"-The Arkenstone is in this Mountain! It is a trick!" Veryan heard the Dwarven king shout down at Thranduil and Bard as he rode through Elven guards, all of them moving so he could cross. The people up front turned to look at him just as he stopped next to them, right in the middle of Bard and Thranduil, Mirani having sat on her own midnight black mare right besides Thranduil.
Bard and Mirani threw a question his way, but he didn't listen as he watched the interaction between Bilbo and Thorin, prepared to help Bilbo if he so needed.
His breath hitched as Thorin shouted for Bilbo to be throw over the romper. Everyone else too were in shock by the king's words. When no one turned to move, Thorin took it upon himself to push Bilbo into the side of their defense, so far that the Hobbit's head was hanging over the edge.
Veryan's eyes turned to glow a bright purple, but he didn't move. Not yet. A rumbling voice cut through Thorin's angry shouts "If you don't like my burglar, then please, don't damage him. Return him to me. You're not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain are you, Thorin son of Thrain?"
The Wizard's words made Thorin seize his movement, his hold on Bilbo lessening. Veryan himself calmed down, his eyes returning to their normal black and navy blue color's as Bilbo was ushered down the side of the castle by the other Dwarves.
"Never again will I have dealings with Wizards! Or Shire rats!" He shouted in anger, his voice dripping venom that was once not there before.
Gandalf and Veryan glanced at each other in hidden concern, as Bard turned to speak "Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised?"
Thorin turned away from the defense, starting to pace back and forth "Why should I buy back that which is rightfully mine?"
Veryan sighed, looking down to shake his head. Thranduil turned to Bard "Keep the stone, sell it. Ecthelion of Gondor will give you a good price for it"
Veryan looked up shocked at the Lord, but Thranduil just looked at him as if he said nothing wrong. "I'll kill you!" Thorin once again shouted in anger, having heard the whole conversation. "By my oath I will kill you all!"
"Your oath means nothing" Thranduil replied, anger starting to boil on the service. Mirani looked between Thranduil and Thorin, finding it extremely worrying that the Dwarven King kept looking over the horizon, as if expecting something, or someone.
"I've heard enough" Thranduil sighed exasperated, motioning for his guards to be at the ready.
"Thorin, lay down your arms. Open these doors. This treasure will be your death" Gandalf tried once again to talk some sense into the young Dwarven King.
Silence came upon everyone as Thorin didn't speak a word. "Give us your answer. Will you have peace, or war?" Bard asked one last time.
It was silent as a lone raven flew right up to Thorin, landing on the defense they have built. That moment, seemed to solidify Thorin's answer. "I will have war"
Veryan once again shook his head, disappointed that none of them could get through to Thorin. It was then that he heard loud clattering in the distance. Turning his head, he saw a legion of Dwarves coming from the mountain beside's them. Ironfoot.
Veryan quickly turned his stallion and trudged to Bilbo as Thranduil turned around, riding his Elk through his guard's Mirani following him as the Lord barked out order's for the guards to take aim at the approaching Dwarves.
Veryan quickly hoisted Bilbo up onto his horse, and rode back to stand neck to Gandalf as Dain, the leader of the legion, raised up his weapon "Hey, Thorin! Ironfoot has come!"
"Who is that? He doesn't look very happy" Bilbo questioned the two whilst holding onto Veryan as they began to move with the Elven guards.
"It is Dain, Lord of the Iron Hills. Thorin's cousin" Gandalf answered for him, keeping his gaze fixated on the red haired Dwarf in front of them.
"Are they alike?" Bilbo asked again as he too turned to look at Dain.
"I've always found Thorin the more reasonable of the two" Gandalf once again answered, his tone sounding troubled.
Veryan and Bilbo glanced at each other in frustrated disbelieve, before they stopped just as the Elven guards did. Dain rode up to the guards on his boar, wielding his trusty weapon, Barazanthual.
"How are we all?" He finally spoke when he was close enough "I have a wee proposition if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would you consider...just sodding off!? All of you! Right now!"
Veryan hissed, and quickly jumped off of his stallion, Bilbo following suite. Veryan quickly pulled out his double-sided blade, ready to fight if needed.
"Come now, Lord Dain" Gandalf spoke, walking further away from the group. Veryan couldn't help but inch closer to his mentor, very concerned for the older's well being.
"Gandalf the Grey-" he poked his head to the side to look at Veryan "-And Veryan the Wanderer" Gandalf and Veryan bowed in respect, not wanting to anger the latter further. "Tell this rabble to leave, or i'll water the ground with their blood!"
Gandalf walked even closer "There's no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves. A legion of Orcs march on the Mountain. Stand down"
Dain straightened up "I will not stand down before any Elf. Not least this faithless Woodland sprite" he pointed at Thranduil, who was starting to look as if he was loosing his composer. "He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin, I'll split his and his little lady's pretty head's open!"
Mirani glared at the Dwarf in front of her, when Thranduil only smirked "See if he's still smirking then" was Dain's final comment as he turned his boar around, running back to his legion.
Veryan puffed and gestured twords the Dwarves in front of them "And this, is what causes wars. Take notes Bilbo" The Heterochromia male pointed, and Bilbo was sure to give the other a nod, before scribbling on his hand as if to note what he just said.
That made Veryan chuckle, and forget the unfortunate demise of Elves and Dwarves alike, if only just for a split second.
"Let them advance. See how far they get" Thranduil told Gandalf, looking after the Dwarf in spite. "You thing i give a dead-dog for your threats, you pointy-eared princess? You hear that lads? We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!" Dain shouted back, liking the fact that he riled up the Elven Lord.
Veryan gripped his weapon harder as he sighed "Honestly, i feel like we're in a very deadly playground" he mumbled to himself, but Bilbo heard, and he knew the Human was right.
Mirani barked out order's to her fellow guards as Thranduil rode past Bard "Stand down your men. I'll deal with Ironfoot and his rabble." Bard did as he was told, ushering his men to stay behind as the Elven guards moved forward.
"Thranduil! This is madness!" Gandalf shouted over the goats that Dain sent his way, and over barked orders from Mirani and Thranduil alike. No one seemed to listen however, as the first wave of arrow's were shot. They were however stopped mid way by Dain's own weapon's, spinning ballista shot's. Veryan gasped as the arrow's were torn to pieces, and the ballista came falling their way. His eye's glowed a bright purple as his hand shot up in front of him, putting a force shield around himself and Bilbo before the ballista landed, sending Elven guard's falling to the ground.
Thranduil ordered another round of arrow's, but these were destroyed just as soon as the previous, sending the ballista's once again at the Elven guards.
Veryan said nothing as he lowered his force shield, taking Bilbo by the hand and lightly flying him to Gandalf, before taking off twords Thorin and the Company. The cheering seized as they saw Veryan approach. He stopped just feet away from Thorin, his magic flowing around him.
Thorin's smile quickly dropped as he looked up at Veryan with venom laced eyes, those eyes having shown him kindness merely months ago.
"Thorin, you have to listen to me! This won't accomplish anything! Blood of innocent people is being wasted, and for what!? Once gold didn't mean anything to you! And now look at you! You have turned into a monster just as ugly as Azog!"
Thorin's eyes flooded with red as he raised up his own bow, pointing it straight at Veryan's head. "I don't listen to the likes of you! You lying traitor! An orphan no one wanted, so the lone Wizard took him in!"
Kili gasped, about to interject, when Fili grabbed his shoulder, shaking his head for the other not to. It will only make it worse.
Tears threatened to slip from Veryan's eyes, but he held them back. He leaned closer to Thorin, trying to look as genuine as possible "Thorin, you wouldn't shoot me right? We were once friend's, and I just-"
That seemed to snap something in Thorin, and he let go of the string holding the arrow, making it fly right at Veryan. Every Dwarf gasped as they watched the scene. The arrow stopped mere centimetres from Veryan's head, being held back by the male's magic.
Betrayal and hurt crossed over Veryan's eyes, which were soon clouded with anger. With his magic, he abruptly turned the arrow around and shot, sending it right past Thorin's cheek, making the king stand frozen in his spot.
If look's could kill, then surely Thorin would already be dead. Veryan has never looked at someone with as much hatred as he looked at Thorin. He knew all about Dragon-sickness, and he knew he shouldn't be mad, but when an arrow is shot at you with almost no hesitation, from a friend's hands, it goes beyond a sickness. "Fine. If Thorin Oakenshield won't listen, then he shall watch his kin die at the hands of child's play" he spoke, venom lacing every word. He said nothing more as he bolted right next to Bilbo, using yet another force field to send Dwarven men flying away from the younger.
Everyone was full of hurt, and surprise of what Thorin said. Veryan and Bilbo were their friends, their companions, and they lost both in a spam of a day. Now they really weren't sure if they should follow Thorin's lead at all.
A loud roar in the distance made everyone stop what they were doing, and look on in horror at the creatures, which rose from the ground.
"Were-worms"