'Bring him to me.' Morsha ordered the dark elven guard. A dwarf messenger had been found at their cities entrance, he had message for Morsha. The beautiful woman with the cold eyes glared at the dwarf who was brought in by two guards. He looked familiar to her, but she could not tell why. 'What do you want, dwarf?' she sneered at him. 'You have no buiness here.' The dwarf looked at her. He tried to hide his fear, but Morsha could see a slight gleam of panic in his eyes. 'I am Orin, son of Oin. At your service.' as Morsha only frowned at him he continued. 'I have a message for you from Thorin Oakenshield, king under the mountain.' Morsha felt her heart wrench painfully in her chest. 'King Thorin? He is alive?' She had been certain that he had fallen during the battle against the goblin army five years ago. Orin nodded in a hurry. 'He is alive and he wants...' he suddenly realised that they were not alone. 'This is only for your ears, mylady.' 'I do not care about what he wants.' Morsha snarled. 'And I already know what message I will bring back to him.' she added with a murderous impression on her face. In that moment Orin realised that he was dead.
'We found this letter in his pockets.' One of the dark elven guards gave Morsha the envelope. It was Thorins writing and sealed with the sign of the house of Durin. 'Bind him on fast horse and send him back.' Morsha ordered with a grim expression. She held the letter in her hand, unsure what to do with it. But at first she had to talk to Serja. 'You knew...you knew this all long, didn't you?' Morsha said monotonusly as she met her friend. 'I knew that the dwarf king was still alive, yes.' Serja answered calmly. 'Unlike you I have lived my life with open eyes and a clear mind. I have witnessed what happened in the world around us. You have been living in your own world of hate and grief the past five years.' 'Why didn't you tell me?' Morsha asked weakly. She knew that her friend was right. 'What would it have changed? Would you have returned to him, to be with him?' Serja snarled. 'His life or death should be of no importance.' 'It is of importance. To me.' Morsha growled. 'And if I ever return to the lonely mountain it will be to destroy it.' Determined she turned around and left for her room. As she arrived there, she opened the letter.
Morsha, my love,
no words can describe the emptiness in my heart or the pain I must have caused you with my weakness. I have thrown away the most precious thing I have ever had, your love. Our love. I can only plea to you to forgive me and to come back to me, as my rightful queen under the mountain and the woman I love. I do not know if I can ever make everything up to you, but I hope that you will come back to me and that I can show you how serious I am about us. I love you.
Thorin
Morsha clenched her fist around the letter so tightly that blood came out of her palm. She felt fury, hate, shame and love at the same time and it drove her mad. Did he really think that it would only take a letter to get her back? He did not even care enough to search for her himself. He led a quest to reclaim his homeland, but he sent out messengers to find his love and stayed in his mountain like a coward.
'I will come with you.' Morsha kissed Thorin passionately. 'I will help you reclaim your home.'
Thorin looked at her in astonishment. It as their last day in Rivendell and the dark she-elf lay in his arms after a night of love and passion. The dwarf and the dark elf had grown close in the last days and Morsha liked the company very much. She felt at ease around them and she had to admit that she could not bear the thought that any of them getting injured or even dying during the quest.
'You do not need to do this.' Thorin told her softly.
'But I want to, Thorin.' Morsha looked in his eyes, the wonderful warm deep blue eyes she loved so much. 'My mission here is done and I have sent my report home already. I am free to go wherever I like.'
'Why are you doing this? Why would you risk our life to come with us?' Thorin asked her quietly.
'Did you ask your hobbit why he is doing this?' Morsha asked amused. 'He is risking far more than I am. He is no warrior. Not even a burglar.'
Thorin frowned. 'The halfling is a burden. I should never have allowed him to come.'
'Don't be so hard on him, Thorin. He does everything to please you. Your company has already accepted him, why don't you accept him for who he is?' Morsha cocked an eyebrow at him.
'This quest is dangerous. Its no place for a hobbit.' Thorin growled.
'So you give him hard time because you fear that you can't protect him?' Morsha asked.
'No. He forced me to protect him as the member of my company and we have already enough perils to face on this journey.' Thorin sighed. 'I do not understand why he came. And I do not understand why you want to join us on this quest. This is not your fight.'
'No it isn't, but its yours. And I want you to reclaim your home. You deserve to see Erebor restored in its former glory again. You deserve a home. All of you do. I want to help you, Thorin.' Morsha did not tell him the whole truth, then. She alredy knew that she loved him. Their connection was deep and pure, they could talk for hours and Morsha felt as if they knew each other for ages.
'My king! Orins pony just arrived at the gates!' A dwarf guard rushed towards Thorin who was on his way to the throne room. 'But it is only carrying a bag.'
Thorin frowned. Orin had been on his way to Gondor and Thorin had asked him to deliver a message to Morsha of he should find the city of the dark elves. Together with the guard he ran to the gate. The pony was in a bad shape, it had not been looked after for weeks as it seemed. A cold shiver ran down Thorins body as he looked at the bag on the ponys back. He lifted it down, it was heavy and made a jingling sound. As Thorin looked inside he nearly chocked on his breath. It was full with gold coins. And Orins head lay in between the gold.
'No. This can't be.' Thorin panted heavily as he looked into Orins terrified dead eyes. Still holding the bag the king of Erebor walked back to the throne room. Dwalin followed his king.
'Do you need another proof that the dark elves are hostile and cruel? Morsha was one of them, but she was different, Thorin.' Dwalin murmured.
Thorin felt his heart shatter to pieces. He had lost his love for good. And he had to tell Oin that his son was dead.
Morsha stood at the entrance to the dark elven city, a hidden gap in the mountains of South Gondor at the border to Mordor. She watched the thunderstorm rolling over the lands of Gondor and relished the feeling of cold rain drops on her skin. The last time she had witnessed such a weather she was on her way to Erebor, together with thirteen dwarves and a hobbit.
After they had left Rivendell the company had to cross the mountains and were surprised by a thunderstorm. But not only the thunderstorm compromised the quest. Stone giants came out of nowhere and battled each other, the company being trapped in between them. After a brutal battle between the giants the company managed to save themselves onto a ledge. Bilbo had lost his foothold and held on for dear life. Thorin pulled up the halfling, nearly falling himself.
'The halfling is lost since we left the Shire. He has no place amongst us.' he snarled at Bilbo and then went searching for a cave for the night together with Dwalin. Morsha tried to comfort the halfling, whose eyes were full of disappointment and hurt, but she knew that Thorin had chased away the hobbit from the company. Bilbo would use the next chance to turn back to Rivendell.
In the shelter of a cave Morsha sat down beside Thorin. 'You should not have said that, Thorin.' she told him quietly.
'What do you mean?' Thorin asked and took her in his arms to warm them both.
'What you said to Bilbo. You hurt him, Thorin.' Morsha looked at Thorin who only frowned at her words. 'Sometimes words hurt more than any weapon.' Thorin did not answer to this and later that night Morsha could hear Bilbo sneak out of the cave. And then hell broke lose.
Morsha felt the ground open underneath her and heard the surprised screams of the other dwarves as they fell down a sheer never ending slope. Somehow she had managed to stay with Thorin as they were attacked by the goblins who inhabited that mountain. The company was dragged to the goblin king, an incredibly ugly and huge goblin with a scepter. Morsha lowered her head as they stood before the ugly creature. She had been here before. Morsha had led an army of dark elves into these caves hundreds of years ago. The goblins had lost the battle, but as it seemed the goblin kingdom had recovered from the assault. Morsha feared that the goblin king might recognise her and punish the dwarves for her presence.
'Dwarves! Search them!' the goblin king ordered with a malicious grin. 'What were you doing in these paths? Speak!'
None of the dwarves answered and the goblin king smirked 'If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk. Bring up the bone breaker, start with the woman.' the gobling king ordered pointing to Morsha.
'Wait!' Thorin pushed forward.
'Well well well. Look who it is. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King under the mountain. But I forget.' the goblin king grinned. 'You have no mountain. Which makes you no one.'
Morsha snarled furiously at his words. In that moment Thorin felt himself how much words could hurt.
'I know someone who will pay a high price for your head. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, the pale orc.' the goblin king smirked.
'Azog, the defiler, was destroyed.' Thorin growled. 'He was slain in battle long ago.'
'I think I'll hand the woman over to him first.' the goblin watched as his goblins pushed Morsha towards him.
'NO! Don't you dare!' she heard Thorin yell from behind her. 'I swear you will die by my sword if you hurt her!'
The goblin king cocked an eyebrow. 'So this female elf is yours then? How inconvenient. A dwarf and an elf.' he took took a closer look at Morsha and forced her to look up to him.
'I know you.' the goblin king pulled back his hand and frowned. 'You were the female general of the dark elves who attacked us two hundred years ago. You slaughtered most of our people, my father died at your hands. I think I'd rather keep you for myself.'
The goblin king reached for Morsha as one of the goblin guards recognised Thorins sword and shrieked. The goblin king moved back to his throne yelling 'The goblin cleaver! Take of his head!'
Thorin was overpowered by a horde of goblins, although he fought desperately.
'Thorin, No!' Morsha screamed, her scream filled the cave with a loud echo. In the next moment Gandalf had his great entrance and appeared in a huge blast, causing a short moment of shock with everyone. Morsha reacted quickly.
'Stand up and fight!' she yelled at the dwarves and grabbed her axes and arrows. The company awoke from the shock and started fighting. Together, the wizard, the dark elf and the company of dwarves fought their way out of the caves. But shortly before the exit the goblin king had outrun them and blocked their way.
'You thought you could get away from me.' he snarled. Morsha did not know if he meant her or the whole company. Determined she stepped forward.
'I killed your father. And I will kill you, goblin.' she growled. The goblin king swung his huge scepter at her, but the dark elf ducked and threw her axes at him, both hitting his aortas right and left of his throat. The goblin king collapsed on the narrow wooden bridge and the bridge crumbled and slid down the rocks, taking the company with it. With a loud crash it landed on the floor, miraculously nobody was severely hurt.
'Well, that could have been worse.' Bofur exclaimed. The next moment the dead body of the goblin king crashed down and made the company groan.
'You had to say it.' Morsha grinned and helped out Oin as Kili looked up and saw the whole goblin town rush towards them to avenge their king.
The only thing what could rescue them now was daylight.