An Experiment Gone Wrong

Chapter 14- Mirkwood (part 3)

Mara sat in her cell with Thorin, her finger fondly tracing the new addition to her hair. She didn't know how long she had been in this cell with Thorin but she was starting to go a little crazy. She listened to the dwarves ponder about the whereabouts of Bilbo, but before Thorin could give any commands, a familiar dark elf showed herself on the other side of the cell. 

Mara jumped up and walked to the door, looking at Lillith, not saying anything. She wasn't sure why she attacked her but she has known Lillith for close to 60 years. There had to be a reason right? She waited with baited breath until Lillith smiled softly and reached her hand through the cell towards Mara. 

Thorin stepped in between his Queen and her so called friend and stared the elf down, "you have betrayed her trust once before. I was not able to protect her then," he said staring Lillith down, "but Mahal I will protect her now." 

Mara couldn't help but feel a warm feeling rise up in her chest as Thorin's words. Placing a gentle hand against his arm, she pushed it down to his side and shot him a reassuring smile. "Do not worry my love, I trust Lillith had her reasons. After all, you know the King of this realm." She looked at Lillith. "How long have you been in this hell?" She asked referring to the kingdom they were in.  

Lillith giggled and reached into her satchel. Pulling out a bottle of a familiar liquid she handed it to Mara. "I noticed your hand was a little swollen, this should help with that." 

Mara thanked her gratefully and uncorked the bottle chugging every last drop it had. The swelling in her hand started to go down and Mara felt the pain in her thigh from the arrow start to subside. "Ahh, it's been too long since I've had a health potion. Thank you Lillith." 

Lillith smiled at her and looked at Thorin, squinting her eyes, "before we go any further, you, Thorin Oakenshield, what do you intend with my sister?" She asked looking him up and down like a father would stare down the man who wished to take his daughters hand in marriage. 

Thorin took a step back and bowed deeply, "I, Thorin Oakenshield, wish to make Mara the Queen of Erebor," he looked at Mara and smiled sliding his hand across her cheek and into her hair where he let his larger fingers glide down the soft locks. "to be my wife."

Lillith smiled but eventually broke the moment with a small clearing of her throat. She seemed pleased with his answer and crossed her arms, but this time she directed a question at Mara, "Mara, you owe so much to Skyrim. Without you Castle Volikhar will not have a Queen, nor will the Dark Brotherhood have a Listener. They will fall into a period of darkness again until the next one is born. We both know that the College and Thieves Guild will be fine, but you also must consider the threat of dragons upon the people in that land. Without you there who will fight the dragons and slay them one by one?" 

Mara had honestly not thought about that. Lillith was correct. The dark Brotherhood hinged on her ability to hear the Night Mother. Cicero would go crazy in trying to find a new listener, and the dark Brotherhood would fall into what it was when she joined. Alduin was destroyed but what would become of the other dragons? Would they repopulate? Could they repopulate if they were technically dead once? 

Mara's face twisted with uncertainty and Thorin turned to Lillith, "What do you mean castle Volikhar will have no Queen?" He turned to Mara with a questioning look, "there is still so much I do not know about you. Do you rule over other elves like Lillith?" 

Lillith let out a bellowing laugh, drawing the attention of the dwarves in nearby cells, "Mara is not my Queen, Mara is my best friend. No what Mara rules over is far more vicious and dangerous. In fact, your soon to be Queen once walked among them." She looked at Mara who was avoiding her gaze the words she last heard from them when she headed to Veronica's lab reverberating in her head. 

"Look at you, mortal. Weak. I suggest you have Serana change you back."

Lillith reached into her satchel again and pulled out a book. "Nevertheless, I have managed to nearly perfect the algorithm to take us home. We can try it out here and now if you wish, or you can hold onto it until you feel the need to go." She pulled out a small silver ring that had clearly been enchanted and handed it to Mara. "All you need to do is put it on and you will be transferred back home."

Mara stared at the ring flabbergasted. Had she heard that right? She looked from the ring to Thorin who was staring at her with a look of understanding amidst sadness and a little bit of jealousy that Mara could reclaim her home so easily. Mara smiled but put the ring safely in her Armor, "thank you Lillith, but right now I have to finish reclaiming Erebor for my friends and family." She smiled at Thorin who had never looked more in love than he did at that moment. 

Lillith nodded, "I figured you would say that," she turned to look at a seemingly empty spot but she knew who was there. She could feel it. "You there, are you a Dwarf?" she asked walking towards the invisible Hobbit who was internally panicking. 

Lillith reached out and felt around until she touched soft, curly hair. "You are no dwarf, show yourself to me at once." She whispered, but when she got no answer she backed up. "If you are here to rescue these dwarves than do so as you please. I will not stop you." She backed up and allowed the now visible Bilbo to unlock the door of the jail cells and let everyone out. 

With one last look at her best friend, Mara disappeared along with the rest of her Company down to the cellar where two elven guards were passed out drunk. Mara had to resist every urge in her body to creep to them and slit their throats that way they were sure not to be caught, but instead she watched as Bilbo pleaded his case to the dwarves getting into the barrels.

Bilbo looked at Thorin, "trust me, please" he begged, to which Thorin looked at the Company and whispered, "do as he says."

Everyone climbed into their own seperate barrels. There were not enough for Mara to have her own though or Bilbo, so she knew that they would have to share. Before she could think of who to share with, she was pulled into a barrel with Kili and held onto him tightly as it started rolling. "Oh shit..." she whispered right before they splashed into a large canal. 

"Where's Bilbo?" She asked looking around, she didn't see him and it was kind of starting to make her panic. 

Thorin was holding onto her and Kili's barrel and Dwalins barrel to keep from floating away wile Bilbo held onto Nori's barrel trying not to drown considering he couldn't swim. 

"Well done Master Baggins," Thorin said happily to which Bilbo just waved his hand. 

Everyone started paddling down the river. It wasn't long until Thorin shouted at them to hold on and everyone went falling down a waterfall into the river below. 

Mara was focused on not drowning so she didn't notice Legolas walk out of the city on the ground above them, demanding that the gate be shut until a loud noise sounded above them and they turned to see their only way out closing. 

When it closed fully everyone smashed into it. Thorin at the front and her and Kili kind of in the middle. They were about to be in trouble with the elf that shut the gate when he took an arrow to the back and fell into the river, dead. An orc popped its ugly head over the side of the bridge and growled at them. 

"You've got to be kidding me..." Mara whispered under her breath. As the elves fought the orcs off and the dwarves did the best they could to protect themselves and each other, Mara saw Kili look up at the lever and she knew the thought that went through his head. "Kili, no! You can't go up there, you'll get hurt or worse!" She shouted grabbing his arm to stop him the best she could.

Kili turned to look at her, pushing her arm off of his, "I have to do something Mara or we are all doomed." Before Mara could stop him he had jumped out of the barrel and made his way to land. Once he was on land he ran to the lever avoiding arrows and orc bodies alike. Reaching the lever, he was about to pull it when an arrow found its way into his thigh causing Fili to cry out for his brother. Arrow or not Kili grabbed that lever and pulled it down. Managing his way back to the side he fell down and into the barrel with Mara, the arrow breaking and leaving the head in his thigh. He went limp and Mara did her best to support him and keep themselves up right as they continued their way down the river pursued by elves and orcs.