Dear darlings,

I am formally apologising for my long absence and no, I am not asking for anyone's forgiveness. I know...this is a bit awkward, my sudden reappearance, and no I do not feel as if an explanation would suffice. So, I am not offering one. I do not need to bore you all with a story that does not pertain to Niya and Kili. I am sure now, that the updates will not be as frequent, but as promised, I am not abandoning any of you or Kili and Niya.

I also want to point out that I am NOT doing MOVIE-prose in this chapter, like at all. I am going strictly by the book and my imagination. Just FYI.

With that said, here is the next installment . . .

"We lay under the Misty Mountains cold

In slumbers deep and dreams of gold

We must awake, our lives to make

And in the darkness a torch we hold"

I paused, feeling a vibration, someone coming, though I wasn't sure. It was only very slight. I cursed myself for not paying more attention.

"That was beautiful Miss Niya."

I startled, sitting up quickly, my hand instinctively over a dagger. Bilbo was standing at the tree line, just a few feet from where my body lay.

"Bilbo!" I breathed out, my hand leaving my dagger and clutching my chest. Bilbo relaxed at my actions. "You frightened me." He stepped away from the trees and closer to me.

"My apologies, I should not have interrupted your singing so abruptly. . .it was beautiful." I sort of blushed. I didn't sing very loudly amoung the dwarves, I merely hummed or sung very softly. I was still shy of it.

I straightened my back, dusting myself off, embarrassed. "Thank you Bilbo." I muttered.

"What song was that, if you don't mind, it sounded similar to the one the dwarves sang at my home, the one Kili sang to you the day we left Rivendell. I often hear you humming the tune."

I hesitated. "Uh- it's just-I just thought up the words, I suppose, during my watch last night."

"Why do you not sing more? I heard you tell Kili you like to sing." I could not believe this Hobbit heard our conversation! The sneaky little one. And he remembered everything about it.

"Uhm, I just. . .am somewhat embarrassed is all." I replied, standing up. "Have you come to check on your clothes?" I tried changing the subject. He nodded, a look of remembrance crossing his face.

"Ahh yes, the dwarves have sent me to check if our clothes were dry yet." I rolled my eyes. We walked to the line I created for their clothes to hang on while they bathed. It hung between two trees and was about 12 feet long.

"They could not come check for themselves." I mused, laughing.

I felt Bilbo's clothes and my fingers felt dry cloth. I snagged them from the line and tossed them to Bilbo. He was only wearing his undergarments: shorts and a plain shirt.

"The dwarves, are they all finished bathing? And drying? They should be, unless they are fooling around in the water."

Bilbo was slipping back into his clothes. "Ay, they should be dry, along with their undergarments. Shall I have them come get dressed now?"

I nodded, about to answer, however Gandalf, who was missing since the morning magically appeared through the tree line. "Yes, we must make way for our next destination."

"Gandalf!" Bilbo exclaimed. "Where on earth have you been?"

"That is of no concern Mr. Baggins, what we need to do is get these dwarves dressed."

"Uh, right, I shall go get them." Bilbo finished dressing in a hurry then rushed into the trees to make for the dwarves. Meanwhile I started to put each dwarf's clothes in stacks, making sure the pieces were dry first, though. I then started to gather the few packs left and weapons and placed them beneath the corresponding dwarves' clothes.

I had accompanied the dwarves to the river, but did not stay. The dwarves washed their clothes and I took them with me back to the cave to hang them up to dry. Even though the dwarves bathed in shorts I still gave them their privacy, and it would not be proper for me to linger.

"Oi, which one is mine!" I heard Bofur call. I turned toward the trees and the dwarves were each making their way through one by one. Kili emerged and after getting a glance at him I turned away. I ducked behind the clothes, calling their names as I tapped the top of their pile of clothes.

"Oin, Bifur, Gloin, Thorin, Ori, Dwalin, Balin, Bombur, Fili, Bofur, Dori, Nori, K-"

"Mine." I gasped as Kili snatched his clothes from the line revealing him. I held my breath as I couldn't help but look at his muscled arms then at his muscled chest, the hair that sprouted about, the slight abs that were plain to see, the trail of hair to the top of his shorts in between his v-line. I swallowed, shooting my eyes to his. That was another reason I stayed behind. So I wasn't distracted by that. I exhaled slightly shakily. Kili smirked at me, noticing the trail my eyes made and my nervousness. I rolled my eyes and turned, walking away from him. I stood off to the side, keeping my eyes trailed on the ground as I fitted my sword into its sheath and onto my belt, then my quiver and bow onto my body, followed by my pack.

When I was finished I leaned back against the Carrock and waited for the dwarves to finish getting dressed. I kept my eyes trailed on the ground. I still felt oddly embarrassed about saying 'I love you' out loud last night, even though I knew no one heard me, it was still in the presence of the whole lot of them. Also because it was so obvious that I could not keep my eyes off of Kili's bare upper body.

Suddenly, Kili's booted feet obstructed my view of the dirt floor I was staring at. Slowly I looked up his body and it was fully dressed, even his face, with a smirk of all knowingness.

"My Niya…" He said with an expecting tone.

"Yes, my Kili." I responded, my eyes locked with his.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He kept the smirk on his face.

"I am doing no such thing." I cocked an eyebrow, challenging him.

He tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure?" He stepped closer to me. I inhaled slowly. "It seems as though you don't want to be near me." He stepped closer again, causing his pelvis to become flush with mine, then his chest, pinning me to the wall behind me. Kili then trapped me between his arms. I blushed intensely and turned my head to the side. "Or even look at me." I did not reply. My tongue was tied, as was my stomach. "Why would that be?" He whispered huskily in my ear. I let out a shaky breath before turning my head to look at him. The playful look on his face was now gone and replaced with one that of lust. I gulped. Kili nudged my nose with his and I impulsively parted my lips. His eyes flashed to my lips quickly before settling on my eyes. A small smirk tugged on his lips before he glanced quickly at my lips again. My breaths became deeper, my chest rising and falling heavily, pushing against Kili's. I bit my lip in anticipation, I wanted his on mine.

As if reading my mind, Kili leaned in and placed his lips on mine in a slow, tender kiss. He continued to kiss me slowly, his tongue dipping into my mouth only a few times. My hands made their way up Kili's chest and to his neck. The kiss felt different, it was driving me wild and insane and I wanted more.

But we had a quest to continue.

"Kili." Thorin's rough, commanding voice called. Kili slowly withdrew himself from me, breathing deeply as I peeked over his shoulder.

"Niya." He said my name in the same tone. He was informing us that we were to be on our way now. I nodded at him, pushing Kili's chest slowly. I cleared my throat, my eyes trailing the ground as I fiddled with my braid. Kili chuckled behind me.

Gandalf led us through the forest for quite some time before someone was smart enough to ask him where we were going. I just couldn't stop thinking about that kiss.

"Mister Gandalf, where are we headed to exactly?" It was Bilbo. I glanced sideways at Kili, who was currently conversing with Fili about a fish he almost caught in the river. His lips…

"It was always my intention to see you all safely over the Misty Mountains, and with some luck that is what I have done." Some of the dwarves grumbled about Gandalf being late coming to our aid in the Goblin town. My eyes trailed the ground still as my fingers grazed my lips, remembering the feeling of Kili's lips upon them. "Indeed I am far more east than I intended to come with you as this is not my quest. Meanwhile I have other pressing matters to attend to, and I am sure that I will look in on this quest before it is over."

The dwarves were in an uproar of complaints of not wanting to be left by Gandalf, or we should die without him.

"I am not going to disappear this instant!" Gandalf said rather annoyed. I chuckled absentmindedly at him, I was too busy thinking of that bloody kiss still. I bit my lip, smiling.

Kili lightly nudged me with his elbow. "What are you smiling at?"

I nudged him back. "Nothing of course." I blushed. I was caught.

"I would not leave you in your present plight." Gandalf scoffed. "You have no food or supplies, and you do not know where you are. There are not many people that live in these parts."

Kili leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Thinking of earlier?" I looked at him, playfully frowning, he knew he was right. I blushed and leaned my body into his as his arm came around my shoulders.

Gandalf continued. "But I do know somebody that is not too far away, he is the very person to make the steps on the Carrock."

My head shot up, and I was shot out of my Kili-thoughts. "Beorn?!" I blurted rather loudly. The dwarves looked at me oddly. Gandalf turned to look at me.

"You have met him?" Gandalf questioned me.

"…No…Radagast has told me of him."

"Then you know what he is." Gandalf winked at me. I nodded at him. Thorin, of course, questioned this Beorn person.

"Beorn is a great man, and you must all be polite upon introduction." Gandalf paused and thought briefly. "I shall introduce you slowly. In pairs. And do not come but five minutes apart. Thorin, Niya, you two come first. Mister Baggins will accompany me firstly. We must be wary of angering him, or annoying him, and I warn you he gets angered easily."

The dwarves were worried, wondering why we were going to such a person.

"Could you not find someone less ill-tempered?" Gloin asked. I could see Gandalf tiring of the dwarves' worrisome questions and such.

"I could not. And will it put your minds to rest if you know more?" The dwarves nodded and opened their ears, though they heard nothing more from Gandalf. He was plainly annoyed by the dwarves.

"He is a skin-changer." I spoke for Gandalf.

Bilbo went into a flurry. "A skin-changer! A furrier!" Gandalf was about to blow.

I laughed, to ease Gandalf's forehead lines. "NO Bilbo!" I laughed again. "You should not mention the word furrier after this. He is a skin-changer in the nature that he changes his own skin, to that of a huge black bear actually." Gandalf sighed thankfully. "Some say he descends from the great and ancient bears of the mountains before the giants. Others say he descends from the first men, preceding Smaug even! Or at least…that is what Radagast told me." Gandalf nodded slowly, affirming my story, so I continued as we walked on and on to the house of Beorn. "He lives in a great big wooden house." The dwarves listened intently, it was like telling stories to children. "And he has animals of many kind, and he does not eat nor hunt them; they are his friends. He eats mostly creams, honey and breads." The dwarves merely complained that they would not have meat again.

We walked for some time, resting only sometimes and then suddenly, great patches of flowers started to appear. There were many different kinds and they were very beautiful. I was in awe. I wanted to pick some, but Radagast had told me of the beautiful flowers Beorn planted and I feared if I tore some from his garden that I would be planted in the dirt just like these flowers.

Then there was a dull buzzing and the chills ran up my body heavily. Bilbo was the first to say anything about it.

"Such bees!" Before I even saw them, I knew the buzzing noise. "If one were to sting me, I would swell up twice as big as I am!" He exclaimed. My jaw dropped at what Bilbo claimed. I caught a glimpse of the largest bee I had seen in my life, the size of a small hedgehog, it could rest in my palm! I latched on to Kili's arm and hid my face. My legs felt weak.

"What has gotten your lady in such a trembling state?" Fili chuckled.

"I believe she fears bugs greatly. I remember how she cringed greatly in disgust when she witnessed Radagast pull a stick bug from his mouth." My head retreated from Kili's shoulder to stare at his face, appalled. I could not believe he noticed that. Fili looked at him oddly, not remembering such an event.

"We are getting near." Gandalf announced. "We are on the edge of his bee pastures."

After some time we came to a line of very tall, very old oak trees and beyond these, a high ledge of what appeared to be thorn brush. Gandalf halted here.

"You better wait here. I shall whistle for Thorin and Niya, and thereafter, follow after 5 minutes of each other. Come Mister Baggins! There is a gate somewhere along here!" With that, Gandalf left us.

"Stay close to Thorin. I shall be right after you." Kili said quietly to me. I smiled at him.

"I assure you this Beorn will not harm a friend of Radagast." I put my hand on his arm.

He looked at me pleadingly, disregarding what I just told him. "Please Niya. I would have accompanied you, but the wizard paired you with Thorin to arrive first and only two at a time are to go."

I put Kili's face in my hands. "My Kili, you worry so much. We are safe here. I promise you that." He gave me a lopsided smile then quickly stroked my nose. I laughed, pecking him on the lips.

"The worst is behind us." He repeated a dwarf's words from yesterday, probably to reassure himself. I nodded at him, offering him a soft smile.

"So, what were you thinking about earlier? That silly smile on your face gave it away that it was something about me, obviously." I rolled my eyes at Kili's cockiness.

I countered him, for revenge. "About this." I whispered, pulling the top of his tunic toward me so that my lips could meet his in a soft kiss. I pressed my body into his, pushing my pelvis into his especially. Kili's arms wrapped around me as I gently took his bottom lip between my teeth, causing Kili to part his lips. I slid my tongue between his lips to meet his and at this, Kili's arms tightened around me. A whistle in the distance could be heard.

I pulled my lips from Kili's. Thorin called to me then, "Let's go Niya."

"That's Gandalf. I must go." I smirked at him as I took a step away from Kili. He gave me a look of realization.

"You are evil." I winked at him over my shoulder as I walked to Thorin. "You will pay for that." He pointed at me.

"Think of me." I smirked at him wider before righting my head. I left him with the rest of the dwarves as Thorin and I walked along the hedge in the direction Gandalf went. It was not long before we found a gate. Upon entering, there were animals about, watching us walk. You can see the intelligence in their eyes.

We rounded a wooden house and were met by Gandalf and Bilbo standing next to a very large and tall, hairy man. He made me feel like a hobbit.

"One or three you meant, I see!" Beorn boomed upon seeing us. "But they are not hobbits! A dwarf! And a tiny human!" I scowled at him and he laughed at my reaction.

Thorin bowed. "Thorin Oakenshield, at your service."

I did a small curtsy with a small bow. "Respectively, Niya, of Ithilien. I am privileged to meet you."

Beorn guffawed and looked at me bemused. "A tiny Ranger you are indeed! I can tell by your stature and stance, although smaller in size!" Then he huffed, his mood changing. "Well I need not your service, although you need mine, and if you are Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, and your little Dúnedain friend is respectable, though I doubt it if you hail from Ithilien, then I will allow you on my lands –what are you up to anyway, combating goblins?" He looked at us suspiciously.

"Thorin is on his way to visit the land of his fathers and Niya is no longer with Ithilien, she is an apprentice and friend of Radagast, she has lived with him for 15 years and she is accompanying us merely for the purpose of accompaniment."

"Radagast! Well why did you not say so at first!" He looked upon me happily again. "Are you trying to trick me wizard?" He looked at Gandalf angrily. My eyes widened. His mood was like a loose rope in the wind.

"Oh of course not my dear Beorn, we wished not to share so much for it might overwhelm you!"

"A friend of Radagast is a friend of mine!" Beorn smiled at me and bowed slightly. I felt honored.

"Go on with your story now!" He motioned toward Gandalf.

Gandalf continued his story, telling about the storm and the stone giants. "We took refuge at the head of the pass, myself, the hobbit and several of our companions –"

"Do you call two companions several?" My palms started to sweat for Gandalf.

"Well no, they did not seem to all come when I whistled." Gandalf covered. "They are shy I suppose. We did not want to be too much for you to entertain."

"Well whistle for them! It seems I am in for a party, one or two more will not make much difference." Beorn growled. Gandalf made to whistle but Kili and Fili already appeared, right on time.

"Fili." He bowed.

"Kili." He bowed.

They recited together. "At your s-"

Beorn waved them off. "Yes, yes I shall ask for your service shall I need it. Thank you."

Gandalf introduced them more. "These are nephews of Thorin and Kili is partner to Niya."

"I thought you said Niya was a friend of Radagast." Beorn looked at all of us suspiciously.

I piped up finally. "Radagast is my dearest friend, he was a father to me and we were unfortunately and suddenly separated." I put on a sad smile, which he matched. "But fortunately I met these dwarves and Gandalf and the hobbit and traveled with them with plans of going back to Radagast, however Valar had different plans for me." I motioned towards Kili who defensively made his way to my side.

"Ahh a family quest!" Beorn clapped his hands. I relaxed my shoulders. Gandalf looked at me thankfully then continued his story. In pairs the dwarves came, five minutes apart from each other. Beorn was first getting angrier that Gandalf was lying about the number of us, but every time I would contribute to the story and he wouldn't be so angry anymore. He was also getting consumed in the story that he forgot all bout our ever-growing number. We had moved inside Beorn's house and sat at a large table, actually everything inside his house was far too large for any of us, save Gandalf. We all had to literally climb onto the long trestles on either side of the large table. My shoulders barely came over the table and my chin was about 5 inches above the table. Bilbo was gripping Gandalf's cloak as Dwalin pushed him up onto the trestle. Beorn sat at the head of the table in a huge chair, though it was not huge for him. To his right was Thorin, Fili, Kili, myself, Ori, Nori then Dori, then Bifur and Bofur. Opposite us on Beorn's left was Gandalf, Bilbo, Dwalin, Balin, Oin, Gloin, then Bombur.

Gandalf finally finished our tale with the eagles dropping us off at the Carrock and our trek along the side down to the ground.

"And you are friend of the Eagle's as well!" Beorn commented excitedly looking at me. I nodded my head affirming what Gandalf said.

Beorn clapped his hands happily. "A very good tale! The best I have heard in a long while!" He pointed his finger at us all quickly then to Gandalf. "Though a tale it could all be, you may be making it all up, but you deserve a supper for the story all the same! Let us have something to eat!" The dwarves' faces lit up at this. Beorn clapped his hands twice and in walked four beautiful white ponies and several long gray dogs. Beorn spoke to them just like Radagast, in their own language and they briefly took their leave, returning with torches in their mouths, lighting up the house more. The dwarves and Bilbo and myself watched in awe as the animals went to work. Sheep trotted in with bowls and utensils and such on their back and the dogs set the table rather quickly. Then we were served food, there were breads and cheeses and creams and honeys and it all looked so delicious.

"Thank you." I said to the dogs who placed out bowls and cups and food on the table before they left. As we ate, Beorn told us his own tales of his adventures and lands he has visited and such. Everyone listened and might I say the dwarves ate rather respectably in the presence of Beorn. It was quite amusing to see them exhibit table manners.

After supper, our bowls were filled with mead and it was the dwarves' turn to tell their stories. Some I have heard, some I have not and I always loved to hear their stories. I could not say the same for Beorn, however, for he did not seem interested in stories of golds and silvers and such. He was beginning to doze off actually, though he was not alone. I caught Bilbo nodding off somewhat in between the wizard and Dwalin.

Somewhere after our dinner, Beorn suddenly left, but not before warning us to not venture outside while dark, and at that the dwarves relaxed a bit more, speaking a bit louder. We had moved to sit around the fire Beorn had in a pit in the middle of his house. The dwarves took their mead filled bowls and continued to drink as they continued to sing and tell stories around the large fire. I began to tire somewhat and laid my head in Kili's lap and my legs in Fili's lap. I watched Kili smile and laugh and sing with the others.

Kili finally looked down to me when it became somewhat quite and he heard me humming. He smiled happily, warm from the mead and I was warm from the fire. He put a hand to my cheek, and began stroking the top of my nose with his thumb. I closed my eyes and almost instantly fell into a slumber.

When I awoke, it was very dim, and I could not recognize where I was. Kili must have moved me.I made out the outlines of the others asleep, scattered about on the floor. I heard a low growl, it must have been what woke me. More growling was heard and then scuffling. Maybe it was Beorn? I noticed a figure sit up in the dim moon light. I lifted myself up on my elbows.

He must have heard the growling too. "It is alright Bilbo." I whispered. His head shot in my direction, he looked frightened. "It is more than likely just Beorn and his friends. We are safe in here." He nodded slightly at me before diving under his covers. I smiled then laid back down. I barely noticed Kili's arm thrown over my hips until it pulled me in closer to him. I laid on my side to face him and complied with his sleeping demand, cuddling closer to him. I inhaled deeply breathing in his musky scent. I sighed in content. I placed my lips on his very slowly as to not wake him, then mouthed 'I love you' before kissing his lips. I tucked my head so that our foreheads were touching before willing sleep to come back to me, and that it did.

Thank you to the ones that stuck with me and thank you for the reviewers as well.

Rate/Review please and thank you!