A/N: So on this holiday, I thought the best Christmas gift I could give you all was a chapter. Well, a chapter and news that I have the story entirely written, I just need to edit these last few chapters, rewrite anything that I don't like, and give it another once over. But I should be posting one chapter a day until they are done, possibly more if the chapters are short. So Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for continuing to read, but I promise, updates will be faster. And watch out, we are nearing the end, so hold on tight! As always, enjoy!

Chapter 24;

~l l~

The girls talked for a while and Kiralyn began feeling a bond to Sigrid, she was strong, but wished to have a calmer life. It seems that the city was rather strict, every corner controlled by what could be referred to as "The Master." Plus, her mother had died not long after her sister was born, so she had to grow up far faster than the others. She felt bad for the young woman; she had most of childhood taken away from her.

As the conversation wrapped up, she hugged the girl and assured, "I think things will get better soon Sigrid, hope is on the horizon. Changes are coming about for us all, but I really should get back to the company, thank you."

She led the wearied woman back down the stairs, to see the dwarves still huddled around the fire with blankets covering them all. The talk had hit a lull as she noticed Thorin looking carefully out the window, Balin seemingly explaining something to Bilbo. She too looked wistfully towards the open window, imagining Dale for just a moment, feeling the cool breeze on her face, before a cough broke her from the reverie. She looked over to Fili and saw him look seriously at Kili, then back at her. Taking the clue, she hurried over.

Carefully, she looked over him as he seemed to be lost in the fire. It was then she called over Bard, "I hate to ask again, but do you have any alcohol?" He nodded; eyebrow raised until he saw both her and Fili coddling Kili. He was obviously in pain, so the elder man proceeded to grab a bottle from the kitchen before rushing back over.

"Thank you," but her focus immediately went to Kili. Before he had the chance to protest, she began unwrapping his make-shift bandage. At first, his hands went to push hers away. She gave him a hard stare, conveying the seriousness of the situation, before he allowed his hands to relax.

She continued unwrapping, and noticed that the bandage had only just stopped the bleeding. She took a good hard look at the wound itself and noticed crimson blood, as expected, but the skin around it had black veins. It was oozing some sort of viscous, onyx goo and the arrow entry had seemed to fall in on itself. Something was not right. Finally, she took some fabric she had been saving in her boot, dipped it lightly in alcohol, and pressed it to his wound.

A light yelp rang throughout the room as he bit harshly on his fingers, drawing blood there too. She frowned, only then looking to see the injury bubbling in an unnatural manner. After a second, a clear liquid poured out, looking much like the alcohol she had just poured in. It had immediately rejected it! She cursed her luck before using what was left of the cloth to wrap it back up.

She set the bottle on the table with a huff, growing more and more frustrated by the second. Her voice came out small and pleading, "Kili, please, just tell me how you feel. I don't want any of this 'I'm fine' nonsense, I'm worried and I need to know what it feels like."

She wished she had sounded stronger, but she could only gaze at him, a sad look upon her face. He looked dead into her eyes, taking her hand and saying, "It hurts." A pause as he continued, "I'm starting to feel feverish and, and my leg is throbbing. I feel something thick running through my blood. It hurts, but please relax, it just needs time."

As she looked at him more closely, she noticed a fine line of sweat covering his forehead and she ran her thumb over his hand, feeling as if it was the most natural thing in the world. If only there was some way to fix this mess, even Fili looked over somberly.

The room suddenly turned quiet and Bard's son spoke up, something about Lord Girion hitting off one of the dragon's scales and Kira felt a small surge of pride for her great ancestor. Dwalin shrugged it off, insisting it was a wives' tale, and she returned her focus to the young dwarf, distantly noticing Bard leave the room.

Before she could fret over Kili's wound further, Thorin gathered his nephews and Balin by the window as the children had scurried off to their own room. She and Fili offered the younger dwarf help, but he pushed them off once more. She sat back down, but listened intently, some would say eavesdropped, as Thorin began to mutter, "Tomorrow begins the last days of autumn."

His face said it all, they needed to leave. Balin continued the thought, "Durin's day falls morn after next, we must reach the mountain before then."

As she looked at them, they all looked solemn, and she felt it. They had traveled so far, gone through peril after peril, stared death in the face many times, only to be beat by time? No, they wouldn't allow it, they couldn't. Yet, she had doubts, doubts that others shared. "And if we do not, if we fail to find the hidden door before that time?" Kili questioned

Her eyes shut slowly as Fili hissed, "Then the quest will have been for nothing."

She shook her head; this could not be the end, no. Her fingers felt numb as she grasped desperately at the air, but her thoughts were stopped.

Bard, came in, eyeing the door like a hawk, before slamming an oblong, wrapped parcel onto the table they had huddled near. She, as well as the rest of the company, formed a circle around it, every one picking up an object of their own. It didn't take a dwarf to notice these weren't the weapons they had been thinking of. Here lay a stick with a chain on the end, there a hammer, other odds and ends lay scattered around the table.

They all stared accusingly at Bard, Thorin taking up what looked like a fisherman's hook. He barked at the pepper-haired man, "What is this?"

Even the man seemed dejected as he responded, "A pike hook, made from an old harpoon." She could tell, he knew this wasn't what they had had in mind when they gave him the money.

Kili then held up something resembling a hammer, asking, "And this?"

"A crowbill we call it, made from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in hand I grant it," he paused only to take on a more serious look, "in defense of your life, it will serve you better than none."

Yet, all of them began getting riled up and though she felt for the man, this was not the deal they had struck. Her frustration grew tenfold and her fists clenched as her eyes narrowed. Gloin raised his voice, "We paid you for weapons, iron-forged swords and axes!"

Bofur heightened the atmosphere further by throwing his item back on the table, yelling, "It's a joke!"

And so, they all threw their excuse for weapons back on the table. Kiralyn felt her patience growing very thin. They didn't have much time left, they were obviously weaponless, and for all she knew, Kili could drop at any moment! She seethed through gritted teeth as Bard tried to argue, "These are the best you'll find outside the city armory. All iron-forged weapons are held under lock and key."

Yet, Balin grew closer to the king and called out, "Thorin, why don't we take this offer and go? I've made do with less and so have you." He raised his voice, so all would hear, "I say we leave now."

"You're not going out," Bard made clear. He set his foot down and looked around, ignoring whatever Dwalin had hissed out. He continued, "There are spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town, you must wait until night fall."

Reluctantly, the company sat down and the sole woman in the fifteen members felt her anger simmer down to a bitter distaste. The situation was bad enough without this.

She walked slowly over to the window seat. It was then she noticed Kili leaning himself down with the help of a stick and exhaling sharply. She went over and sat by him, grabbing his hand and staring blankly ahead.

Time passed, and soon, the son and two daughters of their oh so kind guest scattered around once more. Thorin sent a look to all of them and one by one, each member exited the room. All of them were silent, and finally it was Kira's turn. She too took her leave, narrowly escaping their view as she found herself hiding behind their home. Carefully, she waited for Fili and Kili to bring up the rear before they all followed behind Thorin.

The group slunk around the town until nightfall, at last finding the armory. The window was high and she gave out a long breath, before rubbing her eyes. Thorin of course, ordered, "Line up, we'll have to climb upon each other and a few of us will take what weapons we can."

Without another word, some of the sturdier and elder dwarves, like Dwalin and Ori, took their places, climbing atop each other and Kira felt a small part of herself watch in awe. They truly worked like a machine, never questioning orders, always continuing no matter what obstacle came in their way. Then she watched as Nori and Bilbo leapt into the window. She herself felt a surge of adrenaline before Thorin pushed her back. With a running start, she took off and landed surprisingly easily in the window, ducking only to roll onto her feet. A pleased grin appeared on her face before Bilbo pushed her out of the way, just as Bofur ducked in.

With another push from Nori, she began grabbing swords and axes, stacking a few in her arm, even grabbing a bow and quiver for herself. It was a shame her others were taken. Finally though, Kili and Thorin also made it in and she began to hand off the weapons to Nori, when she noticed the youngest dwarf faltering slightly. Thorin asked, "You alright?"

It took most of her being to hold herself back as he bit back, "I can manage, let's just get out of here." She saw his figure scurry down the stairs when she heard a crash and ran over, only then realizing how much trouble that had likely caused them. Still, she called down in a whisper, "Are you okay?"

He looked up, ignoring the pain as intense guilt and worry coursed through him, she lifted her hand to help him up when several men came around them, some hurrying up the stairs and it was but a moment before she felt a sword at her throat, hazel eyes flaming at the guard in front of her.