Hey everyone, weekend update. Just so you know made some changes to last 2 chapters to fix some problems mentioned. As for this chapter...there may be a moment you have to pause and take a breath. Please enjoy, and I don't own the hobbit. (Sadly)

"How come no one decided to wake me up?!" Tilda asked the next morning, annoyed with us for not including her.

"Tilda you'd already been asleep for an hour." Sigrid replied softly. She placed a plate of toast down in front of me and whispered lowly, "And she would have kept us up half the night with her whispering."

I smirked a little. Tilda's excitement at seeing me lying in a heap of blankets on the floor this morning was a very welcome sight after yesterday. I would have probably would have been kept awake by her little chatter all night.

Not that other things hadn't kept me awake last night anyhow.

"It's not fair." Tilda huffed, taking a bite of toast. "You always leave me out of all the fun." She glanced me over. "Where'd that braid come from anyways?" She asked. "You didn't have it last time."

"Oh…" I said, frowning involuntarily

"Tilda, last night was rough on Rue, at least give her breakfast to rest up." Sigrid replied.

"Fine." Tilda said. "But I want to know about Erebor later."

"Tilda!"

"But Sigrid-!"

"It's alright." I said. "I tell you of everything I saw in Erebor Tilda."

Tilda beamed ear to ear, and when Sigrid turned her back, stuck her tongue out at her.

The tent flaps opened and Bain popped inside. "There's an elf outside who is looking to speak with Rue."

Tauriel, I thought. I got up from the table, stuffing the last edge of crust in my mouth. I burst out of the tent, and then frowned. Tauriel was not there. Legolas was.

For a long minute our eyes were locked in a stare. At last I cleared my head, swallowing down the toast, and did a quick bow before him. He was a prince after all.

"This is quite unexpected of you." I nodded up at him. "To what do I owe this visit?" In my head the words had sounded polite enough but they came out a bit forced.

Legolas held out a box in front of me. A blue enamel box. "I came on behalf of my father, to return this to you."

I smiled at the sight of my family's keepsakes, safe and sound. I took it from his hands and opened it, scanning over the objects. Father's dagger, Bael's quill, Mother's wedding comb…everything was there.

I looked up at the blond elf. "Thank you." I said. "I never thought I'd be seeing these again."

Legolas nodded. "I was also told to return these to you." He pulled out from behind him my sword, the symbols shining, and stepped aside, revealing the chest full of ashes I had been presented in Mirkwood.

The sword I was glad to have back in my hands. The chest of ashes less so.

"Thank you, but I can't accept the ashes for myself." I nodded down at the chest. "It's too…much to carry with me. Your father took good care of them in Mirkwood…"

"And he insists you have them now." Legolas said. "He gave the elderly man his word, and he always keeps his word."

I sighed inwardly. I hated looking at everything I loved about being an eastern nymph reduced to a pile of dust. But I couldn't refuse a king, especially one who's good graces I was now likely living on. And I certainly hadn't shown myself to be very grateful before…

"Very well." I answered. "I shall take them."

Legolas turned to leave. "Send…" I started, but then stopped when the elf made to leave.

"Yes?" He turned his head around.

"Send King Thranduil my thanks." I said.

Legolas nodded, and then walked away toward the elven tents.

I picked everything up and carried it back into Bard's tent. "Sigrid?" I called over the pile in my arms. "Is there some place I could put these?"

"What is all that?" Tilda asked, intrigued.

"A few possessions of mine that were just returned." I replied. "Take the blue box off the top, will you?"

Sigrid grabbed the enamel box from the top of the pile and pointed to a corner where I could lay my things. I set down the chest and perched my enamel box beside it. The sword I returned to its rightful place in my belt.

Sigrid was beginning to look intrigued as well by the artifacts. I smiled at her and opened the enamel box. She examined the dagger, and the arrowheads, and the comb. "These are yours?" She asked.

"They were my family's. Now I carry them with me." I replied. "The box was taken from me in Mirkwood." I patted the sword at my hip. "This too."

"Who brought them back?" Sigrid asked.

"The prince of Mirkwood." I replied, then reached over for some rope. "I think I'll go set up some snares."

"The prince of Mirkwood?!" Sigrid responded.

"I left quite the…impression… on King Thranduil and him I suppose." I said.

"They must like you a lot to give you back your things." Tilda said. "I like the elves. They gave us all our food, and supplies so we could make our tents."

"Did they?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Aye." Bain nodded. "Da made an alliance with them, and then they helped us set up this camp."

I stood for a moment, the idea settling in my mind. Thranduil, willingly giving food and supplies for nothing in return? Somehow I could not come to terms with the thought. Then again, my only experience with his hospitality had been being locked away in a tower.

And separated from the company…

I threw back my shoulders, before the memory could fill my head. Any thought of the company now left a bitter ache in my chest. "I'll be off hunting now." I said. "I'll bring something back for dinner."

/

I set up a few snares around camp. Hopefully they would catch a nice big hare or something. I owed Bard quite a lot for his help. Bain had given me a smaller sized bow that had been given him by the elves and I perched myself up in a tree and sprinkled salt on the ground, taking up my position.

I sat like this for an hour. For the most part there was nothing but song birds twittering about and pecking at the salt grains. I watched them for a long time, until suddenly they flew off. Something bigger was coming. I straightened my form up and notched an arrow. There was the steady, hard breathing of a great animal. Then the snapping of twigs underfoot.

I watched the shivering branches ahead and my breath caught in my throat when an enormous elk walked out into the clearing. I had never seen one so big before, or so…proud looking.

I readied the bow. The elk walked (very gracefully so) to the center of the clearing sniffed at the salt. I trained my eyes upon its heart. I began to pull the arrow back, recalling my lessons with Kili…

A hand fell on my shoulder and I looked up, surprised, into the face of Tauriel. "I would not shoot such an animal. The elves of Mirkwood use elk as their steeds." She gestured to the majestic creature in the clearing. "The one you have your bow trained on belongs to Thranduil."

That got me to drop the arrow rather fast. The elk heard this, looked up at me and Tauriel in the trees, then seemed to shrug at our presence and eat the grass around him, completely unbothered by us.

Of course such an elk belonged to Thranduil.

"I now know what you meant when you said I was going against my king." I spoke, breaking the silence that had stretched out between us.

"You did not know of what the hobbit was doing?" Tauriel asked.

"No. I only followed him into the camp." I answered. "I knew he was being secretive…I should have demanded he tell me what he was doing."

"Would you have stopped him?"

Would I have? I wanted everything to be resolved, but Thorin…I touched the braid…I wanted to get in Thorin's favor too. Either way, I had a feeling neither goal would have been reached in the end anyway.

"I would have ended up getting banished either way." I replied.

"I am sorry for your exile." Tauriel said. "It is quite clear you regarded them as your kin."

"I did." I nodded.

"I see they gave you a dwarven braid in your hair." She observed. "For your quest?"

"Not exactly." I said, saddened at the reminder but smiling nonetheless. "For courtship." I looked up at her again. "With Fili."

Tauriel absorbed this knowledge and nodded, accepting the fact. "I can see why banishment has upset you so much then. It is a terrible thing to be separated from those we care about…especially those we love."

A separation I had had more than enough of over the last two years.

"I would…I would prefer to not speak of such things." I said. "Not unless I must."

"I apologize for bringing up such matters." Tauriel said. "It was not my place."

I touched the sword at my belt. "Seeing as I can't hunt anything near this camp," I said. "Would you be willing to spar with a nymph?"

"Spar?"

"I'm always better focused when I'm using a blade." I replied.

There was a flash of metal as Tauriel pulled out a blade of her own. I unsheathed my own sword and held it out in front of me, clashing against hers.

"You are." Tauriel observed.

I jumped out of the tree and ran into the clearing, standing ready for her. Thranduil's elk stood by, looking annoyed that we had chosen to turn his clearing into a training arena. Tauriel jumped down from the tree as well (it was far more graceful than my jump, she seemed to float down more than anything). She advanced toward me and took a decent swipe. I blocked it, my movements not as elegant, but very quick.

I quite liked sparring with Tauriel. She was good and challenging opponent, and every blow was spirited and strong between us, each step agile. Altogether it was competitive, but still lighthearted.

We fought until Thranduil's elk became too much of a hindrance, standing in the center of the clearing and refusing to move from his desired spot.

"You fight well." Tauriel complimented.

"As do you. The prince taught you well." I smiled, sheathing my sword.

"You have your nymphian blade back." Tauriel said, having finally spotted the symbols now that it was still.

"Legolas returned it to me this morning." I said. "Along with most of my possessions. And the ashes of the eastern temple." I thought over the exchange that morning. "Oh." I muttered in thought.

"What is it?" Tauriel asked.

"My bag…it has my clothes and bedroll…it wasn't returned. Did you throw it out?"

"I don't believe so." Tauriel replied. "Thranduil may have it stored away somewhere yet."

"Do you believe it would be alright if I asked to have it back?"

"It is yours, there should be no dilemma." Tauriel said. "Shall I lead you to his tent?"

"It's not needed." I said. "I'm sure I'll notice it."

"Tauriel." The two of us looked across the clearing to see Legolas standing there. The next phrase was in elvish and could have been anything. Tauriel nodded and gave a short reply in elvish as well.

"I have duties to attend to as Captain of the Guard." She told me. "Goodbye Rue."

The use of my name in such a friendly manner from her caught me off guard.

"Goodbye Tauriel." I returned, quickly masking my brief surprise.

Tauriel and Legolas ventured off into the trees, and I made my way back over to the camp. Being that it was around noon now, the camp was bursting with life. People were out working and talking with neighbours. Children were back up to their antics. It was a happy atmosphere.

I hurried over to the elven tents and sure enough spotted Thranduil's. It was large, and fine looking, and bore a crest on the entrance. A tent made for a king. I stood outside it for a moment. Legolas was off patrolling with Tauriel, and could no longer serve as a messenger between his father and I. Eventually I called out "Hello? Milord Thranduil?" hoping I sounded diplomatic. There was no response. I repeated his name again, but again there was nothing.

Against better judgement, I poked my head into his tent, unsure if he was absent or simply choosing to ignore me. The inside was empty. I was about to leave, deciding I should return later, when I spotted my bag on a table.

I dashed in and grabbed it. It still smelled like earth and forest and campfire ash. Like it was still on a journey. I opened the bag and took inventory of my clothes and belongings, everything was present.

I turned to leave and found a set of fine robes blocked my path. My green eyes looked up into bright blue ones.

Thranduil had returned.

"I don't believe I gave you permission to enter." He said.

"I'm sorry, my lord." I apologized, very ladylike. "I only wanted to see if I may have my bag returned."

"Are you sure?" He glance me over suspiciously.

I suddenly understood. "It's in here isn't it?" I asked. "The Arkenstone?"

"Perhaps. I might be in the possession of the Laketown man."

"Bard." I added for him. I almost smirked, but stopped myself. "You think I'm going to steal it back don't you? And take it back to Thorin."

"That depends." Thranduil spoke casually again. "Does your loyalty still lie with the king under the mountain?"

"Yes." I answered honestly.

Where I might have hidden my smirk, Thranduil did not. "Even after he has exiled you?" He asked. "Even when it has been revealed to you everything I said about the dwarf was true?"

"Yes." I replied, quite serious.

The smirk was replaced by a cold, studying look. "Why?"

"Because somewhere underneath all that greed, and all that hunger for power is the Thorin who let me join the quest. Somewhere underneath all that gold-sickness there is still the man who thanked me for staying with him when Eagles tried to leave him behind, who led us here, who wanted Erebor simply because it was home." I smiled to myself. "And as long as that man is somewhere underneath that sickness of his, I will remain loyal to him, even in exile." It was true, I wasn't simply going to turn against Thorin and dwarves because I was banished. I would not harm them ever. I would not be able to.

"So what you said so passionately before still stands?" Thranduil referred to my outburst in the throne room.

"It does." I nodded.

Thranduil glared at me, and I felt it keenly in my stomach. "Your fidelity verges on madness." He spoke. "It is so blind to it's own destructiveness, one can almost find no sympathy for you, and find it's idea laughable."

I felt the burn of my temper creeping into my blood. Quelling it I managed a tense "How so?"

The smirk returned for a second. "You are like a huntsman hound, one who has fatally injured itself in disobeying, yet is returning to it's master call out of loyalty, completely ignorant of the fact you shall be shot."

I couldn't help but show a brief snarl. "So be it. Then I shall die loyal to him, and to no one else." I threw back my shoulders and held my head high. "Goodbye my Lord." I said and then exited his tent. I practically stormed back to the clearing.

His elk was still there, grazing. The beast looked at my flustered form barging into what he must have viewed as his clearing and gave me what resembled a glare.

I caught this from him, and wouldn't take any of it. "Shoo!" I demanded of the elk. "Get out of here! Off you go!"

He seemed rather unimpressed with me, but I was relentless at this point. "I said shoo!" I smacked him in the side, like one would a horse. "I've had enough of you and your master today!"

He stalked off then, taking his good time, and acting as though he couldn't be bothered to graze with a person such as me ruining the peace around him.

I huffed loudly when he finally left, then stalked off to the snares. Both had caught lovely fat rabbits, but I was in no celebratory mood yet. I carried the things back by their ears to Bard's and threw them down on the kitchen table.

"Are you alright?" Sigrid appeared inside.

"I'm fine." I grumbled.

"You don't sound fine. What's the matter?"

"Bothersome elk, for one thing." I noted.

"Ohhh…" Tilda said, looking over at the rabbits. "Supper's going to be nice tonight."

"Yes." I smiled at her, momentarily forgetting frustration. "And after supper, I'll delight this tent with my stories. I'll tell you anything of Erebor you want."

"I don't want to hear about Erebor anymore." Tilda shook her head. "I want to know about the mystery of that chest you have now."

I stared over at it. Then walked up to it and opened it, gently sifting through the ashes with my fingertips.

"Oh, it's all ashes." Tilda observed, over my shoulder.

"They're the ashes of the last temple." I said. "Of the last colony in the east."

"But…"Tilda began to ask, but I looked her in the eye and nodded. Poor Tilda looked as though she may cry.

"Don't be sad." I said. "I found a new place where I belong." Unfortunately, I'd been exiled from there for the moment. I stared down at the ashes more. "They shouldn't be shut up in a chest." I said after a moment. "All ashes get tossed to the wind with prayers. I don't see why these ashes should be condemned to a box."

I closed the chest and picked it up. "I'll be back in time for supper." I said, already leaving.

I carried the chest through camp and off into the woods a small way before I heard my name called. "Rue." I looked behind me.

"Ah, Bilbo." I said.

"What are you doing, where did you get that?" He gestured to the chest.

"I was presented it in Mirkwood before." I told him. "It's the last ashes of my homeland. I'm going to send them off now. It's a right long overdue."

"Would you like some company?" He asked.

"I would appreciate that very much." I nodded. Bilbo and I walked off until we reached a glen where there was a decent breeze. "Here." I nodded. We stopped and Bilbo stood by and watched as I said a few prayers aloud. There was one for family, for friends, for peace in the afterlife, and even a silent plea to find peace and end this exile. After this whole process I gathered up a few fistfuls of ashes and tossed them into the wind, until only a small portion remained in the chest and this was tossed into the breeze as well.

A pair of large tears fell from my eyes but these were quickly wiped away before Bilbo could see them. Now I felt so…alone almost. As though I belonged nowhere or with no one really.

"That was something indeed." Bilbo said.

"Thank you." I smiled at him. "Let's head back now. I caught rabbits today and Sigrid might want help cooking them."

Bilbo nodded, and the two of us walked back in a companionable silence. From our path one could see the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo caught me gazing at it. "You really miss them, don't you?"

"As do you." I said with a sigh. "What are we going to do now Bilbo?" I asked.

"I don't know." Bilbo said. "I was thinking about going back to the Shire…"

"Ah yes, you have a home…" I recalled.

"Yes." He nodded, and then there was silence for a moment. "Rue?" He asked at last.

"Hmm?" I hummed my attention. "Yes?"

"How would…how would you like to come back with me to the Shire?" He asked.

"Go to the Shire with you?" I replied. It was certainly a kind offer. The Shire had sounded lovely in every story he had about it. It wasn't the most adventurous or exciting place to live, but the peacefulness I would like.

"Yes." Bilbo nodded. "There's plenty of hobbit-holes in the ground, and there would be sure to be one for you." He said. "It would be far away from Erebor, but at least you'd know someone there."

That was true. It was so far from Erebor. Three weeks, and that was if you used the main roads.

"You and I, we've made it through this quest together, perhaps a good rest is what we are in need of."

I considered the generous offer, thinking it over.

"And if you should choose to stay…" He trailed off.

"Yes?" I asked him.

He sighed, a heavy sigh, and drew in a great breath. "I think it's time I've finally spoken my mind." He stated.

Something like a block of ice drifted into the pit of my stomach, an ominous feeling beginning to build inside me at an alarming rate.

"Rue, you are a lovely woman, and a very resilient woman. You and I have formed a rather good friendship on this adventure."

Some part of me was confused with what was happening and another part was very aware of what would happen next.

"You've always been there with me. You helped me learn to fight, your kindness was immeasurable and you believed that I was capable of doing my part when no one else, not even myself, did."

No, this could not be what I thought it was. Not from Bilbo. There'd been no other signs…at least none that I had noticed…had there been?

"I don't believe anything should come out of it for a while if you agree but…"

Could this be what I thought it was? I had no way of knowing for it had never happened to me before. My stomach was certainly doing flip-flops but they didn't feel as nice as I had predicted.

"I suppose what I'm really trying to say is…"

This could not be happening with Bilbo. Not with my friend, the hobbit. There was no way this hobbit who had been so shy, and was so good hearted and well-mannered was going to ask…

"Would you marry me?" He finally proposed.

I felt like my entire stomach was made of ice. Oh no. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I obviously knew my answer, but it was not the easy one to say at a moment like this. All my thoughts were running wildly a thousand leagues a minute to not leave such a broad silence between us that would only make the situation more awkward. Bilbo obviously had no idea what my braid symbolized. And now was certainly not a good time to bring it up and educate him.

"Oh Bilbo…" I started. "I have watched you form your way throughout this journey. You've grown so much, you've become so much…I've never been so proud of anyone. The Shire sounds lovely, and I do care about you a great deal." I looked him in the eye. "But I don't love you in that manner, and for that reason it would be unfair of me to marry you, not when there could be someone who does." I took a quick breath. "If I did marry you I'd be content, that much is true, but when I'd say I loved with every fibre of my being it would a lie. And you can't have a lie like that in a marriage."

Bilbo looked rather crestfallen. "I'm so sorry." I said. I would have given anything at that moment to return a smile to his face, I felt so badly for refusing.

"No, you had a right to refuse." Bilbo said, well-mannered as ever. "And everything you said was true. Even the caring a great deal part of it…it's obvious you hated to hurt my feelings so."

Oh, why did he have to act so accepting of it all?! At this moment I almost wanted him to be angry with me. That would be easier to deal with than this.

When we reached the camp Bilbo wished me well and headed off on his own. I turned and went back, and hid myself in a clearing. There was no one to fight with so I did drills repeatedly in the air. Anything to re-focus my mind at this point.

"You seem to be out of sorts." An old voice came from behind.

"Hello Gandalf." I greeted, before continuing my drills.

"If I did not know any better I'd say something was troubling you."

I stopped my movements. "Yes." I answered. "A lot of things are troubling me. I've been banished from the place I wanted to call my new home, Thranduil is right, I'm so loyal that it's stupid, I keep wearing a courtship braid that will never come of anything, and now I've probably turned Bilbo into an old bachelor."

"And how did he take your refusal?" The wizard asked."

"Like a gentleman." I answered. "What else would you expect from Bilbo?"

"Well, I had my doubts he would summon the courage to ask you, but he's surprised us all with his boldness lately."

"Gandalf I don't know what I'm supposed to do now." I said. "There's so much happening and the path I truly want to take I am barred from."

"Ah yes, and the path is barred because you agreed that thievery was a good practice, insulted a king, and I'm quite sure the courtship braid wasn't something he approved of…"

"You don't believe that was wrong do you?" I asked, touching the braid.

"It was Fili, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

"I warned him of the growing affection between you two." Gandalf sighed. "And while I believe you two have every right to be in love, what with the royal blood line being involved you could have probably announced it to him a little more decorously."

"So what should I do now?" I asked.

Gandalf smiled. "What you always do. You keep fighting for what you want." He looked at me. "If this is anything like the beginning of our adventures…I'm sure you'll find a way back on the path."

I could have sworn the wizard winked at me.