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Shouts and screams rose in the air from the direction of the main courtyard.

"Sounds like they could use some backup." Alenia commented, before turning to the family of four. "See you kids in a bit."

"Good luck!" Tilda called, as the half-elf turned and sprinted down the streets, drawing her sword from her side.

With a battle cry that rattled the buildings around her, the Ranger threw herself into the orcs, slicing and stabbing, the men of Laketown fighting alongside her. The sound of hooves thundered on cobblestone on a street below her, as she turned to see Thranduil racing into the city below her courtyard's overlook.

An arrow lodged itself in the Elven King's mount, and he tumbled from it's back, dropping into a somersault. He crouched low, his swords out and held low to his sides, as he glared at the orcs that surrounded him.

As the orcs lunged for her grandfather and he met them with a roar, Alenia launched herself over the railing. She latched onto an old rope as she fell, and swung to land on the cobblestone, her sword once more drawn.

The Elven King and the Ranger locked eyes amid their slashes, and they shared a small smile, before more elves poured in to help finish the rest of the beasts off.

As the orcs' bodies finally fell, Thranduil and Alenia sheathed their weapons, panting slightly.

There was a moment of silence, as they stared at each other.

"I wish I could take it back." Thranduil said suddenly. "I wish I had never banished your mother. I wish I had allowed your parents to stay in Mirkwood, and that I could've watched you and your sister grow up. I wish I could've known your sister before she died. I-I'm sorry."

Alenia's eyes softened, and she stepped forward. "My mother never spoke ill of her parents. She still loved you, despite her banishment, and I know that Hanna would've loved you too."

The Elven King opened his mouth but a horn blew on the battlefield, stopping him from speaking. Alenia raced to the edge of the courtyard, Thranduil at her heels.

The pair watched as the stone barricading the entrance to Erebor was cracked open by a large, swinging bell, and the dwarves of Erebor charged through the gates, swords drawn and battle cries falling from their lips. They watched as the dwarves of the Iron Hills raced to join their kin, forming a deadly point that crashed into the ranks of orcs, slaughtering all in their path. And they watched as Thorin Oakenshield led the charge, his crown and furs gone, replaced with the king that Alenia had followed out of a hobbit hole those many moons ago.

"He's back." she muttered, a smile spreading on her face. "Can you hold the orcs here in the city without me?"

"So much confidence." Thranduil mused, before nodding. "Go."

She smiled, before turning and launching herself down the streets towards the battlefield below.

Once more, she ran through the crumbling avenues of Dale, slicing through orcs as she went. Her legs burned, and her arms ached, but she kept pushing, trying to get to the dwarves. To Kili. And Fili. And her king.

She barreled over the bridge, ducking under a troll's legs, and slicing. As blood poured, she rolled and leaped on it's back, scrambling upward to it's head, which she plunged her sword into. Howling in pain, the troll lumbered where she directed, stumbling this way and that, the heavy metal maces attached to its hands swinging into orcs, smashing them to bits.

She spotted Fili and Kili first, fighting back to back against twenty or so orcs.

"Heads up, boys." she called, as the troll stumbled in a messy circle around them, stepping on the beasts. The half elf then twisted her sword, causing the troll to slump to the ground dead.

"We had that." Fili protested, as Alenia gave them both quick hugs.

"A simple 'you're welcome' would suffice, Fee." Alenia said, before Kili turned her around to face him.

"You're alright?" he asked, scanning her face and body for injuries.

"I'm fine." Alenia reassured, before resting her forehead against his.

"What is it with you two and having moments on a literal battlefield?" Fili complained, as he stabbed an orc that rushed at them. A different orc ran towards the lovers, and not even bothering to turn away from Kili's face, Alenia grabbed the dagger at her side and flicked it into the beast's stomach.

"Never mind. I'll leave you alone." Fili muttered, as the pair stopped staring into each other's eyes to glare at him. His next words came out in almost a whimper. "Please don't kill me."

A horn sounded from the orc legion's mountain top. Alenia stared up at the wooden signalling device perched there. "This isn't going to stop until we get to Azog." she muttered.

"Then let's get to Azog." Kili said, leaping onto the back of an Iron Hill goat.

Alenia retrieved her dagger from the stomach of the fallen orc, before climbing onto the back of another goat, as Fili mounted his own.

Dwalin rode up beside them, and a ways away, Thorin turned away from Dain to look at them.

"I'm gonna kill that piece of filth!" he called, before mounting a goat of his own.

"Right there with you." Alenia responded, lifting her sword.

Together, the four dwarves and the half-elf raced across the battlefield, stabbing and slicing where they could reach, and trampling those they couldn't. As they neared a troll, Alenia leaped from her goat's back, stabbing her sword into its chest, before dragging the blade down and landing on the ground.

As Kili raced past, she leaped onto the back of his goat, balancing on its rear. As they caught up to her riderless goat, she jumped, before landing on her mount's back.

"Showoff." Fili yelled.

"Shut it, Fee." Alenia shouted back, drawing her bow to shoot an orc about twenty feet away. It fell to the ground, just as the group reached the far side of the plain, and their goats began bounding up the side of the mountain.

Up and up they climbed, rocks crumbling beneath the hooves, until they crested the edge of Ravenhill. The group dismounted from their goats, and they all drew their swords.

"Where is he?" Thorin asked.

"Looks empty. I think Azog has fled!" Kili said.

"I don't think so...Fili, take your brother." Thorin said. "Scout out the towers. Keep low and out of sight. If you see something; report back, do not engage - do you understand?!"

"I don't like this. It's too easy." Alenia muttered. "I should go with them."

"No, stay here. They can handle it." the king said.

"If they go over there, they will be cut off from our help. It's too risky!" Alenia protested.

"Ally, it's fine. We've got this." Fili reassured.

Kili kissed Alenia, before moving to stand with his brother.

"I love you." Alenia said, and Kili smiled, "I know."

The half-elf laughed, and Thorin smiled softly.

"We have company; goblin mercenaries. No more than a hundred." Dwalin called.

Alenia whipped around, as Thorin said, "We'll take care of them. Go! Go!"

Fili and Kili set off across the frozen river, and Thorin turned to the half-elf beside him. "Everything I said back in Erebor was wrong. You do deserve Kili, more so than anyone I've ever med. And I was a fool for making you think otherwise. I was the one who didn't deserve you, or your loyalty. Forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive, Thorin." Alenia said, pulling out her sword. "Now, let's kick some goblin butt, shall we?"

"Aye." Thorin agreed, drawing his sword as well, as the two dwarves and the half-elf unleashed themselves upon their enemies.

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a/n:

wow. i actually updated this story— is anyone surprised by this?

i'll try to have another chapter out this week, although with my new soccer schedule idk how hard that will be :((

but i WILL finish this book soon, i promise you that. and then move onto my next book in the tolkien saga hehe

also, next chapter is... gonna be fun. but i bet all of y'all know what i'm going to do anyway....

or do you?

- ash xx