Daughter of Starlight

Chapter Forty: The Gems Returned

The battle continued, but this time it was different. There was an air of rekindled spirit, the sense that we knew we could defeat this terrible enemy and fight our way to victory in the hope of a better world when it was over. Gandalf and Bilbo and I returned to the fight with renewed energy and vigor, taking down every orc in our path alongside the men and now women of Lake-town.

Suddenly Bilbo shouted, "Gandalf!"

Gandalf incapacitated an orc with his staff before turning to Bilbo, who was gazing up the mountain at the path to Ravenhill. The wizard rushed over to him, and I finished off an orc before joining them.

"It's Thorin," Bilbo said excitedly, and indeed it was.

"And Fili and Kili and Dwalin," Gandalf added. All four of them rode the same goats that had charged us earlier, quickly climbing their way up the mountainside.

"He's taking his best warriors," Gandalf said.

"To do what?" Bilbo asked him.

Gandalf's overjoyed smile suddenly became a grim line as he watched the dwarves. "To cut the head off the snake."

Bilbo and I both knew what that meant.

"We must return to the fight," I said, turning back to the streets of Dale, where the battle still raged on. I felt my stomach churning in apprehension at what Thorin, Dwalin, Kili, and Fili were doing, but I couldn't worry myself about them now. They had their battle to fight and we had ours.

Gandalf and Bilbo followed me back into the fight, but we were soon surprised by the presence of none other than Legolas and Tauriel.

They rode into the city on a white horse, Tauriel cutting down as many orcs as she could from the back of it while they galloped towards us.

"Gandalf!" Legolas shouted when he stopped the horse, both him and Tauriel immediately dismounting.

"Legolas Greenleaf!" Gandalf said as he went to Legolas. I followed him, overjoyed to see my brother and my best friend. We couldn't be bothered with happy reunions right now, though. From their expressions I could see they brought grim news.

"There is a second army," Legolas told him. "Bolg leads a force of Gundabad orcs. They're almost upon us."

"Gundabad?" Gandalf said, a look of realization dawning on his face. "This was their plan all along. Azog engages our forces then Bolg seeps in from the north."

"The north," Bilbo said, looking around desperately. "Where is the north exactly?"

"Ravenhill," I said, my eyes widening as I looked to the northern towers on the mountainside.

"Thorin is up there," Bilbo said fearfully. "And Fili and Kili! They're all up there!"

I found myself eyeing Ravenhill with dread. They were outnumbered up there. Four against an entire army would only end one way.

I met Tauriel's gaze, which had previously been focused on Ravehill as well. I nodded in understanding, remembering her reasons to worry for Kili. I also found myself remembering my father's words from last night.

"You must put aside this fruitless affection you have for Oakenshield," he had said. "It will bring you nothing but disappointment." But I didn't care. Putting aside the way I felt about Thorin, I knew that I needed to save him and my friends. If I didn't, they would die.

I needed to find my father.

That was how I found myself running through the streets of Dale in a desperate search for Thranduil, even calling his name in the hopes that maybe he would find me. Eventually I did find him, but I halted when I saw him.