"Well wake her up then. Ask her. She's the one to know."

The midmorning sun streaming through the many pane less windows of their guest house the next morning, a circle of a few dwarves watched as Poppy groaned silently upon hearing varied whispers and words about her, attempting to curl herself more deeply in the warmth of her cloak.

Hurriedly shushing and swatting the dwarf's arm, Bilbo chastised in a whisper, "Will you shut up, Dwalin? Can't you wait until she's awake?"

"No," the warrior growled, not taking the energy to lower his volume, "I would very much like breakfast and I'm not about to go begging those elves for it. She knows them; it's her job."

Rolling his eyes and throwing his arms in the air, the hobbit shook his head, "First you're angry because she knows them in the slightest and now you want to wake her up just so she can ask them for your breakfast?!"

Raising an eyebrow, leaning upon his axe, Dwalin replied gruffly, "You'd better be happy that I'm not mad at her anymore, lad. Either I'm angry at her or she's useful. Take it or leave it."

The hobbit did not seem to realize that he was giving his cousin the benefit of the doubt. The day before, Dwalin had indeed been incredibly angry with her, feelings of betrayal quite prominent. That morning, he was attempting in his own sweet way to include her, acknowledge that her knowledge of their hosts was beneficial and she was needed. It wasn't his fault if the hobbit couldn't figure that out, because he certainly wasn't going to spell it out for him.

"I'll 'take it' as soon as she's awake in her own time. Bifur, Fili, help me out here," Bilbo whispered, turning to the other dwarves in an effort to talk some sense into the first.

Eyes widening, Fili could only shrug helplessly from where he still sat, leaning against the wall as he sorted absently through the contents of his pack. If he spoke then none of it would matter because she'd wake up, though no one else needed to know that. It was bad enough that Kili knew and oh, he was going to make his little brother make it up to him…

Chuckling, Bifur leveled a look at first the hobbit and then Dwalin. "She walks and we ride. She sleeps. Then breakfast," was all he said, ending the conversation as the unspoken authority on their follower.

Another sleepy sound escaping the girl at their feet at the sound of the guttural but pleasant language she had come to like, they all took a simultaneous step back. It did little good as within a few moments, she was reluctantly blinking her eyes against the light. Bringing her cousin, Dwalin, Balin, Dori, Kili, Bifur, and Bombur into focus above her, she whispered, clearly surprised as well as drowsy, "Umm, good morning?"

With no small bit of confusion, she took the hand that Dwalin offered her, righting herself and yawning as she rolled up her cloak. Arms again crossed and again leaning on his axe, gave answer to questioning nature of her words, "Aye, it will be a good morning, lass. We need your help."

"Really…?" Her gaze flitted between the warrior and his king momentarily, wondering what the dwarf could possibly need.

"Aye," he gave a sharp nod. "These elves are your friends, your people as much as anything. You can show us where to find some meat for breakfast."

Coughing uncomfortably, attempting to not reveal a smile at all this being connected back to food, she commented softly, "You all do realize that I've never actually been here before. I never met an elf that I saw more than once. Until last evening, the only elves I'd ever met were those bound for the Havens and none of us have met for a second time."

"Well then how do they all know about you?" Bombur queried, his breakfast being shoved from the front of his thoughts momentarily.

Shrugging, she put her cloak down upon her pack, voice even quieter, "I was never quite sure. They just knew me."

Taking her by the shoulders and turning her toward the doorway, Dwalin said curtly "I'm sure even our lovely hosts gossip with one another. There are elves at the harbor; they're sure to speak to their kin. Now, lass, tell us where we can find the ruddy meat."

She laughed as she was bodily pushed toward the door with as much physical contact as the older warrior, Thorin's right hand man, had ever given her. "You won't find any."

He and everyone else with a beard plus Kili immediately froze. Seemingly near tears, Bombur questioned with a quivering lip, "N-N-No meat?"

Forcibly holding back giggles at the complete horror upon their faces, she shook her head and confirmed, "They don't eat meat of any kind except for fish."

"Are you sure, lass? Really sure." Had she not known better, she would have also suspected tears to be in Dwalin's voice. However, every bit of her told her that he had not voluntarily shed a tear since he pushed himself to his stout little feet as a babe and began to begin taking on the world.

Raising an eyebrow at the tattooed dwarf as he so enjoyed doing, mimicking in the same fashion as she did Bilbo, she placed her hands on her hips, "Dwalin, as you have so kindly pointed out, they are my friends and I cooked for them for almost twenty years. Yes, I am really very, quite inescapably and deadly sure that they do not eat meat. I can offer you plenty of ideas for your next salad, however…"

At the so very cranky looks sent her way, hiding her grin failed and laughter started in her stomach and bubbled up with ever-growing mirth.

"Oh good, you have all made up it appears." A similarly large smile upon his face, Gandalf had appeared at the foot of the stairs with Lindir at his side. "You have all been invited to a late breakfast, which our gracious friend here will conduct us to. Shall we?"

The old man had offered his arm to the hobbit, but just before her hand touched his sleeve a sharp voice halted her motion, "Wait a moment, Poppy."

Striding forward from where he had been sitting in silence since the first ray of sunlight had awakened him hours earlier, Thorin appeared upon the other side of the remnants of their fire. All eyes turned toward him, none but Lindir failing to notice that it was the first time he had ever referred to her by her given name. Despite the wary looks in many of his companions' eyes—that Thorin supposed he really did deserve after the previous night—he kept an impassive expression on his face when he continued, "If I could have a few words with you, girl, we can then catch up to the others."

Merely nodding, she retracted her hand from where it reached for Gandalf and strode toward him, the others getting up and reluctantly following the wizard. Fili was the last to pass her, a comforting smile on his lips. Returning it with her eyes if not her own mouth, she glanced over her shoulder and watched him leave her completely and utterly alone with his uncle.

At first the tension was painfully apparent as she stared at her feet and he at just about anything but her face. Finally sighing slightly, the dwarf jumped valiantly in first, saying with something less than his usual gruffness, "I was wrong, Poppy, and I admit that I was so. I should not have sent you away."

Unsure where her voice had come from, because it sounded distinctly like that of a child thirty years her junior, she replied, "I should not have been so thoughtless where your lives were concerned."

"Perhaps," he suggested as they hesitantly found one another's gazes, "we can come to a compromise. I will still try my very best to make you return home, away from all the danger undoubtedly before us. And you will come to me with any danger you might encounter until you finally turn back and go home, but I will not keep you from finding us at night."

"So you still do not want me with you."

Though her words were clearly more statement than question as it appeared she knew well what being unwanted looked like, Thorin shook his head in answer, "No more than I have since the moment you began following us. Therefore, not in the slightest."

"But you won't send me away again." She was always irritatingly hard to read, but she seemed incredibly acceptant of the situation…

The king let out another small, irritated sigh with something dangerously resembling humor hidden deeply within it, "I cannot stop you from following us, girl. I also cannot guarantee that I will not again get testy with you," he tried to imagine that the stiff cough she got as soon as he said that was coincidental and not an attempt to cover up a snort, "but when night falls, you will always have a safe place amongst us. If I can't make you see sense and just go home, then that's the very least I can do, girl. Other than that, everything can return to the way it was."

While some part of Poppy had been hoping for an actual apology or some admission that he had underestimated her value among them, she took what the proud dwarf before her was offering. She would much rather take a return to what they'd had—their two sentence conversations each day and rather uncomfortable tension when they were in one another's company—than have him stay mad at her or forcibly make her leave. Also, in his own way, she could see that the compromise was as much of an apology as his stubborn nobility allowed him to give. She had no doubt that after they left the guest house and rejoined the others, he would continue to be silent and rather broody about her, that he would urge her at every chance to leave them, but in that short, odd little moment, he was willfully accepting that he was stuck with her.

Inclining her head, feeling her braid slide over her shoulder as her chin came down to almost brush her chest, she replied quietly, "Thank you, sir."

That braid catching his eye for some odd reason, the part of Thorin that hid his feelings suddenly took control of his mouth. "While you are most certainly not a dwarf, we have a custom when it comes to making agreements between one another. I feel rather bound to do so now."

Blinking eyes surprised when she brought her head back up, she mutely nodded. He held out his right hand to her and watched as she hesitantly took it and then followed his lead as, after clasping hands, he brought his hand to rest upon his heart and she did the same, the crooks of their elbows touching as her tiny arm was still linked with his much larger one.

There was now no way she could ever call into question the sincerity with which he made the promise, nor could he ever let himself out of it. He still didn't like it and still didn't want her about for all the reasons he had mentioned on multiple occasions and could still point out to her as robustly as he wished, but she could count on a safe place to sleep until she finally caved and turned back.

Poppy waited until the dwarf before her retracted his hand to do so herself. Though giving each other plenty of distance between them, they left the guest house together with Thorin's gruff words of, "Now where are your friends serving food?"

At the edge of the courtyard that lay before the dwelling, Lindir was lingering, subtly facing out toward the valley in a show that he had not been listening. Inclining his head to them both, he gestured forward, "Mithrandir has taken your companions on. Please, follow me."

As Lindir asked about their evening and if their quarters had suited them, Poppy replied in happy and easy, though decidedly quiet, Elvish while Thorin stared darkly at the grey stone path beneath his boots. He may have still incredibly disliked her presence, but she was certainly handy to have around when their hosts felt…chatty.

"Meduianna!"

Altering course from where she'd been heading straight for the empty seat between Fili and Bilbo, Poppy tried to ignore the small silent sigh that escaped her along with the bright blush that appeared on her cheeks. She wasn't sure in the slightest what had happened the night before between her and Fili, though she was achingly aware of what had not thanks to Kili. She didn't know where on earth she'd gotten those thoughts and in all honesty, she wasn't sure she wanted to dissect their origin. What she did want, however, was to spend some more time with him. That did not appear to be the way the course of her morning was going, though.

Smiling despite those thoughts, she seated herself beside the two elves who had summoned her at a table quite near the dwarves'. Bifur soon appeared right next to her. Though she often found herself sending glances to the other table, Elrohir and Elladan proved amusing companions of the highest caliber. Far younger than many elves, but still centuries older than her, they asked all manner of questions with an excitement that remaindered her of two taller, more graceful, and quieter Oris. But with Ori, she didn't have to work to bring her Elvish vocabulary back.

As she munched upon her fruit and honeyed porridge, she suddenly frowned after answering a question about the Old Forest, "How did our kin always know me? It's not as if I have any distinguishing characteristics from other hobbits."

Stifling a bit of a laugh, Elladan replied, "In that you are wrong, Meduianna. You had two incredibly unique characteristics that were recognized. First, no other hobbit lived in the middle of the Old Forest. Second, not many hobbits known to us can converse with us."

"But I couldn't for the first few years," she protested, stifling a leftover yawn.

"Your staff was also unique," Elrohir added somewhat more calmly, being the slightly quieter of the two princes. Poppy couldn't help but notice that while for elves the two brothers were loud, compared to her dwarves they appeared almost aloof. The contrast between the two races was incredible and she wondered if part of their mutual dislike did not stem from a simple clash of personalities…

Frown deepening, her head tilted as it did when she was confused, "My staff?"

"Indeed," the elf confirmed. "Upon the slight chance that another hobbit should be roaming about the forest, you were always known by your staff. It was finely made." Poppy felt it would be rather useless to try and tell them that it was not and that she'd more found and sanded it than made it.

"Where is it, anyway? I haven't seen it since yesterday when Lord Elrond gave it and my pack to someone. I was returned my pack, but what happened to it?" Now that the excitement was over, she was incredibly aware that her weapon was not with her and she did not like the empty feeling that knowledge gave. Part of her wondered how she'd ever let herself not notice it was gone in the first place.

"Father has sent it to the smiths," Elladan explained. "He said he felt it best they look at it to ensure its condition before you and your companions continued on."

Smiling suddenly as she nodded and returned to her breakfast, no doubt waiting in her quiet way for one of them to continue the conversation, the two brothers exchanged glances. Elladan continued upon their subtle nod, "Neither of us has ever seen you use it, you know."

The way she froze and her head began to slowly look up indicated that she had been baited like this rather similarly at some point. They weren't to know that it was Bifur who had just not taken no for an answer and had begun to train her instead of asking her to display her skill.

"Indeed, I do know that. However if it is with the smiths then it appears you will continue not to…"

The slight bite in her tone made the two brothers laugh. "There you have a very good point, Meduianna. Your skill shall stay a mystery to us," Elrohir conceded with a smile.

"My complete lack of skill you mean." Returning their smiles as she sent a glance toward the dwarves' table that had gone suspiciously quiet at the elves' laughter, she commented rather louder than she normally would, "While I am not available for such diversions, my friend Kili is an archer much like yourselves."

She watched as every single last dwarf froze where he sat and the one in question appeared to swallow quite hard. None of them knew what she was talking about aside that it was about Kili, but they didn't like it. From where he was seated beside Thorin, Gandalf began to chuckle uncontrollably beneath his grey beard. Bifur sent her a questioning glance that hid a smile. She was up to something.

Grin strengthening when she thought of the smug smirk upon the youngest dwarf's face the evening before, she found Fili's gaze. It took him a short moment, but he soon smiled back, gleaning some of her intent from the mischievous way those blue eyes were sparkling at him.

Her revenge was a dish best served to Kili by elves, it appeared. Looking back to her eating companions, she added, "He is quite proficient at his craft. I am sure that he would be very happy to display it for you after our meal if that is what you desire."

Both elven faces turning to find the dwarf she pointed out with, Elrohir and Elladan nodded with friendly smiles. The latter commented, "That would be lovely. We have never met a dwarf who carries a bow." The unspoken addition to that statement was that they had never met a dwarf at all.

"We had never met a hobbit who carried a staff, either." At Elrohir's words, she sent them both a look.

Gazing at the still stiffened postures of her friends, she continued more seriously, "Actually, I think all my companions would appreciate a short chance to spar with one another if you have the space. I think it might help with their…surprise at staying here so unexpectedly."

Being more than astute enough to understand her allusions toward the tensions between the two races, Elrohir nodded, "Certainly. We can conduct all of you there as soon as the meal has ended. Father hoped he might speak with you at some point today, as well. I think he wants to talk about…" The elf trailed off, his eyes instinctively looking west.

"Her," Poppy finished softly for him. A small smile coming to her face as she changed the course of their conversation, she assured the brothers, "I will find him before the morning is through. I am sure one or two of my companions will find his library more interesting than a training ground, anyway."

The trio's words turned quickly to other, less sensitive things, and their meal was soon done, everyone present leaning back in their seats slightly, more than one commenting on the lack of meat... Rising and beckoning the chamberlain over, Elladan declared, once again in Westron, "Lindir, Meduianna has given us an excellent idea."

Elrohir picked up the thought from there, "We shall now take our guests to the training grounds. Should you find anyone with a wish to witness our guests' legendary battle prowess conduct them our way."

As Lindir inclined his head silently, graceful and aloof as ever, a murmur rippled through the dwarves. At the elf's subtle compliment, it proved an excited and proud ripple.

Bifur turned to the girl at his side and gave her arm an approving squeeze, causing her to smile. It was indeed an excellent idea. Thorin's pent up frustration at the situation had been displayed all too clearly to her the evening before. A release of the stress that was so well-known to them would do them all good. There was nothing that made the tension in a dwarf's mind disappear like hacking away at something with his weapon of choice. The lass had done well.

Noticing how well the idea was being taken to, Elladan added with a smile as Poppy took his and his brother's proffered arms, "We have also been informed that there is an archer among them and we are quite interested to see his skills."

The smile that had been growing on Kili's face abruptly melted into a look of horror, realizing what Poppy had done to him in that deceptively flowing language. Elves?! She wanted him to shoot his bow in comparison to elves, the most famous and renowned archers of…always!

Sputtering with laughter that was not to be controlled, Fili hauled Kili up out of his chair and pulled him along as the group followed their hosts down a flight of stairs and across a few open courtyards.