"Miss Katniss, where have you been? Oh! you've found new clothes!"
Considering her previous attire had been ripped off her body, Katniss was now wearing some of Thorin's old clothes that she found in his old bedroom. Apparently, his figure was already much bulkier than hers, even at a younger age, so the clothes engulfed her in such a manner that it made her look even smaller than she actually was. Her new brown trousers were baggy, and wouldn't sit still on her waist if it wasn't for the leather belt, the only one that had enough holes to suit her small figure. She had tucked most of the fabric of the blue tunic inside her trousers, but the biggest offender was the overcoat, which was made for someone with shoulders twice as big as hers.
She had remained in Thorin's old room for an entire day and night, trying to make sense of what had just happened between them. His utter madness. The gold sickness. Having him out of that spell for a few brief moments, only to lose him again almost immediately.
"Don't ask." She gritted her teeth at Bilbo, who was examining her new attire with interest.
"You have a visitor. She refused to leave without speaking to you first."
Katniss frowned for a few moments before both her eyebrows raised as she uttered in an almost whisper.
"Tauriel."
Bilbo confirmed it with a gentle nod and a smile.
"She is waiting by the gate - or what is left of it."
Katniss turned on her heels and began to march at a fast pace to Erebor's gate. Before she could get much further, they heard Nori shouting at them from far ahead.
"Everybody is to go to the gate. Thorin's orders."
"Great," Katniss said, rolling her eyes, grimacing at the dwarf's direction, who gave her a funny look.
"They are Thorin's orders, not mine, you know."
Katniss merely grunted at him with a frown, before she carried on walking on large steps, wondering what would be the issue this time. She hoped it wouldn't have anything to do with Tauriel. Or with that sodding stone. Especially not the sodding stone. The mere thought was enough for her to let another grunting noise leave her lips. Bilbo and Nori exchanged glances, but they were both astute enough not to say anything.
The entire company was already there, carrying heavy stones to block the entrance to the mountain when they arrived. Katniss noticed that Tauriel was indeed outside, standing by the side of the same white horse she had borrowed from her elven friend. Even though the wall was being built separating the elleth from the company, its construction was still at an early stage, so it would be easy for either Katniss or Tauriel to jump to the other side.
"What is going on here?" Katniss asked, glaring at Thorin and frowning at the others.
Thorin turned his back to her and went to give orders in Khuzdul to Bombur and Bifur, who were cutting stones from the wreckage left by the dragon. Some of the dwarrowmen exchanged nervous glances among themselves, and Kili looked at her, opening his mouth as if he was going to say something, but he closed it almost immediately. Katniss's frown intensified, and her semblance only softened when her eyes lay on Tauriel.
"Tauriel?"
"Their word is true. You are alive!"
"Yes…" Katniss looked from the elleth to the company, twisting her lips. "Why are you outside?"
Tauriel exchanged a quick glance with Kili and then looked back at Katniss. It took a while before she answered her question.
"I was not welcomed in."
Katniss grunted.
"THORIN!" she wailed, shaking with rage. "Tauriel helped me escape! She saved my life twice! She healed Kili! And this is how you repay her? Building a wall between us?"
"She brought them here!" Thorin barked back accusingly, pointing at Dale. "It was only in respect for you that I did nothing worse."
Katniss scolded him before she squinted her eyes at Dale and it was only then she noticed a few torches lighting up the ruined city.
"Who are they?"
"Survivors from Lake Town." Tauriel answered.
Katniss made a noise of surprise, and she climbed a pile of stoned bricks that Dori had been preparing, to get a better look at the citadel of Dale. Dori, on his turn, shook his head in annoyance and went to busy himself with a different slab of stone.
"Winter is quickly approaching..." Katniss said to herself, as she felt the icy wind hit her cheeks as she examined the distant ruins of Dale.
"Precisely." Tauriel nodded. The two females exchanged a meaningful glance and Katniss nodded back.
"They will need shelter. We must let them in," Katniss concluded, turning her attention back to Thorin, determined to have her way this time.
"No. They are not welcome." He said resolutely, without looking her in the eyes.
"Thorin!" Katniss shouted in a warning tone.
"I'll not be fooled into housing an army of wretched beggars!" he raised his voice slightly, finally meeting her squinted eyes.
"Excuse me? These people have lost everything!" She howled at him, feeling utterly disgusted.
"They've kept their lives. They should be very grateful for it."
"Can I remind you that the only reason they lost everything is because we sicced an enormous, fire-breathing dragon their way?" She had jumped to the ground and was marching towards him, eyes burning with rage.
"Don't come here telling me about dragon fire, woman. You don't know a thing about it!"
"I know better than you, it seems. Or did you forget that my District was burnt into ashes too? I know their pain. I am one of them."
The entire company had stopped what they were doing to look at the royal couple, who were slowly narrowing the gap between themselves. The tension emanating from their glaring contest was so powerful that those around them could almost see sparkles coming out of them.
"And now you have an even better home. Those who had their lives destroyed by dragon fire should rejoice. They kept their lives and now they can build a better future."
"You know this is bullshit! Lord Elrond has housed us." She walked without unlocking her eyes from his semblance.
"And you paid him handsomely!" he crossed his arms, not taking his eyes from hers.
"Beor helped us!"
"And we worked our way doing repairs that he didn't request, but clearly needed!"
"We didn't pay them back yet!" she said fiercely, pointing a finger in Dale's direction. "Or you have forgotten they also gave us provisions, weapons…"
"Which they only did because they had their eyes settled on our gold!"
They were a few inches away from each other now, their foreheads nearly touching.
"Look what you are saying, Thorin! Have you really forgotten? Don't you remember what it feels like to lose everything?"
This time, it wasn't angry shouts that left her mouth. She was pleading with all her might, looking straight in his eyes, inches from his face. It was as if she was trying to break the spells and all his mental barriers. There was a brief moment of silence, where Thorin looked uncertain. But this moment passed as quickly as it came, and soon, he was shaking his head, resolute in his decision.
"Try bringing them in and you wait and see what will happen. They will rob us, steal our gold! Might even get hold of the Arkenstone!"
"Oh, not this sodding stone again!" she rolled her eyes and turned her back at him, returning to the wall where Tauriel remained patiently, with her eyebrow raised while she waited on the other side.
"It is my duty to look after our people's best interest," he grunted back at her. However, she was already jumping over the wall that was quickly growing as they spoke. "And where do you think you are going?"
"I'm going to see my friend. Not that this is any of your business!" She said just before she jumped to the ground outside the mountain.
"Don't be long," Thorin grunted before he gave Dwalin a meaningful glare. On his turn, Dwalin gave him a small bow and began to accompany Katniss outside of the mountain.
Katniss and Tauriel had barely walked one hundred meters away from the gates when she noticed Dwalin's presence.
"Where do you think you are going!?" Katniss asked Dwalin as soon as she realised she and Tauriel were been closely followed by Thorin's best warrior.
"Thorin's orders, Lassie"
Katniss was about to argue, but Tauriel spoke first.
"It is good to be cautious. Though I assure you, I mean no harm to your Queen."
Katniss's blinked awkwardly. She didn't think she would ever get used to this new title, which somehow sounded even more daunting than the Mockingjay of the Rebellion.
"Am I not allowed to have a private conversation with a friend anymore?"
Dwalin was about to say something, but Tauriel silenced him raising her hand.
"I honestly don't mind. And I am afraid this is nothing compared to the things you will have to endure now you are the Queen Under the Mountain." Tauriel's eyes shined at the last few words, making Katniss roll her eyes, and Tauriel's smile grew wider. "How is married life?"
Katniss sighed. She was unable to hide her true feelings on the matter. Dwalin's frown thickened, and Tauriel threw her a worried glance as well.
"He was all right before we got here. Now everything he wants is..." Somehow she was unable to carry on.
"Goldsickness," Dwalin whispered and Katniss nodded.
"It is awful. He is not himself anymore." Katniss looked from Tauriel to Dwalin and found that the dwarf's frown had dissipated. "He rarely eats, never sleeps… although… there were a few moments that I thought…" She closed her eyes as she savoured the memory of their recent encounter in Thorin's old bedroom.
"I am sorry, Lassie. I ne'er thought he would get this,"
"I saw him, Dwalin. Thorin is still there. I swear, saw him…" She felt her cheeks burn, and both Tauriel and Dwalin exchanged glances, but neither said anything. "For a moment, he was back… and then something broke and he saw some gold coins… and he was mad all over again!"
"The dragon stayed here for too long. It will do him good to leave the mountain," Tauriel said seriously.
"It will be an easier feat tae ask heem tae depart from one of his limbs."
Katniss let her weight drop to the floor, covering her face with both her hands as she did so. This was a rare display of weakness that was so uncharacteristic of her. Both Dwalin and Tauriel exchanged worried glances, and when Katniss removed her hands from her face, her skin was red from the pressure and her eyes were watery, though she didn't let the tears run down her face.
"I… I don't know what else to do…" she said while looking at the city of Dale at the distance. She took a deep breath and turned her stare at the old dwarf. "You and the others should stop obeying all his mad whims. That is not doing him any good, Dwalin."
"That is not how things work. Thorin is our king. We are bound to follow his rule."
"But…" she started, but was interrupted by Tauriel.
"It would be treason, Katniss. Sometimes people are bound to follow orders they disagree."
"But you defied your king, did you not? You helped me escape! You left your kingdom disobeying your own king's orders!"
"Yes, and I am banished now. I will have to pay the price for my actions throughout eternity. I will never be allowed to return to my home."
Katniss looked at the elleth with her eyes wide open, as for the first time, she realised the extent of the consequences that Tauriel would endure for aiding her escape.
"I'm not saying this so you feel guilty, Katniss, but for you to be aware that what you are asking of your companions is not a small deed."
Tauriel decided to sit next to Katniss, but she did so with much more grace than the human. Dwalin remained standing a bit further from where they were. They watched a flock of birds coming from the east. Katniss considered trying to catch one, but she knew that it was unlike the range of her new bow to be as good as the bow Bette had made for her. Instead, she dropped her glare to Tauriel's blue eyes before she blurted out.
"Why did you come here?"
"Two reasons." Tauriel looked nervously from Dwalin to Katniss, who crossed her arms while raising an eyebrow.
"Go on…"
"To make a plea for your king to consider aiding the survivors from Lake Town. I've met them on the road, and I've provided some healing aid, but with winter upon us, they will need proper shelter."
Katniss bit her lip and looked at her knees while Dwalin took the liberty to answer on her behalf.
"I think you will agree that is a lost cause, Lass. What is the other reason?"
"To give you a warning. When I went to retrieve Idril I've seen more orcs on my way. You are still being hunted."
"A bunch of rogue orcs will have no chance against the stronghold of Erebor," Dwalin started.
"Your Kingdown is not as strong as it was. I fear they were off to call for backup. We were unable to kill them all. You might need backup soon."
"Thorin needs to stop being a greedy bastard and call his cousin!" Katniss stood up at once with both her hands clenched in a fist.
"Don't worry, Lassie. He might be blinded by this goldsickness, but Thorin is not stupid. You may not agree with him, but all his actions have reason behind them." Dwalin said, making Katniss frown to deepen. "He won't risk losing what was so hard conquered. He will send for Dain before sunrise. I will talk to him."
Both females exchanged another glance.
"I hope you are right, Dwalin… I really hope you are right."
The dwarves spent two days and nights fortifying Erebor's main entrance.
Katniss knew that her husband had only spared the labour force from looking for his precious jewel because Dwalin had pointed out how vulnerable they were if one decided to attack them in their midst. It was fear of losing his mountain of gold, not the desire to repair the damage to the gates that was the driving force behind his actions. That thought left a bitter taste in Katniss' mouth.
Three days after the gates had been restored, she was petrified when she went to see Thorin on the rampart and was surprised by the sight of an elven army which had set their camp by the outskirts of Dale. Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili and Bilbo were all there with hard expressions on their faces.
"Why are they here?" she whispered.
"Why do you think?" Thorin gave her an "I told you so" scrutinising look when their eyes met.
In return, she frowned and creased her lips.
"The white gems of Lasgalen," Balin replied somberly.
"No," she wailed in disbelieve. However, the look on the faces of all the members of their company left no room for doubt. "Not another useless shiny trinket!"
Thorin shouted something in Khuzdul that made Balin raise his eyebrows and both his nephews open their mouths in shock.
"I won't depart from a single coin. Dwalin, organise a watch. Fili, alert the others and tell them to meet me at the armoury," he concluded before he returned to the insides of the mountain stronghold with Bilbo on his heels.
Katniss, instead, remained on the rampart, her eyes fixed on the enormous army campsite, thunderstruck. There was no doubt that the elves were armed and ready for battle.
They were only thirteen dwarves, a hobbit and herself, stuck inside the Nut with their food supplies running low. Katniss didn't believe for a second they would have any chance of winning against a full elven army. She knew that striking a deal was their best chance to get supplies and stay alive.
When she reached the armoury, all the other members of the company were already there, choosing and claming their favourite weapons. Thorin was looking extremely regal with an armour that seemed to be made of gold, and a helmet that looked like a crown on his head. Katniss also saw Bilbo putting on a silver-steel thin vest that made him look rather peculiar.
"I look rather absurd! I'm a hobbit, not a warrior! How they would laugh on the Hill at home!"
"This is made of mithril. No blade can pierce it." Thorin said, amused by Bilbo's reaction.
Katniss raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Thorin's sudden burst of generosity. She vaguely remembered Thorin talking about the rare metal called mithril to her, and she knew that the vest he had gifted Bilbo was definitely not cheap. She wasn't the only one who seemed to notice this, as she looked around and saw the other company members looking intrigued at the hobbit and their leader.
She then pulled a sword to examine it, making Thorin notice her presence.
"You will not fight."
"Oi?"
"These are not orcs or goblins we are fighting. If the worst comes and we lose, they shall let you live if you don't engage in combat," he said, grabbing the weapon off her hands and returning it from where she retrieved it.
"Thanks for the warning. But I am perfectly able to make my own choices," she answered him, defiantly getting hold of the sword again.
Thorin let out a heavy sigh.
"Bilbo! Come. I want to have a word."
And Thorin left the armoury with Bilbo on his heels again. She frowned at the sight, wondering what secrets was Thorin holding back from her.
Later that day, they received an unexpected visit from someone that Katniss recognized at once. Bard, who had helped to smuggle her and Tauriel to Lake-town, had arrived alone, mounting Tauriel's mare, demanding to have a word with Thorin.
"Don't do anything stupid!" Katniss grabbed Thorin's arm and hissed in his ear.
He returned her glare but didn't make any gesture to demonstrate that he had acknowledged her pleas. Saying nothing, he turned his back to her before he went down to the small gap on their newly built wall to deliberate with Bard. She was unable to listen to the details of the conversation between Bard and Thorin.
Katniss paced from one side to the other, unable to hide her uneasiness from the others.
"You will burn a hole in the ground if you carry on doing this, Aunty," Kili joked. making some of the others laugh. She, however, glared at him instead of finding it amusing.
"Do you realise that our lives might be relying on Thorin striking a deal with that man?"
Suddenly, Kili's comment didn't seem funny at all, and some of the tension she was feeling seemed to be transferred to the others.
"I will not parley with armed men at my gate! Be gone, ere arrow fly!"
Her heart stopped beating when they heard Thorin's angry voice emerging a good few meters below them. They heard Bard shouting something back, and even though Katniss could not make much sense of everything he said, the words mountain and besieged were quite clear.
"Are you out of your mind!?" Katniss shouted at Thorin as he was climbing on the steps to where they were.
"What are you doing?! You cannot go to war," Bilbo said as soon he was back.
"This does not concern any of you." Thorin replied, looking from her to the hobbit.
"Excuse me?! But just in case you haven't noticed, there is an army of elves out there. And not to mention several hundred angry fishermen. We-we are in fact outnumbered." Bilbo tried his best to make Thorin see reason, but the dwarven king grinned at him, waving off the hobbit concerns as if they were something unimportant.
"Not for much longer."
"What does that mean?"
"It means, Master Baggins, you should never underestimate dwarves."
"Did you call for Dain? Is he sending an army?" Katniss said. The idea of a dwarrow army arriving at any moment from now gave her more dread than relief. If Thorin was aware of her feelings, he didn't show, as his eyes sparked with joy when he smiled in her direction.
"We have reclaimed Erebor - Now we defend it!"
"Thorin… you gave me your word you would do everything in your power to avoid war. And here you are, calling for one that you could have easily prevented!"
"The treasures of my forebears…" his joy was quickly turning sour, but Katniss cut him off sharply, as she had little to no patience to hear him declaring his undying love for everything that glittered.
"This is nothing but gold, Thorin! Look around, you have a mountain full of it!"
"You cannot possibly understand."
"You will risk our lives for a bit of gold? Your nephews' lives?"
Their eyes locked again, as she finally seemed to find an argument which had silenced him, at least momentarily. His breathing increased and soon the moment was gone as quick as it came.
"There are grandiose things that will outlive all of us,"
"Thorin, just listen to what you are saying! You don't mean that. I know that deep down, you don't. Just give them whatever they want. Strike a deal. Avoid war. You promised me…"
There was silence again, but she could feel that he was resolute in his decision. Not wanting to stay another second in Thorin's presence, she turned on her heels and left the dwarrow and the hobbit on the rampart.
After having slept alone in Thorin's childhood bed chambers most of the day, Katniss walked through the area where the company was still camping together and found every single dwarf sleeping - even Thorin himself, to her utmost bewilderment. The only two company members who weren't there were herself and Bilbo. Fearing the worst, she tightened the grip on her bow and ran towards the rampart, which was where they usually did their watching duties lately.
Katniss wasn't sure of what she would find there, but it certainly wasn't the sight of Bilbo testing if a rope he had tied on the newly built wall would hold his body weight.
"Bilbo!" she called him out in a whisper. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Oh, Miss Katniss! I didn't think I would see you here. I thought everyone was sleeping."
"Well…?" she crossed her arms expectant as she walked nearer to the spot he was standing.
"I'm going to see the elves and the people from Lake Town."
She blinked multiple times trying to process what he had just said.
"Bilbo, we are besieged! Are you not afraid they might try to shoot you?"
"I believe I… I believe I found a way to avoid war."
She looked him deep in his tiny eyes, almost as if she was trying to see his soul. Bilbo did not back down. In the end, she had made up her mind.
"Then lead the way, Mr. Baggins. I'm going to join you."