Daughter of The Darkness

Chapter 51

A/N: not my photo. I found in on Pinterest. It's so cool though and Elfreda just kinda had to.
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Nori rushed in to the hall where the company were eating breakfast. After being on guard watch, he told them about the swelling number of armed elves massing outside the front of the mountain. Thorin ordered them to prepare for war.
"It has begun," was all he said.

Elfreda prepared for battle in her room. Her armour was still pristine from when she had abandoned it almost sixty years ago. It had been designed and built to be light but strong. Detailed leather covered her shoulders and abdomen- swirls and flowing lines carefully etched into the material. Thin solid sheets of dark metal wrapped around her body, weightless chain mail covered the tops of her arms over a thick canvas tunic.
Elfreda's legs were protected by riding leather trousers with thigh bracers in the same pattern of her shoulders. She wore her usual boots that came up to her knees shone from the ancient polish she had lovingly scrubbed into them days before. Standing in the full mirror, Elfreda strapped her assortment of weaponry to herself. Bow and quiver to the back; the uniquely designed holder had room for a full set of arrows, bow and an array of blades for all purposes. Attached to the sides of her metal bodice, small sheathed daggers lay hidden; other tiny blades could be found in the pockets in her boots. Inside her arm bracers were flying stars, flying blades ensured an easy escape. At last she sheathed her gold and silver pommels sword around her waist and her fighting knives alongside her bow. Her cloak, she attached to the bare manakin, she did not fancy getting it dirty- it was an effort to clean.

Looking into the long silver mirror, Elfreda took a minute to breathe. Her unbraided hair had grown over the months of being away. Now at her hips, her once dark blonde hair had bleached brighter due to constantly being in the sun.
"Too long for war," she remarked "too long for my liking,"
One last blade lay waiting on her bed. It was as long as a pencil and as thin as a gold coin. More of an accessory than a defence.

Sitting on the floor, tiny blade in hand, the warrior princess began to slowly cut away the long strands of golden hair. Strings of sunlight fell in clumps around a her crossed legs.

All ready to face the army at their door, the dwarves stood chatting lightly to each other. The hall went quiet as she strode into view. Elfreda had cut her hair, now short around her collar bone, the front ends plaited around her head and fell down behind her.
"It was only going to get in the way," she told, flicking the ends of her short hair a wild grin on her face.

The army of Mirkwood elves stood in their flanks against the mountain of Erebor. The King of Mirkwood and Master of Laketown rode in the middle of them, all dressed and armed for war. Taking their time, they reached the front and faced the wall, on top of it was the company of Thorin. They too were armed.
"We have come to tell you, payment of your debt has been offered," began Thranduil "and accepted."
From within Bards over jacket, he withdrew the arkenstone and held it up them.
"The King may have it. But first he must honour his word,"
Thorin bristled where he stood. He whispered to to Kili beside him about traitors and it being a fake.
"It's no trick. The stone is real. I gave it to them," admitted Bilbo. Everyone stared an Elfreda's defence became as sharp as the swords she wore.
"I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."
Thorin's whole figure shifted into a dark shadow.
"Against your claim? You have no claim over it you miserable rat!" He threw down his sword and stalked towards the hobbit, ready to choke the life out of him.
"He was going to give it to you, Thorin." Elfreda started "But you are changed and bewildered. The dwarf I knew would never go back on his word. Never abandon those in need. But you did."
"Throw him from the ramparts," Thorin ordered. He pushed Fili forward but he refuse backing away. Elfreda stood in front of Bilbo, ready to fight their way out. The hobbit should have stayed behind with Gandalf.
"Fine I'll do it myself," He pushed passed them and grabbed poor Bilbo by his shirt. A rumble from the army boomed out.
"If you don't want my burglar, then please return him to me- unharmed," boomed Gandalf as he strode to the front gate. The wizard had no changed for war, his grey robe, cloak and pointed hat was the only clothing Elfreda really recognised. Thorin let Bilbo go. Elfreda and Bofur picked him up and hurried him to where a rope had been cast.
As Gandalf spoke to Thorin, Bilbo scaled down the outside of the wall and quickly made it to the ground.
"Will you have peace or war?" asked Bard.
Thorin spoke his reply "I will have war," then hundreds of dwarves came over the hill top. Ironfoot dwarves.
"You will not aid, you will vanquish then desolate. Bilbo was right. You are not the dwarf I knew." Elfreda stated.
"Then you have no place here either," commanded Thorin. Surged by despair and grief, Elfreda strode up to her once good friend and slapped him full in the face, her eyes dancing for a fight.
"That was for the people of Dale."
Elfreda turned on her heel to leave as she reached the rope, Fili cried out stopping her by grasping the hand that held the rope "but where will you go?"
Climbing over the wall, she replied "to make peace for those who are willing to hold their word. This war is madness."
"Stay," was all the prince could muster, eyes praying.
"I'm sorry,"
Then she was gone, abseiling the wall like a leaf falling from a tree. Fili watched her all the way and as she mounted Kasper who had appeared from the ranks of elves.

Elves and men rushed into a changed position. They faced the troop of dwarves coming down the hill.
"Who is that?" Bilbo panted as he jogged to join Elfreda and Gandalf.
"It is Dain, Lord of the Iron Hills, Thorin's cousin," sputtered the wizard.
"Are they alike?"
Elfreda trotted up to them answering the question "I've always found Thorin the most reasonable of the two,"

Dain Ironfoot, who rode a huge pig, trotted up to the front line, his armour clinking as the boar took clumpy uneven steps. Everyone took a step back as the dwarf Lord shouted at them all to go away in the most impolite way.
"There is no need for war between dwarves, men and elves! Stand down, make peace," commanded Elfreda, her armour glinting softly.

The dwarves ignored her prospects an began to rally. The elves closed ranks and armed their bows. Elfreda left her blades at her sides, ready to lift Bilbo onto Kasper and break for it.

Ground cracked beneath the foothills of the mountains. It sounds like the rock was being chewed and tunnelled away.
"Were-worms," gasped Gandalf. Massive great worms with mouths that split into four parts erupted from the ground, crushing the rock in their jaws. A roar of orcs could be heard from above. Elfreda stared upwards and saw Azog above them. War had really begun as a horn bellowed whilst orc warriors rushed from nowhere.

The Iron dwarves turned and charged, their yells of battle matching the pitch of the orc's pounding feet. Kasper neighed a battle cry of his own and trampled the ground. Elfreda gave him a him of a nudge then they were off, covering more ground than any other horse should be able to.
Dwarven shields piled over each other, forming a wall with their spears poking through.
Lead by Elfreda, the elves jumped the tower of dwarves and into the sea of orcs, their blades aims and ready to fight. The daughter of the darkness would stand with the light.

A second horn went off.
"He's trying to it us off!" Realised Gandalf. Elfreda spotted top and with a quick command, Kasper raced towards Dale.

What remained of the company watched the beginning of a war they had started. Thorin had gone back under the ground. They watched the battle of five armies commence. A single bright figure on a horse of lighting speed raced towards the city followed by a group of men and women.
They all watched in horror as their friend who had given up her safety made it first to Dale.
"What in Durin's name is she doing?" Asked Dwalin.
"To protect those she loves, till her last breath," whispered Fili.

Trolls the size of trees attacked the city.

Unblinded by the fate, Kasper moved forward faster than before. Swinging her double blades, Elfreda cut down several orcs, their head flying. Blood sprayed around her like a flurry of black liquid. But like everything else that had thrown her, Elfreda shone through. She sheathing her blades and loading her bow in own swift movement, she killed two trolls with two deadly invisible arrows. Elfreda made it to Dale and dismounted, a horse was too big to fight in theses tiny alleys. She told him to find the women and children and protect them. He did so, a wish of good luck from her equine brother.

She heard the crash before she saw it. Something huge sent the outer wall of Dale crumbling into dust. Orcs bred for war scurried into the hole in the wall. It was a torrent of pale gangly bodies, each of them calling and wailing their cries of war as they swept through. Their armour was cheap and badly made, however their mass numbers made up for their weaknesses by sheer power of the masses.

Alone with only her weapons, Elfreda's blood went icy cold; it thrummed in her veins and made her sank into the battle warrior she had become. Elfreda would only start swinging until she saw the blacks of their eyes. Praying to whoever was watching above, Elfrefa drew a deadly sneer as the orcs came closer and closer. In those final milliseconds, her eyes were closed and relaxed the solidness in her single body.
"For hope,"