Hello and welcome back everyone. Please enjoy this next chapter. :)

xoxo Mels

Adaira's POV

I lingered in the house awkwardly, not knowing exactly what to do with myself. My clothes still hung off me, Ori's shirt too big for me and while I wore the borrowed cloak, I felt a bit naked under the eyes of everyone. Not wanting to spend another moment under Beorn's or the Company's pitying looks, I went back to sit on the hay, tucking my feet up to my chest and trying to hide myself. I reached up and felt my shorn head, seeking out the damage done. My hair had been cropped close to my scalp. I was lucky that I hadn't been scalped in the process. There were bits where my hair was matted and crusty and I knew why, blood. I could feel where Azog's blade had bit into my skin as he cut my hair. Though I had washed my hair, I probably had been picking at the scabs in my sleep.

There were a few longer hunks of hair, but most of it was shorter than two inches. A fat, salty tear slipped out of my eye and rolled down my cheek, joined by another quickly until the dam broke and I was sobbing into my knees, my face pressed into them. I felt arms come around me in a tight hug and it didn't take long for me to recognize who it was. I lifted my head and turned my face into Dwalin's chest. I let him hold me as he rocked me back and forth and I cried for my loss of pride and honor, for my humiliation and embarrassment and most of all for the fact that even as ugly as I now was, Dwalin still loved me.

When I had cried myself out, Dwalin rubbed large soothing circles on my back and he laid down, pulling me with him. He tucked me into his side, pulling a thick blanket over us which smelled of horses and I fell back to sleep, not caring if it was proper or not what we were doing. In this moment the one person in the world that I needed most was my One. When I awoke, I could hear the hushed voices of two men arguing and it took me a few seconds as I regained my senses to figure out that it was Dwlain and Thorin.

"You know better than this. I thought I could trust you with her," Thorin yelled in a whisper from somewhere to my left, just out of my line of sight.

"Yah can trust me with her. I dinna plan for all this to happen. Neither did you," Dwalin shot back from beside me and he shifted slightly so I closed my eyes so I could listen in without being caught spying on their conversation. "She thinks I dinna want her anymore. How can I let her think that? I don't care if it's proper or not. She needs me, Thorin, and yah know it," Dwalin said heatedly, keeping his voice down and there was a long pause.

"I'm trusting you with her only because I've known you for so long, but if you so much as do anything to dishonor her in any way..." Thorin said fiercely and Dwalin seemed to be shaking beside me and I peeked my eyes open and found that he was shaking.

"I'll not touch her, yah know that, yah know me," Dwalin said angrily and there was another long pause.

"How is she?" Thorin asked, calmer now.

"She exhausted herself. Too much for anyone to handle all at once," Dwalin muttered and I closed my eyes as I felt him turn to look down at me. There was a slight pause then he spoke again. "I'm not as worried about her fighting now as I was before," Dwalin chuckled lowly as he turned back to Thorin.

"Balin explained everything to me," Thorin said before his voice grew a little fainter. "Hopefully she will awaken soon," He said before leaving and Dwalin snorted before he rolled over and pulled me back into his arms.

"I know yer awake," Dwalin said softly by my ear, his hot breath tickling it and I huffed out a breath and turned around in his arms until I was laying front to front with him, my head tucked under his chin. "Do yah wanna talk lass?" Dwalin asked me and I thought about his question for a long moment.

While I could lie and say that I didn't, that I was fine and brush him off, I knew he wouldn't buy it. I also knew that I wasn't fine. Dwalin was here, willing to listen to me, willing to be my rock and I more than trusted him. I hummed slightly and pulled back so that I could look him in the eyes. He rubbed circles on my back, waiting for me, but not pushing.

"I'm not okay," I admitted to Dwalin finally in a quiet voice. "I don't know if anyone could be okay with what just happened. We all nearly died," I began and Dwalin nodded, not saying anything and I inhaled deeply before my rambling continued. "I don't know how you can even look at me. I'm...this is…," I said, fat tears welling up in my eyes once more and spilling over. Dwalin moved now, cupping the hand that had been on my back over my cheek as he stared into my eyes.

"You are more beautiful than ever ghivashel," Dwalin told me firmly as he wiped away my tears with his thumb. "You're beautiful inside and out. Nothing that…," Dwalin said, swearing colorfully in his assessment of Azog before continuing, "could have ever done would make me love you any less, scars and all," Dwalin told me before he leaned in and kissed each of my scars gently and then the top of my shorn head before pulling me tightly to him. "I love yah, don't yah ever forget that amrâlimê. Menu tessu," Dwalin said, his voice rumbling by my ear and I hugged him more tightly to me.

We stayed in each other's arms for what felt like forever, but I knew it could have been more than a half an hour. Remembering Thorin's words, I was the first to release my tight grip on Dwalin. When I pulled back, I looked into Dwalin's eyes and he still looked worried, but hopeful.

"Now, can yah give me a smile lass?" Dwalin asked me and I sniffled slightly before smiling, my smile growing wider as he smiled at me himself. "There now," He said as he sat up before helping me to sit up as well, brushing the hay off of himself as I giggled slightly.

"Dwalin," I said in a quiet voice after growing somber once more and his head whipped around quickly, his eyes back on mine. "Men lananubukhs menu,azaghâlûh. Menu tessu," I told him and I leaned towards him wrapping my arms around his neck and bumping my forehead to his. He rubbed his nose against mine and we stayed that way for a moment more before rising to our feet. I grew shy for only a second before asking him a question that was on my mind.

"Could you...could you cut my hair to one length?" I asked Dwalin and his face drained of all color as he stared at me looking stricken. He shook his head, getting a hold of himself and shaking his head once more.

"I'm sorry amrâlimê, I just can't," Dwalin told me and I nodded in understanding. It wasn't that he didn't love me enough to do it for me. I understood why.

I knew why the others gave me pitying looks. Dwarves cut their hair short if they were grieving, like Thorin or Dwalin. Dwalin had told me that he once had a mohawk and he cut his hair because he grieved for all those whom they lost not just when Erebor was taken, but for all those who fell in the Battle of Azanulbizar. Thorin did the same, keeping his beard short.

If a dwarf was charged of serious crimes, murder, treason, rape then their beards and braids would be cut to show their dishonor and they would be exiled. Darrow rarely cut their hair, only trimming it when necessary and this was done very rarely. Hair was a big deal in our culture. That's why only family, close friends, or our One's were allowed to touch our hair.

For Azog to not only touch my hair but to cut it, it was meant to dishonor me, to defile me. To make me undesirable as...as Thorin's heir. I inhaled sharply as I remembered everything that had happened in the Goblin Tunnels. Azog knew that I was a Durin. He had mentioned Thorin. At first I had only worried that he meant to use me against Thorin, but now we had a bigger problem. Thorin didn't know that Azog knew who I was and Azog was still hunting down the line of Durin. I had to warn him.

"Thorin!" I called out looking for my uncle as I rushed forward, leaving a confused Dwalin behind.

"What's got in to yah lass?" Dwalin asked me as I looked about Beorn's house, not spotting any of the dwarves so I ducked outside into the late afternoon sunshine.

"I remembered what Azog said back when he was gloating to me. I don't speak whatever garbled garbage the Orcs call a language so it was hard to understand him, but it isn't good," I told Dwalin over my shoulder before I scanned the lawn for the dwarf I was looking for. I spotted him sitting under a tree with Gandalf and I sighed out a breath, glad.

"Gandalf, Thorin," I said as I crossed the lawn, getting their attention, the two speaking in low voices with one another and the two turned to look at me, Thorin looking relieved and Gandalf looking curious.

"Mizimith," Thorin said, rising to his feet and pulling me into a tight hug. "How are you feeling?" He asked, as he pulled back to look at me.

"Better. I just needed some time to process everything and well, some comforting too," I assured him and he nodded, frowning only slightly, looking relieved. " We have a bigger problem than we originally thought" I said and Thorin's face turned grim.

"What is it?" He asked me as Dwalin came to stand behind me, his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face.

"When I was brought to Azog he went all villain monologue on me. He recognized the symbol of Durin's line on my bead," I told Thorin, a grim set to my mouth as I remembered the loss of my family bead. "He knows I am of the line of Durin. He mentioned your name and grandfather's, Thrain. It's why he cut my hair. To defile me," I said and Thorin looked a bit sick as I spoke.

"Now that Azog knows you are of Durin's line he will not rest until he kills you along with the rest of your family," Gandalf said, leaning against his staff as he got to his feet. "Especially since you will have embarrassed him by showing him up in front of his own troops," Gandalf added, giving me a knowing look and I looked at my hands playing with them.

"Yeah well, that just kinda happened," I told him before looking up and huffing. "We need to be ready when we leave here. I wouldn't put it past Azog to be waiting as close as possible to try and get the jump on us. Azog is smart though. While he might have been able to use skin changers like Beorn as slaves before, he won't go near a free one now, especially a raging caging giant bear skin changer," I said and everyone kind of looked at me a little funny by my way of speaking.

"We'll be ready. Gandalf and I were just discussing our plans. He believes we should stay here for a week while I think we should leave sooner," Thorin grumbled, frowning as he looked side long at the wizard.

"As I have been trying to tell you, it is better to tarry a few more days and be well rested and healed from our last trek then run off into the unknown and be set upon by Orcs before we reach Mirkwood. Give it week at the very least," Gandalf snipped back at Thorin and Thorin turned to him, looking annoyed.

"Durin's day is quickly approaching and after seeing what we've already been through, I am beginning to doubt your plans, wizard," Thorin said and Gandalf opened his mouth to argue so I raised my arms placatingly and stepped between them.

"Let's not fight amongst each other. Adad, I get that you are worried about us being further delayed before we reach the mountain, but Gandalf is right, we need to make sure that we are ready to make the next trek of our journey. I doubt we'll find much help in Mirkwood," I said and Thorin sighed, Gandalf looking pleased and the wizard nodded gesturing to me.

"Indeed, though the woodsmen are still a friendly sort, they have not much to give. The further one ventures into the forest the more barren they will find it. According to Radagast, dark things now creep amongst the trees," Gandalf said, his expression turning grave as he spoke and I nodded, smiling before nodding.

"Yup," I said, pointing at Gandalf. "Great pep talk. Well, I'm going to go look at the cute fuzzy animals and get that image out of my mind," I told Gandalf before I turned around on my heel and made a dash away from the wizard. Dwalin chuckled loudly and followed me, slipping his hand into mine as he caught up with me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the sunshine together and exploring Beorn's lands, staying always within the fence as Beorn had told us to. Within the fence he could protect us, outside of the fence he could make no promises. There was plenty to do within the confines of the fence and I enjoyed all the animals that were roaming about. Dwalin seemed happy to follow me around, hand in mine as I found the beautiful horses which roamed free eating the tall grass.

While I approached them, Dwalin stayed back nervously. They were a great deal taller than me but he had no need to worry. They were gentle, bowing their heads low and snuffling at me as they came to take a look. I rubbed their noses and fed them hay turning back to look at Dwalin and laughing as I saw that he was absolutely surrounded by a herd of sheep. I wove further between the horses as Dwalin tried to escape from them.

"Not so cute and cuddly now are they?" I shouted to Dwalin and he turned in the mass of sheep and looked at me.

"How do yah get them off yah?" He shouted back and I laughed brightly before looking around for something to help. Unfortunately all of Beorn's farm tools were too large for me to pick up so I did the next best thing, crazy Scottish.

"Run! Run yah wee woolen bastards!" I shouted as I ran at full speed at the sheep who bleated as I ran at them. "Or I'll make yah into a Haggis!" I shouted as I danced around the now moving herd. "Or argyle socks!" I added, the sheep finally moving and I slapped one of the rump who was lingering around Dwalin who was laughing heartily. He caught me up in his arms and spun me around and I laughed as he set me back on my feet.

"What's argyle?" Dwalin asked me with a raised eyebrow as I caught my breath and I laughed brightly at that.

"It's a sort of pattern," I explained before frowning and shaking my head. "Shame what happened," I said, looking down at my feet and playing with my fingers. "I nearly had your courting gift finished, but the Goblins tore it to shreds," I told Dwalin who tilted my chin so that I was looking back up at him.

"Don't worry about it," Dwalin told me, as he cupped my cheek. "Gifts are just items. I have everything I need right here in front of me," Dwalin said sweetly and he leaned in and lightly brushed his lips against mine.

When he tried to pull away I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him back to me, pressing my lips to his once more, firmer this time and I brought one hand down to tangle it into his beard, He groaned into the kiss and one of his hands wrapped around my waist while the other gripped my butt tightly, squeezing. He forced my mouth open with his tongue and plundered my mouth and it was my turn to groan. Dwalin pulled away from me then, looking slightly dazed.

"I can't...we can't," Dwalin told me in a husky voice as the sun set over the horizon. "I forget myself with you," Dwalin said and I huffed in irritation and took a step back from him.

"I know, I know. Propriety," I said, crossing my arms over my chest and Dwalin chuckled before putting his hands on my shoulders and lightly brushing his lips to my cheek.

"Come on lass, let's go find some dinner," Dwalin told me and I looked up from him, no longer pouting and sliding my hand into his once more. He led me back to the house where the Dwarves were readying the table for dinner.

Beorn was surprisingly not present which confused me at first and Gandalf informed me that he was close by, investigating our story for himself. We decided to sit on the floor for dinner rather than climb on Beorn's furniture. It was a glorious picnic by the hearth that night. Lyssaria joined us, sitting off to the side and remaining quiet. I sat between Dwalin and Fili and Kili. I noticed that Thorin winced from time to time when he moved and it concerned me. I stored that information, determined to ask him about it later and confer with Oin about how the healer was treating his wounds

Once our bellies were full I decided to broach the subject of my hair with the rest of the Company. I didn't trust myself with trying to cut it without a mirror. I knew that in the world I had grown up in, hair was just hair. You could cut it and it grew back. Many women cut their hair short. I would just have to rock the short look until it grew out again. Maybe I could find a way to style it like a mohawk as it grew out. That made me smile.

"Um...guys," I said in a quiet voice at first, everyone talking around me having their own conversations. Dwalin was conversing with Thorin and thus didn't hear me either. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Guys?" I asked louder and the Company fell silent, all of them looking at me.

"I feel like I need to get this out. I know how you all feel about what happened to my hair," I began and dark looks fell over everyone's faces, several of the dwarves spitting out dark curses under their breaths. "I'm choosing to see it as another battle scar. It'll grow back in time. Azog won't get the last laugh. I still owe him a few more stabs," I said and Kili snorted at that as Thorin raised his eyebrow. "Anyway...I just, I don't trust myself to even it off. I need help. Thorin, Fili, Kili?" I ask looking amongst my family and Thorin looked away from me, shame filling his eyes. Kili and Fili shared a look before Fili locked his gaze with mine.

"It's...to cut another dwarf's hair especially after this...it's difficult," Fili began to explain to me. "We love you. We'd always fight by your side, but...we'd have to think on it," Fili told me and I nodded in understanding.

"And I respect that. I know how hard it is for you," I told them, not wanting any of my family to feel ashamed of their inability to feel okay with it.

"Hair is very sacred in your culture, am I correct?" Bilbo piped up from Thorin's other side then and I looked to the Hobbit, curious.

"Indeed it is Master Baggins. To a dwarf, their hair is a symbol of their honor. A dwarf will wear the beads of their family line, of their Craft, and of their social class," Gandalf explained to the Hobbit who nodded as he played with the hem of his tunic nervously, all of the dwarves watching him.

"It's just...Ori mentioned to me that family and friends were among those who were allowed to touch a dwarf's hair. I...I was only thinking. I mean...I consider us to be friends, but…," Bilbo said as he looked up at me and I realized what he meant. He was willing to help me, but he was worried about offending me.

"We are most certainly friends, Bilbo Baggins," I said as I smiled back at the Hobbit. "In fact, I name you bahukhazâd," I told Bilbo and Bofur reached forward across Balin who was beside Bilbo and clapped the Hobbit on the back, the other cheering for him as Bilbo blushed. "It means Dwarf Friend, may you always be a friend to the line of Durin, Bilbo Baggins," I said with a smile and Gandalf had a very surprised but pleased look on his face. Thorin nodded in agreement with my words and Bilbo blushed a bit deeper.

"Well then, you shall always be welcome in the Shire, all of you," Bilbo informed us, his blush subsiding as he returned his attention to me. "Would it be too bold of me to offer to assist you?" Bilbo asked me and I looked at Thorin, he gave me a look that said it was up to me so I looked back at the Hobbit, my mind made up.

"Thank you, Bilbo. I'll take you up on that offer," I told the Hobbit and he nodded before getting to his feet. Dori offered up his tailoring scissors and Bilbo and I walked away to a quiet spot away from the Company so they wouldn't have to watch.

"How...how short do you want me to cut?" Bilbo asked me as soon as I sat down, Bilbo standing behind me.

"As short as the shortest piece I guess," I said and I heard Bilbo groan slightly behind me. "You said you could do this," I reminded Bilbo and I heard him rock on the balls of his feet behind me.

"Right," He said and he gently picked up a piece of my hair, spending a long minute examining it before I heard the scissors snip through my hair. Bilbo worked swiftly after that. It didn't take long and once Bilbo was done, my hair was all about an inch long and standing up all spiky in weird angles. I turned around to look at Bilbo and smiled up at him.

"You have no idea how much that just meant to me," I told Bilbo honestly and he looked slightly embarrassed as he looked at his feet.

"Oh well...I just wanted to help," Bilbo mumbled and I hugged him tightly, the Hobbit squeaking slightly in surprise.

"Thank you, Bilbo," I said softly beside the Hobbit's ear and he patted my back before hugging me back.

"Anytime, Adaria," Bilbo told me and I let him go, still smiling. I collected up my hair from the floor and returned to the others, not knowing what to do with it. The others had dispersed, only Gandalf still sitting by the fire.

"It's best that you burn it," Gandalf said upon seeing me, pulling his pipe from his mouth as tendrils of smoke rose towards the ceiling. I frowned but listened to him, throwing the bits of hair into the fire. "Your braids, do you still have them?" He asked me, an odd expression on his face.

"Yes," I said, drawing the word out as I raised an eyebrow. "Why?" I asked the wizard, wondering what was on his mind.

"I suggest that you burn them as well," Gandalf told me and I sat down in front of the fire, facing the wizard, one eyebrow raised.

"Spill the beans. What's got you so worried about my hair?" I asked Gandalf and he spluttered slightly at my words.

"I'm not worried," Gandalf told me indignantly and I gave him a pointed look.

"And I'm not a dwarf," I told him before I snorted and rolled my eyes. "First it was, "dark things now creep amongst the trees," I said in my best impression of his voice and he stared at me with one bushy eyebrow raised. "Now you are concerned about my hair while making that, "I know something you don't so I am going to be mysterious and brood about it in the corner while smoking my pipe" face," I said and I leaned towards him, squinting at him. "Spill it," I told the wizard and he huffed.

"It is only something I've considered since you spoke of your father's capture during the Battle of Azanulbizar. If indeed he was held in Dol Guldur as I suspect….Radagast spoke of you as a child, of sending you away from Middle Earth while you were a child. You were born in Middle Earth, that much I am certain of. I am beginning to think that you were born while your father was in captivity," Gandalf said and it was then that I realized that Thorin was behind me, having heard Gandalf and I speaking and coming to investigate.

"You suspect she was born whilst Frerin was held prisoner?" Thorin remarked from behind me and Gandalf nodded, his expression grim.

"Indeed. Magic has always played a part in this story. Not just in sending Adaira away from Middle Earth, but even now. Her memories are clouded by it. Whilst in Rivendell I searched for a way to reach those memories, but I have found nothing. She will either remember them or not. The information hidden within her mind might be something critical, but as we cannot access it, it remains useless," Gandalf said and I scoffed as I looked at him.

"Hey, it isn't useless just because you can't crack it like a nut," I defended myself to Gandalf needlessly. "Isn't there some way I could remember it?" I asked Gandalf and he huffed.

"Perhaps a wizard could or whoever placed the magic in the first place, but you do not possess the capabilities my dear," Gandalf told me and I huffed once more.

"Rude," I told the wizard before getting to my feet and turning to walk away from him before a light bulb went on in my mind. "Dol Guldur…," I said to myself, thinking about everything that I heard about it. Beorn had mentioned that there was talk of a necromancer residing in Dol Guldur. "My hair...this is about the necromancer, isn't it?" I asked Gandalf, turning back to the wizard and he looked very surprised. "This is what you are worried about. If I know one thing, back in my world, people practiced black magic. Also something called Voodoo. Thankfully not in Scotland," I said thoughtfully as Gandalf raised an eyebrow.

"It wasn't like magic here though. I've never seen magic like yours before," I told the wizard as I began to pace slightly. "But in black magic, especially Voodoo, they use something like human hair in Voodoo dolls. That's what you are afraid of," I told the wizard who had a grim look on his face as I put the pieces together. "I thought Azog took my hair as a prize. You think he took it for this necromancer. You think he's working for him," I added and Gandalf sighed deeply nodding.

"There are things that even I do not yet understand. And evil is indeed rising once more in the East. Talks of this necromancer are growing. Orcs are again on the move. While I considered your braids to be a prize only, I fear that your connection to Dol Guldur might play a part in this," Gandalf informed me and I nodded before I reached into the pocket of my trousers where my three braids still were. I held them out in front of me, clenched tightly in my hands and Thorin reached out for me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Thorin told me and I looked up at him and I smiled sadly.

"They're braids, my braids, yes, but what am I going to do with them?" I asked Thorin, shrugging. "I'm hardly going to put them in a box someday," I said before I stepped forward and threw them into the fire, the smell of burnt hair acrid and unpleasant for a moment. "A new day has dawned. And I am not the same woman who started this quest. I've seen what our people are up against out there. Next time, Azog will taste our fury and know the line of Durin paid him back in full," I told Thorin and he smiled slightly and he pulled me to him, hugging me tightly and kissing me on the forehead.

"You are right. You are not the same darrowdam I first met. I am proud of you mizimith. Prouder than you could ever know," Thorin told me as he pulled back to look at me and I noticed that he winced with the movement of his shoulder.

"That's the third time I've seen you wince tonight," I commented as Thorin lowered his arm. "Adad...is something wrong?" I asked and Thorin shook his head.

"It's nothing," He told me and I frowned deeply.

"If your arm is hurting you, then it is not fine and I've begun to learn that when a dwarf says nothing he means everything," I told him firmly and I grabbed him by the wrist and rolled up the sleeve of his coat and tunic. I grimaced at seeing the angry red, pus filled puncture wounds in his arm which were surrounded by bruises. "What is Oin using on these? Clearly it isn't working?" I asked Thorin as I inspected his arm and I heard him mumble something and I looked up at him. "Hmm?" I asked and Thorin sighed heavily.

"I haven't gone to Oin," Thorin told me in a low voice and my eyebrows shot up to my hairline and I smacked him in the shoulder several times in rapid succession.

"Ugh! You stubborn dwarves! First it was Dwalin walking around with a dislocated shoulder for days and now it is you with obvious puncture wounds going without treatment!" I said angrily before I took several steadying breaths trying to calm myself. "You know, I don't care what the injuries are or how you got hurt, even if it is something stupid, but especially now," I said, putting emphasis on my words, "you need to get treated. I know you might not know this but there is such a thing as infection and I am working without antibiotics and modern medicine here. Do me a favour and try not to act like the macho dwarf and just get it looked at," I told Thorin who chuckled after I finished my rant.

"You sound just like your Imad," Throin told me and I rolled my eyes and threw my arms up into the air.

"I wonder why," I told him and I shook my head. "I can only imagine how she not only raised Fili and Kili, but you as well," I said before pushing him by the shoulder towards the floor. "Sit. I'm going to see what we have left that I can treat you with," I grumbled and Thorin tried to protest.

"You can see to it in the morning. It's late…," Thorin began, but I cut him off, standing toe to toe with him and poking him in the chest.

"Sit," I ordered him more forcefully before I stamped away from him. As I walked off towards where the others were bedding down again for the night, I noticed that Dwalin was standing, leaning against a pillar within earshot of our conversation, trying not to laugh. "You better not have any injuries you haven't told me about," I told him with a fierce expression on my face and he shook his head as he sobered.

"I've learnt my lesson," Dwalin told me, his hands raised in front of him placatingly and I nodded before heading toward Oin who was still thankfully awake, sitting and talking to his brother. I noticed that Dori, Ori, and Nori were sitting together in a tight circle, talking in low voices and they stopped as soon as they saw me. It was strange, but I figured they were talking about something they might not deem proper conversation around a lady.

"Master Oin, do we have any herbs left?" I asked the older dwarf and he raised his crushed hearing trumpet towards me to hear better.

"Not much I'm afraid, lass. The Goblins broke most of the jars of salves," Oin informed me and I sighed tiredly. "Why lass? Do yah need me to take another look at yah?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"No, it isn't for me. Thorin apparently hasn't come to see you," I said and Oin nodded in understanding.

"Aye, he hasn't. I was about ready to drag him by my ear myself," Oin told me and he reached into his back and pulled out a small apothecary satchel. "That's all we have left, lassie. Use what yah need," Oin told me and I thanked him, looking into the satchel before frowning.

"Do we have a needle and some thread? I suspect he'll need a few stitches," I remarked and Oin frowned deeply.

"No lass, seems I lost those," Oin told me and I nodded. It was then that Dori stood and approached me.

"Don't fret my dear," Dori told me, holding up a needle and some brightly colored thread. "This should do the trick in a pinch," He told me and he passed them to me. I gave the dwarf a side long hug and he seemed a little surprised at first before hugging me back.

"Thank you, Dori," I told the dwarf before making my way back to Thorin as I formed a plan. We didn't have much, however Beorn had jars upon jars of honey in his home. Honey was an excellent antiseptic. So was lavender and I had seen plenty of that in Beorn's garden. I breathed a sigh of relief. I could do this.

Thorin was sitting by the fire, smoking his pipe when I returned, the wizard nowhere in sight. Dwalin sat beside him, smoking also and the two looked up as I came and sat next to Thorin. I rummaged around in the satchel and began placing what I needed out beside me as Thorin dutifully shrugged his coat off and then, with his good arm, pulled his shirt off. Thorin was like Dwalin, hulking while I was still soft and pudgy in places. I was surprised though. As our quest had carried on, muscles had sprung up where I had none before. My arms were definitely stronger than they had been before, especially my bow arm.

I winced as I looked at Thorin's shoulder and arm. There was a splattering of bruises all over him and his ribs were also bruised, purple and blue in some areas and yellowing already in others. There was a tattoo on Thorin's bicep that I had never gotten a close look at before. I noticed that it was a sword with Thorin's personal sigal on top of the hilt. There was a circle thing around the sword and at the bottom there was a spike star and then a crown. Thorin noticed me looking and then chuckled.

"The circle represents an anvil for my Blacksmith Mastery. Below the sword is the spike star to represent my Warrior training and below that is a crown to represent the Line of Succession," Thorin told me pointing to each symbol in turn. "Do the people in the world you were sent to have such things?" He asked me and I nodded as I inspected the wounds on his arm and shoulder.

It could have been worse. He had several puncture wounds, a few lacerations, and mostly bruises. He had gotten off easy in my opinion. There were only two lacerations that I decided would need stitches. I set to work as I answered him.

"Well there are people covered in tattoos. Even more so than you and Dwalin. It's an art form to some," I explained as I started to clean out Thorin's cuts, Dwalin putting a large kettle over the fire for me to heat up some water. I sent him a smile and he nodded before sitting once more. "I have some myself," I added after a moment wondering what they would think and Thorin's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

"You what?" He asked me as Dwalin chuckled and I shrugged as I picked out some yarrow root, cloves, rosemary, and garlic, happy to find what I needed.

"It was a woman who did them and it was all very professional," I assured Thorin as Dwalin poured some of the hot, but not yet boiling water into a bowl for me and I threw the herbs into it, letting them steep. "I have the symbol for the line of Durin, the sigil that adad created for me, and the date he disappeared in khuzdul runes," I explained, pointing to my back.

Throrin grumbled about it but let it go, especially as I began to cleanse his wounds. He hissed and grimaced and I told him to stop being a baby as I worked. Once the puncture wounds were cleansed I applied a liberal amount of honey to them and then threaded my needle and began sewing Thorin's skin back together. He clenched his hands into a tight fist and bared his teeth, but he stayed still the entire time. More honey was applied to his lacerations and then I tapped him on the shoulder, releasing him from my care.

"Try not to get those too dirty. I'll look at them again tomorrow. Honey is going to be your best friend. It's what we have a lot off thanks to our host," I told Thorin as I began to clean up the mess I made and Thorin nodded. Gathering his clothes before rising to his feet. I had just gotten the satchel packed up when I was picked up and I squeaked in surprised before looking up into Dwalin's face.

"Come on lass, let's get yah to bed," Dwalin told me and I sighed before snuggling into his arms.

Thorin gave Dwalin a rather pointed look and Dwalin rolled his eyes, purposefully holding me slightly away from his body as I grumbled at the loss of contact as he brought me back to the hay where we slept. He took the satchel from me as soon as he laid me down and returned it to Oin before joining me, tucking the giant horse blanket around me. Thorin plopped down on one side of me as Dwalin laid down on the other and Dwalin made a big show of tucking the blanket tightly around me. I huffed and rolled to my other side, away from Thorin and while Dwalin maintained a foot of distance between us, I reached one hand out toward him. He held it within his own and I closed my eyes, letting the fatigue take over me.

It had been a long and trying day and there were many more to follow before we reached the mountain, but for now I was content. My family was safe, all of my family, this ragtag group of dwarves and a Hobbit. The wizard too, even if he got on my nerves sometimes. And I had my One, right here beside me. There was no happier woman in all of Middle Earth than me right now.

Khuzdul:

Ghivashel- Treasure of all treasures

Amrâlimê- My love

Menu tessu- You mean everything to me

Men lananubukhs menu- I love you

Azaghâlûh- My warrior

Mizimith- Little Jewel

Adad- Father

Bahukhazâd- Friend of Dwarves

Imad- Aunt