Chapter 30

After relaying the details of Bilbo's plan to Lindir and Legolas, she had found a peaceful sleep. She awoke early and after confirming the details of the plan with Bilbo and sending him off, she opened her door to go to breakfast. She was startled to find no less than 5 lady servants standing at her door. "Good morning, Lady Yuula," one of the elves greeted. "I am Riniel. King Thranduil has asked us to prepare you for the Feast this evening." Ember raised an eyebrow.

"I thank you, Riniel, but I assure you I am quite capable of-"

"I regret, my Lady, that I was instructed to heed none of your objections. The King assured us you would have several." The she-elf smiled, and Ember sighed. Apparently Thranduil remembered just how much Ember hated to get dressed up.

"Please come in," she said reluctantly. While the elves settled about her room, Ember ate lightly from the small tray of food they had brought. She cringed as she eyed the mountains of gowns, baskets of makeup and hair accessories. Riniel laughed at her expression.

"Now, my Lady, let us begin." Ember groaned inwardly and reluctantly followed the elf into the bathroom.

Hours…and hours passed. Finally, Ember was turned to the long mirror in her room. She heard the gasps from the other elves in the room, and even she was left breathless. The gown chosen was deep blue to match her eyes, trimmed in black and cream. It flowed like a river over the soft curves of her body. Her blond hair had been pulled away from her face. She had refused to allow them to remove the braid Kili had given her, but they had managed to incorporate it into an intricate braided pattern at the back of her head. The rest of her hair cascaded down her back, the red highlights shimmering. She had curled tendrils framing her face. They had enhanced her blue eyes with a shimmery white shadow, and her lips were dabbed with a rosy gloss. She looked like a goddess. A knock at the door interrupted them. A servant opened the door, and Lindir stood before her. His mouth dropped open as he gazed at her beauty. The she-elves quickly took their leave, and Lindir entered the room, gently shutting the door. He turned back to Ember with a smile. "Yuula," he murmured hungrily, and for a brief moment, she wondered if she should be afraid of him. But then his eyes cleared, and all she saw was her dear friend. "You look ravishing," he told her, coming forward to kiss the back of her hand.

"Thank you, my friend," she said shyly.

"I have everything prepared in the dungeon, in the empty cell closest to the stairs. Your pack has a change of clothing and food. Once we get you from the feast hall, you should have no less than 10 minutes before the King notices you are gone." She smiled at him.

"Lindir, I cannot thank you enough."

"No, Yuula, I am only trying to do what is right. I only wish I could do more." He gazed down at her. "I will always love you, Yuula." He stared into her eyes, knowing she did not feel the same for him, but realizing that having her as a friend was better than a life without her. She hugged him close, then took a deep breath.

"Here we go," she said. He took her hand lightly in his, and headed out the door.

The large banquet hall was lit with golden candlelight, the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle wafting through the air. As Ember entered on the arm of Lindir, the large crowd of elves turned to look at her. She saw Thranduil at the far end of the hall, a smug smile playing about his lips. Ember gritted her teeth, and politely smiled back. As Lindir led her through the hall, they stopped and greeted many elves, some who remembered Ember from her prior visit long ago. She participated in the conversations around her as little as possible, her eyes searching the crowd for Legolas. She finally caught his eye as Thranduil approached her. "Ah, Yuula my dear, how ravishing you look this evening." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, and bowed her head in acknowledgement. "Come," he continued, "you will sit beside me during the feast." He guided her to the head table, pulling out a chair beside his own. As she sat, he placed a hand on her arm, whispering in her ear. "After the feast, I will insist upon a demonstration." Her heart pounded. They would need more time for the plan to free the dwarves to work.

"Of course, My King, I look forward to it. But don't you think that your guests would like to dance before being entertained?" she asked sweetly, turning a soft smile to him. He glanced at her in surprise, then smiled in return.

"Perhaps you are right my dear," he replied. "Come, let us enjoy our evening together. The Feast of Starlight is truly a wonder to behold." She turned her eyes to Legolas and Lindir, who were approaching, coming to their places at the table. She nodded imperceptibly, and Legolas winked at her. They realized that she had ensured there would be dancing before she was asked to perform.

The plan itself was simple. The guards in the wine cellar would be invited by Legolas to take part in the feast by sampling some of the fabulous wine the King had ordered. The wine they would sample had been laced with some sleeping herbs that Lindir had managed to acquire. Once the guards were sufficiently incapacitated, Bilbo was to steal the keys to the dungeons and meet Ember. The wine cellar had a large opening that sent large empty wine barrels directly into the river that flowed below the Woodland Realm. Legolas had arranged that enough empty barrels would be on the platform ready for the dwarves to escape. The only hard part was going to be Ember's escape from the Feast. She risked losing control of her power, but she planned to give Thranduil a show he would never forget.

The food was plentiful; fresh fruits, cheeses and soft buttered rolls complimented the large volume of wine that flowed. Soon the elves grew bold, and the music swelled as they danced around the large tiled floor. Thranduil himself was in good spirits, content in his knowledge that his kingdom would be protected, and he began to consume rather large amounts of wine. Lindir pulled Ember onto the dance floor. As they moved fluidly together, he leaned to whisper into her ear. "Bilbo is ready," he said. She nodded her head and moved to the front of the hall. Thranduil watched in surprise as she rose to stand on a dais.

"My Lords and Ladies," she called, throwing her power into her voice. All eyes turned to her, and she held them rapt with attention. "My King Thranduil has been most gracious this evening. He has asked me to show you how safe the Woodland Realm has become. And now, I shall do so, with my deepest regards." She bowed mockingly to Thranduil, smiled wickedly, then yelled, "Let there be light!" She forced her power into the room. The flames from the candles that lit the room roared, blazing brightly. The fire surged, growing bigger like a massive crescendo, the brightness scorching to the eyes. The crowd gasped in alarm, Thranduil rose in anger, when all of a sudden Ember snuffed the flames out, plunging the room into darkness. Amid the confusion, she fled quietly from the hall.

As she reached the dungeons, she grabbed the pack Lindir had left, and turned the corner to see Bilbo unlocking the cell doors. The dwarves stared at her in awe. "Lassie, you look beautiful," Bofur said. The others murmured their agreement as she blushed. She spied her Kili and flew into his arms, kissing his neck as he inhaled her scent deeply. Releasing her, he planted a soft kiss to her temple. "Come, we must hurry," she murmured, and began to lead the dwarves out of the dungeon. She rounded a corner and froze. Tauriel stood before them.

"Escape?" the elf said, raising an eyebrow. Ember looked at her in despair, she did not want to harm Tauriel, to manipulate her with her powers. Brushing her gently to the side, Fili quietly stepped forward.

"We are trying to recover our home," he said softly. The elf studied him thoughtfully. She knew of Erebor…and she also knew what it was like to not have a place to truly call home. She smiled at Fili, taking his hand.

"You must come back and tell me of your adventure when it is over," she whispered. He grinned at her, boldly kissing her cheek. She looked at the Company.

"I think I shall retire to my chambers…before I get notified that you have escaped!" she said grinning. Ember breathed a sigh of relief, and fled past the elf. The Company followed, Fili glancing back once Tauriel, who watched him go, an almost wistful smile upon her face.

As they entered the wine cellar, the dwarves quickly moved to the wine barrels. With only a small amount of grumbling, they stuffed themselves inside. Kili stroked Ember's hair softly, before moving towards his own barrel. A sudden thump made him leap back, pulling Ember behind him. Lindir raced into the room. Kili snarled at the elf, but Ember stepped towards him. "What are you doing here?" she whispered furiously.

"Thranduil has us searching the entire realm. He has guards following Legolas, but I managed to slip away. I realized you needed someone to send you on your way!" Ember nearly slapped herself. Of course, how else would they get the barrels into the water? Someone needed to pull the lever to lower the ramp. She gave Lindir a brief hug, ignoring Kili's growl behind her. "Galo anor erin radeg," he murmured into her hair. "Ninion ne gwadeg."

"Ci vellonen n'uir," she whispered back. She quickly kissed his cheek, before she climbed into her barrel. Kili approached the elf. They stared at each other in silence, exchanging silent words. Finally, Lindir said softly, "Keep her safe." Kili raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"I will," he replied simply. He crawled into his barrel, as the sound of guards came from the hallway. Lindir pulled the lever and the barrels tumbled into the darkness below. Lindir turned as Legolas entered the cellar with several guards.

"I have not seen them!" he cried angrily. Legolas hid a smile at his friend's acting skills, before ordering the guard to seek out Tauriel. As they turned to exit the cellar, a lone guard rushed towards them.

"My Prince! We have just received word that a pack of Orcs has been spotted close to our borders!" Legolas looked at Lindir in horror.

"Ember," they said together, before rushing for their weapons. Tauriel joined them as they headed towards the flowing river, a feeling of dread passing through them all. Lindir blew a loud blast on his hunting horn. It was the only way he could think of to warn Ember of the danger. He only hoped he could get to the Company before the Orcs did.

The dwarves spluttered as they emerged in the cold water of the river. They paddled with their hands as the river began to pull the barrels along. Suddenly, a loud horn sounded. Ember cried out in fear. Kili looked at her, failing to notice a waterfall fast approaching. "Hold on!" Thorin yelled. The Company plunged through the rapids, the impact of the water tossing the barrels about like pebbles. Ember's eyes frantically searched the horizon, as the raging river carried them downstream. Suddenly, she spotted Legolas and Tauriel emerging from a hidden gateway, their eyes locking onto hers.

"Holo in-annon!" Legolas shouted. Ember glared at him, a look of confusion and betrayal in her eyes.

"Ember!" Kili yelled. "What's going on?"

"They are closing the gate!" she cried. As the barrels rounded a corner in the river, the guardpost built at the river junction came into view. The heavily armored elves standing guard heard Legolas' order, and one of them pulled a lever, causing a heavy metal sluice to block the river. The barrels quickly approached the gate, unable to float further. The elven guards drew their swords, when suddenly one was shot in the back with a black arrow. A wave of Orcs swarmed over the guardpost, killing the elves.

"Orcs! Watch out!" yelled Bofur. The Orcs began to throw themselves at the dwarves in the barrels. Bilbo slashed at one, managing to impale it with Sting. Dwalin punched another in the face.

"Mabusul! Goridug!" Bolg's rough voice pierced the air. Ember looked up at the lever that controlled the gate, and she scrambled onto the edge of her barrel.

"EMBER!" Kili yelled angrily, watching as she leapt onto the staircase leading to the lever. Unarmed, she managed to duck as an Orc swung at her. Kili flung himself onto the stairs as Dwalin tossed him a sword he had managed to grab from one of the Orcs. Kili slashed the Orcs behind Ember, as she shot a burst of flames at an attacking Orc. Kili grabbed her by the arm, tossing her off the platform. Fili caught her, holding her tightly as she struggled to break free. She turned to see Bolg knocking his bow, aiming for Kili.

"KILI!" she cried. As Kili moved towards the lever, Bolg released the arrow. Kili was suddenly thrown to the ground, a body covering his as he felt the impact of an arrow. He carefully rolled from under the body, and stared into the deep dark eyes of Lindir. "LINDIR! NOOO!" Ember's heart-wrenching wail pierced the air. The Elf winced in pain, blood trickling from his mouth. Kili gasped.

"Why?" he asked. The Elf smiled softly.

"For her." The arrow had hit the Elf in the back, the tip protruding from his chest. "Take care of her," Lindir whispered. Kili nodded, pressing his forehead to the Elf's solemnly. He then jumped up, grabbed the lever, and pulled it down, opening the gate. He leapt off the platform, landing in the cold water. He felt Dwalin's large hands grab his tunic, yanking him into a barrel. The Company was once again at the mercy of the fast flowing river. The Orcs roared in fury as the barrels moved swiftly away. Bolg, realizing he did not have the resources to fight the elves, slunk away quickly into the forest. He knew he could track the dwarves easily once they came ashore downstream. Legolas stood on the platform of the guardpost, watching as the dwarves faded into the distance. Tauriel held Lindir's head in her lap, whispering to her friend. Legolas, satisfied the danger had passed for now, sat down beside the fallen Elf. Lindir looked at him, unable to ask the question on his mind. Legolas smiled gently.

"They escaped, mellonin," Legolas said, his voice breaking. Lindir smiled up at his friend. He knew that the loss of Kili would have killed Ember, and he felt no regret at giving his life to spare her One. He slowly closed his eyes, and Tauriel felt a tear slip down her cheek. She glanced up at Legolas, who looked at her with a pained expression. She turned to look down the river.

"They will need our help," she murmured. Legolas nodded silently.

"Come, we must see my father," he said quietly. Picking up the lifeless body of his friend, they headed back to the Woodland Realm.

Unaware of the danger his companions were facing far behind him, Gandalf slowed his horse as he approached some ancient ruins at the base of a mountain. He began to climb a narrow stone ledge built into the side of the mountain. As he rose higher into the cold air, he saw above him a small opening carved into the side of the mountain. Nearing the door, he noticed with a grim sense of foreboding that the set of metal interlocking bars that had covered the doorway were bent and broken away from the opening. He stepped cautiously through the doorway, when he was pulled by an invisible force, swiftly sending him down the tunnel of the mountain. The tunnel ended rather suddenly in a vast, black cavernous hollow. Gandalf managed to stop himself from falling down into the pit. Blowing on the end of his staff, a soft glow pierced the deep blanket of black. On the far wall of the cavern, he spied a door. Walking on narrow stones set into the side of the cavern, he slowly approached the door. He noticed the doors metal grate had been ripped and bent away. Gandalf entered the black crypt, spying a tomb inside. He caught his breath as he realized the cover of the tomb had been broken. Suddenly, a bird swooped out of the broken tomb towards Gandalf. He started in fear, turning in surprise to find a figure standing before him. "Oh! It's you!" Gandalf breathed. The careworn face of Radagast peered at him in the darkness.

"Why am I here, Gandalf?" The wizard looked about uneasily.

"Trust me, Radagast, I would not have called you here without good reason." Radagast smirked, removed his hat to allow three small birds to land in the nest on his head, then replaced the hat on his head.

"This is not a nice place to meet," he said grimly, then he brightened. "Where is Yuula? Is she here with you?" Gandalf smiled, knowing how fond Radagast was of his protege. Shaking his head, he placed a hand on Radagast's arm.

"I shall have to fill you in later, my friend. Suffice to say, she is not with me." They exited the crypt, examining the cavern walls.

"These are dark spells, Gandalf. Old, and full of hate. Who was buried here?" Gandalf sighed.

"If he had a name, it's long since been lost. He would have been known only as a servant of evil. One of a number. One of…nine." Gandalf's staff shone brighter as he pointed into lower into the cavern, illuminating eight other crypts, all with the bars bent and broken away. They looked at each other with worry, then headed out of the mountain prison. As they reached the base of the summit where Gandalf's horse was patiently munching on grass, Radagast turned to Gandalf.

"Why now, Gandalf? I don't understand."

"The Ringwraiths have been summoned to Dol Guldur," Gandalf replied grimly.

"But…it cannot be the Necromancer. A human sorcerer could not summon such evil." Gandalf eyed him tiredly.

"Who said it was human?" Radagast stared at the Grey Wizard in shock. "The Nine only answer to one master. We've been blind, Radagast, and in our blindness, the Enemy has returned. He is summoning his servants. Azog the Defiler is no ordinary hunter. He is a leader, a commander of legions. The Enemy…is preparing for war." Gandalf turned to the east. "His mind is set upon the Lonely Mountain." He quickly mounted his horse.

"Where are you going?" Radagast asked.

"To rejoin the others! I started this; I cannot forsake them! They are all in grave danger!"

"If what you say is true, the world is in grave danger, my friend. The power in that fortress will only grow stronger. We need to be sure. You—"

"You want I should cast my friends aside? What about Ember?" Gandalf saw the pained look in Radagast's face.

"Gandalf…what would she want you to do?" Gandalf stared off into the east, his mind frustrated, and his heart torn. He knew what Ember would want him to do, would expect him to do. He just didn't know if he was strong enough to do it.

The flow of the river had calmed. The dwarves paddled along in their barrels with their hands. Thorin's eyes searched the horizon. "Anything behind us?" he called to Dwalin.

"Not that I can see," the warrior dwarf answered.

"I think we've outrun the orcs," Bofur said, coughing.

"Not for long; we've lost the current," Thorin pointed out. He eyed the Company, focusing on Kili and Ember. The lass sat silently in her barrel, which Kili had managed to tie to his own. She had not spoken since the Elf had fallen, and Thorin worried at her unusual silence. "We are half-drowned, make for the shore. Come on, let's go!" They made their way slowly to the riverbank. Climbing out, they all sank down in exhaustion upon the rocky shore. As Kili lifted Ember out of her barrel, she clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around him. As she released him, she walked quietly to the edge of the shoreline, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her dress clung to her like a second skin, and she shivered with cold. Thorin watched her worriedly, then shook his head. They had to keep moving. "On your feet, all of you," he said sternly. Kili looked back at him, frowning.

"Give us a minute," he said.

"There's an orc pack on our tail; we keep moving," Thorin replied, leaving no room for negotiation.

"To where?" Balin piped up.

"To the mountain, of course," Bilbo said. "We're so close."

"A lake lies between us and that mountain, laddie," Balin said patiently. "We have no way to cross it."

"So then, we go around."

"The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves." Dwalin grumbled. Bilbo couldn't believe his ears.

"So we should just give up?" he asked incredulously. "I thought dwarves were made of iron and steel, never breaking. Are you really going to let a little thing like a lake, stop you from reclaiming your home?" He looked at each of the dwarves in turn. They all smiled at the hobbit, as he once again surprised them with his strength and courage.

"You're right, laddie," Balin said. "We will not give up." They readied themselves, as Kili put out his hand towards Ember. She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. She rose shakily to her feet. Suddenly, she gasped. A man stood on the high ground behind them, with an arrow knocked and pointed at them. Dwalin grabbed a branch, preparing to charge the stranger, but the man released his arrow, embedding it right in the middle of the branch. Fili raised a rock to throw, and the rock was quickly shot out of his hand.

"Do that again, and you're dead." The man glared at each of them in turn, before settling his eyes on Ember. "My lady," he said, "are you in need of assistance?" All eyes turned to Ember, who was surprised at his question.

"Assistance?" she asked in confusion

"Are you with these…men of your own accord? Are you here by your own choice?"

Galo anor erin radeg -May the Sun shine upon your path

Ninion ne gwadeg -I cry upon your leaving

Ci vellonen n'uir -Forever you are my friend

Holo in-annon - Close the gates!

Mabusul!Goridug! - Kill them all! Slay them all!

Little bit of a longer chapter, hope you like it. Hopefully the next one won't take me as long! All I own is Ember! Please review!