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The dwarves and Alenia were preparing for war against the elves and men, arming themselves, putting on armor.
"Master Baggins, come here!" Thorin called out from outside the armory, and the hobbit shuffled over to him.
"I'm worried." She said.
"About?" Kili asked, pulling a chain mail suit on.
"Bilbo." she said, pulling a sword from the pile. She unsheathed it. "Wait- holy shit, this is an elvish blade. It's mine now, I claim it."
"I don't think anyone else is more deserving of it." Kili chuckled, as Alenia bounced on her toes with her new weapon grasped in her hand. "You were talking about Bilbo..."
"Crap, yeah." she apologized, before continuing, "He's never been in a battle at the scale this one will be. I don't know if he's ready. I don't know if I'm ready."
"You? Not ready?" Fili snorted from where he'd been listening. "You could probably take down every single one of us without trying that much."
Kili punched his shoulder. "She means to fight her own kind, asshole."
"Oh." Fili muttered, shaking his head. "If you're not comfortable with it, you don't have-"
"I'll stop you right there." Alenia said, strapping the sword to her side, and looking at the brothers sternly. "Yes, I may be fighting my own kind, but they're also coming in here to kill of you. And there's no way in hell that I'm going to let that happen. So if fighting some elves is what I have to do to protect you all, then that's what I'm going to do."
"Still," Kili said. "And Bilbo will be fine. Knowing Thorin, he'll have him as far away from the danger as possible."
"I never thought they would be friends." Alenia chuckled. "It seems the hobbit is the only one he trusts anymore."
Kili eyed her from the side, before changing the subject, "Put some armor on."
"No thanks." Alenia said, as the dwarves started to file out. She grabbed a quiver and a bow and slung them both over her shoulder. "The way you dwarves make your armor there's not enough mobility."
"Only you would give up protection, just so you can be fucking flexible on a battlefield." Fili snorted.
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"Take the first watch." Thorin said, as he passed by where Alenia, Kili and Fili were huddled together, talking.
"Uncle, there's a battle tomorrow. Everyone needs all the rest they can get." Fili protested.
"Which is exactly why someone needs to take the watch in case King Pointy-Ears decides to invade us tonight." Alenia said, before turning to Thorin, who nodded reluctantly before walking away.
"I'll be back in a few hours." the half-elf said, patting the two brothers on the shoulders as she walked by.
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The fires of the army camped in and around the city of Dale glowed in contrast to the dark of night. The stars still shone brightly, despite the death and blood that would flow through the plains before Erebor tomorrow.
Alenia's pointed ears pricked up as she heard the quiet pattering of bare feet moving around to her right. She walked over to find Bilbo throwing a rope over the edge of the wall.
"Bilbo?" she asked, causing the hobbit to spin around. "What are you doing?"
"I'm giving the Arkenstone to Bard." Bilbo answered, pulling the stone out of his pocket.
"No." Alenia said immediately. "Do you not realize what Thorin will do to you when he finds out?"
"Ally, I have to do something. He's so sick in the mind that he thinks that one of the Company has betrayed him." Bilbo said. "He won't even uphold his bargain with the people of Laketown. That's not the Thorin I know."
"Let me do it." she said. Bilbo opened his mouth to protest, but the half-elf raised a hand to stop him. "Thorin already doesn't like me in his state. It wouldn't be surprising to him that I'm the one who took it. And, that way he'll still have you to snap him out of it."
"But Thorin will kill you." Bilbo protested.
"Give me the stone, Bilbo." Alenia said, smiling softly. "I can handle an angry dwarven king."
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a/n:
sort of a short chapter?
i might write another one tomorrow or monday... if not then, then on tuesday like normal
