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The wind was cold and crisp against her face as Alenia ran towards Dale. As she neared the exterior wall, she slowed, before slipping behind a chunk of rock to wait for a patrol to pass.
As the men's footsteps faded away, the half-elf poked her head up from behind the rubble, before edging around to the front of the rock. Looking towards the wall she would have to get over, she took a running leap at a broken pillar, before pushing off of it with her legs in the opposite direction to cling to the top edge of the wall.
Alenia pulled herself up over the stone, before she leaped off, and headed deeper into the camp. She avoided looking at any of the soldiers directly, but with her head bent and covered by her hood, and a cloak over her weapons, she looked like a young woman who was trying to get back to her family in the city. Using the personna, the half-elf neared the large tent in the center of the camp.
Alenia saw two familiar figures talking outside of the entrance, and heard the one in gray ask, "Do you agree with this? Is gold so important to you? Would you buy it with the blood of dwarves?!"
She knew that figure, just like she knew that one that spoke next, "It will not come to that. This is a fight they cannot win."
She jogged up to them as she called, "That won't stop them." She pulled her hood off of her head, as she stopped beside the two men. "You think the dwarves will surrender - They won't. They will fight to the death to defend their own."
"Alenia Damenor." Gandlaf exclaimed, smiling.
"Gandalf." she said, giving him a hug, before turning to the other man standing there. "Bard."
"Good to see you again, Alenia." Bard said.
"Where is he?" she asked.
Gandalf gestured to behind him, inside the tent.
The three ducked inside, causing Thranduil to look up from where he sat, his eyes widening when he saw his granddaughter standing there.
"What are you doing here?" the Elven King asked.
"I came... to give you this." Alenia answered cooly, reaching into the folds of her clock to pull out a small bundle. She laid it on the table before him and unwrapped it to reveal the glowing white Arkenstone.
"The heart of the mountain! The King's Jewel." Thranduil breathed, rising to come around the table for a better look.
"And worth a king's ransom. How is this yours to give?" Bard asked, as he and Gandalf came forward to stare at it in awe.
"A certain hobbit and I took it as our two fifteenths share of the treasure." she said, looking to Gandalf. The wizard smiled slightly. "Bilbo sends his regards."
"If I'm not mistaken, that is the halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards." Thranduil noted, still staring at the stone.
"Er- yes." the half-elf replied, before continuing. "Anyway, we needed to have someone Thorin can trust, as he doesn't quite like me right now."
"Is he the one that hit you?" Thranduil asked, turning to look at his granddaughter, his eyes turning dangerous as he took in the bruise on her face.
"Yes." she said quietly.
"I'll kill him." Bard growled, causing Alenia to lay a hand on the man's arm as she said, "I'm alright, and he is not himself right now."
"And the poison?" The Elven King asked, staring intently at the half-elf. "Are you completely healed?"
Alenia nodded hesitantly, eyeing her grandfather strangely, and Thranduil's eyes seemed to soften as he murmured, almost to himself, "Good."
"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty." Bard asked.
"I'm not doing it for you." Alenia said. "I know that dwarves can be obstinate and pigheaded and difficult, suspicious and secretive...with the worst manners you can possibly imagine."
Gandalf snorted at that, and Alenia shot him a look before continuing, "But they also brave and kind...and loyal to a fault. I've grown very fond of them, and I would save them if I can."
Alenia paused, turning to look at her grandfather.
"I know you and Thorin have your differences, and I get that." She turned to look at Bard.
"And I know that you are angry with him for refusing to aid you, which I understand as well. Just know that the Thorin that gave you his word is not the same one that spoke to you today at the gate. The real Thorin is still in there. That's why I'm here."
Alenia gestured to the jewel sitting on the table.
"I'm trying to bring the real Thorin back. In his state, he values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, I believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war! Then hopefully Bilbo and I can talk some sense into him."
Bard nodded slowly, glancing at Thranduil.
"We'll be there tomorrow to stop a war." Bard said.
"Good." Alenia replied, before stepping out of the tent, Gandalf following after her.
"We can find you a bed, some food for tonight." the wizard said, as the two walked through the dark streets of Dale.
"I have to go back. The others won't know where I have gone and I need to talk to the boys- Fili and Kili, I mean." the half-elf said.
"You can't go back there!" Gandalf protested. "Thorin will kill you-"
"I'm not afraid of Thorin." Alenia cut in.
"But you should be! Don't underestimate the evil of gold. Gold over which a serpent has long brooded. Dragon-sickness seeps into the hearts of all who come near that mountain." the wizard said, before turning to look at the female beside him with an appraising smile on his face. "Almost all."
The duo neared the edge of the decimated town, before Gandalf spoke again, "How is our young hobbit?"
"He's fine," Alenia said, smiling softly. "But he might not be if I don't get back tonight."
"Be careful." Gandalf warned.
"I don't know what you're talking about; careful is my middle name." Alenia called over her shoulder as she started to jog back towards the mountain.
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a/n:
i lowkey forgot that i hadn't posted a chapter of this yesterday. oops.
idk if i'll have extra chapters posted this week, but i'll see what i can do :))
