Ok gang, super dooper long chapter because I couldn't find a happy medium between two chapters without one being super short and thought stuff it, big chapter, my treat haha.

So many questions answered now too...

Let us begin!

Rilien stood behind Gandalf and the hobbit, whom he had never met before but found him to be quite curious, especially since it was he, who apparently freed the dwarves and thought of the ingenious plan to use the barrels to escape. Valisilwen stood beside him, a scowl on her face as she glared at Thranduil.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the Halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards," Thranduil began addressing Bilbo.

Bilbo fidgeted slightly under the Elf King's accusing gaze. "Uh, yes. Sorry about that."

Rilien was curious as to why one of the first things the hobbit had asked was to see King Thranduil and Bard the Bowman. Clearly, he had thought of a plan to avert war of Erebor, but what was it that this little creature of the Shire, no bigger than a young elfling, could have thought of?

There was silence for a moment before Bilbo stepped forward and put a wrapped package on the table. "I came to give you this." He began to unwrap the package, to reveal a shining gem. It shone so bright, it was almost blinding.

Thranduil stood, his face written with surprise. "The heart of the mountain! The King's Jewel."

Gandalf and Bard moved forward for a closer look, as Rilien also leaned around to get a better look. It was indeed impressive. He glanced at Valisilwen to see what her take on it was, but she appeared uninterested.

"And worth a king's ransom," Bard breathed in awe. He turned to look at the hobbit. "How is this yours to give?"

"I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure." Rilien saw Gandalf smile lightly at the Hobbit.

"That's risky, Bilbo," Valisilwen finally spoke up, moving closer toward the hobbit. "Dwarves don't take well to treason."

"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty," Bard asked incredulously.

Bilbo sighed, looking around at the faces that surrounded him. "I'm not doing it for you. I know that dwarves can be obstinate and pigheaded and difficult, suspicious and secretive...with the worst manners you can possibly imagine." Rilien saw Valisilwen give a smirk at that comment, clearly this was something Valisilwen knew first hand. "But they are also brave and kind...and loyal to a fault. I've grown very fond of them, and would save them, if I can."

Rilien raised his eyebrows and looked up at Valisilwen, who met his gaze, her face seemed somewhat conflicted. Perhaps she was struggling with what she knew of the dwarves too, but also not condoning their current behaviour.

"Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, I believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war!"

The group all exchanged glances as Bilbo looked up hopefully.

Gandalf led them through Dale, Bilbo walking between the elf and Ranger.

"Rest up tonight, you must leave tomorrow," Gandalf ordered, looking back at the Halfling.

Bilbo looked at Gandalf in surprise, jogging to keep up. "What?"

"Get as far away from here as possible."

Bilbo gaped at Gandalf, before glancing at the two other companions. "I'm-I'm not leaving. You picked me as the fourteenth man. I'm not about to leave the company now."

Gandalf stopped and looked back at Bilbo, grimly. "There is no company, not anymore. And I don't like to think what Thorin will do when he finds out what you've done. As Valisilwen says, dwarves don't take to treason too nicely."

The hobbit puffed out his chest. "I'm not afraid of Thorin."

"You should be," Valisilwen, who had been quiet for the whole conversation, murmured, drawing the Hobbit's attention to her. "Don't underestimate the evil of gold, especially once a dragon has been brooding over it for a long time as had Smaug." The look on Bilbo's face seemed to be one of recognition.

"Dragon-sickness seeps into the hearts of all who come near this mountain," Gandalf agreed, nodding, before appraising Bilbo. "Well, almost all." He noticed Alfrid walking by and called out. "You there! Find this hobbit a bed and fill his belly with hot food. He has earned it."

"Not wise, Gandalf," Rilien muttered leaning closer to the wizard, having seen firsthand what a worm Alfrid was.

"Nonsense." Alfrid grudgingly walked over and began to lead Bilbo away, but stopped when Gandalf grabbed him. "Hey, keep an eye on him. If he should try to leave, you will tell me."

They watched as Alfrid walked off with Bilbo, cursing as a group of people walked in front of him.

"I really wish you had let the mob take him, Valisilwen," Rilien, leaning closer to the Ranger, muttered under his breath.

"You and me both," she replied, dully. She turned and began to walk back towards the lake, away from the Elvish army and Dale.

Rilien hurried after her, looking slightly confused. "Where are you going?"

"I need to hunt," she replied in an offhand manner, making her way through the people who were hurrying through the ruined streets.

"Hunt?" Rilien repeated in surprise. "I'm not sure this is the time or-"

Valisilwen cut him off as she continued on her way. "If I don't hunt, then I may slip into a state of bloodlust and kill any and all in my path, without prejudice." Rilien took a sharp breath at the mention of bloodlust. "By taking my fill before the battle, the beast within will, hopefully, be sated."

Rilien grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Wait, I'm not sure it's a good idea after what Gandalf said. We don't know when the Orcs will arrive." He was sure she would pull her arm away from him indignantly like she usually would, but to his surprise she did not, but looked down at his hand holding her arm instead.

By now they were outside the walls that were left of Dale. The hills rolled down before them and the lake shone in the dwindling sunlight as if nothing were wrong. In the dwindling light, with the sun setting behind Rilien as he looked at her, she looked back up at him and gave a small smile. He couldn't help but notice that her mismatched eyes seemed to twinkle a little in the dying light.

Valisilwen took her arm from Rilien's grasp, although there was no malice or anger in her action. "Rilien, I realise you feel some strange need to protect me, but I promise you, I am more than capable of protecting myself." She looked back at Rilien and gave a small smile. It was the first smile he had seen from her that seemed completely void of sarcasm or bitterness towards him. "Thank you, for worrying, but I really need to hunt. I will be back before the march to the gate."

With that she turned and ran for the forest that topped the hills around Dale, before disappearing into the shadows. It wasn't long before Rilien could hear an eerie howl as the night sky became littered with stars.

Later that night, as the moon sat high in the sky, Rilien stood on the hill overlooking the plain before the mountain. It was quiet, although there were still many elves moving around silently, the men were resting in preparation for the battle they expected. He had watched many of these men learning to fight, none were ready for the battle that would soon ensue. He himself had tried teaching a few, some had good natural talent, others were too seasoned to be there, but refused to back down. He had to commend their spirit though. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he heard light footfalls behind him, turning to see Valisilwen.

"You're back?" he said in surprise, looking her up and down. She didn't look like she had been hunting at all.

"Even I need sleep, Rilien," she replied, without looking at him. She looked over the army of elves and men spread out before them. "Even though my wolf form is quite adept at sleeping rough, even I can appreciate the comforts of a decent place to rest."

He grimaced slightly at her initial remark, before smirking. That was the closest to an admission she had made to being remotely normal to the world of men. "You can rest in my tent, I'll keep watch for you."

He led her to his tent, and ushered her in, holding back the tent flap for her.

She took a moment to look back at him, a slightly pink tinge to her cheeks. "Uh, thank you, Rilien."

He waved away her thanks, and turned to continue watching over the mountain.

oOOo

A young Valisilwen sat on her knees, her back and shoulders ached, but she dared not move, lest the whip would strike her again.

"Look up, princess!" a cold and disgusting voice sneered in her ear. She tried to turn her face away from the voice without complying to its demands, but her face was forced upwards when her hair was grabbed roughly and pulled back.

Before her, was a woman and man. Both were chained by the arms and legs, barely able to reach each other due to the chains being attached to large boulders, dug into the ground, within a small arena.

Orcs jeered them, some throwing stones at them. Valisilwen watched on in horror as a large, white Orc marched forward to the cheers of all the other Orcs, towards the couple. Valisilwen tried to struggle against her binds, but it just made her guards laugh harder at her.

The Pale Orc, Azog the Defiler, looked to where the Orcs were laughing loudly, at her, and he smirked, a gruesome and disgusting smirk. He looked to the couple, before bringing his mace up and smashing the man with it once.

The man, however, did his best not to show his pain, instead he growled at the Orc. This just made the surrounding Orcs laugh harder though. Azog hit him again, and again. Still the man did not fall.

Then, Azog turned to the woman beside him, she had been crying as Azog hit the man over and over. He raised his mace, ready to strike her too, as he had struck the man. Valisilwen closed her eyes tight, unable to bare the scene before.

"No!" the man shouted, before it turned into a howl. She opened her eyes to see the man had turned into a great white wolf, his golden eyes enraged. He was still bound to the boulders, though he still managed to grab an Orc that stood close by and flung it away angrily.

"Now! The show can begin!" Azog shouted, causing the Orcs to all cheer louder than before. More Orcs piled forward and began to attack the wolf.

Valisilwen began to sob pitifully, which earned her laughter from her guards, who then began to whip her mercilessly. Valisilwen screamed in pain and agony as the whips ate away at her skin with every strike."Mama! Papa!"

"No!" came the woman's cry, which was also followed by a howl. She too had changed, a silver wolf appearing in her place, but with her transformation she was able to slip her binds. She charged by the Orcs that attacked her partner, and instead ran straight to the orcs that guarded Valisilwen. She grabbed the nearest about its head with her powerful jaws, a crack could be heard. She then flung it away and charged at the others.

"Stop her!" came Azog's furious orders.

The silver wolf carefully grabbed Valisilwen about her body with the same powerful jaws, but with such gentleness, that Valisilwen found it comforting and familiar, before running away.

They ran for what seemed an age to the child, but still the Orcs chased them, her mother's body taking several arrows in the process. Finally, her mother had put enough distance between them and the orc pack and found a forest border. She stopped, letting down the child and biting through her binds carefully.

Valisilwen waited patiently, still sobbing as her mother transformed back into her normal form. "Baba, you must go into this forest and hide. Walk through the forest until you find yourself on the other side, and do not come out until daylight," her mother said, putting her hands to the child's shoulders.

"But I want to stay with you, mama," she sobbed.

"No!" he mother scolded, her breathing was becoming ragged. "You must leave, you must. I must go back and help papa. You can save the people, everyone. You MUST live, Baba."

She reached around her neck and pulled from it a necklace, with the family totem on it. She carefully put it around Valisilwen's neck, before leaning forward, hugging her child tightly and kissing her sobbing daughter's forehead. "I love you, so much, Valisilwen..."

"I love you too, mama..."

"Go now, Baba, we love you so much. Be a good girl and do as I say. I must go and help Papa." With that Valisilwen slowly began to walk away, while her mother transformed again. She looked back at Valisilwen one more time with her ice blue eyes tinged with sadness, before she heard the orcs horns sounding again. "Go Baba! Do not look back! Do not look for us!" she growled before howling and running again.

"Mama, Papa," Valisilwen sobbed, as she turned and ran into the depths of the forest, fighting her way through the undergrowth with her tiny hands. "MAMA!"

'I love you so much, Valisilwen... Valisilwen...Valisilwen...' it repeated through her mind as she ran.

"Valisilwen!" She felt strong hands holding her about her shoulders and shaking her. "Wake up, Valisilwen!"

She opened her eyes with a start, before sitting up suddenly and lashing out, only for a strong arm to catch her fist. It took a moment for her to realise that Rilien was leaning over her, holding her shoulder and fist, a look of great concern written all over his face. She knew then, what must have happened. She looked around, she was inside his tent, although, no longer on the stretcher.

"Ah," she breathed, dropping her head back onto the ground. "This is why I try to put off sleeping."

"Are you okay?" Rilien pressed, letting go of her fist, but still holding her shoulder. "You were screaming and thrashing around."

She sighed. "I'm fine," she replied, moving to sit up. "Mostly." She moved into a seated position against the side of the stretcher.

"A nightmare?"

"A memory disguised as a nightmare," she replied, looking down at the ground.

"With your mother?"

She didn't answer but nodded. That same dream would haunt her whenever she closed her eyes to sleep, which is why she often didn't. Or if she really needed to, she would do it away from others. She had been tempted to stay away from the camp for the night to sleep, but for some reason, she had felt lonely while she was hunting.

It was a peculiar situation, never before had that been an issue for her, but since beginning this journey, something had changed. While she rarely worked alone when with the Dunedain, her brothers were often morbid, dull company. On this journey, she had found them to be more like companions, as opposed to comrades.

Rilien finally released her shoulder, and shifted himself so he was sat beside her, also leaning against the stretcher. "Want to talk about it?"

She looked sideways at him and raised an eyebrow. She felt like making a snide comment, but she was suddenly overwhelmed by a strange emotion as she looked into his kind and concerned face. Before she knew it, she could feel tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. She quickly turned her head to look straight ahead and try to compose herself.

"What makes you think I want to talk about it?" she asked quietly. "It's been an age, Rilien." She stopped and gulped, feeling a lump forming in her throat. She fought to keep in control.

"Have you spoken to anyone about it, in that time?" he asked curiously, leaning forward slightly. She was quiet. No, she hadn't. She did not want anyone to know what she was, even after Sauron fell, she feared what would happen when they would find out what she was. She feared it would happen all over again. "It must hurt?"

She looked back at him in confusion. "What?"

"Not telling someone." She looked skeptically at the elf for a moment. "To live with that burden for so long, having not told anyone, and then to see the two creatures that caused all that pain so many years ago. The pain that you've been hiding, it's not good for you, Valisilwen."

She stared at Rilien for a moment, taking in what the young elf had just said to her. It didn't take long until she started to feel very overwhelmed with emotion. The lump came back into her throat and she felt her eyes beginning to heat once more. She looked back down at the ground in front of her.

"Please, Valisilwen, tell me, I want to help you." She felt his hand touch hers gently. It was all too much for her. She turned her head away as the tears began to fall. It was a strange feeling, to cry again. She had not cried like that in an age, not since she cried for so many nights on her own in the forest.

As she began to sob uncontrollably, she felt strong arms wrap around her shoulders, it alarmed her at first, until she realised Rilien was pulling her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest and holding her tightly.

In her head, she wanted to pull away, to push him away and possibly even hit him, but something stopped her. Her heart was thumping hard inside her chest, she was worried that perhaps it might explode, but she wasn't sure why it was behaving like that. Being embraced like so, made her sob even harder as she realised the last time she had allowed anyone to embrace her like that, was her mother, on the border of that forest, before she never saw her again.

oOOo

Rilien held the Ranger in his arms as she sobbed heavily. Never had he imagined that such a thing would ever happen, but she had broken down after he discovered her in the midst of a nightmare.

The tall, intimidating Shape-Changer, sobbing in his arms. He imagined she must have been holding this in for so many years, even through her residence in the Last Homely House, with Lord Elrond. As he looked down at her as she cried, he felt her nestle against his chest. That surprised him, and he held her tighter, before beginning to stroke her hair. It was silky and soft. He wondered if anyone had ever been able to get so close to the Ranger as he was now.

As he stroked her hair, he noted she gave off a sweet smell, like that of the forest on a new morning, mixed with a field of flowers in the spring time. He realised after a while that her sobbing was slowing, and she didn't shudder so much anymore.

"I'm sorry," she murmured between sobs.

He looked down in confusion. "What are you sorry for?"

"For burdening you, with my problems."

"You haven't burdened me with anything yet," he replied with a small smile, moving his hand to carefully lift her face to look at him. He noted that the light of her eyes seemed somewhat diminished at the moment. "And you won't. I understand that you've been through much, Valisilwen, but if you would like to talk to someone about it, please know, I am here and waiting."

She gulped, looking away bashfully. He gave a small smile, wiping away tears from her cheeks.

"If you want to try and sleep a little longer, should you feel the need..." he motioned to the stretcher.

"Thank you," she murmured, carefully pulling herself away from his chest. At that moment, Rilien felt a pang of disappointment as he felt her body warmth leave his, but was careful not to let it show.

She stood and sat on the stretcher for a moment, as if to compose herself, or perhaps to psych herself up to sleep again. Rilien moved to leave, only for her to put a hand on his arm as he moved to stand.

"Rilien, wait..." she began. He looked at her expectantly. Her cheeks were pink, he wasn't sure if that was from crying or something else. "Would you... would you mind just staying close, please?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, his own heart seeming to skip a beat when she asked. He smiled and nodded, removing his bow, quiver and sword, before sitting back down with his back against the side of the stretcher again.

He felt Valisilwen lay down on the stretcher behind him, but he was surprised when she moved closer towards the side he leant against. He could feel her slightly nuzzle against his shoulder before she sighed. "Is everything alright?"

"I think so," she whispered. He gave a small smile.

"I just want to make one thing clear," he said, turning his head slightly so he could look at her face. She opened her brown eye slightly and met his gaze. "You're a princess, and I plan on treating you as such."

She gave a small laugh and smiled, closing her eye again and covering her face with her hand. He smiled, there was nothing put on about her now. She looked back at him again, her eyes now twinkling with mischief. "Fine, but that doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy for you to treat me like that."

He laughed himself. "I don't doubt that at all."

Ugh, I'm still so torn about adding the two chapters together, but what's done is done now.

xo

Krayzee