Authors Note: FINALLY! An update. Again, I apologize to everyone for how long this has taken. My life has just been hectic lately and its hard to find a moment to sit down and write. But thanks for a 2 hours bus trip today I was able to sit down and have some time to myself and write! Its a bit short, my apologies for that. But here's the ever waited conversation between Thranduil and Sylwen. If he's OOC Im sorry, Im terrible at portraying Thranduil XD
Alas, I shalln't ramble too long and let you guys get on with the story.

(A special thanks to everyone who reviewed the update I posted a couple days ago and a thanks to everyone for the continued support and this story really could not have gotten this far without each and every one of you. I love you all)

"Sylwen. Syl, are you alright?" The voice broke through to her consciousness, bringing her back forth from the darkness, blinking twice before she glanced up at Bard, noticing the group had been staring at her.

Had she zoned out again with that flashback of a memory? She shook her head before offering a small smile, nodding. "Yeah I'm fine, sorry.." She apologized, squeezing Bard's hand gently. "I think I need some fresh air though.." She told him, glancing at the stone once more before turning quickly, exiting the tent to leave the rest to their conversation.

What she failed to notice though, were the starlight orbs that followed her as she trailed out of the tent and left their sight.

Night was beginning to fall upon them as Sylwen walked through the ruins of Dale, taking in the destruction that laid before her. Homes that were no longer homes but a hollow shell of what it used to be. Her feet crunched upon the freshly lain snow, stepping into the center of the city as her emerald gaze fell upon the shell of a carousal, one of the pony's was missing its head and another its leg.

"You did so much destruction.." Sylwen whispered quietly to herself as she walked near the machine that no longer ran. Smaug did so much destruction, killed so many...and yet all she could see was good in her eyes. Clenching her fists sightly, she turned away.

Part of her was still torn between what to do with herself. Guilt laid at the bottom of her stomach. Guilt she harbored for being unable to do anything when Smaug attacked Laketown. If only she had have remembered, perhaps there could have been something she could have done.

"I'm such an idiot." She laughed softly to herself, tilting her head back as she gazed up at the darkening sky, watching as the night stars slowly began to twinkle in the sky.

By the time Sylwen returned to the tent, Gandalf had left with Bilbo to talk and Bard waited outside for her.

A small smile curled at her lips upon sighting the bargeman, feeling a slight pace increase before she reached him, snaking her arms around his waist as she hugged him. "I love you Bard." She stated with as much authority as she could muster up.

Bard was a little taken aback by the sudden hug, but nevertheless returned it as he chuckled softly. "And I love you Sylwen." He told her, kissing her head softly. He could tell she was still struggling with her feelings for Smaug and himself, and he knew at this point all he could was be patient with her and wait for as long as he had to.

"King Thranduil wants to speak with you." He told her, pulling back slightly as he looked down at her, gently brushing the hair out of her face. He could see the hesitation in her green eyes, but he only smiled lightly. "Don't worry, I'll be right out here waiting for you." He told her.

Sylwen was hesitant about speaking with Thranduil alone, but she shook her head. "I can make my way back to the house on my own. You should go see the kids." She told him, leaning up as she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "After all, the battle starts in the morn." She told him, squeezing his hand once. "Ill be alright."

Bard watched the conviction in her gaze, feeling his own chest swell with pride. It was going to be a tough struggle back to the person she used to be, but he knew Sylwen could do it. "Alright." He told her, ruffling her hair once before he let her go, watching her disappear behind the tent flaps before letting his feet guide him back to the house they were staying at.

Sylwen could almost immediately feel the temperature difference inside the tent as she stepped in, letting the flaps fall back into place behind her. She kept her head up high, even though her elf nature was gone now, she retained her pride.

"My Lord Thranduil." She greeted, bowing respectfully before lifting her gaze back up to his again. "Bard informed me that you wished to speak with me My Lord?" She inquired, her gaze catching sight of the bundled stone that lay on the table. So Bilbo had left it with them after all.

Thranduil stayed silent as the woman, whom he sensed no longer harbored the elven blood she was born with, stepped into the tent. His gaze never left her form, watching her quietly before he stood up. "You love this man enough to give up your immortality?" He asked questionably, his gaze scrutinizing her.

Her lips twitched downwards slightly at the obvious jab of a question, expecting this kind of criticism from a pure blooded elf. Her fathers description of him never swayed from her memory, but she held her composure in front of him.

"I do and I have." She answered his question, pursing her lips slightly. "If I may be so bold My Lord, but surely you haven't asked my presence only to criticize me for choosing the path of a mortal." Sylwen asked.

A ghost of a smirk danced across the elf's lips momentarily before it disappeared again. "You are correct." Thranduil agreed, turning as he stepped over to the stone as he unwrapped it, the glowing light dancing across the leather.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is not the first time you've seen this. Have you?" He asked her, turning his icy stare onto the woman. "The Arkenstone."

Sylwen swallowed once, staring at the stone for a moment before glancing up at Thranduil. "The third time. After Bilbo brought it here earlier." She informed him, stepping nearer to the closer. "I only saw it once before. When-"

"When you were held captive in the mountain with the dragon. Correct?" He asked her, watching her eyes flash in recognition of his words. "What started out as a captive though..grew fond of the beast who had kidnapped her."

Sylwen didn't break eye contact with him as she stood there, biting her tongue from speaking her mind at that very moment.

Thranduil was not blind to the internal struggle she was having, folding the Arkenstone back up in the leather. "Worry not, it was not your bowman who told me." He said to her, turning around as he walked back to his chair, taking a seat. "Stories spread. Especially ones like those."

Sylwen stared at the bound stone on the table, before lifting her gaze across at Thranduil. "This is about the Mithril isn't it?" She asked directly, feeling like this was where the conversation was taking them. The entire reason Thranduil was here was for his jewels.

He didn't even need to answer her to know she was right, letting out a quiet sigh. "They're deep inside the mountain.."

"Where does this corridor lead to?" Sylwen murmured to herself as she walked along a darkened hallway, hand sliding across the stone wall as she followed the pathway ahead of her. At the very end of the hall shone a faint light, drawing her attention to it as curiosity took over her being.

The light was soft and warm, almost reminding her of starlight itself. It drew her to it.

The closer she got to the light, the more it seemed to dim into more of a physical appearance. As she reached the doorway, she stopped, silver gemstones reflecting off her emerald green orbs.

She had heard stories of these gems, of pure starlight. Never had she laid her eyes upon them until this day.

"Mithril.." She slowly took a couple steps closer to the stone where they laid, brushing her fingertips across the stone. These belonged to King Thranduil, did they not? Then what were they doing in the depths of Erabor?

"Sylwen!" The voice shook the walls itself, startling the she-elf out of the trance she had been in, retracting her hand from the starlight stones.

"Coming!" She yelled as loudly as she could, taking one last glance at the gems before retreating back where she had come from, following the hallway back to the belly of the mountain where the beast laid.

Thranduil was silent as he watched the distant look glaze over in her eyes, leaning his chin against his curled fingers against his hand, staying silent as he could only assume she was remembering something from long ago. It only seemed to last a few moments before she blinked, her gaze returning to his once again.

"So then you've seen them." He spoke as more of a statement than a question, observing her reactions intently.

"I did." Sylwen nodded in confirmation. "Only for a fleeting moment, but I saw them." A weak smile crossed her lips. "They're in there, deep inside the mountain. They're in a safe spot." She told him.

Thranduil listened to her words before lifting his head up straight before nodding. "That was all I needed." He told her, flicking his hand in dismissal. "Be prepared for dawn." He reminded her.

Sylwen let out a quiet breath before bowing her head once again. "Very well My Lord." She spoke. "I bid you a goodnight then." She said, turning as she slipped out of the tent, the cold air nipping at her exposed skin as she let out a breath of air, watching as the cloud formed in front of her before disappearing.

Making her way back up to the house, Sylwen took her time as she listened to her feet crunching in the snow. In only a few hours, they all would be risking their lives in a battle larger than any of them could have ever imagined. She knew lives would be lost, that was inevitable.

She already knew she was going to stay behind and protect the children. She knew Bard could handle himself, he'd come back to her. He promised her after all. Her duty now was to protect the kids, at all costs.

And she swore to Eru that no harm would befall them, over her dead body.

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