Hobbit 1. The Tantrum

"It's not fair!"

The plaintive whine came from a small, Dwarvish girl with thick, blonde hair and big, angry, glittering hazel eyes. She glared up at her father and brothers as they left and her mother gripped her arm in a tight, firm grip. There were no tears, just fury at the sheer injustice of it all (or so the ten-year-old Dwarf girl believed) and she folded her arms over her chest angrily. Baltil smiled fondly at his only daughter and bent to drop a soft kiss to her temple, but she just stared enviously at the axes, bows, and arrows hanging from her two brothers. Calim and Chalrim just grinned cheekily at their baby sister and Ovila glared back from the safe grip of Thondi. Thondi shooed her husband and sons from the door before Ovila lost her temper altogether and Ovila was scowling all over her round face. She was definitely sulking about being left behind to do the womanly duties while the boys got to go hunting, much to the males' amusement and Thondi's disapproval.

Before any work was done, Thondi decided that Ovila's hair needed to be braided and spent half an hour combing out her daughter's thick, blonde hair out and braiding it. Two, thick braids were soon hanging down Ovila's back and she was still sulking when she was shoved out of the house to help with the shopping. Her face was drawn into a scowl, her hazel eyes glittered angrily, and she glared at anyone that drifted too close to her. Thondi just led her daughter through the bustling crowds of Belegost and ignored the sulking child. She was incredibly stubborn and extremely like her father when it came to what she wanted. She wanted to learn how to fight with an axe, with a sword, with anything, instead of learning how to bake, how to cook, how to clean, how to be a good little Dwarf girl.

Thondi hoped that, one day, Ovila would find the one person she would forever love and marry him as she had with Baltil, but Ovila, of course, fought her every step of the way. It wasn't that Ovila wasn't an attractive Dwarf girl (Thondi was sure the girl's beard would grow out eventually), but she just didn't bother with her appearance and usually wandered around in her brothers' hand-me-downs with her hair falling carelessly down her back. Thondi always made sure the thick hair was braided before they went out together, though, and made sure that the girl, at least, looked vaguely presentable. She was sure Ovila looked nice now, though (even without a beard) and proudly patted her daughter's shoulder. Ovila just glared, tugging uncomfortably at the skirts of her dress, and reluctantly trudged after Thondi down the street.

"Ovila, keep up," Thondi snapped impatiently as Ovila began to fall behind and Ovila scowled deeper, but quickened her step and ignored her mother's sharp, warning look. "You're acting like a foolish child," Thondi scolded and Ovila just made a face at the Dwarf woman's back. "I saw that."

"Did not!" Ovila threw back childishly and Thondi let out a sigh that belonged to the long suffering. "Why couldn't I go with Father and Calim and Chalrim?" she demanded for the umpteenth time and Thondi finally swung around to glare furiously at her daughter

"Because you are a _girl_, because you are a _child_, because you don't do as you are told, because you are infuriating, and because of a million other reasons that I don't have the time to go into right now," Thondi all but snarled and Ovila glared lividly. "So, shut up and help me with the shopping, else you'll not see daylight again for a year," Thondi threatened and stormed away.

"It's not _fair_," Ovila whinged again, dragging her feet, and Thondi groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes for patience. "You're just being _mean_," Ovila accused and Thondi repressed the urge to shake her daughter until the girl's teeth rattled. Calim and Chalrim had never given her this much trouble and those two were twins and troublesome in their own right, but Ovila was in a whole class of her own for stubbornness, pigheadedness, and sheer whining power. "Ma_ma_," Ovila insisted and Thondi swung round to glare at the child.

"I said _no_!" Thondi barked and hazel eyes burned with all the indignant anger an eight-year-old can muster. "And I'll continue to say no until you learn some manners, which I might be tempted to beat into your stupid little head!" Thondi very nearly shouted and Ovila just glared sulkily. "Now, quickly," the Dwarf woman snapped and grabbed her daughter's small hand.

Sulky silence fell as Ovila was pulled along and Thondi was feeling thoroughly annoyed. She was sure her boys hadn't been this much trouble and she'd been warned girls were more trouble than boys. She'd dismissed the warnings of her friends, because how much trouble could the little, blonde, adorable bundle be? Now, she wished she'd paid attention to those warnings, because Ovila was the most troublesome thing she'd ever come across and sometimes wanted nothing more than to just lock her in her room and leave her there. It didn't help that Ovila had so few friends with so few female Dwarves and there were only three born in the past ten years that Thondi personally knew. The boys Ovila's age were at the stage where girls were things to be firmly avoided and she only really interacted with her brothers, but they were ten years older than she was. They loved her, certainly, but she couldn't be tagging around after them constantly and they humoured her sometimes, but she didn't understand that, sometimes, big brothers needed to be left alone.

Eventually, the mother and daughter reached the butcher's shop owned by Baltil and Thondi set about opening up. With her husband and sons out hunting, it fell to her and Ovila to mind the shop for the day and Thondi wasn't looking forward to it. She ordered Ovila start cleaning the countertop and the child had to stand on a stool to reach, but she got on with the work and Thondi was safe in the knowledge her daughter wasn't anywhere near the knives. Thondi arranged the meats in the window and hung some on display for the customers to inspect. Thondi very much doubted they would get many customers with the thunderous expression that filled Ovila's face and the dark rain cloud that it seemed to bring to the shop.

The day was a slow one, but Thondi hadn't expected anything else on a Tuesday and most of the customers were women and the elderly that could no longer work. Most politely ignored the dark expression on Ovila's face and Thondi cut the child a warning glare every fifteen minutes. Ovila just sulked in the corner, glaring at the paper her mother had given her to draw on as though she were no more than a silly child. '_If you didn't act like a silly child, perhaps I wouldn't have to treat you as such_,' Thondi's voice resonated through Ovila's head and she took great pleasure in making a few biting remarks at the mental Thondi. It wouldn't do to say those things aloud, because it would just earn her a clip around the ear and her ear still stung from the slap she'd received the previous night. She rubbed her ear absently with a slight frown and shot Thondi a scowl.

Just before closing, Baltil, Calim and Chalrim walked in with their kills over their shoulders and proud grins lighting their faces. Ovila's sulks immediately vanished as she leapt up to question her father and brothers about the hunt and inspected the kills. Thondi rolled her hazel eyes expressively at the bright smile that now curved Ovila's face and Calim laughed fondly at his younger sister. He chucked her under the chin with a kind smile directed at his sister and Ovila stuck close to her brothers. Chalrim pretended to inspect her for meat to make her giggle and the smiles vanished the second Thondi insisted on the pair of them going home to leave the males to take care of the kills. Ovila shot a longing look over her shoulder and was dragged from the shop firmly by her mother. Her scowl settled back into place, irritation ebbing from her in waves, and she taken into the bakery, because apparently they needed bread and cake, though Ovila very much doubted she would be getting any goodies after her interaction with Thondi for the day.

There were three other patrons in the bakery when Thondi and Ovila walked in and Ovila was still scowling. The other patrons were a strong, proud, dark haired Dwarf woman that Ovila remembered seeing before and her two sons. The women nodded politely to one another as Thondi stood back and waited for the other woman to finish being served. Ovila sulked, of course, and refused to hold her mother's hand. Thondi couldn't remember Ovila ever clinging to her hands or her skirts as her boys ever did and Ovila had always held her father's or one of her brothers' hands. She'd always been such a little tomboy, but had been cast aside by the boys her own age because of her gender and Thondi knew that her daughter was angry and bitter already. She was teased for not having a beard, for being a girl, for wanting to use a sword, an axe, a bow, for wanting to be a boy, and Thondi sighed at the thought. She glanced down at her daughter and also knew that, deep down, Ovila was lonely.

"Mama," one of the boys was saying and Thondi glanced at them. The smallest one was speaking, his dark hair a mass of messy braids, his eyes big and brown and all too pleading, and his elder brother was his opposite with dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and an amused smile. "Can I have a cookie?" the youngest begged and his mother glanced at him.

"When we get home, Kili," the woman promised tiredly and Thondi knew that expression all too well. It was the one she wore when Ovila badgered her and badgered her and badgered her for something until she eventually just gave in and let the girl have what she wanted, unless, of course, it involved hunting, weapons, or fighting. "Fili, wait outside with your brother, hm?" the woman suggested and the blonde immediately took the dark haired boy's arm to take him outside with all the pride and duty of an elder brother. "Do you have any sons or only a daughter?" the woman suddenly shot at Thondi with a slight smile, glancing at Ovila, and Ovila was still scowling.

"I have two boys, but they're ten years older than Ovila," Thondi answered with her own, small smile and the other woman nodded. "I miss them being that age, though," Thondi stated when a gesture at the other woman's two, small boys and Ovila sighed slightly.

The women started that irritating grown-up talk about children and the trials of raising children and just how annoying children were. Ovila glanced up at Thondi to find her mother not paying attention to her and the girl silently slipped out of the bakery. Everyone seemed so big without Thondi, or Baltil, or one of her brothers at her side and she had to steel her courage to stop herself rushing back inside to Thondi. She was stubborn, far too stubborn, to admit she was frightened of getting lost, of losing herself in the crowd, of not being found, and she just wanted to get back to her brothers and her father. Her teeth worried her bottom lip, just for a moment, hazel eyes flickering back to Thondi and the other woman, and she saw the woman's sons. They were stood near the wall and the dark haired one looked bored, while the blonde kept his blue eyes moving from his little brother to the people roaming the streets.

"Are you lost?" the littlest Dwarf boy suddenly asked and Ovila jumped when he appeared directly in front of her.

"No," Ovila snapped, insulted, and he seemed a little older than her, just by a few years, though he didn't look it when he pouted at her.

"You look lost," he accused.

"Well, I'm not, so leave me alone," she retorted and the blonde just watched the interaction with obvious humour glittering in his blue eyes.

"You're a _girl_, you shouldn't be wandering about alone," the smallest boy stated and put Ovila's back up.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't take care of myself!" she argued, cheeks flaring red with anger, and the boy snorted.

"Does so," he insisted. "Uncle Thorin says that girls have to be taken care of and protected, so you shouldn't be wandering around without a man with you, 'specially 'cause you're so little."

"I am not little!"

"You are! You're smaller than I am and you're a _girl_!"

Ovila lunged with a battle cry, slammed into the boy, and her fist collided with his nose. Blood gushed from the boy's face as he screamed in protest and tried to shove the furious girl off of him. He managed to roll them over so he could attempt to pin her hands down, but she hit him in the stomach and he yelped at the pain. For such a tiny girl, she sure hit hard and she hit with precision too. They rolled over and over in the dust, scrapping like a pair of wild dogs, and the blonde uselessly tried to pull them apart. The children wrenched on one another's hair, punched, kicked, scratched, and Ovila even bit the boy on the arm when he tried to twist her arm. People even stopped to stare at the brawling pair and, soon enough, the mothers heard and rushed out of the bakery.

"OVILA!"

"KILI!"

Thondi managed to grasp the back of Ovila's dress and hauled her up, while the other woman wrenched her son away from the girl. The children shrieked at each other and fought against their mothers' holds to try and grab hold of one another once more. Both had blood on them, both of them were covered in dirt, and their hair was ruffled, rumpled mess with braids swirling free. The mothers apologised profusely to each other, to everyone, and then proceeded to drag their children home, all the while hissing threats and scolds at the children. Both children sulked as they were cleaned up and sent to bed, vowing to hate the other for as long as they lived.

* * *

**My first Hobbit story! I'm just a little tired of all the inserts into the movie (don't get me wrong, I love them, have about ten on alert) and I wanted to try something a little different. Hopefully, Ovila won't be a Mary-Sue and, please, warn me if she seems like she's becoming one. It's just that most paint Kili as falling head-over-heels for the girl instantly and I wanted to insert a little more tension to the story, if that makes any sense. So, headstrong, stubborn, pigheaded Ovila was born.**

**Sorry for the long A/N, but please R&R, no matter what you have to say.**

**Merciless Princess.**


	2. The Apology?

The mother of that awful boy was called Dis and that awful boy was called Kili. Unfortunately, Thondi and Dis had decided that Ovila and Kili needed to apologise for the very public, very embarrassing, very naughty brawl they'd been involved in and the children were furious about it. Ovila refused to speak to Thondi and Thondi was absolutely livid about her daughter's behaviour. She glared at the back of the child's head as she wrenched a brush through the girl's blonde hair and Ovila stubbornly refused to flinch at the harsh tugs. She'd been forced into her nicest dress (the only one with stains, rips, or holes) and her hair was being roughly twisted into a neat, braided bun on the back of her head.

Calim and Chalrim had taken great delight in teasing Ovila about the bruise she sported on her cheek and Baltil wasn't entirely sure about how to deal with the situation. He was disappointed in his daughter for instigating a fight (she hadn't denied that she'd hit him first, in fact she seemed rather proud of that) and, yet, he was proud that his little girl could hold her own. He thought it best not to voice that opinion in front of his wife, though, and dutifully didn't take his daughter's hopeful hand when they left the house. The boys went to the shop with sympathetic smiles shot at their sister and she stared after them enviously.

A few people turned to glance at the family as they made their way through the streets and Thondi's cheeks turned a light pink beneath the soft hair of her short, blonde beard. It wasn't as though Ovila could hit just any Dwarfling, oh no, it had to be the nephew of Thorin Oakenshield and it had to create such a stir. Baltil didn't seem to mind with a protective hand on Ovila's shoulder and the child kept her head held high with stubborn pride. Her cheeks did turn pink at the sneers that were directed at her parents, the slurs that weren't even whispered, and that was through anger more than anything else. She looked up at her father's kind face and then her mother's embarrassed one and, for the first time, felt a stirring of guilt. She hadn't _meant_ to upset them, to cause her family shame, but that stupid boy had been so…_stupid_ and he _deserved_ to be punched.

"Just curtsey, apologise, and then we'll take our leave," Thondi was saying and Ovila was pulled from her thoughts as they stopped in front of a nice house and Baltil knocked on the door. "Understand?" snapped the Dwarf woman and Ovila scowled, but nodded. "And stop scowling," Thondi hissed as the door was opened and the blonde boy was stood on the other side.

"You're the girl that hit Kili," he stated and Ovila glared at him, but he just grinned back and she snorted. "Mama! Uncle Thorin!" he yelled and his grin grew at the slight flash of worry that shot through Ovila's eyes. "You can come in," he added and stood aside to let the three inside.

"Fili, did you offer to take their cloaks?" Dis asked, striding down the hall towards them, and Fili immediately asked if he could take their cloaks. Thondi and Baltil had to smile at the Dwarfling, so earnest and eager to please, and they obligingly gave him their cloaks to hang up. "I'm sorry we had to meet again under such circumstances," Dis added to Thondi and Thondi just smiled slightly.

"As am I," she answered and laid a hand on Baltil's arm. "This is my husband Baltil," she added and Dis smiled politely at him.

"A pleasure to meet you," Dis said warmly and quickly helped Fili hang the last of the cloaks before he brought the whole stand down on himself. "My brother and Kili are waiting in the kitchen," Dis stated and led everyone down the shiny, wooden corridor.

It was a nice house, Ovila thought, with gleaming wooden floorboards, straight stone walls, and all sorts of ornaments and baubles. Most of the nice vases and statues her house had once had had been broken long ago in her misadventures and Thondi had given up in buying them in the end. It was a pity such a horrible boy had to live in such a nice house and she glared at that horrible boy when she saw him. He glared right back at her, his nose a mottled purple and black from the nasty bruise she'd given him, and his lip was split. She had to bite her lip to stop herself grinning proudly, because she very much doubted that anyone would appreciate that. The hint of a grin vanished, though, at the strong, proud, stern Dwarf man stood behind Kili and his grey eyes swept icily over her. She felt like a little bug when he looked at her and she wanted to squirm at the piercing glare, but she was far too proud to do such a thing and especially in front of _him_.

"Ovila," Thondi urged and Ovila kept her lips firmly pressed together.

"Kili," Dis warned and Kili folded his arms over his chest.

"Come on, firecracker," Baltil sighed and Ovila glanced up at him.

A heavy sigh escaped her and she swung her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry," she bit out and glance up to see a smug smile curving Kili's lips. "That you hit like a sissy little girl," she added and his smile vanished as her smirk formed and Thondi slapped a hand to her forehead.

"I do not!" Kili shouted and Ovila just snorted. "_You_ hit like a sissy little girl because you _are_ a girl!"

"Tell that to your stupid nose!"

"Your nose is stupid!"

"No _you're_ stupid!"

"You haven't got a beard!"

"Neither have you!"

"I just went easy on you because you're a girl!"

"_Liar_!"

"ENOUGH!" the dark haired, intimidating Dwarf man bellowed and the two children silenced. "Unless you mean an apology, it is worth nothing and neither of you are sorry for your appalling behaviour," he snapped and Ovila just glared at Kili, who glared right back at her.

"Kili, you aren't allowed your bow or your arrows for two weeks," Dis stated sharply and Kili stared at his mother in utter horror. "Fili, I trust that you will keep your little brother in line if I or Thorin aren't around," she added to her eldest son and he nodded, though he did flash his little brother an apologetic glance.

"Ovila, unless you can apologise nicely, you'll be confined to your room for two weeks," Baltil said firmly and Ovila scowled, but stayed silent. "I mean it," he added, giving her one last chance, and she stared at him. She wanted him to understand that she wanted to, but she just couldn't, because that would mean that Kili won and he was the one that'd started _everything_. "Very well, you will be confined to your room for two weeks and you will only be allowed out to use the bathroom."

"But, Papa-!"

"No, Ovila, you can't behave like this," Baltil interrupted and betrayed hazel eyes stared at him. "I'm very disappointed in you," he said quietly and, for the first time in a long time, tears filled his daughter's eyes, but she just bowed her head and still refused to apologise. "I am extremely sorry for my daughter's behaviour; I had thought she was a better person than this," he added to Dis and Thorin and Ovila flinched slightly, but kept her mouth shut. "I'm sorry we wasted your time, but we should be taking our leave now."

With that, Baltil led his wife and daughter from the house and Ovila waited until Thondi shut her in her room before she let the bitter tears roll down her cheeks. She muffled her sobs in her pillow and couldn't stand the memory of her father's sad voice and disappointed expression. He'd always been the one to laugh at her exploits, ruffle her hair, tell her she was a little firecracker, and now he wasn't even angry with her. She could deal with anger - she just shouted louder - but disappointment was a whole new kettle of fish that she didn't know how to cope with. Perhaps she should've apologised, but Kili wouldn't have meant it either and he'd started it all by making those stupid comments and just being an idiot. It wasn't her fault she hit harder than he did.

* * *

The enmity between Ovila and Kili became legendary and, over the years, the two got into more fights than they could keep track of. They found it best to avoid one another whenever possible, because just the sight of his stupid, smug, smiling face made her want to hit him. Fili loved it and always laughed whenever his little brother got into a scrap with the Dwarf girl that despised him so. She was usually found in her father's shop or doing chores with her mother and he was usually found in the training grounds, so it was easy enough to avoid each other. They could go months without seeing each other and then they'd run across one another and, more than likely, it'd all explode. They'd been pulled apart by her brothers, his brother, their mothers, her father, his uncle, his uncle's friends, and even by random passer bys in the past. Thondi and Dis had become friends with the amount of times they'd met up to deal with their brawling children and Baltil usually just gave the family free food as an apology in advance for whatever Ovila did.

On the day we now learn of, the weather was cold, the wind biting at the exposed skin of those outside, and Ovila was one of those. She was wrapped up warmly, face mostly hidden by a thick, dark green, woollen hood, and she strode through the streets with purpose. Strands of blonde hair fluttered free from the hood, but those were ignored as the female Dwarf slipped from the city and made her way towards the forest. No one glanced twice at her, as her gender was indistinguishable with how thick and baggy her clothing was and she was left to enter the forest with no trouble. A slight smirk tugged one corner of her lips upwards as the familiar thrill shivered through her and she moved quickly and confidently. She only had one or two hours before her mother would start asking questions and Thondi was already getting suspicious over how Ovila was spending her time. She was supposed to be apprenticing with a seamstress, but, after the disastrous first meeting, she hadn't gone back and had spent the past three months practicing in the woods.

A small laugh escaped Ovila at the thought of how furious Thondi would be if she knew what Ovila was up to and the twenty-one-year-old made her way to a familiar clearing. She dug out the equipment she'd hidden in the bases of hollow trees and set up the targets quickly. All of them had quite a lot of damage from her previous practice time and she drew her roughly made bow and quiver of arrows. She'd copied Calim's design after watching him making a new bow six months ago and had nearly taken her hand off. Thondi had gone mad when she'd found Ovila attempting to wrap a gushing wound without letting anyone find out and Ovila hadn't been able to use her hand for three weeks. The memory made her wince and flex her scarred hand, but she shook her head and she turned to the targets. The bow was familiar in her hands, the wood a little rougher than it should be, and the arrows were stolen from Calim.

More often than not, the stolen arrows went flying into the woods, no matter how carefully Ovila aimed, and she glared in frustration. If stupid Kili could fire a stupid arrow into a stupid bulls-eye, then so could she. Still, patience had never been one of her strong suits and she very much doubted that she had any at all. She stomped into the forest to snatch up the lost arrows, because Calim would definitely get suspicious if too many disappeared, and gathered up as many as she could find. Making her own was a risk she didn't want to take, as her hand still ached sometimes, not that she'd ever admit that. If Thondi found out that her hand still hurt, she would never live down the lecture of '_if you hadn't been such a fool, then you wouldn't have hurt your hand and it wouldn't be aching now, would it_?' and she hated her mother's lectures.

With a swift shake of her head, Ovila removed her mother's loud, echoing, stern voice from her head and desperately tried to ignore the mental image of her father's disappointed face. Lately, he'd been showing that expression more often when it came to his daughter's temper and misdoings. Gone were the fond smiles, hair ruffles, and soft chuckles and everyone was waiting for her to start acting…like a girl. She didn't want to be a seamstress, besides, she wasn't even any good at it and her stitches always came out crooked and her last creation had looked like an oversized boot when it was supposed to be a dress. No one listened to her, though, just insisted she _try_, but she did and she wasn't good at the things she was expected to be good at. Instead, she was good at…hitting people, namely Kili, and breaking things, namely Kili, but she could make a living of that, so she had to get good at archery.

"Deep breath in," Ovila instructed herself in a murmur as she put another arrow on her bow and pulled the string taut, eyes on the target. "And release," she stated and released the string too sharply with a jarring movement and sent the arrow sailing into the trees. "Durin's beard!" she swore and threw her bow onto the ground. "If that idiot can do it then so can I!" she shouted at herself and glared lividly at the axe beaten target. None of them, she realised, had arrow marks in the arm and it made her curse again with such vigour and colour her mother would stuff soap into her mouth if she ever heard. "Three months, three freaking months, and not one has hit the -" she stopped herself with a frustrated scream and kicked her roughly hewn bow across the clearing.

There was a sharp crack and Ovila winced. She risked a glance at the bow and saw it snapped in two at the base of a tree. It laid there forlornly, even causing a bit of guilt to pang in her heart, and she sighed heavily. She removed her borrowed axe from her waist, this one Chalrim's, and he was far more likely to notice it missing than Calim was. It was heavy in her small, calloused hands and the weight had taken some getting used to, but she could lift it easily now and found it familiar and almost comforting. Her swings were wild, though, untrained and sloppy and, in all likelihood, if she ever fought against a real enemy, she would die. She knew that and was frustrated by it, but she worked at controlling the swing of the axe and the precision in which she hit her shapeless targets. Her arm muscles needed building up in order to properly control her hits and, a very small part of her, admitted that she might need some help, but she also knew that no one would teach her.

_Perhaps_, Ovila asked as she clumsily spun the axe in her two hands, _I could trick someone into showing me how to fight_. It wasn't a thought she liked, as she was a forthright person and would rather be blunt and honest than dodge around things and lie to make a person feel better. She didn't want to lie and fool someone, as it went against the very core of who she was and, despite her temper and her impulsive behaviour, she never lied. To even consider it, just to get what she wanted, made her feel uncomfortable and she lowered her axe. Maybe she could ask Chalrim, because he'd always been far more understanding of her desire to know how to fight and how use weapons and often teased she should've been born a boy. Calim had always been sterner, as the eldest brother, though there were only sixteen minutes between him and Chalrim, and she knew that Chalrim also hated lying, especially to Calim and their parents.

A heavy sigh pushed past Ovila's lips and all desire to practice with her stolen axe vanished. She latched it to her belt, hiding it with her cloak, as she did with the arrows, and flipped her hood back up. The bounce had disappeared from her step and she entered Belegost with her head held low. She felt ashamed for hiding her dismissal from the seamstress, for stealing her brothers' hard earned weapons, for sneaking into the woods, and she steeled her courage. The only thing to do was own up and allow her parents and her brothers to bestow whatever punishment they deemed necessary on her head. She curled her hands into fists at the thought and made her way to her father's butcher's shop with quick, determined steps. Her mind was made up now and dillydallying was only going to delay the inevitable, so it was best to just get things over and done with.

"Ovila? What are you doing her, firecracker?" Baltil asked as his daughter strode into the shop and Calim and Chalrim looked up from dividing the latest slaughter. "You're supposed to be at old Greta's place," Baltil stated slowly and Ovila slid her hood back.

"Is Mama here?" Ovila asked and Baltil raised his eyebrows, but called for his wife and Thondi bustled in from the backroom where she'd been going over the items that Calim would need to deliver later. "Greta threw me out of the apprenticeship after I called her a withered old hag," Ovila stated bluntly and her brothers snorted with laughter, but hastily silenced at Thondi's livid expression. "On my first day," the girl added and Thondi's eyes darkened. "I stole some of Calim's arrows and took one of Chalrim's axes today and I've been trying to learn how to use a bow and the axe in the woods."

"You've been - what in the name - _are you out of your mind_?!" Thondi bellowed and Ovila just set the stolen axe and arrows on the counter.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you all for all this time and for stealing," Ovila stated and her brothers stared at her with shock obvious on their faces. "I want to know how to fight, though, I'm awful at sewing and embroidering, and it's not fair that I should have to keep doing something I'm awful at just because you tell me to."

"Ovila," Baltil sighed and ran a hand through his greying hair. He was certain that she, above all else, even the destruction of Erebor, had put the grey in his hair and Thondi glared at him. "It was very good and very brave of you to admit what you've done and own up, but you shouldn't have done this in the first place."

"I know, but I knew you'd never agree to let me learn, so I thought I'd teach myself and that didn't go very well either, so I started to think I could trick someone into teaching me and I realised what I was doing was wrong and were the deeds of a person I don't want to be," Ovila answered firmly and met her father's gaze. "I'm sorry, Papa, and I'll take whatever punishment you decide."

"Go home, Ovila, and we'll discuss this later," Baltil ordered quietly and Ovila nodded and left. "What are we going to do with that girl?"

"Lock her in the cellar?" Thondi grumbled and Baltil just smiled slightly at his wife.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed, followed, and added this story to their favourites, means so much! I originally wasn't going to include the apology scene, but it slammed into me and kept jumping on my head until I wrote it down, so I hope you enjoy.**


	3. The Plan

At thirty-one, Chalrim was supposed to be acting mature and getting ready to be an adult, but he certainly wasn't acting like that as he hauled his little sister down the road in the dark and she snarled furiously. She'd been forced into a pair of breeches and an old tunic, both of which had once belonged to Chalrim, and she looked utterly ridiculous. Chalrim just flashed his howling sister a wink and a grin and her tantrum abruptly vanished when he yanked her into the deserted training ground. Her surprised, delighted, smiling hazel eyes flew up to his face, hope making her face glow, and he just laughed and ruffled her loose pieces of hair. She shoved his hand away and he pulled an axe from his back to swing in front of her temptingly.

With a wordless cry of joy and gratitude, Ovila snatched the axe from her brother's hand and Chalrim chuckled at her fondly. He silently pulled her to the practice dummies that looked ominous in the dull glow of the moonlight and calmly began to instruct her on how to hold the axe and swing. For the first time in her life, she listened intently and did exactly as she was told. Chalrim was a calm and patient teacher, which was surprising as they both possessed the same, hot temper. He adjusted her grip on the axe so she put the most possible power behind a hit and she ignored the ache that formed in her arms. It didn't matter that her arms and back burned with the exertion of holding and swinging the axe and sweat was dripping down her face and back. It didn't matter that she wasn't very good, because she was going to work at it until she could beat even Chalrim and the thought made her grin.

So, every night, the brother and sister went to the training grounds and Chalrim worked on teaching Ovila how to fight and use weapons. After a few sessions, they gave up on the bow and arrow, because she just didn't have the patience required for it and she found herself favouring a pair of small axes anyway. They were always exhausted, but Ovila was happier than she could ever remember being and Thondi was suspicious. Ovila would go about her chores with a smile on her face and a song on her lips, but she never left Thondi's sight during the day and Thondi couldn't work it out. Baltil (foolishly in his wife's opinion) believed that she was just happy because she was no longer deceiving them and Thondi was sure that wasn't the case. Thondi was certain that Ovila was up to something, but she had no proof other than that her daughter was _happy_.

"Mama, do you want onions?" Ovila asked innocently and Thondi turned to find the girl juggling three onions easily, a slight grin on her face.

"Six," Thondi said shortly and Ovila whistled cheerily, adding another three onions to her juggling. "Wonderful, my only daughter wants to be a clown," Thondi grumbled and Ovila just laughed.

The sound tugged a smile from Thondi, who couldn't remember the last time she'd heard Ovila's honest laugh and she turned her head to watch Ovila. She juggled the onions with surprising dexterity and Thondi shook her head and where Ovila had learnt such a thing was a mystery. Still, it was best to leave the girl while there were no tantrums, sulks, or shouting matches to contend with. She soon grew bored of juggling, much to the grocer's son's disappointment, and she set the onions down to be priced with everything else. Maybe she was just in a good mood because there was that party for Fili's birthday and the whole family had been invited. That that idea was quickly dismissed, because Kili would be there and anything to do with Kili was met with glares and scowls and tantrums. So, perhaps Ovila was just…happy, for unknown reasons that Thondi shouldn't delve into in case she didn't like the answers she found.

Cheerful whistling followed Thondi all the way home and she was starting to miss the sullen, sulking, _silent_ Ovila that delighted in giving people the _silent treatment_ after a round of shouting. Ovila had been like this for over a year and Thondi still wasn't used to it. Baltil just chuckled and had accepted that his little girl had grown happy overnight, just as Calim had. Chalrim, however, just shrugged whenever Thondi questioned him about his sister's newfound (and quite frankly disturbing) cheer. _Chalrim knows something_, Thondi mused with a glance back at Ovila as they entered the house and Ovila's cloak was actually hung up neatly and without fuss. _Because there is definitely something_, Thondi thought suspiciously and watched Ovila begin to unpack the groceries she held.

Ovila did live up to expectations when it came to get ready for the party and her signature scowl fell into place. Thondi smiled with relief at that, because her little girl was back for the moment and she even got to snap at her for wriggling while her hair was being done. She'd reluctantly dressed in her nicest green dress with the silver embroidery that Thondi had made for her and her blonde hair was littered with numerous braids. A intricately made silver clip in the shape of a bird was in the side of her hair, keeping most of it back from her face, and Thondi sighed happily. At twenty-two, her little Ovila was starting to fill out and, while she still didn't have a beard (it'd grow in time, Thondi was sure), she was certainly showing the signs of having wide hips and a trim waist. She would be perfect for bearing children, Thondi was sure, though she made sure not to voice her opinion in front of the rest of her family.

"Calim and Chalrim aren't dolled up," Ovila grouched as she pulled her cloak on and Thondi just rolled her eyes. "It's only for Fili," Ovila stated sulkily and was shoved forcefully out of the house by her mother. "Mama!" she protested and Thondi just smiled sweetly at the girl.

With a frown, Ovila took Chalrim's arm and the family made their way to the venue. The party was being held in a tavern owned by friends of Thorin's, or so Thondi said, and, in all honesty, Ovila hadn't been paying much attention. She wasn't paying much attention now as she and Chalrim whispered about their next training session and Thondi's eyes narrowed on the two. They were always conspiring together nowadays, occasionally pulling Calim into it all, and Thondi was going to find out what was going on. She'd been trying for a year, but the two never seemed to put a toe outside of the line while she was looking and that, in itself, was suspicious. If Ovila didn't get into at least a verbal spat with Kili tonight, then the healers might have to be called.

"Baltil, Thondi, I'm so glad you all made it," Dis greeted as the family entered the tavern and she took Thondi's arm firmly. "I need some _sane_ female company," she whispered and pulled Thondi through the crowd quickly.

"No fighting," Thondi shot at her daughter and Ovila made a face, removing her cloak and putting it on the rack by the door.

"Behave," Baltil added and headed to the bar to get some ale.

"Love you, little sister," the twins grinned and followed Baltil after kissing Ovila's cheeks.

"Calim! Chalrim!" Ovila protested and her brothers were already lost in the crowd of people. "Thanks for the family loyalty, you buggers," she grouched and looked around for anyone she knew.

Fili and Kili, as always, were the centre of attention and Ovila rolled her eyes at the scene. A sneer curled her lip and she continued looking over the tavern. She spied shy little Ori in the corner with his book and figured he was the safest bet for keeping her sanity. It didn't take long for her to make her through the crowd and most leapt back to give her a good view of Kili, as though she attacked on sight like some sort of trained Warg. While his face did irritate her (it was those stupid, big, puppy dog eyes that everyone simpered over), she didn't attack him just because he was there. He at least had to open his mouth and speak to her first, but he hadn't done that, so she safely got to Ori and sat beside the timid Dwarf. She hadn't even known Dwarves _could_ be timid until she'd met Ori and kicked some Dwarf boy for throwing Ori's book in the mud.

"You got dragged here too, huh?" Ovila asked with a sigh and Ori sent her a small smile.

"I like Fili," he answered quietly and she smiled slightly at him. "And Kili," he added and she wrinkled her nose.

"You're apprenticing in the library now; Dori told Papa when he came in for some lamb to celebrate," Ovila changed the subject and Ori smiled a little more, pride filling his brown eyes. "Good for you, Ori," she smiled with genuine happiness for him and bumped her shoulder against his. "I'm happy you've found something you like doing."

"You will," Ori promised, insightful, as always, and Ovila laughed. "Something your mother will let you do too," he added and she laughed louder.

"Mama and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum, Ori," she chuckled and shook her head. "We'll never agree on anything, I can promise you that much."

"I have seen you and Thondi arguing," Ori admitted and Ovila chuckled again. "Have you got a drink?"

"I'm not thirsty," Ovila said dismissively. "And my brothers abandoned me to get themselves stupidly drunk, so I want to be perfectly sober in order to happily mock them in the morning and, to do that, I need to remember what happened tonight."

"We're too young for alcohol, Dori says," Ori replied uncertainly and Ovila grinned wickedly at him.

"Mama says that too," she winked and laughed at his surprised expression. "Ori, have you never got drunk?" she asked curiously with that wicked grin growing ever bigger and Ori stared at her with slight fear. "_Never_?" she gasped and stood.

"Ovila," Ori protested weakly and his friend was already making her way to the bar. He followed her, desperate to keep her out of too much trouble, and she was already stood between her brothers. "Ovila," he said again when he caught up with her and three, identical pairs of wicked, glittering hazel eyes locked onto him. "I should find Dori and Nori," he gulped and Ovila yanked him into the huddle.

"So, four pints, just have to persuade someone to buy them," Chalrim stated in a low voice and Ori looked terrified and delighted at being included all at once. "Ovila, Bofur's got a soft spot for you," Chalrim mused and glanced at the Dwarf in question. "And you're a girl, so you just got to flutter your eyelashes."

"I don't do fluttering eyelashes, Chalrim," Ovila snarled, punching her brother in the stomach, and he just laughed at her, until he saw the sly smirk curving her lips. "The birthday boy will have unlimited ale," she murmured and her eyes danced. "I think we need to tap him for some resources."

"Sometimes, she scares me," Calim chuckled.

"She scares me all the time," Ori whispered and turned bright red when Ovila gave him a fond squeeze. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

The children of Baltil and Thondi just laughed at little Ori's protest and started discussing their plan in whispers. Ori was just happy to be involved, though he knew Dori would be extremely angry if he found out what they were planning and he kept his mouth shut. The other three weren't frightened of getting caught, though he knew that Ovila would much prefer to do what she wanted and deal with the consequences later. So, she would gladly get the ale, drink it, and then proceed to roll her eyes through her mother's lecture. It was what Ovila did best and Ori didn't want to witness the blow up between mother and daughter, though he knew the siblings were planning on getting him drunk enough not to care.

* * *

**Thanks to all those that reviewed, followed, and put this story on favourite! I know, there was no Kili in this chapter, but the party continues next time, because they still have to get the ale after all and there will be Kili, promise.**

**I know it's short, but I think the chapter really needed to be cut in two ;)**


	4. The Phantom

"_When cold winds are calling_

_And the sky is clear and bright_

_Misty mountains sing and beckon_

_Lead me out into the light_," Ovila's bright voice and Calim's quick, cheery, infectious tune on the fiddle attracted the attention of everyone in the tavern and she grinned widely at the attention that focused completely on her and on Calim.

"_I will ride, I will fly_

_Chase the wind and touch the sky_

_I will fly_

_Chase the wind and touch the sky._

"_Where dark woods hide secrets_

_And mountains are fierce and bold_

_Deep waters hold reflection_

_Of times long ago._

"_I will hear their every story_

_Take hold of my own dreams_

_Be as strong as the seas are stormy_

_And as proud as an eagle__'__s scream._

"_I will ride, I will fly_

_Chase the wind and touch the sky_

_I will fly_

_Chase the wind and touch the sky._

"_And touch the sky_

_Chase the wind, chase the wind_

_Touch the sky_."

Cheers bellowed through the tavern as Ovila finished singing, holding the last note out, and she smiled sweetly. Thondi eyed her daughter suspiciously, but Calim was involved, so it was doubtful there was anything untoward going on. What Thondi didn't know, though, was that Chalrim and Ori had snuck away eight pints of ale from Fili's collection on the bar. She watched silently as Ovila and Calim accepted the cheers with smiles and thanks and then quickly slipped away. They went over to Chalrim and Ori, who were sat quietly in the corner, and, if Ori was there, then nothing bad could be happening. Ori was everything Thondi longed for in a child: quiet, polite, and obedient. She smiled slightly and turned back to Dis, who was exclaiming that she hadn't even known that Ovila could sing.

In the corner of the tavern, the three siblings and Ori were downing ale while everyone else was busy singing their own songs. The ale was strong, making Ori and Ovila cough slightly, but Ovila stubbornly gulped it down when her brothers laughed. She didn't really like it, if she was completely honest, but, after the trouble she'd gone through to get it, she would drink it and she wasn't going to put up with her brothers' teasing if she didn't drink it all. She gulped down the very last drop and wiped the slight dribble from her chin with a satisfied sigh. The tankard was set down with a firm thud and the second was dragged in as her brothers picked up theirs and Ori nervously sipped on his first. He eyed the siblings as they chugged down the ale quickly and their fists banged on the table to keep time. Chalrim finished first, closely followed by Calim, and Ovila trailed behind, much to her disappointment.

"Have you heard about the phantom at the training grounds?" Dwalin's booming voice suddenly reached the four and Ovila and Chalrim exchanged quick looks.

"Phantom?" Thorin Oakenshield repeated as they past the four's table and paused to speak not too far from them. "What do you mean a phantom?"

"For the past year or so, the equipment has been moved and the practice dummies have taken a lot more damage than the regular training would permit," Dwalin answered and chuckled slightly. "Nearly took the head off of one too and I would love to know who's got the arm to do that."

"Someone's practicing in secret and not telling anyone of their achievements?" Thorin asked, eyebrows raised, and Ovila sunk a little in her seat. "What weapon are they using?"

"Axe by the marks on the targets and dummies, but a small one, so they might be using a pair," Dwalin replied and Chalrim shot his sister a warning look when she squirmed. "I can't work out who it is, though, because none of my recruits have an affinity for itty-bitty axes."

"Perhaps you should keep watch on the training grounds," Thorin suggested and Ovila shot Chalrim a wide eyed look that Calim didn't miss. "See if you can't recruit them if they are that good."

"Bit of training from me and they'd be the best," Dwalin smirked.

The two drifted on and Calim pinned a sharp look on his twin and his little sister, well aware that they were the ones using the training grounds. Excitement gleamed in Ovila's eyes and her cheeks flushed a soft pink at the praise from Dwalin and Thorin. She smiled slightly, looking like an excited child, and Calim's stomach sunk slightly, because she couldn't come forward and _tell_ people. From Chalrim's wary expression, he knew what his sister was thinking and Calim nudged his twin. Whatever happened, they could not let Ovila admit that she was the phantom of the training grounds and Chalrim nodded in understanding. Besides, if Thondi ever found out, all of their heads would roll.

* * *

The twins steadily drunk ale, while Ovila had stopped drinking and Ori had gratefully followed suit. She'd slid his second tankard over to Chalrim and the first pint of ale was making his head feel quite light. Ovila's cheeks were slightly flushed from her two pints and her eyes were brighter than usual. That probably because of the occasional sips she took from her brothers' tankards and those sips were quite large. She leaned on Chalrim's shoulder and faced Ori to talk to him about his apprenticeship. She was smiling, looking more relaxed than Ori could remember seeing her, and he noticed her gaze flickering to something over his shoulder. He turned his head to see her watching Dwalin, Thorin, Balin, and Bofur and she had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Ovila the Vile," a drunken, stupid friend of Fili's suddenly appeared next to the table and Ovila's smile vanished as her muscles tensed. "What are you doing hiding in the corner? Shouldn't you be entertaining the masses by acting like a fool?" he mocked.

"Bugger off, Farar," Calim ordered sharply and laid a warning hand on his sister's arm as Chalrim wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kept her still. "Just because you're so far up Kili's arse you've practically moved in," Calim sneered and Farar's smirk vanished. "So, bugger off, you little gnat."

"Why do you encourage her?" Farar spat. "No wonder she's such a freak with a dim-witted father, a frigid mother, and two oafs for brothers."

"You little-!" Ovila's yell was silenced as Chalrim slammed her back into the seat and she looked ready for murder.

"Walk away, Farar," Calim ordered lowly, as the most level-headed of his siblings, but his eyes glimmered with anger and he could practically feel the heat of his little sister's fury. "Walk away now and I won't bring this to your father and I'll blame it on the alcohol," Calim said firmly and Farar snorted.

"Why? 'Cause Ovila the Vile might get angry? I'm not scared of her like everyone else," Farar retorted and clutched his tankard tightly, his eyes glassy with the alcohol. "She's just a freak," he snarled and she didn't even care about the insult to herself, just the insults to her family. "You all are."

"And you're a brainless oaf that just follows Fili and Kili around like some bleating sheep," Ovila shot back in a stiff voice and Farar's eyes narrowed at the insult. "You're nothing more than a brown nosing little lamb that isn't even _wanted_."

"No one likes you-!"

"The people I love, they love me and I don't care about anyone else, especially not some sheep like you," Ovila cut over Farar's furious retort in scorching hiss and her hazel eyes blazed with livid anger. "So just walk away and let us enjoy the rest of our evening."

"Or what?" Farar challenged and two hands clamped down on his shoulders.

Ovila rolled her eyes expressively and those hands belonged to Fili and Kili. "Everything alright?" Fili asked carefully, taking note of the anger on the siblings' faces, on Farar's face, and the uncertainty on Ori's.

"Scurry away, little sheep, your masters are calling," Ovila stated and Farar tensed in his friends' grips.

"Ovila," Calim warned quietly and she swung her glare to the ceiling. "I'll put this down to the alcohol, Farar," Calim said calmly and stood. His fingers abruptly wrapped into the front of Farar's tunic and yanked him up to his level so they were nose to nose. "But, if you ever insult my family again, I will personally break every bone in your body," Calim threatened darkly and shoved Farar back sharply.

Farar staggered back, dropped his tankard, and stumbled over the next table. He landed on the ground and his tankard shattered beside him, splattering everyone nearby with ale. The twins and Ovila just glared at him until he scrabbled away like a little rat and Fili and Kili stared in silence, because everyone knew that Ovila was the one with their temper in that family. Calim and Chalrim very rarely lost their tempers while their sister was nearby, because she was always more likely to explode and they saw it as their responsibility to keep her line. So, for Calim, of all of them, to lose his temper meant that Farar had said something awful and Fili and Kili exchanged quick looks.

"Go away," Ovila shot at Durin's heirs and sunk heavier into Chalrim's side. "Mama is definitely going to blame me for this," she muttered and Chalrim rested a hand on her hair.

"We'll explain everything," Calim promised and Ovila shrugged limply.

"What did he say?" Kili asked.

"Nothing that concerns you, but you'll be glad to know that stupid name has stuck," Ovila snapped and winced when Thondi, Baltil, Dis, and Thorin strode over. "_He_ started it-"

"Home!"

"Mama!"

"Get out!"

"Farar-!"

"_I said out_!"

Ovila glared stonily, then stood with a round of expletives that made everyone's mouths fall open and stormed out of the tavern. The twins immediately began to explain, to try to make everyone understand what Farar had said, and Ori even piped up in support. Ori was quickly silenced by Dori, though, and Thondi glared at her sons until they reluctantly closed their mouths and their protests stopped. Baltil apologised profusely and he looked tired and old, far more than he should do at one-hundred-and-forty-five. He rubbed a hand down his face as he took the rest of his family out of the tavern and made his way home.

When they got into the house, if anyone heard the bitter sobs of Ovila, no one said anything.

* * *

**Thank you to all those that reviewed and put the story on alert and favourite! I hope you enjoy this latest instalment and please review :)****  
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**The song that Ovila sings at the beginning of the chapter is 'Touch the Sky' from the movie Brave and is sung by Julie Fowliss.**


	5. The Truce

The axe swung and crashed into the training dummy. It was wrenched back, only to slam straight back into it, and the frame creaked ominously. The axe wielder gritted her teeth and spun the small axe in her hand. The length of the axe was the same as from the tips of her fingers to her elbow and it was one bladed, rather than the double that most Dwarves preferred. Another axe hung on her back, but that one was ignored for the moment as she vented her anger on that stupid training dummy and her breathing was harsh in the night. A frustrated, angry, strangled scream pulled free from her throat and she hit the dummy with all of her might.

The head sailed through the air and landed on the ground, rolling a few paces to settle near a collection of weapons. Fury filled hazel eyes stared at it for a long moment and Ovila couldn't restrain a bitter, angry sob. No one believed that Farar had begun the argument, not with her reputation, and it was infuriating and hurtful. She was many things, but a liar was not one of them and to be accused of being one filled her with rage and sadness all at once. With a final scream, she threw the axe at the remains of the training dummy and watched the weapon sink deeply into the straw padding of the dummy. The sickening crunch of the blade hitting the frame at the back was strangely satisfying and she panted for breath.

"It's _you_?!" a stunned voice shouted and Ovila swung round sharply. She drew her second axe and her eyes narrowed on the gaping Kili. "You're the phantom?" he demanded incredulously and she snorted, turning away from him. "When did all of this even _start_? Who taught you?" he spluttered and she met his gaze straight on.

"Are you going to tell everyone?" Ovila asked sharply and Kili squirmed uncomfortably, lowering his eyes to the ground. "I won't ask you to lie," she added and he seemed surprised at that. "I'm not a liar," she snapped, feeling insulted, and he held up his hands.

"I know, I know, you always admit you're the one that hit me first, though you always seem rather proud of that," Kili muttered the last bit and rubbed his jaw. "I'm sorry you got blamed for what Farar did," he added and her eyebrows flew up in surprise. "I don't _like_ seeing you in trouble, you know," he defended and she snorted again.

"Really? You're always wearing that stupid smirk when I'm getting shouted at and you're being coddled," Ovila retorted in a harsh voice and Kili shrugged, scuffing his toe on the ground. "If you were in trouble, for once in your blessed life, I'd enjoy it too."

"I get into trouble, just not when you're around," Kili countered and he grinned a little. She rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly, biting down a smile. "I do," he promised, holding his hands up, and she had to smile a bit. "I think Mother can shout louder than Miss Thondi," he stated and she shook her head.

"The voice you've heard Mama use is her voice for company and it's nothing compared to her yelling when we're at home with no company," Ovila countered and ran a hand through her messy hair. She still had the bird pin caught in the thick, blonde locks and she almost got her fingers tangled in her hair. "Are you going to tell anyone about…_this_?" she gestured to the training ground and Kili frowned slightly.

"You'll have to stop if I tell," he said quietly and she just watched him carefully. "Go, before Mister Dwalin gets here and sees you too," he sighed and she stared at him.

"Really?" Ovila asked, stunned, and Kili met her shocked eyes.

"To apologise for the whole Ovila the Vile thing," he promised and she smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Kili," she said sincerely and yanked her axe from the training dummy. "This doesn't make us friends," she added quickly and he laughed.

"Us? Friends? That'd be the day," he shot back and she ran down the street quickly.

The axes were still clutched in Ovila's hands as she disappeared in the dark and Kili stared after her. He wasn't actually _that_ surprised that she was the phantom of the training ground, because she certainly had the arm to swing axes around and he should know. He rubbed his jaw again as the memories of her little fist smacking into it rolled through his brain and he sighed. It wasn't necessarily his fault that she was so much fun to wind up and it wasn't his fault that it was extremely funny to watch her round cheeks turn red and her hazel eyes spark.

Something shiny caught Kili's attention on the ground and he frowned slightly. He took a few steps forward and stooped to pick it up. Rested in the slightly grubby palm of his hand was a silver bird hairpin that looked extremely familiar and it took him a moment to place it. It'd been nestled in Ovila's blonde hair at Fili's party just a few hours ago and she'd obviously forgotten to remove it when she'd come to the training grounds. It was a little muddy now, but the dirt was easily brushed away and he turned the silver pin over in his fingers. It was obviously expensive, probably given as a gift, and, if Ovila didn't miss it, Thondi certainly would. He should give it back as soon as he could, just drop it by their house.

"Kili," Dwalin's voice was loud in the night and Kili hastily curled his fingers over the pin in his hand. "Who did that?" Dwalin asked, jerking his chin at the ruined training dummy.

"I don't know, it was like that when I got here."

* * *

The phantom of the training ground became a story to scare children as no one managed to find out just who the phantom was. Dwalin sometimes put rookies on watch duty for annoying him and everyone secretly longed to find out who it was. The rumours of who it was slowly died away as the months turned into years and the dummies and targets always seemed to be more damaged than they should. Dwalin even started to like the phantom when roughly made targets and dummies were anonymously put into the training ground to replace the ruined ones. They were strong and the shape was clear enough, though the work was sloppy and the maker obviously wasn't experienced. The thought was enough, though, and the new equipment lasted as long as the old had.

No one seemed to notice the nicks and cuts that Ovila's hands gained and people put it down to her work in her father's butcher shop. She was happier, was even polite to Kili, who was polite in return, and she was thirty-two now. Her brothers were still helping her train, while her parents were delightfully oblivious and Thondi had just accepted that Ovila was happy. She still had her outbursts of temper, especially when someone insulted her family's honour or integrity, but she was learning to control it. People still called her a firecracker and her temper and her enmity with Kili was still spoken about behind hands when gossip was running low.

"Good morning, Miss Dis," Ovila greeted as Dis entered the butcher's and Dis smiled in return. "We've got your order in the back, just give me one moment," Ovila smiled and finished tying a the string around the joint of beef.

"You take your time, Ovila," Dis said kindly and Ovila quickly wiped her bloody hands off on a rag. "Are your parents and brothers not here?"

"Father and the twins are out hunting for more stock and Mother's sorting out the deliveries in the back, if you want to talk to her," Ovila answered and Dis nodded. "Mother! Miss Dis is here!" Ovila called and went through the doorway to the back. She reappeared a few moments later with Thondi on her heels and she handed over Dis' order of a carefully wrapped leg of lamb. "Mother, I'm heading home now," Ovila stated and Thondi nodded with a quick pat to Ovila's shoulder.

Ovila curtseyed briefly to Dis, then gathered her cloak and took her leave. Plain brown skirts swept around her legs as she pulled her cloak around her shoulders and fastened it firmly at the base of her throat. Her long, thick braid was swung over her shoulder to bump down the length of her spine and she ignored the crowds bustling around her. She'd long ago stopped feeling small in the bustling crowds and had learnt to shoulder her way through a particularly thick crush of people. Some stepped aside to allow her through, mostly those ten years or so younger than her that had heard tell of her temper and some had even witnessed it. She greeted those she knew with a smile, nod, or wave, though Old Greta did give the young Dwarf girl a dark look. As Ovila's temper was well known, so was Old Greta's tendency to remember every slight and every insult sent her way.

The sun was warm against Ovila's skin and she paused on her way past the training ground. There were male Dwarves swinging swords, sparring, shooting arrows from bows and crossbows, throwing axes and daggers. A pang of envy resonated through her, though not as strongly as it used to before her brothers began to train her and she became the phantom. She rolled her eyes at one boy's weak attempt to fling an axe and it landed about two feet short of the target and she itched to get in there and show them how it was done. The boy scowled deeply at his failure, at the mocking laughter from the others, and Dwalin soon had the laughter silencing with a strong bellow. Everyone turned at Dwalin's shout and he looked frustrated, a deep frown on his face. It brought his incredibly bushy brows down sharply down to almost hide his eyes, an expression rather familiar to Ovila, and she had to smile a little.

"You're all bloody useless!" Dwalin shouted, pointing his finger at the group of Dwarf boys that couldn't have been more than fifteen. Ovila had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing out loud and tucked a loose lock of hair back behind her ear when it brushed over her cheek. "You'll be lucky if the phantom doesn't show up to show you how it's done!"

"The phantom doesn't exist," one of the boys denied, but he shifted uncertainly and Dwalin raised his bushy eyebrows to what should've been his hairline, but Dwalin was losing hair on top nowadays.

"Doesn't he? Then explain that to the ruined targets that you boys definitely aren't hitting," Dwalin retorted and Ovila giggled softly.

"So, is the phantom going to show them how it's done?" Kili's teasing voice suddenly asked lowly and Ovila jumped. She turned her head sharply to see him stood beside her with a wicked grin on stupid face and she rolled her eyes at him. "I think Dwalin's half in love with the phantom; always talking about him," Kili continued with a cheeky grin and Ovila sighed.

"The phantom isn't here, Kili, and, if he was, what would we know of it?" Ovila replied airily and Kili grinned at her. "I have to go and arrange a few things at home," she stated and walked away with a quick wave over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Kili."

"Didn't they used to fight all the time?" one of the boys asked and sounded almost disappointed.

"Maybe they grew up, maybe they fell in love and are having an affair, I don't care, just pick up the bloody axe and get to work!" Dwalin bellowed.

Ovila laughed lightly at that, because her and Kili in love and having an affair was just ridiculous. She shook her head at the incredulity of it all and turned the final corner to her home. Her neighbour's sons were playing in the street and she ruffled their hair fondly. They whined at that, barely reaching her hip, and she just let herself into her house to get to her latest project. She'd have another two hours alone to finish putting the finishing touches on the target that Chalrim and Calim had carved. All she had to do was paint the actual target onto the wood and slice away any protruding pieces of wood on the handles and outside of the target. It wouldn't take too long and she went out to her father's old work shed with a slight smile on her lips and a song on her tongue.

* * *

**Bit of a slow chapter, I know, but it's all part of the build up and it's important to the plot.**

**Thanks again to all of those who reviewed and put this story on alert and their favourites.**


	6. The Betrayal

Another family outing that Ovila would much prefer to avoid and she was reluctantly allowing her mother to braid her hair. She was thirty-two and her mother was still braiding her hair - it was just embarrassing. Everyone still considered her a stripling, no more than a little girl, even though she was growing into the body of a woman now and she knew it was because she didn't have a beard. Her eyes narrowed her bare jaw line now and her fingers slid over the unnaturally smooth skin. Thondi had given up on the hair ever growing on her daughter's face and, instead, focused on ensuring that Ovila's long hair was kept in perfect condition. The blonde locks fell all the way down her back to just above her rear now and the hair was always braided to keep it out of the way. She watched the hair being separated and put into a thick braid to fall down her spine. It was fastened with a leather thong and then a green, oval clip was snapped into the top of the braid to match her green dress.

A small smile touched Thondi's lips as she stroked Ovila's blonde hair and Ovila sighed softly. She stood from the stool and left her small bedroom with Thondi. Baltil and the twins were waiting in the hall and Chalrim draped a cloak around his little sister's shoulders. She murmured a thanks, linking her arms with her brothers', and Baltil led his family from their home. Polite smiles were sent to Munon, their neighbour, and her little boy, Nalo, and the smiles were returned wholeheartedly. Calim, Chalrim, and Ovila talked together in low voices and Thondi glanced at them suspiciously over her shoulder. They didn't even notice, far too busy conspiring with each other about something, and Thondi rolled her eyes, because surely her children were too cold for plotting and planning?

It didn't take long for the family of five to reach _The Golden Ladle_ tavern, which was owned by a good patron of the butcher, and the party was already underway for the new year. Bombur was serving drinks with his brother Bofur and Calim and Chalrim eagerly surged towards the bar. After a few words on propriety with Baltil and Thondi, Ovila followed and hopped onto a barstool between her brothers. She flashed Bofur a grin, rather fond of the toymaker that'd given her a few free toys in her childhood when he'd seen her being left out of the games of the other children. He smiled back at her, sliding her a half pint of mead, and she thanked him cheerfully. The boys had to pay for their ale and she just laughed at their protests.

"Good evening, you three," Dis greeted warmly as she approached and gestured for another two drinks. "Where are your parents? I have to drag them into drinking with us," she smiled wickedly and suddenly looked incredibly like her sons, especially the younger.

"I think they're over there, Miss Dis," Chalrim answered with an incline of his head in the right direction and a slight grin on his face. His siblings raised their eyebrows at each other and Chalrim nudged his sister warningly. "I could show you the way, if you'd like," he offered and Ovila and Calim hid their grins by taking long gulps of their drinks.

"Oh no, I think I can find them, thank you, Calim," Dis answered, took her drinks, and left without even looking back at Chalrim's despondent expression.

The second Dis was lost in the crowd, the eldest and youngest laughed delightedly and Chalrim glared at them. Beneath his blonde beard, his cheeks turned red and it just made the other two laugh even louder. Ovila managed to choke out that she thought it was adorable and Calim just shook his head helplessly. Chalrim threw them a final glare, before he stomped over to a group of people he hunted with and left his siblings to laugh until they could only clap their hands like retarded, silent seals. It wasn't as though he went around announcing Calim's fancy for Munon and Ovila's fancy for…her axes. He sent them another sulky glare, but they were still laughing and occasionally doing impressions of what he guessed was supposed to be him to pay any attention to him.

Eventually, the laughter ceased and Ovila had to go over to Ori, Dori, and Nori to stop herself from giggling whenever she saw Chalrim. The trio of brothers did look curious as to why she was wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, but she didn't answer any of their inquiries as to what was so funny. Her loyalty prevented her from declaring her brother's new fancy to the world, but that didn't mean it was any less funny that he had a fancy for _Dis_ of all people. It was even funnier Calim's little thing for Munon, but she would not tease either of them in public and she was just glad she didn't have a fancy for any of the idiotic Dwarf boys she knew.

"Ori! Come drink with us!" Fili's voice suddenly bellowed and Ori turned red as all eyes turned to him. "Ovila can come too and drink us all under the table most likely!" Fili declared and Ovila pulled Ori over with a grin at the challenge, ignoring his weak protests.

"He's drunk," Kili announced needlessly, jerking his thumb at his elder brother, and Ovila just raised her eyebrows. "I'm not drunk," he decided, even as he swayed back and forth on the spot, and she laughed.

"Of course you're not," Ovila soothed and waved to Bofur. "Can I have three pints of ale and one pint of mead?" she asked cheerfully and Bofur clucked his tongue at her.

"A pint? A girl your size?" he sighed with mock disappointment, even as he got the drinks, and just laughed. "You just keep them boys on their toes," he winked and she grinned.

"They can't keep up with me, Mister Bofur, don't you worry about me," Ovila replied and Fili and Kili eagerly grabbed their drinks, while Ori timidly took the tankard and gulped slightly.

The other three just gulped the alcohol down quickly and Ori chugged his after some encouragement from his friends. He did squirm when he saw Dori's disapproving gaze and the others just got more drinks. They were young and foolish and were just glad to be out from the stifling thumb of their parents and expectation. Everyone, including the parents, were gulping down the alcohol for the new year and no one paid the four, young, silly Dwarfs any mind. Bofur and Bombur did warn them to take it easy, but they just waved away the concerns confidently and no one was surprised when light bickering started between Kili and Ovila. Fili quickly put a stop to it by suggesting a game of _Truth or Dare_ and the other three stared at him, before shrugging and agreeing.

"Fili, truth or dare?" Kili asked loudly, pointing at his brother, and Fili grinned.

"Dare!" he decided and Kili scrunched his face up in thought.

"I dare you, brother, to declare to the whole tavern that you are in love with Mister Baltil," Kili proclaimed and Ovila stared at him.

"My _father_? Does it have to be my father?" she protested and Kili slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Fine," Fili agreed and clumsily clambered onto the bar. "Everyone! Can I please have your attention?!" he yelled and everyone looked at him. "I am in love with Mister Baltil our wonderful butcher!"

"My father?" Ovila said weakly behind the giggling Kili's hand and Ori was giggling too, which earned a dark look from Ovila.

"Thank you!" Fili bowed dramatically and the whole tavern cheered loudly. He got off the bar with a lot of stumbling and oaths and he eventually sat on his barstool. "Right, Ovila, truth or dare?" he asked and she thought for a moment.

"Dare," she stated and took a final gulp of her mead. "And no conferring; we didn't confer over your dare," she warned when Fili and Kili leaned closer to each other and they slid away from one another.

"I dare you to hug Uncle Thorin," Fili slurred and Ovila raised her eyebrows, but slid from her barstool and made her way over to the group of adults on rather unsteady feet.

Thorin just stared at the little blonde thing that wrapped its arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Before he could say a word, Ovila had slurred out a 'Happy Durin's Day!' and had started her way back over to the giggling Fili and Kili and the cautiously smiling Ori. She plonked herself back onto her barstool and took a congratulatory gulp of her mead with a grin on her lips. Her hazel eyes flickered to each of the boys sat with her, deliberating which one to choose, and she swallowed the last of her mead. The tankard was set down with a sure thud and the males looked at her expectantly.

"Ori, truth or dare?" Ovila asked seriously and Ori squeaked slightly. "Ori, you are drunk, there is nothing Dori can do to you and, besides, we'll protect you," she promised and Fili and Kili nodded solemnly.

"Oh, well, um, truth, I suppose," Ori answered and Ovila made a thoughtful sound, leaning back against the bar and tapping a finger against her lips.

"Who was your first kiss?" she asked and Ori turned bright red. "You must answer, else you shall face a horrifying forfeit decided by all three of us," she warned and he bit his bottom lip.

"It was Morina," he admitted and three sets of surprised eyes landed on him.

"Isn't she ten years older than you?" Kili asked and Ori nodded, still bright red. "Congratulations mate!" Kili cheered and squeezed Ori's shoulder tightly, while Fili patted him on the back hard enough to make him spill his beer. "Right, your turn to ask," Kili said firmly and waved a hand for another tankard of ale.

"Kili, truth or dare?" Ori asked obediently and Kili grinned.

"Give me a dare," he answered, brown eyes gleaming, and no one was surprised.

"Okay, um, I dare you to, um, get on the bar and tell everyone your darkest secret," Ori sounded rather pleased with that one and Kili immediately clambered up onto the bar.

"Everyone!" he bellowed and, once more, all eyes turned to a Durin's heir. "My deepest, darkest secret is that I know who the phantom of the training grounds is and I've known for _ten years_!" Kili declared and Ovila stared at him in horror. "It's her!" he announced proudly, pointing at Ovila, and all the attention was suddenly on the female Dwarf.

Aghast hazel eyes stared at Kili and his grin slowly faded at the betrayal that settled deep in those big eyes. He didn't know what to say as Ovila's eyes hardened and any friendship that'd formed between them crumbled. She turned her gaze defiantly to the patrons of the bar and didn't even flinch when both Baltil and Thondi began to shout at her. Dwalin soon joined in about the dangers of training at night and alone, especially for a girl, Ovila took everything in silence. Her brothers tried to speak up about something, but she silenced them with a quick glance and she refused to look at Kili. She'd trusted him with her biggest secret, her only secret, and he'd betrayed her when she'd started to see him as a friend. It hurt more than she cared to admit and she blinked back the tears that filled her hazel eyes. She only looked at him when he grabbed her arm when she was being pulled from the tavern and he stared at her, not knowing what to say and suddenly feeling very sober.

"I trusted you."

The words were bitter and angry and hurt and Baltil firmly pulled his daughter from Kili's grip.

* * *

To say Thondi and Baltil were angry was putting things lightly and Ovila could feel her rear end throbbing for two weeks after the hiding she'd received. She refused to let on that her brothers had helped her train and also refused to reveal the hiding place of her axes. It seemed as though no one saw her for months without one of her parents at her side and she utterly refused to even look in Kili's general direction. Ori had apologised over and over again for giving Kili the dare, so earnest and honest that Ovila couldn't be angry at him and she knew he'd probably expected Kili's biggest secret to be something silly to do with girls or kissing. She did have to shake Ori to make him stop apologising to her, but he'd stopped in the end and accepted her apology.

The happiness that Ovila had once exuded was now gone with her night time trips to the training grounds firmly stopped by her parents. She worked at the butcher's, went home, ate, and went to sleep. It was a dull routine that she despised with all she had, but there was no getting around Thondi or Baltil, even with Calim's and Chalrim's help. Her axes were still hidden behind a portrait on her wall and she sometimes got them out at night, just to hold them. Their weight was reassuring in her hands and she loved the feel of them as she curled her fingers around the smooth leather of the hilts. It was a comfort that she still could, that one thing hadn't been taken away from her, and she made sure to pack the axes when she was taken on the annual livestock fair in the town of Men about two days from Belegost.

"Are you ready?" Thondi asked as Ovila left her room and shouldered her pack. The younger Dwarf female gave a brief nod and Thondi glanced over the practical travelling wear and the blonde hair coiled into a braided bun out of the way. "I trust that you'll keep out of trouble," was all Thondi said and Ovila shrugged and left the house.

The meat was all salted and hung in a sheltered wagon, which was being pulled by the loyal, family pony, and Ovila patted the little pony's head fondly. She slipped him an apple, then pulled herself up onto the seat beside Baltil and he nodded silently to his daughter. The journey would be long and tense and awkward with the father and daughter still not talking properly and Baltil glanced at Ovila from the corner of his eye. She was thirty-four, still just a girl, but nearly physically mature and she thought she understood the world. She didn't understand that, if she publicly practiced with weapons, she would be shunned even more than she already was. Women in Dwarf culture were rare and, so, extremely protected by the males. For her to step out of that mould, to want to fight for herself, to not want the protection of her father, brothers, and, later, husband, wasn't to be done and she just didn't seem to grasp that.

Thick silence fell over the father and daughter and no words were spoken as they left Belegost and the journey to Bree began. Baltil had wanted to attempt to mend the relationship between himself and Ovila, which was why he'd brought her along rather than one of the twins. He loved Ovila, loved her more than he could say, and all he wanted was for her to be safe. It wasn't that she looked delicate, but she just looked like a small human girl because she didn't have a beard and people would try to take advantage of her, he was sure. She needed to just understand that she couldn't just do what she wanted and expect no repercussions. She knew that he and Thondi disapproved of her learning to use weapons and she had gone behind their backs. It was that, he supposed, that hurt more than the fact that she was disobedient, because she had never hidden things from them and had always been very upfront and honest. She hadn't blatantly lied, but she had deceived them and it hurt.

Very rarely were words passed between them, only when they stopped for the night to camp, and they settled in the alcove of a rock face. They started a fire to cook over and Baltil took charge of the cooking, while Ovila prepared the ingredients. They were still sat in silence and, as Baltil cooked, Ovila went to see to the pony. She rested her head on his neck as he snuffled at the sugar cubes she held in her palm and he whickered at her fondly. A slight smile curved her lips as she ran her fingers through his scruffy, black mane and the piebald pony snorted when the sugar cubes ran out. That made her smile grow a little and she pressed a kiss to his velvet nose. He butted her in the chest and she chuckled softly on her way back to the fire to eat the finished stew. She sat opposite her father, hugging the wooden bowl to her chest to keep warm on the chilly, autumn night, and Baltil sighed slightly.

Before a single word could pass his lips, a howl pierced the night and ice shot down their spines.

* * *

**Okay, two things to address. The first, I don't actually know how Dwarves celebrate the new year, or if they even do, but I needed them to for the sake of my story, so they do. The second is whether or not Bree holds an annual fair and I don't know if there is a livestock fair, but as with the new year celebrations, there is in my story.**

**As always, thank you everyone who has taken the time to read, review, and put this story on alert and favourites ;)**


	7. The Prayers

Kili loved the annual livestock fair. He loved the stalls that didn't just sell livestock and their products. He loved how cheery everyone was. He loved that it seemed to be the one place that he and Ovila didn't immediately lunge for one another's throats. The thought of Ovila did dampen his good spirits, though, because after two years she still wasn't talking to him and he hadn't even been able to meet her gaze in those years. She ignored him well, too well, and he just needed to apologise. He hadn't meant to spill her secret about her being the phantom, because everyone knew how against her fighting Thondi was, but he'd been drunk and it'd blurted out without his permission.

The grin on the young Dwarf's face faded away as the familiar guilt turned his stomach and he was determined to apologise that weekend. He knew Ovila would be at the fair, because the twins were taking care of the butcher's and Thondi hadn't left Belegost in decades. He felt himself nod determinedly and Fili sent him a knowing look that he pointedly ignored. Thorin glanced warningly at his nephews, sensing the discontent stirring in the youngest, and Kili just looked down the street that usually held the meat products. His brown eyes searched for the familiar, worn, sturdy wagon that belonged to Baltil, but it wasn't there and there was no sign of the scruffy, piebald pony that always drew it. Baltil, with his head of silvery grey hair and beard, wasn't there and Ovila, with her dark glare and long blonde hair, wasn't there either.

A bad feeling settled deep in Kili's stomach and his dark brows drew into a v above his nose. Baltil was always there a day early to get the best possible place to set up his sales, but there was a pig farmer in his usual spot. Something was wrong, Kili could feel it and it sent his stomach roiling. Fili and Thorin hadn't seemed to notice anything untoward and he hesitated in speaking up. Perhaps Baltil was just late for once. Perhaps he and Ovila had gotten into an argument on the road and it'd slowed them down. There were a hundred, harmless reasons as to why Baltil and Ovila might not be there yet, but something inside him told him that it wasn't a harmless reason at all. There was something wrong and it scared him.

"Thorin!" Gloin's voice bellowed and the trio stopped and turned to see the red haired and bearded Dwarf practically running to catch up with them through the crowd with Gimli hurrying along after him.

"What is it?" Thorin asked with a sharp frown and the unease in Kili's stomach intensified. "Has something happened?"

"Baltil was attacked on the road by three Wargs," Gloin stated bluntly and Thorin's eyes widened slightly. "He survived, but he's got a shattered arm, many lacerations, and he will most likely have to give up his trade to his two boys," Gloin continued and he glanced at Kili. "There's no sign of his girl."

"Ovila?" Thorin asked, already heading for the exit of Bree, and Gloin nodded, following. "Baltil wouldn't have just left her, no matter what bitter feelings there are between them at the moment."

"He says she tied him to the pony and forced him to leave," Gloin answered. "He spoke the truth; he was bound to the pony when he arrived and he wouldn't have been able to do it himself."

"Where was he attacked? Where did he last see Ovila?" Thorin demanded brusquely and strode into the stables of _The Prancing Pony_.

"The rock pass where many camp for the night on the way here," Gloin replied quickly and Thorin nodded. "Shall I inform some others to help on the search?"

"Any of ours in the tavern at this moment and any you see passing while we ready the ponies, but we cannot delay rounding a party if Ovila is still alive," Thorin stated firmly and glanced at the younglings as Gloin immediately left to follow orders. "You three will stay here-"

"No," Kili defied before Thorin even finished speaking and all eyes swung to the dark haired stripling. "I'm going to find her," Kili said firmly, ignoring how his stomach turned and his heart pounded and his throat constricted. "She's my…she's my friend."

Thorin eyed his nephew for a long moment. He could see the determination that shone in Kili's eyes and it was so achingly familiar. Even Thorin left him behind, he would follow and Fili would follow him. So, he nodded at his nephews and they hastened to ready their ponies before Thorin changed his mind. Gimli looked at Thorin hopefully, but the elder Dwarf merely turned back to his pony and continued to saddle it. He couldn't have three younglings along, not when there might be a dead girl to deal with, and he shook away that thought. He knew Ovila, the stubborn little girl that'd stood tall in his presence at the mere age of ten and stubbornly hid how scared she was through sheer pride. The thought of her dead, of the round cheeked little girl that used to sit behind her father's butcher's counter and count up her father's orders, unsettled him more than he cared to admit.

Six others joined the party: Bofur, Bifur, Dori, and Nori. Not warriors, but they were armed well enough and Thorin led the party of ten into the fields surrounding Bree. They had a lost, stubborn, pigheaded child to find and Thorin knew Kili wouldn't stop until he had hard evidence of Ovila's death or they found her. If they did find her, she'd be grievously injured, probably near death, and it wasn't a thought any of them wished to linger on.

* * *

Breathing hurt, even thinking hurt. The blood had stopped pumping from the long gash down her torso and she could feel it drying down her front, over her waist, her hips. She felt light-headed and sleepy, but she refused to close her eyes and stubbornly stared at the dimming sky on the horizon. She'd seen the sky turn pink for the sunrise, watched it change to a light blue, and now the reds streaked the sky like blood for the sunset. To her left was a heap of dead Warg with an axe buried in its skull and to her right was another dead Warg with its throat slit. By her feet was the final Warg with her second axe sunk deep into its chest and that was the one that'd torn open her chest. The one on her left had dislocated her left arm as she'd killed it and the one on her right had torn open the back of her right leg, but that blood had congealed too and was crusty on her leg.

Ovila, daughter of Baltil and Thondi, could only lay there and pray to Mahal that someone would find her and put an end to this pain. Her fingers twitched feebly towards her father's dropped knife, so close to her head, but the slightest movement sent pain searing up her arm. A weak whimper escaped her cracked lips and she wanted to scream at the tops of her lungs, but she could barely breathe. No one would find her until she was cold and dead and had died a horrible, painful death. She'd never thought about the pain a death from battle would have, had only thought about the glory it would bring her name and how she would be remembered. Now, she would have anyone she ever knew forget her if it meant ending this agony and letting her go into the arms of Mahal. It was strange how little she'd thought about Mahal until these moments before her death and she shuddered slightly, only to moan in pain at the strain it caused in her muscles.

"_Ovila_!"

Was Mahal calling her now? Was her time at its end?

"_Ovila_!"

It was getting louder and Ovila's hazel eyes fluttered slightly.

"_Ovila_!"

Steady thumping trembled the ground beneath her and she just waited for the arms of Mahal to close around her.

"No, no, no, don't be dead, please don't be dead."

The voice was familiar and closer and Ovila felt calloused fingers slide over her cheek to lift her head.

"Ovila? Ovila, open your eyes," the voice begged and Ovila didn't like how sad he sounded. Her head was rested on something warm and soft and firm and she wanted to cry with relief at the respite from the cold, hard rock. "I'm sorry I was so awful to you and I told everyone about you being the phantom," the voice continued, thick and hard to understand with emotion, and Ovila tried to crack her eyes open. "I didn't mean to, I was drunk and, you were right, I am stupid, you were always right, just please don't be dead."

Hazel eyes fluttered open weakly to see so many blurs bearing down on her and, yet, she clearly saw the teary face of the boy holding her head in his lap. "Girl," she managed in a weak croak and stunned brown eyes flew open to stare down at her.

"You're alive," Kili choked and a grin split his face. "You're alive!"

"Barely," Thorin snapped and Kili just watched the elders began to deal with Ovila's extensive injuries. "Foolish child," Thorin chided, but his voice was gentler than it usually was.

"Is Papa-"

"Your father's with the healers, lassie, so let's concentrate on you," Bofur interrupted gently and Ovila managed a weak smile, before her eyes fell closed and she finally sunk into the warmth of the unconscious.

* * *

For four days, Ovila slept and, for four days, no one was sure if she would live. There were many scares, especially on the journey to back to Bree, and, yet, after those four days, her eyes fluttered open. Thondi had wept with relief, clinging to her only daughter as tight as she dared, and Calim and Chalrim hadn't hidden their tears either. Baltil was laid on the other bed, sleeping peacefully, and Ovila managed a shaky smile for her family. Thondi just stroked Ovila's blonde hair and tried to stop the tears flowing, but hadn't been able to and Ovila grasped her mother's hand in trembling fingers. She took the water Calim offered and had a small mouthful of the broth Chalrim fetched for her, but fell asleep soon after and didn't wake again until the next afternoon.

Sat in the chair beside Ovila's bed wasn't Thondi or one of her brothers, as she'd expected, but Kili. "I thought you were dead," was the first thing he said, voice hollow, and Ovila just stared at him. "I thought you'd died and I'd never get to apologise."

"You did apologise," Ovila replied in a quiet, hoarse voice and Kili reached for the water, but she shook her head jerkily. "I was awful to you too," she added croakily and frowned slightly. "Get over it."

"What?"

"You're acting like a girl."

"I'm trying to be nice!"

"Well, you suck at it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Silence fell between the pair and Kili blinked when shaking fingers grabbed his hand. "Thank you," Ovila whispered sincerely and Kili closed his fingers over hers.

"Anytime," he promised and earned a small smile in return, before he watched her eyes fall closed once more and her chest rose and fell in soft, sleepy breaths. "Just try not to do it again," he murmured and carefully laid her bruised, grazed hand back at her side. "Get better soon," he said softly and slid her hair from her face.

A second later, Kili realised what he was doing and froze. Just what _was_ he doing? Bestowing affectionate touches on a girl that's been his enemy since childhood? She was his friend and she probably didn't even call him that. The thought did _not_ make his stomach sink, not at all, and he had to get out of that room, _right now_. It was seeing the normally strong Ovila vulnerable that was doing it, playing with his head, making him feel…squishy inside. He shook his head quickly and made a hasty escape, just as the twins were climbing the stairs. He ignored their confused voices and sat at the bar with Fili and Thorin to have a nice, big, alcoholic drink to clear his head.

* * *

**And finished! For such a short chapter, it did give me trouble and not just because my laptop crashed when I was halfway through the original version. I've got to use the family PC now and it's so **_**slow**_**! Okay, rant over now, sorry.**

**As always, thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this story to their alerts and/or favourites!**


	8. The Confusion

To say that Ovila was not a good patient was like saying that a Warg pack was only a little vicious. She whined, she complained, she tried to get out of bed when her injuries refused to allow it, and she'd caused Oin to storm away countless times. He always vowed to never return to treat the girl, but he always did and they always ended sniping at one another because of their opposing opinions. She did like the attention she was receiving, though, and all the visits people were bestowing on her. All of those who'd saved her had visited her, even Kili, but he had been awkward and had barely spoken to her. Ori had brought her some books to keep her occupied, Dwalin had come by to promise her some training, and Bombur had brought some food over to cheer her up. When she had her visitors, she wasn't desperate to be out of bed to do something because she was distracted. It was when they'd gone and her mother and brothers were busy either with Baltil or taking care of the shop or the house and she'd finished her books, she was bored and lonely.

It took three months before Oin agreed to let Ovila out of the house and she practically flew through the door. Her arm was out of its sling, though it was still a bit tender with too much use, and she still limped a little. Her leg and chest were steadily healing, but there would be scars left as a reminder of her close call. There were those on her leg, the long one that'd tore open her torso, and then a few down her arms where the claws had skimmed the skin. They'd made Thondi cry, but Ovila was just glad she'd survived and was still able to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, despite its disfigurations. She savoured that feeling now as she walked slowly through Belegost and took note of the looks and nods that were sent her way.

Children, in particular, were fascinated with Ovila, with the tales of how she'd fought three Wargs in defence of her father, and it'd been greatly exaggerated in rumours. There was a tale that she'd battled an army of Wargs and Orcs single-handedly and had been kept in isolation while Thorin investigated. It was utterly ridiculous, but it made her laugh and she just waved at the few gawping Dwarf children she passed. They squeaked and hid behind their amused mothers, who offered nods of solidarity that Ovila appreciated more than she could say. She was no longer an outsider, because Thorin himself had given her praise on her stepping up to protect her father, and she couldn't wait until Oin deemed her fully healed so that she could get better and retrain herself. The only problem was, Dwalin wasn't letting her near a training ground until Oin gave his permission.

Oin, Ovila believed, was being unnecessarily stubborn in giving that permission.

Slow footsteps stopped as the feet neared the training grounds and Ovila watched in envy as the boys threw axes and missed the centre of the target completely. She rolled her eyes with a huff, dropping her hands to her hips, and she rolled her shoulder experimentally. It didn't even ache at the movement, not even a little, and it's not like Oin could really do anything if she did just throw one little axe. She longed to do _something_, anything really, and she bit her bottom lip. Yes, the cuts down her front and on her leg still throbbed sometimes, but Oin had said they were well on their way to decent recovery and he'd promised that she should have full use of her leg back. He said she just had to retrain her leg muscles after the damage they'd received and sooner was better than later, right? Thondi always said so when she was trying to get Ovila to do her chores faster and, if Thondi said it, it had be true. It also meant that she could throw her mother's words back at her if this ever got to Thondi's ears, which was likely. Ovila was sure the woman had spies…

"Good afternoon, Mister Dwalin," Ovila called cheerfully and all eyes swung to her as she strode into the training grounds. "Oin said I was allowed," she said before Dwalin could open his mouth and the battle hardened Dwarf bellowed with laughter.

"He said you were allowed out and about, not that you were allowed to be training," he retorted and Ovila scowled deeply, suddenly looking just like the child she'd once been. "You can watch them fail miserably and laugh, if you like."

"Come on, Mister Dwalin, just one axe; you have no idea how _bored_ I've been," Ovila wheedled and Dwalin just rose his eyebrows at her.

"Bored or not, if you start lifting and throwing them axes before Oin says you're body's ready, you'll be sat in bed healing for a lot longer," Dwalin scolded and Ovila groaned. "Go sit down and scare the younglings with tales of Wargs and Orcs; half of them fancy themselves in love with you, you know."

"They don't even know me!" Ovila protested and looked at the boys with renewed wariness. "And they're no more than babes out of swaddling," she stated and ignored how old and grown up she'd felt at fifteen.

"Neither are you compared to me, Ovila," Dwalin replied and Ovila just rolled her eyes. "I think Ori's practicing with his slingshot in the archery area with Kili and Fili," he offered and she shrugged.

"If you hear screaming, it's Kili," she sighed and made her way towards the archery area.

A steady ache was starting to form in Ovila's leg and she was grateful when she caught sight of the boys. Fili and Kili were sat on upturned barrels to shout advice at the concentrating Ori and Kili had his bow held in his lap. Fili offered a grin and a wave, though she noticed his eyes sweep over her for a sign of her injuries. Ori called a cheery welcome and grinned and waved enthusiastically, which had to return. Kili, however, mumbled a quick 'good afternoon' and practically fled to set up a target for himself. She just raised her eyebrows and slid herself onto his vacated barrel. It was a welcome respite for her aching leg and she actually quite liked talking to Fili. He was the smart brother, she'd discovered many years ago, and he made her laugh easily.

"Can you two shut up? Ori can't concentrate," Kili suddenly snapped and Fili and Ovila looked at Ori, who just looked confused. "Some of us have serious training to do."

"Some of us have been restricted until Mister Oin declares otherwise, but Mister Dwalin said some of us were welcome to observe and if some of us want to talk, then some of us will," Ovila retorted and Kili glared at her. "What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird, well, weirder for ages."

"You're acting weird!" Kili shot back childishly and Fili just shook his head at Ovila's confused expression. "Haven't you got other things to be doing?" Kili demanded and Ovila frowned.

"No, considering I'm only allowed to walk, eat, use the bathroom, and sleep at the moment," she replied. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Kili scowled and swung back to his archery. "There is nothing wrong with me, nothing at all, you're imagining things."

"Right, of course, sorry," Ovila answered carefully and looked at Fili with raised eyebrows. "Well, I'll just be going, good luck, boys."

"I'll walk you home," Fili offered and stood before she could. "I noticed you limping a little," he added quietly so Kili and Ori wouldn't hear and he held a hand out to her. "It's not weak to accept some help when you need it."

"I know that," Ovila replied, cheeks turning pink, and she took his hand. "Thank you," she said quietly and slid her arm through his.

"Fili, what are you doing?" Kili demanded.

"Just taking Ovila home so you don't have any distractions, little brother," Fili answered airily and led Ovila away. "I won't be long," he winked over his shoulder and Kili glared.

It didn't take long for Fili to get Ovila home to the overbearing care of her mother and the two friends exchanged grins as she was shoved inside to sit down. She was fussed over and scolded for overexerting herself, even though her leg only ached slightly, and hadn't even done anything fun at all. Baltil was in the same position, all wrapped up in an armchair with his leg elevated on a footstool. He offered his daughter a comradely grin that she returned and she gratefully took a bowl of soup from Thondi. Her mind did drift to Kili's strangeness in the training grounds, but Kili was always strange and she soon dismissed the thought to concentrate on telling Baltil about what she'd read in the books Ori had lent her.

* * *

**Short and sweet…hopefully. Kili's in denial and Ovila's oblivious, wonderful.**

**As always, thanks to everyone that read, reviewed, and put this story on alert and favourite!**


	9. The Thoughts

_Don't look, don't look, don't look._

Brown eyes betrayed their master and flickered the slight Dwarf female being coached by Dwalin. She had her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and she was dressed in a form fitting shirt and breeches. The eyes flickered over the curves of her body (_just checking for any sign of her injuries, that's all I'm doing_) and she held her twin battleaxes with ease. She listened to Dwalin carefully, nodding every now and then, and a loose braid bounced up and down with her head. It was bloody distracting and needed to be pushed away from her smiling face. It was a nice smile, though, all soft pink lips, white teeth, and bright hazel eyes-

_Stop thinking, don't look, stop thinking, don't look, stop thinking, don't look._

Kili stomped away and shook his head of those thoughts surrounding the girl he'd been fighting with for over twenty years. He was in his forties now, no longer a child, and would not moon over some girl like a love-struck stripling. If Fili ever found out, he'd never hear the end of it and there was nothing to hear of. He was just relieved that his verbal sparring partner hadn't perished a horrible death at the claws of some Wargs and he'd been forgiven for his slip up. The guilt that'd weighed heavy in his stomach was gone now, but had been replaced with something heavier and more sickening. He was sure he was ill. It kept him awake at night, made him toss and turn, all with stupid memories of stupid her dancing over his head, and he was going mad. He shook his head again and shuddered when he heard her laugh.

_Stop thinking, stop listening, don't look, stop thinking, stop listening, don't look, stop thinking, stop listening, don't look_.

For six months, Ovila had been driving Kili mad and he just wanted his stupid head to _stop thinking_. He tried to distract himself by setting up a target to practice his archery with and comforted himself with the fact that she was utterly awful at archery. If she hit the target, it was on the very edge and she'd given up with it. He grinned a little and then realised he was thinking about her again. He shook his head hastily and put an arrow to his bow quickly. A little practicing would distract him and keep his mind occupied and he wouldn't think about the annoying, blonde, reckless girl with the scorching temper. Especially because Fili liked the stupid girl, walking her home and all and laughing with her. Was he allowed to laugh with her? Was he allowed to walk her home?

_Stop bloody thinking!_

A low whistle made Kili jump and he swung around to see his brother striding towards him with a grin. "You are off your game today," Fili teased and Kili grunted in acknowledgement and turned back to the target. "Ovila, on the other hand, is doing very well."

"Good for her," Kili bit out through gritted teeth and raised his bow. "Haven't you got training to do?" he asked and pulled the string taut on the bow.

"Alright, alright, touchy," Fili laughed cheerfully enough and made his way to the equipment shed to get a training dummy.

_Bloody blondes_.

Slowly, the sounds of Fili throwing knives at the practice dummy and his own arrows hitting the target helped to distract Kili from the whirling thoughts in his head. The sounds were familiar as his mother's voice and were as soothing too. For as long as he could remember, he'd been fascinated with archery, a rather unusual weapon of choice for a Dwarf admittedly, and he'd loved watching the passing rangers practice. When he'd come of age, he'd begged and pleaded Thorin to let him learn and Thorin had agreed after a long, terrifying moment of silence. So, the feel of the smooth bow in his hands, the strong string against his fingers, the carefully crafted arrow held with careful precision, the sound of it whistling towards its target to land with a gentle thump, were as familiar and comforting as his own bed.

"Fili!"

_Bloody blondes!_

The bow jerked in Kili's hands and the arrow sailed over the target and landed in a heap of ruined equipment. "Good afternoon, Kili," Ovila added politely and Kili grunted at her. "Did you drop him on his head when he was a baby?" she whispered to Fili and Fili laughed.

"Not as far as I remember and I think Mother would've told me," Fili answered and Ovila shrugged. "Ready for practicing hand-to-hand combat?"

"If you are," Ovila replied with a quick smile and Kili wasn't listening, he wasn't looking, and he definitely wasn't thinking. "Mister Dwalin wants me to practice everyday," she stated with a hint of pride and Fili grinned at her. "I really want some of those swords," she sighed enviously when Fili drew his twin blades and he laughed.

"Ask Mister Dwalin," was all he said and leapt forward.

_Don't look, don't listen, don't think_.

The clang of metal meeting metal and the gasps, grunts, and oaths of those sparring set Kili even more on edge. Whenever Ovila let out a muffled yelp, he wanted to shove Fili away from her and stand between the two. He stopped himself every time and forced himself not to look over his shoulder, but the urge was there and he didn't like it. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself in a fight (he still had the scar on his arm where she'd bit him during their first meeting) and it wasn't even a real fight. The worst Fili would do would be to bruise her and he, Kili, had done much worse than that. She'd survived a lot worse than a few bruises (_but she shouldn't have had to_) and could use those axes with deadly precision, just like her fists. She fought dirty, he'd experienced that countless times, and she would be fine.

_Don't look, don't listen, don't think_.

A quick peek over his shoulder was all Kili gave himself and instantly regretted it. His heart beat faster, his mouth went dry, and his palms started to sweat as he watched his brother and Ovila spar. Blonde hair swirled and swirled until he could only tell whose was whose because Ovila's was paler than Fili's and the axes and the swords flashed in the sunlight. Their grins were near blinding as they ducked and dodged and lunged in some sort of twisted dance. It made a knot form in Kili's stomach and caused a bitter taste in his mouth that he didn't care for. He forced himself to look away and carried on with his mantra and his attempts to practice.

_Don't look, don't listen, don't think_.

* * *

"Ovila."

Ovila stubbornly ignored Calim's voice.

"Ovila."

Sleeping, she was sleeping.

"I need your help at the shop; Chalrim's mooning over some female ranger."

Female ranger?

"Get up, Ovila."

Nope, it was Sunday, her day off from training and she ached.

Quite abruptly, the icy, winter air slammed into Ovila's bare legs and her warm quilt was wrenched away from her. She shrieked in protest, grabbing uselessly for her quilt, and Calim grinned cheekily at her. He strode out of the room with the quilt pointedly wrapped around his shoulders and she muttered angrily under her breath. Usually, she would've taken her time getting dressed just to irritate him, but the cold air forced her to dress quickly in her warmest clothes. A dark look was sent at the hearth, where a fire had been glowing when she'd fallen asleep, but it'd sputtered out some time in the night and had left her room cold and unwelcoming.

Calim was waiting with a slice of cold toast and she took it with a muttered thanks. With the toast clamped between her teeth, she wrapped her cloak around her, tied a scarf around her neck, and wrenched on a pair of gloves. A glance out of the window told her that it was snowing and she shoved her feet into her thickest, warmest boots with a sigh. Before she could even say goodbye to her parents, Chalrim shoved her out of the house and she shot him a quick glare. She took a vicious bite of her toast to get her irritation across, but it only earned an amused smile and an eye roll.

The walk to the butcher's shouldn't have taken long, but childish urges seized the siblings and they found themselves enthralled in a snowball war. Snow was flung with deadly precision from both parties and Ovila squealed with protest and giggles when Calim shoved her into a snow pile. Her cloak was thick enough to protect her skin from the worst of the cold, but her hood fell back and her long, loose hair got littered with it. She shuddered at the ice that touched her cheeks, nose, and lips and leapt up to fling a handful of the snow at Calim, before haring down the street. Peals of laughter echoed through the early morning and she ducked beneath a lump of snow her brother tried to smear into her face. They swung around the corner to the butcher's, still flinging snow, and Calim almost smacked into the back of his sister when she came to a sudden stop.

Stood in front of the still closed butcher's (half an hour after opening time) was Thorin Oakenshield and his two nephews. Fili was grinning with amusement at the snow drenched pair and Kili cracked a small grin himself. Thorin, however, just raised his eyebrows and Calim and Ovila gathered what little dignity they had. They shook the snow from their hair, from their cloaks, but some stubbornly clung and they couldn't dispel their childish smiles. They apologised profusely and opened the doors to let the trio in.

"I thought you had the day off," Fili said to Ovila, following her inside, and she sighed.

"Chalrim's got a fancy for a female ranger or something, so I got dragged in because he's an irresponsible little git," she muttered and Calim laughed.

"Fancy? He's declared to follow her to the ends of earth," Calim stated and watched his sister's eyebrows fly up with surprise. "I know, never said that before."

"I'll have to meet this woman," was all Ovila said and began to light the fire.

"Sorry again about the late opening, Mister Thorin," Calim said for the umpteenth time. "But, I could've sworn Fili picked up the order yesterday."

"He did," Thorin stated and shot Kili a dark look. "Kili sent it across the kitchen as though the pheasant were still alive and in flight."

"How?" Ovila blurted out and Kili glared at her weakly.

"He was making some new arrows and hit the platter Mother had put it on," Fili supplied cheerfully and Ovila snorted slightly.

"We haven't got anymore pheasant until Wednesday," Calim said apologetically and Thorin sent the red eared Kili another glare. "I have got quail, chicken, turkey, goose, or duck," Calim offered quickly and Thorin was silent for a long, tense moment.

"Goose, thank you," he answered with a slight incline of his head and Calim hastily escaped into the back of the shop.

With Calim gone, Thorin listened to the conversation Ovila and Fili were having about training the next day. They'd been hand-to-hand combat partners for near ten years, ever since Ovila had started her training, and Kili was suspiciously silent. Of course, Thorin knew the rumours of Ovila's involvement with his nephews, but put no faith in any of them.

Thorin very much doubted that she and Kili were secret lovers that were bitter to one another in public because he, Thorin, did not approve of the relationship and she resented Kili for the fact. He also very much doubted that she and Fili were to suddenly announce their courtship and produce several, beautiful, blonde babes. He had questioned Fili once about the girl when he'd spotted his nephew walking her home, the pair arm in arm, and Fili promised they were no more than friends. That much was obvious as she teased Fili as she did her brothers, but her interaction with Kili was different.

It was Kili that acted strangely and was rather distant from the girl he'd so often got into scraps with as a child. He watched in almost brooding silence as Ovila and Fili joked about the new recruits and laughed freely together. There was a slight tension in his shoulders and a reluctant sort of acceptance in his eyes. It would've been amusing to watch if he didn't look so like a beaten puppy and Thorin sighed slightly. He remembered courting without any fondness and felt a pang of sympathy for his youngest nephew.

Calim emerging from the back of the butcher's distracted Thorin from his musings and he nodded politely to the boy that'd stepped easily into Baltil's shoes after the attack. Thorin dropped a few silvers onto the counter and ignored Calim's word of protest as Fili took the goose with a grin and Thorin left. Kili stood dumbly in front of Ovila for a moment and Fili kicked him in the back of the leg on his way past the darker haired brother.

"You are so dense," Fili sighed and Kili glared after him. "See you tomorrow, Ovila!"

"Bye," Kili added and Ovila waved as the pair left and she saw Thorin shaking his head slightly.

"You're dense too, you know," Calim said and she frowned at him. "Just get cleaning and earn your pay, little sister," he laughed and flung a cloth at her. "You'll understand one day…I hope."

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**As always, I thank you happily for the reviews, alerts, and favourites!**


	10. The Rangers

The training ground had three guests milling about when Ovila arrived Monday morning and she looked on in surprise. There were two tall, broad, scarred men and a tall, lean, also scarred woman speaking with Dwalin and Ovila's surprise only grew when she saw Chalrim stood by Fili and Kili with his eyes on the female. Ovila flicked her gaze quickly over the woman and was (reluctantly) impressed with what she saw. In human years, the woman was like to be in her mid to late twenties and she was obviously no stranger to fighting. Rested at her hip was a short sword, on her back was a bow and a quiver of arrows, and Ovila spied numerous knives hidden on the woman's person. Her red hair was cut short for practicality, unlike Ovila's long locks that were always firmly braided or tied back, and her green eyes were cold and calculating. The bones in the woman seemed jutting and far too obvious and her expression seemed constantly harsh, but that might have been because of the pink scar that ran down from the corner of her left eye to her jaw.

Yet, despite all of this, Chalrim's eyes never left her and there was a look of wonder on his face. He tried to hide it as his sister approached, but Ovila knew her brother and she could see how enraptured he was with this woman. It stirred uncertainty deep in her stomach, because a human woman wouldn't be truly accepted in Belegost and a ranger wouldn't settle in one place. If the woman and Chalrim ever married, her big brother would likely leave and, while she knew it was wrong to have favourites in families, Chalrim was her favourite. He'd never disapproved of her learning to use weapons, had always supported her, teased her out of a tantrum, and life without him would be incredibly...lonely. It was true she'd made other friends now, but those she trusted with all she had could be counted on one hand and Chalrim was always the first person she went to with a problem. He couldn't just _leave_, but he was fascinated by this woman and Ovila scowled when she saw the woman's green eyes flicker to her big brother. She didn't like the woman at all and the woman was going to have to go and leave Chalrim exactly where he was.

"Shouldn't you be working? Calim needs your help," Ovila snapped at Chalrim and he looked at his little sister, but his attention was obviously elsewhere. "Work, Chalrim, you have to go to work," she bit out impatiently and put her hands on her hips. "I had to go in yesterday because you were slacking off."

"I'm here today," Chalrim replied simply and Ovila's scowl deepened. "What's wrong? Don't you want to spend time with your big brother?" he teased with a laugh and chucked her under the chin. "You can show me everything you've learnt," he stated and she suddenly smirked.

"Let's spar, Chalrim," a sickly sweet tone entered Ovila's voice and Fili and Kili exchanged amused looks. "What's your weapon of choice?" she asked with that saccharine sweetness and swung an axe down from her back.

"I'll fetch you an axe," Fili grinned and Chalrim stared after the blonde male as he raced to the equipment shed and soon appeared with a battleaxe. "I mean, you taught her everything she knows, right?" Fili asked innocently and Ovila spun the twin axes in her palms easily.

"Some of what she knows," Chalrim corrected, but took the battleaxe and tested the weight in his hands. "It's been a while," he muttered and eyed Ovila warily as she began to circle him in a rather predatory manner and he glanced at the brothers, who were quickly backing away. "Shouldn't we have armour?"

"Big brother, don't be foolish, I'm not going to hurt you," Ovila grinned, but Chalrim felt a little intimidated by his sister at that expression and she suddenly leapt forward.

With a startled yell, Chalrim lifted his heavy battleaxe to ward off the weapon swinging for his head and sidestepped to avoid Ovila's kick to his knee. She swept her second axe towards his stomach to force him backwards and she spun away from a clumsy thrust of the axe. Chalrim was used to smaller axes, she remembered, but he needed to compensate for the different weight of the weapon and adjust his hold. He was gripping the thing like it was a butcher's knife and she sighed slightly. She kicked his hand to force it further down the hilt of the axe and he swore at her for the sting in his fingers, but she just winked at him and he could feel the difference almost instantly. It was easier to lift the axe with his hands in the new places and he grinned slightly at his sister. She was stood a few paces in front of him, bouncing on the balls of her feet, and, cheekily, she stuck her tongue out at him.

It was just like all those years ago and Chalrim waited for the smaller, quicker Ovila to make the first move. She liked to throw her axes about, just like she liked to throw her weight about, and her impatience would get the better of her. He could see her fingers flexing around the leather bound hilts of her trusty axes and could see her hazel eyes dancing with anticipation and, sure enough, the impatience was beginning to seep in. Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her feet shifted slightly, and then she was suddenly running at him. He blocked one swing and hooked his foot around her ankle, but she slammed the hilt of one axe into his ribs and pressed herself forward against his axe to force him backwards. With a foot hooked around her ankle, he only had one foot to steady himself on and his eyes widened as he found himself flailing and she gave him a final shove.

The breath was knocked out of the male Dwarf as his back slammed into the dust and his axe was kicked away. "Footwork, big brother," Ovila sang, standing on his chest with one foot and resting her elbows on her bent knee to look down at him. "You need to get back into practice," she teased with a laugh and removed her foot. She put her axes onto her back once more and Chalrim hefted himself up with red cheeks and a slightly sulky expression. "Don't worry, I put Fili on his arse too," she laughed and practically skipped over to the grinning brothers. "She'll have to leave him behind now," she muttered to herself with a triumphant grin and Kili caught her words.

"What?" he asked and she shushed him quickly. "If you're talking about the ranger, they're chatting now," Kili pointed out helpfully and Ovila swung around quickly to stare in disbelief at the harsh woman giving Chalrim pointers - _pointers_!

"That was - how - _new plan_," Ovila said darkly and Fili and Kili exchanged confused looks. "Are you two really that dull? If they fall in love or whatever, then Chalrim will leave Belegost and Mother will never see him again and she'll focus all of her attentions on me."

"And that's a bad thing?" Fili questioned with a slight grin and Ovila rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "Or is it because you're going to miss your big brother and don't want him to run off with a ranger?"

"He's not running off with anyone!" Ovila snapped and stomped away angrily. "Stupid boys," she muttered angrily and stormed past Chalrim and the stupid female ranger that'd seduced her big brother away from his duties and responsibilities.

"You fought well for someone your size," a sharp, cold voice made Ovila stop stiff and she turned her head slowly to look at the female ranger. "You'd be good on a stealth mission," the woman continued, either oblivious to or ignoring Ovila's burning glare.

"Ovila's far too loud," Chalrim grinned and Ovila snorted and carried on stomping away. "Should've heard her yell as a kid, still does really, especially when it comes to Kili, but she's got a good heart beneath it all, heart of a warrior our Father says," Chalrim rambled and Ovila rolled her eyes.

"I see," the female ranger answered coolly and Ovila made a face. "You're the only female I've seen training," the voice was only raised slightly and Ovila stopped again. "Don't the other women fight?"

"It's not proper," Ovila replied stiffly and carried on. "_You're the only female I've seen training_," Ovila mocked under her breath and blew a childish raspberry.

"You're in a right mood," Fili laughed as he caught up with her and she glowered at him. "Aw, but what if Chalrim's truly happy with this woman?" he pouted, slinging an arm around her shoulders, and she let out a strangled, frustrated, stubborn scream and shoved the blonde away from her. "It's like old times," Fili laughed and watched Ovila kick a training dummy on her way from the grounds. "Except you've been replaced by a woman, Kili," Fili taunted and Kili shrugged, but there was a ghost of a grin on his lips. "You know," Fili continued. "At least Chalrim has the guts to go after the girl he wants."

Kili just frowned at his brother and Fili started talking to Dwalin and the male rangers. The men looked rather amused at Chalrim's babble and rather useless attempts at flirting with the female ranger and Dwalin just shook his head. He did mutter an apology for Ovila's outburst, but the men looked amused due to that as well and glanced up when Ovila stomped back into the training ground with a red faced, spluttering Ori dragged along behind her. Kili and Fili had to laugh at Ori being pulled into Ovila's madness, because of course he would be and he absolutely hated it, but was too terrified of her to say so. It was a wonder the two were friends, but they genuinely were and that was part of the reason Ori just couldn't say no to her. She shot a dark look at the female ranger and hauled Ori along by the arm towards the archery area.

"Go save Ori, lads," Dwalin sighed. "Don't need Dori making a fuss because his little brother's gone home with another bump on the head courtesy of our fair maiden."

"Fair maiden?" Kili repeated and snorted. "You have met Ovila, haven't you?"

"I believe it's called sarcasm, brother, and I would've thought you, of all people, would agree on the fair maiden bit," Fili grinned wickedly and watched with delight as his little brother's ears went red and he spluttered in protest.

"Aye," one of the rangers suddenly said and all eyes swung to him. "She is a pretty one."

Stunned silence fell for a moment, before three sets of Dwarven eyes darkened in protection for one of their own, one of their women, and Kili abruptly lunged forward. He slammed into the man that was twice his size and almost bounced off of him, but the man stumbled slightly and Kili punched him right in the gut. With a grunted oath, the ranger punched the young Dwarf square in the jaw and sent him flying back into Chalrim, who barely steadied him. In defence of his brother, Fili leapt into the fray with Dwalin following to defend his young recruits and Kili threw himself back into the fight with a battle cry that had everyone turning to look at the fight going on. The two rangers were exchanging blows with the Durin heirs, while Dwalin was attempting to keep the rangers at bay and bark out advice to Fili and Kili at the same time. He was torn between propriety and keeping his friend's and king's nephews safe, but Fili was already bleeding from the nose and Kili had a split lip and a cut over his eyebrow.

A stone suddenly pelted into the side of Kili's opponent's head, just as the man was about to hit him hard enough to put him out for at least a few minutes, and the man blinked, obviously dazed. Kili managed to twist free and glanced back to see the pale, but determined Ori stood with his slingshot and the furious Ovila being held back by Chalrim. The female ranger quickly stepped between her companions and the Dwarves and the men hesitated. Her green eyes were like ice and she gripped her short sword with an easy confidence.

"You attack our hosts?" her voice was sharp and clear and cold and the men glared silently. "These people have fed and clothed and housed us and you attack them?" she demanded icily and they snorted and walked away. "I apologise, Master Dwalin, for my companions' rudeness," she added quietly when the men had left and Ovila wrenched free from Chalrim's grip.

"Thanks, Ori," Kili grinned and winced when blood rushed down his chin from his lip. "Guess that slingshot's good for more than taking pot shots off the roof at squirrels."

"You foolish idiot!" Ovila shouted and shoved Kili hard enough that he staggered. "I know it was you that started it because Fili actually has a brain!" she snapped and she didn't like the unpleasant squirming in her stomach at the sight of all that blood, bruising, and swelling on Kili's face. "You need something to stop the swelling," she stated and grabbed the front of his coat to drag him away. "Ori! Fili! Chalrim!"

"I should probably make sure she doesn't kill him," Chalrim muttered and glanced at the female ranger. "Thank you, Hilda," he said softly and smiled slightly. "Come to the _Ladle_ tonight," he added with a cheeky grin and jogged after his sister with Ori and Fili.

Chalrim caught up with group as Ovila was shoving Kili into the butcher's and slammed him into a chair. She was scowling all over her face as she stomped into the back and Fili sat beside his little brother with an amused grin. Calim just shot Chalrim a questioning look that his twin shrugged at and Ovila soon reappeared with two steaks. None too gently, she slapped the steaks onto Fili's and Kili's faces and glared down at them with her hands on her hips. She looked startlingly like her mother in that moment, lips pursed, expression angry and stern, and body tense, and the brothers shrunk slightly beneath the look.

"What happened?" Ovila demanded heatedly and heavy silence was her answer. "I could always ask those rangers," she snapped and Kili scowled deeply, sending more blood gushing from the cut above his eye. "You're so stupid," she grouched, even as she pressed her handkerchief against the cut and bent over him to inspect his face further with a slight frown.

White teeth worried a pink bottom lip and blonde eyebrows furrowed above hazel eyes that gleamed with what looked like concern. Slim, calloused, lightly scarred fingers touched the bruising cheek and pushed the dark hair out of the way with surprising gentleness. A loose braid of blonde hair swung forwards to brush against the bruising cheek and dark brown eyes searched the frowning face. There was definitely worry in those hazel eyes and maybe that was why he finally gave into temptation and pressed his lips against hers.

There were numerous splutters of shock, but the only noise Kili focused on was the startled gasp of Ovila and he slipped a hand around the back of her neck to hold her in place. His lip was still bleeding and she could taste the metallic tang of the blood on her lips. She was too stunned to move, her eyes still open, fingers still rested lightly on his cheek, and her heart pounded furiously in her chest. Her thoughts had come to a screeching halt and all her mind could concentrate on were the chapped, warm lips pressed against her own.

Suddenly, something whacked into the pair's heads and they wrenched apart with startled yelps. Thondi glared at Kili lividly and Ovila winced when he was wrenched up by his ear and marched out of the shop. The furious shrieks about Ovila's honour echoed through Belegost and the Dwarf in question just pressed stunned fingers against her slightly smiling lips.

* * *

**As always, I thank you kindly for the reviews and everything else, especially those reviews I couldn't reply to personally. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**I forgot to mention this earlier, but I do not own anything you recognise, as much I would love my own personal Kili.**


	11. The Moonlight

Propriety.

In kissing Ovila without announcing his intentions formally to her family and the courtship being agreed by both families, Kili had gone against all sense of propriety. In running away with the female ranger Hilda, Chalrim had completely ignored propriety. In threatening to rip the ranger's still beating heart from her chest in an extremely loud voice at the exit of Belegost, Ovila had been extremely improper. In having to be dragged back home by Fili and Calim, she had destroyed any sense or inkling of propriety that she'd ever possessed.

There was nothing to be done about Chalrim, much to Ovila's fury, so the families focused their attentions on her and Kili's impropriety. To kiss in public in Dwarven society was already rather scandalous, but to do so when not formally courting or married was just disgraceful. The heads of the families - Baltil and Thorin - had to come together to discuss what was to be done and both immediately agreed that the pair were far too young to marry. The discussions and meetings took months and, during those months, the two in question weren't allowed to see one another.

It was frustrating, especially for Ovila who wasn't allowed anywhere near the training grounds and Thondi dogged her every step. Ovila just wanted to talk to Kili, find out exactly what in the name of Mahal he'd been thinking when he'd _kissed_ her, but that was impossible. The kiss just kept whirling around and around in her head and it made her smile slightly every time. It wasn't her first kiss (that'd gone to a Dwarf boy named Simar many years ago), but it'd made her heart pound and her head spin and had taken her breath away, just like all the stories said a kiss should. It may have tasted of blood and he may have been a little beat up, but that didn't stop her feeling all…gooey inside, which was not how a warrior should feel, female or not.

Four months after the incident, Ovila managed to corner Kili in the training grounds after dark during some celebration or another (it might have Balin's birthday, but she wouldn't put money on it). "Why?" was all she snapped and Kili looked like a startled deer, big brown eyes and cornered expression. "Why did you kiss me?" she elaborated, eyes narrowed, hands on hips, lips pressed firmly together in the most uninviting manner she could think of, and Kili just gulped. "Kili!" she barked and he opened and closed his mouth silently like a fish. "You look like a trout," she said bluntly and sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Do you-" she hesitated and bit her bottom lip. "Do you like me?" she finished and forced her voice to sound strong and firm, despite the quailing child that hid beneath her skin.

"I - I think so," Kili admitted and watched her tense shoulders relax slightly and her cheeks turn slightly pink the silvery glow of the moon. "Do you like me?" he asked cautiously with a hint of hope and she turned her face away, but he could see the red creeping up her neck.

"I guess," Ovila muttered with an awkward shrug and folded her arms across her stomach. She chanced a glance at him to see a smug grin filling his face and she slugged him on the shoulder quickly. "So, what do we do now?"

It was quickly decided that the pair would officially announce their intentions to court before Baltil and Thorin and, if neither liked it, who cared? At least, that was what Ovila said, despite the uncertainty that lingered in her eyes, and they stood firm together. All of the strength and stubbornness the two possessed came together for something they both honestly wanted to explore and Baltil struggled to find a reason to say no. He saw the furtive glances his daughter sent Kili's way and the way Kili stood slightly too close to her, ready to leap to her defence if necessary. It was never necessary where Ovila was concerned, as she came easily to her own defence and simply shouted louder if you disagreed with her. Kili, Baltil saw, would stand between any threat to Ovila and Ovila would do the same for Kili.

They fought, they bickered, they argued, but they'd never parted until he'd betrayed her trust all those years ago and, somehow, Thondi's and Dis' jokes of how they'd end up related by marriage didn't seem so funny anymore. In front of Baltil and Thorin were stood two, stubborn, determined young Dwarves set on courting to discover whether or not they could truly make a relationship work. They held their heads high (they looked so different, Baltil thought, like night and day) and Baltil and Thorin both paused at the braids tucked neatly behind the couple's ears.

_Courting braids_.

They weren't asking permission, Thorin realised, they were simply informing them of what was going to happen in a polite manner. "Why are we speaking on this subject when, clearly, you have already made up your minds?" Thorin asked, gesturing to the braids, and he saw colour touching Kili's ears and Ovila's cheeks.

"Things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand if Mother hadn't shouted about it through Belegost," Ovila pointed out and Thondi snorted in her corner. "It's true, Mother."

"That isn't the point, firecracker," Baltil sighed tiredly and shifted his stiff arm slightly. "You know you're supposed to ask permission before putting courting braids in."

"I can take it out and put it back in after you've agreed," Ovila offered and Thorin hid a smile at her spirit. Kili would certainly be kept on his toes with her.

"You're so _young_," Thondi protested and both young Dwarves scowled slightly. "You're in your forties, late forties, yes, but yet fifty, either of you, and you're so sure that you want to start this commitment," for once, she sounded calm and reasonable and, quite frankly, Ovila didn't like it at all, because it was harder to say no to that tone than the shouting. "Very few courtships end and, those that do, are frowned upon and the ones that broke the courtship, in nearly all cases, do not court again."

"Perhaps they should wait," Dis suggested and Fili shot his mother a quick frown. "Just ten years and see if those feelings are still present and, if they aren't, then no one is shamed and, if they are, then the courting can officially begin."

"Even fifty is a little young," Baltil hesitated. "Most don't marry until their early hundreds, at least."

"We don't want to wait," Kili argued with frown on his face and his fingers laced through Ovila's. "We want to court."

"You will wait ten years," Thorin stated firmly and watched the anger fill Ovila's face. Kili's eyes glimmered with the fury, but he hid it easier than the female and her fingers twitched the knife Thorin knew was hidden at her thigh. "It's the best course of action."

"Must we be kept apart in those years?" Ovila asked through gritted teeth and the adults exchanged quick looks of silent discussion.

"No, but you won't be courting and you mustn't be left alone together," Thorin decreed and glanced Fili meaningfully at the last bit. "If there are any untoward behaviours, another five years will be added onto the ten."

Neither spoke, just nodded stiffly, but they made no move to remove the courting braids or release one another. Thorin sighed slightly as he stood, exchanged a final word with Baltil, and made his way to the exit with Dis and Fili following. He turned his head to speak with Kili, but found himself speechless at the sight of his youngest nephew locking lips with Ovila. Baltil had politely turned his face away, as had Calim and Thondi, and Thorin followed suit after a moment. There were a few final, whispered words between the pair and Kili came away with a silver hair clasp clutched tightly in his hand, an identical one clutched by Ovila.

* * *

The first year, Ovila found, passed quite easily with kisses stolen in the shadows of houses and trees with laughter brought on by the thrill of it all. The second year found the laughter fading away with frustration and the irritation at hiding, no matter how many stolen minutes Fili or Calim managed to get for them. The third year found the meetings to be sparser and more desperate. The fourth year was full of arguments and bitter blame laid at one another's feet that they couldn't be together, not really. For the fifth and sixth years, they avoided one another and regretful glances were sent after each other.

It was the seventh year of their forced separation now and Dwalin sent the two, plus Fili, out together as a guard for a jewellery seller's caravan to Bree for the annual fair. Ovila and Kili were still refusing to speak to one another and the jewellery seller looked at his brother with raised eyebrows. Everyone knew about their forced time apart, but no one had actually believed they'd follow the rules and the air around them was tense and bitter. She rode at the front of the caravan and left the brothers to ride either side of the caravan.

"Mister Fimim, Mister Druim, we'll stop here for the night," Fili called when night threatened to fall and they reached a rock pass that was familiar to all three of the guards. "If that's alright," he sent towards Ovila most of all and she nodded.

"We're sheltered here and, with a big enough fire, it'll ward off any predators," Ovila stated in a cool, hard, calculating tone and dismounted. "We'll be safe enough."

Kili frowned, but dismounted from his pony and tethered the beast beside Ovila's. She tensed slightly when he passed too close to her, close enough that she could smell him, and it made a hard lump form in her throat. She hastily turned away to help Fili set up a fire to cook over and produced some meat from her pack. Calim's donation, she claimed as she began to roast the salted venison over the fire and Fimim and Druim sat opposite her, huddled up warmly in their cloaks. Fili was sat beside her, telling her a story about Dwalin scaring some recruit into peeing himself, and Kili stayed with the ponies.

The smiles that Ovila put on were small and lacked the life that'd spilled so easily from her before. Kili was quieter than he ever had been and Fili frowned at them both. To force them to be apart when they'd just realised that they cared for one another was cruel, he thought, so incredibly cruel, and they wouldn't have a chance to court until they were near sixty. He cared for them both and wanted them to be happy instead of this cold bitterness that'd settled over both of them. It didn't suit them, not when they were both so full of fire, laughter, and life.

"Who wants to take first watch?" Ovila asked when the meal was over and the jeweller brothers settled down to sleep by their caravan. "I don't mind doing it," she offered with a glance at the half moon and Fili and Kili glanced at one another.

"Wake Kili in two hours," Fili stated and Ovila nodded, eyes on the fire. "Goodnight, Ovila, little brother," he offered and settled down on his own bedroll.

There was a heavy look passed between Ovila and Kili and words flew up their throats, but the look was broken as she turned her face back to the fire and he laid next to his brother. She silently drew a knife and started to sharpen it for something to do, all the while listening carefully for any threat. There had been rumours of bandits and thieves of the roads for many years now, which was why more and more people were hiring Dwalin's recruits as guards and Fili and Kili were usually the choice of many. Fimim and Druim were transporting an extremely expensive load, however, and had requested an extra guard, which resulted in Ovila being chosen.

From Dwalin's smug expression, he'd known exactly what he was doing.

The four hours ticked by slowly and all of Ovila's weapons ended up being sharpened and neatly laid out by the fire. She woke Kili with a quick shake to the shoulder and slid into her bedroll when she was sure that he was awake and observing his surroundings. It took her a while to get to sleep, acutely aware of the warm body sat not two feet away from her, and she remembered the events of so long ago vividly. It was as though the attack had happened just minutes ago, rather than so many years, and she curled into a ball and hugged her axe close to her chest.

* * *

The next morning came and Ovila was snappish and waspish. She obviously hadn't slept well, her eyes underlined with dark marks, and her expression was drawn. She splashed cold water on her face and grunted Fili's careful question of whether or not she was alright. The cold water did little to help with her mood and she spent the rest of the journey in sullen, tired, sulky silence. Kili watched her worriedly, Fili noticed, but didn't say anything to her and, not for the first time, Fili cursed his brother's and his friend's stubborn natures. Neither would admit they missed the other until it was too late and all chance of courtship had fluttered away on the wind, or they were on their deathbeds. Stubborn fools, the pair of them, and they deserved each other.

Bree was busy, as it always was, and a few people here and there called greetings to the party of five. The jewellers were escorted to _The Prancing Pony_ and then the place they set up their stall. After that, the guards were free to go wherever they wished and Ovila went back to the inn. Fili and Kili amused themselves by wandering around Bree and Fili attempted to bring up the subject of a certain non-courtship, but Kili shut down as tightly as Erebor. Stubborn fool he was and Fili knew that better than anyone, because he'd been so even as a child that was sure he could climb the tallest tree and ended up falling out of aforementioned tree and breaking his arm.

It was only when night fell that Fili persuaded Kili that _The Prancing Pony_ was their best option and Kili reluctantly trudged after the blonde into the inn. There, sat at the bar with Nori leaning far too close to her, was Ovila with a pint of mead and she still looked tired and irritable. She picked at a plate of chips sat beside her and occasionally replied to Nori. She did smile when Ori approached and gave him a brief hug that he just smiled at and returned. Kili glared at his once friend and Fili quickly attempted to steer Kili away from innocent Ori, but Nori had noticed them and had called them over.

_Shit_, was all Fili thought.

Kili plastered on a grin and joined the trio at the bar. "Nori! It's been a while," it was the fakest attempt of cheer that Fili had ever witnessed and even Ovila spared Kili a look, her eyebrows lifted to her hairline.

"He's been getting into trouble with the rangers again, or so he claims," Ovila stated and took a gulp of mead. "What are you doing here, Ori? You never usually come to the fair," she asked suddenly and Ori shrugged and fiddled with his hand knitted cardigan.

"Mister Balin wanted some things for the academy," Ori stated and Ovila nodded. "Are you alright, Ovila?" he frowned with a hint of worry and she waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm fine," she promised.

"She's fine, she's always fine," Kili muttered and earned odd looks from the group. "So, what's everyone been up to?" he changed the subject quickly and Fili mumbled something under his breath about fools.

"I saw Chalrim last month," Nori offered and Ovila's eyes hardened at the mention of her brother. "Asked me to tell you he misses you and Hilda's had their first babe; a boy named Caldin."

"Can I have another?" Ovila shot at the bartender and another pint of mead was almost instantly in front of her. "Where is he?"

"Still travelling, but he wasn't too far from here when I saw him," Nori supplied and Ovila grunted in response. "He's happy-"

"Good for him," Ovila interrupted harshly and three sets of eyes flickered briefly to Kili to see if he would offer comfort, but he didn't and Fili ended up resting a hand on his friend's back soothingly. "He should be happy after abandoning his family for that human bitch."

More venom than had ever been directed at Kili filled Ovila's voice and she downed her mead in a few gulps. She threw some silver onto the bar and stood without so much as a glance back at her companions. Ori hesitated with a glance at Kili, then followed his friend outside and found her leaning against the wall with her head bowed. It was easy to see the sulking, loudmouthed, easy to anger child she'd once been as she hunched in on herself, shoved her hands into her pockets, and scuffed her toe against the ground. The talk of Chalrim had obviously upset her and Ori knew how much she missed her brother. Everyone had known how close the two had been, always talking and laughing, and, when he'd left, she'd been so caught up in her feelings for Kili she hadn't realised how much she'd missed him. Now, though, with all the confusion, the bitterness, the coldness that lingered between her and Kili, she longed for his presence and his comfort and his guidance.

"Maybe he'll be here," Ori offered and Ovila snorted softly.

"He knows I hate Hilda," she spat the name and her voice shook slightly. "It's not fair that she took him away, Ori."

"She didn't take him," Ori said gently and Ovila glared at him darkly. "He left with her because he loved her, but you're feeling angry and betrayed and you miss him, so you blame Hilda."

"They had a child," Ovila bit out and swung her gaze back to the ground. "He's definitely not coming home now."

"He might visit," Ori soothed and Ovila shrugged her shoulders. "You can't push him away if you do see him."

"What do you know? Your brother always comes back, your brother didn't leave in the dead of the night without even saying goodbye, your brother didn't leave because your family just wasn't good enough for him!" Ovila ranted furiously and Ori just let her shove him so hard he almost fell. "He didn't even say goodbye," her voice broke and a tear slipped down her cheek. "I thought he loved us."

"He does, but he loves Hilda too," Ori comforted and Ovila just swiped her hand over her cheek to get rid of the tear that lingered there. "I was surprised you and Kili didn't leave when they decided you had to be apart for ten years," Ori admitted softly and startled hazel eyes lifted to his face.

"We couldn't leave our families," Ovila murmured and folded her arms defensively in front of her stomach. "And Kili would never defy Mister Thorin, neither would I," she stated quietly. "He's a good person and he's just looking out for his family, for his people, and we have to respect that, even if we don't want to."

"Ovila, being mature and responsible," Ori teased with a slight grin and Ovila shoved him, but there was no real strength in it and she cracked a small smile. "You miss Kili, don't you?"

"He's right inside, Ori-"

"No, you miss him," Ori interrupted with sudden firmness and Ovila stared at her friend. "It's only three more years, you know, and then you can court him."

"It feels like so long and it hurts," Ovila admitted in a mumble and she rubbed her chest over her heart with a slight frown. "When did you get so astute, Ori? I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but one minute you're terrified to say a word to me and now you're giving advice," she forced a smile and ruffled Ori's hair, though she did have to reach a bit. "Not to mention you've sprouted your beard."

"You're my friend, Ovila, and I don't like seeing you sad," was the kind reply and tears welled up in her eyes. "Please don't cry."

"You're talking to the Phantom Firecracker," Ovila shot back and slid her arm through Ori's. "Come on, I need another drink."

"Are you going to talk to-?"

"Ori, one step at a time."

* * *

**This is my longest chapter yet, but I thought my magnificent readers deserved it after over 50 reviews! Cue fireworks, party poppers, and half naked Fili, Kili, and Thorin…I mean, what?**

**Anyhow, thanks to OhGodmylastpennamewasawful there is a name for the pairing of Ovila and Kili and it is - pause for dramatic drum roll - **_**Ovili**_**! It sounds vaguely Italian and makes me giggle slightly for reasons unknown.**

**As always, I bow down to you wonderful readers, reviewers, alerters, and favouriters!**


	12. The Ties

It hadn't been Chalrim's idea to go to the fair, it'd been Hilda's, and he knew the welcome he'd get from his sister, if she was there. He'd already seen Fili and Kili at an instrument stall, examining some fiddles, and they hadn't seen him. He didn't whether or not to be relieved about that, because he wanted to know if Kili and Ovila were courting yet and he hadn't seen any braids in Kili's hair, courting or no. Hilda seemed to understand, silently sliding a hand into his, and his other hand gripped Caldin's hand as he hurried along. He looked remarkably like his father with the same blonde hair and hazel eyes, but he had Ovila's wicked grin and even Hilda had commented on that. There was little of Chalrim's wife in their son, only the height, but Hilda loved him all the same and it only hurt slightly when Chalrim saw his little sister instead of his son.

"I want braids like Papa," Caldin announced as they walked past Bofur and Bifur's toy stall and both blinked at the sight of Chalrim. Chalrim just flushed slightly and gave an awkward little wave as he hurried on and Hilda gave a small smile. "Can I have braids like Papa, Mama?" Caldin asked with a hint of a whine and Hilda looked over at her son.

"If Papa says so," was the simple reply and Chalrim had to laugh when tiny arms latched around his leg and echoing pleads rung through the air. "I'll check us into the inn," Hilda said airily and walked away.

"Thanks," Chalrim muttered and swung his son high into the air. "Braids, huh? Well, you have to earn braids with beads and clasps like these," Chalrim stated and Caldin grinned at him.

"What 'bout her?" he asked, pointing behind Chalrim, and Chalrim turned his head and stared at the sight that met him.

Ovila was stood calmly at a weapon's stall, examining a small dagger with careful fingers, and she occasionally spoke to the stallholder. Her hazel eyes were intent on the weapon, which she held with confident ease, and she was already armed to the teeth. Her twin axes hung from her back, as they always had done, and another two, smaller ones were at her hips. Numerous knives were strapped to her waist, thighs, and he was sure he spied some in her knee length, black, leather boots. Her hair, as Caldin had noticed, was mostly loose, but had numerous braids clasps, beads, and bells fastening braids and none, Chalrim noticed, were courting braids.

"Bravery," Chalrim said softly. "Strength and there are five in one braid to represent her fiftieth birthday."

"She doesn't look _that_ old," the-four-year-old said dubiously, wrinkling his nose, and Chalrim grinned a little. "She looks a bit like you, Papa," Caldin stated and the grin faded slightly as Ovila paid for the knife, sheathed it, and slid it into her boot.

"Her name's Ovila," Chalrim murmured and Ovila walked in the opposite direction to them, not even seeing them. "She is my little sister."

"The Phantom!" Caldin cried excitedly, remembering the stories Chalrim whispered to him at bedtime, and Chalrim nodded. "I want to meet her!" Caldin begged and Chalrim hesitated. "Please, Papa, please," the child whined and pulled out the puppy dog eyes never failed to sway his father.

"Later," Chalrim relented and Caldin grinned widely. "When she's less armed and less likely to run me through," he added in a mutter that Caldin missed and the two carried on their way.

More Dwarves from Belegost were seen and Caldin was delighted to meet all these people from his father's tales. There was Ori and Nori, though Caldin had met the latter just the previous month, and there was Fili and Kili, who'd both warned them that Ovila was likely to kick Chalrim into the dirt. Caldin had liked Fili and his braided moustache and Kili hadn't had any braids, but he had had a bow that Caldin was fascinated with. They'd all soon had to move on, though, and Caldin was yawning widely when they entered _The Prancing Pony_ late that afternoon.

The scene that met them was surprising, but not all that unexpected and Chalrim just stared at his wife and sister stood opposite one another with weapons drawn. Ori and Fili were stood between them and Kili had a hand on Ovila's shoulder. The females were arguing furiously, one with livid fire and the other with hard ice, and Caldin stared at the scene with intrigued surprise. Ovila spun her axe in her hand (one of the smaller ones, Chalrim was pleased to note, because it meant she wasn't that serious just yet) and Kili snatched her wrist before she could fling the weapon.

"Ovila! Hilda!" Chalrim snapped and all heads turned to him. "What happened?" he demanded and Ovila snapped her mouth shut stubbornly. "Ori," Chalrim shot at timid little Dwarf and Ori loyally stood by Ovila.

"It was a mutual misunderstanding, Chalrim," Hilda said coolly and livid eyes glared at her. "Nothing to worry about," she insisted and Ovila snorted, but gave a jerky nod and holstered her weapon as Hilda did. "Your sister and I were just catching up on old times."

"You're the Phantom!" Caldin cried, wriggling free from his father's hands, and he sprinted over to Ovila. "Papa says you killed three Wargs all on your own and got your Papa away too!" he grinned excitedly and she stared at him warily, as though he were a Warg himself.

"My Father injured one, so I didn't do it alone," Ovila answered cautiously and Caldin grinned wider at her. "You must be Caldin," she softened her tone slightly and he nodded rapidly. "I heard from a friend that you wanted braids," she stated, crouching down, and she glanced back at Bofur, who raised his tankard with a grin.

"Papa says I can't have beads like yours until I've earned them," Caldin pouted slightly and Ovila's lips tugged at the corners into a slight smile.

"Beads, clasps, and bells must be earned," she conceded and Caldin glared at the floor. "This one, however," she stated and unclasped the smaller fixture from her hair. "Was one my mother - your grandmother - put into the very first braid she put in my hair when I was just a wee child, much smaller than you," she explained and the clasp was a pretty, dainty thing of silver with intricate swirling and patterns pressed raised from the metal. "It was made for her great-great-great-grandmother in the great fires of Erebor-"

"The lost kingdom!" Caldin chirped and Ovila nodded.

"Exactly and it's a family heirloom," she continued and Caldin's eyes shone. "Now, I think you're big enough to take care of it until you have children," she said and he nodded eagerly, reaching for the clasp, but she curled her fingers around it. "It has to be put in by a family member, as tradition states."

"Will you do it, Auntie Ovila?" Caldin blinked innocently and Ovila looked at him for a long moment. "Please?" he added hopefully and she straightened and held out her free hand.

"Let's find a quiet corner to eat, drink, and braid," Ovila agreed quietly and Caldin grabbed her hand with a wide grin on his round face. "That means mead, brother," she shot over her shoulder and took Caldin to a table near Bofur and Bifur. "Caldin, this is Mister Bofur and this is Mister Bifur; _the_ best toy makers around," she introduced and sat Caldin on the table in front of her as she sat in the booth and Caldin waved at Bofur and Bifur energetically.

"You look like your da did as a wee boy," Bofur stated, pointing at Caldin with his pipe, and Caldin straightened proudly. "Don't be too scared of her," he winked with a quick jerk of his thumb at Ovila and she made a face at him as she combed Caldin's hair.

"I'm not scared of anything," Caldin denied and Hilda smiled as she sat opposite Ovila and Ovila stubbornly ignored her. "Am I, Mama?"

"Fear is a good thing to have," Hilda replied calmly and Caldin frowned slightly. "Without fear, there is no caution and, with no caution, there is only stupidity."

"Auntie Ovila's not afraid of anything," Caldin argued and twisted his head to look at Ovila. "Are you, Auntie Ovila?"

"Wargs, I'm afraid of Wargs," Ovila said quietly and turned his head back to the front quickly.

"But you _killed_ Wargs-"

"Yes, but afraid of them I am and I will never underestimate them again," Ovila interrupted sharply and Caldin shrunk slightly. "Fear is a wise thing to have," she added in a softer tone and began to separate a section of hair into three. "The first braid is always the simplest," she started and her fingers were deft and nimble as she braided. "Just three strands plaited together and Dwarf children are taught as soon as they have hair."

Ovila went on to explain the different braids and, when she was done with Caldin's, she allowed him to inspect hers. She unravelled a few to show him how to do the more complicated ones and she was surprisingly patient with the child. Usually quick to anger and snap, she didn't even flinch when he attempted to braid her long hair and just removed his fingers from her hair and showed him the braid again. By the end of the night, he was curled up in her lap asleep and she had numerous baubles and lumpy braids in her hair. Little Caldin's braid hung neatly beside his face with the small, silver clasp gleaming in the candlelight and she silently handed him over to Hilda, who went up the stairs to give the siblings some privacy.

Privacy, though, was a relative term with Fili, Kili, Ori, Nori, Bofur, and Bifur eavesdropping from the next table.

"I'm sorry, firecracker," Chalrim sighed and Ovila glared at him. "Caldin likes you-"

"Come to Belegost with us tomorrow; Mother, Father, and Calim will want to meet the newest addition to the family," Ovila interrupted and stood. "I suppose _she_ can come too."

"She has a name."

"I know."

With that, Ovila walked away and Fili flashed Chalrim a thumbs up and a grin that was mimicked by Bofur. Kili just stared into his tankard of ale and gave Ori an odd look when the slightly younger Dwarf patted his shoulder. Ori flushed slightly and turned to speak to Chalrim, who joined the already rather full table. Chalrim's eyes narrowed a little on Kili, clearly looking for answers about the relationship issue, and Kili just left and muttered something about bed. It was left to the others to explain about the ten year waiting period, the anger, and the avoidance of each other. Chalrim just sighed and ordered another pint of ale.

* * *

Fimim and Druim were rather grateful for the extra hands that went with them back to Belegost and gave the six that accompanied them small gifts in gratitude with their wages. A ruby hair pin was given to Ovila, an emerald one to Hilda, and the males were all given heavy, silver bracelets. Caldin's didn't fit, so Hilda put it away until he was older and the gifts were thanked for reverently. The three recruits picked their wages up from Dwalin and it was almost painful to watch the emotionless farewells that Kili and Ovila exchanged.

Ovila led Chalrim, Hilda, and Caldin home with Caldin trotting at her side, eager to impress her, and she humoured him by listening to his tall tales about his own adventures. She let herself into the house and called for her mother and father. Calim would, no doubt, be working and she just smiled at Thondi when she bustled out of the kitchen and stopped at the sight of Chalrim, Caldin, and Hilda. Ovila simply went into the family room to wake her slumbering father and Caldin followed her.

"Father," Ovila urged and shook Baltil's shoulder. He awoke with a mumble and a groan, but spared a smile for his daughter and stared at Caldin with clear surprise. "Chalrim's home," she stated simply and Baltil sat up too quickly and stopped himself with a hiss when his back burned in protest. "This is Caldin," she introduced as she helped Baltil sit up and rested him comfortably in his chair. "Caldin, this is your Grandfather Baltil."

"Good morning, Grandfather," Caldin greeted politely and Ovila raised her eyebrows slightly, but stayed silent. "Auntie Ovila taught me lots of things on our way here," he said and Baltil looked at his daughter with surprise, but she was already on her way to her room and saying something about needing a bath.

"My little Ovila, huh? Well, what did she teach you, young one?" Baltil asked and Caldin sat Baltil's feet and began to recite everything Ovila had taught him.

Thondi, meanwhile, was glaring at Hilda and Chalrim was attempting to explain everything. Ovila just shot him that wicked grin as she disappeared into her bedroom and shut the door firmly. Clearly, no help was coming from her and she'd been so civil so as to leave them to Thondi to chew up and spit out. Chalrim always appreciated his sister's vengeful side before, until this moment when it was focused on him and Thondi was hissing at him and his wife about the shame they'd brought the family. She was trying not to upset little Caldin, who was still listing off everything Ovila had told him, word by word, on the two day journey to Belegost and Baltil just nodded with amusement.

Clearly, the child had some sort of hero worship for his aunt and, for her to actually tell him these things, meant that she was rather fond of him too. Ovila would never admit it out loud, of course, but, when the dust had settled and she was clean and in clean clothes, she sat with him on the ground and let him curl into her side. She didn't speak with him, instead talking with Calim about the journey, but she slid an arm around the child and rubbed his cold fingers soothingly.

Baltil had to smile at his family as they all crushed into his small home and he marvelled at how his three children had grown up. There was Calim that took care of the business and brought the money into their home. Chalrim had acted foolishly for love, but he had grown into a good man with a good wife and a lovely son. Finally, Ovila, his little firecracker, the troublemaker, had become strong, steady, and dependable and she still couldn't control her temper, but she would fight to her last breath for those she loved. They smiled and joked together as they always had and Baltil knew that, no matter where they went or what they did, his children would always come back together.

There wasn't a Calim without a Chalrim and there wasn't a Chalrim without an Ovila. Now, there wasn't a Chalrim without a Hilda and a Caldin. Their family had grown and, while Ovila and Hilda exchanged dark looks and rarely spoke to one another, there was a loyalty between them. Baltil could practically see the string that bound his family together, strong and glowing and unbreakable, and that string would lengthen and they could spread across Middle-Earth one day, but it'd never snap. Even Ovila's and Hilda's, though Baltil was certain that string in particular would be strained to capacity.

* * *

**I loved Chalrim too much to leave him out forever, so they have reunited and all is forgiven…mostly. Ovila's far too stubborn to let go of her hate for someone that easily, just look at how long it took her to like Kili.**

**Anyways, I wanted to answer a question from the guest reviewer Odi, which was if I was going to go into the movie and/or book. The answer is that I was always planning on going up to the beginning of the book and I've got a plan of where Ovila will come in after that, but that's a long, long way away. She won't be a part of the quest, she may meet Bilbo (I haven't decided yet), but she won't be a part of Thorin's company.**

**Thanks, as ever, for the reading, the reviewing, the alerting, and the favouriting! Till next time folks!**


	13. The Mutant

The rain was icy and sharp as it collided with Ovila's face and she frowned slightly. Her gaze flicked up to the sky, but the grey clouds showed no sign of moving on and a small sigh escaped her. It was typical really that it would rain on her return to Belegost after a two year absence with Hilda, Chalrim, Caldin, and new little Balili, though everyone shortened the babe's name to Lili. There had been difficulties with little Lili's birth and Chalrim had needed help, so Ovila went. Calim couldn't leave the shop, Thondi wouldn't leave Baltil, and Baltil was too ill to travel. He just hadn't been the same since the Warg attack and the family worried for him constantly.

Another sigh pushed free from Ovila's lips as she took in the familiar, comforting sight of the city rested at the base of the mountain and she smiled slightly. She'd missed Belegost and was eager to get back to the jobs she was made to do instead of caring for children. She did love Caldin and Lili, but she was made to heft axes and throw knives, not cradle children and sing them to sleep. The feel of an axe in her hand, the weight of a knife, the smell of the metal, all called to her and she missed her family and her friends. She actually missed Thondi's stern voice, desperately missed Baltil's soothing embrace and Calim's gentle smile. She missed Ori's steady, quiet, loyal presence and Bofur sneaking them free drinks at _The Golden Ladle_ when he was helping Bombur. She missed training with Fili and the banter that came so easily to them.

She missed Kili.

Ovila hadn't realised how much she'd liked to just _see_ him and know he was okay until she was gone. She knew the ten year mark had come and gone and she'd spent that day waiting, stupidly, for him to just appear so they could put those courting braids into their hair. He hadn't, she'd known he wouldn't, but it still hurt when he hadn't turned up, even if hadn't known where they were staying. It was just some little cottage in Dunland, rather isolated, and was so far from Belegost that there was no hope of him appearing. Perhaps she should've gone home, but her brother, Hilda, and the children had needed her and she couldn't just walk away. He'd understand, at least she hoped he'd understand, and her teeth worried her bottom lip nervously.

The entry gates only had a little traffic, so the pony was easily manoeuvred into the city and Ovila breathed in the familiar smells, sounds, and atmosphere of her home. Her smile grew slightly at the people hurrying here and there in a desperate attempt to finish their chores and get out of the rain as soon as possible. Heavy cloaks of various colours were wrapped around people, just as she wore one of dark green, and the rain made the fabric even heavier. The hood dripped water into her eyes, so she shoved it back carelessly and let the water slide over her hair and her face. Her blonde hair was quickly weighted down, frizzing and curling slightly at the moisture, and she closed her eyes and tilted her head back with a smile.

Ovila was home, she was _home_.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in!" a familiar voice laughed and Ovila opened her eyes to see Bofur, Bombur, and Bifur. "Welcome home lass!" Bofur grinned and Ovila grinned back, unable not to.

"It's good to be home!" she replied cheerfully and continued on her way. "I've missed everything dearly," she murmured to herself and steered the pony towards home.

No one was expecting Ovila back, as there'd been no set time that she would be away and she hadn't any means to send letters. Thondi would, no doubt, give her a lecture for staying away for so long, ask about Chalrim, Hilda, and the children, and that would be that. Baltil would give her a tight hug, welcome her home, and insist she have the last portion of dinner. Calim would ruffle her hair in that way only big brothers can and give her a hug tight enough to steal her breath away. Tomorrow, then, she would go to the training grounds and make sure everyone knew that she could still give them all a run for their money, no matter how long she'd been away.

The pony was soon stabled with the meat bulls, who snorted at Ovila and the shaggy pony derisively, and Ovila was soon letting herself into the house. She slid off her rain sodden boots and shook the lingering water from her hair. Her drenched cloak was hung up on the coat rack and yanked her socks off and stuffed them into her boots. The tiled floors were cool to her bare feet as she padded down the hall to the kitchen where her parents' voices were coming from, along with a few others. Ovila couldn't quite catch the others to recognise them with Thondi's sharp voice and she picked up an apple from the hall table where the fruit bowl resided. She took a generous bite and leaned casually on the frame of the kitchen door.

"I'm home."

Thondi cut herself off mid-sentence. Baltil jolted in his seat. Calim broke out into a wide grin. Fili's mouth fell open slightly. Thorin's eyebrows raised just a little. Dis stared with blatant shock. Kili's eyes widened and he gaped at the rain soaked Ovila munching on an apple in the doorway as though she hadn't been gone for two years. It was as though she wasn't a year and a half late for their ten year deadline and she hadn't changed in the slightest. Her hair was still impossibly long and curled in the rain. She still wore form fitting breeches, figure hugging shirts, and had her hair loose with too many braids, beads, bells, and clasps to count. She still had that grin with those bright, hazel eyes and she was still completely infuriating.

"You're home!" Thondi yelped and Ovila raised her eyebrows with a slight grin and her eyes finally descended upon their guests.

She promptly choked on the bit of apple still in her mouth.

"She's choking," Calim pointed out helpfully and Ovila managed to give a very rude hand gesture. "Is that what you taught Caldin this time?" he asked innocently and the apple smacked him straight in the nose.

"Ovila!" Thondi scolded and Ovila managed to dislodge the bit of apple choking her. "You're dripping water everywhere! You ridiculous child! Go and get a towel and get into some dry clothes!" Thondi barked and Ovila muttered something that earned her a good whack over the head. "_Now_!"

"Father-!"

"Welcome home, firecracker," Baltil grinned and stood to hug his daughter, even if she was soaking wet. "How is everyone?" he asked and Ovila grinned.

"Great, really great," she promised and hugged her father back tightly. "It's so good to see you, Papa," she whispered into his shoulder and his good arm tightened around her.

"I've been worried about you," Baltil admitted softly and held her at arm's length to inspect her. "You haven't changed at all," he said fondly and she laughed.

"I've been gone two years, Father, I wouldn't have changed too drastically," Ovila teased and he tugged on one of her braids. "With that look, anyone would think you didn't want me to come home," she shot at Thondi and Thondi's eyes narrowed.

"I've just cleaned this floor," Thondi bit out through gritted teeth and everyone looked at the puddle that was steadily forming about Ovila's feet and the tracks she'd left.

"I'm giving it another clean," Ovila replied cheekily and ducked beneath a swat with a tea towel. "I'm going!" she cried and bolted before Thondi could hit her again.

"Calim, go and get some cake," Thondi ordered and Calim sighed, but stood. "Her favourites," Thondi added and allowed herself to smile. "Ridiculous child," she added softly and shook her head as her son left and braved the rain.

"Where's she been again?" Fili asked curiously and Kili glared at his brother.

"Hilda had a little trouble with the second birth - I've always said that woman didn't have wide enough hips for a Dwarf child, let alone two," Thondi answered and clucked her tongue. "I would've gone, but I couldn't just leave and Ovila offered to help look after the little ones, but it must've taken Hilda a little longer than expected to get back onto her feet."

"So, she wasn't here because of family commitments that were necessary and unavoidable," Fili directed this at Kili and Kili squirmed slightly in his seat, suddenly finding the tabletop very interesting. "Interesting," Fili grinned and Kili punched his brother in the arm.

"Kili," Dis scolded absently and Kili frowned a little.

Ovila was back and the fact made Kili feel uneasy. He'd waited for her to saunter through the gates at the end of the ten years and for things to just magically snap back into place. Part of him, a rather large part of him really, had known that it wouldn't happen and things weren't magically fixed. They'd have to talk and have one of those awkward conversations where they discussed feelings and she'd probably cry and he'd awkwardly pat her shoulder. It'd never happened between them before, but, if it ever would, that conversation would be the thing that started it and he wasn't looking forward to it. He couldn't actually recall ever seeing Ovila cry and he didn't want to.

Suddenly, an eardrum shattering scream rattled the beams on the ceilings and everyone bolted down the hall to find the origins of the scream. Stood on a bed with a knife clutched tight in her hand in her room was Ovila and she had her eyes glued to her trunk. There was a flash of movement, followed by another shriek, which was closely echoed by Thondi, and Thondi ran back to the kitchen as fast as she could.

"KILL IT!" Dis yelled at her brother and Thorin sighed heavily.

"It's a mouse."

"_That is not a mouse! That is a __mutant_!" Ovila bellowed and the mouse, maybe slightly bigger than the norm, scurried across the floor in search of a better hiding place.

Fili and Kili were too busy laughing hysterically to be of any help and there was a sudden squeak that was quickly silenced. A small dagger pinned the mouse to Ovila's skirting board and Thorin shook his head at the females. Dis could stand up to the biggest men with no fear, Ovila was a strong warrior in her own right, and Thondi could strike fear into the hearts of the strongest with a look, yet they all turned into shrieking imbeciles at the sight of a mouse.

Ovila cautiously stepped down from her bed and cleared her throat awkwardly. "If you tell anyone, I'll gut you," she threatened Fili and Kili and they just carried on laughing. "It is not that funny!"

"I've missed you," Kili gasped out and hugged her tightly with a grin on his face. He felt her tense slightly in surprise, but that faded surprisingly quickly and her arms slid around his middle. "You're late, you know," he muttered into her ear and she tightened her arms around him slightly.

"Sorry about that," Ovila murmured in reply with a small smile. "I missed you too," she admitted quietly and he tugged on her wet hair. "But, I guess I forgive you," she stated and left the room.

"For what? I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly!"

"I don't understand girls," Kili said to Fili, Thorin, and Baltil earnestly.

Three sets of raised eyebrows were Kili's reply.

* * *

**I'm not that happy with this chapter, but I this was all I could come up with and I hope you like it!**

**Thank you to everyone that read, reviewed, alerted, and favourited this story, especially those I couldn't reply to personally :D**


	14. The Wedding

The braids were barely noticeable in blonde and black hair. They'd been carefully woven in so as not to attract too much attention, but people saw and people whispered. Kili's was rested just behind his ear, mostly hidden with the rest of his hair, and only the silver clasp on the end caught people's attention. Ovila's was amongst the numerous other braids she wore and only distinguished by the unique, six strands needed to create it and the silver clasp bearing another's name hanging at the end.

Kili and Ovila were officially courting and it was about time.

At sixty-two and sixty-five, they'd been dancing around one another for over fifty years and now they were finally together _properly_. They didn't really act like it in public, still bickering lightly, but they could be seen, on occasion, walking through the city with their hands linked together. They were exploring this relationship carefully after the disaster of rushing in before and it was rather strange for them. It was best, they'd both decided, to take things one step at a time and tread carefully into this newfound territory. There were arguments, of course there were ("_you're the one that left!" "You're the one that was too dense to just admit how you were feeling!" "Me?! What about you?!_"), but things weren't as explosive as they could've been. The time ticked by slowly, allowing the couple to get used to one another once more, and they were surprised to find that a year passed before they'd really grasped it.

Yuletide was fast approaching with Chalrim, Hilda, Caldin, and little Balili back in Belegost, and Ovila was attempting to sleep. Caldin and Balili weren't having any of it, though, and leapt on their aunt's bed to wake her up. She groaned and Balili kindly wrenched on Ovila's hair, nearly tearing some of it out. With a grumble and a scowl, Ovila sat up and threw the covers back. The children laughed happily as she dressed in her warmest clothes and sent them to get their own, coats, gloves, scarves, and hats. A quick glance out of the window told her that the little monsters wanted to go out in the snow and she would not be responsible for them catching colds.

Half an hour later, Ovila was leading her niece and nephew out into the thick flurries of snow and Balili immediately squealed and demanded to be picked up. The snow came up past the child's knees and Ovila had to laugh as she swung the little girl up onto her shoulders. Caldin just ran through the snow with delighted whoops and dropped down to make snow angels. Ovila let him for a moment, but soon hauled him up and urged him towards her own destination. If she had to be up this early on her day off, then someone else could too and she smirked slightly.

The door to the house in question was just being opened when the trio arrived and Thorin looked at the snow covered group for a long moment. "His room's the second on the left," Thorin stated simply and left the door open as he made his way to the forge. "Fili's is opposite."

"Thank you Mister Thorin!" the trio chimed simultaneously and Balili wriggled to the ground to help scoop up snow with her brother and aunt.

With as little noise as possible, the three crept up the stairs to Kili's room and Ovila pressed a finger to her lips when Balili giggled. Honestly, that child had none of her mother's tact or her aunt's sneaking skills and Ovila shook her head slightly at the thought. She nudged open Kili's door and paused at the sight of him. He was curled up in a ball on his bed, snoring loud enough to wake up a rock, and had the blankets drawn tight about him. Poor little lamb was cold and she had a moment of hesitation, before she remembered how he'd shoved her into a freezing lake just two weeks ago.

The snow was dropped and a very unmanly shriek followed, especially when Balili scrambled onto the bed and shoved the snow right into Kili's face. "Morning, honey," Ovila smiled sweetly, throwing a spare snowball from hand to hand, and Kili's eyes narrowed on her.

"Don't you dare," he warned.

The snowball slammed into his chest and Ovila snatched Balili, grabbed Caldin's hand, and bolted. Fili blinked sleepily at them from his doorway, then caught sight of his snow covered brother and started laughing so hard he doubled over. Kili shot out of his snow drenched bed, shuddering from the cold, and bellowed out promises of revenge against his darling courting partner. He shook the snow from his hair, threw off his freezing sleeping clothes, and hastily dressed in his warmest things. Yells at his brother urged Fili to do the same and Dis stopped them on their way out to shove hats onto their heads, much to their annoyance. She tied scarves around their necks and forced gloves onto their hands.

Finally, Kili and Fili were allowed outside and Fili yelled when a snowball smacked into the side of his face. Caldin's mischievous giggle followed and Ovila's loud, clear, cheery laugh sounded with Balili's bell like giggles. They were stood a little down the street behind a snow covered wagon. Balili was on Ovila's hip and Caldin was peeking out around the side of the wagon. Ovila just stuck her tongue out childishly and took another snowball from Caldin and threw it with deadly precision. It hit Kili right in the face and the brothers looked at each other.

Battle cries echoed through the streets as snow was gathered up and flung back and forth. Balili spent most of her time on Ovila's shoulders, clinging to her aunt's hair, and Caldin was quick on his little feet. His aim could use some work, since his snowballs seemed to keep glancing their targets, but Ovila would soon put him right and she yelled out instructions. They were all grinning like idiots, though, and laughter punctured the war cries so they weren't threatening in the slightest.

"Wait! Wait!" Fili cried breathlessly and Caldin and Ovila stopped with snowballs about to fly. "Let's get Ori," Fili suggested with that wicked grin that his brother and Ovila loved so much and the snowballs were dropped.

"Let's get Ori," Ovila agreed and shook the snow from her hair. Balili squealed happily as she was swung down to Ovila's hip and Ovila frowned slightly at the red nose and cheeks of the small child. "We might be able to get something warm to drink from Dori," stated Ovila and Balili grinned happily. "Are you cold, Lili?"

"I'm cold," Kili whined and slunk closer to Ovila. "Can you carry me?" he pouted, tugging on her hair, and Balili abruptly whacked him on the nose with her little fist. "Hey!"

"Mister Fili will carry you," Balili said firmly and possessively grabbed the laughing Ovila's scarf. "_My_ Auntie Ovila," Balili stated and Kili rubbed his nose with a scowl.

"I pity any boy that courts you," Kili muttered and Balili stuck her tongue out at him.

"Boys are stinky," Balili retorted and wrinkled her little nose. "No kissing, it's yucky."

"Kissing isn't yucky," Fili said slyly. "Just ask your Auntie Ovila and Uncle Kili."

"They don't kiss," Balili argued and Ovila's cheeks and Kili's ears turned red.

"They do," Caldin put in helpfully and all eyes swung to him. "I saw them yesterday outside the house when Nana told me to get Aunt Ovila for dinner."

"Yucky! No kissing! Kissing's bad!" Balili scolded and smacked Ovila and Kili on their heads. "No more kissing!" the child shouted and the two in question just looked extremely embarrassed. "Or I'll tell Nana," Balili added threateningly and both looked terrified. "_And_ I'll tell Miss Dis."

"Tell Miss Dis what?" a cool voice asked and everyone swung round to find Thorin walking through the snow with Balin and Dwalin.

"That Auntie Ovila and Uncle Kili have been kissing," Caldin answered with that evil little grin that Ovila vowed to wipe off of his face the second she had a chance and Balili made a disgusted sound. "Papa says they're allowed to kiss, because they're courting."

"That's true," Thorin agreed and Balili shook her head.

"No," she denied and everyone looked at the child with amusement. "Kissing's yucky," she said stubbornly and folded her little arms over her chest.

"I guess that means you don't want kisses," Fili sighed and Balili barely had time to squeal before Fili swept her into his arms and smacked a loud kiss against her round, chubby cheek.

"NO! Bad Mister Fili! _No kissing_!" Balili cried, giggling, and she swatted at Fili's face uselessly. "You're a bad Mister Fili," she said firmly and poked him in his long nose. "Because you kissed me, we have to get married now," she decided and Kili and Ovila clung to each other as they laughed helplessly.

Thorin's eyebrows rose slightly and Balin and Dwalin exchanged broad grins. "You two haven't even courted," Thorin pointed out and Balili sighed, as though Thorin were slow.

"Mister Fili's the one that kissed me and Papa said that the only boy to kiss me will be the one I marry, so Mister Fili has to marry me now," the three-year-old babbled with a screwed up, serious face and Thorin's lips twitched at the corners.

"We can get Mister Ori to do the ceremony! He knows _loads_ of stuff!" Caldin grinned and Ovila and Kili spluttered with delighted laughter at Fili's horrified expression.

"You did kiss her, Fili," Balin said when the Dwarf in question looked to the adults for help and Fili's mouth fell open slightly. "You'll just have to marry her now," Balin sighed and Thorin nodded his agreement.

"Let's go, Mister Fili," Balili declared imperiously and yanked on Fili's braids. "We have to get to Mister Ori's house so he can do the thing."

"Yes, Fili, you must join the family as my nephew," Ovila taunted and Fili sighed.

"Let's just get this over with," he relented and glanced at his clearly amused uncle, though the smile was hidden well in Thorin's beard. "Won't you join us, Uncle?" he asked airily. "Your heir is getting married after all."

"Mister Thorin has work to do!" Balili scolded and whacked Fili across the head. "He's stupid," she added to Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin. "Stupider than Uncle Kili."

"When did I get dragged into this?" Kili asked the giggling Ovila and she shrugged helplessly. "She's like a miniature Thondi," Kili observed with amusement as Balili barked out orders at Fili and Fili was forced to say his goodbyes to the elder Dwarves and make his way to Dori's and Ori's home.

"We should follow them," Ovila said and quickly bowed at her superiors. "I'll keep him as safe as possible," she promised and grabbed Caldin's hand to pull him after Fili and Balili.

"You'll have a new niece soon, Uncle," Kili grinned and jogged after Ovila and Caldin.

The trip took longer than it should when Caldin begged to get a warm cake from the bakery and Ovila ended up having to pay for everyone to have one. She was just grateful she'd thought to tuck her purse into the pocket of her cloak and they were all soon munching on warm cakes that'd just come out of the oven. Balili was still being carried by Fili and Caldin was trotting along at his side and giving a lecture on how to look after Balili. Ovila and Kili followed behind with their gloved hands linked together and their other hands occupied with stuffing cake into their mouths. _Simple minded creatures_, Fili thought fondly with a glance back at his brother and Ovila and Balili was chattering cheerily about their impending nuptials.

Caldin was the one to knock on the door of the house Dori, Ori, and occasionally Nori lived in and a grumbling Dori opened it. He stared in surprise at the snow covered group on his doorstep, especially when Balili chirped that she and Fili were getting married and Fili merely smiled, though it did look rather like a grimace. With the wise decision to not ask questions, Dori stepped aside and allowed them all to go and find Ori, who was sat by the fire with a book and a cup of hot tea.

"Fili, Kili, Ovila, Caldin, Balili," Ori greeted with a small smile and Caldin and Balili immediately started crowing about the wedding that was to happen. "Wedding?" Ori interrupted gently. "Whose wedding? Ovila's and Kili's?"

"No! Mine and _Fili's_!" Balili cried. "He kissed me, so he has to marry me."

"On the cheek," Ovila promised at Ori's expression and Fili looked insulted. "They want you to perform the ceremony," Ovila added and Ori smiled a little.

"Will you, Mister Ori?" Caldin smiled hopefully and Ori felt rather cornered.

Ten minutes later, the group of six were stood in the snow with a few onlookers as Fili and Balili recited fake vows and were 'wed'. Balili did kick Fili when he kissed her forehead and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from teaching the children many words they shouldn't know. Ovila and Kili just grinned innocently at him and waved cheerfully. Ori was obviously trying very hard not to laugh and Caldin was giving another talk on taking care of Balili.

"Hey, Kili."

"Yeah?"

"You know the snow was revenge for pushing me into that lake, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, you also know that I still haven't had my revenge for the time you told Bombur that I was carrying your child?"

"That was a joke."

"Exactly, just like when I told him that you were actually part Hobbit and that was why you couldn't grow a beard."

"You _what_?! You can't grow a beard either!"

Ovila just grinned all over her beardless face, kissed him, and bounced over to lug her niece and nephew home. Balili was half asleep after her wedding and Caldin was eager to inform his parents, grandparents, and Uncle Calim of their excitement. The laughter from their aunt bounced through the streets and she flashed Fili, Kili, and Ori a grin over her shoulder, before she turned a corner and disappeared into the snow.

* * *

**This chapter was inspired by the snow that's drowned my house and, also, please don't kill me for the slightly misleading chapter title. There was a sort-of wedding after all!**

**Thanks, as always to those that reviewed, alerted, and favourited!**


	15. The Beardless

Ovila's and Kili's children were going to be beardless.

It was a realisation that Thondi had come to quite abruptly as she watched her daughter and Kili arguing over something in the kitchen six years into their courting. Ovila didn't even have the slightest bit of stubble on her face, which had always been a cause of embarrassment for Thondi, and Kili's beard was a scraggly thing, so he kept it cut to stubble. It would've been better, Thondi observed, if Ovila had decided to pursue Fili instead, because at least Fili had a beard and thicker hair than Kili's thin, dark locks. Ovila, as always, though, had to be difficult and was going to provide Thondi with beardless, Dwarf grandchildren that would no doubt look as though they'd been descended from Elves. It was an embarrassment, because, if Ovila was courting Fili instead, they would produce lovely babes with long, luxurious hair and beards of gold.

Kili's and Ovila's children were going to be beardless and Thondi frowned at the images she had.

"I hope you understand that, in allowing this-" Thondi gestured to the courting couple still arguing over the last cake "-we will have beardless grandchildren," she said to Baltil and Baltil looked up at her from his comfortable spot in his armchair.

"As long as they're happy," Baltil smiled and Thondi snorted and rolled her eyes. "Thondi, they've been courting for six years and I don't think they're giving up on one another anytime soon," Baltil reasoned gently and heard his daughter snort angrily. "You used to joke about them getting married, remember?"

"Beardless grandchildren, Baltil, and you don't even realise the gravity of the situation," Thondi snapped and marched into the kitchen to find Ovila and Kili still bickering. "Haven't you two got work today? Or training? Or hunting?" Thondi asked tiredly as she stepped around them to make tea.

"Kili wants to go hunting, but I don't and Mister Dwalin says that, if he sees either of us in the next week, he'll smack our heads together until they're one," Ovila answered and Thondi was about to ask why Dwalin would do such a thing, but decided against it. "I've got an escort mission tomorrow and Kili has one in three days, but, today, we have nothing to do."

"Then go out and enjoy the weather," Thondi suggested in her most patient tone and Ovila and Kili glanced out the warm sunshine. "Perhaps visit Thorin and Dis in the forge, or Balin and Ori at the Academy, or Bofur and Bifur at their stall," Thondi continued. "_I don't care_, just get out of my kitchen!"

A moment of silence passed and Ovila sighed. "Mother, if you wanted us to leave, you should've just said so instead of being so rude," she stated with a sly smirk and Thondi eyes narrowed as the girl laughed, grabbed Kili's hand, and left the kitchen. "Father, we're going out, do you want anything?" Ovila asked Baltil and poked her head into the family room where he was sat.

"No, thank you, firecracker," Baltil smiled tiredly and Ovila went over to him and pressed a kiss against his temple. "Just have a nice time and try not to get into too much trouble - you are sixty-eight now."

"Trouble just finds me, Father," Ovila retorted, laughing, and Baltil's gaze flickered to Kili, who was leaning against the doorframe and waiting for her with a surprisingly patient.

They argued like cats and dogs on a good day (on a bad day, people were usually running for cover), but they stuck firmly together and denied those that claimed they wouldn't stick together. Their courting braids were still in their hair, though rather frayed by now, and that in itself was an achievement. The longer the braid stayed in the hair, the longer the courtship, or so the belief was. Baltil remembered that his and Thondi's braids had stayed in their hair for ten years, right up until their wedding when the clasps on the braids were removed from the hair and fastened together to signify their union. So, if the superstition was true, Ovila and Kili were going to be together for a long while and that thought, despite the potential for beardless grandchildren, made him smile.

"Father? Are you alright? You've gone off into one of your little daydreams," Ovila frowned worriedly, laying a hand against Baltil's whiskered cheek, and he smiled at her.

"Oh, I'm fine, just an old man lost in his thoughts," Baltil chuckled and patted her hand. "You two go now, before your mother gets even more annoyed that you're wasting the sunshine."

"She hates it when I'm in the sun, because I get sunburned so easily," Ovila countered, but she was smiling and she kissed his forehead a final time. "Alright, I'll be back later tonight," she promised and left with Kili.

"Look after her," Baltil added to Kili's back and Kili turned.

"I would if she'd let me, Mister Baltil," he laughed and Ovila swatted him across the back of the head. "When are Chalrim, Hilda, and the children getting back? I think Fili's missing his mini wife."

Ovila's giggles made Baltil smile as she shut the door behind herself and Kili and Baltil looked at the window. They walked past with their hands linked and smiles on their faces. He was happy that his daughter was happy and had found someone that accepted all of who she was. He had never thought it'd be Kili, perhaps sweet little Ori, or even steadfast Fili, but not impulsive Kili that she fought with so viciously as a child. It was Kili and she was happy and Baltil had an inkling that she loved him, even if she hadn't admitted it yet. Kili loved her, Baltil was sure of that after the boy had fought those two rangers in defence of her. A smile tugged at Baltil's lips as his eyes fell closed and he sunk heavily into his armchair.

* * *

The black cloth was pinned to the door with a long dagger with a worn, leather hilt and sharp, mean looking blade. It was hardly the traditional method of letting the city know of the death that'd occurred in the family. The cloth was usually pinned to the door with simple nails, but Ovila had clearly had a part in it and it was her silent, unsubtle way of telling everyone to stay away.

The usually rambunctious, loud house stood unsettlingly silent and still for the moment and no one quite wanted to approach. It was customary for neighbours and friends to go to the house and offer their respects and condolences with an offer to provide anything they could to be of help. It was their way of showing that they were there for those who had lost and wanted to aid and help them in any way they could.

It was the knife, though, and most looked at it and felt uncertainty turn their stomachs. It was obviously well taken care of and, if she saw fit to abandon that one for the moment, they didn't like to think what others she had at her disposal. Few would brave going into a house they were obviously unwelcome in and few would disturb a mourning family that clearly wished to be left alone. Kili and Fili were some of those few and they'd dragged little Ori into it, as they always did.

"Ovila needs us," Fili said firmly to the scholar and Ori gulped, but nodded. "Mister Baltil's - " Fili faltered slightly, remembering the kind butcher that always gave them free produce, and his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he gulped. "Mister Baltil's dead and Ovila and her family need to know they aren't alone, even if they don't want anyone there for the moment."

"Come on," Kili urged with a deep frown on his face and he didn't even bother knocking. He opened the door, as he was wont to do in recent years, and strode in. "Ovila? Calim? Miss Thondi?" he called and Calim stepped out of the kitchen. He looked uncharacteristically rumpled, his hair and beard knotted and tangled and left to fall messily down his back and chest and his clothes looked slept in. "We're here to pay our respects," Kili said firmly, but quietly and Calim's lips tugged upwards at the corners slightly.

"Most with respect would knock," he replied gruffly and rubbed a hand down his face. "Mother and Ovila are sleeping," he stated tiredly with a heavy sigh and the other three males shuffled their feet slightly. "They haven't slept since it happened."

"Mother will be over later and Thorin too," Fili offered softly and Calim nodded. "We're not much of cooks, but we can help in other ways."

"I can cook," Ori stated and Fili and Kili looked at him with surprise. "You should rest, Calim, and we'll take care of things."

"No-"

"You heard the scholar, go," Kili interrupted with his usual grin, but it lacked its warmth and ease and Calim looked at the three in silence for a long while.

Calim had known Fili, Kili, and Ori for as long as they had known Ovila and that was a good many years. He called them his friends, just as he knew he was counted amongst theirs, but he was well aware that they were there for their Ovila. His own friends had dropped by briefly the previous day, a few hours after the cloth had been stabbed into the door, and had stayed for barely an hour. He knew that they were uncomfortable with Thondi's sobs from her room and Ovila's rhythmic sharpening of her weapons on the kitchen table, but Fili, Kili, and Ori were there and they were going to help whether he, or anyone else, liked it or not.

"Thank you," Calim said simply and gratefully made his way to his room.

Fili went to chop wood for the fire from the logs in the garden, Kili started on the cleaning, and Ori began to cook. They worked in silence, for the most part, but Kili did have a few, muttered oaths when he couldn't find where things went or nearly broke something. Ori concentrated solely on his cooking and made sure the stew had everything it needed in it to make it perfect. Fili was in charge of lighting the fires when the firewood was cut and ready and Kili glared when his brother managed to spill coal dust all over the newly swept floor.

The hours passed rather quickly when they were doing something and they worked as quietly as possible, fearful of waking those that slept. They would need their rest, the three males knew, as the burial was the next day and no one was looking forward to that. Kili shifted uncomfortably at the thought of the burial, as he had been too young to remember his own father's burial and just had vague recollections of crying as the stone lid was slid onto his father's tomb. Fili had held his hand, he remembered that much, and Dis had carefully put braids into his hair the morning of the burial.

"Oh," a soft voice brought all three Dwarves' attention to the kitchen doorway and Thondi stood there. She didn't really look like Thondi with her blonde hair falling messily around her pale, drawn face and her hazel eyes red rimmed and underlined with dark marks. "Would you boys like a cup of tea?" she asked and the soft voice didn't sound right coming from the fierce Dwarf woman that usually made all three cower with a look.

"I'll get it," Fili murmured and Kili stood to guide Thondi to a seat. "Ori's made some stew, if you'd like some, Miss Thondi, and Mother and Thorin will be here soon," Fili offered and Thondi sat down and gave a small nice.

"That'd be lovely, thank you," she sounded distracted, as though she wasn't really listening to what they were saying, and she was shivering slightly. "It smells lovely, Ori," she added distantly and Kili draped a blanket over her shoulders. "Thank you."

"Anything we can do to help," Kili promised and Thondi nodded. "I'll go to the shops before they close and get a few things," he stated and Fili nodded his agreement. "Tell Ovila if she wakes up when I'm gone."

"Ovila's gone," Thondi muttered and her eyes filled with tears as her bottom lip trembled. "Her bed's empty."

"When? Where did she go? Calim said she was asleep!" Kili fired out rapidly, even as he ran down the hall to Ovila's room and threw open the door.

Sure enough, the bed was empty, still made, but Ovila's weapons were still hanging from the handles on the wardrobe and were littered over her trunk and her boots were still stood neatly at the end of her bed. The window was firmly shut and the wardrobe was closed. The only thing missing was Ovila and it was very strange.

"Ovila?" Kili called cautiously and silence met him. He frowned at the empty room and took a step inside.

Ovila hadn't gone past Kili or the others and Calim had been sure she was asleep, so she had to be in here and he just had to find her. He was sure she hadn't left her room and she couldn't close the window from the outside, which meant she had to be in there _somewhere_. He checked the wardrobe, the trunk, behind the curtains, and, finally, beneath the bed.

There, curled into an impossibly small ball, was Ovila and she was twining a lock of her hair around her fingers over and over again. Kili wriggled under the bed with her and laid on his back beside her small, curled up form. She didn't look right, much like her mother hadn't, and seemed unbelievably delicate. Her hazel eyes were red rimmed from tears, which had dried on her pale cheeks, and her gaze was stuck firmly on her hair.

"I used to hide under the bed when I was a kid," Kili said quietly and Ovila's fingers paused in their movements briefly. "Whenever I was in trouble, or was angry with Fili or my mother or Uncle Thorin, I'd hide under the bed, sometimes for hours," he continued and her eyes flickered up to him.

"I don't want to come out yet," her voice was hoarse and cracked and it shook slightly, but Kili just nodded and slid his folded hands beneath his head.

"Okay."

* * *

**Sorry for the long update wait! I won't bore you with excuses, but thank you so much for reviewing, alerting, and adding this story to favourites!**

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	16. The Hiding

Black didn't suit Ovila, not really, because it washed her out and made her look even paler than she already was and it made her blonde hair look near white. It made her look old, far older than her sixty-eight years, and Kili frowned at her worriedly. He wanted to take away the pain she was in, but he had to stand back and allow her to let her, her brothers, and her mother lead the funeral precession to the burial site. She was refusing to let anyone see how much she was hurting, far too proud and stubborn to allow anyone to see that, but her friends knew and her family knew.

With trembling hands, Thondi clung to Ovila's arm, probably in a search for some strength, some sort of stability, the kind that Baltil used to provide her, and Ovila didn't even seem to notice. Her hazel eyes stared ahead resolutely and her jaw was tight in her efforts to keep her emotions in check. Thondi knew that her daughter wouldn't allow the world to see her tears, wouldn't let anyone but those most trusted to see just how much pain she was in, and she needed that. Her sons allowed their tears to shine in their eyes, unashamed of their grief, secure in the knowledge that they wouldn't be judged, but Ovila only had that security with her friends and Kili.

Caldin and Balili were too young to really comprehend what'd happened and just clung to their mother's hands tightly. They could sense the sadness and grief in their family, though, and were quieter than they normally were. Caldin understood more than Balili did and followed his Aunt Ovila's stance on being stoic. Balili was just uncertain, even frightened, at the strange, unnatural solemnity that'd fallen over her usually loud and rowdy family. She wanted her father's gentle smile back, her mother's small, near invisible smile, her grandmother's eye rolls and heavy sighs, Uncle Calim's easy laughs and grins, and Aunt Ovila's teasing and cocksure smirks. More than anything, she missed her grandfather's kind, wrinkled face and the way he'd let her perch on his knee and chatter incessantly about nonsense.

The mournful hymns increased in volume as they neared the open tomb were Baltil's too still body lay and Ovila had to hold on tightly to Thondi to stop her from recoiling. Ovila's face just turned slightly paler and Kili had to force his hands to stay at his sides at the slight tremble he saw roll through her shoulder. He watched silently as Calim, the new head of the family, strode over to the head of the tomb and knelt to press a respectful kiss to Baltil's cold forehead. He whispered the blessing for Baltil to go to the Halls of Mahal with his family's love and support and the others in his family echoed the blessing, even little Balili clinging to Hilda's hand.

"Let Mahal's strength lead you to his halls, where you shall find peace to drink and dine with your long lost kin and where we shall find you when our times come to their end."

The family knelt around the tomb, each kissing Baltil's cold face, and Caldin wormed his way into Ovila's side when she was knelt. He wrapped one of her braids around one of his fingers, as was his habit when he was frightened or uncertain while she was around, despite being near thirteen now, because he looked at those braids for strength and bravery and he felt strong and brave too. He stared at those heavy, silver clasps that kept her neatly done braids firmly in place and he ran his fingers over them reverently. Baltil used to call Ovila his little firecracker and tug on her braids, as though she were no more than Balili's age, and most people would've ended up with bloodied noses if they'd done that, but she'd just smile and laugh at her father.

Without a word, Ovila slid an arm around Caldin to hold him close to her side and kissed his blonde hair. She still had Thondi holding onto her other arm and she felt incredibly weighed down and heavy. It felt like the world was pressing itself onto her to stay upright and she could feel herself begin to crumble against the too heavy weight. She shuddered slightly, the tremble causing Caldin to stare at her with shock, because he had never seen his Auntie Ovila falter and had never seen her even stumble against a foe. In his eyes, she was invincible, a force that the world couldn't even stand against, but he was seeing that perhaps she wasn't quite so unshakeable as he'd believed from the tales of her exploits told by his father.

Slowly, the family stood one-by-one and Ovila had Caldin clutching one arm and Thondi the other. Her face was paler than it normally was and she looked incredibly tired as she let out a heavy sigh and Hilda managed to pry Caldin free from her sister-by-marriage. Ovila nodded sharply, but Hilda could see the gratitude behind it and merely held the frowning Caldin firmly by the arm. Thondi still held tightly onto her daughter and tears worked their way through the fine wrinkles in her cheeks to dampen her beard. She looked at Ovila, but the younger female was staring at the back of Calim's head and Thondi could see the strain her daughter was under. There were such dark marks under her hollow hazel eyes and she didn't know how to make things better, so she just clung to her even tighter.

* * *

The sun was too bright, the birds were too loud, and people were too cheerful.

It'd been a month since Baltil's death and the house still felt empty and hollow to Ovila, despite Chalrim, Hilda, and the children staying to help. Thondi was still quiet, but her briskness was starting to reappear and Calim was working dutifully in the butcher's. Chalrim was helping his twin, usually hauling Caldin along to teach him about the family trade, and Hilda was usually found with Balili and Thondi, helping around the house and with the shopping. Ovila spent most of her time in the woods, preferring to be left alone, and her family and friends were growing increasingly worried about her.

On Ovila's fifth week of isolating herself, Kili decided to take action and followed Ovila into the woods. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd been expecting when he had followed her, but he hadn't expected her to be simply sat by one of the many streams that ran through the expansive woodland. She wasn't even armed, for once in her life, and, rather than the trousers and shirts she seemed to live in, she was in a dress. Nearly all of her braids were gone, all but the courting braid and the one that marked her fiftieth birthday, and she looked incredibly vulnerable. She was sat on her cloak, knees drawn against her chest, arms around her legs, and her chin was cradled by her knees with her hazel eyes on the trickling water.

"I know you're there," Ovila's voice was too quiet to really be hers and Kili frowned at that, but silently moved towards her and sat down beside her. "Why did you follow me?" she asked softly and he sighed.

"We're worried about you," Kili told her gently and Ovila shrunk in on herself slightly. "Ovila, I know you're hurting, but you're not alone, you know that, don't you?" he frowned, laying a hand on her shoulder, and she bit her bottom lip. "You don't always have to be the strong one – no one expects that of you."

"Caldin and Balili do," Ovila retorted, but it lacked her usual bite and she sighed. "They've seen Chalrim cry, at least Caldin has, when Hilda nearly died giving birth to Balili, and he's seen Hilda at her worst too, but I was the one that took care of them and I was the one that had to stay strong," her voice was strained and Kili could sense the tears building inside of her. "They still expect me to be strong through this and they can't see me cry, so I come out here where they can't see me."

"You don't have to be like that for me, or for your brothers, your mother, Hilda, your friends," Kili reasoned and cupped one of her cheeks in a calloused palm, rubbing a thumb over her cheekbone. Her eyes fluttered closed at the touch, tears catching on the lashes rested on her cheek, and he sighed softly with concern. "It's okay to be sad and it's okay to cry, you stubborn fool."

"Look who's talking."

That sounded a bit more like Kili's Ovila and he kissed her forehead, before folding her into a soothing embrace. "I'm sorry you're hurting," he whispered and she sunk against him.

"I just miss him so much," she whispered tremulously and he felt her shudder a little. "I wake up in the morning and, just for a few seconds, maybe even a minute, I'll forget that he's gone and then it hits me all over again and it's like coming home and finding him all over again."

Kili winced at that memory. He could remember walking through the door, Ovila insisting he join them for dinner, her fingers locked around his, and he hadn't fought, not really. They'd walked in just as Thondi was putting everything on the table and Calim was in the bathroom washing up from a particularly messy slaughter. Thondi had shouted for Ovila to wake Baltil and help him to the table, because he'd never quite recovered from the Warg attack. Kili went to help, because Baltil had been a heavy Dwarf, and his throat tightened at the memory of Ovila shaking Baltil and murmuring for him to wake. It hadn't taken her long to grow frantic, for the shaking to get desperate, for her voice to raise to a terrified scream, and he'd just held her as Thondi and Calim came running.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Fili's warm voice called and he sat on Ovila's other side. "Anything fun to do out here?"

"I saw a woodpecker!" Ori's voice declared and he sat beside Kili. "Dori gave me a picnic," he offered with a smile and Ovila's bottom lip trembled. "There are honey cakes and current buns."

No one said a word as Ovila began to sob into Kili's shoulder and he silently rubbed soothing circles into the small of her back. Fili simply rested a hand on her shoulder and Ori placed a hand on one of hers, both of which were wrapped tightly into Kili's leather coat. Her knuckles turned white and she trembled slightly, but the weight was fading from her shoulders and she suddenly found easier to breathe, despite the sobs being tugged free from her tight grasp.

* * *

Dis was as stubborn as a mule when she wanted something and she wanted her closest friend and her family over for dinner. Their families would one day be joined with Kili's and Ovila's marriage and Dis didn't care if Thorin thought it was too soon after Baltil's death to invite them over. It'd been near eight months now and Kili and Fili promised that the family were slowly, but surely, learning to cope without Baltil. They all used to meet up for a meal at least once a month before, but Dis had stepped back to give them space and just dropped by the house every few days for a cup of tea lately. Now, though, she was insistent and she was glad when Thondi agreed and Dis was happily bossing her sons around the kitchen.

Kili just exchanged an eye roll with Fili and Thorin was not hiding in his study, oh no, he was reviewing accounts from the forge, which had to be seen to immediately and were of an urgent nature. He'd pointedly ignored his nephews knowing looks and Dis' narrowed eyes and went to his study with his vital paperwork. His family weren't best pleased, but, as Dis said, he was useless in the kitchen and could most likely find a way to burn water. So, she was supervising Fili and Kili as they laid things out on the table and she smoothed her deep blue skirts absently, glancing up at the grandfather clock in the dining room. The guests were due to arrive in less than two minutes and the boys looked as though they'd been dragged backwards through hedges and then thrown through a flour mill.

"Upstairs, wash, change, now," Dis commanded sharply and her sons obeyed without question. "And tell Thorin he'd best be presentable!"

"I'm always presentable, Dis," Thorin's voice grumbled as he descended the stairs and the brothers raced up them. "We're having lamb?"

"It's Thondi's favourite," Dis snapped and Thorin rolled his flint coloured eyes. "If you're going to be a grumpy bastard, you can go back to your 'vital paperwork' and stay away from them," she warned and he looked tempted by that idea. "Don't you dare," she frowned sharply and pointed a finger in his face. "Ovila will be a member of this family one day and you'll make her feel welcome, Thorin Oakenshield, else you'll feel my boot up your backside."

Thorin decided it was best to maintain dignified silence and simply sit in his favourite, leather armchair by the fire in the main room. Dis smiled triumphantly, well aware that she was probably one of the only people allowed to speak to him in such a manner, and removed her apron from around her waist. She hung the rather stained white apron up in the kitchen and could hear her sons arguing over who got to use the bathroom first. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she rolled her clear blue eyes with obvious exasperated fondness.

The front door was opened, Thondi's disapproving voice was heard, and Dis smiled. It was a good sign that Ovila was just letting herself in and Dis ignored Thorin's sigh as they made their way into the hall to greet their guests. Balili immediately hugged Thorin's waist, chattering with a happy smile, and he just pretended she wasn't there. He greeted the others and Thondi smiled and dipped into a respectful curtsey, as did Hilda, while the twins and Caldin bowed. Ovila just accepted a warm embrace from Dis and inclined her head in Thorin's direction with a slight smile.

"The boys are upstairs getting changed," Dis explained and slid an arm through Thondi's. "Let's get some wine and get absolutely stinking drunk."

Thondi had to smile at her friend and Ovila immediately agreed with that idea. The children stared as Hilda was dragged into it and they were left with the men. Balili was still clinging to Thorin, though his hand by now, and Chalrim sighed at Caldin's scowl for being left out of things. He was twelve now and felt like a grown up, especially because he was taller than most of his Dwarven family members, and he was sick of being treated like a child. He was sheltered, especially by his father's family, and he knew it was because Dwarves aged far slower than Men, but he was part Man and they needed to respect that.

"Stop sulking," Chalrim snapped quietly as Thorin handed them tankards of ale and the children were given juice by Dis. "And say thank you."

"Thank you, Miss Dis!" Balili smiled brightly, green eyes shining brightly, and Caldin echoed the sentiment with as much politeness as he could muster.

"We'll sit down to eat when the boys rouse themselves," Dis promised and glanced at Ovila. "Ovila, perhaps you could speed them up," Dis suggested and was pleased at the wicked smirk that curved Ovila's lips.

"That'd be my pleasure, Miss Dis," Ovila promised and drained the last of her wine from the heavy, silver goblet. "We'll be down in a few minutes," she stated and made her way up the stairs with her velvet, green skirts sweeping about her legs, the gold-yellow embroidery on it glinting in the torchlight.

Ovila's feet made no sound on the wooden staircase or the wooden floorboards of the hallways as she made her way towards Kili's room. She heard the taps in the bathroom running and was slightly disappointed when she found Kili's bedroom empty. The room was a disgusting mess, but she'd come to expect that and her nose wrinkled in reminiscence of her mother's when Thondi came across something she found utterly distasteful. She sighed slightly, toeing a dirty shirt out of her way, and she tried to ignore the smell of dirty socks that hung over the room. Surely, _surely_, at seventy-two, he'd learned to clean up after himself, but, apparently, she was wrong and she sighed again.

However, Ovila's nosy side reared its head and she slipped over to Kili's desk. She wasn't wholly sure why he had a desk considering he never wrote letters and he usually did his paperwork for work at her house, because they and Fili usually had the same errands to run. Still, he had one and she picked her way through the various broken arrow shafts, half made arrows, and wood varnish that littered the top of the desk. It was wholly uninteresting if she was completely honest and her gaze fell on the drawers in the front of the structure. She glanced over her shoulder at the open door and then slid open the top drawer. Inside were numerous, unused braid clasps and beads he would most likely never use, because he wasn't a big fan of braids, unlike she and his brother.

The drawer was shut quickly and the second was pulled open to reveal something wrapped carefully in purple cloth. Curiosity seized Ovila and she picked the object up carefully. The cloth was peeled back and her hazel eyes widened at the silver, bird shaped hairpin that she hadn't seen in decades. She'd lost it the same night Kili had discovered she was the phantom, had felt absolutely awful about it because it'd belonged to her grandmother on her father's side, and had hid the loss of it for as long as possible. Kili had had it all this time, though, just sat in his desk drawer, and she frowned at the thought, running her fingers over the cool metal of the peacock hairpin.

"Ovila, I thought I heard Balili downstairs," Kili's warm voice chuckled and his arms slid around her waist, but she felt him tense slightly when he realised what she was looking at. "I was going to give it back to you," he attempted to defend and she turned quickly to glare at him, forcing his arms away from her.

"Were you? Because it's been missing for decades, Kili, since we were in our _twenties_, and you've had it just sat in this drawer," Ovila snapped and Kili looked at her helplessly. "It belonged to my grandmother Kili! My _dead_ grandmother! The one I was named for and you've had it!"

"I was going to give it back," he repeated weakly and she glared at him. "I'm sorry."

"You're _sorry_?! Do you know how inadequate that is?! How meaningless?! You could've just given it back anytime in the past _forty years_, but you just _kept_ it! What in the name of Durin's beard is _wrong_ with you?!" Ovila shouted furiously and the hairpin bit into her palm as her hands curled into tight fists.

"I just – I don't know," Kili shrugged and sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "I found it the night we finally stopped lunging for one another's throats every time we saw one another and I kept trying to find a good time to give it back to you, but I never found it and then I just sort of forgot about trying."

"You forgot?! You just _forgot_?! That's even worse than that worthless apology! We've been courting for seven years now Kili! You couldn't have found sometime during that to give it back?! When we were friends?! Hell, when I'd been laid up in bed after being mauled by Wargs?!"

"That might've been a good idea, actually, you couldn't have hit me."

As if on cue, Ovila smacked Kili in the side of the head and he rubbed his ringing ear. "I am so _angry_ with you right now," she spoke in a low hiss, cheeks flared red, hazel eyes blazing, and he frowned.

"You were the one that was snooping through _my_ things!"

"It was _mine_, though, wasn't it?!"

"You had no right to go snooping! I might have had private things!"

"You mean like _my_ hairpin?!"

"This isn't about the hairpin!"

"Yes it is!"

"No! It's about your nosiness and snooping!"

"I was just having a look! Do you have something to be ashamed of?! Other than the fact that you _stole_ my hairpin?!"

"I didn't steal it! I was keeping it safe!"

"Without my knowledge!"

"I was going to give it back!"

"When?! When were you going to give it back?! When we were married?! When we had a firstborn?! When we had our first grandchild?! When we were on our deathbeds?!"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"You're avoiding the question!"

"I'm pointing out how ridiculous you're being!"

"Answer the question!"

"I don't _know_! Sometime I guess!"

"You guess?!"

A knock on the door earned two sets of burning glares for the knocking Fili and he grinned fearlessly. "Mother says stop shouting at one another and get downstairs for the dinner we've slaved over, or at least come downstairs where we can properly watch the argument," he stated and Ovila snorted and marched past Kili angrily. "You really did it this time," Fili whistled lowly. "I haven't seen her this fuming since you called her a girl when she was ten."

"Don't start," Kili snapped and stomped after Ovila, who glared at her brothers' amused grins. "Are you going to talk to me?"

"Piss off," Ovila spat and Balili gasped at her aunt's language. "You've been _lying_ to me for forty years!"

"I haven't been lying to you! I just didn't tell you something and hid something from you!"

"Which is the same as lying!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"Mother, isn't it?"

"I'm not getting involved, Ovila, now sit down and have something to eat, you know how hungry you get after a confrontation," Thondi stated and sipped on her wine.

"Fili!" Ovila shot at her friend and he busied himself downing a tankard of ale. "You are all _useless_," she scowled and dropped into a seat beside Thondi. "Don't even think about it," she snarled when Kili pulled the chair out beside her and he pointedly sat next to her. "You are such a -!"

"That is enough, the pair of you," Thorin cut in sharply and Ovila reluctantly shut her mouth. "We will have a peaceful meal that Dis has worked hard on and, after that, if you want to tear one another's throats out, feel free, but, for now, you will eat in silence unless you have something polite and worthwhile to say."

The two sat in tense silence and ate their food without even looking at one another. Fili just rolled his eyes at the pair of them, well aware that, in a few weeks, they'd have an even bigger argument and things would just go back to normal. Ovila was extremely angry, though, angrier than Fili could remember her being in a long while and she set the hairpin on the table beside her plate. Thondi paused at the sight of it, staring at the silver peacock with clear surprise, and she looked as though she were about to say something, but Calim shook his head and Thondi reluctantly silenced.

"That's pretty," Dis said, nodding to the hairpin. "Did Kili give it to you?"

"No, Kili hid it from me for forty years and he lied to me for forty years," Ovila snapped and Kili glared at her.

"I did not lie for forty years!" Kili argued and Ovila snorted. "I was going to give it back!"

"You stole it from me!"

"I found it and I just held onto it for a bit!"

"Forty years isn't a bit Kili!"

"What did I tell you both?!" Thorin barked and they snapped their mouths shut. "Kili, you should've returned the hairpin as soon as you'd found it and, Ovila, the pin has been returned, despite the length of time it'd been kept by Kili, so can you please just stop making a fuss?"

Ovila pressed her lips together in a thin line to show her disapproval, but gave a short nod and shifted her chair away from Kili's a little in a rather childish display. He just rolled his dark eyes at her and stabbed his lamb with his fork. That earned him a scolding glance from Dis, but he just stared at his dinner with a scowl on his face that was identical to the one on Ovila's and Thorin sighed at the pair of them. They were utter fools, but they always seemed to snap back together, drawn to one another like moths drawn to the flame, and it seemed nothing would break them apart, even when they were at their angriest. Even when they were children, they were pulled together, even if was just to argue and have a public brawl, and he knew they'd get over this spat, just as they had all the others.

* * *

**As it's been a while since my last update, I did an extra-long chapter in thanks for all of your patience. I know I haven't replied personally to any of the reviews and I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to review and help us get over one hundred! Party time with our favourite Dwarves! You know you love it…**


	17. The Eavesdropper

"So, little sister, when are you going to just forgive him?"

Ovila silently turned her gaze onto Chalrim to pin him with her worst glare, but he'd been seeing that glare for many years and was unfazed.

"He's been apologising for the past two days."

Stubborn silence.

"Can't you be the better person? You two always bicker and you get your own back and then everything sorts itself out."

Hazel eyes narrowed and Chalrim just sighed and patted her head.

"Steal something of his and give it back in forty years, just stop making the poor thing suffer – he looks like a kicked puppy."

"I did kick him."

Chalrim stared at his sister and he sighed heavily. "How are you two even courting? It has to be the most twisted courtship in the history of courtships."

"That's what Mister Bofur said," Ovila shrugged and stood from her place at the dining table. "Good idea, though, Chalrim," she smirked and kissed his cheek as she left the kitchen.

"What? What good idea? Ovila? What are you doing?"

The door shut and Chalrim looked at his children for answers, but they just laughed and turned back to their breakfast.

"Whatever happens, _we_ had nothing to do with it."

Ovila was walking down the street, clasping her cloak at the base of her throat as she did, and she quickly made her way to the other side of town. She did frown when she a saw a horse being stabled at the inn, because, as far as she knew, no rangers were visiting and Hilda usually knew about those sort of things. The thought was quickly shaken away as she continued on and was soon letting herself into a house she knew as well as her own. She made sure to be silent as she shut the door and slid off her shoes, hiding them behind Thorin's large boots.

Bare feet made no noise on the stairs as Ovila climbed them quickly, hearing Thorin's grumbling voice in the study beside his bedroom, and she quickly went into Kili's bedroom. It was still a dump and her plan faltered for a second, because how, exactly, would he tell if she'd taken anything? He probably didn't even know what he had, apart from his bow and his arrows, but even she wouldn't go as far as to take those, just as she knew he would never touch her weapons. Something mostly meaningless, but missed would be the best thing and she picked her way through the mess of the room in search for something that met her criteria.

"The time to retake Erebor is nearing, Thorin."

The sudden, unfamiliar voice and its words made Ovila freeze, her eyes widening slightly. _Retake Erebor_?! That wasn't even possible, not with Smaug guarding the legendary city, and it had to be a death sentence to even attempt it. She forgot her current mission to move closer to the door and she opened it a crack so better to hear the conversation happening.

"I can sense the forces of darkness rising and Smaug must be stopped," the voice continued and Ovila bit her bottom lip tightly. Fear and uncertainty pounded inside of her like a drum and she didn't like where this conversation was going. "The journey will be perilous and long," the unfamiliar voice stated calmly and she frowned deeply. "You must travel over the Misty Mountains, through the Mirkwood, and then you must face the dragon, are you prepared?"

"I have been waiting for this day for many decades," Thorin replied in his grumbling voice and Ovila frowned deeply and pressed closer to the crack in the door to hear more. "I shall gather a force and we shall take back our rightful home."

"How many will be willing to help your cause?" the unfamiliar voice asked and Ovila's heart leaped, tripping with fear and excitement and anticipation.

"I'll find out soon enough," Thorin answered calmly. "My nephews will be most stubborn in insisting they come along, though, I know that much."

The excitement vanished to be replaced with horrible, suffocating, smothering terror and Ovila was moving before her reeling mind made the conscious decision to do so. The voices continued speaking, though the words were unimportant to her now, and she stuffed her feet into her shoes, before racing out of the house and barrelling towards the training grounds. She nearly took down Nori and Dori, but she didn't even stop to apologise in her search for Kili, _her_ Kili, and she couldn't lose him. The quest to retake Erebor was practically knocking on the doors to Mahal's Halls and she couldn't let him go, because she didn't quite know what to without him.

People stared as Ovila ran through the training grounds and Kili yelled in shock when her arms were flung around his neck and her body slammed into his forcefully. He staggered back, landing on his rear, and she just clung to him with all of her strength. She gasped for breath, face pressed into the crook of his neck, and she breathed him in. He couldn't go to Erebor, he just couldn't. She got this horrible sinking feeling whenever she thought about it and she couldn't lose him.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, just – just – I'm sorry, Kili, I'm so sorry," Ovila rambled and Kili stared at her like she'd finally lost her mind. "I love you, you know, I know I've never said it, but I do and I don't know what I'd do without you, you know that, don't you? I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," she babbled and he uncertainly patted her back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"What's happened?" Kili asked with a frown and Ovila stared at him, biting her bottom lip, eyes big, round, and full of what looked fear.

"She heard something she wasn't supposed to."

It was that stupid voice again and Ovila shot up and spun around to see a tall, thin Man in grey robes and he wore a pointy grey hat on his head. He had a long, white beard that fell to his waist and he gripped a wooden staff in one hand. Despite his stern words, he was smiling slightly and the smile just grew at the defensive stance she took. He had bright blue eyes that glittered with amusement and he chuckled softly.

"You must be Ovila," he stated and her eyes narrowed. "Eavesdroppers never hear anything they wish to."

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Ovila denied. "I was looking for something and happened to overhear your conversation."

"What's going on?" Fili frowned and he and Kili stood either side of Ovila. "What did you hear, Ovila?"

"Your uncle will tell you that," the stranger answered and three sets of suspicious eyes fell on him. "Just know it's a quest of a lifetime."

"A quest?" the brothers repeated and got excited little glints in their eyes that Ovila glared at.

"Stupid boys," she grumbled and the brothers looked at her. "You don't even know what it is and you're ready to throw yourself into the fray!"

"What is it then?" Kili asked, eyebrows raised, and Ovila hesitated.

"It is not her quest to tell," the stranger answered calmly and looked at her curiously. "I shall see you in a year's time," he stated. "Perhaps you shall have made up your minds."

* * *

Fili and Kili agreed, of course they did, and Ovila was torn. She wanted to go, wanted to fight for the city her father used to speak so lovingly of, for the city of her ancestors, but the thought of failing, of losing those she'd come to love, halted her excitement and stirred fear deep inside her. It slunk through her veins like a venomous snake, poisoning her with the terror, and she hated it. She had horrible nightmares of being lost in the Misty Mountains, of Goblins and Orcs, of strange, twisted creatures creeping through the trees to attack them while they slept, and she hated herself for her cowardice.

So many people Ovila loved and cared for agreed to go on the quest for Erebor after Thorin made his request for volunteers. There was Dwalin, Balin, Bofur, Bombur, Bifur, Dori, Nori, and even Ori and she'd been furious at Ori for volunteering. All he had was a slingshot, but he wanted to record the adventure, write their quest down so that it might never be forgotten, and she called him an utter fool. Gloin and Oin volunteered themselves too, as did Gimli, but Thorin turned him down on account of his age and Gloin insisted Gimli stay home with his mother.

"Master Thorin," Ovila said quietly, knocking on his open study door, and Thorin looked up from his maps with a deep frown, his heavy brows furrowed over his flint eyes. "Might I have a moment of your time?" she asked with a politeness he hadn't heard from her since she and Kili broke a vase during one of their spats.

"Sit down," Thorin ordered gruffly and Ovila shut the door and sat down in the chair opposite him obediently. "What is it, Ovila?" he asked bluntly and she frowned into her lap.

"I'd like to accompany you on the quest to reclaim Erebor," she announced and lifted her gaze to his. "You currently have thirteen members, which is an unlucky number, so I'd make fourteen and it wouldn't be unlucky anymore," she reasoned and he sighed slightly. "I know you're going to say no, both on account of my age and my gender, but I can fight, you _know_ I can fight, and I want to help."

"Ovila," Thorin sighed and she squared her jaw stubbornly. "You want to go because of your friends, because of Kili?" he asked and she nodded. "Ovila, I know your worth in a battle – you proved that many years ago – but you and Kili both will be distracted if you are both present," he stated and she frowned at him. "Say we come across an Orc party and you have a choice: save Kili or save Oin, whom would you choose?"

"That's not fair," Ovila retorted, anger trembling in the undertones of her voice, and her eyes glinted. "If you were given the choice to save Fili or Balin, whom would you choose?" she challenged and Thorin's eyes flashed momentarily.

"It's different-"

"No! It's not!" Ovila argued furiously, frustrated, and her hands curled into fists in her lap. "You have a conflict of interest, just as I would, and you know it."

"But I will be able to look at things with a rational mind, something you nor Kili possess when you're around each other," Thorin replied in a hard voice and Ovila nearly screamed in frustration. "If you have one of your spats on the journey, it'll create unneeded tension within the group."

"I promise I won't lose my temper with him, I swear it," she was nearly begging, letting her pride go for just a moment, and Thorin sighed and rubbed his temples tiredly. "Please, Master Thorin, please let me go with you."

"I'm sorry, Ovila, but the answer is no," Thorin stated firmly and Ovila glared at him. "You may go."

"May I indeed?" Ovila shot back venomously and stood so sharply the chair scraped across the wooden floorboards. "Thank you for your time, Master Thorin," she spat with a mocking curtsey and left the room in a whirlwind of anger and indignation.

The door shut with a sharp snap and Ovila quickly left the house with rage prickling through her. She didn't even say goodbye to a startled Dis as she made her exit and she fingered the hilt of the small axe at her hip. It'd be so easy to just fling into the window of Thorin's study, but that would just be foolhardy, childish, and idiotic. The thought comforted her a little, though, and she sighed heavily, slowing her angry stride slightly. There was nothing to be done. She couldn't disobey Thorin, no one disobeyed Thorin, despite how much she wanted to, and she rubbed her hands down her face tiredly.

A hand slid into Ovila's and tugged her to a stop. She turned her head to see a grinning Kili and he hadn't stopped grinning since he'd found out about the stupid quest. It both infuriated and saddened her and she silently slid her arms around his middle to give him a tight hug. He chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders tightly, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed into the crook of his neck, closing her eyes, and he twined the ends of her long hair around his fingers absently.

"You're not still worried about Erebor, are you?" Kili asked quietly and Ovila just sunk heavier into him. "You have to look on the bright side of things," he stated and she snorted. "We are going to get married in Erebor, we'll be the first ones, and our children will grow up in Erebor."

"Only after you and everyone else have risked your lives to get there," Ovila grumbled and Kili laughed.

"Ovila, we have to do this and we'll be fine," he said firmly and she frowned slightly. "You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, I don't want to, but I understand why you and Fili have to go," Ovila sighed and lifted her head to look at him. "I wish I could be with you that's all," she said softly. "I'm going to be so scared for you while you're gone."

"So, ask Thorin-"

"I just asked him and he said no on account of our relationship," she frowned and Kili mirrored the expression. "He fears that, if we get attacked, we'll be concerned with one another's safety than anything else and he also thinks that, if we get into one of our arguments, it'll create tension in the group that need not be there."

"You're really just going to stay behind? You won't follow us? That doesn't sound like you," Kili teased and she just gave a limp shrug. "You really don't like this, do you?"

"I have this awful feeling whenever I think about it, Kili, like something horrid is going to happen and there'll be nothing we can do to prevent it," Ovila murmured and he let her lean into him with a soft sigh escaping her. "I'm just being silly."

"My mother's the same," Kili answered. "I think it's a girl thing."

"Thanks," Ovila muttered dryly and he just laughed. "I do love you," she whispered suddenly, looking up at him, and his face softened.

"I love you too," he promised.

Ovila couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips at those words and she silently leaned up and pressed her lips to Kili's. He chuckled softly into the kiss, pulling her closer to him, and her arms looped around his neck gratefully. His kisses still sent heat sweeping through her like a tidal wave and she wrapped her fingers into his hair to keep him with her. How could she ever live without his kisses? How she'd lived without his kisses before their first was a mystifying conundrum and she never wanted to be without him. He was hers. He was all she'd ever wanted before she'd even known she'd wanted him and his touch banished her fears, just for a little while. If she lived, he had to live, because they'd always been together and nothing could ever change that.

* * *

**I'm not wholly sure if I like this chapter, but I've been staring at it for the past three days and figured I'd post it and see what you all think. Thanks, as ever, for the reviews, alerts, and favourites, means the world :D**


	18. The Dreams

Fire and heat licked against skin.

Gold burned and shimmered.

Big, gleaming, coal black eyes seared with hate and greed and fury.

Scales gleamed redder than the fire.

Claws reflected the flames brightly, too brightly.

People screamed.

Ovila just stared with an open mouth and eyes wide with fear. Her hands shook, scrambling for the weapons she never went far without, but she was in her nightgown and she was alone but for the horrific beast bearing down on her. Its wings reminded her of bat wings, but bigger than her house and Kili's put together and she couldn't move. Her feet felt as though they'd been welded to the ground and her legs felt weighted with lead. Terror made it hard to breathe and her hands frantically searched for something, _anything_, that could be used as a weapon, but she was completely unarmed and she didn't know what to do.

The dragon let out a deafening, screeching, hair raising roar and, with its mouth an open, gaping, red cavern, it rushed towards the Dwarven girl. She screamed and finally regained the use of her legs so that she could run. The gold kept moving beneath her feet, though and the coins slithered out from underneath her and left her to scramble desperately for balance. She was whimpering like a frightened babe, grasping uselessly at whatever she could in a vain hope of claiming her balance back, and tears pooled in her eyes and blurred her vision. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest and she cried out as she fell down the mound of gold and towards the waiting mouth of Smaug the Terrible.

With a final scream, Ovila jerked upwards and the dragon and the gold was replaced with the dim, early morning light filling her normal bedroom. She just gasped for breath, hand against her heaving chest, hazel eyes wide, and she knew she would never get back to sleep, just as she hadn't for the past two months. So, the blankets were thrown back and her nightgown was discarded to be changed into breeches and a tunic with a belt fastened tightly around her middle. The usual braids were quickly put into her hair, her favourite two axes hung from her hips, and she took her leave. Her feet were stuffed into her well worn boots and she left the house to walk through the quiet streets of her home.

Dark marks coloured the skin beneath Ovila's eyes and her skin was paler than it normally was, due to her lack of sleep lately. If she wasn't thinking about Baltil, she was dreaming about Smaug and the destruction he had wrought and still could. The signs may say to go back to Erebor and claim it for their own, but her instincts and her heart screamed against it and she resented Thorin for taking so many she loved and cared for on this death wish of a quest. It worse that she was being left behind and would have no idea what was happening to those people, even Thorin. Thorin may be her biggest enemy at the moment, but she still respected him greatly and still wanted him to be safe so that she may call him her King one day. The dark feeling that settled in her heart gave her doubts of her ever bending the knee to Thorin and she just prayed that she would, at least, call Fili King and Kili Prince.

"Ovila," a voice called and Ovila paused, shaking away her thoughts, as she turned her head to see a gently frowning Balin. "You're up early," the elderly Dwarf observed and Ovila managed to flash a quick smile. "Are you training with Dwalin?"

"Not today; he's helping Fili, Kili, and Ori prepare for Erebor," Ovila answered as she approached Balin and inclined her head politely. "I thought I might see if there are any jobs that could take me away for a few days," she answered, not realising that was what she wanted until she'd said it, and concern deepened the creases in Balin's face.

"You can't run from your fears, Ovila child," Balin said gently and Ovila averted her gaze, ashamed. "I know Thorin forbade you to join the quest or follow us," he stated and a sharp frown abruptly took over her expression. "You need to trust those you love."

"I do," Ovila wanted to sound defiant and firm, but the words came out tired and almost defeated. "It happens to be others I don't trust."

Balin had to smile slightly at that and he reached out and squeezed her forearm. "Then trust that Kili loves you enough not to leave you alone," he said softly and a hard lump formed in her throat. "I have to get to the Academy, but feel free to drop in if you ever feel you need a little quiet," he offered and took his leave.

Ovila watched Balin leave and she sighed roughly, rubbing a hand down her face. She had no doubt that Kili would do all that he could to return to her, but the question of it being possible weighed heavily on her mind along with something else: would a butcher's daughter truly be permitted to marry a Prince? Kili, Fili too more than likely, would fight for her, would fight for _them_, but Thorin might change his mind about the appropriateness of her marrying his sister-son and want a political marriage for his younger nephew. That thought threatened to break her, above all else, seeing Kili sharing his life with another, giving another children, calling another his _wife, _frightened her and, despite how she knew Kili would vehemently deny any such thing happening, it still terrified her.

* * *

Caldin frowned as Ovila and Kili argued outside the house and their voices were loud enough to carry inside. They were fighting about Erebor, which was all they seemed to do nowadays, and Thondi glanced uncertainly at the window to catch a glimpse of the pain on both the young Dwarf's faces. As the days went past, the closer the departure date got, the harder it got for the pair of them and they were struggling to work out how to cope with it all. Thondi looked away when she saw Ovila punch Kili's shoulder and Kili winced and put a hand to the abused spot. He softened when he saw the helplessness fill her eyes and she suddenly wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly.

With a soft sigh, Kili rested a hand on the back of Ovila's head, threading his fingers through her blonde hair, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut tightly to prevent tears from escaping. Her fingers curled into the back of his shirt and her face pressed into the crook of his neck with whispered apologies tickling his skin. He knew most of her anger was bluster and fear, words spoken without meaning, and he knew how scared she was about him, Fili, Ori, and everyone else leaving. Nothing he said made it easier, nothing anyone said made it easier for her, and he didn't know what to do to make her happy again. It felt like it'd been months since he'd seen her happy and he smoothed her hair down with another sigh.

"Will you marry me?" Kili asked abruptly and Ovila's head snapped up so fast she almost headbutted him.

"What?" she spluttered and he grinned at the startled expression on her face.

"I want to marry you and call you my _wife_, is that really such a surprise?" Kili laughed and Ovila stared at him, eyes still moist. "We could arrange everything before I leave," he suggested with a grin and she suddenly felt very choked up.

"You want to get married in Erebor," Ovila argued in a surprisingly soft tone and Kili pressed his mouth onto hers in a light, gentle kiss.

"I do, but you're...tense-"

"So you think marrying me is going to take care of that?" Ovila interrupted and Kili winced, realising his fatal misstep. "Promise me one thing," she said suddenly and he was shocked at the lack of anger in her face, rather worry shone in her eyes. "We will get married in Erebor," she said quietly and he frowned slightly. "You'll get through this stupid quest and we'll get married, no matter what anyone says."

"No matter what anyone says?" Kili repeated. "Everyone that matters supports us."

Ovila hesitated, biting her bottom lip, and then she forced herself to smile. "Yes, of course," she murmured and Kili didn't quite believe her. "I'm just so scared and so worried about you all leaving and kind of angry that I can't go too, so getting married will probably make that even worse and we should wait, do it properly," she stated, resting her hands on his chest, and she kissed him before he could see that her smille was strained.

"Are you sure?" Kili frowned and Ovila just smiled and pulled him inside for dinner.

As she turned her back on him, her smile faded to be replaced with an uncertain expression.

* * *

Gold burned and shimmered.

Big, gleaming, coal black eyes seared with hate and greed and fury.

Scales gleamed redder than the fire.

Claws reflected the flames brightly, too brightly.

Fire and heat licked against skin.

Ovila could only scream and watch helplessly as Kili was engulfed by the flames.

* * *

**And I live. Thank you so much for your continued support, I deserve none of it, but thank you and I hope you enjoy this latest installment :)**


	19. The Conversation

Thorin watched in silence as Ovila spun her axes in her palms, not even seeming to think about what she was doing, and she was watching her nephew and niece. They were growing quickly, though that was due to the Human side of them, and Thorin turned his gaze to them for the moment. Balili, just nine, was practicing braiding her own, red hair and Caldin was swinging a stick aimlessly. Thorin was surprised that Ovila hadn't jumped up to snap at him to correct him on his hold, but she just sat there and spun those axes, over and over and over again. It was a familiar motion, one that she performed most likely most days, and it was probably a comfort to her as she searched for ways to get around the express order that she was not to go with them to take back Erebor.

It just wouldn't be appropriate, what with her relationship with Kili, her temper, her impulsive nature, and her gender. Ovila was a Dwarven female, one that was most likely already granted a little too much freedom, what with her career as a guard in Dwalin's troops, travelling with precious loads to keep them safe, and she was a simple butcher's daughter. _Simple_, Thorin thought and knew the word didn't belong to the girl his nephew wanted to call his wife. Thorin knew how much Kili cared for the girl, how strong their bond was, and, yet, the fact lingered in Thorin's mind: _she was a simple butcher's daughter_.

Baltil had been a good man, a refugee from Erebor, as his wife had been, but Thorin had never even spoken to him until the fateful day when Ovila and Kili were stood in front of one another at ten and thirteen respectively and refused to apologise for their first brawl. They were of different classes, Thorin and his kin direct descendants from Durin himself, and Baltil from a long line of butchers and his children had been expected to follow in their humble footsteps, right up until Ovila fought with Kili. It was acceptable in Belegost, they were near on the same social standing there, both refugee families, both working hard to survive, and, yet, when they took back Erebor (because it was a matter of _when_, not _if_ in Thorin's eyes), things would not be quite so simple.

Simple had never been a word applied to Kili, to Ovila, or their convoluted relationship of bickering and laughter, of scowls and smiles, of slaps and kisses. Thorin would never pretend to understand his sister-son or the girl that wore the boy's courting clasp, but there was a part of him that feared that, once they regained their kingdom and their titles, those that whispered their disapproval now would roar it to the skies. Ovila would be considered by many to be wholly inappropriate for a Prince of Erebor, would be considered a poor choice to be a Princess of the Lonely Mountain, and Thorin knew of the political marriages that would be offered to both of his nephews. He didn't doubt that Kili would turn down all of those suggestions in favour for Ovila, _his_ Ovila, but the tension it would cause in a newly reborn kingdom could be disastrous.

However, when Kili approached, a grin filling his face at the sight of Ovila perched on the wall near his home, Thorin found himself hard pressed to really care about that.

"Kili," Ovila smiled, her hands finally stilling, and Kili dropped onto the wall beside her. "Aim still good?" she teased with a light bump of her shoulder against his and he puffed his chest out proudly, making her laugh slightly.

"The best," he announced proudly and Fili rolled his eyes behind his brother with a fond grin, attempting to free Balili from his waist. "You appear to have a growth, brother," Kili grinned wickedly and Balili turned a glare onto him. Her eyes narrowed slightly in a way that was most likely supposed to be like Ovila's glare, but she just looked like she was squinting and Kili had to bite back a laugh. "Ah, it's only Lili, never mind," he winked and Ovila elbowed him gently.

"That's my niece," she said pointedly and he just laughed. "Watch them for me," she requested, standing, and Kili raised his eyebrows in silent question. "Mister Dwalin wants to talk to me," she shrugged and briefly kissed Kili's cheek. "I'll be back soon," she stated and Caldin frowned as his aunt walked away.

"Auntie Ovila!" Balili shouted her protest and Ovila just made a face at the child over her shoulder and continued walking.

"Ovila's got to talk to Dwalin," Kili told her and Balili scowled, but squealed when Kili grabbed her and threw her up in the air. "So you're stuck with us!" he laughed and she giggled, especially when Fili began to tickle her and Caldin had to grin his little sister's light giggles.

Thorin felt himself smiling too as he silently observed his nephews engage in a play fight with Caldin and Balili and all four of them were laughing loudly. Balili managed to wriggle free from Kili's arms to hide behind her big brother and Caldin grinned and abruptly turned to tickle the girl. That earned a whole new round of squeals and the child wriggled free and leapt behind Fili, gripping his hand tightly with a beaming smile on her face. Her cheeks were rosy red, her green eyes shining brightly, and she dodged Fili when he went to grab her and she ran as quickly as her little legs could carry her. She caught sight of Thorin and, with a happy laugh, she dove behind him and clutched the back of his coat.

"Uncle!" Fili and Kili cried together, clearly surprised, and Thorin looked at them for a long moment, one hand reaching back to rest on top of Balili's head.

"I'm afraid, if you wish to get to the child, you will have to get through me," he announced solemnly and Balili giggled into his back.

Immediately, three sets of eyes lit up at the challenge and Fili and Kili lunged at Thorin, while Caldin attempted to sneak behind to get Balili. All was in vain, as Balili grasped a stick from a nearby bush and brandished it threateningly at her brother. Thorin smirked slightly, swinging the child up onto his broad shoulders easily, and she clutched at his hair with one hand and swung the stick with the other happily. The others were careful to avoid the stick, because it may be a thin thing, but it would definitely leave a bruise if it collided with them and Thorin merely used his fists and evaded his nephews and the boy that would day be his grandnephew-in-law.

Eyebrows raised, lips slowly curved into a smile, and eyes shone with amusement at the sight of Thorin Oakenshield, heir of Durin, King Under the Mountain, holding a squealing, stick wielding Balili on his shoulders and being assaulted by Fili, Kili, and Caldin. They all stopped at sudden laughter, slowly turning to see Ovila, Dwalin, Thondi, and Dis all laughing loudly at them. Kili was the first to recover, shooting over to grab Ovila's wrist, and she yelled in surprise when his fingers found that ticklish spot on her ribs. She just giggled, swatting his hands away, a fond smile on her lips, and she shoved him lightly in the chest.

"I told you to watch them, not create chaos," Ovila teased gently and Kili just grinned wickedly. "Besides, Lili, you're not swinging the stick right," she sighed and strode forward quickly to adjust Balili's grip on the stick. "Now, it's too thin to bludgeon people with, so you'll have to use it as a whip and lash people."

"There will be no lashing," Thondi frowned sharply, taking her granddaughter, and Balili pouted. "Leave the fighting to Ovila," Thondi stated and Ovila made a face. "It's what she's good at," that seemed to be directed at Thorin and everyone else shifted awkwardly as Thorin's amusement faded and was replaced by a hard expression.

"Mother," Ovila protested and Thondi snorted, grasped Caldin's arm, and strode down the street. "I'm sorry," Ovila said quickly and followed her mother. "What in the name of Aule is wrong with you?!" she bellowed and Thondi snorted. "You are cracked woman! Absolutely _cracked_!"

"And you're a fool!" Thondi yelled back and Kili, Fili, Thorin, Dwalin, and Dis just stared after the bellowing mother and daughter. "_My_ daughter did what she wanted when she wanted! I don't know whose daughter you are but you aren't acting like mine!"

"I'm following orders Mother! I thought you'd be glad!"

Thondi rolled her eyes expressively and her retort was lost to the wind as they got too far away to be heard and Kili just sighed beneath his family's and Dwalin's looks. He didn't know why they expected him to understand Ovila and her family just because he was courting her, because he could barely keep up with her and her insane arguments with people he didn't even know. Thondi was worse, bitterly fighting with someone one week and their closest friend the next, and Kili generally tried not to get involved nowadays after he was stuck between Thondi and Ovila and the rival butcher's owners for over three months. That'd been tiring...

* * *

Thondi raised her chin proudly as Thorin sat opposite her at her kitchen table and Ovila and Kili stood uncertainly in the doorway. They were ready to go hunting, packs resting against their backs, a bow on Kili's shoulder with a quiver of arrows, knives and axes on Ovila's hips and thighs, and Thondi and Thorin spared them glances. Kili had his hand on Ovila's back, both frowning slightly, and she reached back to rest a hand on his arm. Concern shone in her gaze, settled on her mother as it was, and they might disagree on many things, but no one doubted that they would stand toe-to-toe with any that dishonoured or harmed their family.

"Bring home something for tomorrow's dinner, Ovila," Thondi stated with a small smile sent towards her daughter and Ovila nodded and left.

"'Vila, is that such-" Kili silenced when she grabbed the front of his jacket and hauled him towards the exit.

Silence fell once more and Thondi wordlessly rose to make some tea, aware of how Thorin liked it made after their many years of acquaintance. Still, Thorin didn't speak, silently watching the widow making the tea, and he was aware of how difficult it was for her now that Baltil was gone. It was even harder now that Chalrim, Hilda, and the children had moved on and Calim spent dawn until dusk in the butcher's and Ovila was either out on a job or out with Kili, or Fili, or Ori. Thondi was usually alone, unless Dis came over, which was difficult with Dis' own work in the forge with Thorin, and Thorin could understand how difficult that could be.

Thondi set the mug of tea down in front of Thorin and took her place opposite him once more. "I must admit my surprise at your support for your daughter's wishes to join Kili on this quest," Thorin stated quietly and was under no delusion that Ovila had the wish of going on the quest for anyone or anything but Kili.

There was a beat as Thondi took a sip from her chamomile tea and her hazel eyes raised to Thorin's sharp blue ones. "I would give my life to have my daughter stay safe and sound here with me," she said firmly, but quietly and she set her mug down on the table, but kept her hands wrapped around it firmly. "But, that isn't who Ovila is and she will follow you, have no doubt of that, and I would rather she go _with_ you than travel alone."

"I have given her an order not to follow us, under any circumstance other than Belegost is under attack," Thorin replied gravely and Thondi just looked at him for a long moment.

"My daughter is in love with your nephew and I do believe they've been bound together since the first moment she instigated a fight with him," she announced. "She would follow him to the ends of this world and the next and I don't think even an order from you will stop her, despite what she thinks at the moment."

"No, I don't believe Ovila was made to sit at home and wait for her betrothed to come back to her or send word for her to join him," Thorin agreed and he took a gulp of the strong tea. "However, I will not risk her on this to possibly face a dragon and that doesn't include the many other dangers will we encounter on our way there."

"Ovila put herself in dangers every time she leaves the city, has almost died once in her lifetime and, for a mother, that is once too many, but her heart will leave the day Kili does and she will not rest until she does _something_," Thondi argued and frowned at the terrifying memory of a messenger arriving to tell her of Baltil's and Ovila's attack. "Take her part of the way, give her something to do to keep her in a place that isn't here, give her a job to do that will keep her safe, but make her feel useful," she pleaded softly. "If she stays here, she will only follow you and put herself in more danger than need be."

Thorin pinned Thondi with a searching look and he could see how much it pained her to suggest such a thing. To willingly send her only daughter away was an option that she had never wished to even consider, but, for Ovila's happiness, Thorin was sure that Thondi would do anything and give anything, because Ovila was her daughter and they clashed heads, but they loved one another. If Ovila were to stay here, she would be frightened and worried and full of sorrow and that, Thorin thought, would hurt Thondi far more than having Ovila away fighting. Perhaps it was because Thondi had lived with a miserable Ovila for years and years until the girl found her axes and her love for weaponry.

"I will see what I can do," Thorin agreed eventually and was graced with a small, sad smile.

"Now, would you like some honeycakes?"

* * *

**To make up for my long delay in updating and, plus, I've just bought the Hobbit so I should be getting some inspiration!**


	20. The Storm

"Is Uncle going to leave your house alive?"

Ovila smiled at Kili's genuinely worried question and she led the way out of the city with a mocking bow at the frowning gate guard. "Mother merely wishes to speak with Master Thorin," she stated calmly and Kili snorted.

"If your mother's anything like you, there will be more threatening of lives than talking," Kili shot back and Ovila swatted at him with a light smile. "What does she want to talk to him about?"

"How do I know? She doesn't tell me anything," Ovila sighed and turned to look at Kili, hands on her hips. "Now, shut it, or you'll scare the game away," she scolded and continued on towards the forest.

Kili laughed, quickening his pace to catch up with Ovila, and he caught her hand. It was small and work worn, but slid so easily into his own and fit against his palm and his fingers like a piece of a jigsaw matching another. She just leaned slightly closer to him as they stepped into the density of the forest and they followed the path marked into the earth. There were marks on the trees also, to prevent hunters from losing their way in the forest, and Kili and Ovila knew the woods well. They trod the paths confidently, moving quietly as possible, ears and eyes open for any sign of game, and she tugged him along by his hand.

The peaceful silence of the forest took the pair as they travelled through and small birds chattered and chirped in the trees. Squirrels ran over the tree branches and Kili longed to shoot one, but Ovila's glare told him they were a waste of time and arrows. They needed big game, deer if they could find it, perhaps wild boar, big birds like goose or pheasant, and she would not let him waste arrows on a stupid squirrel. He merely grinned at her expression, amused at her, and she released his hand and motioned for him to silence, her eyes on something just through the trees. He followed her line of sight to see a doe grazing in a small clearing and he silently drew an arrow and removed his bow from his shoulder.

Kili took his aim, Ovila stood behind him, and he prepared to let the arrow fly, but a sudden rumble had the deer lifting its head sharply and the crack lightning that split open the sky had it bolting. Seconds later, rain plummeted down to strike their skin as sharply as icy needles and they both swore, wrenching their hoods up over their heads quickly. They looked up at the sky, startled at the sudden storm that'd fallen upon them, and the sky was quite abruptly dark and dismal.

"Which would be quicker, home or the cave?" Ovila asked quickly, referring to the cave hidden well in the forest that they, Fili, and Ori had found many years ago, and Kili thought.

"Cave," he answered after a moment and they swiftly made their way down the path deeper into the forest as more thunder growled and lightning opened the sky once again. "Come on, 'Vila!" he urged, reaching back to grab Ovila's hand, and she clung to him gratefully as they clambered over an old log and she almost fell.

The rain was heavy, quickly soaking them through, and, ten minutes later, after much slipping and sliding, they were scrambling up the rock face towards the cave. Ovila went first, gratefully crawling into the cave, and Kili climbed in after her, both gasping for breath through the icy cold that'd assaulted them. The water dripped from them to create puddles on the stone ground and she was glad to see some supplies that Ori had left there from their last visit. It was a good place to come to escape the pressure the boys were under and the heaviness that filled her heart whenever they spoke of the quest that was just three months away.

"I'll start a fire," Kili said quickly, moving to grab the pack, and Ovila nodded, teeth chattering. "How long do you think it'll last?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I don't know, a few hours, probably more," Ovila answered, removing her pack and cloak, and her dress was soaked too. "Keep your back turned," she ordered and Kili looked at her, mouth slightly open, ears turning red. "Turn around, I'm not catching pneumonia because you wanted to catch a peek," she warned and he hastily turned his back to start the fire with the supplies Ori had stored.

Ovila watched Kili for a moment, making sure he wasn't getting any ideas, and then turned her back and started on the laces of her dress. The brown fabric fell to the ground with a wet slop and her underdress was wet too. She hesitated with that, taking the time to tie her long, wet hair up into a bun, and she glanced back at Kili again. She paused when she saw him removing his coat and tunic and she hastily turned around when her cheeks burned red at the sight of his leanly muscled back. Heat filled her face and she slowly dropped the underdress to the ground, glad to discover her remaining undergarments were still mostly dry.

"You want a blanket?"

"Are you looking?!"

"NO!"

Ovila turned her head sharply and relaxed a little when she saw Kili, ears still bright red, with his back to her and his head bowed over the fire. It took her a moment to register that he was only in his underwear and she turned her head away from him. An unfamiliar heat shot deep into her core and tightened in the deepest part of her stomach. It wasn't uncomfortable, the opposite, and her fingers brushed the bare, damp skin just above her thin underskirt. A shiver rolled down her spine, a sudden longing for warm hands on her skin and lips on hers seeping through her, and she closed her eyes and took in a steadying breath.

"Ovila, do you want a blanket?" Kili asked again and Ovila managed to answer with a soft confirmation, voice slightly breathless. "Here," he stated after a moment and she glanced back to find him holding out a blanket, eyes firmly closed.

"Thank you," Ovila murmured and took the blanket to wrap around herself, hiding her from view, while he was still most definitely almost naked. "Is there another one?" she asked and Kili cracked open one eye and then fully opened his eyes when he saw her covered by the blanket.

"I'll be fine," he promised and she sighed.

"Fool," she scolded and dragged him to sit by the fire. "Don't you get any ideas," she warned and wrapped part of the blanket around him.

Awareness shot through Ovila when Kili's bare skin brushed against her own and that heat spread through her. It was intense and burning and she wanted to both pull away and lean deeper into Kili, her body fighting with her mind. Her heart was pounding, her cheeks were flaming, and her hands threatened to tremble, so she just gripped the blanket tighter and stared at the fire. She swallowed roughly and Kili shifted beside her, his arm brushing hers and sending tingles careening through her body. Her self control had never been very good, but Thondi's lectures on propriety when she'd first started courting Kili rang through her mind and she struggled to remember those words about her honour and her virtue.

Kili moved again, elbow sliding across Ovila's waist, and she turned her head to him, wondering if he was doing it on purpose. He was picking at the corner of the blanket, elbow constantly touching her skin, and she grabbed his hand to still it. Startled brown eyes met burning hazel ones and she bit her bottom lip at how close their faces were. She longed to close the gap between their lips, to explore him in ways she hadn't dared to think of before, and she might not get the chance again. That thought was one that made up her mind and she silently leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his, one hand moving to rest on his bare shoulder.

"Ovila," Kili whispered a weak protest and Ovila looked at him.

"Shush, it's okay," she murmured and kissed him once more.

There was a moment where Kili was obviously debating whether or not to let Ovila continue and then he released a small groan and wrapped his fingers into her tied back, wet hair. He moaned when he felt her body shifted to touch more of his and he knew they should stop, but her kisses were addictive and sudden desperation gripped him. He could taste her pleading and her fear and he knew how scared she was about him leaving. He understood that she was scared for him, scared she would never see him again for whatever, and he felt that fear too. The thought of not seeing her again, of coming back to bring her to Erebor only to find that she no longer wanted him, of returning to find she'd stupidly attempted to follow them only to fall to an enemy, frightened him and his hands grasped her waist and dragged her into his lap.

* * *

Dis was frantic.

Thondi was panicking.

Fili was pacing.

Calim had closed the butcher's early.

Thorin was attempting to stay calm and not panic for the others, as was his responsibility.

It didn't change the fact that Kili and Ovila had gone hunting a mere hour before a terrible storm had hit and they hadn't returned after two hours. Kili and Ovila were sensible (sometimes), so surely they would've found shelter and would've hunkered down to wait out the storm...or they were caught in the storm and had been struck by lightening. Thorin sharply shook that thought away and looked out of the window, as though he could conjure them up just by thinking about them. There were no cloaked figures running towards the house, though, and Thorin frowned deeply with a fearful anxiety clenching at his stomach.

The storm continued to rage with the wind howling through the rest of the day and long into the night. When the morning came, however, the sky was bright and blue and clear and Fili immediately wanted to send out a search party. The women and Calim wholeheartedly agreed, volunteering themselves, and Thorin sighed, but agreed after a moment of thought. He, Fili, and Calim went to recruit vounteers and all of those that were going to Erebor immediately agreed to help. Ori looked frightened for his lost friends, gripping his slingshot tightly, and they all made their way to the gates.

"We'll split into groups of five and search the forest," Thorin announced and looked at the group for a long moment. "Dis, Thondi, Balin, Oin, you're with me and we'll take the first path," he stated. "Calim, Ori, Fili, Dwalin, Dori, you'll take the path to the east. Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Gloin, Nori, you'll take the west path," Thorin declared. "We'll meet back here in two hours, with or without them."

"They might have gone to the cave," Ori said and everyone looked at him, realisation sparking in Fili's gaze.

"The cave we found a few years ago," he agreed and slapped Ori's shoulder with a relieved grin. "They would go there if the weather got too bad for them to come home!" he laughed and ran into the forest, dragging Ori along with him. "You're a genius Ori!"

"You couldn't have thought of this earlier?!" Dis shouted and stomped her foot. "I have mud on my dress Fili!"

"Blame Kili!" Fili shouted.

"They're going to need blankets, warm food, and hot drinks when they get home," Thondi stated and turned back towards the city. "Come on, you can all come to my house and have breakfast," she called and everyone, even Thorin, filed after her.

Meanwhile, Fili and Ori were trampling through the forest towards the cave, following the unique markers they'd placed on the trees, and Fili was feeling slightly less scared. Kili and Ovila were probably sat in that cave, just waiting for the storm to end, and they'd come across them heading back home. The worry grew when they got closer to the cave and there was no sign of Kili or Ovila. He comforted himself with the thought that the rain would've washed away the evidence of their being there and he paused when they reached the rock face they had to climb to get to the cave.

A noise caught Fili's attention, too faint for him to make sense of, and he quickly began to climb with Ori on his heels. The hand and feet holds were found easily and the soft noises began to sound like quick breathing, bringing a slight frown to Fili's face. He reached the entrance of the cave, heaving himself up, and he froze at what he saw, suddenly very grateful that Thorin and the others hadn't joined them, because Kili and Ovila were most definitely naked and twined together in a very intimate manner. Kili was settled between Ovila's legs, which were hooked either side of his hips, and one set of their hands was tangled together beside her head. Her free hand gripped his bicep, while his was planted against the stone ground to help him keep his balance, and their bodies were joined from lip to groin.

An internal battle began inside of Fili with one side warring for him to just sneak away and wait for them to be done and the other shouting at him to make them stop, just _stop_. His decision was made, however, when Ori caught sight of them, slipped, and tumbled the, thankfully, short distance to the ground with a loud shout. That made the couple aware of reality once more, staring in horror at the gaping Fili, and he quickly climbed back down to help the spluttering Ori. He could hear Kili and Ovila hastily grabbing their discarded clothing and speaking quickly, but their words were too quiet for Fili or Ori to make out properly. Eventually, though, the embarrassed, rumpled, yet defiant pair dropped out of the cave and Fili was finding it difficult to look either of them in the eye.

"Don't tell anyone," Kili ordered and Fili and Ori glanced at each other. "If you do, they won't let us see each other until we get married," Kili insisted, taking Ovila's hand, and she looked at him. "So, don't tell anyone."

"Kili," Fili hesitated and glanced at Ovila. She had moved so she was stood as close as possible to Kili, her head slightly bowed, and her free hand moved to grip his arm with loose fingers. "Oh Mahal above," Fili sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down his face, and Ori shifted awkwardly beside him.

"Thorin is going to kill you," Ori whispered and Kili and Ovila both flinched, grips tightening on one another. "And Miss Thondi," Ori added, eyes wide, and Ovila glared at him weakly.

"Yes, thank you, Ori," Fili growled and Ori flushed and silenced. "You can't - you have to - just be careful," Fili settled on with a heavy sigh and blinked when Ovila suddenly hugged him.

"You're the best, Fili," she breathed gratefully and Kili pointedly cleared his throat.

Kili was pointedly ignored.

* * *

Lectures and hugs were given freely when Kili and Ovila got home and Thorin noted that the two seemed closer somehow. It was usual for them to hold hands when they were near one another, but they were generally content to simply be in the same room to one another and merely shoot glances towards the other every once in a while. Now, though, as they were wrapped up warmly and plonked by the fire by their mothers, their bodies rested against each other's comfortably and they only seemed to have eyes for each other. They were curled together on the rug in front of the fireplace, clutching mugs of steaming tea, and they wore small, secret smiles.

Something had happened in that forest during that storm and Thorin didn't know if he wanted to be enlightened as exactly what had happened. He had no doubt that Fili knew, of course Fili would know, and he watched as Ovila rested her head comfortably on Kili's shoulder and he slid one arm around her waist beneath their blankets to tug her a little closer. She murmured something that made him chuckle and she smiled at the sound, wiggling deeper into his side. He held her easily, resting his head against hers, and she laughed softly into his shoulder.

They looked softer than any of their family had ever seen them and Ovila fell asleep with her body weight rested fully against Kili. He soon fell asleep too, the empty mugs falling onto the rug, and they curled together easily beneath their blankets. Their bodies twined together, hands joined between them, and Thondi and Dis fussed over them, glaring at Thorin when he suggested moving them to beds. They looked far too peaceful to move them and so adorable that the womenfolk wanted to capture the moment in time and just save it. Their foreheads were pressed together and they were smiling, even in sleep, holding onto one another with all they had.

Their closeness was obvious, even after they awoke and the days continued on, and they were almost constantly together. Fili had lost count of the times he'd discovered them kissing, but the number shot up after the storm and even Thondi, Dis, and Thorin had caught them more than once. Every time their elders caught them, they were forbidden from seeing each other for a certain amount of time and Thorin gave them a long lecture as to why they couldn't keep acting in such an improper manner, especially if Ovila was coming part of the way on the quest with them. They just nodded with suitably contrite expressions and continued to see one another without their mothers' or Thorin's knowledge, mostly in the night when no one would catch them. Fili knew, though, and so did Ori, both knew what they were up to and both were growing uncomfortable with the knowledge.

"Kili, it's dangerous," Fili hissed as they made their way to the training area and Kili rolled his brown eyes expressively. "What if she gets pregnant?" the blonde whispered harshly and Kili shrugged.

"I'll marry her now rather than we get to Erebor," he answered carelessly, as though it really were that simple, and Fili was ready to smash his little brother's head in for his foolishness. "Stop worrying, alright? You're like an old woman."

"Dammit, Kili, you don't get it!" Fili exploded and many people looked at them, eyebrows slightly raised. "Ovila's a _butcher's daughter_ and you're an _heir of Durin_, so what do you think people say if she becomes with child and you two aren't married?" Fili demanded in a low voice, dragging Kili along quickly, making sure that only his little brother could hear his words, and Kili frowned.

"Everyone knows we're betrothed," he argued and Fili glared at his brother in frustration. "I don't care what people say, I _know_ Ovila and I know she'd never lay with anyone else."

"Kili, people already disapprove, especially now that we're going to reclaim Erebor, and do you really think sleeping with her outside of marriage is a good way for you both to gain the people's approval?" Fili snarled, glancing around them quickly, and Kili frowned. "I know you don't care what anyone thinks and I'm sure you mean it now, but how will you feel when she's shunned, branded a whore, and your child named _bastard_, Kili? Will you care then?"

"We'll get married-"

"And if she doesn't find out until after we've left? What will you do then?" Fili interrupted and Kili looked troubled. "Stop being a fool, Kili, and start thinking, if you're serious about marrying her, since you've already done enough damage."

"She started all of this," Kili snapped back quietly, indignant and angry, and Fili frowned at him.

"You could've stopped it," Fili retorted and Kili just snorted. "It stops, Kili, I can't keep covering for you two and, if Mother finds your bed empty, I'm not going to lie to her."

Kili glared at his brother, but part of him, he supposed, understood and the other part of him didn't care, especially when Ovila rounded the corner with Ori and she had that smile on her face. Her gaze found his and the smile grew a little and the part that understood where his brother was coming from flew out of the window. He loved spending the night with Ovila, even if he was dog tired in the morning, because he loved finding those hidden ticklish spots that made her squirm and giggle breathlessly, loved to feel her soft skin beneath his hands, loved to press kisses to her scars, as though it would make them disappear, and he especially loved the little noises she'd make. She give these little moans and breathy sighs of his name and he didn't want to give those things up, not for the world.

* * *

**Oooh, drama-rama!**


End file.
