Hobbit 1. Watching Over

Chapter One: Watching Over

Kili was certain beyond any measure of doubt that his mother was dying. The young dwarfling once again crept past his brother's watchful gaze and snuck down the hall as he listened to the terrifying sound of his mother crying out for his father. Father; the thought made him sad as his mother, uncle and brother had already carefully explained that his father was dead and that meant that he would never see him again. With a stop he remembered what happened to little dwarves whose mummies and daddies left them forever; they became orphans! He did not want to become an orphan! No, he must save his mother from whatever ailment was trying to take her and then she can stay with him forever! He just had to reach the door.

"Kili!" a voice in the dark scolded slightly over the sounds of crying. The youngster turned to see his brother reaching out, pulling the little one from the door. "You are supposed to stay away from here until Balin comes for us!"

The little one stopped reaching for the door, choosing to let out a frustrated sigh. How could he begin to explain to his brother what was going to happen if they didn't run in to save Mummy?! Why wasn't he nearly half as worried as he should be?!

"Fili," the boy squeaked, "if Mummy dies, who will take care of us?!"

Fili, his brother, gave him a puzzled look. "Um, Uncle Thorin, I suppose. But why would you ask me that?!"

The boy let out a wail and wrapped his arms around his brother's waist. "Can't you hear her?! Mummy is dying! I don't want to become an orphan!"

Fili was about to say something nice, about as nice as a sixteen year old dwarf could muster at least, but there was a loud bang and the door swung open. There stood Uncle Thorin, his eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the young dwarves and blocking the room from both their sights. Behind him a great cry was heard and he turned to ensure his sister's wellbeing. Seeing an opening, Kili wrenched himself from his brother's grasp and made to dash past the future king all to no avail; he was lifted off the ground and into his uncle's arms.

"What in Durin's name is going on out here, Fili?!" he demanded, clutching his struggling nephew in his grasp while shutting the door behind him. Kili let out a cry of indignation as he pounded his fists against his uncle's chest. "I told you to watch the boy! Oin must focus and he can't do that with children scampering about like this!"

Fili had begun to mumble some sort of apology and or explanation before Kili let out a great shout, "Stop hurting her! I don't want to be an orphan!"

Thorin looked at the boy in surprise before lifting him so that they were nose to nose. "What do you mean by that?"

Kili looked taken aback and a little untrusting. "Why is she crying so loudly?! What are you doing to her?!"

The dwarf then reared his head back and let out a laugh so loud that in rang throughout the Blue Mountains. He then turned and sat down on the bench across from the fated room, placing the frightened boy on his lap. Fili followed suit and sat beside his uncle, studying how the grown dwarf handled the situation so that he could be better prepared next time. Kili sat very warily upon his uncle's knee, wincing every time his mother cried out. Fili took the boy's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Mahal!" their uncle exclaimed, "Praise my ancestors that this is the last time I will ever have to explain this!"

Kili let out a wail, convinced he was going to tell him otherwise and announce an evil plan to kill his mummy and take him and Fili away. "We won't go with you!"

"Kili, that's enough!" their uncle scolded gently. These children were going to give him a grey beard before he was ready! "You are not being taken anywhere. Your mother will be just fine. She is having a baby."

Kili stopped his incessant cries and perked his head his eyes widening. "A… baby?"

"Yes, a baby," Thorin affirmed, nodding his head. "Last I saw of her, your mother was doing just fine and you will have a new brother or sister within the hour."

Kili's eyes grew as wide as saucers and he stared at his brother in awe and disbelief. "We are having a brother?! This is how you get brothers?!"

Fili nodded excitedly. "Yes! We will play with him and teach him how to climb trees and cliffs! But we must be careful at first because he will be too small to play!"

Kili was about to share more thoughts on the matter when the door opened again. Oin stepped out of the room wiping his hands on a bloody cloth with a smile on his face. Kili, however, saw the blood and began to cry again. He should have known his uncle was lying to him! Now the two of them have killed his mother and baby brother! This was the worst day of his life! Thorin let out a gasp and tried to immediately comfort the boy who was now wailing in his uncle's lap, unsure where to cry. Even Fili made a meager attempt to explain that their mother was in fact alive and well.

"Kili?" a soft voice floated into the hall from the birthing room. "What's the matter, my little treasure?"

"Mummy!" he screeched, flinging himself off of Thorin's lap and sprinting past Oin's hands. Even Fili could not be reined in by either adult dwarf at this point and he was hot on his younger brother's heels. He could hardly wait to meet his new brother!

"Boys…" Dis purred gently, obviously exhausted from her ordeal. Her hair was matted and messy but all things considered she seemed well enough. "Were you two waiting in the hall?"

Kili's face flushed with guilt. "Well, yes. But… only because I was…" He stopped, not wanting to admit his fear in front of his new baby brother.

Dis smiled and looked down at the bundle in her arms who was now wriggling about eagerly. Fili grinned from ear to ear and tried to look inside the bundle of blankets. This was not a new experience for him, even though he could barely remember what it was like meeting Kili for the first time. He reckoned he would never forget this moment, not ever. After what seemed like an age, Thorin stepped in and stood behind the boys. The new mother smiled and pulled the blanket back just enough to reveal a little round face complete with eyes, a nose, lips and ears!

"Wow, Mummy," Kili breathed, his eyes widening again. "Can I hold him? What's his name? When can I play with him?!"

Thorin, who seemed to be privy to something the youngster didn't know, let out another loud boisterous laugh. Dis however smiled coyly and beckoned for both of her sons to sit on the bed. Fili declined the offer, choosing to let Kili get to know their brother first. This was of course the first time Kili would get to experience this! The ten year old dwarf knelt down on the bed before burrowing himself into his mother's neck, nuzzling her affectionately. Dis gave her son a reassuring smile before redirecting his attention to the newborn babe.

"This, Fili, Kili, is Brili," she announced, tilting the bundle just a little much to Kili's delight. "I expect you two will take good care of her."

"A sister!" Fili gasped, a little surprised. Ever since he had heard of his mother's expecting two years ago he had always thought they would have another brother.

"Eww! Gross!" Kili exclaimed. "I wanted a brother!"

Dis narrowed her eyes at her youngest son who now crossed his arms over his chest and began to pout as if that would make all the difference in the world.

"Now, now, Kili, that's enough," Thorin chastised. "Having a sister is an honor and you should be proud!"

Kili faltered a little under his uncle's gaze and seemed to deflate slightly. "But she's a _girl_…" he whined.

Thorin smiled and hoisted the youngster off the bed, wrapping him into his arms. "She is a girl, yes, and you and Fili are going to love her with all of your hearts; just like you love your Mum over there. Come, boys, your mother and new sister need to rest!"

With that the boys were whisked away to play for a few hours while being closely watched by their uncle. It wasn't until late in the night and everyone was tucked into bed that Fili had the chance to sneak away from the watchful eyes and creep into his mother's bedroom. He snuck past her bed where she lay sleeping soundly and approached the cradle where his newborn sister lay.

He peered over at her with curious eyes. She looked very much like Kili did when he was that small. He supposed her eyes were a little rounder but she was really too little to tell. She seemed to look at him and let a little gurgle.

"Hey," he whispered, reaching into the crib to stroke her cheek; something he remembered Kili had liked him to do when he was small. "Welcome to the world, Brili. Um, I'm Fili, your big brother. That other boy, the one that thinks you're gross because you're a girl, well, that was Kili. Sorry he's being such a stinker about the whole thing. I'm sure once he's a little bigger he'll warm up to you a bit more.

"You already know Mom, you were inside of her for the past four years so… I would hope you know her," He giggled a little as the baby squirmed and wiggled her fingers ever so slightly. "And the big guy in the room with us, that's Uncle Thorin. He's not home all that much because he's always out adventuring and things like that. He came home this time because he knew you were coming and wanted to meet you. He's really great and me and Kili like him a whole lot. Anyways, I think you are going to be very happy here. And I just wanted to say hi to you before you went to sleep. So, sleep tight little Brili, I'm gonna sit here and watch over you."

And that's exactly what he did.

* * *

So after a freakishly long hiatus I felt the need to write this snippet out. I noticed that there is a huge lack of sister stories for Fili and Kili which is a shame because I think that there could be a pretty decent story out there for them.

Unfortunately, I'm the one writing this. My apologies!

So I pulled all of my facts from this website:dwarrowscholar. mymiddleearth 2012/04/27 / about-dwarven-women-and-children/ (minus the spaces) Whether you want to consider them accurate is your prerogative. Now one of the things I noticed is that no one really talks about how old they are. So I placed them in human years 16 and 10 which puts them around 8 and 4 or 5 in dwarf years. That's just the way I processed the info. If anyone sees a better way to look at it, let me know because I have been puzzled for some time!

So this story has been stuck in my head for quite some time now so if you like this blurb let me know and I think I may start taking some time out of my day to keep writing this story from the beginning. I'm planning on using elements from both film and book because both are worthy of attention. (spoilers, there are character deaths that I can't wait to get my paws on!) Pulling from just the movie is a bit easier as there is more dialogue but I do want to include parts of the book because it is one of my favorites!

With all that being said, enjoy! :)

-kim


	2. A Party to Be Remembered

Chapter Two: A Party to Be Remembered

Brili, daughter of Dis, sister to Fili and Kili, and niece to Thorin (son of Thrain, son of Thror) King under the mountain, was what most of her kind would call particularly odd. She was prettier than most dwarfish women with softer more hobbit-like features and bright blue eyes that sparkled like grey blue sapphires when the light hit them the right way. She had no beard save a few faint whiskers under her ears which was strange within itself. While most young lasses her age were already able to start braiding their beards into their hair and searching for potential mates Brili remained beardless and running through the forests around the Blue Mountains playing games with herself or her brothers. The third and most certainly strangest, however beautiful, thing about her was her hair. While most dwarves are fortunate to find their hair the same color as the sand on the ground, her brother Fili being one of them, Brili was born with hair like gold spun from the sunshine itself. It shimmered in the light and fell in ringlets down her shoulders and past her waist. She quickly became known as the gem of her family for she was certain to find a great husband with hair like hers.

These oddities were oft overlooked in the mountains, however, for Brili was a kind and generous soul. She loved to laugh and sing along the tunnels of the mountains, bringing a smile to most who overheard her voice echoing through the vast stone walls. She would always spend her days waiting eagerly for her brothers to escort her outside to run through the fields and dance in the bright light. She waited for her uncle to return with gifts of chocolate and toys and his tales of adventure in the land of men. Oh, how the young girl dreamed of the world of men.

But these dreams were not on her mind at present. No, her only thoughts were how she was in fact going to sneak past the guards before her brothers arrived from their hunt with Uncle Thorin. She crouched low by the entrance with a furrowed brow and slight pout marring her delicate features. If Fili found out that she had snuck outside the mountain again he would surely send a guard or sentry or who knows what to lock her in her chambers for the rest of her days! No, she simply couldn't have that. Normally, she would try to buy the new guard's favor but someone, without doubt it was Fili, had given the new set of help specific instructions not to fall for her charms. It made for a very frustrating and boring time without Kili to take her out into the sunshine.

"Uncle is going to kill you," a voice murmured beside her.

Brili almost leapt out of her hiding spot in a panic before a steady hand kept her head down. "Kili!" she hissed, pulling her brother into a one armed hug. "I've missed you!" While she hugged him she briefly looked around to spot if her uncle or eldest brother were around. Brili knew they would not be pleased with her for being without an escort and she didn't fancy being punished with another embroidery class. "Where are…?"

"I went on ahead. We'd better hurry and get you inside before they get here," her brother scoffed with a wry smile playing on his lips. "So, how'd you get stuck out here this time? I'm guessing you used the old cellar escape?"

Brili flushed a shade of pink. "I lost the key," she mumbled bashfully.

Kili chuckled, flashing an old iron key in front of her nose. "You mean this one?"

"Where did you find that, you rotten imp?!" she exclaimed, grasping the key in her hands with relief. She was certain she had lost it forever! Her smile faltered a little when she watched her brother narrowing his eyes at her.

"Down by the riverbank," he replied curtly. Oh no, she attempted to fix the situation with a toothy grin. "Brili, I've never taken you that far before. What are you thinking wandering off through the woods like that, and with no weapon as well. You could have gotten lost or hurt! I'll be in enough trouble if Mum or Uncle find out I've been bringing you out here!"

"I'm sorry, Kili," she appeased, gesturing around her with a wide smile. "It's just so exciting out here! There is so much to see and do and taste outside the mountain. Oh, will you please tell me all about you and Uncle's journey?"

He laughed quietly to himself and ruffled his sister's hair. "You'll find out later. Now get inside before someone catches you."

Brili beamed and planted a kiss upon her brother's cheek. "Thank you, noble sir!"

He watched her slink off into a cluster of grass behind him. "Oh and Brili," he called quietly, watching her poke her head out of the reeds. "Happy birthday!"

She smiled widely again. "Thanks!"

~o~

Dis smiled at her brother as they briefly embraced in the halls of Ered Luin. With a soft, sad look on her face she thought of Erebor. Oh, how she had wished she could have raised her children in those great and rich halls. She felt Thorin's longing for home before he would ever say a word. Perhaps if things go just right there would be a chance.

"I trust everything went well?" she asked, pulling away from Thorin with a stern look. "The boys behaved?"

"Mum, we are grown dwarves!" Kili protested, planting a kiss on his mother's forehead while Fili smiled and followed his younger brother's example.

She clucked her tongue and embraced both her sons. "Yes, yes, so you've told me. Now, are the arrangements made? Did your hunting trip go well?"

Thorin nodded his head sagely. "Yes. We can begin preparations."

Dis nodded in approval. "We can discuss more at dinner. The three of you need to rest!"

But before they could be ushered away from the entrance there was a great crash. Before he could react, Thorin was struck by a great blow around his midsection. He let out a great laugh as he embraced his niece who was now laughing happily against him. It brought him great joy to see the young princess so elated to see her family return.

"Uncle! I have missed you so!" she announced, finally letting him go. She held her hand out so that Thorin could place a sweet into her expectant palm. The girl had been born with a love for sweets. Her treat acquired, she directed her attention to her brothers.

"Fili, I'm so happy to see you," she greeted with an even wider grin, wrapping her arms around his shoulders with a wide smile.

"You haven't been up to any trouble, right?" he asked, pulling away, leaving his hands on her shoulders with a smile.

She gave him an innocent grin that Kili saw through in an instant. He stretched up, raising his arms in the air and yawning. He was dog tired and that was no understatement. He wanted nothing more than to lie in his bed and take a nap before a great supper. Mid yawn Brili struck him with a hug around his waist and began to squeeze him so tight he was worried something would burst! He smiled affectionately and hugged her back because, honestly, the three of them adored that stupid golden haired girl.

"Kili," she greeted with a grin, releasing him from her grip and grasping his hands. "You three must tell me all about your adventures!"

Dis chose this moment to intervene. "And they will, child, but not here and not now! Go on upstairs and be washed and dressed for your dinner tonight! Mahal! Sixty years old! I can hardly believe my daughter is now a grown woman!"

"Mother," Brili sassed testily. "Another dinner? I told you I'm tired of those!"

Uncle Thorin let out an exasperated sigh before Dis could angrily respond to the girl. "Go on and get ready, Brili. I'll tell you plenty of stories at dinner. There is also a surprise for you tonight. Oh, and leave your sword outside your door tonight, I'm going to send for it to be sharpened."

At the mention of a surprise everyone's face lit up into a smile. All but Kili's whose face fell ever so slightly. Brili didn't notice this and perked up a bit at the mention of gifts and surprises! A few years before she had been given some great gifts from her brothers such as a new sword from Fili and a set of knives from Kili, all of which she accepted gratefully. Uncle Thorin had given her a bow to practice with, she never understood why, her bow work was disastrous. She wondered what great gift they could have in store for her this year that had them all so excited.

"Very well, Uncle, I will see you at dinner." With that she had turned and run out of the room.

Kili watched his family in disbelief before turning to Fili. "We aren't telling her tonight!"

His brother regarded him with surprise watching their mother and uncle walk down the hall ahead of them excitedly making plans. Fili wasn't as blind as Kili thought him to be. He knew that his brother had been taking Brili out without him and giving her more practice time. He wanted to be angry that his brother was lying to him and going against the agreement to wean Brili off of her adventurous streak in preparation for adulthood but he couldn't. It was one of the things he loved about his sister. But what was done was done and there would be nothing that would change it now. Instead of divulging these thoughts to Kili he settled on nodding his head.

"It's her birthday!" Kili argued. "Can't we wait a week?"

Fili shook his head. "She will be just fine."

~o~

Dinner that night was a spectacular affair, the halls were decorated to spare no expense and the food was exquisite! Hams and roasted fouls, sausages and beef roasts, potatoes and carrots, fresh grown corn, mushrooms, beets and tomatoes; all these things lay before Kili and his practically empty plate. He wasn't sure why but he seemed to have lost his appetite between arriving home and sitting down. Beside him sat Master Dwalin, and beside Dwalin sat his brother, Balin. With a worried glance he realized everyone who could be here was in fact already here. Brili sat at the head of the table today, as per Thorin's request. Every year he would give his seat up to each of his nephews and beloved niece on their birthdays. At the opposite end of the grand table sat the only three who were not in any way related to the line of Durin, Bombur, Bifur and finally, at the opposite head of the table, Bofur.

Fili laughed loudly as Brili made some sort of joke or regaled him with some silly tale, drawing Kili's attention back to his sister. She was dressed in the finest silks today, a beautiful pink and cream colored gown that only brought out the gold in her hair which was let down and left to flow behind her shoulders, save a few loose pieces, delicately. She had been washed and brushed and powdered so that she was barely recognizable from the girl he helped smuggle in before. He gave his mother an anxious look before tossing a carrot across his plate. He would really regret not being hungry later.

"This was wonderful!" Brili announced contentedly as she pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair. "What's for dessert, Uncle?!"

Thorin shook his finger at her and smiled. "After your gifts."

"Sit up, Brili!" Dis scolded worriedly as she peered down the table. "We have guests!"

The youth scowled slightly but did as she was asked, eagerly accepting a gift from the small pile beside Fili. "From Oin," she announced, offering the elder dwarf a wide, appreciative smile. That moment of sincerity was gone in an instant as she ripped the box open, pulling a harp from inside. Her jaw went slack before she forced a smile. "Um, wow… Thank you."

"You should learn to play an instrument," Fili said earning himself a warning glare from his now, clearly peeved sister. He sighed and handed her another gift.

Kili grimaced, it was his. His mother, brother and uncle had all given him specific instructions on what to or not to give Brili as a gift this year. He was smart and chose something that was on neither list but something he knew she would love anyways.

"Chocolates!" she cried out with glee, about to leap across the table to thank her brother. A warning glance from Dis caused her to rethink this decision and she politely nodded to him instead. "I mean, thank you, Kili. They are my favorite sweet."

Brili's frustration grew with each gift she opened. Needle and thread, new swatches for curtains, lovely little frocks to wear during day time, a tea set, all things you gave to boring girls who didn't like the outside or adventure. Even Kili's gift had been kind of lackluster. It was like he had purposely picked the one item she would have enjoyed that wouldn't get him into trouble. It was all so terribly dull. She had also grown awfully tired of her mother scolding her every few moments. It wasn't as if she had to impress anyone at this table. She thanked the last person for their gift, some block head named Bombur (who had given her cheese of all things to give at a birthday), and looked around. Strange, she didn't remember receiving a gift from her uncle or Fili, but with all the boring gifts all she wanted was to skip dessert and curl up with her new box of chocolates.

"Well, thank you everyone for your lovely gifts," she began her practiced speech with absolutely no degree of sincerity.

On either side of her both Thorin and Fili stood up. She stopped speaking abruptly, withering slightly at the strained look on her eldest brother's face. She peered at her uncle who had his eyes only on Fili. What in Durin's name was going on?! Her family never paid attention to such ceremony. She looked to Kili only to find him looking a very strange shade of green.

Thorin cleared his throat, prompting Fili to take a startled breath. "Um, Brili, as you know we lost our father three years before you were born. So, um, normally, he would be doing this…"

Thorin rolled his eyes. "We have one last gift for you, little princess," he said affectionately, handing her a small but intricately carved box. Brili took it with trembling hands. "Open it."

She lifted the lid of the box and pulled out the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was a gold chain with pink and white gems clustered over a large, palm-sized gold locket. She opened it to find hand drawn pictures of her brothers inside. She let out a gasp and nearly dropped the precious artifact. "Uncle… Fili, Kili… It's… I can't even begin to…" she failed to find words to thank them.

"There's a note," Thorin suggested, "at the bottom of the box. Perhaps you would like to read it aloud?

Brili took the small piece of paper with a hammering heart. Why would anyone want to be in the spotlight like this? With a sigh she unfolded it and began to do as her uncle asked. "_I, Bofur, of Ered Luin, formally request an audience with Thorin, son of Thrain son of Thror, to ask for his niece, Brili's…_" She stopped speaking with wide terrified eyes.

Fili chose this moment to speak up. "We've found you a husband."

He indicated towards the opposite end of the table, much to Brili's horror, where a dwarf with braided hair and quite an interesting mustache began to rise from his seat. The entire table erupted into excited applause.

"Brili," her mother hissed, "stand and greet your fiancé!"

She tried to find her footing to stand, she really had. The dwarf in question had begun his short trek to her end of the table and Brili felt a wave of panic wash over her. This man wanted to take her from her family! Her family wanted to get rid of her and pawn her off on some strange dwarf whom she had never met before?! As he got closer she backed away, frantically pulling her skirts up to her knees as if they would save her. The dwarf chuckled kindly.

"I understand this is a bit of a shock, milady," he soothed in a gentle voice. "I mean you no harm."

She tried as hard as she could to say something, anything but she felt like all the air had been pulled from her. He reached out to take her hand when suddenly she found her voice and her legs. She stepped back again until she was against the wall, shaking her head in disbelief. "No… no…"

"Brili," Thorin ground out through his teeth. "Enough of this."

She looked to him with wide and frightened eyes. "Uncle Thorin… please, no…" A hand reached out to steady her. "No!" She pushed it away before realizing it was Fili's.

"Bri, it's alright," he tried to persuade her into thinking nothing of it. "Bofur is a good dwarf and he will be a wonderful husband and father to your children."

She hadn't meant it but at the sound of his voice she let out a loud shriek. This was dreadful! Simply awful and vile and she wanted nothing to do with this! Before Fili could reach out to grab her she bolted, running through the banquet hall, past all the hands that attempted to reach out to calm and steady her. She frantically flung the doors open, letting them crash open loudly echoing through the room and surrounding passages. She could never!

She could hear many voices calling her name but her feet wouldn't stop until she had reached her chambers and yanked the heavy oak door open, finding safety in the confines of her stone bedroom. At the sound of feet approaching she slammed the bolt closed on her side and backed away from the door. She wouldn't come out until they took away this ridiculous proposal. At the thought of what had just happened to her she began to sob uncontrollably, clutching her golden curls with terror. Fili couldn't have done this to her, he simply couldn't!

Fili was the first to reach her room and began pounding on the door. "Bri, come out!" he called out angrily. She had to know this was coming! She was an adult now, and what did dwarven women do when they became adults? They get married! They had spent the past few years limiting her time outside and adding extra lessons such as dance and embroidery to her curriculum. There was no way she couldn't seen this coming!

Kili raced up the steps and began to push on the door. "Brili?! Are you alright?! Come out!" He turned to Fili. "Is she alright?"

The eldest brother shrugged his shoulders. "She won't answer me."

They both shared a glance and listened intently for any signs of movement or sound inside the room. Sure enough they could her crying so wretchedly that both had to fight every instinct not to break the door down to comfort the girl. Kili knocked on the door again.

"Brili, let us in," he begged, pressing his forehead against the door.

There was another angry shriek and glass shattered in precisely the same spot that Kili's head had thunked against the door on her side. Fili let out a sigh. They were going to get nowhere with her acting like this. They would be better off letting her sleep through the night and trying to speak with her in the morning. He placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder and pulled him from the door.

"Tell Mum and Thorin that she's safe in her room. I'll keep watch over her tonight."

"But, Fi," Kili began with an imploring look across his face, "I can't leave her like that…"

"She'll be fine. I'll be right here if she needs anything. Go tell everyone she is fine. I'll speak to Bofur tomorrow."

With one last glance at the shut door Kili nodded his head, walking down the steps to where a crowd would be forming around the stairwell. He chuckled as he recalled a day in his youth when he had crept out of his bed to sneak into his newborn sister's room to watch over her. Oh, Dis had been surprised to find him in the room sleeping in the chair beside the cradle. He would sneak in several times that year to keep watch over the young babe. He sat on the floor leaning against the door humming softly. After a time her crying had finally stopped and he knew she had fallen asleep.

"G'night, Brili. 'M watching over you," he mumbled sleepily before finally giving in.

* * *

The plot thickens, in one day for me apparently. Anyways, this is all leading up to the main story line of the Hobbit.

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions!

-kimmy


	3. The Surrender

Chapter 3: The Surrender

The first thing that Brili noticed when she first woke was how sore and puffy her eyes felt. Eyes still closed she ran a hand through her now messy and knotted curls. She then let out an intense yawn as she sat up in her bed, stretching her arms and legs before wiggling her toes. It was a strange habit to have in the morning but she always liked to double and triple check that everything was where it should be. Her toes felt confined and she opened her eyes in alarm. Her party dress! Oh mercy, she was still in that blasted dress! The silks were now wrinkled and crinkled beyond repair and there seemed to be a stain on the hem from her buckled shoes. She yelped a little and frantically attempted to flatten the gown against her thigh, hoping beyond hope it could be fixed. It couldn't.

"This is why I can't have nice things! Mum is going to _kill_ me," she whispered frantically.

At the thought of her mother she stopped. There was something on her mind, something dreadful that caused her eyes to water and burn again. Something from last night, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Then her eyes fell to something glittering in the candlelight, a locket that glistened as she lifted it from her still made bed. Raising a hand to her mouth she caught her cry in mid throat and withered into her pillows. A proposal… a proposal to a man she had never even known existed until last night. With a gasp of fear and heartbreak she threw the pendant across the room, watching it clatter against the stone. It remained intact, indicating it had been made by dwarves and not some cheap smith of men.

There was a soft knock on her door. "Your linens, Miss."

Brili's eyes narrowed. Oh no, she was far too old to fall for this trick! No, if she opened that blasted door there would most certainly be a maid there, yes; but behind that maid there would be a whole entourage waiting to confront her and break the door down. No, she was staying right where she was and not budging an inch! They could send as many maids as they liked but she would not unlock that door for anyone! No warrior or prince or elf could talk her off this bed. She sank deeper into her bed and let out a soft sound of reproach. Why on earth would they do this to her? Had she not been a good daughter, sister or niece? Did she not love her family with all her heart? And now her loyalties were being tossed to the wind in favor of some idiot with a foolish mustache?!

The maid knocked once again. "M'lady? Are you alright?"

Brili let out a frustrated growl. "No linens today!" she announced curtly. "Give me peace!"

There was more silence and she could hear a deep voice, Uncle Thorin's without a doubt, grumbling by the door. The maid tried again. "But, Miss, I must really insist that you let me in! Do you not want breakfast?"

Brili let out a frenzied laugh. It had to have been Thorin, no one else would try to talk a maid into bribing her with food. Oh, he had to play much better than that to talk her out of this. She let out a huff as she pulled her shoe off of her foot and flung it at the door. She heard the maid gasp and instantly felt remorseful. It wasn't the maid's fault that her family was sending her away; perhaps she should be a little nicer. With a sigh and a pout she crept towards the door.

"Who is this?" she demanded, inches from the door.

"It's Sh-sh-Shiel," she admitted nervously. Brili could hear the shuffling of feet behind the door, obviously her brothers ready for the door to open.

"Alright, Shiel," Brili began, her voice turning as hard as stone. "Tell my good for nothing Uncle and my ungrateful brothers to fall into fiery depths of Mount Doom and then I'll let you in!" she hollered, throwing her other shoe as hard as she could against the door.

"BRILI!" Thorin's voice thundered and she heard his fist crash against the door so hard it caused the room to shake. "Open this door!"

"No!" she shrieked like a mad woman. "No! No! No! NO!"

Now in hysterics she flung herself on to the bed and began to sob worse than the night before. How could they do this to her?! She had done nothing but love and cherish each and every one of them her whole life! Only to be cast aside like an old toy to care nothing about any longer! How dare they?! How could they just stop loving her like this?! Her sobs grew in strength and now breathing had become too laborious to do without thought. She curled her hands into fists and balled herself up on the bed. She was certain that her heart was breaking into a thousand and one pieces. She was going to die of a broken heart for sure!

"Bri," Thorin's voice had softened due to her tears, "let us in. We can discuss this."

"Just go," she whimpered her voice choked and hoarse. "Just leave me alone."

She had stopped breathing until she heard all five sets of feet clobber down the stairs. From there she wailed. She rung her hands and tugged on the delicate dress until she heard it tear. She could not stand this torture and pain any longer! Why would any family want to do this to their child? What kind of sick race disposed of their daughters so?! She buried her face in her hands to quell the choking sounds that came from her throat and wracked her shoulders.

She stayed like this until time was lost to her, only the betrayal and shame remained. After what felt like her entire existence, she heard footsteps approach her door again. Whoever it was seemed to let out a very frustrated sigh before shuffling closer to the door and sitting in front of it. Brili lifted her hairbrush, prepared to fling it.

"Just me," Kili called out to her, "no need to start throwing things."

Brili stopped, looking at the door and then the brush then back to the door then back to the brush before sneering at the door. What could he possibly want with her? She was no fool; she knew he had some hand in this! If he was so eager to see her married off then he surely wouldn't mind her shriveling up and dying in this room which she fully intended to do!

As if he were reading her thoughts Kili spoke up again. "You're going to have to come out eventually. Uncle isn't going to let you starve to death."

She seethed and had almost crossed the room to rip the door open to argue her point but had quickly corrected her actions. "Let him do his worst," she grumbled into her knees.

She could almost see the smirk on Kili's face as he answered her. "He's mentioned breaking the door down a couple of times already."

"Go away, Kili," she begged, his playful banter was only hurting her more.

Both brothers had entertained her curious side. Fili had actually been the first to suggest taking her outside Ered Luin to play and learn to fight with swords and knives. Fili had been a constant protector and shining example of brotherhood and what it meant to dwarves, make no mistake of that. And Brili had loved him with a fierce loyalty that would follow her to her grave. While Fili had been the one she went to when she needed help, Kili had been the one she went to when she needed fun. Out of both of her brothers she had always been closer to him. Fili allowed her fun but, as he did with most things regarding her, put them under restriction. Kili was the one who let her roam free and love the land away from the mountain.

Despite her request, Kili hadn't budged. "I picked him out you know." She felt her body go numb. It was one thing to suspect that he had some part of this but to know for certain was much, much worse. "He's not a half bad chap, you know. He's kind, and likes music. I even talked to him about how you like to be outside. He didn't seem to –"

"Stop!" she shouted, slamming her brush on the end table. "I don't ever want to speak of him!"

"The _point_, Brili," he spoke over her, "is that this was going to happen anyway. And since it was bound to happen, maybe you should look on the bright side."

She shook her head in remorse while internally refusing to say anything else on the matter. He had known all this time and hadn't said a word of warning to her. Said nothing to prepare her for the amount of turmoil she was faced with now. Bright side? There was no bright side. Her family didn't want her and now she was left to wilt in the shadow of a man she would never care to know. There was no light at the end of this dark road for her. She would forever be known as the wife of Bofur. Bofur… the name brought an awful metallic taste to her mouth.

"But I'm afraid…" she whispered aloud, not meaning to. Although, now that she had admitted it, the thought was all that consumed her and she began to weep again. "Brother, I'm frightened!"

She waited for his response and crumpled when he had none. She collapsed to the cold stone floor and curled into herself again. She realized with growing trepidation that she had never been so afraid in all her life. She had never had a reason to be! Her entire life there had always been a brother or an uncle or a mother to care for her and relieve any fears she may have had. Now she had no one. She was staring down this unknown fate and it petrified her. She pulled herself off the ground and rested against her bed with shuddering breaths. Perhaps if they understood how frightened she was they would reconsider.

"Bri, let me in," Kili begged, pushing against the door. "C'mon, little gem, let me at least see you're alright."

She didn't want to do it. No, she was still angry with him for everything that had happened to her. But at the sound of his voice and her state of anxiety she couldn't stop herself from crossing the room on wobbly knees and lifting the wooden bolt and throwing it to the ground. Her resolve spent, she crawled away from the door and buried her covered face into her knees, crying softly.

Kili paused, lifting his head in surprise from his spot against her door. He hadn't exactly expected her to listen to anything he said. He rose from his cross-legged position and stood there for a moment, reaching out to push the door. When he first laid eyes upon her he blanched, she was shaking so hard he feared she was cold. Her beautiful dress from the night before was in tatters around the room. The most horrifying part was the way she hid her face in shame and fear. He rushed to her side immediately.

"Mahal," he breathed frantically, pulling her into his arms. "Hush, sister, please don't cry like this!"

She wanted to push him away. She wanted to be angry and hate him for this but she had no strength left. There was nothing but a hollow empty feeling that lingered in her gut. Too weak to fight back and too exhausted to muster any more tears, she fell limp in his open arms just breathing heavily. There would be no more of this. No more turning to her brothers in times of fear or doubt. Her options were herself or this Bofur fellow and she wanted as little to do with him as possible. Despite her misgivings she felt a moment of tranquility wash over her. She wanted to take this moment, the safety and security that it had provided her, and bottle it up to save forever. She knew she would have none after she was sent off to be married.

Kili pulled away after a while but it still felt like too short a time for Brili. "I'm supposed to get Fili and Uncle… Will you be alright for a few moments?"

She was not afraid of the consequences her actions would undoubtedly bring upon her but that didn't change the fact that she didn't care to see either of them. She instantly regretted her decision to unlock the door. "At least let me clean up." Her voice was hoarse and monotonous, without feeling or heart. It was a voice Kili didn't recognize.

He nodded, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. "I'll send a squadron of maids to your rescue." He tried to be playful, wanting to ease some of her suffering even if just for a moment.

She didn't smile, nor would she for a long time after, but instead turned away from his playful jest by burying her face into her knees. She was as still as stone from there, unable to cry or voice any opinion. To Kili, it was worse than when she was throwing things at them. He sighed and hoisted himself off the ground, stopping to survey his sister one last time. He could rest easy knowing that she was physically fine and that she had done no harm to herself due to her grief. He turned to leave the room, stopping to pick up the wooden plank that kept the door shut. Mumbling some sort of apology he stepped out of the room.

She lifted her head after she heard his footfalls fade away. With a heavy heart she tried to think of things logically as her options were pretty seriously limited. Either way she looked at it, the end game would be that she would be without her family. With that painful realization set aside she had one vital question left to ask herself what was her freedom worth to her? Could she live with the fact that she would forever be shadowed by a man who she cared nothing for? Could she convince herself to submit and give up her voice and choices? No, no she could not. She knew when to keep fighting and when to run.

~o~

Days turned into weeks and Brili had hardly spoken to anyone. She ignored Fili and Kili's attempts at friendly banter and her Uncle's references to her, as he called it, 'episode'. She showed as little emotion as possible given her circumstances. She smiled when expected to smile, sat up straight, curtsied and, the rule she upheld above all, only spoke when spoken to. She never actively participated in the wedding plans, but she always regarded them coldly as if the wedding were a particularly nasty plague. She also had yet to meet with Bofur since her ruined birthday party. Not that she minded any. She could go the rest of her life without seeing him and be perfectly fine.

"Eat your food," her mother scolded, her eyes narrowing as she watched her sullen child toss her food around on her plate.

Brili's eyes flickered upwards for a fraction of a moment before returning to her plate. "Yes, Mother." She took a bite and chewed without tasting anything.

She hadn't been outside since the incident. Her sun-kissed skin was starting to pale and her hair had lost all of its luster and shine. She missed the sunlight, the fresh air, the breeze… She felt as if she were suffocating in the mountain. She appeared at lessons and meals and all other time was spent in her unlocked chambers. Both brothers had asked her to come out and enjoy the sun but every time she refused. She would have nothing to do with them.

Thorin cleared his throat. "You are meeting with Bofur tomorrow. He insists on having you for lunch. I expect there won't be a problem this time."

She stiffened and dropped her fork with a clatter on her plate. Have lunch? How does one have lunch with their captor? What would they talk about? She had no interest in his silly comings and goings and she was certain he could care less about her opinions on their union. Both her brothers looked at her warily, waiting for the fire to light in her eyes. She did not offer them the satisfaction.

She lifted her fork from her plate and refused to meet her uncle's eyes. "Very well."

The family continued with the small talk while Brili continued to eat smaller and smaller bites. This was going to have to happen sooner than she originally thought. She had to plan this out and plan it out well and execute it just as quickly. She placed her fork down on the tabled and folded her hands into her lap.

"May I be excused?" she asked no one in particular.

It was Fili who decided to argue with her tonight. "Bri, stop this!"

She lifted her face to look at him. Her eyes were stony and slightly glazed over. "Sorry, brother, did I say something wrong?"

He was about to answer her when Thorin interrupted him. "You may go. Your mother will have a maid sent up tomorrow morning to prepare you."

She stood from her seat, curtseying politely. "Thank you, Uncle. Mother, brothers, goodnight."

She did not waste time with more goodbyes. She had too much to do with too little time to do it. She made it to her room in quick enough time and began to pack a few small provisions. She had kept two outfits that would be good for travelling and she had a small pack where she had already started storing food from the kitchens, namely apples and a small loaf of bread from her morning's breakfast. She lifted the trunk by her bedside and stuffed her clothing into the pack. She eyed the throwing knives that Kili had given her during better, happier times. Thorin had apparently forgotten about them because he refused to return her sword from Fili. He wanted her weaponless. Helpless and unable to fight for her life! She heard feet approaching the stairs and shut the trunk, hurriedly jumping on the bed with her brush in hand.

There was a knock before she heard Fili speak. "May I come in?" He didn't wait for an answer before opening the door and leaning in the doorway. He watched her brushing a small section of hair, smoothing the lock with no enthusiasm. He took a step closer. "May I?"

She didn't look at him, just held the brush out for him to take. When he had been younger he would brush her hair all the time. He would brush it after their adventures outside so that their mother would be less suspicious about where she was going. It had always been an interesting task, trying to brush the young girl's hair, as the young girl was always turning around to gush about how much fun outside the mountain was. He sat on her bed behind her and began the familiar routine.

"Ready for tomorrow?" he asked, trying to convince his sister to open up about something, anything really.

"As ready as I can be," she replied in a no nonsense voice. "Is there something you need, brother?"

He frowned, putting the brush and her golden locks down. "I just want to talk. I mean, it's been a while since you've said anything."

"I have nothing to say." It was entirely untrue. She had so much on her mind and heart that she wanted to let go of. She just wanted things to be the way they were, when she played in the sun and held nothing but love and hope for her family. She could feel the tension radiating off of her elder brother in waves.

"I know you aren't happy about this, Bri, and I'm sorry. It's just the way it is."

These words hurt her heart. They were royalty. If anyone had the means and right to change the game it was them. Why couldn't her uncle set a new standard of life where the bride had a say? Because he was a tyrant and a coward, that's why. It was no matter; these things wouldn't concern her soon.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I couldn't be happier."

Fili scoffed ruefully. "Nice try. If I were you I'd want nothing to do with it."

She perked up a little; maybe he was trying to tell her he would reject her proposal? "Then…", for the first time Fili heard a flicker of life in her voice, "maybe I shouldn't?"

Her brother sighed and rose from the bed. "I'm sorry. This is just the way it has to be."

She tried not to let her face fall the way it had but fall it did. She quickly corrected her mistake and pulled up her mask. "I'm tired, brother, please let me sleep."

He nodded his head, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "You'll forgive me someday." With those words said he turned and left the room. He didn't see Brili shake her head.

~o~

Night had fallen over the earth as she knew it. It was a different world in the dark of night, a little frighteningly so. With a deep breath she shut the hidden dwarf door and chucked the key as far as she could to her right, where the grass grew tall. There was no turning back now. She shrugged her pack over her shoulders and began her trek at a brisk pace. Perhaps she should have done more research. She had no idea if the boat was even still by the river. What would she do if it wasn't? She was counting on that boat for survival. She had enough supplies to make it across the river and from there she didn't have a plan. It's not as if she had enough time to form anything more than a quick, last minute escape route.

She had never been out in the dark. At first, the cool night air filled her with hope and revitalized her spirit but grew colder the farther she got from the mountain. She dared a glance behind her. Ered Luin, a home and a prison all at once. As she walked she encountered landmarks that triggered memories of a life in the sun. All involving the brothers she had perceived as heroes. She wanted to warn the girl from her childhood to beware these evil villains and run far and fast.

"Better late than never," she whispered to the wind, trying to ignore the thoughts of her childhood.

She made it to the river just as the sun began to rise. There, on the still shores of the lazy river she found it, the boat she had discovered on her birthday. It had been fate that brought her so far from home that day. She had to hurry. The mountain would be waking soon and she had to cross the river before then. She knelt down by the bank and pulled out one of the hunting knives she had hooked to her belt. With a new resolve she pulled out a ribbon, flipping her hair so that it fell across her face. She tied the bow around the halfway mark and raised the knife. Then she cut into her hair, something that her mother would never allow her to do. She kept sawing into the beautiful tresses and curls until it fell just past her shoulders. She felt lighter without it, better. With a victorious grin she pulled the locket, her last curse from her family, from around her neck and lay it down next to the hair.

"Let them find it," she announced darkly. "Let them see what I've done."

But did she want them to see? It wasn't too late to turn around, tail between her legs and go back. They would not be pleased to find she had run off in the night but it would be worse if she were found later than if she returned sooner. What if she never came back? Could she live with the way things had ended with her family? Despite her angry words and thoughts she still loved them with all of her heart. Would they even notice her absence except for when she wasn't there to marry Bofur? Would they miss her?

She frantically leapt from her knelt position when she heard the first songbird call. They would without doubt be waking now. It was time for her to go. She pushed the boat into the water and climbed in, pulling out the large pole used to push the vessel across the water. Without further ceremony or sympathy, she began to float away. She stopped to look behind only once to smile.

She was finally free.

* * *

That was a lot to process. Sorry if it was a little rushed but I promise this is where things get exciting. Hint: enter wizard! woot woot!

Send a review my way! Let me know if I'm totally ruining this story!

-kimmy


	4. A Different Kind of Adventure

Chapter Four: A Different Kind of Adventure

_Rivendell: Five years later…_

Brili woke to the sunlight in her room, woke up to warmth every day. She smiled, stretching her arms and legs, wiggling her fingers and finally her toes. Yep, everything was exactly where it should be. She sat up from the soft feather bed and yawned with great might and strength. Her eyes opened and a satisfied grin stretched across her face. Her room was small, much smaller than any elf maiden's would be. She set her feet on the warm floor and stretched her arms out one last time. It had been a long time since she had stepped foot in the mountain. Her once vivid memories of that place growing blurrier as time went on. _This_ was home.

She had almost died. She couldn't remember what had happened to her. Probably exhaustion or starvation but, again, she wasn't sure. All she remembered was that her pride had kept her from trying to go back. It was there on the banks of the long and great river that she fell, ready for the end. It was there that he found her; a great wizard in grey clothes. He had found her near death and brought her to an inn, giving her food and shelter before offering to bring her here to Rivendell. Lord Elrond had taken her in and gave her work washing clothes and cleaning up rooms in exchange for housing her. It was an honest work until he found out what she truly desired; to be a warrior and learn to fight. Now she trained as a ranger with a new sword and better throwing knives instead of washing and keeping house. She was happy here with a few friends to call her own.

She crossed the room and pulled her comfortable leather coat off of the bench where it had been draped haphazardly. She had been given the garment on her first day of training; she held it close, breathing in the sweet, earthy scent of leather and smiled. Today was going to be a good day, she decided, as she often had since coming to Rivendell so long ago. She shrugged off her nightgown, a beautiful and soft fabric that flowed like the breeze and was practically transparent, for a pair of pants and a tunic. All of her tunics had a large hood and thick scarf attached that would hide her face if she needed, making it easier to hide in the shadows and hunt. She would have worn the jacket but the spring air was too inviting for such a coat. Pulling a pair of flat shoes on her feet she left the room in search of breakfast.

"'Quel amrun, mellon*," a voice spoke from her door. "I thought you would sleep all day!"

There stood a man of dark hair and blue eyes. His clothes were worn and ragged but his posture demanded respect, giving him the look of a king. It was a face she had come to know well in her time with the elves as he was the one who had taken her as an apprentice.

"Aragorn!" she cried out, pleased with her friend's appearance. "When did you return?"

"Late last night," he answered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And I still woke up earlier than you!"

She smiled, placing her hand over his. "It's my day off! I needed the rest! Shall we go to eat?"

He smirked and shook his head. "No, Lord Elrond sent me to fetch you. He wishes to speak with you."

She quirked her eyebrow at him and smacked her lips nervously. What on earth could her want to speak with her for? "Oh? Then I must be off, I suppose. Shall we meet for lunch?"

"We'll see," he said, seeming to know something she didn't. "Asca**, little dwarf!"

She did just as he asked and made for Elrond's favorite study with great haste. She didn't stop to admire the gardens or fountains like she normally would and she even took the fast way round the expansive halls. She stopped when she reached the room and knocked without fear or trepidation. After all, she was safe here.

"Enter!" Elrond's voice called out. "Ah, Brili, I've been expecting you."

She bowed out of great respect, her now growing hair falling over her shoulder and tickling her cheek. "What do you require, my Lord?"

He smiled. "How long have you been in my company?"

"About five years, sir."

"And, yet, I have never sent you on a quest?"

She frowned a little. It was true she had never been sent off to run errands like Aragorn had been. She always assumed it had been because of her lack of experience, nothing personal. It wasn't as if she could be made into a ranger overnight. Mahal, what if he was displeased with her performance?! She would have to simply try harder if that were the case!

"No, I suppose not," she answered, trying to hide her concern.

Elrond gestured for her to follow him out to the balcony, which she did without complaint. From here, all of Rivendell could be seen. She dreamily watched the elves below scurry about with their day to day activities, greeting friends and singing songs. Oh how she loved the way they all sang with her. She felt at peace here with nothing but comfort and joy resting on her shoulders.

"Do you remember the wizard Gandalf?" Elrond interrupted her reverie with his question.

Oh, did she ever! "Of course, I do! I owe him my life!"

"Then it is time to repay your debt." She looked up at him in alarm. He smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Where he is going I do not know but the wizard requires an escort. I offered Aragorn's services but he asked for you personally."

She let out a gasp. Asked for her? This was it! The moment she had been waiting for all her life! Her very own adventure! She nodded her head a little more eagerly than she had originally planned, accepting her new charge.

"I will not fail," she said gravely, hiding her excitement.

"Well, I would hurry if I were you. He will be expecting you shortly."

She bowed again before rushing out of the room. She had to go to the kitchens first! No, her room to pack her supplies! But she hadn't eaten yet! Oh she didn't even know where to start! She ran through Rivendell like a leaf caught in a storm! Her room first, then kitchens to eat and pack some food. This was perfect; it was everything she could ever dream of and more. She barged into her custom made room only to find her packs filled to the brim with Aragorn standing over them.

"You'll need these," he teased, holding them out to her. "Food and water skins to share and changes of clothes, oh, and this." He held out her weapons belt that had her knives holstered along one side and her sword safe in its sheath.

"Thank you!" she said, her eyes filling with joy. "For everything… I wouldn't be here without you!"

"Go, little one," he urged, turning and pushing her gently out the door. "We will speak when you return!"

She nodded her head before embracing her friend and idol. She would always return here.

She met the wizard outside the gates of the city. He was exactly how she remembered him with a long grey beard and shining blue eyes that whispered of magic and untold tales. His beard was blowing in the light breeze with his pale scarf and his robes were ragged with wear. She briefly wondered if they should stop for a while and rest. He stepped off his horse to greet her with his arms spread wide in delight. Brili shrugged her pack a little higher on her shoulders. An adventure with a wizard; could her life get any better?

The wizard smiled and looked behind him. He could be openly truthful with the girl if he wished but that would be catastrophic. He could tell her of his plan to unite a company of dwarves to take back the Lonely Mountain but at the mention of dwarves she would turn and run in the other direction. It hadn't been difficult for him to figure out who the young woman had been after handing her safety to the elves, as her brothers were very active in their search for her. He had been approached by her frantic brothers with hand drawn posters offering a great reward for her safe return to Ered Luin. She was the lost Princess of Durin, a tale he had overheard in his travels in the years after her disappearance. These tales were what brought him to the Blue Mountains in the first place. He was not one to meddle in family affairs but he knew it was no coincidence that he had found the girl but a few years before this quest would begin to unfold. He was going to reunite the line of Durin in hopes of securing the mountains on the side of good.

She would be furious, no doubt. The girl had clearly grown in strength of mind and body in her time away from home but he was certain that old family ties would hold true and she would soften a bit. He watched her load her pony with a determined and steely gaze. The layer of fat that had covered her body had turned to muscle, an impressive feat for a female dwarf. It gave her a slimmer figure than the girl he had found. She hummed to herself as she loaded the pony that clopped peacefully behind her.

"Ah, child," he called as he approached, "something has certainly changed within you. You are not the same dwarf that I delivered to this very door."

She smirked at him with a glimmer in her eye. "And you haven't changed a bit. You're still old!"

Gandalf let out a hearty laugh. "It's a joy to see you, Bri."

"And you. Now, where are we going?" she inquired eagerly as she strapped some supplies onto her pony (whom she had eloquently named Boppadoo).

Instead of announcing this plan he smiled at her. "Have you ever heard of the Shire?"

~o~

The start of their journey had gone very smoothly with both riding horseback. Occasionally Brili would hop off her pony to search ahead but always returned with nothing to report. They traveled fast and light and their conversations were fantastic and merry. Brili was very eager to please Gandalf, firm in the belief that she owed him her life. She would sing him happy songs as they rode together and he would often share his tobacco with her, lighting her pipe at the end of a day's journey. He constantly entertained her with his smoke rings which pleased her to no end. This went on every night during their travels and Brili was happy.

Gandalf would often notice the look on her face as she explored the area around them. She kept herself professional, searching for orcs or anything intending to do them any harm. It was after the business was over, after safety was guaranteed, he watched her smile. She would close her eyes and smile widely breathing the country air and a look of total peace would come over the girl.

One day, about three weeks after their travels began, Gandalf tried to judge what her reaction to the dwarves would be. They would be reaching their destination soon and he had no way to gauge what sort of state it would put her in: fury and wrath, joy and overwhelming love? He had no idea. He stopped his pony and pulled out his pipe. She grinned and followed suit, excited to see more smoke figures.

"You are a character," Gandalf mused, puffing on his stores of Old Toby. He pursed his lips and, with a bit of magic, a horse formed in the smoke and leaping through a ring he had just made. The girl watched this display in delight for she loved smoking pipes and blowing rings. "Last I heard dwarven women were guarded so fiercely they would never leave the mountain."

She stiffened and narrowed her eyes at him, pulling her pipe out of her mouth ready to squash it out. "They are. I was fortunate, I was able to escape."

"Escape?" He found it hard to believe that two brothers who searched so far and wide for her could have meant her any harm. "What could you mean by that?"

"It's nothing," she murmured, using her calloused thumb to press the red hot ash out in her pipe, "We'd best hurry if we want to arrive at the Shire by the end of the week."

She clambered back onto her pony and began to ride without him, her head hung low as if in despair. The wizard kept his pipe lit as he rode behind her, listening to her singing softly. It was plain as day she missed the family she once had but something had caused her to leave home. Was it danger? No, he hadn't heard of an attack on Ered Luin. No, her leaving must have been for personal reasons; but for what? What could have affronted this woman so terribly that she would shake an entire system and community in response? The entire line of Durin had mourned the girl, firm in the belief that she was alive and hiding by the banks of the river. Every year they held a ceremony of flowers by the riverbank, letting flowers float along the river to her in hopes she would find them and follow them home.

Oh, they would be in for quite a surprise in the Shire, he thought pleasantly.

~o~

They arrived with the sun climbing high in the east. They had travelled through the night to reach their destination and signs of sleepiness were apparent on Brili. Her first adventure had been very different than she anticipated. She had enjoyed her time with the wizard, although she could have done without all of his probing questions, but her journey lacked something more. She had only drawn her sword once and that was to cut a branch for firewood. Weren't quests supposed to have an element of danger and surprise around every corner? This one certainly didn't! This felt more like a long walk with an old and long departed friend. (Technically that's exactly what it was, seeing as Brili had never thought any ill will towards the wizard.) So when Gandalf had announced that they had reached their destination she was both relieved and disappointed.

"Welcome to the Shire," he said, dismounting his full sized horse with a grin. "I think you will find this place to your liking."

Brili was elated. Everything was her size! It was the best of both worlds! The homes and shops were designed for a race her size but, unlike the mountain, everything was outside. Her eyes grew wide with surprise and joy. What a perfect little place! Could she live here? Would she convince Aragorn to leave? With a giggle and shout she hopped off her pony, ready to explore this new and delightful world.

"Come, Gandalf," she called behind her, "show me all there is to know!"

He walked behind the girl who was now immersing herself in the bustling market. Gandalf chuckled as she stopped at a street vendor selling tubers and fresh vegetables admiring the goods with a look of wonder. She scurried to the stall next to that one that sold fruits, she eyed the apples hungrily. She pulled out a silver coin that she had held from her days in the mountains. Gandalf chuckled and steered her from the goods, pointing to a stall down a ways from the square. Children of all shapes, sizes and ages were surrounding it enviously.

"I think this one would be more to your liking," he said pleasantly, recalling a rumor of the princess's affinity for sweets. "I'll be in that house down that way. You can't miss it. Enjoy the village and the sights, get some rest and then join me at the house with the green door."

She nodded eagerly as she approached the stall, standing over the children with curious eyes. What she saw made her jump for joy. Candy! Caramels and sugar drops with lemon cakes and little pastries coated in white sugar. She stepped closer to the cart to spot a large box in the corner and nearly dropped to her knees. Chocolates! Oh mercy, there were chocolates in this place! What wonders would never cease?! She pushed a child out of her way and ran to the front of the line.

"How much are the chocolates?!" she demanded, pointing at the box feverishly. The stall vendor looked at her in surprise and slight alarm.

"Depends how many boxes ya want," the plump female hobbit with wild and curly red hair answered, handing a small cake loaf to a child who handed her a copper coin. "Got about three or four of them in the back."

Brili pulled out a gold coin. "This much?!"

The woman's eyebrows were lost in her hair at the sight. Gold? She hadn't seen gold for an age and a half! "That's more than enough! With that you could buy the whole lot and then some!"

Brili slammed the coin into the baker's hand. "Bag it all up! I want it all! Every cake and caramel but the chocolates are most important!" she cried out, to every child's horror and chagrin. Bless her soul, she hadn't eaten a sweet in years!

From the stall, she found a great oak tree on a hill overlooking the entire town. If anyone were still actively searching for the runaway princess she would be easy to spot. She lay in the shade of the tree letting the fading sun tickle her toes while she munched on sweets with little to no ceremony. Sugar dusted her traveling clothes and covered her cheeks as she popped another cake in her mouth, saving the chocolates for last. She grinned in delight as she stared at the four boxes she would pack for her return journey, wondering how such a small place could have ever acquired such a treat! With her stomach full and aching she began to pack the remaining cakes and treats that lay scattered around her. She should probably find that house that Gandalf was telling her about. Yes, it was about that time. She rose from her seat with a great joy in her heart and travelled down the hill with a song on her lips. She sang softly, admiring this sweet little place. She could see herself settling down here.

The house was not hard to find at all as Gandalf had marked the door underneath the handle. She frowned and wondered why he had marked the door with a dwarvish rune. She was fluent in elven speech as well. Oh well, no matter anyways. She stood tall and knocked on the door, still singing her song. There was a bit of a wait but after a time the door opened to reveal a hobbit wrapped in a dressing gown. He looked nervously at her, fear lighting his eyes. She frowned before remembering her hood was still up and lowered it.

"Brili," she announced her name with pride, "at your service. Have you seen my wizard?"

Forgoing manners she stepped inside the small house, curious to see what the inside of one of these homes contained. The hobbit let out a squeak and chased after her as she explored his kitchen. He was a short fellow with a mop of sandy colored hair and incredibly large and hairy feet. Brili had been exposed to these folk all day and was still ridiculously humored by the state of their feet! He opened and closed his mouth like a fish and wagged his finger at her in distaste. He was cooking food and while Brili was far too full to think of eating it herself, she flipped the fish for the hobbit out of politeness. No host wants a burnt supper.

"There is no wizard here!" he finally cried out.

She turned to him and smiled, her curls bouncing in the process. "No matter, I'll wait here for him." With that she sat patiently at the table to wait.

The hobbit looked at her with great worry as she sat there, preparing his supper and fidgeting quite a bit. She scowled a little bit as it was rude to just stand there and not offer her any drink. Did Gandalf not tell the hobbit to expect her? And where was the wizard any ways? Was this not the place they were meant to meet? Doubts had begun to fill her mind when the bell had begun to tinkle pleasantly. Ah, that would be him. She indicated for the master of the house to answer it, knowing that it could be no one but her companion. The nervous fellow got up from his seat and went to the door with Brili listening impatiently from down the hall in the kitchen.

"Dwalin," a voice growled out from outside and caused Brili to go cold, "at your service."

"Uh-Bilbo Baggins, at yours."

She leapt out of the chair in a panic. What on earth was he doing here?! She knew that name and that voice from her youth as he had been good friends with her uncle. She frantically pulled the scarf up to her nose and yanked the hood over her head, her heart pounding too hard to hear the exchange between the hobbit and dwarf. Her face hidden she dashed into the pantry in a panic. She couldn't have timed it better; Dwalin had just stepped into the kitchen and had begun eating her host's food. The hobbit, whose name she had gathered was Bilbo, stood in the doorway looking for her, unable to spot her hiding by the wine barrels. She had to escape! Or just hide here until the dwarf left. What if this was an ambush and he knew all along that she was here?

The bell rang again and Bilbo went to the door, Dwalin had risen from his chair to investigate the mantle, which held a jar of cookies ready for eating. She took this opportune moment to sneak out of the pantry and back into the kitchen. She just had to get to Gandalf and then everything would be alright… But it wasn't Gandalf at the door. No, it was another relic of her past, Balin, Dwalin's elder brother and a frequent guest at her family's supper table. Oh this was a nightmare! She barely repressed a squeak and ducked into the den! Dwarves?! Dwarves in the kitchen!

She kept to the shadows of the house and watched the brothers exchange a friendly greeting. Bilbo was frantically babbling about uninvited visitors and how put out he was with the situation. The older dwarves were now pouring wine and talking amongst themselves while Brili tried to sneak to the front door. She could out run any one of these dwarves without breaking a sweat. She just had to reach the open air. The house was confusing, as all of the tunnels and hallways seemed to lead to the kitchen as the room to be. No, not the place to be! She reached her hand out for the handle when the bell chimed again! She nearly leapt out of her skin at the sound and dashed back into the hall, pressing herself against the wall. What was going on here?! The hobbit opened the door and she heard a voice that stopped her heart.

"Fili."

"And Kili"

Brili had to hold her hands over her mouth to keep from throwing up. Both her brothers announced their presence at the door. "At your service."

This was not a coincidence, this was a trap.

* * *

Phew, that one was tough to get out. I meant to finish that much sooner. Anyways this is the part where the rest of the company joins the story. I'm excited to write out the dinner scene! (Out of both movies it's still my favorite part!)

Some translations:

*"Good morning, friend."

**"Hurry,..."

I also want to thank KelseyBI, les mis hobbit freak 92, and basketball4444 for adding this story to their favorites! Also thanks to Eridg17 for following! I promise this is just the beginning of the journey, my friends and I'm glad you have taken an interest in the story so early on! Thank you!

Again, feel free to leave a review with any thoughts or comments you may have on how I can improve or what you liked most! I am particularly fond of the "chocolates" scene and believe it or not, it will tie into the story within the next few chapters. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of how little attention I paid to the journey from Rivendell to the Shire. I fell like I rushed it. Did I? Let me know what you think!

Until next time!

-kimmy


	5. The Night is Long

Chapter 5: The Night is Long

"You must be Mr. Boggins." That was Kili's voice without a doubt.

She had never known her heart to pound so fast and so loudly. For sure they would hear the drumming coming from her chest and seek out the sound. Bah bump, it cried; bah bump, bah bump, bah bump! This incessant sound rang in her ears, threatening to take away her hearing and explode in her chest. She would die here for sure! Yes, she knew she had thought that many times but this time it must be true! How could they have found her all the way out here?

"Nope! Nope! You can't come in! You've come to the wrong house!"

Brili breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, they wouldn't dare enter here if the owner of the home said they couldn't! She raised her fist in the air, thankful for the little victories as she remained crouched in the sitting room. The host was shutting the door and they wouldn't be able to enter!

She heard a boot and an open palm hit the door frantically. Oh no. Oh no, no, no!

"What?" Kili cried out. "Has it been cancelled?"

"No one told us," Fili chimed in.

Brili scoffed, how like them to think they were always on a need to know basis! Whatever was going on here clearly had nothing to do with them! Oh those stupid, foolish, thick headed idiots! Bilbo started stammering from the door and it took all of Brili's strength not to leap from her hiding spot and silence him. He didn't have to talk to them! He just had to shut the damn door!

"Cancelled? No, nothing's been cancelled!"

"That's a relief!"

Oh that was the wrong thing to say. The door was pushed open and she could hear the familiar footfalls on the wooden floor. She was feet away from them with a hammering heart that was going to give her away. Of course her brothers had been unable to hear her heart but if she wasn't careful they would hear her breathing so frantically. She had to calm down! She felt weak all of a sudden and a layer of sweat had begun to form on her brow. She could feel the blood draining from her face.

"Careful with these, I just had them sharpened," Fili announced and Brili could hear the familiar sound of his weapons being dropped into the arms of someone else. Growing up it had often been her taking the weapons from him.

"It's nice, this place," Kili carried on with his usual friendly demeanor. Brili held her hand over her chest at the sound of his voice. Oh, she had missed him the most. "Did you do it yourself?"

She barely heard the exchange between her brothers of old and the hobbit. (Something about a glory box, whatever that was.) No, she had to focus on the sounds of their feet, not their voices. Their feet would indicate how close or far from the door they were. Another voice joined them.

"Fili, Kili, come on! Give us a hand!" That was Dwalin, no doubt. This was her best chance! She crept from the sitting room and made for the door as Dwalin led both of her brothers towards the kitchen.

"Let's shove this in the hole, otherwise we'll never get everyone in!"

Bilbo seemed to have the same mindset as Brili who was halfway between the door and the sitting room. "Everyone?! How many more of there are you?!"

She placed her hand on the door when the bell rang again! She leapt back and ran as fast as she could without worrying about the noise and crashed into what must have been the hobbit's bedroom! How many more of these companions had her brothers summoned here?! What had brought them? Had they found out where she was going? If they had then how?! No, it must be a coincidence, how would they know she was here? They simply couldn't. They didn't seem concerned with finding her. Maybe they didn't know and there was still hope.

She heard the door open and she heard a strange tumbling from the doorway. Like many bodies falling over. How curious? She sat, waiting for the right moment to run when she heard him. Gandalf! Oh mercy, the dwarves had taken the wizard captive and must be demanding information from him! She had to rescue him! She lowered her hood and began to pull her precious curls back into a ribbon at the base of her neck. She couldn't afford to let even one lock show. With new resolve she covered her face with her scarf and hood as she slammed the door open! She would save Gandalf and he would forget this silly venture and take her back to Rivendell!

But when she burst from the door, ready to throw the first knife she could grab, she saw the most curious thing. The wizard was not chained to a chair as she had expected to see and there was certainly more than the four dwarves that had first entered the house. No, this was a mob of dwarves, most of whom she recognized. They did not appear angry or searching for answers. In fact, they looked quite jolly as they trampled about the house and began to take food and drink from the pantry to cook. All this time Gandalf stood tall over them, crouched slightly so he wouldn't hit the beams on the ceiling and counted the busy dwarves. Her host, however, was having a conniption in the center of it all. If only to foil the plans of her race, she rushed in to help him retrieve some of his food.

"Not the jam, please!" he shouted, chasing after this dwarf and that trying to stop them from bringing the food to the table. Brili successfully snatched a jar of strawberry preserves and thrust them into the hobbits anxious hands. "Excuse me, that's a tad excessive, don't you think? Have you even got a cheese knife?!"

She went to go retrieve at least one wheel of cheese from a very fat fellow whom she thought she recognized when she heard him. A voice that brought her back to a time when she had lost control of everything, a voice that made her want to wring her hands in despair!

"Cheese knife? He eats it by the block!"

_"I understand this is a bit of a shock, milady. I mean you no harm."_

She gasped and began to back away from that most offending sound and bumped into a hard body. She turned to see Fili inches from her, lifting a barrel of ale with Kili. She nearly screamed in shock but her throat had closed off. (And a good thing too, for the scream of a female dwarf would have attracted every dwarf in the room.) Instead she backed away slowly. Oh, what a nightmare! How could she be trapped here in this awful place?! Her brother regarded her with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Watch it!"

She nodded a bit and tried to slink towards the door. She just had to leave and she had to leave now. This was some sort of scheme between her brothers, her dratted fiancé, Bofur, and the wizard! They had all conspired against her and were waiting for her to take the hood off! A long since forgot but very familiar sensation of suffocation fell over her again and she began to struggle to breathe! With every attempt she made for the front door she was thwarted by another dwarf, trapping her in a nightmarish ring of horror. She would not have her choices taken like this! She had worked too hard and too long to be free like this! She was no princess, she was a Ranger! She pushed a dwarf, her distant cousin Ori actually, and made a mad dash for the door.

Only, it would not open. She tugged at it until the handle near ripped off and still nothing happened! If she wanted to draw attention to herself she would have begun to beat it down but she knew that would be foolish. Instead she wiggled the handle again. It was unlocked, so then she pushed again. It still wouldn't budge! What on earth was happening?!

"Where are you going?" a voice asked in her ear. She leapt to see Gandalf hovering over her.

This was no broken door, it was magic. This foolish wizard was behind it all! "Gothamin*," she hissed venomously, keeping her voice low so that none but the wizard would hear her. "Lle wethrine amin**! You've done this! "

He seemed a touch offended but didn't let that stop him. "I trust you are hungry. Sit and eat with our companions, the food and drink should be excellent."

She peered behind him to make sure no one was listening, indeed they weren't. "I would not eat with them if I were starved! Let me leave this place! Please, Gandalf, I cannot be seen here."

Gandalf was about to argue his point to her. He was going to be wise and explain to her that she had nothing to fear here. She was surrounded by her family who had missed her dearly and wanted to see her again. He had no reason to lie; after all, all these things were true. Fili and Kili would have liked nothing more than to see their lost sister returned to them. He was going to announce to the room that he had found the princess and let a new level of happiness grace this gathering. But then he looked at her. She was desperately frightened of them. Her hands had covered her eyes inside her hood.

He sighed. "I won't say a word. Just keep your hood down and they will not know."

She nodded her head. "I will take you as far as Rivendell. No further."

"Understood," he agreed, secretly knowing she would be discovered before then.

"Who's that?"

Brili winced, _him _again; as if she didn't have enough troubles already. Bofur gave her a friendly grin and held his hand out to shake hers. She made a point to clasp hers behind her back and bow slightly. Through the fabric she could see, only very little. He looked just the same as in the nightmares that plagued her. Taller than her with wide, expressive brown eyes and a smile that one couldn't help but admire.

"Ah, Bofur," Gandalf cleared his throat, "this is my companion. I'm afraid they aren't one for conversation."

Bofur nodded his head in assent, elbowing Brili in the shoulder. "I've got a cousin like that!"

Brili shook her head and stalked away from the door. What a disaster. She slunk into the dining hall where they were preparing a grand feast. Fili and Kili let another barrel of ale thunk to the ground beside her and she jumped two feet in the air to which Kili laughed raucously. Oh mercy, he was already drunk. That should make things interesting. She was unsure if it was all the sweets she ate or the sight before her that made her so nauseous but she was not happy here. She leaned against the wall thinking dark and brooding thoughts towards everyone who passed by her. Before she could leave to find a quieter place to sit and wait the night out a mug of ale was shoved into her hand by Dwallin. Had he no idea who she was?! She drank wine, not ale! She was about to turn her nose up at it but suddenly, the idea of being drunk totally appealed to her.

She hated the thick, almost woody taste the beverage provided. It reminded her of the taste left in ones mouth after vomiting. Who would willingly drink this stuff? It was quite disgusting indeed at first sip and hadn't changed the second time round. With a great shout all the dwarves began to chug from their mugs so Brili followed suit. She pulled her scarf down just enough to expose her mouth and began. Not a wise idea! She could only get half the drink out of the cup, a quarter down her gullet, the rest she promptly spit out, spraying the back of Dori's head with the frothy remains. That was simply revolting!

She looked around and realized that she was going to draw unwanted attention to herself. And indeed she had! More than half the table was staring at her! What do men do when they mess up? She raised her mug and grunted a bit, her voice going as low as she possibly could. The entire table laughed at the display and Kili began banging his fists on the table in delight. She smiled a little at the sight. He looked the same as her memory provided. His dark hair had grown some and he was certainly growing more facial hair. He looked… well, for lack of a better word, _good_. She always operated under the assumption that her brother would be fine without her and she was apparently right. She wasn't entirely sure how the truth made her feel.

Fili on the other hand looked a touch more sullen than usual. He too looked the same as she remembered with his braided and beaded moustache and goatee. But now there was a somberness to him that wasn't evident in Kili. He watched Kili and his antics with a fierceness that Brili remembered from her youth. He was protecting his younger kin every moment of every day. She could see it in his eyes and in the way he drank. He was a warrior now, she supposed, it would explain the hint of gruffness that lingered in his eyes. Uncle had probably finished his training months, if not years ago. Had it been that long? Long enough for her brothers to forget her very existence and pretend she was nothing more than a ghost? Seemed like it to her. Then again, isn't that what she had done to them? Was this not her fault? She had left them, not the other way around.

In a fit of rage she slammed her mug onto the full table and went into the kitchen. No, this was their fault. They started this war by offering her hand to Bofur. _Her_ hand, not theirs; her title was not theirs to give away to anyone! She leaned against the empty pantry door and stared at the lack of food inside, smiling ruefully. She had picked up on the fact that hobbits were particularly fond of food during her visit. No doubt the master of this house would be displeased. As if on cue, Bilbo walked into the room and saw her just standing there.

"I thought I imagined you," he mumbled beside her.

She looked at him before holding a finger to her covered face. He mustn't draw any attention to her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a few pastries wrapped in cloth. The poor fellow had missed his supper. He smiled and took the parcel eagerly, opening it and chuckling.

"So you are the reason why I couldn't buy any dessert tonight! I was wondering who could have bought all of Rosaline's pastries!" he exclaimed, popping a bite of lemon cake in his mouth. He watched her for a moment. "So are you with them?"

She shook her head frantically. Bilbo looked like he was going to say something else when the first dwarf had finished his supper and rose from the table. He began to chase after them immediately, leaving Brili to her thoughts in the very sad looking pantry.

"That is a doily, not a dishcloth!" he shouted behind her, snatching his crochet from the dirty hands of a dwarf who tickled her memory but didn't jar anything. He still made her uneasy enough to know that when she did remember it would be something unpleasant.

"But it's full of holes?!" Oh for the love of Durin, this Bofur fellow was an idiot! Bilbo corrected him by beginning to explain crochet work to him to which he responded with, "Oh, and a wonderful game it is too, if you've got the balls for it!"

Bilbo began arguing with Gandalf about the gathering! With a huff she turned away from the hustle and bustle and tried to think. This didn't have to become a big production. She just had to keep under the hood for a couple of weeks, get to Rivendell and then spend the rest of her days forgetting this terrible night ever happened. There was a pounding and drumming sound coming from the dining table and she was mortified to see plates being thrown in her direction.

"Oooh, do you hear that, lads!" her intended called out tauntingly. "He says we'll blunt the knives!"

Kili tossed a plate to Fili with a wicked grin on his face. "_Blunt the knives bend the forks!"_

Fili caught the plate and tossed it in her direction so fiercely, she had to duck to avoid it. Her hood almost fell off in the process and she had to scramble to keep it in place! "_Smash the bottles and burn the corks!"_

Now all the dwarves began to sing in the same tune:

"_Chip the glasses and crack the plates!  
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates -_

Cut the cloth tread on the fat!  
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!  
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!

Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;  
Pound them up with a thumping pole;  
And when you've finished, if they are whole,

Send them down the hall to roll!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

"

This whole ordeal had poor Brili's mind spinning as she dodged this plate and that, trying to keep her hood in place. She puffed some air out of her chest with little to no sound and began to stomp into the sitting room. She could see why her host was so bothered by their present company. The whole experience had her extremely grumpy herself! She wanted nothing more than to curl up in an armchair and sleep this terrible predicament away.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

She turned to stare at the door. She would know that commanding knock anywhere. It made her knees buckle and she began to tremble. If anyone were going to discover who she truly was, it would be him. Gandalf went to the door and opened it, revealing her Uncle Thorin. She shut her eyes, wishing beyond wish that all of this were untrue! They couldn't take her back to the mountain, the simply couldn't! She was far too happy on her own!

They exchanged brief pleasantries at the door before he went to the kitchen to sit. Gandalf met her eyes and beckoned her into the room. She began to breathe heavily again. It was time to get to the bottom of this entire meeting and if it were about retrieving her then she would have to face the music some time. She approached the cleaned dining table slowly, as her legs were having a bit of trouble walking, and hid behind Gandalf; leaning against the wall not for effect but to keep her upright. She was going to faint for sure. Her uncle was given a large bowl of soup and some rolls to eat, which he dug into with gusto. She looked to the wizard nervously, who only smiled and gestured for her to take a seat which she refused. The entire group of dwarves now sat at the table all watching her uncle with unveiled interest.

He looked stricter than when she saw him last. He seemed colder and less interested in the company he kept. He shoveled soup into his mouth, staring ahead as if he were trying to think of something. He felt her watching him and turned to her, his lips turning up into a sneer.

"I would know that stance. You are of my race," he said to her, almost as if he could see through her hood. "Who are you?"

She almost answered him, she was that frightened. She almost opened her mouth and said 'My name is Brili. I'm your niece who went missing four and a half years ago. Not sorry, by the way! Oh, and my birthday is next week!' Fortunately, Gandalf answered for her.

"This is my companion. They have nothing to do with this company. An old wizard like me needs an assistant. You can be assured they will not speak of this to anyone," he lied efficiently, offering her a wink that she had barely noticed.

He tilted his head a bit and pointed for her to leave the room. Just as well, it's not like she cared for anything they were going to discuss. She meandered around the house for some time before she settled on hiding in the guest bedroom. It was small, even for a person of her size but it was a bed and for that she was thankful! She had missed the feel of blankets over her weary body. She burrowed her head into the pillows and sighed wistfully. Seeing her brothers had sparked something in her; a certain loneliness that she had almost forgotten about. Perhaps if it were under better circumstances (meaning without Bofur present) she would have gained enough courage to take off the hood and greet them as old friends. Then again, probably not; she was inherently a coward at heart. Unable to fight it off any longer, her eyes began to droop…

"_ENOUGH!_ If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar then a burglar he is!"

Gandalf's voice rang in her ears, startling her from her cat nap! What in Durin's name would they want a burglar for? Her curiosity piqued, she jumped off the bed and tiptoed to the dining room just like she used to when she was young and sent to bed. They were still in the same seats, indicating that she couldn't have slept long.

"… And while the dragon is accustomed to the scent of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him which gives us a distinct advantage."

Brili lifted her head from the spot on the floor she was staring at. Dragon? There was only one tale that she knew of involving dragons and that was Erebor, her uncle's true domain. Were they planning on trying to take back the mountain from the terrible Smaug? No, there was no way they were that stupid! But if they succeeded… if she helped them to take the mountain back… No, there was no chance they would let her help! Unless… What if her head remained covered the entire way until the mountain was won?! Then they would have no choice but to call of her engagement and name her captain of the guard! And she had always wanted to go on an voyage, a proper one that is. This was her chance!

"Give him the contract!" her uncle called out as Balin handed the host of the house a large scroll.

She almost choked on her own laughter. Him? That little hobbit facing a dragon?! Oh what a silly, silly thought! She giggled silently, covering her mouth with her hands as he read the paper aloud in the same room as her. She was hardly paying attention to the mumbles and grumbles going on about her as she was far too excited hatching her new plans!

"Incineration?!" She looked up at Bilbo as he cried out in surprise.

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh right off your bones in the blink of an eye!" Bofur called out to Bilbo.

Bilbo began to look frantically about the room as if he were trying to focus on something. He leaned over and began to huff and puff out of his cheeks. Oh, Brili knew that look before; he was bound to faint within a moment's time! She sat down in the hallway crossing her legs to enjoy the show.

"Think furnace with wings," her fiancé called out to the distressed hobbit.

"I need air!" the poor fellow squeaked out.

"Flash of light, searing pain then poof you're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

Bilbo began to teeter a little bit before regaining his legs. Maybe the hobbit had a bit more to him than Brili had anticipated. She watched him carefully, trying to decide if she should just get up and help the poor thing or let him fall. With a determined huff he stood straight. She was slightly impressed. Before she could offer him a nod of approval he stood stock still.

"Nope." Then fell to the floor.

Brili let out a great sigh. It was going to be a long two weeks.

* * *

I HATED this chapter! I had so many wonderful ideas for it that just fell straight through! I had all these plans for it and forgot every single one of them! UGH!

I promise the next chapter will be so much better!

I want to thank twiggy31, Arenel Mereneth and blaahblaahblaah for both reviewing and/or faving the story! I hope I haven't dashed all your hopes and dreams! And a big thanks to my very exuberant guest reviewer! (sorry, I don't know your name!) And finally a side note for KelseyBI: That five year jump was just pure laziness. I had originally planned on writing like four more chapters of back story for her until halfway through I got bored! But I'm glad you liked it anyways! :)

Some translations:

*My foe!

**You deceived me!

Let me know what you thought and if I'm over exaggerating how terrible or not terrible this chapter really was. Maybe we could all mourn this one together?

I'm going to start the next chapter so that I can forget this one even exists!

Until next time!

-kimmy!


	6. Coming Clean

Chapter 6: Coming Clean

This journey was going to be the worst thing that ever happened to her. She hadn't slept in three days, afraid that she would wriggle out of her hood in her sleep. She was having a difficult time breathing with the scarf tied over her nose and mouth. Oh, and then there was the fact that summer had just begun. She was sweltering hot in her cursed leather coat! How did Aragorn survive in his?! With a heavy sigh she reached inside her hood to wipe her brow again. She had to get ahead somehow and get some fresh air and sleep. Rubbing her eyes wearily she pulled one of the boxes of chocolate from her pack. This ought to cheer her up. She opened the box eagerly, excited for her favorite sweet. She picked out the largest one and went to pick it up, her mouth watering like feral animal. Her fingers sunk deep into the chocolate and the inside exploded all over her hand. Melted. All of the damned chocolates had begun to melt in the heat of the sun. Her eyes widened in surprise and annoyance before she slammed the wooden box shut, stuffing it back into her pack. Let the stupid things cover her clothes, she didn't even have the strength of mind to care!

"Was that chocolate?"

She turned instinctively at the sound of Kili's voice. He kicked his pony's sides so that it rode a little faster and pulled on the reigns when they were side by side. She narrowed her eyes and kept her gaze straight ahead. Long lost brother or not, she was tired and needed to get some sleep before she murdered the entire company of fourteen and a wizard. She needed to somehow ride ahead, assuming she wouldn't fall asleep on poor Boppadoo right here and now. She felt her head begin to droop and almost forgot he was there.

"My sister used to love chocolate," he mused, looking at her pack a little enviously. "Well, still does somewhere, I guess."

Brili stiffened at the mention of her. Oh, he couldn't do this to her now. She was far too sleepy to keep this ruse up long enough. She watched as Fili hung his head slightly as if he wanted to correct Kili's firm belief that she was alive. Why couldn't Kili think she was dead like Fili clearly did?

"Aye," Balin agreed ahead of them a little ways, "the lass did have quite the penchant for sweets."

"Penchant?" Fili scoffed. "That girl lived and died for candy. Couldn't come home without any or she would never forgive you!"

"Sister?" Bilbo asked behind them, ever curious about the company.

Kili turned to look at the hobbit and grinned. "Yeah, our sister, she's missing. Oh! That reminds me!" He began to search inside his coat pockets hurriedly before pulling out a very weathered piece of parchment and passing it to Bilbo. "Have you seen this girl?"

The hobbit took the paper, staring at whatever was drawn on it in surprise before he looked up at her. She shook her head subtly, hoping the hobbit would take the hint and would stop looking at her. He couldn't be sure it was her anyways! The two of them had spent a total of fifteen minutes alone in his kitchen! It was dark in that room, he wouldn't be able to recognize her! He shook his head and handed the paper back to her brother, watching her all the same.

Kili regarded it fondly before holding it out to her. "Mind you don't touch it. It's the only one I've got and you've got sticky chocolate fingers."

There she was, drawn like she had been pulled from a dream. She had worked very hard to forget those days in the mountain. This drawing was living proof that she had once been a very happy, very spoiled young woman. It was a fantastic drawing of her, with hair that fanned out from behind her in a beautiful gown. Her eyes seemed to shine with dreams of knights and princes. She looked so… joyful. No, she was not that girl, not anymore. She shook her head at the poster and turned to face the front. Kili just sighed wistfully and tucked it back into his coat.

"That's alright," he said plainly, "didn't think you had. No one has seen her in a while now."

The conversation left her feeling quite lonely. She almost wanted to rip the hood off and cry out 'I'm here! I'm here, Kili!' but she wouldn't. No, if she did that then she could kiss Rivendell and her title as Ranger goodbye! They would have her sent back to the mountain to wait for their return with Bofur. Then all of this would be for naught; all the nights she had spent lonely and doubting her decision would have been in vain.

She tucked her scarf down a little to lick a tiny bit of melted chocolate from her fingertips, glad that the conversation was over. The moment she tasted the chocolate on the tip of her tongue she almost cried out. Oh bless her, it was euphoric! It was bitter and sweet, sharp and velvety! Oh, where had she been the past four years to forget such a delicious taste! Her eyes widened and she practically dissolved into the poor pony, her limbs turning to mush in delight. It was decided; she would return to Rivendell and write a sonnet about chocolate!

"You said she was lost? What happened?" Bilbo inquired, ruining Brili's moment of private delight. Ugh, was this really necessary?

Kili frowned a little bit before pulling something from his belt. It began to sparkle and twinkle in the sunlight. She nearly choked at the sight of it. A locket from the worst day of her life! Her brother wrapped his hand around it, a look of unimaginable grief filling his eyes. He turned to Bilbo with a forlorn look marking every facial feature.

"It's my fault," he announced. "Well, kind of all of ours, really. See, she was supposed to get married to Bofur," he pointed ahead to indicate towards her least favorite person in the company, "and Bri…," he chuckled, "well, Bri can be a little… _dramatic_ at times."

Dramatic?! Dramatic?! She tugged on her reigns accidently with indignation. Boppadoo, ever the well trained pony, stopped instantly causing the other ponies behind her to stop as well. Dramatic?! They planned to pawn her off to some random stranger, hadn't given her a word of warning and then sprung the news in a box with a locket at a birthday party. And they called _her_ dramatic?! She could barely keep herself from slapping that stupid word from his lips.

Fili snorted a little. "A little? I've never seen such a fit. Locked herself in her room for days, she did."

She could feel her blood boiling now. They made her seem like what she had done was for no good reason! Wasn't her freedom worth any cost? Had they learned nothing from her leaving?! And she had only locked herself in for one day! Who's the dramatic one now!

"She stuck around for a while and then one morning she was gone. Not a word or a note. She just left this by the river for us to find," Kili finished his tale much more somberly than it had begun.

Brili, either too tired or hungry to care just huffed and kicked Boppadoo so hard in the sides that he began running. She would have thought to stop him but the idea of going ahead seemed much more exciting.

Happy birthday to her indeed!

~o~

The company traveled for several more days. Brili never slept for more than a few hours at a time and she was growing more and more weary each day. She hated this. She was hot and cramped in her clothes, unable to speak or sing without riding so far ahead she would lose the company. More than once she had thought of just taking Boppadoo in the night and going back to Rivendell alone. But that would require abandoning her post, a dishonor she could never live down. No, she would get the wizard and his filthy dwarves to her homeland and then disappear until they left. She didn't care if they found Erebor or not, she would have nothing to do with it!

Gandalf whistled behind him and pointed ahead of him. She looked up; he wanted her to scout out the rest of the way. She knew they were close, about a day or two away from the sacred halls. She galloped past the company with decent speed for a pony. When she was far enough away she pulled the scarf from her face. Oh, the fresh air made her much calmer. When she lowered her hood she was appalled to realize how damp and dirty her curls were. She had never wanted to bathe so much in all of her life! She steered her trusted pony a little ways off of the known path, hoping to find a spring or something, anything involving water.

She had no luck really. Or nothing that boded any good will. There had been an old beaten down house that she hadn't been particularly fond of but in a pinch she supposed it would work. So with frown she covered her face with her hood, forgoing the scarf in favor of breathing, and turned back. It wasn't hard to find the company again and she settled on riding beside the wizard as if she were his watchdog. She was so, so tired. They rode for a short time and just when she thought she couldn't keep riding any longer, Thorin ordered the company to stop.

They were at the ruined farm. She instantly felt remorse for whatever fate the occupants would have suffered. The house looked as if it had been squashed and then burnt. There was a small, now untended garden off in the distance that boasted a few withered crops. She slid off of Boppadoo and approached the house with an unfortunate sigh. What could have happened here? She began to inspect around the house when she found a small pond a distance from the garden.

Oh water. Sweet, sweet water! She ran to the spring, all else be damned, and all but jumped in. She sat by the bank and pulled her boots off to soak her burning feet in the cool water. Oh relief! She looked behind her to realize that she was a good distance from the company, who were all busy cooking food and tending (or not tending) to ponies. There was a little bit of a ledge that blocked the water and Brili from sight. The sun would be down soon and a bath certainly wouldn't kill her.

She peeled off her tunic, grimacing at the way it clung to her skin, and then did away with her trousers. Without further worry or care she crept into the water quietly. There was, after all, no need to draw undue attention to her location. She could practically hear the steam sizzle off of her body and she let out a satisfied sigh. She had never felt so dirty in all her life! She lay in the water until the sun went down, her weary soul finding relief. Now all she had to do was sleep and she would be just fine.

"Wonder what's down here? Hmmm… Oh gosh! Sorry! Sorry!"

She leapt up from the water, stark naked, modesty and caution thrown to the wind. She had been seen! But by who?! Bilbo stood on the ledge, covering his eyes most amusedly and puckering his lips as if he had just licked a sour fruit. She hissed and pulled him off the ledge by his ankle and sunk back into the water to protect her modesty. He finally looked at her as he sat on the soft muddy ground by the bank.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude!" Then he stopped his stammering and really got a good look at her. "It's you." Brili had to blink once or twice before she realized what he was talking about. "You're the lost girl they were talking about this morning."

In a panic she grabbed one of her knives from the belt and held it in front of her. Bri bit her bottom lip nervously. She simply couldn't kill the hobbit just because he knew her secret. Gandalf knew and that didn't give her just cause to kill him now, did it? Bilbo eyed the sharp blade warily, not noticing how frightened the dwarf girl truly was. She lowered the blade and swam closer to him.

"Please don't tell," she whispered, worried someone would hear her speak and come. "They cannot know who I am!"

Bilbo looked confused. Fili and Kili didn't seem so terrible to him. Then again, what did he know? "You aren't pleased to see them?"

She shook her head, little droplets of water flying out as she did so. "On the contrary, I was very afraid when I saw them. I thought they had discovered me and were going to bring me back to Ered Luin, where I grew up."

The hobbit placed his chin in his hands. "And you left because of… a proposal? What an absurd thing to do!"

Brili frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "When you first met me, what did you see?"

He blinked, trying to understand the question. "A dwarf?"

She sighed and smacked her palm to her face, letting it slide down and distort her features. Way to generalize things, Bilbo. "No, I mean did you see a princess or a ranger?"

"A ranger, I suppose," he said after a long while of thought. "But after seeing the poster I can see the princess."

She smiled ruefully before shaking her head. "That's not who I am anymore."

"I guess not," he answered, dipping his feet in the water. The dwarf turned from him ready to dive deeper in the water. "Will you ever tell them?"

Brili turned her head sharply. It was unlikely that she would ever tell them she was alive. The hobbit didn't have to know this though. He and all the others would be out of her life once she reached Rivendell. She smiled and nodded her head. "Of course, when the time is right I will tell them. Now go, little hobbit, before they notice your absence!"

The hobbit scurried off and Brili waited until she heard nothing but her own breath to step from the water. Feeling most refreshed, she pulled clean clothes from her pack and stuffed the dirty ones on the bottom, next to the boxes of melted chocolates. First order of business when she got to Rivendell would be a very long, very hot bath. She could hardly wait for the feel of a soft, creamy bar of soap over her skin and the hot water melting her troubles away. She couldn't wait to be washed and combed and pampered in every way imaginable before falling into her beloved feather bed.

It was day dreams like these that put her to sleep by the pool of water. She slept with her head leaning on her pack and a small smile on her lips. She dreamt of a hot meal and a glass of sweet red wine with her closest companion beside her. The elves would be proud of her first quest being successful and would hold a giant feast in her honor! It was in the middle of a well spoken toast that she woke to the sound of crashing and shouting.

She sat up, looking off in the distance and seeing a lot of firelight and movement through the trees. Her eyes widened as she rose to her feet, clasping her belt in place. Her knives clattered against her thighs and she felt a touch safer. It looked like a troll, but what was a troll doing around here? She crept away from her hideout and made for the trees with great haste. Taking down a troll seemed like just the amount of excitement she needed. Her first troll! Aragorn would be proud to hear of this!

She burst from the trees with a great and mighty shout, brandishing her sword like a prize. Suddenly, she stopped. Not _a_ troll but two trolls. She cursed loudly and braced her stance. One troll she, in theory, could have handled. Two was an entirely separate matter. They stopped what they were doing (they were building a large spit for a fire) and growled at her. She had no choice, she reasoned, they had to die before they hurt someone! With that resolved, she charged, swinging her sword left and right. She began to dart between the two pairs of legs, zigzagging this way and that. She could see well in the dark tonight and used it to her advantage. She cut into their legs and left them crying out loud and grasping their ankles. She let out a happy little victory cry and hoisted herself onto one of their backs.

"I am no princess!" she called out, ready to thrust her sword into the troll's neck. Her words were venomous and acidic on her tongue. "Let them call me anything less than a ranger after this!"

Before she could strike, something lifted her off the ground and held her in the air. She let out a startled cry and looked at the large, stinky, grey hand holding her up by her shirt with a scowl. Oh, so there were three trolls, not two. She offered him an apologetic grin and shrugged a little, not fancying the idea of being ripped to shreds by a thousand pound troll. Maybe if she was nice he would put her down? The troll who caught her gnashed his teeth.

"Get a bag," he growled to his companions. "Throw 'er in with the rest!"

The rest? What was he talking about? She looked around her and then spotted the entire company staring at her like she had grown three extra heads. Kili's eyes softened as he stared at her, a look of great surprise on his face. She peeked a glance at Fili and Thorin who's eyes narrowed. They must have been unimpressed with her fighting. Her eyes widened and she silently thanked the stars for the hood on her tunic. The cool night air kissed her panicked face and she felt her hair move with it. Wait, why was her hair moving? The wind blew behind her and her curls came rushing forward with it, billowing around her cheeks and blurring her vision. She reached a hand up to the top of her head in surprise. With a gasp she realized why she could see everything so vividly. She had forgotten to put her hood up. The entire company knew who she was.

The game was up.

* * *

There it is! The moment you've all been waiting for! I had run over several ways for this scene to play out, her being discovered at dinner, not being seen until Rivendell but this is the one that felt right. I love the fact that it was a complete accident and you can bet Brili is thinking "What the heck?! Who does something so stupid!". Poor girl can't win, can she? Sorry it's not as long as I wanted it to be, I just really want the next part to be an entirely separate chapter!

The reactions? You're going to have to wait until next time to find out! :)

Special thanks to twiggy31 for not hating the last chapter (I'm actually a really big fan of the part when she spits beer all over Dori!) and my guest for the reviews! Thanks to MarvelSuperHeroes and xxMockingbirdxxx for the favorite and/or following!

Until next time,

-kimmy


	7. But the Mountains Will Shake

Chapter 7: But the Mountains Will Shake

Brili felt her body go completely numb. Of all the ways for her to be found it was by her own stupidity! She spent years conditioning herself to put the hood up everywhere she went to avoid detection. She went close to five years doing it, for goodness sake! And now here she was, being held by the scruff of her neck by a troll, hoodless with an entire company of dwarves, half of which had participated in searching for her, staring at her like she was the Arkenstone. What sort of stupid was she? Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the trolls pulling out a burlap sack. Oh no, she was not about to be tossed into that pile! She would never survive the humiliation! No, a fiery death was surely better than facing that ultimate fear!

"Wait!" she cried out, throwing her hands in the air before they could tuck her into the sack. "Put me on the spit!"

The once awed company looked befuddled as she begged to be cooked first. Kili began struggling against his bonds in earnest, trying to get loose to help his sister. Even Thorin let out a great snarl at the thought and began to pray to what ancestors were in his favor to help. Fili began wriggling so frantically that he had flipped over onto his belly and couldn't right himself. Bofur, however, remained quite still.

"No," he finally called out, "take me instead."

Brili glared wickedly. He couldn't do that! He couldn't offer his life in exchange for hers, she never even asked him! The trolls seemed more than willing to cook the male over the female, mumbling something about not enough meat on her bones.

"Can it, Bofur," she growled, fidgeting in the troll's grasp as the bag neared her feet.

"Take me, as well," Dwalin called out. "Let the lass go and take me!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" she shouted, trying to escape the bag. "Don't listen to them! Cook me first! I can assure you, it's preferable!"

"Don't want nothin' to be preferable!" her captor, Bert, snarled.

With that said she was tossed, quite literally, like an unsavory sack of potatoes. She went whizzing through the air like a disc and landed with an extremely loud thump beside Fili. Just her damn luck. The ugliest troll, Tom, then went about picking up dwarves at random, although he had picked up the two who had offered to go in her stead first. Surprise, surprise. She let out an irritated growl and rolled a few feet away from the pile, namely Fili. If she could just get out of this cursed sack and get to her sword she could get them all out of this situation. She just had to keep rolling…

She could distract them until daylight came then everything would be alright. Well, almost everything. She couldn't think about that right now, though. She was a ranger and being a ranger meant putting your personal problems to the wayside to better the group. She was also a firm believer that she could only fix one problem at a time. She stopped rolling for a moment and sniffed the air. Was that… sage?

"Wait! You are making a terrible mistake!" Bilbo called out.

"You can't reason with them! They're half wits!" Dori called out obviously under great distress.

"Half wits?! What does that make us?!" Bofur questioned.

Brili snorted. He was obviously the stupidest of them all! Bilbo shook his head and tried to bring the conversation back to where he was comfortable. This gave Brili the chance to roll a few feet closer to where the weapons were stacked in a slapdash pile. Now all she had to do was figure out how to get out of this cursed sack! She huffed a little and tried to wriggle. Nope, that was no good. What if she…? Okay, kicking her feet did nothing. Behind her she heard a whole lot of talking and while she knew it was important to keep the trolls busy, it was extremely distracting.

"No, no, not that one he's infected!"

Okay, that caught Brili's full attention. She deftly flipped herself over to stare at the scene before her. Bombur was inches from being chomped whole by a troll. Bilbo was standing off to the side looking frantic.

"You what?!" the second ugliest troll demanded.

"He's got worms in his… tubes," the hobbit improvised. Brili's eyes widened. Tubes? That was the best he could come up with?! To her surprise, Bombur was released and thrown on top of Kili. "In fact they all have! They're infested with parasites, it's a terrible business! I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't!"

"Parasites?!" Oin demanded. "Did he say parasites?!"

"He did!" Kili burst out indignantly. "We don't have parasites! You have parasites!"

If Brili didn't feel she was in a compromising situation she would have laughed at her brother's lack of thought. In hindsight, after she saved them, this would be hysterical! She would never let him live it down! She bit her lip in determination and began to try to claw her way from the devilish pouch all to no avail. Where was this bag from; the pits of Mount Doom?!

"You don't know what you're talking about, laddie!" Something, presumably a look from Bilbo, caused Oin to change his tune. "… I've got parasites as big as my arms!"

Kili was quick to join the fray. "No, I've got the biggest parasites! I have huge parasites!"

Brili actually laughed a bit at that one. Compromised or not, this conversation was getting a little ridiculous. She cleared her throat and whatever giggles remained inside and tried with the bag again. Hmph, nothing was happening. She could creep and crawl all she liked in this bag and still get nothing accomplished! No wonder those damned trolls were so fat, whatever they scooped into one of these bags never stood a chance! She wasn't sure how long Bilbo's ruse would hold up; she had to think of something!

"The dawn will take you all!"

A smile overcame her. Or she could let the wizard fix it! She heard a deafening crack and looked up as the trolls were turning to stone before her eyes. There was cheering all around her. She looked up as Gandalf began to help Bilbo from his bindings. Bilbo turned to help Fili out of his. It was in this moment that Brili realized how much trouble she was actually in. Oh sweet mercy, what was she going to do?! They knew she was here! She frantically looked around her, trying to avoid looking at them. Not helping. Fili was hurrying to untie Thorin and both were looking in her direction.

"Balls!" she cursed aloud. She couldn't run from this because of the damn bag.

She spotted a decline nearby. She couldn't run… but, oh goodness, she could roll! She hoisted herself up and began to hop as fast as her feet could. To the hills! Hop, hop, hop, she went! It actually seemed like a halfway decent plan, given her unfortunate circumstances. Approaching the peak of the hill, she lay down, tucking her knees in like when she was a child playing in the fields. Someone, Ori actually, called out for her but it was far too late; she pushed off on her trapped hands and went tumbling down the slope. She didn't get very far as the hill was actually smaller than she anticipated. The wizard met her at the bottom, her face in the grass.

"How on earth did you get all the way down here?!" he exclaimed knowingly. He helped her to her feet, while she mumbled something about an accident, and pulled the bag from around her shoulders. Blessed freedom!

"Gandalf!" she exclaimed, frenetically. "I have to go! You know the rest of the way! You're on your own!"

"What do you mean?" Brili snorted; did he really have the audacity to pretend he didn't know what was going on? "How about you join me up the hill? I think someone wants to see you."

He was looking behind her with that all knowing smile on his face. She was too busy pacing to notice what he was talking about. Nope, the quest be damned, she would return to Rivendell a failure and go back to the washroom! At least she could still be herself while washing clothes!

" No, no, _no_!" she insisted, her hands forming fists at her sides. "I'm leaving!" She actually walked past him for a moment before doubling back, walking backwards to look at him. A ranger remembers their manners. "Good luck!"

"Brili?" A soft, gentle voice met her ears. Oh, not Kili. She felt her heart melt a little at the sound. "Where are you going?"

She stood still and stiff for a moment. If it had been her uncle or Fili, she might have taken her chances and tried to outrun them. There was no feasible way to beat Kili in a race though, especially if he put his heart into it. She heard him step closer and she turned to face him, walking backwards as she did. She clasped her hands over her chest and tried to remember how to breathe. This moment hurt. It actually hurt deep in her chest. She wanted to tell him to go but her throat had tightened to the point she couldn't make more than a choking sound. He smiled in disbelief.

"It's really you," he breathed, a small laugh escaping him. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

It was in this moment, at the bottom of a hill, that Kili found peace. Every night since she had disappeared had been torture. It broke his heart to think that she had been lost somewhere alone, without him or anyone to care for her. He never gave up hope, however. Despite everyone's insistence that she couldn't have survived on her own, he believed against all belief that she would come back to him. He squeezed her tightly, still wondering if maybe she was a dream or a piece of his imagination. No, she was there. She was a solid thing in his arms and he never wanted to let go of her!

Brili's hands had remained clutched over her chest when Kili had pulled her into his embrace. Now they clung to his coat in surprise, fear and anxiety. Was this really happening? Had the past five years actually boiled down to this surprise encounter that she simply wasn't ready to face? She was still angry with them! She had spent every night since she left remembering how they had all betrayed her! And now Kili just acts like nothing has happened?! Like he had done nothing wrong?! No! She pushed off of his chest, stumbled backwards and fell into the grass, trying to stop the tears from filling her eyes and blurring her vision. She was fighting to keep her head from spinning. She wrapped her arms around her waist and doubled over. This wasn't happening! He was never supposed to have found her! Kili looked at his empty arms then back to her, confusion filling his face.

"What's the matter? Are you hurt?!"

She had been perfectly fine before they found out who she was. Now everything hurt! Her chest was on fire and every breath was like ice. She shook her head, trying to clear the fuzz that was taking over her vision. Kili took it as a sign that she was alright and went to reach for her again. She held her hand out, trying to tell him not to go near her. She needed air.

"Brili!" Fili's voice called out to her.

Before she could even process the sound of his voice, he barreled into her, almost knocking her over. He was kneeling in front of her now with one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other over her neck so that his hand pressed her face into his right shoulder. He rested his head against her face and began to breathe so heavily she almost thought he was crying. But Fili didn't cry. No, she was imagining things obviously! He pulled away after a moment to hold her face in his hands. He had thought she was dead! All this time he had given up hope and yet here she was!

"You're alive! You're alive, you're alive!" he whispered over and over again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I stopped looking!"

She pulled her face out of his hands and scrambled backwards, her chest rising and falling for air. There's no way this could possibly get any worse! Not only was seeing them hard enough but it would make leaving again harder than before. The wounds that had been inflicted upon her very soul had healed to scars. It was easier to make rash and reckless choices with a fresh wound. They had hurt her; she just had to remember that. Both brothers looked at her in surprise, unsure why their sister was rendered speechless. She grasped at her neck, desperate for the giant lump that threatened to starve her of air to disappear. Why did this hurt so terribly?! She looked up to see her uncle watching a short distance away. Mahal, she was never going to make it.

Without further ado her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell into the grass.

~o~

Brili's eyes began to flutter. She was laying down on a hard surface that was not all that comfortable. As a matter of fact, she was pretty sure she was lying on the ground. Her head began to pound and she grimaced. What was she doing in the dirt? Was that a rock under her butt? Oh great, that was a rock. She let out a groan in protest and rubbed her head. She forced herself to sit up. Who was talking and why were they so loud? Fili's face flooded her vision and took her by surprise. She actually leapt back and almost socked him in the jaw. It would have served him right for getting in her personal space like this. She shut her eyes tight and shook her head. The light was brighter than usual and she found it irritated her.

"She's awake!"

Her eyes popped open and she remembered everything. Oh holy hell! She scrambled to her feet in surprise only to have two steady arms behind her sit her back down. She looked to her left and saw Kili, holding her gently as if she were going to break. He was speaking to Fili, who stood above the two closely knit siblings. Bri tried to focus despite the fact that her brain was foggy.

"… Kili?" she murmured, trying to sit up on her own.

He abruptly turned to her, his eyes softening. "Hey, slow down. You fainted back there!"

So that's why she felt like dung on a stick. Fili knelt beside her, inspecting her pale face carefully and peeling back her closed eyelids. She let out a harrumph at the motion to which he ignored and proceeded to examine her. His eyes watered a little when he looked at her. "She should be coming around. Go get Thorin."

"I'm not leaving –" Kili was cut off by his brother.

"_Now_."

Kili made a less than pleased face before turning to Brili. "I'll be right back."

Brili groaned in response, wilting at the realization of what had just happened to her. Oh, her life from here on out was completely and utterly ruined. She would be sent straight back to Ered Luin and have to take so many embroidery lessons for this! She would become an expert at crochet and knitting in no time thanks to all the punishment lessons headed her way! Oh gracious! She would never be let outside the mountain again! She would never see the sun or feel the grass beneath her feet ever again! With a whine on displeasure she collapsed her upper body, her top half folding over so that her head rested between her knees and that her fingertips touched the forest floor. There was a snapping sound next to her ear and she bat Fili's hand away.

"Bri, I need to see if you're hurt," he insisted, lifting her head up gently by her chin. He had to get her to focus or she may fall over again. "Look at me. Does anything hurt?"

She had to think about that. She could certainly feel a great bruise forming on her side from when the trolls had tossed her in the sack. But aside from a few bumps and bruises she felt fine. But her heart? It was tearing to pieces. She looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since before she could remember. She was happy to see him! She wanted nothing more than to grab a hold of him and cling for dear life. To embrace him the way she had when she was young, without care or lack of love. He watched her with no expression on his features. She could feel her face scrunching up and her eyes filling up with so many wretched tears. No, dwarves don't cry!

Fili took this as a sign of pain and immediately rushed in to try to help. "What is it?!"

It was all she needed to throw her resolve. This was her _brother_ and she loved him, once so strongly she had been willing to fight life and limb to stay with him forever! She knew she was supposed to be angry and without doubt that anger and fire would return but in this moment she was weak and didn't care to stop it. With a cry she flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her head finding refuge tangled somewhere in his hair. He had been too alarmed to reciprocate at first. After all, his sister was not one to show too much emotion often. Finally, after a moment he folded his arms around her and ran soothing fingers through her disheveled hair. He didn't speak, just listened to her snuffling against his shoulder and occasionally shushed her gently. After a time he pulled away, holding her out by her shoulders an arm's length away. Her eyes were red and puffy but he was pretty sure that was the extent of her injuries.

"He'll be here soon," Kili's sullen voice called out as he rounded a corner.

Brili looked up and felt her heart surge again. Kili! She had missed him more than words could describe! She launched up from her perch and with another cry she sought the comfort of a brother's arms. He, however, was used to Brili's softer side and knew just what to say and how to say it to make her tears lessen and get her to smile. Brili remembered a time when this embrace brought her nothing but peace and security. She was safe in these arms and as long as she stuck with Fili and Kili nothing could ever, ever harm her! She regretted everything about leaving them so long ago! Her only wish was that she had contacted them sooner!

"What is this?" a gruff voice demanded at the display in front of him.

"Uncle!" she wailed, releasing Kili and collided into Thorin's chest without thought or care. She felt younger again, the way she would when she was barely two feet tall! He smelled of dirt and leather with an underlying stink of troll, exactly the way she remembered sans troll smell.

He enveloped her easily, as he towered over her even when she wore heels, and looked down at her. Her shoulders were rising and falling in earnest and he could already feel a wet spot on his shirt where her head lay. She clung to him and began to whisper a thousand apologies into his chest. He couldn't hear what she was saying, and wasn't sure he wanted to. Thorin, having no children of his own, loved his niece and nephews as a father would. It was this love that kept him calm and sane when he would travel far from the mountain. After a long time of her weeping on his shoulder, he finally lifted her off the ground, carrying her to a fallen tree. She didn't resist being carried like he had expected her to. He placed her down and knelt in front of her, rubbing his thumb over her wet cheek. Fili and Kili sat on either side of her, the latter pulling the girl into his side and resting his arm over her shoulder, his head leaning on hers.

"Hush, you are safe, little one," Thorin soothed, smoothing the stray hairs atop her head.

Thorin was about to ask where the girl had been for so long. The moment of fondness was lost and he found himself quite peeved by finding her in this place, hiding amongst them. Brili knew that face and could tell her uncle's retribution was going to be quite unpleasant. Happy to see her or not, she had done wrong; so, so terribly wrong. She had done away with her family's nobility and good name to avoid a marriage, an honor to her race. She had publicly shamed her fiancé by rejecting him and then running off before the ceremony could even come to pass. She sighed and steeled herself for the onslaught.

"I'm going to let you handle this, Fili," he murmured. "There is a troll cave nearby that I must see to with the wizard. As the man of your house she is your responsibility."

She looked to Fili and he bore the same look as his uncle. He was angry with her, and rightfully so. She lowered her eyes. Her uncle's wrath she could handle, but Fili's? No, she could hardly stand the look of disappointment in his eyes. It made her feel so terribly small. Thorin briefly placed his hand on her cheek, almost as if he were trying to assure himself that she was alive, before turning and leaving. She sighed and looked to Kili who to her surprise was looking ahead, anger and ire lacing his features. She wanted to explain. She wanted them to understand why she had to leave them all those years ago. Did they not see how strong she was now? She had the courage to run and face a troll with little to no preparation! Kili's eyes narrowed and he stood up, leaving her side to stand with their eldest brother. Scorn marred Brili's face, had she no one on her side?!

After a while of silence Fili finally spoke first. "Where were you? You have been gone for a long time and I… _we_… searched every possible corner. How did you manage to hide for so long?"

She took a deep breath. Sitting on a fallen log in a forest not too far (but far enough) from Rivendell, she felt humbled. She had wronged and she would face the consequences of that before parting to Rivendell. She would be able to rest easy now, knowing her brothers would know of her wellbeing. She took a deep breath of air.

"I've been with the elves," she practically whispered. Kili's eyes narrowed in disbelief. The one place he never thought to check. She had grown up wanting to immerse herself in the life of men. He never considered that she would seek haven with the race her uncle hated so.

"Elves…" Fili repeated, letting the word roll off of his tongue with repulsion. "And how did you come by these elves?"

Bri scoffed at her eldest brother. "Does it matter?"

"It matters!" Kili suddenly shout his eyes filled with a ferocity that, for the first time in all of her life, frightened Brili. "I thought you were dead! Do you not understand how _afraid_ I was for you, sister?! You should have come home!"

She looked at him slightly taken aback. She expected this sort of outburst from Fili, but she and Kili were best friends. Surely if anyone understood her, he would. His face grew more indignant at her reaction, rather than softening like she thought it would. It was this face that lit the fire in her, reminded her that it was their pig headed stubbornness that brought her to leave. She rose from her seat, pointing a finger into his chest.

"Come home?" she seethed. "I had no home! You all cast me out the moment you set that vile proposal on my shoulders! I had to leave because of you!"

"Mahal," Fili breathed, rubbing his temples with his forefingers. "It was a wedding, Brili, not a death sentence!"

She turned to the eldest with resentment filling her eyes. "Of course, how could I have been so foolish?! It must be the same foolishness that drove me to believe any of you cared for me!"

This drove Kili to the point of madness. He grabbed her by her shoulders and began to shake her. "You let us believe you were dead just so you could avoid your responsibilities!"

"I left to be free!" she argued, flinging herself out of his grasp and stepping away from them. "I was never meant for the mountains! I was meant to be outside in the sun! You both knew it at one time!"

Fili sighed, trying to remain calm for the sake of both his younger siblings. "That's why we chose Bofur. He was the only one who agreed to take you outside the mountain after you were wed. Every other dwarf refused!"

"I don't _care_ what Bofur would or wouldn't do! I had the right to a say in it!" she cried out.

Kili's voice was deadly serious. "No, sister, you have no right."

She stopped to stare at him, her face going blank. This, this right here was why she had left. Somehow her brother's believed that, because she was a dwarrowdam, they had all the say in what happened to her. They decided when she would go outside. They decided when and who she was to marry. Some things never changed. She opened and closed her mouth, a thousand insults on the tip of her tongue ready to be fired but she held on to each one. No, insults would do no good and only add wind to this raging inferno. She bit her lower lip and stared longingly at both of them. Would they never understand? She angrily turned her back to them and brushed a stray tear from her eyes, noticing the pile of weapons in the process. Her knives; she still had to collect them. Without a word of explanation she stalked off, each step stronger and easier than the one before.

"Stop!"

She flinched. Kili was obviously not done berating her. She rolled her eyes lazily and lolled her head to the right. She was tired all of a sudden; drained and weary without any more fight to give. How could she begin to enlighten her brothers if they both insisted on treating her like a mindless animal? She was their sister, not some piece of livestock to just give away to who they saw fit. Her time away had clearly taught them nothing about the value of her life. She was a fool to have thought it had. She disregarded his call and crouched beside the pile, finding her belt easily amongst the throng. She felt tougher as she wrapped the leather strip around her waist and fastening the buckle.

Fili was going to try to make things right. He was going to make every honest attempt he had in him to ignore his brother's tactless outburst and charm their sister into forgiving them. He knew he could do it; he had done it a thousand times before when they were both children. She might huff and puff for a few more hours but with the right words and the right tactics she would soon forget they had even been separate. He cleared his throat and walked after her, leaving Kili to stew in his own hostility. He watched his sister rummaging through the mound of weapons with a scowl on her face. Nice work, Kili, way to make this difficult for him. He cleared his throat, eager to be the helpful brother he once was before.

"Something's coming!" Thorin shouted in the distance.

That got her attention quickly. She withdrew a blade from the side of her belt and braced herself, looking past him and towards the sound rustling through the trees. Before he could begin to comprehend this she was darting past him, ready to face whatever evil that could be hiding in the forest on her own. Worried, as an older brother should be, he drew his sword and sprinted after her.

"Get behind me!" he ordered a few steps behind her.

She scoffed at the command and picked her pace up. Couldn't he see that she had no need for brothers to care for her any longer? She was a ranger after all! She had her blade and the entire earth beneath her feet; that was her peace.

Let them try to lock her up in that mountain. The mountain would never survive her.

* * *

This chapter took one sleepless night and two work days to finish! I really hope you enjoyed it!

As always, feel free to leave me a review with any thoughts and questions. I'm a touch worried about the brothers' and Thorin's reactions. (Thorin's in particular!) I'm also dying to know what you all thought! :)

A special thanks to Nessa Minyatur for the favorite, to Dizzie123321 and nbowles for the alerts and to my three awesome reviewers, Aranel, twiggy and my guest! I really appreciate the feedback!

Until next time!

-kimmy


	8. Home is Wherever I'm With You

Chapter 8: Home is Wherever I'm With You

She ignored the company running behind her. They were afraid of what danger was racing through the woods towards them but she was not. No, she was taught to be fearless and intrepid in situations like this. She propelled herself forward, her arms pumping by her sides, listening intently. This threat was headed right for them. With a smirk of triumph she lowered her left hand to her side, blindly using trust and instinct to choose a second blade. It was a good one to throw, not too light but not too heavy and with a fine hilt. She had to listen carefully to the way the trees rustled to get this right…

Oomph! She was shoved into the ground with Kili standing above her, the same stony I'm-the-brother-and-I'm-the-boss expression lingering on his face. With a snarl she spit out the grass that was caught in her mouth from the assault. Was he trying to get them all killed?! Was he trying to get her killed?! She could have fallen onto one of her knives! That idiotic, arrogant son of a carnivorous witch! Dwalin was beside him, his axe raised with no fear in regards to the enemy that was soon going to undoubtedly attack them all! She leapt to her feet, eager to hit something, anything really, to alleviate the aggravation that was pent up inside of her. She wanted to hit something so terribly that it would feel it even in death!

"THEIVES! FIRE! MURDER!"

She watched the strangest sight unfold before her eyes. A man, albeit a short man, with brown rags for clothes, wild gnarled hair and a brown hat (was that _poop_ in his hair?) riding on a sleigh driven by oversized grey and brown rabbits. She blinked several times, opening and closing her eyes and waiting for this strange sight to disappear from view. Perhaps she was still unconscious. This would be the first sign of dreaming after all… She looked at him, confusion filling her gaze. If he was a dream then what was real? Without thinking, she reached her hand out to stroke one of the rabbits. If she could actually touch them then they would be real. Before she could, Dwalin grasped the back of her coat with his large hands. Curse the protective instinct in dwarven men!

"It's Radagast!" Gandalf announced merrily. "Radagast the brown!"

Brili's eyes widened in wonder, another wizard; how impossibly delightful! That must mean these rabbits were part of some sort of magic as well! She shrugged herself out of Dwalin's grip, not difficult since he had been distracted by the newly discovered wizard, and moseyed over to one of the aforementioned rabbits. It's dark, beady eyes perked up at the sight of her. She smiled, stretching her hand out and letting it rest against the soft, downy like fur along its ears. Funny, she had expected it to be coarser, harsher in her hand like a pony's mane. Her grin stretched from ear to ear as she pet the large creature who was now nuzzling against her shoulder.

"What a sweet bunny you are!" she whispered, wrapping her arms around its head and running her fingers through its fur. "Yes, very gentle and sweet."

She heard footsteps behind her. She stiffened at the sound of Thorin's feet and stopped patting the animal in front of her. Hadn't they given her enough grief for one day? She bit her lower lip and sulked for a moment before turning to him. He stood with Fili and Kili beside him, regarding her every move. All three party members seemed wound up like little wooden toys, ready for her to try to run. Brili might have wanted to do nothing more than to run and hide from this and escape to Rivendell but she was no fool, you don't just outrun Kili. Besides, better not to cross him any more than he already was at the moment.

"You can stop following me. I didn't run when you didn't know who I was, would I really leave now?" she insisted after a moment of them staring at her and saying nothing.

Her uncle cast Fili and Kili a sidelong glance and with a huff from Kili they both stalked off. Great, her brother's hated her guts now and they were sending in the big one to do the dirty work. She scowled slightly and turned away from him, choosing to find comfort in the fur of a magic rabbit, as strange as that seemed. She felt attacked on all sides now; her brothers, her uncle… it was too much for her to handle. Had she done wrong by them? Yes! Did she deserve to be treated like this? No. Thorin stood beside her and cleared his throat.

He wanted to be furious with her. He wanted to exert his authority and remind her that he was king and that she had wronged not only her uncle but her king. All of these important things faded from mind when he looked at her though. Her eyes were red from continuously crying, reminding him of the bundle of yellow braids that he would carry through the mountains after a day of play. Her fingers laced into the rabbit fur and clung there, the same way she would sleepily cling to his shirts when he would lull the girl to sleep. Even in adulthood he wanted to wrap her in his arms and protect her from the world. He knew he couldn't but he desired it so.

"I know," she finally snapped, pulling him from his sentiment. "I know you all hate me now."

His eyes widened at her proposition. Had she gone mad in her time away from them? She narrowed her eyes at the fur that she pet with such gentle care. He sighed a little and snaked his arm around her shoulders, rubbing his thumb over her arm. The touch soothed him a bit more than her, however, as she shuddered in response, expecting punishment for her actions. He used his spare hand to pull hers from the rabbit, holding it gently and wishing she would look up at him. His gentle smile faltered when it didn't. He led her away from the sleigh and away from the distractions she sought out.

"Why would you say that?" he demanded, lifting her chin up to face his.

She began to pout and her eyes filled with tears. Just like the little dwarfling he would catch climbing trees when she thought he wasn't looking. Durin's beard, he would never forget the day she went up so high and was too afraid to come down. "Because I left… I dishonored you all and I left…"

He nodded, all these things were true. "You had. But that is in the past. It's time you returned to your rightful place alongside us."

She peered up at him warily. Was he actually saying that he… _forgave_ her? The man would frown on her for not being able to stitch a straight line or mold a pretty pot was trying to say that he forgave her for what she had done? He smiled down at her and squeezed her shoulder.

"I am glad beyond words to have found you alive," he affirmed, cupping her cheek in his hand and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "There will be a time that I will wish to discuss this further but not today. Go be with your brothers, they have long waited to speak with you again."

She felt relief wash over her. If Thorin could forgive her then maybe there was hope for her brother's as well. After all, her uncle was notoriously stubborn. She had expected his forgiveness to be hard won. She pulled away from him with a smile, eager to make amends with her brothers now. Her uncle seemed to know this and smiled, his eyes guiding her to where Fili stood a few paces away with Kili, talking quietly together. She shyly meandered over to them both.

"Brothers," she murmured politely, examining them carefully.

Fili smiled at her, seeming pleased that she was speaking with them. Kili's face fell into narrow eyes and pursed lips. She frowned knowingly; this was where the battle would be hardest to win. She had clearly affronted Kili at some point between leaving and being found that was so terrible he could find no reason to forgive her. She turned to her more negotiable brother, ready to have an adult conversation with someone.

"If you begin to shout, I'll leave until you calm down," she warned, her finger in the air ready to press into his chest if need be.

He nodded, looking to Kili as if trying to urge him to keep his temper at bay. "You've been with the elves?"

"Yes. I've been with the elves," she confirmed with a nod. "I'm a ranger now. I've been trained in sword play and tracking. Things like that."

"You've been busy," Fili remarked, his eyebrows quirking upwards.

"I've been happy," she assured them with earnest, her eyes pleading with them. "I've led a very honorable life away from the mountain. I've never been prouder of myself."

Kili let loose a gruff sound and was about to scold her again when she heard it. She had turned to him, ready to take whatever argument he had for her when something began to bay like a wolf. That noise gave her very good reason to be afraid. Startled, she drew her sword and turned towards the sound. Wolves were seldom seen out in the light of day around here. She warily turned to face the now frantic hobbit that was pacing nervously.

"Was that a wolf?" he asked anxiously. "Are… Are there wolves out there?"

Bofur stood from his seat to stand in front of the hobbit. "Wolves? No, that is not a wolf."

That's when she saw it. It was larger than a wolf with coarse and wiry hair all over its body and a massive jaw that would be sure to kill in an instant if it so desired. It crept over the rocks, a low growl forming in its throat. Brili gripped her weapon in anticipation, ready to strike the creature down with all she had. The company turned to see it at last as it rose from its crouched position to attack.

She anticipated the move and ran alongside it, thrusting her sword into its belly with gusto. Thorin had also rushed forward and begun to swing his own sword. She caught the flash of silver briefly before it was buried in the warg's neck. How did her uncle come by an elvish sword? She had no time to question him for there was another right behind them. She gulped, ready to strike it down despite the fear that was now growing from somewhere in her stomach. She ran five paces when she felt a rush of air zing past her and the warg tumbled to the ground, beside Dwalin who slaughtered the beast immediately. An arrow, that's what had rushed by her. She turned to see Kili with his bow still raised and surprise marking his every feature.

"Warg scouts! Which means an orc pack is not far behind!" Thorin confirmed, filling Bri with worry. Trolls were slow and stupid but orcs were another matter entirely.

Gandalf was downright furious, rounding on her uncle in an instant. "Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?"

"No one," Thorin promised, his eyes filled with misunderstanding.

This did not convince the wizard. "Who did you tell?!"

Thorin did not back down to Brili's surprise. "No one, I swear! What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted," Gandalf clarified with certainty. Brili turned in a circle, looking for Boppadoo. He would know the way home and bring her there.

"We have to get out of here!" Dwalin growled out, worry lacing his eyes.

"We can't," Ori cried out. "We have no ponies! They bolted!"

Bri bit her lower lip with concern. She wasn't entirely sure she could face an entire orc pack even with her present company fighting alongside her. She was skilled with her sword and knives, of course, but that was all in theory and hunt. She had never actually had to fight to survive. She gripped the hilt of her sword as tight as she could hold it, trying to keep the apprehension at bay. She was terrified and not for the first time in her life. She looked at the company, namely Bofur, for a moment. No, she would not let this fear keep her down. There had been a time she was so afraid she turned and fled. She would not let that happen again.

"I'll draw them off," Radagast announced.

"These are Gundabad wargs, they will outrun you!" Gandalf countered, staring the other wizard down.

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits!" The shorter wizard shoved his thumb out so it pointed behind him as he stepped towards Gandalf. "I'd like to see them try."

The wizard turned towards his sleigh, patting the rabbits as he went. If he was so willing to risk his life for them then she was willing too. She knew the ways home, both hidden and otherwise. She could get them all there safely. Radagast climbed onto his sleigh and rode off ready to pull the orcs off of their tail.

She found her courage then, clearing her throat and stepping forward away from her uncle's shadow. "I'll lead the way." The entire company turned to stare at her, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. "I know a safe passage."

"No," Fili and Kili both said at the same time. She looked at them with an unfaltering glare. Fili took a couple of steps forward, eyeing the dead warg as if he wanted to shield her from it.

"Stay behind me," the eldest brother urged, reaching out to take her hand. She eyed it coldly. The only way to prove to them that she could stand on her own was to fight this battle and let them see all that she was capable of.

"Do you want to live?" she insisted, turning to her uncle to settle the dispute, much like she would in her youth. He looked at her questionably, appearing to lean towards a staunch no. "We don't have time to argue this! I'm leading the way!"

With that announced she took off at breakneck speed towards the clearing. She heard one of them call her name, Thorin actually, and begin to follow. That one was followed by many feet, urged by Gandalf to trust her and follow. She smirked a little. It was about time someone listened to her around here! She raced along the tree line and out into the open air. The sun warmed her face instantly and she briefly forgot the great danger she was in. The plains before her offered a lot of coverage, due to great stones that jut from the ground. Perfect!

She crouched low behind one of these rocks, counting the dwarves that were approaching her. Satisfied when she counted all thirteen (plus one hobbit and one wizard), she shot forward like one of Kili's arrows and sped off in the opposite direction of the pack of orcs, eager to reach the next hideout. If they kept to the shadows like this they would reach the Hidden Valley in no time! This went on for some time; Brili would let them catch up before dashing off like a startled doe. Her feet were sure and steady and she felt uncatchable; a mighty feat for a dwarrowdam, who are never expected to run anywhere, at least not for long periods of time.

She stopped briefly, letting her breath and heart catch up with each other. Okay, thirteen dwarves, one hobbit and one wizard, just as it should be. Pleased with her inventory, she crouched ready to make for the next cluster of stone. She was about to spring forward when a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?!" Kili all but shouted in her face, his eyes bulging out. She hissed in surprise and wrenched herself from his hold.

She could feel the frustration rising in her chest. She was going to push him aside and keep running but suddenly she was pushed into the rock bed by several dwarves. She groaned with her face squished in the rock by all the bodies in front of her. What in Durin's name were they all doing? Then she heard it, a low growl from somewhere above them. Oh sweet bearded love, they had been discovered! She rustled out from behind Bifur to spot Kili, staring at the ground with resolve before pulling an arrow from his quiver. What was he thinking?! That wouldn't kill whatever was up there!

She tried to reach out and grab him to stop what he was trying to do but it was too late. He shot the arrow into the warg's chest and then another into its neck. Its cries and screeches echoed in Brili's ears and she had to cover them to keep from crying out. There was an orc atop that warg! Dwalin leapt forward, attacking it with his axe and a great shout. She frowned; they would most certainly be discovered now! She had to distract the horde before it found the entire company.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf shouted from beside her, pulling on her coat to start her off.

She was quickly running past the entire company, leading them through a series of hills and trees. The wizard had to know where they were! The next part of her plan depended on it. He began to guide them in the right direction and she let out a great sigh of relief. Her brothers and uncle would survive this venture yet! She slowed her pace, letting her fall a few steps behind the others, hoping no one would notice her. So far they hadn't. Without warning, she turned around and headed straight for the army of orcs. If she could lead a handful away then that could mean survival for the others.

"We're surrounded!" Fili called from behind her somewhere.

She whipped her sword back into its sheath and pulled out two smaller blades and stepped back a bit. They had to escape this, they just had to. Gandalf would find the entrance and then her family would be safe in the halls she once dwelled in. With a cry of determination she went to attack the nearest orc, a lanky looking thing with rotted looking teeth and bulging eyes. Only, she never got there. Just like the warg before, an arrow whizzed past her and struck her foe down before she could get there. Damn!

"This way, you fools!" Gandalf shouted from somewhere behind.

It was faint, indicating that she was pretty far away from the company. She backed towards the sound a little, trying to avoid the advancement of orcs. She was really not qualified in the least to handle this on her own. She could try her best and could talk herself up but she would never be able to do this. For the first time in a long time, there was fear lingering in her heart.

"Kili!" her uncle called out for her brother. Please, let him follow. "Brili!"

She turned and began to run behind her brother, knowing he would only go if she followed. She just had to assure their safety and then she could hold this pack down to the best of her ability! They reached the entrance and her uncle held his arms out to her, ready to scoop her away to safety. She reached out and shoved him with all of her might so that he went tumbling in behind the others. She had to do this, had to keep them safe at all costs. Lifting her favorite blade in the air, she could hear her brothers shouting for her.

"I'll catch up!" she bellowed, trying to assure them all. With a great shout she threw her knife and sent it whizzing into an orc's face. "Go ahead and follow the path! I'll follow in a moment!"

Then the horns began to blow and she smiled a true smile. She was not alone after all. The hoofs began to thunder on the ground ahead of her and she found courage anew. She drew her sword and began to swing at the warg's that surrounded the mystical path. She darted in and out of horses and beasts, her sword embedding itself in another orc. This was what she had been fighting to become her whole life. She never wanted to be a princess or sister. She was never meant to hide in the shadows of anyone! With a cry of glee she climbed on top of one of the wargs, plunging a knife into the base of its skull. It yowled and fell over, throwing her off and soaring into the air. With a great scream she tumbled onto the ground, her feet tangling together in a confusing heap.

She went to recover her sword and cried out as pain wound its way up her entire left leg. She stumbled backwards and clutched the grass. Suddenly, she stiffened as warm breath began to tickle the back of her neck. She turned to see a warg inches from her, ready to strike. She bit her lip and held out one of the few knives she had left to throw, too afraid to actually make a move. This was it; she was clearly going to die a terrible death right here and now. The creature advanced and she braced herself for the impact. It never came. With a high-pitched whine the creature fell to its side with an arrow lodged in one of its golden eyes. She looked up to see Elrond approaching her, his hand lowered to raise her up and place her on his horse. She accepted the help eagerly and was effortlessly lifted off her feet.

She briefly looked behind her at the secret passage to Rivendell and prayed that, for the first time in her life, someone in her family had listened to her. Elrond led her away from the noise and blood and she began to feel rather dizzy. Her heart was pounding so hard she expected to see it bursting from her chest. She tried to frantically gulp some air, hoping to trap it in her chest to cushion the pounding. The horse galloped faster than her pony would and it made her a little nervous. They rode for what seemed like hours (it was really only minutes, about twenty or thirty to be precise) until they actually reached the gate.

Brili smiled in earnest. Home, she was finally home! The horse's hooves clopped on the stone gate with ceremony. It was a sound that she knew well in her time here. In fact, Boppadoo had made a similar sound when they had travelled to meet a certain wizard. With a sigh of relief she rubbed her eyes. This was it, her first quest had been a success and she was finished! She could get a full night's sleep and eat a hot meal with Aragorn. Oh and bathe! She had almost forgotten how wonderful a hot bath was! It was official; she would take the hottest bath of her life and then eat the best meal of her life! Oh, praise Durin for the elves! She closed her eyes, relishing in the thoughts of comfort and peace. Her eyes popped open when the horses began parading in a circle. This was strange, the horses never did this.

"Gandalf," her rider called out, pleased with the sight before him.

Oh, she had almost forgotten. With a grimace she looked at the company of dwarves. Her brother's looked particularly peeved to see her astride a full sized horse with an elf. Of course, her uncle had taught them to despise the good woodland folk since before she could remember. She let out an annoyed groan and buried her face in the black horse's mane. Her hopes of a steaming hot bath diminished in a puff of smoke. She was definitely going to be spoken to about her sudden bout of heroism. She could practically hear them now. This was going to be an ugly conversation for sure.

"Brili?" a familiar voice called from the stairs.

It was all she could do not to scramble off the horse and run to him. Aragorn! He was here! She gasped and held her arms out to reach him as he raced to her side, lifting her into a great hug. For the first time in forever she felt like she had truly accomplished something! She had promised him she would return without fail and she truly had. She laughed in his neck, her heart swelling in the way only the love of a friend could provide. Everything else around her regarding her journey or her family was temporarily forgotten. They both laughed graciously, for even the unknown king had missed his rather small friend.

Kili was lost for words, anger filling every single one of his veins. There was his sister, the one thing he had searched for with vigor since she had disappeared, embracing some strange man with the same light in her eye she had once reserved for him. He had been her protector and best friend before all of this. He had been the one she sought out to find laughter. Now look at her, giggling like a child and embracing an ally of elves! He looked to Fili who seemed just as dismayed as he was. It just wasn't right to see her like this! She was filthy and covered in blood, dirt and sweat. It matted her beautiful golden hair and splattered nearly every inch of her. Yet, he saw no sign of pain in her eyes and no fear in her smile.

"I did it!" Brili announced, as Aragorn pulled away from her to set her on the ground. "Aragorn, I've done it! I – ouch!" She cried out when her feet, namely her left one touched the stone floor.

Fili winced at the sight and almost broke ranks to help her. Before he could, the man, Aragorn, had lifted her once again, immediately inquiring about her injuries. She gave him a brusque look, formerly set aside for him, and tried to quell what worry lingered on his face. The man offered her a look of reproach which was probably the only reason she pointed to her ankle, both now whispering amongst each other. The man nodded and whisked her up the stairs without word or regard for her family. Fili almost followed but Thorin held a hand out to stop him, eyeing the elves that surrounded them without trust.

Brili peered over Aragorn's shoulder only once to check on her family. They were safe, that was enough for her for now.

* * *

Hey guys, so this one took longer than I thought it would to get out. I got a nasty stomach bug that kept me back for a few days (I'm convinced I had the black death but no one believes me! Ha!) Anyways, this is the latest chapter, I'm excited to write out a couple of cute Brili and Aragorn bestie scenes. They became character friends in my head before I even had this story idea so booya!

Some thank yous:

Aranel Mereneth, I really appreciated the review! I actually wish I had made it clearer when I wrote out their argument that they weren't arguing about her getting married so much as her reaction to it per say. That's what happens when I rush things through! More on that to come in the story though! I appreciated the feedback! :)

Twiggy31, thanks for making me laugh so hard in the backroom at work my manager thought I had fallen. I loved your "clearly he doesn't believe in woman's rights" had me in stiches! :)

Guest(or guests), I always love reading reviews from you (two?)! Thank you!

blaahblaahblaah, I'm glad you love it!

Thanks to Nessa Minytayur, kitsune-miko-witch and Minitinka for the favorites and or follow! I really do appreciate it!

Drop a review with any thoughts or questions! Did you totally hate it? Was it eh? I would love feedback! :)

Until next time,

-kimmy


	9. Know You Better

Chapter 9: Know You Better

"Oh, this is the life!" she cried out when she carefully lowered herself into the hot water.

She, as per usual in the house of elves, was getting everything just the way she wanted it! Aragorn had originally insisted that she get her ankle taken care of, which she would have agreed to if he hadn't passed through the hall of mirrors on the way. One epic fit, a frustrated best friend and several handmaidens carrying buckets of hot water later she was having her bath! She giggled and snuggled deeper into the bubbly water that was given to her. The room smelled sweet like flowers and warmth. There was a small window that filtered little rays of sunlight into the room where a large white ceramic tub lay in the center.

There was a cheerful laugh on the other side of the door. "Don't get that foot wet. I still have to wrap it. You're sure it's not broken?"

She huffed and wiggled her very wet and soapy ankle. It hurt but it could move. "Yup, I think I just twisted it. It's too late to keep it dry though! Now shoo! You're ruining relaxation time!"

Once again Aragorn laughed and knocked on the door. "As you wish, little dwarf. Send for me when you are done so I can wrap that foot."

"I'm never leaving this tub!" she argued, dunking her head under the water and popping back up. "It's too glorious to abandon! Send for more hot water! My sanity demands it!"

She could hear his hearty laughter echoing away from the door. This was perfect. Her life here was absolutely wonderful. She hummed a gentle tune as she began to scrub the dirt and blood from her arms. She had a few scrapes from her tumultuous ordeal with the orcs and their wargs. All things considered though, she had done alright. She smirked a little bit and rubbed the bar of soap over her hair, desperately trying to scrub away the blood and dirt that had clotted in her curls.

"Not bad for a girl," she boasted to the empty room, reimagining how it felt to rush at something with her sword.

She lifted her hands, which had begun to wrinkle as all bath hands do, and tried to recall the feeling of her sword in her hand. Her muscles still ached to move and fight again. Her uncle would have called it a warrior heart had she been born a boy, rather she got pegged as restless and everyone would turn the other cheek. She knew now that it ran deeper than that. The elves had been good to her, allowing her to learn and be trained under their care. They gave her food and shelter when no one else would. She had been cared for better here than back in Ered Luin!

With a frown she reminded herself that that was not entirely true. Sure, Fili and Kili were not the easiest people to deal with at the moment but that didn't make her childhood awful. In fact, it had been wonderful and had shaped her into the spitfire that she was. Growing up she had few to no friends, choosing to spend her time outside with her brothers. It was a fun life, filled with adventure and excitement every day of her childhood. It was also a life that led her to expect more from her future. Oh well, she reckoned it didn't matter anymore. She was here and that was all that really mattered. She sat up straight when there was a soft knock at the door.

"I told you to shoo," she jested playfully, expecting Aragorn to call out to her. "I'm nowhere near finished here!"

"Miss Brili?" a melodic female voice floated into the room. "Lord Elrond sent me. He requests your presence at supper tonight. Shall we find you a dress?"

Her cheeks flushed at the idea of getting all dolled up. Elrond never invited her to share a supper with her before! Perhaps he was proud of her work and wanted to reward her! Of course she would attend! She leapt from the still warm water, wincing when she noticed that her tub had taken on a decidedly pinkish tint, and almost stumbled over as she tried to put weight on her ankle.

"Yes! Yes!" she cried out, catching her balance on her right foot and splashing about frantically. Towel! She needed a towel! "Nothing too complicated though!"

"Shall we braid your hair or let it loose?"

She stared at the door, perplexity causing her to jut her lower lip and tilt her head. How serious was this meal? Everyone had known her to wear her hair back in a simple loose pigtail since she had arrived. Granted she would occasionally wear it down if she had the time and patience to brush it out frequently. She reached out and grabbed the lip of the tub, carefully lifting her right foot out and steadying herself before lifting herself out. The summer air left her feeling warm still and she greatly appreciated that. She pulled a large cloth from the bench adjacent to the tub and carefully wrapped it around her naked body.

"Um, I guess leave it down," she answered after a moment, running her fingers through the dripping wet mop that tumbled from atop her head. "What of the other dwarves? Will Aragorn be attending?"

"I-I'm not sure about… other dwarves? Are you sure there are other dwarves, miss?" The maiden seemed sincerely concerned by her outburst.

"Never mind then! Get me a brush and send for Aragorn! I have to wrap this stupid ankle before he will let me eat!"

~o~

"Ouch!" she hissed not for the first time since Aragorn had begun his task. She didn't have the patience to have her ankle wrapped. "Not so tight!"

He looked up at her pointedly, a threaded needle dangling from his mouth where he kept it firmly clamped in his teeth. When he spoke, he spoke through his teeth and out of the corner of his mouth. "Do I have to remind you that this is your fault? I've warned you time and time again that you have to work on your balance."

She sniffed in mock offense. "My balance is perfect! It's not my fault I was thrown off of a warg!"

"Hold your dress up so that I can finish. If I hear your stomach rumble one more time…" He didn't finish with his idle threat, choosing to inspect his work instead.

She had been brushed and groomed so that her previously wet and unruly hair now fell gracefully down her shoulders and over her breasts. She now wore a fine midnight blue colored gown that draped and pulled in all the right places. It had no sleeves, giving Brili a certain feeling of discomfort. Growing up, she had always been under the impression that princesses wore sleeves, giant, puffy sleeves. Sleeves so large that one could get lost in them! Now she was wearing a gown with no sleeves at all and instead was fastened in the back by a clasp. How strange indeed!

"So what of these other dwarves?" Aragorn asked suddenly, not stopping the rhythmic motion of bracing her aching ankle. "Do you know them?"

Bri bit her lower lip. It's not that she wanted to be dishonest with him; she valued his friendship to the highest honor after all. But she couldn't see any reason to admit the truth to him. It wasn't as if anything would change now that she was here. It would be an uncomfortable few days while the company rested and then she would just settle on writing letters and other such things for correspondence. Then again, as her friend, Aragorn did deserve to know the truth.

"In a manner of speaking," she admitted cryptically, not eager to discuss dwarves before talking of her adventures. He raised a brow to indicate he was listening as he proceeded to work. "I may be related to a few of them…"

"Oh? Like distant relations?" he asked, pulling the sewing needle out of his teeth to sew the wrap together. He had yet to look at her.

"Watch where you stick that thing," she warned grumpily. Getting patched up was not one of Brili's favorite past times. "And, no, try my brothers."

True to form, Aragorn's steady hand slipped and he poked her unsuspecting leg with the needle to which Bri gasped loudly. He looked up at her as surprise dawned on his face, not yet noticing his error. "You're joking."

"No, I'm not. Now get that damn needle out of my leg!" she cried out, not pleased in the least with the puncture wound.

He mumbled an apology as he fixed his grave error and set the needle down. "So what does this mean? Will you go home with them?"

Her eyes widened at the suggestion. Go home? That was a ludicrous thought. "Why would I do such a thing? This is my home now."

"Technically speaking, it's not," Aragorn chided, carefully resuming his stitching of the wrap. He was almost done. "You're a guest in this house; an esteemed guest, maybe, but still a guest."

"You think Elrond would send me away?" she asked worriedly. She hadn't considered that option. Then again, she hadn't expected to be found either.

Aragorn shook his head as he tied up the last stitch with a small knot and inspecting his work. "This should hold it in place. Try to keep off it for a few days. If it gets too bad I'll send for a healer to come and look."

Her brows furrowed and she glared at him. "Aragorn, don't change the subject! Would Elrond send me away?" If that's what this dinner was all about then she would not attend, pretty gown be damned!

"If it's up to him, then no; he could make you a representative for your people. Send you on errands to the mountains and such things. But I don't think he'll send you away without reason."

She nodded her head in agreement slipping her delicate black shoes on her feet. Elrond was a reasonable elf, he would have to deem her worthless before he sent her away and now she had proved to him and the others that she had great purpose amongst them. Yes, that's what this was all about, celebrating her accomplishments! At least, that's what she had to keep telling herself.

She took Aragorn's outstretched hand and let him steady her. The wrap was tight and made her steps slow. It didn't do much for the pain either, only ensured a shorter wait to heal. The walk to the feast was slow and she kept her eye out for any dwarves lurking around the bend. It felt wrong to her, having to search her safe haven for the things that made her so nervous. He walked beside her, letting the dwarf cling to his arm for balance and support.

Aragorn cleared his throat beside her. "You don't seem as happy to see your family as I always thought you would be. Anything I should know about?"

"It's not important," she answered irritably. "Let's just say that my family and I don't exactly see eye to eye at the moment."

He chuckled for a moment before looking down at her. "_We've_ never seen eye to eye."

"Dina*!" she hissed, smacking his arm gently in mock insult. "You promised you would stop teasing me so!"

"Ah, but it's so easy, aier**!" he defended, ruffling her hair with his spare hand. "So, tell me, how does a dwarf maiden find her way into the halls of Rivendell to become a ranger?"

She huffed and stared ahead. She supposed it had been time enough for him to know. "I ran away." The phrase seemed so simple, like she was a petulant child who had snuck off. Was that what she was? Aragorn raised an eyebrow at her, indicating that she continue with her tale. "Well, it's more than that really… You see, on my birthday they threw me a spectacular party with dancing and this amazing feast! You know, I can still remember the taste of the roast to this day. It was exquisite!"

He cleared his throat. "The roast is hardly the point."

"Right," she agreed worriedly. It felt like there was a stone lodged in her stomach; the present conversation causing her appetite to shrivel away. "Anyways, at this feast they gave me a locket and with that locket a proposal."

"And what was this proposal?"

She rolled her eyes, a certain bitterness filling her mouth at the thought. "Not a 'what' but a 'who'."

He nodded in understanding. "Ah, _that_ type of proposal. And I take it you were not pleased with their decision?"

"Have you met me?" she scoffed and looked up at him.

"I have, and I'm surprised they took such bold action with you. I would think a set of knives or a sword would have suited you better."

"Guess they ran out of good ideas," she mumbled cynically. "It matters not though. If not for their actions I would still be in that mountain hiding amongst snakes."

"Snakes?" He seemed surprised by the spite in her tone. "Don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"I trusted them!" she burst out, stopping shortly. "I loved each of them dearly and they cast me aside! Is that not deceitful? I will admit that my actions were drastic but I will not apologize for them."

"Alright," he patronized, holding a hand up in surrender. "I will not ask for you to justify what you've done. I do not need it. Let's get you to that supper now, shall we? Don't want to keep Elrond waiting for too long."

Without warning he lifted her up into his arms and began to carry her, briefly complaining about how heavy she actually was. It didn't take long to get Bri to start smiling again as he began to fill her head with tales of his time growing up with the elves. It was what drew her to him in the first place; he was a magnificent story teller. His voice had a certain commanding quality to it that she simply couldn't tear herself away from. The two friends travelled through the halls and up the many stairs until they reached another smooth stone staircase. After a time he set her down and offered his hand to guide her.

"I'll lead you up the stairs before I take my leave."

"You aren't eating?" she asked, biting her lower lip nervously. "I'm sure he would not oppose if you came and sat with me."

The man smiled with a twinkle in his azure eyes. "I've already eaten while you were swimming in that damn tub."

With a heavy sigh she pushed open the heavy stone door and began to limp her way up the stairs carefully. She reached the top of the first set and damn near fainted. The entire company was already seated at small stone tables with very full salad bowls under each of their chins. Instantly her blood began to boil. This was _her_ home, not theirs! What were they doing eating and potentially drinking at her feast in her home?! She was about to turn and flee when a hand in between her shoulder blades nudged her forward.

"I can't go in there!" she hissed, hoping no one had noticed her yet.

Aragorn chose to ignore her and pressed onward with her on his arm. Before Bri could even ask to have supper brought to her chambers she was brought out into the light. Sixteen pairs of eyes fell upon her in an instant and she felt so naked all of a sudden. In that moment the only thing she could think was how she really wished her dress had sleeves on it, as if that really would have helped anything. Had it not been for her friend's arm guiding her, she probably would have turned and fled. He brought her to Elrond's table where the wizard and her uncle also sat and bowed to Elrond. She turned to him, her mouth open slightly in alarm. He smiled at her and bowed, kissing her hand in a gesture of politeness before turning and striding away from the open patio.

She was very aware of all the eyes that still lingered on her; two in particular were practically burning holes in the back of her head. Instead she turned to Elrond and curtseyed politely before sitting in her seat beside wizard and Thorin. The latter stared at her with an unreadable expression, one that left Brili with an unsettling feeling in her chest. Oh, he was going to kill her himself. She should have let the warg do its worst!

"Welcome, Brili," Elrond said graciously, his arms opening wide and welcoming. "I thought it fitting that you join me in this meal with your kind. Tell me, do you know of Thorin Oakenshield?"

With trembling hands she reached over for the nearest goblet and began guzzling the contents. Fortunately for her it was full of sweet red wine, her absolute favorite drink. After kicking her head back and emptying the contents she held her hand up politely for another glass. This meal would require several more cups of wine before she reached any level of comfort.

"Well, you see, Elrond, I –"

"She is my niece," Thorin answered grumpily. He glared at her out of the corner of his eye utterly unimpressed with her table manners regarding beverages. "May I ask how you know her?"

Elrond's brows wiggled a little but that was the only indication of surprise that he had to offer. "Of course, she has sought refuge here for nearly half a decade."

Halfway through her second cup of wine she heard this and her throat closed, trapping the drink in her throat and causing her to spit and choke into the wineglass. Way to handle this delicately, Elrond! Her uncle hated elves and anything to do with them. Based on the way his eyes widened when he turned to look at her, that had not changed in the past few years. She peered contritely over the rim of her drink and took another sip, raising the glass in the air briefly when she had finished. Thorin let out a gruff sigh and plucked the drink from her hand and set it down on the table with a loud clink.

"Is that so?" he asked while still staring daggers at her.

Bri scoffed and turned her nose up to the air, reaching for another glass of wine from the nearby server. She planned on having quite a few of these and no dwarf, wizard, prince of men or elf was going to stop her! The wine was soft and delightfully sweet as it slid over her tongue and down her throat. She decided to politely sip this drink as she surveyed the room and its occupants. Fili and Kili were sitting at separate tables, a rare sight indeed! Growing up her brothers were rarely apart from each other so it was strange for her to see them talking amongst the other dwarves. The hobbit was wedged between Balin and Fili and he seemed most delighted to have a meal in front of him. It was this moment that she remembered that she had food! With a growling stomach she grasped her fork and proceeded to dig into the vegetation like it was the first food item she had seen in days! It obviously was not as the company had packed food and lots of it in advance but Bri was already beginning to feel the effects of the wine. Her empty stomach was not helping matters. She watched as her uncle reluctantly handed his new sword to the master elf and tried her best to focus on their conversation over her wine, sipping it more frequently than she should have.

As the meal progressed, she wiggled her toes and found that they were delightfully numb, a sure sign of intoxication no doubt. She was really trying her hardest to focus on the conversation her uncle was having with Elrond, she really truly was! Though now she found that all she could do was longingly stare at the table next to her. Oh, how she wished she could join the fray and fun of her kin. No, she was past that point now she supposed. She narrowed her eyes at Kili's display of flirting with an elf maiden and sipped her drink again. With a frown she noticed she had finished another cup of wine and longed for another one. She reached across her uncle's plate and took her previous cup back. This all was a little too strange for her to take in without another cup of wine.

"Excuse me," Thorin ground out as he rose from his seat.

Brili looked up at him in surprise. Did he not realize what an honor it was to sit beside Lord Elrond? What sort of fool was he?! He was a guest at the table and he was just giving it up?! She scoffed and stood from her seat, making it a point to sit beside the elven master with pride. Let her uncle give up that honor, she would gladly take it! She stared out at the table of dwarves in front of her.

"Change the tune, why don't you?" griped Nori, glaring at the nearest harp player. "I feel like I'm at a funeral!"

"Did somebody die?!" Oin called out in alarm when he finally made out the word funeral.

"All right lads! There's only one thing for it!"

_I understand this is a bit of a shock, milady._

There it was again; the voice that vexed her since that evening of ruin and dismay. She watched in horror as Bofur pushed his chair out from the table with a scraping sound that grated her ears. What was he doing? He began to climb up on the table and then hopped onto the decorative pedestal in the center of the patio. Bri pinched the bridge of her nose in horror. What exactly had her brother's even seen in him to begin with? That feeling only grew worse and worse when Bofur opened his mouth and had begun to sing.

She couldn't even begin to understand exactly _what_ he was singing because her brain was far too fuzzy to make it out. The dwarves were cheering and laughing along in unbridled delight and Kili, much to his younger sister's dismay, was now throwing food across the room. This meal was turning into a veritable disaster before her very eyes! Bofur's song had begun to climax and food was everywhere it shouldn't be! The dwarves clapped and cheered and threw their salads and rolls into the air in delight while Brili shrunk into her chair. This was awful! Her one chance to sit and dine with Elrond was ruined by these _brutes_! In a fit of fury she slammed her wine glass down on the table and rose from her seat, bowing to Elrond like a ranger would. With nary a word left in her throat she turned and stalked out of the room as quickly as her infernal foot would carry her.

That idiot! That foolish, ridiculously mustached, idiot! Not only had he ruined her life five years ago but he was ruining it now! With a humorless laugh she limped her way around the halls of Rivendell, cursing Bofur with everything she had in her. She passed through gardens and homes of elves without a care. They had ruined all of it! Everything she had ever wanted to become had been ruined by the dwarves!

Something moved beside her and she stopped short. Even slightly intoxicated she knew that she had no weapon on her person and her hand to hand combat was less than stellar. Swallowing her fear back she looked to her right. Nothing was there but her own reflection. She was in the hall of mirrors. With a gasp she stepped back a little, surprised by how pretty the image before her was. She turned abruptly to face the nearest mirror to her, reaching out to touch the reflection. Her femininity was a side of her that she had never bothered to really explore before. She knew her place was with a sword in her hand and a fire in her heart that would not be put out by any shadow. So it was a surprise to her to see what she really looked like in a long and flowing gown crafted by the elves for her. She was slimmer than most of her kind; her original plumpness giving way to toned muscle from training with Aragorn. Even her face had lost some of its round cherub like qualities in favor of sharper cheekbones and piercing sapphire eyes. She briefly touched her hand to her shoulders, which weren't as broad as she ever remembered them being, before pulling a golden curl out from behind her neck. It felt strange to have her hair down and flowing behind her the way it used to in the mountains. All of this was different for her.

So lost in her own thought she was that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. They echoed all around her and pulled her from her reverie. She turned, slightly alarmed but a little too mystified by the reflections before her to really care. She smirked as Aragorn leaned against a pillar and began to pick underneath his finger nails. She should have guessed he would be nearby.

"Not hungry?" he called out, not quite looking in her eye. "I've never known you to skip supper."

She smirked and turned towards him, her ankle screaming in pain from its less than careful treatment. She had enough of dwarves and elves for one day and longed for a few moments to tell her friend of her great adventures. "It didn't feel right eating in the open air like that. I miss the kitchens and have so much to tell you! Can we go? That is, if you aren't too full."

Her friend smiled and held out an open palm to take her hand. "I could always make room."

Down the hall a ways two brothers watched the oddly paired friends link arms and walk away. Kili's blood began to boil again and he turned towards Fili with an indignant glare. They went through all this trouble to find her, almost given up hope she was alive, and all for what? To find her as a lap dog for the elves! He knew that look in his sister's eyes far too well for she once held that same look of reverence and admiration for the two of them! Now they meant nothing to her! His hands formed into fists at his sides and began to quake so violently he almost feared they would fall off of his arms. He was ready to storm after the pair and talk some sense in her. Fili placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't," he warned, passing him a warning glace out the corner of his eye. "Uncle will fix this."

Kili nodded his head, his hands relaxing at his sides. She didn't belong with these folk or any other. She was part of the line of Durin and there she would remain as such. Thorin had to fix this. He simply couldn't lose her again.

* * *

Good grief! This chapter took way longer to finish than I meant for it to! Life kind of got in the way of getting this one out there! I'm dreadfully sorry!

Just a heads up, next chapter is a total doozy and I'm not sure when I'm going to find the time to get it out of my head but rest assured I will certainly find the time!

Some translations:

*"Be silent/quiet!"

**"..., short one."

Some thank yous are due to Lyra Decroix, Minitinka, twiggy31, and my guest for their reviews! And thanks to Seras16 for the follow! Much obliged to all of you lovely people!

I was a little nervous about Aragorn's character in this one. I really, sincerely hope I've done him justice! Let me know what you thought! (That one goes out specifically to my guest! I'm glad there is only one of you! It was a touch hard trying to keep track when I thought there was two! haha!) I think I did a pretty good job but again not so sure.

As always, feel free to leave a review with any thoughts, good or bad! I always appreciate feedback. (Though I don't need it to survive so I'm not about to start demanding reviews. So no pressure!)

Until next time!

-kimmy


	10. Come to Leave

Chapter 10: Come to Leave

"Again."

Brili let out an enormous shout and lunged at Aragorn with all her might. He gave her an unimpressed glance and sidestepped past her and her wooden practice sword which caused her to topple over and fall from all the momentum she had used behind the leap. He shook his head and ran a hand over his face, blatantly annoyed with her lack of forethought regarding her attacks. He righted his practice sword and beckoned that she stand, bracing himself for a proper attack. She let out another cry and awkwardly tried to swipe at his midsection. He huffed and effortlessly knocked the wooden weapon from her grasp.

"Again," he demanded humorlessly. He was quite displeased with her performance today.

She nodded and grasped her weapon with both hands and wildly flung at him again. He dodged the weak attack without worry or care. She was normally quite adept at sword play and he, for the life of him, couldn't understand what the problem was. It couldn't be her ankle that was causing this because he had just removed the wrap an hour ago. The damn thing was practically healed so that couldn't be it. He sighed and let his sword drop to the ground while shaking his head at her. The poor thing was visibly frustrated which would make practice incredibly difficult. He held out his hand and she begrudgingly placed her sword in his grasp. This session was over.

"I'm sorry," she offered without any authenticity.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I've never seen you like this, friend. There is no shame if you are still hurt but those attacks were made blindly and without calculation. Attacks like those will get you killed in battle."

"It's been four days," she murmured, her eyes shifting towards the door as if she expected it to break open any minute. "I've been back for four days and everything is… perfect."

Aragorn offered a confused glance. "Then what is distracting you so?"

She looked up at him with angry eyes that caused him to flinch ever so slightly. "_They_ haven't bothered me once since we've arrived! Aside from that fiasco of a meal, I haven't seen hide or hair of my brothers or my uncle since I led them here!" She turned from him to face the wall as if she was lost in thought.

"I thought you were uninterested in seeing them," he sighed, collecting the wooden shields that they used to practice and hanging them up.

Brili turned her body so sharply that her braided hair swung out like a golden whip and flopped over her shoulder. There was a surety and fierceness in her eyes that Aragorn couldn't pull himself from. As much as she would resent the thought, she truly looked like royalty in that moment.

"They are planning something," she said with certainty.

Her friend rolled his eyes and shook his head. He had always guessed Brili to be a bit paranoid but this was a touch too far. "I'm sure they are not."

She shook her head and began frantically pacing the practice room, waving her hands to and fro in distress. They would curl and unfurl as if she were squeezing a thought out of them before she would snap her fingers. Then she would repeat the process. This went on for several long minutes while Aragorn began to clean up the space around them; adjusting practice dummies so that they sat straight and generally tidying anything left unchecked. Her footsteps echoed around her as she traced and retraced her steps, walking in a wide circle.

"No. No, they are," she insisted after a time of walking in circles. "You don't understand them! They are notorious for this! The three of them are plotting something! I just don't know what!"

Aragorn shook his head before reaching over and pulling Brili away from her frantic steps and thoughts. "Relax. If they are planning anything it must go by Elrond first. You are under his roof, making you his responsibility."

Her face fell instantly. Of course! That's why they had been avoiding her like a sickness. They weren't going to approach her about this at all. No, they were going to go right over her head and go to the master of the house. She had to get to Elrond immediately. She pulled away from her friend and began running through the city of Rivendell as fast as she could. If she could reach Elrond first, convince him she was worth severing any alliance with her uncle then there was a good chance she could stay. She dashed past many faces and rooms with only one in mind; an office overlooking the entire community.

She reached the steps with her heart pounding vigorously in her chest. She doubled over for a moment to catch her breath and to try to quell the thumping. She leaned against a pillar with a hand over her breasts and her breath coming out in fits and gasps. With a huff of determination she forced her burning legs to trudge up the stairs, each step igniting a flame in her thighs that smoldered and burned. She reached the top of the steps and frowned, the door was open a crack and there was someone inside. Not one person. No, three dwarves and an elf… She was too late! With a snarl she pushed herself up the last few stairs and slammed the stone door open with all her might.

"OUT!" she shouted at Thorin, Fili and Kili who turned at the sound of her voice. "I want the three of you out of this room now!"

"Brili!" Fili exclaimed, alarmed by the ferocity in her voice. "We were just –"

She rounded on him instantly. He had never truly understood the phrase 'if looks could kill' until that very moment. "I know_ exactly_ what you three were doing! All of you out!"

Elrond, ever the peacekeeper, held his arms out wide and gestured that she should sit down on one of the chairs he kept in the room. "We were trying to decide just what to do with you. I was offering that you stay here."

She looked to Elrond and practically fell to the floor to kiss his feet. It was all she could do to keep herself upright. So… she was staying here? She was going to live her life out in Rivendell. She licked her lips and nodded her head, her throat suddenly as dry as a summer drought.

"I… I would like that very much," she croaked, looking at the master elf with hope glossing her eyes.

She watched his face fall and she knew she had arrived too late. He didn't have to tell her what happened in the room before she had arrived, she already knew. Her uncle, without a doubt, had used his royalty as leverage to claim rights to her. Her brothers had undeniably claimed themselves as her blood relatives and took the responsibility from Elrond. She was back where she was five years ago, a girl under her family's thumb. She shook her head and placed her hands on his desk.

"Your uncle is going to send for an ally to bring you to the mountains that you came from," the elf affirmed, watching her carefully.

"I request sanctuary!" she cried out venomously, slamming her fist down on the table.

"Which I cannot give," Elrond replied, eying her carefully. "You're family has made it quite clear that they want you to return to the mountains. I'm afraid there is nothing that I can do."

She stiffened and turned to them instantly. Each one stood with stiff chins and stern eyes that left her with no room for negotiation. This wasn't right. She belonged here with the elves not in a mountain to suffer in the darkness. She had to find the weakest one and start chipping. If she played them right maybe one of them could join her fight. She just needed someone to help the rest see reason. Maybe Kili would? No, he was clearly still far too ticked with her; any plea to him would fall on deaf ears. Thorin's eyes narrowed and she ruled him out instantly. That left her with Fili, which surprisingly wasn't a bad person to have in her corner. He was the eldest, making him the de facto man of the house, and ultimately the decision maker. She focused her steely gaze towards him and pointed to the door.

"I want to speak to Fili alone, please," she said slowly, somberly. "Everyone else leave."

Thorin began mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like 'girls' under his breath before trudging out the door with Elrond behind him. Kili, however, remained by his brother's side with an immovable expression. Brili placed her hands on her hips expectantly, waiting for him to follow her uncle but he just stood there and waited for her to speak. She sighed and shook her head at his antics before turning her attention to Fili, whose expression was almost unreadable.

"You're not hurt?" he asked as soon as the door closed. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. What kind of game was he playing at? How could she possibly be hurt? He looked down at her left foot and back to her troubled face. "Your foot, Bri, I saw you hurt it when we arrived."

Oh, that. She almost forgot that had happened. "It's fine." There was no point beating around the bush, she had to convince her brother to talk Thorin into letting her stay in Rivendell. "Fili, you cannot do this!"

"He can do what he likes," Kili countered. He, for one, didn't mind the idea of bringing his sister home. He hated the way she acted around these people, like a rescued mutt. It was sickening.

She turned to Kili and shoved him hard in the chest towards the door. "I asked you to leave!"

"Bri, let him stay," Fili said, rubbing his hand over his face. "What's done is done. I can't change it at this point. It's time that you returned home to mother. The proposal is off the table, alright? We just want you home and safe."

"I'm safe _here_," she insisted, directing her attention back to the eldest.

Fili's eyes narrowed. "You call that display with those orcs safe? You could have been killed! I don't know what these elves are teaching you but it's not right."

Bri laughed mirthlessly. She should have known this conversation would come up. They were just miffed that she was braver than they were! "I'm a ranger. If that means I fall for the greater good then so be it!"

"Mahal!" Kili burst out behind her. "Look at this, Fi, they've got into her head! She actually thinks they care what happens to her!"

She tried her best to ignore him and pressed on. "Fili, I'm begging you to let me stay! I told you before that I'm happy here. Open your eyes and see it!"

That was the ticket right there. Fili was her strictest brother but her brother none the less. Ever since he first saw her in his mother's arms when he was a young lad all he had ever wanted for his sister was happiness. It was that steadfast desire that had molded his sister into the dwarf she was today. It was why she fought so hard to break the mold and stand out from the crowd. In that moment he couldn't help but feel sorry for what he had done. He had never been comfortable with the idea of marrying her off but had done it because he had truly believed it had been what was best for her. Everything he had done was in the hopes that Bri would be happy in the end. Now she stood before them with eyes that glistened with tears and her lips set into a determined line. He couldn't take that strength from her, even if Thorin would frown upon his decision. Maybe there was a way they could all be happy again.

He cleared his throat. "What if you came with us?" Her face crumpled at the thought and he decided to rephrase his statement. "To Erebor, I mean. What if you helped us take back the mountain?"

A light seemed to shine in her eye but that didn't stop her from looking at him suspiciously. He had to admit that it hurt him a bit to see that she mistrusted him so much. "You mean… like an adventure?"

He nodded, clasping his hands behind his back trying to appear a little more official. "I'll have to speak with Uncle as this is his quest. You will need more training on our parts and I'd like to make sure you can handle yourself accordingly but yes."

Kili shifted beside Fili, his typical sibling rivalry getting the better of him. That was it? She had them worried all this time, hid in plain sight from them for weeks while they travelled and then nearly got herself killed; now she was going to be rewarded for treating them like this? How could Fili be so stupid! She could die out in the wild! Sure the three of them would be there to protect her but he couldn't have eyes on her at all times! Her actions days prior were proof of that! They had been looking out for her that day and she had run off expecting to take down an entire pack of orcs. How could Fili expect her to handle something as serious as the journey to take back Erebor?

Brili, however, didn't notice Kili's eyes darken or the way he shifted his weight in frustration. She had eyes only for Fili in that moment and her heart swelled. Had she finally earned enough respect from him? Maybe her fighting those orcs hadn't been so foolish after all. Perhaps it had lent her the proof she had needed for her brother to see that she could take care of herself! Unable to repress a grin she held her right hand out to shake his in a display of solidarity.

"I'd like that," she said, beginning to feel a touch like her old self again. She liked the old Brili; she was much happier than the one at present.

Rather than taking her hand, Fili wrapped his arms around his sister's shoulders, pulling her into a great hug the way he used to when he returned to the mountains after a hunt. He was pleased to notice she reciprocated rather than rejecting the touch as she had in the past. "It's good to have you back."

At those words she stiffened a little. What of Aragorn? What of her life here when they took back the mountain? Would he follow? Surely, if she asked him to, he would join the company and offer what aid he could. It could be the start of a great alliance for her uncle who had severed his ties with the elves. Not only would he be earning favors with Elrond but with the Dunedain which Aragorn oft traveled with when he was not visiting Rivendell. It could be the start of something wonderful for them all!

"What of my friend?" she asked, pulling away from Fili but keeping her hands on his shoulders. She was not quite willing to let go of him just yet. "Can he come as well?"

Beside her Kili scoffed. He should have known that she would ask for that human to follow. "No."

Fili tried a gentler approach when his sister pulled away to scold the youngest brother. "I don't think Uncle will allow it."

Bri frowned and looked down at the floor. Maybe this whole going with them to Erebor wasn't such a wise decision. She didn't want to leave Aragorn or her new companions in this glorious city. She loved it here! She enjoyed the fine comforts and the special training she had been given. Going with her family to take back the mountain certainly beat the alternative to being sent home to knit and sew her life away but she wasn't sure she had it in her to just leave this place.

"I don't know if I can just leave," she said quietly, looking around the office. She walked a few paces away from them to stand on the balcony that overlooked the city. "I don't expect the two of you to understand, but this is my home now."

Behind her, Kili let out a snicker and turned to his brother. "I told you she wouldn't listen."

Bri tilted her head at his complaint and frowned even more. It wasn't as if she was deliberately trying to be difficult, it was just more complicated than her brothers knew. She owed a good portion of the woman she had become to the elves. To leave felt… cheap, like the people who helped care for her deserved better than that; but what of her family? They, Fili at least, appeared to be trying to make a compromise. She owed it to him to try.

"You said the proposal is off?" she inquired, turning to look at her whispering brothers over her shoulder. Fili nodded his head. "Then go get Uncle. Tell him your idea and see if he accepts. If he does not, I will remain here. I'm not negotiating on this."

Kili rolled his eyes and stalked towards the door, unable to repress the thought that justice was not being served here. Brili watched him go with a feeling of anxiety filling her chest. He was truly angry with her. She couldn't exactly blame him for it. She had run away and tried her hardest to replace the family she had lost with a new one. She couldn't change the way she loved Aragorn like a brother, it just made her sad that Kili was so unwilling to accept it. She sighed when both brothers shut the door behind them. They wouldn't go far, she knew. Knowing Thorin, they would be right outside the door discussing things as quietly as they could. She stared out at the city and watched the elves greet one another with embraces and smiles. She was a part of this city of magic and light. Circumstances might cause her to leave but she would always be a ranger of Rivendell.

She gripped the railing of the balcony as tightly as she could and hoisted herself to sit on it. Suddenly she was unsure if she wanted to know what her uncle's judgment would be. Either way, it would mean she had goodbyes to make. She didn't want her last few nights here to be full of sadness and tears. No, she would rather spend them with the hope that her uncle and brothers would understand and let her stay here.

With an impish grin, she pulled a length of rope from her belt and tied it to the banister as tightly as she could. It wasn't long enough to reach the ground, but long enough to reach a window that sat below Elrond's chambers. She tied the rest to her belt and deftly began to climb down the bit of rope by using her feet to walk along the building walls. Being a ranger had its perks. She reached the second floor quickly enough and was most pleased when she found herself sitting on the ledge of the nearest window. It was another corridor that led to Elrond's office. She untied the rope from around her waist, watching it flutter in the breeze for a moment before scurrying down the hall and into the sunshine.

The rest of the day was spent in the square talking excitedly amongst the elves about her adventure. A small crowd had assembled around her and she told her tales of trolls and orcs with great vigor and excitement. She left out no detail and even embellished others without guilt. She would switch from telling tales to singing without a care or thought in the world. She wanted her stories and songs to be passed on so that, in case she had to leave like she suspected, she would be remembered by this city. There was one listener that she didn't even notice hiding behind the tall crowd. He was a dwarf with long dark hair, a long mustache and kind brown eyes.

Being a singer himself, Bofur was instantly entranced by her striking voice. It was soft and melodic, her words running together into beautiful tunes that the elves around her accompanied with harps. She would tell parts of her story in verse as if the songs came naturally. It was what drew him to ask for the dwarrowdam's hand to begin with. He had been invited to break bread with Thorin one evening when he heard her singing in scales around the mountains. He didn't have to see her to know he would love her. The gentle timbre of her voice and the joy that radiated from it drew him to her like a moth to flame. He would never forget the way Thorin smiled contently when he announced that it was his niece who sang such songs, the love he shared for the girl resonating from his smile. Bofur had been elated to know that the voice had belonged to Brili as he had heard tales of her beauty from across the mountain.

The crowd began to disperse leaving him standing directly in front of the beautiful, frail woman. She was quite different now than the girl he first saw at a birthday feast. She had thinned out some since he had the chance to admire her beauty. He was a touch put out by the way sharp features she had taken on and felt the urge to bring her a plate of food. She was far too thin. It seemed to him like she was trying to emulate the elves that surrounded her day by day. She ate like them, dressed like them; she had even picked up some of their language, he noticed. She was smiling as he stared, not seeing him for her eyes were fixated on the elf that had welcomed the company when they had first arrived. (Bofur couldn't remember the name for the life of him.) The two of them were trapped in a song together. Despite the fact that she was trying not to, Brili's sadness was apparent in that moment. Bofur wanted nothing more than to take that sadness from her. The duet ended and he couldn't stop himself from clapping the loudest. She sat up a little straighter and looked into the crowd, her eyes lighting up at the sound of applause.

The moment their eyes locked she stiffened like a wooden plank and stood up. That joy and softness that lingered before was lost and now a wicked fire blazed in the sapphire of her eyes. Behind that fury was a touch of fear and it tore Bofur to pieces to see that his angel of song still feared him. It had hurt five years ago when she had run from the room at the sight of him and it hurt now to see that she was about to run now. He held a hand out to try to soothe her, maybe convince her to let him say his peace, but it was too late and she had rushed past her elven comrade towards the gardens, her gold hair waving behind her like a flag. With a heavy sigh he turned and trudged back to where he knew his brother, Bombur, would be with the rest of his kin.

~o~

Brili kept her hands clenched tightly as she stalked to the gardens, one of her favorite hideaways when Aragorn was away with Dunedain. It was rarely occupied which often gave her the opportunity to collect her thoughts and sing her songs in the quiet. She knelt beside flowers of all colors and sizes with a frustrated scowl. Where was Aragorn anyways? She had been trying to find him all damn day and hadn't seen him since that disaster she had attempted to call arms practice. He would know just what to do now. She sighed and lifted a finger to brush a white orchid in front of her. What was she going to do? She began to sing softly, her voice no louder than a murmur but not quite a whisper. She sang of brothers and sisters and uncles like fathers. She even sang of friends and ancestors she had never known. Brili couldn't even begin to count the songs she knew of people she had never met.

It was times like this she wondered about her real father. Her brothers had told her about him often when she was young. She always imagined him to be different from the rest of her family. In her mind, he was just like her, imaginative with a curious side that would drive him to travel the world around him. In her daydreams he would bring her outside the mountains when no one else would. He would praise her for being different and wanting to choose her own path. He would have granted her the right to be a warrior. She often liked to think that he would be nothing short of proud. But he was dead, nothing more than a figment of her imagination. Growing up Thorin had taken over the role as her father. He had always tried to guide her but his pride always got the best of him. She couldn't fault him for that she supposed. At least he had made an honest attempt to do right by her mother and her brothers, even if she had managed to slip through the cracks and get lost in it all. Her song drifted away into gentle hums when she looked up at the sky and the soon setting sun.

"Well sung," a strong voice called out not far behind her. "Can't say I haven't missed that sound."

She turned her head to see Thorin approaching her, his boots crunching on the dirt floor. Had he made up his mind? Maybe Elrond was able to convince him to let her stay in this place. She didn't smile or give any sign that she was waiting for his verdict with bated breath. Her trembling hands were the only things that indicated how frantically nervous she really was. She stood from her knelt position and brushed her cropped trousers clean with her head lowered. Thorin came and stood next to her while indicating that the two should sit down on one of the nearby benches that lined the garden path but Bri was too frightened to move. Everything she ever wanted or didn't want was riding on this conversation.

Thorin cleared his throat when she refused to look at him. "So, I hear you have given me an ultimatum."

"Yes," she said softly.

With more courage than she thought she had, she lifted her face to look him in the eye. She was surprised by the softness in them, like he was slightly pained in this moment. She knew that look well. He was not pleased with her and was trying to find the best way to voice his disappointment. She would get this look often in her youth when he was preparing her for ill news or had to reprimand her. He reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Walk with me?" he asked and didn't exactly wait for her to respond before steering her down the path. "I've been looking for you all day, should've guessed that you were hiding out around here. You've always liked flowers. Which reminds me, do I want to know how you got out of that room? Your brothers and I were right outside the door."

She smirked a little and peered up at her uncle. She knew by the way her uncle smiled that he had seen the rope and hidden it from her worried brothers. She giggled as her imagination got the best of her and she envisioned what Fili's face would have looked like if he had seen it. It was quite silly indeed! Thorin looked down on her with a short look in his eye which pulled Bri from her daydreams.

"No," she affirmed. "No, you do not."

"Mmm," he agreed tightlipped. "Well whatever you did don't let me, or your brothers for that matter, catch you. Which brings me to my next point – I don't like being forced into things like this, Bri. I've taught you better than to question my decisions. If I say you should return home then I have a reason."

She stopped short, an inferno building in her chest. "This is my choice, Uncle. I've been making my own since I left five years ago. I think I'm entitled to a little trust here."

"Trust?" he looked at her incredulously. "Brili, you ran away from home. You frightened your brothers sick and threw your mother into the worst depression I have ever seen. No, child, your trust will be earned, not given."

She saw a crack in her uncle's gentle demeanor and decided to run with it. "If I'm so untrustworthy then why bother? Cast me out of the family and leave me to suffer with my own consequences."

He smiled ruefully before shaking his head, using his hand on the small of her back to guide her back on the path. "I could never do that. Despite your foolish and selfish actions, you are still my niece and my family. I would not allow such dishonor to fall upon you. Your brother informed you that the proposal is off?"

"They did," she replied stiffly, narrowing her eyes. "Thank you."

"You never did give me a chance to explain my reasoning behind that, by the way," he complained grumpily. "You ran off before I could."

"You can't fault me on that, Uncle, I was frightened. I did what I thought was necessary to get by."

"People began to talk," he launched, not waiting for an invitation from her because he knew he would never receive one. "They asked me and your mother what you planned to become. You had no discernible trade aside from sword play and that alone raised too many questions about you. You had your voice, which I notice you have not lost, and you had your beauty which led me and your brothers to the conclusion that marriage would be best. I've seen the way you speak with children. Motherhood would suit you. But, as you have reminded your poor brothers countless times, we were wrong."

She hadn't expected that. The great Thorin Oakenshield admitting he was in fact wrong? Now that was something she would pay to hear twice. If he thought he was wrong in the past then maybe he had reconsidered the current quandary. Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest. If he let her stay then she was truly free. No more fear of being found and taken away. She could even invite her brothers to visit and finally mend the rift between all of them. She could finally write that apology to her mother!

"So, am I –" Thorin cut her off by raising his hand in the air.

"Now I'm left in quite a predicament. On one hand, I could leave you here and never see you again for I know you would be trapped in this life fully if I do. It's already begun, after a few years time you are practically under their spell. On the other, I take you on this dangerous journey where there is a good chance you could get yourself killed. My feet are sure, child, I know you pushed me down that ledge to face those orcs alone. And those are my options. Does either choice sound favorable from my perspective?

"I find my niece, who I love as a daughter, after five years – admittedly not very long when you think about how long our lives span out – only to have her make such demands. My choices are either to lose her to my enemy or risk her life."

"Or I could decide," she ventured, reaching out to touch his hand. "I could take that burden from you and you could rest easy knowing it was my choice."

He shook his head and stared in front of him with uncompromising eyes. "I'm a bit too selfish for that, child. When you vanished I was ruined. With the help of your brothers, I searched night and day for over a year. I told myself time and time again that when we found you I would do anything in my power to set things right and make you happy again. But to leave you here is not right. You are part of the line of Durin and, as I've said before, it's time you took your rightful place beside us. I will grant your request to join my company for this quest. I understand this is not the outcome you wanted but this is what I'm willing to offer."

Bri lowered her head a little. Of course she had been expecting this to happen. She stopped their steady walk and tried her best to hide her disappointment. She was going to have to lay down the ground rules now before they started their journey.

"Things will have to be different," she stated, calmly. "I'm not to be treated like a child as I am not one. I am capable of making my own decisions now. I will not be coddled like a youngster."

Thorin looked down at her, raising an eyebrow at her audacity. "Tell that to your brothers. I've put you in their charge for the time being. You are to report to them at all times." He lifted his hand to silence her again when she opened her mouth to protest. "These are the terms. I cannot have you gallivanting about without someone to report to. This quest is not a game for you to play. If you cannot agree to these terms I can send for someone to bring you directly back to the mountain."

Instead of dignifying his terms with a response, she scowled and settled on a curt bow. Two could play this game and she was not going to lose, too much depended on it.

* * *

So this part is turning out much longer than I intended it to. I was actually going to leave Rivendell in this chapter originally and then realized that it had to be broken up into another chapter. Sorry!

I kind of love the Fili scene. Now, I know everyone is waiting for the Brili/Kili make up scene and I promise you it will happen! It's just going to happen a little later! I'm also really, really fond of the scene where Bofur is listening to Brili sing. I can't wait until you guys find out what I have planned for those two! And holy adorable Thorin!

My musical inspiration for Bri? It's a somewhat popular artist called Mree. You can find her on youtube. I suggest you give her a listen.

Some thank yous to twiggy and my guest for the reviews and to X-PoisonCherry-X for the favorite and follow!

As always, feel free to leave me a review with any thoughts or questions even if you hated my dramafest of a chapter!

Until next time!

-kimmy


	11. Medleys

Chapter 11: Medleys

Brili was never a huge fan of other weapons. She had found her niche in swordplay for it was both elegant and deadly. Her throwing knives and her blade were the only weapons that she really used and almost everyone knew this. So, one can imagine how surprised Aragorn was to find Brili in the practice room wielding a hammer that was nearly her size alone, using both hands to bear the weight, on some defenseless wooden dummies. She would shout violently before swinging the mallet down where it would crash into the feeble shield made of wood. The sheet of wood would splinter and crack before falling off, oft with the dummy's arm in tow. This was the fourth victim in her ruthless attack. Aragorn shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat.

"You really ought to give your enemies a chance, you know," he called out.

She stiffened before turning to him. Her eyes softened a bit and he noted the trails that previous tears had left on her face. She let the hammer thump to the ground beside her and she ran to him, throwing herself into his midsection. Her shoulders were rising and falling in earnest and Aragorn briefly worried that she would discover the surprise he spent all day working on. He pulled her away from him and knelt down in front of his friend. He had never seen her in such emotional upheaval in all his time knowing her! The presence of her kin must be truly unsettling to her!

"Hush," he soothed, bringing his hand to her face. "What troubles you so?"

She shook her head meekly before burying her face in his neck, leaving a trail of tears along his jaw. He let out a soft sigh of reproach before pulling her from his neck. She wiped at her eyes and her breath was trapped in her throat. He gently shook her shoulders and pushed her hair back from where it stuck to her face.

"I can't help in any way if you don't tell me what the problem is," he urged, pushing her bangs back from her forehead.

"I'm leaving soon!" she finally blurted out, her hands balling into fists by her sides. "I've convinced them to let me join their company!"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "How is this a problem?"

She looked up sharply and narrowed her eyes. "Because I'm leaving!"

"My friend, since I have met you, you have wanted nothing more than to go off and see the world around you."

Her eyes looked a little lighter. "Well yes, but I don't want to leave everyone here behind."

"I have left you behind on countless occasions to tend to other ventures. Did you doubt me then? Did you doubt the friendship we shared?"

"No," she answered a small smile gracing her lips before fading away. "I don't think I will be coming back though. I fear they will trap me in the mountain until I am old and grey."

Her friend let out a sigh and reached into his pocket from which he pulled out a large chain with a medallion attached to the end. He held it out in front of the dwarf girl's face, letting it dangle in front of her doe like eyes. The chain was nothing to look at twice, being a simple thing made of brass, but the medallion was beautiful. It was carved as intricately as any trinket from the dwarves with lines that made flowers and water drops throughout. He placed the pendant in her hand, letting the less than perfect chain fall around her fingers. Brili knew this necklace as a gift from the Dunedain for their often absent leader.

"If that proves to be the case, then you know how to find me. I will give you sanctuary," he said calmly, reaching around his shoulder for his pack. "I've got something else for you too."

She looked up at him in surprise, as if just realizing he was there. "Where have you been all week, by the way? I spent most of it looking for you!"

He smiled as he watched her place the pendant around her neck and he pulled his pack off of his shoulders. He reached inside and pulled her belt with all six throwing knives attached. "Oh, I took a little time to gather some fresh medicines for the healers. Oh, and getting your knives. Hope that's alright with you, your majesty."

She took the belt gratefully and began to wrap it around her waist with a bit of a scowl. She knew that he used such a title in jest but it annoyed her all the same. She smiled in spite of herself and nodded appreciatively. Without further warning she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to embrace and thank her dearest friend. In fact, she could honestly say Aragorn was the person she trusted most on this earth. He had always been so kind to her and immediately giving. It was no wonder she adored him so and gave him so much affection. She knew it would break her heart to leave him, even though now there was a sliver of hope on the horizon. In theory, she could go on this quest, mend the rift between her family and if things didn't change from it, she could return to Aragorn and travel with the Dunedain. For the most part, things were looking up. His words brought her some comfort and solace which was certainly a good thing for she would need it in the days ahead of her.

"Brili?" Fili called from the entrance of the practice room. "Uncle wants you to come and rest with the company."

Her golden topped head poked out from around Aragorn's shoulders where she still clung, if not more so now, like a frightened dwarfling. Why would they want her there? She had no place amongst them yet. She had not earned their trust nor had they earned hers, so why would she be summoned? Were they going to leave so soon? No, Elrond had offered them several weeks of rest; she couldn't imagine they took such hospitality so lightly.

"We're not leaving yet, are we?" she asked suspiciously. Her eyes narrowed and she was ready to argue to the death to stay another few days.

True to form, Fili lied with grace and sincerity. He shook his head and offered her a comforting smile, knowing that his sister would be armed with a scene if he told her they were planning on leaving in secret tonight. "We'll be here a few more days yet, sister. Uncle just wants the company to adjust to the new face."

Aragorn pulled away from her and finally, to the relief of his burning thighs, stood up from where he had crouched beside his small friend. "Go with him, I'll follow shortly to stay with you for the night."

"I don't  
think that's a good idea," Fili piped up, knowing his family, Kili especially, would not be pleased to watch Brili fawn over such a human. While he shared a similar distaste for the situation, he was much better at hiding it than his younger, less patient brother. "Thorin asked for her alone."

Brili brought her hands over her mouth and gasped, her eyes widening and her eyebrows getting lost in her bangs. "Oh please, Fili!" she cried out. "It will make me feel so much better!"

With a heavy sigh, Fili rubbed the back of his head self consciously. He reminded himself that he was sent to make her feel a little more comfortable with the idea of being around the company as she had seemed to take a bit of a liking towards him since her discovery. He had hoped this would give him the opportunity to reconnect with his youngest, less compliant sibling but knew that he had to pick and choose his battles. He nodded his head and began to usher her out of the practice room.

"Fine, fine," he agreed. "Your friend may join us. But only for a little while! Uncle will want him to leave after a short time."

"Thank you!" she cried out, clapping her hands in delight. It was a terrible thing but with Aragorn by her side she felt a bit more courageous.

~o~

When she had arrived where the company was stationed, she felt her courage draining from her. They all sat huddled together around little fires and not a single dwarf really noticed her presence. Aragorn had parted ways, claiming to need something from his chambers and promising to meet with her soon. With a great deal of fear in her heart, she clung to the pendant that he had given her not an hour before. It instantly became a source of comfort for her. She slunk away from her eldest brother with a halfhearted smile and sidled into a dark corner away from any eyes that might want to seek her out. She pulled her knees up to her chest and clung to her gift so tightly that for a moment she feared it would crack in her grip.

The crowd around her was laughing raucously as Bofur, whom she could barely look at without a blaze igniting in her chest, tossed one sausage too many to his fat companion who broke the finely carved bench he sat on and crashed to the floor. Ugh, she would never understand men, particularly dwarven ones. She looked to her left and spotted Kili, staring daggers into the back of her head before his eyes darted away when she noticed him. The sight of him made her shudder. By the looks he gave her alone, she could see that he was furious with her. How could she even begin to fix what she had done if he refused to speak with her civilly?

All the voices around her went silent and she looked up, wondering what all the lack of commotion was all about and spotted Aragorn approaching with a lute secured firmly in his grip. She smiled and shook her head at him. Did he really expect her to draw such unwanted attention to herself by putting on a show with him and his stupid lute? He made eye contact with her and steered himself past the prying eyes of every dwarf who stared to her. When he arrived he held up his lute in positive delight.

"Freshly strung! I thought some music might help a bit."

She smiled at the gesture for it was a truly sweet one. Aragorn was not really one for playing music but had learned the talent anyways. She knew that he hated playing the instrument quite passionately. He sat down behind her and they leaned against the other to keep upright. It had been one of Brili's favorite things to do with Aragorn after a day of practice. They would often sit silently in the dead of night and just stare out into the open sky, both needing the other not to fall over. Aragorn let out a miffed sigh and began to warily pluck the strings, trying to jar his memory for a tune.

"I'm not singing along," she warned.

Her friend laughed as he finally began warming up to the instrument that sat on his lap. Brili would often come to him for help when she had a song stuck in her heart. She would sing note after note, after note until the two of them had figured it out in both word and string. After a few moments of plucking he noticed his friend's resolve melt away and she began to hum an old composition of theirs. He smiled smugly knowing his plan to relieve her worries was working like a dream. Her voice began to sing the words he knew well, shakily at first as she was very aware of everyone around her and their stares. Aragorn began to strum with a little more confidence, encouraging her voice to carry along with him. It helped a bit but not much so he knew he had to pick a different tune. He began to pick up the pace and she sang in tow, knowing which song he was playing. It was one of her favorite songs to sing and it brought a wide smile to her face. She scurried around his back, which caused him to fall over just a little, to face him and smile, temporarily forgetting the crowd that was now watching them intently.

Kili felt his heart wrench in his chest at the sight. He never imagined his sister would ever smile like that him ever again. Her smile was spreading over to the human's face as well and both were focused on the other. He missed her contagious affection and the way her smile could light up his day. She began to sway a little and tap her fingers to her knees with the music; it reminded him of their days in Ered Luin when she would play in the woods with him and sing songs of a similar caliber. He didn't see a warrior sitting before him, he saw a girl who loved to sing pretty songs. She could very easily die on this quest! He should have fought harder with Thorin to have her sent home! He couldn't imagine what he would do if he lost her for good.

The song slowed but didn't stop and Brili stared at the sky with a look of peace on her face while Aragorn hummed the tune softly. Bofur watched the pair with a bit of envy filling his heart. She had captivated him since the first note he heard and to hear her sing so passionately to someone else hurt him deeply. He could see that it wasn't love that she held for this human but it was better than the contempt she had for him. He took comfort in the idea that she would be with him for a long time on this quest. Maybe he could get some time with her. She would be able to see past the enamored dwarf he had been and get to know him. He would love to get to know her and this was the perfect chance.

Fili watched the exchange with a good deal of guilt lingering in his heart. He had deliberately deceived her again. She was going to be furious when she found out that they had her room cleared out with her essentials and that they were leaving tonight. It wasn't entirely his fault, Thorin had requested that she be reacquainted with the company as best as Fili could attempt. If he had told her that they were leaving as soon as Thorin returned she would have resisted and begged to stay longer! Fili didn't have the heart to tell her. She would be broken hearted with the news without a doubt. What was he to do exactly? The duo had moved on to their final song together and Brili sang with clarity and delight in every note. Fili had missed the sound of her song throughout his home. Her entire life she had been a songbird and sang everywhere she went: in the kitchen, the forest, the halls of the Blue Mountains; everyone in the mountains could identify where Bri was by the sound of her voice echoing with joyous singing. It filled his heart with joy to hear that sound again, even if she wasn't directing it towards him exactly. He, very much like Kili, felt quite put out by the special attention her human friend got.

He and Brili had never been incredibly close growing up. As a child he had lost his father and had to bear the weight of being Thorin's heir to the throne. It hadn't left him with much time to spend with Brili aside from a few days here and there to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. He and Kili, being boys and able to play in the practice yard, had a good relationship but eventually Brili went from being a sister to a responsibility. He had always secretly longed for the relationship his younger siblings had shared but settled on being the eldest, and therefore more responsible, brother. He hoped that would change once she spent some time on the road with them.

Aragorn stopped strumming a moment after Brili finished their medley of music and set his lute down. He couldn't have had better timing for Brili sprang up from where she sat on her knees and flung her arms around his shoulders with a happy laugh escaping her lips. Aragorn returned the gesture, much to the distress to the other dwarves, and rest a hand on top of her head while she whispered praises in his ear.

"Thank you, my dearest friend!" she expressed with such emotion that she feared she would cry. "I've never known you to play so wonderfully before! Thank you!"

"What is this?"

Aragorn was about to respond when a deadly voice interrupted them. Brili could hear Thorin's boots rustling the grass beneath them as he approached and she winced in Aragorn's chest. She released her friend and stood up abruptly, her hands held out in a soothing manner.

"This is Aragorn, Uncle Thorin," she began slowly, sweetly. "He's the person who trained me to become a ranger. He's a good friend of mine."

Thorin regarded Aragorn coldly, with steady eyes that wouldn't waver. Bri swallowed nervously and waited for any sign of life from her uncle. At long last he stepped up to Aragorn, which was actually quite funny as he only came up to the man's shoulder blades.

"I understand I have you to thank," he began gruffly. Oh no, that was not a friendly voice. Bri cleared her throat and went to step between the two of them. "You are the one responsible for filling my niece's head with delusions of grandeur. I hear you are the one who taught her to wield a blade."

Aragorn matched his tone and added an extra layer of terseness to his words. "I assure you, it was no trouble. She is a fine fighter."

"Aye, so I've seen. Hardly the place for a princess now, is it?" Thorin crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare down his current competition for his niece's affection.

Brili, however, was mortified. That rotten, filthy, selfish, stubborn goat! Who was he to decide what her place was?! Was she not a member of this quest? Was she not going to fight alongside him to reclaim his mountain? She balled her hands into fists and began to tremble with rage, which did not go unnoticed by either party. Thorin did not think of his words as regrettable even if he would have normally approached the human a little more civilly under normal circumstances. He simply needed this human to leave so that he and the others could disappear into the night without raising alarm. If Brili's pride got stung along the way then so be it.

"Mmm, if only she were one," Aragorn scoffed. Bri cleared her throat; she had forgotten to warn Aragorn that her family was technically royalty.

Thorin was about to respond with something both indignant and incredulous when the girl stepped between the two, thrusting her palms out into each of their chests (or in Aragorn's case stomach) with her eyes shut tight.

"ENOUGH!" she shouted and her voice echoed around them.

Both men looked down at her in surprise as if they had just remembered that she was still there. Aragorn's features softened a little at the way her voice cried out in distress. Thorin's remained quite belligerent and he set his niece aside, keeping a hand on each of her shoulders.

"I ask that you leave so that I might spend time with _my_ family. You have taken enough of her time, I think," he ground out, eying her friend distastefully.

"Uncle, I asked him here!" she cried out angrily, turning from his grip and throwing her hands on her hips. "It's not your place to ask my guest to leave!"

Aragorn simply smiled and touched Bri's shoulder gently. "Relax, friend. Amin autien rath*."

She turned to him with sad eyes. "Amin hiraetha. Diola lle, mellonamin**."

She couldn't explain the feeling that was brewing inside of her chest but it felt like this was goodbye. With only a small whimper of warning, she wrapped her arms around his midsection and buried her face in his leather coat. She knew in her heart that she could not live in this moment forever but she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could. Her heart swelled and then deflated like a waterskin that had a leak. What would she do without him?

Thorin watched the display with little interest. He had no time for the affairs of men and elves. He needed to prepare the company for their departure! With narrowed eyes and crossed arms, he watched as the man knelt to the ground to whisper something in his niece's ear. His ears had picked up some of the coarse whispering but he spoke little to no elvish (barely enough to get by really) and could not decipher what the two were saying. After a time her friend pulled them apart and with a smile and ruffle of her curls he sauntered off, his lute in hand. She seemed a bit more comforted with the words Aragorn had left her with and Thorin decided he would have to ask her what they had discussed at a later time.

With tear filled eyes, Bri watched her friend walk off into the distance and sat down in the exact spot she stood when he left. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin against them, her arms wrapped around her shins. Her normally active eyes were drooping and staring into the distance where he had disappeared from. A grief that neither song nor food could cure had filled her heart and she had politely declined a member of the company's offer to join the throng. No, she would rather sit and wallow in her heartsickness. Maybe he would return? She was certain she would only sleep if he had!

"You should eat," a voice above her called out. Thorin.

She was about to protest when her growling stomach betrayed her and her needs. Without waiting for her response, he reached down and hoisted her up by her forearms, bringing her out into the firelight. He steered her towards the group of dwarves who were now merrily singing with bowls of hot soup in their laps. Bofur stood by the large cooking pot stirring his latest concoction with pride. Some of the dwarves, Fili and Kili amongst them, had tucked in for the night, using the safety of the Homely House to recover and store some much needed sleep. Bri watched all of this unfold with apprehension. She missed Aragorn already and the company hadn't even left yet. What would she do when she was so far from home? Her thoughts were interrupted by her uncle grabbing her wrist and forcing a bowl of stew into her hand. She looked up at him reproachfully and went to stalk back to her corner with the warm meal in hand. Thorin held an arm out to stop her.

"Sit with me," he instructed, pointing to a bench. "They are going to have to get used to you at some point."

"I'm not sure I… I mean… You don't have to," she faltered, unsure of what to say. She was still a little miffed by her uncle's harshness before with Aragorn. She still had so much to do to prove her worth to him and she was too tired to begin those tasks tonight.

His eyes softened in regards to her rejection. "Humor me, please, Brili?"

She nodded her head and followed him to the bench, however begrudgingly, and sat. She was still so unsure about her decision to work with the company. She should have agreed to go back and then just waited until they left to go with Aragorn to the Dunedain. Surely she would fare better with them? Aragorn already knew her strengths and weaknesses (the latter being archery, if you must know) and he would be able to use her to the best of her abilities. She watched each individual dwarf for a few moments. They were all so different yet they all had one thing in common: their unwavering trust in her uncle. Brili briefly wished she shared that faith.

The summer was drawing to a close and she took the opportunity to revel in the warmth the air provided. All the dwarves around them were all beginning to look around with sleepy eyes and yawns on their breath. All but Thorin, who sat beside his niece with watchful eyes that stared out into the distance beyond the makeshift camp that his company had made. Bri glanced up at him, her own eyes beginning to droop as she grew more and more tired.

"Eat your food," her uncle urged, still not looking at her but noticing her stares out of the corner of his eye. "You'll need your strength."

Bri giggled as she recalled a day in her youth when her mother had left her in her uncle's care. She had been a young dwarfling, about eight years old or so, and he had served supper. Brili had loved food as much as the next little one but she had been eager for dessert that evening and refused the food Thorin had cooked in hopes to get an extra plate of dessert. It hadn't worked and she couldn't remember many of the details but she could remember her uncle telling her over and over again to eat her food.

Thorin looked down at her. "What's so funny?"

Just like that the memory was gone faster than a whispering wind. "I don't remember," she admitted sheepishly.

Her uncle looked down at her untouched bowl and she took the hint to eat some of the contents before he had a conniption. She hesitated for a moment before jamming the spoon into her mouth. It reminded her of winter days back in Ered Luin. It was delicious! She began scooping the thick stew into her mouth, suddenly ravenous. It wasn't long before she was scraping the bottom of the dish looking for more. Thorin took the dish from her and placed it on the ground.

"You should rest like the others," he said plainly.

"Why?" she asked, feeling a second wind creeping up on her. "There is plenty of time to rest."

Thorin's eyes widened a little and he looked down at her. "You are aware we are leaving tonight, child, right?"

Brili felt her heart stop. It had, for the briefest moment in her life, actually ceased its thumping in her chest and remained very still. Leaving tonight? No, they couldn't! She still had so many people to say goodbye to! Lindir and Elrond especially! She needed more time to say goodbye to the city. She longed to pass by the homes of her friends and chase the sunlight in the garden of flowers. She thought she had more time! Her heart began to pound again and she seemed to be brought to her senses.

"We can't!" she gasped, turning to her uncle and placing a hand on his arm.

He narrowed his brows at her. "Yes, we must, Brili. Our quest has been jeopardized by these people. It is time we moved on. Now, I suggest you go lie down with your brothers and get some rest. As I said, you will need your strength."

With that he stood and left her sitting on the bench with wide and weary eyes. She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked around her. No one had noticed the exchange between her and her uncle for which she was thankful for. They were all settling in for a good nap before they left before dawn, only a couple of hours of sleep at best. Thorin was sitting off in the distance, ready to wake his company up at a moment's notice and watching her intently. It seemed like he knew Bri was going into panic mode, the part of her that ran away all those years ago. She looked away from him and lay her head down on the bench where he had previously sat.

How could she sleep now?

* * *

Phew, talk about writers block. I mean, really! This chapter is nothing crazy but the next one is where the adventure begins! Yippee!

Some translations:

*"... I'm going to bed."

**"I'm sorry. Thank you, my friend."

Some thank yous go out to DancingMirror77 for the favorite, and Twiggy31 and my guest for their wonderful reviews! I do appreciate the feedback, even if it does take me forever and a day to get a chapter out!

Feel free to drop a line with any thoughts or questions. I expect the next chapter to be most exciting! :)

until next time!

-kimmy


	12. At the Start of the Open Road

Chapter 12: At the Start of the Open Road

"Bri." She felt her shoulder move under someone's hand. "Bri, wake up."

She let out a soft grumble and finally let one of her eyes open. Fili was leaning over her, shaking her shoulders and looking behind him. All around them was a flurry of silent activity. The levity that hung in the air mere hours ago was gone and in its place was a solemn, stale feeling. The company knew that they had much ahead of them. It was time to go. That feeling of security the homely house brought her was replaced with the cold chill of uncertainty. Brili trembled slightly in her brother's grasp.

"Bri, c'mon," he urged, shaking her again. "We have to go!"

She let out a groan, annoyed that she was being woken up so abruptly. So she had been able to fall asleep after all. She sat up with stiff limbs and casually stretched her arms out and wiggling her fingers. Fili noticed her do this and smiled; some things never change. He reached over and squeezed her shoulder before bustling off to help gather the rest of the supplies, leaving Bri to double check that her toes hadn't disappeared in the night. Satisfied when all of her digits were accounted for, she rubbed her eyes and reached down to touch the pendant that fell past her breasts and tickled her stomach. It was warm from being pressed against her and she was soothed by its touch. She was a part of this now and she would behave as a ranger would. First she needed her things.

She got up off the bench and walked past the busy company, no one stopping to notice her. This would at least give her the chance to walk through the city one last time. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be decided. She would need some spare clothes and her sword. She also thought it would be a good idea to go down to the kitchens and grab some food. She could even go to the medicine stores and take a couple of healing herbs.

"Where are you going?" Thorin asked directly behind her with disapproval in his tone.

She turned to him very confused. "I need my things, Uncle. I'll be of no use to any of you without my sword."

He looked like the idea of her handling a blade in front of him was troubling him. "I'm sure we can find other uses for you without a weapon."

She blanched. Did he mean for her to be left defenseless? What if she were left alone for whatever reason? Her knives could only get her so far! No, she needed her sword. "You can't mean that! What about my clothes! I can't walk around naked or dirty!"

He shook his head and offered her a reassuring smile. "Your brother has already collected your things – I believe your sword is one of them – for you. I sent him earlier in the evening when Fili had gone to find you. Speak with him."

Bri's mouth began to open and close in indignation. How on this green earth had that her brother even found her room?! Had someone escorted him there? They must have. But who would have done so. She shuddered at the idea of her brother rummaging through her drawers and taking things out as he saw fit! Not that she had anything incredibly personal, mind you, but she had become a rather private person since leaving Ered Luin a little more than five years ago. Those were her things and Kili had no right to scramble around in them! Thorin let out a gruff grunt of sorts and steered her by her shoulders until she was directly behind Kili, who was busy rolling various blankets as tightly as he could and stuffing them into backpacks.

"Get your things and let's get going. We don't exactly have time on our side," he said in a no nonsense tone before walking off.

Kili heard his uncle speaking and turned to the sound. There he saw Bri standing behind him with a terrified expression on her face. As a matter of fact, she looked like she was about to retch all over his boots. He lifted a brow in response and let out a heavy sigh. It surely wouldn't kill him to at least extend some sort of olive branch. He quite frankly didn't like the way she was afraid to talk to him. It hurt him in ways he couldn't begin to describe. He leaned over the bundles of blankets and pulled out a very full pack.

"Grabbed you a couple changes of clothes even though they all look the same," he said plainly, holding the pack in front of him while he eyed her cautiously. She swallowed and made a couple of faces at him, her eyes going wider and wider with every word he said. He reached into a side pocket of her pack and pulled out a leather bound book, holding it out for her to take. "Grabbed this too. It was by your pillow so I'm guessing you were reading it."

She let out a little squeak and nodded her head. Unable to form a coherent sentence around her own brother she sharply turned on her heel and began to walk away. The sheer embarrassment of knowing that he had been through her drawers – her under things drawer was causing her the most grief – was enough to propel her away from him. She wasn't ready to talk to him. She wasn't ready for any of this! She heard Kili follow her.

"Look, Bri, I'm sorry!" he called out, stopping short when the words escaped his lips. She stopped too, as if what he had said had struck her like a physical blow. She turned to him, her eyes wary and untrusting.

Before he could begin to explain himself, Thorin was beginning to round everyone up. He knew his sister was waiting for him to enlighten her on his behavior since they had found her but couldn't articulate his feelings. Instead he shook his head and held her pack out for her to take. Her eyes softened a little and she accepted her bag with a neutral stare until she noticed that she didn't have her sword. She looked at him worriedly, afraid he would keep the blade for himself or that he didn't think her worthy to carry it.

As if he read her thoughts he sighed and said, "The sword's with Fi. He asked for it before he woke you up."

Behind her she heard a few dwarves beginning to lift their packs onto their backs, ready to depart. She nodded her head and without a word ran off to find her brother. She simply could not start this journey without her sword. It was important to her; one of the first things that Aragorn had done for her at the start of her lessons. She would never forget standing in the forges of Rivendell, her short arms being measured over and over again to be fitted with a new sword. The first time she held her new sword had been one of her most memorable moments. The hilt made of the finest leather and the blade was sharp and gleaming, still was as a matter of fact.

She found Fili standing off to the side of everyone, inspecting her blade. He shifted it in his hands, judging the weight and analyzing the craftsmanship. His eyes were narrowed and his lips pursed in concentration. She approached him with eyes that left no room for negotiation. This was her sword and she wanted it back now. He heard her footsteps but didn't look away from the blade.

"I wanted to make sure you had a good one before we set off." He finally looked at her as he sheathed her sword and tossed it to her. "It's a fine blade."

"Thank you, I'm rather proud of it to be honest," she admitted shyly.

The siblings met eyes for the briefest of moments and Brili knew that Fili had lied to her back in the training room. While the thought made her angry she tried her best not to show it and smile at him. She knew how constricted the gesture must seem and that her eyes narrowed at the idea of being deceived again. She, however, swallowed her feelings down and stiffened her chin. She had no time or patience to be angry with either of her siblings at the moment. She nodded stiffly to Fili and turned from him, ready to report to her Uncle and leave the place she felt most at home.

"Bri–" Fili began, taking a step towards her. He knew that she suspected him of lying and wanted to make things right if she would let him.

She held up a hand beside of her, her back still turned to him. She didn't want to hear any more excuses from _anyone_. She wanted to get this journey underway so that she could hurry and return to this place unscathed, emotionally or physically. For she would return to this place, she promised herself this. Whatever may come her way, she would come home.

And so their journey began as such. Brili chose to walk beside the oldest member of the company, Balin, for whatever words he did have to say were brief and often of nothing important. However, his brother, Dwalin, was quite invested in her, being her godfather of sorts. In the rare event that her entire family was to perish, Dwalin was chosen to be responsible for Brili's care. It was an honor without a doubt but mainly a formality that Dwalin went above and beyond over. She hadn't known this, but he had also had a hand (and a few choice words) in her arranged marriage to Bofur. He had often sent away for lavish gifts for the girl and he too was greatly saddened by her disappearance. Bri could feel Dwalin staring into the back of her head but didn't dare to turn around and face him. She continued her trek with solemnity and made it a point to commit each home and tree that they passed to memory. They came upon the garden of flowers and Bri felt her heart pang with fresh sadness for she loved the garden and the serenity it offered. She stopped for a moment, staring off into the distance and longing to walk the paths just one last time. She was stopped by Dwalin's hand on her shoulder, nudging her forward with a curt nod and narrowed brows.

They soon reached the edge of the wild, as her uncle had announced. While their journey through Rivendell had been marked by a few brief pauses, each filled with their own memory and recollection, this had marked her first real stop. Bri had turned, standing in front of Bilbo with shaking hands that clung to Aragorn's medallion, and wished nothing more than to turn back. She could very well run down the path and scream her way to sanctuary, alerting the city to her family's escape. She could seek refuge in Aragorn's quarters, knowing he would not reveal her location without her consent.

"Master Baggins," her uncle called out, interrupting her daydream with a stern voice. "I suggest you keep up."

She heard the hobbit turn and begin to tread with the rest of the company but still couldn't move. She couldn't bring herself to look away from the beautiful city. There was no guarantee she would ever see such a sight again and she wasn't ready to walk away from it. The rest of the company walked past her, occasionally bumping into her already shaking shoulders and pulling her from daydreams of escape. She knew she should turn around and follow before she raised suspicion but her legs were frozen save her quaking knees.

"Brili," her uncle called sharply. "The same goes for you."

But how could she move? She felt tears burning her eyes and blurring the edges of her vision. She was afraid they would spill out and release a flood that she didn't care for anyone else to see. She tried to move but found herself faint and weak without any cause. This was no way to start a quest! Taking a tiny, shaky step backwards, not looking away from the city, she stumbled and would have crashed to the ground if it weren't for two hands that caught her. Bofur held her upright against his chest an alarmed look on his face.

"Are you alright, milady?" he asked, not daring to use her name.

She could hear her uncle's boots approaching and shook herself out of Bofur's grip. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene on the first day of travelling with her uncle. She scowled and wiped the last remnants of tears from her eyes as her uncle reached them.

"I'm just fine," she hissed, stalking away from both of them with a fleeting glance behind them at the city. "I'm going to be fine."

She wasn't sure if the last thing she said was to comfort her or them.

~o~

"See this, Bri. That spot on the ground?" Kili asked eagerly as he crouched down and pointed to what was obviously a footprint.

She looked at the print, annoyed with her older brother's enthusiasm. They had been travelling for most of the morning and now the afternoon sun lay over the company who now pressed on from a brief rest. She had attempted to go on ahead under the ruse of scouting the area ahead but Kili, who had apparently had an overnight change of heart and was desperately trying to win his sister's affections, had followed. Did her family not know how to take a hint? She sighed and watched his fingers trace the outline in the grass, hovering over the print so that the blades tickled the tips of his fingers.

"See, this means that–"

She cut him off in a dull monotonous tone. "It means someone was already here; someone with large feet, probably a man or an elf. I'm guessing it was Aragorn."

At the mention of her friend she felt homesick again. She hadn't been gone more than half a day and she already missed Rivendell, mostly all of her friends, more than she could begin to explain. Kili looked up at her and pouted a little, his usual method of operation when trying to win her over. Go ahead, she thought, pout away and see where it gets you.

"So, you already know how to…" he began, rising from his seat with a concentrated look on his face. He made it a point to scuff out the mark in the dirt with his own shoe.

"Track? Yes," she answered, looking around her. "I'm actually halfway decent at it."

He muffled a grunt and folded his hands behind his head so that his arms formed a triangle around his face. He looked relaxed but Bri could tell he was a bundle of nerves. Served him right too! He was nothing short of a horse's backside to her since he had found out who she was. The only reason she was letting him follow her around was because he had attempted to apologize earlier that morning. She knew that even that apology was only granted because she had joined the company rather than going off and doing things her way.

"Well this is going to get boring," he complained. "Where's the fun in having a kid sister if I can't teach her the cool stuff."

She quirked an eye at him in response; all of this was his fault! What was she supposed to have done in her absence? Nothing? Had he expected her to twiddle her thumbs and wait for one of them to rescue her? Of course not! She had taken charge of her own destiny, saw the world and learned her passions! All for what; for him to complain that he had nothing to teach her? Would it kill someone to praise her talents for once?! She huffed and turned away from her increasingly annoying brother and decided to head back to Balin's side. At least he didn't constantly bring up the past!

"What?" Kili called behind her, jogging to catch up with her brisk pace. "Aw, c'mon, Bri, don't be such a sore sport. I'm just playing with ya!"

Nope! She was not about to fall for his charms! She was not the same girl that left Ered Luin and she was determined to keep a level head on her shoulders when it came to her brothers and uncle. She knew what they were capable of now and she had to make sure she didn't fall back into her old ways, when she had idolized them beyond reason. She knew that as this journey unfolded she would have to contend with all three of them attempting to win her good graces back. It was frankly inevitable. And while she was certain that given time she would forgive them, she knew she would never be able to forget what they had done. Either way, she was not in a place of forgiveness and all of Kili's attempts would be futile. She approached the company with her brother on her heels and she made it a point not to pay him any mind.

He cut her off and stood in front of her. "What's your problem?" he demanded with his hands on his hips.

She hadn't noticed him, however. No, her eyes were focused behind him where Bombur had picked up several bright red berries with little black splotches off of a small bush. Were those what she was thinking? Yes, yes they were. Surely the company knew not to eat those, right? Bombur smiled in devilish delight and selected a large one and began lifting it to his mouth. Frantically, Brili shoved Kili aside as hard as she could where he went flying into Bilbo.

"STOP!" she shouted, sprinting to the corpulent dwarf and knocking his hands away from his mouth. His face bristled in response and he looked quite taken aback by her actions. Did he really have no idea what he was about to do? She looked at him maniacally and forced him to drop the large berry in his hand. "Those are poison, you fool!"

Bombur looked at the berries that remained in his left hand and made a horrified face before dropping them to the ground. Brili hadn't noticed that she had stopped the entire company in its tracks nor had she noticed the way the other men stared at her. She held the berry in her palm with furious eyes. How could her uncle expect these men to survive when they had no basic understanding of the world around them? Sure, Fili and Kili may have some experience, Dwalin as well, but what about the rest of the company? She wasn't even sure Ori had ever left his home before! She turned to her uncle and stormed up to him in disbelief.

"He didn't even know how to recognize a poison berry!" she seethed, holding the menacing fruit out for him to inspect. "How many others don't know what one looks like?! If I hadn't seen him he would have died! He would have swallowed this fruit then his throat would have closed up and he would have _died_!"

"Well, it's fortunate that you did see him," Thorin stated plainly, unsure why she was in such an uproar. "He is not dead and we must carry on."

He turned from her and began walking. The rest of the company hesitated and then began to follow suit. She could hardly believe her uncle took things so trivially. How unprepared were they?

"Let me see your medicine stores," she called out, stopping her uncle in his tracks.

He turned to her. "What do you mean?"

She gaped at him and smacked her head to her forehead. "Mahal," she breathed angrily, "please tell me you have something! You cannot tell me you did not pack medicines."

He turned to Oin with questioning eyes. The elder dwarf shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, much to Bri's horror. They must be joking! Forget the elements and wounds and infections, she would kill them herself and just get it over with! What idiots expect to travel the wild without getting hurt; arrogant ones, that's who! She shook her head in her hands and sighed. She would just have to go out and gather some things herself obviously. She only hoped that Aragorn had left a few plants or some kingsfoil behind.

"Where are you going?" Thorin asked as she stalked by him. He sounded alarmed, like he didn't understand what had made her so angry.

"Fixing your mistakes!" she hollered, reaching into her pack for an empty satchel. "Just stay here and don't," she pointed to Bombur and tried to look intimidating, "eat _anything_ off the ground until I get back and okay it."

She heard one of her brothers, Fili most likely, call out her name but she ignored the call. She knew she should probably answer but she was trying to remember what plants she would need. Calendula petals would help with some infections but she wouldn't find any of those flowers for at least another mile or so. She listed off a few other plants that she knew were local (juniper berries, golden seal and wormwood, just to name a few) and began scanning the ground for them. The plant she needed most was kingsfoil. It was the most effective in wound care that she knew of. She also wanted to find some elder flowers, or mullein to break up any congestion should someone catch cold with the cool weather approaching.

She reveled in the silence as she searched for some supplies and was fortunate to find a small patch of elder flowers growing not far from where her bewildered uncle waited for her. That seemed to be the extent of her luck thus far though. She frowned at the ground after tucking the flowers into her medicine satchel and sighed. If they had just told her their plans she could have gone to a healer and obtained some proper supplies! What if someone got hurt on this journey? She had been trained in basic wound care but would be useless without the right materials. She heard footsteps behind her but once again chose to ignore her surroundings, knowing she was close enough to her family to not be in any real danger.

"What are we looking for?"

_I mean you no harm…_

She turned to Bofur, her eyes widened and her lips slightly parted in surprise. She truly was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; greater than any precious metal or gem that any mountain in Middle Earth could harvest. Her sunshine colored hair had been pulled back into an intricate half ponytail, the likes of which he had never seen before; the twists in her hair obviously a style adopted from her elven companions as dwarves were typically fond of braids. The look of surprise hadn't lasted long and she took on a stern, less appealing face.

Bri flinched at the voice and scowled a bit. Ugh, why wouldn't he just leave her alone?

"I can manage," she replied tersely before turning away from him again. "Just wait with the others."

Bofur panicked a little and blurted out, "You saved my brother back there. The least I can do is help!"

"Do you even know what you are looking for?" she snapped, bending down to pick up a few mint leaves. Knowing Bombur and his appetite, he was sure to overeat and upset his stomach.

"Well, no," he admitted. "Oin might. I could go get him for you! Would you like that?"

Curse this company and these idiot men! Did none of them understand that she wanted to be left alone?! She didn't want either of her brothers following her, she didn't want Oin and she _definitely_ didn't want Bofur to follow her. She was sad and lonely without her friends in Rivendell and just wanted a few moments of peace to come to grips with that sadness. Was that too much to ask?! Without warning, her face crumpled and she burst into tears. She dropped the mint leaves to the ground and buried her face in her hands, crying uncontrollably.

Bofur stepped back a little, alarmed by the onslaught of tears. Who knew that she found Oin so repulsive! He dared a glance behind him and was relieved to see that the others weren't paying attention. He did not want to have to answer to her brothers or uncle if they spotted her crying like this! They would think he was the cause! He nervously shuffled closer to her to pat her on the shoulders.

"There, there," he soothed nervously while keeping a wary eye on her family. "I don't have to get Oin. If you say you know what you're doing then that's great! I won't get him!"

She shied away from the touch and rubbed her eyes, clearly embarrassed by her outburst. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?" he asked simply. It was clear he felt uncomfortable in his present situation.

Frustrated, Bri was unable to contain herself and began babbling like a child. "It's all of this! First, I think my family doesn't love me because they tried to send me away to marry someone I've never met. So I run away and almost die in the process! Then I come to Rivendell and start this wonderful life full of adventure and new challenges only to have that same family find me and take me away from it all! I want to go home! I haven't even been gone a day and I'm so lonesome!"

Bofur took all this in with a grim expression. He had always assumed that Brili had left Ered Luin because of him but to have her confirm it in such a way was a bit unsettling. He had caused all of this pain and anguish, a rift between a loving family, and he longed to make it right. There had to be a way to do so, there simply had to be! He would do anything in his power to make her happy, even if it meant shoving his feelings for her aside. She looked at him and that surprised look returned on her face which slowly turned to horror as she realized just what she said and who she said it to.

"I-I'm sorry," she fumbled, holding her hands out as if she expected him to lash out in anger or turn from her. "I wasn't thinking when I… I mean… It's not…"

He held a hand up in understanding. "No, I understand," he soothed. "Being away from home is difficult. I miss the Blue Mountains something awful."

Bri smiled a little as she remembered the place she had spent her childhood. "I expect it is a little harder for you since you've been away from your home longer than I've been away from mine."

He nodded his head a little with a faraway look on his face. He looked at her after a few moments and felt his heart beat a little faster. "You miss your friends already?"

She nodded in earnest, staring at the ground. "I'm afraid I won't see Aragorn again," she admitted and it was the most heartfelt thing Bofur had ever heard her say. He watched as she clung to a chain that was draped over her neck. He couldn't see what was attached, just the chain that held it there. "I would hate for that to be true."

"Well, I'm not him but, if you'd let me, I'd like to keep you company on this journey. It might help you feel less lonely," he confessed.

Her head snapped up in alarm. Friends with Bofur; now that was an impossible thought. She hated Bofur from the moment she had laid eyes on him! He had singlehandedly ruined her life! Well, not really. If he hadn't asked her uncle for her hand then she never would have left the Blue Mountains. She never would have found Rivendell or Aragorn. She would never have met Gandalf or listened to Elrond read elvish poetry in the gardens. If not for Bofur, her life would have forever been different.

"I don't think that's…" she began worriedly, her voice trailing off at the thought.

He was eager to defend his idea. "You saved my brother, it's the least I could do!"

Instinct told her that this was quite possibly the worst idea she had ever heard. She had spent all of her nights blaming him for everything that had gone wrong in Ered Luin. She sighed and turned away from him, confusion filling her heart. What if he wasn't the awful dwarf she imagined him to be?

Bofur misinterpreted the gesture and hung his head in defeat. "Never mind, I had just thought…"

"We'll see where the road takes us," she said after a moment, turning to him with a nervous smile. "Is that alright?"

Bofur smiled and nodded his head in return. It wasn't perfect but it was a better start than he could have hoped for.

* * *

Woohooo! We are on the road! Not much to say about this chapter. I might have a couple more original scenes (My into the wild segment, if you will.) before we reach the goblin caves. I'm not too sure though, depends on how I feel when I start writing tomorrow. (which will be very late because it's 4:30 am where I am and I will be sleeping until noon at the very least!)

So I'm thinking about writing a series of one shots of Brili's childhood to go with this story. No major plot lines or anything just some cute Fili, Kili and Brili kiddie fluff with a smattering of Thorin and Dis in the mix. What do you guys think?! :)

Some super serious thank yous are in order! I had a lot of follows and favorites the past couple of days and I would be lying if I said I didn't care! It's totally awesome! So thank you to Twiggy31, my guest and thewomankingg (is this an Iron and Wine reference, may I ask?) for the awesome reviews! I really appreciate the feedback from you guys!

Thanks to Knowing Grace, Mysterious-Lover25, Surrender Moors, Merlynn Pendragon, thewomankingg, emmakmc, and KimiAshenhurst for the favorite and/or follow! No jokes, I really do appreciate the love! It relieves me that I'm not writing a ridiculously terrible story!

Anyways, that's all the talking I've got for now!

As always, please feel free to leave a review with any thoughts or questions! I do try to take the reviews into consideration for future chapters. Even if you totally hated the chapter or the story I can handle it! And let me know what you think of the prequel idea! :)

Until next time!

-kimmy


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