Chapter 24

After the death of Halden, Thorin pleaded to wrap his body in blankets with the hope of transporting him home to Erebor if they ever made it home. Once the body was wrapped and given to Aldor's men to bring back to the camp, Thorin and Dwalin were bound at the wrists with a rope tied around their waists to keep their arms close to their bodies, and rope tied around their ankles to keep them from running.

They marched them back to the base of the ridge wall and kept a rotation of guards around them. Their chances of escape were slim to none.

For days, Thorin and Dwalin sat at the base of the wall with the body of Halden a few feet away. Thorin would spend hours staring at the lump of blankets, replaying every moment in his head.

Dwalin kicked Thorin with the toe of his boot. "You still with me?"

Thorin's head rolled lazily toward Dwalin. "I'm awake."

"That's not what I asked. I meant are you still here in the head?"

Thorin sighed. "I'm fine, Dwalin."

"Fine ain't good enough. My king is not just fine. Don't you give up on me, Thorin."

"I could have saved him."

Dwalin squared up to Thorin. "Don't! Don't do that to yourself."

Thorin closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall behind him. "I miss Kaleria."

"And she misses you, too. But giving up is not what she would want you to do. You have to get home to her and your baby."

"How can I be a good father, Dwalin? Mine was not the best example, nor my grandfather. What if I'm not good enough?" The words had been rolling around in Thorin's head since he found out Kaleria was pregnant. He could be an uncle and a king, but how could he be a father?

"Now, you listen to me," Dwalin began, "you cannot worry yourself on whether or not you're going to be a good father. The only thing you can do is your best. Maybe sometimes your best won't be enough, but as long as you try everyday and love your kid with your whole heart, you'll be just fine. Besides, that baby has Kaleria as a mother, and that's the greatest thing that could happen to it."

Thorin looked at his friend, but the words wouldn't come out. His eyes welled up with tears and he nodded his thanks.

Dwalin leaned back against the wall, satisfied with his speech. "I'm going to teach that kid so many axe tricks. They'll be a little menace running around the mountain like you and I once were."

Thorin couldn't help but laugh at the image of a miniature version of himself running rampant through the kingdom.

—-

The birds began their chirping when the sun had just crested the horizon. Many patterns were recognizable, but one clicked something in Thorin's brain. A specific pattern he couldn't place with any bird call he had ever heard. The whistle sounded again and Thorin opened his eyes. He scanned the trees around the camp, but he couldn't see anything.

Then like a flash of lightning, arrows whizzed through the air and planted themselves in the bodies of the humans at the top of the ridge. Panic set in as the men who hadn't been hit screamed and the men who had been sleeping scurried from their tents with swords drawn, but no armor. More arrows zipped from the trees and met their targets.

Thorin elbowed Dwalin. "Wake up! Somethings happening."

Dwalin shook his head and took in the chaos before them. "It can't be."

Thorin nodded. "Elves."

They descended from the trees like leaves floating on the wind. Each landed softly on the ground before taking up their weapons and causing damage like a storm crashing through the forest. The guards standing in front of Thorin and Dwalin panicked and backed up closer to the king. With a quick THUNK, THUNK, both men fell to the ground with arrows protruding from their chests. Three elves dropped into view in front of Thorin and Dwalin.

"Thorin, King Under the Mountain, your wife sends her regards." The first elf spoke while the others cut the ropes from Thorin and Dwalin.

"Kaleria sent you?" He asked.

"Yes. My company is here to rescue you and escort you home. My name is Branniar."

The elves helped Thorin and Dwalin to their feet. Dwalin shoved off the elf and was ready to fight, when Thorin stopped him.

"Remember what you said. I'd have to accept whatever she did to save me. Well, the same goes for you." Thorin reminded his friend.

Dwalin shrugged his shoulders and stood down.

Thorin turned to Branniar. "Thank you for your help."

"General," an elf leaped down the hill to their group, "we have their leader captured."

"Good. We'll take him with us," said Branniar. "Hopefully, he will be cooperative in naming your spy."

"My spy?" asked Thorin.

"Someone within Erebor is responsible for your capture. Your queen has her suspicions, but it would be better to have an eye witness."

Thorin cracked a smile at the thought of Kaleria solving his disappearance before anyone else. She never ceased to amaze him.

"Come," said Branniar. "Time to take you home."

"Wait." Thorin stopped him and looked over to the bundle of blankets. "I need a wagon to carry this boy back to Erebor."

Branniar studied Thorin a moment before nodding. "I'll have my healers do a ritual that will preserve the body for the long journey back to Erebor."

"Thank you," replied Thorin.

Branniar continued up the hill where the elves had gathered the remaining humans into a group and tied them all together. Thorin and Dwalin waited until a wagon was led down the hill and two healers whispered ancient words over Halden's body. A soft orange glow encased the bundle of blankets and remained around him even after the elves had finished speaking. They loaded the boy into the back of the wagon and began the trek up the hill.

Once at the top of the ridge, Thorin surveyed the scene around them. Elves were everywhere gathering the bodies of the fallen and placing them in wagons. They ripped down the tents and threw them into piles to burn. Any supplies they could find were packed away and the few humans left alive were huddled in the back of a wagon.

From the group, Thorin's eyes found Aldor's, who cast his gaze to his bound hands. Now that he didn't have the upper hand, the man didn't have much of a backbone to hold himself upright.

As he scanned further, Thorin saw all his men who had escaped marching toward him. They cheered for their king as they approached.

"What happened?" Thorin asked.

"The elves found us as we were running. Told us they had a plan." One dwarf answered.

A dwarf came forward dressed more cleanly than the rest and Thorin realized he was not a part of their company that had been captured.

"What are you doing here?"

"Queen Kaleria sent us to make sure these elves treat you fairly. And she worried you wouldn't accept their help without a friendly face verifying their story."

Dwalin elbowed Thorin and laughed. "She really thought of everything."

"Of course she did. She's my wife." Thorin spoke with tears building in his eyes. The longing he had to see her grew so large he felt his chest would explode from the pressure.

Two ponies were brought to Thorin and Dwalin with packs of food already saddled. They mounted and waited for instructions from their elf friends. When everything was to the general's liking, Branniar gave the signal for the company to move out. Thorin couldn't wait to see his mountain home once more.