One week more had passed, and my belly was beginning to swell with the growth of the little heir inside. I was well, flourishing at my maternal best in the elf kingdom of Mirkwood, but I longed for the familiar company of my kin. I longed for Kili's smile, and Fili's hearty laugh, and Thorin's firm and warm demeanor. I missed them all dearly, but chose to remain ignorant of the outcome I feared most. Had the dragon prevailed? Surely not.

But the sinking feeling in my stomach did nothing to calm me. I needed to see them, to hear some sort of word to let me know that they were alive still. So at night, accompanied by only one elf of the name of Huidran, whom had been ordered by Thranduil to guard me, I crept beyond the confines of the elf kingdom, and in a boat, we silently sailed down the rushing river that took its course towards Laketown. It was the nearest city to Erebor, and the dwarves had surely stopped there on their way to the mountain. As an elf, Huidran was allowed access to Laketown easily, as I hid beneath the veil of a heavy cloth.

"They will be with Bard," Huidran said quietly to me as he navigated slowly through the canals of the town. "He is the only one whose boat was anchored to Mirkwood's harbor on the lake this month."

I remained silent for fear of exposure. Elves were not usually fond of dwarves, and I had been considerably lucky to gain the comradeship of the High Elves, especially their king. Perhaps there was something about a pregnant woman that all men sympathized to. Legolas had certainly made clear so.

Abruptly, the boat stopped as it gently touched the old wood of a wharf. Huidran anchored the boat there, and lifted the cloth to tell me so. I rose, and he wrapped the cloth around me so that my appearance was obscured from others. I had dangerous business here, and it was likely that if I was indiscrete, I could expose the other dwarves if they were still here. Huidran led me up a flight of stairs to an old house, where he knocked quietly on the door.

Soon, a young man greeted us, his expression grim and suspicious. Huidran bowed his head politely and lifted back the cloth from my face.

"I have brought the dwarf Kerra to see her kin. Are they here?" he enquired. The man, presumable Bard, nodded staunchly and let us in.

"One is gravely injured, I'm afraid; by an orc arrow nonetheless. The others have gone on to the mountain."

We rounded the corner, and I was shocked to see Kili, as pale as the moon and convulsing terribly on a bed of hard wood and nuts. At his side was Tauriel, her hands covering a wound on his leg, and she was chanting fiercely. Elf medicine, I observed. And as she did, I saw Kili peering dreamily at her. The scene looked oddly familiar, as he lifted his hand towards her and whispered the words I had long since feared would come.

"Do you think she could have loved me?"

Chapter's up, as you can see! What did you think? I feel like I'm racing through things, but I spent a lot of time dwelling on things in Mirkwood. So the reckless Kerra goes on an adventure~

Let me know what you thought :)