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IV. War

By dawn an army of synchronised Elves stood at the entrance to the Lonely Mountain, their weapons ready for the order to attack. Bard and Thranduil rode through the horde of Mirkwood Elves, one atop an elk and the other atop a white horse. The Elves moved to the side to allow them easy passage, each of their movements controlled and fluid while the company—bar Bilbo—watched from the outlook.

Thorin pulled out his bow and shot an arrow at the approaching pair, it hitting the ground an inch from the elk's hooves and causing them to stop in their tracks and look up at the King under the Mountain. "I will put the next one between your eyes," he warned while readying another arrow.

Everyone but Athena cheered at his actions, her mind was too clouded with anxiety to find any joy within their predicament. The cheering was abruptly cut off when the first few rows of Elves readied their bows and aimed them at the Dwarves, their actions co-ordinated and organised with not one of them lagging behind. They hid behind the wall at the sudden threat before Thranduil raised his arm to signal his soldiers to stand down.

"We've come to tell you, payment of your debt has been offered and accepted," the Elven king spoke.

"What payment? I gave you nothing! You have nothing!"

"We have this," Bard informed them while pulling out the Arkenstone from inside his navy jacket and holding it up for everyone to see.

Thorin lowered his bow in shock at the revelation, Athena unable to hide the shock that appeared on her own face. She figured that Bilbo had left to get help of some kind but she hadn't expected him to give Thranduil and Bard the stone, she feared greatly for how Thorin would react if he ever found out it was the Hobbit who had done this.

"They have the Arkenstone. Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the king!" Kili cried out in outrage.

"And the king may have it, in our goodwill," Bard stuffed the glittering gem back into his jacket, "but first he must honour his word."

"They are taking us for fools. This is a ruse, a filthy lie."

"You cannot be serious," she whispered in response to Thorin denying what he could see with his own eyes.

"The Arkenstone is in this mountain! It is a trick!"

"It—it's no trick," everyone turned to face the Hobbit that had rejoined them, Athena shaking her head at him to try and stop him from talking but he only ignored her silent pleading and continued, "the stone is real. I gave it to them."

"You..." he trailed off out of disbelief, anger slowly rising inside him at the betrayal of the one he had trusted most.

"I took it as my fourteenth share."

"You would steal from me?"

"Steal from you? No, no. I may be a burglar but, I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."

"Against your claim? Your claim. You have no claim over me you miserable rat!" The bow that was once in his hands clattered to the ground as he stalked towards Bilbo, causing him to flinch away from the livid Dwarf.

"I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to but—"

"But what, thief?" He growled, his voice sounding much deeper and darker than it had ever done before. He sounded more like Smaug than Thorin.

"You are changed Thorin! The Dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word! Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!"

"Do not speak to me of loyalty. Throw him from the rampart!"