Sigrid was lost. The semi-dark halls that made up the maze that was Erebor all looked alike to her. She kept walking, figuring at some point, she would meet up with someone who could show her the way back.

She had come at the wishes of her father as an ambassador from Dale. She attended her meetings, met countless important dwarves, and did her best in all things to make her father proud. She would be returning home in the morning and she was looking forward to it. She missed her sister and there was so much to tell her.

An odd noise stopped her walking. She turned her head, listening for the sound. It sounded like someone crying. She walked quietly, trying to find the source of the sound and finally turned down a hall to see someone sitting on the floor, their head buried in their knees, and deep sobs shaking their shoulders. She could also hear a baby's cry, but it was farther in the distance.

As she walked closer, she could make out more detail of the dwarf in front of her. Blond, wavy hair, pulled back with the insignia of the prince.

"Prince Fili?" Sigrid whispered.

His head jerked up, but he did not look at her.

"Are you alright?" She squatted down and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. She could feel him shaking. "Can I help you?"

Fili sobbed again, but after several moments, he lifted his eyes to look at her. They were red. His face was swollen with crying and his hair was plastered to his wet cheeks. Sigrid wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and comfort him. She didn't know what was so upsetting, but she wanted hold him and tell him everything would be alright.

"She won't stop crying," Fili finally choked out.

Sigrid could hear the baby's cries. They were coming from the other side of the door Fili was sitting up against. She had heard rumors that the Prince's wife had died in childbirth and suddenly Sigrid understood why the prince was sitting in the hallway. Fili was grieving the loss of his wife, while trying to deal with a baby he had never seen before. All of this was piled on top of his duties as a prince. And, if the nightmares her Da and brother still had about the Battle of the Five Armies were torturing the Prince's sleep, she knew he must be exhausted to the point of insanity.

"Will you allow me, Prince? I have some experience with babies. My Ma died after my sister was born. I've raised my sister since she was a day old." Sigrid was surprised by the look in Fili's eyes. They were a mix of relief and madness. He nodded at her. Sigrid squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, stood and opened the door. The wails from the little baby tore at Sigrid's heart. She found the baby laying in her cot. She had squirmed in her crying fury and had lodged herself right up alongside the edge of her cot.

Sigrid picked up the wailing child and held her close to her chest. "There, there," Sigrid whispered into the baby's ear. She took the blanket from the cot and wrapped it around the baby. She began to walk around the room, gently bouncing the baby in her arms. The baby wouldn't stop crying, but Sigrid didn't expect the baby to stop right away. Once babies got themselves worked up like this, it could take them a long time to wind down. Sigrid felt the baby's changing rag. It was soiled. She looked around the room and found a stack of changing rags. She laid the baby back into its cot. It wailed louder.

She went out to the main living area of the apartment. Fili was sitting on a chair, his head in his hands.

"Excuse me, Prince Fili?" she walked up to him.

"You can't get her to stop either?" he looked devastated.

"I've hardly tried yet," she smiled sadly. "Don't worry, I'll calm her down, but it will take a little while. She's worked herself up into a right state. I was wondering if you can help me find a few things?"

Fili nodded.

Sigrid smiled kindly. "Where do you wash her? Is there a tub?"

Fili got up and showed Sigrid their washroom. A small tub sat overturned on the floor. She could see towels, soaps and oils.

"Alright, now, where are her clothes and how do you feed her?"

"Her clothes are in her room. There is a small wardrobe. As for her food, there is a dwarrowdam who is wet nursing her," Fili answered.

Sigrid debated what to do next, but knew that if she was truly going to help Fili and his daughter, she would have to give the prince some orders. "Fili?" He turned his red eyes to her. "What is your daughter's name?" "

Milly."

"Milly? That's pretty. Now, I need you to do a few things for me. Alright?" He gave her a glare before relaxing and nodding in agreement. "Good. Milly's hungry. Would you go to her wet nurse and ask if it is possible to send up a full milk bladder?" Fili nodded. "And after you do that, I want you to go somewhere else and take a break."

"What?"

"You need some sleep, Prince. Is there somewhere you can go to get rest? Your brother or your mother's home?"

Fili nodded again. He didn't seem to have the energy to do much else. "Kili's."

"Fine. Have the milk bladder sent up and then go to Kili's home for some sleep. I will stay with Milly until you come back. Don't worry about how long it takes. If you need a full night's sleep, get a full night's sleep. I'll take care of Milly."

"I can't ask you to do that," Fili started.

"You're not asking. I'm offering. No, I'm ordering you Prince Fili, go get some sleep and don't worry about anything."

Fili took a few moments to realize what he was being offered. He blinked back his tears. "I'll have the milk sent up. If you need me, I'll be a Kili's."

"Sleep well," Sigrid said.

Fili walked out leaving Sigrid alone with the screaming baby. Sigrid went back to the washroom and filled the tub with warm water. She looked at the soaps and oils that were lined up along the shelf and found what she wanted. She dropped a few drops of the lavender oil into the tub and then went to collect the baby.

Milly's face was beet red and streaked with tears. Sigrid took the baby to the washroom and removed all the baby's clothes. Supporting the infant's head and back in one of her hands, Sigrid laid the baby into the tub. Milly's arms flailed as she touched the water and let out another piercing scream. Sigrid hummed quietly and poured handfuls of warm water over the baby's belly and the back of her head. The scent of the oil wafted up into Sigrid's nose. The baby's screams calmed somewhat. When the water started to cool, Sigrid lifted Milly out and wrapped her in a fluffy towel. She patted her dry and then rubbed a little more of the lavender oil onto the baby's skin.

There was a knock at the door. Sigrid re-wrapped Milly, and cradled her to her chest, then went to answer the door. A large dwarrowdam stood there.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Sigrid. I'm a friend of Prince Fili's and I'm taking care of the baby so he can get some much needed rest."

The dwarf looked suspicious. "The prince came to me and asked me to send up a milk bladder. He didn't say someone else would be here caring for the baby."

"Prince Fili's exhausted. He's gone to get some sleep."

"You know anything about taking care of babies?" the dwarf asked.

"Yes, I do. I raised my sister from infancy after my mother died. Don't worry. Milly will be well cared for."

The dwarf handed Sigrid the full milk bladder. "I'll bring over another one in a couple of hours." With that the dwarrowdam turned and left. Sigrid sighed in relief.

The baby was still crying although the cries were not the same heart-wrenching wails of earlier. Sigrid dressed Milly in a fresh changing rag and a soft sleeping dress. She rewrapped the baby in her blanket. The baby looked exhausted. Sigrid was sure that if she stopped crying, Milly would fall asleep instantly. She sat down in a soft chair and arranged Milly in her arms. The milk bladder was placed to Milly's lips and she greedily latched on and sucked at the warm milk. Finally the cries stopped and a quiet settled in the room.

She stroked the baby's head and began to hum a lullaby. It was only a matter of minutes before Milly fell asleep. Milk dribbled down her cheek. She hiccupped a couple of times, but soon her breathing fell into the regular sleeping pattern. Sigrid set the milk bladder aside and cuddled the baby closer to her chest. It had been many years since Tilda had been this small. Well, Tilda had actually never been that small. Sigrid was amazed at the tiny size of the dwarf infant. She wondered if all dwarf babies were so tiny.

She didn't want to lay the baby in her cot yet, so Sigrid sat there, in the comfortable chair, cuddling the tiny princess. She felt so terrible for Fili, being thrust into fatherhood so abruptly and without anyone to share it with. She wondered why his mother was not helping more. Perhaps she didn't want to help. Perhaps Fili told her he didn't need any help.