A/N: Hello! I hope y'all are still out there! Thank you to those new followers. Sincere apologies for how long it took to get this chapter posted. I do most of my writing on the Notes app on my phone and it died without backing up to the iCloud back in early September. I lost everything I had been writing for this story (and several others) and honestly I was gutted and didn't feel like trying to rewrite all of that for a little while. This is the first chapter I've finished rewriting and I hope you enjoy it. I've pulled some from my first story and some from the novel for this one. Please drop me a review and let me know what you think! I truly appreciate each and every one! I hope each of you have had a wonderful Christmas and will have a safe New Year!

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Kel: I thought giving them a little break would be nice, too.

HelltotheNo: Thank you

Guest: Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you are enjoying what I did with that part of the story. :)

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It's all Tolkien's. Except Rhae.

Perhaps staying out of Thranduil's dungeons kept them far enough ahead of their pursuers. Perhaps the guards the elf king sent out had intercepted and taken care of the orcs. Whatever the case might be the Company was able to make their way around the lake fairly easily. Even though that concern had been removed (at least for the moment) a couple more popped up to take its place. As they got closer to Laketown Rhae realized they would have to go in to get supplies. All they had were their weapons and the clothes on their backs. They needed food and rest. Luckily Kíli didn't have an arrow wound in his leg but they were all weak from hunger. From the way the trees looked it appeared they'd been lost in Mirkwood for at least a couple of weeks if not longer. If that truly was the case they hadn't had a true meal since leaving Beorn's almost a month earlier. How to actually get into Laketown was something they were going to have to tackle soon as she wasn't sure if what she remembered from the movies or the book would be accurate. Rhae really hoped it was the latter as she really was too worn out to come up with a way to sneak into the town.

More troubling than all that, at least in Rhae's mind, was Thorin. Every step closer they got to the mountain the more erratic his behavior became. One moment he would be his normal, somewhat grumpy self, and the next a darkness would come over him causing him to lash out in anger. No where was it more evident than when she was involved. His … possessiveness towards her caused the first seeds of worry and fear to plant themselves in her head. What if she was able to save him from Azog only to see him loose himself to the gold sickness? Wouldn't that be just as much of a failure? This thought wouldn't leave her as they settled down just inside the tree line for a rest during their second day traveling around the lake and she watched Thorin as he paced down by the water.

"What's on your mind, lass?" Balin asked, slowly lowering himself to sit by her side. She scooted over so he could lean against the moss covered boulder as well.

"Many things."

"From your expression I would think none of them are good."

"No, they're not."

He followed her gaze and jerked his head in a slight nod. "You have every right to be concerned, Rhae. I noticed the changes in Mirkwood and it has grown slowly worse the closer we've come to -"

"The mountain."

"I have long hoped that Thorin would be stronger than his grandfather and would be able to resist the call of the gold. The true test will be when he sees the treasure."

"What do we do if he loses himself?"

Balin shook his head. "I don't know, my dear. I don't know."

She ran a hand across her face. "His current temperament could make our other predicament worse."

"What is that?"

"We have to go into Laketown. We have no food, no supplies. There is no way we can make it to the mountain in the shape we're in right now."

"That thought had crossed my mind as well."

"From what I've heard the current Master is a disgusting, greedy snake and there's no way he's just going to offer us help from the goodness of his heart. He will expect something in return."

"Gold," Balin said in a whisper.

"Even in the past Thorin's response to such a 'request' wouldn't have been good. Now, with the influence of the gold sickness?" There was no need to finish the thought as it was clear Balin knew what she was thinking.

"We could head to the Iron Hills, get assistance from Dain."

"We'd never make it that far without supplies. Besides," she paused as Thorin stopped and looked in their direction. Giving him a smile Rhae waited until he started his pacing again. "He will never consent to such a thing, not that we're now so close to the mountain."

"You're probably right."

"What are the two of you concocting over here so quietly?" Fíli asked, taking a seat by her side.

"Just discussing how to get into the town for supplies and … other things," Rhae replied, her eyes flicking in Thorin's direction for a second. His nephew didn't miss her look and sighed.

"Aye. I have noticed some changes in my uncle."

"We are concerned about how he will react once we are able to find a way into Laketown. As I told Balin I've heard the Master there is not a very charitable person."

"Can we not walk right in like any other town?"

She shook her head. "Not here, Fee. Guards watch at the town end of the long bridge, requiring anyone that wants entrance to pay a toll."

"Something we are quite lacking at this point," he said with a chuckle.

She nodded. "We're going to have to figure out another way to get in rather than just walking up to the front door so to speak."

"Why not?"

"Why not what?" she asked, turning to face Fíli fully.

"Why not just walk up to the guards and ask to see this Master. Perhaps they'll think we're of some importance." She just stared at him, wondering why she hadn't considered just doing the obvious. "The least they can do is say no."

Rhae and Balin looked at each other and she saw the small smirk under the dwarf's white beard. "The lad has a point."

She laughed and shook her head. "I always have such a bad tendency to over think things sometimes."

"What are you three doing?" Thorin's gruff voice interrupted them. Rhae glanced up at him and tried not to cringe at what she saw in his eyes though at the moment it seemed to be directed at Fíli for some reason.

"Merely discussing the merits of going into Laketown for supplies," Balin said calmly.

Thorin's dark, thunderous gaze lingered on his nephew for a moment more then it seemed to pass and he shrugged irritably.

"I do not relish the thought of entering a town of Men but we have no supplies. It is unavoidable I suppose."

"It does not have to be a long stay," she said, hoping to keep him calm. "Unless we decide to stay and rest to recover our strength we should be able to get what we need and be on our way in a couple of days."

He pressed his lips together in irritation but nodded.

"Gather everyone and tell them we are going into the town."

"Now?" Fíli asked in surprise.

Thorin lifted an eyebrow. "Do you have a particular reason for wanting to delay our visit?" His nephew shook his head. "Good. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

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No more than an hour later they were approaching the small guard hut that sat at the edge of the town. Rhae had no idea how the guards inside could have not heard their approach; dwarves were not light footed in the least and it seemed like their heavy footsteps were echoing all around them. Standing at Thorin's shoulder when he stepped into the doorframe she had her answer: the two men inside were drinking and laughing by their small fire. When they finally noticed they were no longer alone they scrambled to their feet, reaching for their weapons.

"Who are you and what do you want?" one asked.

"I am Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror, King Under the Mountain," he replied, his loud voice booming in the small space and, despite his bedraggled and worn clothing, Rhae knew he still looked every inch a king. "I have come back and wish to see the Master of your town."

The men stared in bewilderment. Finally the older of the two stepped forward.

"Who are all these with you?"

"Those of my kin who vowed to stay by my side."

"And the woman?"

"I am a Ranger and their guide," she replied simply, glade her hood and scarf were in place again.

"If you are who you say you are, lay down your weapons."

"We come in peace only to barter for supplies. We have no need of weapons , we who return at last to our own as spoken of old. What good would weapons do us against so many anyway?" The guard hesitated further. "Might I have your name? It is good to see a man doing his job so well."

"Solvarr, Your … Majesty."

"Then please take us to your Master, Solvarr. I will make sure to let him know how well his men are serving him." Thorin's manner seemed to decide the issue for the guard and he whispered something to the younger man who disappeared at a run out the side door.

"Follow me, then. I have sent Godmond ahead to alert them to an arrival of importance."

They followed him through the gate, a few more the guards falling in step behind them, and through a wide line lined with buildings into the market place of the town. Rhae was appalled at the apparent squalor the people here lived in. While a few of the buildings seemed to be well built and kept up most appeared no better than multi-level shacks at best. The townsfolk they encountered were not dressed even as well as the citizens of Bree and all their faces held signs of hardship and hunger.

They soon found themselves in front of the Master's house, a crowd of people behind them that had gathered as word began spreading (from the gossipy younger guard no doubt) about who was now in their midst. A greasy, weasel-y looking man came down a few of the steps next to an equally greasy fat man with stringy ginger colored hair. The guard that had lead them from the bridge stepped forward and addressed the skinny little man as Alfrid, informing him that their Company had come to see the Master.

"This is a bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire," Weasel man said, turning towards Fat man. That was the Master of Lake-Town?

"Hold your tongue sir!" Dwalin bellowed, taking a few strides towards the steps. "You do not know to whom you speak! This is no common criminal! This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!" The pride in the warrior's voice was unmistakable. He'd been waiting quite sometime to announce his king and friend. There were murmurs of amazement from the crowd as said dwarf stepped forward, his dark hair glowing a bit in the flicker of torch light.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor." There were whispers of shock and recognition. Rhae could see the people nearby craning their necks to try and see the dwarf. "We have come to reclaim our homeland. I remember this town and the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbor filled with silks and find gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the center of all trade in the North!" His deep voice rolled over those gathered, powerful and mesmerizing. His presence, even in worn and dirty clothing, was regal and commanded attention. For a moment Rhae could see him as the king he should be, crowned before a throne of stone. Many in the crowd were nodding. "I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!" The crowd cheered at his words. She could see the hope in the eyes of those nearby and it caused a disgust of the Master to flare up in her; he had obviously kept these people under his thumb and in poverty for quite some time.

"Death! That is what you will bring upon us. Dragon-fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast it will destroy us all." A deep, strong voice cut through the cheers and a tall, dark haired man emerged behind Thorin. For a moment she wondered why Orlando Bloom was there before realizing that this had to be Bard. Rhae turned and frowned at him as she heard a few anxious whispers from the crowd. How quickly the weak minded are swayed, she thought.

"You can listen to this naysayer but I promise you this: if we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!" Thorin's deep voice betrayed no worry, he sounded as calm and sure as ever. Again, there were cheers and Rhae saw the avaricious smile on the Master's face. She had known all it would take was the promise of money.

"Why should we take you at your word?" Alfrid interrupted the celebrating. Rhae wished wasn't out of arrows. All she needed was one shot and the nasty little fellow would never bother anyone else. "We don't know nothing about you. Who here can vouch for your character?"

"I will." Everyone started at the sound of a slightly threatening female voice. Those around Rhae slunk back a bit as she moved to stand between the dwarves and the men on the steps. She was once again completely concealed beneath her black Ranger cloak. Bilbo had to shake his head a bit in wonder at how she could present such a menacing presence.

"And you are?" the Master inquired.

"I am Stryker, Ranger of the North." Her low voice, edged with steel, carried easily over all gathered. There were a few noticeable gasps. Those closest to the ominous figure took a few more steps back. Even this far east they had heard of the Rangers and what they were capable of. "If Thorin Oakenshield gives his word then he will keep it."

"Why should we believe you?" Rhae smirked at the slight tremor in the little minion's voice.

"I have traveled long and far and through great danger with these dwarves, as their guide, protection," she took her place next to Thorin and flipped the hood from her face, "and at the request of the Valar themselves." There were a few murmurs of surprise but most of the crowd just stared. The Master stared at the pair in front of him as well. It was clear that he didn't know what to think about the situation before his door. The look in the woman's eyes made him slightly uncomfortable as well. The crowd got over its surprise quick enough and began to chant and cheer again. The prospect of money, any money, coming to the town was enough for them. Many had heard the prophecies and songs of old. Some began to sing and it wasn't long before almost all who stood in front of the Master's house joined in:

The King beneath the mountains,

The King of carven stone,

The lord of silver fountains

Shall come into his own!

His crown shall be upholden,

His harp shall be restrung,

His halls shall echo golden

To songs of yore re-sung.

The woods shall wave on mountains

And grass beneath the sun;

His wealth shall flow in fountains

And the rivers golden run.

The streams shall run in gladness,

The lakes shall shine and burn,

All sorrow fail and sadness

At the Mountain-king's return!

Thorin stood and listened to them with a small smile on his face while Rhae kept her eyes on the Master. She didn't trust him though she suspected his greed would sway him in their favor. She had seen his kind all too frequently in her travels.

Bard wasn't giving up though. "All of you! Listen to me! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?" His words quieted some of the crowd. "Have you forgotten those that died in the firestorm? And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain-king so driven by greed he could not see beyond his own desire!" The man and dwarf glared at each other.

"Thorin is not Thror," Rhae's voice again rose over the den of the crowd. "He has known hardship, he has worked hard to help his people survive, and now he has returned to reclaim the mountain for his people. Who of you would not fight for your own home?"

"And risk the wrath of a dragon?" Bard fired back at her. Rhae stood her ground under his angry gaze. If he thought she was going to back down he was quite mistaken. She could understand his fears but she would see the dwarves back in that mountain.

"Now, now, we must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame." The Master spoke up. "Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!" The man pointed accusingly at Bard and Thorin looked up at him in shock and some bitterness. She saw Bard's shoulders slump slightly as he pressed his lipped together in a thin line.

"It's true, sire. We all know the story: arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing its mark," Alfrid sneered, clearly thrilled to heap trouble and embarrassment on the bargeman's head. Rhae promised herself that one day she was going to kill him.

Bard stepped closer to Thorin. "You have no right, no right to enter that mountain!"

"I have the only right." He turned back to the Master. "I speak to the Master of the men of the Lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of my people?"

The fat man put on a nice show of considering the dwarf's words for several seconds but Rhae knew that he had long since made up his mind. She knew exactly what he wanted, gold and to be rid of the commotion at his door and one simple decision would take care of both.

"I say unto you: Welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome, King Under the Mountain!"

The crowd erupted into ecstatic cheering. Bard alone stood silently, still staring at the dwarf king. Their stand off lasted another moment until the bargeman finally turned to leave. The look of satisfaction on Thorin's face made Rhae frown slightly but she decided it wasn't worth the trouble to say anything. Yes, he had every right to try and reclaim his home but he didn't need to look quite so smug about his verbal victory over Bard. At least he had been the one to bring up the gold in return for their help. She looked over her shoulder as they followed the Master inside and caught the man's eye as he watched them go up the steps. There was anger there but also sadness. She knew he feared for his family.

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After a lengthy discussion with the Master, Thorin and his company were given an inn all to themselves and it was (thankfully!) decided they would stay a week to rest and the town would supply them for the final trek to the mountain. That would leave them a week to travel and locate the hidden door. Rhae sincerely hoped Gandalf would be waiting for them. She honestly had no idea how they would defeat Smaug even with the wizard; she didn't want to consider doing it without him. She had forgotten when she joined this quest that he wouldn't be here for large chunks of it. She rolled her shoulders irritably under her cloak; she'd worry about all that once she had a warm meal in her belly and a full night's sleep. As they followed a couple of the Master's guards Rhae could feel the eyes of the townspeople on them, could hear their excited whispers as the company passed by. She found it slightly sad that they had such hope in a mission that was anything but assured of succeeding. The inn they were shown to was old but snug, the man and his wife that owned it looking up in surprise as the guards showed them in. A fire was roaring in the large fireplace when they entered and Bilbo collapsed in a chair nearby.

"Are you okay, Bilbo?" Rhae asked concerned.

"Just exhausted, I think. Hobbits aren't overly fond of going on adventures after all," he replied with a small attempt at a smile. She felt sorry for the poor fellow and called Oin over to check on him. He wanted to argue but she swatted at his hands.

"We must have a healthy burglar," she whispered with a smile. He merely grimaced and let Oin do his work. Rhae returned to Thorin's side as rooms were doled out. Balin and Dwalin had one, the Ur family another, Dori and his two brothers took the third, Gloin and Oin a fourth, Fíli and Kíli would share another with Thorin, leaving the sixth and last for Rhae.

"And our hobbit?" she asked.

"I'm perfectly fine here by the fire," Bilbo called in a small voice.

"He can come in with us if he wants," Fíli offered as she followed the dwarves up the stairs. All the rooms were off a small, narrow hall, the wooden walls darkened with age. Thorin held open the door at the farthest end for her.

"The Master has said he will provide us all with clothes and weapons," he told her as she surveyed the room she'd been given. Rhae turned with a raised eyebrow.

"And you trust him?"

"Not particularly but what choice do we have?"

She sighed. "None I suppose."

"We have also been given access to the armory and training ground."

"It will feel good to have my sword and bow in hand again."

"I'm glad you refrained from using either earlier. I saw the way you were watching that little man with the Master." She turned in surprise at his laughter and the teasing tone in his voice. "Killing the rat wouldn't have helped our negotiations."

"Perhaps but it certainly would have made me feel better."

Thorin shook his head at the devious gleam in her eyes. He was hard pressed to remember the last time they'd been able to banter back and forth. It was slightly worrisome to him as was the fact that he didn't have a clear memory of everything that had happened since entering Mirkwood. The only thing he could recall was a growing sense of unease where his nephew and Rhae were concerned. She still hadn't answered his proposal and he wondered if Fíli had anything to do with that. The thought caused his blood to heat and he was ready to say something when a cooler, more rational part of his head admonished him to stop being ridiculous. The jealousy retreated.

"I will have the company in the training ground everyday. We have been idle too long. Will you join us?"

"Of course. I have rarely this long without some kind of sparring session. I probably couldn't hit the side of a barn at this point."

Thorin snorted. "I highly doubt that. You could probably put many soldiers to shame even now."

"I thank you for your confidence in my skills."

He basked in the smile she gave him. "Rest for now. I believe the keeper's wife said she would prepare us a meal. Our training can hold off until the morning."

"Sleep and food sounds amazing right now."

Stepping closer to her he placed his hands on either side of her face. "I can think of other things that sound amazing."

Feeling her cheeks warm a bit she scrambled for a response that wouldn't upset him. "I am sure you could but … it wouldn't be right. Not now. Not yet."

"It could be … if you gave me an answer to the question I asked you at Beorn's."

"I know but this just isn't the time to think of such things. You have much to prepare for and we need to have clear heads to face what is ahead."

"You mean you are only waiting to see if I reclaim my throne before agreeing to become my wife and queen."

"No I am not. Your throne and crown mean nothing to me other than the fact that you desire to reclaim them and I have vowed to help you." Taking a deep breath she took a small leap of honesty. "My decision would end up being the same whether you were a king or a blacksmith in the Blue Mountains. Gold and riches have no influence over me. Who you are inside is all that matters to me."

He stared into her eyes for several moments, trying to see dishonesty or betrayal there, but there was none to be found. Leaning in he pressed a gentle kiss on her lips and was gratified when she relaxed into him. Slowly, cautiously he wrapped his arms around her, desperate to feel her close to him. It was a wonderful sensation and he was glad that the fog that seemed to be clouding his head recently had disappeared; he didn't want to forget a moment of this.

A gentle cough from the door had him releasing her reluctantly and he was glad to see she didn't immediately bolt away from him. Balin was standing there with only a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

"The innkeeper said our meal is ready."

Rhae was glad for the interruption. It would have been so easy to forget herself and allow Thorin to claim her. Part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind but she knew that would undoubtedly end in disaster. Still, she couldn't deny the fact that she desired the dwarf by her side and if there wasn't another world she had to return to Rhae felt she would have no problem giving herself to him. The question of becoming his queen though? She was relieved to be spared the need to make that decision.

"Thank you, Balin. Lead on. I am starving," she said as she extracted herself from Thorin's arms. The coolness of the building hit her immediately and she wished she had a right to stay wrapped up in him.