AN: Thank you to all who have read, favorited and followed my story! I truly appreciate the support! Again, I own nothing but my own character.
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When Mireth returned from her patrol after a week she expected to hear the dwarves merrymaking as she unsaddled her horse, but all was quiet. Passing by where they had been staying she saw no sign that the dwarves had ever been there. Continuing on to her rooms she passed Gandalf. "Mithrandir, where is the company of dwarves?"
Gandalf paused and smiled at the question. She wasn't as indifferent as she might like to be. "They have left, two days past to continue on their quest." Mireth quirked an eyebrow at this. "A quest? What are they going to do?" Gandalf regarded her as though assessing her then said, "Thorin is going to reclaim Erebor."
Mireth felt the air being pulled from her lungs. He was going to face Smaug? With only twelve dwarves and a hobbit? It was madness! "Gandalf, you can't say that you support this decision! They will die!" Gandalf shook his head, "It was I who began the idea. The dragon is a threat that needs to be taken care of and Erebor is Thorins' birthright."
"Birthright! The gold in that mountain drove Thror mad! Is that what you want for Thorin?" Frustrated and more than a little scared, Mireth paced the pathway while Gandalf remained calm and still. "Come with me," Gandalf said it so calmly that Mireth almost missed what he said. "What? Where are you going?" She asked, trying to figure out how to stop the company.
"I am to meet up with the company in the mountains before we continue to the Lonely Mountain," said Gandalf beginning to walk past her. Mireth immediately turned to follow him. "You actually do support this entirely, don't you?" she asked, incredulous.
Gandalf began to become impatient. "Of course I do! I found Thorin in Bree after he had been searching for his father and I convinced him to take back his homeland. He is not his grandfather, Mireth. Thorin will not succum." Mireth took a deep breath, "I will come with you. Thor… the company will need all the help that they can get." Gandalf heard the pause, but did not comment. He knew she would come with him as soon as she heard Thorin was in danger. "Good! I am leaving now."
Mireth nodded, "I will meet you in five minutes in the stables. I need only to pack a few provisions". "Agreed," Gandalf said, "but make haste. I feel that we are needed already." Without another word Mireth spun about and ran to her rooms. She passed another elf maid in the hall and asked, "Could you do me a favor? Go to the kitchens and pack enough food for a weeks journey and return to my rooms as quickly as you are able." The maiden nodded and Mireth thanked her over her shoulder as she opened the door to her room. Changing from her Captains' uniform into her personal traveling clothes, she strapped her sword to her waist, fastened her cloak about her neck tucking the necklace under her clothes, then strapped her daggers and bow and quiver to her back. She quickly rolled a blanket into a bedroll and packed an extra set of clothing in a bag just as the elf maid brought the pack of food. Thanking her once again, Mireth sailed out of her rooms to the stables. Gandalf was already mounted and had her horse saddled and ready.
They would take the horses only as far as the mountains then would continue on foot. The weather was pleasant as they left Imladris, but the closer they came to the mountains a grey mist set in and it began to rain. Pushing their horses as hard as they dared, they reached the mountains in less than a day. Thorin and the company had two days start on them and though the dwarves had walked the whole way, it would still take Gandalf and Mireth running to catch up. After unsaddling their mounts so that they could return to Imladris, they began the trek up the mountain. Luckily the weather cleared and they were able to make good time.
Mireth had been able rest in the saddle in the way that elves can rest with their eyes open, but she could tell the hard travel was wearing on Gandalf. Coming to a stop in front of him she told him to rest, "Please don't protest. I understand that we need to reach the company will all due haste, but if they are in trouble you will need all of your strength. Rest for an hour then we will continue." Setting her pack down she drew out a piece of lembas and broke it in two offering one to him.
Gandalf fell asleep almost immediately and Mireth kept watch. An hour later they began walking again. They made good time and soon reached an area that looked as if a landslide had happened recently. Hoping the dwarves had made it through safely, they continued until they came to a cave. "Do you think that they would have rested here or somewhere near by?" Mireth asked as she peered in the cave.
Gandalf walked past her and lit the end of his torch so they could see in the dark. At first nothing seemed amiss until Mireth noticed a blanket tucked in the back of the cave. "Mithrandir!" Examining the blanket, Gandalf began to search the cave in earnest when he found the crack along the floor. "Goblins! I think that the dwarves have been taken into the mountain." Mireth drew her bow and knocked an arrow, "How do we find them?"
Gandalf followed the seam in the floor and then told her to stand aside. Moving out of the way she watched as he muttered something over the seam and then slammed his staff into the ground. The floor in front of them opened wide into what looked like a long shoot. Looking at each other and not seeing any other way in, they jumped.
After a long and winding fall they landed haphazardly in what looked like a pen. Lunging into a kneeling position and drawing her bow, Mireth assessed the area for a threat and found it quiet. Gandalf gathered himself and began looking around, "The only thing we can do is follow the path as quickly and quietly as possible." Mireth nodded her agreement and motioned for Gandalf to lead.
They saw no goblins on the way, but the farther down they went into the cave they began to hear singing and chanting. Moving cautiously as they neared a doorway they peaked their heads around the corner and what they saw horrified them. Goblins everywhere, on all of the walkways, the walls and the company in the center of it all in front of an enormous Goblin King.
Gandalf whispered to her, "I will make my way behind the King. Do nothing until I signal." Before she could ask how he proposed to get there without being seen, he was gone. Wizards! Mireth looked for a way to enter the room. She noticed an empty walkway above her that held the rope to the chandelier that dangled above the company. If she could reach the chandelier it would give her the perfect advantage.
The goblins were focused on the scene in the middle of the room and she knew she could climb to the summit of the rope without being seen. She would then wait for Gandalf and slide down to the chandelier. Once she was at the peak of the rope she watched the scene below anxiously waiting for the signal. When the goblins attacked and she saw Thorin being held to the floor, a knife raised above his head, she had enough of waiting. Quickly sliding down the rope, her feet had just touched the chandelier when the world around her went white and then black. Had she not had a death grip on the rope she would have been thrown to the ground. Her sight returned quickly and she saw Gandalf emerge in the gloom. She heard him shout to the dwarves, "Take up arms! Fight! Fight!"
Drawing her bow she loosed her first arrow as the dwarves got to their feet fighting their way to their weapons. They fought the goblins back and Gandalf began urging them towards a walkway. As Thorin turned to follow, a goblin stepped into his path but before he could raise his blade an arrow pierced its skull. He hadn't noticed before but there were many goblins with arrows in them on the floor. Looking above him, he saw her rapidly ! The danger she was in stilled his heart. What was she doing here? She paused long enough to look at him and shout, "Run! Follow the others!"
She jumped down right behind him and yelled again, "Run!" They caught up with the others and didn't slow down. She had run out of arrows and was using her blades when they came to a full stop as the Goblin King landed in front of them. Mireth turned her back as Gandalf confronted the goblin and instead she focused on the goblins behind them that were coming close. Seeing her armed and ready they did not come any closer.
Suddenly the wood beneath her feet gave way and they were rapidly sliding down the side of the cave. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she knew it was Thorin. Right before the structure slammed into the ground, Thorin turned them so that he landed on the bottom and she fell on him cushioning her fall. Thorin groaned under her and she quickly rolled off him and helped him to stand just as the Goblin King came crashing down.
Just then she heard Kili yell, "Gandalf!" Gandalf looked up as did all of the dwarves and saw the goblin horde running down the cave side. They were outnumbered hundreds to one and she heard Gandalf say that only daylight would save them. Then they were running again, she and Thorin in the middle of the company with Gandalf leading the way.
As they saw daylight through the doorway they ran all the harder towards safety. Mireth had never been so glad to see sunlight in all of her long life. As the company made it out of the cave they came to a stop gasping for breath. Mireth noticed Gandalf counting the company and heard when he asked where the hobbit was.
Looking around, Mireth couldn't remember him being with the dwarves when she stood above them. "I didn't see him after your distraction," she said coming to stand beside Gandalf. The dwarves agreed that they had not seen him since entering the goblin cave. Then Thorin spoke up, "I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will , not be seeing our hobbit again, he is long gone."
Seeing the contempt on Thorins' face, Mireth turned away. His judgement of the hobbit was harsh. Suddenly she heard, "No, he isn't." Bilbo stood on a rock and explained to the onlooking company why he had returned. The speech moved Mireth, Bilbo truly was a noble person. Just as he was finishing she heard the howl of a warg. Instantly on alert for a threat she heard Thorin and Gandalf, "Out of the frying pan…" "And into the fire. Run!"
The company bolted down the hill searching for a safe place. All they found was a cliff. Three wargs caught up with them, but they were killed quickly and Mireth noticed one by Bilbo himself. Gandalf called out to them all, "Up! Up into the trees! Quickly!" The dwarves were already up in the trees and Mireth was halfway up when she noticed Bilbo still on the ground. "Hurry Bilbo! Now!" Mireth dangled from a branch by her legs and reached out for Bilbo who jumped and clutched her hand. She swung him up out of reach just as a wargs teeth came snapping together exactly where he had been.
Thorin watched as the warg came close to Mireth and held his breath. He only released it once she and Bilbo climbed higher in the branches. His relief was short lived however when he saw Azog. Azog ordered the wargs to attack the trees and before the dwarves knew it their trees were toppling in on one another. Swinging from branch to branch until she lunged for the last tree, Mireth didn't notice her right arm was badly wounded until she tried gripping a branch and found her hand slick with blood and almost numb.
She would have fallen had it not been for Thorins' strong grip on her other wrist. He pulled her up beside him as the wargs circled the last tree. Suddenly the forest floor was on fire and lighted pinecones rained overhead like missiles. The dwarves cheered as the wargs retreated, but their joy was short lived as the tree began to fall backwards over the cliff.
As the tree landed with a jolt, it shook the dwarves so that they were dangling over the cliff, clinging to branches. Mireth was no better. Her good arm grasped tightly around her branch she saw Thorin rise as if in a trance and begin walking toward the Pale orc. She didn't hear the other dwarves call out to Thorin. All she could think about was how he was walking toward certain death and she had to stop him. "Thorin! No! Stop!" she screamed to him, but her screams fell on deaf ears. She watched in horror as the warg clamped his jaws around Thorin and threw him some distance.
Swinging her legs furiously, trying to get a purchase on any surface so that she could go to his aid she watched as the hobbit did the most heroic thing she had ever seen. Watching Bilbo defend Thorin her heart rose in to her chest. She finally got her leg over the main body of the tree and pulled herself up. Dwalin was right behind her and helped her to her feet as the dwarves rushed to Thorin and Bilbos' aid.
Drawing her sword, Mireth was glad that it was not her dominant arm that was injured. Swinging furiously around her, warg after warg fell to her blade, but there were always more. Then the eagles arrived. She watched as they first picked up Thorin, who remained unconscious, and then the other dwarves. She saw an eagle swoop low and understood to jump on his back as he sailed over the ledge. Clinging to his feathers with one hand she tried to be as gentle and respectful as she could.
It felt as though they were flying forever and still Thorin remained unconscious, deaf to the cries of his nephews. Mireth sent up prayers to the Valar over and over again that Thorin would wake and be alright. The eagles landed, set their passengers down and took flight again. Thorin was awake and just beginning to stand when Mireths' eagle set her down.
He was addressing Bilbo and at first he sounded angry until he said he had never been more wrong in his life. Mireth stood dumbfounded that she had heard Thorin admit to such a flaw. She would never have expected that of him and found herself a bit ashamed of the way she had underestimated him.
As the company began to follow Gandalf down the cliff, Thorin fell back to her side at the end of the group and the dwarves respected their privacy and moved a little ahead. They didn't speak for a while and then Thorin finally spoke, "What are you doing here? I have been meaning to ask that since I saw you above me in the goblin cave." Mireth took a breath, "I came to stop you from continuing to Erebor." She felt Thorin stiffen beside her and continued, "But I have since changed my mind and have decided to help you in any way that I can." Thorin didn't relax as he asked, "Why? Why would you help me?" Mireth stopped and put a hand on Thorins' arm to stop him as well. "Because not so long ago…" she paused looking into his eyes, "I loved you. You were strong, courageous, kind and intelligent. You didn't deserve what happened to you and I will help make it right if I can."
She started walking again, leaving Thorin dumbstruck by what he just heard. Catching up to her they walked in silence a while longer as Thorin considered what she had told him. She said she had loved him, as in past tense, and that cut Thorin deep. As angry and hurt as he was with her he knew that was because deep down he still loved knew is just by looking at her now, dirty and bloody.
"You're injured and have not bandaged it yet!" he pointed out gripping her arm to stop her. Mireth winced at the pulling on her skin and said, "It is fine. I will dress it once we stop." Thorin shook his head, "You will dress it now." Knowing she wouldn't win this argument she pulled the water skin from her pack as they continued walking and a clean strip of cloth from her pack. Handing the water skin to Thorin she finished ripping open her sleeve and held out her arm for him to clean.
It was difficult doing it walking, but it was a compromise for them both. They didn't speak as he cleaned and dressed the wound. It was deep, almost to the bone. She needed stitches, but that was beyond what they could do for now. The eagles had set them down far enough away from the orcs that they had a good lead, but no one wanted that lead to close so they continued walking well into the night.
They stopped finally to rest close to midnight and agreed to keep moving after four hours rest. Mireth volunteered to watch while they all slept and after explaining how she could go so long without sleep they stopped protesting and fell asleep. Thorin woke before the rest and lay watching her without her knowing, or so he thought.
Mireth smiled, "I know you are awake." She didn't need to look at him to know he smirked. "I never knew how you could tell." Mireth looked over at him as he rose, "I explained it to you several times." Thorin walked until he stood beside her staring out into the darkness. "Mireth…" he began, but she shook her head. "I know Thorin. We need to talk, but now is not the time nor the place." As she said this, he heard the others of his company begin to stir. Nodding, he walked off to help make sure everything was gathered and ready to go.
Mireth had many emotions playing through her head. She found the longer she was around Thorin the harder it was to remain angry, it was much easier to love him. The next day around midday, the company came to a halt as Gandalf gathered them close. She knew this land and recognized who Gandalf was explaining to the company. Beorn was someone she had always wanted to meet and knew he accepted elves better than dwarves. Gandalf explained the order in which they were to appear and the timing, then set off with Bilbo in tow.
Thorin and Mireth both waited anxiously. They wanted to talk, but there was no privacy to do so and so they waited.
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AN: Sorry that this chapter doesn't have much interaction between Thorin and Mireth, but I had to get them to a place that was more calm! Being trapped in a goblin cave and then chased by orcs doesn't make for very good conversation environments!