Ash's POV

I sat beside the fire, my blanket wrapped around my shoulders and my sword across my lap, sort of like a table so i could write in my journal. I'd left it to dry by the fire, and thankfully none of the water had ruined the writing, even though a part of me wished it had.

I borrowed some ink and a quill from Sigrid. I opened by journal on a random page to see some horse hair on it. I sighed.. I missed my companion. He had been with me since I left and I didn't even check on him when I went home.. or if he was even there. I shook my head into focus, reassuring myself he was fine, even though I knew nothing. I heard someone sit beside me and I glanced to see no other then thorin.

"So. Is it fun to constantly write in elvish or do you do it just because no one can read it?" He asked. "A mixture of both. Also I can't write in any other language so it makes things a little harder." I replied. He chuckled. "Well Bilbo begs to differ. He says on 4 specific pages you write in English. More specifically he remembered you writing 'he is azog'. Mind telling me why elfling?" He asked me. I took a deep shaky breath and bit my tongue, literally, to stop myself from screaming. "Why... on middle-earth.. would you want the answer to that.." I barely got out. Thorin seemed to notice my sudden discomfort yet he didn't stop prying.

"What happened? Tell me." He said. "Û.." I replied. I was too afraid to speak English. I'm terrified. I don't want to make myself remember. "I can't understand you. Just tell me what happened and I won't ask anything else. You might die as soon as we get to Smaug so talk." He said. "Your not calming me down Thorin.. In fact I want to hit you.." I said to him. He gave me a stern look and I almost buckled. "Look.. all your getting as an answer for this is the vaguest vocabulary I can think of. I left my home as a wild elfling who wanted to do things without limitation. Naturally my father kept me as close to him as possible after my mom died as he knew my brother was already so used to his freedom from his archery training with the guard. I got sick of it and was too naive to realise he was just trying to protect me from the outside world. I ran away and went to a human village.. I fell in love with a human named Marco and we were to be wed.. he took me out on a ride on his horse.. and then.. he.. revealed who he was.. azog.. I managed to run far away enough to scribble those words into my journal, tie it to a bird and send it to rivendale.. then he found me.. I spent 3 months there.. I can't remember much but constant torture and darkness.. he wanted me for the sole purpose of having an army of half elf and half orc children for him to raise as an army, they would have full right to take the throne after they'd kill my father and brother just because they were my children.. there would be so much death.. then elrond saved me.. I barely had recovered when I went to meet you all.. no one in my family knows what happened.. and no one needs to.." I finished.

Thorin sighed and glanced over at the other dwarves. "Get up. We're getting weapons" he said simply, I slowly nodded and we all left, Bain was trying to stop us, but I couldn't even hear the words he was saying.. the memories clouded my mind and I heard nothing but a one tone ringing in my ears that never seemed to end. I strap my sword around my waist and my journal before me leave.

We all sneak through Laketown as the sunsets. We head for the armoury and I focus on the task at hand, pushing the memories back into the farthest place in my mind. The dwarves constantly tell eachother to be quiet. Thorin tilts his head slightly towards the window on the second floor. "Dwalin. How high can you throw an elf ?" I asked him. I saw him smirk. He stood below the window, a little bit away from the wall.

I ran to him and jumped, he locked his hands together and pushed my foot up, getting me to the window. I easily slip in. I hang down backwards by my feet and pull some dwarves up one by one as fast as I can till they are all inside. We leave a few outside as guards.

We all started grabbing weapons and I notice Kili trying to hold a few. I look at him concerned and thorin does too. "You alright?.." thorin asks his nephew. "I can manage. Let's just get out of here." Kili replies. Thorin looks at Kili, then lays another sword on the pile Kili is holding. Kili begins walking down the stairs, but his wounded leg gives way and he falls with a cry. I cry out "kili!" Not helping the situation at all. The weapons make a terrible clanging noise, I can hear footsteps approaching. I curse and grab Kili, making sure his leg isn't broke and kicking him up, my body almost gave up and I almost screamed in agony, I saw black slowly creeping up my side but I ignored it. Dori screams at us to run. I go for the door only to see to guards staring me down, pikes pointed at me.

They rip Kili from my arms and drag all of us to the centre of town. The captain was pulling me, I remembered him from earlier. "Now what's a young girl like you getting involved with dwarves for ? Stealing weapons. Even a sword! What on Earth will your parents think when the master punishes you for theft young lady?" He asked me. He didn't see my ears.. good.. I just stayed silent. A large fat man storms out, i assume he is the master , and glares at us as the guards line us up.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked. The captain replied "We caught 'em stealing weapons, sire.". "Ah. Enemies of the state, then." The master replied. "Go to hell.." I muttered. I wasn't in the mood for this. "This is a bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire." The skinny man standing beside him, who I remembered bard calling 'Alfrid' said with a bored look on his face. "Hold your tongue. You do not know to whom you speak. These is no common criminals; this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror! And a-.. I mean Lithônion! Daughter and heir of the elven King Thranduil!" Dwalin said as he gestures at Thorin and me. We steps forward. The crowd murmurs in amazement, I look at thorin who seemed like he's prepared for this moment. "We are the dwarves of Erebor." He said. 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 continued. 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!" He yelled. The people cheer and clap, and the Master looks on, calculating. At first i felt happy they didn't want to harm my friends but I did feel guilt in a way.. realising our plans flaws. How was a hobbit supposed to kill a dragon in the worse case scenario. Suddenly, a voice calls out over the crowd, and Bard strides forward, taking the form of my thoughts and speaking them in words to the people.

"Death! That is what you will bring upon us. Dragon-fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all." Bard said. The people whispers anxiously. Suddenly thorin looked cocky. Cockier then I'd ever seen him before. He was determined. "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 yelled, smiling slightly. The people shout in excitement and they applaud. The Master looks on, smiling and nodding at this turn of events. I suddenly felt more aware and uncomfortable about the events around me.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?!" Bard behinds to yell. 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 screams as he and Thorin stare at each other angrily, the crowd gets louder, but then the Master steps forth, before I can even say a word to calm them down.

"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 said as he points accusingly at Bard, and the crowd begins to clamor. As Bard looks away, Thorin looks at him in shock and anger. I look at him sympathetically.. the kings ancestor ?.. why didn't he tell me.. I remembered my father saying "100 years is a blink in the life if a elf". It was true. I was grown up and so was he. I played with his ancestors as babies that are long dead now.. I never realised how absentmindedly I went on with immortality..

"It's true, sire. We all know the story: arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing its mark." Alfrid says, practically taunting bard but the thing that really seems to hurt the poor man is the crowd yelling angrily at him. He then strides forward and speaks to Thorin earnestly. "You have no right, no right to enter that mountain!" He said to him, hoping to break through his thick skull. I hoped beyond hope that he'd atleast consider it. But instead thorin said "I have the only right.". He then turns to 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?" He asks again. 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. I try to say something but no words come out of my mouth. I felt sick.. guilty and weak. Suddenly I coughed heavily, clutching my side and falling to my knees, no one noticing because of there overwhelmed anger or joy. I slowly pull my hand away to see the same thick black liquid burning my skin, dripping through my fingers and strings of it connecting my face to my hand. I took deep shaky breaths and felt someone gently put a hand on my shoulder. I shaking looked to see Bilbo. He looked very concerned. I dipped my hand in the water to wash it off and then wiped in off my mouth with my sleeve. Then I hugged him, not letting go till the crowd died down enough for me to hear myself think

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{No}
Û
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Hope you enjoyed the {little bit late} double update

Lil'nightfury