painless wounds ;; the hobbit

the arkenstone ;;

"This is hideous." Cyrille said, brushing her fingers along the metal armour she was wearing. "It's dusty and fragile."

"Well, it's all we have, lass." Bofur said apologetically.

Cyrille glared to where Bilbo was standing with Thorin, holding up a shirt of gems. "Oh, really. Mithril for the Hobbit. How fitting."

"Aye, lass. Our burglar must protect himself."

Bilbo was putting on the shirt of Mithril, his dagger (more like a letter opener) sat beside him. Thorin was pacing the armoury slowly. All the other dwarves were either sitting glumly or dusting their decade old weapons.

Cyrille would go along with the plan, at first. She would march out with them to battle, and try to talk sense into the two stubborn kings. She had repeated to Thorin many time before, they will not win this war. She had also informed (through Legolas) Thranduil about all the going-ons in Dol Gudur, but he had dismissed them as nothing but another foolish attack. Hopefully, they both realised in time what's really going on, and that its not only about the mountain. The darkness is coming, the enemy rising.

At dawn, it will be chaos.

___

Cyrille strolled through the dark, empty castle. It was quiet, and she liked it. Peaceful. She tried not to think about all the blood and death that was sure to come. Maybe even one of them would die.

What would Cyrille feel like if Legolas died? If Tauriel, Bilbo or Thranduil suddenly got ripped from her life permanently? What if she died? She wouldn't feel anything, she wouldn't exist. Imagine that. Not existing at all. It was frightening, but then again, she didn't exist for thousands of years before and she didn't seem to mind. Maybe she would make peace with it...

Cyrille heard a scuffling sound, and some footsteps. Like someone was walking hurriedly. What could be so urgent at this time?

"Hello?" She said, walking quickly towards the source of the sound.

"Yes?" Came a high pitched squeak. She turned a corner and saw Bilbo, awkwardly holding onto the side of the castle, a rope in his hands. He obviously meant to escape. To Dale.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Cyrille was already analysing the situation, looking for all possibilities.

"What are you doing here?" Bilbo asked and surprisingly, didn't stutter.

"I was taking a walk. You know I do that often." Cyrille suddenly got it. Her eyes lit up. Bilbo must have noticed, despite the dark, because he started to sweat. "Why haven't you been able to find the Arkenstone?" She was now grinning, and pacing, Bilbo still holding onto his rope.

"Because it wasn't in the masses of gold. It was in the castle, yes. But you had it." She pointed at Bilbo.

"W-what?"

"That's what you're going to do, right? You're going to offer the Arkenstone to Thranduil so he can use it as leverage against Thorin. Oh, you're smart. Then Thorin will have no choice but to give them their gems because the King's Jewel is so precious to him." She stared at Bilbo, her eyes boring holes into his own.

"I-I- I- yes, that was what I was going to do." Bilbo finally said. "At least, that was what I was trying to do. Are you going to stop me?"

"No. I'm coming with you."

___

"Since when has my council counted for so little? What do you think I'm trying to do?" Gandalf said, in the tent.

"I think you're trying to save your dwarvish friends, and I admire your loyalty to them, but it does not dissuade me from my course." Thranduil said. "You started this, Mithrandir, you will forgive me if I finish it." The Elvenking walked outside the tent. "Are the archers in position?" He asked.

"Yes my lord." A guard replied, walking up to him.

"Give the order. If anything moves on that mountain, kill it."

The guard nodded.

"The dwarves are out of time."

___

Cyrille and Bilbo climbed out of the castle, headed to Dale. Hopefully Bard and Thranduil would be in the same room.

They crossed the bridge over the moat, and snuck into Dale. There were elven guards everywhere. They saw a tent, which was slightly bigger than the others, and was illuminated by a lamp. It revealed two figures. Cyrille took a breath that must be it.

She saw an elderly man...

No, that was Gandalf! Gandalf the Grey, who had saved her from the goblins in The Misty Mountains. Her heart dropped to her stomach. If the Mithrandir was here, then it must really important.

"You!" The wizard said, going out of the tent, following Bard, who was standing outside. "Did you agree to this?" Then he muttered some other words which Cyrille didn't get, but he seemed in distress.

"It will not come to that." Was Bard's answer. "This is a fight they cannot win."

Bilbo suddenly left Cyrille's side. "That won't stop them." He said, walking up to the pair. "You think the dwarves will surrender? They won't. They will fight to the death to defend their home."

Gandalf approached him, smiling warmly. "Bilbo Baggins." He looked up. "And your friend Cyrille, too! It's been such a long time."

"Well, just a few hundred years." The elleth joked.

Boy, she was exhausted.

___

They went inside the tent, where Thranduil was pacing around. He caught sight of them and stopped. Cyrille noticed he averted his gaze when she looked at him. She knew why.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the halfling who stole the keys to my dungeon under the noses of my guards." The King said, sitting on his makeshift throne.

Bilbo paused for a moment. "Yesh." He said, looking at the ground, eyes darting nervously around. "Sorry about that."

Cyrille stepped forward, taking the bundle of cloth that covered the Arkenstone from Bilbo. "We came," she said, placing the bundle on the table and unwrapping the cloth. "To give you this."

The Arkenstone shined brightly, its core dancing with a thousand colours. Cyrille stepped back, sweating.

Thranduil stood up, eyes fixed on the Jewel. Gandalf too, admired it.

"The King's Jewel." Bard said. "And worth a King's ransom." He looked at Cyrille and Bilbo, who stood side by side. "How is this yours to give?"

"I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure." Bilbo said.

"Why would you do this? You always know loyalty."

"We're not doing this for you." Cyrille said, shaking her head. "I know that dwarves can be obstinate, and pigheaded, and difficult. As well as suspicious, and secretive, with the worst manners you can imagine. After all, I am one myself. But they are also brave, kind, and loyal."

"I've grown very fond of them." Bilbo said, stepping in. "And I will save them if I can." He pointed to the Jewel. "Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for its return, I be believe he will give you what you are owed. There will be no need for war."

Thranduil and Bard looked at each other.