Lady of Rivendell

Chapter 6

Aelin paced the treasure covered floor, slipping in the piles of coins. Elves could walk on snow and grass easily and sure-footedly, but apparently that ability didn't extend to gold.

She touched the bag by her side thoughtfully. The Arkenstone hadn't been found yet, and Thorin was sinking deeper and deeper into dragon sickness. Any day now, she knew, Thorin would accuse her of stealing the Arkenstone, and her life would be in danger.

It didn't help that he had infuriated both men and elves. Both the people of Dale and Thranduil's elves were gathered outside of the Lonely Mountain, preparing for siege. She wouldn't be able to leave once that happened. But she couldn't leave now either.

Bard would perhaps give her shelter, if she could prove she was trustworthy, but she didn't know or trust the villagers. And that nasty advisor of the former Master's would probably kill her anyways. Thranduil, however, would be furious that she had helped the dwarves escape, and probably would kill her on sight. If Legolas had come, and she could find him, he might be able to persuade Thranduil to trust her, but that was a long list of ifs.

What she really needed, what she didn't have, was collateral. Something that would prove to Bard or Thranduil she could be trusted. Aelin hated to betray Thorin, but this was for his own good. If he kept succumbing to the dragon sickness, the change might not be reversible. If only she could find the Arkenstone, she could leave and offer it to the opposing armies as a bargaining tool.

She needed to think. Thorin was on the other side of the great hall, yelling at Ori and Bombur to keep looking, so she slipped up the stairs quietly and out to the landing. To her surprise, Bilbo stood there already. He seemed to be looking at something in his hands, but he quickly tucked whatever it was into his pocket and whirled around. He seemed to relax when he saw her.

"Aelin, thank goodness. Just the person I wanted to see right now. Or, at least, not the person I didn't want to see."

She nodded. "Not Thorin. I'm sorry. I know you two are rather close. It must be even harder for you to see him like this."

"It is." He swallowed, looking like he wanted to say something, then said, "Would you betray Thorin if it meant we could end this? I mean, if we could get him to snap out of the dragon sickness and end this war before it started."

Aelin watched him carefully, her heart pounding. "Depends what you mean. I won't kill him or anything-"

"You think rather lowly of me. I would never. I-" he hesitated. "I trust you. I know you've been meaning to leave. I think I can help." He slowly pulled the object he'd been hiding out. She gasped. It was clearly the Arkenstone, gleaming in the sunlight.

"How have you hidden that so long? I thought you might have it."

"Thorin trusts me. Not so you, I know, but- well, I don't want a fight. And I think this is what's causing him to act so strangely. I've been keeping it in my blankets."

She nodded. "Well, what's your plan?"

***

At midnight, Aelin was woken by a hurried Bilbo. "Let's go. Ori's asleep. We've got 4 hours before Oin's watch.

"Just a moment." She had made her mind up in this matter. "Go to the wall and wait for me." She moved silently down the stairs a few yards. A small box sat there. She opened it to make sure it was the right one, then put it in her bag and returned.

Bilbo had thrown down a ladder. "Let's go. Fast, so the others don't wake before we return."

They walked quietly across the field at the mountain foot, Bilbo clutching the stone in his hands. A golden tent stood in the forefront of the elvish encampment, and Aelin could hear voices coming from it and see light from inside. "That'll be Thranduil's tent, Bilbo. I hear other voices, too. One must be Bard, and the other..." She stopped walking. "It sounds like Gandalf! He must have returned to try and reason with them!" They rushed towards the tent, and slipped through the flap together.