Warrior's Heart

Chapter Eleven

The Woodland elves made camp in the city of Dale, just beyond Erebor's gates and as Arielle made her way along the narrow, cobbled streets, she saw nothing. She felt nothing. Her heart was dead, her tears no more than salty tracks down her cheeks now. The cold neither bothered her nor comforted her, as she didn't feel that, either.

She ignored the elves who greeted her, barely bobbed her head at the one guarding Thranduíl's grand tent. It wasn't until she stepped inside it and saw both Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins that she felt anything.

"Master Baggins?" She couldn't keep the surprise from her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He looked up, his expression sheepish. "You don't know?"

"No. Thorin wouldn't tell me."

He sighed softly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I gave the Arkenstone to Thranduíl."

"You..." She looked over at her father, sitting in his portable throne. "You have it?"

Thranduíl nodded. "I have and I offered it to the dwarf in exchange for the Stars of Middle Earth, and he refused. So—"

"So," Gandalf broke in quietly, "you will risk war rather than negotiate?"

"He refuses to see reason," Thranduíl told him. "And I see no reason to keep trying." His blue eyes landed on her. "Why are you here, though?"

She cleared her throat "I was banished, like Master Baggins, here. But make no mistake, Father, Thorin will not back down."

Bilbo shook his head. "They will fight to the very last dwarf," he said. Then he reached over to touch her arm. "Are you all right?"

"No," she shook her head, "no, Master Baggins, I am not all right at all. And neither is he."

"He's gone mad, just as his father, just as his grandfather," Thranduíl said slowly.

Gandalf sighed. "It might not be too late."

"It is too late," Thranduíl replied coldly. "I will wait no more."

The tent flap flew open and both Legolas and Tauriel were there, breathless as if they'd run a great distance. Arielle turned to them. "What is it? Why are you here?"

Legolas crossed over to her. "Why are you here?"

"Legolas! What is going on?"

Tauriel shook her head. "There is an army of Orcs from Gundabad, heading this way. Erebor is their target."

Arielle's stomach twisted. "Thorin is their target. Fili and Kili are their targets."

Legolas nodded. "Most likely. You have to go and warn them."

Arielle shook her head. "He won't listen. The dragon sickness has gotten him. And I cannot go back there."

"Why?" Tauriel asked, looking from her to Thranduíl and back.

Her heart hurt worse than it ever had before as she murmured, "He does not want me there any longer. He banished me."

"It isn't him talking," Gandalf broke in gently. "Elrond and I were concerned about this very thing happening, you know."

She looked up at him. "And did neither of you think to warn him? Think to tell him so he might prepare himself? Or were you too busy congratulating yourselves on getting him to do what you wanted, so you can have this war?"

"My dear princess," Gandalf's hand came to rest on her shoulder, "I want no war. I hadn't realized this was the Defiler's plan. That he was in league with something far darker."