Hey guys! Got a nice quick update for you all! Hope you enjoy! Quite short though, so I apologise for that!

Review responses;

piperw142 - You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoy it enough to read! Got a quick update here!

FlowerChild23 - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Dinosaur Imperial Soldier - Yup! Faron remembers a lot about her childhood, but doesn't like to dwell on a lot it. The chapter with the men of Dale, mainly Bard, will be in the chapter after next, and the elves the one after that.

wolfimus prime - Thorin is an ass at first isnt he? And I hope you mean "don't be mean to your daughter." not "do be meant to your daughter." lol! But, there's more to come between Faron and Thorin!

The next couple of days, I spend my time either walking around Erebor, in the library or in the room we've claimed for now while the others are stuck in the Treasure Hall, searching for the Arkenstone.

On the third day, I am in the Throne Room with father, Bilbo, Balin and Dwalin. Father is gazing upon the throne, over which the Arkenstone had been inlaid before it was lost, a claw mark scratched into the stone, taking out a big chunk of it. Bilbo is standing to the left as Balin, Dwalin and I are stood behind Thorin, just before the steps to the dais.

"It is here in these halls - I know it." father mutters.

"We have searched and searched. . ." Dwalin tries to reason.

"Not well enough!"

"Thorin, we all would see the stone returned."

"And yet, it is still not FOUND!"

The halls of the throne room echoed as he exclaimed the last word.

"Do you doubt the loyalty of anyone here?" Balin asks, causing me to look to him before looking back to father.

Father turns and slowly walks toward Balin, Dwalin and I. I have never ever been afraid of my father, never. But right now, I could not be more terrified. It's just the look in his eyes that scare me.

"The Arkenstone is the birthright of our people."

"It is the King's Jewel. AM I NOT THE KING?!"

I wince as he shouts. As father turns away, the four of us all look uneasy and we glance at each other.

"Know this - If anyone should find it and withhold it from me, I will be avenged."

Father then leaves and goes back to the Treasure Hall.

I leave the throne room and soon find myself in the library. As I try to salvage something readable, I hear a weeping sound. Walking around, I find Balin leant against a shelf, his back to me and his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. I walk over to him.

"Uncle Balin?"

He stops and looks back to me, drying his eyes. "Faron, I didn't hear you come in."

I smile as I walk over. "I'm quiet as a mouse when I want to be. You should know this by now."

He gives me a watery smile, to which I hold him close. He embraces me back.

"We will get through this Balin. Somehow we will."

He nods as we pull away and he dries his face. At hearing footsteps, we turn to see Bilbo walking over.

"Dragon-sickness - I've seen it before. We both have." Balin speaks to him. "That look. That terrible need. It is a fierce and jealous love, Bilbo. It sent his grandfather mad."

Bilbo stands with us. "Balin, if-if Thorin. . .had the Arkenstone. . ." Bilbo slightly cocks his head, giving Balin a pointed look. I look at him in confusion for a moment, when it twigs. He's got the Arkenstone, or he knows where it is. ". . .if it was found - Would it help?"

"That stone crowns all. It is the summit of this great wealth, bestowing power upon he who bears it. Will it stay his madness? No, lad; I fear it would make it worse. Perhaps it is best that it remains lost."

Balin raises his eyebrow at Bilbo. That's a look I know to say; 'don't give him the Arkenstone.'

Bilbo leaves. Balin and I share a glance before I follow Bilbo out. I take his hand and lead him down a corridor, stopping and turns to him.

"You have it?"

He pauses for a moment before he nods. "Yes. I-I found it before Smaug attacked us."

"And you didn't tell my father?"

"No. I'm afraid to. He's changed, surely you know this. You've seen it. When he barred you from entering the treasure hall, if he was sane, he would never have done that."

I sigh as I nod as I look down. "Aye. It's like. . .like looking at my great-grandfather all over again." I turn back to him. "Can-Can I see it?"

He nods as he looks around before opening his jacket and pulling the stone slightly out of his pocket. As I look to it, I remember the last time I ever saw it. I was five years old and sitting in Thror's lap, staring at the stone as he told me about it. I then remember standing on his knees and reaching up to try to touch it, earning a chuckle from him, grand-father Thrain and father, before father pulled me off his lap and stood me beside him as Thranduil was making his way towards us.

"Faron?" I suddenly hear Bilbo's voice, pulling me from my thoughts.

I shake my head and look away from the stone until he puts it back. "Bilbo, no matter what happens, don't give my father that stone." I look back to him. "Balin is right, if father has it, it will make him worse. I've already seen my great-grandfather go mad through it, I am not prepared to see my father go the same way. Promise me you won't give it to him."

He nods. "I promise."

I just smile in relief. He smiles back before he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out an acorn. I open my mouth to say something before we hear father's voice.

"What is that?!"

Looking around, we see him striding rapidly towards us.

"Father, wait, please. It's not what you think."

He ignores me. "In your hand!"

Bilbo tries to reassure him. "It-It's nothing."

"Show me."

He holds his hand out to show the acorn. "I picked it up in Beorn's garden."

I look to father to see him looking at Bilbo in surprise.

"You've carried it all this way."

"I'm gonna plant it in my garden, in Bag End."

His anger fading, father smiles fondly at Bilbo, to which I have to smile at.

"That's a poor price to take back to the Shire."

"One day it'll grow. And every time I look at it, I'll remember - Remember everything that happened, the good, the bad. And how lucky I am that I made it home."

The three of us all smile.

"Thorin, I. . ."

Suddenly, Dwalin comes up and interrupts him.

"Thorin, survivors...from Laketown. They are streaming into Dale. There's hundreds of them."

Looking to father, I see the smile has faded into a stern, uncompromising face.

"Call everyone to the gate." he lets go of my hand and strides off. "TO THE GATE! NOW!"

I let out a sigh of frustration, as does Bilbo, but we follow father and Dwalin to the gate.

After working through the evening and late into the night, we are all blocking up the entrance that Smaug broke through. Some carry rocks by hand while other use the help of various pulleys and other machines. Kili, Bilbo and I walk over with a cart full of rocks in various sizes. We have only got the wall half done.

"I want this fortress made safe by sunup. This mountain was hard won - I will not see it taken again." Thorin says as he walks to the top of the wall.

Kili drops the end of the cart he is pulling. "The people of Laketown have nothing." Thorin looks over to his nephew as he talks. "They came to us in need. They have lost everything."

"Do not tell me what they have lost. I know well enough their hardship. Those who have lived through Dragonfire should rejoice. They have much to be grateful for."

Father looks out at the city of Dale, where many fires can be seen lit by the people. He then turns and shouts to his dwarves.

"More stone! BRING MORE STONE TO THE GATE!"

I look to father and see just how much he has changed thanks to that bloody dragon sickness. Father would never act like this normally. He would never go back on his word, which is what hurts me the most.

Kili, Bilbo and I leave the gate to find some more stone, this time joined by Fili. We wander through the halls aimlessly until we come to a four-way junction.

"Well, which way shall we go now?" Kili asks.

As I look around, memories suddenly appear. Fire. Screaming. Being lost. Getting lifted into Dwalin's arms. The last memory to appear makes me freeze as I look down one of the paths.

"Faron, are you alright?" Bilbo asks, drawing the attention of the brothers.

I don't say anything as I run down the path, the three of them shouting after me as they follow. I run down the hall for some time until I stop dead. The path is blocked by a giant boulder, but that isn't what stops me, it's what's on the ground in front of it. A corpse. . .a corpse of a dam can be seen from the waist up. I shakily walk over and kneel beside the corpse as the trio arrive.

"Faron. . ."

I look up to my brothers, tears falling down my face. "Fee, Kee. . .meet your Aunt Rala. . .my amad."

0_0! Faron's mother! Oh no! What's going to happen next? Will this be enough to snap Thorin out of his sickness? Stay tuned to find out! Please review! The more I get, the faster the update!

Translations;

Amad - Mother