I kept running I couldnt stand orcs. I couldnt stand anything anymore. I wish I would have just stayed in Rivendell where I belonged. Coming to Mirkwood changed me and it was for the better and the worst. I didn't know much about what was happening but I was going to find a way to stop it.
*Legolas POV*
I saw Amara's face fall when the orc whispered something to her. She became enraged and wanted to kill him right away.
I wanted to kill him for hurting her like that. Just a few words and she freaked out.
I saw Tauriel grab Amara and lead her out of the room.
I wanted to run after her and help her calm down, but I knew my father needed my help in here.
When Tauriel came back we continued to ask questions.
"What is Thorin Oakenshield to you?" I asked the orc.
"The dwarf runt will never be king!" He said.
I looked at him funny. There was no way they would try and take back the mountain why the dragon still lived, would they?
"King? There is no King under the mountain nor will there even be. None would dare enter Erebor whilst the dragon lives." I said.
"You know nothing. Your world will burn." He said.
I watched my father pace around. He looked lost in thought. I wondered if he was even listening to anything that was being said.
"What are you talking about? Speak!" I said, growing more and more frustrated. I just wanted to find Amara and make sure that she was okay.
"Our time has come again. My master serves the One." He said slowly.
I saw my father stop pacing.
"Do you understand now, Elfling? Death is upon you." He said.
The more the orc talked the more my father tensed and finally he took out his sword and cut the orcs head off.
I held his head for a brief moment before throwing it down next to his body.
"Why did you do that? You said you were going to set him free." I said. Even though the only reason I wanted him free was so I could hunt him down and kill him myself.
"I did. I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."
He circled around the body.
"There was more the orc could have told us." I said.
"There was nothing more he could tell me." My father said, before cleaning off his sword and putting it away.
"What did he mean by 'death is upon us'?" I asked.
"It means they intend to unleash a weapon so great it will destroy all before it. I want the watch doubled at our borders. All roads, all rivers. Nothing moves, but I hear of it. No one enters this kingdom and no one leaves it." He said before walking away looking frustrated.
I walked around the kingdom telling the guards the orders and trying to find Amara at the same time.
"Close the gates. Keep it sealed by order of the King." I said walking to the main gate.
As soon as I said that I turned around and walked back, still trying to find Amara.
"What about Lady Amara?" Elros asked.
"What about her?" I said stopping in my tracks at the mention of her name.
"She went into the forest armed with her bow and blade. She has not returned." Elros told me.
He pointed the way she had gone and I looked out wondering what I was going to do.
"I shall be back with her." I told Elros.
He nodded.
"No body else enters the kingdom, but Amara and I." I told him.
He nodded and I went out into the woods to find her.
*Tauriel's POV*
I saw Legolas talking to Elros and listened in.
Amara's gone?
Of course she left. She wanted to help the dwarves. There wasnt much hope though. Not thirteen of the brightest dwarves I had seen and there was a dragon still living in that mountain.
I walked to Thranduil's chambers to tell him what had happened before anyone else could.
"King Thranduil?" I knocked on the door.
It opened and I quickly walked in.
"Lady Amara has gone out into the woods, and Prince Legolas has gone to find her." I told him in a rush.
"She what?!" He yelled.
"He has gone to find her. I was just going to in form you, in case you were wondering where Legolas was."
He nodded.
"He'll find her. I know he will." He said before sitting down and taking out a book from the shelf.
I sighed and walked out and grabbed my weapons before jumping over the wall quickly and going after Legolas.
*Amara's POV*
I had been running and following the river. I wondered how far they could have gotten with Kili's leg wounded and how were they going to cross the river?
It was starting to get dark and it was getting a little bit colder than it was before. I continued to go after them though. I wasnt going to stop.
I kept running and finally, I heard them. They were on a bunch of rocks sitting and looking helpless.
"Wait!" I yelled.
I saw all of them look at me and I quickly jumped onto the other side of the river.
"What are you doing here?" Thorin asked.
"There is an orc pack on your trail. I thought you guys would have been long gone by now, why have you stopped?" I asked.
"We slept on the rocks for the night and woke." Balin said.
"You guys were out here all night?! The orc pack could have found you and killed you!" I said to them.
"We're alright Lady Amara, the orc pack got a bit delayed we saw you had taken one of theirs and took him in for questioning. Some of the orcs wanted to go back for him to see if they could get him before he said anything, but they couldnt and so they came after us, but we journeyed a good day ahead of them." Balin said.
I sighed in relief.
"Well I'm here to help." I told them.
"Thank you Lady Amara, but this isn't a job for a she-elf or any women at that." Bofur said.
I chuckled.
"You guys didn't see me fight yesterday?" I said.
"She's got a point." Thorin said.
They all laughed at his response.
We suddenly heard Kili shout in pain. I almost forgot about him being shot with the arrow.
"Kili?" I ran over to him.
He looked at me and I saw Bofur standing behind me.
"I'm fine its nothing." He said shrugging it off, but I knew it hurt him.
"On your feet. We need to move." Thorin said, not hearing Kili was hurt.
"Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili said while holding his brother up.
"There is an orc pack on our trail. We keep moving." Thorin said.
"To where?" Balin said.
The other joined in and I took this time to rip apart some of my shirt sleeve and use it to bind Kili's wound.
I was very distracted with helping Kili, I didn't hear something approach us until it was too late.
I saw a man with a large bow and arrow. The other dwarfs saw it too and he looked like he was going to shoot Ori.
Dwalin jumped down in front of him to protect him and he had a large branch in his hands.
The man had shot an arrow and it hit the middle of the stick and Dwalin froze. Kili hurried and picked up a rock and pushed me down so that he could see over me and throw the rock, but before it left his fingers the man shot another arrow and it hit its mark.
"Do it again and you're dead." He said.
I gulped and sat up.
"Excuse me but you're from Lake-town if I'm not mistaken. That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire by any chance would it?" Balin asked.
He ignored the dwarves and put his bow away realizing they were harmless. He started to grab the barrels and put them into the barge.
"What makes you think I would help you?" He asked.
"Those boots have seen better days. As has that coat. No doubt that you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" Balin asked.
"A boy and two girls." He said.
"And your wife I imagine she's a beauty." Balin said.
But by the way he stood up I knew he had lost her. She was gone. Dead. He now looks after his son and two daughters.
"Aye. She was." He said.
"I'm so sorry." I said speaking up.
"As am I." Balin said.
We heard Dwalin start to grumble and I couldnt help but shoot him a look.
"What's your hurry?" Bard asked.
I didn't know if they were going to tell him about trying to take back Erebor so I didn't say anything.
"What's it to you?" Dwalin asked.
"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." Bard said.
"We are simple merchants from the Blue mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills." Balin said.
He was really good at talking.
"Simple Merchants?" He said more like a question and finished putting the last barrel in the barge.
"We need food and weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin asked getting impatient.
I dont think they wanted Bard to know that they had an orc pack coming after them.
He looked up at them.
"I know where these barrels came from. I dont know what business you had with the Elves, but I dont think it ended well." He said with a small smile on his face.
He walked towards me, Kili and Fili.
"No one enters Lake-town but by leave of the master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He would see you in irons before risking the wraith of King Thranduil." Bard said and started grabbing the rope.
"Bard, I am Lady Amara of the Woodland Realm. I am to marry his son soon. Yes, it did not end well with the dwarves and King Thranduil, but I am here to make sure they leave to see their kin in the Iron Hills and not come this way again." I told him.
"Why wouldn't he send a guard instead?" Bard questioned.
"I left before he could." I told him.
"We will pay double for you to smuggle us in Lake-town. And plus Lady Amara can speak with who ever to make sure we get into Lake-town." Balin said.
I nodded in agreement.
"I can." I told him.
We all got in the barge and sat and Bard began to push the barge off the dock and we were out in open water.
I sat on a bench by Bard and watched the dwarves take out there coins and start counting how much they had so they could pay him.
"Thank you." I said to Bard.
"For what?" He asked.
"For taking us across the lake. Even though they dont show it, they are very grateful." I said.
They continued to argue over how much everyone chipped in and I couldnt help but smirk at them.
"Hi." Kili said with a grin and sat down near me glancing at Bard a few times.
"How is your leg doing?" I asked him.
"Its fine." He said a little to quickly.
"Kili, you dont have to lie. Its okay, you can tell me." I said.
"Its fine, I'm okay." He said.
I heard the dwarves telling Gloin to help them with more coins and Gloin being stubborn and not giving them anything.
When the mountain came into view the dwarves were fascinated with it. It was beautiful, but not something I could ever see from inside.
Bard quickly jumped down and ordered the dwarves to give him the money.
Thorin argued with him for a minute, before finally giving in and giving it to him.
"Quickly into the barrels." Bard said.
The dwarves began to get into the barrels.
"You dont have to." Bard said looking at me.
"I'll just say you wanted to make sure they got here." He said and I nodded to his plan.
He got off the barge and started talking to another man and finally they shook hands and he came back over to us.
They brought over a ton of fish and began to dump it into the barrels. I held back a laugh as I heard the dwarves groan and moan.
"Quiet! Were approaching the toll gates." Bard said while kicking the nearest barrel.
I looked at Lake-town and got a good look at it. It was old and looking a bit run down.
"Halt! Goods inspection! Papers please! Oh, its you Bard." The man said and I sat down out of sight. I was an elf and didn't want to get to much attention unless I needed to speak with someone about why the barrels were here.
"Morning, Percy." Bard said.
"Anything to declare?" Percy asked.
"Nothing, but that I'm cold and tired and ready for home." Bard said and handed him a piece of paper.
"You and me both." Percy said agreeing with him and went and stamped the paper.
"There we are. All in order." Percy said after stamping it.
As he was walking to give it back to Bard a ugly little man came and took it from him.
"Not so fast." He said.
"Consignment of empty barrels of the Woodland Realm. Only there not empty." He said again.
I sighed. Bard looked back at me and gave me a reassuring nod saying he could handle it.
I looked down into my lap.
"If I recall correctly your a bargemen, not a fisherman." He man said while throwing a fish down.
"That's none of your business." Bard said to him.
"Wrong. It's the Master's business which makes it my business." He said.
"Oh come on Alfrid have a heart. People need to eat." Bard said trying to convince him.
I knew he wasnt going to give in so I got up.
"Alfrid, I am Lady Amara of the Woodland Realm. I am the soon to be wife of Prince Legolas. We caught these fish in order to help feed the people here in Lake-town I would be very upset to have to tell King Thranduil that a stubborn little man tossed the fish aside, because of how he feels towards the bargemen. I shouldnt have to do that, should I?" I asked him.
He gulped and stepped away from the barge.
"I am sorry my Lady, just doing my duty. Bard, you may pass." He said.
Bard smiled at me and I smiled back and we went through the toll gates and into Lake-town.
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Picture of Galadriel and her daughter, Celebrian on the side:)