Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 13 The Second Daughter. I know Fili was being mean to Aranduriel, but the poor lad was hurt badly finding out that she didn't tell him that she was a lady of Rivendell. That would put anyone on edge. Plus yes we got to see a side of Thorin that no one was expecting. Which was a good thing. After all he had thought that she was dead and Balin had made the mistake telling Thorin that she was dead. It was an accidental lie. There is a surprise in this chapter though. I am not going to reveal due to the fact that it will spoil the surprise a lot. I know I am supposed to be at work right now. Well actually I am at work, just had a free moment to post a new chapter which is here it is. I am really happy with how it turned out. I knew that this chapter was going to be a long one just by how it was starting to turn out while I was typing. Without further ado Chapter 13.
Chapter 13
Words That I Needed to Hear
Fili sat alone not saying a single word to anyone out of the company. Yes, he indeed was upset that Aranduriel had lied to them. His hands were fiddling with his pipe nervously. He wasn't sure of what to think of Aranduriel at that moment.
Kili looked over at him with concern. Why was Fili acting this way? He thought that his brother was fine with Aranduriel. It couldn't be because of what had happened that she had forgotten to tell them that she was a lady of Rivendell.
Fili looked up and saw his uncle heading towards them. He saw a look on his uncle's face that he had never thought that he saw in his life. It looked like he had been stabbed in the chest. He stood up and was about to ask his uncle what had caused him to look that way.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you laddie."Balin said softly from where he sat.
Fili looked at Balin confused. "What do you mean Balin?"
"He just got done talking to Aranduriel." Balin said with a soft sigh.
Fili looked at Balin even more confused. "How do you know?" He questioned the old dwarf.
Balin let out a sigh. "He was serious about wanting her to stay behind." He shook his head. His hands were in his pockets. He knew that Thorin was going to tell him to stop when he started telling this story. But Balin felt like it needed to be told.
"Why is that?" Kili asked, looking up curiously at Balin. He wasn't even sure about what had caused his uncle to say such a thing about a wonderful elven lady. Well at least in his eyes to say the least.
He let out a sigh. "For the longest time Thorin thought that she was dead." He shook his head. He knew that the younger dwarves were going to be curious about why Aranduriel and Thorin were on such rocky grounds. He even knew Bilbo would take interest in this story.
"Dead? How did that happen?" Kili asked, confused. He couldn't understand how his uncle thought she was dead for so long?
Balin rubbed his forehead. This was going to be a little bit confusing. "I had heard that there was an attack on an elvish group that was travelling towards Rivendell. I had heard that Lady Aranduriel had passed away. At the time we didn't know that this was false information. Thorin thought that she was dead for the longest time. That was the reason why he didn't want her to be on the quest due to thinking she was dead and now that she was alive and well it brought back the memories of them being together." Balin remembered those days. Those were the days that he couldn't even get Thorin to open up to him at all. He missed Aranduriel so much Balin thought that they were going to lose him. Thorin hardly said a word to anyone and he locked himself away from everyone.
Fili scoffed. "She is nothing but a liar." Fili didn't care about what had happened between his uncle and Aranduriel. He had been hurt by her. He was still fairly sour due to her lie towards him. He still didn't understand why Aranduriel had kept this all hidden. He couldn't even understand why she was doing such a thing. Was she that afraid that someone would judge her? Or was it something else? Fili couldn't think of it at that moment. It made him angry.
Kili smacked Fili on the back of the head. "You called her a liar. All because she wouldn't say to us that she was Lord Elrond's daughter?" He questioned. "That is the stupidest thing that I have ever heard you do brother." Kili shook his head. He could not believe that his brother said something like this to her. After all she was their guide if they had to go through the Greenwood. They were fucked thanks to Fili's stupidity. "We needed her to get through Greenwood. Now thanks to you we most likely will have to go the long way around." Kili was hoping that it wasn't true that they were going to have to go the long way around. It just meant that they would never make it to the mountain in time for Durin's Day. That is what concerned him the most.
Fili glared at his brother. He hated the fact that Kili was taking her side in this. That was not fair. Not in the least bit.
Balin shook his head. "She was our only hope to get past Thranduil." Balin hoped that Fili being stubborn was not going to make Aranduriel not come on the rest of this quest with them. After what had happened all those years ago with Thranduil it was going to be harder to cross through the Greenwood without getting caught.
"What do you mean?" Ori asked, confused. His head tilted to the side in a manner that was adorable.
"She is probably the only one who can talk to Thranduil and be able to allow us to pass. Now I am not so sure that we will be able to pass without her." He shook his head. "Fili there was a reason why she never told everyone in the company that she was a Lady of Rivendell let alone Lord Elrond's daughter. She was afraid. She is more afraid than you think." Balin gave Fili a knowing look. "Is that how you thank the woman that saved your life?"
Fili bit his lip. Of course Balin would put it this way. He should have known that Balin would make him feel bad. He should've known that Balin would make more sense than a little bit to him. He felt bad that he had called her a liar. She really didn't lie to him. She was just keeping it hidden until it was a good time and his uncle had to be stubborn and tell him. But Balin was right Aranduriel had saved his life and well it was something that he was not proud of at that moment. He still felt bad that she had gotten hurt because of it.
Meanwhile Aranduriel was sitting in the room that had the shards of Narsil. Her blue grey eyes were on the sword with longing. She could only hope that young Estel would be able to wield that sword one day if it was remade. She was still dressed in her gown that she had worn earlier. She had no mind in changing. At least not yet.
"Granddaughter…"
Aranduriel turned her head and saw her grandmother standing there. "Grandmother…" She said softly. She couldn't help, but wonder why her grandmother was there in Rivendell. She was supposed to be spending time with Arwen. So this was indeed a treat for her to actually see her in person. But this also meant that something very big was about to go on. Whatever it was, it didn't help Aranduriel's thoughts of something bad was going to happen.
Galadriel smiled at her granddaughter. She walked towards her. She put her hand on Aranduriel's shoulder. "You should go with them."
Aranduriel looked up at her grandmother and saw the knowledge in her eyes. "But…"
"I see that you have conflict in your heart. Do not let what the blond haired prince said to you conflict you. You will be needed. Only you know how to get out of the Valley without being seen by the guards. You have done it enough times before." Lady Galadriel pointed out to her granddaughter. Sometimes she wondered about her granddaughter. In a lot of ways her granddaughter reminded her so much of her daughter that had sailed across the ocean to get away from Middle-Earth and be with those who would not harm her.
Aranduriel nodded her head knowing what her grandmother was saying. The dwarves would not be able to escape Rivendell without her. She knew what path that needed to be taken. And Thorin Oakenshield, who she already knew had terrible direction, would get them lost and no longer be in the wild. She was going to have to lead them towards the right path. Until Balin knew where they were at.
"No matter what they say you must get them out of here. Saruman is here and he has called upon me. There will be a meeting of the White Council. Saruman will try to stop the dwarves from going to Erebor. Go… change your clothes." Lady Galadriel looked at her granddaughter with a sad smile. She wasn't against what Thorin Oakenshield wanted to do to reclaim his homeland. It was something that she had to admit was the right thing to do.
Aranduriel nodded her head.
Galadriel put her hand on the necklace that her granddaughter wore that was from Thorin. "He will soon remember the friendship the two of you had. Though it won't be the same." She told her granddaughter with a wise look. A look that Aranduriel wasn't always certain about. It was something that had set her on edge at times due to the fact that her grandmother never fully revealed what it was supposed to mean.
Aranduriel let out a sigh and began to walk toward her room. Sometimes she wondered if her grandmother liked talking in riddles. She went through the narrow hallways of her home and went down the hall that led to her room. She opened the door that led to her room. She walked into her room and closed the door. She let out a soft sigh. She went to the closet and went to go through her clothes to see if she had any travelling clothes left. She wasn't sure if her father had decided to go through her things and take them and be rid of them as in telling his daughter that she was not allowed to go anywhere.
She stopped when she came across clothes that she had never seen before. She pulled them out and saw that there was a letter attached to them. She saw that it was her grandmother's writing. This meant that her grandmother had given them to her for this purpose. She looked over the items with bright eyes.
She began to change out of the gown that she wore. She changed into a white tunic, black and bronze clincher, black breeches, black leather boots, a long coat that was black, and black riding gloves. She took the circlet out of her hair and put it down onto the table. She began to remove the braids from her hair. She ran her hands lightly through her hair knowing that the braids were going to end up falling out at some point and there was no point in redoing them. After all, elves really didn't use braids that often in their hair.
She then left her room and went down the halls. She went to the armory and got her weapons that she was going to need for the rest of this journey. She took them back to her room. She ran her hand through her hair as she let out a sigh. She hoped that she was able to be forgiven by Fili, but she hoped that he would say sorry to her. But at that moment her mind was elsewhere. She left her room and went to go and find the dwarves.
She found the area where they had been sleeping the night before since they had refused to take the rooms that were offered to them by her father. She passed them in silence. She knew that they were all looking at her like she was not welcomed by them. She had seen Bilbo walking up the stairs and decided to catch up with him.
"Of course I was going to tell you. I was waiting for this very chance. And really, I think you can trust that I know what I am doing." Gandalf's voice rang out causing Aranduriel to look in the same direction as Bilbo was.
She didn't understand what they were talking about. Was this because of her? She could only hope that was not the case. She was hoping that they would not bring her into the conversation. It always ended badly if she was brought into conversations. She had been brought in on more than one of their conversations. Something that kind of pulled her heart strings.
"Do you?" Elrond asked him. "That dragon has slept for sixty years. What will happen if your plan fails? If you wake that beast…"
"But if we succeed! What if the dwarves take back the mountain, then our defenses in the east will be strengthened."
"It's a dangerous move, Gandalf. And yet you bring my daughter into this. Where does she fit into this?" Elrond questioned as he looked at his long time friend wondering why he would bring his daughter into this danger.
Aranduriel turned her head and saw Thorin standing there. Her grey blue eyes locked with his for just a moment. She looked away and looked to where her father and Gandalf were. A look of concern was etched across her face. She was concerned about what her father would say about her being on this quest. A quest that she herself was willing to be on.
Thorin took a breath in through his nose. He knew that Aranduriel was going to be stubborn and follow them. He wasn't sure of what she was going to do right that moment. But he could tell that she was hurting due to the look that she had in her eyes. He had never meant to hurt her again. He began to listen to what the wizard and elf lord was saying. He wanted to know what the elf lord and Gandalf had to say.
"It is also dangerous to do nothing! Oh, come… the throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright! What is it you fear?And Aranduriel made the choice long ago that if Thorin was going to reclaim the mountain she would be there to help him. She knows most of the way without a map. I am sure that you can trust your daughter's judgement. She knows what she is doing. I am sure that you can trust that she does."
"Have you forgotten, a strain of madness runs deep in that family. His grandfather lost his mind. His father succumbed to the same sickness. Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall? Gandalf, these decisions do not rest with us alone. It is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle Earth. And you are sentencing my daughter to heartache. She cares for them. I will not see my daughter lose herself and sail away if something goes wrong. I will not lose her like I lost my wife. Her judgement is what concerns me. She was there when her brothers found her mother when she was torchered by orcs. I will not submit my daughter to something like that."
Aranduriel moved up the stairs. She could not listen to any more of this conversation. She heard the soft footsteps of Thorin following her. She knew it was dwarvish due to the fact that the boots made a certain noise. She turned her head looking at him. "Why do you follow me?" She questioned him. She would not allow him to see her like this. She knew he had heard the last bit of what her father had said about her mother. It was one of the reasons why she hated Orcs at that moment.
Thorin felt his throat dry a little bit. He wasn't sure of why he had followed her. Not in the least bit. Had he felt compassion for her? He wasn't sure of why he felt such compassion towards her after all she was a woman that he thought was dead for a long time.
Aranduriel turned fully to him. "Why do you follow me?" She questioned again. She was demanding to know why he was following her. She hated it when someone followed her and did not say a single word to her. And she wanted to know why Thorin Oakenshield was following her up the stairs. She knew that he had heard them talking. She also knew that otherwise Thorin would not be very pleased about it.
"You are still going to risk your life to continue on this quest with me?" He questioned her softly. He was hoping that she would say no to him. He was hoping that she would stay behind. A place that he knew that she would be safe and sound. And he wasn't going to lose her again. He couldn't bear to have the heart break again. Not like it had all those years ago. He wouldn't be able to live through it again.
Aranduriel closed her eyes. She let out a soft sigh. "Thorin you would not be able to make it through the Greenwood without me. Do you not wish to reclaim your homeland?" She questioned him as she opened her eyes and locked them on Thorin's blue ones.
"You know I do." He told her. His voice was fairly soft. He wasn't really in the mood to fight with her, but he was concerned for Fili's wellbeing. He didn't want Fili falling in love with her. It was something that he would not allow his nephew to do.
"Then let me help you, Thorin. I have never done anything wrong to you." She walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes locked with his. "I want to help you, Thorin. Please. Let me help you reclaim your mountain. Let me help you become king of your people. A king that you should be."
Thorin searched her eyes trying to figure out if she was telling him the truth. He saw no lie in her eyes. He knew that she was telling the truth. He was hoping that she was hopefully going to change her mind. He let out a sigh. He knew that she was going to be going with them no matter what he had said. "Are you certain that you want to do this?" He asked softly. He was hoping that she would change her mind. He didn't want her to follow them on this quest. If they would fail like Lord Elrond thought they would, he felt that she needed to stay behind.
Aranduriel nodded her head. "Yes, I am certain." She told him softly. She held onto her arm as she looked at him. "There is no way that you would be able to get out of Rivendell without my help. I have escaped from here enough times to know how to get around the guards that patrol these lands."
"What is it that you know?" He asked her. He could tell that she knew something.
"Saruman, the leader of the White Council, is here. He will try to stop this quest." She looked away from him. "I have to get you out of here tonight."
Thorin took a deep breath through his nose. "How much time do we have?"
"Not much time." She closed her eyes.
"You must go into the mountains. I will meet you there." Gandalf's voice rang inside of her head.
Arandureil opened her eyes and looked at Thorin. "Gandalf will meet us in the mountains. We must wait there until he arrives."
Thorin looked her in the eyes. "The wizard told you this?"
Aranduriel nodded her head. "He will meet us there." She turned away from him. "Shall you tell them or shall I, Master Oakenshield?" She looked over her shoulder at him and a small smile upon her lips.
"I will tell them."
Aranduriel nodded her head. She turned her head and began walking down the stairs. She had one person that she had to say goodbye to and that was Estel. She was not sure if that was going to end well. She walked past the company feeling the eyes of them on her as she walked. She ignored the looks that she was getting as she walked. She wasn't there to talk to them. She was able to get her message through to Thorin and that was all that had mattered to her. She was now going to have to explain to a 10 year old why she was leaving. She knew that it would probably be breaking his heart to know that she was leaving again. She could only hope that he would not blame himself this time.
She walked up the stairs and walked down the halls ignoring the stares that she was getting from the elves that were walking in the halls. She stopped outside of Estel's room and knocked on the door.
The door opened revealing the little boy that she saw as a son, or little brother. He looked tired and also looked like he had almost gone to sleep. He looked up at her and saw the clothes that she was wearing. His eyes began to well up with tears. He didn't want her to leave. "You're leaving me again."
Aranduriel kneeled down to look into his eyes. He was about the heights of the dwarves for being ten years old. She put her hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't be leaving Estel if I didn't have to." She told him softly. She knew that he was going to have a problem with her leaving him again.
"It's those dwarves isn't it?" He questioned her softly. His blue eyes locked onto the ground.
Aranduriel made him look at her. "I would not be doing this if I didn't have to go to Estel. Those dwarves have no home. They are the line of Durin."
"The family that you told me about in one of our lessons?" Estel asked, looking up at her. His blue eyes were lit up. He had heard the stories of Thorin Oakenshield from Aranduriel countless times. He enjoyed the stories that Aranduriel was able to tell him.
Aranduriel smiled at Estel. "Yes. I am helping them."
Estel wrapped his arms around her. "Please be careful and come back home safe." He whispered in her ear.
Aranduriel kissed him lightly on his head. "I promise Estel." She hugged him back and then released him. "Try to get some sleep." She told him softly.
Estel nodded his head and went back into his room.
Aranduriel stood up and ran her hand through her black hair and began to walk towards her room to gather up her things. She was thinking of what her father had said. She was hoping that he was not correct about what would happen to Thorin. The gold sickness that laid over that hoarded treasure was something that she was not looking forward to seeing. She would hope that she would not lose Thorin again. She would not lose her friend to dragon sickness.
She went into her room and gathered her weapons. She looked around her room sadly. She was not sure if she was going to be seeing this room again. She just hoped that her father was not going to be right. She didn't want this quest to end in heartache. That would be the only thing that she would never wish for. She left her room and walked down the stairs towards where the dwarves were. Perhaps they would not judge her for coming with them.
Bilbo looked up from his packing and saw that Aranduriel was making her way down the stairs. He was surprised to see her walking down the stairs with her weapons. He thought that she would be staying behind, but he could tell that there was something up when she had been on the stairs listening to what Gandalf and Lord Elrond were saying.
Kili looked at the young elf maiden with wide eyes. "Ara, what are you doing here?"
Aranduriel smiled at Kili. "I am going to help you get out of here. Someone will try and stop you if I don't help."
Fili couldn't believe that this was happening. Thorin was going to allow her to continue on this quest with them? Even after he had told them that she was to stay behind?
"Quickly get your things together." Thorin told them. He knew that they didn't have much time to get out of there. Thorin looked at Aranduriel who simply just nodded her head knowing that he was thinking the same thing that she was at that moment. The risk of them getting caught was getting higher and higher and that was not a good thing.
"Come. Lindir will surely tell my father once we leave the valley." She said moving a head of them slightly. She wasn't going to leave them behind in Rivendell where they would be held until Saruman thought that it was right for them to go.
Bilbo looked at her. "Must we leave in the cover of night?" He asked softly. He wasn't sure about leaving in the middle of the night. Could they get caught by the elves?
Aranduriel looked over her shoulder at Bilbo and smiled a small smile. "The cover of the night is our friend, Master Baggins. We will less likely get caught leaving now than we would if we left at dawn." She told him before turning her head and looking forward. She wasn't about to tell him about her knowing the way out of there and not being caught. With 14 people plus herself it was going to prove to be an interesting idea of trying to get out of there. There was going to be that chance that they would get caught. She just hoped that today would not be that day. Getting to the mountain was going to be her main choice in all matters.
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This is the end of Chapter 13. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I know that it is a long one. I try not to write too long of chapters, but for some reason this always happens when I write chapters for this story. I hope that I won't have a long chapter for the next one. The next chapter will be leading them towards the Misty Mountains. Also it will be showing time between Bilbo and Aranduriel. And perhaps Fili will talk to Aranduriel and try not to rip her head off. Anything you lovely readers would like to see in the next chapter? I like to have input from my readers. Hopefully the next chapter will be out earlier than this chapter. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. Until next time.