Author's note: Another revision is up; see below! And please, reviews are greatly appreciated! I do apologize for the long waits between chapters. This story has needed major help, although I think it's going much better now.

4. A Brief Visit

Fili, Kili, and Tauriel chose to stop in Dale before heading to Mirkwood to thank Bard and his family personally for helping them. They had not been able to speak much due to all the chaos of battles and recovering from their wounds, not to mention the massive rebuilding the men undertook to restore Dale. Fortunately, the whole family was home when they stopped by.

Sigrid answered the door. "Fili, Kili, and Lady Tauriel! It's so good to see you! Do come in! Have you recovered well?" She noticed the now faint scratch mark on Tauriel's face and realized all three visitors had likely been scathed in some or another fashion during the battle.

Kili figured the young lady worried about him especially, since she had helped during his former injury, so he answered. "Well, we were all declared well enough to leave, and I think all of us feel much better, especially Tauriel and I." He gave his beloved a loving smile, which she returned.

"I'm glad. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Tea sounds lovely!" Fili replied. He thought it strange that she looked at him as she said all this with some strange expression on her face that reminded him of something…he had no idea what but hoped it would come to him soon so he could figure her out. Were all women this hard to read, or just humans? He really had little experience with females of any type and found them a great mystery.

Tauriel took the lead. "We have come to thank you for all you have done. Children, your hospitality to the dwarves when they came to your father for help is commendable. Especially with my dear Kili. He may not have made it if you had not allowed him to stay with you during his illness."

"It's nothing. Mother would have been happy we could help."

Kili snaked an arm around Tauriel's waist. He could hold back the wonderful news no longer. "Thanks to your hospitality to us, and my dear Tauriel, I must announce that I have asked her to marry me, and she quite kindly agreed! We are to be married in Mirkwood soon as we pass through on our way to Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains where Mother and our other kinfolk were last seen."

"Oh my! I'm so happy for you!" Sigrid threw her arms around Tauriel in a sound hug; she was quite surprised but hugged her back. "I just knew the minute I saw you two together that you were destined for each other! It's so romantic!"

Kili shared a secret glance with his brother, rolling his eyes and pretending to gag as the romance went on overkill mode. Fili found it all quite humorous and was having trouble holding back his laughter.

"Anyway," Tauriel continued after getting off on the happy tangent, "Bard is our new hero! Without you, good would never have triumphed over evil and Smaug could still be roaming about, devouring whomever he wished. Please, send word to Mirkwood if you are ever in need of assistance. And if you have trouble with them, just mention my name. I do need to tell you King Thranduil is also greatly indebted to you. He has long wished the worm dead and you have done this!"

Bard had remained quiet in the background, nodding as he agreed with his eldest daughter, who made a fine hostess. Now, as the conversation directed to him, he spoke. "You are quite welcome! I was only doing what I thought best to save my family and my city. As for caring for you dwarves, I have to apologize for not being a better host! I thought you might bring harm to my family after a while, even though my first intentions were to care for those so desperately in need, which I would want done for me if I were ever in such a situation." Bard remained humble, embarrassed at all the fuss made over him and growing rather tired of it.

Sigrid popped up from having disappeared into the kitchen area for a moment to make sure the tea was in place. "The tea is ready! Will you sit with us, please? I had just baked some cookies and will share them as well. Bain and Tilda like them with their tea." The siblings nodded in agreement, a hungry look in their eyes.

"I don't mind if we do!" Fili replied cheekily. All of a sudden, the young lady did something inside him that made him happy. He found himself dreaming about knowing her better, courting her, and when he got to the wedding, he had to shake himself out of it. Then it hit him: the look she gave him was the exact same look Tauriel had for Kili! Sigrid fancied herself in love with him! And he was quickly falling for her as well. She was a lovely maiden, short for a human but really only about a half inch shorter than he. That suited him just fine; his brother could have a tall wife, but he would have problems with that. How is a wife supposed to respect her husband if he is much shorter? Not to mention Tauriel was an elf, which meant she would eventually be widowed. But if Fili married a human, he'd likely become a widower since humans do not live as long as dwarves, or even hobbits (unless they are the Dúnedain, which Bard and his family were not). Was true love really worth the pain in the end? Kili and Tauriel obviously thought so. However, he was not quite ready to face all these questions in real life. They all sat around the table and chatted, then the two dwarves and elf maiden took their leave. They planned to stay in Dale for a few more days in order to gain back more of their strength before undertaking the long journey to Ered Luin.

They ended up staying within the city a full week, wherein Fili found himself visiting Bard and his family on a daily basis. Most of the time he went alone, although Kili and Tauriel came with him a few times. He helped ensure their new home would be sturdy against the harsh winter weather and found working alongside the family helped him get to know them better than when he'd stayed with him the last time.

At night, Fili pondered his newfound feelings for the young lady Sigrid. Not only beautiful and pleasant, she proved to be competent as a hostess and a hard worker. The way she smiled at him warmed his heart, stirring a longing within him for a real home of his own. His childhood and much of his adult life had been spent wandering from here to there, with no real home to call his own. Being near a close family who had a physical home helped him to see what a family really should be.

Finally, the day before the dwarf brothers and elf had set to leave for Mirkwood, Fili once again made his way to Bard's house with an important question on his mind. As he arrived on the doorstep, he straightened to his full height and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Bard answered. "Come in!"

However, Fili hesitated. "Bard, could I speak with you alone, please?" he asked.

"I suppose so, but it does need to be quick. There is so much that needs to be done before everything is fully put to rights!"

"I understand."

The dwarf and man went off for a private conversation. "So, about what do you wish to speak?" Bard inquired.

"Your beautiful daughter Sigrid, sir. I think I am falling in love with her and would like to ask your blessing on our courtship. I promise she shall never lack for anything she needs and I shall cherish her all her days."

"What?!" Bard was in shock. "I have had hundreds of men ask for her hand in marriage already, but never a dwarf. I am honestly not sure how to take this! Will you let me think a minute?"

"Of course! Take all the time you need."

Bard walked away, deep in thought.

Fili attempted to stay calm as he sat on a crumbled wall. He stayed a few seconds, then jumped up and paced back and forth, hands tucked into his pockets. A bit of nervous sweat ran down his back and he resisted the urge to shiver in the chilly breeze.

Bard came back a few minutes later, and Fili halted midstride, his eyes filled with trepidation.

Bard smiled, seeing the dwarf's nervousness and fondly recalling his own courtship story. "I have decided that if Sigrid agrees, you may have a two-year courtship. If at that time she wishes to marry you, I extend my warmest blessings. I saw how bravely you fought, trying to save your uncle. If you can be that dedicated to a wife, you will make a wonderful husband. I only wish my dear wife had been able to meet you; she would have loved you and all your companions. She always longed to go on adventures and meet persons from faraway lands."

Fili was as ecstatic as a male dwarf could be. So he threw his arms around Bard, hugging him. Bard was surprised but returned the embrace. Then, Fili banged heads with him in true dwarf fashion, and the man winced, rubbing his head, before smiling at the excited dwarf.

"Thank you so much! I want to tell Sigrid right now!" With that, he rushed back to Bard's house.

Fili burst in the door like a madman, a crazy and happy grin on his face, making him look quite ridiculous. He had apparently forgotten that it was polite to knock, his hurry to ask Sigrid his question so great that it was the only thing that could occupy his mind at that time. "Sigrid! Could you step out with me for a few minutes?"

The young lady was a bit confused but obliged him. "Ok…" she answered hesitantly. "Let me grab my cloak and then we shall talk."

They stepped outside together and Fili led her to a fallen rock wall at the edge of the city, where they sat down together. He turned towards her, "Sigrid, I have just been talking with your father."

"Yes?" she replied, totally confused now.

"I asked if I could court you, and he gave his blessing. However, the final decision is up to you."

"Wait, you want to court me?" Why would a dwarf want to court a human?

"Exactly! I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes, I suppose you did! Of course I will let you court me! But tell me, why out of all the women in this world would you choose me? You could have had a lovely elf like your brother."

"I don't want an elf! I want you! I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, surpassing the beauty of an elf by far. You are kind and compassionate and did not insist you father turn us away in our need, even though I am sure it was very uncomfortable for you to have to put up with us like that. Actually, I may even be falling in love with you!"

"I don't know what to say! Thank you!" Sigrid experienced some shyness now, but she understood exactly how the dwarf felt. "I do admit it was a bit awkward to have so many men in the house all at once, but I knew you needed us."

"Sigrid, I have not told you something; our courtship will have to be on hold for at least a year, probably longer." He anxiously awaited her reaction, literally on the edge of his seat.

"Fili, why?" Her eyes looked up at him sadly.

"I would like to see my Mother again. She was last seen in the Blue Mountains, and Kili promised to return to her. In fact, we've made plans to start our journey tomorrow. One of us cannot return without the other, you know; she would be quite worried and disappointed." Then, a thought hit him. "Sigrid, what if you joined us? Tauriel will be with us and married to Kili then, after our stop in Mirkwood, so it would not be horribly inappropriate. Do you think your father would allow such a thing? As much as I desire to be with you, I am afraid until we are wed she must come first, especially since Kili and I are her only male kinfolk left who could even help her, if she needs it."

"Fili, that makes me want to know you even better. Of course you must see your mother! I shall ask Father right away if I may join you; I have always wanted to travel but have never had the opportunity, what with Mother being gone all these years. I have practically had to raise Bain and Tilda. Now why don't we get back to the others so they do not worry!"

They laughed and headed back towards her home, certain their courtship would go splendidly. As expected, their return was met with more suspicious looks from Bain and Tilda, and a hint of sadness on Bard's end. Sigrid approached him and hugged him, something she usually did not do unless she wanted something. "Da, may I speak with you a moment?"

"Yes; everyone wants my solitary attention these days!" he laughed and led his precious daughter away.

"Da, Fili asked to court me and I said yes. He also said that he's planned a trip to the Blue Mountains to see his mother again He asked if I could join him; Tauriel and Kili will be married then, and the four of us would travel together."

Bard inhaled sharply then released the breath. "Sigrid, I just don't know. You have been such a help all these years without your mother, so I am not sure what we would do without you. However, I realize I will have to let you go sooner or later. What do you want to do, dearest daughter?"

"Da, you know I love you and Bain and Tilda very much and I have no idea what I would do without you. Yet a part of my heart has always longed to go places, meet new people and see new scenery. I would enjoy joining Fili, even if I know the way will be hard and I will miss you all greatly."

Bard held his eldest child close. "Sigrid, you have spent much of your childhood working when you should have been playing, being a mother when you were barely more than a child yourself. As much as I wish you would stay, I feel the rest of us can care for ourselves. After all, one day we will need to know how to live without you, especially if Fili loves you the way I think he does!"

Sigrid could hardly contain her joy. "Thank you so much, Da! I love you!" She held him tightly for a minute, then they went back to share the news with everyone else. Going straight to Fili, she whispered in his ear, "Da agreed to let me join you! But I want to tell Bain and Tilda in private; they will be upset. Do you mind going now? As much as I want to be with you, there will be plenty of time for that later. Then I can join you at dawn tomorrow."

His soft breath tickled her ear as he responded, sending a tingle down her spine unlike anything she had ever felt before. "I shall try my best! I am so happy!"

Smiling, he took his leave, explaining that he needed to make sure everything was prepared for his long journey on the morrow.

Then Sigrid knew she had to break the news to her siblings. "Bain, Tilda, I have something I must tell you…" she started nervously, unsure of how they would take to the idea.

"Sigrid, what's wrong?" Bain inquired, concern filling his eyes.

"I shall be going on a rather long trip, a journey lasting a least a year, likely longer than that."

"No!" Tilda cried, throwing herself on her big sister. "You can't leave us!"

Sigrid embraced her and cradled the back of her head in a motherly manner. "There, there, Tilda. You know I will not stay with you all forever; I do want to get married sometime, which means moving out with my husband. Speaking of which, Fili asked to court me and I said yes! I hope to marry him after we return!"

Tilda still was not convinced that her sister should leave, but Bain, old enough to understand Sigrid's longing to travel, sympathized with her. "Sigrid, if you want to go we will miss you, but I know how you long to see Mirkwood palace and the places beyond." He joined the embrace, so all three siblings snuggled together.

"Thank you for understanding, Bain. I love you both very much; you know that, right?" Tilda nodded, as did their brother. They spent some quality family time the rest of the night while Sigrid prepared for her long journey, full of excitement with a twinge of trepidation; she had never been away from home before, and it would be strange to travel with those who were practically strangers for such a long time!

Author's Question: Is the relationship between Fili and Sigrid still too fast? I tried to lengthen it a bit but still feel there could be something else, although I have no idea what. Suggestions are appreciated!