Hello and first of all: aahhasdlkjfjow, I'm so exited for The Desolation of Smaug but I only get to see it after the 17th! Not cool, dudes. Argh, patience, patience... Well, anyway: I have a new chapter for you guys! :D
TheShawndaLee: Haha, I'm glad you liked it :D Her dad is with Thranduil, indeed, surprise surprise :D And Kili and Tarya... well, let's see what happens when they see each other :D
Akilah Swiftblade: I'm really sorry about the cliffhanger! But in my defense, I had warned you xD I hope this chapter will end less cliffhanger-y :D
DwarvenWarrior: Yes, she finally knows :D Ahh, I'm not that cruel, don't worry. I left you waiting for 35 chapters, I think that was enough :D
kaia: Haha, loved your review! :D Her mother will come up at some point during the next chapters and you'll find out some more about her, which I hope you'll like :D
Teshka: Yeah, Tauriel is not as bad, you'll see :P And yes, her dad is around, we'll see how that turns out :D I'm glad you like how everything is going! :D
Also thanks to ZabuzasGirl, Sam0728, Dalonega Noquisi, FleurSuoh, the Oz Meister and Jen Baas, Angel of the Night Watchers!
And thanks to the lovely people who followed and favorited! (Where do you guys keep coming from? :D)
Now I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter and leave me a little review if you do! :)
Arkin became a frequent visitor over the next few days and while Tarya still refused to talk to any of the elves, whether it was prince Legolas or the elven king himself, she slowly became used to talking to the grey wolf. Arkin was cocky, sometimes even quite annoying, but he always answered her questions honestly and treated her friendly.
"When I… on my first night here," Tarya muttered quietly, avoiding her father's questioning gaze. Arkin was sitting a few metres away from her, listening attentively. "A strange thing happened. It felt like some sort of pulsation ran through my veins and when I opened my eyes, everything around me was broken."
Arkin stayed silent for a moment, thoughtful golden eyes studying her. 'It is not for naught that you are called 'the powerful one', Tarya.'
"Then why do I have no control over it?"
Tarya could merely raise her eyebrows questioningly when Arkin didn't answer and it was only after another while that the grey wolf spoke again.
'What did you feel when it happened?'
Tarya's brows drew together for a moment as she thought back to her first night in the palace. She had been angry, frustrated, sad, and desperate… "Many things," the Amarok answered eventually, causing Arkin to send her a knowing look.
'Your power is bound to your emotions,' he rumbled. 'The deepest feelings cause the strongest reactions.'
There was a short silence in the room as Tarya considered her father's words.
'Your emotions are the key to your powers,' the grey wolf rumbled lowly. 'You accept them, let them be a part of you, and your power will follow. What is your deepest emotion, Tarya?'
She stayed silent for a while, thinking back to the times she had felt her skin heat up, trying to recall what she had felt then. "Rage," Tarya stated after a while and looked up to Arkin who returned her gaze calmly.
'Rage?' he asked calmly and huffed slightly when Tarya nodded. 'Rage is a strong emotion, I'll admit. But it is not the one that runs deepest. You have to accept the emotion that is the cause for your power in order to control it.'
Tarya's eyebrows rose in question and Arkin made an amused sound, his eyes twinkling as he looked at her.
'Love, Tarya,' he rumbled and it almost sounded like a chuckle. 'Love is your strongest emotion. Whether it is the love for a friend or that for your mysterious little dwarf. Your power is there to protect the ones you love. So, if you accept that you do in fact love, you will be able to control it.'
Tarya watched from her spot near the wall as the grey wolf slowly stood up and crossed the room, lying down in a shadowy corner near her. They had not talked more about the fact that she was in love with a dwarf ever since their first conversation and Tarya had been left to deal with that realization on her own. She hadn't truly allowed herself to think about it, though, not quite believing that it could actually be true. But she did now.
Thinking of Kili and what they had gone through together, from the start, it became clear to her that she did indeed love him, the one she had committed herself to. The fluttering feeling in her stomach and the heavy beating of her heart whenever she was near him, when she merely thought of him, were no longer a mystery to her. She now knew that they were signs that she had just been too blind to read. She had been so confused and utterly lost with her feelings, not knowing that she was even capable of love, but everything was all too clear now, almost torturously so. She was a wolf in love with a dwarf.
Tarya accepted her feelings, not for the sake of controlling her own powers but because after all the years she had spent on this earth, not knowing a home, friends or love, she deserved it. She deserved to love and she would love Kili until the day she died. Tarya knew that she would have to tell him how she felt, for he deserved to know even if he might not return her feelings.
But she had no possibility of seeing him and telling him how she felt at the moment, she didn't even know where he was or how he was doing. And that was all due to a certain elven king.
Tarya returned her gaze to the grey wolf thoughtfully. "Why are you loyal to him?" she asked quietly, observing her father as he raised his gaze towards her, apparently confused by the sudden change of topic. "To Thranduil."
Arkin let out a deep breath and took a long while before he answered. 'He is a good man.'
Tarya snorted bitterly as she raised her hands to set them down in her lap, causing the iron chain on her wrist to clatter slightly. It didn't take more for her to prove her point and Arkin shot her a short look.
'Even good men sometimes make bad decisions,' he rumbled then, his gaze darting to his daughter's bonds.
"And you accept any of your king's decisions like a tame pet even if he locks innocent people in his dungeons," Tarya growled, sending the grey Amarok a dark look. "Even if he cages and enchains your own kin."
'Guard your tongue, Tarya,' Arkin grumbled in reply but Tarya just huffed angrily. 'I do not agree with every of king Thranduil's decisions but I do not challenge them. I came into this realm over 200 years ago after I had fled into the forest from a group of Men who had been hunting me, an arrow stuck in my shoulder. Thranduil found me on a hunting trip, weeks later, when I was too weak to even move and starving, ready to die. He could easily have killed me, or put me in a cage. He took me to the palace instead, treated my wounds, and gave me food and drink. He has saved my life and has welcomed me in his halls as a friend. He accepts that I come and go as I please and for all that, he deserves my gratitude and my friendship.'
"What he has spared you, he has no qualms about doing to me. Saving the life of one Amarok does not justify ruining that of another," Tarya merely answered after a moment of silence, her voice low as she looked thoughtfully at the iron chain that held her in place.
Arkin's reply was cut short before he could utter anything by the opening of the door and both Amarok looked up to see a familiar red-haired elf stand there.
It was two days after her short conversation with the brunet dwarf and already late in the evening when Tauriel decided to pay the Amarok a visit. The she-elf had silently made her way through the long stone hallways towards the king's wing, having spotted the chamber the Amarok was kept in already as she had rounded the corner, the door slightly ajar.
Tauriel had slowed her walk as she had come closer to the door and had quietly peered into the room, seeing that Arkin was lying near the small black-haired woman, rumbling deeply while she was apparently listening attentively.
The she-elf's brows drew together as she caught the Amarok's reply to what Arkin had apparently said.
"Saving the life of one Amarok does not justify ruining that of another," the small woman said lowly just as Tauriel pushed open the door, causing both the Amaroks' gazes to fall on her. Arkin slowly stood up while Tarya merely shot her a sceptic look. The grey wolf growled quietly, albeit not threateningly, towards the human Amarok who just huffed slightly in reply. Arkin hesitated a moment before he then slowly turned away from the black-haired woman and trotted past Tauriel who had just followed the exchange curiously. The she-elf's gaze followed the wolf's large form as he moved past her out of the room and walked down the hallway. Only when Arkin had rounded the corner, Tauriel stepped fully into the room, closing the heavy doors behind her quietly.
Tarya watched her attentively but didn't bother to speak as she came closer.
"You should not fight so much," Tauriel eventually muttered, gaze flicking to the iron chain around the small woman's wrist. She could see the dark blue and red bruises the bond had left on the Amarok's skin and couldn't help but pity her. "It will only cause you more trouble."
"I have been caged in here and chained to a wall like a worthless cur," Tarya growled in reply, demonstratively pulling her right hand forward, making the chain's rattle echo through the chamber. "What more could you possibly do to me?"
Tauriel crouched down before the Amarok, so that they were more or less on the same eye-level. The elf immediately found herself confronted with a dark glare out of alert golden eyes.
"They chained you because you fought," the redhead muttered, observing the small woman attentively. "You stop fighting and they will set you free again."
"And instead of being chained to a wall, I will only be caged in a palace. That's not what I call being free."
Tauriel's eyebrows rose slightly and she couldn't help but silently admire the small woman's power of resistance.
"You seem to pity me," Tarya added in a low growl after a moment and Tauriel witnessed how suddenly the Amarok's golden eyes started to glow faintly, like they had done when she'd first seen her in the forest. "And yet you are doing nothing to help."
The elf stayed silent for a moment as she observed the Amarok, realizing that it was apparently anger that caused her eyes to gleam, and Tarya seemed to use that time to regain her self-control. Tauriel watched as her eyes lost their fire, a small, thoughtful frown setting on the elf's face. "You will not give him what he wants, will you?"
It was more an observation than a question but Tarya answered nonetheless, immediately knowing whom the elf was talking about. "I will never let anyone force their will upon me," she muttered darkly. "My friendship has to be earned and Thranduil has done nothing to deserve even one crumb of my goodwill. I would rather rot in this chamber and stay chained to the wall forever than giving your king what he wants."
Tauriel's eyebrows rose halfway upon the Amarok's words. "How curious. Your friend has said quite a similar thing when I talked to him."
The elf could watch Tarya's expression soften ever so slightly at the mention of one of her friends, though the mistrust stayed clearly visible in her eyes.
"Dark brown hair, quite perky," Tauriel added, merely to see how the Amarok would react. And the elf was not disappointed, for Tarya's expression now changed completely, her eyes filling with an emotion that Tauriel only knew too well, having seen it in the brunet dwarf's eyes as well.
"You talked to Kili?" Tarya asked, her voice now not as abrasive anymore but filled with cautious hope.
Tauriel merely nodded, quite happy that she now finally knew the dwarf's name.
"How - … how is he?" the Amarok asked hesitantly and Tauriel couldn't help the small smile spreading across her lips at the familiar question. Without answering, she slowly reached into one of her pockets, pulling a small key from it. Tarya only watched her with wide eyes as she bent forward and with a few swift moves, the bond on her wrist opened with a small click. Tauriel helped the stupefied Amarok to her feet, shaking her head slightly upon seeing the extent of the bruises on her small wrist. She had never truly doubted her king's decisions or orders but as loyal a soldier she was, even Tauriel could see that what they were doing to this Amarok and the dwarves was not right and only done for Thranduil's selfish reasons.
"You can ask him yourself," the she-elf muttered quietly as she led the still speechless Amarok to the door. A short look around was enough for Tauriel to know that they were alone before she pulled Tarya out of the room and down the hallway.
Tauriel led the Amarok through the quiet corridors, careful not to alert anyone to their little getaway. But the she-elf knew her ways through the palace well enough to know which hallways she had to take in order not to be seen by anyone. Tarya followed her swiftly, almost as light-footed as an elf, and they quickly made it to the large iron door that led down to the dungeons without having caused any noise.
Tauriel opened it with one of the big keys she kept on her belt, pushing open the heavy door that gave way to stone stairs that led deep down into the earth. She shortly glanced over her shoulder towards the Amarok who just looked up at her out of wide eyes, apparently not quite believing what was happening. And truly, Tauriel couldn't quite believe what she was doing herself. But somehow she knew it was the right thing.
Tarya followed silently as the she-elf made her way down the stairs, torches lighting the way on either side until they reached a dark corridor that held more shadow than light. Tauriel quickly made her way to where she knew the brunet dwarf was locked in, having put him here herself. Tarya came to a halt behind her as she stopped abruptly in front of a dark cell, the prisoner of which keeping himself hidden in the shadows in a corner.
He didn't even look up, although Tauriel was sure he had heard them approaching. The elf shortly nodded towards the Amarok who looked a bit nervous and still sceptic beside her. The elven guard then watched as Tarya hesitantly stepped past her and closer to the bars, gripping one almost timidly with her right hand.
"Kili?" she asked quietly into the heavy silence, eyes searching the dark cell for her friend.
It was only a few seconds later that Tauriel could see the dark-haired dwarf stepping out of the shadows, his gaze transfixed on the small woman that stood before his cell.
"Tarya," Kili muttered hoarsely as he came to a halt right behind the bars, looking at the Amarok in disbelief. "What… what are you doing here?"
"Tauriel brought me," Tarya replied lowly, a small sad smile playing around her lips as Kili reached one hand out of the cell as far as he could, cupping her cheek with his left and pulling her closer to him, the bars the only thing that stopped him from wrapping his arms around her. He looked at her, not quite believing his own eyes. There was no way to explain how happy he felt to see her. Tarya was like a light in the darkness, a spark of hope, and Kili felt his chest tighten almost painfully upon the sight of his One, feeling her warm skin under his fingertips. He had spent so many hours of the last days thinking about what he would do if he saw her again and now she was here and yet there was still this barrier between them that kept her from him.
Kili felt his heart give a hard tug in his chest as Tarya slightly leaned into his touch, his thumb stroking gently over her cheekbone. She softly put her small right hand over his large one on her cheek and Kili's gaze suddenly landed on the dark blue and red bruises on her wrist. The young dwarf's eyes narrowed immediately as he felt a surge of anger run through him at whoever had done this to her. At the king who had given the order. Kili averted his gaze from Tarya's face for a moment, only to shoot a dangerous glare to the elven guard that was still standing behind her, observing them calmly.
Tauriel didn't react to the dwarf's gaze, knowing that there was no right reaction to it. He was angry, no matter what she did. They had chained his beloved; there was no excuse Kili would accept for something like that. And rightly so, Tauriel thought, though her eyes widened ever so slightly with surprise as she heard the Amarok's quiet voice cut through the heavy silence once more.
"It is not her fault," Tarya muttered softly, causing Kili's gaze to flick back to her. "If anything, I owe her thanks. If it weren't for her, I would not be here now."
Tarya gave Kili's hand a comforting squeeze when his dark gaze wandered back to her bruised wrist, causing him to look back into her eyes. Tarya felt her heart beat wildly in her chest as he looked at her, the warmth of his hand spreading from her cheek through her whole body. She could have stayed here forever, just enjoying being near him once more. She couldn't deny it anymore now, even if she had wanted to. As Tarya looked into Kili's warm brown eyes, there was no doubt left in her that she loved this dwarf before her.
Her mouth opened to say something, to express what she was feeling but she quickly snapped it closed again, clearing her throat slightly upon Kili's questioning look. Tarya didn't know whether there would ever be a right time or place to tell him of her feelings, to risk their friendship with it, but she knew that now was certainly not the right moment.
"How… uh, how are you?" she stammered in a quiet murmur instead.
"Better now," Kili replied quietly after having hesitated for a moment, his thumb stroking lazily over her cheek as a warm smile spread over his tired features. Tarya felt her throat tighten slightly at the sight and she averted her gaze to the floor, letting her hand slide from his and down the bit of his forearm that fit between the bars. Only now did she notice that the sleeves of his dark blue tunic were rolled up to his elbows.
"I missed you," Kili added in a murmur and Tarya pressed her lips together in order to restrain herself. It was horrible, seeing him locked in this small dark cell, all on his own. She had never seen him looking so miserable and tired before. "I never realized how lonely I would be without you and Fili, and the others."
Tarya tried to return the small smile he gave her but she could tell that it didn't quite work out. "I miss you, too," she mumbled in reply, gripping his arm a bit tighter. Then, for a moment, they merely looked at each other, both lost in their own thoughts, and Tarya wondered why she had never realized her love for him before. It all seemed so obvious now.
After a while, Kili took a deep, almost nervous breath and opened his mouth to say something but he was cut short before the first word left his mouth.
"We don't have much time," Tauriel muttered from behind them and as Tarya looked over her shoulder, she saw the elf shooting a worried look towards the stairs before her green gaze wandered back to her and Kili. Tarya nodded shortly before she slowly turned her head back to Kili.
She slowly pulled his hand from her cheek, keeping hold of it for another moment as she looked up at him. The Amarok sighed deeply upon noticing the sudden sadness that had overcome her friend's – her beloved's – features and without thinking Tarya brought his hand up to her face again, pressing a small kiss to his palm. As she raised her gaze back to his, she could see that his eyebrows had risen in surprise and she felt her cheeks turn slightly warmer as she realized what she'd just done. But Kili didn't say anything and so Tarya just stroked her thumb lightly over the spot her lips had just touched before she abruptly let go of his hand.
"I should – I'm…," she stammered, not quite knowing what to say. Kili's eyebrows rose a bit further in question and Tarya quickly cleared her throat, suddenly feeling awfully flustered.
"We will find a way out of here," she then said, sounding strangely stiff and not nearly as optimistic as she would have liked. She quickly took a few steps backwards and Kili's hands gripped the bars tightly as he made a small move forward, almost as if to close the distance between them again. Tarya shot him a last look before she forced herself to turn away and follow Tauriel back down the stone corridor and up the stairs.
Tauriel led her back to her chamber even faster than she had led her to the dungeons and when they entered the room, Tarya let the she-elf reattach the chain to her sore wrist without protest. She didn't want Tauriel to get in trouble after helping her and if tomorrow someone came in and saw that she was no longer chained, that would have had trouble written all over it.
"Why did you do that?" Tarya called quietly after the redhead when she was already at the door, holding it half open as she looked back over her shoulder for a moment. "Certainly your king would not approve of your actions tonight."
Tauriel hesitated a few moments before she answered and when she finally did, she looked completely lost in thought. "King Thranduil does not care much about others," the she-elf muttered quietly, almost sounding bitter. "He only cares for what they have that he wants… I, however, believe in doing the right thing. And sometimes doing the right thing means defying orders."
Tarya held the she-elf's gaze for a moment, recognizing and studying the compassionate expression in it. Maybe this elf wasn't as bad as she had initially thought. The Amarok slightly inclined her head at the redhead. "Thank you," she muttered genuinely.
Tauriel just nodded graciously at her, sending her a small smile before she turned around and left the room. The door fell closed behind her with a thud. Tarya sighed heavily as she was now alone in the chamber again, fiddling slightly with the bond around her wrist when she suddenly heard a small tapping in the room, almost sounding like footsteps.
Tarya's gaze immediately shot up but as her eyes scanned the room, she could see nothing unusual. But then, right in front of her, suddenly appeared a figure out of thin air and Tarya cried out in shock, pressing herself back against the wall out of reflex as she looked at the man before her with wide eyes. It took her a moment before she regained her composure, eyes widening even more as she realized who it was that was standing there, smiling down at her warmly.
"Bilbo!" Tarya cried out in disbelief and before the hobbit could do anything, Tarya had already scrambled to her feet and pulled him into a lung-crushing hug. "How is this possible? How are you here? Where did you come from?"
Returning her hug, Bilbo chuckled slightly into her shoulder before he pushed her back gently after a moment, one hand gripping her arm in a calming manner. "Shh," he whispered, shooting a short look towards the door. "We don't want to alert the whole palace."
The Amarok quieted down immediately, a small sheepish smile coming to play around her lips. "I'm sorry," she muttered lowly. "But you cannot possibly imagine how happy it makes me to see you! I feared that you were still in the forest, maybe even dead. You just disappeared!"
"Yes, that…" Bilbo replied quietly, scratching his head slightly. "I have a… I used a magic ring that makes me invisible."
Tarya could just blankly stare at the hobbit for a moment, eyebrows rising in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"I know it sounds strange but it's the truth," Bilbo quickly said and opened his right palm, showing her a small gold ring lying on it. Tarya's gaze flicked back up to meet Bilbo's. So that was how he had managed to appear out of nowhere. "I found it in the Goblin tunnels," Bilbo explained. "I used it when the elves collared you and sneaked after you into the palace. I explored the whole area after you were all locked in and by now I know my way around as if it were my very own hobbit-hole."
The Amarok could merely look at her friend with wide eyes, not quite able to believe what he was telling her. "Do you know where the others are?" she asked hopefully then. "Do you know a way out?"
"I do," Bilbo answered with a proud smile as he sat down next to her, reaching for the plate of food she had left untouched this morning. Tarya watched him as he began to eat, a happy smile pulling on the corners of her lips. "I have found every cell, although it took me over a week and I have talked to Thorin today. I guess, he was only too happy to see me. Thranduil is giving him quite a hard time, too, you know…"
Tarya's eyebrows rose in question and Bilbo just shook his head slightly. "Apparently, orcs have been seen on the borders of Thranduil's lands…" The hobbit hesitated for a moment as the Amarok's gaze darkened dangerously. Bilbo just nodded shortly, confirming her thoughts. "They want Thorin dead, all of us, actually, which - admittedly - is not a big surprise. I was in the dungeons when Thranduil told Thorin that he is thinking about letting the orcs pass his borders so they could end what they've begun."
"But that would mean he would let orcs into his realm to kill his prisoners! Let them kill us!" Tarya exclaimed and Bilbo shrugged slightly.
"I don't think he would let them anywhere near you," the hobbit muttered after a moment of silence. "You're too valuable to him. He's not as fond of the dwarves, though."
An angry huff left Tarya's throat. She had known that Thranduil was a selfish coward who didn't care for the problems of others. But she wouldn't have thought him capable of something so despicable. Bilbo cleared his throat slightly beside her before he continued, his expression stern.
"I don't think he would truly do it," he said. "He is just trying to pressure Thorin into giving him what he wants."
Tarya nodded in understanding. "And is it working?"
"Not really," Bilbo replied, an almost amused smile coming to play around his lips as he looked at her. "Thorin told him that he would rather die than give one of his company up or let him see even one gold coin of Erebor's treasuries. He added a few harsh words, too. I think it was… ah, yes. Imrid amrad ursul. I don't know what it means but I'm guessing it was nothing nice."
Tarya chuckled quietly, imagining Thorin cursing the elven king in the language of the dwarves. She would have liked to see Thranduil's face.
"But it doesn't matter," Bilbo continued. "Because I know how to get them all out and I know how we can escape the palace, though it might be a bit uncomfortable."
"I don't care if it's uncomfortable as long as I get out of this accursed place," Tarya replied in a slight grumble. Bilbo nodded understandingly, his gaze shortly flicking to her bonds.
"Don't worry," he muttered. "I'll take care of it. The king will be hosting a great feast the day after tomorrow. It's the perfect time to execute my plan; all the elves will be there and away from the palace. I will steal the keys from one of the guards and come to get you first. Then we will sneak down to the dungeons to free the others. And then we get out of here."
Tarya smiled brightly at her friend, her heart filling with hope upon Bilbo's optimism. She wrapped one arm affectionately over the hobbit's shoulders, squeezing slightly as he chewed on a piece of bread. "You seem to have become quite good at this burglar task."
Bilbo chuckled quietly in reply. "I guess you could say that."