A/N: Fun fact. I had to start a new document for this chapter (and future ones) because, apparently, 230 pages is too many for Word to keep checking spelling and grammar for. Yes, Word literally told me that it could no longer spell or grammar check for me because the document was too long and already had too many 'typos' (aka: people's accents).

Also, I've been looking forward to this chapter since the beginning.

Chapter Fifteen

Ori quietly hummed as he sat in a chair that was much too big for him, his hand making quick movements as he drew in his sketchbook. Every few seconds, he glanced up to check on the positioning of Baylee's arm or Annina's legs. A quiet laugh left his mouth as Annina cracked up in a fit of giggles when Baylee blew a raspberry on her bare belly. He lightly shook his head, still grinning as he brushed some hair out of his face, and looked back at his drawing. A bit of pride filled him when he saw it; it may have been a five minute sketch, but he had managed to capture Baylee and Annina's likenesses rather well. Tucking his pencil into his sketchbook, he closed it and set it aside before stretching.

He looked up again when he heard the sound of a spoon in a wooden bowl and found Lovisa stepping into the room. She gave him a smile and waved at him with her pinky as she spooned some more soup into her mouth. Annina made a cooing noise as she watched the half-dwarf push a chair towards Ori before plopping down. Grinning, Lovisa replied with a quiet bird whistle. Annina's eyes widened as the bird whistles continued.

Ori let out a small noise of surprise as Baylee got up and plopped the child in his lap. "Uh-ah…Baylee, what're you doing?" he questioned, the nervousness all too apparent in his voice.

"Lettin' ya hold Annina so she can be closer to the pretty bird noises," she explained. "Here, hold her here –aye, like that- an' then just lightly bounce her on your knee –perfect!" She smiled as she watched Ori nervously bounce Annina on his lap.

"This…this is the first time I've held a baby," he admitted. Annina was grinning toothlessly at him and Lovisa.

"Is it? I'm surprised you haven't been forced into holdin' her before now," Baylee chuckled. She covered her mouth as she yawned deeply. Lovisa frowned slightly. It was only early afternoon; she shouldn't be this tired yet…"She's a good baby, though –you've seen that."

He nodded, watching as Annina started to lean forward when Lovisa stopped whistling. "What do you see, little—oh, you've a very strong grip for a child…" He winced as he gently tried to pry her little fingers from his beard. Luckily for him, she had a short attention span and grabbed his thumb, pulling it towards her mouth. "And now I'm a chew toy…?" he murmured as she started to gum the digit.

Lovisa laughed and nodded. Setting her bowl on her lap, she started to sign. 'Baylee love chewing. Sure would bite finger off!'

Ori cracked up. "Really?" He glanced up at Baylee, whose cheeks were quickly flushing. "I can't imagine that, oddly. I can see Will being the one who bit fingers."

She shook her head as Baylee started to pick up the children's toys. 'Will had stinky diapers. Cleared room once! Giggled whole time.'

"Oh, now that's evil!" he laughed. He looked down at the baby as Annina started to babble in baby talk at him. "Is that so? Well, that's a very nice thing to say," he told her. "Though I wouldn't know how correct you are; you've yet to meet your cousin William."

Annina leaned forward, trying to grab at his beard again while continuing to babble to him, but he stuck his tongue out at her. Her eyes widened and she leaned back, startled. Slowly –ever so slowly- she raised her hand and reached for his tongue, but just as she was about to grab it, he pulled it back into his mouth. When she pulled her hand back, he stuck his tongue out again. She started to reach for it again, becoming even more perplexed when he started to wiggle his tongue.

Lovisa reached over and ruffled his hair with a chuckle before standing up. As she started to leave the room, she motioned for Baylee to come with her. Ori argued against this, but Baylee assured him that Elle was just one room over should Annina start to become fussy. Following after Lovisa, Baylee covered her mouth as she let out another yawn.

'Why tired?' Lovisa signed, a concerned look on her face.

"Just haven't been sleeping well," Baylee half-lied. She didn't want to tell her that she had been having nightmares almost every night since arriving. "Guess I'm just not used t' being away from papa an' auntie for so long."

Cocking her brow, Lovisa moved to stand in front of her, arms crossed as she looked down at her. Despite the stern look she was receiving, Baylee couldn't help but find humor in being shorter than a half dwarf.

'Tell truth,' Lovisa demanded.

"I am tellin' the truth, Lovisa," she assured her. She smiled. "I'm fine. A bit tired, aye, but it's nothin' t' get worried over. I'll just go t' bed a bit early tonight; that should help."

For a long moment, the half dwarf stared down at Baylee, not moving or signing anything. Her gold eyes fell on Baylee's green ones, searching for any hint that she could be lying, but she could only see the dark circles lining her lower eyelids and she sighed. Shaking her head, she set her hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards the kitchen.

'Know not eat yet.'

"I was watchin' Annina."

'Need eat. Leaving in morning. Need all food can get. Too skinny!'

"Everyone says that, but I eat plenty o' food!" She squeaked and twitched away from Lovisa when she poked her in the side, lightly smacking her hand away. "Don't do that!"

Lovisa grinned, her brow raised. 'See? Too skinny.'

Baylee cocked her brow. "No. I'm just ticklish there."

'Not if had more meat on bones.'

Letting herself be dragged into the kitchen, she sighed in defeat. "Between you an' Eira, I don't think I've a choice t' refuse food or not."

"Potato."

"Khulug."

"No, no: Po-tay-toe."

"Khulug."

"Po."

"…Po."

"Tay."

"Tay…"

"Toe."

"Toe."

"Potato!"

"Potalug."

Bifur let out a curse in frustration and rubbed his forehead.

Bofur patted him on the back. "You've almost got it, Bifur! Don't get discourage. C'mon –one more time. Po-tay-toe."

Heaving a great sigh and keeping his face buried in his hands, Bifur concentrated. "Po…tay…toe. Pota…Potato? Potato!"

"Aha! See? Ya just needed a wee bit o' patience!" He grinned broadly at his cousin before holding up a block of cheese. "Now what's this?"

"Cheese."

"An' this?" He held up a sausage this time.

"S-saus-sage. Sausage."

"Good, good…This one?" He held up a strange, curved knife from his carving kit.

For a moment, Bifur was quiet. Until 'potato', this tool had been one of the hardest to relearn the Westron words for –in Khuzdul, it was just a simple mimâbar. In Westron, though…"Ha…hall…hallowing…kn-knife. Ha-hallowing knife."

Bofur's grin grew even larger as he, at last, held up the potato. "Last one, I promise."

"Potato!"

"Good! You're gettin' better, you are!" He slid a tall mug of mead towards his cousin –his reward for learning all those new words in one night. "Soon, we'll have to start on full sentences."

Bifur felt a bit daunted by the prospect, but hid it well as he took a drink of the mead. Bofur's enthusiasm, however, was a bit contagious and he felt rather proud of himself. For the past three nights, the two of them had been working on re-teaching Bifur the Westron names for things –not that he had forgotten what they were, just how to say them.

"Arnâkzu abùshâg'ala?" he asked as Bofur cleaned up the table a bit and pulled out a small, wooden box.

"O' course I do, Bifur. You're one o' the most determined dwarrows I know," he chirped, pulling off his gloves and setting them aside before opening the box. "It'll take you some time, but you'll be speakin' Westron again in no time. Just you wait an' see." He smiled reassuringly before laying down a white, cloth napkin on the table top and carefully tipping the box over, spilling its contents onto the cloth.

Bifur slid the candles closer to Bofur so that he could see his work better. He watched as a few tiny gems tried to roll away, but his cousin stopped them and tapped them back towards the nearly-finished bracelet. Leaning over, he tilted his head to get a better look; this was the first time he had gotten a good look at the thing. Bofur normally worked on it after he had gone to bed, not wanting to be distracted.

"Kuf mez khidu?" he murmured, carefully plucking up one of the charms. It was shaped like a sunflower with three of the petals being tiny bits of yellow topaz. Setting it down, he watched his cousin grab a different charm –this one being shaped like a bluebell.

"Because the workshop is covered in wood shavings an' I'm hungry," Bofur replied. He pulled a small pair of tweezers from his kit and used them to carefully lift up blue stone –lapis lazuli, by the looks of it- and set it into place on the flower. He frowned slightly and turned the stone over. "Hm. This side or this one?" He turned the stone over twice more, waiting for Bifur's opinion.

"Tada ze," Bifur murmured. "Kuk khaghol ughlekh." He motioned at the tiny vein of dark blue cross over the stone's surface.

Nodding, Bofur turned it just slightly to better fit the mold better before grabbing another tool that looked very much like a pick. He barely glanced up as Will came over to the table, untying an apron from around his waist and yawning while he sat down. He was covered in bits of flour and paint –tributes to helping Bifur, Bofur, and Galiene throughout the day.

Bifur cocked his head. 'Look tired. Long day?'

"Aye…All that paintin' an' carving for you two combined with having to haul in sacks o' flour an' grain for Galiene and Adela has got me worn out," he chuckled. "But I don't mind it. It gives me somethin' to do."

'Keep busy good. Too busy not good.' He took another drink of his mead as he glanced around the inn. It had been rather quiet the last few days, which was a bit nice.

"Don't worry. It's almost impossible to keep me 'too busy'," Will chuckled, leaning back in the chair. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand as he yawned again.

'That not convincing," Bifur sighed with a small laugh.

"I'm fine," he laughed, grinning. "I'm just pleasantly worn out. Have you lads ordered anything to eat yet?"

"No," Bofur answered him, despite not looking up from his work. "We've been workin' on Bifur's Westron for the last hour…though, I suppose it's about time we did eat something." He glanced up for just a bit –but only to hold one of the charms over a candle with the tweezers. The three males watched as a hair-thin sheet of solder slowly melted atop the charm.

Will watched, thoroughly interested, as the silver liquid flowed off the lapis lazuli and into the small grooves that had been made in the metal. "So, how come that metal melts, but the rest doesn't?" he inquired.

"I'm not even sure about that," Bofur chuckled. "I'm not normally workin' with jewelry. I just know that it's solder an' it's got a real low melting point."

He nodded in understanding. "But I see you've got some skill with jewelry. Who taught you?"

"One o' my uncles," he replied with a small laugh. "He was hopin' I'd follow in his footsteps instead o' my da's footsteps. Anyway…I know just enough t' do this sort o' stuff an' to make some fancy toys."

"It seems a lot of dwarves dabble in more than one kind of craft." He reached up and rubbed his left shoulder, feeling a bit of an ache starting to throb.

Bifur shook his head. 'Most have just one. Odd have more than one. Bofur odd.'

Snorting, Will nodded in agreement. "A bit, but a likable sort o' odd."

"Hm?" Bofur glanced up. "What's likably odd?"

"Zu," Bifur chirped."Durjzu."

Bofur rolled his eyes with a small chuckle. "Ha, ha. I'm not that odd."

"Well, it's true," Will grinned. "Everyone's odd in their own way. I mean, look at me 'n Baylee."

'Not seem odd,' Bifur told him. 'Seem normal.'

"Oh, we are so weird. We like watchin' storms, we love t' wrestle, an' we both don't really like carrot cake or pig meat. Bacon bein' an exception, o' course." He winced when he felt something in his shoulder pop, but the dull throbbing ceased and he sighed in relief. "Not to mention, we're both odd just by how we look."

At that, both Bofur and Bifur looked up and gave him a frown. "Neither o' you look odd," Bofur scolded. "You're a fine young lad an' Baylee's a beautiful young lass."

His brow cocking, Will snorted. "I meant the fact that we're twins…but we don't look anythin' alike, save for our eyes."

"O-oh…" Bofur's cheeks flushed red and he quickly looked back down at his work.

Standing, Will grabbed his apron. "So, what do the two o' you want for dinner?"

"Steak," Bifur said. He grinned proudly; he had relearned that word the previous night. "Ch-chips. T-tom-tomatoes." He lurched forward slightly as Will heartily patted him on the back; he was strong for a human.

"You're doin' good with relearning Westron," he smiled. "Anything else for you?"

He nodded. 'Fried tomatoes?' he inquired, signing.

"Aye, that can be done," he replied. "Anything for you, Bofur?"

"What sort o' soup or stew was made today?" He didn't look up from his work.

"Potato an' ham stew."

"Hmm…" He scratched his beard for a moment, thinking about his order. "Steak 'n stew," he replied. "Aye, that should do me for now, lad."

Nodding, Will moved to take their order to Galiene. As he came into the kitchen, he found Adela putting some pies into the oven while Wenna wiped off a counter. Across the kitchen, Galiene was stirring the stew and dropping in some more chunks of ham. Demelza was sitting on a stool, wrapping a small bandage around two of her fingers. He frowned and went over to her.

"What did you do?" he demanded, lightly taking up her hand and inspecting the wound. She had a rather large cut across her index and middle finger.

"Was chopping the ham up and the knife slipped," she told him. "Don't worry, it's nothin' serious. They didn't even bleed much. Don't worry; I didn't bleed on the ham."

He snorted and started to properly wrap her fingers up. "I didn't even think of that until you mentioned it." He glanced over his shoulder. "Got some orders up for you, Galiene."

"Alright. What're they?" she called. She dipped a spoon into the stew so she could taste it. After a second, she reached over and grabbed a large pinch of pepper that she tossed into the pot.

"Two steaks, an order o' chips an' fried tomatoes, an' a bowl of stew." He tied the bandages off on Demelza's hand. "There ya go, auntie. Probably not as good as uncle's work, but it should do ya for a day or two."

She nodded. "Thank-you, lad." Standing up, she brushed her apron off, watching as tiny bits of meat and dough fell onto the floor.

"Wenna, will ya fetch two steaks from the cellar?" Galiene asked. "Make sure they're hearty ones. I have a feelin' they're for Bifur an' Bofur."

"That they are," Will grinned. He went over to Adela and wrapped his arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. "The kitchen smells nicer 'n normal. Is there some new food bein' made or anything?"

Galiene shrugged. "Well, there are two cooks now, so there is a chance," she chuckled. "Speakin' o' good smells, lad…Your birthday's soon! What sort of cake do you want?"

Adela perked. "Yes! I need t' know so I can get all the proper ingredients gathered up! Oh, an' what sort o' cake d'ya think Baylee will want? I know there's a slim chance she'll actually be here in time for your birthday, but she should still get one whenever she gets home."

He laughed. "Normally we just have one cake that we share," he told her. "We've never had our own cakes."

"Though it's a good idea," Demelza added, "since you have this strange tradition o' smashing your sister's face into her cake." At that, Galiene and Will laughed.

"That's what she gets for bein' born first." He kissed Adela's cheek. "I like anythin' you make, so you can surprise me on that front –except carrot cake. No carrot cake for the either o' us. Blegh. Carrot cake."

"What's wrong with carrot cake?" Adela pouted. "It's delicious!"

Galiene giggled quietly. "Oh dear…She had t' ask that…" She took the steaks from Wenna as she came up the stairs from the cellar.

Will scrunched his nose up. "It's just not right, having a vegetable bein' a cake. I mean, carrots are good enough on their own or in stews an' salads, but in cake? Let alone the fact that they make the cake orange. Cakes shouldn't be orange, even when they have oranges in them! Oh, and don't even get me started on carrot cake with raisins in it…" He shook his head. "It's just not right."

Adela raised her brow, giving him a dry look. "William, you're a strange one." She reached up and patted him atop the head. "What about your sister?"

"Lemon cake with raspberries," everyone chorused.

She blinked…but chuckled. "Alright. I'm sure we don't have raspberries, but I can most definitely make a lemon cake." She brushed some hair over her shoulder before grabbing some potatoes to cut up. "I never figured her t' be one who likes sour things…" She wriggled out of Will's grip, giggling quietly. "Let go, lad…"

Will pouted and reluctantly let go so she could work.

"Oh, she loves lemons," Demelza chuckled. She grabbed some tomatoes to cut up for Galiene. "When she was little, she'd steal lemon slices from the kitchen an' would just nibble on 'em." She shook her head. "It was so funny watching her make the sour faces…"

"She still makes 'em," Galiene chuckled. "Just when she's angry!"

Snorting, Will nodded as he grabbed a bowl for Bofur's stew. "Not that we see that often."

"No –we see it more from you, lad," Galiene grinned. "You wear the same look when something's got you vexed."

"I do not!"

"Do too," Demelza agreed.

"I do not!" he frowned.

Adela quietly giggled. "I don't know…ya look plenty sour right now, love."

He pouted and crossed his arms. "Do not…"

Ori knocked on the door to Baylee's room, listening for any response. Hearing none, he tried knocking again, but there was still no sound from within. His brows furrowing, he opened the door and poked his head in, though he couldn't see much; it was still well before dawn. What he could make out, though, was the curled up figure on the bed that was Baylee.

Crossing the room, he found that Baylee was curled up in a small ball and was clutching a pillow to her chest; she was shaking. He frowned slightly and reached over, giving her a shake. "Baylee, time t' get up," he told her. A small yelp left his mouth as she bolted upright with a curse, shoving herself into the corner of her bed. "Wh-whoa, Baylee –it's just me, Ori!"

She was tense for a moment longer. Letting out a sigh, she slumped against the wall. "S-sorry, Ori…" Rubbing her face, she plopped the pillow beside her.

"Are you alright?" he frowned.

"Aye," she murmured. "Just a bad dream is all. Nothin' t' worry over."

He clamored up onto the bed and sat beside her, setting his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?" He didn't like that she was still shaking.

She nodded slowly. "I'm fine," she again told him. "I get 'em all the time." Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. 'Though, they had been on the decline…' she thought.

"That doesn't seem normal," he frowned, his hand still on her shoulder. "Are…are they anything in particular? You don't have to tell me if you don't-"

"The War."

"…The War?"

She nodded. "Aye. Not all o' it. Just…parts." Rubbing her face again, she sighed. "Thanks for wakin' me. Normally, I manage t' wake myself up, but I don't think I would have been able to this time…"

"What happens if you don't?"

"I wake everyone else up with my screamin'." A half-hearted smile came to her lips. "First few weeks after the War, the elves had t' give me some sort o' potion t' make me have a dreamless sleep because I kept wakin' everyone else up. Sometimes I wish I still had that potion, but Tauriel told me tha' most o' it was used up in the weeks followin' the war and that it's awful expensive t' make."

He rubbed her back, trying to help ease her shaking. "Do you need anything? I don't have dreamless potions, but I can get you some tea or something…Maybe your uncle? He's good with this sort o' thing."

Shaking her head, she stretched out her legs which accidentally knocked the pillows off of the bed. "Thank you, though." Leaning over, she gave Ori a tight hug, smiling when he returned it. "It's always good t' know I've got friends who fret over me."

He smiled, glad to see her feeling better. "Eira and Richard have breakfast going and Elle's preparing a bunch of food for our packs."

"Alright. I guess we shouldn't keep them waiting too long, hm?" She slid out of bed and reached for her trousers before pausing and glancing over her shoulder. "You run on ahead. I'll be out in a minute. Just need to get dressed."

He blinked and his cheeks flushed. "Oh, o-of course, sorry!" Scrambling off of the bed, he hurried out of the room, hearing Baylee giggle behind him.

Heading for the kitchen, he could smell sausages and bacon cooking. His stomach rumbled loudly and he frowned, looking down at it. "Hush, you," he scolded. "You'll get fed soon enough."

"Who are you talking to?"

Looking up, he felt his cheeks flush as he saw Richard wiping his hands on a towel. "My stomach," he replied. "It's being impatient again."

"It normally is," he chuckled. "Especially at this hour. Did ya get Baylee up?"

"Yes. She's getting dressed, then she'll be out."

Nodding in understanding, Richard motioned for Ori to follow him into the kitchen, where Elle and Eira were bustling about the kitchen. It was still much too early for their cook to be there. Eira handed him a large plate of food, ushering him to sit at the counter while she moved to finish preparing her father's breakfast.

He was halfway finished with his food and Richard just starting his when Baylee came in, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She smiled at her family only to squeak as she, too, got a plate thrust into her hands. Elle chuckled, shaking her head as she watched her sit down.

"You look startled by your food," she told her.

"I am –a little bit," admitted Baylee. She stared down at the food, poking at it with her spoon. "I walk in expectin' tea an' instead I get lots o' food." She smiled, albeit tiredly, and started to eat. In all honesty, she didn't feel very hungry –not after having that nightmare- but she knew that they had a long day ahead of them, so food was needed.

"I'm going to miss this sausage," Richard mused. "We don't have apple wood in Dale and it always made the best smoked sausages…" He stabbed his knife into his final sausage and took a bite from it. He blinked as two more sausages appeared on his plate and he looked over at Baylee, who had an innocent look on her face as she ate some of her toast. "Baylee…"

"I had a link already," she told him. "It's fine." She dipped the corner of her toast into the yolk of her fried egg. "I'm more o' a fan o' maple sausage."

He gave her a long look before returning to his food. "Next time, you're eating all your own food," he told her. "Especially since we'll be walking and riding our way to Dale."

"Oh don't you start on 'bout how I'm apparently too skinny, too," she groaned. "Lovisa and Eira are already harpin' on me about this."

Eira cracked up. "I have done no such thing!" she laughed. "I'm merely trying to help you grow a few inches taller!"

"I think she's reached the tallest she'll get, love," Richard told her. "Not that it's a bad thing to be small."

"Just look at us dwarrows," Ori added. "We're small, but strong." He slid his final egg and a piece of bacon onto his last piece of toast.

Richard nodded. "You just need a stepstool to reach the top shelves." He smiled innocently as Ori pouted, earning a giggle from Baylee. "Or, be like Baylee and climb up her brother instead of getting a stepstool."

"Will's far more reliable than a stool," she told him. "A stool can only help me reach the bottom shelves. Will gets me t' the stop shelf." A cheeky grin came to her lips before she took a drink from her tea.

Ori chuckled quietly. "I don't think Nori or Dori would appreciate me climbing up on them just to reach a shelf, but I know other dwarrows who have done such things. Bifur and Bofur come to mind…And I one watch Balin jump off Dwalin's head to climb a tree."

Elle cocked her head. "Do all dwarven families have names that sound similar?"

"Hm?" Ori scratched his beard. "How do you mean?"

"Well…Ori, Nori, Dori…Balin, Dwalin…They sound alike. Is that how it is with all dwarven families or just an odd coincidence?" she asked, sitting down on a stool. She hid a yawn behind her hand.

He shrugged. "Most of the families I know have names like that. I guess it's just easier to remember them all that way?" He shrugged again. "I know my friend, Bombur, has eight children, but only five of them have names that sound alike."

Baylee giggled. "'Only five'…" she murmured. "To me, it sounds like it could end up bein' a pain after a while –especially if they're close in age. Imagine callin' for one child, but you use the wrong name because you couldn't remember if they were this one or tha' one."

He laughed. "I do that, sometimes, with Bombur's eldest three sons. It's easy to confuse those three, though –they are rather close in age and they all look the same. So I'll end up calling Biriz Baraz or Baraz Berez…" He shook his head. "Bifur and Bofur never mess 'em up though. I guess it's easier if you're family?"

"If Baylee and William had similar names, I think we would have been in trouble," Elle mused. "Imagine –William and Wilhema?"

Sticking her tongue out, Baylee made a noise of disgust. "I am most definitely not a Wilhema."

"Then Baylee and Bryni," Richard laughed. "Ah, but you two look nothing alike, so I think we would have been fairly safe."

"We've the same eyes," Baylee pouted. "An' freckles!"

"Will has freckles?" Ori asked. "I don't think I've noticed them before…"

"They're not all that noticeable until summer," she explained, "not t' mention he's got those scars coverin' half his face. But durin' the summer…" she quietly laughed and stood up, taking her plate to the sink, "he gets just as many freckles as me, if not more."

He blinked, trying to picture the sight, but failed. "That I cannot picture; then again, you've a fair bit o' freckles yourself."

She looked at her arms, grinning at the little brow dots covering her skin. "Aye, that I do. An' I get more durin' summer, too –granted, that's if I'm outside long enough t' get some sun."

"When we were younger, we would steal pots of ink from our parents' desks and we'd try connecting all the freckles together into pictures," Elle laughed. "Poor Baylee would get absolutely covered in ink –head to toe!- and boy did Lovisa give us a spankin'!"

As Baylee turned around, she found that Lovisa was standing in the doorway, fully dressed and with her bow and quiver strapped to her back. No one else had seemed to notice the half dwarf, amusing her somewhat as she leaned against the doorframe. Only the rattling of her long knife tapping against the wood alerted the rest of the kitchen to her presence.

"Ah, Lovisa!" Elle chuckled, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "We were just talking about you."

'Heard. Spoke of young days when was nurse.' Her brow rose as she hoarsely chuckled. 'Not give much spanking. Mostly gave long baths. Much scrubbing.'

"Why do ya have your huntin' gear on? You're not goin' off on the hunt again so soon, are ya?" Baylee inquired, brows furrowed.

She shook her head. 'Going with you.'

Richard and Baylee both perked. "You are?" asked the former.

'Yes. Want see Will, Warren. May visit Erebor. Hope fun. More dwarves than have seen in life!' She smiled warmly at them before coming in and dishing herself a plate of food. She didn't want to tell them her true motivation for visiting Dale, however; she knew full well that her adoptive family would grow a bit worried if they found out that she badly wanted to cease her life as a huntswoman. The human in her had been growing more tired as the years passed and, while the dwarf in her kept her body young and strong, she felt old. Having no idea of when she would pass on, she wished for nothing more than to settle down with a man –or dwarf- who would love her until the end.

"Are you absolutely positive that they'll be here in two days?"

"Aye, Master Braddock, I'm positive. They should be campin' at the Way Stone tonight."

Warren nodded, unable to hide his grin. "Good…good. Then they'll be back in time for Baylee an' Will's birthday," he thought aloud. "Thank-you, Torin. Tell Wenna tha' you're to have a drink o' your choice –on the house, mind you."

The young soldier grinned and nodded. "Thank-you, Master Braddock!" He dashed off, eager to get that free alcohol after riding for two days.

Warren, meanwhile, left the common room and burst into the kitchen, where Demelza, Adela, and Galiene were bustling about. Will sat on a stool, peeling potatoes while Gawen was hurriedly washing dishes. "Lads an' lasses: We shall have Baylee, Ori, an' Richard back in two days' time!" he declared.

"Two days!? I need to buy lemons!" Adela cried, despite the happiness on her features.

"I need to launder my dresses!" Demelza gaped, her eyes wide.

Galiene shook her head at the two of them. "You can do that after you finish helpin' me with all this cookin'!" she lightly scolded. "C'mon –Demelza, that soup isn't goin' t' stir itself. Adela, back t' the meat pies." She plucked up her spoon and went back to mixing a bowl full of various ingredients. "But thank-you for the update, Warren." She gave him a tired smile.

He pouted slightly. "Galiene, you've a duty, too, when they get back."

"Oh? An' what's that?" she chuckled, grabbing a handful of flour and sprinkling it over her bowl. "Makin' sure Baylee hasn't forgotten how t' carry a tray o' food?" she joked.

Shaking his head, he grabbed up an apron and took the peeling knife from Will. "Lad, you're needed out there," he ordered, motioning at the door behind him. "You, on the other hand, Galiene, are goin' t' be makin' Baylee an' Will's favorite meals. It's their birthday, after all!"

She stopped, her eyes widening. "Goodness me, it is, isn't it?" she gaped. "I had forgotten! No wonder Adela got so worried!"

"I don't get needlessly worried!" Adela chuckled, glancing at Will as he gave his hands a quick wash. "I hope there are still lemons to be had in the market…I suppose I could use dried or candied ones, but they just don't have the same flavor as the fresh ones."

"We may have a few down in the cellar. Will manages t' always bring us extra of whatever fruits they get in Dorwinion," Demelza told her.

"I'll check after I finish these pies."

"When you're done there, Warren, could ya slice four o' those 'taters into thin circles? Not too thin, mind you."

Will shook his head and plucked up an apron. He tied it around his waist as he headed out into the common room, where he found Wenna running about, bringing ale, beer, or mead to various patrons. Grabbing a tray, he started to meander around the room, chatting with a few of the customers or getting them fresh drinks, all the while assuring them that dinner was going to be ready quite soon.

Eventually, he made his way over to the dwarves' table. Nori, Dwalin, and Bifur were having a game of cards while Bofur was polishing something. "How's everythin' over here, lads?" he inquired, leaning a hand on the table.

"Just fine, laddie," Dwalin replied. He had an intense look of concentration on his face as he looked through his hand. Finally, he pulled a card out and laid it on the table. A two of knives. "Though, our drinks are gettin' a wee bit low."

Nodding, he set his tray down, starting to gather the mugs up. "Just got word tha' Ori, Baylee, and the rest should be back in two days," he casually told them.

Dwalin gave him a subtle glance, wanting to keep his eyes mostly on Nori. Bofur, however, perked right up, his eyes wide. "Is tha' so?" he asked. "Isn't that you're birthday?"

"Aye, it is." He reached for Bofur's mug only to frown slightly; it was more than half full. "What's this? Startin' to lose your taste for beer, Bofur?"

His cheeks turned a bit red. "No, I was just…" he shifted slightly and glanced away, "just finishing up this present for your sister."

Will's brow rose and he grinned. "Can I see it?" he teasingly asked.

For a moment, Bofur fumbled with the bracelet, his polishing cloth hiding it from view. Then, with a small, almost reluctant sigh, he held out his palm and uncovered the piece of the jewelry for Will to see. "It's not too good," he mumbled.

Will frowned as he looked the bracelet over; it may not have been perfect, but it was far better craftsmanship than anything Baylee currently owned. "You think this isn't good? She's going to love this!"

"R-Really?"

"Aye! Especially the rainbow o' gems you used. They're bright and sparkly; she's a sucker for bright an' sparkly things." He smiled, patting him reassuringly on the back. "She's going t' love it –just you watch."

Ori yawned, his head slowly tilting down towards his chest. When his horse let out a loud snort, he snapped upright and nervously looked around to see if anyone had caught him trying to doze off. Thankfully, though, it was still dark out and no one had seen him –or so he thought.

A flask was suddenly pushed into his hands. To his left, he could just barely make out a small smile on Lovisa's lips as she motioned for him to drink. Not wanting to argue, he uncorked the flask but sniffed it first; the scent of strong, black tea filled his nose and he took a small drink, not wanting to scald his tongue. A shiver ran down his spine as the liquid's heat spread throughout his body, earning a sigh of content from the young dwarf.

"Thank-you," he murmured, handing the flask back to her.

She nodded, taking it from him before taking a drink herself. Turning in the saddle, she looked back at Richard and Baylee; Richard was wide awake and chatting idly with his niece, who seemed a bit slumped over. Chuckling, she reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small pebble, tossing it at the human woman.

Bolting upright as the pebble hit her head, Baylee glanced around in all directions. "Who threw that?" she demanded, rubbing the spot.

"Who threw what?" Richard asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"Someone just hit me with a pebble." She turned around, but couldn't see much in the darkness besides the forms of mounted soldiers. Behind them, she knew that there was a large wagon filled with various goods, so it could not have come from that direction. "Ugh! When I find out who's been throwin' them, I'm goin' t' kick their arse t' the Misty Mountains an' back!"

Richard cocked his brow, amused by his niece's idle threat. He knew full well where the pebble had come from; Lovisa had been tossing them at Ori and Baylee the past week in an attempt to keep them awake in the saddle. He noticed that her aim had gotten much better –the first few days, she had ended up hitting their shoulders or their knees.

"Whoever threw it," he told his niece, "did you a favor. You were startin' to fall asleep again." He pulled up his own flask of tea and took a long, slow drink.

Grumbling, she rubbed her eyes. "That's because the soldiers wanted t' get up an' get movin' so early," she yawned. "No matter what, we'll reach home today. What difference would a couple more hours o' sleep make?"

"You'd be surprised, love. Drink some of your tea; it'll help wake you up."

Sighing, she did as she was told. If anything, though, the tea only managed to make her want to go back to sleep even more.

Within the hour, the eastern sky began to change from black to violet to pink. The first rays of sunlight streaked across the inky blackness, banishing the night from the land and allowing the travelers to see just where they were. From the front of the group, a cheer rose up –In the distance, the white walls of Dale could be seen rising above the flat plain. Behind the city stood the Lonely Mountain, its eastern face shining brightly while the rest of its sheer slops were left shrouded in darkness.

Baylee pulled her pony alongside Ori's, making sure to stay to the left of him when she noticed that he had pulled out his sketchbook. "You can draw an' ride at the same time?" Leaning over, she could make out small portraits of her, Richard, and Lovisa as well as some of the soldiers and doodles of plant life. He was quite good at drawing and she almost envied him for his skill.

"I'm trying to," he chuckled, his eyes darting up to look at Dale and Erebor. "I just really want t' capture the sight. If only I had my colors with me, then I could show Dwalin how beautiful it is!" He frowned, but continued his sketch. He doubted Dwalin could really appreciate a sight such as this, but the dwarf had surprised him on more than one occasion with his softer side.

Glancing up, Baylee saw that Dale had been dyed rosy pink by the early morning sun. It was a rather pretty color, especially against the cool, bluish grey of the Lonely Mountain behind it. She bit her tongue as she thought about finally getting to sleep in her own bed and seeing her father and brother again. Not to mention all of her friends…And, of course, Bofur…

Her cheeks grew warm at the thought of seeing him again and the fluttery feeling in her stomach returned –as it did every time she thought about Bofur. This time, though, the feeling was stronger, leaving her feeling almost scared to return home.

'I'll tell him after a good nap,' she told herself. 'That way I don't seem like I'm loopy from a lack of sleep. And I could, maybe, handle a rejection better with a bit more rest…'

Lovisa tapped her on the shoulder, drawing her out of her thoughts. 'Alright?'

"Fine. Just thinking," she replied, smiling. "Why?"

Her pale brow rose as she looked at Baylee; she didn't believe her. 'Cheeks red. Look nervous. Get sick?'

"No, no…I'm not gettin' sick, I promise," she chuckled. "I'm just…ah…"

'What?'

Baylee's cheeks grew even redder as she dropped the reigns in favor of signing. 'Think about dwarf.'

'Ori?'

She quickly shook her head. 'No! Ori have lad.'

'Lad?' Her brows furrowed in confusion.

'Yes. Lad. Strong dwarf. Name Dwalin. Cute couple.'

Nodding slowly, Lovisa leaned forward in the saddle, looking at Ori. He was too absorbed in his drawing to pay them any heed. 'As long as happy. Who your lad?'

'Not lad. Not know I like him. Name Bofur.'

She made an 'ahhh' sort of expression. 'Going tell him?'

'Yes. Nervous.'

'Sure he accept.'

Baylee snorted. 'Not sure. Wait, see. Maybe lucky.'

She shrugged, nodding. 'Is birthday. Luck on side?'

"Wait, what?" she said aloud. "It's my birthday today?"

'Thirteen May. Yes.' She giggled as Baylee became utterly baffled. 'How not know?!'

"I lost track o' time while we were travelin'," she murmured, rubbing the back of her head. Slowly, she started to laugh. "Well, this'll be a nice present for Will, won't it? This will be the first birthday we can celebrate together in three years!"

'Really?'

She nodded. "He's been in Dorwinion the last three." She grinned broadly; she had Will's present with her pack in the wagon. It had cost her most of her spending money, but it would serve him better than a new pair of boots –especially if Bofur and Bifur were to train him in the art of toy-making. Anyway, Will could always use a new set of fine chisels.

"Is this high enough?"

"Hmm…Can ya go just a few inches higher?"

Will stood on his tiptoes, pressing the end of the cloth streamer against the ceiling. "This high enough?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Perfect! Tack it there an' I'll get the next bunch ready for you!"

His brow rose as he glanced over his shoulder, watching Adela race across the common room. Rolling his eyes, he quietly laughed and tapped a small nail into place so that the streamers wouldn't fall. "I'm startin' t' smell that lemon cake," he called, "an' that rum cake!"

She giggled as she gathered together a set of green, yellow, and white cloth streamers. "Do they smell good?" she asked.

"It smells quite delicious," Dwalin replied. He currently stood beneath Nori, who was also tacking some streamers up. "Reminds me o' the cakes my mum used t' make. Never could find a baker as good as her. We'll have t' see about yer bakin', though."

"Alright, this end's up," Nori told Will. Hopping down from Dwalin's shoulders, he looked up at the blue, grey, and white string as Will finished tacking it up. "An' I agree. The cakes smell delicious. I wonder if the birthday lad an' lass are goin' t' be willin' t' share?" He wore a grin as he took one end of the streamers from Adela.

Dwalin cocked his brow as they headed for the opposite corner of the room. "Like yeh've ever shared. Yeh'll find a way t' steal a slice or two, I'm sure o' it."

"Maybe." With a grin, he leapt up into Dwalin's hand before hopping onto his shoulders once more.

Will shook his head as he walked over to Adela and kissed her cheek. "I think we've got the common room covered, love. Why don't ya sit a spell an' just wait for the cakes t' finish baking? After all, we don't need you overworkin' yourself." He managed to keep himself from wincing; not wanting to worry the others, he hadn't told them that, for the better part of the day, his stomach had been feeling off. He wasn't sure if it was him getting sick or nerves about giving Baylee her birthday present.

"But they could be gettin' back at any moment," she pouted.

He laughed and gave her a reassuring kiss on the lips as he held her shoulders. "Everything's going t' be fine. You need to rest. Save your energy for when ya give Baylee our present."

She glanced up at him, her cheeks a bit red. "Are you sure about that? I mean, telling her first…After all, she doesn't even know that I live here now."

"I'm sure. I've always told her everything first anyway; why do it different now?" He gave her a small wink. "Go one. Go have some tea or something."

Nodding, she turned and let out a small laugh as he urged her forward by lightly smacking her bum. She attempted to give him a scolding glare from over her shoulder, but her grin was only all-too-obvious.

As Adela ducked back into the kitchen, Bofur and Bifur came into the inn. The shoulders of Bofur's shirt and the back of Bifur's jacket were damp from their hair, letting the others know that they had bathed that morning. Both of them carried two wooden boxes 'sealed' shut by some blue, silk ribbon.

"Happy birthday, lad!" Bofur chirped.

"Tanakmâ mahkhajimu!" Bifur declared, holding up his two presents.

Will laughed, feeling the ache in his stomach lessen slightly. "Thank-you. An' we'll be openin' presents after dinner. It's a tradtion o' dad's t' make Baylee an' me wait all day to build up anticipation."

Bofur nodded. "So, where should we set these, then?"

"Behind the bar there should be good." He grabbed another set of streamers and moved to tack them to the center of the room.

"Ugh, can yeh get off now? We've finished with our steamers an' yeh weigh a lot."

"Odd; I thought you said you could carry my weight for hours on end?" Nori put his hands on his hips as he looked down at Dwalin. "Or is the big, strong warrior not as strong as he thought he was?"

Dwalin looked up at him, no humor on his features. "Yer big feet are diggin' into my neck an' it's startin' t' give me a pain!" With a shrug, he sent Nori flying off of his shoulders. Nori, however, easily caught himself and, with a small roll, sprang upright, brushing himself off.

"I had been about to hop off, you impatient lout," he scolded, feeling his hair. It was still nicely pointed and he was content.

Leaning against the wall, Dwalin looked at him blandly. "Mhm. Yeh liked being up high so yeh could feel tall for once."

"Oh, stop your bickerin'," Bofur told them. "Or, if you don't want to, take it t' one o' those seedy pubs Nori likes so much."

Will raised his brow. "Seedy pubs?" he repeated, but he went unheard.

"I don't 'like' them. They're just…handy at times." He tucked the knife he had used as a hammer back into his belt. "And it's not like I've visited one in a while –except the one Dwalin 'treated' me to last week."

His brow rose higher. "Are you talkin' about the pub that had the big bar fight?" Both Nori and Dwalin looked away, trying to appear innocent. "I should have known. Some o' my friends were saying that it was started by two dwarves…"

"We didn't start it, exactly –the blokes tryin' to steal from us did," Nori corrected.

"But we sure as halite finished it!" Dwalin grinned.

Will opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off as the door to the inn slammed open. To his horror, he watched as his uncle and a woman ran in, both streaked with blood and dirt.

"Will, where's your father!?" Richard demanded, grabbing him by the collar. Outside, the city's warning bells were ringing.

"H-he's in the market. Why?" He looked between the two people. "Uncle, Lovisa –what happened!? Where's Baylee?! Where's Ori?"

Richard swallowed hard, his jaw shaking. "Baylee an' Ori were kidnapped."