Returning Home: A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 73 - The Breaking of Bonds

It had been some time since the entire Company had agreed on anything, but right now the unanimous response seemed to be shock as they all stared down at the furious elleth on a horse. 

"M-Mom?" Elena stammered, tears pricking her eyes as she shook off the hands holding her back and ran to the edge of the Lookout. "Are - are you really here?"

Laurel took her eyes off of Thorin for one second, her glare transforming to a tremulous smile as soon as she saw her daughter. "I'm here, Elena," she assured her softly. "And I'm never leaving you again, I promise." Her gaze flickered to her other daughter, frowning when she saw her noticeably trembling. "Celia? Are you all right?"

Her sister's mouth opened and closed wordlessly for a minute, eventually just giving up and shaking her head, face screwed up and looking very much like she wanted to cry. Kíli wrenched free from the dwarves holding him back and ran to her, tugging her back out of reach of Thorin and picking up her blanket, wrapping it around her. She accepted it numbly, leaning against him when he wrapped an arm around her. 

"That's your mother?" Fíli whispered, coming up beside her and staring at the woman in shock and awe. 

Elena nodded slowly. 

Laurel turned back to Thorin, all kindness leaving her expression replaced only by righteous fury. "Thorin Oakenshield, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror, and King under the Mountain. I was lost long before you were born, and was found only a short while ago. All accounts tell of you as a noble, if stubborn, king who looks out for his people. Yet I see only a madman who threatens the defenseless and innocent and breaks his sworn word. What say you?"

Thorin shook himself out of his shock, sending his own burning glare at the woman, though she only matched it in fury. "What say I?" he repeated in growing indignation. "You would trespass in my realm, threaten me for defending my own, and seek to take that which belongs to me? You are lucky I have not already struck you down where you stand!"

The elves in the group stirred in their ranks menacingly, and even Thranduil made to draw his weapon at the threat to his wife - and okay, wow, Elena's brain only just now made the connection that her mom was actually married to the King of Mirkwood. Her mom looked unfazed, holding up a hand to keep the archers from doing anything.

"You deny any wrongdoing then, Thorin, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror, King under the Mountain?" she asked coolly, and Elena felt goosebumps rise on her arms. Her mom was scary enough when she was loudly angry. But it was when she got quiet that things really got serious.

"I am King!" Thorin roared. "I can do no wrong!"

"Wrong!" Laurel snapped. "You of all people should know that we as leaders of our people are held to higher accountability than the rest because of our power! Our people look to us to set an example, and right now you're not setting a very good one!"

Thorin scowled down at her. "Count yourself blessed that I am feeling merciful and do not immediately call you to task for your foolish accusations. A lesser king would already have cast sentence."

"And a better king would have never given me reason to accuse him of mistreating my daughters," Laurel fired back immediately. "Has the line of Durin fallen so far that you would threaten my daughters - neither of whom are yet of age, might I add, for trying to save lives?"

Fíli tensed beside her. Elena glanced over at him apologetically, but he shook his head. "Not here," he whispered, placing his hand on her back and subtly pushing her towards the rope that lead down the mountain. "We should get out of reach while he's distracted."

"They have betrayed me and my kin," Thorin growled, "and bewitched my nephews over to their way of thinking. I have every right as king to question them!"