Raging Fire

Chapter 10 'Higher Than You Thought Me To Be'

The company was taken by surprise when spiders attacked. They hadn't noticed several them sneaking towards them, and were defeated easily.

When Enelya was summoned to the throne again, she had not thought of a story that would cover up the truth. She could only hope that Thranduil was busy and didn't have time for a detailed story. She walked up the large, wooden stairs. The king turned to face her, he looked bored, as if he had nothing to do but sit all day. Enelya got nervous, one wrong sentence and she would ruin the chances for her ex-company to get through the forest unseen. "Enelya Lossëhelin, tell me, where have you been." The king demanded. "I have been traveling my Lord." That didn't come out too shakily, she thought. "That is obvious. But where have you travelled to, if I may ask." Thranduil asked again. "I escorted Lady Galadriel to Imladris." The girl lied quickly, she knew the king would ask for more, and she continued; "After I arrived in Rivendell, I stayed there for a while, before I came back." She hoped her answer would satisfy Thranduil. "And you travelled alone through the Misty Mountains? I know what evil lurks in the shadows. I find this hard to believe." Enelya blushed and tried to cover up the mess she made; "I met some dwarves in the Wild, I accompanied them until we passed over the mountains." Was the excuse she made.

Her nightmare after Kíli was stabbed got worse. His eyes that once shone with happiness were burning with anger. He was mad at her, accusing her of his death. So when she woke up from something poking her on her now almost healed cut, she was relieved. She would never forget the horrors of her bad dream. But now she had opened her eyes she got scared again. She could not move, and the only thing she saw was white. She was poked again, before something or someone, killed the thing that poked her. Her attacker died while making a lot of noise. She recognized her foe, and knew that the white she saw was from the spider's web. "Hold on Altáriël! And watch out for your head, I will cut you lose now." The familiar voice of Bilbo said. She heard him cut of the thread that held her up, and she fell. The spiders had hung up Altáriël pretty high, she fell down several meters before landing on another spider web. She had turned mid-air and had managed to free a bit of her face from the sticky substance. She already heard the other dwarves fight with their kidnappers. She got herself loose hurriedly and went to help the dwarves. She had grabbed her axe again. Altáriël was still out of arrows, but in need of them now. The spiders had noticed her getting free and began to attack her. Kíli rushed to her aid. Killing as many spiders as attacked them, the company ran through Mirkwood, hoping to get away from the horrid creatures. Thorin stopped running and looked up, the rest of the dwarves following his example. Legolas was running over the treetops grabbing a spider's silk in order to land on its owner. He killed it off swiftly before sliding under a spider about to attack Thorin, slicing the foe in half, he got up kneeling and with an arrow knocked in his bow he pointed it at Thorin. "Do not think I won't kill you, dwarf. It would be my pleasure." The elf said. He then noticed Altáriël standing behind Thorin. The king under the mountain smirked at Legolas's shocked face. "Help!" Kíli's cry made the three look around, a spider had grabbed the young prince's foot. Altáriël saw Tauriel running through the forest, she killed three spiders with her bow and knife. Altáriël didn't want her taking the credit for saving her friend alone. She rushed forward and grabbed one of Legolas's arrows, speedily shooting the spider that attacked Kíli. "Throw me your dagger! Quick!" The young prince called to Tauriel. Another spider was attacking him. "If you think I'm giving you a weapon, dwarf, you're mistaken!" Tauriel said. Altáriël rolled her eyes. Before throwing her dagger to the spider that was charging at Kíli, slaying the spider. Only the dwarf thought Tauriel had saved him, and looked at the redhead in amazement. "Search them." Legolas ordered. Tauriel walked over to Altáriël, smirking, the brunette was caught in the act. Working with dwarves wasn't exactly a thing the King liked. Tauriel knew that she would stay captain now. She outstretched her hands to take her former competition's weapons, but the girl took a step back. "Tauriel, how nice to see you again! I hope you're enjoying my position. I have found better work to do." The brunette said calmly, but on the inside she was fuming. The redhead had not only taken her position, but it had made her jealous, Kíli had looked at her the way she wanted the prince to look at her! Tauriel was surprised with the girl's calm but sarcastic statement, she wanted to at least see her a little mad. "At least I don't go around with dwarf scum." She hoped to fuel the fire, but Legolas came between them. "Gyrth in yngyl bain?" [are all the spiders dead?] "Ennorner gwanod in yngyl na nyryn. Engain nar." [yes, but more will come. They're growing bolder] Altáriël smirked, automatically speaking again, knowing that she would get even more in trouble. "Perhaps the new captain of the royal guard doesn't scare them anymore like I did." Legolas looked at her in amazement. Even now the girl would be considered a traitor, she still had an attitude. Legolas had been in love with the girl ever since she became captain of his guard, and his feelings had only gotten worse somehow. "Gi suilon, Legolas! I have missed you."[I greet you] The girl said, her wicked smirk never leaving her face. Altáriël, you are in big trouble, what will you do once my father sees you?" He asked, silently hoping the woman has a plan. "I don't know, the only thing I am sure of is that I will never leave this company. You can put me in a cell, but I will always consider them better than you. Legolas, we have been friends ever since we met. But the dwarves have been kinder, more understandable. I belong with them." The dwarves looked at her in awe, most of them had expected her to turn on them once they saw the elves. She calmly handed over her weapons. Silently regretting the harshness of her words as she saw the look upon Legolas's face. Maybe it would've been smarter to choose the side of the elves right now. But it was too late for that. Legolas walked next to Altáriël, he knew her better than everyone else here, and she couldn't escape as long as he would stay by her side. "Man agoreg?" [what did you do] Legolas whispered. How could she be so stupid as to work with dwarves. The girl smiled again; "I did what I had to, mellon. They are my family after all." "But I am your family as well, Altáriël. I made you captain of the guard as soon as you came here. I made sure you and Enelya could live the life you deserved!" The woodland prince spoke, his grip on her arm tightened. "Leithio nin!" [Release me!] Altáriël yelled, she made some sort of movement. And in a matter of seconds she had flipped Legolas' arm on his back. The other elves had readied their bows already, and pointed the arrows at Altá. "Oh puh-lease. Don't give me those looks. You would've done the same." She defended herself. Tauriel was kind of enjoying this, she had always known her competitor would make a fault one day. "And stop smirking Tauriel! Eca, a mitta lambetya cendelessë orcova!" [Go French-kiss an orc.] The elves tried not to laugh, and Legolas shushed them. Tauriel looked stunned; "I do not think you're in any position to make such insults Altáriël. I can only make this worse for you." The redhead threatened back, but all Altáriël did was smirk again.
As the dwarves were led towards the cells, Kíli managed to walk next to her. Somehow they ended up in a cell together. Tauriel was closing their cell door when Kíli spoke "Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers." Kíli stated. Altáriël didn't know if he was trying to flirt or trying to annoy the elf. Luckily, the interest wasn't mutual yet. "Or nothing." Replied Tauriel, she had noticed Altáriël's deadly stares and had decided not to flirt with her companion for now. So she just walked away.
Legolas got Altáriël and Thorin out of their prisons. The king had requested to speak to them. As they reach the platform, the girl saw that Enelya was there too, and wondered what the girl had said. They communicated with looks. Enelya assured the brunette that she had not betrayed them. "Altáriël, I did not rated you to be so low. Working with dwarves. Nin gwerianneg"[you betrayed me] Thranduil spat. "Than you are mistaken, I am higher than you thought me to be. Yes, I would betray you but I never betray my family. I am helping them with a just cause." She answered. The king looked mad at her remark. He had always liked her for her attitude, but now she was using it against him. Something he didn't like. "Put her back in her prison, I do not want to see her face ever again." Was his final judgement. Altáriël smirked, she knew she pissed off the king. "Nátyë necindo" [You are without heart] Was the last thing she said before the guards grabbed her arm and led her away. How she would escape out of the prison, she would think about later.
As soon as Altáriël was back, she was interrogated by the other dwarves, asking what her fate was, if Enelya was coming to safe them and how Thorin was doing. "I am to rot in these cells. Enelya has been fired from her post, she now has other work, she must send the empty barrels to Laketown. And I don't know what Thorin is saying, they brought me back before Thranduil was finished with Enelya. Kíli was happy to see his friend back in one piece, and asked her for further details. They sat next to each other on the floor, resting against the wall. "I pissed of the king pretty bad. You have a chance to get out of here, if Thorin manages to strike a deal. I will rot in these cells for as long as I live." A tear rolled down her face. She had escaped from goblin, human and orc prisons in her life. But there was no way she could get out of here. Bilbo was her only hope. She felt tired suddenly, and laid her head on Kíli's shoulder. The dwarf protectively put an arm around her, he didn't want to lose his best friend. He kissed her on her head. Wanting to be there for her, but he didn't know how. Altáriël had fallen asleep. Kíli laid her head on his lap. But as he heard some of the guards return with Thorin, he folded his cloak to a pillow and laid it under her head. Walking to the door to get word of what Thorin had said to Thranduil.
Tauriel was checking up the prisoners, and when she came to the cell of Altáriël and Kíli she paused. She had thought the dwarf was cute. She saw him stroking the hair of his sleeping cellmate, playing with a stone. They looked so peaceful, but Tauriel wanted to know what the dwarf was playing with. "The stone in your hand, what is it?" she asked. The dwarf looked up, he couldn't deny that the elf was good-looking, and Altáriël wasn't interested in him anyway. So he decided to take his chances. "It is a talisman. A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a dwarf reads the runes on this stone, they will be forever cursed." Altáriël woke up from the words Kíli spoke. She didn't yet open her eyes, and turned around, facing the wall so she wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. Tauriel had turned to walk away fast after the dwarf's words, but turned back when she heard him laugh slightly. "Or not, depending on whether you believe that kind of thing. It's just a token." The brunette heard them laugh and got jealous again. She knew that she would rot away in the cell, and her fate made her accept a lot of other things, like the fact that she was in love with Kíli. Who continued to speak with her enemy. "A runestone. My mother gave it to me so I'd remember my promise." Altáriël remembered that he had showed he the exact same stone the first night they talked. She longed back to that moment, before she lost everything in Mirkwood, before the Goblin King had scarred her. Snapping back into reality when she heard the word fire. Kíli was telling Tauriel about a fire moon, and how he wished to show her. Altáriël continued to cry softly, hoping to fall back asleep again soon.
The next morning Kíli woke her up. She remembered the conversation he had last night and pretended to continue sleeping. Afraid that if she would look at him she'd start crying again. "Thorin, Altáriël won't wake up." She heard him say. She had already opened her eyes and walked past him before he could say another word. Bilbo had freed them from their doom. She thanked the hobbit, and told them to follow her. She would lead the company out of the Realm. But first she would find Enelya. The hobbit continued to walk next to her. "Do you know the way to the wine cellar?" He asked. Apparently he had the same thoughts as her. She nodded yes and walked faster. Hoping the rest would keep up. "I don't believe it; we're in the cellars!" Kíli exclaimed. The other dwarves were getting mad at Bilbo. But Altáriël looked around to find Enelya. She found her passed out on the table, she walked over and woke her up. The poor blonde was hungover, she had drunk her problems away with the rest of the elves. Altáriël didn't say anything, but Enelya noticed something was wrong. Noticing the look she got, Altáriël shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it. "Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly!" The two girls instantly knew what the hobbit was up to. They had snuck down here many times to drink some of the royal wine, and knew how the mechanism worked. They jogged towards the barrels and got in. the dwarves looked relieved that Enelya was with them again. "What do we do now?" Bofur asked, confused by Bilbo's odd plan. "Hold your breath." The hobbit told him, confusing the dwarves even more. "Hold my breath? What do you mean?" Bofur asked again. Bilbo pulled the lever, sending the barrels with their content rolling towards the edge. "This is going to be fun." Altáriël said, forgetting about her sadness for a moment."

    I do not own the Hobbit, I only own my own two characters Enelya and Altáriël. If you see any mistakes please tell me. Also if you have any tips for me, I'd be happy to hear it.