And on we go! Thank you so much to all of you who commented on the last chapter. I'm very happy to see you guys are still enjoying the story, let me know what you make of this one!

It had been a few days since her fight with Fili and even though Arinna was still angry at him, she had spent the past days trying to push him from her thoughts. She had taken Oin up on his offer after all, having come to the healing chambers every day for a few hours to help him with his patients, to prepare tonics and ointments, and she had often volunteered to ride out and gather the herbs he needed for his practice.

She enjoyed the work, and through this new task, she also got to meet many different people, as many of the mountain's folk came to the old healer for different ailments. She had even met Lothar again, the young guard, who had come back with another scrape on his face, which he had acquired during battle practice.

Today, however, she had the whole day to herself and was planning to ride out further to the East than she did when gathering herbs. Arinna had decided that it was finally time to go and see the place where her parents had once lived. Though she knew that the old druidic village East of Dale had been destroyed long ago, having seen its ruins from afar with her own eyes when they had first travelled through Dale long ago, she had always regretted not being able to visit the site.

Lithen snuffled quietly as she saddled him, giving her a slight nudge with his snout as though he knew that this day was going to be special. Arinna smiled as she led him out of the stables, being greeted with the light of the rising sun. She mounted her pony swiftly, nudging him into a trot. It would take her a few hours to reach the village and another few to get back in the evening. She would have to make sure not to be too late, as Bofur and Marla had invited her for supper that evening and she had promised the children that she would tell them one of her stories before they went to bed. She smiled at the thought of spending the evening with them as she rode out, feeling the morning sun warm her skin.

Arinna only took a short break on her trip after a few hours, settling by the edge of the River Running, close to Dale. She let Lithen drink from the river to regain some energy and then watched for a while as he grazed, while she ate part of the small picnic she had packed. A beautiful calm lay over the land and Arinna leaned back against the tree she had sought shade under, letting out a small sigh.

She couldn't deny that it had been good to come back to Erebor, to see her friends again and to reconnect and spend time with them. She had felt more joy in the past few days than in the eight previous years, she thought with another sigh, letting her head drop against the bark behind her. She looked up at the blue sky, lost in thought. It had been good to come back, yes, but perhaps it was now time to leave. After her fight with Fili, she knew exactly where she stood. And indeed, this was the reason why she had decided to visit her ancestors' village. Perhaps, once she had filled this last hole in her past, she could move on with her life and leave Erebor behind. Leave Fili –

Arinna felt a sharp sting in her heart at the thought of leaving Fili once more. She knew he did not feel the same way, but seeing him again had only reminded her of how much she had missed him all these years. How much she had longed to see him, to be near him. Even Senias had realised it from the moment she had first told him about Fili, the druid thought to herself with a slight huff. Even after all these years, he still held her heart firmly in his hands, and there was nothing she could do about it. But even so, the connection they had once shared lay in ruins. Perhaps it was simply time to realise that it was too late to resurrect it. They were neither lovers, nor true friends. Arinna wasn't sure exactly what they were at this point, if anything at all. They might as well have been strangers, so little did they understand each other.

She was ripped out of her thoughts, when Lithen neighed loudly and she looked up sharply, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any danger. But she found only the calm of the midday sun and looked over at the pony with a slight frown, seeing him dig his hooves into the ground nervously. Arinna got up with a small groan, quickly packing up her things as she walked over to him and grabbed him by the reins. Lithen calmed down immediately, though he still let out a small snort. The druid scanned her surroundings once more, still finding the place covered in a peaceful quiet. She shook her head slightly, before she mounted Lithen again, nudging him into motion once more.

Her path led her past the city walls of Dale and further East and it wasn't much longer before she reached her destination. Arinna marvelled at the plains of green grass that surrounded her as she rode toward the old ruins of the druidic village, remembering how only eight years ago this land had been nothing but earth and dust, grey stone the only thing breaking up the bleak landscape. It filled her with hope and joy to see the land and nature around the mountain recovering like this.

"Halt," she muttered as she reached two stone pillars that no doubt had once marked the entrance to the village. Lithen stopped in front of them and Arinna stared ahead, her eyes wandering over her surroundings before she dismounted. "Come on, boy."

She took Lithen by his reins and led him slowly past the two broken pillars into what remained of her ancestors' village. It wasn't much. The houses had been made of grey stone, some of the ruins still standing, and Arinna could see the remnants of old tables and chairs and other household things as she walked along the ruins. Though her heart filled with a certain sadness, there was also something else rising within her. It was a strange feeling to decipher, a mingling of sorrow and peace. Even though there were only ruins left, Arinna was glad that she had come, that she was finally here. She felt a certain connection to the place, letting her fingers run along charred stone as she let go of Lithen's reins. The pony patiently followed after her anyway. Somehow, she felt as though there was still magic to be found here, embedded into the very fabric of the earth, and she bent down on one knee, letting her palm sink onto the ground that had been warmed by the sunlight.

"Ren vul," the druid murmured softly, drawing away her hand and watching with a smile as a small flower grew from the place she had touched. She heard Lithen neigh behind her again, looking back at him over her shoulder in slight confusion. He wasn't usually one to get spooked so easily. Arinna got back to her feet slowly, walking over to him.

"What is it, boy?" she asked, though before she could reach him, something else drew her attention. She took a few slow steps toward the caved in wall of a destroyed house, staring at the abandoned fireplace that had been set up on the other side of the wall. Arinna's gaze was glued to the fresh ash that was gathered in it. It could not have been older than a few hours. She looked up sharply when Lithen neighed once more, this time in obvious agitation, but it was already too late. The druid felt the knife press against her skin as someone brought it up to her throat from behind.

She had not noticed the person sneaking up on her and held up her hands in surrender as she felt the blade press against her neck. "Please," she muttered as calmly as she could, trying to look around at her attacker. "I do not want any trouble."

"Then why are you sneakin' around out here?" the man behind her hissed into her ear, grabbing her arm roughly and turning her around. Arinna let out a breathless sound as he pushed her into the remaining part of the wall behind her, looking up to meet the eyes of a tall man, whose black, greasy hair stuck to his forehead, obscuring part of his dark gaze. Her gaze wandered past him, seeing that he was not alone. Several more men had suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, though perhaps she had simply been too occupied with her own thoughts to notice the warning signs. One of them had grabbed Lithen by the reins, trying to keep the frightened pony steady, as it pulled and bucked against his hold.

"Speak!" the man before her growled, when she said nothing, pushing his knife further toward her again, causing the druid to raise her hands once more. Her sword was sheathed on Lithen's saddle, entirely out of reach, the only weapon she carried being the small blade she always kept in her boot. Arinna cursed herself for letting her guard down like this. These bandits seemed to have set up camp in the ruined village, and Arinna had walked right into their midst.

"I'm just passing through," she uttered finally, trying to give the man before her an appeasing look. "I didn't know you were here. Please, just let me go."

The man drew his eyebrows together with a small huff. "Let you go?" he repeated, pretending to sound thoughtful. "Well, that's always an option. What do you think, lads?"

"I think we should see what the girl is carrying with her, Joris!" One of his men called out with a dark laugh, causing the man before her, apparently the leader of the group, to grin broadly, revealing a yellow row of teeth.

"Aye," he drawled, stepping closer and brushing his blade against the collar of her tunic. "Who knows what kind of treasure you are hiding under there?"

His grin widened when Arinna smacked the blade away from her collar with the back of her hand, giving him an angry look. "Let me go about my way."

"Ah," Joris smiled grimly, studying her face. He had a gruff voice, deep and dark, its lurking sound sending an uncomfortable shiver down the druid's spine. She was hopelessly outnumbered. "But, the thing is, you see… You are in no position to make demands, love."

As the men around her laughed, Arinna felt her stomach tighten fearfully. She could have tried to use her magic against them, but she had no doubt that Joris would cut her throat, before she could finish uttering a spell. The druid glanced over at Lithen, who was still struggling against one of the bandits' hold. Inclining her head, the druid resigned herself to the stupid thing she was about to do.

She inwardly braced herself before she rushed forward with all her might, managing to catch Joris by surprise, as she slammed her knee up into his groin. He keeled over with a cry, dropping his knife as he bent inwards in pain, and she rushed past him as quickly as she could, calling out to Lithen as she ran. She could tell that the others took after her immediately, but she could also hear her pony neighing loudly and a moment later there was an outcry and the sound of hooves coming up behind her. She kept running as fast as her feet would carry her, as she looked over her shoulder to see her loyal steed approaching after he had knocked down the man who had been holding him.

The druid barely managed to grab hold of his saddle as he reached her, crying out as she pulled herself up on top of it with all her might as she called for Lithen to keep going. She looked back over her shoulder as they galloped past the two pillars that marked the entrance, digging her heels into the pony's sides.

"Ot raue, Lithen!" She called, feeling her heart beat rapidly in her chest. "Ot raue! Go fast, Lithen!"

She felt him increase his speed further, the old pony going as fast as he could, as she heard the men cry and call out behind her, their voices filled with rage. It was then that she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, though she did not stop to think about it. She kept Lithen going until the voices grew faint behind her, and she looked over her shoulder to make sure that they had lost them.

She had reached the small forest where she had taken her break earlier that day, when the pain in her shoulder became too much to bear. Her breath was coming in shallow bursts by now and she felt hot, sweat running down her forehead as she rode. She had slumped over in the saddle by now, the reins only held loosely in her hands as she tried to keep her balance while leaning over Lithen's neck. She heard the pony snort with the effort of galloping beneath her and she closed her eyes for a second, trying to focus her blurry vision. Arinna tried to get a firmer grip on the reins again but failed, and as her eyes fluttered open again, she felt the whole world tilt as she fell from the saddle.

She cried out as her body hit the ground and she could barely breathe past the pain that throbbed from her left shoulder down her whole back now. She blinked against the light, seeing that Lithen was quickly moving back toward her after he had noticed her missing from his back. Her left hand reached up and behind her, to the spot where the pain was originating from, and her fingertips brushed against the hilt of a knife that was embedded deeply in her left shoulder. She gritted her teeth, realising that the leader, Joris must have aimed it for her once he realised, they could not follow her on foot. Arinna was breathing heavily, her fingers uselessly brushing against the wound before her hand fell away from it, her fingertips stained with blood. She couldn't pull it out by herself, couldn't even bring herself into an upright position.

Lithen came up beside her, reaching down his head to nudge her worriedly. The druid reached her hand up to brush against his snout, her fingers leaving bloody marks on his light fur. She tried to pull herself up, getting halfway into a sitting position, but the pain was too much and she was exhausted. She would not be able to climb Lithen's back, never mind ride back to Erebor like this, she realised, feeling dread rise within her. Lithen neighed quietly as she gave him a small push.

"Go! Utu r'su… Find… someone," she whispered, clenching her teeth against the pain she felt. She reiterated her words once more and gave the pony another small push, making him take a few steps backwards. Lithen neighed again, before he hesitantly began to trot away and then broke into a gallop again. Arinna watched him go, feeling the dread in her stomach turn to fear. She looked back the way she had come, not seeing anyone on the horizon. However, she couldn't be sure that these men weren't still out looking for her.

Slowly, she pulled herself forward on her hands and knees, slowly inching her way further into the cover of the trees. She groaned quietly, as her strength left her, and she finally let herself slump against the trunk of a large tree, trying to even out her breathing. She just had to stay awake long enough for someone to find her, she thought to herself, as her eyes were already fluttering closed.

"I will not renegotiate with Bard," Fili was saying patiently, looking Lord Thrakur in the eyes as he relayed his decision. The matter of the trade contracts with Dale had come up in council once more that evening, and while they had discussed it at length, Fili was now keen to end the topic and the session and go eat some supper in peace. "These treaties have proven beneficial to both our cities over the past years and there is nothing to gain from renegotiation other than a bit of coin each year and potential bad blood between Dale and Erebor. I would not risk that for the little we would save."

"I understand," Thrakur said, inclining his head. "That is your final decision, your Majesty?"

"It is, indeed," Fili rumbled, leaning back in his chair. "Now, I will hear nothing more on the matter. We have gone on long enough –"

The king looked up in surprise when there was a sharp knock at the door and it opened without him calling for the person to come in, making him frown in disapproval. That was, until he saw Bofur rushing into the room, followed by a young guard who shot him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty," young Lothar said sheepishly. "He wouldn't wait."

"Quite alright, Lothar," Fili answered, still frowning as he looked over at Bofur, who was standing in their midst, breathing heavily. "What are you doing? You can't just storm in here unannounced, Bofur, we are in council."

Bofur gave a quick nod, still trying to catch his breath. "I know, I'm sorry," he said in between breaths, causing Fili's frown to deepen. Had he run all the way here? Bofur looked up at him with wide eyes. "But this is urgent. I need to talk to you – and Dwalin."

"About what?" The mentioned dwarf asked, looking at his friend in confusion from where he sat at Fili's side. But before Bofur could answer, Fili had risen from his seat, addressing the rest of the council members.

"Please, don't let us keep you," he said with a small wave of his hand. "I was about to end today's session anyway, you are dismissed."

Bofur watched and waited impatiently as the old dwarves all rose from their seats slowly, filing out of the room one by one. The door had barely fallen shut behind the last one of the council members, before the words tumbled from Bofur's mouth.

"I need you to organise a search party," he said, his tone pressing, as Fili shot him a bewildered look. "Right away!"

"A search party? What on earth for?"

"Arinna!" Bofur explained urgently, taking a few steps forward to the edge of the large table. He was looking at Fili intently, before he looked at Dwalin and Balin, who had stayed behind as well. "She was supposed to have dinner with the family tonight, but she never came."

Balin frowned. "Well, perhaps she simply forgot?"

"That's what I thought, and I went to collect her. I have checked her chambers," the hatted dwarf answered quickly, shaking his head. "She's not there. No one has seen her. She rode out this morning and never came back!"

Fili frowned at his old friend, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm sure there's a simple explanation. Perhaps she just… left?" he offered, earning himself a disbelieving look from the dwarves around him.

"She did not just –" Bofur started angrily, though he was promptly interrupted by Dwalin.

"I don't think the lass would leave without a goodbye, Fili," he said earnestly, giving the young king a small look. Balin nodded his agreement.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Fili muttered, and was about to continue when he was interrupted by an angry Bofur, who shot all of them an annoyed look. This was taking much too long.

"She did not leave," he said, clearly and slowly. "And I can tell you that for certain, because all of her things are still here. And I know that she did not ride off into the sunset with Lithen, because Lithen came back."

Now Fili looked at the hatted dwarf in surprise. "Lithen came back?"

"Yes," Bofur emphasised. "I found him wandering outside the main gate, all by himself and riled with panic. Lithen came back without her. We all know the bond she shares with that pony. He would not abandon her freely, or she him. Something must have happened."

Bofur held Fili's stern gaze for a few moments, unable to tell what was going on behind the king's pale blue eyes. Fili was brushing his hand against his chest, pressing his jaw together as he thought. Then, he finally turned to Dwalin.

"There's no need to gather a whole party," he said seriously, while the bald dwarf only nodded. "You and I will ride out, see if we can find her. It's probably nothing."

Dwalin didn't reply but got up straight away, following as Fili made his way to the door. The bald dwarf put a hand on Bofur's shoulder as he walked past him, giving the hatted dwarf a small nod.

"We'll find her," he said quietly, before another voice suddenly chimed up and they all looked up to find the young guard that had brought Bofur still standing by the door, standing up straight as their gazes fell on him.

"I'd like to volunteer for the search," he said earnestly, earning himself a surprised look from Fili and an approving one from Dwalin. Lothar looked up at his captain with determination. "If you're going out to look for the druid, then I would like to accompany you. She has helped me several times with my injuries, I'd like to return that favour and make sure that she is safe."

Dwalin gave a short nod. "Very well," he answered simply, motioning for the young dwarf to follow as he walked down the hallway behind Fili, who was making his way to the main gate quickly and single-mindedly. Balin and Bofur were following after the other three, swiftly making their way out the gate and down to the stables, where Bofur had tied up Lithen for the time being.

The pony neighed as he saw them coming closer and while Dwalin and Lothar went to ready the royal ponies for the search, Fili slowly stepped up to the steed. He held out his hand in a calming manner, watching as Lithen bucked and neighed again before the dwarf caught him by the halter and managed to calm the animal slightly.

"Shh," Fili rumbled as the pony snorted, bringing up his free hand to brush it over Lithen's head. He frowned slightly at the pony's obvious nerves, a small uncomfortable knot building in his stomach. It was true that Arinna would not simply leave him behind. And then the knot in his stomach suddenly tightened when his gaze fell on the small marks on Lithen's snout. Fili brought his fingers to the spot, brushing them gently against the light fur that was stained with three small red marks.

"What is it?" Bofur asked behind him and Fili kept his gaze on the pony's stained fur as he answered darkly.

"Blood."