Hiya, folks! I'm back with another chapter! But first, a GINORMOUS thank you to my SIXTEEN most recent and AWESOME reviewers: Guest, MitchCrosszeria, PurpleFairy11, Rio Firestorm, TheMaddieArchives, 88XeqtionerAngel88, Ulhama, Lady-Finwe, hobbitlove, sistaa-krimzz, Once, Hiding in the Shadow, BBMonkey, Thegirlwho reads, Xerxes'Girl, and Guest(2)! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH! Seriously, I can't believe the AMAZING feedback I've been getting on this story! Words cannot describe my feeling of absolute joy! Therefore, also, another HUGE thank you to all the people who have favorited and/or followed this story! I means SOOO much to me! Hope everyone enjoys chapter seven! :D

BEFORE YOU READ: Okay, so I 'was' going to include the dinner part in this chapter, but decided against it since this chapter was already so long and I didn't want to rush the dinner scene. So, it'll be in the next chapter. :) Also, we won't be staying in Rivendell for much longer (probably only another couple chapters) since we need to move on in the story.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Hobbit, its characters, NOR The Hobbit's plot. I only own my OC Kaiya, any other OCs created along the way, and any part of the plot NOT a part of the movie or book. This fanfic, however, is MINE and I'd like to keep it that way.


Chapter 7
Companion: Breaking of Habits and Breaching the Walls

Warm and heavy.

These were the first two things Kaiya felt as she began to wake up. Also, she could feel someone's hair brushing up against her face. "Wait a moment…" the girl's foggy mind began to slowly process as she attempted to open her eyes, for a certain scent was wafting very strongly into her nose. It smelled suspiciously of mountain pine, leather and very, very Kili!

Stormy-eyes instantly snapped open to gape incredulously at the scene before them. Sometime during the night, the young woman had obviously slumped down a bit in her seat, and apparently, at some point, the young dwarvish prince laying on top of her had mistaken her for the couch he'd fallen off of the previous evening.

Silently, Kaiya mulled over how to disentangle herself from her current predicament. Just tossing him off it seemed would be easier said than done, considering the brunette was latched onto her like a bloody leech! "This… MORON!" the female silently raged. "I'm not a blasted hugging pole!"

Meanwhile, Kili was very slowly beginning to crawl back to the waking world. Groaning irritably as the sunlight hit his closed eyes, the young prince snuggled back into his couch cushion, only to freeze as he felt it vibrate with a growl. "Since when in the name of Dürin do couches growl?" his tired mind questioned in groggy bewilderment.

The next thing the archer realized was that this particular couch was warm, and soft, and had a distinctive feel of human flesh. "Holy Mahal!" Kili's mind yelped in realization. He was laying on a person! Also, judging by the red hair tickling his face, the brunette already had a sinking feeling of just who that person was.

Slowly pulling his head back from what had actually been the crook of Kaiya's neck, the young Dürin found the woman herself glowering up at him with a look in her quickly darkening stormy eyes that could melt glaciers.

Gulping painfully in his suddenly very dry throat, Kili's mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to get out quiet, "Kaiya-"

"Got that right," Kaiya cut him off with a huff, rolling her eyes in irritation as she fought against the embarrassment of her situation, "You're heavy. Now, get off!"

Images of a certain group of mountain bandit's fate upon invoking the dragon slayer's more feminine fury flashed through Kili's mind as he hurriedly removed himself from the girl's person. The archer's eyes narrowed suspiciously at his 'supposedly' sleeping brother, for the younger Dürin could swear he caught Fili's eyes flicker shut with what looked like a barely suppressed smirk on his face.

Taking in a deep breath, now that a certain dwarf wasn't sprawled out upon her, Kaiya sat up slowly, wincing slightly at the dull ache in her head. Maybe she shouldn't have asked Nori for those…

Just how many refills did she ask for again? "Ugh," the young woman groaned softly. The last thing she remembered before conking out was watching Dwalin dance around the fire like a mad man while Bofur shouted random song lyrics at the top of his voice.

Hearing the soft groan off to his side, the archer's attention instantly snapped away from his brother and back to his red-headed companion. "You alright?" he inquired with concern as he watched the girl gingerly touch her forehead with a sour expression.

"Dandy," Kaiya deadpanned before adding with a wry upturn of her lips. "Or at least as dandy as I can be after sleeping with a dwarf shaped brick laying on top of me."

A cheeky grin formed on Kili's face upon hearing her complaint, "I was fairly comfortable through the night, if that makes you feel any better."

"I'm flattered," the dragon slayer snorted, rolling her eyes as she moved into a standing position.

Stormy-eyes settled briefly on her brunette companion as he too rose to his feet. Shaking her head so as to clear the grogginess, Kaiya mentally growled as the scent of a certain dwarvish prince clogged her nostrils. She had a feeling that it, along with the wine, was partially to blame for the unusual amount of grog left upon waking up. The scent was irritatingly soothing. Now, the scent had practically soaked into her clothes due to the moron sleeping on top of her!

"Seems we be the first ones awake," Kili whispered quietly in an amused tone upon seeing that the rest of the company was indeed still asleep scattered around the camp in various positions.

Casting a sweeping glance over the group, the young woman saw that he was correct. Smirking slightly as some of the… interesting positions the rest of the party were in, Kaiya lifted her head to inhale a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Perhaps a walk would help to freshen up her senses and clear her head. The female figured it couldn't hurt, and her feet were already subconsciously leading her off towards the walkways.

Kili, who had still been amusing himself with the image of his sleeping comrades, jumped in surprise as he turned to find his newest female companion departing from the company's midst. Honestly, he hadn't even heard her move! "Kaiya!" the youngest Dürin hissed quietly. "Where are you going?"

"For a walk," the dragon slayer stated simply, raising a slightly amused eyebrow at the male's surprised expression. Pausing, the girl hesitated a bit as if pondering over her next words, "You wanna come?"

The dwarvish prince blinked several times at the redhead, slowly processing the fact that she'd just invited him to accompany her. Needless to say, as soon as his mind finished processing the data, a bright yet mischievous grin spread across his features, "Can't get enough of me, is that it?"

Kaiya shot the brunette a deadpan look before rolling her eyes and continuing on her way, "See ya."

"Wait a moment!" Kili spluttered, huffing as he snatched up and threw on the rest of his apparel, not really fancying running about in his long-johns. He was just quick enough to catch the rueful glance shot his way and flashed her a cheeky grin in return as he fell in step with the young woman.

A fairly comfortable silence was quick to stretch between the dragon slayer and the dwarf. That was, until the brunette glanced over and realized that Kaiya had left behind her leather coat. Silently, the archer debated whether or not he should offer her his, for the morning air was chilly.

From underneath the mass of messy red hair falling in her face, Kaiya peered up questioningly at the male beside her, not at all minding the silence but slightly curious if the dwarf realized he'd unconsciously dissolved the small distance between them and was now brushing shoulders with her own. Noting the fact that the leech clearly had no concept of personal space, the dragon slayer attempted to ignore the warmth seeping into her arm. Being a loner, it felt fairly odd being in such close contact with another person. Also, the young woman observed, judging by the occasional twitch of the dwarvish prince and the thoughtful look on his face, there was clearly something on his mind. "What is it, Kili?" Kaiya finally sighed, mentally chuckling as the brunette jumped slightly upon being called out.

Upon looking down at the woman walking alongside him, it was only then that Kili realized their shoulders were touching as he silently wondered if this dragon slayer was a mind reader as well. "Are you cold?" he inquired, refocusing his gaze on the pathway.

A series of soft but amused chuckles greeted this question, causing a slightly irritated expression to form on the young Dürin's face. It was just that, for Kaiya, such offers of companion like concern were an odd thing to hear after all her years of traveling solo. "Not at all," the young woman's eyes still held mirth within them. "I'm from the far North, Kili. The cool and cold is what I'm used to."

This little tidbit was quick to snap Kili's full attention back down on to the dragon slayer, for in the short time of knowing her, he had been quick to realize it was a rare thing for the girl to share personal information about herself. "You're from the far North?" the archer repeated his companion's last statement in the form of a question, hoping that perhaps she may share a bit more about herself.

Realizing her slight blunder, the young female debated whether or not to elaborate or to close up and simply return to her usual, more guarded self. However, looking up into those curious yet warm eyes, Kaiya found something twisting in her gut, telling her that now was not the time to bar the gates.

'If you intend to ever escape from your loneliness, you must first cease in distancing yourself from others.'

Remembering Gandalf's words from the other evening, the dragon slayer finally caved. "Yes, I'm from the far North," she provided reluctantly, a small, sad smile forming on her face as she reminisced about her home. "I was born up in a small town in the mountains."

Taking the fact that the young woman actually provided an answer as a good sign, Kili decided to take his chances and continue with the discussion. "Your home," he began quietly, swallowing as he hoped his next question wouldn't come back bite him in the beard… or stubble, "it was destroyed by the dragon you felled, was it not?"

"That's right," Kaiya admitted softly, feeling more than uncomfortable discussing anything regarding her history involving dragons. However, the girl was stubbornly intent on forcing herself to keep her doors open and not closing up on the first person who she felt she had a chance of opening up with. She wasn't sure what about the youngest Dürin made her feel that way, but she was not in the mood to question the fact that she did.

"What was your home like?" the dwarvish prince inquired, wishing to steer the girl towards better memories. "I mean, before the dragon came."

"A peaceful, beautiful place, always coated in the white glistening of snow," the young woman stated nostalgically with an almost wistful smile. "Most of the people there were good and kind, even to an orphan brat such as myself."

Dark brown eyes snapped down to pin Kaiya with a look of shock, before switching to that of pain. "How young were you," Kili asked softly, "when they passed?"

"You mean my parents?" Kaiya raised an eyebrow at the question, earning herself a silent nod in confirmation. "I was young, for I barely even remember them. No image comes to mind when I think of my father. He died before I was born. My mother…" the girl paused thoughtfully, "she is but a shadowy outline. I believe I was four when she passed," a bitter smile formed on the young woman's face. "Needless to say, I learned how to survive on my own at a very young age."

The brunette swallowed hard against the lump which had formed in his throat, not expecting such a past from his female companion. It angered the Dürin that the young woman had been forced to face such cruel realities at such a young age. At the same time, he was glad that she'd decided to share such information with him. The way she said it, he highly doubted the dragon slayer had told anyone else. Yet, another burning question that the archer figured Kaiya would be much less willing to answer was just how and when she'd acquired her agelessness. However, judging by the girl's quickly darkening mood, Kili figured such a question would have to wait until another time and wisely decided not to push his luck too far. Instead, the dwarvish prince put his best into re-lightening the mood.

"Alright then," he quickly summoned a cheery grin to his face, forcing away his own darkening thoughts, "I do believe it be your turn."

Shooting the male beside her an odd look, Kaiya quirked a questioning eyebrow, "Say what?"

"I've asked my questions," Kili elaborated, clapping a friendly hand on the girl's shoulder. "Now, I'll give you the honors of asking me whatever you please."

Kaiya blinked at her companion in surprise. "Is he… trying to cheer me up?" she wondered halfway between astonishment and amusement as she concluded that the dwarf was indeed attempting to do just that. "Honestly," the girl mentally laughed in mock pity of herself, "am I really that pathetic?"

"Anything I please, huh?" the young woman decided to go along with it, for once feeling rather warmed by the idea of someone looking out for her. "Blast it all! I don't know!" she finally huffed. "Why don't you have a beard?"

For several seconds, Kili just gaped at the female. "Is that really the best question you could come up with?" he finally laughed.

"Stop judging my interrogation skills and just answer the bloody question!" Kaiya snapped, faking offense. Though, the mirth in her stormy-eyes gave her away.

"As you wish, Milady," the dwarvish prince executed a flourishing bow before rising with a mischievous grin. "In answer to your question, though, my main weapon of choice is archery. Therefore, don't you think it'd be a wee bit difficult to shoot if I had to worry about getting my bow tangled in my beard?"

"Heh," Kaiya smirked a bit at the explanation, "guess I didn't think of that."

The brunette looked as if he were about to respond when a new voice cut into the conversation. "So, this is where you two have been," Thorin's commanding yet calm voice cut into the duo's conversation.

"Uncle," Kili greeted his relative in a respectful tone while Kaiya simply watched in silence as the regal dwarf approached.

"Kili," the almost King Under the Mountain's voice held authority as he addressed his nephew, "Dwalin and some of the others are currently sparring near our camp. You should join them." Glancing over at Kaiya he added, "Also, there are some matters that I must discuss with our company's dragon slayer alone."

"Understood," the youngest Dürin replied calmly, casting a swift but hesitant glance over at his redheaded companion, an act that did not go unnoticed by his uncle as he watched the younger dwarf depart.

"What is it you wished to discuss with me?" Kaiya's voice and face had retaken its usual calm and indifferent tone, her eyes once again guarded as the kingly dwarf fell into step alongside her.

"You were talking with my nephew," Thorin stated simply, hands folded behind his back.

"So I was," the young woman stated matter-of-factly, unable to help but ask, "Is there a problem with that?"

Even if her tone was slightly disrespectful, the elder Dürin simply shot the girl a pointed look, "So long as you do not prove to be a distraction to the boy, then no, there is not." It was only after he had taken several more steps that Thorin realized the female was no longer walking at his side but had stopped and was now glowering at his back.

"I do believe, Thorin Oakenshield," Kaiya's voice was low, yet laced with a tinge of venom, "you are the first person ever to dare accuse me of such."

"You will not address me in such a tone, dragon slayer though you are," the almost King Under the Mountain's own tone was hard, causing the young woman to bristle as his gaze sharpened into a glare. "I was simply warning you of such."

"Is that so?" the dragon slayer growled in reply, forcing some of her anger to bleed away. "Then you have my thanks for warning me in advance," she finished shortly, her expression returning to its hardened state. "Is that all you wished to discuss?"

"Not quite," the kingly dwarf replied calmly after several seconds of studying the female's once again cloaked expression. Silently, he signaled for her to continuing walking with him.

Still feeling agitated about the male's previous statement, Kaiya, none-the-less did as he silently requested. "What else is weighing on your mind?" she inquired, glancing up at the company's leader.

"You," Thorin stated simply, quickly earning himself a look that requested an elaboration. "I am already aware of your history with dragons," he continued, pausing as he saw the girl tense. "Gandalf informed me of your story as well as your… unique condition."

"What of it?" the dragon slayer asked carefully, a wary expression marring her face.

Stopping, the kingly dwarf focused his full attention on the female beside him. "It would be in your best interest to inform the company yourself," he stated matter-of-factly, taking the female by surprise. "Rather sooner than later."

"You say it as if it's a simple matter, having dragon blood run through my veins," the young woman hissed, unable to entirely keep the bitterness out of her tone. "I'm surprised you'd encourage revealing my secret, considering the company's obvious hatred for the beasts. Who's to say such negative feelings won't spread to me as well!?"

"Then when you tell them, make it clear that taking in the dragon blood was not by your choice," the almost King Under the Mountain ordered in a commanding tone. A moment later, however, his gaze unwillingly softened a tad, for behind this woman's mask, it was easy for Thorin's older more trained eyes to spot the fear lingering within her gaze.

"You are a dragon slayer, not a dragon, even if the vile creature's blood now flows through your veins," Thorin stated, unwaveringly holding the female's stormy gaze. "You were simply cursed by the hand the fates dealt you and the selfish will of a wizard."

Kaiya's expression had melted from that of bitter and guarded to one of barely suppressed shock upon hearing the older Dürin's words. A part of her now wondered just what his initial reaction had been when Gandalf had first told him of her past.

"Anyways," the almost King Under the Mountain began, straightening up into a composing stance as he calmly took in the young woman's astonished look, "I find I must now seek out that said wizard as I have several questions involving the formalities for this evening. You should rejoin with Fili and Kili," a wry look formed on the dwarf's face. "I'm sure they're rather anxious of your whereabouts."

"Probably," the corners of the female's lips twitched upward at the male's statement as she offered him a small nod before departing, an act that Thorin watched in silence.

If Thorin was being honest with himself, he really didn't mind the dragon slayer. She was obviously an able bodied and honorable fighter, loyal, intelligent, and independent, nor did she slow the company down. It hadn't surprised the group's leader in the slightest when Fili and Kili took an immediate interest in the girl. Such things could be pegged as simple curiosity, an emotion that the siblings had an ample amount of.

However, it didn't take long for Thorin to realize that with Kili, there was something else, something hidden, lingering within the boy's eyes when he looked at the female. It was something the almost King Under the Mountain doubted even Kili himself knew existed.

But the fact remained that it did, and it was far from simple curiosity. Truthfully, Thorin didn't know what it was, and he had no intention of waiting to find out. It seemed he was going to have to keep an eye on those two.

Despite saying it was only a warning, that woman was already a distraction.


As he headed back to the company's make-shift camp, Kili's face mimicked that of a slight scowl as he pondered over what his uncle had needed to discuss with Kaiya in private. Just what in the name of Dürin could Thorin know about the dragon slayer that Kili didn't? Then again, the brunette figured, his uncle had been the only one other than Gandalf aware of the fact that there even would be a fifteenth member of the company. Therefore, it would make sense that the almost King Under the Mountain knew more about the girl then the dwarvish prince did at the time.

"Does Uncle know the reason for her agelessness?" the young Dürin wondered, also wondering if the company's wizard might as well. However, Kili doubted that either one of them would answer him if asked. It seemed the only way to sate his curiosity, and admittedly, perhaps concern, would be to ask the young woman herself. Yet, for the moment at least, the brunette was satisfied with the small portion of her past that she'd already shared with him.

"Enjoy your night's sleep, Brother?" a teasing voice snapped the young prince out of his thoughts.

Kili pinned his brother with a look as the blonde fell in step alongside him, an innocent grin plastered on his face. "So, you were awake," the younger of the two siblings accused.

"A wee bit perhaps," Fili laughed at his brother's obviously annoyed expression. "The two of ya seemed quite cozy together."

"Same goes for you, Bifur, and Ori," the archer smirked, countering his sibling's statement. "You three looked quite cozy as well. Although, I do believe you were at the bottom of the pile."

"I'm just thankful one of em' wasn't Bombur," the blonde grinned wryly, imagining how even more uncomfortable this morning would have been if the ginger dwarf had been the one to pass out on the elder Dürin's already unconscious figure.

Kili laughed at the imagery his elder brother's statement provided. "That would have proved amusing," he stated with a grin, earning himself a playful shove.

"For you and Kaiya, maybe, but certainly not for me," the older of the two princes chuckled before asking. "Speaking of which, just where is our dragon slayer? Were you two not together?"

A somewhat worried expression crossed the brunette's face. "She is with Uncle," he stated, eyebrows scrunching in thought. "He wished to talk with her in private."

"Is that so?" Fili sported a similar look of confusion and slight worry, "Do you know the details of their conversation?"

The dark-haired archer replied with a soft sigh, "I'm afraid I know not."


Kaiya's expression was thoughtful as she made her way back to camp. Thorin's words about her dragon blood had penetrated deep. They had almost been… encouraging, in the king's own way. Honestly, dwarves had to be one of the most surprising, infuriating, and yet likable races Kaiya had ever met. True, they may be a bit primitive. For example: you compliment them, they puff up like a peacock, insult them and they'll whoop your sorry arse. If they fall in love, especially if it's their one, they'll pursue that person to the ends of Middle Earth. Also, befriend them and you'll have the most loyal comrades you could possibly ask for.

Perhaps it was the simplicity in how their minds worked that helped the dragon slayer feel more at ease around the company, and less criticized or judged. But still, would they be able to accept one carrying dragon blood into their midst?

Sighing with exasperation, the young woman ran a finger through her blood colored locks, making a vague mental note maybe to brush them later, as she mulled over the different reactions that her new companions could have upon finding out the truth.

"That all ya got, lad!?" hearing Dwalin's gruff voice signified to Kaiya that she was approaching the place in which the company was using for sparring.

"As if the scent of dwarvish sweat wasn't enough to alert me of as much," the girl shook her head in wry amusement. Upon arriving, the dragon slayer allowed a small smile to grace her face as she lingered at the edge of the clearing and silently watched the scene play out before.

Dwalin was currently sparring with Kili, the former wielding his hammer while the latter was armed with his sword. Balin and Fili were also paired up with one another in the spar, each armed with their own blade. Most of the other dwarves were doing a bit of sparring of their own, or sitting on the ground watching the show.

As Kaiya drew her gaze back up to Dwalin and Kili, she found herself carefully studying the young Dürin's sword style. He was quite fast for a dwarf, the female noted as she watched him lunge at the tattooed warrior, quickly ducking out of harm's way and attempting to strike. Even if his main weapon of choice was the bow, when handling the blade, Kaiya observed that the dwarvish prince's strikes were quick, like a snake aiming to swiftly strike down its prey.

"Much like my own," the dragon slayer's eyes held a glint of dark humor as she thought of her own sword style. By the very design of her blades, they were built with a lighter steel. What was lost in strength, the main aspect that dwarves used in their swordsmanship, was gained in incredible speed, striking down opponents with quick series of lethal, swift and silent slashes.

"What'cha doing all the way over there, lass!?" Bofur called out from his seat on the ground, snapping Kaiya out of her observations, as he suddenly spotted the young woman standing off by her lonesome. "Come sit down and watch the show!"

Kili, who had been concentrating on not getting his arse whooped by Dwalin, jumped as he heard Bofur's shout. Upon processing what his merry comrade had said, the young Dürin's gaze instantly snapped over to pinpoint the female's position. Though, it wasn't a hard thing to do as he spotted her almost instantly, leaning against one of the courtyard pillars. Meeting her stormy gaze, the brunette felt that same, odd little twinge within him, just like when he'd first laid eyes on her, "Just what in the-"

WHOMP!

The dwarvish prince let out an unglorified yelp as Dwalin's hammer landed on his rear, successfully knocking him off his feet and sprawling him out on his back.

"Shouldn't let yourself get distracted by a pretty face, lad," the old warrior warned disapprovingly, though the twinkle in his eyes gave away his mirth.

In the meantime, Kaiya raised an eyebrow at the whole seen after having been distracted from her brief gaze-lock with Kili. She watched in slight amusement, and perhaps even a tad of surprise, as the young Dürin threw her one more glance before leaping to his feet, huffing something in Khuzdul. Not being able to understand a word of it, the dragon slayer simply wondered in silence as Fili burst out laughing at his sibling's words, taking a momentary break from sparring with Balin and slapping his brother good-naturedly on the back.

Shaking her head with a ghost of a smile, the young woman finally left her post in the shadows and moved to join the rest of the company, deciding to sit by Bofur who, as soon as he saw her approaching, grinned cheerfully and patted the grassy section next to himself.

"Sleep well last night?" the merry dwarf was quick to strike up a conversation.

"Well, enough," Kaiya replied, deciding against mentioning the position she'd woken up in that morning. "How about you?"

"Like a babe," Bofur grinned, laughing as he continued, "Though, that probably be on account of the wine."

"You certainly put on quite the show last night," the young female admitted, the corners of her lips twitching upwards in a wry expression, causing the toy-maker to let out a bright laugh.

"I'd say you all did," a new and familiar voice let out a little huff. "I could hear you all the way across the courtyards!"

"Bilbo, my good fellow," Kaiya gave the hobbit a warm look as he approached and sat himself a little ways off to her side. "I haven't seen you around much. Been exploring?"

"Yes, yes, I suppose you could say that," the burglar smiled, giving the area around him a wistful look. "Rivendell certainly is beautiful, not to mention huge."

Kaiya's gaze too wondered around the beautiful courtyards and clearings of Rivendell. Yet, unlike Bilbo, even if the girl did find them beautiful, she could never manage to feel at peace in such an environment. Even the air was to warm and tranquil for her liking. The dragon slayer much preferred the cool breezes or wild winds of the mountains, along with the scent of frigid air and mountain pine.

"You alright there, Miss Kaiya?" the hobbit asked worriedly, seeing as the young woman had suddenly fallen silent, her eyes holding deep thought.

"Quite fine, Bilbo," the female reassured, her stormy gaze taking a nostalgic look. "Just thinking."

"Ki says you've been doing that quite a lot as of late," Fili suddenly spoke up, having switched with Ori for Balin's sparring partner. Walking over and plopping himself down, the blonde gave his female companion a friendly look, "Anything specific on your mind?"

"Other than how in Middle Earth I'm going to survive putting up with you and your brother on this journey," Kaiya's voice held a hint of mirth, "no, not really."

The elder Dürin barked out a laugh before flopping down in the grass. "If that be the case," he inquired nonchalantly, "how'd your little talk with our uncle go?"

"Just peachy," the dragon slayer responded with a hint of a smirk, knowing full well that the blonde was panning for info.

From a small distance, having ceased sparring with Dwalin, Kili listened and watched as his brother held the female's gaze for a moment before giving up on gathering any more details on what their uncle had discussed with the girl. Said girl clearly had no intention of sharing the contents of their conversation.

The archer himself smothered an exasperated sigh. Like he had suspected, and judging by Kaiya's now slightly guarded expression, the talk that had commenced between her and the future king of Erebor had held some sort of classified information.

Information that the woman was clearly not ready to share with the rest of the company.

At least not yet.

But if the younger of the two Dürin brothers was anything, he was certainly determined to find out just what this infuriating secret consisted of. Admittedly, it slightly irritated the brunette that his brother clearly didn't share in the fierceness of his curiosity. Was he the only one this adamant about finding out everything he could about their new female companion? If so, then why?

Dark brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he made his way towards the small group, his feet unconsciously leading him to sit directly beside Kaiya instead of Fili, earning a slightly surprised and perhaps even amused look from the latter. Honestly, overthinking things always hurt the archer's head. If he was curious about the dragon slayer then he would simply find out what he wanted… eventually.

Simple as that.

"Kili, you alright?" Kaiya inquired with a raised eyebrow, cursing the concern that managed to seep in to her voice as she seemingly snapped the dwarf out of whatever lala-land he'd been wandering through. For just moments earlier, the young woman had spotted the brunette out of the corner of her eye as she had been able to feel his gaze seeping into the side of her head, a deep, thoughtful look on his face.

"I'm fine," Kili replied quickly, wondering briefly if he'd detected a hint of concern lacing the girl's voice. Deciding that such a thought was actually quite likable, whether the concern was really there or not, he added with a cheeky grin, "No need to worry."

Feeling slightly embarrassed upon being caught, the dragon slayer simply snorted and rolled her eyes, smothering the urge to cuff the grinning dolt. "As if," she grumbled half-heartedly, causing a round of chuckles to sound from the dwarves surrounding her.

"Aww… don't be like that," the younger Dürin continued to tease, giving the female a playful nudge in the shoulder, earning himself what was supposed to be a glare.

However, unfortunately for Kaiya, whatever part of her look that could even be considered a glare quickly melted away into amusement as she met the archer's mischievous gaze. "Oh, put a cork in it," she huffed, this time soundly elbowing the pest in the side.

Kili let out a surprised 'oomph' before falling into laughter along with other members of the company.

"Fraid yer gonna have to hit harder than that if ya wanna shut him up, lass," Bofur chortled as he watched the young, grinning dwarf rub his abused side.

"Thanks," the female deadpanned, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll remember that."

"Or I can just handle him for ya," Fili laughed, jumping forward and encaging his younger brother in a head-lock, earning an indignant yelp of 'traitor' from the latter.

Bofur, along with quite a few other members of the company who had begun watching the scene, let out a round of laughter and cheers as Fili and Kili began wrestling around on the ground. Even Kaiya began chuckling as random shouts of Khuzdul erupted from the siblings as they tussled about.

In truth, the warmth Kaiya felt from interacting with these new companions was something she'd never experienced before. Slowly but surely, a new hope was beginning to build in her heart, a hope for a new life, a new future, and perhaps even… new friends.


Well, ya'all, I reaaally hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again, this was one that I absolutely LOVED writing! Especially since, for the first time, Kili and Kaiya FINALLY got to have some one on one time. ;) Anyways, please, PLEAAAASE review! I really am dying to know you reader's thoughts on this chapter! Like I said at the beginning author note, you guy's/girl's reviews mean SOOO much to me! My inspiration level really is at a peek right now thanks to your AWESOME reviews! So, keep up the AMAZING work and I'll keep dishing out new chapters! Also, please follow and favorite as well! Such little things also mean the world to me. :) See you all in the next chapter! :D

AUTHOR FUN FACT: I'm a hopeless lover of Nostalgia Critic, lol! Seriously, I love those videos! They never fail to make me laugh! XD

Rock Out!
Kira