Forever Alone (Thranduil Fanfic)

Chapter 9 - Declared War

"We set out tomorrow morning" Thranduil informs Bard and I as Gandalf leaves with Bilbo.

"A little early, don't you think?" I say.

"The earlier we are, the better"

"Okay, I'm going to go sleep now then" Bard said before leaving the tent.

"I think I should go too" I say to Thranduil. But he grabs my arm and pulls me into him.

"You aren't going anywhere, you are staying with me." He wraps his arms around my waist and buries his face in my hair.

I turn around in his arms and reach up to kiss him. I feel him smile against my lips and happily returns the kiss. We then break apart and head towards his bed. I lay down and he gets on the other side, pulling me towards him.

"Goodnight Thranduil"

"Goodnight love" he kisses my forehead and I fall into a dreamless sleep.

"I want every soldier lined at the gates of Erebor now!" Thranduil orders our soldiers.

They begin marching towards the gate in sync. I hop behind Thranduil on his elk with Bard on his horse next to us.

Once all the soldiers were standing in front of the gate, Thranduil began moving towards the front, Bard close behind. I look over Thranduil's shoulder, in time to see Thorin releasing his arrow, stopping us in our tracks.

"I will put the next one between your eyes" Thorin warns us as he loads his bow at Thranduil.

The dwarves around him cheer but immediately duck under the barricade when Thranduil signalled our army to aim at them. Thorin scowls and lowers his bow and I signal our army to stand down.

"We've come to tell you payment of your debt has been offered and accepted." Thranduil tells Thorin.

"What payment? I gave you nothing. You have nothing." Thorin growls.

Thranduil looks over to Bard and he takes out the Arkenstone. He holds it up to show Thorin. "We have this."

"They have the Arkenstone. Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the king." The dark haired dwarf shouted.

"The King may have it, with our good will." Bard puts the stone back in his pocket. "But first he must honour his word."

"They're taking us for fools. This is a ruse, and a filthy lie. The Arkenstone is in this Mountain, it is a trick!" Thorin snarls.

"I-it's no trick. The stone is real. I gave it to them." Bilbo bravely stands up.

"You" Thorin faces him with a scowl.

"I took it as my fourteenth share"

"You would steal from me?" Thorin questions.

"Steal from you? No, no. I may be a burglar, but I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."

"Against your claim?" Thorin chuckles. "Your claim? You have no claim over me, you miserable rat!"

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

"But what, thief?"

"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." Bilbo says truthfully.

"Do not speak to me of loyalty." Thorin turns to the other dwarves. "Throw him from the rampart!"

All of them looked at him with shock, not moving. Even I looked shocked.

"Did you not hear me?!" He grabs the blonde haired dwarf but he refused to do it. He then grabbed Bilbo. "I will do it myself."

"Thranduil, can't you do something" I whisper to him, not wanting the poor hobbit to get hurt. All he does is shake his head.

Thorin slams him on the edge of the wall. "Curse the wizard that forced you on this company!"

Suddenly, Gandalf appeared through our ranks. "If you don't like my burglar, then please don't damage him. Return him to me." He stops in front of us. "You're not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain, are you, Thorin, son of Thrain?"

Thorin lets Bilbo go and a couple of dwarves help him on the rope down the gate. "Never again will I have dealings with wizards! Or Shire rats"

Bilbo comes to join us by Gandalf's side.

"Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised." Bard asked. "Give us your answer. Will you have peace or war?"

I see Thorin turn to look at our right. A crow lands in front of him and crows a few times. "I will have war"

As soon as those words left his mouth, we hear marching and an army of dwarves arrived over the horizon. The leader was probably Dain, riding a pig?

"Ironfoot" I heard Gandalf mumble.

The dwarves cheer as the others come into clearer view. Thranduil spurs his elk around and commands our army to face Dain and his.

"Good morning! How are we all? I have a wee proposition, if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would you consider..." Dain greets but then suddenly shouts. "Just sodding off?! All of you! Right now!"

The men of Lake Town back away in fear but Bard commands them. "Stand fast"

"Come now, Lord Dain." Gandalf appears once again, trying to reason with the dwarf.

"Gandalf the Grey. Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood." Dain insults.

"There is no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves. A legion of Orcs march on the Mountain. Stand your army down." Gandalf tries.

"Why does he try to reason with dwarves?" I whisper to Thranduil.

"Because he thinks he knows everything" Thranduil whispers back.

"I will not stand down before any Elf. Not least this faithless woodland sprite. He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin, I'll split his pretty head open! See if he's still smirking then." Dain points at Thranduil who I believe is smirking.

"He's clearly mad, like his cousin." Thranduil smirks.

"You hear that, lads? We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!" Dain moves closer towards us.

Suddenly the ground rumbles and we turn to the mountain to see the ground cracking.

"Were-worms" Gandalf shouts.

Huge creatures burst through the mountain, crushing the rocks. Orcs suddenly run out of the hole the creatures created and run towards us.

"The Hordes of Hell are upon us! To battle! To battle, sons of Durin!" Dain leads his army to face the orcs head on.

"Thranduil! This is madness!" Gandalf shouts over to him, seeing as our army isn't moving from their positions.

Thranduil looks over his shoulder at our army and then the orcs. "Thranduil love. We should help. We may not be on the same side as the dwarves but we all share one common enemy."

Thranduil grabs my hands that are resting on his torso. He lifts one up and kisses it. "Stay close."

He gives the signal and our army jump over the dwarves and attack the orcs. This is just the beginning of a long war.