The Eyes of Emerald

Chapter 34

The company sat along the barricade, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the elves or orcs to come over the wall and destroy them. Waiting for the fight to end. Waiting for something. Though surrounded by the company Fili sat alone, clutching Dawns necklace with desperation.

Suddenly, from the dusty hall, Thorin appeared, but there was something different. He was no longer wearing his royal robes and crown. Instead, he wore a simple blue soldiers suit. He had a different walk too. Determined and as if a large weight was finally lifted off of his shoulders. As all stood to the king, Fili noticed his brother glaring furiously at his uncle.

"I will not hide behind a wall of stone, while others fight our battles for us!" Kili shouted at the top of his lungs. But Thorin just continued to approach the company. "It is not in my blood, Thorin."

Thorin finally stopped and looked lovingly into his nephew's eyes. "No, it is not. We are sons of Durin. And Durin's folk do not flee from a fight."

Kili slowly smiled, holding back his tears. He knew. They all knew. Thorin had returned. The sickness within him was vanquished. All knew as uncle and nephew touched foreheads. Thorin then faced the rest of the company. Particularly Fili.

"I have no right to ask this of any of you; but will you follow me, one last time?" There was a beat of silence. But then, Balin stood. Followed by Dwalin. And soon all stood. The last to stand was Fili. Then, all left quickly to gather their armor yet again. But Fili and Thorin remained in their positions.

"Fili, I do not deserve your forgiveness. For what I did to you, your brother, all of the others...Dawn." At the sound of her name, Fili clutched onto the necklace. "If I could turn back time to when we entered this mountain, I would, and I would have kept my word. I would have honored my word toward the people of Laketown. I would give the elves their gems . And I would have never done anything to harm Dawn. You know that...don't you?"

"I do," Fili answered. Fili then approached Thorin, and he embraced his uncle tightly. He couldn't help but shed tears. "I'm so sorry for what I said to you."

"I know," Thorin replied. When they separated, they followed in the direction of the others, and gathered their armor.

The joy now in Erebor was not the same over in Dale. Dawn was running frantically, trying with all of her might to lead the children away from the oncoming danger. The second she heard the snarl of a giant troll, she knew what danger they were in. But as the men and women of Laketown came aware of the trouble, a stampede of panic began, separating the children from Dawn and worse, each other.

"Sigrid! Tilda! Bain!" Dawn cried out, but the only response she received was the sound of orc cries and the screams of the terrified villagers. All Dawn could do is pray that the children would find their way to safety.

But all stopped as they heard the rumble of dwarven horns. Dawn ran over to the edge of the city to see what was happening at that very moment. And to her surprise and joy, a grand golden bell destroyed the stone barricade, and from the fortress, the company emerged, led by Thorin. She had no question in her mind, he had returned. The real Thorin. Not the power-hungry sickly king. The kind hearted and brave dwarf lord, ready to redeem his name. She could sense it in her soul. Though so far from him, she could sense the change for the greater good

And by his side stood a golden haired dwarf Dawn knew with all her heart was Fili, close to his uncle and captain with a loyal stare as the dwarves rallied to their king and began their second attack.

But her moment of relief was cut short when the second Thorin made his battlecry, the fight and chaos ensued, and Dawn found herself being pursued by a pack of orcs.

Dawn was able to fight some off, but she found herself running away more from danger than confronting the enemy. And that made Dawn once again recognize the danger she was in.

Suddenly, she found herself facing stone wall with no where to turn. She was cornered. Dawned turned around and faced her enemies. The orca in turn smiled with their rotten teeth with glee.

Before she could defend herself, she was shoved into the ground and her head slammed into the stone wall. Her ears began to ring and her vision blurred yet she could see the silhouettes of the orcs. One ready to take grab in his claws, but as her vision grew dark they turned and ran away. A new figure appeared, and as it came closer, Dawn could no longer hear the screams of villagers and orcs alike. Even the ringing faded.  And then she only saw black.