~~~~~~~<>~<3~<>~~~~~~~

Valadhiel, after speaking with Legolas and Tauriel, as well as telling them what Beorn had told her about herself, had gone back to the group of dwarves and walked with them. She decided that since she was a part of their group, she was going to stay with the group. However, she knew that her fate would not be the same as their fate. She had committed a crime here long ago, and for entering this wood again, there would no doubt be punishment.

"Vala, what did you mean earlier when you said you were banished from here?" Thorin asked quietly.

Valadhiel bit her lower lip before she answered. "I meant exactly what I said. I was banished from this kingdom long, long ago. I would rather not discuss why I was banished at the moment, however."

Thorin nodded in response. He was curious as to why she had been banished, but if she didn't wish to talk about it, then he wouldn't keep asking questions. Everyone had their secrets, after all.

Soon, they reached the halls of the Elvenking. The dwarves were given free reign, though they were told that they would need an elf or two to stay with them to guide them, as the twists and turns of these halls could get confusing. Thorin and Valadhiel, however, were to be taken to the Elvenking immediately.

Legolas himself was the elf that led the dwarf and dragon to the throne room. Once they'd reached it, the double doors were opened by the guards, and Legolas had Valadhiel and Thorin walk ahead of him up to the throne. Once they had reached it, Legolas bowed before he turned and left.

Valadhiel bowed respectfully, then stood upright as the Elvenking descended his throne. He gave the elven mongrel a harsh stare before he turned his attention to 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." The Elvenking began, then looked at the dwarven king closely. "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. There are gems in the mountain that I too desire. White gems of pure starlight. I offer you my help."

The fiery-haired elf gave the Elvenking a suspicious look. He would only help if he got the gems he claimed were stolen from him. He had no more kindness in his heart. He was cold as ice.

"I am listening." Thorin replied.

Valadhiel looked over at him. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he already knew where this was headed.

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine."

Thorin turned and began to slowly walk away. "A favor for a favor."

"You have my word. One king to another."

"I would not trust Thranduil, the great king, to honor his word should the end of days be upon us!" Thorin shouted, spinning around to face the Elvenking before he pointed at him. "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 walked to Thorin and leaned down until he was all up in his face. "Do not speak to me of dragon-fire! Thanks to your red-haired friend, I know it's wrath and ruin! I have faced the great serpents of the north."

The Elvenking, after speaking, stood and revealed his scars to the dwarven king before he glared at Valadhiel, who bit her lower lip and looked away. Thranduil looked at Thorin once more. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon, but he would not listen." He turned and began walking up the stairs to his throne. "You are just like him."

Once the Elvenking had turned his back, Thorin looked at Valadhiel in confusion, and a hint of anger lay beneath. He then looked at the Elvenking again when he began to speak. "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."

After Thranduil spoke, the elven guards came and took Thorin before leading him out of the room. They left Valadhiel there, however, as the Elvenking still needed to speak with her.

Once Thorin and the guards had left, Thranduil sat on his throne and looked at Valadhiel with a hard stare. "What are you doing here, murderer? Did I not banish you long ago? Were you not told to never step foot in this forest again?"

Valadhiel looked down when she was called a murderer, then she looked up once more. "We had no intention of invading your territory. We lost the path, and we needed to go through Mirkwood in order to reach the mountain in time."

"That changes nothing. You still entered the forest, mongrel."

"You know that the incident that happened long ago was an accident. I would never harm an innocent being on purpose."

"That accident cost a life, and it kept me with the healers for a long time." Thranduil spat.

Valadhiel looked down once again. Silence fell between the two for a long moment before she softly spoke. "What will you do with me?"

"I have not yet decided." Thranduil replied before he stood and descended the stairs once more. He stopped in front of the elf, towering over her as he looked down at her. "Until I decide, you will stay in the dungeon with the dwarf king. Leave me."

Valadhiel bowed before the Elvenking, tight-lipped, before she turned and walked out of the room. Legolas still waited out there for her, and he looked at her worriedly when she walked out of the room.

"What did he say?" Legolas asked, trying not to sound worried, though he failed somewhat.

"Until he decides what to do with me, I am to stay in the dungeon with Thorin." Valadhiel replied, walking past Legolas. She knew her way to the dungeon. When she had come to Greenwood for the first time, it had been quite the encounter.

Legolas walked after her and soon caught up to her. "I apologize for my father. He hasn't been himself lately."

"He hasn't been himself ever since he accused me of stealing his precious gems of starlight." Valadhiel hissed.

"And I again apologize." Legolas said, looking away briefly before he looked at the short, fiery-tempered elleth once again. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

Valadhiel stopped walking and turned to face Legolas. "Why can't you do anything to help? Because your father forbids it?"

"It is more complicated than that. You know this." Legolas told her calmly. He reached over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "However, if you and the dwarves manage to free yourselves, I will do my best to buy time so you can escape." He added in the quietest of tones.

Valadhiel took in a deep breath before she slowly released it, then she smiled. "Hannon le, mellon nin."

Legolas smiled at her and dipped his head respectfully. "Of course. Now, we had best get you to the dungeon before my father throws a tantrum."

~<3~<3~<3~

Valadhiel, once taken down to the dungeon, was placed in the same cell that Thorin was in. She watched as Legolas left her, seeming to really not want to leave her in the dungeon. Once he was out of sight, she looked around at the others and furrowed her brow. "How did you all end up down here?"

"We weren't at all happy about the fact you and Thorin were going to be placed down here." Bofur explained. "Apparently, the elves thought that we were becoming very rude and disrespectful."

Valadhiel nodded softly, then she sighed before she sat down on the hard floor, leaning her back against the wall after she spread her wings out behind her. She stared at her feet for a long moment before she looked at Thorin. "Did you already tell them what happened in the throne room?"

"Yes." Thorin replied, sitting down across from Valadhiel.

"Did you happen to strike a deal with the Elvenking?" Balin asked Valadhiel.

"I am in no position to be making deals." Valadhiel replied quietly. "I was banished from Mirkwood long ago, and forbidden from entering the forest ever again."

Thorin looked at Valadhiel with a suspicious look of sorts. He still remembered what the Elvenking had said about her. She had caused those scars? That had to be why she had been banished.

"Well... that's it, then." Balin said, sitting against the cell wall. "A deal was our only hope."

Thorin looked at the stairs of the dungeon before he spoke quietly, only loud enough for Valadhiel to hear. "Not our only hope."

~<3~<3~<3~

It was late that evening. Valadhiel had fallen asleep, curled up in a corner in her elven form, her wings draped over her. Thorin was still awake, and he looked at her every now and then, thinking about how angelic she looked with her wings draped over her.

Thorin stared out of the cell and began getting lost in thought, though he was brought back to reality when he heard Valadhiel start to cry out in her sleep. He furrowed his brow, got up, walked over to her, knelt beside her, and gently shook her shoulder. "Vala?"

Valadhiel shot up to a sitting position with a gasp, then she looked over at Thorin before she calmed somewhat. She was trembling, and she quickly raised a hand to wipe tears from her eyes. She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked down at her feet.

Thorin furrowed his brow, though drew his hand back for the time being since he wasn't sure if she wanted to be left alone or not. "Are you all right?" He asked softly.

"Yes. I'm fine." Valadhiel replied in a whisper, swallowing before she rested her chin between her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs.

Thorin scooted closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. "Vala, you're not all right. Please don't try to deny it. What's wrong?" He leaned forward so that he could see her face.

Valadhiel bit her lower lip, and after a moment, a silent sob escaped her. She finally looked over at Thorin, turning to face him, though she still sat on the dungeon floor. "I... I had a dream. But... it was more than that. It really happened... long ago."

Thorin remained silent, but he did slip his hand into her hand, gently squeezing it before he gently rubbed his thumb across her hand. He waited for her to continue, watching her with a gentle expression.

"A long time ago, the dragons in the north were becoming a problem." Valadhiel said quietly. "My mother, father, and I left to help Thranduil defeat a couple of them. We weren't thrilled about dragons ruining our reputation, as not all dragons are evil.
"I was fighting one of them- the one called Night Fury. I breathed a stream of fire at him, but he stepped out of the way, and..." she trailed off, her voice getting higher pitched as more tears threatened to spring forth. "And two elves caught on fire. One... one died, and the other..."

"Was badly burned, and now lives with scars." Thorin quietly finished. He knew that one of the elves was Thranduil, and he now understood why she had been banished. However, had it not been an accident? "Who was the other elf?"

Valadhiel bit her trembling lip, then she spoke. "The... the other elf was... was King Oropher... the father of Thranduil. I... I killed him..." After she finished speaking, she began crying. She really was a murderer, and she really was a mongrel. She would never be able to rule her people. What people did she have left? No other dragons were around- at least, none that wanted her.

Thorin hesitated before he pulled Valadhiel into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. He couldn't help but think about how perfect her height was compared to his height. "You didn't mean to, Vala. You are no murderer."

"But I am." Valadhiel whispered between quiet sobs. "I'm a murderer, and I'm a mongrel. How can I ever make this right?"

"I'm sure you've already done all you can." Thorin murmured, gently brushing through her hair with his fingers. "You are no murderer, and you are no mongrel, so put those thoughts from you. Don't you dare think that about yourself, and don't you dare let others tell you what you are."

Valadhiel said nothing else, and she eventually stopped crying. After a couple minutes of just cuddling into Thorin, she fell asleep. Thorin was warm, more comfortable than the floor or wall, him brushing through her hair was soothing, and the sound of his heartbeat calmed her.

Thorin smiled softly when he saw that she'd fallen asleep. He continued to gently stroke through her hair, then he stopped after a moment. "Goodnight, Vala. Sleep well." He whispered to her, placing a kiss on the top of her head before he, too, fell asleep.

~~~~~~~<>~<3~<>~~~~~~~