24

Talia awoke to see sunlight filtering through the curtains, blowing gently in the wind. Based on the color of the sky, it was only just sunrise. Her side ached and her foot throbbed in pain, yet she was very comfortable within the halls of Rivendell. She felt the soft sheets and mattress, remembering how much she missed such blessings. However, her favorite thing that she had woken up to was her husband, who had his chest pressed against her back and his arm over hers.

Thorin breathed softly against her neck as she shifted underneath him, rolling to see his face. Feeling her motion, he opened his eyes slowly to her green ones and smiled sleepily. "Morning."

"Good morning." She grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

He hummed against her, feeling her body on his. "How do you feel?"

"Well." She lied, but Thorin only stared into her eyes, forcing the true answer out of her. "Better."

"Good." He grinned, running his fingers through her hair before kissing her forehead. "I'll get us some food."

"Thorin, I can walk, for Mahal's sake—"

"No, you can't. Stay here, at least for today."

She felt the seriousness in his tone and leaned back against the headboard. "Fine."

Thorin got up and pulled on his boots, walking to the door and stretching. But as he swung it open, he was greeted with the weight of his two nephews falling at his feet. They woke up as their faces smashed against their uncle's boots, scrambling to stand from their fetus-like positions. Thorin looked up to the two others at the door, quirking a brow in confusion.

"Were you waiting here with them?"

"No." Dwalin answered, chuckling as Fili fixed his matted hair.

"We just got here." Balin added, grinning at Kili, who was wiping his drool off his chin.

Thorin smiled softly, opening the door to the four of them. "Come in. She's awake."

The younger brothers stumbled inside, still half asleep, but greeting Talia with smiles. She grinned and patted the bed, allowing them to rest with her just like she had when they were young. Yes, Dis was their mother and Beldan their father, but she and Thorin had always been the parents they went to when they wanted to run away, when they wanted to have fun. In moments like those, Talia hadn't even been sure she wanted to be a mother. Being an aunt had been a blessing because she had gotten all the best parts of raising the boys. And now, she saw a glimpse of those moments once more, for which she would be eternally grateful.

As Fili and Kili settled next to Talia, Thorin stood next to his two best friends and advisors, grinning at their family. Talia winked in return, turning her attention back to the boys. "I hope you weren't out there all night."

"Not the whole night." Kili said, interrupting himself as he yawned.

"No. Only after Bofur convinced Kili to get so drunk off the Elvish wine that they could barely walk." The elder prince interjected, enjoying the stern glare from his brother.

"Fili!"

Talia sighed, shaking her head and knowing it to be true. "Well, at least it'll give the Elves something to remember us by."

Meanwhile, Thorin had begun to confer with his associates. "I trust Gandalf accommodated the Company for the night?"

"Indeed, though I didn't see him after the reading of the map." Balin mused, giving the evening some more thought. "He and Lord Elrond said they had important matters to attend to."

"He is a wizard," Dwalin agreed, "And the Elves always deem their matters important."

"Did he say what they were?"

"No. Only mentioned a White Council, or something of the sort. He said he would find you later today to discuss it."

Thorin looked away, staring off the balcony and into the distance. He had heard of the White Council, and knew very well that it's members served as the guardians of Middle Earth. Surely Gandalf would've elaborated on their plans, since Elrond had already figured out the real purpose of the map. The doll resembling Talia, the trolls, and the pack of Orcs would surely corroborate this evidence, if shown to the Council. All Thorin knew was that nothing good would come out of it regarding the quest, for there was no way the Council would approve of their mission. When the Company was ready to leave Rivendell, they would have to do so with the utmost stealth and secrecy.

"Thorin? Something wrong?" Dwalin asked, seeing his King deep in thought. "Is it something to be concerned about?"

"No. Nothing dangerous will come from the White Council; only inconvenience to us." Thorin responded simply, feeling the emptiness in his stomach. "I said I would get food for Talia. I'll be back."

"Well, I think some others have that covered." Balin replied, gesturing to the doorway. Talia's room was now overflowing with dwarves. The Company had begun to file in, right after the other, holding all kinds of food and small presents to show their care.

Talia and her nephews lit up upon seeing the others, though the boys were mostly focused on the food. The Queen grinned as she saw wonderful bounties of berries and other goods. She let out a soft sigh as she saw Ori holding out a knitted scarf for her, her heart swelling with joy. She accepted it graciously, despite the ongoing commotion around them. Before long, the room was booming with noise as the dwarves enjoyed a light breakfast with their Queen, pulling up chairs and tables for them to sit on. Talia grinned at their lack of respect towards their hosts, who would surely come to her with medicine soon. Still, Talia appreciated the gathering, for when she was with the dwarves, she was always the merriest.

Over the course of the week, Talia had nearly made a full recovery. She now wandered through Rivendell alongside Bilbo to exercise her foot, talking with him about it's history. The hobbit appreciated having another who was knowledgeable about the Elves, which spurred his fascination, but who was also eager to learn more about them and was not dull to their grandeur. They made wonderful company together, and Talia had grown quite fond of him, though he was already fond of her after the cinnamon cakes.

No one understood how she had healed so fast, but no one wanted to question it. They believed it to be the magic in fate. In reality, she had convinced the Elves to concoct a draught that would speed up her recovery extraordinarily. Though it made the process more painful than normal, due to the strong agents at work in her body, it didn't matter to her. She knew they had a deadline to meet, and no matter what Thorin said, she would not allow them to miss it because of her.

Still, the Company treated her as if she were a porcelain doll, broken like she had been after the encounter with the Orcs. To deter them from this mindset, she engaged them in combat training sessions, teaching alongside Dwalin to better equip their members for the wild. Most of them were seasoned warriors, but the practice would benefit all of the members, especially the younger ones. While Dwalin took to training the more stir-crazy dwarves, like Nori, Talia focused on those who had yet to unleash their full potential, like Ori. She even took the hobbit under her wing. He had relented after seeing how the Wargs had damaged her, perhaps the best warrior amongst their ranks. Talia would always be proud of his progress, even if he himself hadn't realized how far he had come.

One day, Talia's practice got cut short as the Elf who had led her to the healers, Lindir, approached her. "My Lady, Lord Elrond has requested your presence."

Talia nodded, sheathing her sword and telling Dwalin to finish the lesson before following him. Lindir led her out of the courtyard and through halls, some sheltered by the rock and others open to the air. A winding staircase leading to an open pavilion greeted the Elf and the Queen, illuminated by simplistic lanterns of ethereal light. The circular structure had supportive columns and arches to maintain the swooping stone dome above, but the rest of the pavilion was exposed to the outside world. Once they reached the top of the staircase, Lindir bowed, allowing her to pass and enter the pavilion.

Lord Elrond stood alone, his back facing her. His slender form looked onto the lands before him, his grey eyes gazing on the cascades of waterfalls and lush vegetation. When Talia arrived at his side, he did not turn, but merely smiled in greeting. "Thank you for joining me, my Lady."

"Please," Talia waved him off, just as she did to others who insisted on using her title. "Talia Rue is fine. What troubles you, my Lord?"

"In that case, I am no Lord to you, Talia. Which is why I speak as a friend," Elrond began, turning his head and looking into her eyes. He had never seen such a pureness of color in any other irises than hers; the green practically mirrored the foliage of the Greenwood of old. "You know that I have concerns regarding your journey."

"Yes. I assume that is why the White Council held a meeting upon the eve of our arrival."

"Gandalf claims that it is the birthright of the dwarves to enter that mountain, just as your husband does. I do agree with this stance, despite what Thorin may think. Gandalf also maintains that it is dangerous to do nothing regarding the dragon that resides within Erebor. I cannot corroborate those views."

"Do not tell me the dragon concerns you, my friend. We have no intention to wake it with a mere Company of fifteen dwarves."

"Even if Smaug the Terrible were to wake again, it is not the dragon that I fear." Lord Elrond confessed, shocking Talia. She looked up at him in surprise, urging him to continue. "I do not doubt your Company's intelligence. I know you intend to take the Arkenstone and rally the dwarves, for it is the only force that Thorin can use to do so. However, that stone has power past the union of the dwarf kingdoms, especially on the line of Durin. I saw it consume Thror myself."

"As did I." She agreed, though her voice was laced with something other than diplomacy. "But I was more than a witness. I lived through the development of the dragon sickness long before there even was a dragon. Thorin and I grew up angry at the Arkenstone and it's hold on the Kings. With age, that anger turned to fear, similar to yours. I share that worry, for I saw Thror, the father that I never had, lose his mind to hoards of gold and one simple gem. But I cannot let worry stop me."

"Talia, the sickness is more than irrational stress." Elrond warned. "You must know this."

"I never claimed it to be irrational. Rather, I maintain that it is a reality, a sickness as physical as any other."

"Then why do you return? What makes you think Thorin Oakenshield has the strength to overcome the dragon sickness?"

"Because I swore an oath to his father, one that bound me to his family in blood, that I would protect him from it. I swore that under no circumstance would I allow the darkness to take him. I am a guardian of the line of Durin just as you are a guardian of Middle Earth, and that duty only ends with my life, same as you."

Elrond took in her words, seeing the determination in her eyes.

"I know Thorin better than anyone. I know he has weaknesses, and I know of his high susceptibility. Yet, even if I had not tasked myself with his protection, he still has the capacity to overcome the sickness alone. He is a strong leader, pure of heart and soul. He would not reclaim his homeland if not for the betterment of his people, and Middle Earth as a whole."

"Indeed, but there is surely more to the story."

Talia paused, furrowing her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Does he do it for you?"

She gave the question thought. She knew Thorin had certain motivations that trumped others, but she was not the defining factor that had caused the journey to come to fruition. After all, the dwarves had embarked to Bilbo's home without her, beginning the quest even in her supposed state of death. "No."

"Then let me ask you this." Elrond said, stepping closer to her with intensity in his eyes. "After sixty years, why is now the time to reclaim Erebor? Disregarding the portents, what could influence such a decision after the dwarves have built a life of peace and plenty in the Blue Mountains?"

"There is no choice for Thorin." Talia responded simply, meeting the grey eyes of the Elf-Lord. "There never was. Not for him."

"And what of your choice?"

"No matter the risk, I will always choose family. I will always choose home."

Elrond nodded, looking to the horizon again. "Then you have no choice, just like your husband. When it comes to our kin, there never is."

Talia followed his gaze, grinning as her eye caught on a figure in the distance. A young girl sprinted through the Valley with a small silver circlet adorning her head. She was laughing rambunctiously as her long brown hair flowed from behind her. The Queen could even make out a necklace bouncing off the girl's chest, it's light resembling that of the stars. "I'd imagine you can understand that. Especially when you look at her."

Elrond's features lifted into a light smile upon seeing his daughter. "Indeed."

...

The next morning, the dwarves were packed, hiking along the path leaving Rivendell. Talia had enjoyed her brief stay in the Valley, and hoped she would be fortunate enough to return one day. But she had always been restless, and so she pushed on, climbing the steep rock with a newfound strength upon her healed foot. Erebor lay ahead, and as much as she liked the comforts of the Elves, they were far from home.

"Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the wild." Thorin stopped the Company momentarily, gesturing his eldest friend to move forward. "Balin, you know these paths. Lead on."

However, the hobbit was not so eager to leave the Elvish lands. Bilbo turned around, looking back at Rivendell in longing. Deep down, he wished their journey could end there.

"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up." The leader continued, seeing his gaze.

Reluctantly, Bilbo pulled away from Rivendell and followed behind the dwarves. Now beyond the Hidden Pass, the dwarves trudged through the wilderness with the Misty Mountains in the distance, capped with snow. The day passed in silence as they ventured over ranges, rivers and waterfalls, for true determination had set in for the Company.

Eventually, the Company found themselves climbing the vastness of the mountain range through rock and snow, framed against the blue sky behind them. However, the day's adventure was far from over as they continued through the Misty Mountains, a storm brewing in the distance. Soon enough, it was upon them, soaking them through as the rain overwhelmed them. Thunder shook their chilled bones to the core, and here and there, lightning would flash through the heaviness of the downpour.

Thorin was leading the dwarves across a narrow trail on the side of the mountain, using an arm to shield his face from the harsh rain and wind. A high cliff bordered one side of the path, while a sheer drop lay on the other. One small misstep, and the Company knew they would be lost to the danger of the Misty Mountains.

"Hold on!" Thorin yelled over the onslaught, jumping with the others as thunder boomed overhead.

"Thorin! We cannot travel in this weather!" Talia responded from the middle of the group as they murmured in agreement around her.

He turned back to her, nodding. "Hold steady. We must find shelter!"

The dwarves continued to carefully make their way across the ridge, half-drowned in the rain. But as Bilbo walked, the stone beneath him gave way, causing Talia to reach out and snatch the hobbit with Dwalin's help. "Be careful."

Before the hobbit could heed her instruction, Dwalin pointed up, alerting the Company as to what he saw in the distance. "Look out!"

Then, a massive boulder hurtled through the air, hitting the mountainside just above the dwarves. The Company let out involuntary cries as the rocks came crumbling down around them. They pressed themselves against the mountain, both stunned and scared of their current predicament. What kind of storm caused boulders to appear out of thin air?

As always, Balin stepped forward, having an answer to the unspoken query. "This is no thunderstorm... it's a thunder battle! Look!"

A stone giant, bigger than all beasts within Middle Earth combined, was tearing literal rock from a nearby mountain, having the bearings of unbelievable strength and force. They marveled as it ripped a giant chunk of stone from the top of the mountain that they walked on, too surprised to continue their journey.

"Well, bless me! The legends are true!" Bofur yelled above the moan of the storm and stone. "Giants; stone giants!"

The giant threw the rock across the valley, crashing and shattering against yet another stone beast rising from the mountainside. The dwarves watched in amazement, caught in the middle of the extraordinary fight. Talia jumped as the reverberation shook the very ground she stood on, proceeding to make herself as small as possible.

Thorin saw this, knowing her course of action was best. "Take cover!"

But as debris begin rain over the Company once again, the ground beneath them began to crack and split, separating the dwarves. Thorin turned behind him in shock as he saw his eldest nephew fall away with the other half of the Company. Talia met his eyes alongside the prince, her eyes holding Thorin's in fear and shock.

"Kili, grab my hand! Kili!"

But Fili's worry was in vain, for Kili, Oin, Gloin, and Thorin begin to drift away from the others as their path fell apart. The dwarves were standing on the knees of a third stone giant, who rose slowly to the fight. The Company yelled as they rode the movement of the giant, being unable to do anything but hold on.

Then, their predicament became even worse as the second stone giant lumbered over their own, head-butting him and sending the Company flying back with it. They screamed as they held onto the mountainside for dear life, waiting for the uncontrollable motion to still. The giant they stood on had fallen back into the mountain from whence it came, much to the Company's relief. Being the closest to refuge, Thorin, Oin, Gloin and Kili managed to jump onto the still side of the mountain.

However, Talia's half of the Company was not so lucky. The third giant rose back up again, taking the hobbit, the Queen, the prince, and the rest of the dwarves with him. They watched in horror as their giant took them past their King, stomping off into battle. But then, the second threw a punch at the third, sending it falling back into its place on the mountain. Thorin and the other watched, helpless, as the rest of the Company was crushed between the now motionless stone.

"NO!" Thorin ran forward across the ledge, chasing the path. But as he rounded the corner, he found his kin, shaken to the core. Though they had been knocked off their feet, they were alive and well.

"It's alright! They're alive!" Gloin exclaimed.

Thorin let out a humungous sigh of relief, leaning on the stone momentarily before his eyes met Talia's. She grinned up at her husband's respite, accepting his hand as he helped her back up. "What? Thought you lost me?"

Thorin only stared at her, still breathing heavily from his shock. He could not believe she was joking with him right now. "Yes."

"Come on. It'll take more than a stone giant to kill me."

Then, Thorin was able to crack a smile, quickly embracing her as the other dwarves did the same with their loved ones. But after reuniting with his brothers, Bofur scanned the mountainside, noticing the absence of their hobbit.

"Talia?" He began, looking to his Queen. "Where's Bilbo?"

Talia stiffened suddenly as Fili looked over the edge, shocked to find Bilbo dangling off the cliff. "There!"

Upon his call, the dwarves clamored around the cliff, trying to pull him up. Talia was at the forefront, gripping his arm tightly and holding his eyes firmly. He knew she was begging him not to let go. Eventually, Thorin took it upon himself to swing down next to Bilbo, boosting him up. The others hauled him onto the ledge, but in the process, the King slipped against the rock, nearly falling down to the depths below. He looked up at Dwalin, who kept a firm hold on his King. He nodded his thanks as he gripped his friend's forearm, climbing up behind Bilbo.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Dwalin said, pulling himself back up to his full height. Talia panted as she did the same. After helping Bilbo, she moved to stand beside Thorin. She put her hand in his, gripping it tightly. She had not missed him almost falling into the Misty Mountains.

"He's been lost ever since he left home." Thorin growled. He was in no mood to entertain any more death than they already had. Especially after seeing half of his Company nearly die tonight, he could not ignore the liability amongst them. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us."

Talia watched as the dwarves nodded in agreement, turning back to Thorin with hardened eyes. He saw the fierceness in them, but he would not back down from his assertion. Not when it was the truth, plain and simple. Thorin looked away from her, addressing the Company as a whole. "We must find shelter."

The dwarves followed Thorin's lead as Talia remained beside Bilbo, choosing to take the rear of the Company. Taking his hand gently, she led the drenched hobbit along, offering him a small smile. "Come now, Bilbo. We could all use some rest."