The King and Dragon Lord

Ch. 17

{ Thorin's POV }

"Thorin.." Balin walked up and looked at me worryingly, but also tried to reassure me. "She'll come back."

I huffed as I watched the beast take Nex away, "I know", I then turned to face Legolas and Tauriel. "You said two days correct?"

"Yes, and it would be very beneficial to get back to Erebor now" Tauriel responded in a hurrying manner.

I nodded and then gestured for everyone to follow, "time to prepare ourselves for another war."

{ Nex's POV }

The wind was a bit more warmer than down south near Erebor, though of course it was still a little nippy. Me and the beast had been traveling for not too long. Whatever creature it was they seem to move exceptionally fast.

The beast, after running for some time, had started to slow down and put itself into a walk and then not after long it stopped and started sniffing the air.

I noticed what it was doing and looked around curiously. "What is it?" My gaze fell onto it's head as it looked around.

"We're getting close, though we have to pass through a certain area that could potentially be dangerous." It continued to looked around as it talked.

"How dangerous are we talking?" I may have asked a bit too proudly.

The beast moved over to the right a bit and then motioned it's head towards a dark valley. I hopped off the beasts' back and stood by it's shoulder, staring at the valley in awe. I have never seen anything like it.

The beast noticed my amazement and chuckled. "Don't let the beauty of the valley fool you, Eldaerenth."

My gaze focused on the beast in confusion, "Why's that? It's just a normal valley I don't think it would be that dangerous." I gestured my hand to the direction of the valley and looked at the beast with an unconvincing smirk on my face.

The beast shook it's head lightly and started walking forward, I followed by its side. The closer we got to the valley the bigger the void got, and much, much deeper the darkness of the valley became.

It's not that scary... or dangerous... Those words filled my brain when we stopped at the mouth of the valley. "S- so we go through there?" I raised my hand nervously and pointed forward. The beast nodded at my response. How can I, a ranger, be scared of a dark valley? I sighed and hopped back on the beasts' back and said as confidently as I could, "lets go" and we headed to the mouth of the valley.

{ Thorin's POV }

Time flew by and I couldn't stop hoping, wishing, that Nex were safe. I would constantly pace around and the only thing that could distract me was getting everything ready for the battle.

Not long after we had arrived back to Erebor I immediately sent a raven to my cousin in the Iron Hills in hopes he would aid us once again. "Thorin," I heard Gandalf say my name and I glanced up at him to show that his presence was felt. "She will be okay" he said with his soft reassuring voice.

"Gandalf what if we lose Erebor again.. and for good? We lost so much to get it back and now it's being ripped away from us... from Nex.." I sighed and placed my hands on my waist. "Building a life with her is all I want and ever since she's came here she's only be in danger."

Gandalf looked at me more sternly, he knew what I was thinking. "It is not your fault Thorin, that Eldaerenth is in this situation. No one could have predicted this not even Lady Galadriel herself."

My eyes squinted at a thought and I then looked up at Gandalf curiously. "Couldn't Lord Elrond?"

Gandalf frowned and thought for a moment. "Yes.. he could have. But I believe he chose not to." Before I could say another word, Bilbo came rushing into the armory.

Two words he said sent us all into a frenzy. "They're here."

{ Nex's POV }

The valley was so dark even I couldn't see through it. Something about this didn't feel right. "So um," I lowered my torso so I was laying on the beasts' back and wrapped my arms around its neck carefully. Being closer like this made me feel safer, "do you have a name?"

The beast chuckled lightly and sighed. "I do not.. Do you have a name for me?" I could feel it's neck bend over to the right some, giving off that it turned its head to look at me.

I shrugged. "I was thinking Fafner." I smiled lightly against the beasts' scales.

"Fafnir.. I give you permission to call me that."

"Great." The smiled stayed on my face for a bit as we continued through the valley. After what felt like a few hours the beast suddenly stopped and I got worried. "What is it?"

The sound of Fafner's claws gliding across a rock wall indicated that we hit a dead end. "The valley isn't suppose to be blocked off.. the exit should be not too far from here.." The disappointment in its voice made me feel as if I had to check this wall. I hopped off and kept my left hand on Fafner to guide me and then reached my right hand out to touch the wall.

"It... it was an avalanche.. a fresh one too.." I continued to feel the wall, which felt like rubble the more I moved my right hand up. "The dirt and rock isn't too packed or dried either which means this was caused not so long ago." A wave of uncertainty quickly washed over me unannounced.

"Come on Dragon Lord.. looks like we have to climb." Fafnir sighed after spoke and waited for me to climb back on its back. Once I was mounted again it told me to hold on tight, so, that's what I did.

When Fafnir started climbing up the wall with me on its back, I'll admit I thought I would fall to my death. Fafnir would continuously make sure I was alright and it itself made sure to be careful.

After some time of climbing we started hearing small rocks fall from the sides of the valley, though we both brushed it off as just some rubble. Then one particular sound caused a stop in our climb. Spiders..? No.. Some big insect..? I listened closer, No.. It then dawned on me once the sounds became louder by the second. "Orcs.. shit."

{ Thorin's POV }

Everyone rushed to the top of the gait and looked over the railing, out into land between here and Dale. "That's not all we saw.." Legolas came up right after us and sounded confused. "This is at least half of them, where are the others?"

We all looked out confusingly, noticing that this was less than the last battle, but why? "Nex.." I heard Bofur say her name as if he had just got an idea.

"What?" My gaze turned to Bofur, along with everyone else's.

Bofur seemed scared to say his thought. "Wh- what if.. what if they knew she was heading to the Withered Heath and-"

Tauriel cut him off, " and plan on ambushing her in the valley.."

My eyes widened and we all looked at one another worryingly. "This is a diversion.. shit!" Anger and fear filled me and I started walking away.

"Thorin! Where are you going?!" Kili yelled after me as I continued to walk away.

"To get my fiancé." My voice raised and the gruffness echoed through Erebor. I was not about to lose my life again.