Thor narrows his eyes at the blonde elf as he stands inches from him bow drawn back to fire. There was also a red headed female elf standing toe to toe with Loki. "You might not understand me, but we are not looking for a fight." Thor pauses a moment as he holds his hands up in surrender. "I am looking for my sister. She's about (Your height) tall, (Your H/C) hair." The blonde's eyes widen slightly and as he lowers his bow.

"I think he's seen her." Loki adds making Thor's heart lift in his chest.

"Are you Thor?" The blonde elf asks and Thor nods.

"I am." Thor removes his hand from his sword as he continues. "And you are?"

"I am Legolas, this is Tauriel, we are friends of (Name)'s. I am afraid you have just missed her." Legolas adds making Thor mentally kick himself. "She disappeared with a group of escaped prisoners not long ago. We were just in pursuit of them."

"May we accompany you?" Loki asks causing Legolas to nod. Tauriel sheathes her sword and without so much as a word turns and heads off into the woods with Legolas and them close behind her.

"Thor," Loki says making his brother turn toward him. "What if she doesn't want to go back?"

Thor pauses for only a moment his mind racing at the thought. He quickly starts moving again so he doesn't lose his Elven guides.

"She belongs home, with us." Thor answers.

"But we don't have a home, not anymore." Loki adds and Thor feels his heart clench.

"Then she belongs on Earth with us. This isn't her world. These aren't her people. You forget brother, we know how this story will end. I will not have her stay here and watch people she cares for die. Not again." Thor concludes making Loki wince.

Losing Asgard had been hard for everyone, but no one hurt as much as (Name) did. There were many nights when Thor would hear (Name) crying about how it was her fault. How darkness and death followed her and claimed everything she loved and held dear. It wasn't her fault, both Thor and Loki always made sure to remind her that it wasn't. That she was an innocent person that bad things had happened too.

"I won't let her stay, Loki. I can't lose her too."

"I know, Thor." Loki adds as a silence falls between them.

Thor clenches his jaw and furrows his brow as he tries not to think about the battle that would soon come to pass. Hopefully, they would all be back in their world by then. Thor could only hope and pray.

~~~~~~~~~

"You're not going anywhere." Bard exclaims pulling me from my thoughts.

"What did you say!?" Dwalin retorts angrily.

"There's spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town. You must wait till nightfall." Bard adds making me eye him curiously. Hearing this, the dwarfs begin to settle down. I watch as Bard leaves through the front door his son close behind him. I feel someone sit close to me and I turn to see Kili grimacing in pain.

"Let me see it." I say as I kneel in front of him.

"I'll be fine." Kili retorts trying to hide his wound.

"In my world, a wound that is not properly cared for ends up being a lost limb." I pause as my words set in. "Now, let me see." I chastise making him reluctantly show his leg to me.

Pulling the wrap back I narrow my eyes in confusion. I had never seen a wound like this before.

"Sigrid? May I have some boiled water and some clean rags please?" I ask Bard's oldest daughter as I make Kili sit down on a nearby chair.

"Yes ma'am." Sigrid replies as she hurries over to the fireplace where the cauldron is kept.

"That water didn't help your wound." I say to Kili causing his eyes to narrow at me. "Clean water and bandages will help for now. Since I'm not from here I'm not too familiar with your medicines, but you should really be at a healer."

"After we reach the mountain." Kili retorts causing my eyes to shoot up to his.

"Kili, with this wound, you won't make it to the mountain." I say low enough so only he could hear.

Before He has a chance to reply Sigrid arrives next to me with hot water and some clean tears of cloth. I thank her as I take one of the cloths and dipping it into the hot water try my best not to let them see me cool it slightly with my powers. Kili winces as the rag encounters his skin wiping the dirt and tainted water of the lake away from his wound.

I see him visibly relax the more I wipe the grim away. As I finish wrapping the last wrap of cloth around the wound, I hear Thorin call out for his kin to follow him, and my eyes narrow at him.

"Where are you going?" I ask pushing Kili to sit back down.

"To get real weapons." Thorin replies and I scoff at them.

"You're going to steal them? And how, pray tell, do you expect to escape once you have them?" I counter making him narrow his eyes at me.

"Now's not the time for this. We need to reach the mountain."

"At the expense of what? Your-" Kili grabs my hand making me pause. His eyes meet mine and I groan inwardly at the silent plea to not tell Thorin about the extensiveness of his wound. "Fine, fine, fine. Whatever, do what you want. Just know that you're fucking up."

~~~~~~~~

It is night at Laketown. The dwarves are sneaking through the town toward the armory, hiding from watchmen. I unwilling to leave Kili by himself for fear that his wound will get the better of him go along with them. We hide behind a boat as two watchmen walk by.

"Shh! Keep it down." Dwalin whispers.

"As soon as we have the weapons, we make straight for the mountain. Go, go, go!" Thorin calls quietly as the watchmen disappear around the corner.

With the watchmen gone, Thorin points to Nori, who gets a running start and runs up a pyramid of dwarves who have pressed themselves against the walls of the city armory. He is able to get high enough so that he can reach a second-floor window and dive through.

"Next." Calls Thorin and Bilbo does the same thing as Nori.

Soon, several dwarves, and I, are in the armory. We begin collecting the weapons stored there. Kili struggles under a load of several different weapons, and Thorin hands him another one.

"You all right?" Thorin asks him, his eyes examining his nephew.

"I can manage. Let's just get out of here." Kili replies making me instantly move toward him.

Thorin looks at Kili, then lays another sword on the pile Kili is holding. Kili starts walking down the stairs, but his wounded leg gives way, and he falls with a cry. The weapons make a terrible clanging noise, and the dwarves both inside and outside look around warily. In the distance, the watchmen cry out, and running footsteps approach.

"Kili!" I cry out as I rush down the stairs after him.

The dwarves still outside begin to run but are stopped by two watchmen pointing pikes at them. Bilbo and the dwarves in the armory grab weapons, but several other guards point pikes at them too. I feel Kili be pulled away from me and I look up to see, Braga, the captain of the guard, holding Kili with a dagger to his throat. Kili looks sadly and guiltily at Thorin.

"Take them to the master!" Braga orders as he yanks Kili to his feet.

"Hey!" I yell angrily as Kili cries out in pain. "Leave him alone!"

I grab Kili by the arm and giving him some support lead him after the guards. The guards lead us through the city until we are standing at the steps of what was supposed to be the master's home. A sneaky looking man pokes his head out of the door to the master's mansion to see the commotion. He sees the soldiers dragging the dwarves to the mansion, with multitudes of townspeople following behind. It is snowing a little.

"Get off of me!" I cry out as a man grabs my arm and tries to pull me away from Kili.

There is a lot of indistinct muttering and yelling as Alfrid closes the door and goes to get the master. Braga arranges all the dwarves under guard in the town square before the doors of the mansion. As the guards open the doors of the mansion, the Master storms out, still putting on his coat.

"What is the meaning of this?" A big grotesque looking man demands as he stands at the top of the steps.

"We caught 'em stealing weapons, sire." Braga announces.

"Ah. Enemies of the state, then." The master adds making me narrow my eyes at him.

"This is a bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire." Alfrid confirms as his eyes land on me.

"Hold your tongue. You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal; this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!" Dwalin yells out as he gestures to Thorin and Thorin steps forward. The crowd murmurs in amazement.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor." Thorin announces the crowd whispers in shock and recognition, and people crane their heads to see better. "We have come to reclaim our homeland. I remember this town and the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbor, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the center of all trade in the North." Thorin is speaking earnestly to the crowd, and the people nod in agreement. "I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!"

The people cheer and clap, and the Master looks on, calculating. Suddenly, a voice calls out over the crowd, and Bard strides forward. "Death! That is what you will bring upon us. Dragon-fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all." The people whisper anxiously.

"You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this; If we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!" Thorin announces and I glance from him to Bard who wears a pained expression on his face.

The people shout in excitement, and they applaud. The Master looks on, smiling and nodding at this turn of events.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?!" Bard announces and I listen carefully. The people quiet down and shake their heads sadly. "Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?!"

The people shout, "No!"

"And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain-king so riven by greed; he could not see beyond his own desire!" Bard concludes and my heart clenches for Thorin. As Bard and Thorin stare at each other angrily, the crowd gets louder, but then the Master steps forth.

"Now, now, we must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame. Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!" The Master points accusingly at Bard, and the crowd begins to clamor.

As Bard looks away, Thorin looks at him in shock and anger.

"It's true, sire. We all know the story: arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing its mark." Alfrid adds and my eyes never leave Bards. Bard looks around as the crowd yells angrily at him. He then strides forward and speaks to Thorin earnestly.

"You have no right, no right to enter that mountain!" Bard concludes making my brow furrow in confliction.

"I have the only right." Thorin states and I look down at the ground. Thorin turns and faces the Master. "I speak to the Master of the men of the Lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people?"

The people quietly watch in anticipation.

"What say you?" Thorin asks.

The Master thinks for several seconds, then smiles and points his finger at Thorin. "I say unto you...welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome, King under the Mountain!"

The Master opens his arms in welcome, and the crowd erupts in cheers. Bard looks on silently. Thorin climbs up a few steps and turns to face the audience; the people hug each other in excitement and joy. Thorin and Bard stare at each other. I move closer to Bard and gently whisper to him.

"Bard, I understand your fears. I know them all too well; but Thorin does have a right to reclaim his home. If it be possible."

"He will release that dragon upon us, and none will survive."

"I won't let that happen."

"You will be powerless to stop it." He adds as he starts to walk away.

I glance at Thorin for a moment, whose eyes were focused on me, and then shaking my head hurry off after Bard.

"Bard, Smaug will come out of that mountain one way or another. Whether it be us entering the mountain or by his own hunger. He will emerge, and when he does where do you think he will go first? Yes, he's been sleeping for years but how much longer will that last. I don't want to put anyone in danger, but I know how much Thorin needs this. To be able to go home."

"But at what cost?" he interjects making my breath catch. "Hundreds of lives will be lost to Smaug, not to mention all the others that he will seek out to destroy after he's slaughtered us. I'm trying to do what is best for the people. Thorin is being selfish. I'm sorry, but I must see to my children."

Without so much as another word he is gone.

I stand there conflicted in my thoughts. As someone who lost it all, I would give anything for the chance to be able to go back to Asgard and make it my home again. Was that selfish? I slowly walk back toward the master's mansion. I find Thorin standing outside waiting for me.

"Where were you?" He asks and I let out a heavy sigh.

"I wanted to try to make Bard understand, but I ended up feeling more conflicted than before." I answer honestly.

Thorin closes the distance between us and reaching out takes my hands in his. My brow furrows as I try to think of what to do.

"You've done more than enough." He says and I let out a heavy sigh. "(Name), about leaving you behind. You must understand, I thought you'd be safer-"

"Don't," I interrupt making him stop. "Do not say that. You promised you wouldn't leave me behind and then you did." I state pulling my hands from his. "I cannot trust your words anymore."

"Yet you still wish to journey with us to the mountain?"

"Yes! Because I gave my word." I cry out taking a step back. "Thorin, I promised. I will see you all to your home," I pause my heart clenching. "Then I'm returning to my world."

With that I walked past him and into the manor where the rest of the dwarves were celebrating. I grab a tankard and make a beeline for a corner. I needed to be alone.