Hey what's up? Good Lord is it hot outside! ...No? Not gonna work is it? *sigh* I'm SORRY I've been gone so long! I've literally got pretty much every chapter planned out, except for THIS chapter right here. It did not want to be written. Rest assured, though, this story has not been abandoned, nor have any of my other stories!

Oh, and just a note: Whichever nimrod that's been blowing up my inbox by repeatedly reviewing chapter 1 and telling me to delete the story, do me a favor and SHUT THE HELL UP! What you are doing is flaming this story just because I have one OC in it, and while I appreciate hearing OPINIONS and CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, I will not tolerate flames. Now, I am going to continue this story, because plenty of people like it, and because I know it will anger you. If you don't like this story, then DON'T READ IT! Thank you.

Go check out EasternWolf23! She's got an awesome Hobbit fanfic in progress!

Expect in this super-long chapter: The Company takes a break, Beorn delivers warning of more evil at work, Lydia begins to suspect the ring she found, Bifur has a chat with his cousin, and Bofur finally makes a decision.

Rated-T

Warnings

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

Things you need to know

"Lydia/other Ereborians speaking in Khuzdul"

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

Here We Stand United

Chapter 15

All she heard was a loud buzzing sound. Irritated, Lydia waved her arm around her head, grumbling in Fili and Kili's general direction. She had no idea why they were making that buzzing sound, or exactly how, but it was happening and it was very annoying. However, when she felt a sharp sting on her hand, she awoke with a yelp, sitting upright quickly and clutching her hand to her chest, staring in shock at the giant, irritated bee buzzing in front of her. The bee flew off, buzzing angrily, and Lydia slowly drew herself to her feet, letting everything come back to her.

Last night, the Company, battered and exhausted, had finally arrived on Beorn's land. The massive skin-changer had greeted the Ur family warmly, and had shown more tolerance and care towards the dragons than any other person in Middle Earth ever would. At Bofur's insistence, the man had agreed to provide temporary shelter for them before they continued on their quest. Several people had simply collapsed on the ground in Beorn's barn, while others had managed to make it into the skin-changers home. Apparently, there was something Beorn had wanted to discuss with the royal family, but decided to wait until they were all more aware.

Now, as Lydia staggered from the room, she heard the skin-changer's gravelly voice pipe up, "Daughter of Erebor, come. Your family kindly set aside food for you to eat when you woke." Lydia nodded mutely and shuffled after the massive skin-changer. Set aside on the table was a plate of bread and fruit. Lydia wasn't about to complain. She was starving.

"Uh, Beorn? Didn't you say something about a looming threat last night?" Lydia asked as she plucked an apple off her plate and started eating it. She watched him with honest curiosity as he hesitated. A pit developed in her stomach as her mind automatically jumped to the worst conclusions, but she forced herself to dismiss those conclusions, because over half the time they were wrong.

"I had simply wished to deliver a warning. Darkness closes in on all, looming on the horizon and threatening to destroy everything. Sauron is still out there. He can never be fully destroyed. Be cautious; this darkness is his doing. Also, a century has past, and the White Tunnel Death* will be born very soon. Beware," Beorn stated, and Lydia nodded in understanding. The White Tunnel Death was the scourge of Middle Earth, besides Sauron anyway. It was a nearly indestructible dragon that ate everything, had no weakness, and stopped for nothing. Thankfully, it had a very short lifespan, and was only born every hundred years. "Now, the others are outside. Go, rest, enjoy the day," the giant man advised, and Lydia nodded, smiling slightly before exiting Beorn's house.

The Vikings were nowhere to be found, but the first thing that really drew Lydia's attention was the fight that was about to break out between Nori and Dwalin. Bofur was hovering nearby, wringing her hands worriedly and shooting nervous glances between the two. Bifur stood at his cousin's side, less concerned over the fight and more concerned for his cousin's mental health, and Bombur hovering behind the two.

"What in Mahal's name is this?" Lydia muttered to Ori as she stepped up to the scribe. He looked like he wasn't sure what to do as the brother he idolized picked a fight with the warrior he idolized. Ori hesitated, unable to tear his eyes away from the brewing fight, but wanting to answer the princess's question. Finally, he looked away from the fight and met Lydia's ice gaze with his own hazel eyes.

"Well, not sure if you knew this, but Dwalin and Nori both are interested in Bofur. Apparently, Mister Dwalin had already given Bofur an offer in secret some time ago, so when Nori made a public offer, Mister Dwalin challenged his right and ability to court and provide for Bofur. It's starting to look like they're going to have a duel," Ori admitted fretfully. He loved his older brother and wanted him to be happy, but Mister Dwalin had made some excellent points, and was the smarter option for Bofur.

Lydia simply sighed and shook her head. If those two idiots decided to have a duel for Bofur, she knew for a fact the toymaker would not be impressed. Bofur had yet to make up her mind on who exactly she had feelings for, and was also quite satisfied with the rights she had when Bilba had gotten some of the old laws overturned. As far as she knew, there had been no duels over a woman in nearly a decade. Bofur had a choice in all this, and if the two dueled, they'd probably both ruin whatever chance they had with Bofur. As Nori threw the first punch, Lydia finally decided no one else was going to do anything, so she stepped up.

"Hey, you idiots, knock it off!" The response was instantaneous. Nori and Dwalin broke apart, though Dwalin looked slightly murderous, and the two stared at Lydia impatiently, eager to get back to their fistfight. However, if the princess wanted their attention, they would listen. "Since the two of you both wish to court Bofur, don't you think it should kind of be her choice who she accepts?" Lydia asked, hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised. The two Ereborians paused, seeming to think hard on this, before automatically glancing towards where they'd last seen Bofur. The two finally seemed to realize what exactly they had done as where Bofur and Bifur had stood, now only Bombur stood there, shrugging apologetically.

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"Damn it!" Bofur screamed, chucking a rock at a tree as hard as she could. It was ridiculous, complete and utter nonsense. Everything made sense now, all the fighting between the warrior and the thief, the random gifts, the subtle hints, everything. They had been competing for her all along. She didn't like that. This wasn't Erebor, and it wasn't last decade, she should be the one to choose who she wanted to be courted by, and no doubt those two idiots were having a duel right now.

That aside, there just wasn't time for something like this. They were on a mission to reach Erebor before Alvin and his Outcasts, a mission they could die in the process of considering they'd have to do something about Smaug, too, and he wasn't overly generous. She just felt...conflicted. So, so conflicted about the whole thing. Finally, Bofur just plopped down on the ground and cradled her head in her hands. This wasn't her thing. She was just a simple toymaker. Life, things shouldn't be like this. Everything had gone wrong after her fiancé died. They shouldn't have stayed in Erebor after that, they should have gone back to Ered Luin. If they had, none of this would have happened. She never would have met Dwalin, and maybe wouldn't have even met Nori.

"Cousin. This fighting cannot go on. You must not allow it to. Make a decision Bofur. Either reject the both, or accept one of them," Bifur spoke as he sat down next to his cousin in the little clearing. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and patted it soothingly. Despite that, he saw his cousin's hands tighten their grip on her dark locks, and he sighed. "You do not know what to do. You don't want to reject them both, but you're unsure who to accept," he commented. Bofur nodded at his observation, and Bifur sighed again. He worried about Bofur sometimes (all the time). He had helped raise her and Bombur both. He just wanted them to be happy.

"I really have no idea what to do, Bifur. I think I might have feelings for them both but I just don't know. What if I have feelings for neither of them? I don't want to hurt them. Dwalin is always really nice to me, and Nori has been my friend since the day we met. What do I do?" Bofur asked, rubbing furiously at her eyes, and Bifur stifled yet another sigh. He wasn't sure, and he couldn't very well tell Bofur that. He did have experience with love, but he'd never acted on it, and had had to give up the woman of his dreams for his family, who needed him more than anything or anyone ever could. He did not doubt his love had died when Smaug came. Of course, he couldn't tell Bofur that. He'd made sure to keep it all very secret.

"Come on, then. I'll talk you through this," Bifur assured, and Bofur nodded glumly. She obviously thought it wouldn't help. "You said Dwalin is always nice to you. Let's start with that. Describe how you feel about Dwalin. Tell me how his kindness affects you."

"Well, at first it confused me. I thought he was just being nice because he felt guilty about trying to kill me when we first met. But he went out of his way to save my life a couple times, and if he was just trying to make himself feel less guilty, that should have been that, he should have stopped trying to be nice long ago. He'd get some extra stew for me when we travelled, and before we met up with the Brothers Ri and then took to piracy, it was always Dwalin who had my back and that just made me so happy...But we're also very different and we fought with each other just as often as we got into real fights with Wargs or Runners," Bofur admitted, and Bifur nodded.

"What about Nori?"

"Nori...Nori is my best friend. After the deal went south and we decided to stay in Erebor, it was Nori who taught me how to live. He showed me that just because I was a girl, I didn't have to bend to my parents whims, and that it was okay to take risks. He also drives me out of my mind with worry, he would always disappear for days, sometimes months on end, and I was terrified he wouldn't come back, but he always did, and he always brought me these trinkets and he'd be so charming...I just don't know Bifur, how does talking about these things help me?" Bofur asked, looking to her cousin with pleading eyes. She was kind of lost, but the answer she was seeking was just on the horizon, beyond a mountain, all she had to do was accept it.

"You know, don't you Bofur? You do have feelings for both, but your feelings for one are stronger. Look into your heart and accept it. Whoever you choose, the other will understand, they want you to be happy, and Bombur and I will stand by you. Accept it," Bifur advised. They both fell silent. Bifur watching carefully as Bofur mulled over his words, face set in concentration, and then suddenly she lit up with a huge smile, leaping to her feet and racing off, calling thanks over her shoulder as she went, and Bifur smiled, because Bofur had her answer and was happy with it.

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Lydia sat with her chin on her fist, watching idly as Snotlout wrestled with Tuffnut. "I still can't believe Nori and Dwalin were being such idiots about Bofur," Astrid remarked as she sat down beside Lydia, her gaze also drawn to the wrestling match between the two boys. "Things like that don't really happen on Berk. The feelings are completely mutual, and anyone else who likes that girl or guy makes several attempts but ultimately steps down in the end," Astrid continued, and Lydia smirked.

"Really? Ruffnut told me about how Snotlout can't take a hint when you shoot him down. Anyway, things used to be really traditional in Erebor. Women were seen as property. If a poor man had a beautiful daughter, he could either sell her to be a servant to someone rich for a lot of money, or marry her into a rich family. Love had nothing to do with it for a very long time, until my mam got the old laws overturned and suddenly women were free and independent. Some people still want to cling to the old ways, but Dwalin and Nori usually don't. It was probably just a momentary lapse in judgment. My 'adad always said love makes people crazy," Lydia replied. Then she sighed and, on an impulse, reached into her pocket and was surprised to feel the smooth surface of a ring. She'd forgotten about it.

Now she pulled it out of her pocket and studied it. "Where'd that come from?" Astrid asked as she leaned over for a closer look at it. Lydia held it up to the sun, turning it this way and that. It just looked like a plain, cheap gold band, a worthless trinket. So why did she get the feeling there was something...wrong, with it?

"I found it in the lowest tunnels of Goblin Town. I'm...almost afraid of what it might be, what finding this might mean," Lydia admitted. At Astrid's questioning look, she continued, "I know no one has told you of the old tales. My parents were told to keep you safe. They are trying to keep you safe from the legends, too. I think you all could handle it, though. And Beorn made a good point earlier. Darkness is rising again. In a nutshell, the legend is that the dark lord of Mordor, Sauron, made nine rings for the main dwellers of Middle Earth, all doomed to die, three for the beautiful lords of the woods, such as Elrond, seven for the sturdy but greedy lords of Erebor, and one ring for himself, one ring to rule them all."

"And, you think this is that ring?" Astrid asked, bewildered. How could plain little rings cause trouble like Lydia was describing?

"I don't know. It could be any of the rings of power. Since the people of Goblin Town were once of Erebor, it's most likely not Sauron's ring. I know many of the rings Sauron gifted my ancestors were destroyed, but it's known for sure that at least two survive. The Firebeards hid there's away, and my great-grandfather, Thror, was known to have the one belonging to the Longbeards, before he disappeared. I'd rather not tell anyone I had this yet, just to be safe, though," Lydia said with a shrug.

"Is there anyway to know for sure what ring it is?"

Lydia hesitated. "They all gave the wearer an ability, but I don't know what each ability is to each ring. I'm...almost afraid to put this ring on. Those seven rings did horrible, horrible things. Even the most pure-hearted can be corrupted by the powers any of those rings offered. And, my people are known throughout Middle Earth for our greed and gold lust. It...is a sickness known to especially infect Durin's line," Lydia admitted. She stared at the ring resting so innocently on the palm of her hand. This ring and others like it were the stuff of nightmares, tales told to warn kids of the past, and also inspire them to be generous. However, they weren't just scary tales to tell little kids. It was all very real.

"Well, if it gives powers, we should at least know what power this one has. It could be useful on this quest," Astrid pointed out, and Lydia nodded hesitantly. Astrid had a point. So, taking a deep, steadying breath, Lydia slipped the ring on her finger. The response was instantaneous. The world immediately became dull and lifeless, the colors muted and sound muffled, like she was trapped in some kind of nightmare. Astrid gave a small yelp of alarm, but quickly shut her mouth when her fellow Vikings gave her a questioning look. She smiled sheepishly and waved them off. Only when Lydia was sure they had turned away did she take the ring off, gasping as the world suddenly became more vibrant. "What just happened? Where'd you go?" Astrid hissed, and Lydia smiled faintly.

"The ring makes you invisible."

Yep. Lydia now knows what the ring does.

And, yes, Bofur did make a decision, but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you what it is! Maybe next chapter. (Yes, next chapter.)

*The White Tunnel Death is the Screaming Death. The name is kind of self-explanatory there.

Anyway, since I ranted at the top about stupid people, right here and now I would like to give a big thank you to everyone, anonymous and registered, who have been kind enough to leave a review! You guys rock! I'll give a proper shout-out when I finish this story! Don't worry; next chapter will be much faster!

Review please!