A/N: Thank you to those who are still following this story! I love knowing that some people are enjoying my writing. We have more chapters to go before the end, so keep watching for updates and let me know what you like.

Three weeks after Thorin had recovered from his illness, he had avoided having another outburst, and had been in a better mood entirely. Kaleria could see a difference in him in the advisor meetings she attended. He would listen to each member, but if they began shouting at random, he would take charge of the situation and return order. He seemed more in control of his mind with each passing day. He didn't flinch when someone mentioned gold, and he could take a deep breath and calm himself to avoid an outburst.

Kaleria was impressed by his recovery. Though he was the same Thorin she knew, he seemed different in some way she couldn't explain. She had known him for almost a year now, and in that time she had learned what a great leader he was and how much he loved his people. The sickness, though a part of him, didn't keep him from putting his people first, and inspiring those around him. Thorin proved to be one of the greatest men Kaleria had ever known, and she couldn't wait to see all he could accomplish given the chance to rule his kingdom.

After nearly seven months in Erebor, Kaleria finally felt like she found home. She had a place to live, a job to entertain her, and a family to lean on when she needed them. She was almost complete.

Almost.

She knew something was missing, but she didn't know what it was. She was trying to figure it out as she studied the dagger box in front of her, when she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry. Excuse me," she apologized.

"I think I can forgive you." A familiar voice replied.

She turned to the person to see it was Brerrick. "What are you doing here?"

"I came in to get my axe sharpened. I had been training with it like you suggested, and I had some knicks that needed fixing," he explained.

"I'm glad you took my advice," said Kaleria.

Brerrick noticed the box in her hand. "Are you buying a dagger?"

Kaleria looked down at the box, then placed it back on the table. "No, I've looked at this one a few times, but I can't bring myself to buy it."

"Why not? You deserve a nice gift."

"Thanks, but I can wait a little longer for it." Kaleria faced him. "What have you been practicing with your axe to earn so many knicks?"

"I've been working on throwing it correctly, now that I know what a balanced axe feels like. And, I've been working on my footwork, but I doubt I'll use any of it."

Kaleria shrugged. "You never know. I never thought I would have to fight, but I've been in many scrapes and skirmishes."

"One can only hope." He scratched the back of his head, and averted his eyes

Kaleria studied him, but she didn't know why he was acting so strange. She ignored his odd behavior and spoke again. "It was nice running into you, but I promised Hedina I would help her with something."

"Wait," Brerrick put his hand on her forearm to stop her, "are you busy tomorrow?"

"I don't believe so."

"Can I give you a tour of the mines where I work?"

Kaleria thought over his request."Should I be down there? I don't work down there, so I might be a distraction."

"Don't worry about it. People come and go down there all the time. I just want to show you what I do, then maybe I can treat you to a cup of tea?" Brerrick raised his eyebrows, expectantly as he looked at her.

Kaleria weighed the options in her head. "Okay. As long as I get that cup of tea."

"I promise," said Brerrick. "Meet me tomorrow at the entrance to the mines at midday."

"I'll see you then." Kaleria left the shop and Brerrick behind. She was excited to see the mines, since she hadn't been down there yet. She thought Thorin would've taken her, but she assumed he didn't want to be around the gold and gems because of his illness. This would be better for everyone, because it would keep Thorin in his new found stable state of mind, and she would get to see the mines of Erebor.

At midday the next day, Kaleria stood at the entrance to the mines watching big, burly dwarves walk into the mines clean and come out covered in layers of dirt and debris. She didn't mind a little dirt, but she knew she couldn't be a miner. She wondered how they could ever get clean with the level of dirt they collected in a day's work.

Soon, a familiar head of red hair came bouncing down the walkway toward the mine. Obviously Brerrick hadn't been to the mines yet, because he looked spotless as he stopped in front of her.

"You made it!" He said, excitedly.

"Yes, and I see you haven't been to the mines today. You're rather clean." Kaleria looked him up and down.

"I switched shifts with one of my mates, so I could give you a proper tour." Brerrick began walking down into the mines, and Kaleria fell into step beside him.

"Tell him I appreciate his willingness to switch."

"Oh, he knows all about you," Brerrick admitted, then looked away when he realized what he said.

Kaleria gave a slight laugh and looked around her, avoiding eye contact with him. She tried to find something else to say to break the tension.

"Are we starting where you work, or in another mine?" She asked.

"I wanted to show you where I work first because it's a little deeper in the mine, and then we can work our way back out." Brerrick turned toward a large mouthed mine that grew dark quickly.

Kaleria hesitated a moment and Brerrick looked at her.

"You're not scared of the dark, are you?" He teased.

"No," she denied. "Lead the way."

Brerrick started down into the mine with Kaleria following behind him. As they descended, her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she could see more of what surrounded them. Large deposits of dark rock, built with pressure and time, loomed around them, extinguishing the light from the lanterns as fast as they could emit it. The deeper Brerrick and Kaleria traveled into the mine, the darker the rock became, but some spaces glittered with fragments of gems and gold.

Kaleria lost track of how far they had traveled into the mine. They walked for a long time before Brerrick stopped next to one wall and pointed to a crack that ran across it. Kaleria looked at it, but she didn't know why he was pointing it out. Instead of speaking, Brerrick put a hand on her back and pulled her closer to the wall until her nose almost touched. When Kaleria looked again, she could see emeralds deep within, trying to avoid extraction.

"Those are beautiful. Why haven't you mined for them yet?" She asked.

"These are only a small part of the entire deposit." Brerrick moved a few steps to his left, and Kaleria found a passage she hadn't noticed before.

They ducked into the passage, hunching their shoulders until it opened into a larger space glittering green in the lantern light. The ceiling was twenty feet above them, and nearly every spot on the wall held a large emerald. Kaleria stared in awe at the vastness of the space and the quantity of gemstones.

"This is amazing!" Kaleria turned a circle to admire the entire room.

"This is why we hadn't touched that crack in the wall. It showed us where the real treasure was." Brerrick watched her, glad she was enjoying herself.

Kaleria moved to the middle of the room to get the full effect, while Brerrick remained near the passage. She couldn't believe how beautiful the mine could be considering how deep underground it was. The lanterns complimented the gems with an orangish glow that made them sparkle, and reminded Kaleria of fireflies

A loud rumble came from deeper within the mountain, causing the room to shake. Kaleria looked at Brerrick for an answer.

"They're probably blasting a lower wall to break into a new deposit. It happens all the time." He gave her an easy smile.

Kaleria believed him until the room started shaking harder than before, and Kaleria could hear cracks and pops outside the passage. Voices shouted in the hallway, and Brerrick remained still with a blank look on his face. Kaleria ran for the doorway, grabbing Brerrick's hand as she passed.

"We have to go," she said. Brerrick snapped out of his trance and followed her out of the passage. Other miners were in the hallway, and Kaleria pulled Brerrick in the direction the group was running. She didn't know where she was going, but she assumed if they were running with the crowd, they were running in the right direction.

"Collapse! Everyone move!" A dwarf shouted behind her.

The entire hallway shook as they ran. Pieces of rock fell around them and dust filled the air, making it hard to breath and hard to see. Kaleria kept moving with the crowd, hoping the entrance would appear soon. She turned to see how far behind Brerrick was, but she lost him in the crowd. When she faced forward something struck her on the back of the head.

Kaleria fell face first in the dirt. She tried to push herself up, but she couldn't find the strength. Her vision blurred as she tried to open her eyes. No one had noticed she had fallen. No one stopped to check on her. She tried to call out for help, but it came out in a whisper, unheard amongst the noise in the hallway.

Kaleria rested her head against her arm, unable to hold it up. Her eyes closed and everything went black.