Onwards! I hope you enjoy this one. As always, thank you very much to all of you who commented on the last one, and please let me know your thoughts!

Balrûn 'uzûgh continued for several weeks. And while dwarf after dwarf was eliminated and the circle of combatants grew smaller as the tournament went on, Arinna kept away from the fights as much as she could. Though there was a certain amount of it that was impossible to escape, seeing as the whole mountain was talking about it, she did a good job of keeping her mind on other things.

She took over many of Oin's duties as a physician during these days, carrying out medicine deliveries to the mountain folk who were too old, frail or ill to make it to the healing chambers. Additionally, she had begun to go out of the mountain again to gather medicinal herbs and plants as she had done for Oin before the incident at the old druid village, and though her wound still ached when she overexerted herself, she was more than grateful for the opportunity. For while she was away from the healing chambers, Oin was the one looking after the many dwarves that needed healing after their battles in the tournament.

It was a beautiful day as she rode back to the mountain, having taken Lithen for a short but enjoyable ride to collect some plants to restock Oin's cabinet from the nearby forest West of Erebor. The fresh air had cleared her mind and the druid was smiling slightly as she brought Lithen back to the stables, spending a good amount of time brushing him off, before she gave him a last pat on the neck, receiving a content snort in return. She made her way back to the healing chambers then, feeling a little lighter ever since her talk with Fili in the healing chambers. Though not everything had been cleared off the table, she felt more comfortable around him these days.

The druid could already hear the bustle of the people as she stepped foot through the front gate, gathering that the tournament had ended for today. By now, the circle of contestants was so small that even Arinna knew who was left, leaving her also aware of whose fight had taken place today.

"For a while I thought he really had him, ye know," she heard someone say in a group of people, as she slowly made her way through the mountain. She slowed slightly, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Never!" one of the others replied. They were a small group of younger lads, some of which Arinna knew had competed in the tournament themselves and had already been eliminated. "You'd be an idiot to place wagers against our king. He's the best fighter this mountain has."

"Disagree," another replied fiercely. "The Captain is going to win this one. I can feel it!"

"I see you're one of the idiots," the other retorted with a grin, earning himself a gruff reply from Dwalin's supporter.

"Aye, well," he rumbled. "The King may be the best fighter in these halls, but who's he got it from, eh? Dwalin taught him! The fight against Gloin today cost him his shoulder, I doubt he'll be in his best form to compete against the Captain."

Arinna frowned slightly, deciding to stop lingering as they shot her small, curious looks. She gave the group a quick smile and hurried along, making her way straight to the healing chambers. She knew that Gloin and Fili had been today's contestants for the semi-final, and as far as she could tell from what she had just heard, Fili had won the fight and was now competing in the final against Dwalin, but it had come to some sort of injury.

She was still thinking about it, when she walked through the doors of the healing chambers, hearing Oin's voice calling out to her before she had even stepped inside properly.

"Ah, Arinna! Perfect timing, lass!"

She looked up in surprise at his call, her eyes wandering through the room as she realised that there was a small group of people gathered here. Oin, Gloin and Dis were standing around a bed on which none other than Fili was sitting. The druid halted in her steps as she caught the blond dwarf's gaze. He sent her a wry smile as she noticed him sitting in but his white undershirt and his breeches, the fighting gear he had undoubtedly worn earlier that day discarded on a nearby chair. He held his left arm limply in his lap.

"I gather you brought back some Valerian root?" Oin asked her, before she could say anything.

The druid merely nodded, pointing to the satchel that was hanging across her shoulder, and in which she had collected all the plants. She had known that they would be running out of Valerian root soon, seeing as it was a helpful remedy against any sort of pain, and there were many dwarves coming back from the tournament in need of it.

"Great. Would you be a dear and prepare some for Fili," the old healer said, turning half back to the blond dwarf as he spoke. "I gather he'll need it."

Arinna didn't take long to fuss over Oin's words, instead getting straight to work. She made her way over to the workbench quickly, as the old healer turned to examine the king, and grabbed the Valerian root from her satchel. She had fetched a bowl and mortar in no time and was already pulverising the plant and creating an ointment from it, while Oin ordered the king to take off his undershirt. The druid heard a hiss and a groan somewhere behind her as Fili followed the healer's orders.

"Looks like it's only dislocated. You got lucky there," she heard Oin say as she kept working on the pain relief. She let out a small breath, feeling some relief at the news. She would have hated for Fili to be injured any worse. Not that a dislocated shoulder wasn't bad, she admitted to herself, but she knew he could handle that. Indeed, she had seen him walk several miles with one many years ago after they had escaped Laketown. With a small frown, she realised that it had even been the same arm.

"Couldn't let you get away completely unscathed, could I," Gloin joked, though Arinna heard the relief in the older dwarf's voice as well. Surely, Gloin wouldn't have liked to cause his king and friend any serious injury, even during such a tournament. Fili muttered something under his breath, though the druid couldn't catch it from where she stood. It was mere moments later that she heard Oin telling the young king quietly to grit his teeth, followed by a small but sharp outcry as the healer popped the arm back into place.

Shaking her head slightly, the druid glanced down at the work in her hands, and quickly put away her utensils as she realised that she was done. She turned back to the small group, the bowl with the fresh ointment in her hands as she walked over. Her eyes found Fili again, falling first on his bruised shoulder, and then on something else entirely.

Everyone jumped as the heavy bowl fell onto the stone floor with a loud clank, splintering into several pieces. Dis let out a small cry, her hand flying to her chest as they all turned around to the cause of the noise. Arinna was standing in the middle of the room, a mere few feet away from them, her hands still in the air as they formed a circle around the place where the bowl had been just a few moments ago. Even from where they stood, they could see that her hands were shaking wildly. Her eyes were wide, staring at the dwarf still sat on the bed.

"My dear, are you alright?" Dis called out, rushing over toward the druid, who looked positively shaken. She seemed to be in shock, her wide emerald eyes suddenly overcast with a veil of unshed tears. And still, she kept staring, unblinking. Dis put one hand on her arm, feeling how the young woman stiffened beneath her touch.

"Arinna, what is it? Are you hurt?" Oin now said, worry overcoming his features as he looked at the druid.

"What's the matter with her?" Gloin interjected, also looking her over with concern and confusion.

But she was only looking at Fili, who returned her gaze, though she wasn't looking into his eyes at all. Instead, her eyes were glued to something further down. Fili could feel the small weight of the silver leaf on his exposed chest, just beneath his collarbone. The chain, though light and thin, suddenly weighed heavy around his neck.

"Leave us," he finally said, when Arinna had still not reacted to anyone else. She blinked at the sound of his voice, while the others sent him confused looks. He looked at each of them, his expression stern as he stood from the bed. He could see her eyes following his movement.

"Leave us. Now, please," he repeated, sending his mother a pointed look as she frowned at him. Clearly, she wasn't pleased to leave the druid in such a state, none of them were, but Fili's voice held no room for questions or refusal. Oin and Gloin inclined their heads, following Dis as she slowly turned and made her way out of the room.

Fili only looked back at the woman before him when the door had shut behind them. He watched her for a moment, seeing that the expression of shock on her face had now mixed with a kind of hurt and confusion. Fili made a few tentative steps forward, watching as she wrapped her arms around herself almost protectively.

"Arinna, I –"

"Why do you have that?" she asked, her voice trembling and quiet, as she spoke over him. He opened his mouth to reply, but she went on, her emerald eyes still glued to her father's old necklace. "How… how did you…"

The dwarf came to a halt before her, careful to avoid the shards of the broken bowl at their feet. He reached out his right arm to gently brush her shoulder, drawing back quickly, when she visibly flinched at his touch.

"I found it," he uttered, his voice gentle. He watched as she stood before him, almost mesmerised, her gaze never leaving the silver necklace. Fili had to force himself not to flinch back himself, when she suddenly raised one hand, her fingers lightly connecting with his bare chest as she tentatively, disbelievingly, brushed them against the leaf.

She opened her mouth to say something, though the words didn't come. Instead, first one tear and then another escaped her eyes as her fingertips followed the silver strands that formed the leaf, before they wandered along the cold metal of the silver chain, all the way up to his neck. Fili stood stiffly, not knowing what to do or say, as he felt the ghost of her touch, light as a feather against his skin.

And then, the expression on her face suddenly changed and she pulled back abruptly. It was only then that she looked up into his eyes, and Fili felt a sting through his heart at the pain he could see so clearly in her gaze.

"Why are you wearing it?" she asked slowly, her eyebrows drawing together as he swallowed tightly. He let out a sigh.

"As a reminder," he answered quietly, not quite knowing how to formulate his thoughts in the best way.

"A reminder of what?" she asked, as she took a small step backwards, and it was all Fili could do not to reach out and keep her where she was. She looked at him, her eyes imploring him to say something. "A reminder of what, Fili?"

Fili took a deep breath, bracing himself. He wanted to tell her, he wanted her to know why he had been wearing her old necklace for the past years. He wanted to tell her that whenever he thought of her, whenever he longed for her, missed her, he would reach up and put his hand over the silver charm usually hidden beneath his tunic to feel a connection to her. He wanted to tell her all of it, but the words did not come. They would not move past the lump in his throat.

Arinna waited another moment, before she lightly inclined her head. "I need to go," she muttered quietly, not saying anything else, before she slowly turned away and made her way out of the healing chambers.

Fili shook his head, opening his mouth once more to say something, but by the time he found his voice again, the druid had already disappeared from his view, the door falling shut behind her with a quiet thud.

"Wait," Fili said meekly, more to himself, as he stood frozen in place. There was no answer, and the blond dwarf brought a trembling hand to his face, rubbing it roughly across his beard before he lowered it to touch the thin silver necklace himself. He glanced down at it, letting the chain glide through his fingers, his thumb stroking across the silver leaf.

Sleep had eluded her that night, and morning came relentlessly. Lying on her back, the druid was staring at the ceiling above her bed, having hardly moved from that position since she lay down like this hours ago. She could not get the thought of her father's necklace out of her mind, still seeing it hanging around Fili's neck. Losing it all those years ago had just been one more painful blow that the battle had dealt her. She did not know how to feel about it now, seeing it on Fili. He had said it was a reminder, but of what, she still wondered. If he wore it to remember her, their relationship, she thought, if it still meant anything to him, surely, he could have done more than wear a necklace around his neck. Surely, if he had missed her this much, he would have come for her. But he never had. How could he claim not to be able to face her and simultaneously wear that necklace, knowing what it meant to her?

A sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

Arinna frowned deeply at the sudden sound, slowly turning her head towards it as she kept in her position on the bed. It could not be later than dawn, who on earth would come knocking at her door at this hour? It was only when there was another knock, even louder this time, that the druid slowly rose from her position. She threw on the warm dressing gown that was folded over the back of a nearby chair, covering up the clothes that she had been wearing the day before. She had not had the mind to change into anything else after the events of the previous day.

Still frowning and feeling rather exhausted, she shuffled over to the door, opening it just as the person on the other side had raised their hand to knock again. Arinna's eyebrows rose in surprise as she looked at her early intruder.

"Fili?"

The blond dwarf lowered his hand to his side, sending her a short nod.

"Good morning," he said, while the druid's expression turned to confusion. She stared at him for a moment, then bent forward to glance up and down the empty corridor. It was too early still for anyone to be out and about. She turned her gaze back to him, when he cleared his throat quietly. "I'd like to show you something."

For a moment, all she could do was stare at him blankly. He was clad in simple breeches, a royal blue tunic, covered with a leather jerkin and a dark cloak adorned with furs. She shook her head slightly.

"The sun's barely up," she pointed out, not knowing how to react.

"But you are. And so am I," Fili replied, motioning with his head toward the clothes peeking out beneath her dressing gown. His expression softened, when he spoke next, his voice a gentle plea. "Please. Just come with me."

Still, the druid was weary. When she had first met Fili, first fallen in love with him, there had sometimes been a mystery, a contradiction in his actions and words, that had confused and vexed her. This moment reminded her a lot of that time. She had yelled at him just a few hours ago, and yet here he was, his soft demeanour rather surprising. "I don't think –" she started, but was interrupted promptly.

"Arinna," Fili said intently. "Get dressed, and follow me."

There were several moments of silence between them as the druid eyed him. He did not waver beneath her gaze, instead he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly to tell her to get going. Arinna frowned slightly, before she finally removed her dressing gown and let it fall to the floor behind her.

"Lead on, then," was all she said, as she stepped past him, at the same time pulling closed the door behind her.

Fili did not need to be told twice and quickly began walking down the corridor, Arinna falling into step beside him. They didn't speak any more, though the dwarf could feel the druid's eyes on him every now and again, as he led her down the quiet halls of Erebor, all the way to the front gate. It was only once they reached the stables, that she finally asked him.

"Where are we going?"

She did not get an answer, and indeed, the thought momentarily flew out of her mind as she beheld two ponies, saddled and ready, standing by the side of the stables. One of them was Lithen, the other a large grey steed, which was calmly nibbling at the haybale in front of it. The druid slowed down slightly, realising that Fili must have ordered one of the stable boys to ready the ponies, though she couldn't see anyone around but themselves. He must have gone and done it himself in the wee hours of the morning, she thought in surprise.

As she swung herself into the saddle, her earlier question came back to her with a start. She glanced over at Fili wearily, watching as he grabbed the reins of his own pony. Her voice had an edge to it as she spoke. "Fili, where are you taking me?"

"Raven Hill."

He caught her startled gaze across the small distance between their respective steeds. The dwarf could merely watch as a whirl of different emotions flickered across her face, her eyes darting between his as she looked at him in disbelief. He could see the words forming on her lips, a question perhaps, though she closed her mouth before any of them could escape. Sending her a last look, he nudged his pony to fall into a trot. He was already a little distance ahead, when he finally heard Lithen beginning to move somewhere behind him, the druid following him despite the hesitation she felt.

The ride up to Raven Hill was not very long, only but an hour or so, though they spent the best part of the time riding along in silence. Arinna kept her pace as they finally made their way up to the top of the hill, the steep path forcing them to go slowly. She tried to keep her expression calm, though her fingers were clenched tightly around Lithen's reins. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest as they arrived at the top, a mild breeze blowing over the grassy hill.

It was not how Arinna remembered it. The druid swallowed tightly, noticing Fili getting off his mount to her left, as she took in her surroundings. She couldn't quite bring herself to do the same yet. To descend from Lithen's back and step foot again on this soil, where so much blood had been spilled, and which now looked so green and calm. She let her eyes roam over the ground, seeing the young trees that bloomed here, growing back their green leaves now that spring had arrived. For a moment, the memories in her mind and the image she found before her formed a grotesque mixture in her head.

The image only subsided when she blinked, realising suddenly that Fili had come to stand beside her pony. He had one hand on the saddle, the other extended up towards her. Looking down at him, the druid was caught off guard by the gentle expression on his face, and before she knew it, her hand was moving on its own accord. As Fili helped her down, the druid felt her fingers involuntarily wrap a little tighter around his as her feet met the ground.

"Come on," the blond dwarf said quietly, letting go of her hand as he took a step away, motioning for her to follow. Again, the druid had to swallow tightly past the uncomfortable lump in her throat, though she followed him after a few moments.

Arinna didn't need to ask where they were going now. As she walked toward the place of their destination, she felt her steps getting heavier, her mind struggling to command her feet to move at all. All of a sudden, her hands began to tremble by her sides, and she nervously brushed them against her breeches, though that did nothing to help. She stopped short in her tracks as the cliffside came into view.

Fili turned toward her when he noticed she had halted, his face drawn with a worried frown, though his pale blue eyes remained kind and soft. Arinna barely noticed any of this though, as she could not tear her eyes away from the cliffside. The ground was covered in luscious green grass here, too, and a solitary tree stood in the middle of the clearing. There lay a feeling of peacefulness over this place, but the feelings that it stirred within her were anything but.

It was as though she had been thrown back in time. Arinna could feel the blow of the orc's fist on her back, felt the panic of her desperate attempts to fight it off. She could see Kili, heard their swords clash with the orc's as they fought together, and lost together. The sword flying from her grasp, her back against the cold stone wall. And then Kili –

She was breathing heavily now, feeling as though she could barely catch enough air in her lungs. Shaking her head, still staring at the space before her, she barely noticed Fili having stepped up in front of her.

"Arinna," he uttered, grasping her by the shoulders. Her eyes were hazy, veiled with tears, as she forced her gaze away from the spot she had been staring at. Perhaps he had made a mistake, bringing her here, Fili thought. "Arinna. Listen to me."

"I cannot be here," the druid managed to say through gritted teeth as she shook her head again, her eyes still not focusing on him. She could feel his grip on her arms tighten, though it did nothing to appease her stormy mind.

Realising that her gaze kept flicking back to the dreaded spot by the cliffside, the dwarf used his hold on her to quickly turn them around, so that her back was turned to the place.

"Arinna –"

"Why did you bring me here?" she interrupted him loudly, before he could say another word. Fili flinched at the volume of her voice, as her wide emerald eyes finally met his. He could clearly see the fear and pain he had woken within her with his action of bringing her back here. He felt his heart clench at the sight, which in itself stoked another rush of emotions running through him, not having felt that familiar pain in over eight years.

The hold of his hands on her shoulders kept her in place, while he made sure to keep her eyes focused on his as he answered. "Because I need you to know," he said seriously, seeing a solitary tear free itself from her eyes and rolling down her cheek. "You asked me why I wear your necklace, what it is a reminder of. Please, let me tell you."

"Come with me," he uttered quietly, when she did not answer, but only stared at him. Her energy seemed to leave her with every passing second. Slowly, the dwarf let his hands drop from her arms and instead grasped her wrist loosely in one hand. He could feel her hesitate as he turned back toward the tree that stood in the clearing, though she followed in silence after he gave her arm a slight pull. Fili felt his own heart pounding in his chest as they came to a halt by the tree. Arinna instinctively tried to pull back as he began to guide her hand toward the rough bark.

"Trust me," he murmured, his words so quiet they were almost swallowed by the breeze that swept across the cliffside. Another moment's hesitation, then he felt her resistance crumble and he brought her hand to lay flat against the tree before them. Her fingers still trembled, her small hand almost disappearing beneath his large one. Her skin felt cold beneath his touch, as he looked at her intently. She was still staring at their hands against the bark.

"Life didn't take long to return to these parts after the battle," he uttered quietly, trying to sort his whirling thoughts into coherent words. "Once winter had passed, the lands began to recover, even the ravens returned. It was like a miracle. For most, anyway. To me, it felt like a betrayal of some kind. How could things just recover so easily, after so much death, so much pain? How could the world just move on? I didn't feel as though I could, so why should anything else?"

Arinna said nothing, his words sinking in slowly as she tried to concentrate on what he was saying, to make sense of his words.

"The only person I ever blamed for any of what happened was myself, Arinna. Because I was supposed to be here with him. With them. During the battle, we were fighting our way up to Raven Hill, Thorin, Kili and I. To face Azog. But I was attacked and fell behind, and then I was knocked out. And when I finally came to the battle was already won, and Kili was already dead."

His hand still covering hers, he looked away from the druid for a moment to gaze up at the tree top. Arinna followed his gaze, not knowing how to take in all of this information. Tears were silently streaming down her face as he spoke, and he continued in his quiet words, his voice now gentle as he addressed her.

"And for all the pain that gives me, I am also glad. I am glad that you were there with him when he died, Arinna. I am glad that he had someone with him that he loved and that loved him in return," he said with a rueful smile. "It must have given him great comfort. I know it does to me. That's why I had all these trees planted, and this one in particular I planted here myself. I wanted to make something good of this place, something to honour the things that passed here. Something to honour him. And something to honour you."

"Fili –"

"No, just… please, let me say this," the blond dwarf shook his head, sighing as he drew his hand away from hers to reach for his neck. Arinna drew her own hand away from the tree to wipe at her wet cheeks, though she was still crying. She watched as he unfastened the clasp behind his neck and pulled forth her father's old necklace from beneath his tunic. The silver chain gleamed slightly in the sunlight as he held it out between them. They both stared at it for a moment, before Fili spoke again. "This was a place to remember Kili, and Thorin, and you. And it was here that I found it. I used to come up here to remember, to feel the presence of loved ones that have long been lost. And then, three years ago, this is where I found your necklace."

The druid could barely believe what she was hearing, Fili's voice sounding as wondrous as she might have felt, had she been able to sort her mind and heart into anything clear. She remembered how she had been injured and hurt up here, the memory stirring echoes of the pains of long healed wounds. It was entirely possible that this was where she had lost it all those years ago. She certainly wouldn't have noticed at the time.

"When I found it," Fili uttered, twirling the silver necklace around his fingers once. "I thought the gods were punishing me. I thought it was a reminder of how I wronged you, of the mistakes I made. But it was not. Over the years, all it reminded me of was you. It was as though I still had a part of you with me, even when you were out of reach."

Arinna let out a shuddering breath, when Fili grasped her hand and slowly lowered the necklace into her palm. He gave her a small smile as the silver, still warm from the contact with Fili's skin, gathered in her hand.

"Perhaps, I was merely meant to keep it safe for you," he murmured, as he used his fingers to close hers around the small item, before he let go of her hand completely. Arinna stared at her closed fist for a few moments, not quite knowing what to do. It was all so much to take in.

"I never expected to see it again," she muttered finally, and Fili wasn't sure whether she was speaking to him or to herself. She glanced up at him with her next words. "Much like I never thought I'd see Lithen again after I lost him. Or you."

Fili remained silent, as she let her gaze wander for a moment, from him, to her hand, to the tree and across the cliffside. The druid took a few steps, slowly moving away from him toward the edge of the cliff. Fili stayed standing by the tree, knowing better than to press her for more. Just a few minutes ago, he had thought that perhaps it had been too much to bring her up here at all. He knew what it felt like to relive the horrors of the battle, and he had no doubt in his mind that this trip had caused her great pain. He didn't want to add further to her troubled mind now that he had said what he had needed to get off his chest, so instead he let her be. The young king merely watched in silence as she stood by the cliffside, her face turned toward the mountain.

You could see it all from here, Arinna thought to herself, the mountain, the great plain where the battle had taken place, the steep path up to Raven Hill. She felt the small weight of the necklace still in her hand.

Turning around to him slightly, Arinna glanced up at Fili with tears still clouding her eyes. He took a slow step toward her, concern written across his face.

"Why did you never come for me?"

Her quiet question drove through his heart like a spear and he took a sharp breath as he returned her sad gaze. He shook his head slightly to himself, his voice a deep, regretful rumble as he answered her, his voice just as quiet as hers.

"Because I'm a coward," he uttered. "I did not think you could ever forgive me. When I found the necklace, I believed it would have to be enough."

He watched, somewhat helplessly, as she took in his words in silence, turning her head away again. Looking out over the cliffside, she let out a deep breath, before she finally reached up and fastened her father's necklace around her neck. The druid couldn't help but feel lighter somehow, even though her heart was weighing heavy in her chest.

She felt the wind whip up her hair, as she stood at the cliffside, shivering slightly in the cool spring breeze. It was just then that she felt something heavy settle on her shoulders, and she looked up abruptly to find Fili draping his own coat over her. He merely gave her a small nod, as she looked at him in surprise, coming to stand next to her as he gazed out over the land as well. Arinna stared at him for a moment, studying his profile, while he looked out to the horizon.

A lot had been said, and it would take some time to digest all of it. The druid let out a deep sigh, pulling Fili's coat closer around herself as she dug her chin into the fur collar. As if in reply, Fili let out a quiet hum beside her, though they both kept looking across the plain to the Lonely Mountain, looming high into the blue sky.