Hey there all! I'm back! Still got slight illness, but it's a LOT better than it has been, so I can hopefully keep on top of my writing. I want to thank everyone for all the support and get well wishes you have sent me, it has really helped me to recover and wanting to come back and update for you all. As a thank you for your concern and patience, at the end of the chapter, I will be adding a couple of lines as a sneak peek for the next chapter, to keep you all in suspense ;-D. It's quite a small chapter, so hope the sneak peek makes up for it!

Review Responses;

Dinosaur Imperial Soldier (for chapter 24) – You will have to find out what happens in the next chapter, as the battle will begin then xx

pallysdeeks (for chapter 24) – Oh yes, Thorin has well and truly gone. Don't worry, Violet and Kili will get to spend some private time together before it all kicks off.

MonkeyGirl13 (for chapter 24) – I'm glad you're loving this!

CrystalVixen93 (for chapter 24) – I'm glad you love this story, here is the next chapter!

Reading Melody (for chapter 1) – I'm glad you are enjoying this so far and hope you continue to do so as you read on!

CrystalVixen93, MonkeyGirl13, misslesmis13, kaia, UniKatFox – Thank you all for your get well messages! They really meant a lot to me and I am so grateful to you for sticking with me!

A Vow Made

The next day, Thorin gets all of us into the armoury to prepare ourselves for battle. I just stand back and watch as the dwarves arm themselves with weapons and strapping on heavy armour.

"Not getting anything, lass?" Nori asks as he notices me standing there.

I just smile. "I really doubt you have any armour to fit a wolf there. Especially one that's Warg size."

This causes some of the dwarves to chuckle before Bofur turns to me with a look of worry on his face.

"You're not going to have any protection?"

Fili speaks up before I can. "She already has it. Kili and I will protect her."

I just grin at both brothers and they grin back before continuing with preparations.

"Master Baggins, come here!" I suddenly hear Thorin calling out.

Looking to the entrance, I see him standing there in full armour and Bilbo walking towards him. Thorin holds up a tunic of white mail.

"You are going to need this. Put it on."

Bilbo begins removing his jacket.

"This vest is made of silver steel - "Mithril" it was called by my forebears."

Thorin holds it up so that Bilbo can slide into it.

"No blade can pierce it."

Bilbo finishes putting it on, then looks at himself; out of the corner of my eye, I can see the other dwarves have stopped to watch him as well.

"I look absurd. I'm not a warrior; I'm a Hobbit."

"It is a gift. A token of our friendship. True friends are hard to come by."

I can hear the smile in his voice, but as he looks towards the rest of us, he frowns. He then grabs Bilbo by the shoulder and pulls him away where the other dwarves can't hear him, but I still can.

"I have been blind. Now I begin to see. I am betrayed!"

"Betrayed?"

"The Arkenstone."

I look up nervously at this as I see Thorin moving closer to him, Bilbo looks extremely uncomfortable and worried. Thorin whispers to Bilbo.

"One of them has taken it."

Bilbo almost sighs audibly in relief. I also internally sigh in relief, but then dread fills me as the realisation to his words hit me. He thinks one of his own kin, or me, has taken it.

"One of them is false."

"Thorin. . .the quest is fulfilled. You've won the mountain. Is that not enough?"

"Betrayed by my own kin and the wolf."

"No eh. . .You. . .You made a promise. . .to the people of Laketown. Is-Is this treasure truly worth more than your honor? Our honor, Thorin. I was also there, I gave my word."

"For that I'm grateful. It was nobly done. But the treasure in this mountain does not belong to the people of Laketown! This gold. . .is ours. . .and ours alone. By my life I will not part with a single coin! Not. . .one. . .piece of it!"

I snap my head up at those last words. I did notice his voice growing deeper and more like Smaug's, but the last five words. . .those were the exact same words Smaug had spoken to Bilbo and I before. It is just as I feared. . .just as Smaug said, the Arkenstone has mentally affected him. I see Bilbo staring at him in shock as the others dwarves stride by, dressed for battle. Thorin follows after them, leaving Bilbo and I alone.

I walk over to Bilbo who is staring in the direction Thorin walked off too.

"This is getting out of hand."

"It is. . .that was not Thorin talking, that was Smaug."

I nod. "I know. . .what do we do? What can we do?"

Bilbo doesn't say anything for a while before he answers; "I have an idea. . ."

I turn to him. "What is it?"

He looks to me for a moment but then shakes his head. "No, I won't tell you. Not with your relationship with Kili. I won't do anything to jeopardize it."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to go through this alone and get into a lot of trouble."

He nods. "I'm sure. You go to Kili and I'll get started on my idea."

I nod and walk away after embracing him and kissing his cheek.

Walking through Erebor, I soon find Kili in a room on his own. I will admit, he looks very handsome in the armour he is wearing. His chest plate shining silver, the glow of the fire reflecting off the surface.

"What are you doing here alone?" I ask him, wondering why he isn't with his brother.

He looks over and smiles as he sees me. "Just getting some alone time."

I take a step back towards the door. "Would you like me to leave?"

He reaches out and take my hand, pulling me more inside as he shakes his head. "No. I could never deny your company."

We take a seat on a nearby bench and I watch him as he just looks to the floor. I can see the thoughts whirring around inside his head.

"What is wrong?"

He looks to me. "What makes you think there is something wrong?"

I just give him a look as if to say; "Do you have to ask?"

He grins before sighing as he looks away. "Thorin. I just. . .I don't understand why he is doing all of this. The people of Laketown have nothing. . .Smaug destroyed everything they had. . .we should be helping them not trying to start a war with them."

I take his hand, linking my fingers with his own as I speak. "The other day, Balin told me about a sickness King Thror had. A sickness of the mind; Dragon Sickness, he called it. I made him have a jealous need for the gold, which sent him mad. He believes, as do I, Thorin is developing the same sickness."

Kili looks to me at this. "Sickness. . .Bilbo mentioned something about a sickness when we first arrived here. . .yes. . .I am beginning to see it. The Thorin I know would not be like this. . .he himself has gone through this before. Smaug came here, destroying and killing everything in his path, forcing those to survive to flee. . ."

I nod. "Yes, I know. I think if he didn't have this sickness, Thorin would show more compassion and sympathy, jumping to the aid of those in Dale. But the sickness is clouding his judgement, making him think of nothing but the gold and the Arkenstone."

He looks away again, but when he does, I can see the tears welling up in his eyes. Frowning, I sit closer to him, laying my head on his armoured shoulder. He lays his head on top of mine as he speaks, I hear the emotion running through his voice, which breaks my heart to hear.

"For the past few days, I have often wished that we never set out on this journey. If we hadn't, then Thorin would not be like this, I could still look at him as the dwarf I have always looked up too, the one I see as a father figure. But then I think about you." he looks to me at this and my breath catches in my throat as I see the pure love in his eyes. "If we hadn't started on this journey, then I would never have met you. The one woman who made me look and take notice with just a glance. The one who has taken my heart for her own. I truly do not know what I would do if I did not have you in my life, Violet. I do not ever want to be parted from you."

I smile as I place a hand on his cheek. "And we never will. Before I met you, I felt as though my life had no meaning. Of course, I had my father and little Estel, but the one thing I wanted and thought I could never have was love. My eye would always scare any man that I would meet, but then I met you. I have never felt the way I do now with anyone else before, and I don't intend on losing that feeling."

He smiles as he reaches up and takes my courting braid in his hand, giving it a gentle tug towards him, pulling me closer. "I'm very happy to hear you say that. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but if war is upon us, we could. . ."

I raise my hand and touch my fingers to his lips to silence him. "Shh. Let's not speak of that tonight. There is no need to speak of war, not now."

He grins as he kisses my fingertips before taking the hand into his own. "You are right, why speak of that when we can just live in this moment. When we have each other right here and now."

Placing a hand on the side of my neck, I smile as he pulls me closer and our lips meet in a tender and loving kiss. Although I do love his idea of living in the now, he is also right on how war could easily come tomorrow. The both of us could lose our lives in battle. But I make a vow to myself not to let that happen. I would make sure Kili survives through this, even if that means putting myself in harms way, I will gladly do that so that I can save him. I could not save my mother, siblings or my friends, but I will defend my love with my dying breath. Kili will not die on my watch, nor will any of the others, this I swear.

Awww! Well, there we have it. Violet and Kili finally get a moment together before the battle begins and they are truly tested. As promised, here is the two line sneak peek for you all!

~ Before any of us can do anything, he whips out his dagger and cuts the braid from my head.

"NO!" Kili cries out in anguish, the others letting out noises of shock and disblief. ~