Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable. JRR Tolkien's estate, New Line Cinema, and I'm sure a lot more people who have way more money than I do own them and I'm just playing a bit. No infringement is intended or implied. And I promise to put them back when I'm finished with them. :)

Author's Note: If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for romance. Hopefully this one suits!

Dedicated to my darling Amy. "Don't say we have come now to the end. White shores are calling. You and I will meet again."

Fíli held up a hand to halt his troop as the Men did the same. There were voices in the trees.

Hopefully it was their quarry. These outlaws couldn't go unpunished any longer; they hadn't just disrupted the normal trade routes, they had nearly destroyed them with their raids.

Whispers of other things taken in those raids had only doubled the desire to see them caught. These outlaws had taken young women from the caravans, as well. What had become of them after, no one knew; but at the least it meant they were slavers, at worst they were the worst sort of marauders.

The voices carried clearly across the space and Fíli saw red. He signaled the others to move forward into position and then called the attack.

The outlaws were surprised, but fought back with surprising strength and discipline. Then it was over and they were in the middle of the hunters, on their knees and some looking as if they'd beg for their lives.

Fíli was disgusted to see some Dwarves with these murderers and he didn't bother to hide his scorn. "Hold them here," he said finally after regarding them for a long moment. "Barnir, had they captives?"

"A couple, but in no condition to help," the Man responded quietly but with heat. "There's another one back there, in the tent. She's scared and we can't get near her."

Fíli simply nodded and went to the tent. It was no surprise, then, when he saw the girl holding off the Men with a simple dagger. She was wild with it, not really a threat, simply swinging it in front of her at all angles whenever someone got too close.

He motioned the Men back a short way and crouched down a bit to be on eye level with her. "Easy, lass," he said softly as he held out a hand. He was still out of her reach, though, and that was the way he wanted it for now. She was terrified and he didn't want to make it any worse. "Easy. We won't hurt you." He was hoping to reach her but she didn't seem to see him at all. She was looking right at him but the blade didn't waver from where she held it a little left of center.

"Stay away!" she cried angrily. "It's just another trick, just another way to get near enough to hurt me. And you won't do it again without getting hurt yourself."

"We won't hurt you." He crept just a little closer. Something was off, he could feel it. She was terrified, and she was armed. Bad combination in close quarters; but she didn't seem to know where she was striking, merely lashing out blindly.

Blind.

It hit him and he moved forward more, easily evading her swing, and took the dagger from her quickly before grabbing her wrists to hold her still. "Easy! We're not going to hurt you!" But she was determined and fighting like a wild animal. And when she bit him he snarled and gave up the pretense, wrapping his arms around her and holding her still that way. How she'd managed to get through his tunic with her teeth he wasn't sure but he wasn't going to give her a chance to do it again. It hurt. "You're safe, now. You're safe. Calm down!"

She continued to struggle against his hold, cursing violently and striking out whenever she could get a hand or foot free, and Fíli simply held on. He murmured reassurances all the while, soft words he had spoken to comfort his brother on nights he'd wakened screaming and fighting, soft lullabies he remembered his mother using to calm him, and finally she relaxed a bit.

"You're safe," he repeated as she sobbed once, the sound full of despair. "You're safe." He was able then to release her and move back a bit to tip her face up. "There we go. Let's get you out of here."

She shook her head. "Chained," she said simply as she twitched her foot once more. It rattled and Fíli went to look at it, checking the manacle closely and then kneeling again, drawing his own knife and working the lock with it.

"Child's play," he said happily as it clicked open. "All right, then, up you come." He took her hand gently in his own and drew her to her feet, then scowled at the state of her dress. She was covered, but barely, and with a growl he wrapped his own coat around her.

When he finally got her outside, the Men's captain was waiting for him. "What do we do with them?" he asked quietly.

"Take the Dwarves to Thorin," Fíli ordered evenly. "The rest I leave in your hands. Right now, I'd like to get this young lady to a healer." He took her to his pony, a bit surprised by her subdued demeanor now. She'd seemed so fiery when surrounded by what she thought were enemies. "Can you see at all?" he asked her softly as he lifted her aboard the sturdy beast.

"Light and dark," she replied, her voice resigned. "They rubbed my face in the embers when I fought them."

He led the pony out, watching to see she didn't fall. She was too tall for the poor beast, really, but not as tall as some. He was furious over what had been done to her; and over what had still been planned. Some of the Men had confessed they were going to take her to the slave markets. "Just remember you're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

Dale was bustling when they arrived and they made their careful way toward the healing house. It was somewhere, unfortunately, that Fíli was quite familiar with from past experience so he found it easily. He watched around him, of course, still caught up in the rebuilding that was occurring, many of his race helping to clear rubble as well as beginning to work with the stone.

But it was his charge who held his gaze more often. She was quiet, too quiet, as though she still feared something. Her face was drawn and pale and suddenly he wondered if she were more seriously hurt than he'd thought. A thought occurred to him and he almost snarled before stifling it. He'd not frighten her further.

At least in this place, a Dwarf and a human together wouldn't be remarked. Not so close to the Lonely Mountain, to Erebor. Since reclaiming it from the dragon, many, many Dwarves had returned home and for the most part, relations between the two kingdoms had been friendly. And now he was counting on that friendship. Some of his own had been in that band and the thought still plagued him.

He lifted her down and helped her inside, calling for a healer to tend her and somehow not surprised when one of the masters came to them. Then he waited while she was taken care of. He needed a full tally of her injuries so he could report to Bard, who led here, and to his own king, Thorin Oakenshield, his uncle and King Under the Mountain.

A servant offered him food and drink, and for once, he didn't avail himself of the hospitality. He merely waited until a flurry of activity warned him and he rose, greeting the new arrival with the respect he was due as well as the comfort of a good friend. "Bard, good, I meant to see you as soon as she'd been tended," he offered easily.

"I've seen them into the prison," Bard replied evenly as he kept walking. Fíli fell in step with him. "How bad was it?"

"Two of their captives were beyond help," Fíli said simply as they paused outside her door. "This one – I don't even know her name. But she's a fighter." A small smile tugged at him. "She was determined that they wouldn't hurt her more." He rubbed at the still aching bite.

The master came out of the room with a sigh and made his respects to Bard. "She is badly hurt but she will live," he said tiredly. "The problem will be keeping her abed until she does so. She is already demanding to leave." He shook his head. "She is strong; but I do not know if she will see again. I have already given her the herbs to prevent a child from their unspeakable treatment of her. The rest, bruises, a few cracked ribs, those will heal in time. Her eyes I don't know."

Bard thanked him and they both entered the little room. Again Fíli was struck by the change in her. She had the same expression as the rabbits he'd seen snared. This was a far cry from the hellcat she had been in that tent.

Bard's sudden intake of breath should have warned him, as should his soft exhalation of her name. "Nialla." Still, he wondered.

Her voice shook slightly as she realized exactly who had come to see her. "Hello, Father."