I suppose I must have fallen asleep sometime before my tears had dried up completely, there was a damp patch on my jacket – which I had used as a pillow – and I was fairly certain I did not drool in my slumber (or at least I hoped I did not). My eyes were raw from my constant swiping and they stung with misery as I dislodged the sleep from the corners, the gritty substance grazing my sensitive skin as though chastising me for being so foolish as to cry. It must have been either very late or very early, either way it was so dark that I could only just make out the bars of my prison door.
Hushed voices reach my ears. An argument straining to remain quiet, but getting too heated to stay so.
"I do not like the way that Elf looks at her." Kili hissed in annoyance.
"She did not look upon him though, brother." Fili's soft voice drifted through my bars softly, reprimanding his opponent. "You've upset her and you know it." They were talking about me, I did not believe Fili would be quite so interested if it were anyone outside the Company and seeing as though I were the only 'her' among our group, it would be a reasonable assumption. So Fili had seen my distress, he had always seemed the more perceptive of the two brothers. I felt terribly guilty for eavesdropping, but at the same time; I was incredibly curious. I was surprised to hear they did not argue in Khuzdul, it would have been far more private for them then it was in the Common Tongue.
I could almost hear Kili's confused stare in my mind. "I have given her no reason to be so," He replied defensively.
"You are aware of what you have done and not done, brother." I could almost see Fili rolling his eyes at his younger brother, exasperated that he did not seem to understand of was pretending not to grasp the consequences of his actions.
"I have done nothing!" The indignity carried a little loudly through the cavern and inside it could be gleaned the peeping face of guilt.
The older brother sighed sadly in defeat, "I thought you truly cared for her."
A pause. "I do." Kili breathed back belatedly.
"Then how is it that another caught your eye? Is she not clever enough? Is she not entertaining enough?" Fili's questions reflected much of what I had already asked myself. The underlying question being: am I good enough?
"Of course she is, Veyra is more than enough." Kili responded quickly, without hesitating. Almost too fast for me to believe it. How could I ever be enough? He is a Prince and I am nobody, at least Tauriel seems to be somewhat important.
"Then the She- Elf? Tauriel?" Fili ventured tentatively.
The youngest brother's normally open air closed itself slightly, only letting his response through. "What of her?"
"She was covered in your eyes." Fili shot back testily. He was tired of his brother's avoidance and so was I.
"I barely glanced her way." Kili deferred as though he thought his brother to be seeing things.
Fili became sterner than I had ever heard him be with his brother, or anyone else, before. "You stared at her more than was necessary, you joked with her. You flirted with her-"
"I did not!" The youngest cut in.
Fili's rage flared and his whispers almost became shouts. "Yes, brother, you did!"
The darker one changed his approach. "It is no crime to observe the beauty of another."
I was right, he could never see me as being so much as pretty in comparison to Tauriel, not that I ever would have done so myself. It was not fair; we were courting, were we not? I had thought that to mean at least something. It hit me harder than those stairs had to hear that he could admire another; my breath was gone and my stomach pleaded to empty itself, but I stayed as still and silent as I were able to.
"There is a difference between observing and gawping! Especially after Tauriel was so horrible to Veyra." Fili was whisper-shouting by this point, his anger overflowing into me even as I felt I could burst already with my own.
A shadow emerged before my cage, standing in front of the cell the younger heirs of Durin shared. I wanted to warn them that someone might be listening, but to do that I would have to admit that I had been as well.
It did not matter, the shadow announced itself soon enough. "Of what is it you speak?" The tenor of Tauriel asked.
"Nothing of your interest, Elf." Fili spat coldly in her direction.
"Out with it!" Tauriel fired sharply, her melodic voice made it clear that she was not unused to being in command. "You spoke my name, I will know of why."
"You were not supposed to hear it." Kili replied, an abashed note taking charge in his usually confident speech.
That did it. That small change broke my restraint. "Then perhaps it would be wise to speak in your own tongue so as others are not forced to hear it." I snapped, declaring myself to be awake. I was no longer ashamed to have been eavesdropping, I was too furious to feel so.
"I had thought you to be sleeping." Came Kili's quiet response, he sounded torn between embarrassment and anger.
I strained to keep my voice level. How could he be angry with me? How dare he be angry at me? Was it not his own actions that had caused his argument with Fili I the first place? "You were mistaken." Was all I said in reply.
"Vey," His voice drifted in closer, I could envisage him pressed against his bars trying to catch a peek at where I still sat on my own patch of stone. There was a pain in that small utterance, one far greater than the three letters that made it up.
I did not answer him. Besides, I did not truly have any idea what to say to him. It would do him some good to stew in his own misery as I had been forced to. Evidently Fili thought so too.
"Leave her be, Kili. The damage is done." He advised his younger brother. He was right, I had heard and seen all I needed to, I just had to clear my head and decide how to go about things now.
"And none of you have answered my question." Tauriel reminded us. It was plain to see that this was not the time for her insistence, I felt she knew that; otherwise she would not have pressed on.
"Kela!" I ground out as steadily as I were able to, ordering her away with as much force as I could muster.
The Elf had the audacity to laugh through the bars at me. "Amin feuya ten' lle." She told me I disgusted her. I was not surprised, it was not uncommon to find such feeling toward half-breeds.
I could not find it I me to care. I told her as much. "Amin uuma malia." I did not need to turn and look at her in the dim light to know how unused she was to anyone speaking thusly to her. It had not escaped my notice that not one Dwarf had said a word in this altercation, they could not understand her words, but there was no mistaking the venom she laced them with. I could practically feel her scowl as she replied in the Common Tongue, just in case anyone happened to miss her words.
"You are nothing, half-breed. If it were not for orders, I would have left you to the spawn of Ungoliant."
I flinched a little at the insult, but another hint piqued my interest. "Orders from who?"
"The King of Mirkwood, you abomination." She flung out as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. I suppose it should have been, but that would suggest that the King knew we were in Mirkwood before we even got close to his domain.
"I would speak with him." I asserted, confident for once that I could maybe find us a way out of this mess. After all, if the price was acquainted with my mother, surely the king would be too? And it would follow that they would then listen to the daughter of an Elf-friend, would they not?
Tauriel laughed harshly. "You will do no such thing, swine."
"Tauriel!" Legolas emerged with a halo of light around him, he held a silver lamp in one hand. "Cease at once!" She did not appear to be all too pleased at being instructed to stop taunting me for a second time, Legolas seemed even less so having to tell her again. He looked as if he rarely had to tell her anything once, let alone twice.
Tauriel cowered a little, like a child caught doing something they should not be. "As you wish, my lord." She gave a small bow and departed.
It stunned me to think that a prince who did not know me truly would come to my defence when the prince who professed to love me would not.
"You would ask for an audience with my father?" He clarified, speaking directly to me, his eyes blazing blue in the shallow light.
The sphere of gold brushed my face, making it hard to focus, blinking as though it were the sun. I nodded. "If it pleases your grace." I could remember my manners better than Bilbo when I needed to get my own way.
"I will not allow it!" Came Thorin's stern declaration. I understood his apprehension; these were the Elves he hated more than any other, he would not want me fraternising with them, but all I wanted to do is find a way for us to be freed and if it involved my being pleasant to them I would do it.
"I will." Legolas overruled. "As the sun rises, I will send an escort and she shall have her wish." He vowed sincerely, his impenetrable gaze never leaving me even when he spoke to Thorin.
I bowed my head politely, "Thank you, my lord."
"Legolas," He corrected, "You need only call me Legolas."
"Forgive me… Legolas." I amended.
"My lady," He nodded in farewell and left, the warm light retreating with him, leaving nothing but dim coldness in his wake.
I lay down once more, optimistically hoping to get a couple more hours of sleep before I was to meet with Thranduil. Maybe I would even think of something meaningful to say. Maybe I would be able to untangle the mess of thoughts coiling like snakes in my head.
"What do you plan to do?" Thorin questioned, breaking my reprieve.
I sighed, was it not clear? "Whatever I can to get us out of here." I answered shortly, immediately feeling guilty, it was not Thorin who had upset me after all. "They knew my mother, perhaps that will help matters," I expanded.
Thorin sighed, he did not seem to think my plan would work, but at least he had decided not to outright dismiss it. "You trust them?"
"Of course not." I heaved. Right now I did not trust anybody, except maybe Bilbo, but he was still missing.
"Have a caution," Kili interrupted. "People will say anything they can to manipulate you."
"So I have noticed." I snapped.
The rest of the night passed in silence, but for the sound of Dwarf snoring and sleepy mutterings. I thanked the gods for the others not pressed further in their interrogation, all I wanted was a few hours of peace to sleep and think and I had been granted that. Only, sleep never came and I could think of nothing but my own frustrations. I would have been glad of the oblivion, but instead I was given agitation. For the first time I pondered that it might have been better for me to have stayed in Rivendell, or even not to have left the Shire at all; I wound not be faced with this if I had stayed home.
….
The dawn's first light stroked at my face, but there had been no need to wake me for I had not slept. The others had, I could hear it. Just as I could hear when my two escorts descended the stairs to collect me for my meeting with their King. I do not know what I had expected. I think a part of me had hoped it would be Legolas himself appearing at the bottom, but alas it was not to be.
Two identical Elf-males emerged, both wearing the same green and brown tunics that I had gathered to be the garb of this realm. Both had the pointed ears I had grown used to, but there was something wild about the grey eyes that hinted toward something of an entirely unknown territory. They marched in perfect synchronicity to the door of my cell, one of them opening it deftly, neither of them saying a single word to me. Not even to tell me to come out. They gestured with a hand for me to follow them and I did so in the same stoic silence as they displayed. The Elves walked at such speed as I did not have time to glance behind me to see if any of the others were awake yet, but I did not mind too much, it would be better if I was gone before they emerged.
This time no one had bothered to blindfold me, I do not think they thought me capable of causing too much trouble on my own. Or maybe they did not intend for me to be able to relate to anyone any secrets of this domain so there would be no point in hiding anything. That thought sent a chill down my spine, if I were not to return that only meant one thing…
I was taken to a grand hall, large and painted with every shade of green imaginable in dappled patterns and shapes. The windows let in the lazy early morning light that seemed to be perfectly angled so that light would always fall into the centre of the room. Rightly so, as that is where the focal point of the hall resided.
A glittering stone platform, fronted by a marble staircase led to magnificent glass throne, taller than any being and flared at the top to give the occupant a more imposing presence. It reflected the jade hues as though it were made of crystallised leaves and pure light, the effect emanated a faint glow that would only increase as the daylight grew stronger, of that I was sure. But that was not the most eye-catching thing about it. That was the person whom held the throne.
Thranduil was a sight to behold. His silken hair so blond it had to be considered a silvery white, even though his eyebrows were a distinct black – as were his fantastically long eyelashes. Pale blue eyes of ice glimmered beneath those heavy brows and were separated by a long nose above thin lips in a line of displeasure. He wore a silk tunic of rich azure and a gemstone laden overcoat that would come to meet the ground even if he were standing and which shimmered in the light with his every breath. A crown of sharp antlers adorned his head, it was a wonder he found it comfortable, though I doubted he would be able to rest his head against the back of his throne without great pain. I thought it odd that the only things he shared with his son were the hair and eyebrows. Even Legolas' eyes were a different blue, bolder and yet softer than the chips of ice that his father wore. What is more, there were guards evenly spaced around the room. Seven of them.
"Your grace," I addressed him with a curtsy, though I was not sure whether or not that would be the custom here.
"Veyra Took, daughter of Donnemira." He inclined his head gently. "I had hoped we would meet under far more pleasant circumstances. I would have been much more… accommodating."
I rolled my eyes at his false niceties. "Nonsense, your grace. Your prisons are delightful." Quipped the more insolent side of me, before I could truly try to stop it.
To my relief, the King smirked, he looked slightly more like his son when he did so. "You have your mother's sense of humour, I see."
"Forgive me, I did not mean to offend." I apologised, hoping that he did not let the insult take.
"Indeed." It was clear he did not think my apology sincere, it probably was not. "Tell me, child, how is it you have managed to upset my Captain of the Guard so thoroughly?"
Captain of the Guard? Upset? Well, there could only be one person in this palace that I had had the displeasure of upsetting. "Tauriel?"
"Yes," For a moment he almost seemed to be amused. As soon as the emotion had reared its head, Thranduil smothered it with a serene disinterest. "My son has informed me that he has had to discipline her for the first time in her entire service. She tells me it is your doing."
I bowed my head, I was not ashamed of how I had behaved, but I had a feeling I ought to be. "I do not deny I have said some things, nor do I regret them, but I did not cast the first stone." My words had been but ripples on the water, I hoped he would understand that.
"I trust you understand I cannot grant leniency to you because of your mother." His eyes examined me as though they were assessing me carefully, trying to figure out exactly how I would react.
"I do." I answered calmly. I wanted to prove myself to be strong, to be capable.
He nodded to himself, it was not evident whether I had pleased him or disappointed him. His assessment stayed secret, he changed the direction of the conversation swiftly. "How is it a child of good heritage comes to travel with so many Dwarves?"
I remained vague with my answer. "They needed help." Not exactly my help, but that did not matter. Not really.
"I see," My evasion did not escape his notice. "Help with what?"
I chewed my lip nervously. I knew very well that Thorin would be furious if I told the Elves anything about the quest, but I had a feeling that Thranduil already guessed our will; this was a test, an experiment to see how loyal I could be. I was sure of it. There was not much went on in Middle Earth – and beyond – that the Elves missed or did not suspect.
His brow rose, slightly creasing his smooth forehead. "You have her stubbornness too. More's the pity." Somehow the laughing glint in his eye did not mirror his words; I would have thought he believed it a positive trait, but perhaps only if I were to be stubborn for a cause of his. "She once implored me to work with your leader and fight the Great Worm."
This surprised me. "She did?"
"She did," He confirmed. "And I would say to you what I did to her: it is not our business."
I felt like a balloon would were it deflated. Hope left my body in one long gust. "So you will not help us?"
"Your 'king' is no king unless he has the Arkenstone, this you know. To fight the Dragon he would need to be King and unite the armies of Durin." Thranduil reasoned. I was unsure why he would feel the need to explain himself to me, maybe it was simply his friendship with my mother.
"You could work with us," it was a certainty in my mind by this point, "But you will not." I clarified. It would not do to fail to make sure I had the right of this.
Thranduil recoiled slightly defensively in his chair. "I have my own lands to protect, child." He asserted. "It is of no matter to my people and I would not risk them."
"And what of the rest of this land?" I shot back, for once unafraid. He could lock me up again, but then again he probably would shut me back in that cage whatever I said to him at this point. "If Smaug had coveted your home, would you not fight?"
"I would do what is best for my people." He riled, rising from his seat.
I stood my ground. "Would reclaiming a homeland not be best?"
"Best would be to escape dragon fire at any cost." I had no real argument for that, I could not ask him to charge into such flesh-melting flame. "Believe me, child, if the Worm had perished that Mountain would not escape my attention."
"I do not understand." I admitted in all honesty. Why should Thranduil desire the home of the Dwarves?
He sat down once more, seeing that I would not fight his words anytime soon. "There are things in Erebor that I desire to take back too, but I am not the fool that Thorin Oakenshield is."
I jutted my chin sharply. "Then you are a coward."
"And you think you are braver than I?" Again, his sapphire orbs filled with mirth.
My lips quirked and I indicated our surroundings. "I am not the one with seven guards watching whilst I converse with a 'child'." If I were truly harmless as a child, he would not be in need of those and I was fairly certain the king did not know his son had allowed me to keep my weapons.
A plan could be seem behind his stoic expression, one that I was sure had been brewing ever since I asked for an audience with him. "You think you are so heroic then you shall prove it." He asserted.
"W-what? How?" I stammered. Of what use could I be to the King of Mirkwood?
"There are gems in that mountain that I desire too, white gems made from pure starlight."
It would not take a fool to work out what he had in mind for me to do for him, to earn his favour. "You wish for me to find them."
"You plan to retrieve the Arkenstone, the King's Jewel. If you return to me what Thror took, then I shall gather an army to be at your aid." He pledged.
If I agreed to this, it was unavoidable that Thorin would hate me even more so than any Elf, it would be a great betrayal in his view. On the other hand, it would benefit him; not only would he have the Arkenstone and to reinstate his title, but he would have the army of Mirkwood as well as the Dwarvish armies at his back. It was plain that he would need as much help as he could get to reclaim Erebor from Smaug the Stupendous, but was it really worth risking estrangement from Thorin who might even refuse the help of an Elvish cavalry? I could not see the Dwarf leader being kindly toward even my discussing this.
"And if I do this, we are free to go?" I enquired.
"You are free to leave when you wish. The others will stay as insurance." Thranduil amended.
That was the question decided for me. If they were not to be released then I would not go. Betraying them would not be worth it if it only gained my own freedom. They could hardly take back the Misty Mountain whilst they remained locked away in Mirkwood. Besides, Thorin was the only one who ever touched the key, he would not give it away lightly and he would most certainly not give it to me if he knew what I were up to.
"I do believe this is where I take my leave." I curtsied once more, only on this occasion the gesture was one of mocking and not one of respect. From the look on Thranduil's visage I saw that he had expected nothing less.
"Very well, child," Thranduil dismissed, beckoning his guards to return me from whence they had brought me. "I hope you enjoy your stay in my 'delightful' dungeons. You will be there for quite some time." I had no doubt of that. The taunting way he echoed my own words chilled me more than the prospect of spending the rest of my days in my cage. "After all, a hundred years is but a blink in the life of an Elf."
The two guards who brought me here returned to flank me, wordlessly extracting me from the room like an unwanted pest. Thranduil remained seated, eyeing me carefully, still examining how I reacted to the slightest of things. I kept my chin held high and did not so much as flinch when instead of guiding me without pressure, each guard lightly took an arm and forcibly led me back to the dungeon through a different corridor than the way I had come. It made me pass by the King of Elves as I left, I held his gaze for as long as I could without turning my head to look at him. I could feel as opposed to see Thranduil's observations cease with the heavy doors closing, obstructing the path of his vision and I was glad to be free from his sight.
Once inside my cell once more the Elves locked me back up and retreated quickly, no sooner were they out of sight than the Dwarves began their inquisition, as I knew they would.
"What did you say?" Dwalin asked.
"What did he say?" Fili piped up with anxious uncertainty.
"Did they hurt you?" Kili enquired. Looking at me strangely.
Ori put in concernedly. "You look pale."
"Silence!" Thorin interrupted in a rumbling growl. "Veyra, what happened?" He demanded calmly.
I took a deep breath. "I was offered a bargain in exchange for my freedom." I explained in short. I smoothed my hair, thinking the knotty mess would relish the chance to wash in the stream we could hear running constantly.
"And?" Thorin encouraged, it was clear that he had picked up on the deal only guaranteeing my freedom and none of the others, but I doubt he had expected anything less.
"And I refused." I could see him through both sets of bars and he was nodding as though I had done what he thought to be the respectable and honourable thing.
Thorin met my eyes with trepidation. "What was it he would have traded your freedom for?"
"You would not have liked it." I hedged, turning my face to the ground. Mention of his grandfather often sent him into stupors of despair and we did not need that right this moment. We needed our leader to be alert, to figure some other way out of here. I was only useful for o much and evidently this was one situation I could not fix.
To my relief, Thorin did not press me to answer more questions, instead he began assessing with Balin the ironwork of the prison bars that stood between us and freedom. I thought they had exhausted such conversations last night when we first arrived, but evidently there was more to be said of leverage and pressure.
They did not seem to notice when the two guards returned with a third addition. A certain red satin-haired addition. She did not meet my eyes as she passed my cell and proceeded straight to that of Thorin's. The Dwarf-leader stood ground and refused to utter a word until he was given his own explanation as to what he owed this pleasure.
"The King wishes to speak with you." The Captain of the Guard informed the Dwarf in her usual smooth fluidity. "He thinks someone whose company has shown such loyalty to him should be given the chance of speech."
Thorin turned to me in questioning, I gave him a subtle nod. I could not see what good it could do if he tried to persuade Thranduil as I had, but a refusal of an audience with the King that held us prisoner would surely not bode well for anyone involved.
"Very well," Thorin ground out slowly. "I will do as you ask."
Tauriel nodded satisfactorily, unlocking the cage that held Thorin swiftly, evidently Thranduil wished the meeting to proceed presently. She held the door open for the Dwarf and ordered the guards to depart in soft Sindarin. Strangely the Elf did not accompany them to this Council, instead she sat down upon a small step in the path that led to the ledge where Fili and Kili's and my own cell rested.
Kili pretended not to notice her presence and I wondered if Fili had had another one of his talks with his younger brother, or perhaps Thorin had mentioned something. Either way, it was obvious to see that Kili was trying desperately not to give me any cause to be annoyed at him and that gave me a slight lift. Maybe he was truly sorry for his flirtation. Maybe I was overreacting, Kili was a naturally flirtatious personality any way. Maybe I had nothing to worry about.
The dark prince tossed up and down the small rune stone he had shown me one night many months ago. I was slightly proud that he had not managed to lose it as Fili had predicted he would, but I was also aware of how much the small token meant to him. He would guard it with his life. I had noticed that he only ever removed it from his inside jacket pocket when he was struggling with something inside, perhaps I had upset him as well.
"The stone in your hand, what is that, Dwarf?" Tauriel asked imperiously, her head tilted in a way which would look adorable if I did not despise her more than anything in the entire world right this moment.
Kili jumped at the sound of her voice, almost dropping the rune stone in his shock. "This? It is a talisman," He covered it as though he did not want her to see it, I did not blame him, he rarely showed anyone it. "A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a Dwarf reads the runes on the stone…" He suddenly thrust the rune stone through the bars so as she could not help but observe it, close as it was to her face. "They would be forever cursed!" He finished dramatically.
Tauriel gasped. Of course, it was not true, no curse lay upon that stone and it was perfectly safe to admire; but for a few moments I had the satisfaction of viewing the indignantly terrified expression on the Elf-maiden's otherwise smug little face.
"Or not," Kili added, I could see from his face that he felt a little guilty for worrying the Elf; though had it been Fili or I, we would have all laughed about it. "Depends if you believe that sort of thing." Kili smiled meekly, "It's really just a token." He explained hurriedly, "A rune stone. From my mother."
Tauriel's visage smoothed itself once more and she had the nerve to simper. "Is that so?"
"It is to remind me of my promise." Kili went on. I wished he would not.
I caught the eye of Fili and it was obvious that he hoped his brother would cease as well. Though he said nothing, the blond brother glared at the Elf in a manner that clearly stated he wished for her to leave.
Sadly, she did not. "What promise?" The intruder pressed on.
"That I would come back to her." Kili informed her without hesitation. It was as though he trusted her, I dearly hoped that was not the case. "She worries. She thinks I'm reckless."
She let out a tinkling laugh that sounded to me like a mixture of music and pure evil, though I may have been slightly biased in that opinion. "Are you?" She continued her questioning. She was far too inquisitive for my liking, as well as a great many other things that were not to my liking also.
"Nah," Kili shrugged nonchalantly, tossing the stone into the air once more. This time he did not catch it.
I barely had time to register the shock on his face as the stone tumbled toward the edge of the ledge before a shape moved to still its flight. The stone was caught by a slender hand, seizing it in time for it not to be lost to the flowing ravine below. Of course she would catch it. Somehow I liked her less for the deed, though it made no sense for me to desire the devastation I knew Kili would feel if he lost the rune stone his mother had given him.
"You ought to hold on to that better." She quipped, smirking as she handed the stone back to him, her hand lingering in his a brief second longer than really necessary.
He smiled sheepishly, then cocked his head. Singing had begun in the upper levels, much like that we had heard before we were captured. "Sounds like quite a party they are having up there," Kili commented.
"It is Mereth En Gilith, the Feast of Starlight. All light is sacred to the Eldar. Wood elves love best the light of the stars." Tauriel explained.
Kili frowned and I was glad to see he disagreed with her opinion. "I always thought it to be a cold light, remote and far away."
"It is memory! Precious and pure!" She exclaimed. "Like your promise." She added softly. "I have walked there sometimes. Beyond the forest and on into the night. I have seen the world fall away and the white light of forever fill the air." She said all of this as though it were a secret, as though she were confiding to her greatest friend.
The young brother's eyes glazed over with awe and longing. "I saw a Firemoon once," Kili confessed suddenly. "It rose over the pass near Dunland. It was huge. Red and gold it was, it filled the sky. We were an escort with some merchants…"
I had no heart to listen to them comparing moons and stars. Nor did I want to see them. Idly I fingered the braid in my hair. When I found the string I tugged tentatively, the first knot came undone, but the others held; if I pulled just a little harder I would probably feel the entire knot give. I could take the whole thing out if I wished.
"Please, give it more time." Fili pleaded, startling me with his uncharacteristically worried eyes. "Once you take that out there can be no going back."
I sighed dropping my hands to lay limply at my sides. "I am not all too sure your brother would care too much." I spat half-heartedly as the young Dwarf conversed with the Elf, oblivious to my hurting.
"He would, I promise you, he would." Assured Fili, reaching through both sets of bars to place a hand upon my own. "Besides, who else would take this useless lump?" He added a little louder, nudging his brother hard in the ribs. "Without sending him back, of course."
Kili had heard the jibe and pushed the older Dwarf playfully. "I am a delight and she knows it, don't you, Vey?"
I made an 'eh' noise and waved my hand in a noncommittal gesture. "You are tolerable at times." I joked, relishing the return of the Kili I favoured. A part of me regretted being quite so cold toward him, perhaps he had not noticed or intended his favour of Tauriel.
"Tolerable?" Kili complained in mock horror. "I am not your favourite Dwarf in the whole world?" He joked incredulously.
I shrugged. "Well…" I hedged, enjoying the slight glimmer of uncertainty in his visage. "You are preferable."
"To getting pox," Fili clarified in his jocular manner. "Though it is close, brother. Is it not, Veyra?"
I watched as Kili aimed a light blow to his older brother's head and thought of how long it had been since I had seen them joke like this, certainly it had been before entering Mirkwood. "Very." I affirmed with a chuckle. I had not noticed Tauriel depart, neither had the brothers, but I was glad she was gone for now.
"I've missed that," Kili mused, grinning childlike at me, his head tilted to the side. "Your laughter." He clarified when I tilted my own head in confusion.
I frowned a little. I suppose I had not been all together cheerful as of late. "I have not had the mind to laugh since the river." I admitted vaguely, looking down at the dust and dirt ridden floor.
"Vey," Kili tested tentatively, "When you slept, do you remember anything other than those horrid dreams?"
I shook my head. "No," I answered, all I remembered apart from those unsettling nightmares was a feeling of being lost. "I thought I had already told you?"
The young Dwarf nodded, "I just wanted to be clear."
"Kee, what is it?" I slipped my hand through our bars to rest upon his open palm and he took it as though it were a lifeline, something he needed to cling to. Luckily our cages were at an angle so as it was not too much of an effort to reach, not that I would not have tried anyway.
"You talked. In your sleep." He admitted. "Dark words, they set fear inside me."
I ran the pad of my thumb gently over the bit of flesh where his thumb joined his index finger, slowly back and forth, the way that usually soothed him. "What did I say?"
"Morn an vennag. Just those words, over and over." His dark brows pulled together for a meeting of concern, it was almost painful to see his so anxious. "It is Khuzdul, do you know its meaning?" He asked and continued once I shook my head. "It means 'death will come'."
"Oh," The utterance seemed at once far too little to cover the range of emotion I felt. There was surprise that I had spoken words I did not know in a language I could hardly speak; confusion over what my saying of them could mean; embarrassment that I had been the one mumbling such dark tidings; and terror at what such things could mean.
"I am sure it is nothing." Fili interrupted, lest his brother stir up too much worry in my mind. Fili evidently did not wish me to panic.
"It does not sound like nothing." A stern voice intervened from the top of the stairs. Descending them was the one Elf I had not expected to see again. His blond locks pulled back in intricate braids behind his pointed ears.
I could sense Kili's vicious glare that would be directed the Elf's way, though I peeped at neither of them. It was rude of me to ignore the Elf, but I knew that too much attention toward the blond prince would only lead to fury from the dark prince and despite the latter's activities I still did not wish to be in bad favour with him.
"You did well," Legolas directed my way when it seemed none of us would comment on his input. I stared at him, bewildered. "This morning, you did well." He expanded.
I scowled slightly. Surely he was making fun of me? "How so? I did not succeed in freeing us." I kept my palm secured to Kili's as I spoke and resumed my thumb's calming motion. The bars chaffed on my skin lightly as if to reaffirm my words.
"No, but you have given my father reason to consider what goes on beyond his own borders." Legolas explained as though it really mattered to me, or any of the Dwarves, what Thranduil did with his kingdom.
I shrugged. "It will do my Company no good if he does not grant us help. Provisions and weapons would be the least he could give us."
The Elf sighed heavily, as though he had thought the very same thing himself. "That I know well, my lady. He is stubborn and unused to the liking of Dwarves, as am I for that matter." I peered up at him finally to see thinly veiled disgust upon his face, though he did not look at me; just my hand where it rested in Kili's.
"They're not too bad," I mocked, beaming up at Kili whom now wore a smug smile of triumph over the Elf. "Once you get used to them." I added. The dark-haired prince poked out his tongue my way childishly, but did not lose his cheer.
"I fear I never shall." Legolas deadpanned, "I have not the patience for them that you and your mother share."
That piqued my attention more so than anything else he could have had to say to me. "You knew her well?" I enquired, doing my best not to sound too interested. It was now Kili's turn to drag his thumb over my hand to pacify me.
"Less than some, more so than others." He responded. I wondered whom the 'some' and 'others' might be. "She gave us counsel when the woods were still green and we were more… welcoming to visitors, but her business would soon take her away from us." Legolas explained. It was hard to believe my mother, though she was well-known (and distrusted by more than a few of the more conservative Hobbits) for being quite the adventurer, I little saw her being involved in councils or advising Kings. "She visited Esgaroth far more frequently than she did the Greenwood, as you no doubt know."
"Actually, I did not." What business could she have in Esgaroth? Wherever that may be.
Legolas backtracked slightly, the spark of recognition hiding behind his eyes. He knew something he was not telling me. "Forgive me, I should not have spoken."
"Why would she go there? Where even is Esgaroth?" I demanded.
It startled me to hear Kili speak up from the cell beside mine, I had been so enraptured I had not noticed anything more from him than his hand trying to keep me calm. "It is a town that lies upon the great lake in the shadows of Erebor."
My forehead creased as I glanced at the youngest Dwarf. "Why would my mother go there?" I wondered aloud.
"I apologise. It is not my place to tell you." Legolas seemed genuinely saddened that he could not tell me whatever this vital piece of information was. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
I turned my back to him. "I see."
For a moment I thought he had gone, such was his silence, but after a few minutes he spoke up once more. "You seem vexed, my lady." I rolled my eyes at the obviousness of his observation, but he continued. "Might I… Might I enquire as to what has you so concerned? Have I upset you?"
"It is not that, not entirely." I replied honestly. In truth, another worry pervaded my mind; if we were to be imprisoned here forever, then what would become of poor old Bilbo out in the forest all alone? "I worry for my cousin." I told him.
"Your cousin?"
"Yes…" I informed the Elf, there was no use in hiding it now we had no chance of being freed and maybe if the Elves found Bilbo he would be safer here in the cells rather than alone in the forest. "He was with us. He is a Hobbit, a Halfling, we lost him."
Legolas paused in thought, his eyes glazing over. "Then you should find him before the spiders do."
I blanched. "You would let me go?" The incredulous note in my tone carried loudly.
He nodded slowly. "To find your cousin." He elucidated.
"She will need a protector," Kili asserted possessively, his palm convulsing around mine.
"That she will," Legolas agreed, "Which is why I shall accompany her."
"You would go with me?" I queried uncertainly. "I would rather Kili…" I would rather Kili came with me than a stranger. I would rather Kili than anyone, let alone an Elf whose father was the reason for my imprisonment. Though my arm ached from the effort, I kept a hold of his hand tightly as though I could will him through the bars and to my side.
"If my guards find him, he will like as not find himself back in a cell at best." Legolas said of Kili, though he probably only cared that if Kili went too there would be two prisoners on the loose. "We must not get caught."
"You will be punished for this."
"Only if we do not evade capture." Legolas shrugged nonchalantly, reminding me of the arrogance of his father; they were definitely more alike than I had thought. "Come. Now."
"You must go, Vey." Kili ordered evenly, he pressed something cool and smooth into my palm, bringing it to meet his lips in farewell before withdrawing his hold.
"Thank you." I whispered, tears sparkling in my eyes. I knew what he had given me and I would treasure it until we met again.
Legolas swung open the door to my cage. The Elf-prince all but dragged me down a flight of stairs, deeper into the dungeon, closer to my freedom. If the two of us had been paying proper attention, we might have noticed the invisible hands sneaking keys into the locks of Dwarf cells.
Loosen the Knot - Lissie
Thanks to Sesshomaru'sGinstuki, pure1ruby, Enchanta and Guest for their lovely reviews. Hopefully this chapter clears a few things up a little, there will be a lot more about Veyra's mother to come and the identity of her father will come out in the next couple of chapters. It is probably obvious who he is from the clues in this chapter, but shh - don't ruin it! :)