Nerys sat stoically on one of the ledges overlooking the vast treasure of Erebor and the dwarven king as he moved through it with a fevered gleam in his eyes. The rest of the company was searching for the Arkenstone, Thorin desperate to have it, ordering the company on with little to no breaks. Nerys felt sick to her stomach at the sight of it all and looking to the hobbit next to her she could see the same in him.

"Hello, Bombur, Bifur…anybody?" Nerys heard Bofur's voice calling out.

"The others are here." Nerys said letting out a breath. "You should give them warning."

"Right." Bilbo tore his eyes from Thorin and ran toward the entrance meeting the other halfway there. "Wait! Wait!" Nerys faintly heard Bilbo calling out, her head coking to the side allowing her wolf senses to pick up the conversation. "Stop!"

"It's Bilbo." Dori said.

"He's alive." Bofur smiled happily.

"Stop." Bilbo called out coming to a stop in front of them. "You need to leave." Bilbo told them urgently. "We all need to leave."

"We only just got here." Bofur said in confusion.

"I've tried talking to him and so had Nerys, but he won't listen." Bilbo told them.

"What do you mean laddie?" Dori asked.

"Thorin." Bilbo said a little more loudly than he meant to, glancing over his shoulder. "Thorin, he's been down there for days. He doesn't sleep, he barely eats and Nerys has to force him to do that much, he's not been himself, not at all." Fili looked past him. "It's this place, I think a sickness lies on it."

"Sickness?" Kili echoed as his brother moved around the others and started down the stairs. "What kind of sickness?"

"Fili!" Bilbo called out multiple times trying to stop him, but the young prince was to fast speeding down the stairs only stopping when he came to the landing where Nerys stood watching Thorin wonder the treasure with a fevered look in his gaze.

"Gold." Thorin breathed out. "Gold beyond measure, beyond sorrow and grief…" Thorin looked taking notice of them all. "Behold the great treasure of Thror." Thorin threw a giant ruby through the air straight into Kili's hands. "Welcome my sisters-sons to the kingdom of Erebor."

They dwarves starred in wonder around them while Nerys closed her eyes in emotional distraught, her hand gripped tightly into fists at her sides so hard that they shook.

"I will take you to the others and you can tell me why Kida is not with you Master Bofur." Nerys turned on her heel sharply, and walked away from the sight that disgusted her so.

The dwarves and Bilbo scurried to catch up with her fast stride and Bofur explained on the way why Kida stayed behind, to protect Idris's family, with the promise of returning soon. The reunion of the company of dwarves was a much better one in Nerys's opinion than the one they had had with Thorin, there were cheers and hugs exchanged by all.

-0-

Kida's paws thundered against the ground not breaking pace once. If she kept up this speed she'd reach Erebor the next morning at first light, taking a bit longer than the boys in the boat since she had to take the way around the great lake. With the thought of Bofur Nery's and the rest of the company in mind she pressed herself forward only stopping briefly in the night for food, drink, and rest before starting up again, her vison just as clear to her in the dark as it was in day.

The early morning sun had risen and Kida lumbered up to the great gates of the dwarven kingdom that were destroyed by the dragon she assumed. She padded her way inside still in lion form taking tentative sniffs of the air before continuing in the direction she smelled Bofur had gone.

"Any sign of it?" Kida heard Thorin call out as she shifted while walking back into her bipedal form. She came upon the vast treasure hall, the mountains of gold, silver, and all sorts of jewels filling the great cavern.

"Nothing yet." Dwalin replied.

"Nothing here." Nori added.

"Keep searching!" Thorin ordered.

"That jewel could be anywhere." Gloin replied.

"The Arekenstone is in these halls, find it." Thorin said.

"You heard hi, keep looking." Dwalin said.

"All of you." Thorin called out. "No one rests until it is found."

"Well that doesn't sound good." Kida said softly to herself backing into the shadows.

She looked for any sign of Nerys, but did not spot her; instead she saw the hobbit making his way up the stairs. Kida gave on last look around the room, her eyes lingering on a certain floppy hatted dwarf; she turned following the hobbit, wanting to know what was going on before she announced herself. She soon found him on the portcullis overlooking the ruin city of Dale and in his hand was a stone like no other.

"So that's the Arekenstone." Kida commented startling Bilbo who nearly dropped the jewel.

"Kida, you're back." Bilbo said with a large smile, the stone forgotten as they exchanged friendly hugs.

"Please, it'll take more than a lizard with bat wings and bad breath to defeat me." Kida smiled ruffling the top of his head, but then her face turned serious. "Bilbo, what is going on? Nerys is nowhere to be found and Thorin…he looks sick….and why do you have that stone?"

"It is a long story." Bilbo sat back down, Kida doing the same, and he told her all that had happened since the company had parted in Lake Town.

"So you think this jewel and the horde are corrupting him." Kida said when he was done and Bilbo nodded. "Where is Nerys?"

"She leaves sometimes to go hunting she says and does not come back for hours. She tries to get through to Thorin, she really does, but…" Bilbo shook his head.

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves." Kida quoted Gandalf with a small smile.

"Indeed." Bilbo smiled a little back.

"That stone…" Kida looked seriously to Bilbo. "Keep it with you, do not give it to Thorin just yet." Thorin took a breath. "In fact, tell no one else you have it, I fear what would become of Thorin should he have it or what would happen to you if he finds you have hidden it from him."

"So do I." Bilbo nodded wearily tucking it back away in his jacket. "You better go say something to Bofur, he's barely looked for the stone, spends most of his time staring at nothing and pouting."

"Then I will go give him something to stare at." Kida smirked with a wink making Bilbo laugh. "And when Nerys returns, if you see her before me, tell her I'm here."

"Of course." Bilbo smiled watching as she shifted running down the halls and as soon as it looked like she had just come in through the front she made for the treasure room shifting mid run.

"Bofur!" Kida called out running straight into the dwarf's arms.

"Kida my love." Bofur spun her around kissing her soundly, the others coming up to welcome her back as well.

"Why have you stopped looking?" Thorin called down, his voice edged with anger.

"Kida has returned." Balin called up.

"Then she too can look for the Arkenstone." Thorin said stepping away from the ledge.

"Good to see you as well." Kida muttered, the others welcoming her back one more time before they started their search again.

"Kida, is it not wonderful." Bofur gestured around them.

"Quite, but give me my handsome dwarf any day and you can keep your treasure." Kida smiled making him grin and kiss her once again. "I love you so much."

"I love you as well." Bofur smiled.

"Kida!" Nerys came into the room, running over to her pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hello Nerys." Kida smiled tightening the hug.

"I better go back to looking." Bofur said giving her one more peck before rejoining his kin.

"Is Idris ok? Her and the family she was with?" Nerys asked rapidly.

"Yes, she's fine, they're all fine." Kida nodded, but then pulled her aside casting a weary glance to where Thorin was. "Nerys, the people of Lake Town will come here looking for refuge and judging by that little display Thorin will not be to welcoming."

"I know not what to do." Nerys shook her head. "He does not listen to anyone, Balin is beside himself with worry and Dwalin is only operating on blind loyalty."

"And you?" Kida asked softly.

"We have not spoken in days." Nerys shook her head, wiping angrily at the tears in her eyes. "This blasted treasure is a curse."