Embracing the Shadows

Chapter Eighteen - Standing up

"Throw him from the rampart!" The Dwarven king commands. Everyone steps away from Bilbo "DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Thorin screams at the defiance of his 'subjects' He grabs Fili's arm but Fili shakes his arm disgusted. When it is clear no one will follow his orders he turns to Bilbo "I will do it myself!"

Hardly thinking I phase the ropes around my neck falling off as I lunge at Thorin, my long hair settling over my breasts to hide them from view "CURSE YOU!" Thorin cries as he struggles below me.

"That is enough King under the Mountain" I growl "Dina" I pause realising he is not able to understand Elvish "Be silent" He flails around and I slap his cheek.

"No!" Kili cries out as the Company move forward to help their king up.

"Cursed be the Wizard that forced you two on this Company!" I growled the more time I spent as a wolf the more time it took for me to fully regain my knowledge of elven manners, perhaps that's why I was straddling an angry dwarf's waist indecently dressed and not even flinching as I normally would've.

I let him up and watch him carefully "The Thorin I knew would not threaten the people who helped him and his company into this mountain more or less unscathed. The Thorin I – We all knew would not dare treat any being like you have treated me, Thorin Oakenshield you should be ashamed, I would wager that your mother would have been disgusted by your behaviour right at this moment"

Thorin's expression grows more sinister at the mention of his mother, his face contorts in rage and with a cry he leaps at me only to be stopped by a loud voice, I look down to the army below and grin

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY BURGLAR OR MY FRIEND..." He lowers his voice "Then please don't damage them. Return them to me! You're not making a very splendid figure as king under the mountain, are you? Thorin son of Thrain!" Thorin moves away from me and Bilbo, the dwarves pushing Bilbo away

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards... Or Shire-rats! Nor Beasts" I growl and lunge forward shifting, as I realise my improper attire. I move back and go in search for a shirt and finally find where Thorin had hid it. Putting it on, I move back to the throne room to hear the ends of a conversation between Dwalin and Thorin

"You sit here in these vast halls, with a crown upon your head, and yet you are lesser now than you have ever been." Dwalin accuses

"Do not speak to me as if I was some lowly dwarf lord... As-As if I were still...Thorin...Oakenshield. I AM YOUR KING!" I lean against the wall listening

"You were always my king. You used to know that once." Sorrow coats Dwalin's voice "You cannot see that you have become."

"Go! Get out...before I kill you." Thorin commands angrily

I move into the hall, head bowed "They are getting slaughtered out there, your people, your family, since when has that accounted for so little?" I looked up "I thought you were a king of honour and valour, I thought you were loyal to your kin" I paused "I will not apologize for what I said before as it is true, you have changed Thorin Oakenshield, and not entirely from the better"

Thorin stood and moved past me into the corridors leading to the gate blocked by stone "You are not the same arrogant dwarf I threatened in Bag-End, and to be frank I enjoyed that one better" We both emerge as Kili speaks

"I will not hide behind a wall of stone, while others fight our battles for us!" Both Thorin and Kili walk towards each other "It is not in my blood, Thorin." Kili states as they stop in front of each other

"No, it is not. We are sons of Durin. And Durin's folk do not flee from a fight." Thorin smiles at his nephew and Kili smiles back through his tears, the touch foreheads, I had learnt it was a sign of affection between dwarves.

"I have no right to ask this of any of you; but will you follow me one last time?" Thorin asks turning to the other Dwarves. In return every one raises their weapons.

I move to him crouching so I was eye to eye to him "A noble king needs a steed" I clasped a hand over my heart head bowed before I shifted into my big tawny wolf skin.

"You would allow that, after all I have said?" he questions I nod my golden head and lay down before him, he moves forward before hesitating. "How will I..." He trails off embarrassed I look up and phase rocking back onto the heels of my two feet.

"If you do need to go in a specific direction a small amount of pressure with your heel would suffice, just like a horse" I shift back into the beast I was now comfortable in and knelt as he mounted before standing up

"Du Bekâr" (To arms!) Thorin cries raising a sword

"Dain!" Thorin calls from my back as we enter the fray

"Thorin! Hold on! I'm coming!" Dain calls back

"Hey cousin, what took you so long?!" Dain jokes, I kneel and Thorin slides of embracing his cousin before he remounts "That my dear cousin is a magnificent beast, a steed fit for a king" Dain compliments.

Thorin looks down frowning before glancing up at his cousin "She is fit for no one but herself, she is pure of heart"

"There's too many of these buggars, Thorin. I hope you've got a plan." Dain turns to the battle ground

"Aye - We're going to take out their leader!" Thorin agrees looking to Azog and his signalling machines.

"Azog..." Dain breathes

"I'm gonna kill that piece of filth!" I yip in agreement with my rider

I charge towards the outlook with Kili, Fili and Dwalin in my stead mounted on goats