Thorin paced in his small cell, only achieving three steps then around, three more then around, three more… "AAAA," he roared, throwing his fist into the stone wall. They had been tossed in here without even the opportunity to speak to Thranduil. Around him his company called to each other, trying in vain to secure a plan of escape. It would not be easy, Thorin held his throbbing knuckles, but not impossible. Both Bilbo and Ali were free, he prayed to Mahal they were together, and if they were he knew they would come looking for them.

What were the chances of that though? Last he had seen of Ali she was fleeing back into the forest. Thorin gazed down at his red hand. He had to stop striking out in anger. For all he knew the spiders had…no, Ali would find a way, she was resourceful.

Thorin rested his back against the stone wall and allowed himself to sink to the floor. He desperately wished to see Ali's cautious eyes peek around the doorway, asking if he were alright. That would not happen. The words he had spoken earlier would be forgiven, his bitter tone would be ignored, but the violence he wasn't so sure.

In the forest she had known it was the magic that had caused his reaction. Thorin knew she wasn't so shallow as to believe his words were true. Even still he recognized that terror when his fist hit the tree, apparent even through his confused state. Ali had been hurt before, someone had hurt her. Anger coiled in Thorin's gut at the thought, laced with sadness, Ali had never spoken of it. Was it because she didn't trust him? Thorin snorted ironically to himself, he was after all the picture of safety, right? Running her around caves, sending her flying off cliffs, she had been infected, beaten, bitten, smashed, and now missing.

"Thorin!" A voice finally broke into his pit of self loathing. "Thorin!" It was Balin. Jumping to his feet Thorin was already at the door.

"Yes? Did you find a way out?" Thorin knew it was nearly impossible but he allowed himself to hope.

"Well, no, were you not listening?" Balin's tone was clipped. Thorin briefly wondered how long he had been talking to him.

"No, I apologize."

"Don't ya think it strange Thranduil hasn't called fer ya?" Dwalin cut in from somewhere below.

Actually no, that hadn't crossed his mind at all, Thorin's heart jumped at the thought that perhaps it was due to Ali and Bilbo.

"Aye, he has delayed, but he will call, and when he does Thorin you make sure to take whatever deal he offers. These here are no goblin cells, these are elvish make. We will not be breaking free on our own." Balin droned on as Thorin stepped back into his cell.

The mere thought of trusting in Thranduil made him sick. There was no way he would deal with that pond scum sucking elf. What if he was right though? What if Thranduil had Ali? If so what would Thranduil ask for in return? The only real jewel of any value was the Arkenstone, the stone that told all others who the true ruler of Erebor was. The Arkenstone…could he give up the key to returning his people to their rightful home?

Defeated, Thorin slid back down the wall. Resting his elbows on his knees he covered his face. He prayed to Mahal that Ali was safe and hidden with Bilbo, somewhere far from this dungeon.

"I caaaan waaaalk, let meee waaaaalk," Ali whined as loudly as possible. She hung limply under his arm, carried much like a sack of flour or little lamb that had wandered too far. Her arms and legs dangled to the ground but she couldn't quite reach, all the pressure from her body resting on his arm that was looped under her stomach. The elf carrying her gritted his teeth audibly. He was probably the more patient of the two, which wasn't saying much. Ali was positive if the brunette elf had anything to say about it then they would have found some more of those spiders and fed her to them. In the beginning she would glare back at her, rattling off to the blonde in their secret language, before stomping ahead. Twice now they had let her down, and twice she had refused to move, demanding to know where the dwarves were. The second time she had even managed to kick the blonde one in the shin before he had nabbed her again. Now they refused to set her down, opting instead to ignore her constant whining. Playing the silent game. Well she would show them, two could play that game, and neither of them would be her! "My stomach hurts! Put me down! Tell me where the dwarves are! I swear I'll pee on you!"

"You will only achieve urinating on yourself, which would be unwise," the blonde elf said through gritted teeth. Though if Ali was right, he held her a fraction farther away from his legs just to be sure.

"Ha, you said something! I win!" Ali wiggled just as much as her shoulder would let her, grabbing hold of the front of his pant leg and trying to pull it down. No such luck. There had to be something she could do to slow them down? There was a weakness in their defenses somewhere that she just hadn't found yet. The trees broke open in front of them, distracting Ali from her current attack.

The doors that stood before them were impossibly tall, yet incredibly thin. "Why do your doors look like that? Is there an anorexic giant that lives here? Where are you taking me? Where are the dwarves? Who are those guys? Hi, guys!" Ali squirmed relentlessly, doing everything in her power to drive them crazy as they approached the doors.

This wasn't good. Ali didn't want to go in there, the closer they walked the faster her heart thudded against her chest. Just put me down! Ali screamed in her mind. The whole annoy them until they wanted to get rid of her trick didn't work like it did back home.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Ali panicked grabbing for the doorframe. Her fingers slid of the smooth surface without being able to grip it properly. As they began their decent Ali clammed up, pulling her arms and legs in closer to her body. There were elf soldiers everywhere. She hadn't seen this many elves since Rivendell… or only at Rivendell.

The path opened up into a huge underground cavern, winding paths cut from wood traveled off in every direction. Ali didn't dare look down. What if these were the type of elves that ate people? Those probably existed, or not, god she wished the veil had provided some sort of pokedex for this place.

They traveled up to a platform that hung in the center of the cavern. That was the mother elf, which would consume her heart to continue spawning perfect little flesh eating elves. No, Ali, reprimanded herself, she was letting her imagination get away with her. They would be normal, civilized… oh dear lord they were probably some sort of vampire elf hybrid! She had seen that in a movie somewhere…probably…maybe.

As they traveled up the last of the path Ali steeled herself. Already she could feel herself beginning to shake, her heart pounding so hard she was sure the vampire elf holding her could feel it. Finally they reached the platform, the space itself was smaller than she had anticipated, holding not much other than a throne.

It was the being sitting on the throne that caused Ali's heart to skip a beat. He…she…it, was reclining atop the stares, clothed in silver robes that pooled at its feet. Its silver blonde hair was a near match, flowing perfectly strait around its face. Its crown looked as if the forest had created it just for this creature.

"What is that?" The deep voice flowed down from the throne. It was a man, most definitely a man. Ali tensed up again, brought back to reality by the distain in the king's voice. As if she was just some garbage stuck to the blonde's shoe.

"We found her in the woods-" The King sat up quickly raising his hand, silencing the blonde.

"Put her down at once," the King stared down at Ali so intently that she had to look away. There was something about his eyebrows that unnerved her.

"But sir," the woman stepped up, but stopped just as quickly.

"Legolas!" The King snapped.

Did he just say 'let go lass'? As the blonde slowly released Ali, she stepped back, unable to help glancing back at the elf. Again, she didn't really know that much about elves, but she could have sworn this one was a man.

"I apologize for the way you have been treated thus far," the King stood gracefully, beginning his decent from his throne.

"Oh…it's alright, really I think I was more of a pain than they were," Ali turned back to the blonde, "sorry ma'am."

The blonde's brows drew together confused, just as she opened her mouth the King cut her off.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from one such as yourself?" The King stepped in front of her. He seemed pleasant even though he did not smile.

"I'm looking for some dwarves, I lost them in the woods, and then there were these spiders. Luckily these lovely ladies showed up and saved me, so I should thank you again. But I'm looking for the dwarves, you haven't happened to have seen any, have you?" Ali was rambling faster than ever, egged on by the King staring down at her, his face completely unreadable. It was nerve wracking to be watched by so many perfect faces when you had just previously threatened to pee on one of them, talk about embarrassing.

"Hold on, I think-" the blonde began but the King stopped her with another wave of his hand.

"No, I can safely say I haven't seen any dwarves in my kingdom. But you must be exhausted. Tauriel please show…I believe we have yet to be introduced, I am Thranduil, King of the Woodland realm."

"Oh, Ali, apparently not in Kansas anymore," Ali laughed dryly at her own awkward joke. They weren't going to get it. No one here ever gets it.

"Tauriel, please show Ali to the guest room, so she may wash up for supper. I will see you at seven Ali." King Thranduil turned his back to her, as if that would be the end of it.

"I would really rather go look for the dwarves," Ali blurted out as Tauriel grabbed her good shoulder. There was something to be said for small miracles.

"We can discuss the dwarves during supper, please be gentle with our guest Tauriel." Thranduil spoke over his shoulder. So much for her idea of them being vampire elves. These ones were just as strange as the last, only ruder. Much, much ruder.

Thranduil listened to their footsteps echoing away. It had taken him a moment to realize what Ali was. He had in fact only met one other, Galadriel.

"My Lord, I believe she thinks I'm a woman," Legolas stepped up to Thranduil's side, agitation humming in his words.

"Legolas," Thranduil began meandering off down the path to his study. "Do you know what the Veil is?"

"The Veil? The name sounds familiar but I cannot say why." Legolas fell into the same lazy stride.

"It is the fabric that hangs between worlds, blocking them from sight of one another. It is also a place. A place only the most powerful of spirit are allowed to dwell." Thranduil hummed mostly to himself as they entered his study. "Ali has been to the Veil."

"My Lord, she threatened to pee on me. If she is in any way powerful then you cannot tell from her actions." Legolas stood in the center of the rooms with his arms crossed. He had so much left to learn of the world, Thranduil thought.

"I do not believe Ali fully understands the Veil herself, surely Lady Galadriel has been vague as usual." Thranduil pulled an old volume from his shelves, carefully laying it out on a pedestal.

"Why didn't you tell her that we have the dwarves here in the dungeon?" Legolas finally began asking the real questions, there was hope for him yet.

"As of this moment, Ali's allegiance appears to lay with Thorin's company. I do not know their exact relationship, and wish to learn more before we continue. There is no need to hand back a tool as rare as Ali, surely those dwarves don't even realize the power she holds." Thranduil's eyes grazed over the text he had read many times since he learned of the source of Lady Galadriel's more interesting abilities.

"And what power does she hold?" Legolas took a step closer to the book but Thranduil stopped him with a mere glance.

"Power that I wish to hold but cannot, that alone should suffice for now Legolas. Go now and tell them to prepare the best we have to offer for dinner. Tell the guards to be on their best behavior. Ali is an honored guest, not a prisoner." Thranduil slowly closed the book as Legolas turned to leave. "Also," Legolas halted at his voice, "keep a close eye on Ali, she is not to know Thorin and company are here."

"Would you also like me to put on a dress, or may I tell her that truth?" Legolas asked bitterly.

Thranduil allowed the remark to stand without chastising his son. Today held more surprises than he normally allowed, but the future was looking promising. His mood was much lighter than it had been in many years. "I do believe a light blue would complement your eyes quite nicely."

Finally! Had a bit of writers block, but I'm back on the wagon

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day

I know I'll be eating a whole box of chocolates in front of my tv with my cat lol hopefully everyone has as much fun

Please review and let me know what you think

MWAH!