I'm sorry it took me so long! Life got in the way. I hope some of you are still out there, and I hope you enjoy this longer chapter to get back into things!

A few days later, Arinna had familiarised herself with Erebor's winding halls and stairways enough again to find her way down to Bofur's home. She was walking down the last set of stairs, greeting an older dwarf that passed her on the way, before she finally found herself in front of the toymaker's door. She let out a small breath and knocked, nervously brushing down her clothes as she waited for the door to open. Bofur had invited her for supper that night and it would mark the first time that she would meet his wife and children. Bofur had assured her that they couldn't wait to meet her, and though the druid was looking forward to meeting his family, as well, she couldn't help the nervous knot that had built in her stomach over the past few hours.

She jumped slightly when the door opened suddenly and with a loud clank of the lock, revealing Bofur standing on the other side of it. The dwarf gave her a bright smile.

"There you are!" He exclaimed happily, as he ushered her inside. "Perfect timing, Arinna. Here, let me take that."

The druid just smiled and muttered a small thanks as he took her thin cloak and hung it on a hook by the door. She felt his hand on her shoulder then, swiftly steering her further inside the house. The rooms were lit with several candle holders and a roaring fire in the fireplace, making the druid feel warm and comfortable straight away. There was a lot of stuff lying around, toys scattering the floor and various paraphernalia adorning the walls and shelves. Arinna couldn't help a small smile, as she looked around. This was what a home looked like, she thought, a bit messy perhaps, but warm and lived in.

"Oh, I swear to Mahal," she suddenly heard someone mutter and looked up to see a red-haired dwarrowdam standing in the doorway from the living room to the kitchen, a slightly dirty apron tied around her waist, as she put her hands firmly upon her hips, looking at the room before her, her gaze set on the floor. "I told these kids about five times that they should put away their things! Bofur! Do you see this mess? What kind of impression is that going to make on –"

Marla stopped sharply as she looked up to find her husband already in the company of their expected guest. Her mouth formed a small 'o', before she cleared her throat in slight embarrassment. She hadn't heard the knock on the door. Arinna smiled kindly at the redhead.

"My dear," Bofur exclaimed, his hand still on the druid's shoulder, which he now squeezed slightly. "May I introduce Arinna of Evendim?"

"Of course," Marla uttered, coming closer and giving the druid a small bow. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you. I've been telling Bofur to invite you ever since you arrived at the mountain. I am Marla, at your service."

"It is lovely meeting you, too," Arinna said with another smile. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home. And, rest assured, I do not mind a bit of mess in the slightest."

Now, it was the dwarrowdam who smiled brightly. "Ah, a woman after my own taste," she chuckled, stepping forward and putting one hand on the druid's arm to guide her along the scattered toys on the ground toward the large wooden table that stood on one side of the room. "It doesn't always look like this in here, though."

"It does, too," Bofur chimed up from behind them, earning himself a short glare over his wife's shoulder. Arinna chuckled quietly to herself as she took the seat that Marla offered her. The table was already set, a large pitcher of ale and one of water stood in the middle beside a small basket of fresh bread rolls that filled the druid's nose with a delicious smell. Arinna was about to say something when the door at the far end of the room flew open and she watched as two small dwarflings came running into the living room, the small girl screeching gleefully as she was chased by her brother in what seemed to be a game of tag.

The children ran across the room in a wild zigzag before they circled Bofur's legs, almost making him fall in the process, before he quickly snatched up his daughter and lifted her onto his hip, while she laughed in delight. Arinna couldn't help her smile as she watched the scene, Bofur using his free arm to wrap it around his son's shoulders and bringing him to a halt as well, as he turned their attention toward the druid.

"Children, this is Arinna of Evendim," he announced once again and Arinna gave the two dwarflings a little bow of her head, as their eyes widened and turned to her. "A very dear friend of mine. Arinna, this is my son Bilur and my little Thuri."

"Hello," Arinna said softly as they stared at her, not quite knowing what to do. None of the children said anything, though the boy's mouth had opened slightly while the girl just stared at her with wide eyes. "It's lovely to meet you both."

"Da," Thuri whispered, one of her small hands clawing at the collar of Bofur's tunic. Her father sent her a questioning look. "She's so pretty."

Bofur grinned while Arinna gave a warm smile to the girl, who looked at her shyly. "Isn't she?" the hatted dwarf agreed, still grinning as he moved toward the table and sat down on the chair beside Arinna, placing the little girl on his lap. "First I met her, I thought she was some sort of shrunken Elf."

"Really?" Thuri asked, still whispering as Bofur gave an enthusiastic nod. Arinna merely shook her head at him when he shot her another grin.

"But then Gandalf said that she's one of the druid's of Evendim," Bilur chimed up suddenly, looking from his father to the mentioned druid, who listened with raised eyebrows. "And that her skills go beyond those of any healer of the Blue Mountains, even Oin's! And true it was, too, for Da watched with his own eyes as she brought back Prince Kili from the brink of death in Laketown!"

While Marla rolled her eyes in loving exasperation at her son's enthusiastic retelling of events, Arinna merely chuckled. "You seem to know exactly what happened," she smiled and Bilur gave her a proud nod. "Almost as if you were there, though I don't think I could forget the face of such a handsome young dwarf, such as yourself."

Bilur grinned bashfully at her words, wiping his sleeve across his nose before he continued, his voice fast and excited. "It's my favourite story Da tells," he admitted. "I know everything about it. Is it true that you had a pony that you never tied up anywhere? And that you used your magic to fight the trolls and that you rescued King Fili from the river in Mirkwood and –"

"Bilur," his mother chastised him slightly, interrupting the dwarfling's flow of questions. "Calm yourself. Arinna is here to have dinner with us, not to be interrogated."

"Oh, it's quite alright," Arinna assured the redhead with a calm smile, nodding as Marla shot her a questioning look to make sure that the druid was truly fine with it. She brought her gaze back to the boy before her with a smile as she leaned toward him slightly. "I did try to save your father from being roasted by those trolls with a bit of magic, yes. And I did pull King Fili out of the river. And I actually still have that pony. His name is Lithen."

"Pretty name," Thuri chimed up shyly from where she still sat on her father's lap and the druid sent her a kind smile.

"Thank you," she answered softly. "It means 'dusty' in the druidic language."

Arinna's smile widened as the girl let out a small giggle, which is what she had intended to achieve by sharing this bit of information. It was a silly name for a pony her own father had once said with the same loving exasperation that Marla showed, when she had named him that. The druid smiled fondly at the memory.

"I was surprised to see Lithen with you," Bofur said then, and the druid looked back up at him as he spoke. He shook his head in wonder. "I thought that he was lost for sure after the incident with the trolls and the orcs. All the other ponies bolted that day. Where did you find him again?"

"Rivendell," Arinna answered, a wistful feeling filling her at the memory. "In fact, it was Bilbo, who found him. We were taking a few days' rest in Rivendell on our way back West. Bilbo went to check on the horses that first night to feed his pony an apple, as he did every night, and there he was. Lithen crossed into Imladris and was taken in by the Elves only a few days after we had left for the Misty Mountains."

Bofur shook his head in disbelief, before he let out a small chuckle. "And what a journey that was," he recalled with a sigh. "Do you remember the stone giants?"

"That's not something one easily forgets, Bofur," Arinna answered with a quiet laugh, before she cleared her throat. "I specifically remember you almost falling to your death because you wanted to get a better look at them."

"That does sound like him," Marla uttered from behind her husband, who made a small face at her words, which made Arinna laugh again.

"Aye," he said. "That's when I realised that we were not caught in a thunder storm at all, but in a – "

"THUNDER BATTLE!" Thuri and Bilur cried out at the same time, making the druid jump slightly, while their parents had known to expect it and were grinning knowingly. Bofur chuckled as his daughter jumped off his lap, following her brother's example as Bilur began to re-enact the thunder battle, taking up the role of one of the stone giants as he threw an imaginary boulder at her with a loud battle cry.

Arinna watched with a surprised but joyful smile as they played out their versions of the battle, while Marla slowly began to bring out the food for dinner. It was only a little while later when she called her children – and Bofur, who had joined in the thunder battle, as well – to the table to eat. During dinner, the druid happily obliged in retelling the story they had heard so many times from their father already, relaying her version of the journey and trying to make it sound as entertaining as possible for the children. They asked her many questions, which she all answered obligingly and with a smile. After a while, Thuri's initial shyness had vanished completely and she was sat on Arinna's lap for dessert while the druid told the story of how Bard had slain Smaug.

She went on to say how they had reunited with the company in the mountain, though she ended her story there and did not go on to talk about Thorin's descent into dragon sickness, or the dawn of the battle and what had happened then. Instead, she skipped ahead and told the curious children about her journey back with Bilbo and Gandalf, and how they had seen Beorn and the Elves again. Again, she left out most mention of herself, not really wanting to remember how she had felt at the time.

Once she had finished her entire story, the children were sent to bed – though they went unwillingly, still asking countless questions. Thuri especially had ended up fascinated with Lithen and his bond with the druid, and it wasn't until Arinna promised that she would take her to see the pony later that week that the little girl finally went to sleep.

Arinna stayed for another few hours, drinking and talking comfortably with Bofur and Marla, before she felt herself getting too tired to focus on their conversation. Marla hugged her goodbye when she excused herself for the night and Bofur insisted on taking her all the way back to her chambers, to which the druid agreed eventually, if only to finally get going and find her bed.

"Tonight was lovely," Arinna uttered softly as they reached the royal wing of the mountain, walking along the torchlit hallway together. "Thank you for inviting me, Bofur."

"Don't thank me," he replied with a shake of his head. "It was an honour to have you with us. I've told Marla about you many times over the years and you've seen how my children love you despite never having met you before. You were actually always Thuri's favourite part in the old stories. Might have made me jealous, if I didn't happen to like you so much."

Arinna chuckled quietly as they reached the door to her chambers. "She's a lovely little girl. They are both just amazing, Bofur."

"Thank you," the dwarf smiled proudly. "Though, I wanted to say, don't feel like you have to take Thuri to visit Lithen, I know my little ones can be a little demanding sometimes, so if you –"

"No, it will be my pleasure, Bofur," Arinna interrupted honestly, a soft smile playing on her lips, as she opened the door. She leaned forward and wrapped the dwarf in a hug, feeling him return it gladly. She was still smiling as she pulled back. "Truly. I'd love for her to meet him."

Bofur just nodded happily, before they said goodbye for the night. The hatted dwarf waited until she had closed the heavy door behind her, before he turned around and slowly began to make his way back home. A small smile was playing on his lips as he walked down the corridor, remembering how much the druid had laughed that evening. He couldn't even remember the last time he had seen her like that, knowing that it had been years since. There had been a time when she had smiled and laughed freely, something that had gone missing after the battle and that seemed to be missing from her even now. It made Bofur sad to think about how much joy she had been robbed of. Lost in thought, he turned the corner and suddenly collided with someone else, calling out in slight surprise.

"So sorry," he managed to say, before he looked up and was confronted with a familiar pair of blue eyes that were staring at him in equal surprise. Bofur gave the dwarf before him an apologetic smile. "Didn't see you there, Fili."

"No harm done," the blond dwarf answered with a nod, looking Bofur up and down for a second before he looked down the empty hallway. "You're out late. And in the royal wing, no less. You weren't looking for me, were you?"

"No, no," Bofur replied quickly, shaking his head as he returned the king's gaze. "I was just bringing Arinna back to her chambers."

He watched as Fili's expression changed into something unreadable for a second, before his eyebrows rose slightly and he gave a quick nod. "Ah," the younger dwarf uttered and Bofur continued when he realised that Fili wasn't going to say anything else.

"I had invited her for dinner with the family tonight," he explained, still watching the blond dwarf, as he gave another stiff nod. "They were keen to meet her after all the stories they've heard."

"Of course," Fili managed to say, clearing his throat slightly as he returned Bofur's gaze. "It was good of you to accompany her back. These halls can be confusing if you're not accustomed to them."

"I think she's accustomed well enough," Bofur said softly and Fili took in a small breath before he gave a final nod, signalling to the hatted dwarf that he did not wish to speak of the matter further. The matter being the druid, Bofur thought to himself.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your family then," Fili said as he took a step back and walked around Bofur, giving him a small smile that didn't quite reach his tired blue eyes. "Be sure to send them my regards."

Bofur gave the king a small nod. "I will," he answered but Fili was already walking away, and so the hatted dwarf directed his words at his back, before he turned and resumed his way back to his own home, his thoughts circling around the young king and the druid.

The small vials in the medicine cabinet made quiet chinking sounds as Oin rummaged through them, squinting to read the small lettering on each one. He almost knocked one of them over as he reached to the back of the shelf, cursing quietly to himself as he heard the patient behind him clear his throat. He didn't bother to turn around, continuing to look for the medicine he was looking for.

"How much longer is this going to take?"

Oin let out a small huff, still not turning around to the dwarf as he spoke. His name was Lothar, a young raven-haired dwarf that had been appointed to the royal guard only recently by Dwalin. Oin knew the boy's father and was aware of how hard he had trained to earn himself a spot in the king's guard, and how hard he still trained under Dwalin's command and supervision. However, he must have gone a bit too far in his endeavours today, for he had turned up in the healing chambers with a black eye and a bleeding gash over his eyebrow.

"Patience is a virtue," the old dwarf grumbled as he kept filing through his supplies, ignoring the sigh that came from Lothar. He had already treated the gash above his brow and was now looking for a tonic that would help keep the swelling of the eye to a minimum. The old dwarf looked up when he heard footsteps echo through the hall outside the door, standing close enough to the open doors to see none other than Arinna making her way past the healing chambers. Oin called out to her quickly.

"Oh, Arinna!" He exclaimed, just as she passed the doorway, succeeding in making her halt in her steps. Oin sent her a friendly smile as she sent him a surprised look, and waved her inside. "I could use your assistance."

"I'm in somewhat of a hurry, Oin," the druid replied, hesitating by the door. Oin waved her words away.

"Yes, you young people always are," he retorted with a sideways glance to the young guard. He motioned for the druid to come in once more, and she complied with a small sigh, shooting him a smile as she arrived by his side. He pointed at the dwarf sitting on the patient's bench, who merely gave her a small wave in greeting. "Lothar here, as you can see, has taken a bit of a beating in training. I'm trying to find the milfoil tonic to help with it, but my old eyes are failing me. Could you look for it?"

"Milfoil will be good to help with the swelling," she agreed softly, scanning the many shelves with her eyes, before she quickly realised that there was no milfoil tonic left in Oin's stock. She thought for a moment, before she reached for another vial, handing it to Oin with a small smile. "It seems you are all out of milfoil. Might I suggest angelica instead, to encourage the healing process?"

"Oh, angelica!" Oin exclaimed loudly, as he nodded at her. "Of course, good idea. That should take care of it."

He quickly turned and pressed the vial into Lothar's hands, shortly instructing him on how to use it, before he finally released the dwarf, who was keen to get back to his duties. He did not hesitate before he shot up and hurried out of the room. Arinna raised her eyebrows, while Oin only chuckled. He let his chuckle fade out as he looked at her, a small thoughtful frown coming to play on his face.

"You know, if I had you working with me, I could stop my search for an apprentice right here and now," he said with a slight tilt of his head, causing the druid to look at him in surprise. She shook her head.

"That's kind of you, Oin," she answered. "But I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of an occupation."

"You wouldn't be. There are three scholars that would be fit for the role and none of them are very keen on taking up my offer. I hear they say I'm somewhat grouchy."

Arinna couldn't help a small chuckle herself now. She shot the old dwarf a kind look. "I suppose you can be," she teased, which the healer took with a small grin. "But really, Oin, I don't think I could –"

"You are the best healer I know, dear," the old dwarf interrupted her, getting more convinced by his own idea by the minute. "Better than me by far, and I'm very good. At least consider partnering with me from time to time while you're here? Surely, that would not be too much to ask for an old friend?"

The druid let out a small sigh, sending the healer a pointed look as he smiled broadly at her. She could tell that he wouldn't take no for an answer, though she wasn't exactly willing to say yes, either. She didn't know how much longer she would be here, after all, and what use would it be to burden herself with this task? However, she couldn't deny that she missed the feeling of helping people, of doing something useful with her days.

"I'll think about it, how does that sound?"

"Like a fancy 'no'."

Arinna chuckled at the dwarf's words, shaking her head slightly as she put one hand on his shoulder. "I promise, I will think about it," she assured him. "But now, I really must leave you."

Oin just gave her an understanding nod, though he couldn't help his curiosity as she walked away. "Where are you off to, then?"

The druid turned around to him, now walking backwards out the door as she smiled. "I promised Bofur's little girl that she could meet Lithen," she answered. "And I would not like to keep her or her brother waiting."

Bilur and Thuri were already dressed to leave when the druid knocked at the family's door. They barely gave their mother a chance to say goodbye properly before they rushed out of the door and waited a few feet ahead for Arinna to follow, though the druid took the time to acknowledge the dwarrowdam properly.

"Are you sure you want to take them for the whole afternoon?" Marla asked for the third time since Arinna had made the offer a few days ago. The druid just smiled and nodded reassuringly, while the redhead let out a small sigh. "They can be quite the bunch of rascals, you know."

"I have battled trolls. I think I can handle these two," Arinna assured her with a small grin, which Marla returned, before she thanked her and they said their goodbyes, allowing the druid to catch up with the two dwarflings, who had already set out on the path toward the stables. Arinna took Thuri by the hand as they walked, while Bilur strutted a few steps ahead.

Once they reached the stables, Arinna walked ahead, finding Lithen munching peacefully on a bale of hay in his box. Lithen looked up when she came to a halt in front of his box and gave a friendly little snort when she opened the door, the two dwarflings now hiding behind her legs. She turned around to them with a smile.

"He's bigger than I thought," Bilur offered up, staring up at the dun-coloured steed with big eyes. Lithen made a curious step forward upon noticing the two children and Arinna reached out to stroke his head when he reached her.

"Aye, but he's the gentlest pony you'll ever meet," she answered with a soft smile and gave Bilur a small wink, before she nodded for him to grab Lithen's reins off the wall. She felt Thuri grab her free hand again, her other guiding Lithen out of the box by his neck. The steed followed calmly. "Let's take him out to enjoy the fresh air, shall we?"

The children just nodded their enthusiasm and followed after her as she led them out of the stables. They walked a good bit further, until they reached a large patch of luscious green grass, part of which was fenced for where some of the royal ponies were grazing. She patted Lithen's neck and the pony neighed quietly, shaking out his mane. The druid nodded for Bilur to hand over the reins, which he did promptly, watching along with his little sister as she put them on Lithen with expert hands.

"There," she said as she turned around to them with expectantly raised eyebrows. "Now, who wants to go first?"

The children just stared at her with wide eyes. "I thought we would just look at him," Bilur said with obvious trepidation in his voice. "You never said we were going to ride him."

"Oh, it's perfectly safe, Bilur," the druid answered with a reassuring smile, though the young dwarf still looked at her unsure. Instead, it was his little sister who took a determined step forward, her little mouth pressed into a fierce line as she gave a nod, trying to show the druid how courageous she was. Arinna suppressed a laugh and instead just smiled at the little girl. "Do you want to try it?"

"Yes," Thuri answered, shooting her big brother a small glance. "I'm no coward."

"I'm not a coward!" Bilur cried out immediately and Arinna also shook her head at the little girl.

"No, you're not," she said, watching as Thuri just slightly drew her mouth askew, before she took another few steps toward the pony. Arinna reached under the girl's arms and swiftly lifted her up onto Lithen's back. Arinna gently put the reins into Thuri's hands, though she kept one of her own on Lithen's halter, just in case. "There you go."

She walked a few steps then, Lithen following her lead in a calm trot as she circled the grass field once. She looked over at Bilur, who was watching from his spot with a slightly torn expression on his face.

"Do you want to try it?" the druid asked when they arrived back at his side, his sister now smiling with glee after having taken the pony for a spin. She smiled when the young boy finally nodded and she promptly helped him climb onto Lithen's back behind his sister, both of them now holding on to the reins as she kept leading the steed along. After a few more minutes, she let go of his halter and simply walked along beside them without doing anything, watching as they slowly steered him in the right direction together, laughing merrily and proudly.

"I feel like one of Thorin's company," Bilur said and his sister nodded her agreement. Arinna looked at him with a curious smile. He grinned. "Like Bilbo the Burglar, as he rides back to the Shire after having defeated Smaug the Terrible!"

Arinna's laugh rang out over the field and she shook her head slightly as she smiled at the two dwarflings. She was still watching them slowly lead Lithen along, and so didn't notice that they were no longer alone.

Fili had come down to the stables to take his own pony out for a ride, having managed to get out of the rest of his meetings for the day and in dire need of a ride to clear his head. Though, he had stopped short in his tracks, when he had seen the little group making their rounds on the grassy field. They hadn't noticed him as he was standing there, and he realised suddenly that it was Lithen that the druid was letting the two children ride on. He frowned in surprise, remembering very well the day that they had lost him and the other ponies in the woods after the incident with the trolls. He couldn't bring himself to move from his spot, as he heard her laugh out loud at what Bofur's son had said. He was standing close enough to hear them, their voices the only sound that rang out over the otherwise quiet field.

"Oh well," he heard Arinna say, an audible smile in her voice. "But if you truly were Bilbo the Burglar, then you would have to learn his favourite song, too."

"His favourite song?" Thuri asked with curious, wide eyes and the druid nodded quickly.

"Indeed," she said and Fili listened, still unnoticed, as she explained herself in a cheerful tone to the children. "On the way back to the Shire, Bilbo wrote his own song. And a beautiful one at that, his talents are not restricted to burglaries alone, you must know. It has cheered me up many a time over the years."

Bilur and Thuri both stared at her curiously, obviously waiting for her to elaborate on it but the druid merely smiled, Fili's vision of her was shortly obscured by Lithen as they turned another round.

"Well, how does it go?" Bilur finally asked, when he could no longer take her teasing silence. "You must sing it to us!"

"Yes, please sing it!" Thuri agreed and Arinna inclined her head, still smiling.

"Oh, I don't know if I could do it justice," she muttered. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

The dwarflings nodded enthusiastically, calling out loudly that they did. And while Fili watched them, he couldn't help but think that he also would have liked to hear it. Though before he could finish the thought, the first words of Bilbo's song echoed over the plain.

"Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon."

Fili couldn't remember ever having heard Arinna sing before. On their journey to the mountain, there had been some rare nights when Bofur had begun singing one of the many songs in his repertoire, his brother and cousin always quick to accompany him. He remembered that she had used to sway along to their tunes, a silent smile playing on her lips as she had listened. But he had never heard her sing herself. It brought a strange feeling to his heart now, seeing her behave so cheerful and light-hearted with these kids. It was a glimpse of the woman he remembered, and it tore at his heart.

"Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known."

The words of Bilbo's song made Fili's gaze fall to the ground by his feet, thinking how much the hobbit must have longed to go home to write such a beautiful tune and how much it must have meant to Arinna for her to remember the words so clearly after all these years. As she ended, he heard Thuri utter how beautiful her song had been and he couldn't help but agree. He looked up just in time to see the druid give the children a mischievous smile.

"Ot raue, Lithen," he heard her say, giving the pony's neck a small pat and watching as the steed suddenly increased his speed. The children cried out laughing as Lithen fell into a faster trot, holding on to his neck as he made a whole round without Arinna, who just watched them go around with a smile. She was turning on the spot as she watched them, when her gaze suddenly fell on him, where he was still standing a little distance away.

Fili stiffened and felt his breath hitch slightly in his throat as she met his gaze, feeling as though he had intruded on something he wasn't supposed to. He should have made himself known, he thought, or even better, he should have just gotten his pony from the stables and left them to their own devices. He was about to do just that when Lithen finished his round, coming to a halt again next to the druid, and the children spotted him as well.

"King Fili!" Bilur cried out, always happy to see the king, who usually had some nice words to spare for them. The young boy was always proud when Fili would mention in passing that he had seen him carving wood with as much talent as his father, or that he thought that Bilur would make a great swordsman one day. "Did you see me ride?"

"Us!" Thuri interjected in a miffed tone, giving her brother an annoyed look.

Fili cleared his throat slightly, taking a few steps toward the group, though he much rather would have turned around and left. But he couldn't bring himself to leave Bofur's children without even so much a word of goodbye, now that they knew he was there. He came to a halt next to the tall pony, looking at Lithen for a long moment before he turned his gaze to the two dwarflings on his back.

"I did see. You did very well," he said finally, giving Thuri a kind smile. "You both did."

"And did you hear Bilbo's song?" Thuri asked him cheerfully. "Da could never tell us anything about the burglar's return journey."

Fili took a small breath, nodding his head, as he glanced from the little girl to the grown woman standing beside him, her hand stroking gently over Lithen's head as she returned his gaze hesitantly.

"Aye, I heard," he said, his voice low. "It… you sang beautifully."

"Thank you," Arinna muttered in return, inclining her head for a moment, before she looked up as he spoke again.

"I never knew Bilbo had that kind of talent."

He watched as the corner of her mouth lifted into a half smile. "Well, he always was full of surprises," she said softly and Fili couldn't help his own mouth twitching into a small smile as he nodded his head. Indeed, the hobbit had always been rather easy to underestimate.

They stood facing each other, neither of them quite knowing what to say as they stared at each other. Lithen snorted quietly, ripping them both out of their thoughts. Arinna inclined her head again, before she looked up toward the two dwarflings, who were just watching the strange exchange in slight confusion. She brought her gaze back to Fili, who had released a deep breath in the meantime.

"I should get these two back to their parents," she finally said. "It's getting rather late."

Fili gave her a quick nod. "Indeed," he said, looking for something to answer. "I shall accompany you back."

Arinna blinked at him in surprise, though that did not compare to the shock Fili himself felt at what had just slipped from his mouth. He had not intended to say anything of the sort, hadn't even realised that he had been thinking it. His mouth dropped open slightly, though he was at a loss for anything else to say. He could hardly take back his words now, especially as Bilur and Thuri were already smiling excitedly. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly, while Arinna just gave him a small nod.

Fili helped Bilur and Thuri off the pony's back and waited with them by the stable's entrance, while Arinna brought Lithen back to his box. He saw her talking quietly to him, before she gave his neck a last loving pat and walked back toward them. She gave him a small look as she arrived at their side, nodding for them to go ahead. Fili noticed that Thuri was quick to grab the druid's hand, while they slowly walked to the mountain's main gate, up the steps and down the path that led to Bofur's place. The two children talked animatedly the whole way, while neither Fili or Arinna had much to say.

"Arinna told us the story of how she dragged you out of the river in Mirkwood," Bilur was saying at the moment, causing Fili's eyebrows to rise slightly as he listened. "I almost couldn't believe you fell in at all, even though Da tells it the same way."

"It must have been so scary," Thuri added with a wide-eyed nod and Fili couldn't help a small smile at her expression. He cleared his throat slightly, looking over at Arinna for a moment, though she was staring at the scarcely populated hallway in front of them.

"Aye, well, I did fall in," he answered Bilur, before he glanced down at the little girl that was still walking along with the druid's hand in hers. "And you're right, Thuri, it was rather scary. I was lucky that Arinna was there."

"I thought kings didn't get scared," Bilur muttered, although more to himself than to Fili. But the blond dwarf answered nonetheless.

"Everybody gets scared," he said calmly, not noticing that Arinna was now looking over at him. "It does not matter who you are. It's how you handle your fear that matters."

Bilur made a thoughtful face, nodding slightly, and Arinna couldn't help but smile at the obvious importance Fili's words had to the young boy. It was clear that Bilur looked up to him and Arinna wondered how often the dwarfling got to see his king like this. She somehow doubted that it was a common occurrence for Fili to walk these children home.

They reached Bofur's home not long after that, and Arinna gave the door a quick knock, standing back as it opened only a few seconds later. Bofur looked at her with a bright smile, stepping out of the way slightly as his children rushed past him into the house, calling out their excited goodbyes to Arinna and – Fili, Bofur realised with surprise. Arinna cleared her throat quietly at the open-mouthed face he inadvertently made, and Bofur quickly caught himself, giving Fili a friendly smile and a nod.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said, exchanging another small look with Arinna, who tried to keep her face entirely neutral. "Do you want to come in?"

"Oh, no –" They both started at the same time, causing Bofur's eyebrows to rise in slight amusement, as they both fell silent at the same time as well, exchanging a small look. Fili cleared his throat.

"I really should get going," he said stiffly. "Thank you, though. Perhaps another time."

Arinna just gave a small nod, signalling that she couldn't stay either. Bofur accepted their words with a smile and a shrug. He thanked Arinna once more for taking care of Bilur and Thuri, before eventually, Fili and Arinna found themselves standing outside his door by themselves.

They looked at each other for a moment, an awkward silence stretching out between them, before Fili motioned for her to go ahead, knowing that they would be going in the same direction anyway. He could hardly go back to the stables at this point and so simply resigned himself to walking back to the royal wing with her, though the thought of being alone with her made him feel slightly uncomfortable. He felt awkward, not knowing what to say or how to behave, as they walked silently beside each other. It was as though she was a stranger, someone that he had once known so well, and whose every thought now seemed a mystery to him.

"How have you been settling in?" he asked politely after a few more minutes of silence, bringing his hands together behind his back as he shot her a short glance. She looked up at him, not having expected him to try and make conversation.

"Quite well," she answered softly, clearing her throat when Fili's blue eyes came to rest on her again. She wrung her hands slightly in front of her body as she walked. "I… Oin has asked me to assist him."

Fili's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh, has he? He's been looking for an apprentice."

"I know," the druid said, earning herself another surprised look. She shrugged slightly. "Bofur mentioned it some time ago."

The young king nodded slowly, bringing his gaze forward again. Even though it was only early evening, there weren't many people out other than them. He let a small silence settle in between them, before he spoke again.

"And are you planning to take him up on his offer?" he asked, as they rounded the corner into the royal wing, going up a set of stairs.

Arinna let out a small breath, before she answered slowly. "I'm not sure," she said. "I told him I'd think about it."

Fili just gave a hum in reply, his face growing thoughtful. The druid looked at him for a moment, unable to read his expression.

"You don't think it is a good idea," she concluded, her words more of a statement than a question. He slowly turned his gaze toward her, and seemed to hesitate, a small frown creating a line between his eyebrows. It made him look rather stern.

"I merely think it would make more sense for Oin to find a more permanent solution," he answered slowly. "I assume you'll only be staying with us for a short while longer?"

Arinna inclined her head, not entirely surprised by his words, though they still stung. She had known he might not want her here before she had even decided to come, and his behaviour ever since her arrival had suggested nothing to the contrary. Clearing her throat, she looked back up at him with an understanding look in her eyes, which Fili failed to notice.

"You don't think I should stay," she muttered, giving him a nod as he looked at her, watching as he took a small breath, before he brushed one hand across his chest, his hand lingering for a short moment on a spot just beneath his collarbone.

He shook his head, dropping his hand. "I'm merely stating the obvious," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he kept walking, while Arinna's steps faltered slightly upon his next words. "You never did stay in one place for long."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked him, coming to a halt as he walked a few steps further ahead. He stopped as well, noticing that she wasn't following anymore, and turned around to her with a slight shrug. His face was closed off now, his expression stern and distant as he looked at her.

"Nothing. Just that you left Erebor only weeks after it was reclaimed – days, in fact, the first time you left with Bilbo. And from what I gather you left the Hills of Evendim shortly upon your return as well, so…"

"So?" Arinna asked when he trailed off, taken aback by his words. She was looking at him with barely concealed hurt and surprise. She hadn't expected him to bring up the topic of her leaving Erebor – never mind making it out to seem as though she had left on some kind of whim.

"So, we both know you are not here to become Oin's apprentice. You were promised something upon the start of Thorin's quest and you shall have it."

The druid could only stare at Fili in utter confusion now, unable to make any sense of his implications, though he didn't give her much time to think about his words as he continued swiftly.

"You signed a contract and you were promised one fifteenth of the treasure," he said stiffly. "And you never received it. That's why you are here, is it not? My uncle was a man of his word, and so am I. So, you shall receive your dues."

Her mouth dropped open slightly, and she felt sudden anger rise within her as she stared at him, not knowing how to respond. She had expected him to say many things, but this was not one of them. She shook her head at him in disbelief.

"You cannot be serious," she breathed finally, trying to keep her voice calm as he gave her a slight shrug. His cool demeanour sent a sharp sting through her heart and it sparked her anger further. "Do you not know me at all?"

Upon her question, Fili's face turned into a frown, and he seemed to hesitate for a moment as his features constricted slightly, before he regained control over himself. He answered her quietly, his voice carrying a dark, solemn tone. "No, I don't believe I do. Certainly, a reasonable person would –"

"A reasonable person?" the druid interrupted him, her voice rising at his dismissive tone and suggestion. She strained to keep her volume under control. "You know I never cared for such things. You know I did not follow the Company for the promise of gold. I do not need any riches from you, nor do I want them. I did not come here to collect on a pile of gold."

"It's rightfully yours, I'm merely –"

"I do not want your bloody treasure, Fili!"

The blond dwarf snapped his mouth shut as she shouted the words at him, which surprised him and herself alike. Arinna cleared her throat, trying to calm herself. What was the use of shouting at him in the middle of an empty corridor? He didn't seem to be able to imagine any other reason for her to return than to collect her share of the treasure. And what was she supposed to say? He had just made his opinions abundantly clear. Yet, that didn't help to still the anger bubbling inside her at the thought that after all the things they had lived through together, he seemed to know her so little.

"Yes, I left Evendim after I returned there, but my reasons for that were my own and no concern of yours, and it is certainly not something that I will allow you to hold against me. You were not there and do not know what drove me," she uttered lowly, straining to keep her voice from faltering. She felt the anger in her slowly give way to a much more painful feeling, as she continued. "But you were there when I left the mountain. You know what drove me then. Do not presume that either time I left with a free heart or without a care for those I left behind."

"Could have fooled me," Fili answered in a quiet rumble, his voice echoing off the stone around them. His words seemed to knock all the fighting spirit out of her at once, and she faltered, inclining her head. The blond dwarf cursed himself inwardly. He didn't really mean that at all, knowing that she was right. He knew exactly why she had left; it was him that had driven her away.

He opened his mouth to speak again, not actually knowing what to say, when the druid shook her head at him, the anger back in her eyes. Her shoulder brushed against his as she stormed past him, leaving him to turn and stare after her as she swiftly made her way to her chambers and disappeared within them without another word or look in his direction, the door slamming shut with a heavy thud.