I am betting some of you really want this chapter.
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The elves were marching all over Dale in search of Tauriel. They were entering houses and towers and searching every crack and crevice of the town. Eventually they marched up to the collection of buildings that the pirates used.
"Halt. Who goes there?" A pirate said as he got up with a musket in hand.
"Step aside mortal. We are looking for a fugitive." The leader of the elves said.
"You ain't lookin in ere." The pirate snarled.
"I wasn't asking." The leader said. He then roughly shoved the guard aside with an armored gauntlet. The pirate recovered and brought his musket up towards the leaders head. The other elves drew their swords as the leader turned towards the pirate.
"Do you have a death wish?" The elf asked haughtily.
"I pull this trigger and you will get it whether you want it or not." The pirate replied, tightening his grip and putting the bayonet right between the elf's eyes.
The leader put up his hand and another elf drew his bow on the pirate.
"Then you will meet the same fate." He pushed aside the musket and the elf fired the arrow.
The arrow twirled through the air towards the pirate's temple but was interrupted and it was slammed into the ground.
The elves looked as Edward stood up and lowered his hood.
"Now that is no way to treat my friend here." Edward said in a mocking voice.
"You will let us pass so we can find the fugitive." The leader demanded.
Edward took a swig from the bottle he held and motioned to the pirate to lower his musket which he had retrained on the leader.
"We like our privacy. So you can be on your way." Edward said as several more pirates appeared with muskets.
The leader stepped towards him.
"We are not afraid to kill you. In fact we may be rewarded for it." The leader threatened.
"I know." Edward said. Then he grabbed the elf's arm and spun him around as he kicked out his legs, causing him to fall on his face.
Edward and the other pirates laughed as the elf got up.
"Go on lad." Edward said as he laughed. "Save yourself the embarrassment.
The leader got up and brushed himself off. He decided it was fruitless to try again. He turned his troop around and he marched them away but not without a nasty glare towards Edward.
Edward walked back over to the chair he was sitting on earlier and continued the game of checkers he was playing. He finished the game in two moves and got up. He looked around at the other pirates who were talking, drinking and stumbling around. He looked up at the rooftops and noticed Tauriel sitting on a ledge with a cloak on. He quickly climbed up the house and sat down next to her.
"I see you don't much care for my crew." Edward said.
"What is there to care about? That is if you are fine with drinking and cursing." Tauriel replied.
"They do well in a fight." Edward said.
"That is what I fear." Tauriel said as a look of worry crossed her face.
"Thranduil doesn't have the stomach." Edward said, this time getting the name right.
"It is not Thranduil it is something else. Maybe orcs." Tauriel explained.
"My men could beat those things even if they were barely able to stand from drunkenness." Edward proclaimed.
"Not an army of thousands." Tauriel replied.
"That would be something to worry about. But it only be worry and possibility." Edward said.
"Maybe you are right." Tauriel replied.
Edward looked up towards the mountain.
"For what little I saw. That mountain is amazing." He said.
Tauriel didn't reply. Edward scanned the surrounding hills and taking it all in.
"The question still stands lass." He stated.
Tauriel looked at him, puzzlement evident in her expression. "What question?"
"Laketown? The balcony?" Edward hinted.
"I still don't recall." Tauriel replied.
"The question is what the devil are you still doing here? At least before you really fell out of favor with his majesty." Edward was staring at her now with expectancy.
"Why give away what you had and fight alongside me, a pirate and a murderer." Edward replied.
"You don't know what the Greenwood was like when I was younger…" Edward interrupted.
"Sod that, none of this fairy tale stuff will convince me. It's Kili, why so secretive, you were practically on the verge of making out on the shore of the lake!" Edward all but shouted.
"Keep your voice down" Tauriel hissed in reply. "You're right, but what does it matter?"
"I'm just saying, from personal experience, I know what it is like. Doing something stupid all for a dream that seems hopeless." Edward replied.
"What do you mean?" Tauriel asked.
"This is far too personal now for my liking." Edward retracted.
"Well I…"
"Sod off!" Edward snapped.
"But…" A click of Edward's wrist blade got her attention. "Alright." She hit a nerve of some sort. Kenway is right, she was stupid to do what she did, to fight with him, to take sides against her own people.
"What is that place?" He asked, gesturing to a series of towers that were built next to the mountain.
"That is Ravenhill. Sort of a first defense for Dale and the Mountain." She explained.
"I guess Thranduil is using it that way." Edward stated.
Tauriel looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"There are lights moving around in the towers." Edward replied.
Tauriel whipped her head around and scanned the Ravenhill towers and saw a flickering light. She instantly stood up.
"That is not elves." She worriedly stated.
"Why not?" Edward said as he pulled a spyglass from his coat.
"Even men would have it better lit." Tauriel replied. She looked over at Edward as he looked through the spyglass.
"What is that?" She asked.
"It helps me see farther. What do you plan to do?" He asked.
"We should investigate." Tauriel replied. She then jumped to the next roof without another word.
"Well I guess she doesn't want to plan it out." Edward said to himself and quickly followed her.
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The pair moved through a sleeping Dale with extreme care so as not to draw the guards. They had gotten out of the city and started up the road to Ravenhill. They walked up the road in silence as they both examined the structures ahead of them. They noticed several other flickers and the distant sound of an orc call. They eventually came to the base of the first tower, where all the commotion had come from. They stood on either side of the doorway once they approached. Edward put up his hood and extended his hidden blades and crept through the doorway, followed closely by Tauriel.
The pair reached a corner and Edward peeked out. There was a twirling staircase littered with old corpses and objects that had dust and spider webs all over them. Edward nodded and started to walk up the staircase. Tauriel looked back down the hallway and then started up the stairs after Edward. They silently ascended the tower without any incident. They reached a break off point for the stairs. They kept going up the stairs but an orc rounded the corner below them. The orc looked around but had no time to think before an elven dagger went through his head. Tauriel quickly climbed back up to Edward. They continued up the stairs until they reached the top. They walked down the hallway and reached the corner.
Edward peeked around the corner and saw several dozen orcs milling around and Azog standing at the overlook. Edward quickly turned back.
"Great." He whispered. Tauriel moved around him and peeked around. She instantly whipped back and drew her bow and an arrow.
"What now?" She whispered.
"If you want to leave fine. I'm going to do something stupid." Edward replied.
'Why am I not surprised?' Tauriel thought.
"I guess we don't turn back now." Tauriel answered him.
Edward grinned and reached into his coat and pulled out a large metallic ball with a piece of rope sticking out.
Tauriel looked at the object and didn't understand.
"You elves need gunpowder very badly." Edward said. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small stick. He scraped it on the wall and it ignited in a small flame. He touched the flame to the rope on the object. It sprung alight and started fizzling brightly. An orc call out to his companions and they started to approach Edward and Tauriel. Edward tossed the object at their feet.
"You might want to cover your ears." Edward said. They both followed those directions and the object exploded in a fiery blaze. Many of the orcs were instantly torn to pieces by the blast. Others were killed or wounded by debris. The floor gave out and collapsed bringing two orcs with it.
Azog shouted at the five remaining orcs and they started searching the nearby area. One orc came close to Edward which was its final mistake. Edward plunged his blade into the orcs throat and threw him into the hole in the floor. The other orcs and Azog locked onto Edward and Tauriel as they walked out with a pistol and arrow ready.
The orcs were cowering back but Azog let out a spine chilling chuckle. A swarm of orcs then streamed in through the other hallways that lead to the overlook.
"Any fantastic weapons that would be of use right now?" Tauriel asked as the orcs advanced on them.
"Why yes." Edward reached back and grabbed a small tube that connected to his shoulder. He brought one end to his lips and pointed it at Azog. He released a powerful gust of air that shot a small dart at Azog. Azog put up his hand and the dart hit it. Azog laughed again but then grabbed his head and started shouting. He dropped his hands and ran at his fellow orcs with fury blazing in his eyes.
"We now have an ally." Edward said as Azog ripped apart the orcs. He and Tauriel avoided an orc that was sent flying over their heads. The orcs were still coming up the stairs, their only escape was the overlook. They were running towards the edge of the overlook. An orc archer which had escaped Azog's rage drew an arrow on Tauriel without her notice. He took his shot when they jumped off the edge. The arrow hit Tauriel's upper arm. Her balance was thrown off as they fell. Edward noticed this and quickly grabbed her other arm. He noticed a small ledge beneath them that was approaching them fast. He reached out and grabbed hold of the ledge and cried out in pain once Tauriel's weight pulled on his arms. He pulled her up onto the ledge and pulled himself up.
Tauriel was looking at her wounded arm.
"Stupid was the right word." Tauriel said.
"You decided to stay lass." Edward said as he knelt down and looked at her arm.
"This is going to hurt." Edward said as he grabbed the arrow.
"Just get it over with." Tauriel replied.
Edward grabbed a strip of cloth from his belt and readied his hand. With a quick jerk the arrow came out and Tauriel hissed. Edward put the cloth on the wound and wrapped it around her arm. He stood up and helped up Tauriel.
"We need to warn them." Tauriel said.
"You do know that the princess has ordered his men to shoot you on sight." Edward said.
"Thranduil, needs to know." Tauriel replied, putting emphasis on the name.
"You and I both know he won't listen. I will warn Bard and Gandalf. You go back to the crew." Edward ordered. They started making their way down from the ledge they were on and then back down to Dale. They entered the town through the rear gate. They moved through the alleys to avoid detection. Eventually they reached the area sectioned off for the pirates only to meet with an unpleasant sight.
All of the crew members were tied up, gagged and on their knees. Elves were everywhere.
"Kenway and Tauriel." Thranduil said. "How pleasant of you to join us."
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