The Elf, the Hobbit and the Dwarf - Book 1 NEW VERSION

The King's Jewel

Míriel had taken a seat on Thranduíl's throne for she was tired of hearing Gandalf and Thranduíl fight all the time. Thranduíl still didn't want to see what Gandalf was telling him about and kept denying it all. It was like Thranduíl wanted to destroy the Dwarves, and all because of his wife's gems. There was much more at stake now and they needed to rethink their plan.

"We should try to speak to Thorin again," Míriel spoke up and glanced at the three men in front of her. "If we explain all this to him, perhaps he will finally give in and we can all work together. What is important now is not gold or gems, but that we all stand together and fight the Orcs."

"My lady, Thorin is impossible to talk to," Bard said and shook his head.

"I expect he's just as unreasonable as the two of you then," Míriel muttered mostly to herself and crossed her arms over her chest.

Even if Thorin was acting this way for some strange reason, he was just as stubborn as Thranduíl seemed to be. None of them wanted to listen, even though everyone knew that Gandalf was one of the wisest people in Middle-Earth. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges sometimes, but there was no one more loyal or brave. They should all know that all the Wizard wanted was to protect all those he cared for.

"Since when have my council counted for so little?" Gandalf asked Thranduíl in a frustrated tone. "What do you think I'm trying to do?"

"I think you're trying to save your Dwarfish friends," said Thranduíl. He was partly right of course, but it wasn't at all about the Dwarves anymore. Did he not see that his people would die too? "And I admire your loyalty to them, but it does not dissuade me from my cause. You started this, Mithrandir, you will forgive me if I finish it." Thranduíl called for Beridan who stopped in front of his king to listen to new orders. "Prepare the archers, if anything moves in that mountain - kill it. The Dwarves are out of time."

Míriel shook her head; she could not believe this. Gandalf had just told them that Angmar might rise again and Thranduíl could still not stop thinking about his stupid gems. If she ever got her hands on them, Míriel swore to herself to destroy them right in front of his face no matter who they had belonged to. Now she could do nothing more than to hope that the Dwarves wouldn't come out for if they did they would be killed.

Gandalf gave up on his cause and turned away to walk out of the tent. Míriel sighed and hurried after him, for even if Thranduíl didn't want to listen, she sure did. He had been gone for so long, and he did not meet the Dwarves at the overlook, so he must have been through a lot.

"Gandalf, where have you been?" Míriel asked the Wizard when they started exiting the tent. Míriel knew that he must have some kind of plan now, there had to be something they could do.

"The story is long, my dear," Gandalf said and sighed, he seemed very tired. Gandalf tried to help everyone; the Elves, the Men and the Dwarves - but none were on his side in this. It was a pity really. "I will tell you all about it in time, but for now I will tell you for short. I was imprisoned in Dol Guldur by large forces of Orcs, I saw them. They wanted my ring, you see, the Ring of Fire. I... met Thráin, Thorin's father. He had been there all this time, and they took his ring as well. He was taken by Sauron in the end, he is gone now. Lady Galadriel, Saruman and Lord Elrond fought the Nine, the men who once served the Dark Lord Sauron, in Dol Guldur. You see, they have returned, Sauron has returned, his spirit never faded and neither did the men's. We have all been fools to let him stir and regain power. He is the Necromancer that I have seen, he is behind all of these attacks. Sauron wants to return to power again, for the time of the Orc to come for him. Lady Galadriel banished him I saw, but he is not gone for good. We must fight him, Míriel, but people will not see."