War. A stupid war for a few gems can suffer terrible results, and yet it's just beginning. Thorin told us to prepare. So we went down to the armory, put on our armor and chose our weapons. I took two daggers - one I hid at the front and the other at the back of the belt. For this sword and bow and arrows. I saw no point in starting a war for these gems, and the rest of our Company thought the same except for Thorin. At times he seemed to be himself, but these were only temporary moments. He gave our burglar Mithril, which was made of gray glow. No blade can pierce it. And to tell the truth it's perfect for our hobbit. Oakenshield pulled Bilbo aside and exchanged a few words with him, and I went to see brothers to see how they were doing.
"Need help? "I asked Kili with a smile, who was trying to fasten his armor. Both brothers laughed, and I joined them as well. "So help. " I added and approached brunet to help him.
"Did you talk to Thorin? " Fili asked.
"No. " I replied. "He doesn't listen to anyone anyway. "
"Maybe he would listen to you. " Kili supported his brother.
"I doubt it. " I said in a low voice.
"It's always worth a try. " Fili said and smiled at me.
Maybe he was right. Maybe it's actually worth trying again.
When we were all ready, we lined up one after the other, went between Oakenshield and Baggins, and went to war. Or so we thought at the time.
*BILBO*
I knew one thing... I couldn't allow this war to happen, I knew that it would have disastrous consequences, so I decided to negotiate peace. When it got dark, I went to the fodtress that we had built together. I took a rope and tied one end solidly to the rock, and threw the other down so that I could later go down the rope.
A moment later I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
"I guess you like to scare me, huh? " I asked Malia, who scared me again today.
"Very. " She replied with a smile. "Where do you sneak out? "
"Maybe you'll think it's a bad idea..." I began. "But I want to make peace with them. "
"The idea is half good and half bad. " She said shrugging her shoulders. "A better question rather: How do you want to do it? "
"Exactly..." I sighed. "I decided that... In return, I'll give them the Arkenstone. Then they'll be able to negotiate with Thorin and perhaps do without war.
"Do you believe that? " Dwarf asked.
"No, but it's worth a try. "
Malia laughed and then said.
"But be careful. "
"Sure. " I replied. "As always. " I sent her a grateful smile and then began to slowly go downstairs.
Malia is completely different. You can talk to her about anything. Even though she's close to Thorin, who is like a father to her, she didn't tell him anything. I knew that she wouldn't give me up and that I could count on her in any situation. I was very grateful to her for all this.
*MALIA*
Dawn has come. An army of elves and men was already standing at Erebor, and we waited on the mountain for Bard and Thranduil to come closer to the mountain. We waited with our weapons in our hands, and as soon as they approached, Thorin shot them with a bow. The arrow bounced off the ground, and he said:
"I'll pull the next one between your eyes! "
Company began to cheer, but when the whole army of elves pointed their bows at us, everyone fell silent and buried behind the rocks. It was only when Thranduil told them to hide their weapons that we came out of their hiding places.
"We've come to tell you... " Elven king spoke first. "Payment of your debts has been offered... And accepted. "
Company was surprised at these words, and Bilbo and I exchanged glances.
"What payment? "Thorin asked sternly, and he was still aiming at them from the bow. "I gave you nothing. You have nothing. "
Thranduil and Bard exchanged glances, after which archer took out the Arkenstone from his pocket and showed it to Thorin.
"We have this. " He said.
Thorin slowly left the bow. Everyone was surprised at the sight of the jewel in the hands of a man. Everyone except Baggins and me.
"They have the Arkenstone. " Kili said surprised. "Thieves!" He said sternly, which I looked at him. "How came you by the heirloom of our house? The stone belongs to the king! "
"And the king may have it. With our goodwill. " Bard replied to him, then threw the jewel up, grabbed it, and put it back in his pocket. "But first he must honor his word. "
Kili glanced at me.
"You know something. " He whispered to me.
"No." I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Thorin.
It was evident that he didn't believe a single word of theirs.
"They're taking us for fools. " Oakenshield said. "This is a ruse. A filthy lie. The Arkenstone is in this mountain! It's a trick! "
"It's no trick. The stone is real. "Bilbo interjected suddenly, and Thorin turned toward him. At that moment, I was afraid of Oakenshield's reaction to what hobbit would tell him. "I gave it to them. "
"You? " Thorin asked incredulously.
"I took it as my fourteenth share. " Burglar replied.
I glanced at Thorin and then back at Bilbo. Oakenshield was angry, and much more so than before.
"You would steal from me? " Dwarf asked dryly.
"Steal from you? No. No, I may be a burglar, but I like to think I'm a honest one. I'll let it stand against my claim. "
"Against your claim? " Thorin repeated ominously. "Your claim. "
"Thorin... " I put my hand on his shoulder, but he knocked it down and came closer to hobbit.
"You have no claim over me, you miserable rat!" He shouted, to which Baggins took a step back.
"I was going to give it to you..." Bilbo interrupted him. "Many times I wanted to, but... "
"But what, thief? " Dwarf asked.
"You're changed, Thorina." Baggins said. "The dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word. Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!" Hobbit pointed to us.
"Don't speak to me of loyalty." Oakenshield said, he had tears in his eyes. "Throw him from the rampart!" He shouted, to which Kili and I exchanged restless looks.
Thorin looked at each of us, but no one reacted.
"Did you not hear me?! " Dwarf shouted and jerked Fili, but blond boy broke away from him. " I'll do it myself! Curse you! " He shouted and grabbed hobbit, then dragged him to the wall and put him right on the edge. I wanted to pull him away from Baggins, but Thorin pushed me away, and I hit the rock with my back. Dwalin helped me get up, and then again we all tried to stop him, but it didn't help until Gandalf spoke from below. To be honest, I was happy to see him.
"If you don't like my burglar....?! " Wizard shouted. "Then, please, don't damage him. Return him to me. " Thorin was looking at Gandalf, and Bilbo was still on the edge. "You're not making a very splendid figure as King Under the Mountain, are you... Thorin, son of Thrain...?" After these words, Oakenshield let go of hobbit.
I helped him get up and Bofur and I escorted him aside and told him to run away.
After a few moments, hobbit was safe downstairs, fortunately.
"Are we resolved?! " Bard said. "The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised? " Thorin started looking around, but he didn't say anything yet. "Give us your answer! Will you have peace... Or war?"
After these words, a black raven flew to us. He sat down on one of the rocks and looked at Thorin. Balin walked up to the Oakenshield, put his hand on his shoulder and wanted to say something, but Thorin overtook him.
"I'll have war. " He said to which I just shook my head.
After a while, Kili poked me and told me to look to the left. When I looked there, I saw another army. Army of dwarves. Now I knew what the crow meant. The whole Company began to cheer at the sight of them.
If I knew it well, the army was headed by Dain, Ironfoot, who is the ruler of the Iron Hills and Thorin's cousin.
The elves who stood on the left, at the behest of their king, now turned toward the dwarves army and came closer to them. They were ready to fight at any moment.
There were as many dwarves as there were elves, except that they were slightly smaller than them. Ironfoot rode on the back of a large pig - I didn't know how else to call his "steed". "He was wearing armor and a helmet, and he was holding a large hammer in his hand.
"Good morning. How are we all? " He called, but no one answered him. "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!"
People slowly began to retreat, but after a while the Bard forbade them to do so.
"Come now, Lord Dain! " Gandalf called and went forward.
"Gandalf the Grey..." Dwarf said with a smile, to which wizard nodded to greet him. "Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with thier blood! "
"There's no need for war between dwarves, men and elves." Gandalf said firmly. "A legion of orcs march on the mountain. Stand down. "
"I'll not stand down before any elf. " Dain entered into his words. "Not least this faithless Woodland sprite. " Pointed to Thranduil, to which the elf only smiled mockingly. "He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin... I'll split his pretty head open! See if he's still smirking then."
At these words, I also began to cheer along with our Company.
"Let them advance. See how for they get. " Thranduil said indifferently.
"You think I give a dead dog for your threats you pointy-eared princess? " Ironfoot called. "You hear that, lads? We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!" He shouted to his army.
The armies of dwarves, men and elves began to prepare for the fight and wanted to start it already, when suddenly we heard a strange noise, then we looked at each other. After a while, not far from us, three huge worms jumped out of the ground. They made three huge holes, after which they returned to the underground.
There was a horn sound that I would know everywhere. It was Azog the Defiler. His armies came out of the holes that the worms had made. Ironfoot immediately reacted and sent his army to defend against the orc attack.
"I'm going over the wall! " Fili said. "Who's coming with me? " I agreed with him and the others wanted to go downstairs, but Thorin stopped us.
"Stand down. " Oakenshield said.
"Are we to do nothing?" I asked surprised.
"I said! " He shouted. "Stand down! " Added, went downstairs and headed for the interior of Erebor.
I stood there in amazement and looked at Thorin. I wasn't surprised that the elves didn't fight. No, wait a minute... The elves fought. They joined the dwarves and fought side by side against the orcs. The Pale Orc wanted to cut off their escape route, so Bard directed his men back to the city.
Azog was standing on a hill and leading his army, and we were sitting here in Erebor.
***
We were sitting in front of the door to the throne room. Dwalin was inside and tried to talk to Thorin, but as it turned out later, he couldn't reach him.
"Enough. " I said and stood up. "I'll talk to him. " I added and headed towards the entrance to the chamber, when suddenly I felt someone grab my hand and pull me closer to him. It was Kili.
"Lia, he's mad. If... "
" I know. " I interrupted him. "It's always worth a try, isn't it? " I smiled.
"But be careful. " He said to which I just nodded and kissed him on the cheek and then I entered the throne room.
Thorin sat on the throne and said something to himself, and when he saw me, he stood up and called:
"Malia! You have to help me. "
I came closer, but I didn't say anything but waited to see what he would say.
"We must move the gold. " He said and took my hand and then began to pull towards the gold. "We must move the gold further underground to safety! We must protect it! "
"No! " I shouted and pulled my hand back. "We'll not be moving gold. "
Thorin looked at me.
"Thorin..." I began. "We have to help them... They're dying out there! They fight for us and we sit here and do nothing! It can't be like that! "
"Nobody told them to fight. " He said indifferently.
"Don't you understand?! Dain is surrounded, there's a terrible slaughter. We have to do something, help them. " I said, but when I looked at him I knew that nothing reached him. "Thorin... " I softened my voice and came closer to him. "You're like a father to me... You've been replacing him for me all these years... You've always been kind to me. You cared about me and others. You've never let anyone get hurt... Nothing has ever been more important to you than family and friends... Don't let that change now. "
"Malia... " Dwarf brushed off a lock of my hair. "My dear, Malia... War demands sacrifices. Many die in war. Life is cheap. But a treasure such as this cannot be counted in lives lost. It's worth all the blood we can spend. "
"Even mine? " I asked with tears in my eyes. "Even Kili's?... Or Fili's?... Your nephews?! Your family?! " I shouted, and dwarf turned and moved towards the throne. I followed him and continued. "Fight it, Thorin! You need to shake off! You hear me?! " I grabbed him by the arm. "Father! " I shouted at which dwarf turned towards me and put a knife to my throat.
Frightened, I took a step back.
"Don't tell me what to do! " He growled. "The second time I'll not lose Erebor! "
"So fight for it..." I said hesitantly, looking at the knife, and at Thorin.
"You'll not command me. " I couldn't stand it any longer and knocked out his dagger.
"Stop it! " I shouted. "Do you really want to kill me? Fine! Go ahed, kill me! Come on! " I screamed through my tears. "Thorin, whom I knew, would never have raised his hand on me. "
"That Thorin is gone. " He said, then grabbed me by the throat and began to choke. I grabbed his hands and tried to loosen his grip, but it didn't work.
"T-thorin... " I snorted. "P-please... "
"No one will command me! " Dwarf shouted and strengthened his embrace, and I was running out of air more and more.
I struggled, but it was for nothing. Dwarf lifted me up, and there was nothing I could do to free myself.
"F-father... " I whispered and felt more tears.
"Let her go!! " I suddenly heard someone's voice. It seemed to me that it belonged to Kili. However, I wasn't sure, because I was slowly losing consciousness. "I said, let her go! " He shouted again and put his sword to Thorin's throat.
After a while, Oakenshield let me go. I fell to the ground and began to quickly catch air. Fili ran up to me and began to calm me down, while Kili was still aiming his sword at Thorin.
"Kili... " I hoarsed.
"You could've killed her!! " Kili shouted at Thorin.
"This is, my kingdom! This is my treasure! " Thorin shouted. "Leave, or you may regret it! " He shouted at Kili.
"Touch her again..." Kili growled to Oakenshield. "And you'll regret it." I grabbed his hand.
I've never seen him so angry. None of them.
Kili turned towards me and helped me get up with Fili, after which they both led me out of the room.
"Oh my..." Balin began. "Malia, what happened? "
Boys sat me down and Bofur gave me water.
"Thorin..." I began in a hoarse voice.
"He wanted to kill her! " Kili shouted.
The Thorin I knew was gone. Dwarf who was my second father was gone...
What now? What should we do now? Have we lost him forever?