A/N: I know, I know, it's been ages since my last post. Sorry. I'm working on trying to get ahead at this point, so I can reduce the delays (if that makes any sense at all), but in doing so I've neglected to post anything... Anywho, hopefully this chapter is enough to make up for the long wait

Big thanks to the following people for following/favouriting: Turner1999, alexandrhamilham, Lizzajane63, exShadowThief, Wolfygirlxx, KoreanMusicFan and jadziaa...!

Review Response(s):

RainAstiel: Aww, I'm glad you liked it! I'm also glad you had a nice start to your weekend (like two weekends ago... but shhhhh...) ;)

ro781727: Don't worry, Alana will be cared for well enough. At the very least, she does now recognise the recklessness of her actions back with the orc pack.

JollyRoger1: Thanks :)

CheekyLittleFoxy: Aha, yes, I have the ultimate power...! ;) Glad you liked it!

'The past will often attack the present with the pain of your memories.' ~ Seiichi Kirima

Chapter 37:

"So," Makaylen piped up not long after the men of Rohan had disappeared from sight, "who in Mahal's name was that?"

Thorin glanced back at her. "That was one of the men who competed in the tournament in November. He and Alana struck up an alliance of sorts that day, and he lasted until the penultimate round."

Makaylen's eyebrows rose. "They knew each other for one day and they have that level of friendship?"

Thorin cracked a small smile. "Despite what many may think, Alana cares little for her title - something I'm sure you have noticed by now." Makaylen hummed in agreement. "Cenric respected her as a warrior before he knew her as a Queen - which meant she knew he was being genuine. Besides, allegiances formed within the field of battle often form strong bonds of friendship very quickly. You are forced to rely on the other to have your back, and they rely on you to have theirs. The moment you do that, you are placing your life in their hands. A sign of such trust will often lead to a great friendship, if said allies ever cross paths outside of battle." He glanced back at the thoughtful dam. "In fact, that is how Alana and I met."

Makaylen blinked. "I always thought you met when she arrived at the hobbit's house."

Thorin shook his head. "It is a reasonable assumption to make, but no, we met a single time before that. Alana had apparently been tracking an orc pack for hours, and caught up with them near Bree, a town of men. The orcs, however, were hunting me. Her fast reactions saved me from being caught in an ambush. It wasn't a long battle, by any means, but we fought together nonetheless, and it formed the first bonds of trust between us."

Makaylen was thoughtful for a moment, before hesitantly asking, "When was it... exactly... that you, um..." She sighed, then asked more confidently, "When was it that you fell in love with her?" Thorin's eyebrows rose sharply, and when he looked at the dwarrowdam he noticed her cheeks were a darker shade of pink than normal. "I asked Kili the same question, when Alana was in the healing house after the incident with her fire." Thorin's expression darkened at the reminder of that time, so Makaylen hastened to finish her explanation. "He told me what he thought, but I don't think he was really sure."

Thorin didn't answer immediately. He was slightly surprised by the dam's question; though he knew how close she and Alana had become, he himself didn't know her all that well yet. To have her ask him something as personal as that surprised him more than a little. He realised that Makaylen would likely become a very permanent part of his life - being the personal guard of his wife meant that he'd be seeing a lot more of her than he saw now. Dwalin had been his guard for a time, and Thorin could say without a doubt that the gruff dwarf was his best friend. Alana and Dwalin had also grown close over the many weeks and months that they had known each other. Perhaps, in time, he would come to see Makaylen in a similar light. It was a strange thought, though not one he was entirely averse to.

At length, he answered her. "I know when I realised what I felt was love," he began slowly. "But pinpointing the moment it actually happened is... somewhat more difficult. It wasn't like it is in a lot of stories - it didn't suddenly strike with all the strength of a lightning bolt. On the contrary, it snuck up on me so slowly that I didn't notice its presence until it had made a comfortable home for itself within me." He chuckled. "Back then, we could argue about the smallest of things. I was as likely to be infuriated by her as I was to act as if we'd never had an ill moment pass between us."

Dwalin huffed out a short laugh from behind them, and Thorin glanced back at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "From where I was standing," the gruff dwarf said, "it looked like you enjoyed the storms as much as the calms in between."

Thorin's eyebrows rose. "Where did you pick up that impression?"

Scoffing, Dwalin raised an eyebrow. "I've known you you're entire life. If you had been truly bothered by your arguments, you'd have found some way of kicking her out of the company before we got even halfway to Rivendell. She challenged you openly, but you and I both know it was never done out of disrespect. On the contrary, I think she challenged you because she was loyal to you, and she thought you were endangering yourself (or the rest of us). And, as I'm sure you yourself realised, most of the time she was right to think that."

Thorin released a quiet chuckle, nodding. "Aye, that she was. Unfortunately for me, she also knows that, and now she never lets me forget it." He turned back to Makaylen. "So, to answer your question, I think there was a small part of me which loved her very early on. On the night that we met Master Baggins, she confided in me her biggest secret, one that could bring ruin to more than just herself. She entrusted that information to me before she truly knew me. In all my years, I have never met anyone else who would dare to do such a thing." He hummed. "Then later, as we got to know one another, I realised we had far more in common than had appeared at first glance."

Makaylen huffed out a laugh. "Which must say a lot, because at first glance, you look pretty similar. Both with black hair and blue eyes."

Thorin let the right side of his mouth crook up. "That's very true. But in truth, if there was any definite time I would fall in love with her, it would likely be in Goblin Town."

"Goblin Town?!"

Thorin hummed to himself, his eyes darkening at the memory. "By that point I had already shared with her a secret of my own, one that I had not at that point shared with any other. I knew her to be trustworthy, and I knew her to be brave (often to the point of recklessness, as I'm sure you've learned by now). By that point she was most certainly a dear friend, even if I did not tell her this. Then in Goblin Town, she willingly stepped forward to save a friend from torture. We could hear every moment of what she endured, and until the end, she let out neither words nor cries. It was then that I realised Alana possessed a strength that only few of those who have walked this Middle Earth have been gifted. Her loyalty to us nearly killed her." He nodded, almost to himself. "Yes," he finished, "I think if there was any single moment that could be the one I finally fell for her, that would be it."

Osgiliath must have been a truly magnificent city at one point. With tall spires and great buildings of white stone, and the towering, domed palace of Rond Giliath, it must once have been a source of great pride for the men of Gondor. Now, with the many battles for territory having taken place within its borders, the city looked tired and beaten. The western half of the city had almost always been held by the armies of Gondor, stopping any attempts by their various enemies to reach the kingdom of men, but eastern half was in constant contention - and these days, it was not Gondor who claimed it as part of her lands.

Luckily, there were ways to reach the western bank of the Anduin near Cair Andros, and Alana made easy progress through those lands. At the insistence of Malhind, Thandir accompanied her in her travels. She did not protest against his presence, though she was well aware of the reason for Malhind's orders. After what had happened with the wargs and with Thorin, she decided it was better for her to keep her protests silent and simply accept the aid offered to her.

They stopped only briefly in the crumbled city of old, Thandir's brother being one of the soldiers guarding the western half of the city. Thandir had requested they not head directly to Minas Tirith, so as to give him time to visit said brother. Alana needed no persuasion, though he did insist it was only because they hadn't seen each other for over three months.

The duo got more than a few curious looks as they traipsed through the streets of Osgiliath, though it was likely more to do with Alana's presence than Thandir's. The Rangers of the north visited this part of the world so rarely that many were beginning to believe them a mere myth, or at the very least that they had died out some time ago. Perhaps they were merely surprised to see a woman armed with both sword and bow walking among them.

Thandir's brother was more sturdily built than him, with broad shoulders and a stern jaw. Thandir's strength was more subtle, and his slighter frame was no doubt a benefit to him when he and his fellow Rangers were wandering Ithilien. The two embraced shortly when they met, and Alana stood a little to the side, giving them a few moments' privacy.

Presently, she noticed she was being approached by one of the other guards. He had a smile already set on his face. "It's been a while since we've had one of the northern Rangers visit this city. What brings you here, my lady?"

She gave a small smile. "I am not here on Ranger business this time, and neither shall I stay long. Thandir wanted to visit his brother. We will be heading for Minas Tirith as soon as he is done."

The soldier likely noticed that she didn't directly answer his question, but he didn't seem suspicious of her. Her arrival alongside one of their own likely helped with that. "Have you visited the White City before, Lady Ranger?"

"Yes, though only once. It is a very grand city, and back then I must admit I found its size rather intimidating."

The soldier raised an eyebrow. "And now?"

Alana chuckled. "Well, I've spent the last year or more living in a place that is around the same sort of scale. Though the environment will likely have some rather glaring differences, I'm sure I'll be far more comfortable in Minas Tirith than I was last time."

Before the soldier could reply, Thandir reappeared by Alana's side. "Come now, Nikulas, give her some peace. The Lady Alana has travelled a long way to get here, and she doesn't need to spend time fending off your pathetic attempts at flirting."

Nikulas cocked an eyebrow. "Do you really think I cannot simply be being polite to a traveller?"

"No, I really don't," came the snarky response, though Thandir was grinning. "Save your efforts for someone whom you might actually have a chance with."

Alana watched in amusement as Nikulas brought himself up to his full height, allowing him to tower a good four inches above Thandir. "Now, see here, you little-"

"That was not a jab against you," Thandir said with a roll of his eyes. "But the Lady is happily married, and to someone whom you'd sincerely regret going up against, believe you me." He patted Nikulas on the shoulder. "Best you accept this as a battle lost, my friend, before you find yourself in waters too deep for you to get out of again." Nikulas huffed, turned on his heels, and then stomped away without so much as a backwards glance. Thandir grinned at Alana. "Shall we be off, then, my lady?"

With an expression of bemusement, Alana asked him, "Did that really just happen?"

Thandir chuckled. "Aye, Nikulas is known amongst the guards to be painfully persistent when it comes to women. He may not have started sweet talking you by the time I got here, but it wouldn't have taken him long, trust me." He glanced back at her, noticing her expression was still rather bewildered. Thandir grinned again, though there was genuine concern in his voice as he asked, "Are you alright, Lady Alana?"

Alana blinked and shook her head. "Fine," she assured him. "I'm just very unfamiliar with men trying to flirt with me. I'm not sure I'd realise what was going on until far too late."

"Really?" Thandir asked in surprise. "That surprises me."

Tilting her head to the side, Alana stated pointedly, "It shouldn't. I lived in a very small village growing up, and was not yet of age when I was forced to leave it. I then spent the next few years living alongside elves. After that, I was alone in the wild. The Rangers in Eriador are treated with fear and suspicion, so no one ever really wanted to get close. Following that, I became part of a company of dwarves, whose beliefs about women mean that flirting just... doesn't really happen. At least not in a casual sense." She shrugged. "Hence why I have no experience with dealing with that kind of behaviour."

Thandir glanced at her, expression two parts sympathetic, one part amused. "Well, my lady, I have a feeling that - once you step into Minas Tirith - you may have to get used to it. You're a fair woman, and while most men don't believe in the benefits of becoming a... what's the phrase? Ladies' man? ... there will nonetheless always be those few who are either confident enough or arrogant enough to try their luck."

Alana huffed. "You'd think this would be enough to ward them away." She lifted her left hand, showing the finely crafted gold band on her left ring finger.

Thandir shrugged. "That's where the arrogance comes in. The really brazen ones will approach you regardless. Some of the more honourable ones will leave you alone if they notice the ring. Nikulas back there being one of them. He's a flirt, yes, but if he'd known you were married from the start, he likely wouldn't have tried to woo you."

Laughing softly, Alana pointed out, "He didn't try to 'woo' me, as you put it. He'd barely spoken three sentences before you swooped in."

Thandir shook his head. "I think you might have missed the point there, my lady."

Alana sighed. "No, I understand what you're trying to say. Thanks for the heads-up, I guess."

Thandir looked at her for a long time, before humming. "Remind me to introduce you to Nivari when we get to the city. She's got some experience with over-eager potential suitors, and knows how to deal with them. I get the feeling you might need some advice."

"You're making it sound like I'm going to be accosted every time I turn a corner," Alana noted dryly.

Thandir shrugged. "You probably won't, but there's no harm in being prepared. I'm sure you know the saying: 'It's better to have it but not need it, than need it and not have it'."

Alana nodded. "I suppose you're right. I just sincerely hope you're blowing things way out of proportion."

In recent weeks, Kili had taken to spending increasing amounts of time in the training area, either helping those he had started teaching, or simply enhancing his own skills. It was the only thing he could think to do to stem his boredom. He understood that Fili had more duties now, given that he was fulfilling all of his own, plus all of Thorin's work, but that didn't stop him from mourning the loss of his brother during the daylight hours. There was no longer any time for them to wander the markets, or travel to Dale. They only managed to eat their dinners together half of the time.

He was proud of Fili. Really, he was. He more than anyone knew how great a King his older brother would one day be. But that didn't stop Kili from missing him. It didn't stop him longing for days long in the past, where they had no worries or responsibilities to take up their time and attention.

With a deep sigh, Kili stopped his relentless attack on one of the many training dummies that had been set up in the training yard. The wooden pole holding up the straw-stuffed figure was creaking and groaning, bearing many scratches from Kili's attacks. The majority of the dummy was on the floor, leaving a mess of straw and scraps of material that Kili knew he'd have to clean up sooner or later.

A familiar voice drew his attention to the doorway across the room. "Your actions alone are going to drain the city's gold stores," his mother stated dryly. "How many of those training dummies have been replaced in the last month? Twenty?"

Kili rolled his eyes. "If it wasn't me, it'd have just been someone else," he grumbled in response.

"What's wrong, gehyith? I haven't seen you this restless in years."

Kili heaved out a sigh. "I'm fine," he said at length. "Just... having trouble adapting to things recently."

"You mean Fili's duties?"

Slowly, he nodded. "It's not just Fili, though, amad. With Thorin and Alana and Kayla away from the mountain, it seems like suddenly there's no one here." He shook his head. "I struggle to find things to fill the day, sometimes."

Dís was quiet for a moment. "Fili is thinking of travelling to Mirkwood in a few days," she told him, and Kili raised his head in surprise. "King Thranduil sent an invitation to Erebor. He was going to ask you to rule in his stead while he was gone, but I feel that you would be better suited to travel with him."

"Is this wise, mother? Thorin and Alana are half a world away at this point, and with Fili and I gone, too-"

"I managed to look after Ered Luin well enough when you went off on that Mahal-forsaken quest to reclaim this place," Dís cut in with a pointed expression. "Erebor will manage fine. It will only be for a week or two, and I will have Balin at my side, if needs be. Not to mention the other councilmen."

Kili scoffed. "Half of whom I find it very difficult to trust," he muttered. He then piped up again before his mother could comment. "How's Bofur handling the new workload?"

"Well, he's only had to attend two meetings so far, but he's done well enough." Dís frowned. "As you could expect, not all the of councillors were... happy with the decision to have him take Boitu's place, but he's proven himself rather insightful. Bofur is and will always be a people person - he is friendly to all so long as they are friendly to him. He knows a lot of people very well, and so knows what they want."

Kili nodded. "I'm glad he's taken to it. I was rather surprised when he volunteered."

"Like I said, he knows the people better than most. He was in a position to make sure their desires were - at the very least - heard and known by the councilmen. That, and he has a calmer temper than most dwarves."

Kili snorted. "I think he will need it," he grumbled, thinking of the few councils he'd been asked (or rather, forced, as he saw it) to sit in on.

Humming, Dís then said, "There was actually a reason for me to come down here."

"Something tells me it was not simply for the pleasure of my company."

Chuckling, she admitted, "Not this time, I'm afraid. No, it is a more serious matter than that." Kili raised his eyebrows in question, prompting his mother to continue. "Nori finally thinks he has made some headway on the matter concerning Lord Boitu's claims."

Kili frowned. "Which claims?"

"The claim that he was not the one to attack Alana in the first place."

"You mean the fire?"

Dís nodded. "Indeed. There has been little to no evidence to follow up on that, save the little orange gem he found on the day it happened."

Kili's eyes widened. "Does he think he found the culprit?"

"Not yet," Dís admitted, causing Kili's spirits to dampen. "But he's found a potential lead. Nori spotted the dress that the gem came from yesterday afternoon; it was for sale in a second-hand clothing stall in the market. There may be a chance we can find a way to locate the owner."

Kili frowned. "I don't understand. It's been nearly a year since the attack. Why would it suddenly show up now?"

"Perhaps they believed we had forgotten about it," his mother murmured, brows creasing. "Whatever their reasoning, we should be grateful it has appeared. It will bring us one step closer to finding Alana's attacker."

Kili nodded, a solemn expression on his face. "Let's hope they don't realise we may be on to them."

Dis frowned. "Why do you say that?"

With a cocked eyebrow, the younger dwarf stated pointedly, "What does a bear do when backed into a corner? It lashes out."

"You think the attacker may make a second attempt? Alana is, as you said, half a world away."

With a long sigh, Kili pointed out, "Right now, Alana is not the threat. If a second attack comes, it will likely be on one of us, because we are the ones trying to pin them down."

Dís let out a long, weary sigh. "I hope you're wrong, Kili."

Kili sighed. "It's just a theory," he said at length. "For now, we should focus on tracking them down. And as secretly as possible, I think, lest we trigger that which we fear most."