmured, "Ironfoot." The Elves turned to face the Dwarves at Thranduil's call. Gandalf cursed and thrust himself through the Elf army to the other side. I hurried after him, "Gandlaf? Who is that? He looks crankier than Thorin."
Gandalf grumbled, "It is Dain, Lord of the Iron Hills. Thorin's cousin." I winced, "Are they alike?" Gandalf grimaces, "I always found Thorin the more reasonable of the two." Cursing underneath my own breath I stuck close to Gandalf's side as he made is way to the front of the Elves. I looked at the Dwarf riding the boar and found that pretty neat. Dain called in a pleasant voice, "Good morning. How are we all?"
His army stopped when he did on a small dirt pile, "I have a wee proposition for you if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time." Then I realized that he had tusks in his beard as he said, "Would you consider just sodding off!?" He yelled that last part, which made me jump a bit. He made the people very nervous with their farm tools, "All of you! Right now!"
Gandalf stepped forward and I hung back as he called, "Come now, Lord Dain."
Dain looked at him, "Gandalf the Grey. Tell this rabble to leave or I'll water the ground with their blood!" I could almost like him if he didn't seem so cheered by the idea. Gandalf strode forward, which I thought was brave as he said, "There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves. A legion of Orcs march on the Mountain. Stand your army down."
Dain gripped his hammer, "I will not stand down before an Elf."
I looked over to see Thranduil smiling, which didn't make Dain very happy as he yelled, "Not least this faithless Woodland sprite. He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin I'll split his pretty head open! See if he's still smirking then."
I sighed heavily as I sensed the anger at that from the Elves. It didn't help when the Dwarves on the wall cheered.
Thranduil sneered, "He's clearly mad, like his cousin." I shot Thranduil a glare he refused to see as Dain called, "You hear that lads? We're on!" and rode back to his men as he yelled, "Lets give these bastards a good hammering!"
The Dwarf army started yelling and the Elves got into position. My heart in my throat I felt a crack under my feet coming from the South. I screamed, "ENOUGH! Look! The hillside!"
I pointed and just then things burst from the ground and tore holes right through it. I heard Gandalf murmur, "Were-worms." But didn't care as the worms retreated and I sense what was coming after them, "ORCS!"
Dain yelled to his Dwarves, "The sons of hell are upon us! To battle! To battle, sons of Durin!"
I whipped out my blades and yelled, "Bard, the townsfolk!" He cursed and then called to his men and they raced for Dale before the Orcs could get there. Gandalf thrust a helm into my hands before racing after Bard. I eyed the helm before putting it on and strapping it tight, thinking it might help. The Elves didn't move as the Dwarves poured around them and raced for the enemy. Goblins and Orcs poured from the holes like water and I gripped my swords, "What the hell." Racing back I jumped, startling an Elf as I used his shoulder as a step and landed lightly on the elks rump. It shied and I looked at Thranduil, "Are you a coward as everyone says? Will you not help?"
He glared at me and I gave him a bright grin before jumping off his elk and racing back towards the front. I saw the Dwarves using their shields linked together with their spears out and saw Thranduil give a signal. Elves jumped over the Dwarves and attacked the Orcs head on. I sighed in relief, then prepared myself for battle, racing in when I saw an opening. Something fluttered up above and I saw the thrush. I called to it with a whistle, getting a crazy idea. It tweeted and flew off, it's voice ringing over the sounds of battle. I had asked it to get as many of it's friends as it could to help Bard in protecting the people of Dale as a group of Orcs came from another way and attacked the ruined city.
