A/N: Huge thanks to NixNox and Tyren for betaing this one :D

Chapter 17: Halls Of The Mountain King

Previously:

"Da!"

"Nooooo!" Tilda and Sigrid's screams joined the wailing of others.

At once, Bain and Linshara reached for Sigrid and Tilda whose subconscious movements rocked the boat as they reached in the direction of their fallen father. Linshara felt Sigrid struggle against her embrace.

Mentally she tried to sense if Bard was still alive or not but it was difficult to feel his life force with all the mayhem. Her mind reached out through the inferno that engulfed the city, touching every soul on the way, attempting to find it's goal. All these people, all these emotions. Even with her training it was hard, but finally she sensed him.

"Sigrid! Sigrid, calm down, your father's alive." The girl suddenly froze and looked at the Jedi warily, the other two children looking at her too in a mix of disbelief and hope.

"Bard's alive." Linshara repeated slowly releasing Sigrid.

The elder daughter seemed almost seething. "Do not lie to us. How can you tell?"

"I'm a wizard in training remember?" Linshara smiled and put a placating hand on Sigrid's shoulder. "You need to trust me, he's alive. Now lets get to shore, hm? Bard will make his way to us."

Bain and Sigrid exchanged looks before the girl nodded, obviously reluctant to not go back and look for her father. Eventually they continued rowing. It took them a while s to finally reach the safety of the shore which was by now littered with debris, various flotsam and jetsam.

"Are you really sure he's alive?" Tilda asked quietly as they made shore and Linshara was helping them out of the boat.

The Jedi kneeled down to the girl's eye level. "I am certain of it. You will see him soon, little Tilda." Linshara said as gently as she could.

In her mind she was trying to discover where Bard was. He made it to the shore further down and was slowly making his way to them. She was brought out of it by Tilda taking her courting braid into her hand and looking at it.

"That is a dwarvish braid. You and Prince Fili are courting." She stated a very obvious fact very seriously. "When I am old enough I will be courted by Prince Kili."

Linshara surpressed a laugh, "I think you may need to ask what he thinks of the idea first, or if your father will agree."

She could see Bain and Sigrid sniggering out of the corner of her eye. At least they were distracted and not giving into worry. But a worry gnawed at her. She needed to get moving. The longer the dwarves were in that mountain the more dangerous it was.

Thorin was already battling darkness, but that mountain, now that she was closer to it, was fraught with an evil aura. Spirits only knew what was going on in there now. She needed to find out and fast.

The small dark one with stringy hair was saying something. Linshara focused back to the situation at hand and stood up, stepping closer to him as Sigrid rounded her siblings up. At one point he looked at her then to others in his irate speech, all weasly pretense. Linshara had thought initially he was being confounded too, but it turned out he really was just a corrupt, two-faced weasel. One didn't need to be a Force user to notice that.

The orange haired one though, she wasn't so sure about, but he was nowhere in sight. The black one tried to pull Tilda away from Sigrid. Instinctively Linshara stepped into his path.

"Step back." Her tone was low, her eyes hard set.

"Or what? Don't you know who I am?" The weasel countered.

"Yes, the errand boy. Step back." Linshara took a step closer to him and he took one back raising his hand as if to strike her.

Before she could do much to deflect the would be blow, a familiar presence crept behind the weasel.

"Now now, Alfrid, that's not nice." Bard spoke in an authoritative tone as he lowered the man's hand.

"DA!" Three children rushed into Bard's arms.

"Come here!" He embraced them tightly, kissing the top of each one's head.

In an instant Alfrid's mind switched and he grabbed Bard's hand rising it in the air.

"The Dragonslayer lives!"

Linshara deftly stepped back through the burgeoning crowd who wanted to thank Bard. He and the kids were safe, her duty to them complete. As she turned to the mountain, she felt a shift in the Force. It was as if an invisible hand was moving pieces into place, a feeling all too familiar. The feeling grew stronger the more she focused on the mountain. She needed to go, now.

So she pulled her hood back on and stepped away slowly, in an ironic way grateful that Alfrid's antics were keeping people occupied. She broke into a run when she got far enough away, her mind focused on searching for her friends, for Fili. Something dark was stirring in there and she didn't like it.

It took her about an hour to reach the Gate of Erebor. Briefly, she wondered if Gandalf was anywhere near but could not feel his calming presence in the Force.

"Halt!" She heard Dwalin bellow from above. "What business have you with the Kingdom of Erebor?"

She looked at the barricaded gate. It was newly made, not a few hours ago. And now Dwalin's question?

~Kingdom of Erebor? You are thirteen...~ Linshara thought as she removed her hood.

"My business is with Princes Fili and Kili. Must I state the reasoning too, oh Gatekeeper Dwalin?" Her tone was dry, her eyes focused on the bald dwarf peering at her from the makeshift battlements.

Something was wrong with him. He was angry yet subdued, suspicious yet obedient, a dark haze radiated from him, something which wasn't there before. Her insides tightened.

Another presence joined him above, Balin. He peered down at her.

"We'll throw ye a rope, lass." He smiled sadly at her.

At least he didn't radiate the same.

"No need, one moment." She took a brief glance at the stone protrusions and took a few steps back, closing her eyes.

She broke into a Force powered run and with a few fast, long, also Force powered leaps she jumped and flipped over the battlements.

She looked over at the sons of Fundin, "I am happy you're alive, gentlemen. Where are the others?"

The atmosphere was pressing on her from all sides.

"We are glad you are well too, lass. The other are further in. Let me show you." Balin offered.

Linshara raised a blonde eyebrow, feeling a lot of anxiety from Balin and a fervent wish she follow him. So she nodded.

"Alright, lets go."

"Balin, what's going on?" Linshara whispered as they disappeared around a corner.

His eyes were deep with sadness as he finally turned to her, "it has taken its hold, the Dragon Sickness. Thorin has completely fallen under its spell, he has completely lost himself, Kili and Dwalin seem to be under its spell too, and the Brothers Ri. Only Fili, Bilbo, Bofur, Bifur and I managed to retain a sense of ourselves."

"I was told the sickness was only upon Thorin's line directly, the holders of one of the Seven Rings." She whispered back.

He shook his head with a heavy sigh, "no lass, all of our kind is susceptible to its pull, the Durins only more heavily so."

While that was certainly true, something didn't make sense to Linshara. Kili didn't have the proverbial bad bone in his body. She had to see for herself.

"Take me to them."

"Lass." Balin clearly feared for her.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling a rush of fondness for him. "I will be fine, Balin. Have faith."

Finally he nodded his acquiescence and lead her deeper into the halls of the Mountain King. First they entered a makeshift armoury/eating hall, where the Ri brothers and Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur sat.

"Lin!" Bofur was first off the bench and rushing to embrace her, "i's good t' see yeh lass. So good yer with us!"

She grinned and embraced him warmly, happy she could not sense the strange taint on him.

"It's good to finally be here, my friend. Hello everyone," she waved at them a little.

Bifur was the only one who gave her a feral half grin and waved back, the only one, aside from Bofur who didn't radiate the taint. The others almost didn't notice her. What in the hells was that?

"Bofur, Balin, where are the others?" She asked with a dose of worry.

Balin motioned for her to follow him again, while Bofur with obvious reluctance returned to sit with Bifur. Linshara's chest tightened at the sight, her gut clenching as they descended towards what seemed to be a throne room where Thorin was speaking animatedly.

She and Balin descended, and crossed a long stone bridge slowly. There, Thorin was roaring angrily at Fili and Kili, Bilbo standing by Thorin's side, trying very hard to contain his anxiety and fear.

"And yet it is still not found!" Thorin almost foamed at the mouth, then stopped himself as he saw them approach. "Ah, good, you are here. We cannot find the Arkenstone."

Linshara looked at the group assembled. Thorin, he was completely under the dark influence now, the inherent light he once held but a mere spark. Kili, he was healed, she could tell, but his mind seemed warped and he was radiating the grey taint heavily. Fili was torn between the loyalty to his uncle and brother, to his people, to her - between anger and love and fear. He wanted to go to her, but was clearly leery of the maddening Thorin.

It was Bilbo who was the most curious one though. He seemed most preocupied with not letting on he had something. Could he have actually found the Arkenstone? If so why was he hiding it from Thorin?

"I see…" She stated calmly.

Thorin glared at her. "Find it!"

"What did you say?" She stepped between Fili and Kili.

He glared down at her menacingly, "find...it! You have skills none of us do, you will find it and if any one of the company has taken it, you will tell me. I will be avenged!"

"I am not your subject, Thorin. I am your ally!" She took the few steps up until they were more or less eye level. "Do you doubt the loyalty of your kin?" There was something in his eyes, something very wrong, very familiar, a brief purple spark.

Bilbo clenched as Thorin passed him. The Dwarf king looked ready to answer her but instead withdrew, taking Kili with him. Linshara turned to the others, her eyes wide.

Before she could say much, however, Fili placed a hand on hers and brought a finger to his lips. "Bilbo and I will take you down to the treasury, show you where it should be." It was a silent request to leave to a more private setting.

Slowly, Linshara nodded. Balin set out to rejoin the others, while Fili and Bilbo took Linshara down. As they stepped into the gigantic room, brimming with gold, silver, gems, jewelry, the Jedi had to take pause and admire the grandure of it all. It truly was intoxicatingly beautiful, the sight. Except it seemed to be spark purple every so often, just like Thorin's eyes had.

Linshara stepped over to one of the piles and kneeled down. She reached out and picked up one of the coins, enclosing it in her palm. A sharp pain stabbed at her brain and she braced herself against the floor. The Sith hadn't been talking to the gold, she realized, she could feel the Dark Side permeate the coin. He was infusing the treasure with it. The pain in her head increased as she tried to keep hold, to see what else the images would tell her, groaning as it got worse. It tapped into the existing darkness within a person and expanded on it, enveloped it, corrupting the individual who touched the gold.

Hands on both her shoulders snapped her out of it. Blinking, she dropped the coin to the floor and stepped back.

"Kazal, are you alright?" Fili placed his palm on her cheek, a look of concern on his face.

Taking a deep breath as the headache began to subside, she nodded, "I will be. Fili, who touched the gold?"

He and Bilbo seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"Did all of you touch it?" She looked between the two.

"I..uh...more or less took a swim in it when I was running from Smaug, trying to find the Arkenstone." Bilbo said, trying very hard not to say more.

Fili was frowning, "I touched but a gem Thorin threw at me."

She placed a palm on each of their cheeks, half smiling half chuckling as she looked at them, "yet you Bilbo, seem untained." Except for that other dark presence she sensed on him. "You…" she focused on Fili.

His thick hand enclosed over hers, "I feel it creep on me. My mind is strong for now, but I do not know…"

He was referring to their talk back in Rivendell, about Thorin, about succumbing.

Linshara nodded, her eyes holding his, "I know, love. I know. If it comes to it, I will."

~It has already come to it, but I need to know where the stone is, first.~

Fili leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. Linshara mirrored the gesture.

"So…" Bilbo was feeling like a third wheel. "What's our plan?"

Linshara pulled back and began pacing. "Let me see if I can find the stone, then we'll see if we can talk Thorin down from this mad seclusion he's enacted. The Elves and the people of Dale are not your enemy." At this she looked at both of them before resuming the pace.

"We need to act quickly, the Sith is still alive and I fear he is close. I've felt movements and ripples in the Force, similar to when he was hiding from me back before I arrived to Middle-Earth." She continued.

"And when you find him?" Bilbo, ever the brave one, asked.

"Then I end him for good, his vile power cannot be allowed to flourish further." Linshara replied with conviction.

The two men nodded. "I need to return to Thorin before he grows thoughts of further betrayal." Fili said with a sigh.

Linshara stepped over to him, kissing him softly and embracing him. "I love you, Fili, son of Dis. We will see this through," she whispered into his ear.

"Amralime, Linshara Thannis." He returned the embrace, whispering in her ear, giving one extra squeeze before they parted. With a nod to her and Bilbo, he went back the way they came.

She turned to the Hobbit, who looked at her with wide eyes, words on the tip of his tongue but he was afraid, very afraid. Instead, he grabbed her hand and lead her further into the mountain as quietly as he could, down several corridors and rounding several corners. Linshara followed quietly.

As he seemed satisfied they would not be heard, he turned to her again, words failing him still.

She decided to help him. "You have it." A quiet statement.

He nodded and carefully took out a brown wrap. Unswaddling it, he produced a large, white stone of smooth surface. Inside a myriad of colours swirled and danced. Linshara could feel the power emanate from the stone, compelling, inviting, yet not all together bad. It would serve well as a crystal for a light saber, she thought.

Quickly though she wrapped it back and returned it to his hands.

"I don't know if I should give it to him or not, he is changed, deeply changed. Balin says it is better if it remained 'lost' also." Bilbo said with relief that he could finally speak of it.

Linshara took a nearby stone and sat on it. "We need to get it out of the mountain somehow. Out of range of his rage." She mused. "Hold onto it for now, but keep it secret as you have so far. Once I have a plan where to take it, I will let you know. For now, we must play our parts as the yarn unravels. The Sith is close, Bilbo, I am sure of it. If I manage to end him, then maybe the taint of the gold will be lifted, and off of the others. But until then, noone should touch it."

Bilbo nodded. He was drained, tired, hungry, scared.

"Stories now will unfold, in the halls of the mountain king….." A soft murmur carried through the light breeze that danced through the mountain.