Believe in Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Tolkien's/PJ's ingenuity!

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know this one's short, but it's a cute filler, so just bask in the cuteness in the meantime, yeah? :P Actually I just about cried when I saw my traffic graph kick up again after the last chapter... Over 900 views in one day, guys. Holy Valar. I love you all. And more or less twenty reviews for chapter 25 and fifteen for chapter 26? YOU ALL MAKE ME FEEL SO LOVED~ Here, hugs. Hugs for everybody. Hug yourself. Go on, do it.

I...did some more shamelessly self-serving fanart. *blushes* infamousrun4life. deviantart. com, minus the spaces as per usual, and to the gallery! It...it'll be obvious.

THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG TRAILER WHAT THE FLAMING VALAR OH MY FLIPPING SWEET CREAM CHEESE ON A BAGEL I CAN'T EVEN THE FEELS THEY'RE CLAWING AT MY HEART~
In other news, I flipped several very eloquent shits when I discovered that the DoS trailer had been released. Condensed reactions: 1) The line of Durin is still unbearably sexy. 2) Why in the name of Eru is the trailer cut so that Thranduil is helping the dwarves? 3) Can't wait for Legolas and Tauriel, and by that I mean they're totally an implied pairing. 4) CumberSmaug is scary as at least the fifth circle of hell and yet so...awesome. 5) The scene between Thorin and Bilbo had me falling off my chair whilst trying to gag my own shrieking so I could hear/see the rest of the trailer. 6) If they screw this up, I'mma cut somebody.

Poll results. Yeah, this stuff is kinda important... So the results say that I should probably just do a ton of filler material up until they release the next movie. Since I've been relying heavily on the movieverse, I was thinking that that would be the best option anyway. So that's what you're gonna get! :D In addition, the majority of you would prefer that I just keep posting within the same title instead of doing a trilogy like they did for the movies. I don't know how I feel about this. Firstly, having such massive documents in my word processor worries me. Also, there comes a point where a story is just so long that no one bothers to start reading it, but on the other hand, whenever people see that a story is a sequel, they immediately bypass it. I don't know what to do about this so if anyone has any ideas then please put it in a review or PM! Thanks everybody for your input, and if you could help me out on this then it'd be great. :)

Replies! In terms of Chapter Twenty-Five, thanks to Fellowship of Avengers (I agree on the depressing meanings; I'm so evil &D), AemiKili (*flaps hands* Thank you, darling! *rolls around on floor* so many feelings), WoWiTzCoRiE, DwarvenWarrior (Eheheheheeee), Jess (Aha, good! Glad you liked it), Amber (Aaaahahaha, oh we all have those days. And yes. Foreshadowing. All the foreshadows. And you wished for cute as hell, you shall have it xD), 0kami (Oh no, don't worry about it! I'm just glad and quite flattered that you're reading all this! :3 Also, thanks for the review on Fearless! :D), LovingBOBThePacific (Ain't that the truth. Honestly, whenever I write kids, I base it on my own weird experiences xD), the Random Oliphaunt (Hurhur :3 Thanks! Heh heeeeeh, all in good time~! That's code for "I'm not really sure how I'm gonna work this yet so it's gonna lurk tantalizingly in the background for a while!" 8D), Fangirlatyourservice, i am a Fire-jay (Aren't they just adorable? *squees*), DragonOwl (Heh. There's one wise beyond his or her years in every group xD Also, thanks for the read/review on A Change of Plans (oh god it's so old the writing and the awkward and~ eh never mind). Anyway, thanks!), Spirited Mare (Awww, yay :), Luna Fire-Wolf303, Ms. Skywalker1005, Fluff loving guest (Thanks! Eh, take pride! Awaken the household! xD), SandyGirl2, Abyss Prime (Yaaaaay :), tangle. of. ivy (Hahahaha, isn't it though? Gahh~), Immortal Horse, blushingpixie, Dalia Inscription, Faolen the Elven Wolf, Lithochick, Kim G (Aw, thank you very much! That means a lot. Well then, I shall enjoy leading you all the way to the end of the third movie! :D), Singer of Water (Oh no, 'tis fine. I feel the collegiate pain. Thanks! :D), kboyd912 (Thank you! Haha, never fear!), lynnelay, Guest 1 (Oh, thank you very much! So glad you like it~), England101, zanthyus, Yuuki-Hime 2097, mad. the. saxon, Ryuzuki Junrei, Guest 2 (Aha, no I have indeed not given up! :P), yuki san1, serinde winchester, and the rest of the readers!
*Wheezes* And onto Chapter Twenty-Six! Thanks to: Borys68 (Ehhh, I feel so bad O_0 Glad you're enjoying it all! And oh Kili :P), i (Guest) (Oh, don't be embarrassed! *wriggles in happiness* Thank you very much! I shall judge you neither for not reviewing nor for the content when you do review :) N'aww, thanks, it means a lot! So glad you like the story so much! :D), iwishedforyouandyoucame (Oh, thank you very much! Welcome to the story and I hope you enjoy this chapter!), the Random Oliphaunt (I am indeed alive! 8D Oh I know...don't worry, he'll get his happy moment!), Jess (Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! :P Oh my goodness the trailer~ asldkjghsld I can't even (see above rants :3). I mean, I'm kind of a sucker for jealousy :) if you hadn't noticed. Thanks, love!), DwarvenWarrior (Thanks :), Angel of the Night Watchers (Thank you! I assume you started reading recently? If so then welcome :) Aaaahahaha, yes, that'll come up again soon, as a matter of fact! Thanks for the review~), Hiding in the Shadow (Don't you just want to lock them in a room together and not let them out until they realize what's going on? Teehee. Thanks, dear!), Xelbie, Cardinala, kida30821, jbaynes, Singer of Water (Haha, thanks! Prepare for another celebrity cameo ;), Fluff Loving Guest (Hahaha, that might be the best summation I've heard in a while. N'aww, thanks, enjoy!), Abyss Prime (Oh, it shall, in its own weird way :P Thanks!), Fellowship of Avengers (Teehee ^^ Isn't he, though? I have way too much fun with this), Aradhel Katsumi, kboyd912 (Believe me, so am I! :D), Lizzie Hopscotch, Wandrian (Aw, thank you so much! *hugs* I do love me some character development :P I'm flattered; hope you enjoy this one!), Loves to read books, Amber (I AM! (This seems to be a popular conclusion...) Eeeehehehe oh you crack me up, dear. I just want to get my education from fanfiction, is that too much to ask?! Yes yes, I'm on it, now go read :P), and every reader ever because I love you all!

*Breathes* Alrighty, now that all that's out there! ENJOY! :D


Chapter Twenty-Seven

In Which Everyone Needs Some Breathing Room

"So," Dwalin began gruffly as the Company sat down to breakfast the following morning in a small dining hall, since it had begun to drizzle lightly. "I hear you were…riding a horse yesterday."

Kíli shot him a desperate glare from next to Eisa, but it was no use; the dwarf maid had already caught on. She lifted an eyebrow, and he couldn't tell whether it was out of amusement or contained irritation at him. "Oh? Was it that interesting?"

"Well, lass, a real horse with no reins…" The dwarf shrugged his big, fur-covered shoulders. "That's no small feat."

"Impressive," said quietly what Eisa was sure was a grinning Bofur from behind her as he went to take a seat. Ori looked mildly awed and was rubbing a quill absently between his fingers.

"…Oh," she said finally, turning a bit pink about the ears as she glanced at Kíli through her eyelashes. He was smiling (in relief, but she didn't know that) and she ducked her head again with a grin. "Thank you."

"Where did you learn to do that?" Ori asked eagerly, now with his journal securely in front of him.

"Remember, I was raised by humans." Eisa wagged a fork playfully in his direction. "I had to learn to ride, after all, and what was available was all I had."

"Stop being so successful," Fíli mock groaned from her right. "You're going to kill half of us with competition."

Eisa laughed, slightly manically, as she remembered a certain someone on her left saying something about competition in a cave two days ago.

"What did the elves think?" Fíli went on, grinning now. He understood his brother's frantic puppy eyes too late, and Kíli resisted the urge to smack himself on the forehead, since he definitely didn't have the good luck to get out of this one, too.

Her expression faltered a little bit, but she told herself that it was only natural for Kíli to have blabbed to Fíli about the details of his afternoon. "Lord Elrond's sons? I suppose they were a bit frightened for a moment there, but they seemed impressed. They were raised well; they were very nice to me. Although I'll admit I was a little apprehensive at first." Lord Elrond was, more than just being a good person, a good elf and a good father. He had indeed raised his twin sons well in the wake of his wife's tragic death, and based on the cause, Eisa doubted that there was much room or energy left in his heart for a now-petty age-old race war.

As Eisa returned to her meal, Dwalin muttered something, and she was beyond just continuing to quietly eat her hash. "Sorry, Mr. Dwalin?" she inquired politely without looking up.

He responded immediately, of course, if gruffly. "I just always knew you were a bit eccentric, lass, but I never figured you for an elf-lover."

She breathed through her nose. "They certainly didn't care what race I was; their only point of interest was my skill with a horse and with a knife. Who am I to judge someone based on what they look like?" She could feel Thorin starting to glower at her from a bit down the table, and she forced herself to stop speaking even as she felt as though her ribcage were constricting in on her. It was neither her prerogative nor her place to pick a fight here.

Kíli had practically been squirming the entire time, and he muttered barely of his own volition, "I wish you would just be careful—" and immediately regretted it.

Eisa fairly snarled under her breath and stood up fast, disentangling herself from the bench they were sitting on. "And this is why the wisest men are blind," she hissed, stalking from the room but refusing to let the door slam.

She didn't know what she intended to do, but she ended up walking briskly all the way back to her room, where she nearly jammed the key into the lock blindly but blinked in surprise as she realized that the door was already ajar. Peering into the room, her shoulders relaxed as she saw that it was only Findren tidying up. She knocked on the doorframe as she entered the room, the crease between her brows softening a little bit when she saw that little Ferion was perched in the armchair. As Eisa had found out the previous day, the two were brothers. She should have guessed, since they had the same bright green eyes.

Ferion was the first to catch sight of her, and he squealed in delight before running over and latching onto her leg.

"Oof! Hello to you, too." Eisa smiled wryly, ruffling the child's dark hair before picking him up. "Have you been helping your brother? Good morning, Findren," she added while the younger nodded his head vigorously.

"Are you all right?" the elder asked quietly while his brother was distracted by Eisa's braids.

She made a noncommittal noise. "Not really. Just…tired of… Well, no, never mind. Don't say anything," she said quickly when he opened his mouth, "I just need to forget about it for a little while. It'll be fine."

"Fair enough," he agreed. "Would you like to…do some things with us today? It might help take your mind off things."

She adjusted her hold on Ferion and smiled gratefully. "Of course. I'd like that."


The three spent the majority of the day evading chores and going down to the river. There were about a dozen other children down there, so Eisa ended up with the role of babysitter, which she didn't really mind. She had pulled off her boots and rolled up her breeches, and was sitting on a rock dangling her feet in the water when she heard a noise behind her and quickly braced herself as she whipped her head around—

It was a bird. But for a second there, she had been completely convinced that it was one of the Company—one of her friends—about to sneak up on her and push her in.

Her shoulders slouched and she made a face as she remembered everything against her will. "Why can't everyone just shut up and love each other?" she growled under her breath, chucking a stone out into the current. She kicked her heels against the rock. Admittedly, the proverb was unbelievably true and had made a fantastic comeback, but her temper had gotten away from her. She should probably apologize, but she really didn't want to just lay down, roll over, and give up.

And yet… She tipped her head back and blew out a breath into the breeze. And yet, some of the Company had been there when the Lonely Mountain fell. They had choked on the smoke and seen the fire drake wheeling through the sky, had felt the terror firsthand and probably seen the bodies. She knew for a fact that Thorin at least had seen the Elvenking look straight at him before turning away as his people screamed around him and fled for their lives.

And yet not every single elf in existence was King Thranduil. Not even Legolas was his father, she thought with a snort, although from what the prince had told her, he had been influenced by him. But that was only natural. She'd just like to meet the elf someday and ask him a few questions.

Maybe she should just get a hold of both kings and chain them up in a jail cell together so they had to tolerate each other's presence but couldn't actually do any physical harm. She barked a laugh at the image.

And then there was—oh, bogeys. Then there was Kíli. He had been so strangely aggressive lately! She had though she was making progress with him and Fíli; she was fairly sure that they respected her and her opinions, at least enough to listen. They were going to be the future, just like the children not fifty feet from her.

Maybe she should lock all the princes in a jail cell together.

Shaking her head, she barely kept a hold on her giggle fit, and sobered gradually. Maybe she actually ought to talk to Kíli. He'd been acting so strangely for the past few days, running hot and cold; maybe there was something really bothering him.

Suddenly, there was a collective shriek, and Eisa's eyes widened as she realized that there was a tidal wave heading straight for her. She rolled backwards over her shoulder quickly, hopping to her feet and planting her hands on her hips with mock severity.

The children were cackling and chattering in a combination of Sindarin and Westron, and were all pointing at Estel while the human boy grinned sheepishly but mischievously.

Yes, a human boy. According to Findren, the child's mother had come to Lord Elrond seeking help after his father was killed, and the elf had taken the boy in as his own. His name was Estel, meaning hope in Sindarin, and Eisa might have been biased, but she felt that with a name like that, the child had to be special. But it was probably just a strange gut feeling.

"Come here, you!" she ordered Estel in Sindarin, and the boy slouched over reluctantly, his expression fading. He was ten years old, but appeared much younger, suggesting that there was something extra ingrained into his heritage. Maybe that was what gave her such a strong feeling about him.

But for now, he was just a little boy. As soon as he was within range, she snatched him up and waded out into the river while he shrieked and giggled. "Into the river with you!" And she dumped him unceremoniously into the water. He surfaced and spewed a bit of water, grinning widely with his rounded ears sticking out among the dark hair that was plastered to his head. This induced a splash fight, and Eisa waded out of the fray in the shallows, chuckling.

"You know, you remind my brother of someone." Eisa looked over in surprise to see Findren smiling shyly. "That's why he likes you so much. Normally he's very shy around strangers."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow playfully. "And who might it be?"

"Our naneth-gwathel."

Mother-sister. "Your aunt?"

"Yes. She left on a short journey with her husband a few months ago. They should be back before winter, but, well, she's Ferion's favorite, so he misses her a lot. You actually don't really look alike—" he scuffed his foot into the pebbles of the riverbank— "but you have hair like hers, and you're both kind, and very pretty."

"Oh—um—why, thank you," she recovered after a second or two of blinking. "Your aunt is one very lucky lady to have nephews like you. I'm sure she misses you both, too."

"Probably," he stated pragmatically, nodding his head. Good heavens, he was still such a child.

"Well, go on then," she smiled after a moment, waving him away good-naturedly. "Your brother's wreaking havoc without you."