Calm The Fire

35

"Sorry, Fíli, I would stay," Náriel said replying to Fíli's earlier question.

"If Lake-town is on such good terms with Mirkwood, won't aid be coming anyway?" Fíli asked while rubbing his chin in thought. Náriel and Tauriel exchanged a look. Not, openly no. They knew better than anyone that the elves of Mirkwood would stay as secluded and uninvolved as possible. They'd come though however if there was something in it for them, as shallow as that sounded. Fíli caught on and rolled his eyes. "When will you be back?"

"You're going to be back by the time we move, aren't you?" Bofur said while appearing suddenly by Fíli's side.

"Of course!" Náriel exclaimed with a smile. "I am merely going to seek aid on behalf of Bard, because he asked me to. As soon as I have I shall return, and when I do we shall all move out."

"He's not going to put you in a cell, is he?" Fíli asked while eyeing Tauriel quickly before looking back at Náriel.

"He won't," Tauriel answered his question, Fíli's eyes snapped back up to her. "I will not allow it. Not after the fight which you have all undertook, which she participated in." She looked down at Náriel who didn't seem wholly convinced. She did aid the dwarves to escape and then she did join them again, and she never returned back...it all seemed to calculate to being imprisoned in her mind. Yet, if Tauriel was going to vouch for her, then she had to put her faith in her. "I believe," Tauriel said thoughtfully. "He may be proud of you, Náriel."

She scrunched her nose up in retort, "I've got better luck getting blood from a stone than achieving in getting my uncle to feel proud of me."

"We must leave, if we are to make the light of the day last." Tauriel said getting the conversation back on track. Náriel nodded and in turn said farewell to each of her friends. They weren't pleased with her leaving. But they'd have to trust her that she would return when she said she would.

"Back to Mirkwood." Náriel looked up at her friend.

Tauriel gave a sigh as they started to walk down one of few sturdy boarding pathways. "Back to Mirkwood." She confirmed with a nod, frowning lightly she looked to Náriel. She admittedly was feeling apprehensive too. She had ran off, and then allowed Legolas to go off on his own as she stayed behind. Náriel was not aware of all of this however; for all she knew Legolas had returned back to Mirkwood, not gone off orc hunting.

—

Thranduil was not oblivious to the going ons in Lake-town. He in fact was quite well informed, he had his own messengers; from patrolling elven guards, to birds, he already knew all or at least most of what had happened. It was ill fated news, sure, but it was also the most obvious outcome which was going to happen. Even before he had set out travelling, the news had travelled over the Misty Mountains and had reached Beorn's ears. In his wooden house shadowed by thick trees, he had listened to the news of the death of Smaug. He was not alone; deep within the cavernous walls of their caves, the goblins heard the news too.

"I believe that will be the last we hear of Thorin Oakenshield." Thranduil had said simply and coolly. "He would have fared better staying amongst my halls as a guest." Though the word guest was hugely exaggerated. But then, at least if he did remain, though it slightly irked him to think about it, Náriel would have been able to see him, spend time with him was pushing it; but see him wasn't.

He did not know of the fate of his niece. A part of him darkened to think that Náriel may have perished in dragon fire. Thinking of dragon fire just made Thranduil's mind turn to the cause of such things. Smaug, and to where he was dwelling, Erebor. Thranduil's memory was a good one. He could remember the vast wealth which made up Thrór's horde. Pausing in his thoughts, he looked up when from somewhere in the ranks there were calls of people being spotted ahead of them.