Disclaimer: Same as usual if you recognise it I don't own it.

A/N: So I apologise, I told you this was going to be a mixed POV and the battle, but I thought a chapter of around 10,000 words when finished would have been a little much! So this is Ariana's build up to the battle, what choices she made and how she really feels regarding Thorin.

So be prepared for armour, a hint at wings and dragons, Angst, Thorin being a dickturd and forgiveness... enjoy :)

Chapter 22

Ariana POV

I sat waiting on my throne in the cold and dark throne room, dawn barely lightening the sky. Today the battle would come and it would test the fragile peace and bond we had managed to make between the three peoples within the mountain. Bilbo, Legolas and Kíli had helped immensely with that, the three of them managing to win over even the most opposed of each race. Bilbo was the best at it, but I think that may have been because he was viewed as a neutral party by each race, despite his continued presence around the company. I sighed, really I needed to forgive them for their sickness, it was hardly like they could have helped it really.

I shifted upright as Bard, Daín and Thranduil walked into the room, a flick of my wrist lighting up the sconces around the room. "My Lords, thank you for joining me. I apologise for the early hour, but the day is not in our favour." I said standing and approaching them, each one of them studying my face with their gaze, but only Thranduil's seemed to linger. "I take it the army will arrive today?" Bard asked and I nodded, "Before mid morning if my vision's are correct. I have already spoken to the Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond. Lady Galadriel will be helping the healers we have with the wounded, while Lord Elrond will help with manning the forces he and the Lady brought, you are each in charge of your own men on the battlefield." I said and they nodded.

Daín cleared his throat, "Who is going to lead the archers on the wall? My boy's won't listen to an elf." I nodded, holding my hand up when Thranduil went to speak. "And the elves won't listen to a dwarf. Prince Kíli and Captain Tauriel are going to be up on the wall. They will jointly give the orders as they see fit, I know there is not a man helping them, but you men are a little more amenable to help than our races." I told Bard, smirking slightly and he nodded, smiling. "We hold no grudges at the moment. They died when our town was destroyed as both the Dwarves and Elves came to our aid." I smiled over at him, before my gaze drifted away to the light filtering through the windows at the top of the cavern. "If you'll excuse me I need to get ready, my armour will not put on itself." I said bowing my head and leaving the room.

I moved away from the throne room trying to ignore the sound of Daín and Thranduil arguing over which one of them was going to have the better record on the battlefield, I did not envy Bard the walk back. I sighed as I entered what used to be my old room in the mountain, remembering that grandfather had once said there was a present waiting for me here. I moved over to the tall casing that sat in the corner of the room, one that hadn't been here before I was kidnapped. I tugged open the door and stared, inside the casing was a full suit of dwarvish armour, it was made to be a lot less bulky than normal and had an amazing pattern on it. Almost like someone had taken my wings and imprinted them into the molten metal. I pulled the top out and turned it around, grandfather had even managed to make guarded holes in the back to allow my wings to emerge, although how he had known I wasn't sure.

I pulled on the armour and strapped it on tightly, it was so light, but I knew that it would protect me. I quickly fastened on my two scimitar swords to my belt, sheathed the sword of Lasgalen up my spine and hid my daggers in the sheaths dotted around my armour, tugging my thick dragon hide boot's on when I had secured the daggers. I braided my hair into its braids, each one capped with its respective bead, before tying it back into a high ponytail, out of the way of my wings, should I unleash them. I opened the small case that rested at the bottom of the casing and found a small, delicate circlet made of mithril that wrapped around like vines, interspersed with gems. I placed it on and pulled out Legolas' necklace, letting it rest over the top of my armour, knowing that it would be seen, feeling slightly guilty that I wasn't going to wear any of the dwarvish pieces of jewellery. It just hurt too much. I stretched my arms up, feeling the room that the armour granted me.

I moved through the halls of the mountain, back down to the throne room, casting my mind out and searching for Cináed, Alina and Dracarys, calling them to me. Their answering calls echoed through my mind and for a moment I could breathe easier knowing that soon, my familiars would be with me. From what I was hearing Thalion had flown to fetch them as soon as we had made it to Dale, somehow aware of the fact that I would need them. I smiled slightly thinking about the what the sight of four dragons would cause on the battlefield, because I had no doubt that Thalion would have chosen that form, he didn't like feeling left out.

The door to the throne room flew open and I sighed as Kíli approached me, clad ready for battle in the armour I had found for him, "Why am I to stay in the mountain? Why am I the one that cannot go out on to the battle field?" He demanded and I smoothed his hair back from his face, "It is not because I do not think you worthy Kíli. You are so much stronger than you think. You are the best archer I have at my disposal that Daín's men will listen to, they will not take order's from an elf, but they will take them from you, however reluctant they are to do so." He sighed, but nodded, looking up at me and frowning slightly. I smoothed my finger over the wrinkles in his forehead, "Don't frown Mizimith, you're too young for wrinkles." I teased him.

He looked at me and grasped my hand in his, "There's something you're not telling me. What is it Aunty?" I sighed, he was too perceptive for his own good, "If I fall in battle and Thorin is even slightly affected by the gold still, you are my successor. I have faith in you Zundushith, you can do this." He gripped my hand tighter, "You make it sound like you intend to die." I shook my head, "It is not my intent to die. Many that live, deserve death and some that die, deserve life. It is the will of the gods who lives and who dies. I will take my time if this is it. I have lived a life, it has not always been good and it has not been long, but I have lived well enough."

He wrapped his arms around me, "No, you do not get to die aunty. I need you to come back, I do not believe that it your time." I hugged him back tightly, knowing that I would die today and I would do so in order to let my family live. "I will try Zundushith, but battle is unpredictable I cannot promise I will make it." He nodded, letting me press a kiss to his forehead, before he moved out of the throne room and up to the battlements, I sighed and sat down heavily on the arm of the throne. Turning when footsteps echoed around the room. "You are his favourite now you know?" I looked up at the sound of Fíli's voice, "It used to be Uncle Frerin that he used to look up to like he had hung the stars, now it is you. I heard one of the towns people describe you perfectly, after you repaired the mountain in your anger and had been walking up on the battlements. 'A girl who walks in starlight in another world, as beautiful as she is deadly.' It fits you well Aunty."

I stared at Fíli and pulled him into a hug, "Mim kidhuzur upndar, I think that you are more ready than you think you are. Do you know why I chose you and Kíli over seasoned dwarves to help me plan the defence of the mountain? Because you and Kíli see the worth of each dwarf, they are not a battle piece in a deadly game to you, you remember that each dwarf has a family and you want to keep them alive as best you can. That is why I chose you. I know that it is unconventional for me to have chosen Kíli over you should I fall, but I need you both to work together, I need you to be you. I have never seen two brothers work more seamlessly together than the two of you." I told him and he nodded.

I sighed, he still didn't quite believe me, "Fíli I forgave you for the gold sickness almost the moment you came out of it, because I could see you were genuinely disgusted with yourself about it. I love you and Kíli just the same, I cannot stand the thought of losing either one of you to this war, but Kíli skills are needed in the mountain and yours are best used out of it. I hate having to separate the two of you." I told him slouching as much as I could in my armour, Fíli wrapped me in a hug. "I love you too aunty. We do understand and it's not like we are truly separated, Kíli can watch both our backs from up on the wall. What have you told uncle?" I tensed slightly.

I looked over at Fíli, smoothing back a few strands of unruly hair and straightening his armour, "I am going down to speak to him now and I will tell him the truth. I will see if that can break him out of this madness and if not I will just pray that something can." I said, knowing that while I could not admit the future to my nephews, I would admit it to Thorin because I truly needed to see if he cared. I needed to see if any of his promises were true. It hurt to think that I was leaning towards trusting the Elf King who had broken my heart as a child more than I was the brother who I adored.

Fíli nodded and walked with me out of the throne room, before leaving me with a head bump. I pressed a kiss to his forehead quickly before he left, making him smile up at me. I watched him walk away before moving to walk down to the treasury, dreading what I would find down there. I moved into the light, watching as Thorin sat in a golden chair, looking out over the gold. He turned at my footsteps and blinked, the haze in his eyes fading slightly before snapping back. "Well don't you look every inch the regal dwarven warrior Queen?" He sneered out and I locked my hurt away deep inside of me, it would help me later on the battlefield, but not now.

I stood before him relaxed, in posture anyway, "I came to inform you of the battle that is about to start outside your gates. If you can leave your horde for the duration of it we would be grateful for your help, if not then I understand that gold means more to you than your kin. Fíli and Kíli would make you proud though, they've helped to plan this battle out and have more respect than many of Daín's captains." His head tilted at Daín's name. "Yes Daín is here. He answered your call for aid and has provided us with soldiers, along with the elves. I just hope it is enough to defeat Azog and his army." I felt bad dropping Azog's name, but I wanted to see if that could break him out of his sickness.

Thorin froze and stared at the ground, a snarl forming on his lips and for one moment I thought that maybe I had my brother back. I was wrong. "I hope the filth manages to find you on the battlefield and rid your stain from the line of Durin. I hope you are the only one of my kin he takes from me." I flinched violently away from his words and my heart shattered in two as I realised I would not get to say goodbye to either of my brothers, one was too far away and the other was lost to me. Thorin laughed loudly at my reaction. "Aw did I hurt the little baby freaks feelings? Like I care about a pointy-eared little wretch like you."

I felt tears falling down my cheeks as I turned to look at him, turning to face the dwarf I now feared. He looked at me and I knew my eyes were dead and cold, "I don't think you realise how right you are my dear Thorin. Today I will die on that battlefield along with the men, dwarves and elves who are fighting for our freedom and safety. I will die on that battlefield so I can keep those I love safe. I will die on that battlefield so you won't, because I know that even in your madness you cannot resist the call of battle, you may resist it now, but you won't for long." I laughed coldly, almost maniacally.

Thorin was staring at me, but I couldn't look at him, not truly. "I will fall in battle, stuck through the heart by the sword of the Defiler, so that you can live. I will die alone, but there will be no pain. There couldn't be, because you have already killed me. My body is merely going through the motions now, how ironic really. I survived everything that old world threw at me to get back to you and it's you that kills me. I hope you have a long life brother, here with your gold." I spat out as I turned away from him, pausing in the doorway. "Do you know what the worst part of this is? I still love you. How fucked up is that?" I asked as I walked away, striding out of the treasury and up towards the front doors, wiping a hand over my face to get rid of the signs of my crying.

I needed to be strong for my people, for my nephews now. I checked in on Galadriel before I left, startling when she gave me a tight hug, "Good luck Fae Queen." She brushed her fingers over my forehead and I knew that she knew something big was going to happen now. I smiled at her and nodded, not truly surprised that she knew what I was, "Good luck to you too My Lady, I fear you will have the tougher job." She smiled and let me leave. I checked on those staying behind in the cavern giving little Tilda, Sigrid and Bain a hug and a promise. "I'll make sure he comes back to you." I whispered to them and Sigrid nodded. I waved to everyone else and strode up to the gate, waving and blowing a kiss up to Kíli and Tauriel who stood up on the battlements. Kíli blew one back and Tauriel smiled down at me, her eyes slightly glazed as we both remembered the words I had said to her earlier. 'Protect him now, keep him safe and alive. You have my blessing in this.' I just hoped that when this was over that my blessing of their bond actually carried some weight.

I took a deep breath and walked out onto the battlefield, shutting the huge doors and leaving only a small opening for our injured to get back through, without the archers having to worry about using the mechanism to open the doors. I squeezed Fíli's hand as I walked to the front of our forces, turning and bumping foreheads with both Dwalin and Balin, offering a smile to the rest of the company. "I know it's bad timing, but I forgive you all. I just want you to know that." I told them, moving up towards Gandalf, shocked at the sight of Bilbo stood next to him, although not really surprised. I squeezed his shoulder and offered him a smile as I glanced over at Bard who stood on the other side of Gandalf, giving him a smile as I came to rest next to Thranduil and his elk, looking out over the battlefield and waiting for the orcs to come.

A/N: I promise the next one is the Battle and is in Thrandy's POV. It should be insightful, I just have a few more paragraphs to write (hopefully) but it will definitely be up tomorrow :) Sorry for the wait.

Translations: Zundushith - Little bird

Mim kidhuzur upndar - My little lion

These names will be explained, but are basically what Dis calls them and one of the company told Ariana and now she uses them too :)