Hello once more! Special thanks to everyone and my loyal reviews, killthepain and likarian. The series of the Hobbit is so close yet so far to ending, I've considered doing a sequel but then I figured not when I can just put everything I want into this one, I was never fond of sequels on fanfics. But anyways, here is the newest chapter and please don't forget to check out killthepain62's story Welcome Home!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or it's characters, I do however own my own and the artwork I put into the series.
Chapter Eighteen: The Promise of War
Move yer asses!" Lian yelled, shoving men to the entrance of Dale in a hurry to reach the gates before the elves do. Adrenaline coursed through her as she ordered the soldier to the gates, a few of the lake-men coming forth to help but as she arrived right before the front gate she's halted.
The elves had already reached them, formations of them standing before her while her kin tried to pile in before them. Bain had tried to squeeze his way through but she grabbed him by the arm quickly before he could get any farther.
"Take yer sisters and the infant to safer grounds along with the rest of the women and injured." She hissed, the lad looking crestfallen on missing out on the action but her stern look sent him off to do as she ordered.
"Why aren't they attacking?" Luke murmured, eying the unmoving elves cautiously and she couldn't help but wonder the same thing.
"They're waiting for their leader." Her father answered just as a giant elk entered the gates of Dale, an elf riding upon its back with pale hair and silver crown adoring his head. Elves parted when Bard stepped forward, splitting like a sea of gold and he hesitated briefly before passing through; Lian hot on his heels with her Father and Stevvin close behind.
"Lord Thranduil, we did not look to see you here." Bard voiced with surprise evident in his tone as the addressed elf came to stop before them; an air of arrogance around him along with power.
"I heard you were in need of aid." He explained; voice like melting honey but it had a biting edge to it that set her rigid. She didn't find any reassurance in the elf's appearance nor did she find joy even as he rolled out a wagon of food that could feed their mouths for at least a few weeks. People let out cheers as they crowded the cart, handing out food to be rationed amongst each other. The people of Lake-Town no doubt thought this to be a miracle but Lian thought of as it truly was. A bribe.
"You have saved us, I do not know how to thank you." Bard breathed in relief, obviously believing this to be some act of immense generosity.
"Your gratitude is misplaced; I did not come on your behalf. I came to reclaim something of mine." The elf explained, proving her right and she snarled; stepping forward.
"He wishes for us to let him through to attack the dwarves." She spat out with venom, glaring harshly at the elven king before her.
"My business with dwarves is of no concern to the Men of Forochel, I don't care to know why it is that you travel so far from your homeland either." The elf king said with an uncaring tone, driving Lian to draw her axe.
"Ya'll have to go through my dead corpse before I let ya get near them." She growled out, teeth bore in a threatening snarl at Thranduil who altogether looked unimpressed as he replied.
"That can certainly be arranged."
Her father stepped forward before she could do anything else, holding a hand up to offer peace with the elven king of Mirkwood. "Please excuse my daughter, Lord Thranduil, she had been traveling with the dwarves and grew very fond of them." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood with his usual carefree attitude.
"I see, so she was the human woman traveling with the dwarves." Thranduil observed, obviously a bit more attentive towards her presence than before but not by much. "None the less, I will be taking back the White Gems of a Lasgalen; even if it means killing every last dwarf in that mountain." He drawled out the end, showing that he cared not for her personal fondness towards the dwarves nor the dwarves themselves. Lian felt enraged, shaking with fury at the absolute gall of the King of Mirkwood.
"Wait, wait!" Bard cried, stopping the elf as he gestured to the elven soldiers to enter the city, obviously not caring what they thought of the matter. "You'd go to war over a handful of gems?"
"The heirlooms of my people are not lightly forsaken." The elven king stated dryly.
"We're allies in this; my people also hold a claim upon the treasures of that mountain, let me speak with Thorin and persuade him." Bard reasoned.
"You would try and reason with a dwarf?" The elf scoffed out.
"To avoid war? I would." Bard answered, causing the pale headed elf to purse his lips in thought.
"Very well, though if you fail then you will not keep me from what is rightfully mine." He warned and the man nodded in understanding before Thranduil rode further into the ruins of Dale.
"Let me go with ya." Lian immediately demanded, prepared to try her luck in preventing a war but Bard shook his head.
"Thranduil will assume you plan to plot against him with the dwarves, its best if I go alone."
"Bard, please, I've been around the dwarves for months now, they trust me. I'm sure they'll see the sense in it all if I'm the one who tells them." She pleaded, looking for any excuse to go with him to the mountain.
"And if they do not see reason? They'll look at you as a traitor if they see you taking any sides." Bard reasoned, causing her to flinch at the truth in his words. The dwarves were known to jump to conclusions, assuming the worst out of an already terrible situation.
"If ya go to war with the dwarves then I will stand against ya." She bit out, not wanting to fight against the people of Lake-Town but not able turn her back to the dwarves who had grown to be like her own kin.
"And I will not think ill of your decision." Bard placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it before he mounted one of the elves horses, riding towards the mountain in a blur.
Lian clenched her fists tightly; leather gloves protecting her palms from her biting fingernails as her father placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention to his kind and understanding eyes. He was completely different than the other royalty she had met so far, it made her realize how relaxed her culture was compared to others.
"Gather our kin, tell them to meet in the Great Hall." He ordered Stevvin, leading her in the direction of said place while Stevvin spread the word. Within half an hour her kin had gathered in the crumbling Great Hall of Dale, sending an air of familiarity over her despite the location. Her father strode towards the middle of them, head held high in the chilling wind breeze; tousling his rich locks in the breeze.
"It seems as though we have stumbled upon a brooding war between the race of Elves, Dwarves and Men." He said, voice ringing clear amongst them, holding a power that only a true King could hold in his demeanor.
"My daughter, our princess, traveled far with these dwarves and so she refuses to leave them to the wrath of these people."
"But we have nothing to do with this mess, our quest was to retrieve the princess and then return back to Forochel." Trelkin chimed in, followed by a murmur of agreement.
"Why should we place our lives on the line cause of the petty problems of these people? We've fed them, helped heal their sick and yet they'd take their anger out on us if they had the chance. What makes the Dwarves any different? Both sides aren't any better." Nellia added; her usually indifferent attitude tinged with annoyance as another round of agreements sounded, even louder this time.
"I do not make any orders for any of you to fight for this cause but at least let the princess plead her cause before you decide." He offered, settling the growing wrath of the soldiers. Lian stood, taking her father's place in the center of her kin as he stood to the side with Stevvin, his expression open and understanding but she knew that he would not pick her side just cause she said please.
"As many of ya know, our land was plagued with a dreaded sickness, killing wherever it went; it took our animals, our neighbors and our loved ones." She spoke, her voice sounding a bit frail and she mentally cursed herself for it. "Gandalf came and healed our lands, shed light upon us when all hope was nearly drained from our hearts. In return he asked for my aid in a quest, a quest that has taught me many things I never knew before."
"I do not ask that ya aid me, I know ya all have loved ones ya'd wish to return home too instead of die in a battle with great odds against us. I only offer ya my own reasons for staying and for ya to understand." She took a deep breath, looking around at the many faces of her kin. People she grew up with, fought with and bled with and she set her jaw stubbornly.
"I will not leave them to perish nor will I fight against them, the dwarves have shed blood with me, fought with me like many of ya have. They have grown to be my kin." A sound of shock and complaint left them, calling one your kin meant swearing loyalty to them. No man or woman of Forochel have ever left or fought against their kin since the great rebellion to the crown in the early second age. The blood shed had been great and no one dared to ever repeat that dark age of their history.
"I will fight for the dwarves, I will remain loyal to the dwarves and I will die with them if that is the outcome!" She bellowed, her voice growing in volume as it echoed in the great stone halls.
"If ya join me then we will face the hand of death and fight! Cause this will not be the day that I abandon my kin, this will not be the day that I bow to the power of any army and this will not be the day that I discard my honor!" Lian's heart pounded as she felt the exhilaration of her passion, standing before her kin with heavy breathing as she finally asked the most important question.
"What is your path, my brothers and sisters?"
Her kin sat in silence, not saying a word as they look upon their princess with thick tension in the air as they tried to decide on their course of action. If they left the princess it would mean she was exempt from her birthright, shunned and never allowed to return to her homelands again or she'd be sent to death. Their royal blood would die out unless the King took another bride and produced another heir but no one wanted such a thing. So it was there that they had to decide to forsake their princess or fight for her cause, no matter how stupidly noble it may be.
Lian felt her stomach drop when none stood forward; she knew that her father did not stand forward for the sake of giving her kin free choice of action. If he were to stand forward then they would have no choice but to obey their oath to the king. Lian didn't want to drag her kin into the matter but she couldn't help but hope they'd trust her and stand with her. Several moments passed and just as Lian was about to lose hope someone stood.
Luke was the first to stand to her great shock, she'd think he'd be the most willing to leave her for dead but he seemed to have caught her by surprise.
"I will stand by ya, sister." He swore, raising his claymore to the heavens as sign of complete loyalty.
"I will stand with you, sister." Burv stood next, raising his bow skywards and this seemed to cause a chain reaction, all of her kin swearing loyalty to her there before the heavens. Finally it was only her father and Stevvin who hadn't raised their weapons and Lian suddenly felt a well of dread form in her gut but it's slowly dispersed when her father smiled with a look of sheer pride.
"I will stand with you, sister." He swore, raising his sword with Stevvin following close after with his battle axe. Lian felt a sad smile of gratitude form upon her lips, tragic where the terms but she held a sense of peace knowing she would not be left behind.
Sudden commotion from outside caught all their attention, shouts and yells echoing through the collapsed portions of the hall's ceilings. She doesn't waste time in rushing outside, her kin following close behind as they entered the Dale's main square.
Fishermen were handing out weapons all around, unassumingly found in Dale's underground armory. Elves too marched throughout the city, golden army reflecting the grey light filtering through the cloudy skies above.
"I take it the dwarves refused." Nellia stated dryly.
"Damn the stubbornness of dwarves." Lian cursed, she had held a slither of hope that the dwarves would just pay it up but she should have known better once the elves decided to involve themselves. Thorin had to be the most stubborn man she'd ever known, even she herself wasn't as hard headed as him. She knew some sort of war would break out when it involved the elves but he gave his word to the fishermen, why would he risk both of their forces when he could have halved it? She didn't know but she wasn't about to let the dwarves get trampled.
"We'll take refugee outside of Dale until we have proper confirmation." Her father ordered, leading them towards the outskirts of the ruins.
He stopped beside her though, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "I trust you'll find out what's going on so we're prepared. You're in charge now so have courage and be confident in yourself." She nodded at this, assuring her father that she would make sure to try.
She strode through the ruins, seeing countless people training and forging new weapons, preparing for the battle ahead. It made her sick with how they mindless prepared for war without truly knowing the magnitude of their actions. She came into one of the many courtyards, looking to find Bard and maybe still talk some sense into him since she knew reasoning the Elf King was like talking to a stone wall. She spotted the said man but who he was talking with made her heart swell with joy and she quickly ran towards them.
"Gandalf!" She cried, attacking the tall wizard with a bone crushing hug, lifting him clean off the ground as she twirled with him. He grunted, obviously surprised by her attack and certainly not expecting her to have the strength to lift him off the ground.
Finally she set the old wizard down, her signature lopsided grin wide on her face as she looked up at the tall fellow. She felt a great burden lift from her shoulders now that Gandalf had returned, his presence a great comfort to her stressed self.
"Lian, why are you here?" Gandalf puzzled, obviously expecting her to with the dwarves in the mountain.
"I stayed behind with my kin to help the people of Lake-Town after the dragon attacked." She explained.
"Your kin?" He blanched.
"Let us take this conversation to someplace more private, shall we?" Bard offered and Gandalf agreed before they were lead to the higher levels of the ruins. Lian took the time to explain the situation as they walked, filling in all the important things the wizard had missed since he left them.
"So Lvaire is here." Gandalf murmured.
"Gandalf." She stopped the wizard right outside the tent of the arrogant Elf king.
"Why would Thorin risk war with the people of Lake-Town? I understand the elves but he gave his word to these people. He could have easily made peace and yet he gave the elves more allies to strike him down with." She asked, lowering her voice so their conversation may be just a little more private.
"I fear that the gold within the mountain has tainted the very state of his mind, driven him to do things he would normally not do. He will not be the same dwarf you've travelled with when you meet again." Gandalf explained. "I do not know of any cure for it aside from pure will power."
Lian felt her heart plummet at this new information she had yet to hear of, the thought of Thorin loosing himself to the point of no return terrifying her.
"Gandalf." She breathed but the wizard simply laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Fretting over it won't change it, now let us join them." With that he led her inside the extremely lavished tent of the elves, elegant wooden chairs and tables places neatly within.
"Well if it isn't Gandalf the Grey, looking to interfere?" Thranduil tutted in annoyance at the presence of the wizard.
"Yes I do. You must set aside your petty differences with the dwarves. War is coming; the cesspits of Dol Gudor have been emptied, all of us are in grave danger!" Gandalf exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Bard commanded, obviously lost in the situation of which they spoke but also not knowing how it affected him. Lian only barely caught on to what he was saying, vaguely remembering him mentioned the place in Beorn's house before they entered Mirkwood.
"You must not know much about wizards, they blow through like a storm, interfering in others affairs and causing panic. But sometimes a storm is just a storm." The elven King chimed in, trying to silence any nonsense he thought the wizard spoke.
"Not this time. Armies of orcs are on the march; fighters that have been bred for war. Our enemy has summoned his full strength." The wizard reasoned, trying to make them understand the dire situation they were in.
"We've had peace for nearly 100 years, free from any legions of orcs; he could have struck then so why show his hand now?" The elf retorted.
"You call your forced seclusion peace? They ran you into the very corner of your forest and cut off all your ties to the outside world aside from your trade with the men of Lake-Town. I fear that we have stirred their wrath when the dwarves set out to reclaim the mountain. Bounties, orc packs and even Azog the Defiler were sent to ensure they never reached the mountain alive." Gandalf explained.
"They want the mountain for themselves?" Lian questioned.
"Exactly, not for just the treasure within it but for where it lies, it's strategic position. If their master should get a hold of the mountain then all shall fall to ruin. It is the gateway to reclaiming the lands of Angmar in the north, if that kingdom should rise then we will stand but little chance to the hell that should occur."
"Tell me then, where are these orc armies you speak of?" Thranduil asked. Gandalf hesitated to answer, glancing towards the south and it dawned on Lian.
"They plan to come in from behind; right under our noses." She breathed, her speculation proved right when the wizard gave her a sullen nod.
"That is nonsense, I refuse to believe such tales until I see it with my own eyes." The elf scoffed, motioning for them to leave.
"How stubborn do ya have to be to chance the lives of yer people all for the probability of it being a fluke?" Lian snapped, disgusted by how selfish the elf was for just a simple treasure.
"I don't believe the word of a wizard, maybe you should grow to not be so naive, woman." He hissed out, appalled by her manner of speaking to him.
"People will die because ya can't let go of a petty grudge that frankly no one cares about! Ya came with yer army to kill them off when the dwarves don't even have a chance, ya spineless-."
"Silence!"
Lian flinched, not expecting Gandalf to yell in the midst of her heated anger; the wizard looked completely frustrated and not in any mood for the spat between her and the Elven King.
"Let us leave." Gandalf ushered her out of the tent with Bard following suit, the sun already gone as night begun to take hold of the sky.
"Gandalf, we can't let this happen. The dwarves will die!" Lian's voice cracked; her stress and desperation shining through her prideful demeanor. Gandalf could only imagine how much strain this was on the young woman's heart.
"I will try to reason with Thranduil but this is something that has to come to terms on its own. Picking a fight with the elves won't help your cause." He explained, his words doing little to comfort her; especially considering what he told them was coming.
"If what ya say is true then we have no time for negotiations, we'll just be making it easy for the orcs to blow through us if they attack the dwarves. It is ridiculous!"
"Look around, the food the elves gave us won't last long, we'll starve out soon enough and if there really is an army of orcs heading our way then we'll be dead if we flee and dead if we fight. The gold in that mountain is the starting point for our survival, the dwarves are outnumbered and this is a fight they cannot win. They will surely submit." Bard chimed in, obviously ready to defend his cause.
"That won't stop them."
All heads turned, the breath instantly leaving Lian's lungs at the sight of an old friend; she felt like she hadn't seen him in years though it had been hardly even a fortnight ago.
"You think the dwarves will surrender? They won't, they'll fight to the death to defend their own." Bilbo reasoned, stepping forth to stand before them.
"Bilbo!" Lian breathed; a sense of nostalgia settling upon her at the sight of the hobbit and she didn't hesitate to wrap him up into a tight hug. How she wished they were all together on better terms than these ones.
"It's good to see your well, Lian." He chuckled, patting her shoulder fondly before she finally set him down.
"Why are ya here? Did the dwarves send ya? Have they decided to strike a deal?" She babbled, desperate for something to soothe her frazzled nerves.
"Let us discuss this back inside the tent." Gandalf offered and Lian moved to enter with Bard and Bilbo but the wizard stopped her.
"I think it would be best if you did not join us this time, your last outburst has irked Thranduil and you need to head back to your father and report what you know. I'll tell you if I learn anything else important."
Lian had completely forgot about her father, having been so caught up with the current events and she was positive they'd all be antsy to hear what their next move would be. Reluctantly she nodded, turning to stride to the campsite they had made on the outskirts of Dale, not feeling welcome in the walls with the lakemen.
It wasn't long before she reached the camp; thick tents pitched with a fire in the center and immediately she was swarmed by her kin. "What news do you bring?" Burv asked.
"The elves won't stand down nor the lakemen, the elves want their gems while the lakemen seek survival in the mountain. But that is not all we must worry about." She pursed her lips into a bleak line at this.
"What is it?" Stevvin demanded, never one to wait for things.
"Gandalf has come with news of an army of orcs marching in from the south, they plan to take advantage of the situation so they may claim the mountain for their master." She gritted out.
"What?!" Luke blanched.
"Why would the orcs want the mountain?!" Trelkin demanded along with several other outbursts from her kin.
"I know not the details to their reasons but we will not waver and defend the dwarves." She bit out, silencing the commotions before she let out a sigh.
"I know how ya all must feel, we're outnumbered and when it comes to the elves; out skilled." A grumble of complaint came at this. "I am sorry that I have dragged ya all into this mess but what is done is done. We cannot dwell on the things we could have done, we must face what is laid out before us and hold our heads up high with pride. Others would have left but ya'll stayed which display's great honor and courage, I could not wish for better." Lian desperately tried to convey how important this was but she knew it wasn't going to be easy. Her decisions where bias when it came to the dwarves and she knew that though they displayed loyalty to her cause; doubt was present in how well she could lead them. True she was the Second Captain to their ranks but she always had someone to direct her who was higher in the ranks.
"Where is the child?" She asked Luke after her kin had all dispersed to make busy with the needed preparations. She had left him in charge of the child mainly because she knew how awkward he was around her and she loved to see him uncomfortable.
Luke made a face as if he was hoping she would not ask, she was set on edge when he did not answer; feeling as if an iceberg had settled it's self in her belly.
"Where is she?!" Lian demanded, her voice taking on a note of hysteria as she dreaded what had happened to the child. She had grown quite fond of her and would secretly sneak into the nursery tent to coo over her, she was even thinking of a name to give her since they had yet to find a man to claim the child as his own nor relatives. In such a little amount of time she had found herself thinking of a future with the child by her side as her own.
"Where is the baby!?" She shrieked, grabbing the front of his wool sweater, yanking his taller form down to her level but his grey eyes refused to meet her green ones, guilt burning within the depths.
"What is going on?!" Stevvin bellowed, coming forward to try and break the two up but Lian shook his hands off. Rage mixing with panic to grip her heart in its claws as Nellia and Burv pull her back roughly.
"Lian, Calm down!" Her father yelled, trying to calm her frantic thrashing but she was beyond such things as she locked her eyes on the man before her. She had been thinking just the slight best of him lately, seeing glimmers of his old self but she was wrong.
"Tell me where she is before I rip ya to pieces!" She snarled.
"I left her with the people of Lake-Town." He breathed, finally meeting her eyes and she felt her heart cry out in pain at the utter betrayal she felt. The child had nestled a place in her heart and now it was ripped from her just as fast as it had settled in.
"Ya had no right doing such thing! I gave ya orders to look after her, not decide what was best for her!" She yelled.
"I don't care! It was the right thing to leave the child with them, where the women can look after her." Luke snapped, Burv and Nellia had let go of her now, the woman finally stilling her thrashing.
"Ya feel as if ya know better than me? I was given that child by her own mother; ya do not rate to go against my word." Lian hissed out, her breathing coming out in heavy pants as she circled the man before her.
"We could easily die, leaving no one to look after the child. At least with the people of lake-town she has a chance." He tried to defend but any reason in his words didn't reach her as she drew her axe and held the blade above the thin skin of his neck. She didn't overlook the sudden panicked look that came across Nellia's usually uncaring demeanor but hers soon blended in with several others.
"May the blade of my axe decide yer fate." Lian whispers, the pain still raw within her heart and she wanted to make him feel fear as his life was weighed in her hands. She drew the axe back, her muscles tensing before she brought her weapon forth in a wide arc; snarling out a roar.
Luke - (ಥ_ಥ∩) /(ಠ益ಠ) - Lian
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