Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise.

A/N: Well this one was a weird one to write. You'll see why! I'm not really sure when the next chapter will be up. I'm undecided at the moment where to take this story.

Contains: Worried Elflings, Horrid Elfkings, Overprotective Durins and a plot twist.

Khuzdul is underlined italic and elvish is italic.

Chapter 29

Legolas POV

I sat in the armchair near the fire, watching ada pace around his chambers and absently stroked a hand down Alina's back as she sat on my lap. "Why would they not tell us where they are going? Did they know before they left that Bilbo had the one ring in his possession?" Ada was muttering to himself and I stood, placing Alina on the chair and standing in front of him, "She's going to come back though isn't she?" I asked and Ada stared at me for a moment, the fear I felt staring right back at me. "Yes she is. She has to." Ada said softly, gripping my arm.

We were both worried as it had been three days since Elrond had seen Ariana and Bilbo enter Mordor, yet they had not arrived. Ada began pacing as I moved over to the balcony, finding Tauriel staring out at the sky. I squeezed her hand and she leaned against me. "She is coming, I have to believe it." She whispered to me and I nodded, startling when Alina and Dracarys sped past my ear and Ada joined us.

We all stared up at the stars, scanning the night sky. "Is that them?" Tauriel said pointing to what looked like a moving patch of darkness, the answer coming in a chorus of low roars from the dragons. I turned to find ada already out of the door, Tauriel and I running after him. As we approached the gate we met up with the rest of the company and those closest to Ariana. We moved out of the gate and waited watching as the three dragons landed, followed by Thalion. A small figure jumped down and ran directly for Thorin, Bilbo's golden curls coming into light just as he collided with Thorin. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Achrâchi gabilul, kurduh." Bilbo repeated over and over again.

Thorin seemed to still for a moment at the Khuzdul, "Don't you ever do something like that to me again." He growled out, before tugging Bilbo's head back by his curls and kissing him fiercely. I turned away, trying to see Ariana, to see my nana. A figure moved in the shadows, the outline of the wings giving away that it was Ariana. She moved into the light and we all watched as she and ada seemed to stare at each other, even Bilbo and Thorin had paused their reunion to watch. "Ci be-chennas? Ci ben-ind?" Ada's voice sounded, confusing me.

Ariana watched him stalk towards her, the way ada was behaving was the complete opposite to how he had been acting in the weeks since Ariana had left. Gone was the elf who was missing his one, this was almost the cold king he was outwardly to everyone else. "No, I went to keep you safe. If we had all gone then there was no future. There was only darkness. I went to save the people that hold my heart." She said, her stance strong even as ada tried to intimidate her. "You lied to me. How can I trust you when you lie to me?" Ada's voice was soft, his anger leaching into every word.

Ariana backed away from him, studying his face. Suddenly Thalion let out a echoing roar and we all turned to look at him, he was watching us all snarling down at us. Ada backed up, "Thalion enough." Ariana barked out, standing between ada and the dragon, who seemed to be watching ada with a predatory interest. Ada shook his head and turned away from everyone, walking back into the mountain.

I watched Ariana as she watched him leave and I could have sworn the gold in her eyes dimmed, but the next moment I was moving and hugging her tightly. "I am glad you are back nana." I whispered to her and felt Tauriel join the hug as well, Ariana returning it. We moved back as Fíli and Kíli rushed forward to hug her, followed by her siblings and then the rest of the company.

It was as we all moved into the mountain that I realised all three of the dragons were wrapped around Ariana and Thalion was in raven form, hopping along the rocks, following us as we made our way to a common seating area we had set up just after they had left. "You will tell us everything." Thorin demanded and I saw ada enter the room, standing in the shadows near the door as Bilbo weaved the tale of finding the ring in the goblin caves, all the way up to when Ariana realised what it was.

We all looked over at Ariana to find ourselves faced with a barrier of feathers, Ariana's voice sounding from underneath them. "I could feel the dark magic on the ring, I didn't really know what it was until Bilbo told me that it whispered to him." I frowned at Ariana's behaviour and clearly Kíli was having the same issue as he approached her, only to shy away as Thalion cawed out a warning from his perch on the chair behind her in chorus with the hissing that came from the three dragon heads that poked out from underneath the feathers.

Bilbo continued his tale and I half listened to it, watching Ariana as I was. Something was not right. When Bilbo had finished everyone erupted into questions, but many of them revolved around Bilbo and where his belongings were. I watched ada leave the room, Tauriel glancing over at me in worry as she tilted her head towards Ariana. I hoped they made up quickly, I feared what would happen if they didn't.

I moved back to the rooms that I had been given, Tauriel walking beside me. "Did you see her eyes?" Tauriel asked and I glanced over at her frowning, "When your father turned away from her. The gold became dull." I stared at Tauriel, I hadn't been imagining it then and when I said as much Tauriel shook her head. "What does it mean though? You don't think it's bad do you?" She asked and I shrugged, having no answer to give her as we parted ways.

The next few days were awkward and stilted as ada pointedly ignored Ariana at every point, leaving a room if she entered it or walking the opposite way even if it was not the way he wanted to go. He ended up spending more time out of the mountain in his efforts to avoid her. I watched as the tentative peace we had achieved with the three older Durin sibling's began to bend, almost to breaking point.

It was on the fourth day after Bilbo and Ariana had come home that everything came to a head. Ada and Thorin had been snapping at each other all morning, the insults having moved from Westron to either Khuzdul or Sindarin. I sighed as another argument broke out, at least this was in Westron so we could follow both sides, "What is your problem?" Thorin snarled out, slamming a hand down onto the table we were all seated around for lunch, Ariana the only one not present, and glaring over at ada. "My problem? I had thought that was abundantly clear." Ada purred out and Tauriel and I flinched, that was ada's way of snarling. Thorin glared over at him and clenched one of his fists. "If it was obvious I wouldn't have asked, you fuckwit!"

There was a collective groan around the table at the insult and I knew everyone else was glad that this was a private dining area rather than the main one. "Mind your tongue and your tone with me." Ada snapped back, "Oh I'm sorry. Did I offend you? How weak do you have to be that mere words hurt you?" Thorin growled back and I watched as Bilbo was torn between calming Thorin and glaring at ada. "Your sister is my problem." Ada finally said and the table fell silent.

Thorin's face clearing and the entire company shifted away from the Durins. "What exactly is wrong with my sister?" Thorin asked, his voice suddenly calm and even. All three siblings looked ready to leap over the table and kill ada, Kíli looked to be torn between holding back his brother and joining him. Tauriel and I began to edge back from the table, this was going to end badly and neither of us wanted to be caught in that fight.

We all watched as the two kings stared at each other across the table, ada being the first one to break the silence. "Your sister lied to me, just as your one lied to you. And not about something small. This decision effected all our races yet we were left out of the process. It could have ended badly, with the ring back with it's master and we would never have known. How do you trust them after that? How do you forgive that?" Ada asked, his voice bored. "You forgive because you listen to their reasons and you believe that if they had had another way they would have taken it. I trust my one, he has saved my life more than once, as my sister had saved both you and your children at least once." Thorin said, his voice a deep rumble in the silence of the room.

Ada scoffed, "So I am supposed to forgive her because of the reasons she gave me? I am supposed to trust her just because she saved my life?" I stared at ada, I didn't like where this was going. "Yes. If I know my sister, it's that she always does things for the simplest of reasons. The main one seems to be keeping those she loves safe. That was why she went to face Azog atop Ravenhill and it's why she went to do this. She could have let Bilbo go alone, but she didn't. Because she cares deeply about the people in her life." Thorin spoke passionately and ada scoffed. "How sweet that you truly believe that. Of course she had no other motives behind her actions. I believe there is motive behind all her actions." I stared at ada, none of us prepared for the slap that sound around the room.

Lady Dis stood in front of ada, a knife in her fist. "Say something like that about my sister again. I dare you." She snarled out and I looked over at Tauriel, Thorin certainly wasn't the scariest Durin when he was angry. "Your sister is amongst the worst of your kin that I have ever met." Ada purred out, standing to his full height and Frerin and Fíli darted forward to tug Dis away from him. "Shit." We all turned to look at Bilbo, but he was busy looking at the door. "What's wrong sanmizim?" Thorin asked and Bilbo shook his head, but I turned to look at the door and found it was now open, yet I was sure that it was closed after the cooks had left.

Ada sniffed, turned and walked out of the room. I glared after him, "Legolas you might want to have a long talk with your father. In it you might like to explain that he is dangerously close to spending a night in one of our deepest cells." Frerin ground out and I nodded, stalking to the door. I watched as Tauriel kept pace with me and I looked over at her, "I am here to stop you from doing something stupid." She said softly, but I could see the anger in her eyes. She wanted a chance to air her thoughts on my father's words away from the prying eyes of everyone else.

I stormed into ada's room after him, Tauriel coming after me and standing beside the closed door. "What was that about father? Why did you attack Ariana like that?" I snapped out as he took a seat by the fire and stared over at me, his expression bored. "I did nothing that she didn't deserve." He said, raising an eyebrow at Tauriel and I shifted. "Tauriel is here to make sure I don't act rashly." I said, hearing the anger in my voice.

Before ada could speak a knock sounded at the door, Tauriel turned to open it. "I apologise for disturbing you, but I was asked to deliver these to King Thranduil." A woman's voice said and I could see one of the women from Laketown outside the door. Tauriel nodded, "I will pass it on to my king. Thank you." She said politely before turning and walking over to ada, placing the envelope and package on the table next to him.

She moved to stand beside me, both of us watching as ada opened the envelope and shook out the contents. Ada opened the draw string of the little velvet pouch and we both stared as three pieces of jewellery fell out, two earrings and a pendant, the box next to him yielding a short sword that looked vaguely familiar and a book. Ada was staring at the items, he put the jewellery back into the pouch and tore open the letter that came with them. He stood suddenly, throwing the letter down on the table and beginning to pace in front of the fire. I picked up the letter and angled it so Tauriel could read it.

'Thranduil,

I apologise for my actions once again, every word I spoke to you the night I returned was true. I went with Bilbo because I wanted to keep those I loved safe, because I wanted to keep you safe. In the time since we met again in your throne room, you have worked you way deeply into my heart. It hurt me so badly to be so vague in answer to your questions before I left and with each league I flew away from you my heart ached more and more.

I have done a lot of thinking since we returned and I have realised that you were right, I am amongst the worst of my kin. My grandfather denied you your belongings and I have denied you the ability to make your own choices. For that I apologise, I will not darken you door again.

I return to you the gifts that you have given me, I will not keep your families heirlooms.

I am clearly not what you want or need and I release you from this courtship.

I am letting you go, for even though it breaks my heart, you deserve better than me.

Gi melin

Ariana'

I stared over at ada, my heart clenching. "She is leaving us?" I whispered out and ada turned to face me, studying my face and for once I let tears form. I had already lost one nana, now I was going to lose another. The only difference was this time it could have been preventable, I looked back up at ada and snarled. "You did this. You drove her away from us." I pushed at him and he stared down at me, seemingly confused at my reaction.

I shook my head and turned away from him. "Tauriel come." I snapped out and stalked towards the door, pausing as I remembered Frerin's warning, "Prince Frerin asked me to inform you, that you should watch what you say from now on or you will be spending time in their cells." I told ada and walked out of the room, not bothering to look back. I stalked down and out to the battlements, trying to clear my thoughts. Tauriel stood beside me and we looked out towards Dale, both of us startling when Thorin's voice sounded from beside us. "I take it your talk didn't go well?"

We turned to face him and he looked up at us, studying us. I shook my head. "We hadn't had a chance to talk before someone was knocking on the door and delivering a letter and package for the king. It was from Ariana, she gave back her courting gifts and the gifts she was given as a child." I said quietly and Thorin stared at me before pulling another envelope out of his pocket. He held it out for me, "If she gave back the gifts from your father I do not hold hope that this letter for you is good." He said, turning back to look at Dale when I took it. I opened it carefully and breathed out a sigh of relief when I didn't see the necklace I had made her. I opened up the letter and took it out, letting Tauriel read it with me.

'Legolas and Tauriel.

I am sorry for all the pain I seem to be causing you, it was never my intention.

I know you heard my reasons for not telling anyone where we were going and they were true. I could not have lived with myself if any of you had come with us and then died. It would have killed me if the ones that died were you, Tauriel or your father. I couldn't lose the only children I will ever have. I may have lost your father, but I couldn't lose you two as well.

I know now that I should have been more truthful but even after all this time back home, I still doubt that I can keep what I have.

I know that you feared I would give back your necklace, but truthfully I could not part with it.

I am sorry that I have ruined so much.

I love you both,

Ariana'

I folded the letter carefully and placed it in my tunic, "It sounds like she's saying goodbye." Tauriel said from beside me and Thorin sighed, "That is what we said when we read our letters, she feels that she has betrayed us and cannot stay. She is doing the abandoning before we do. It's a trait she had as a child." He said and we looked at him, turning when another voice sounded. "Aye, she ran away from Dis and I when we received news that Adad and grandfather had died. She didn't really speak to us that night, but I was short with her without meaning to be."

Frerin came and stood beside Thorin. "I gave her the space I thought she needed, but she took that as I didn't want her anymore, that I was going to make her leave. She nearly bit her tongue in two over that night, because she didn't want to wake me with her nightmares. My baby sister thought I wanted her gone." He whispered out the last words, "And now she think we want her gone?" Tauriel asked and Frerin nodded. I stared at them both, "But where would she go?" I asked and Thorin shrugged, "She could go anywhere in Middle Earth. I have no doubt that if she wanted to disappear we would never find her."

I looked out of the plain before the mountain. "When was the last time anyone saw her?" I asked, almost fearing the answer. "Bilbo saw her in the doorway at lunch." Frerin replied and I nodded, "That would be why he swore, he knew she had heard everything that my father had said. Where would she be now?" I asked and Thorin sighed, "She's locked herself in the library. She won't let anyone in there, not even Kíli."

If she wasn't letting in her nephew then she was greatly upset, I had never seen her deny either of the boys anything. "Are just supposed to wait her out?" Tauriel asked and Thorin shrugged, "If she is following the same pattern as when she was a child then I would say yes. However I don't think she will. Nori and Bifur are watching the entrance at all times, waiting to see what happens. There is very little we can do until she decides to come out." I sighed, nodding at his answer.

The mood at the evening meal was subdued that evening, everyone was torn between staring at the empty chair where Ariana would sit and glaring at ada. Everyone turned to look at the door when it opened, several people sighing when it was Bilbo who entered. "Nori said to tell you that there's been no change. She's still in there and every now and then something sounds like it gets thrown, but he's not sure if she keeps throwing away a book or if she keeps standing suddenly to pace and knocking the chair back."

We all relaxed as much as we could, hearing that she was ok at least. Dwalin and Bofur would be guarding the door over night, with Gloín and Tristahal taking over in the morning and we all headed to bed with the same thought, that tomorrow would be better. We had barely sat down for breakfast when Bilbo burst into the room, "You need to get to the library, now." He yelled before turning back around and running down the corridor.

We all darted for the door and followed him, skidding to a halt outside the doors. The doors were now off the hinges, pieces of parchment was scattered around the corridor and two healers were looking over Dwalin and Bofur. "What happened?" Thorin's voice was loud over the commotion. Dwalin sat up, holding a bloody bandage to his head. "We were ambushed, fucking Ironfists. It was after midnight and that pouch was thrown, smoking down the corridor."

I looked down and picked up what was left of the pouch, sniffing cautiously. "There is valerian in this and a lot of it." I said, flinging it back down. Dwalin grunted, "Aye, we got in a few good hits, but they decided to help us along with sleeping. When we woke up this is what we found." Gandalf stood in the door way and it was only then I noticed that there was several feathers on the ground, I bent to pick one up. "There is blood on these." I whispered and felt ada kneel beside me, "These are not her flight feathers."

We all relaxed slightly at that, but there was no telling where in her wings these had come from. I looked inside the library and there was chaos, there was parchment, maps and books strewn around the library and there had clearly been a fight. Something caught my eye and I walked towards the glinting object, pulling a braid of hair up. Dis walked forward and held out her hand, I dropped the braid into her palm. "This is adad's braid."

We all surged forward at the roar that sounded through the mountain, the dragons were awake and they were angry. We ran down towards the entrance and found the dragons pacing outside the doors, unable to fly due to the heavy chains wrapped around their wings. I darted over to the struggling raven on the floor and dragged the heavy chain net off him, "They took her, they took my mistress. They've got some kind of wizard with them." Thalion's voice was full of panic and fear.

I helped him to his feet, "Which way did they go?" I asked and he pointed towards Ravenhill. Thorin swore colourfully, calling for ironworkers to come and remove the chains from the dragons immediately. I looked around and could not see ada, I frowned but went back to helping the dwarves free the dragons. "That's where their kin took Ariana when she was a child, if it is the Ironfist clan as Dwalin said." Balin said quietly from beside me and suddenly the fury and worry made sense. That was where they had nearly lost her.

I listened as Thorin and Frerin outlined the plan that we were going to use to get Ariana back, we would wait until night and use the Durins as a cloak. They would approach where ever they were holding Ariana, while Tauriel and I went around the back with the others of the company. We nodded and moved back into the mountain to get ready, I froze as ada walked towards me dressed in a dark tunic and breeches, a dark cloak over his head and his sword on his waist. "What are you doing?" I asked him and he paused.

He sighed as he finished tying back his hair to ensure it didn't fall into light. "I have an apology to give, more than an apology. I need to get her back my leaf. I need to know that she isn't hurt. I need her." He said and I nodded, watching as he passed me and went to leave the mountain. This was the complete opposite of the past four days, this was the elf I had thought I would see when Ariana had come back. We continued on with the plan, but I kept quiet that ada was following us up to the house.

It was easy to spot which of the abandoned buildings was being used the light spilling through the cracks showing us, we watched as Thorin, his brother and his nephews approached the building from the front and stood a far enough distance away, before Thorin bellowed out, "Come out and face us. I will not stand for this the way my grandfather did." A group of four dwarves walked out of the house, "Yes you will. You will relinquish your crown and your claims to the throne or we will tear the wings from your sister's back." The one at the front said.

There was movement inside the house and my heart clenched as they dragged Ariana out by the base of her wings, pushing her to the ground and two of the dwarves each holding one of the wings and tugged. Ariana snarled and spewed a torrent of Khuzdul out, "You fucking bastards. I am going to kill you all so fucking slowly. Fucking bunch cockwombles. I swear to Durin I am going to carve you all open from chin to groin and let my dragons feast on your intestines. Then I'm going to wait until your screaming in pain and begging for mercy and then maybe, just maybe I'll kill you. Maybe I'll rip out your heart. Or maybe I'll keep carving off little pieces of you, starting with your favourite appendage and then moving from that to your fingers and toes. Maybe I'll make you suffer."

I watched as she spoke, an arrow ready for each of the dwarves behind her, holding her wings. I didn't need them as two perfectly thrown daggers landed in their wrists and they dropped Ariana's wings screaming. Ariana turned and span around, retracting her wings into her body and by the end of her spin she had two curved blades in her hands, each of them shining in the moonlight. The dwarves in front of her drew their weapons and were soon faced with five heavily armed Durin's in front of them and turned to face the opposite way and came face to face with the rest of the company.

Ada walked out of the darkness as the dwarves began to back away and stood next to Ariana. "I told you they were in the mountain." He said softly and Ariana nodded, her gaze never leaving the dwarves in front of her. "Wait you knew?" Fíli asked and ada nodded, "Did you really think I could treat my one the way I did? I found it difficult to rest while Ariana was away, so I took to walking the mountain. I was walking down near your abandoned mines when I heard this charming group talking about what they planned to do when Ariana was back."

Ariana shifted, her wings coming back out and I could see that they were rumpled from the mistreatment. "So all that anger and rudeness was fake?" Frerin asked and ada looked over at him, "My anger the first night was real, until your sister came to see me after the story had been shared and we talked it out." Ada said and Ariana snorted, "By talked it out you mean we had a shouting match. That was when Thranduil told me what they were planning to do, how they wanted to avenge their clansmen and retrieve the throne for their little lordling. As I've told many dwarves since we reclaimed the mountain, bring a huge fucking army when you try." She snarled out the last bit.

One of the dwarves chuckled, "Well we brought a wizard, that's our army." A figure stepped out from behind the building and a ball of flame shot forward , only to stop in front of ada and Ariana. It twisted and roiled like an ocean during a storm before disappearing. "I am the last Dragon Born, I am the last person you want to be flinging fire at." She snapped out and her swords vanished, a haze of green and gold hovering over her palm. The wizard scoffed and tried to move towards her, he yelped as he and the dwarves were suddenly suspended from roots, hanging upside down in the air.

Ariana shifted, leaning slightly towards ada, almost like it was paining her to stand. "You kidnapped me, you hurt my family, you chained my dragons and you are the reason I've just had to live through the worst four days of my fucking life. I really want to kill you right now." She snarled out and Thorin stepped forward. "Namanith, drop them." She flicked her hand and they fell to the ground, all staring up at Thorin as he walked forwards, the other dwarves hauling them upright as Tauriel and I moved to stand with ada and Ariana. "Take them back to the cells. Separate them, bind them and gag the wizard. We will deal with them all in the morning, I imagine Dis will want to make her displeasure known."

The company dragged off the dwarves and we followed behind them, Ariana walking very close to ada. When we reached the mountain some of the guards helped the company take the dwarves down to the cells and we headed for the shared seating area. Ada sat Ariana down on a foot stool and sat on the chair behind her, gently straightening out the feathers on her wings. We all sat in silence, watching this exchange. It was so different to the ones from the days previous.

Dis walked into the room, "I hope you have an explanation?" She asked and Ariana nodded, explaining what had been happening and what ada had found out. "So that was all acting? I'm wont apologise for slapping you." Ada nodded and Ariana turned to face him, her wings now straightened. Ada made her lean forwards and reattached the feather to the bottom of my pendant and gently slid the earrings back into her ears. "That was the hardest part. Writing those letters and giving these gifts back." She said.

Ada leant forward, resting his forehead against hers. "When I opened that letter and those jewels fell out, I thought my heart would stop and shatter. To even pretend that you were going to leave me hurt so much more than anything I have ever faced. That is a pain I never want to face again." Ada murmured out pressing a soft kiss to Ariana's lips. Kíli and Fíli groaned and Ariana glared over at them. "Grow up." She snapped out and they grinned, "Never. Glad to have you back though aunty." Kíli said smiling over at her and she smiled softly, "Glad to be back, khuzdith." Suddenly it felt like everything was going to be alright for the first time in a very long time.

A/N: So that went a little differently to what I started writing it as! Sorry about Thrandy, I really don't know what happened to him in this chapter!

Achrâchi gabilul, kurduh. - I'm sorry, my heart.

I'm unsure as to who the next chapter will be about or where it will go. Maybe I'll do a wedding. Maybe I'll write grumpy elves leaving the mountain. I don't really know. Haha