Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not my own, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not making any money off of this. (Though I wish I could.)

I charged ahead with Grey-mane until I finally came even with the Elven Archers. I pulled Grey-mane up short and tugged my bow off of my back. I had nearly three dozen arrows on me and I was determined to use each one to its best effect.

I pulled the first arrow out of my quiver and knocked it to my bow. In time with the elves, I pulled back and let loose. Hundreds of arrows flew through the air to rain hell down on the orcs still approaching. Arrow after arrow, I shot until my hands nearly shook with the effort to draw back my bow. I reached down to find that my quiver was empty and I cursed. I bit my lip and looked ahead of me where the battle raged, man and elf and orc coming together in a deafening clash of weapons and rattle of armor.

I finally dismounted Grey-mane and quickly tied off my bow and quiver to his saddle. I patted his neck.

"Go on, Grey-mane. Find Gandalf and Bilbo." I pushed him then and smacked his back end lightly. He snorted and sprung ahead, galloping away.

I turned back towards the archers who were all beginning to draw their swords. I pulled my own blade free from its sheath and, when the elves began a slow jog towards the fray, I followed after. The yards between us and the battle shrunk and before I knew it, the sounds of battle were all around me. I tried to think of everything Fili and Balin had taught me about sword-fighting but then remembered the Goblin caves. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind and relied, instead, on pure muscle memory and reflex.

I charged ahead, bring my sword up to meet my first opponent. The orc seemed surprised to see what he must have believed was a very short elf charging him. I got lucky and slashed him across his throat before he managed to even swing his crude blade at me. I didn't get as lucky the second time around.

I pulled my sword up with two hands and blocked a vicious blow from the next orc, twisting myself away as he swung again. I ducked and swung, blocked and twisted, cut and slashed. When one opponent went down, another one took its place. Everything was a rush of bodies. Elves whirled by me, blades flashing crimson in the sun's rays and dwarves screamed out in Khuzdul, their battle cries ringing throughout the air. Somewhere to my right, Dain was crushing enemies beneath the feet of his massive stead.

Above us, an ear splitting horn rent the air and I could hear the calls of orcs as they began their march on the city. The temporary distraction had me ducking out of the way last minute, barely managing to escape a blow to the head. The orc snarled in my face as he over stepped himself, having put too much weight behind the swing. I lunged forward with my blade and snuck the tip under a weak point in his armor. His body went rigid as the blade bit deep. His legs buckled and I attempted to tug my blade free, but failed, and ended up crashing to the ground.

Air went out of me in a solid rush and I gasped for oxygen. An orc flew at me and he raised his blade to cut me down. I rolled, grabbed the previous' orcs blade, and brought it up as hard as I could. My attacker's arm was severed and a wash of thick blood splattered on me. The orc crashed heavily to the ground and I hefted my blade up and speared him through the neck before quickly grabbing my sword out of the other's chest. I tested my stolen blade in my left hand, hefted it around, and then lunged back into the fray.

My heart was pounding, my breath coming in short bursts. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through me as I attacked again and again. I could feel sweat pouring off of me, stinging my eyes and dripping into my mouth, the taste of salt and dirt on my tongue.

I lost count of how many orcs I took down. My blades were barely free of one before I was on another. The silver of my elvish blade ran thick with black blood, my armor coated with it.

Ahead of me, I heard a loud snarl, followed by the long and loud squeal of an animal in pain. I snapped my head up in time to watch Dain's boar throw itself forward, the great pig rolling over on top of Dain as he went. I swung my sword up and knocked aside an orc as I tore forward. Dain was struggling to get up from under the weight of his mount, an orc looming up behind him, the orc's vicious black blade drawn and at the ready. I threw myself at him, bringing my shoulder down and hitting him at the waist with the full brunt of my weight combined with that of my armor. He grunted loudly, startled, and fell. I rolled as I hit the ground and lashed out with my blade. It caught him in the groin and I watched as a thick arterial spray of blood poured from the wound. I jerked my blade back, stood, and quickly slit his throat.

Dain was finally coming to a stand as I finished and he eyed me warily.

"Just who the hell are you, Lass?" He demanded.

"I am Talya Conner," I said, chest heaving. "Friend to your kin,"

"Indeed," He called out, smashing an orc in the chest with his war hammer casually. "And yet you ride with the elves?!"

I swung my elvish blade and blocked the blow of an orc as he swung it at me. I brought up my stolen blade and slashed him brutally across the face. He fell away.

"You are going to seriously need to get over that," I chided.

"So says you," He growled. "How do I know you are truly a friend to dwarves when you ride with that 'pointy-eared prick'?"

I blocked another blow and drove the point of my sword up and under the chin of my attacker. He dropped like a rock and I whirled to stab an orc behind Dain just as he caught one to the left of me with his hammer.

"The fact that I called him a prick should say something!" I snapped. "But if you want an answer, look."

I tilted my head back and Dain glanced quickly at my throat. He did a double take.

"That is my cousins!" He bit out, shocked.

"No shit,"

We slammed together, back to back, as we fought off the newest round of orcs. We were slowly being pushed back towards the gates of Erebor.

"I was his intended." I yelled out.

"You've got to be shittin me!" Dain called back.

"No, Master Dwarf. I shit you not." I ducked as he swung back his hammer and crushed the skull of an orc in one blow. I swung and nearly cut off one of his braids as I blocked yet another orc.

"Why was?" He demanded, whirling to face me.

"I used the Arkenstone to try and make peace."

The look of outrage on Dain's face would have been funny, had It not been directed at me.

"Look around you, Lord Dain!" I waved my sword at the carnage. "Do you think that you would be able to take on these orcs by yourself?"

I swung the flat of my blade out and caught an orc across the face.

"Stay down, fucker!"

My elvish sword I stabbed through his side. I shoved him away and pulled my blade free.

"Don't you realize that there is more important things in this world than an age old grudge? If you fought against the elves rather than with them, there would be no one left to defend."

I swung my blade up again, exhausted, and parried the next blow. For a moment, Dain and I were separated as we fought off our attackers. When we met again next, I had to duck as he once again smashed an orc behind me.

"You'd all be dead, and Erebor would forever remain barren, its treasures left for the taking." I ended. Dain narrowed his eyes at me and was about to say something when suddenly we were attacked again. I pulled up my blade and managed to slice my attackers arm, but the stolen blade caught in his armor. As he jerked away and, though I let go, I stumbled. I attempted to right myself but just then, an orc slashed at me and caught me across the back. Thank god for armor because otherwise, I would have been cut in two. As it was, the sheer force of it knocked the wind out of me and I fell forward. I hit the ground hard and barely managed to roll over as the orc made to stab at me.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched the blade come at me. I flinched and waited for a blow that never came. Dain's huge war hammer smashed in the orcs face, blood and thicker things raining down on me. Dain snagged me under my arm and hauled me to my feet.

"Your speech can be as pretty as an elf's," He growled in my ear. "But, Mahal's balls, you swear and fight like one of my kin."

He grasped my forearm tightly in his.

"I hope we live through this, lass. I feel the need to talk about my cousin about his intended."

I grinned then and decided that, stubborn ass or not, I liked Dain.

We pushed away from one another to resume our fight once more. We were just under Erebor now and the orcs began to pull back and reform. I looked around to find that the elves and men were nowhere to be found, having gone to the defense of Dale and its people there. I was standing next to Dain, surrounded by dwarves.

We stood shoulder to shoulder as the newly reformed army gathered before us and began to make their way forward, armored trolls taking their places at the front. I begged and prayed to whoever was listening for the sound I heard next.

A deep and long horn sounded from behind us and the trolls jerked their heads up, looking around in confusion. The orcs pulled up short behind them, snarling and calling out in their harsh tongue.

I turned to watch as the massive golden bell toned and tore through the rubble of the front gate. Rock flew everywhere and even where we stood, we had to duck as stones rained down on us. From within, the shouts of the company echoed and I watched, tears now streaking my face as they poured out of the ruined gate, Thorin in the lead.

I jerked back as the dwarves began to part for their king and ducked between the dwarves around me. I did not want them to see me. I did not know how Thorin would react and I was terrified to find out.

I watched, heart aching, as he passed, no longer wearing his heavy crown or royal garments. The others followed closely behind, weapons raised at the ready.

"TO THE KING!" Dain called out. "TO THE KING!"

All around me the dwarves began to charge forward, following behind their king. Thorin raised his sword and his shield.

"Du Bekâr!"

The call came roaring up around me and I found myself screaming along with the rest. I charged forward and watched as the trolls fell one by one to the remaining archers. A fresh wave of adrenaline pumped through me and I rushed ahead. Heartened by the appearance of their king, the dwarves began to cut a swatch through the attacking orcs.

I fought my way through until I was close enough to keep tabs on the company. I watched with pride as they fought, tearing through the orcs easily. Even Ori was managing admirably and I felt myself grin despite the severity of the situation.

"DAIN!" I heard Thorin call from somewhere off to the left. I glanced over my shoulder to find Thorin grinning amongst the madness at his cousin, and it was a grin that I had very much come to love.

"Thorin! Hold on! I'm coming!" Dain called out. He was cutting down orc after orc in a renewed vigor.

I ducked to avoid a blow and slashed another orc. I slammed against a figure and came face to face with Fili.

"Talya?!" He shouted, surprised. His hesitation almost cost him as an orc brought a blade down near his head. I shoved him on his ass and, in a move I had begun to favor, jerked my sword up and under the orcs throat. I pulled it out and looked down at the startled dwarf.

"You need to be more careful, Fili!" I scolded. I reached down and hauled him up.

"Why in Mahals' name are you fighting?" He demanded.

"Same reason you are, Fili." He frowned as he cut down another orc.

"How much do you hate me?" I asked, ducking another blow and stabbing another orc.

"I don't think any of us could, Talya." He slashed at another attacker and jerked out of the way as its head landed at his feet. He kicked it away.

"Kili told you back at Lake Town. You've only ever done what you thought best for us. We trust you."

I smiled at him warmly, then threw myself to the ground and swept the leg out from under the next orc. Fili brought his blade forward and stabbed it through the chest. I leaped to my feet to avoid being crushed by the falling body.

"Maybe you guys do. I don't know about the rest."

"Don't worry about the rest. They'll come around."

I twisted around and he grasped my shoulder in his free hand. We grinned at each other, then shouldered each other roughly.

"Du Bekâr?" I asked. He nodded his head and laughed.

"Du Bekâr!"

We rejoined the fray and once more, I found myself straying towards Thorin and Dain who had finally met up.

"Hey cousin! What took you so long?!" With a casual swing of his hammer, Dain caught an orc in the chest before reaching forward and embracing Thorin.

"I met your intended, Thorin. Hell of a lass." Thorin's head jerked up and I had to duck behind an orc as his eyes scanned the field.

"She's here, fighting?!" He demanded.

"Aye. Hell of a sword arm on her, too." Dain clasped Thorin on the shoulder. "Theres too many of these buggers, Thorin…"

I found myself caught between two orcs and I had to twist, hard, to the side as they came at me and suddenly, I could no longer hear the two. I frowned, knowing I had to follow Thorin when he left for Ravenhill.

The first orc lunged forward and I managed to knock his blade aside. The second orc brought his blade down by my head and I jerked aside, crying out as his blade glanced off of my shoulder. The first orc swung again and I turned my head swiftly, the very tip of his sword grazed across my cheek. Almost immediately, it began to burn

"FUCKING BASTARDS!" I screamed. As the first orc lunged again, I dodged, snagged his arm and, using his own momentum, whipped him around to slam into the second. The second did not have time to drop his sword as the first came at him and I watched with grim satisfaction as the first was impaled. As the second one attempted to free his blade, I was about to swing when Nori jumped down and sliced across his neck.

"Talya!" He cried out heartily. "I thought I heard you swear!"

He wrapped a quick arm around my shoulder and I laughed.

"You sure are a sight for sore eyes!" He called out with grin.

"So you don't hate me?" I asked, glancing back for a second before I threw myself to the ground. An orc stumbled over head and I swung my blade up between his legs. Nori winced and let out a loud bark of a laugh.

"Couldn't hate you, Talya." He called back. "You're one of us."

I nodded my head to him, the sentiment warming my heart.

"I'm going to kill that piece of shit!" I heard Thorin yell. He was mounted on top of a huge ram and I frowned. That was not what he had said in the movie.

"Looks like you rubbed off on him a bit." Nori grinned and I shook my head.

"Get me to Dwalin," I called out. He frowned.

"That's not such a good idea. He still doesn't really like you."

"I don't care, Nori. It's important." He nodded and threw himself towards the dwarf who had just snagged a ram of his own.

"DWALIN!" Nori bellowed. He snapped his head up and glanced first at Nori, then at me.

"What is it, Nori? Thorin has called for Kili, Fili and I to follow. We are headed to Ravenhill."

"Dwalin, you have to take me with you!" I stumbled out in front of the ram and grabbed its reins. It jerked its head. Dwalin frowned down at me.

"I know you don't like me Dwalin, but I am begging you. All I have ever wanted is to keep them safe. Please let me do that."

Dwalin frowned, glanced at Nori who was watching him pleadingly, then finally dropped his arm to me. I sighed in relief and snagged it. I hauled myself up behind him.

"Fili! Kili!" I yelled. The two jerked to a stop next to us atop their own rams.

"Talya?!" Kili shouted. I offered a quick wave.

"Fili, bring Nori with you." I yelled above the din around us. I glanced ahead where Bofur was hacking through his own set of orcs. "Kili, you take Bofur."

"But Thorin said..." Dwalin started. I shook my head.

"I know, Dwalin. Trust me." He frowned and Fili and Kili exchanged glances. Nori hopped up behind Fili and we started forward.

"Nori, you keep those two together, and you keep them safe, you hear me?" I called out, my tone near panicked. "Do not split up, no matter what you do! AND STAY AWAY FROM THE MOTHER FUCKING TOWER! IT'S AN AMBUSH"

I had to yell the last bit as Dwalin kicked his ram forward. I clutched tightly at his back and watched as Kili snagged Bofur as he passed.

"How could you know it's an ambush?" Dwalin snapped, twisting his head ever so slightly to glance back at me.

"Because I know exactly what's going to happen, Dwalin, and I am trying to keep them alive."

Dwalin snorted.

"Believe me or not, it's true."

"You are mad," He grumbled. I narrowed my eyes.

"You were born in the year of 2772. Your father was Fundin. Your grandfather was Farin, your uncle Groin, which makes Oin and Gloin your cousins. You know how to play the violin very well, though you would never tell anyone… And you know, you looked a lot more badass when you had a Mohawk, back in the day." Dwalin froze.

"I know everything, Dwalin, past, present, and future." I called out. "I swear to you, I will explain if we live through this. But in the meantime, promise me you will not leave Thorins' side!"

There was a moment's hesitation as we rode before he finally nodded stiffly.

"Thank you Dwalin. Make sure we stay behind Thorin. I do not want him to see me!"

He said nothing as we smashed through the onslaught of orcs, Fili and Kili with Nori and Bofur charging just ahead of us. Thorin was intent on his charge and, thankfully, did not look back.