Faedra stood on a ledge with Thorin as he shouted orders to the dwarves below about the Arkenstone.
"The Arkenstone is in these halls - find it!" Thorin ordered, "All of you - No one rests until it is found!"
Faedra looked on helplessly, keeping her mouth shut about what was happening to Thorin. It was not yet the time for Thorin to know what was happening to him. She was leaning against the wall of the doorway, looking at him with an expressionless face. He took no notice of her and she watched as Biblo exit the room.
She followed him silently, taking many twist and turns until they reached the ramparts of the front gate. He sat down looking forward. She hid in the shadows, peaking over the corner so she could see him. He looked around and reached into his pocket, pulling out the Arkenstone. She sighed in relief that the stone was not with the gold.
If Thorin had found that stone, he would be as mad as ever. She took a few steps back before turning and leaving Bilbo. All she could do now was hope that Thorin never finds it or finds the keeper of the stone.
Tara walked through the piles of gold, looking for a stone she had never even seen. Every now and then she would pick up a stone, but throw it back over her shoulder. A few times she heard and yelp of pain, but she didn't bother turning around. Kili was only a few feet away from her and he would send her reassuring smiles every now and then.
Her legs were starting to ache and she was getting a headache from looking at all this gold. After many complaints, Thorin finally allowed them to rest after speaking with Faedra. They walked through the halls and Kili led her into a room he had found. The room was quite nice looking, despite the dust and few broken things.
The door behind her closed and when she turned, Kili crashed his lips onto hers. She kissed back with the same amount of enthusiasm. Everything, the stress, the frustration, the aching, it all went away at that moment. Slowly their clothes started to disappear and forgotten.
"Are you sure?" Kili asked, breaking the kiss.
Tara nodded, panting a little, and he kissed her softly before continuing on. They went on through the night, full of lust and love.
Amara walked through the town as people were packing up things and carrying them to some unbroken wagons. Legolas had left her to find the one in charge, leaving her to help the anyone who needed it. She saw the same lanky man that had been screaming in the water dump a pile of sticks on an old lady who already had her hands full. Full of rage, she stormed over to the woman, pulling off the extra load and dumping it back into the man's arms.
"Pull your own weight, why don't you?" Amara said angrily.
"I don't answer to the likes of you, pointy ears," the man shot back, dropping the sticks at her feet.
She pulled out a dagger, twirling it in her fingers, making a sound of metal meeting wind. He immediately looked frightened as he looked at the knife.
"I would not antagonize her," Legolas spoke behind him, "She is known quite well to have a short temper."
He nodded and picked up the pile, running away quickly. She noticed Tauriel and Lia heading there way and they both approached them to close the distance quicker.
"You saw something out there," Tauriel said, looking into Legolas's eyes.
"The orc I pursued out of Laketown - I know who he is," he said.
"Bolg," Amara spoke for him, "A spawn of Azog the Defiler. A warg pack was waiting for him on the outskirts of Esgaroth. They fled into the north."
Legolas nodded before continuing, "These orcs were different from the others. They wore a mark I had not seen for a long time. The mark of…"
"Gundabad," Amara said in a whisper.
Tauriel and Lia stared in shock.
"Gundabad?" Lia asked, not believing she heard right.
"An orc-stronghold in the far north of the Misty Mountains," Legolas explained.
An elf from Mirkwood rode up on a horse and addressed Legolas.
"My Lord Legolas," he spoke in elvish, "I bring word from your Father. You are to return to him immediately with your wife."
He nodded and addressed Tauriel, "Come, Tauriel."
"My Lord," the elf interrupted him, "Tauriel is banished."
"Banished?" Amara asked in surprise.
"You may tell my father: If there is no place for Tauriel, there is no place for me,"Legolas spoke.
"Or me," Amara said, standing by Legolas.
"Legolas, Amara," Tauriel said, "It is your King's command"
"Yes, he is our King and my father-in-law," Amara said, "But he does not command my heart, nor his."
Legolas grabbed Amara's hand and turned them away from the messenger, Lia and Tauriel at their heels.
"We ride north," Legolas said, "Will you come with us?"
"To where?" Lia asked confused, Tauriel sharing the same look.
"To Gundabad," Amara said as if it were obvious.
They mounted two horses, two on each, and rode past the Laketown people who were beginning their long trek. They rode through the dreary forest, past streams and rivers, and over grassy hilltops. They traveled for days, not stopping except to let the horses rest for a bit. The bright sun was starting to be masked by gray clouds and the grass was turning into bits of rock and stone. The air started to smell foul and there wasn't an ounce of life to be seen.
They stopped their horses at the bottom of a rock scramble and ran up a rocky outcrop. They crouched behind some rocks at the top and saw a fortress ahead.
"Gundabad," Amara said in disgust.
"What lies beyond?" Tauriel asked curiously.
"An old enemy," Legolas answered, "The ancient kingdom of Angmar. This fortress was once its stronghold. It is where they kept their great armories, forged their weapons of war."
A light flickered in a window of the fortress, then disappeared.
"A light!" Lia said, "I saw movement."
"We wait for the cover of night. It is a fell place," Amara explained, "In another age our people waged war on those lands."
Legolas paused, looking pained. Amara lay a hand on his shoulder to help reassure him.
"My mother died there," Legolas told, "My father does not speak of it. There is no grave, no memory, nothing."
They sat quietly for the rest of the time, hearing nothing but the soft wind blowing around dust and dirt. Hours later, the sky had started to darken.
"If we are going in," Tauriel said, "We should move now
Suddenly, massive bats burst above their hiding spot, screeching and flying around.
"They are swarming," Lia pointed out.
"These bats are bred for one purpose," Legolas said.
"For what?" Tauriel and Lia asked in unison.
"For war," Amara answered for Legolas.
As the bats swarmed overhead, a figure rode out on a Warg. It was Bolg, dressed for battle. He raised his mace and shouted out a command; trumpets sounded, and gates in the bottom of the fortress opened, releasing rank upon rank of massive orcs. Each wielded a giant spear at least three times longer than the orcs' height. The massive army began marching away, with the bats following and wheeling overhead.
"We must warn the others," Lia said, standing up.
"We may be too late, hurry!" Amara warned.
The four stood up and ran down the rocky slope. Just as they were about to mount their horses, Lia and Amara's assassin crystal necklaces started to glow. Legolas and Tauriel stood in shock as they just watched Lia and Amara's transfixed expressions. The crystal light quickly died down and Amara and Lia looked frightened.
"War is coming," was all Amara said, quickly mounting the horse.
Legolas didn't press for any more details and mounted the steed as well. They rode away, back down the path they came. They only hoped they weren't too late.