A creak made Fìli jolt on his bed. His hand run at his side, looking for his sword, and panicked when he didn't find it.

Then he realised that he was dressed, and why would he dress to sleep?

He finally opened his eyes, saw dark, gasped, and searched frantically for a light when a giggle startled him.

Fìli sap upright on his bed, and his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room, he realised it was actually almost dawn; few faint threads of sunlight were peeking inside the room from the curtain on the window.

"Innêg?"

Innêg was wearing a light, short nightgown, starring white in the shadows of the room. She was standing next half-opened door that lead on the outside corridor.

"What are you doing?"

Innêg wanted to say that she was sorry to have woken him, but the door had protested loudly when opened, as of it was all but pleased to be awakened so early in the morning either.

But words were still out of Innêg's reach, despite she was feeling less confused than the day before. Mute as she was, Innêg just lifted a hand and waved, and then disappeared out of the room.

"Where are you going? Wait!" Fìli was out of bed in a moment. Now he remembered that Kìli and him had decided to dress themselves to go to bed, to avoid another embarrassing episode like the one of the night before. The thought alone was going to make him blush.

Fìli quickly grabbed the lamp on the nightstand, lit it, and he rushed after Innêg, covering the flickering light with his hard not to disturb his brother, who was snoring peacefully.

"You are barefoot!" hissed Fìli, walking in the corridor. "Where do you think you are going?"

Again, Innêg made no answer, and turned towards the Dwarf instead, looking rather amused, and studying the small lamp Fìli was carrying in front of himself.

"Yes, see, this is a Dwarvish lamp! You have never seen those, right?" Fìli chuckled. Dwarvish lamps were very peculiar, and were always a curious object for those who saw them for the first time, with the scale-shaped glass, and the strange, orange luminescence. "You might want to - why are you laughing now?"

Fìli was about to give her the small lamp, when Innêg had giggled again, and had grabbed Fìli's hand, dragging him forward in the black corridor.

"Wait, what do you want to do?" Frustrated by being awaken and yanked around so early in the morning by a mute woman for an unclear reason, Fìli groaned.

"Are you hungry?" he tried, seeing her directing him towards the stairs. "I am hungry too, maybe we could go and find something to... no? Well, fine, hey do not laugh at me!"

Innêg had snorted loudly again, back to look at him once more, and then she started to lead him upstairs, to the second floor. The gentle blond short man, that had brought a light because it was too dark him, why was he thinking that she was hungry?

"You can't go upstairs! There are the other rooms there! If you are looking for Bombur, he is upstairs, right, but he has no food now, and... Stop laughing at me!"

Innêg looked down at him. The light of the lamp danced on her lips, that stretched into a small smile were uncovering perfect teeth, as white as snow.

She stopped only just enough for Fìli to notice how her hair shone like a crown of reddish flames at the dim light of the lamp, before she disappeared on the last step.

"Wait! Take the lamp at least!" But Innêg seemed to need no lamp as she advanced swiftly in the shadows of the inn.

Her steps were silent as the ones of a cat, and Fìli, who was one of the most discrete Dwarf he knew, sounded more like a troll compared to her.

Once on the second floor, Fìli saw Innêg cautiously opening a small window.

"You can't open that!" hissed the Dwarf. "It will..."

Too late. Innêg had already opened the flyings.

Fìli cursed under his breath when the rays of the rising sun hit his eyes. It took him a few seconds to adjust to them. "You wanted to see the sunrise?" he asked, stepping outside and covering his eyes with a hand. "You could have said that, you know! I am not a fan, although I agree it's romantic and-Wait where are you going now?"

Fìli gasped in horror as he saw Innêg beaming over the windowsill, grabbing one of the flying and hoisting herself up, disappearing from sight.

"Where are you now?!" Fìli rushed to look out of the window, and when he looked up, he saw her peering from the edge of the roof, waving at him with a bright smile, and gesturing him to follow.

"You are the athletic type, aren't you?" groaned the Dwarf.

Leaving the lamp next to the window, Fìli took hold of the flying himself, and with the help of the gutter he lifted himself up on the roof next to her.

The tiles were slippery and covered with the humidity of the night, but the two of them managed to reach the spine of the roof.

"Well, sure you have some guts lass." Fìli huffed, sitting astride on the roof. "And good taste." he added, watching the view on both sides of the inn.

Innêg giggled, looking around to embrace the sight of Esgaroth at sunrise. Yes, it was just as she had thought. It was beautiful.

The inn was tall enough to soar most of the buildings of Esgaroth. Fìli recognised the palace of Bard, a few streets away from them, with its red roofs and spires, the first to salute the upcoming day. The rest of the city was slowly emerging from the shadows of the night, and even from up there, Fìli could hear some streets already coming to life.

On the line of the horizon, right at the east, the trees of Mirkwood could be heard rustling, like the huge wood was an animal that was waking up from its sleep.

And finally, at north, following the silver glinting of the River Running, grand and imposing with its white peaks shining like a crown of diamonds, the Lonely Mountain was dominating everything.

"Look." Fìli pointed it. "That is the Lonely Mountain. We are heading there. It's were we live." He didn't know if Innêg could understand him, but she nodded several times.

Innêg had looked at Erebor for a while, then she turned to Fìli, the to the mountain again, frowing.

"Yes, that is Erebor." repeated Fìli. "Were Dwarves live. Where I live." When Innêg looked at him again, Fìli believed he saw the smallest flash of recognition passing in her eyes, and Fìli felt sure she knew already what the Lonely Mountain was, or who was habitating it. But it lasted less than a moment, and her expression went back to the one of slight stupor and curiosity she had been weaving since she had woken up.

Fìli sighed. How much he wished she could speak! Then he might have told her about the Kingdom Under the Mountain, and how splendid it was. He felt sure he and Innêg might have talked about that and many other things, 'if she wishes so, of course', he thought.

Under the red and pink sky of dawn, Innêg's hair had become a cascade of flames, burning of reds and oranges, shining like some precious metal Fìli had never seen. Even her eyes had taken shades of amber, among their blue and green depths.

As Fìli got lost in her strange beauty, he almost missed the fact that the girl was pointing insistently to him something far on the West.

"Uh?" Fìli followed her finger, "What's in the Western sky?"

Innêg wiggled again her finger at the far away sky the West, where the shadows of the night were retiring below the line of the horizon, and the stars had all disappeared. All, but one.

Earendil was still shining, its pure light visible against the dark blu sky.

"Do you like the morning star?"

Innêg briefly looked at Fìli, and then smiled, and just went back looking at Earendil.

In the silence of the sleeping city, among the roofs and the chimneys, Fìli had the sensation to have been thrown into a strange, mystical orange and purple landscaoepewith a magical creature with a flaming hair and amber, blue and green eyes as a guide. Even his own breath sounded noisy in the stillness of that enchantment. Fìli was looking at Innêg, and Innêg was looking at the star, with a stare that the Dwarf couldn't tell if was more hopeful, longing, or sad.

"You now," he whispered after a while. "that star is visible both morning and evening. I think in the evening it is more bright, though. It is called the Evening Star, in fact." he was all but sure of what he was saying - his uncle must have told him so once, but Fìli couldn't remember well.

"But it's also beautiful in the morning." he added - even if he was looking at Innêg and not at Earendil. "Is this why you come up here? To see the Morning Star?"

Again Innêg turned to look at him, nodded, smiled and went back admiring the fading light of Earendil.

"Why do you like that star so much?"

Innêg raised an eyebrow. She tapped her chin, looking for an answer to give to the blond gentle small man that was bringing a light with him before. Then she pointed at the raising sun, then at Earendil, then at the sun again, as if it was enough of an explanation in her opinion. But if it was clear for Innêg, it left Fìli just as confused as before.

"Ok Morningstar!" he laughed. "I don't get it, but you'll tell me one day, right?"

Innêg eyes glinted and she nodded. Yes, sure she would have liked to tell the blond gentle short man, the light bringer. If only her stupid tongue wouldn't have felt like jelly in her mouth, she would have liked to talk to him more. There was very little she believed she could say, but it was better than wiggling her finger around, right?

She nodded, but as she did, some of her tresses moved, and when she turned her head once more, as Earendil glowed one last time before disappearing, Fìli saw something he had not noticed before.

"Hey Innêg what happened to your ear?"

Innêg frowned. Ears? Her ears looked just fine to her. She lifted a hand and touched her lobe, as if saying 'look, there is nothing to be worried about my ears'.

"No, I mean, here..."

Fìli leaned over the spine of the roof, reaching Innêg's ear with his hand, and brushed with his fingers the strange line, cutting obliquely her auricular.

The reaction he got was all but the one he expected.

As if he had just burned her, Innêg small frown deformed into a grimace of terror and pain, and her mouth opened in a mute cry. She yanked away from him, and in the attempt of holding herself on the slippery roof and covering her ears at the same time, she lost her balance, and would certainly have fallen on the ground several meters below, if Fìli hadn't be quick in seizing her by the waist, securing her in his arms.

"Mahal!" he shouted, "For all the-What has gotten into-Oh no no I am sorry, please don't cry!"

As if the panic of the night before hadn't been enough, Fìli felt his brain short-circuit again as he saw Innêg teary eyes and trembling lips.

That was the last proof, that he was the son of a very, very stupid toll, and that his mother had adopted him.

"I am sorry!" Fìli breathed, and not knowing what else to do, he squeezed Innêg to his chest as hard as he could.

"I am sorry." he whispered burying his face in her hair and listening with bated breath to her pounding heart. "I am sorry. I didn't know... I am sorry."

Drawing slow circles over Innêg's trembling back, feeling her body relaxed little by little - and he himself calming down as well, Fìli couldn't but ask himself if maybe the Orcs had harmed her is some way. But then realised that it was not possible. The cut he saw was very old, it couldn't have been done by the Orcs.

And Innêg herself seemed to have realised the odd shape of her ears in the moment he had touched them.

He waited until Innêg was breathing normally again, before whispering.

"Hey Morningstar. How are you feeling?"

Innêg inhaled deeply a couple of times. Yes, she was better. She had no idea of what came over her. In the moment the short man's hand had brushed over her ears, a terror she didn't know where it was coming from had flooded over her. But now she was feeling better. The sun was warming her skin, and his hand lightly caressing her back and her hair was soothing, pushing the terror back away.

So pressed against his chest, Innêg could feel his heart beating just as fast as hers. She must have scared him to death, jumping in that way.

So, she looked up at him, and tried to smile, and then regained her balance on the roof, back where she was.

As ridiculous as it sounded, Fìli was already missing the warmth and the frailness of her body, and as soon as she detatched herself from him, his first impulse was to bring her again in his embrace.

Hadn't he be scared of letting her fall, Fìli would have blushed at the idea of hugging so shamelessly a woman with only a nightgown, but on that moment his greatest worry was that Innêg was not scared anymore, and not smashed on the street below.

"Are you ok?" he asked again

Innêg, feeling actually better, took a deep breath and nodded.

"Are you sure?"

Another nod.

"I would never hurt you, you know that, right?"

A third nod, and a smile. Of course she knew the light bringer would never hurt her.

This time, Fìli felt sure enough to return the smile. He was about to ask her about her ears - touching them had truly been a bad idea - when a laughing voice broke the still air.

"Hey, Above there! Am I interrupting something?"

From the top of the roof, Kìli face appeared. "Sorry guys, but I am afraid you will have to hug each other in Erebor! The ship will leave in an hour, and Dwalin will have my head if we lose it!"

Fìli snorted. "We will catch that ship, brother!" he shouted back. True, he had forgotten they had to leave so early in the morning.

"Come on, Morningstar!" he said, stretching out his hand to help her descend the rood. "If I bring back a headless brother, my mom will take mine of head!"

Innêg wouldn't have run the risk of having someone beheaded, sure! She took his hand, and felt it strong and warm against hers, and a soft blush coloured her cheeks.

Later that morning, at the docks...

"Where else do you want her to go?" Mamal asked with her hands on her hips. "She remembers nothing, doesn't speak, and as far as I understood, she is the reason we have still two princes, and not only one!" she glared ta Fìli, who swallowed and nodded.

"Of course we are taking her at Erebor!" protested Fìli.

"Aye!" laughed Kìli. "We are keeping her!"

"How can you think we'll leave her here!" "She is in good hands Mamal, don't you worry."

Mamal had come to the Two Baskets as soon as Innêg and Fìli had stepped inside the window. The Dwarrowdam had fixed Innêg's hair in two minutes, and had helped her dress in one - such is the ability of Dwarrowdams!

"I am glad to see your eyes are sparkling of life this this morning! You'll be yourself again in no time, lass!" Mamal had said, caressing Innêg's golden hair."I have brought you this, look! It's a cloak, and it's very warm, you'll need that on the boat today!"

Innêg had nodded, and bowed. Yes, she felt much better, thank you. She hoped she could start speaking again soon, instead of only smiling and nodding, which was starting to tire her. She wished she could tell the very kind, plump short woman that she and the blond shot men, the light bringer, had been out on the roof to see the Morning Star, but maybe, Innêg thought, she could have told her another time.

Mamal had accompanied Innêg and the company to the small port of Esgaroth, and was not about to go back to her shop.

But not before being sure Innêg was in good hands! She knew very well that those were all mighty warriors, but give them a simple task...

The Dwarrowdam glared at the seven Dwarves in front of her, and Fìli, Kìli, Dwalin, Oìn, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur all felt themselves go back to when they were little Dwarflings.

"She will be good, Mamal, I promise!" stated Fìli, taking Innêg by the hand. "Upon my honour!"

Mamal ignored Bofur and Kìli's whistles, and clicked her tongue. "Do I trust you to bring her safe to Erebor?" she asked Bombur.

The large Dwarf nodded so solemnly as if he had been bestowed with the fate of the whole Kingdom Under the Mountain - which, since it is Mamal we are talking about, was not far from being exactly the same thing.

"Good!" Mamal seemed satisfied. "A Dwarf with sense, indeed! Well Innêg child, you have nothing to fear!" And before Fìli could protest, Mamal had disappeared in the crowd.

"Oh well!" Dwalin spat on the ground. "Innêg's coming to Erebor! Let's find that boat, or we will stay in Esgaroth until spring!"

"Come on, let's go!" Fìli squeezed Innêg's hand, and lead the way of the group in the crowd.

They arrived at the ship a few minutes before it departed. Around them, the docks of Esgaroth were as crowded as ever. Men and Dwarves were crashing one onto the other, too busy with their own business to stop and protest, or stop and say sorry.

Well, everyone but one Dwarf.

"Sorry! Apologies, many apologies! Oh, my foot! Couldn't you just-oh, I beg your pardon, madame!"

A Dwarf that Fìli, Kìli, Dwalin, Oìn, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur knew all too well.

"Ori!" called Kìli, raising on his tiptoes and waving furiously.

"Ha! You might want a box for that!" Dwalin lifted the young prince and put him over his shoulder.

"Aye, that's better!" Kìli waved again his arms in the air. "Ori! Come over here! Oh good, he saw me! Thank you, box! You can put me dow-wheii!" Kìli yelped loudly when his back hit the ground - but that was what you got for calling Dwalin 'box', after all.

Fìli tugged Innêg's hand. "Ori is a friend of ours." he explained. "He's a nice Dwarf. An intellectual, if you know what I mean."

Innêg didn't know what the blond Dwarf meant by 'intellectual', but she nodded anyway.

"He is writing the journal of our quest for Erebor." added Bofur. "He is editing it right now. Hope he has not it with him today, otherwise..."

A young Dwarf, emerged huffing from the crowd, making his way in the crowd towards them. "Excuse me Sir-yes thank you, much obliged-Perdon me..."

He was dressed rather elegantly, with a green tunic embroided with silver and gold threads, and his hair and beard were neatly brushed, with some small tresses here and there. Only the large woolen scarf and the huge mittens he was wearing were clashing with the ensemble. His face, kind and honest, made Innêg like him instantly.

"Excuse me, I am sorry-May I? Thanks!" Ori made his way in between two large men and finally reached the group. "Ah, hello guys! How are you?"

Fìli smiled broadly. "Fine, Ori. Just back from some business with some Orcs near Mirkwood. How are you doing?"

"Oh, I am good, thank you!" Ori said. "I was looking for Dori! We had come to Esgaroth yesterday to buy some wine. Well, Dori bought the wine, for I had to work!" Ori patted a bag that was pending from his side, that Innêg noticed on that moment. It looked very heavy, and the body of the Dwarf was pending slightly on one side to balance its weight.

From behind her, Innêg could hear Bofur whisper "Oh my, he has the journal with him! Think about something, quick!"

"The journal is going good," was telling Ori, unaware of the groans coming from the other Dwarves. "But there is a passage I am not sure about..."

"Ehm, I am sure you will get over it soon!" said quickly Fìli, as Kìli tried to hide behind Dwalin, who in turn was keeping Kìli firmly in front of him.

The Dwarves all loved Ori and where more than happy to keep him editing the journal he had written during their quest for Erebor, but Ori had become nearly obsessed with details, and had been pestering them with questions for the past six months, and there was only as much as a Dwarf could take.

"Yes, sure! But you see, I want to write the details, just as things happened!" undeterred, Ori took out a few pages from his bag.

"Hey, weren't you looking for Dori?" tried Kìli, glaring at Dwalin behind him, as Oìn, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur tiptoed away in the direction of the footbridge, muttering a few excuses at they left.

"Ah, yes, Dori!" Ori seemed to suddenly remember where he was, and put back his papers, making Fìli, Kìli and Dwalin sigh in relief. "I wonder were we could be!"

"Right were I told you I would be, Ori!" answered immediately a harsh voice. "You would have found me, if you only had did as I told you!"

Another Dwarf appeared from behind Ori. He had a purple velvet coat with a furry neckline, and white beard and hair, connected with small, intricate, braids. He had thick, white eyebrows, drew together in a scornful expression. "I told you to wait for me at the first dock!" he said angrily. "I though something had happened to you!"

Innêg guessed he might be the Dwarf called Dori that had just been mentioned. He looked somehow similar to Ori, but much older. And he had no woolen mittens.

In the meantime, Ori was protesting soundly his innocence. "But I did as you said! This where we are standing now is precisely the first dock!"

"Silly Dwarfling, the docks start from the opposite side of the harbour!" Dori groaned. "The one we are standing now is the last one!"

Ori opened his eyes wide open. "Really?"

"Really Really! " after Dori had scolded his brother, he finally turned to the other Dwarves. "So clever as he is, he keeps getting lost!" he sighed.

"I do not!"

"Sure the docks are busy today!" said Fìli, before Dori could start another tirade.

"And they will be more and more!" Dori looked around, studying the crowd moving back and forth in between the boats and the city. "More needs to be satisfied means more trades, and more trades mean more traders and ships, which means I will keep losing sight of my brother whenever we set foot out of Erebor!"

"It means more wealth, too!" mumbled Ori, trying to adjust his attitude - but it was very difficult with those large woolen mittens on, thought Innêg.

"Ha!" Dwalin spat on the ground. "And all thanks to Erebor!"

"Yes indeed!" Dori agreed. "And of course all of this is possible thanks to the ones that free our lands from Orcs!" he bowed. "I heard that the expedition was successful! I get no one has been endangered, and the Orcs have been slain!"

"Yes they have!" Kìli laughed. "And we got a prize!"

Ori and Dori both raised their eyebrows, suddenly noticing the young woman at Fìli's side.

"Actually, we saved her from the Orcs." explained Fìli - yes, for all of you who are asking, Fìli, and Innêg were still holding their hands.

Dori was the first one to awaken from his stupor. "Oh, my apologies, Miss!" He bowed deeply. "We have not introduced ourselves properly! My name is Dori, and this is my younger brother Ori!"

Ori bowed deeply, getting are red on the face, and muttering apologies of various sort - he was a very well-behaved Dwarf, and not having noticed the fine dame that was holding Fìli's hand was a cause of great embarrassment for him.

"And how would it be your name?" asked politely Dori.

Innêg's smile faltered for a second, and she turned to Fìli with a pleading look.

"Ah, Innêg is not speaking, for now." explained Fìli, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "But she will soon!"

"It was us who gave her the name Innêg!" Kìli said with a huge grin. "She is not from Esgaroth. We are weeping her!"

"We are not 'keeping her'!" huffed Dwalin. "We are taking her at Erebor, since she has nowhere else to go!"

"Taking her to Erebor?" cried Ori and Dori in unison. "So Thorin has allowed her to come into the city?"

Fìli opened his mouth, but found nothing to say. Damn! they had forgotten that no-one but Dwarves were allowed inside the City Under the Mountain!

Fìli exchanged a quick look with Kìli and Dwalin, but from their expression, they had totally forgot about it as well.

"Danm!" Dwalin cursed. "That's right! We can't arrive there with a woman and pretend that Thorin lets her in! He will be furious!"

"We could her to Mamal, ask uncle, and then come back!" Kìli looked around in the crowd. Maybe Mamal had stopped by, and was still on the docks?"

"Mamal is back to her shop, and we have not time to go there!" Dwalin glanced to the ship. The sailors were about to release the moorings, and from the parapet Bifur and Bofur were gesturing wildly at them. "The ship is leaving!"

"I could stay here!" Fìli proposal was met with a sneer from his brother, and a scowl from Dwalin. "Thorin would surely not like that!"

"Hey, why don't you leave her with us?" Dori took a step forward. "I have a few more errands to run here in Esgaroth, but Innêg can stay with Ori! We might take the boat right after lunch, and you can meet us at the Erebor's entrance by afternoon, so you will have time to tell Thorin about her."

Fìli, Kìli and Dwalin glanced at one another. It was a nice offer. Thorin would have not turned down a woman alone, most likely, but getting at the doors of Erebor with a human was not going to put the King in the best of moods. And you wanted the King to be in a good mood, usually.

"Sounds like a plan!" Fìli nodded to himself. He glanced at Innêg and he saw her nod to him with a smile. Yes, she understood they had to go first. Yes, they could meet later, and she was staying with these two kind small men in the meantime. She was much obliged they had offered to keep company to her. She wasn't getting why she couldn't go with the gentle, blond short man - the light bringer! - his brother and the tall one, but it was still ok.

"Ha! Then it's decided!" Dwalin patted with his huge hand Ori's shoulder, making him almost lose his balance. "Thank lads! Now let's go, or we will spent the life on this dock!"

"See you later, Innêg !" Kìli waved goodbye and rushed to the ship. "Ori might read you something of his journal, right Ori?"

Fìli was reluctant to leave Innêg, but Ori and Dori were the perfect Dwarves to leave her with. They were friends, and surely they were going to treat her well. "I will see you later, ok?" he waited Innêg to nod at him, to be sure she understood, and then run over the boat, jumping on it a second before it departed the dock.

Dori, Ori and Innêg waved at the Dwarves on the ship. Innêg had wished she could thank all those short men that were very kind to her - especially the light bringer! - but she was going to do it as soon as she was able to speak again. Because it was strange, that she felt so often the impulse to talk, like it was natural for her, and yet words were not coming to her mouth.

"Ah, Innêg is a very fine name, indeed!" Dori chuckled. "It is a name that brings good luck! They have chosen well for you, Miss! Now Ori," Dori turned to his brother. "I want you to go to the Old Mug Tavern and wait for me there! I will free myself for lunch, surely." he smiled once more at Innêg. "It's such a nice and quiet place Miss Innêg, you will love it! Now, I really must get going! Ori, don't get lost, and keep good company to Miss Innêg!" and by saying so, Dori disappeared into the crowd.

Still a little red in the face, for he was not very much acquainted with the gentle sex, Ori bowed once more and offered his arm to Innêg. Because offering the arm was a polite way to walk side by side with a woman, right?

"The Old Mug Tavern is just a couple of streets away!" he said, leading the way among Men and Dwarves moving like crazed ants on the dock, hoping not to get lost again. "I was planning to edit the journal, but if you wish, I can read some passages to you!"

In the fear of being boring and impolite, and considering that Fìli, Kìli and Dwalin had bestowed him with the mission of keeping company to the young lady with such nice golden hair and so polite and gentle smile, Ori had read Innêg passages of his journal since when they sat at the table of the Old Mug Tavern, until lunchtime.

Therefore, when Dori arrived for lunch, he found his younger brother glowing with joy.

"Innêg had listened to me so well, Dori! It has been a very pleasant morning, right Innêg?"

Strangely, Innêg looked of the same idea. Yes, she wished she could say to the elder short kind man with the withe braids that she had been glad to spend some hours with his younger brother. Yes, he had read her about some sort of adventure he had had a few months before - many of the small kind men she had met where mentioned as well, a creature called 'Bilbo' was appearing very often. And then there were Wargs and Orcs, but the Orcs always ended up defeated, which was very good in her opinion, because she didn't like Orcs at all.

The three of them ate a light lunch - grilled fish and goat meat with potatoes, peppers, onions and olives - and as soon as they finished, they run to the docks, and catch the boat that lead them to the Lonely Mountain.

It was a clear autumn afternoon. The sky was clear and blue, and a chill wind was running over the river.

Innêg was leaning over the edge of the water, marvelled at the sight of the river bubbling against the walls on the boat. The splashes of water reaching her cheeks seemed to amuse her incredibly, and she bursted out laughing every time the wind brought a few water drops to her face.

"So much enthusiasm for the river!" observed Ori - and with him, all the other passengers were looking at the girl with the golden hair giggling and clapping her hands every time the boat rolled. And truly, the river seemed more rough than usual, as if it wanted to please and entertain Innêg as much as it could.

"Have you seen, Dori?"

But Dori was sitting upright, silent, with his eyes closed, and his face was pale and sweated. "Seasickness." he whispered. "I'd better not to talk for now! Must have been the olives... Ugh!"

The river might please Innêg, but surely not him! And indeed must have been the olives, just as he had said, because Dori felt them moving upwards instead of downwards in his stomach. There was a very good reason why Dwarves spent their lives under the mountains, and not on floating death traps!

"Oh, but maybe if I read you something..."

Dori hadn't the heart - and the strength - to oppose Ori, and so it was with the details of their flight from the Goblins that they arrived finally at the docks at the feet of the Lonely Mountain.

When the docks came into sight, Dori sighed in relief. Finally that torture was about to end - the rolling of the water, and of the details!

"Look, I see Fìli and Kìli! Ah, there is also Dwalin!" Ori waved at the Dwarves on the land, and as soon as Innêg saw them too, she started to wave as well.

"Stop agitating your arms, you two!" pleaded Dori, "You are making me even more sick!"

But Dori's pleas went unheard, and Ori and Innêg kept waving enthusiastically until they were with their feet on the solid ground.

"Ha! You sure have a good deal of energy to wave like that!" Dwalin greeted Ori - patting his shoulder with a hand so hard that Ori lost his balance, sending his bag and papers all scattered on the ground. Innêg jolted in surprise and let out a small, mute gasp, however, it was a scene she had to get used to, it seemed.

"How was the trip?" asked Fìli

"Good! All good! We had lunch and the trip was just very nice!" breathed Ori, crawling around and collecting his papers again.

"We got good news." continued Fìli. "Thorin has allowed Innêg inside of Erebor! He's waiting for us, we gotta move!"

Dori made his appearance on that moment, slumbering on his feet. "All good! Lunch, yes... Mahal, those olives!"

Kìli raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so pale?" he whispered. "Did Ori read to you some passage of the journal regarding olives, right?"

Later at Erebor...

Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, was pacing up and down in front of his throne.

"So, this is the one your call Innêg?"

Fìli and Kìli exchanged a glance.

"Yes, she is." said Fìli. He only wished his voice sounded more secure, but it was not easy in front of the King's deep scowl.

The air was tense in the King's Hall. Some Dwarves were still running around, finishing to attend their last duties of the day, before preparing for dinner. When they passed close to the throne, they glanced quickly at the four figures standing in front of the King, lowered their heads respectfully and disappeared quickly in a nearby alley.

Usually there a large crowd of noble Dwarrowdams around the two princes, a whispering, strut and well dressed train that was, at the same time, pretending not to know why they were following Fìli and Kìli, and making everything possible to be noted by the two princes.

The noble females had been waiting for Fìli and Kìli to return for days, and if on that very moment they were not in sight, it was because they were busy dressing up for dinner.

Ori and Dori had gone to their chambers, and as promised, Fìli, Kìli and Dwalin had brought Innêg in front of Thorin.

Thorin had not been pleased to know that his nephews had planned to take a woman with no memory to Erebor. He didn't like the fact that she had been held captive by the Orcs, either.

He had too many questions, and too few answers for his liking.

First of all, who was this woman? What obscure power or secret was she carrying, so that the Orcs hadn't waited to killed her? Why was she so important to them to spare her life?

'What if someone had commanded the Orcs to capture her?'

Only dark powers could command the Orcs. Dark powers, or a personality such Azog had been.

Thorin shivered at the idea of another war against the Orcs. Another chief like Azog could have united the Orcs under him, and pushing on their desire of revenge against Erebor, transform the disoriented pack of Orcs and Wargs onto an organised and compact army.

The thought was a terrible one, and despite Thorin didn't want to take that option into consideration, he had to. 'We will have to prepare for worst.'

And the key of all his questions was standing right in front of him, and she couldn't speak nor remember.

Innêg had lost her smile on the moment her eyes had met the cold gaze of the King. Even if she had bowed respectfully to him, in her eyes Thorin had seen pride and defiance, that had reminded him of a wild beast, that is bending at the tamer only because it has no other choice.

And of course Fìli had told him about Innêg's cut ears.

"Mamal also saw then." he had added. "Bofur told me."

At Thorin hadn't really understood why such small thing was so important, but now the King could see why it had been so disturbing for Mamal, and for everyone else.

Thin and pale, with a mass of golden hair slightly messed by the wind outside, Innêg could be hardly taken for one of the Men. The more Thorin studied her - the thin lips, the slender neck, the line of the jaw, together with something in her attitude and poise, some awareness of superiority - the more he felt convinced she was not of the Men.

Men could be proud and bold as well, but not with that grace, not with that naturalness...

It was like some light was glowing from within her, an ancient and bright flame, that was putting her far away from the Mankind, and closer to the People of the Stars. 'And yet, she is clearly no Elf...'

Like everyone else, Thorin could easily recognise an Elf.

'And still...'

"Uncle?"

Fìli's voice interrupted his train of thought. Thorin's gaze, that hadn't left Innêg since when the girl had stepped in the Hall, went to his nephew. "Yes, Fìli?"

Fìli grimaced at the harshness of his uncle's voice, and had to bit his tongue, not to say something inappropriate.

True, Thorin seemed not to have liked that he came into the Hall holding Innêg's hand, but it's not like they did something wrong!

Thorin didn't wait for Fìli to talk again. "It has come to me that you have saved my nephew's life, and for this, I thank you. I might also consider your freedom from the Orcs and the hospitality you have received an equal service we did to you."

Thorin had spoken with such a bitter tone that Innêg felt she was being insulted rather than thanked.

However, it was true that the kind short men had set her free - actually she had freed herself from the wagon alone, but anyway, they had fed, and dressed her. She was very grateful, indeed.

Although Innêg could feel words pressing on her tongue, her lips were like glued together. She bowed slightly, and nothing else.

"As you might have guessed, humans are not allowed in Erebor." continued Thorin, ignoring Fìli's hard stare. "But given the extraordinariness of the situation, I will allow you to stay here one night."

"What? One night?" Fìli cried, stepping in between Thorin and Innêg. "Uncle, you can't! She doesn't even speak!"

Thorin clenched his jaw. "This is not of our concern, I am afraid."

"But-" "Fìli. This matters ends here."

The Dwarf prince stared mouth open at the King. After all that Dwarves have suffered, after they had been wandering like beggars for years, Thorin had the heart to tear a woman alone away?

"It's not like-" "One night, I said!" shouted Thorin. "One night and no more! That's an order!"

Fìli felt anger burn within him, but there was little he could do against an order of the King.

Kìli was surprised as well, why couldn't just keep her?

Innêg was not dangerous - ok, she seemed to have liked Ori reading the journal to her, but it wasn't that bad, right?

Fìli looked too angry to think properly, but a plan was laready taking form in Kìli head. A plan that would have allowed them to keep Innêg at Erebor!

I have received the first review for this story! Aye, thanks :) It is a pleasure for a writer to know what their readers liked the most. I guess FF gives a great opportunity to follow live the development of a story! Morgana is enjoying writing this story so much, and will update soon!