Preparing for Battle

I don't own Digimon or The Hobbit

"Well, things sure took a turn for the worse." Daisuke thought as she walked through the hallways of Erebor looking for the rest of the company who had run off once they noticed the Elves were moving out of Dale and marching on Erebor. "How did I get lost again, I should ask Thorin for a map of this place." She stopped around a corner and pulled out the Arkenstone and frowned when she felt something sickly coming from the gem. "Was this the cause of the gold sickness? If so it should never be found…or perhaps I could use the Golden Radiance to heal it like how I healed Bilbo in Lake-Town."

"Daisuke?" she turned around and saw it was Bilbo and Veemon both looking at her curiously and she sighed heavily.

"Don't do that. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she asked pocketing the Arkenstone quickly.

"Sorry, we were looking for you. Thorin and the others are all in the armoury getting ready for a fight if the Elves do decide to attack us." Bilbo explained.

"I can't believe Thranduil is so greedy and petty he'd start a war over some gems that probably were destroyed when Smaug attacked Erebor." Veemon said, his partner and Bilbo nodded as they walked to the armoury.

"Wishful thinking, I saw the gems myself when Thorin and I were in the treasury searching for the Arkenstone," Daisuke informed them.

"Well there goes a way of avoiding this war by telling him they were destroyed." Veemon said.

"He wouldn't believe it anyway, he'd think we were lying to avoid giving them to him." Daisuke replied, they found the armoury and saw Thorin standing at the entrance equipped in full Dwarven armour while he held two shirts.

"Bilbo, Daisuke, you're both going to need these put them on." He instructed holding up the shirts, Daisuke and Bilbo blinked before Bilbo took off his coat and took one of the shirts and put it on with Daisuke doing the same, removing her coat and shoulder guards before slipping the shirt on. "They are made of silver steel. Mithril, my forebears called it. No blade can pierce it." he told them.

"Cool," Daisuke said with a grin as she put her coat back on.

"I look absurd." Bilbo said causing the company to look at him. "I'm not a warrior, I'm a Hobbit."

"You say that, yet you faced Azog and his Orc pack when we fled Goblin Town, and you fought in Goblin Town, and on the river as we fled Mirkwood. You may be a Hobbit Master Baggins, but you're the bravest Hobbit in all of Middle-Earth." Thorin told him placing his hand on his shoulder. "They are gifts, as tokens of friendship."

"Hey what about me?" Veemon asked crossing his arms.

"You can turn into a giant dragon, I don't think even Mithril is one size fits all." Daisuke answered with a smile and he sighed before a dagger was tossed at Veemon who caught it and looked up at Thorin.

"That's more your size, it belonged to my brother. Treat it with respect, or else…" Thorin told him and Veemon nodded with a smile.

"Do we expect any allies of Thranduil to turn up?" Daisuke asked Thorin as everyone walked to the gate.

"The Elves of Rivendell and Lothlórien are too far to send troops, and their rulers are far wiser than Thranduil." he answered.

"But we're still outnumbered," Bilbo said only for Thorin to chuckle.

"Never underestimate us Dwarves, Master Baggins." He replied cryptically.

Meanwhile in Dale, Gandalf on his horse rode into the ruined city past the people of Lake-Town. "Make way!" he shouted urgently as his horse galloped through the city to the main courtyard, he climbed off and looked around and saw the Elves marching and preparing for battle and he walked to the ruined grand hall. "Who is in charge here?" he asked one of the men who was sharpening a sword.

"And who is asking?" the wizard turned and saw Bard walking over. Soon Gandalf and Bard were in a tent with Thranduil who was sitting on a wooden chair. "You must set aside your petty dispute with the Dwarves, Thranduil. The cesspits of Dol Guldur have been emptied. You're all in mortal danger."

"What are you talking about?" Bard asked greatly concerned.

"I see you know nothing of wizards." Thranduil arrogantly said standing up and he poured himself a cup of wine. "They are like winter thunder on a wild wind rolling in from a distance, breaking hard in alarm. But sometimes a storm is just a storm."

"Not this time." Gandalf said sternly. "Armies of Orcs are on the move. These are fighters, they have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength."

"Why show his hand now?" Thranduil asked.

"Because we forced his hand. This all began when the Company of Thorin Oakenshield set out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. They were never meant to reach the mountain, Azog the Defiler was sent to kill them. His master has his sights set on that mountain." Gandalf explained walking out of the tent and towards a shattered window where there was a clear view of Erebor. "And not just for the treasure inside, but where it lies, its strategic position. This is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the North. If that fell kingdom should rise again. Rivendell, Lothlórien, the Shire even Gondor itself, will fall." He said gravely.

"Tell me Mithrandir, these Orc armies you speak of, where are they?" Thranduil asked.

"If what you say is true, Gandalf, then my people need to be protected. The Dwarves have offered the people of Lake-Town shelter" Bard told the wizard who nodded.

"Good, tell your women and children and those who cannot fight to make for Erebor, prepare those who can fight for battle." He replied.

Meanwhile on the other side of the mountains Azog fed a piece of meat to his Warg as another Orc rode out of a deep tunnel that was being dug. "We will break through at dawn, they'll be taken by surprise." He told Azog who smirked.

"The fools, they have forgotten what dwells beneath the earth. They have forgotten the earth-eaters." He hissed mounting his Warg before riding off amidst deep roars coming from the tunnels, as this was happening Bolg stood atop a mountain outside of Mount Gundabad and shouted a command before horns sounded and thousands of Orcs marched from the mountain followed by hundreds of giant bats that circled overhead.

"Since when has my council counted for so little? Do you not understand what I am trying to do?" Gandalf asked Thranduil frustrated as he puffed on his pipe.

"I understand perfectly well what you are trying to do. You wish to save your Dwarven friends and for that I admire you, but you started this Mithrandir, you'll forgive me if I finish it." Thranduil told him before leaving the tent. "Give the order, if anything moves on that mountain, kill it." he told an Elf who nodded and walked off to inform the archers.

"Bard is getting his people ready to move to Erebor for safety, you would order your archers to fire upon innocents?" Gandalf asked him.

"Those who would seek shelter in the mountain, deserve to perish in the mountain." He answered before walking off and Gandalf stormed off to warn Bard of Thranduil's order.

Meanwhile back in Erebor, Daisuke walked through the treasury and she looked around before quickly putting the Arkenstone down and she covered it in a pile of treasure. "What're you doing?" she paled and slowly looked behind her to see Kili looking at her curiously.

"Oh um…just browsing. To see if there is anything I'd like to take as part of my share of the treasure." She explained nervously.

"Do you need any help?" Kili asked her. "I mean, it would be hard to find something alone in this massive pile of treasure." He added with a small blush.

"Sure, let's get to it then." Daisuke said walking to another part of the treasure pile and she began digging through the gold as Kili began searching around where she had hidden the Arkenstone. "You find anything yet?" she asked after a few minutes of looking.

"Hm, some gems but I doubt you're the kind of girl who would fancy them." Kili answered tossing a ruby behind him.

"You're right, I'm more of a girl who like flowers or just romantic gestures. I don't care for trinkets and things I probably would only use once in my life." Daisuke said tossing a gold cup to the side.

"Most female Dwarves are the same," Kili said.

"Are there Dwarf women?" Daisuke asked with a grin.

"Of course, they are. Though they are mistaken for Dwarf men." Kili mumbled.

"Because of the beards?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes…the beards, and some people think there are no Dwarf women and that Dwarfs just spring up from holes in the ground." Kili answered making Daisuke snort before she laughed loudly and Kili smiled. "Well, I guess it is sort of funny." He picked up a gold plate and gasped at what lied underneath it. "It cannot be…" he whispered softly, Daisuke looked over and smiled as she saw the archer pick up the Arkenstone gently in his hands.

"Is that the Arkenstone?" she asked playing dumb and Kili nodded and ran off and Daisuke followed him.

"Uncle, Uncle!" Kili shouted running to the gate making the entire company look at him.

"What is it?" Thorin asked running down the steps from the gate before he caught a glimpse of the Arkenstone in Kili's hand. "Where did you find that?"

"It was in the treasure pile," his nephew answered.

"But we searched in that blasted sea of treasure for days, how did you find it so easily?" Dwalin asked him.

"He and I were just looking around for anything I'd like to claim for my share of the treasure, I guess it was always there just buried under all the gold." Daisuke lied smoothly. Thorin carefully took the Arkenstone from Kili and Daisuke mentally said a small prayer that Thorin would not go mad again.

"Balin, put this somewhere safe. We can work on mounting it once the battle is over." He said handing the gem to Balin who looked at Thorin shocked but nodded and walked off to a place where the stone would be safe.

"But I thought…" Bilbo began to say before Veemon kicked his leg and he yelped and glared at the digimon who glared back silencing him. Before anyone could think on that, Bifur grunted from the top of the gate in Khuzdul as Bofur looked over the gate and saw what he had seen.

"What is it?" Thorin asked.

"The people from Lake-Town are coming, we need to take down the wall." Bofur answered.

"It seems Bard wants his people to be out of the way when the Elves make their move." Daisuke muttered. "Is it just women and children?"

"And those who are sick and wounded. And the men who can fight are marching around them to keep them safe if anyone were to attack them." Bofur answered.

"What's is your decision?" Daisuke asked Thorin who looked at her then at the company.

"We can't take down the wall, but we can't leave them outside to be caught in the crossfire." He answered. "The hidden door, they can get in through there."

"Brilliant, then we close the door once they're all inside making sure no one can sneak in afterwards." Daisuke said.

"We'd best get to work," Dwalin said, the others ran off to do what needed to be done, Daisuke ran up the stairs to the wall and looked down at the people of Lake-Town.

"Bard," she greeted the bowman.

"We've come to seek shelter for our sick, wounded, women and children." He told her.

"I know, we can't take this wall down, but we have another way." Daisuke told him before she spied a familiar grey robed figure amongst the large group. "Where the hell have you been Gandalf?" she asked the wizard.

"A long story, one that we have no time to go through now. We must get these people to safety before dawn." He shouted up to her, Daisuke frowned but nodded and noticed some of the Dwarves climbing down the secret staircase.

"I know, Bard do you and those who can fight intend to stay out here?" she asked.

"We are, you are helping us in our time of need and we shall assist you come dawn." Bard answered and the men of Lake-Town cheered in agreement.

"Good, tell your women, children, sick and elderly to follow my friends to a secret entrance." Daisuke instructed and the people of Lake-Town began moving as ordered.

"You'd make a good general," Thorin said as he stood beside Daisuke who laughed.

"I'm no general, I just care a lot." She replied.

"And for that I am grateful, if not for you who knows how this all would turn out." Thorin said gently.

"Let's not think on the what ifs and things like that. I just pray we'll be able to survive tomorrow." Daisuke whispered as worry gripped her heart.

The end of the chapter

Read and review