Star-Crossed

Chapter74

"Stay in front of me, I taught him how to use a bow well." She said, in Bilbo's ear. Gandalf greeted them with an angry frown and ushered them into the center of the crowd. "If we get separated, stay with Gandalf." Beuren's whole demeanor had changed, it gave the Hobbit an uneasy feeling. 

"Beuren, my friend." Gandalf nodded towards the bandages. "What happened?" 

"A dragon." She shoved Bilbo behind her now as she turned to look back at the mountain. "Thranduil." She placed her closed fist over her heart, bowing, he returned the gesture. "There is are troops coming from the Iron Hills, Dain Ironfoot leads him." Thranduil glowered back at the mountain, looking once more to Beuren. "I would not underestimate him, not his dwarves. I have fought beside them in battle a time or two...they are as mighty as they boast to be." Beuren moved Bilbo once again. "Allow me to speak with him. He knows me, perhaps I could explain-" The ground below them rumbled, all eyes turned to face the ridge to the East, they had come.

"I don't believe any amount of explaining would do at this point." Thranduil whipped his elk around. "Nor do I care." Rolling her eyes, she watched as he trotted through the crowd to face Ironfoot. 

"Milady," She looked up to Bard. "I don't believe we've met, I'm-"

"Bard." She interjected, offering her good hand up to him. "Beuren. I implore you to keep your people out of this mess. You've lost enough already." 

"I fear that we do not have a choice, Beuren. Your King has forced our hand." 

"He is not my king." She said sternly, looking now to Gandalf as Bard rode on.  "What news from Dol Guldur?" They followed Thranduil and the bargeman. 

"I suppose you already know he's returned."

"Yes, Galadriel told me everything."

"Well, he is the Master that Azog had spoken of. Azog leads an army here from Dol Guldur."

"How many?"

"Too many." Beuren sighed. 

"And what does Thranduil say of this?"

"He doesn't believe me."

"Typical. Pigheaded bastard." She looked to Bilbo. "Stay with Gandalf." Beuren jogged to catch up to Thranduil, who'd already engaged in a pissing contest with Dain. As she shoved her way through the throng of elves and men, she began calling for Dain. "Dain, my Lord!" 

"Beuren? Is that you lassie?" She pushed past the last line of elves, taking her palce beside Thraduil. "Beuren!" 

"Dain, my friend, please, we must stop this madness." Dain only smiled at her. "It's Thorin, he's sick. The Dragon Sickness has its claws in him. He's too far gone to make a good judgement, Dain. We've all tried to reach him, Balin, Dwalin, the boys, myself, he won't listen!" 

"I don't blame him for not listening to the likes of you gold mining whore!" Dain laughed in response. 

"I'm not even sleeping with Dwa- you are missing a great chunk of the stor- nevermind. The point is Dain, we're going to war over nothing! This is a mindless battle, one that will only end in blood!"

"THEN GIVE ME BLOOD!" He threw his axe at her, she'd narrowly managed to side step and avoid being killed.

"You son of a bitch!" She shouted. "I'll behead you myself!" 

"Come now, lord Dain!" Gandalf boomed over top of Beuren's threat. 

"Gandalf the Grey. Tell this rabble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood!" Dain shouted atop his war pig. 

"There is no need for war between dwarves, men and elves! A legion of orcs march on the mountain. Stand your army down!" Gandalf pleaded. 

"I will not stand down before any elf! Not least this faithless woodland sprite!" Thranduil's jaw clenched. "Or his half pint pet!" 

"Says the one riding a pig." Thranduil muttered out of the corner of his mouth, Beuren smirked. 

"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!"

"He's clearly mad, like his cousin!" Thranduil smiled angrily from atop his steed. 

"You hear that, lads?!" Dain turned to his men. "Let's give these bastards a good hammerin'!" 

"Shit." Beuren looked to Bilbo. "Stay with Gandalf, he will not let any harm come to you." 

"But you said stay with you."

"Bilbo, I'm fighting one of the mightiest dwarf lords with one eye and one arm, I'm probably going to die." Beuren took up her sword, falling into line beside her elven brothers as though she'd practiced it her whole life. Gandalf retreated to Bard's side, Bilbo close in tow. 

The elves heard it first, all turning their eyes to the ground as it grew louder. The earth below them rumbled, as though an earthquake had begun. The dwarves too heard it, all looking about to see if the elves would continue their onslaught. The ground exploded out from a neighboring hill, the debris showering the dwarves. The human's gasped, the elves and dwarves shared unsure looks. 

"Oh, come on!" Dain hollered. Beuren ran to his side, both having forgotten their previous quarrel in the looming shadow of the were-worms. Movement caught the corner of Beuren's eye. Her gaze set upon Ravenhill, where a signal had been constructed. A horn sounded, and the stamping of orc feet echoed from the were-worm tunnels. 

"Azog." Beuren looked to Dain. "I must leave." He looked back at her. 

"Piss poor timing you have."

"Look." She nodded to the elves. "They will stand with you! They will fight!"

"Where will you go?"

"To get Thorin. Let him know he's missing out on a rabble of orcs."

"That's a wee bit bigger than a rabble!"

"Just hold them off as best as you can!" She shouted, racing back through the armies of men and elves. "Gandalf!" The wizard turned form the legions of orcs and looked down to Beuren. "I'm going back into the mountain." She huffed for air. "If Thorin knows that Azog-"

"There's no time." Gandalf replied. "You must stop Azog. Thorin cannot not help you now." With a groan, she nodded, looking back to the Dwarves, of whom had created a shield wall before the mountain, behind which the elves and men stood.