Chapter 24: The Defiler

Aia hadn't many memories of her father, as he had been absent all her life except for her totem christening. The day she found out that the Eagle called her, was the last day she saw him.

Her mother, however, was very much in her fond memories. Picking daisies beside the Anduin, laughing at the moonlight, and celebrating Lunarfall together. Aia's mother had taught Aia manners, gathering skills, some archery, and – most importantly – how to change skins. Her mother was a wolfling, with beautiful silver streaks in her earth-brown hair; her smile always made her wrinkles deeper and Aia would trace the lines when she felt sad. Her mother's amber eyes lit up when Aia smiled. Every year on the first day of Spring, her mother would present Aia with a fresh-baked sponge cake soaked in honey with pistachios and sing a Beorning song to her to mark Aia's nameday.

Her mother had braided her hair and washed her wounds when Aia got rambunctious; she would sing lullabies beside the hearth, and she would always repeat the only joke she knew. When Aia bled for the first time, her mother gave her moss and soft leather to catch the blood, and she explained the basics pregnancy. Aia always desired to be as her mother: loving, comforting, present.

"Present."

Her mother had died of Consumption in the Winter. One day before Aia's 20th nameday. Aia lost her way then. She found her brother but lost him. She found the Eagles but lost them. She found Thorin's Company, but she lost them. She lost a part of her soul when Kili left her in the inn.

Aia had just had a miscarriage.

The morning that the war began, she dreamt of making love to the one person who filled the void for her. Then she had lost the child she didn't know she carried.

Janovol's child.

She did not feel sorrow for the child, for it was not conceived of love. She did not have feelings toward the child, for it was not her decision. She did, however, feel emptiness. For she wished she could experience motherhood and become the mother she always wanted to be. She would not experience that now.

The blood pooled out of her, as if the contents of her entire boy was exhausted out of her body. The child was a wretched creature, all coagulated bones and opaque skin; it was truly an ugly thing. It was not developed enough to have defined facial features, and for that, Aia was relieved.

She would need time to heal, mentally and physically, but she did not feel sorrow like Kili did. When the healer told them the reason for the blood, Kili fell to his knees and wept upon Aia's feet. Whether he cried for Aia's rape, or the loss of a life, she knew not. She had kissed his head and asked him to lay beside her and not leave.

He obliged, until the moment he brought Bilbo to her as his replacement.

Now she was there, in a shattered inn, with a terrified Hobbit in her arms. She had absolutely no idea whether Fili, Kili, and Thorin would live. She needed to get to them.

"Bilbo, love, are you awake?" She murmured. She had been running her hands through his hair as she sung the lullabies that she shared with her brother so many moons ago.

The Hobbit stirred and looked up at her with remorseful eyes.

"You don't have to look at me like that, Bilbo. I will heal when this war is over." She tried to smile, but the anxiety of not knowing the whereabouts or wellbeing of her dwarven family overrode any happiness. When she had explained that the blood stain on her clothes was a result of losing a child, Bilbo seemed to have been drained. All he could do afterwards was hug her and show his emotion on his sleeve. She truly cared for him and she knew he felt the same.

That's why she had to take him to Gandalf and find Kili alone.

"Bilbo, would you help me up?" She asked, pulling the skins off her. The Hobbit eyed her wearily but nevertheless obliged, perhaps feeling responsible for her comfort. For which she was thankful, seeing as Hobbits are experts of comfort. He had massaged her feet, prepared some raw ground almond loaves, and spoke with her through the night to ease her.

She knew he had good intent, but she needed to get to Kili, and Thorin, to make things right. She had been away from them for far too long.

Aia stood, with the help of the Halfling, and dressed herself.

"Er.. Aia? What… What're you doing?" Bilbo hesitantly asked while making certain that she did not injure herself. Aia grinned at the hobbit.

"We're going to find Gandalf. I'll be fine, Bilbo, it's been four days since the war began. I've regained enough energy. Come now," she ushered him to pack his items and follow her. He hesitated and made a noise of uncertainty, but he nevertheless got up and packed what little items he had.

Aia couldn't help but notice a thick, white barb sticking out of his sack, but she did not question it. There was little time, and she needed to find Gandalf yet. Aia gulped down the rest of her water and ate the last of the almond paste cake and changed skins for the first time since she had fallen.

It was a strange feeling; as if meeting an old friend for the first time in years; there was once familiarity and comfort, but much had changed between the two since then. For one, she had lost weight and plenty of feathers during her rapid, spastic transformations. She had also grown an unconscious fear of falling, she noticed. That would surely impact her flying.

But she had to get to Kili.

She hugged Bilbo and took a deep breath. "To Gandalf."

She changed skins and left her memories behind in the broom closet of the inn.

Bilbo made one more noise that expressed his uncertainty, but climbed on her back gingerly and mumbled, "to Gandalf."

With his approval, she began to take off through the hole in the ceiling. But as expected, her body rammed into the wall upon takeoff, and Bilbo shrieked.

"I'm alright, Aia, but are you sure we should be doing this?"

She turned her head and nodded at him and tried once more to leave. Success.

Eru, it felt good to fly one more – if it wasn't for the black clouds of armies on the ground, Aia would've found the snowy and rocky landscape serene and beautiful. That was not the case, however, for the snow was bleeding and the rocks were decorated with weapons or death. She spotted the watchtower on Raven Hill as well as the entrance to Dale – the latter of which was more likely where Gandalf was. After circling a few times above Dale, Aia heard Bilbo's small voice over the wind shouting, "there he is! I see him!" She followed his pointed finger began flying down. Unfortunately, as easy as gliding was, changing position was altered by her loss of feathers. It was turbulent but Aia was determined to make her flight successful.

The grey cloths of Gandalf's robes flew around him as he whacked and smashed goblins and orcs from front and behind. Aia divebombed into a goblin who was sneaking up on Gandalf as he took down two orcs at once. Bilbo unsheathed his glowing Sting and stabbed the goblin between the eyes before jumping off the bird's shoulders. She nodded at Gandalf and nudged Bilbo's chest and flew away.

It broke her heart hearing Bilbo calling after her, for she knew that she could very well perish on her mission to make things right with Thorin. At least the Hobbit was safe with Gandalf, he would not let Bilbo die.

"Aia!" She heard Gandalf's voice call to her. "Find Legolas at the barracks! Take him with you!"

Thank Eru for Gandalf's intuition.

She called to him in thanks and changed direction to the barracks of Dale.

Kili heard her just as he let loose an arrow that paralyzed a goblin, making it fall from the bridge they stood. He knew she would come for him. He wished with everything in him that she wouldn't, but he knew she would. Aia's will to fight for her cause made him love her as much as it made him worry for her safety.

She was reckless and injured, and weaponless. She was not as skilled a fighter as his kin, so her only defense was her skin-changing. Every time Kili killed an enemy, he would look to the skies to search for her. The fog declined most of his attempts, but he could hear her every once in a while.

For now, he had to make it to his uncle and brother again. He had gotten separated from them when orcs took off the legs of his mount, causing Kili to fall onto a bridge below. The ram screamed in agony, but Kili made sure to make the orcs scream louder. He had almost made it back to the watchtower when he was stopped by Aia calling his name from somewhere nearby.

"Aia!" He shouted back, but he was interrupted by oncoming goblins. "Aia! Where are you?" His voice rang through the corridors. He could hear Thorin and Fili shouting as well, but he could not make out what they were saying. At least they were still alive.

"Where are you, Ki? I will fly to you!" He heard her say.

More orcs came, more bloodshed.

"I am-" his sword clashed with two goblins at once, and one spat in his eye. "Augh!" Kili sliced its throat and tossed it below. "On the south bridge!" He shouted and waited, but got no response. "Aia?" Nothing.

"AIA?!" He all but screamed. He took down five more orcs and ran towards where he last heard her voice.

Kili stopped to shout her name once more but he heard her struggling from the deck below him.

Oh no. Mahal, no.

"Ah!" She cried. Metal clanking. Thud. More cries. He had to get to her. "Kili!" She finally yelped. One more orc stepped in his way before he could get to her, and it was dual wielding two crude swords with black poison oozing down the blades.

Kili tried to pull out his quiver but he had no more arrows. He stood in offensive stance and lunged, but an arrow stabbed through the orc's chest from behind it. When it fell, Kili saw a blonde elf on a tower looking his direction.

Thranduil?

Another one of Aia's grunts made Kili refocus. He stood just above her and her captor and witnessed him toss her against the stone wall and bare his mace.

Kili saw nothing but red. The chill from the neverending snowfall faded away, the fear of losing his life subsided, and his rage fueled him like it never had before. He picked up one of the poisoned blades and jumped on the back of the huge orc that was attacking his partner.

The jump took the orc by surprise, but it was much larger and stronger than Kili, and it pitched him onto the frozen steps. If Kili was wearing mithril, he wouldn't have broken his ribs but seeing as the only mithril vest was given to the Hobbit, Kili's ribs had been shattered at that moment. Luckily, Kili's adrenaline numbed the pain and he stood once more. Advancing on the orc, Kili slashed the ugly thing three times in the belly, but it grabbed his armor and punched him square in the face.

The dwarf was stunned temporarily, until he heard Aia yelling. The orc dropped Kili and began shouting as well as Aia. Kili looked again, and he saw arrows in the orc's heart, and Aia's knife in its throat. The orc fell, casting Aia off of its back, and she rolled into the stone wall with a grunt. Kili stood as quickly as he could, now feeling the pain of his shattered ribcage and scrambled to Aia, who was standing by the time he got to her.

"Oh, my love - ah!" he began to say, but she interrupted him with a tight, painful hug and many tears.

"Kili, oh I love you, I love you." She sounded as if she'd been repaired. She was crying but smiling when she looked at him. He watched as her beautiful smile turned into a frown. "Don't you ever leave me again, Kili. Promise me." She was looking him square in the eye and nothing but apprehension read on her beautiful freckled face.

He kissed her knuckles and nodded. "I promise you, I will stay by your side until my dying day, Aia." She smiled again and he kissed her blue lips. "E amrul asti, Aia." I love you, Aia.

They were interrupted by Thorin shouting from above. The war wasn't over yet.

She kissed him once more and changed her skin. Kili grasped his ribcage as he tumbled onto her back, and ignored the stinging fire in his chest. His body was done with this war.

Azog was stronger than Thorin had anticipated, and Thorin was weaker than he should've been. The king lept out of the way of another swing of Azog's morning star. Azog was relentless, but Thorin was quick. With all his swings, Azog had managed to smash the ice around the two so they were floating on a frozen island – balanced by the weight of each other. The Defiler swung once more and had almost caught Thorin, but his morning star stuck inside the solid lake. He jabbed at Thorin with his bladefist, but he could not reach. The King watched as the Defiler's eyes changed from raw fury and malicious to surprise, and then Thorin heard her screech.

She came for him.

In one swift move, the half-bald bird flew beside him and dropped Kili onto the ground, then swooped onto Azog's face. Her talons dug into his eyes, but he sliced at her. He missed on account of Thorin and Kili attacking his pale body as well as Aia. Thorin sliced his hamstrings, and then the Defiler was kneeling before them. Aia dug her thick talons deep into Azog's shoulders and neck, and Kili hacked at his wrist.

Bleeding and defiled, Azog screamed and raised his mangled hand once more, slicing Thorin across the chest and shoulder. Aia and Kili reacted by inflicting more pain onto Azog, and it worked. Kili had hacked his bladefist clean off, and Aia retracted her talons, causing blood to shoot out of the puncture wounds. Thorin recovered, and held his goblin-cleaver to Azog's throat.

The King said nothing, and slid his sword through the pale orc's trachea. The trio would never forget the sound of his sickly gurgling and heaving.

Aia dismounted, tearing the flesh of his shoulders, as Azog's head fell from his body. Hot, black blood covered Thorin, Kili, and the bird.

The Defiler was dead.

They stared at the body for a long time until Kili pointed to the horizon. Aia and Thorin looked up and saw a mass of Thonodorians. The Great Eagles.

The sight was beautiful, they came over the dusk horizon just as the orange sun peaked through the clouds. He saw Fili in the talons of one eagle. He appeared asleep, and he had no noticeable wounds, but Thorin could not be sure. He would need to get to Fili. The last time Thorin saw his heir, Fili had been fighting off five orcs along with one from Thranduil's army. Some eagles had riders, but it was difficult to see them. The snow stopped, and the Eagles called. Thorin turned to the eagle girl after moments of witnessing the migration.

She was no longer an eagle, she was a bruised girl in his nephew's arms. Kili was whispering to her, and she was looking at him. They were in love. Thorin walked to Aia, who looked at him but averted her gaze immediately.

Kili shielded her with his arm, but Thorin pushed his arm out of the way and raised her chin.

"Aia," he looked into her grey eyes and saw everything he had been missing while he was trapped in that mountain. She was his family, and he nearly murdered her. What could he possibly say to that? She was love, she was security, she was a woman, and she would be his niece someday.

"It's alright, Thorin," she whispered. He said nothing, and she grasped his hand. She grinned at him and pulled him close. "I am sorry for betraying you-"

"Thank you, Aia," Thorin interrupted. "You saved my life, and you've saved my kin countlessly. I can never repay you the equivalent of saving a life, but I can offer my home and my blessing to you, if you will accept it." He knelt and kissed her knuckles. She was crying.

"Thank you, Thorin."

"What I did to you is unforgivable, Aia." Thorin looked along her human body and saw bruises, blood stains, bite marks, short hair, and strength. She lived. "I will be sorry for the rest of my life."

She could feel his shame with every breath he took. She understood that he was possessed at the time. She understood why he would've done what he did. The only thing that hurt Aia was that he never stopped himself. The Gold Sickness overrode his judgement. He would need to work on that if she was going to live in Erebor with him.

"Thorin, give the men and elves their share of the gold, and let peace be. The death count has so much more worth than a handful of gold that would go to helping the people who lost family and friends in this wretched war. Give them what they need. Do this, and I will accept your apology, and live with you in your mountain." Aia held her breath after she announced her proposal, and Kili shuffled beside her.

"Wherever Aia goes, Uncle, I go." It was a subtle threat.

Thorin closed his eyes and nodded.

"Very well. Your terms are acceptable and reasonable. You will live in my mountain with my nephew, and I will distribute the share evenly. The wretched elves will stop at nothing to get their bloody diamonds," Thorin grumbled.

"It happens to be that a wretched elf saved your nephew's life, Thorin Oakenshield. He saved mine, as well."

Kili looked at Aia, confused.

"Legolas, son of Thranduil, defended me as I flew him to Raven Hill. He specializes in ranged attacks, and his bow and arrows are his weapon of choice. You remember Bolg, Ki? That was Legolas, saving our lives." Aia informed the dwarves and watched as they begrudgingly realized that they owed a new favor to the elves.

"Where is Fili?" Aia asked, realizing that she had not seen him since she was in the inn. She looked to Kili, who did not know, then to Thorin who was reminded of pressing matters.

"We have to get to the battlefield, Aia. I saw him in the talons of one of the eagles."

"Can you fly us, Aia?" Kili asked. Aia looked at both dwarves, calculating the information she just learned, and nodded.

"Give me a moment to warm up. I can take both of you but I will get tired quickly, so I will glide most of the way. It may be a bit stressful, so the most injured one of you two should ride in my talons." Aia stood and warmed herself as she informed the dwarves. She nodded at them, "who will it be, then?"

Kili stood from the ground, pain etched into his features. He cradled his abdomen and his uncle was at his side, examining him, immediately.

"Kili, what's happened?"

"The young orc, Bolg, threw me onto stairs, and I- my ribs."

As much as Aia wanted to care for Kili, and tend to his wounds, they knew not whether Fili was alive. Once she heard that Kili was not dying, she changed her skins and beckoned Thorin onto her back.

The King nodded and assembled himself onto her smooth back. Her feathers, he noticed, were changing colors.

Aia raised from the ground and scooped her lover into her talons as gently as she could, and began to glide to the battlefield, where the war was still stirring.