Chapter Nine: Meetings, Dreams and Truths Revealed

Thorin's POV

Once the dinner was over, Gandalf called for a meeting with Elrond along with the hobbit and the witch while I asked Balin to be at the meeting. I didn't understand why Gandalf trusted the witch with this meeting, even though I have seen with my own eyes her skills I still couldn't trust her completely.

As we all gathered hours later, in the chamber where we had dinner but everything was cleaned and the light of the moon shone down from the night sky. I looked over at the Elf lord as I could easily see what Gandalf was up to.

"Our business is no concern of the elves." I said firmly before Gandalf protested.

"For goodness sake, Thorin show him the map."

"It is the legacy of my people. It is mine to protect, as are its secrets." I insisted as I did not believe this elf would help us.

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves. Your pride will be your downfall. You stand in the presence of one of the few in Middle-Earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond." Gandalf said as I could see in the corner of my eye both the hobbit and witch looked at each other, I knew that Gandalf was right and if we wanted to reclaim our homeland from Smaug then I had no other choice than to hand over the map. Slowly I reached into my coat's breast pocket and pulled out the map.

"Thorin, no." Balin said as he tried to stop me, but I slowly brushed his hand away and stepped up to the Elf Lord and held out the map to him, the elf took the map and unfolded it before looking it over.

"Erebor. What is your interest in the map?" He asked me, as I was about to say what I had to say Gandalf then interrupted.

"It's mainly academic. As you know this sort of artifact sometimes contain hidden text." He said to lord elrond before sending me a glance as if he were trying to tell me to keep quiet and then turned back to ask. "You still read ancient dwarvish, do you not?" We all watched as Lord Elrond walked a few steps away, looking up at the moon in the night sky before lifting the map in the air before saying something in Elvish that I couldn't understand.

"Moon runes, of course." Gandalf said as he turned to the hobbit and the witch and clarified to them. "An easy thing to miss."

"Well, in this case, that is true. Moon runes can only be read by the light of a moon of the same shape and season as the day on which they were written." Elrond said as he turned back around to look at us.

"Can you read them?" I asked, hoping that he would.

Elrond shook his head as he looked at the map in his hand before saying. "Without knowing the exact season and shape of the moon, I'm afraid I cannot."

"Let me have a look, maybe my appraisal skill can tell us what shape and season the moon has to be in order for the runes to be read." The witch said as we all watched as the elf handed the map to her, standing in the moonlight I watched as her eyes began to glow a violet light for a few minutes before they returned to normal.

"I've got it." She said before looking up at us all. "According to my appraisal skill, these runes were written on Midsummer's Eve by the light of crescent moon in the waxing cycle almost 200 years ago." She then turned to look up at the night sky before continuing. "And judging by the moon phase tonight which is a half moon in the waning cycle, the moon's correct shape won't be in the night sky for another 10 days."

I looked at her in awe, I was still a bit weary of her as I believed that she could possible betray me and my company at any given time. After all, why would someone with so much power and talent for fighting and magic unknown to this world join a company of dwarves on a quest that is said to be suicidal by others.

"Are you sure about that, lass?" Balin, who stood by me, asked.

"Absolutely, learning the different phases and cycles of the moon was one of the basics in my earliest training as a mage." The witch said with an innocent smile, but I had a feeling that she was hidding something from all of us. I just didn't know what it was and that made me suspicious of her... always.

"Then is would be best if we continued this meeting in 10 days time, by then we will be able to read the runes clearly." Elrond suggested, we all agreed before going our separate ways, I watched as the witch stayed behani to talk more with Gandalf and the elf as Balin and I left to rejoin our kin.

I looked over at my kin and couldn't help but smile at the loyalty each of these dwarves have shown me in this journey so far, soon I was relaxing with the company, enjoying a smoke with my pipe as I watched over at the scenery of the elven city. It made me feel more on edge than being on the road while being chased by orcs. But when the time came, I laid in my bedroll and closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep with my kin surrounding me.

Start of Dream

I looked around and found myself in a beautiful garden, however a faint sound of voices in the short distance reached my ears and caught my curiosity enough that before I knew it, my les were moving on their own and leading me towards the voices.

Making my way through the dense bushes, the voices grew louder and louder until I finally reached its location. There I saw two figures looming over a smaller figure before they turned around and faced me.

"Aule? Yavanna?" I felt all belief vanished for a split second, here before me stood the creator of Hobbits and Aule the creator of my people. The two motioned for me to join them before I turned to see the smaller figure whom seemed familiar was in fact... "Amara?" She smiled softly before nodding politely at me as she always seemed to before Yavanna smiled at me as well and bowed her head to me.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain. King of Durin's folk." She said, her voice seeming to have a calming affect like that of a loving mother. "We have brought you here at the request of our young champion Amara." She motioned to Amara, who stood between her and Aule.

Hearing the words 'our champion' come from Yavanna's lips, I couldn't understand. "Your champion?" I said in confusion, this girl was niether Hobbit nor dwarf and yet I was being told that she was a chosen champion of Yavanna and Aule.

"Yes Thorin, Lord Aule and Lady Yavanna summoned me from my home to aid you in your quest but that's not the only mission they gave me." Amara said as she stepped closer to me, here eyes showed a innocent spark in them. "The truth is... they summoned me to prevent the deaths of both your nephews and yourself."

Hearing those words, I couldn't believe my ears. She was chosen by Aule and Yavanna to prevent the deaths of my sister-son and myself... how could this be? She was little more than a child compared to the long life span of my people

"Her words are true, my child." Aule said as he knelt down to me, "My wife and I believed she was the most suitable candidate to become our champion to forefill this mission." I turned to look at Amara who looked like she was close to cry, looking down at the ground while clitching to her dress.

"Allow us to show you what your fate and that of your nephews is to become, without our champion by your side." Aule said as both he and Yavanna placed a hand on my head before images flashed before my eyes.

First image was of the Lonely Mountain, but there was a battle in the field between the gates of Erebor and Dale where dwarves, men and elves were fighting together against an army of orcs. However I could see where my company and I were until the images changed till I saw myself standing in the halls of kings wearing the crown and a regal armour.

The floor of the halls was pure gold and as I saw the glint in my own eyes I could see a spark of gold madness in them that I once saw in my own grandfather before the dragon. I watched as the floor around my future self began to sink underfoot, my future self fell in the hole and tried to crawl out before it closed, swallowing me whole. It was then I realised that I had fallen to the dragon sickness, but then images then began to change as I watched myself threw the crown acroos the halls and then fall to my knees, the look in my eyes and sigh that left my lips showed that I somehow broke free of the dragon sickness.

Soon images of leading my company into battle, fighting orcs as we charged through the battle field. Then images of Dwalin, Fili, Kili and myself riding goats up to Ravenhill flashed before it soon changed to the image of... Azog, holding Fili over the edge of a ruin before stabbing him in the back and then dropping him in front of my eyes.

Then images of Kili fighting another pale orc, with a red-haired she-elf nearby before being stabbed, he looked over at the elf and tried to mutter something before dying.

The images then turned to me fighting Azog then being impaled right through the stomach and then impaling Orcrist into Azog's chest.

The final images showed both Kili, Fili and I being put to rest in the burial halls of Erebor's kings. The Arkenstone laid in my hands as my company and kin paced between the boys and I, looking at our bodies with sorrow as I could see that they were silently bidding us farewell. I then saw Bilbo looking over our bodies and began to cry, this made me feel a sense that he had truly respected me and my sister-sons.

The company then turned as I saw Dain wearing the crown on his head as the company then shouted 'Long live the king!' and all the dwarves saluted. As soon as the images stopped I was pulled back into the dream I was in as I then fell to my knees. This cannot be true...

"Thorin?"

I looked up and saw Amara looking down at me with worry in her eyes, I then recalled seeing Azog the Defiler standing in the ruins of Ravenhill...

"It cannot be." I muttered as I struggled to breathe. "Azog was destroyed long ago in Moria."

Amara then shook her head before saying: "No Thorin, he's still alive. And both you and Fili are destined to be killed by his hand during a great battle near the end of our quest, while Kili is fated to be killed by Azog's son." The images of Kili with the other pale orc flashed in my mind before Amara gripped my hand in her own causing me to look up into her eyes which now held a strong spark of determination.

"I swear to you Thorin, that I will do everything in my power to prevent this fate from happening and have you sit on the throne in Erebor, as the king you were born to be and the one I know who will make his people proud."

I couldn't understand why this human girl was so determined to help my kin to reclaim our home even though it had nothing to do with her in the first place, that is before I learnt all this. I was a little hesitant to believe her words before the sound of Aule's voice reached my ears.

"She speaks the truth, my son." He said as he and Yavanna were watching over Amara and I with all-knowing yes. "Amara may not be a dwarf but she is just as stubbourn as one when she wants or needs to be."

I turned to Amara and she looked at Aule with a smug smile on her face before saying. "I'll take that as a compliment."

This girl was something else entirely, never have I met another woman like her. Suddenly I remembered what Amara said about being summoned by Aule and Yavanna and had to know what those words meant. "You said you summoned Amara." I said before looking up at the two gods and asked. "From where?"

Yavanna was the one to answer this time. "From another world. A world far more advance than your own." She said, I was confused as to what they meant by 'Another world'. What could they mean by that? Was Amara from land that were not on any of the maps known to Middle-Earth?

Soon Amara's voice broke the silence as she suggested. "Perhaps it is best if we show him my memories of my homeworld."

"Yes, that would be better." Aule said as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers before our surrounding began to change around us, from a beautiful and peaceful garden to lively and crowded city that was unfamiliar to me.

Looking around, I saw so man people of the race of men in unusual garments racing walking through the side of the streets, strange carriages that moved without the use of horses or ponies and tall building that seemed to reach the very clouds. What was even more strange to me was that the buildings were coated with imaged of things that I didn't regconise and made of bright lights that I had no idea how was even possible.

"What is this place?" I turned to Amara who looked around with me, but her face held a expression of rememberance.

"This is my life back in my world, before Aule and Yavanna summoned me." Amara said as she then took my hand as the visions once again changed and before I knew it we were standing outside of a building where young women around Amara's age were leaving.

"This is the day I was chosen by Aule and Yavanna." Amara said as I turned to see a image of Amara coming out of the building wearing a strange outfit that many of the other wore similar ones too.

I watched as the image of Amara then started to walk across the road before a man called out for her to watch out, but then past Amara turned to see before she was hit by one of the horseless carriages. Hearing the sickening sound of glass breaking then a body colliding with metal then falling to the ground was bad but the sight of Amara lying on the road bleeding from her head and body was even worse. Soon many gathered around her, as if to try and help her but then the scene changed to flashes to when Amara first met Aule and Yavanna.

With that, the scenery ended and I turned to Amara who was still holding my hand before Yavanna and Aule knet down to us, Yavanna took Amara in her arms and held her like a loving mother soothing her crying child while Aule turned to me.

"Trust in Amara, young Thorin. She will not lead you astray from your quest." He said calm but firmly, I turned to see Amara before I felt a pull drag me away from them and as I tried to reach out back them everything then went blank...

End of Dream

I woke from my dream with a start, I sat up and looked around to see my kin still sleeping around me in their bedrolls. I turned to see Fili and Kili sleeping peacefully next to each other as they always did, I recalled the visions in my dream and how they both were killed. This caused my blood to run cold as I remember those images and now I was determined to change the fate that was set before me and my kin.

I got up and made my way through the halls of this elven city as I needed to see the gods chosen champion... Amara.