Finding Home

Chapter seven

"It means that I scout the area not far from the army, and I make sure we're safe once we get to our destination." She says, and then I understand. Thranduil is already here.

"Are you going to report that I'm here then?"

"No- Yes. I don't know. It's my duty to, but I can buy you some time. I don't have to report back for a while, I'll stay out as long as I can, but I will eventually go back and tell the king. Get your friend and get away as far as you can."

"Okay, but why are you helping me in the first place? I almost got you fired." I ask

"You didn't almost get me fired, it was my job to watch you, and I failed. That's on me, not you. If you came here the way you say you do, I'm sure this place is quite strange to you, and it's nice to have friends in places that are foreign. Now, go, Nostariel. lye will omenta a'" (We will meet again.) She says, and I rush back to the place I was sleeping. A lot of the beds are empty, telling me that people have already woken up. I try to find Sav, but to no avail. She must have already woken up. 

I Rush back out, searching for her. I eventually find Bard and ask him if he's seen her.

"No, I was just going to go check on Alfrid. He was supposed to be keeping a lookout, maybe he's seen her."

"Alfrid was keeping a lookout? Where?" I ask

"The west side of the city. Why?" He responds, and I check to see where the sun is rising. The west side is where I met Lithôniel.

"He didn't report to you at all last night?"

"No, Why?"

"Because there's an army of Elves at out doorstep."

"Thranduil I'm guessing?"

"Yeah. About him. You know how those barrels were from Mirkwood? Well, we escaped from the dungeon with some help of our hobbit friend."

"And?"

"He may want to take us back, and throw us back," I explain

"I won't let him do that. I owe you for saving my children, consider this my way of giving back. He says, smiling

"Thank you, Bard, you're a good person," I say, and we set off to Alfrid's tower. When we get to him, he's asleep. Bard goes to speak, but I shush him. I pick up a handful of snow and carefully lift the back of his shirt, and drop it into it. He wakes up pretty quickly, cussing at me.

"You'd best keep it down, or else the elves will get you," I say, crossing my arms and holding back laughter

"Elves?" He says, and I nod behind him, where you can see rows and rows of elves in golden armour. We make our way back down, but not before Bard scolds Alfrid for falling asleep. On our way down we bump into Sav, who looks worried.

"Trash, we need to go Th-" She starts, but I cut her off

"Thranduil. I know, Bard says he won't let him imprison us again, as thanks for saving his children." I say, and she takes a deep breath.

"Okay. Good. But, he's the king, what if he uses force?"

"Then we will push back," I say, and she nods uncertainly.

"Alright. Let's go." She says, and Bard leads us to where the king is on a moose, or an elk, something that's related to those. It's not quite a moose, it doesn't have a patch of fur on its chin like a moose, and the fur is more like an elk. But the antlers are a cross between them. It's also the biggest creature I've ever seen, next to Smaug.

"My lord Thranduil, we did not look to see you here." bard says, bowing.

"I heard you needed aid." He says, as a cart pulled by horses comes into view, filled with food and supplies.

"You have saved us! I do not know how to thank you." Bard exclaims, and Thranduil glances and Sav and I.

"Your gratitude is misplaced. I did not come on your behalf." He says, taking his eyes off of us. Oh no. what if he came to get his prisoners back? Not just Sav and I, but the dwarves? "I came to reclaim something of mine." He finishers, and my heart races. Oh no. He is talking about his prisoners.

"Many years ago, something that was rightfully mine was taken from me by the dwarves." He says. So, maybe he isn't talking about us? "The white gems of Lasgalen. An heirloom of my people." Thank god. It's not us.

"So you bring an army?" Sav speaks, and he glares at her. He does that quite a bit I've noticed.

"The dwarves are stubborn beings. I will use force when needed, and it appears that it is needed here. I will get what is mine." He says, and moves through the army, elves moving strictly out of the way and back into their place to let him through.

"Wait! You would go to war over some rocks? Really?" I shout at him, and he turns around.

"The heirlooms of my people are not lightly forsaken, Nostariel." He says, addressing me directly. So, he does recognise me. Sav snickers at what he calls me.

"Lord Thranduil, we are allies in this, whether you like it or not. The people of Laketown also own riches in that mountain, let us talk to Thorin, he may come around to his senses." I say

"You would try to reason with a dwarf?" He responds, sounding surprised.

"Seriously? You want to go to war! If you are as old as I'm told you are, you should know the penalties of war! Nobody needs to die! You're willing to risk the lives of hundreds of your people, who have families to go home to, who have spouses and children, so that you can get some rocks? Are you mad?" I shout at him angrily, breathing heavily from fury

"I do not have to answer to a spy. Your little prisoner friend told me everything after I re-captured him. He told me of all the conversations you and the other Elleth had. How you spoke of telling the enemy my secrets." He says coldly

"What? That old man? Listen bud, we don't work for any enemy, we don't work for anybody but ourselves." Sav butts in "He was feeding you lies. Sorry to say, but he still wanted to kill you after all this time." She finishes, and Thranduil turns once again to go to the mountain.

"You have twenty-four hours." He says, and continues on his way.