p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"It was late and all the dwarves were sitting on the porch where they would sleep. Bofur had made a small fire with Bifor and they were cooking sausages. Everyone else was sitting around the fire quietly./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"THorin was the only one standing, leaning against a rail of the porch, staring into the flames. He didn't like it that Persephone wasn't joining them. It was dark and even though he knew Rivendell was safe, it made him uneasy not knowing where she was./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where is Sepha?" Kili asked finally./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Did you scare her off laddie?" Balin asked instantly./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin snapped his head towards him, "What makes you think that?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""We saw the way you looked when you realized she was part elf," Dwalin pointed out. "What did you say to her?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Did you lay hands on her?" Balin asked, frowning./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""OF course not!" THorin snapped. "I... I said too much."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Too much of what?" Gloin inquired. "There's a lot Sepha can handle. How much is too much?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I questioned her understanding of hardship... and she revealed everything... her family... her brother, her pains with azog, her pains with THranduil... everything... I messed up."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Look," Oin remarked, switching to Kuzdul just in case an elf or Sepha was nearby. "strongSepha is a strong lass but no girl should ever have a man yell at her especially when she did nothing wrong./strong"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just then Kili and FIli waved their hands, trying to signal Oin to stop but it was too late. Sepha walked up onto the porch, wearing her black attire, her weapons on and her hood up, concealing her face. Thorin noticed right away that her hand were wrapped in bandages kind of hastily and the blood had seeped through, staining the linens./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Don't talk about people when they're not around," she muttered. "It's not fair especially if it isn't true."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"THorin felt his ears go red in embarrassment, hoping that Sepha didn't hear all of the conversation but Dwalin was staring. "You know Kuzdul?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha snorted as she sat down near the fire across from Bofur, "What do you think? You think that just because I'm part dwarf that I would naturally decide to learn elvish instead? Even considering that the elf in my blood is not nearly as much as the dwarfish?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"All of the dwarves could sense the venom in her voice and they all turned, glaring daggers at THorin. He knew why they were doing that and he knew he deserved it. he had hurt Sepha and now she was hurting and now it was coming back at all of them. She wasn't saying those things at the others, but rather at THorin, but not to his face./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Want a sausage?" Bofur offered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled sadly and shook her head, "Thanks though."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She pulled her knees to her chest and hugging them to her, she gazed into the fire. THorin watched her, noticing that her eyes didn't blink once as she watched the fire. Her hood was concealing most of her face and it hurt him to realize that the reason was probably because she didn't want anyone to look at her ears. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"He missed seeing her hair billowing around her shoulders and her waist... seeing her perfectly shaped face and smooth neck... even her pretty pointy ears. They were incredibly pretty now he thought of it. it wasn't that they were pointed that had angered him, but the fact that pointy ears were always associated with elves. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"What had he done?/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha lifted her head and noticed that Kili was sitting on a nearby bench, staring down at his pipe mournfully. Getting up, she approached him and sat down next to him, "What's on your mind?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""A lot of things," Kili whispered. "I mean... now that I've joined the company, so many things have come to my mind that I had never thought before... will we return? Who will we meet? Will we meet any more friends or only foes... will I ever find my one?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled sweetly at him when Bombur spoke up, "I don't know if she understands what the One is laddie."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl shook her head, "No I know... and I know what you're going through Kili. I'm going through it too."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Kili's head shot up and at once all the dwarves were paying attention. "You do? Is there someone you love?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled and shook her head, "You know... you never know you love someone till a while. You might meet someone and know they for years... but only find out much later that you love them and that you've always loved them, you just never realized it. No Kili, I'm still looking for my One... but I know how frustrating it can be. How sometimes you just wish your One was there right here and now to be there for you... to listen to you... to comfort you..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As she spoke, Sepha's eyes seemed to wander off into another world and her voice was in almost a whisper. She quickly shook her head, "Sorry... kinda off the subject."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Kili shook his head, "No... that's exactly what I'm feeling!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon the place quieted down and most of the dwarves laid down to sleep. Fili laid down on the bench near Sepha, leaning his head on her shoulder as a pillow. Kili still seemed distraught till he laid his head in her lap and let her stroke his hair. The young dwarf seemed to relax after that and sighed./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Can you sing to me?" he whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha looked at the other dwarves from beneath her hood. Dwalin, Oin, GLoin and Bilbo were awake by lying in their bed rolls. Balin was sitting up, smoking his pipe and THorin was still leaning on the pole, partially hidden in the shadows while his face was aglow from the fire. All the others were sound asleep./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Okay," the girl whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon, her hauntingly beautiful voice broke out in a soft volume, not reaching anything too loud to rouse the others... and so soft and gentle that it filled the whole of Rivendell like a gentle breeze. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Heart beats fast/span/ememspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /emColors and promises/embr /emHow to be brave/embr /emHow can I love when I'm afraid to fall/embr /emBut watching you stand alone/embr /emAll of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehowOne step closerI have died everyday, waiting for you/em/span/emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /emDarling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years/embr /emI'll love you for a thousand moreTime stands still/emembr /emBeauty in all she is/embr /emI will be brave/embr /emI will not let anything, take away/embr /emWhat's standing in front of me/embr /emEvery breath, every hour has come to thisOne step closerI have died everyday, waiting for you/embr /emDarling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years/embr /emI'll love you for a thousand moreAnd all along I believed, I would find you/embr /emTime has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years/embr /emI'll love you for a thousand moreOne Step closer One step closer/em/em/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"I have died everyday, waiting for you/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"darling don't, be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"I'll love you for a thousand more/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"And all along I believed I would find you/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"I've loved you for a thousand more./span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /When she finished, Fili was out cold, sleeping on her shoulder and Kili was dozing off. Oin and GLoin were snoring peacefully, Bilbo was lying on his stomach, his head in his arms, watching the girl with a smile on his face. Dwalin was lying on his back, eyes closed but awake and smiling. Balin was smiling around his pipe and Thorin's whole heart was in his eyes... but he didn't dare speak./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha, seeing that the two young dwarves were asleep, shifted. She gently lifted Fili's head off her shoulder and laid him down all the way on the bench. She then wiggled out from under Kili's head and place a rolled up cloak beneath his head, leaving the two Durin's heirs to sleep peacefully./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Treading silently across the other sleeping dwarves, she made sure to not step on any of them. Approaching the fire, she held her hands over them and winced when her wounded hands got too close but she ignored it. Softly she whispered a spell and the fire died down slightly, but the whole porch was filled with a comfortable warmth. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Getting up, Sepha ducked her head, muttered a soft goodnight to Dwalin and Balin, ruffled Bilbo's hair and gave him a farewell before stepping off the porch. Thorin turned and watched her go. Every night since she had joined them she had told each dwarf in their turn goodnight... even him... this was the first night she hadn't told him goodnight and it pained him... it was like a part of him wasn't complete till he heard her sweet voice whisper goodnight. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"He watched her slim figure walk off before he saw her head up the stairs and to the small room that she was living in. It was going to be a restless night for a certain dwarf prince. Full of tossing and turning, not managing to even find himself tired. His mind was too distraught... to the point where he lost most of his sleep that night./span/p
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p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""We're about to step over the edge of the wild," THorin announced. "Balin, you know these paths, lead on."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin stopped in his tracks to watch Bilbo who had stopped to watch Rivendell. The others kept walking, including Sepha. She was walking between FIli and Kili who had been practically inseparable from her since the night before. She didn't know if it was out of protectiveness because of what happened with Thorin, or because they were grateful for her singing to them... or just because they had begun to see her as like a mother figure to them./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin's eyes wavered from Bilbo a moment when he saw Sepha climbing the mountain towards him. Her head was down and her hood up, even though it was lovely weather out. As she passed, Thorin opened his mouth to speak but she didn't even look up. She walked past and then chuckled at something that Kili said./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt his heart clench. He knew that Sepha considered his nephews as like little brothers or sons but it hurt him when she found them more interesting than him. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he turned to Bilbo, "Mister Baggins! I suggest you keep up!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon they were climbing higher and THorin found with dismay that he was about eighth in line and there was no one one could pass another for the pass was too narrow. Also, Sepha was at least five dwarves ahead and talking happily with his nephews. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Occasionally Dwalin would look back at THorin (From two dwarves up), as if asking when he was going to try and apologize but THorin could only sigh, knowing that he couldn't when Sepha was practically ten meters ahead and he knew that she was in no mood to hear him./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon the rain began to pour and vision became horrible. The pass got slightly wider, enabling Thorin to push to the front with Balin and Dwalin to try and find a safe route./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""We must find shelter!" THorin yelled over the rain./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""LOOK OUT!" Bofur yelled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"All eyes turned to see a giant rock come sailing near them, crashing the mountain above them. They cowered against the rock face to avoid getting hit./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""This is no thunderstorm!" Balin cried. "It's a thunder battle!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well bless me!" Bofur gasped. "The legends are true! Giants! Stone Giants!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha leapt forward and pulled Bofur away from the edge as another rock struck the mountain above them. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, the mountain began to jolt and soon they found that they were on the legs of a giant! The company got split in two, Fili and Sepha on one side while Kili got stuck with Balin and Thorin and the others./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Hold on!" Fili cried./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha gripped her boots into the wet stone and gripped onto the dwarf and the mountain. She could see the other half of the company jump from the leg onto a ledge, safely getting off but the head of the giant came off, causing the leg they were on to dip... a little too fast towards the mountain./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Hold on!" Dwalin cried./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Fili cringed and Sepha gripped his hand in a comforting manner as they collided with the rock. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt his heart stop when he saw half the company and Sepha slam into the mountain. The leg pulled away and fell off... no sign of any of the company. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha... FIli... Dwalin.../span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""NO!" he cried, rushing around the corner. "Fili! Sepha!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Dwalin slowly rising to his feet, helping Bombur. He caught sight of Fili groaning as Sepha pulled him up, both of them groaning from the impact. He let out a. breath he didn't know he was holding and with a sigh, he walked over to help Dwalin up./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where's Bilbo?" Bofur cried. "Where's the Hobbit?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"They were at the edge instantly, seeing the hobbit too far out of reach. Sepha tore forward, rushing to the edge. In a single movement she had drive a dagger into the stone and had swung down, using the dagger as a grip. Grabbing the top of Bilbo's jacket, she hauled him up towards Bofur who pulled him back up. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She felt her grip on her wet dagger weakening and her hood had fallen off, getting water in her eyes./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Don't worry Seph," Kili's voice said from above as his hands gripped her wrist. "I've got you."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The dwarf pulled her back up and the girl sighed as arms encircled her. She could tell it was Fili because he muttered words in her ear, most of them 'you scared me!'/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I thought we had lost our burglar," Bofur sighed./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""he's been lost ever since he left home," Thorin spat. "He should never have come."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha made a move to snap back at THorin but Fili held her back, "Hey. This is between Thorin and Bilbo. I know you have your problems with Thorin, but don't make the tension between you worse. Worry about your own argument and let Bilbo handle his."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha sighed and nodded, knowing he was right. Soon they slipped into a cave and began to lay down their bedding for the night. When THorin told Gloin not to make a fire, the girl at once warmed the room, using her wizard powers and the dwarves all settled down./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I'll take the first watch," Sepha said, interrupting Thorin who had just about told Bofur to./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""You need rest lass," Bofur pointed out./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl shook her head, "You forget that I'm part elf and we don't need to sleep as much. If you forgot, ask Thorin. He always seems to remember his enemies better than his friends."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl shot Thorin a glare, most of it because of how he had treated Bilbo before heading to the entrance. She sat down near the entrance, away from the warmth of the cave and sat down./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin stood there a moment, just staring at her form. Oh he had messed up bad. He sat down and began to unroll his things when he saw Oin approach the girl./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Lassie, mind if I check your shoulder?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha glanced at her shoulder. She would have objected but she was a healer just like Oin and she knew how much healers wanted to heal. Obliging, she slid the shoulder of her shirt down just enough to reveal her shoulder. THorin felt his breathing hitch when he saw her bare neck and part of her bare shoulder. How could one person be so perfect... so beautiful... so graceful and fragile and yet so strong?/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""It's healing nicely," the healer pointed out. "But what is that?/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha quickly pulled her sleeve back on, "it's nothing."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""It's not nothing," the healer observed. "Where did you get those?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha shook her head, "It's not the time or place."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The healer sighed and nodded, knowing that Sepha had already revealed enough for a few days, "You're right. Just rouse Bofur in an hour to releave you. Let me know if you ever need help."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled and gave the dwarf a hug, "Thank you OIn."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"With that she sat back and stared out at the raining world outside. As Oin passed, THorin stood up and leant over, "What did you see?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Oin looked at Sepha, making sure she wasn't listening before whispering back, "Scars. And lots of them THorin... like someone had whipped her or tortured here. I couldn't see the extent but... her arms and shoulders are covered in them... and some of them look like they were deep."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The healer left THorin standing there, taking in what he had said. He wasn't upset that Sepha had kept this from them... he was angry at whoever had dared to touch such a wonderful, beautiful, pure creature. If he ever found out who, heaven helped them if THorin ever found them!/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" was about twenty minutes later and all the dwarves were asleep. Or that's what Thorin thought. Balin and Dwalin were actually both awake but were faking sleep. Thorin found it impossible to sleep, even though he could see Sepha if he opened his eyes... he still was writhing inside from knowing that he had caused her so much pain./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Opening his eyes at one point, he saw the girl rise to her feet and step out of the cave. When she didn't return for a full five minutes, THorin got worried and slipped out of his bedroll. Of course, Balin and Dwalin followed and they three stopped in the doorway of the cave, shocked at what they saw./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha was standing on the ledge. it was no longer raining but it was dark outside except for the full moon. Her face was a light with the moon and she was looking up at what appeared to be a boulder... but was really the head of a stone giant! It was gigantic and it's hole of a eye was as large as Sepha herself./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She obviously didn't sense their presence for she seemed to be talking to the beast who would groan or mumble in some language that the girl understood./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I know it's been so long Cliff," the girl said, chuckling at the name she had given him years ago. "I just haven't had the need to pass through here."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was a groan and she smiled, "Yeah you did kinda scare us earlier. Thanks for not killing us! So, I saw that you decapitated Brick. Did you help him back together?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, another stone Giant walked slowly over and crouched in front of Sepha by the mountain, his head level with her. The girl smiled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Hey Brick! Nasty blow you got on the head!" she remarked. "I'm surprised that you managed to put all the pieces together!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"the first giant, Cliff groaned and Sepha's smiled faded, "Pro isnt with me... he... he's not coming back..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was another moan and she nodded, "Yeah he died... I'm sorry. He really wanted to see you fellas again."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Brick lifted one giant stone hand and extended one finger to the girl. The tip of his finger was about the size of her body. She placed her hand on it and smiled, "Thanks Brick. I'm sure he misses you too."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Removing his finger, Brick stepped forward and placed his head close to the ledge, Sepha approached the giant and pressed her hand and forehead against the giant's huge forehead, "I promise to keep my promise. Even though I don't know why you made me promise it in the first place!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Brick seemed to chuckle and Cliff said something as Sepha looked up at them, "Yeah yeah I remember the whole oath: Travel the world for adventure and help, find the ones that need your help the most and should you ever happen upon the ancient dwarf kingdom of Erabor, remember my childhood and from there, find a place to belong. What if I never find a place to belong?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Cliff reached over and pressed his finger to Sepha's cheek that was beginning to get damp with tears. He moaned and Sepha smiled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Thanks. I know there are hundreds of places I could find a place to live but...I haven't found a place where I feel like I belong. Would the promise be kept if I just come back and stay with you guys after we reclaim the mountain?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The two giants shook their heads and Sepha chuckled, "Yeah, that would be kinda strange."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, the girl pressed her head to the giants' again before heading back to the cave. the three dwarves scurried to their beds and faked sleep before Sepha returned and began to rouse Bofur. When Bofur took over, Sepha grabbed her bedroll and curled up next to Fili before drifting immediately to sleep./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin looked at Bofur who was out of earshot and Balin and Dwalin were now snoring. He slowly got up and approaching the girl, laid his cloak on top of her and smiled as she curled up into it, not waking up. Sitting down beside her, he traced her face with his fingers and pushed her hair out of her face./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I promise Sepha. No matter what happens I will never hurt you ever again... and you will find a place to belong... with us."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"With that he got up and went back to sleep. Hours later he woke to hear Bofur and Bilbo sleeping. Just when Bilbo seemed to be leaving, he noticed Bilbo's glowing sword and he jumped up./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""WAKE UP!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"It was too late... all the company was awake now... and falling./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha groaned as she was jostled around with the rest of the dwarves as the goblins pushed them through their town. it was a disgusting place and Sepha couldn't believe she was there, yet again. it wasn't the first time she had been and it was so going to be the last time! The familiar stench was horrible and the screeches brought back memories./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, they were brought forward to the goblin king and Sepha glared. She was glad that FIli and Kili were standing in front of her or the goblin king would have recognized her instantly./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Clap, snap, the black crack/span/emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /emGrip, grab, pinch, and nab/embr /emBatter and beat/embr /emMake 'em stammer and squeak!/embr /emPound pound, far underground/embr /emDown, down, down in Goblin Town/embr /br /emWith a swish and smack/embr /emAnd a whip and a crack/embr /emEverybody talks when they're on my rack/embr /emPound pound, far underground/embr /emDown, down, down in Goblin Town/embr /br /emHammer and tongs, get out your knockers and gongs/embr /emYou won't last long on the end of my prongs/embr /emClash, crash, crush and smish/embr /emBang, break, shiver and shake/embr /br /emYou can yammer and yelp/embr /emBut there ain't no help/embr /emPound pound, far underground/embr /emDown, down, down in Goblin Town/em/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha rolled her eyes at the ridiculous song. He still sang it out of tune. Soon, they were searched and all their weapons laid before the king. Sepha hoped dearly that her swords didn't stick out too much./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" the goblin king insisted. "Dwarves? Theives? Assassins?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Dwarves your malevolence," a goblin replied./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Dwarves?'/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Found them on the front porch," the goblin replied./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha sighed. They must have changed the front door because last time, it was a small cave concealed behind a waterfall. Things definitely changed over the course of twenty years./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well don't just stand there! Search them!" the king demanded. "Every crack! Every Crevice!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just when Sepha thought that her presence would go unnoticed, a goblin grabbed her wrist and yelled to the king, "There's a girl!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""A girl?" the goblin king inquired, "Bring her here!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"All the dwarves at once began to object and even Fili and Kili were about to do something stupid but Sepha shook her head, "I've got this."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She took a few steps forward and stood before the dwarves, looking up at the horrid king. The goblin at once began to laugh till it almost broke their ears./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Persephone Amatello! What a surprise! The last time I saw you, you were leaving with at least a thousand dead goblins litering the place behind you... all single handedly. I must say, if that was how you were twenty years ago, I would like to see what you're capable of now!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha glared and crossed her arms, "You've sure got a nerve. Didn't you learn anything from my last visit?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Oh yes indeed my dear!" the goblin chuckled. "Never ever underestimate a quarter breed."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"At once, most of the dwarves, except Fili, began whispering, not sure what he meant by that./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""You would think that someone with so many different races in her blood would be weak... useless... a good for nothing wench. A miserable misbegotten wretch."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. those were the same words he used with Sepha and he could tell from the way her knuckles turned white that it hurt her too./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Quite the contrary," the goblin king remarked. "pretty little lass with four different Races at her feet... is probably one of the most powerful people in the world!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The goblin king approached Sepha and lifting his staff, poked her chest. The girl didn't move and then he moved down and placed it below her legs, poking at her private places./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Though I have to say, this time I'm rather enjoying your visit! You are actually being civil with me... and you've quite grown up from the little scrawny girl who trampsed out of here with her head held high."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt his hands clench when the goblin king prodded her feminine parts as if she was an object. It got practically unbearable when he reached a hand towards her face./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Maybe we can come to a little arrangement," he remarked. "I can tell... that fire in your eyes... you're not take yet. You're still a maid. Such an honor!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Right then, all the dwarves knew what he was getting at and they began to roar with anger. Sepha just stood there, pushing the goblin's hand away lazily. Wha there plan was, no one else saw it./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, thorin couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward, "Wait."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well well well," the goblin taunted. "look who it is? THorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King under the mountain."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha turned and looked at THorin for the first time in two days. Her face was serious but her eyes were full of confusion as to why Thorin stood up for her. THorin wanted dearly to pull her away from the king but he knew that Sepha was still mad at him./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Oh but I'm forgetting you don't have a mountain and you're not a king. Which makes you, nobody really."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was a painful silence in which everyone noticed Sepha's knuckles turn while and her eyes flash in fury./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I know someone who would pay a pretty price for you head," the king continued. "just a head. Nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak. An old enemy of yours. A pale orc, astride a white warg."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Azog the defiler was destroyed," Thorin spat. "he was slain in battle long ago!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""SO you think his defiling days are done do you?" the king asked turning to say something to another goblin./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"When he turned back, the goblin king waved his hands and thorin was pulled back to the rest of the company. He then turned and considered Sepha a moment./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""So, what do you say my dear?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I say. You're still the blundering idiot you were twenty years ago!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The king chuckled and turned to his men, "Very well. Let's see how much more pain we can inflict on her."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha tried to fight them but without a sword and her fears not allowing her to use magic, she was pushed to her stomach by the goblins. Grabbing a knife, one of the goblins cut the back of her shirt, not revealing anything but her bare back. Thorin and the whole company gasped when they saw that indeed her back was covered in horrible scars that were evidently whipping scars... many of them had been incredibly deep./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Let me hear her scream again," the goblin king demanded./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"A goblin raised a piked whip and brought it down on the girl's back. She let out a blood curdling scream at the pain that drowned out the protests and yells of fear from the dwarves. The goblin continued to whip her, opening up more and more wounds./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, THorin couldn't bear it anymore and pushed out of the goblins reach. However there were more of them and soon they had him held back and the whipping goblin approached him. He raised the whip, about to strike Thorin in the face when the strangest thing happened./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha lifted her green eyes, blinded from the pain but she could make out Thorin facing the whip. She felt a deep fire within her. She wasn't going to let the goblins hurt anyone else... they already hurt her... she wasn't going to let anyone she cared about get hurt again. Closing her eyes, she felt her eyes change and her hair turned violet, starting the goblins./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""SIRE!" the screamed, recognizing the signs./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As the goblins and dwarves turned, they saw something they had never seen before. Sepha leapt from the ground and as she did, she morphed into a giant gray wolf. In a single bound she reached the goblin with the whip and ripped his head off, pushing him off the platform./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She knocked all the goblins away from her friends and turned, facing the king. She began to pace back and forth, keeping the dwarves away from the king. She ignored the shocked stares from everyone but Fili. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Kill her!" the king demanded. "Kill her this time! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The moment the king said that, Sepha backed up towards THorin and planted her warm, strong body in front of him and her hair stood up straight on end. A growl broke from her body, surprising everyone with her defensiveness./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just when the goblins began to charge at them, a bright light lit up the place and everyone was knocked over./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"When Thorin sat up, he realized that Sepha was still standing on all fours, standing over him protectively./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Take up arms!" Gandalf called. "Fight!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Within seconds the dwarves grabbed their weapons and began to fight. Thorin brought Orcrist around and pushed the dwarf king off the platform. While he was doing that, Sepha noticed several orcs coming at him from behind. Bounding forward, she killed three of them but one managed to give her a sizable wound on her side./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl let out a whimper and fell to her side. THorin turned and stared as he saw the girl in wolf form curl up. Her wounds were not as noticeable when she was a wolf but he could see the blood... the wounds.../span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Come on Seph," Kili said, rushing to her side./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha morphed back to human and let out a scream of pain. Her wounds were bad, "Get out of here... now!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"THorin shook his head but FIli spoke for him, "We're not leaving you!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Without hesitation, the two picked her up and Dwalin hauled the girl onto his back. Soon they were off, trying to find a way out of the goblin town./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"en Persephone finally lifted her head, she saw that they were crossing a bridge./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Cut the ropes!" she heard THorin yell./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, Dwalin lurched and Persephone fell from his back. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Seph!" She heard several voices cry./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl quickly reached out and Kili's hand gripped hers, holding her up. As they swung back a second time, Sepha groaned from the pain in her body and morphed into a wolf. Kili's eyes widened but he was surprised at how much lighter Sepha was in her wolf form./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Gripping onto Kili's hand with her paw, she leapt up and landed on the bridge with the other dwarves. She stumbled but Fili and Kili's arms were at once wrapped around her bushy neck and Kili buried his face in her neck./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Come on Sepha. Don't die on us now," he whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha sighed and nuzzled his face with her damp nose, "Come on..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"With that, she slowly rose to her feet, wincing at the pain but putting on a brave face, "Climb on."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""you're too weak," Fili protested./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha rolled her violet eyes and fake bared her teeth, "if we want to catch up to the others, we need to hurry."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The two young dwarves wanted to protest but the idea of riding on the back of a giant wolf got the better of them and they climbed on. Fili knew that Sepha whined at the weight but she kept her noble head high and took off. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Kili's fingers curled into her fur and held on while FIli held onto his shoulders./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As they came surging towards the others, the goblin king jumped up and knocked Gandalf over. Kili noticed that the hair on Sepha's back stood up erect and her muscles tensed in anger./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Jump," she whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"the two jumped off her back, landing on either side of Thorin was Sepha took a running leap and slammed her large wolf body into the goblin king. She stared into his horrid eyes for a second before grinning and baring her teeth, she morphed to a human and drove her sword deep into his chest./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, the weight of the king's dead body began to destroy the platform and soon they were falling far and fast. Sepha grabbed onto Ori who was about to fall and they tumbled onto the ground while the others got stuck beneath the platform./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well that could have been worse," Bofur remarked just before the king's body slammed on top of them./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha cringed as she heard the dwarves groan and mutter curses under their breath. She carefully began to help the dwarves out when kili's shocked voice rang out./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""GANDALF!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"They turned to see a host of goblins running towards them./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""There's too many, we can't fight them," Dwalin said, helping Nori up./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""only one thing will save us," Gandalf said. "Daylight. RUN!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"when they finally stopped outside the goblin caves Gandalf counted heads while Sepha leant against a tree for support./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf asked. "Where is our hobbit?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha looked around while the dwarves began to bicker about who had seen him./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us," Nori said./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""What happened exactly?" Gandalf insisted. "Tell me!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I'll tell you what happened," Thorin snapped. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought nothing of his soft bed and his warm hearth since he first stepped out of his door. We wont be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha's green eyes flared in fury. She caught sight of Fili meet her gaze and shake his head, telling her to not object but Sepha had just about enough./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Pushing herself away from the tree, she ignored the pain in her body and grabbed her sword./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sepha what are you doing?" Kili asked./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"the girl ignored him and began to limp back the way they had come. She was about five feet away when a strong hand gripped her wrist gently. She spun around to see Thorin standing there, a soft look in his eyes./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where are you going?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""What do you care?" she spat, "You care for no one but your own kin. And barely them!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin frowned, "What are you talking about? If you go back there you'll be killed?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Then it will obviously be an improvement in this world," Sepha remarked sarcastically, "I would think you would agree that it would be for everyone's benefit if there was one less elf in the world."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"she turned and began to walk off but Thorin gripped her wrist. she wrenched her hand away from his grip and brought the back of her hand across his cheek, remarking his cheek exactly where she had struck him two days prior. Thorin's head snapped back but it didn't hurt as much as what she said next./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I told you to not touch me!" she hissed. "You obviously have no care as to what happens to a helpless hobbit, so I will. I don't care if I'm killed, at least my life wont be complicated anymore and I wont feel like I'm upsetting other people with my presence!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sepha," Fili and Kili pleaded. "Please don't go."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled at them but shook her head, "IT's best if I do."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"she gave Thorin a glare and turning on her heel, stormed off. Thorin stood there, staring at where Sepha had been standing not five minutes ago. She was really gone... when suddenly... Bilbo came tearing through the woods./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sorry... I got held up..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf remarked. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Bilbo! We'd given you up!" Kili cried./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""how on earth did you get past the goblins?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""How indeed?" Dwalin inquired, curious./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Bilbo grinned innocently and just chuckled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well what does it matter?" Gandalf asked. "he's back."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""it matters," Thorin replied. "I want to know. Why did you come back?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Look I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you're right I often think of Baggend. I miss my books and my armchair and my garden. See that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back because... you don't have one... a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was a long silence before Ori broke it./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""But Sepha went looking for you... where is she?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sepha left?" Bilbo asked, horrified. "But she was hurt!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Before anyone could say anything else, a loud howl split the air./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""out of the frying pan," Thorin muttered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""And into the fire," Gandalf finished./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As the others began to run, Dwalin noticed that Thorin was standing still, looking at where Sepha had run off, "What have I done?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Dwalin gripped the prince's shoulder, "Nothing you cannot fix. We must run laddie."/span/p
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p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"THorin was the only one standing, leaning against a rail of the porch, staring into the flames. He didn't like it that Persephone wasn't joining them. It was dark and even though he knew Rivendell was safe, it made him uneasy not knowing where she was./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where is Sepha?" Kili asked finally./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Did you scare her off laddie?" Balin asked instantly./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin snapped his head towards him, "What makes you think that?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""We saw the way you looked when you realized she was part elf," Dwalin pointed out. "What did you say to her?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Did you lay hands on her?" Balin asked, frowning./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""OF course not!" THorin snapped. "I... I said too much."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Too much of what?" Gloin inquired. "There's a lot Sepha can handle. How much is too much?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I questioned her understanding of hardship... and she revealed everything... her family... her brother, her pains with azog, her pains with THranduil... everything... I messed up."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Look," Oin remarked, switching to Kuzdul just in case an elf or Sepha was nearby. "strongSepha is a strong lass but no girl should ever have a man yell at her especially when she did nothing wrong./strong"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just then Kili and FIli waved their hands, trying to signal Oin to stop but it was too late. Sepha walked up onto the porch, wearing her black attire, her weapons on and her hood up, concealing her face. Thorin noticed right away that her hand were wrapped in bandages kind of hastily and the blood had seeped through, staining the linens./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Don't talk about people when they're not around," she muttered. "It's not fair especially if it isn't true."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"THorin felt his ears go red in embarrassment, hoping that Sepha didn't hear all of the conversation but Dwalin was staring. "You know Kuzdul?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha snorted as she sat down near the fire across from Bofur, "What do you think? You think that just because I'm part dwarf that I would naturally decide to learn elvish instead? Even considering that the elf in my blood is not nearly as much as the dwarfish?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"All of the dwarves could sense the venom in her voice and they all turned, glaring daggers at THorin. He knew why they were doing that and he knew he deserved it. he had hurt Sepha and now she was hurting and now it was coming back at all of them. She wasn't saying those things at the others, but rather at THorin, but not to his face./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Want a sausage?" Bofur offered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled sadly and shook her head, "Thanks though."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She pulled her knees to her chest and hugging them to her, she gazed into the fire. THorin watched her, noticing that her eyes didn't blink once as she watched the fire. Her hood was concealing most of her face and it hurt him to realize that the reason was probably because she didn't want anyone to look at her ears. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"He missed seeing her hair billowing around her shoulders and her waist... seeing her perfectly shaped face and smooth neck... even her pretty pointy ears. They were incredibly pretty now he thought of it. it wasn't that they were pointed that had angered him, but the fact that pointy ears were always associated with elves. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"What had he done?/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha lifted her head and noticed that Kili was sitting on a nearby bench, staring down at his pipe mournfully. Getting up, she approached him and sat down next to him, "What's on your mind?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""A lot of things," Kili whispered. "I mean... now that I've joined the company, so many things have come to my mind that I had never thought before... will we return? Who will we meet? Will we meet any more friends or only foes... will I ever find my one?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled sweetly at him when Bombur spoke up, "I don't know if she understands what the One is laddie."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl shook her head, "No I know... and I know what you're going through Kili. I'm going through it too."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Kili's head shot up and at once all the dwarves were paying attention. "You do? Is there someone you love?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled and shook her head, "You know... you never know you love someone till a while. You might meet someone and know they for years... but only find out much later that you love them and that you've always loved them, you just never realized it. No Kili, I'm still looking for my One... but I know how frustrating it can be. How sometimes you just wish your One was there right here and now to be there for you... to listen to you... to comfort you..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As she spoke, Sepha's eyes seemed to wander off into another world and her voice was in almost a whisper. She quickly shook her head, "Sorry... kinda off the subject."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Kili shook his head, "No... that's exactly what I'm feeling!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon the place quieted down and most of the dwarves laid down to sleep. Fili laid down on the bench near Sepha, leaning his head on her shoulder as a pillow. Kili still seemed distraught till he laid his head in her lap and let her stroke his hair. The young dwarf seemed to relax after that and sighed./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Can you sing to me?" he whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha looked at the other dwarves from beneath her hood. Dwalin, Oin, GLoin and Bilbo were awake by lying in their bed rolls. Balin was sitting up, smoking his pipe and THorin was still leaning on the pole, partially hidden in the shadows while his face was aglow from the fire. All the others were sound asleep./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Okay," the girl whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon, her hauntingly beautiful voice broke out in a soft volume, not reaching anything too loud to rouse the others... and so soft and gentle that it filled the whole of Rivendell like a gentle breeze. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Heart beats fast/span/ememspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /emColors and promises/embr /emHow to be brave/embr /emHow can I love when I'm afraid to fall/embr /emBut watching you stand alone/embr /emAll of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehowOne step closerI have died everyday, waiting for you/em/span/emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /emDarling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years/embr /emI'll love you for a thousand moreTime stands still/emembr /emBeauty in all she is/embr /emI will be brave/embr /emI will not let anything, take away/embr /emWhat's standing in front of me/embr /emEvery breath, every hour has come to thisOne step closerI have died everyday, waiting for you/embr /emDarling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years/embr /emI'll love you for a thousand moreAnd all along I believed, I would find you/embr /emTime has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years/embr /emI'll love you for a thousand moreOne Step closer One step closer/em/em/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"I have died everyday, waiting for you/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"darling don't, be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"I'll love you for a thousand more/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"And all along I believed I would find you/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years/span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"I've loved you for a thousand more./span/em/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /When she finished, Fili was out cold, sleeping on her shoulder and Kili was dozing off. Oin and GLoin were snoring peacefully, Bilbo was lying on his stomach, his head in his arms, watching the girl with a smile on his face. Dwalin was lying on his back, eyes closed but awake and smiling. Balin was smiling around his pipe and Thorin's whole heart was in his eyes... but he didn't dare speak./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha, seeing that the two young dwarves were asleep, shifted. She gently lifted Fili's head off her shoulder and laid him down all the way on the bench. She then wiggled out from under Kili's head and place a rolled up cloak beneath his head, leaving the two Durin's heirs to sleep peacefully./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Treading silently across the other sleeping dwarves, she made sure to not step on any of them. Approaching the fire, she held her hands over them and winced when her wounded hands got too close but she ignored it. Softly she whispered a spell and the fire died down slightly, but the whole porch was filled with a comfortable warmth. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Getting up, Sepha ducked her head, muttered a soft goodnight to Dwalin and Balin, ruffled Bilbo's hair and gave him a farewell before stepping off the porch. Thorin turned and watched her go. Every night since she had joined them she had told each dwarf in their turn goodnight... even him... this was the first night she hadn't told him goodnight and it pained him... it was like a part of him wasn't complete till he heard her sweet voice whisper goodnight. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"He watched her slim figure walk off before he saw her head up the stairs and to the small room that she was living in. It was going to be a restless night for a certain dwarf prince. Full of tossing and turning, not managing to even find himself tired. His mind was too distraught... to the point where he lost most of his sleep that night./span/p
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p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-top: 0in; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""We're about to step over the edge of the wild," THorin announced. "Balin, you know these paths, lead on."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin stopped in his tracks to watch Bilbo who had stopped to watch Rivendell. The others kept walking, including Sepha. She was walking between FIli and Kili who had been practically inseparable from her since the night before. She didn't know if it was out of protectiveness because of what happened with Thorin, or because they were grateful for her singing to them... or just because they had begun to see her as like a mother figure to them./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin's eyes wavered from Bilbo a moment when he saw Sepha climbing the mountain towards him. Her head was down and her hood up, even though it was lovely weather out. As she passed, Thorin opened his mouth to speak but she didn't even look up. She walked past and then chuckled at something that Kili said./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt his heart clench. He knew that Sepha considered his nephews as like little brothers or sons but it hurt him when she found them more interesting than him. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he turned to Bilbo, "Mister Baggins! I suggest you keep up!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon they were climbing higher and THorin found with dismay that he was about eighth in line and there was no one one could pass another for the pass was too narrow. Also, Sepha was at least five dwarves ahead and talking happily with his nephews. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Occasionally Dwalin would look back at THorin (From two dwarves up), as if asking when he was going to try and apologize but THorin could only sigh, knowing that he couldn't when Sepha was practically ten meters ahead and he knew that she was in no mood to hear him./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Soon the rain began to pour and vision became horrible. The pass got slightly wider, enabling Thorin to push to the front with Balin and Dwalin to try and find a safe route./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""We must find shelter!" THorin yelled over the rain./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""LOOK OUT!" Bofur yelled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"All eyes turned to see a giant rock come sailing near them, crashing the mountain above them. They cowered against the rock face to avoid getting hit./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""This is no thunderstorm!" Balin cried. "It's a thunder battle!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well bless me!" Bofur gasped. "The legends are true! Giants! Stone Giants!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha leapt forward and pulled Bofur away from the edge as another rock struck the mountain above them. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, the mountain began to jolt and soon they found that they were on the legs of a giant! The company got split in two, Fili and Sepha on one side while Kili got stuck with Balin and Thorin and the others./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Hold on!" Fili cried./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha gripped her boots into the wet stone and gripped onto the dwarf and the mountain. She could see the other half of the company jump from the leg onto a ledge, safely getting off but the head of the giant came off, causing the leg they were on to dip... a little too fast towards the mountain./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Hold on!" Dwalin cried./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Fili cringed and Sepha gripped his hand in a comforting manner as they collided with the rock. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt his heart stop when he saw half the company and Sepha slam into the mountain. The leg pulled away and fell off... no sign of any of the company. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha... FIli... Dwalin.../span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""NO!" he cried, rushing around the corner. "Fili! Sepha!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Dwalin slowly rising to his feet, helping Bombur. He caught sight of Fili groaning as Sepha pulled him up, both of them groaning from the impact. He let out a. breath he didn't know he was holding and with a sigh, he walked over to help Dwalin up./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where's Bilbo?" Bofur cried. "Where's the Hobbit?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"They were at the edge instantly, seeing the hobbit too far out of reach. Sepha tore forward, rushing to the edge. In a single movement she had drive a dagger into the stone and had swung down, using the dagger as a grip. Grabbing the top of Bilbo's jacket, she hauled him up towards Bofur who pulled him back up. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She felt her grip on her wet dagger weakening and her hood had fallen off, getting water in her eyes./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Don't worry Seph," Kili's voice said from above as his hands gripped her wrist. "I've got you."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The dwarf pulled her back up and the girl sighed as arms encircled her. She could tell it was Fili because he muttered words in her ear, most of them 'you scared me!'/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I thought we had lost our burglar," Bofur sighed./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""he's been lost ever since he left home," Thorin spat. "He should never have come."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha made a move to snap back at THorin but Fili held her back, "Hey. This is between Thorin and Bilbo. I know you have your problems with Thorin, but don't make the tension between you worse. Worry about your own argument and let Bilbo handle his."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha sighed and nodded, knowing he was right. Soon they slipped into a cave and began to lay down their bedding for the night. When THorin told Gloin not to make a fire, the girl at once warmed the room, using her wizard powers and the dwarves all settled down./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I'll take the first watch," Sepha said, interrupting Thorin who had just about told Bofur to./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""You need rest lass," Bofur pointed out./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl shook her head, "You forget that I'm part elf and we don't need to sleep as much. If you forgot, ask Thorin. He always seems to remember his enemies better than his friends."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl shot Thorin a glare, most of it because of how he had treated Bilbo before heading to the entrance. She sat down near the entrance, away from the warmth of the cave and sat down./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin stood there a moment, just staring at her form. Oh he had messed up bad. He sat down and began to unroll his things when he saw Oin approach the girl./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Lassie, mind if I check your shoulder?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha glanced at her shoulder. She would have objected but she was a healer just like Oin and she knew how much healers wanted to heal. Obliging, she slid the shoulder of her shirt down just enough to reveal her shoulder. THorin felt his breathing hitch when he saw her bare neck and part of her bare shoulder. How could one person be so perfect... so beautiful... so graceful and fragile and yet so strong?/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""It's healing nicely," the healer pointed out. "But what is that?/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha quickly pulled her sleeve back on, "it's nothing."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""It's not nothing," the healer observed. "Where did you get those?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha shook her head, "It's not the time or place."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The healer sighed and nodded, knowing that Sepha had already revealed enough for a few days, "You're right. Just rouse Bofur in an hour to releave you. Let me know if you ever need help."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled and gave the dwarf a hug, "Thank you OIn."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"With that she sat back and stared out at the raining world outside. As Oin passed, THorin stood up and leant over, "What did you see?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Oin looked at Sepha, making sure she wasn't listening before whispering back, "Scars. And lots of them THorin... like someone had whipped her or tortured here. I couldn't see the extent but... her arms and shoulders are covered in them... and some of them look like they were deep."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The healer left THorin standing there, taking in what he had said. He wasn't upset that Sepha had kept this from them... he was angry at whoever had dared to touch such a wonderful, beautiful, pure creature. If he ever found out who, heaven helped them if THorin ever found them!/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" was about twenty minutes later and all the dwarves were asleep. Or that's what Thorin thought. Balin and Dwalin were actually both awake but were faking sleep. Thorin found it impossible to sleep, even though he could see Sepha if he opened his eyes... he still was writhing inside from knowing that he had caused her so much pain./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Opening his eyes at one point, he saw the girl rise to her feet and step out of the cave. When she didn't return for a full five minutes, THorin got worried and slipped out of his bedroll. Of course, Balin and Dwalin followed and they three stopped in the doorway of the cave, shocked at what they saw./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha was standing on the ledge. it was no longer raining but it was dark outside except for the full moon. Her face was a light with the moon and she was looking up at what appeared to be a boulder... but was really the head of a stone giant! It was gigantic and it's hole of a eye was as large as Sepha herself./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She obviously didn't sense their presence for she seemed to be talking to the beast who would groan or mumble in some language that the girl understood./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I know it's been so long Cliff," the girl said, chuckling at the name she had given him years ago. "I just haven't had the need to pass through here."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was a groan and she smiled, "Yeah you did kinda scare us earlier. Thanks for not killing us! So, I saw that you decapitated Brick. Did you help him back together?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, another stone Giant walked slowly over and crouched in front of Sepha by the mountain, his head level with her. The girl smiled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Hey Brick! Nasty blow you got on the head!" she remarked. "I'm surprised that you managed to put all the pieces together!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"the first giant, Cliff groaned and Sepha's smiled faded, "Pro isnt with me... he... he's not coming back..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was another moan and she nodded, "Yeah he died... I'm sorry. He really wanted to see you fellas again."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Brick lifted one giant stone hand and extended one finger to the girl. The tip of his finger was about the size of her body. She placed her hand on it and smiled, "Thanks Brick. I'm sure he misses you too."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Removing his finger, Brick stepped forward and placed his head close to the ledge, Sepha approached the giant and pressed her hand and forehead against the giant's huge forehead, "I promise to keep my promise. Even though I don't know why you made me promise it in the first place!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Brick seemed to chuckle and Cliff said something as Sepha looked up at them, "Yeah yeah I remember the whole oath: Travel the world for adventure and help, find the ones that need your help the most and should you ever happen upon the ancient dwarf kingdom of Erabor, remember my childhood and from there, find a place to belong. What if I never find a place to belong?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Cliff reached over and pressed his finger to Sepha's cheek that was beginning to get damp with tears. He moaned and Sepha smiled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Thanks. I know there are hundreds of places I could find a place to live but...I haven't found a place where I feel like I belong. Would the promise be kept if I just come back and stay with you guys after we reclaim the mountain?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The two giants shook their heads and Sepha chuckled, "Yeah, that would be kinda strange."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, the girl pressed her head to the giants' again before heading back to the cave. the three dwarves scurried to their beds and faked sleep before Sepha returned and began to rouse Bofur. When Bofur took over, Sepha grabbed her bedroll and curled up next to Fili before drifting immediately to sleep./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin looked at Bofur who was out of earshot and Balin and Dwalin were now snoring. He slowly got up and approaching the girl, laid his cloak on top of her and smiled as she curled up into it, not waking up. Sitting down beside her, he traced her face with his fingers and pushed her hair out of her face./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I promise Sepha. No matter what happens I will never hurt you ever again... and you will find a place to belong... with us."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"With that he got up and went back to sleep. Hours later he woke to hear Bofur and Bilbo sleeping. Just when Bilbo seemed to be leaving, he noticed Bilbo's glowing sword and he jumped up./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""WAKE UP!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"It was too late... all the company was awake now... and falling./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha groaned as she was jostled around with the rest of the dwarves as the goblins pushed them through their town. it was a disgusting place and Sepha couldn't believe she was there, yet again. it wasn't the first time she had been and it was so going to be the last time! The familiar stench was horrible and the screeches brought back memories./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, they were brought forward to the goblin king and Sepha glared. She was glad that FIli and Kili were standing in front of her or the goblin king would have recognized her instantly./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Clap, snap, the black crack/span/emspan style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"br /emGrip, grab, pinch, and nab/embr /emBatter and beat/embr /emMake 'em stammer and squeak!/embr /emPound pound, far underground/embr /emDown, down, down in Goblin Town/embr /br /emWith a swish and smack/embr /emAnd a whip and a crack/embr /emEverybody talks when they're on my rack/embr /emPound pound, far underground/embr /emDown, down, down in Goblin Town/embr /br /emHammer and tongs, get out your knockers and gongs/embr /emYou won't last long on the end of my prongs/embr /emClash, crash, crush and smish/embr /emBang, break, shiver and shake/embr /br /emYou can yammer and yelp/embr /emBut there ain't no help/embr /emPound pound, far underground/embr /emDown, down, down in Goblin Town/em/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha rolled her eyes at the ridiculous song. He still sang it out of tune. Soon, they were searched and all their weapons laid before the king. Sepha hoped dearly that her swords didn't stick out too much./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" the goblin king insisted. "Dwarves? Theives? Assassins?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Dwarves your malevolence," a goblin replied./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Dwarves?'/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Found them on the front porch," the goblin replied./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha sighed. They must have changed the front door because last time, it was a small cave concealed behind a waterfall. Things definitely changed over the course of twenty years./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well don't just stand there! Search them!" the king demanded. "Every crack! Every Crevice!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just when Sepha thought that her presence would go unnoticed, a goblin grabbed her wrist and yelled to the king, "There's a girl!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""A girl?" the goblin king inquired, "Bring her here!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"All the dwarves at once began to object and even Fili and Kili were about to do something stupid but Sepha shook her head, "I've got this."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She took a few steps forward and stood before the dwarves, looking up at the horrid king. The goblin at once began to laugh till it almost broke their ears./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Persephone Amatello! What a surprise! The last time I saw you, you were leaving with at least a thousand dead goblins litering the place behind you... all single handedly. I must say, if that was how you were twenty years ago, I would like to see what you're capable of now!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha glared and crossed her arms, "You've sure got a nerve. Didn't you learn anything from my last visit?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Oh yes indeed my dear!" the goblin chuckled. "Never ever underestimate a quarter breed."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"At once, most of the dwarves, except Fili, began whispering, not sure what he meant by that./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""You would think that someone with so many different races in her blood would be weak... useless... a good for nothing wench. A miserable misbegotten wretch."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. those were the same words he used with Sepha and he could tell from the way her knuckles turned white that it hurt her too./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Quite the contrary," the goblin king remarked. "pretty little lass with four different Races at her feet... is probably one of the most powerful people in the world!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The goblin king approached Sepha and lifting his staff, poked her chest. The girl didn't move and then he moved down and placed it below her legs, poking at her private places./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Though I have to say, this time I'm rather enjoying your visit! You are actually being civil with me... and you've quite grown up from the little scrawny girl who trampsed out of here with her head held high."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin felt his hands clench when the goblin king prodded her feminine parts as if she was an object. It got practically unbearable when he reached a hand towards her face./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Maybe we can come to a little arrangement," he remarked. "I can tell... that fire in your eyes... you're not take yet. You're still a maid. Such an honor!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Right then, all the dwarves knew what he was getting at and they began to roar with anger. Sepha just stood there, pushing the goblin's hand away lazily. Wha there plan was, no one else saw it./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, thorin couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward, "Wait."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well well well," the goblin taunted. "look who it is? THorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King under the mountain."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha turned and looked at THorin for the first time in two days. Her face was serious but her eyes were full of confusion as to why Thorin stood up for her. THorin wanted dearly to pull her away from the king but he knew that Sepha was still mad at him./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Oh but I'm forgetting you don't have a mountain and you're not a king. Which makes you, nobody really."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was a painful silence in which everyone noticed Sepha's knuckles turn while and her eyes flash in fury./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I know someone who would pay a pretty price for you head," the king continued. "just a head. Nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak. An old enemy of yours. A pale orc, astride a white warg."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Azog the defiler was destroyed," Thorin spat. "he was slain in battle long ago!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""SO you think his defiling days are done do you?" the king asked turning to say something to another goblin./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"When he turned back, the goblin king waved his hands and thorin was pulled back to the rest of the company. He then turned and considered Sepha a moment./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""So, what do you say my dear?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I say. You're still the blundering idiot you were twenty years ago!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The king chuckled and turned to his men, "Very well. Let's see how much more pain we can inflict on her."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha tried to fight them but without a sword and her fears not allowing her to use magic, she was pushed to her stomach by the goblins. Grabbing a knife, one of the goblins cut the back of her shirt, not revealing anything but her bare back. Thorin and the whole company gasped when they saw that indeed her back was covered in horrible scars that were evidently whipping scars... many of them had been incredibly deep./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Let me hear her scream again," the goblin king demanded./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"A goblin raised a piked whip and brought it down on the girl's back. She let out a blood curdling scream at the pain that drowned out the protests and yells of fear from the dwarves. The goblin continued to whip her, opening up more and more wounds./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Finally, THorin couldn't bear it anymore and pushed out of the goblins reach. However there were more of them and soon they had him held back and the whipping goblin approached him. He raised the whip, about to strike Thorin in the face when the strangest thing happened./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha lifted her green eyes, blinded from the pain but she could make out Thorin facing the whip. She felt a deep fire within her. She wasn't going to let the goblins hurt anyone else... they already hurt her... she wasn't going to let anyone she cared about get hurt again. Closing her eyes, she felt her eyes change and her hair turned violet, starting the goblins./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""SIRE!" the screamed, recognizing the signs./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As the goblins and dwarves turned, they saw something they had never seen before. Sepha leapt from the ground and as she did, she morphed into a giant gray wolf. In a single bound she reached the goblin with the whip and ripped his head off, pushing him off the platform./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"She knocked all the goblins away from her friends and turned, facing the king. She began to pace back and forth, keeping the dwarves away from the king. She ignored the shocked stares from everyone but Fili. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Kill her!" the king demanded. "Kill her this time! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The moment the king said that, Sepha backed up towards THorin and planted her warm, strong body in front of him and her hair stood up straight on end. A growl broke from her body, surprising everyone with her defensiveness./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Just when the goblins began to charge at them, a bright light lit up the place and everyone was knocked over./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"When Thorin sat up, he realized that Sepha was still standing on all fours, standing over him protectively./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Take up arms!" Gandalf called. "Fight!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Within seconds the dwarves grabbed their weapons and began to fight. Thorin brought Orcrist around and pushed the dwarf king off the platform. While he was doing that, Sepha noticed several orcs coming at him from behind. Bounding forward, she killed three of them but one managed to give her a sizable wound on her side./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl let out a whimper and fell to her side. THorin turned and stared as he saw the girl in wolf form curl up. Her wounds were not as noticeable when she was a wolf but he could see the blood... the wounds.../span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Come on Seph," Kili said, rushing to her side./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha morphed back to human and let out a scream of pain. Her wounds were bad, "Get out of here... now!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"THorin shook his head but FIli spoke for him, "We're not leaving you!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Without hesitation, the two picked her up and Dwalin hauled the girl onto his back. Soon they were off, trying to find a way out of the goblin town./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;" /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"en Persephone finally lifted her head, she saw that they were crossing a bridge./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Cut the ropes!" she heard THorin yell./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, Dwalin lurched and Persephone fell from his back. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Seph!" She heard several voices cry./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The girl quickly reached out and Kili's hand gripped hers, holding her up. As they swung back a second time, Sepha groaned from the pain in her body and morphed into a wolf. Kili's eyes widened but he was surprised at how much lighter Sepha was in her wolf form./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Gripping onto Kili's hand with her paw, she leapt up and landed on the bridge with the other dwarves. She stumbled but Fili and Kili's arms were at once wrapped around her bushy neck and Kili buried his face in her neck./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Come on Sepha. Don't die on us now," he whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha sighed and nuzzled his face with her damp nose, "Come on..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"With that, she slowly rose to her feet, wincing at the pain but putting on a brave face, "Climb on."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""you're too weak," Fili protested./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha rolled her violet eyes and fake bared her teeth, "if we want to catch up to the others, we need to hurry."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"The two young dwarves wanted to protest but the idea of riding on the back of a giant wolf got the better of them and they climbed on. Fili knew that Sepha whined at the weight but she kept her noble head high and took off. /span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Kili's fingers curled into her fur and held on while FIli held onto his shoulders./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As they came surging towards the others, the goblin king jumped up and knocked Gandalf over. Kili noticed that the hair on Sepha's back stood up erect and her muscles tensed in anger./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Jump," she whispered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"the two jumped off her back, landing on either side of Thorin was Sepha took a running leap and slammed her large wolf body into the goblin king. She stared into his horrid eyes for a second before grinning and baring her teeth, she morphed to a human and drove her sword deep into his chest./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Suddenly, the weight of the king's dead body began to destroy the platform and soon they were falling far and fast. Sepha grabbed onto Ori who was about to fall and they tumbled onto the ground while the others got stuck beneath the platform./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well that could have been worse," Bofur remarked just before the king's body slammed on top of them./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha cringed as she heard the dwarves groan and mutter curses under their breath. She carefully began to help the dwarves out when kili's shocked voice rang out./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""GANDALF!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"They turned to see a host of goblins running towards them./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""There's too many, we can't fight them," Dwalin said, helping Nori up./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""only one thing will save us," Gandalf said. "Daylight. RUN!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"when they finally stopped outside the goblin caves Gandalf counted heads while Sepha leant against a tree for support./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where's Bilbo?" Gandalf asked. "Where is our hobbit?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha looked around while the dwarves began to bicker about who had seen him./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us," Nori said./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""What happened exactly?" Gandalf insisted. "Tell me!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I'll tell you what happened," Thorin snapped. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought nothing of his soft bed and his warm hearth since he first stepped out of his door. We wont be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha's green eyes flared in fury. She caught sight of Fili meet her gaze and shake his head, telling her to not object but Sepha had just about enough./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Pushing herself away from the tree, she ignored the pain in her body and grabbed her sword./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sepha what are you doing?" Kili asked./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"the girl ignored him and began to limp back the way they had come. She was about five feet away when a strong hand gripped her wrist gently. She spun around to see Thorin standing there, a soft look in his eyes./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Where are you going?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""What do you care?" she spat, "You care for no one but your own kin. And barely them!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Thorin frowned, "What are you talking about? If you go back there you'll be killed?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Then it will obviously be an improvement in this world," Sepha remarked sarcastically, "I would think you would agree that it would be for everyone's benefit if there was one less elf in the world."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"she turned and began to walk off but Thorin gripped her wrist. she wrenched her hand away from his grip and brought the back of her hand across his cheek, remarking his cheek exactly where she had struck him two days prior. Thorin's head snapped back but it didn't hurt as much as what she said next./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""I told you to not touch me!" she hissed. "You obviously have no care as to what happens to a helpless hobbit, so I will. I don't care if I'm killed, at least my life wont be complicated anymore and I wont feel like I'm upsetting other people with my presence!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sepha," Fili and Kili pleaded. "Please don't go."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Sepha smiled at them but shook her head, "IT's best if I do."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"she gave Thorin a glare and turning on her heel, stormed off. Thorin stood there, staring at where Sepha had been standing not five minutes ago. She was really gone... when suddenly... Bilbo came tearing through the woods./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sorry... I got held up..."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Bilbo Baggins!" Gandalf remarked. "I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Bilbo! We'd given you up!" Kili cried./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""how on earth did you get past the goblins?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""How indeed?" Dwalin inquired, curious./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Bilbo grinned innocently and just chuckled./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Well what does it matter?" Gandalf asked. "he's back."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""it matters," Thorin replied. "I want to know. Why did you come back?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Look I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you're right I often think of Baggend. I miss my books and my armchair and my garden. See that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back because... you don't have one... a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"There was a long silence before Ori broke it./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""But Sepha went looking for you... where is she?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""Sepha left?" Bilbo asked, horrified. "But she was hurt!"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Before anyone could say anything else, a loud howl split the air./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""out of the frying pan," Thorin muttered./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;""And into the fire," Gandalf finished./span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"As the others began to run, Dwalin noticed that Thorin was standing still, looking at where Sepha had run off, "What have I done?"/span/p
p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 21.6pt;"span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; color: #222222;"Dwalin gripped the prince's shoulder, "Nothing you cannot fix. We must run laddie."/span/p
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