/ / / Trouble \ \ \

"Liliana Thrís Baggins!" Bilbo said as he strode into the Mountain Guards office where his daughter and Fralin were sitting.

Fralin's jumped up and stood in front of Liliana. "Master Baggins, it was my idea."

Bilbo let out a bark of laughter. "It was your idea to steal your father's warhammer and take it down to the rock gardens?"

"Yes," Fralin said though his eyes flicked away from Bilbo as he said it.

"Do you have anything to add, Liliana?" Bilbo asked looking past the male dwarf to his daughter.

Liliana sighed and stood next to Fralin. "It was my idea."

"Of course it was," Bilbo said. "Only you would think that was a good idea. Now, why did you let Fralin take the blame?"

Fralin and Liliana shared a look and seemed to be having a silent argument if the frowning was anything to go by.

"I didn't want King Thorin to cancel your trip," Fralin said finally turning his back on Liliana who was scowling at him.

"Were you," Bilbo said with a smile.

"Daddy said if I got in trouble again then he wouldn't take us to the Shire," Liliana said.

"So," Bilbo said looking at them both. "Instead of simply doing the right thing you decided to just let Fralin take the fall."

"It's all Thirn's fault," Liliana said with a pout before she folded her arms across her chest.

"What does she have to do with it?" Bilbo asked, thinking of Bombur's daughter. She was just a couple of months younger than Fralin and was often in their group of little troublemakers. Or young dwarves. Bilbo had learned that they were one in the same whether talking about dwarves or hobbits.

"She," Liliana said as though she was spitting. "Stole the hammer and she was the one who damaged the main quartz stone."

"Really?"

"And then she ran away and left us with the evidence," Fralin said.

"I see."

"What were you both thinking?" Dwalin bellowed as he strode into the room.

"Dad," Fralin said and launched into an explanation.

"Get Bombur and Thirn down here now," Dwalin said turning to the guards sitting at a desk. One of them nodded and left the room. "Now why in Erebor did you believe to was a good idea to steal my warhammer?"

Liliana looked up at the tattooed warrier and smiled. "We were defending the company from the stone trolls"

Dwalin looked at Bilbo who had no idea what to say.

/ / /