[IC] Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

[kiiblade]

Thorin had no choice but to stop, his hateful gaze landing upon the elvish prince. Legolas' identity was of no secret to him; the blond elf resembled his father in more ways than one. Jaw set, he remained silent as they were searched, unaware that Kili and Saeril were in danger further into the woods.

Kili struggled against the pull of the spider, but he was being drug in and he'd lost his sword in the struggle. Now that the others were free, he shouted out for help.
At the same time, a she-elf with red hair ran through the clearing, killing three spiders with her bow and knife. In a single move, she killed the spider pulling Kili with an arrow. Tauriel turned to attack another spider behind her, right as a third spider neared Kili's godmother.

Kili pushed himself up, horrified to see the monster moving for Saeril. “Throw me your dagger! Quick!”

Tauriel saw this as well, but she would not give in to Kili's plea. “If you think I’m giving you a weapon, dwarf, you’re mistaken!”
Moving swiftly, she spun and threw the knife, killing the spider that was advancing on Saeril.

[AngelBites15]

"Legolas, hir nin (my Lord)!" called out a Wood Elf, who had taken Orcrist from Thorin. He bowed his head respectfully to the prince and held out the sword for him to take. The elf had recognised it being of elvish make and thought it rather odd that a dwarf would be carrying it.

As soon as the spiders were killed, Saeril had managed to gain her motor functions, before she had her cloak back on. Before she knew it, a female Wood Elf had them both captive, and were forced to stand with the others, who were also surrounded by the Silvan. "Silvan elves. I contain half of their blood", she whispered to Kili as her daggers was given up. "Legolas Thranduilion (Legolas, son of Thranduil)", Saeril fluently spoke up to the leading elf, after she gave a respectful greeting sign of the elves: hand on her chest. She had to prove that she was of the Elven kin.

A few of the elves eyed her warily. If she was one of their kin, then why was she dealing with dwarves? But they seemed to brush it off relatively well, though she was still taken in as a prisoner along with the dwarves. Saeril was other than forced to walk along with her companions towards the gate of the Halls of the Woodland Realm. The she-elf may have respect for elves, but she didn't appreciate herself being dragged by them. The ElvenKing was another story to her. She knew him, but she really watched him from a distance.

Saeril was surprised that she wasn't the one being taken to the dungeons like everybody else, except for Thorin. Legolas was narrowing his icy blue eyes in every direction of the room as cell doors were being closed repeatedly. Nothing seemed to have phased since he had that cold stare upon his Elven facials until he noticed that the strange she-elf was still in the open of the room. "Take her to the king as well. We don't want any new suspicions roaming these halls", his calm voice sounded to the other elves.

Eyes slightly widening, Saeril stood outside Kili's cell, resting a hand on his cell door. She had to at least let him know that she was still there. An expression of shame filled her, and she didn't like how her own kin would treat her companions, even to the sons of Durin, no doubt. However, she wasn't allowed to stay with him for long as an Elven hand rested firmly on her shoulder and forcefully, but still gently, steered her in the same direction Thorin was taken.

[kiiblade]

Kili didn't understand why they were jailed. They hadn't stolen anything, why should they be punished for wandering through a forest? Did the elves own such a horrible part of Middle Earth? Disheartened, he kept by the door of his cell, keeping an ear out for his uncle. Thorin had not been taken to the cells. "How long will they keep us here?" Kili looked to Saeril, hopeful that she may have an answer.

Unfortunately, Saeril was lead away by a guard on either side.
"Wait! Where are you taking her?!" Kili demanded to know, only to be ignored. The guards lead his godmother away, and Kili found himself alone with only the sounds of Dwalin and the others arguing among themselves. Fili must have been jailed further down the row.

King Thranduil had risen from his impressively carved throne, his gray blue eyes settled upon Thorin.
“Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand. A quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon. I myself suspect a more prosaic motive: attempted burglary, or something of that ilk..."

Though seething with hatred, Thorin remained in his place, even as the elven king invaded his personal space.

“You have found a way in. You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule: the King’s Jewel, the Arkenstone. It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that..." Thranduil took notice of Saeril now, and then he looked back to Thorin in hopes for a response to his proposition. "There are gems in the mountain that I too desire. White gems of pure starlight. I offer you my help...I will let you go, if you but return what is mine.”

Thorin turned slowly, then walked away. "A favor for a favor."

“You have my word." Thranduil promised. "One king to another.”

Thorin stopped. Still facing away from Thranduil, he spoke, his voice raising with every word.
“I would not trust Thranduil, the great king, to honor his word should the end of all days be upon us!” At this point, Thorin was shouting. “You lack all honor! I’ve seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help, but you turned your back. You turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us! Imrid amrad ursul! (Die a death of flames!)"

Thranduil's eyes widened, and he moved forward, bending down slightly so that his face was level with Thorin's.
“Do not talk to me of dragon fire. I know its wrath and ruin. I have faced the great serpents of the north!” As he spoke, his face contorted, revealing horrible scars and burns on one half of his face. One eye was milky in color, indicating that he may have been blind from it. After this, he pulled away, his face returning to the illusion of normality.
“I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen. You are just like him.”

Thranduil motioned for the guards, and they grabbed Thorin roughly by each shoulder. “Stay here if you will, and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf. I am patient. I can wait.”

[AngelBites15]

Funny it may seem, but Saeril wasn't expecting this sudden outburst to come from the leader of the company. When Thorin began to speak in Khuzdul, she understood his every word, and this wasn't pleasing for the king nor to her. The illusion wasn't what frightened Saeril, in fact, the illusion only struck her with pain for the ElvenKing.

"Wait a minute..wait! I only wish to speak with you, my lord!", she protested quickly as soon as her arms were taken by the guards. "About this treasure you so-called speak of", she said.

[kiiblade]

Thorin was thrown into a cell, three down from Kili's.
“Did he offer you a deal?” The chances were slim, but Balin remained hopeful.
“He did." Thorin's voice was low, his tone icy. "I told him he could go ‘Ish kakhfê ai’d dur rugnu!’ (I spit upon your grave!) - him and all his kin!”
Balin sighed in frustration. “Well...that’s it, then. Unless Saeril can speak sense into him. A deal was our only hope.”

Thranduil looked to Saeril, his stare penetrating. "Is that so? I have heard of you...it is unusual, this change of events. Have you grown fond of such a despicable race?" The blond elf returned to his throne, then motioned the guards to release her so that she may move freely. "The treasure is all I seek. Should you have information regarding it...you would be well rewarded."

[AngelBites15]

"It's because I am of your race. I was once a pure elf maiden, until I was corrupted with a sickness of the mind. The sickening spell caused such destruction of our race, it wasn't intended. This darkness isn't a part of me; you know my parents. Or you once did", Saeril had to explain in her original soft, pure voice that she once had before the manifestation. "I know what you seek in that mountain. White gems of pure starlight; they once belonged to a woman here; a woman I once knew, before her cold-blooded demise", she explained in emotion of shame and pain of the death of his so-called wife.

"That forest has been another half of me, and I know how it feels", the she-elf softly said to the king before making a few steps forward, but didn't move any closer to him. "I won't speak of her again, if that is what you prefer, I will take your word for it", her hands were then crossing over each other in front of her, showing that she meant no disrespect. "I can retrieve them", she spoke up suddenly. "The gems of Lasgalen".

[kiiblade]

Thranduil listened carefully, his emotions remained masked until Saeril referred to his once-wife. A mixture of grief and anger shown within his eerily blue eyes, but he remained in his place and allowed Saeril to speak. "Leave us," he instructed the guards abruptly, and they turned to leave without protest.

After a long pause, Thranduil rose to his impressive height, then moved down the carved stairway to face Saeril. "If what you say is true...then you understand the importance of the treasure." For a moment, he seemed grieved. Far away. The elven king turned from her, his eyes locked to the throne that deserved a queen. The loss of his wife was a wound that would never heal.

"Tell me...what would you have me give you in return?" Thranduil looked to Saeril now, his eyes searching her features to see if she was truthful in her words.

[AngelBites15]

"Those gems are precious to you, my lord", Saeril softly told him. "If you could do nothing to get them, at least have someone who cares about the woman you loved, retrieve it for you. It's in my intuition for you to not feel pain, and for me to do this, I want to relieve that pain", her face was already getting a little emotional, but no tears shed, and only her mouth was slightly giving a small sad smile. "For you and your family", she added.

She gave a sigh. "What I want, my lord, is for you to not let others around you, fall. Your son wouldn't want that; even if he chooses to become the next in line, he wouldn't let your kingdom fall like everyone else", the she-elf was thinking of the Durin family while she explained her desire to him with her yellow-green eyes coming back to view.

"My lord, the dwarves. They're gone", a Silvan told his king after he ran up the stairs. Saeril was relieved that they managed to escape, but had to get the king's consent in order to leave herself. "I must go, your majesty. I must catch up, if I am to reclaim your prize", she explained to the ElvenKing, so she could get his permission to leave.

[kiiblade]

"Your only wish is to see my kingdom prevail..." Thranduil repeated this slowly, as if he could not quite grasp the fact that this was the only payment the she-elf would seek. The gems meant more to him than any treasure; had Saeril wished to, she could have demanded a hefty sum for her trouble.

"It is apparent that you were loyal to her...and for that, I will be loyal to you." Thranduil never broke eye contact; he meant what he said. "I have no intention of allowing my kingdom to succumb as the others have. Should the day come when my son needs to take over, he will be ready. As for you...if you recover the gems for me, you will be handsomely rewarded and given a place here within our lands, should you desire it."

A guard showed up then, and Thranduil frowned at the news. The cells were built to hold the strongest of prisoners; escaping could not have been possible without a set of keys. "Do what you must," he gave Saeril the permission to leave, hope returning to him, even if just a little. Having the gems back meant more than any sum of gold.

Thanks to the Ring, Bilbo managed to sneak past the guards undetected. Finding Thorin and the others wasn't difficult; they were creating enough ruckus to be heard from The Shire itself. Once he'd unlocked the doors to every cell, Bilbo lead them down to the wine cellar. A few elves were sound asleep around a table, several empty bottles of wine in front of them.

“This way.” Bilbo waved them along, and Kili was soon to protest.
“I don’t believe it; we’re in the cellars!”
At that, the company started objecting in hushed whispers.
Bofur nearly tripped on the stairway. “You were supposed to be leading us out, not further in!”
"I know what I am doing!" Bilbo silenced them, and Kili looked around with hope that he and Fili's godmother had returned. "What about Saeril?"

"She is not being held prisoner," Bilbo reassured the youngest, for he had been present in the throne room just briefly. "With some luck, she will follow right after us...now, get into the barrels. All of you."

"With some luck?" Kili repeated, aghast. "What if she can't?"

A few of the elves started to stir, and Thorin gave Kili a push to get moving. "There is no time! Do as he says!"

Each dwarf got into a barrel, and Bilbo walked along the row, making a quick headcount to ensure no dwarf had been left behind.
"Hold your breath," he took hold of a nearby lever.
"For what reason?" Kili barely finished the sentence when the floor suddenly opened at a slant. The tilt was enough for the barrels to begin rolling downwards, only to fall at an alarming distance into the raging waters below. Several dwarves shouted and cried out in surprise, and this was enough to wake the guards.

Bilbo remained optimistic until he realized that the floor once again closed itself, leaving him trapped.

"Where is the keeper of the keys?" As soon as she was alerted, Tauriel arrived on the scene. Swiftly, she made her way down the stairs, just in time to see Bilbo slip backwards, then out of the room. The company had escaped.

[AngelBites15]

Saeril had confidence back to her once she heard the ElvenKing accept her deal with him. She remembered the ElvenQueen briefly, but only a few glimpses of her were ever present on the Elven prince when she and the others were captured. "All I remember, my lord, was that she was beautiful", she fondly said as soon as she looked at the empty throne chair next to the king's own. Hearing his own offer, she gave an exhaling sigh, closing her eyes for a second with her head moving to the side. "I would be grateful, my lord. Really, I would", the she-elf honestly thanked him. "But I have family out there, and I assure you that gold means nothing to me", Saeril honestly wasn't at all phased with the concept of having money. That was just how her race lived: they relied more on belief, wisdom, knowledge, and the resources of nature. She was used to not fall to the sins of greed.

As soon as she was allowed to be excused, she made her quick, elegant bow before him, and made her exit from the throneroom, leaving through the gateway, and taking flight. All that looked at her back, was Legolas' cold piercing eyes. "Close the gate", he told a Silvan elf before the horn was blown. The company was floating across the water in their barrels until they reach the waterfall, sending them downstream with Saeril flying above them. At this height, she could see the Elven guards ahead at the gate, at the same time where she heard the Elven horn, which acted like a signal to shut the dwarves' only way out.

[kiiblade]

For a time, their escape seemed flawless. The current was strong and they were moving at a good pace. Unfortunately, that was not to last.
The dwarves all crashed into the closed gate, one by one their barrels built up into a small traffic jam of sorts. Thorin cursed their misfortune, making an effort to open the doors himself. “No!”

A few of the elven guards drew their swords, but one was suddenly shot in the back with a black arrow. Several growling orcs swarmed over the guard post, killing the elves nearest to them. Multitudes of orcs ran in from the bushes, Bolg among them. With a nasty sneer, he looked to his army. “Gorid! Zib! Goridug! (Slay them all!)"

Two orcs shot at Saeril, and the rest went for the company. Bilbo managed to kill one orc with Sting, and Dwalin elbowed another in the face.
Amidst the chaos, Kili looked up and saw the lever the guard had pulled earlier. This may have been their only chance.
Quickly, he scrambled to get out of his barrel and ran up the stairs towards the lever. Without a weapon, he could only duck as a sword was swung at him.

Dwalin knew this would not play out well. Using strength alone, he managed to rip a sword away from one of the orcs and tossed it to Thorin's nephew. “Kili!”
Kili caught the weapon and spun to pierce the orc as another leaped up from behind him, raising its spear to stab him.
Several yards away, Bolg had Kili in his sights. Without hesitation, he took aim with his bow. Just as the youngest Durin reached for the lever, Bolg fired an arrow and hit Kili in the leg.

Kili froze in place, his eyes wide in shock. Though he had grown up learning archery, he'd never been hit with an arrow before. The pain was incredible, and he nearly fell over from the force of it. Groaning, he strained to pull the lever, but could not make it and collapsed to the ground. Without mercy, Bolg nocked another arrow to put the youngest out of his misery.

[AngelBites15]

"Get under the bridge!", Saeril shouted to her friends from above, just before the Orcs managed to get to them. Above the bridge, the she-elf swung a mighty finger cuff at the fired arrows at her being, breaking them just before she could allow them to hit her. This angered her, and she suddenly collided into an orc on top of the bridge, stabbing it with her dagger, her strength knocking him away. She clawed at another in the face that was approaching her, and tumbled him into the water, just near the dwarves under the bridge.

Flying at another, she gave a kick before ducking from a thrown hatchet. Right after the she-elf did this said-action, she just noticed a Morgul shaft being aimed at Kili, who appears to be trying to reach for the lever. Knowing that his life was at stake, she used her whole body, and gave a mighty push to Bolg, unfortunately, not stopping the arrow from being released. "Kili!", the eldest brother shouted, obviously terrified. Saeril froze in place once she was at full height, and she never felt such fire boil up in her heart, and she has never figured that it would come to light. "Delva!", the blonde once again shouted, which became a snapping gesture of Bolg aiming another arrow at him. The fire inside was at its reaching point, and taking her curved blade in hand, she gave a shout that was mixed with anger and frustration, and threw the weapon at the second arrow, snapping it in half.

Before registering what made his weapon break, Saeril was suddenly on him; her wings flapped widely, scratching, and screeching, even biting him once. Such rage was evident, and his black life-essence painted her red lips, staining her once-beautiful Elven facials. Panting, she let go of him, moving herself away from the wounded Orc. It wasn't over, and an arrow whizzed over her head, and shot a nearby Orc. Legolas and Tauriel finally arrived on the scene, shooting and fending off the obscene creatures.

[kiiblade]

Hearing his eldest nephew cry out for his brother, Thorin's heart sank deep within his chest. "Kili," he breathed, concern written all over his face. How badly had he been hit? From where he was, he could not see, nor could he move. Thorin was stuck at the gate, and their enemy was advancing upon them. "Dwalin! Where is he?!"

Dwalin did what he could to move himself, but he was still confined to the barrel. "I can't see him!" It was then that the company witnessed Saeril fly in, and she made quick work of the pale orc's vile son.
Saeril's interference bought them all extra time, especially Kili. Despite the pain in his leg, Kili managed to push himself up a second time. Teeth grit, he clasped both hands to the lever and pulled with as much strength as he could muster. To his relief, the gate gave way, and he fell once more, the company now able to advance through.

Tauriel ran in alongside Legolas, then changed direction in order to cut down the orcs in her path. By now, they'd managed to take out around half of them, but more and more came. "Look out!" She shot at an orc that had an arrow pointed towards Saeril, and then she moved to assist Legolas with clearing out the rest. Their aim was true, though they were badly outnumbered.

[AngelBites15]

Saeril thanked the she-elf before sheathing her daggers, and flying herself towards her fallen godson. She didn't bother to wipe off the Orc's blood from her face. All she could think about was getting Kili and the others to safety. Landing near him, the she-elf helped him maneuver to the edge of the bridge so he could get back in his barrel. "Bite this", she gave him a parchment of her cloak to bite on, so she could remove the arrow for him. "Kili!", the blonde brother called him once again, obviously scared and concerned for his little brother.

The she-elf waited for Kili to be ready, and quickly but swiftly removed the shaft from his leg, already feeling bad for herself to not be able to stop the arrow in time. She now knew what her godson's guilt was like when she got hurt. Carefully moving him, she helped him jump down into his barrel. His wound couldn't be repaired now, not until they had the proper tools. All she could do was watch the barrels travel into the rapids, before following, just after realizing that they were being advanced upon by the Orcs.

[kiiblade]

Kili's face was etched with pain, and he looked to his godmother helplessly as she lead him towards the edge. "You're hurt," he protested, unable to tell that the blood on her face was black, a telltale sign of orc blood. Wincing, he bit down onto the fabric as firmly as he could, suppressing a scream from the removal of the shaft. The arrow came out in one piece, and for that he was fortunate.
Once Kili got to his barrel, he sank down to the bottom, eyes squeezed shut. This was going to make the rest of the journey very, very difficult. Much of their travel had been on foot.

The river raged rampant, and the waters swirled around them. The barrels were headed towards a waterfall, and Bilbo clung to Nori's barrel for dear life, drenched clean through with water. Orcs pursued them on either side of the river, and the company worked to fight them off as best they could.

Using a sword he'd taken from an orc, Thorin tossed it to Bofur who tossed it to Dwalin. Together, they killed one orc, and then Dwalin used his axe to split the log crossing over them. All the while, Tauriel ran to keep up, shooting and cutting down any orc in their path.

[AngelBites15]

Legolas moved quickly down the side of the river as the Prcs continued to follow their intended targets. Jumping and dodging attacks, he landed with a light foot atop the dwarves to get across the river on both sides. Shooting arrows here and there, he moved swiftly, along with Saeril who attacked from the air, and remarkably stayed close with the dwarves in their barrels down the river. Knowing that his little brother was hurt, Fili had to do most of the fending for him. Not that he minded, but he had to keep Kili protected like he always did.

Stunts and feats were performed to defend themselves against these creatures, and the fight went down the open waters where the dwarves could peacefully drift away, with Saeril following. Legolas almost got himself hit by an Orc when one of the dwarves striked it first before it could make its move. The elf Prince watched the barrels drift down the Rapids, but again, didn't see second attacker.

[kiiblade]

An arrow made its way for the elven prince, but the weapon was deflected in the air by Tauriel’s own arrow. Moving quickly, Tauriel attacked the orc and forced the monster to its knees, seconds away from decapitating it with her knife.

After what felt a lifetime, the current calmed, and the dwarves were brought to calmer, steadier waters. Thorin used his hands to paddle, and he cast a glance towards Balin. “Anything behind us?”
Balin checked, his beard dripping with water. “Not that I can see.”
Bofur gave a sigh of relief. “I think we’ve outrun the orcs.”
“Not for long; we’ve lost the current.” Thorin inwardly cursed their misfortune. “Make for the shore! Come on, let’s go!”

The shore consisted of mainly rock. The company arrived and exited each barrel, some coughing and others uttering their varying concerns. Each member was soaked clean through to their skin, and the temperature seemed to have dropped considerably.
Kili managed to climb out of his barrel, though he didn't get far. After a few steps, he fell to knees in pain from the wound in his leg. Blood covered the area, and Kili started to wince as he moved himself to sit. Once seated, he caught notice of Bofur looking to him with concern.
Embarrassed, Kili was quick to deny anything was wrong. "I’m fine, it’s nothing," he mumbled hastily, then fixed his pant leg so that the damage might be hidden. Above all, he feared being a burden, and that was what he would become if not careful.

Thorin was relieved to find his nephew still in one piece, though he could not risk fretting over him now. Without weapons, they were an easy target. “On your feet," he commanded the group, his steely gaze on the river. The orcs would come soon, and if they did not, the elves would.

[AngelBites15]

"Tauriel, dartho!", Legolas managed to stop her before she could go any further. "This one we keep alive", he told her in the Silvan tongue, knowing that they must know why Orcs had to attack their borders, and why they were after the dwarves.

Saeril was helping the dwarves get out of their barrels until she herself managed to step onto dry land, her wings folding behind her back and miraculously turning into her black cloak, as it drapes over her catsuit. She heard groaning from ahead of her, and noticed Kili still in pain from the arrow shot, and his wound looks to be beyond healing. Managing to reach him, she kneeled at his side and hurriedly tore a piece of her black cloak, using it to tame the huge bleeding cut. She wiped the black blood off her lips, although some specks remained on some parts of her face.

"Shh...", she softly told her godson as she put a little bit of pressure to stop the bleeding. "Let me", the she-elf said to him. "I promised Dis I would protect you and your brother. Now, I made a huge mistake", she added before putting a little more pressure. "I'm sorry", she apologized, both if it was giving him too much pain, and of not being able to try harder.

Saeril had to admit that Thorin was pushing them now, telling them to get on their feet as soon as they could relax. "Kili's wounded!", the eldest heir protested once he appeared at his little brother's side. "His leg needs binding", Saeril gave him the remaining strands of the rag, and allowed him to tie it off. All she could do right now was give the youngest comfort and sincerity by holding his hand to help him work through the pain.

[kiiblade]

With a low growl, Tauriel released the orc to Legolas. "Very well," she sheathed her dagger, her eyes landing towards the lake. A small part of her couldn't help but pity the company, but she did not voice these thoughts aloud. Legolas may not have understood.

Kili looked up to his godmother, relieved that she had made it unharmed. "It isn't your fault," he promised weakly, so akin to how Saeril hadn't allowed Kili to take the blame. "If you hadn't come, I wouldn't be here."
As pressure was applied to the area, Kili grit his teeth, but he refused to cry out. Once the worse was over, he exhaled shakily. "It looks worse than it is," he mumbled quietly, then worked to tie off the makeshift bandage.

Thorin paced, then turned back to them. “There’s an orc pack on our tail; we keep moving.”
Balin worried for Kili, but he understood Thorin's haste. “To where?”
Bilbo was troubled too, though he'd been quiet until now. “To the mountain; we’re so close.”
“A lake lies between us and that mountain." Balin shook his head. "We have no way to cross it.”
Bilbo wouldn't give up. “So then we go around.”
Dwalin cursed lowly and turned one of the barrels over with his foot. “The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves.”

Thorin passed Kili and Saeril before looking to Fili. “You have two minutes.”

[AngelBites15]

As Ori was getting rid of the water in his boots, a bowman came up from behind, and was ready to shoot. As he does so, Dwalin intervenes and the arrow hits the piece of wood in his hand. Another was shot, but was miraculously shattered by the she-elf's sharp finger cuff. "Do it again and you’re dead", the mystery figure warned them as he continued to point his arrow at them.