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Alenia woke up to the feeling of someone rubbing her back. She rolled over to lock eyes with a pair of chocolate ones.

"Well, hi there." she whispered.

"Hi." Kili said. "How was your watch?"

"Fine." Alenia said, as she got up from the bed to grab her weapons, and attach them to the various places around her body. A quiver and bow over her shoulder, her elvish sword that had been buried in the armory at her side, and two daggers in her boots. She turned to see Kili pulling on his own armor and weapons, and smiled softly, before the events of last night resurface in her mind, causing her smile to drop. "Hey, Kili, there's something-"

"Are you two lovebirds in there?" Fili asked, knocking on the door.

"Come in, Fee." Kili called, as he turned to face his brother as he walked in and said, "Thorin wants everyone at the gate, now."

Kili stepped out of the bedroom, and the two dwarfs hurried th and Alenia rushed after him, calling both of their names.

The brothers looked at each other and took positions on each side of the half-elf as they walked, as she said, "Look, boys, I know we've been talking about Thorin's state of mind recently, and I just wanted you to remember that everything I do, I do for the good of the Company."

Kili and Fili exchanged odd looks.

"Okay." Kili said slowly.

"Not sure what you're talking about, but we trust you." Fili reassured.

I hope your opinion doesn't change. Alenia thought, as they reached the courtyard.

While climbing the steps to the top of the gate, Kili turned to look slightly up at the half-elf.

"Promise me you'll be safe." Kili said. "Promise me you won't put your life in danger stupidly. Take calculated risks, and always watch your back."

"I'll have you to do that for me." Alenia said.

"Why would I watch your back when I could look lower?" Kili muttered, forgetting that Alenia had the equivalent of super hearing with her elven blood. She slapped his side, and he snickered, before standing on his tiptoes to press a kiss to her forehead. "Please be careful. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"You won't." Alenia promised, taking his face in her hands to rest their foreheads together. "But the only way I'll be careful is if you promise to stick near me. Somewhere I can keep an eye on you."

"I promise." Kili breathed, as they continued up the steps to take their places amongst the gathered Company.

Alenia gave the dwarf's hand a quick squeeze, before they turned to look out over the rows of elves, their golden armor glinting in the early morning light.

"Did you get it to them?" Bilbo muttered from her other side, as he glanced over at her. The half-elf gave an almost imperceptible nod, and the hobbit breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he turned back to the army gathered at their doorstep.

Thranduil and Bard, astride an elk and horse respectively, approached the gate, causing Thorin, a few dwarves down the wall, to let loose an arrow, which landed before the feet of the humongous elk.

"I will put the next one between your eyes!" Thorin roared down at the two leaders, as he strung another arrow, pulling the bowstring back to his cheek.

The dwarves let loose a cheer of excitement at the threat to the Elven King they hated so much. Bilbo and Alenia exchanged a glance, as the sounds from the dwarves settled down.

Thranduil stared up at the dwarven king, and tilted his head, signalling the elven army to whip out arrows and aim them at the Company atop the wall in one unified motion. Then the Elven King locked eyes with his granddaughter, who narrowed her eyes at him, causing him to signal again, and the arrows to be stowed once more.

Despite the very obvious warning just delivered, Thorin stubbornly kept his bow loaded and aimed at the two leaders below him.

"We've come to tell you that payment of your debt has been offered," Thranduil called from below. "And accepted."

"What payment?" Thorin asked "I gave you nothing! You have nothing!"

"We have this." Bard declared, reaching into his coat to pull out the glowing white gem. To pull out the Arkenstone.

Thorin lowered his bow slowly, shocked.

"They have the Arkenstone? Thieves!" Kili yelled. "How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the king!"

"Oh my gods, Kili, really?" Alenia whispered harshly, as she saw the crazed look in his eyes. "You're better than that."

Kili shook his head, his eyes clearing, and the half-elf squeezed his hand once in encouragement.

"And the king may have it - with our good will." Bard said, slipping the Arkenstone back into his pocket. "But first he must honor his word."

"They are taking us for fools." Thorin muttered to the dwarves around him. "This is a ruse, a filthy lie." His voice rose to a shout as he continued. "The Arkenstone is in this mountain! It is a trick!"

Bombshell time. Alenia thought as she turned to look at the king. "It's no trick. The stone is real." she said. "I gave it to them."

As Thorin's face started to turn red in anger, Thranduil and Bard shifted on their mounts worriedly. Kili and Fili exchanged glances that said something similar to, 'Oh. That's what she was talking about.'

"You..." the King Under the Mountain started, his voice dangerously quiet.

"I took at as my fifteenth share of the treasure." Alenia said, setting her feet on the stone beneath her.

"You would steal from me?" Thorin asked.

"Steal from you?" Alenia repeated incredulously. "Thorin, do you hear yourself? You are sick. You have become obsessed with the treasure in that mountain, just like your grandfather. You are going mad."

"You dare insult me? You dare to even speak to me, you miserable half-breed?" Thorin roared, throwing his bow down and slowly stalking towards the half-elf, who didn't move a muscle and her face remained calm.

"I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to, but..." she said.

"But what, thief?!" Thorin asked.

"You are changed, Thorin! The dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word! Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!" Alenia said, as the dwarf king neared her.

"Do not speak to me...of loyalty!" he growled, before shouting to the rest of the Company. "Throw her from the rampart!"

The rest of the dwarves said nothing, and only stepped away from the half-elf to show that they were not going to obey their king.

Well at least none of the others hate me. Alenia thought, as Thorin's face started to turn red in anger.

"DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Thorin yelled, turning on the other dwarves. The king grabbed Fili's arm in an attempt to force him to listen, but his nephew simply shook him off.

"I will do it myself!" he growled, before seizing Alenia's arm to try and drag her to the wall.

The half-elf didn't fight back, and as she was slowly moved backwards she said, her voice loud and clear and unafraid, "I'm not going to fight you, Thorin. I know that this isn't you, and I hope that doing this will shake you from the sickness that has grabbed a hold of you."

The words didn't affect the King Under the Mountain at all, except to turn his face into a shade of red she didn't even know existed. "Curse you!"

A few of the dwarves jumped forward, trying to pull their king away from the half-elf. Thorin somehow in his fit of rage began to push Alenia into the wall, his eyes alight in an insane anger.

"Cursed be the Wizard that forced you on this Company!" he howled, as Alenia stood strong on the edge of the wall.

From behind Alenia's back, she heard a familiar voice shout, "If you don't like my Ranger, then please don't hurt her. Return her to me!"

Thorin growled, as he glared down at Gandalf.

"You're not making a very splendid figure as king under the mountain, are you, Thorin, son of Thrain?" the wizard asked, no doubt glaring right back at the dwarf.

Thorin slowly let go of the half-elf, and Kili and Fili rushed over to help her climb over the wall a ways down.

"That was your plan?! Just fucking sacrifice yourself to try and get Thorin to return to normal?" Fili whispered harshly.

"Nothing else was working," Alenia said. "And I would've been fine. I'm half elf, remember? I would've done something fancy and impressive. The act of pushing me hopefully would've been enough."

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards..." Thorin said from where he stood, glaring down at Gandalf. "Or filthy half-breeds."

"Ouch. That hurts." Alenia muttered.

"Go." Kili said, smiling sadly. "Stay safe."

"I would've stayed, you know." Alenia apologized. "I would've fought to protect you all."

"We know." the two said softly.

"I love you." she murmured, kissing Kili before dropping down the rope to join the elves below. She heard Fili mutter, "No kiss, for me? Typical."

"Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised." Bard asked, as Alenia stood beside Gandalf.

Thorin looked out beyond the elves, his eyes stormy.

"Give us your answer! Will you have peace or war?" Bard called up.

A raven swooped in to land on the gate's rampart, and Thorin stared at it, before a small smile started to spread on his face.

"I will have war."

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this chapter is dedicated to celinekeaa and krr204 once again bc you both are amazing and i can't put how much i appreciate all the support for this book into words <33

celinekeaa krr204 

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a/n:

i lied. i found some time to write *yay* but next chapter it's almost battle timeeeeee so badass alenia will return uwu

but that also means that we're closer to the end. oh boy. do y'all think you know what i'm gonna do for that? bc i don't haha

- ash xx