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

[kiiblade]

Saeril's lack of reply only fueled Kili's inner worries. Was she avoiding his question because she did not know the answer, or was she avoiding telling him the truth because she did know? Brows knit, he watched her, though his troubled expression seemed to relax a little when she'd kissed his forehead.
As the she-elf lead the way towards the boat, Kili followed closely, unable to make eye contact with the people of Laketown. Right now, he felt ashamed, but he also had hope that his uncle could somehow make this right.

Now to the boat, Kili climbed aboard, then offered his godmother a hand. The man from earlier boarded as well, and Kili's mouth dropped in protest. Surely he wasn't coming...was he?

"You alright there, lad?" Bofur had seen what had happened earlier. Seeing Thorin's nephews threatened was not a sight he liked; they were were being held responsible for something they'd taken no part in. "Oh, this is Cenrid," he nodded towards their newest member. "Least...that's what I thought he said his name was."

"You heard correctly." Cenrid looked to Kili briefly, then moved aside so that the others might board. Evening would soon be upon them, and they had a long way to go.

Kili wasn't sure how to feel about Cenrid joining them. He hadn't much experience in dealing with humans, and the experience he did have, he did not like it. Humans seemed to look down upon them, just as the elves did. Not Saeril, though.

Without a word, Kili sat down next to his godmother, thankful for the chance to rest a bit. The boat moved along, and all was quiet, leaving the youngest deep in thought. In times such as these, he missed his mother, and he missed their home in Ered Luin. The journey had taken a dark turn, and he wondered if he would ever be able to fulfill his promise to her.
Carefully, Kili removed the runestone from his pocket and turned the smooth stone over a few times, then handed it to his godmother so that she might see the engraving.
"I promised Mum that I would come back to her, once the journey is done," he explained, voice low so that the conversation would only be between them. "It's very important to me...and I want you to have this."

[AngelBites15]

Saeril boarded the boat with the help of Kili, and she took notice upon Fili helping push the watercraft away from shore with the oar. She even looked upon the stranger, whose name was now called "Cenrid". A typical name for a typical human, and for one, she wasn't sure about this human's prescence near her and the others. All she felt was an uneasy, nagging feeling, as if he was up to no good, and she didn't like it.

Allowing the youngest to lean against her, she allowed a cloaked arm to cover him like a blanket, as well as allowing her hand to stroke the side of her head. Taking notice upon Kili showing her his runestone, she hesitated to take it. "Kili...I can't", the she-elf looked away, closing her eyes in shame, again.

[kiiblade]

Confused, Kili sat up a bit straighter. Why would she not accept his gift?
"But I want you to have it," this time, he was more insistent, and he placed the runestone to her palm, closing her fingers around it with his hand. "You deserve it...you've done so much for me, for Fili...for all of us."

Cenrid pretended not to notice this exchange, but he did. Inwardly, he had plans of his own, but now was not the time. To avoid suspicion, he helped Fili row their boat, quiet and calculating.

[AngelBites15]

Kili wasn't the only one confused; she was, as well. Saeril flinched a little once she felt the youngest take her hand, and place the stone there. As much as she wanted to keep him close, the she-elf was scared for his well-being. What if he hurts him? Due to her "episodes", she just knows that the darkness will take over at any time. The real question was: how would he feel if he learned about the things she did? In reality, she knew that she was dangerous, and her crimes made her a monster. How could he and his brother ever love a monster?

Mentally, Saeril thought that she and Kili went over this; that he wasn't afraid of her in any way. But this was so much more that than what he emphasized. Opening her palm to see the stone, the she-elf sniffed at his insistence; proof of his love and devotion. Despite her warning of telling him to stay away, and be reluctant towards his intimacy, she couldn't deny the gift, or him, for that matter. Nodding, the she-elf hugged him, keeping him close, and on the verge to shed tears of happiness.

[kiiblade]

For a brief moment in time, Kili feared Saeril would not accept his gift. To his relief, she did accept, and he smiled for the first time in a long while. The runestone meant the world to Kili, and so did his Delva. In his eyes, there could have been no other more worthy nor deserving to have this gift given to them.

Affectionate as he often was, Kili returned the hug, feeling the smallest bit of hope again. Perhaps things would turn out okay. "Thank you for everything you've done," he told her through the embrace. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here...you've saved my life more than once."

[AngelBites15]

The she-elf held the runestone in her hand the whole time she embraced him. Elves were not known to cry, but Saeril did feel her eyes water in joy. Maybe he broke a barrier within her heart that held the strongest of emotions that her kind were not prone to express. This made Kili the first to even do so. Stroking the back of his head, she felt her earlier anger die down, but not completely. Thorin was to blame for putting his heirs' lives at risk. She will hold onto her promise to talk to him; for Kili and for Fili.

On the bright side, they were almost in Erebor, the strong household of Durin's folk, and the group walked the desolated plains to the Lonely Moutain. It was much larger up close than it was far away, and the ashy ruins left by the dragon were the first to spot: golden walls turned to ash.

[kiiblade]

As promised, Cenrid lead the group to the mountain, and he'd given them each a weapon from a makeshift camp of sorts. Apparently the man had been anticipating the arrival of Thorin, for he had been staked out some time beforehand.

Thankfully, their weapons were not needed. There wasn't a soul in sight.
The closer Kili got to the mountain, the more amazed he felt to see it up close. This had always been his dream, and now it was real. Seeing the destruction left by Smaug filled him with dread; what if Thorin and the rest of the company had been killed?

"I don't see anyone," Kili's voice was low, his expression troubled. They should have seen someone by now.
"Maybe there is no one to see." Cenrid answered, hand near the hilt of his sword. "If you'd rather...I can go ahead to make sure..."

Disturbed by the suggestion, Kili stopped in his tracks. "What are you saying?"

Cenrid stopped, looking to the youngest with skepticism. "You saw what the beast did to the town...do you really think he left any survivors?" With a low scoff, he glanced towards Saeril. "Surely you are not that naive."

Without warning, Kili shoved past him and ran towards the place that should have been their home. Cenrid had to have been wrong. Thorin couldn't be dead.

[AngelBites15]

Saeril looked around the now desolated mountain as soon as they entered the almost-destroyed front gate. Like everyone, she wondered, and became worried about the aftermath to wake up such a beast. It was quiet here, a little too quiet; only tiny pebbles rolling at their feet. Silent stepping came from the she-elf, one wouldn't even know she was there.

However, the only thing she heard was the interaction between Cenrid and her godson; not to mention that Fili was watching and listening. There was a non-trusting aura between Man and Dwarf, and it made him and his godmother a little cautious about his intentions. For him to even glance at Saeril, she was already being induced with hostility towards their guide, having no trust in Cenrid, whatsoever. For him to even treat Kili with such disrespect, they had the right to not like him. To see the youngest dash by them, all of them were quick to follow. "Kili!", his brother called as he ran after him, along with Cenrid, Saeril, Bofur, and Oin.

Hearing his companions enter the mountain, Bilbo had to stop and warn them. Ever since they entered, Thorin has been acting strange lately: avoiding his kin, spending his time in the treasure room, even avoid sleeping and eating.
"Wait! Wait!", the Hobbit's voice echoed through the mountain. He was coming towards them, almost out of breath. "Stop! Stop! Stop!", his fading breathing level made his voice come into a harsh whisper. "We need to leave. We all need to leave", he simply told them, almost as if in a panic.

[kiiblade]

"Bilbo!" Kili was never more relieved to see their burglar. With a grin, he squeezed Bilbo's shoulder fondly, hardly paying attention to his words as he looked past him. "Leave? But we just got here! Where are the others?"

Bilbo shook his head, adamant against the idea of them staying. “No! You don't understand. I have tried talking to him, but he won’t listen.”

Oin could see that Bilbo was even more frazzled than usual. “What do you mean, laddie?”

Bilbo gave an exasperated sigh. “THORIN. Thorin. Thorin. He’s been out there for days. He doesn’t sleep. He barely eats. He’s not been himself - not at all. It’s this - it’s this place. I think a sickness lies on it.”

Cenrid scoffed lowly, and Kili looked to the hobbit with worry, then to his godmother as if she needed to confirm the fact. “Sickness? What kind of sickness?”

[AngelBites15]

Sickness?, this was the only word that made Saeril think of one thing: dragon sickness; gold lust. This was bad, and she only hoped that this wasn't what Bilbo was referring to. As the Hobbit went on, nobody noticed Fili looking over his shoulder, but the she-elf was quick to notice him running away, down the stairs. "Fili, wait!", she called to him, already dreading what he will be witnessing from their king, and her friend.

Going down the stone, spiral staircase, Fili gazed in astonishment at what was before him: mountains and mountains of golden treasure all over the room, covering the floor, and up to the stairs. Gaping at the great load, Fili did not move from his spot when he got there. The tales were true...

Following Fili to the treasure hoard at the top of the stairwell, all the she-elf could do was gaze in shock at the mountain's enormous wealth. "The great treasure of Durin", she breathed out.

[kiiblade]

Kili was quick to follow his brother, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the impressive display of gold. The sight surpassed any story he'd ever been told, even he with his imagination could not have conjured such an impressive, lavish image.
"This is it...the treasure from the stories." With a quiet laugh of disbelief, he started down the stairway so that he might have a better view of the gold and gemstones strewn about the ground.

Suddenly, Thorin entered the chamber. The king was dressed in ornate robes and covered in jewelry, his stride slow as he moved from a doorway. Thorin began speaking softly, apparently to himself. He appeared strange, almost possessed, and then he lifted his gaze to meet that of his nephew's.
“Gold. Gold beyond measure. Beyond sorrow and grief. Behold - the great treasure hoard of Thror.” Without warning, he tossed a jewel in a deep red color to his eldest nephew.
“Welcome, my sister’s sons, to the kingdom of Erebor!”

The rest of the company emerged from a nearby room. They seemed troubled at first, but they broke into smiles when they saw that Kili and the others had survived. Kili dashed off to meet them, and Cenrid hung back, his eyes locked on the youngest, a plan forming in his mind.
"I will return later to take the gold promised to me," the man explained to Saeril, purposely staying out of view so that Thorin would not see him. "You would do well to remind the king that the people of Laketown blame him...war will soon be upon us if he is not careful."

[AngelBites15]

Fili indeed caught the jewel that was thrown to him; but Saeril, on the other hand, felt a little uneasy about Thorin's new appearance. It was unlike him to dress in such garb, and worse yet, speak of gold, as if it was a lifeline. The eldest brother looked to Kili, already feeling worried about this, before looking to their godmother. Something was terribly wrong...

The she-elf heard Cenrid's warning, and she looked at Kili, who was already happy to see the rest of his kin alive and well. But her happiness for her godson wasn't to last when she saw Thorin nearby in the distance. Concern among her beautiful features, she approached the nonchalant King. "Thorin..?", she softly called to him to get his attention. Saeril remembered her promise to Kili, and this time, she will make it happen.

[kiiblade]

Kili couldn't help but wonder why Thorin didn't seem happy to see him. The youngest was overjoyed to find his kin alive and well, but Thorin hardly seemed phased by his being there. If not for Saeril, he would have died from infection. Didn't Thorin realize how close he'd been to losing him?
Despite his doubts, he resumed his usual role and masked any fears he had with a smile. Things would be alright, wouldn't they?

Thorin looked towards Saeril, almost sluggishly as if he hadn't quite heard her. Bilbo watched from a distance, his brows knit with concern. There was something terribly wrong with the king.

"What is it?" Thorin's attention was on her, but only briefly. He took notice that the others were, in his opinion, idle. "Look at them...they act as if they do not realize what is at stake," he mumbled, voice low before he turned back to face the she-elf. "We've yet to find the Arkenstone...I cannot rule without it."

[AngelBites15]

Saeril listened to Thorin's observation of his kin; it sounded...doubtful. As far as she knew, the dwarven King would not do such a thing. Not to mention that he sounded cold in his voice tone; no hint of warmth there at all. "That's because they're happy to be safe...my king", she quickly added, promptly trying to be respectful in their home. She's not backing down yet, however. "Of course, the stone. The king's jewel", she looked to Kili, keeping an eye on him.

"But, Thorin, you almost lost your only heirs out there. In Dragonfire", she began to remind him. "Lives were lost; homes were destroyed. Land desolated", it was almost a plead for him to realize his actions, but she kept it soft.

[kiiblade]

As Kili caught up with the others, he took notice that Saeril was speaking to Thorin. This gave him some hope: there were few that could speak sense into Thorin once his mind was made up, but Dis could. Saeril was like her in many ways, perhaps she could get him to see sense.

Thorin looked to his nephews, silent as Saeril reminded him of the destruction. "I couldn't have known," he responded briskly, automatically defensive when her words reached his unhinged mind. "We did our best to stop the dragon..." Brows furrowed, he looked back to her in an attempt to read her expression. "You don't seem to understand that I am doing this for them...have you come to blame me for the destruction?"

[AngelBites15]

Saeril had the feeling of disbelief at his response. How could he have not known? He left them in Lakedown...in fear of his youngest nephew slowing them down!? If there was anything he could have done, Thorin should have listened to Bard, to begin with. The bargeman knew of the town's upcoming fate, and Thorin insisted to continue and wake the dragon.

The defense coming from the king made the she-elf stiffen. Lies. Lies!, she's thinking to herself. Exhaling with her eyes closed, Saeril kept these thoughts locked. "My king, if I were to speak my mind, yes", she had to say it. "Warnings were made, Oakenshield. Did you not hear them?", she needed to ask.

[kiiblade]

"I was well aware of the risks involved." Thorin spat, angered that Saeril should dare to speak her mind. Aside from Dwalin, no one had dared attempt to speak sense into him, and the gold sickness was taking an ugly toll.

"They were risks I had to take, and would take again. I would not expect you to understand." The words turned somewhat bitter, and then his steely gaze landed towards the others. "We have reclaimed the mountain, but our quest is far from over. The Arkenstone must be found. Dwalin, take Ori, Bifur, and Bombur. The rest of you, search the rooms connecting to this one. It's here...I can sense it."
Now that the orders were given, Thorin looked back to her, his expression void of emotion. "You have fulfilled your promise...Fili and Kili have arrived safely. Should you wish to stay, I will not stop you...but there will be no further talk about Laketown, or the blasted dragon...is that clear?"

[AngelBites15]

The she-elf extrovertedly showed no emotion, once she listened to the Dwarven King instructed her to not speak of the subject in his presence. He didn't want to be corrected, and he wasn't concerned by her words of reason. If she chooses to leave? "I'm afraid, my king, that I haven't fulfilled anything yet", wasn't he aware that she was tied to the lives of his sister-sons, to the death? She can't leave them at all. Safe?, they were beyond safe. The hunters were out there, a darker force is brewing, and their uncle wasn't himself; they were far from it. Saeril couldn't argue any further, so she only made a wordless stare, and walked away. "As you wish", she confirmed.

Walking away, the she-elf made her path towards the armory. Not looking for anything in particular, but she figured that the brothers would be ordered around by Thorin by now. By holding Kili's runestone, she kept to her promise. But if things got worse, Saeril needed to tell them to stay away from their uncle for the time-being. Unraveling her wings from her cloak, the she-elf flew to the stone ceiling, and digged her clawed finger-cuffs into the rock, crouching while hanging upside down. From there, she would be able to think to herself.

[kiiblade]

Kili wasn't often partial to taking orders, but he knew better than to argue when his uncle was so obviously stressed. Uncertain what the Arkenstone looked like, he pretended to search around as instructed, though his mind was far from the opaque gemstone.
"Do you think he's unwell?" Once Thorin was out of earshot, he looked towards Fili for his opinion. "Delva was speaking with him...he seemed angry...do you think they had a disagreement?" This was troubling. Kili hated to see anyone in the company at odds, especially those closest to him.
"And how are we supposed to know what the Arkenstone looks like?" Before Fili might respond, Kili had even more questions. Honestly, all he wished to do right now was sleep, and perhaps eat and explore afterwards. Hunting inside of a treasure hoard wasn't as fun as he may have once envisioned it to be.
"I've never seen so much gold in my life..."

Bilbo was a few feet away from them, occasionally glancing at the others while attempting to plan what his next course of action should be. Talking with Thorin wasn't helping, and he couldn't help but fear that the Arkenstone may worsen his condition rather than improve it. Unbeknownst to the company, he had exactly what they were hunting for, but he couldn't bring himself to surrender the stone. The action may have done more harm than good.

[AngelBites15]

Fili was trying not to let his exhaustion show, but his feet were beginning to ache, while trying to wade through the collosal piles of gold and jewels. It was becoming harder and harder the further he and his brother went. One wrong step could bring an entire mound raining down, and their search would have to be halted, or become slower. No doubt that their uncle was beginning to lose his patience as every minute passed. They had been looking for so long that he knew that his baby brother could collapse at any minute. The last thing they needed was to have Delva in the room. Not that he didn't want her to, but he didn't want their godmother to get further in her silent anger towards Thorin.

Once out of the eyesight of their seemingly disturbed uncle, Fili took the opportunity to pause in their search. If he caught them resting, he would certainly put them back to it. He sat upon the endless pile of their family's wealth, exhausted. Hearing Kili's question, the blonde sighed sadly. "I don't know", he said, almost miserably. Honestly, he didn't know what to do; being close to Thorin, he couldn't dissapoint or disobey, but when it comes to Kili's sake, some measures needed to be overrun. Fili's loyalty has now split; he admired their Delva deeply, maybe not as deeply as his brother, but enough to fully trust her. Thorin, on the other hand, was his uncle, and current predessecor. Becoming king would be underway, and their uncle entrusts that his heirs would follow his every word, but in this circumstance, it has put Fili and Kili in the middle of chain that could only get so far. Tied between Saeril and Thorin, the brothers were in the middle of tug-of-war.

"Remember the stories, Ki'? There was only one Arkenstone; a large white gem that shined the brightest of lights. It's really impossible to miss", the eldest reminded him. Maybe this'll help. "As luminous as Delva's eyes", he added as an afterthought. Speaking of their godmother, where was she?