A/N ARBYS. WE HAVE THE MEAT. And by meat I mean HOLY SHIT WE'RE IN LITERAL BATTLE PREPARATIONS NOW OMG. Like literally bros, I don't have a chapter count for the end of the battle but it's so close I can smell it and I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS INFORMATION.

Also I've been trying very hard to balance the ramifications of Thorin's actions with reconciliation without it sounding like some allegory for real life relationship issues so to make myself clear UNLESS THE MAN HAD LITERAL DRAGON SICKNESS DON'T FALL FOR HIS APOLOGY SHIT AND PLEASE FEEL EMPOWERED TO LEAVE HIM.

I know it's not that cut and dry and way more complex and confusing and dangerous, but I hope you get my point. We're forgiving Thorin because he was literally under a spell that drove him mad. We do not forgive real life men who abuse no matter how apologetic they may be.

I know we probably know this BUT I feel better having said it.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

ONWARRRDSSSSS

Also yes, I did accidently spell Dwalin's name as Dwarlin last night. No, I didn't notice till this morning.

From the back of a horse, Josephine watched the people of Laketown move out of Dale in a thick line, backs bent under packs and fists closed around the bars of litters. At the very least she'd been able to get them out of the city, out of the line of fire. They wouldn't be sitting there like lambs for a slaughter.

They'd been wary about the idea of seeking shelter in the mountain after Thorin's slip and the dragon's long stay, but Bard hadn't had to put up much of an argument to make them more fearful of staying put. He'd softened towards her again since their argument and now that he saw the heavy walls that would be protecting the children.

Hell, even Thranduil seemed a little less argumentative since Thorin surrendered, though she supposed he was enjoying the smug feeling of seeing his frenemy admit he was wrong.

In the saddle in front of her, Bilbo smiled. "Well done. Thorin's back, these people will be safe, and we can give those orc armies the ol' one two."

"It is the least hopeless battle I've been in to date." She admitted. "I suppose that counts for something." She nudged their horse and made for Thranduil's pavilion and the best view of the battle ground aside from Ravenhill.

As they rode, Bilbo awkwardly cleared his throat. "So. Have you uh…have you spoken with Thorin, yet? About…"

Bilbo hadn't left her side all day, he wasn't asking as a curiosity. "You know I haven't." Before he could say anything in response she interrupted. "I'm going to, and I know he wasn't himself that day, I just-"

"A part of you is scared of him now." He finished, more bluntly than she would have.

Josephine appreciated him bringing this up while they rode, when she didn't have to look him in the eye. She felt guilty one moment for being afraid of Thorin and justified the next, neither of which she wanted, especially this close to saying their goodbyes. She didn't want to wake up in eighty years to there still being that bad blood between them, but she wasn't sure if that was something that could fade enough in a handful of days to make a difference.

"I wish I wasn't." She admitted bitterly.

"Honestly I think I'd be more worried if you weren't a bit nervous about him now. But I think, once you speak with him again as his old self, you might feel a bit better." At her silence he added, "I'll come with you, if you'd like."

She gave his shoulder a squeeze with her free hand as thanks and handed the reins off to one of Thranduil's guards as they reached the pavilion.

The two made their way over to the crumbling overlook, where their now usual squad surrounded a large table, with the addition of Thorin, Dwalin, and Fili. She and Thorin glanced at each other awkwardly and she turned her attention to the group.

Thranduil, naturally commanded the table, standing with his back to Erebor with the sun shining over his hair. "Your predictions continue to ring true, Lady Josephine. It has been decided," He glanced sideways at Gandalf, almost begrudgingly. "That it would be prudent to seek your advice on our strategy in the coming battle."

It was exactly what she'd wanted and needed to make everything work, but she hadn't expected it to be so easy. Casting a thankful look towards Gandalf, who she was sure had a lot to do with it, she stepped up opposite to Thranduil and looked over the map laid out between them all.

Who would've thought it, her, getting ready to command the armies of three rulers by request. A long way from meager preparations begged from King Theoden at Helm's Deep. Now it was her job not to disappoint.

The next several hours were spent laying out the approach of the orc armies, their foothold at Ravenhill, and the usefulness of the nearly empty Dale as a distraction.

"Why not have Thranduil's men already on the hill?" Bard asked. "They could ambush Azog's forces immediately."

"They'll probably take Ravenhill the night before, they have to set up their command center. We need the armies to enter the valley and think everything's going according to their plan. If they know we're onto them too soon, they'll be able to attack from the high ground and they'll be slaughtering us instead of the other way around."

Thorin nodded. "Once their forces arrive, then we will ride to Ravenhill and take them out. If the armies are in the valley and lose their commander they won't adapt as quickly when Bard's men flank them from Dale."

"My men can reach the hill more quickly." Thranduil argued.

"Azog is my fight." Thorin said darkly. "I will finish what I started."

Josephine knew, even if she did order Thranduil's men to go instead of the dwarves, that Thorin would do it anyway. "You don't ride up that hill without me." She said sternly, catching his eye and nodding. "I mean it."

She could see in the seriousness of his gaze that he understood what she was saying, knew that Ravenhill was the time she'd spent months fearing. "We," He said again, nodding to her. "Will retake Ravenhill, when the time comes."

"Something else they'll be expecting. Azog knows you, Thorin, he knows you'll come for him. We have to be smart about this. Blind revenge is going to get people killed. I think we've had enough of that at this point." She looked pointedly at both him and Thranduil, feeling very much like a mother scolding children.

Every ounce of good will needed to be there between them for things to work, for lives to be protected as much as possible. She slipped her hand into her tunic and pulled on the mithril chain she'd kept hidden.

Thorin and Thranduil's eyes fell on the necklace as she slid it across the map towards Thranduil. "No more leverage, no more bargaining. From now until the battle is won, we're allies. Can we all agree to that?"

Gandalf smirked subtly behind his pipe as Bard, Thorin, and Thranduil nodded hesitantly.

Josephine didn't have a chance to get to Erebor until the next day, and not just because she was worried about seeing Thorin beyond a war council. Bilbo offered to come, but she left him with Balin and went on alone, skirting around piles of supplies and catching glimpses of rooms filled with refugees along the way.

He wasn't in the treasure room, or the throne room, but in the small archival room where the Company had reunited after Smaug.

"Thorin?" He hadn't noticed her coming in so she announced herself, stepping just barely past the doorway.

He looked up in surprise, before quickly righting his expression and dipping his chin to her. "Lady Josephine. Though now I know you are deserving of a higher title."

"No higher than yours." She picked at her fingernail, carving a line of dirt out from under it. "We've got enough to deal with, don't bring my station into this." They already had enough distance between them now, she didn't want it to get any worse.

"I will admit, I wasn't sure you would come alone, if you came at all." He didn't move, didn't take a single step towards her. "And I would not have blamed you for either."

"I probably know better than anyone that you weren't yourself. You're pig headed and grumpy and a pain in my ass but you wouldn't have hurt me otherwise." It didn't change the fact that she couldn't get the fury of his face out of her mind or the blur of his hand as it flew through the air. She wondered if it would have stuck so firmly in her mind if she hadn't grown to care for him so much during their journey. If it would've felt less like a betrayal of trust even though she knew she could trust him again now.

"It happened because I was weak, my mind…it took so little time for me to be swallowed by my greed. And for that, I nearly killed you after I swore an oath to see you from harm." He cleared his throat. "I let many oaths fall in those hours, and to that I can only beg your faith that I will not raise my hand to you again, but I have little right to ask that of you."

Josephine broached a few steps further into the room. "I wish it was that easy. I know it was some magical, dragon sickness, it's just…I guess I never really thought you would go that far while you were under it. Not to me."

She wasn't sure what to say. Tell him she was afraid of him still which he'd probably already guessed? He was regretful, she knew that, and she knew it was genuine. It wasn't some farce or manipulation to pave the way for future behavior, it was a true mistake, one he probably blamed himself for more than she did.

"I am sorry, Josephine. I will never not be, for what happened." He said softly, brows tucked together and eyes soft.

She forgave him, but the feelings hadn't started to fade yet and she hated it. Hated that she couldn't just recognize what they were and have them file away somewhere all sorted and finished. "And I forgive you. I just wish forgetting was coming as easily."

"Already, that is more than I deserve."

The scuff of footfalls came up behind her and stopped suddenly. Bofur stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"What is it, Bofur?" Thorin asked.

Bofur coughed. "Dwalin wanted you to know, he's finished."

"Good." Thorin grunted, turning back to her. "Will you come with me?"

Confused, she nodded and followed him and Bofur out and through the halls. The temperature began to rise and an orange glow coated the walls, drawing nearer to the forges and the armories.

Dwalin, Bifur, and Nori all moved around racks of dusty weapons and armors in one of the side rooms, cleaning and sharpening whatever they could find. With a grunt, Dwalin saw them and walked them further down the hall, closer to the heat of the forges, sweat glistening on his bare arms.

Fifteen armor stands ran along the length of the room, pieces she recognized the dwarves would wear, including Gimli's helmet which sent a pang of homesickness into her chest.

"Here we are." Dwalin said, swiping a cloth over one next to Thorin's armor, shining silver in the torchlight. "Didn't take long, ye'r not much taller than the rest of us which made it easier. Had to nip the mail in by nearly half on the sides though. Could've made a whole second hauberk for it."

A long hauberk of mail, under a second one of leather, under a breastplate, light shoulder guards, and every other thing she might need for a heavy battle.

"You will fight as one of us, you have more than earned that place." Thorin said, taking a bundle from Bofur. He held it out flat to her and pushed back the covering, showing the hilt of a sword, a replacement for the one still sitting in Thranduil's realm.

"Ye can use it against him if he does anythin' stupid again." Dwalin joked with a smirk.

Both she and Thorin smothered grins at his call out and she took the sword and scabbard from him, drawing it and looking down along the blade. It was remarkably light, not as much as her elven blade, but far more than she'd expected from the stocky dwarves. Her arm didn't shake, stronger now than during their spar with the fire poker back in Laketown. It still wasn't quite right, but a few practice swings pulled and tugged less than before.

Not finished showing off his work, Dwalin coughed to get her attention and she sheathed the sword. "One last thing, added a little touch for ye." He lifted the breastplate up off the rack, turning the inside of it to face her. "I didn' know what ye'r crest looked like, but I thought this might do well enough."

Josephine's eyes welled up as gold branches stood out against the gray of the inside of the armor, hidden from view once she put it on but there nonetheless. One tree, with seven stars.

Choking on tears she managed to lovingly croak out, "You motherfuckers." She pressed a kiss against Dwalin's cheek and brushed her hand over the tree.

"Her majesty shouldn't go into battle without bearin' her crest." Bofur said.

Dwalin set the breastplate down on a table and started pulling items off the rack. "Enough blabberin'. Come an' try it on in case I need to adjust it."

Thorin bowed his head. "I will take my leave, there are things I must attend to."

Josephine watched him go, feeling a bit better, but still unhappy with their resolution. She could only hope each hour might bring more relief, there weren't that many left.