Night had only just begun to fall when Ali could no longer muster up enough strength to continue buying them time. She'd done all she could to shorten their trip, only stopping to rest when absolutely necessary. Amazingly, Legolas had asked no questions of her, though she could tell he wanted more than anything to know what was happening.
Closing her eyes, Ali fell back against his chest. Much like before, he braced an arm across her chest for support and kept them traveling at full speed. Fresh blood trickled from her nose but she had long since given up trying to wipe it away. At this point she doubted she could even bring her hand up to clean her face.
"We're almost to Dale," Legolas whispered in her ear.
Good, she thought, hopefully she'd bought them enough time to warn everyone.
"There it is," Legolas' voice broke through her fitful haze. Ali cracked her eyes open groggily to see what he was talking about.
Swiftly approaching before them, buildings sprung up from the barren landscape. Though it looked a few years short of being reduced to rubble, it was a welcomed sight. Legolas did nothing to reign the horse in as they sped into the town, only slowing to take a few turns. Ali meant to protest and scold him for reckless behavior, but the words stuck in her dry throat.
"The elves of Mirkwood are here, this is not a good sign. If I know my father, he will have his tent set close to where the walls of Erebor lie," Legolas called in her ear. She found the strength to nod for him. "There!"
A crowd of elves parted automatically for their arrival, several confused humans stumbled away with them. But everyone's eyes remained glued to their frothing steed and her bloody face.
They didn't even know, she thought, wishing to tell them off for being rude, they didn't even know what was going on.
"Take my horse," Legolas called, finally pulling them to a halt. He slid easily off the saddle, sliding her with him.
"Legolas, what are you doing here?" Thranduil's voice flowed from the tent entrance, "I sent someone to collect you but they were unable-"
"Ali," Gandalf called, cutting the elven king off. She lay in Legolas' arms, for once not protesting the help.
"She was doing something to get us here faster," Legolas explained when Gandalf leaned over her. "I believe she pushed herself too far."
"My dear," Gandalf's brow knitted with worry and he placed a soft hand on her forehead. Gently he closed his eyes, mumbling softly to himself.
"There is an army of orcs heading this way, we watched them march from Gundabad." Legolas shot a look to his father.
Cool waves spread into Ali's forehead from Gandalf's hand, as if spring water began pouring through her veins. It was refreshing, almost more like someone pouring an energy drink right into her soul.
"Where's Thorin?" Ali blurted out, trying to sit up in Legolas' arms.
"He's in Erebor," Gandalf sighed, stepping back and leaning heavily on his staff. Relief washed through her, knowing Smaug hadn't killed him took pressure off her chest.
"If you'd like to join us, we are about to go to the wall now," Thranduil stepped from his tent, adjusting a white pair of arm bracers.
"Yes. Put me down," Ali wiggled out of Legolas' grip, dropping only a short way to the ground. An elf appeared holding out a white cloth for her. Hesitantly Ali took it, unsure what it was for. Were they surrendering?
"It's for your face, my dear." Gandalf chuckled, he began to walk off, perhaps trusting that she would follow, and she did. It wasn't as if she wanted to join Thranduil on the trek to the doors to Erebor.
"There's an army of orcs," Ali began, while wiping at her face.
"There isn't only one," Gandalf's temperament darkened in a matter of seconds.
"We need to get everyone behind that huge wall," Ali pointed to what she was assuming was Erebor. Their approach seemed to make the door larger than life, she wondered how it would be on the inside.
"That's not going to be as easy as you believe," Gandalf picked up the pace, passing legions of elves. Something didn't seem right here. Was it because Thorin didn't like elves? Then again, why were the elves even here?
"What's wrong?" Ali asked, jogging beside the wizard. Never again would she wonder if he had magic. She felt a thousand times better, in less than a second.
"I believe Thorin has developed dragon sickness, that gold has taken over the man that he once was. He's become unreasonable." Gandalf huffed.
"I'll talk to him, he'll listen to me." Ali insisted. A little part of her was hoping dragon sickness didn't also involve growing scales or a tail. While it might be interesting to see, she wasn't sure she could get used to the idea.
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy," Gandalf sighed.
"He'll listen to me," Ali repeated. The undertone made her want to hesitate as the large gates loomed up over their heads. What if Gandalf was right? What if Thorin didn't listen to her? What exactly was going on with Thorin that he didn't want to listen to? She'd stepped into the middle of something that she didn't even understand.
Gently the bead hit the side of her neck in a sort of silent reassurance. When he'd given it to her, he made a point to tell her that dwarfs take this sort of promise serious. So surely he'd listen to her if no one else.
The Bard and Thranduil had arrived at the gate before them, having taken horses and from what Ali could see an elk. Of course the pretentious king of the forest had to be different in some way. Ali rolled her eyes and looked at what was holding their attention.
The dwarfs were gathered on top of the wall. Giddy, Ali skipped up to the front of the group, hoping to draw their attention. Her blood froze in an instant when she saw Thorin. His hands where wrapped around Bilbo, his face twisted in anger and hatred. He looked as though he meant to throw Bilbo off the side of the mountain.
Ali slowed her pace, smile failing. The happiness she felt a second ago when she saw him began melting. Replaced by a bubble of panic. Thorin did mean to throw Bilbo to his death.
"STOP!" Ali screamed, darting around Bard's horse and cutting off Gandalf. "THORIN STOP NOW!"
Thankfully he halted, scanning the group for her, giving the others a moment to pry the scared Bilbo from his fists.
"Ali? Where were you? Fili said you disappeared shortly after the orc attack! I feared something had happened!" Thorin leaned over the stone wall, his brow knitted in worry.
"What were you doing!?" Ali blurted out, her fists clenched. "Why would you even think of hurting Bilbo!?" It must be the dragon sickness. As strange and stubborn as Thorin could be, he wasn't the type to hurt a friend.
"He stole from me!" Thorin roared, as if re-remembering what he had been doing. "He took the Arkenstone and gave it to…" Thorin's face was red with rage, he managed to wave in their general direction.
As if to prove something Bard held up a glowing stone to show Ali. A rock. Thorin was going to throw someone from a cliff for one rock? Was that all the treasure in the mountain?
"Didn't you say you'd share?" Ali offered, unable to think of anything else to say. Surely they taught sharing in dwarf preschool.
"You'd suggest I give them the Arkenstone?" Thorin's fists clenched on the stone wall and he glared down at her. Ali's heart hammered on her ribs. She hadn't seen that much hatred on someone's face since she last saw her father. "It's the King's stone! It belongs to the King! I am the King!"
"It's just a stone Thorin!" Ali clenched her fists together in front of her chest, she didn't want to fight with him, not now when she'd just seen him again.
"Our people are starving and without a home. We will return the Arkenstone for what was promised." Bard called over their argument. Laketown had sunk into the water, surely Thorin wouldn't leave them to die?
"See, they're willing to work with you if you'll just help them!" Ali tried to calm him down, but his knuckles whitened on the stone.
"You choose to side with the Lakemen and Elves?" Thorin spat, pushing Balin away when he approached. "I should have known you'd betray me as well."
Dwalin grabbed Thorin's shoulder and whispered something but Thorin shoved him away as well. Ali's heart throbbed when Dwalin threw her a sorrowful look while backing towards the others.
"You're just a filthy human, NO loyalty towards those who've risked their lives for you, No loyalty to the one you vowed to love!" He leaned over the wall, braid clutched in one hand, dagger in the other.
"Thorin don't!" Ali blurted out darting forward only to be yanked back by Gandalf.
"We are nothing!" As the blade severed their promise to one another, it felt as if it plunged into her heart and twisted. Silence fell over the field. All Ali could do was watch the raven braid fall gently onto the stones across the water.
"What will it be? Will you have peace or war?" Bard yelled.
Ali tore her eyes from the braid and looked up to see those ice blue eyes piercing into her. Judging her. Telling her their love was through.
"I will have war." Thorin said without looking away. Ali gripped her hands so tight that she couldn't feel them anymore. It wasn't just a declaration of all out war between the two parties, it was personal. It meant that this time he wouldn't be there to save her from death. It meant that now she was the enemy, just as much to him as any orc. And it hurt more than anything.
She was so busy watching Thorin that she didn't notice the ground rumbling until he moved away from the wall and out of sight. Reluctantly she turned to see what had caught the others attention.
Dwarfs. Freaking stupid dwarfs.
"Ironfoot." Gandalf grumbled beside her.
Things were getting too complicated. Ali drug herself halfheartedly behind Gandalf, not bothering to listen to their conversation. Three different armies now. Men, because they didn't have a place to go. Dwarfs, because it seemed that wherever there was conflict around these parts dwarfs were somehow involved. And Elves, because for some reason Thranduil decided he needed to stick his spindly fingers in other people's business. Not to mention another army on the way, orcs, and nobody even seemed in the slightest bit worried about that.
Orcs. Ali shuttered at the thought and glanced back over her shoulder towards Erebor. For the moment the dwarfs had disappeared. If orcs arrived than that meant Azog. Azog meant that Thorin was in danger. Ali clenched her jaw, a bubble of anger growing in her chest. Should she even care about that now?
The better question was did she have a choice? No matter what he said, Ali reminded herself that it was dragon sickness. The real Thorin wouldn't have acted like that.
"He's clearly mad, like his cousin." Thranduil muttered unimpressed with whatever the dwarf on the pig was ranting about.
"Did you hear that lads? Let's give this bunch a good hammering!" The big guy on the pig cried out to his men raising a giant hammer in the air.
"Stop!" Ali blurted out, shoving past Gandalf one more time. This was just stupid. Men were stupid. "You all need to take a freaking chill pill."
"You best get your lass back before she gets hurt," the fat dwarf yelled, rolling on his pig with a bellowing laugh that echoed back into his army. Ali's fists clenched, the bubble of anger grew with the demeaning sound of their laughter.
"I would not antagonize her." Gandalf leaned heavily on his staff.
"Why not, do you suppose she'd slap at me? Or pout?" The fat dwarf rolled with laughter again. The bubble of anger pressed on her throat making it difficult to breath. Why did people do this to her? Talk down to her without giving her a chance? Not think she was worth the time or energy to take seriously? "Or might she cry on me?"
The bubble burst.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ali burst out, her entire body trembling. She couldn't take anymore of this today. "There are armies of orcs marching here right now and you men are squabbling and squealing more than those pigs you're riding!" Ali stepped forward into the neutral zone between the armies. "Oh, poor me, the elves were mean to me, I don't like them cause I've got a napoleon sized dick and a kool-aid man sized gut." Ali scrunched up her face and made exaggerated tear wiping movements to the man on the pig.
Then she turned back to Thranduil. "Woe is me, all the light in my life shines out my ass so I miss the fact that I've got pedophile eyebrows and lie to women I find in the woods." Ali repeated her fake crying.
"How dare ya-" The fat man started. Ali didn't want to hear any of it. In a second she stopped everything. Gritting her teeth she stomped over to where he was glaring and pointing at her on his hog. Angrily she yanked on his sword that hung off the animal's side. She had to hold it with both hands to keep it pointing up and nearly touching the dwarf's neck. Before her head even began to fill with fuzz she was ready. "Talk ta me…" the dwarf started back up where he left off for a second before realizing what was going on. He blinked slowly, raising his hand to push the blade away, but Ali shocked him once again.
"'Like that'. Is that what you were going to say?" Ali snapped. "There is a war about to happen and you two are so busy throwing tampons back and forth. If you don't get it together people are going to die." Ali snapped, slowly she dropped the blade and planted the tip it in the soil by her foot. "You two are leaders, people look up to you, trust you, need you, and any minute you're going to let them die." Ali shook her head. "Get your shit together."
That was really all she had. Ali twisted her hand around the leather bound hilt as silence fell over the armies. The anger had dissipated greatly, in its place she felt rather relieved, even a bit lighter.
It only lasted a moment though. The very earth under her feet trembled and groaned hollowly.
"Were-worms." Gandalf appeared by her side, a grave look in his eyes.
Sorry about how long it took me to update this one :(
The whole moving, getting a second job, not having internet, thing sort of stymied me a bit.
But I'm finally back :) hope you enjoyed this new chapter
Muah