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‘Breathe in and out’ Y/n chanted to herself. ‘In and out.’ Her breath was shaky as she looked out at the immense army before her. Their armor sparkled in the sunlight like an immense ocean of steel. They were trained. They were soldiers. And they were moving closer to the mountain, slowly but surely. The girl glanced to either side of her. The dwarves were clad in the armor their ancestors had left behind. Y/n thought they looked noble, just as dwarves in battle should. They clasped their weapons with vigor, though a little apprehensively, and there was a glint of eagerness in their eyes that only desperate men held.

Y/n looked down at the sword in her hand. What was she doing? She couldn’t fight in a battle. She was not noble like the dwarves that stood by her side. And though she was desperate, she was not eager. Because the more she looked at the ocean of soldiers marching forward, the more she knew that no person that stood beside her now would be alive to see tomorrow.

The thought of her own mortality and the imminent suffering that approached swirled around her head. ‘I should go.’ Y/n thought. ‘I need to go.’ But to where? The reality of her situation paralyzed her. Each breath became shallower as she watched the army creep closer and closer.

Soon she could distinguish three men on high, clean horses from the blur of silver before her. They lead the army and as they rode closer she recognized them. The king of the elves, his son, and the appointed representative of Lake Town rode together towards the gate.

Thorin drew his bow and shot an arrow into the ground in front of them. The three men halted in surprise.

“I will put the next one between your eyes!” The king under the mountain shouted down.

The dwarves raised their steel and cheered. The elves behind the king raised their bows and Kili pulled Y/n to the ground as arrows rained down on the group. Y/n gasped. All she could hear was the deadly whistle of arrows and her own terrified heartbeat. She couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t she breathe? Thorin raised his hand above the blockade and the whistling stopped. The company regained their original stance.

“We’ve come to tell you, payment of your debt has been offered...and accepted.” Thranduil said.

“What payment? I gave you nothing! You have nothing!” Thorin shouted.

“We have this.” Bard held up the Arkenstone above his head for all to see. Visible shock appeared on Thorin’s face and he lowered his bow.

“They have the Arkenstone? Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the king!” Fili said.

“And the king may have it - in our good will. But first he must honor his word.” Bard replied.

Y/n stared at the stone as Bard put it back into the pocket of his robe. It was the most enchanting stone she had ever seen. It shimmered and shined as if it was made of pure moonlight. Her eyes drifted from Bard to Thranduil. He was as cool and composed as he was the last time she saw him. It was as if they were still at his dining table and not in the middle of, what she assumed to be, a negotiation. Legolas caught her attention. He was riding slightly behind his father, dressed in shining armor. He was staring at her.

‘She looks different.’ The elven prince thought. Large circles hung under her eyes and her hair was matted. She was wearing dwarven armor that didn’t fit her. She was out of place among the dwarven royalty and she was out of place in the middle of a war.

Y/n chewed her lip as she looked down at Legolas. What was she doing here? What was she doing here? She turned to Kili with fear in her eyes.

Kili looked back at her. He knew what she was trying to say. He’d seen that look before, on the faces of frantic men.

Legolas recognized the fear in Y/n’s eyes. He cursed the dwarves for dragging her into this. They should have left her with him. She had no place in this land of violence. Did they want her to be killed in a war she had no stakes in?

“ THE ARKENSTONE IS IN THIS MOUNTAIN! IT IS A TRICK! ” Thorin boomed. Y/n’s head whipped around and she stared at him with wide eyes.

Bilbo stepped forward meekly, nudging Y/n out of the way.

“It-It’s no trick. The stone is real. I gave it to them.” He said.

Sorrow flashed across Thorin’s face but it quickly transformed into white hot anger. Y/n inched back, visceral fear bubbling in her stomach.

“You…” Thorin hissed.

“I took it as my fourteenth share.”

“You would steal from me?”

“Steal from you? No. No. I may be a burglar, but I like to think I’m an honest one. I’m willing to let it stand against my claim.”

“Against your claim?! Your claim! You have no claim over me you miserable rat!” Thorin threw down his weapon and stocked towards the hobbit.

“I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to, but...”

“But what, thief?!” Thorin yelled.

“You are changed, Thorin! The dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word –would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!”

“Do not speak to me...of loyalty!” Thorin turned to the members of his group. “Throw him from the rampart!” He shouted.

The dwarves moved back slightly, shocked by their leader’s words. Bilbo looked about as scared as Y/n felt. The king under the mountain looked at the members of his company, shocked and angry that they did not obey him.

He grabbed Fili’s arm. “ DO YOU HEAR ME?! ” Fili shook his hand off with wide eyes.

“I will do it myself!” Thorin lunged forward and grabbed Bilbo as he shouted. " CURSE YOU!! ”

The company shouted as one and moved forward tugging at Thorin and trying to pull Bilbo back. “No!” Shouted Kili. Y/n screamed and clasped a hand over her mouth.

With a cry Thorin managed to hall Bilbo onto the side of the rampart, ready to push him off.

“ IF YOU DON’T LIKE MY BURGLAR…” A voice echoed out from down below and a tall man with a large hat and a walking stick emerged from the ranks of the elven army. “Then please don’t damage him. Return him to me! You’re not making a very splendid figure as king under the mountain, are you Thorin son of Thrain?”

Very slowly Thorin released Bilbo, keeping his attention on the man before him. Y/n and the company surged forward to help Bilbo up. Y/n took Bilbo’s forearm in both of her shaking hands and pulled him to his feet.

Something in had Y/n snapped. The illusions of safety within the castle’s walls had evaporated and, though it wasn’t safe beyond the walls either, they had to leave while they still could.

“Come on,” Y/n pulled at Bilbo. “We gotta go.” She felt Kili’s hand on her lower back as Bofur took Bilbo’s other arm. The two dwarves ushered them down the stairs.

“Go,” Bofur said. He pointed down the hallway and nodded his goodbye. Bofur took the stairs two at a time as he rushed back to his brothers in arms.

Y/n grabbed Kili’s hand, the other holding onto a still trembling Bilbo. “Come on,” She nodded her head in the direction Bofur pointed. “We gotta go. We can’t stay here.” Y/n’s voice was distraught. Kili had to come with them this was their only chance to leave, to survive. “Why aren’t you moving?”

The look on Kili’s face told her the answer.

“Kili you have to come! You have to!” She said with tears building in her eyes.

“Let’s go!” Bilbo pulled on Y/n’s hand urgently.

“Kili if you don’t come with us you’ll die! Please, oh my god, please come with us.” She screeched, tugging at the dwarf’s hand as hard as humanly possible. She was crying.

“I’m sorry. These are my kin. I have to stay.” Kili murmured. Sorrow was painted over his face. He pulled her close and kissed her hard. He pressed her wet face to his. “I’m so sorry.” Kili’s eyes were red with tears he had no energy to shed. “Go!” He said, letting her go and stepping back. “Go!”

“Please, you’re gonna die out there.” Y/n sobbed, praying that the feeling in her gut was wrong. “Please, Kili, Please!”

“Y/n!” Bilbo pleaded, yanking at her.

Y/n felt herself being pulled away. She turned with tears streaming down her face and began to run down the hallway.

The only way out of the castle under the mountain, besides the barricaded front gate, was the secret door they had entered through. She and Bilbo ran, hand in hand, through room, hall and passageway alike. They bolted up stairs and through hallways. Bilbo’s knees were still shaking and Y/n’s sobs echoed through mountain. Erebor looked more threatening to her now, the walls felt as if they were closing in on them. It felt like, if they didn’t get out of this place, it would swallow them alive.

Her breath came heavy as she spotted the secret door ahead of them. Fresh air hit their faces as Y/n heaved the door open. Bilbo panted with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

Y/n’s chest heaved. She dropped his hand momentarily and tugged off the armor Kili had given her. It weighed more than half her bodyweight and she couldn’t heave it any further.

“Come on, come on,” Bilbo urged. His voice was still high with fright. With a loud clank the armor she once wore fell to the ground. Y/n grabbed his hand and they took off once again.

Rocks and gravel slid out from beneath their feet as they ran down the mountainside. Y/n tripped and stumbled but never broke her pace. She had to help Bilbo; little hobbit legs were not made for mountain climbing. Y/n pulled him along, making sure their run never became a jog. Her heart was beating so fast Y/n thought it might burst.

Y/n slid to a stop at the bottom of the mountain. There was an army just a couple yards from her. Should they run from them? Should they run to them? Y/n hesitated.

“This way,” Bilbo said pulling her this time. They sprinted towards the army of elf and man.

Legolas turned his horse around and began to return to his troops. The king under the mountain had just declared war. He spotted motion on the side of the mountain. Y/n and Bilbo were running down the barely visible path. Y/n looked a little apprehensive about running directly into the masses of armed soldiers but that little hobbit pulled her onwards. Wind blew in her hair and shiny tear tracks traced her face. He dismounted his horse.

Kili watched his uncle declare war on all who would try to seize the mountain from dwarven control. He kept half an eye on the side of the mountain. He knew Y/n would be coming down. Sure enough, within minutes the hobbit and the human were scrabbling down the steep earth. He noticed Legolas dismounting his horse and walking towards them. A jealous anger pooled inside his chest but he pushed it to the back of his mind. She would be safe down there and that was all that mattered.

Y/n looked up at the elven faces staring down at her. Bilbo weaved in between the ranks of elves and Y/n followed, squeezing his hand tight.

“Gandalf!” Bilbo cried. He could just see the tip of the wizard’s hat through the crowd.

“Y/n.” A voice called out from her left. She stopped, looking at the crowd of identical elves. Legolas was standing several yards from her. His armor shown in the sunlight and his hair flowed down his shoulders. A small smile graced his lips as Y/n turned to him. He didn’t know how she would react. The last time they saw each other she had escaped his father’s prison. He hoped that she didn’t hold her imprisonment against him.

Y/n gasped with relief. She let go of Bilbo’s hand and sprinted to him. Legolas opened his arms as Y/n slammed into him and engulfed her in a hug. Y/n couldn’t reach his neck so she wrapped her arms around his chest, her fingers meeting in the back. She rested her head on his cool chestplate and squeezed her eyes shut, two tears slipped down her cheeks. Legolas cradled the back of Y/n’s head in his hand and pressed her close.

Y/n looked up at him. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Legolas gave her a genuine smile. Y/n felt eyes on her and was suddenly very aware she was hugging royalty. She straightened up and pulled away. Launching herself at the prince of the elven kingdom would probably get her locked up again.

“I keep forgetting you’re a prince,” Y/n sniffed in lieu of an apology. She brought a dirt-covered hand up to her cheek to wipe away the tears.

“Y/n, that is certainly agreeable to me.” He replied and she laughed. Her laugh sounded strange to her ears, almost fake. “Are you injured in any manner?” Legolas leaned down to her height to make sure she could hear him. He felt the eyes of his subjects on him. He knew just how improper this interaction was but he honestly could not care.

“No I’m fine. I think you should check on Bilbo though.” Y/n raised her head and looked around. “Where’s Bilbo?”

“He’s talking to the wizard.”

“Wizard?”

“The man by my father.” Legolas pointed to him. Y/n hummed. “Allow me to escort you to safer ground.” He said.

Y/n nodded.

Legolas gave the reins of his horse to an aid and offered her a hand. “May I?”

“I’ve never ridden.” She said.

“You’ll be fine.” He reassured. Y/n nodded again and stepped forward. Legolas lifted her gently off of the ground and placed her on the steed’s back. He mounted directly behind her. The aid gave him the reins and he took them in one hand; Legolas wrapped his free arm around Y/n’s waist. Legolas kicked the horse into motion and Y/n leaned back into him. She turned her head to look at the lonely mountain. The dwarves were no longer standing on the rampart. She let out a breath. Was that the last time she would see them? Y/n turned her head back to the front and tried to contain her tears.

“If you are not injured, why do you cry?” Legolas asked, leaning close so no one else would hear.

“I’m worried,” She said simply.