A/N: I am so, so sorry that this took so long to get finished. Last week was particularly crazy for me -three birthdays took place! Three! Needless to say, I was a bit scatter brained. Also, this chapter is a bit of a filler chapter (sorry!) because the only thing I really had planned...wasn't that big of an event, heh. So I crammed it full of fluff, since you lot seem to like fluff ;)

Chapter Twenty-Two

When Ori woke up, he found himself snuggled against Dwalin's chest, the warriors arms wrapped protectively around him. Smiling fondly, he let out a quiet sigh, scooting even further into his embrace. He didn't quite know why he had woken up; he was very comfortable and warm. Yawning, he closed his eyes, his good hand idly stroking Dwalin's forearm.

He was just about to drift back into sleep when the larger dwarf snored. Ori jumped, startled back into consciousness by the volume of the sound. A second snore shortly followed and Ori started to wonder if it had been these noises that had awakened him. Raising his brow, he lightly smacked Dwalin's chest with his good hand, trying to wake him up.

"Hey….wake up, you big lout," he chuckled. "Wake up!"

Dwalin stirred, his eye opening tiredly. "Huh? What's wrong, lad?" he murmured. Closing his eye again, he buried his face into Ori's hair.

"Your snoring woke me up, so I thought I'd repay the favor," he half teased, half scolded.

Shrugging, Dwalin rolled over onto his back, bringing Ori atop his bare chest. "Judgin' by the light, it's probably nearin' breakfast time," he murmured, tucking one hand behind his head. Looking down at Ori, he smiled tenderly. "Wonder if Lovisa's goin' t' cook us a feast again?"

"You mean Bifur?" he smiled, resting his chin on Dwalin's chest. "He barely lets her do anything because of her ribs."

Dwalin quietly chuckled, stroking the back of Ori's head. "Aye, he's been watchin' over her somethin' close," he told the lad. "Just like I've been watchin' over you, only less protective." He tilted his head down and kissed Ori's forehead.

"I don't think anyone's going to be able to be as shielding as you in these next few months." Shifting slightly, he winced as he rolled off of Dwalin and back onto his side. He quietly hissed in pain, his arm throbbing as it got pinned between him and the mattress.

"Careful, lad," Dwalin frown, lifting him up so he could free his arm. "It's not in a splint for nothin', after all." Very carefully, he lifted up the hand on Ori's broken arm and lightly dragged his lips along his knuckles.

"How's your eye –er, eye socket- feeling?" he asked, using his good hand to comb through Dwalin's beard.

He quietly chuckled, kissing the top of his head once more. "It's got a dull throb," he admitted, "but it's nothin' I can't handle. Though, it hurts somethin' awful when the healers check it an' put that strange medicine in it."

"I would imagine…I mean, your whole eye is missing." He gave him a pitying look. "How did it even happen?" Ori started to work at untangling a snarl in Dwalin's beard.

Shrugging, Dwalin closed his eyes. "Truth be told, I don't remember much. I think it happened when a warg caught me unawares an' tried t' crush my head in its jaws. The only thing I recall perfectly is the smell o' its breath." He quietly cursed. "Now that was a horrible smell."

"Of course it was –it was a warg," he chuckled. Freeing Dwalin's beard of the final tangle, he lightly patted down any stray hairs before kissing along his chest. "They don't care if the food they eat is fresh or three weeks rotten…" He shook his head. "I'm surprised you didn't get some sort of horrible infection."

"I'm glad I didn't," he admitted. "I may be a warrior, but when it comes t' havin' t' have pus an' yuck drained out o' my flesh, I'm a bit o' a weakling." He cringed at the thought. "Yuck."

"Luckily, Hunil seems to have some rather good medicines to keep that infection at bay," Ori told him, his lips trailing along Dwalin's collarbone. "Then again, rangers know how t' make potent medicines since they're always out in the wild, gettin' the freshest o' herbs and whatnot."

Tilting his head back, Dwalin sighed in content, his fingers stroking Ori's hair. "Yeh'd be surprised 'bout what he slathered on the wounds."

"Oh?" He glanced up at him.

"Honey."

Ori's brows furrowed. "What? Honey?" Dwalin nodded. "…Did he want you to attract more beasts?"

At that, Dwalin snorted. "No, no…He only put it on me until we could stop an' get some proper medicinal pastes on us all." He let his fingers run along Ori's bare shoulder, fingertips lightly tracing over the small scratches he had gotten during the fight. "Honey does have some medicinal properties t' it, though."

"Well, I knew that, but I thought it was only good in teas –you know, good for the throat and stomach."

He shrugged again. "Don't ask me," he told him. "I'm no healer. Are yeh hungry?"

Ori quietly laughed. "Am I a dwarf?" He watched as Dwalin sat up.

Dwalin grinned cheekily. "Silly me. Yer always hungry, like a normal person," he teased. "I'll go fetch us some food, eh? Yeh stay here; get some more rest." Throwing back the blanket back, he heard Ori chuckle as he slid out of the bed. "Enjoyin' the view?" he joked, searching the floor for his trousers. He grunted and jumped upright as he felt Ori's hand lightly smack his bare bum. Brow rising, he glanced over his shoulder. "Cheeky in the mornin', aren't yeh?"

"I think you're the cheeky one, being that you're over there, showin' off your bum."

He started to pull his trousers on, shaking his head with a small chuckle. "Yeh like my bum though." Lacing his trousers up, he reached down, intending to grab his shirt.

"I certainly missed the view while I was kidnapped." He laughed, shielding himself with a pillow as Dwalin lightly threw his trousers at him. "Hey now!" he chuckled. "I missed the rest of the view, too!"

Dwalin rolled his eyes, though still wore a grin, as he pulled the shirt on. "Yeh really are sassy this mornin'," he laughed. Leaning over, he stole a kiss from Ori. "I'll be back with breakfast soon. Don't yeh get out o' bed, yeh hear?"

"Not like I'd make it very far," he grinned, lying back down. "I'll probably fall asleep again."

"Well, yeh'll be awakened by bacon if yeh do."

"Sounds fine by me." He closed his eyes, still wearing a grin as Dwalin left the room.

Nori only had four hours' worth of sleep.

Zori's new, food-filled diet may have helped him gain weight and fill up his diapers, but it also meant that the child got colic more often, since his stomach was not used to the nutritious meals. Nori had done every possible thing he could think of to try and relieve the child's pain –bouncing him on his knee, patting him on the back, trying to get him to drink some cooled mint tea- but none of it had worked. After the first two hours of irritability, Zori seemed to calm down and had managed to nap, which Nori did as well, but was soon whimpering and crying again.

He took the child outside, hoping the fresh, morning air would help. After all, Zori loved being outside –mostly because of the butterflies- so perhaps the sight of grass and trees would calm the child. At first, it seemed to work and Zori calmed, his wailing reduced to sniffling and uncomfortable squirming. Sighing in relief, Nori moved to go sit under one of the cascading willow trees, setting his son in the grass beside him so he could play and hopefully be healed of any pain that was left in his tummy.

Eyes closing, Nori felt sleep trying to tug him back into its sweet embrace; he was exhausted and he was sure Zori was as well. But no sooner had he accidentally let his chin tip forward onto his chest and a small snore escape his mouth than Zori let out a pained wail. His eyes shot open and he found the child lying beside him.

"I'm sorry you hurt lad," Nori sighed, plucking him up. He cradled him against his chest, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. "Papa wants t' help, but he's tried everything."

"Have ya tried a warm bath and rubbin' his belly?"

He looked up, finding Baylee some feet away, leaning against a crutch. He hadn't even seen her coming…"No, I haven't."

"My mum, auntie, an' Lovisa would give us warm baths and rub our stomachs whenever we didn't feel good," she told him. "I don't quite know what the baths did, but rubbin' the stomach helped whatever was trapped loosen up enough t' work its way out." She winced slightly and shifted the crutch under her arm. "If that doesn't work, then…Well, sometimes you've just got t' let 'em tough it out. Sounds harsh, I know, but sometimes you just can't help them, no matter how badly you want to."

Nori nodded in understanding, rubbing Zori's back. "I think I'll try that, then," he sighed. "I hope it works, because we both need the sleep…"

She nodded in understanding, offering Nori a hand up. "At least you've some womenfolk around to help you, though," she chuckled, pulling him up. She ignored the pain she felt in her back and shoulders. "Otherwise, I'm sure you'd be totally lost."

He let out a weary laugh. "Ori was a baby once, you know. I know a few things, but I was never around for this sort o' thing."

Zori whined, his little hand grabbing the metal cap on Nori's beard. Tugging it towards him, he started to angrily gum on the metal.

"Though, it's hard t' tell if it's colic or teething right now," Nori murmured, keeping his head tilted to the side. "Rather sure it's colic, though…He passed wind a few times earlier and he calmed down for a bit, though he started crying again so…"

"Too bad the wee lad can't talk yet." Baylee limped alongside them as they headed towards the door. "When he does learn, things will get a might bit easier."

"Tell me about it. Though, he is rather talkative already. He likes to babble to butterflies or try telling me about how Dwalin got mashed carrot up his nose."

Baylee giggled. "Ah, so you let others feed him, then? Good plan. Gives you a chance t' eat."

He chuckled, opening the door inside and letting her in first. "More like Dwalin stole him from me an' used too big o' a spoon to feed him. Despite the carrots up his nose, though, we've discovered that the tyke loves the orange roots."

"Oh?"

"Aye. He loves 'em so much, he smeared them all over his body." The two of them came into the kitchen, where they were surprised to find Will washing dishes and Lovisa sipping some tea. Both looked up, Lovisa getting to her feet and hurrying to Baylee's side to usher her to sit.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Baylee reassured her. "It's Zori who needs help. The lad needs a warm bath and tummy rubbing."

Lovisa frowned, her head tilting. 'Stomach hurt?'

"We think so," Nori replied. "Neither o' us have gotten much sleep since last night."

She nodded in understanding and was about to start filling a pot with water when Will stopped her. "You sit," he instructed. "I'll see to the water."

Sighing, Lovisa returned to her seat, earning a small giggle from Baylee as she hobbled over, getting a large wooden bowl for Zori's bath. While she knew that she had to rest just as much as the others, she was finding it difficult to actually do such; she was too used to running around and taking care of people. Bifur and Will, however, were doing quite a good job of making her be lazy.

She watched as Baylee finally sat down across from her, wincing slightly as her hip protested. 'How feel?' she signed.

"A little achy still, but my back is doin' so much better." She reassuringly smiled at her.

"You're not used to lazing about so much," Will chuckled, bringing them each a bowl of soup. "Especially in bed. No wonder your back got sore."

Lovisa thanked him for the soup. 'Baylee like me. Not like being lazy.' She smiled as Will kissed her temple.

"You're both always so worried over the wellbeing of other people," he told her, "so now it's up to us to let you two rest. Baylee, I made sure there were extra vegetables in your soup."

"Thank you, Will," she chirped. Plucking up the spoon, she started to eat.

Lightly bouncing Zori as he carried him, Nori walked over to the hearth and leaned over, sniffing the stew. "Smells good," he admitted. "Who made it?"

"Bifur," Will answered, "though Lovisa and I chopped the vegetables."

Nori lifted the ladle from the pot, inspecting the contents. "What are the white ribbons in it?"

"Egg."

"Egg?" Baylee asked, now looking closely at her bowl. She let some of the soup drop back in from her spoon, confused. "Why would ya put egg in a soup?"

'Hearty. Egg good for you,' Lovisa answered. 'At least, what Bifur told me. Said it help make feel better sooner.'

Nodding in understanding, Nori went to check the temperature of the water. Finding it adequate, he grabbed a cloth and pulled it off of the fire, though Will soon took the pot from him and poured its contents into the bowl while the dwarf removed Zori's dress and diaper. Zori protested to this; it meant that he could no longer chew on his father's metal hair clasp. As soon as his legs entered the warm water, he started kicking his legs and whining in protest.

"Quiet now, lad," Nori quietly told him. "This'll –hopefully- help you feel better."

His words did little to ease Zori. Still whining, he started to smack the water, writhing against Nori's hands. He barely even looked up when Baylee hobbled over and lightly moved Nori out of the way. Instead, he continued to fuss, his hands balled into fists.

"Shh," Baylee cooed, starting to rub his belly. "Shh, little one. Relax."

After some minutes, Zori finally started to calm down, though he was still sniffling. His stomach started to gurgle, its gaseous contents being moved around by the gentle massaging. Then, when nearly ten minutes of tummy- caressing had passed, he produced some rather large bubbles from his hindquarters, a surprised look on his face.

"That's my boy!" Nori grinned. He cracked up as Zori made more bubbles. Baylee, conversely, waved her hand in front of her nose, gagging slightly.

"Those have been fermentin'!" she retched, motioning for Nori to take over.

"Oh Valar! That does reek!" Will laughed, waving a clean plate in front of him in an attempt to fan the smell away. "Nori, what have ya been feedin' that child?"

Nori tugged his tunic over his nose; the smell was fairly potent. "Dwalin gave him mashed carrots last night," he grunted. "Er…Will, could ya heat me up some more water?"

Lovisa chuckled. 'Soiled himself?'

"Sadly, yes…"

Bofur was puffing on his pipe that afternoon, his elbows resting on the balcony railing of his room. His stomach was full from a hearty lunch he had bought out in the market; he had also purchased a small lemon cake as a present for Baylee. Baylee, however, was nowhere to be found. She had been given strict orders to not leave the house of healing or its gardens, leaving very few places where she could actually go; and yet, he couldn't find her.

As such, he had given up his search in favor for a smoke. 'She's probably off in a bath or getting her thigh and hip looked over,' he thought, lightly twirling his pipe between his fingers. The taste of tobacco in his mouth brought some comfort and a sense of home to him. With his eyes shut and the sounds of the city reaching his ears, he could almost picture himself back in Dale. The only difference was the smell of salt in the air; the air of Dale bore a sweeter scent –the scent of growing trees and grass.

A small knock came to the door, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Bofur…? Ya in there?"

"Aye, lass. Door's open!" He turned, smiling as Baylee came limping into the room with her crutch. "Ya know…'bout half an hour ago, I looked all over this place for you and couldn't find you anywhere."

She gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry 'bout that. I was in the bath." Bofur met her halfway through the room and helped her out onto the balcony before going back in and fetching a stool for her. "Thank you." Her cheeks turned a bit pink as he kissed her cheek. Grinning, she turned her head and stole a kiss from his lips.

Bofur kissed her in return, lifting his hand so he could cup her cheek. "Got you a present," he murmured against her lips. He smirked as she quietly giggled.

"Oh? What's it for?" she inquired, lightly rubbing her nose against his.

"A belated birthday gift." Reluctantly pulling back from her, he hobbled back into his room so he could fetch the cake he had bought her. It had been wrapped in a simple linen cloth to keep it from going stale. "Here ya go, lass." Beaming as he came back outside, he held the cake out to her. "Hope ya like it."

Her brow rising in curiosity, she took the object from him. "A belated birthday gift, hm?" Opening it, she suddenly cracked up. "Alright…Who told you I liked lemon cake?" A soft giggle left her mouth as Bofur nuzzled her cheek.

"A certain redhead an' her lover back in Dale." Taking her crutch, he leaned it against the railing before plucking up his pipe again. He took a breath from it as Baylee took the first bite out of her lemon cake.

She let out a small, excited squeak when she discovered that the cake was filled with lemon curd –something that the pies and cakes back home didn't have. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed through a mouthful of cake. She blushed in embarrassment as she accidentally sprayed some crumbs onto her lap. "Sorry…"

"Be as messy as you like, lass," he chuckled. "So I take it that this cake is a wee better than the stuff ya get in Dale?"

She nodded, using a finger to wipe some lemon curd from her chin while chewing. After swallowing, she turned the uneaten half of the cake towards him, showing him the filling. "The ones back home don't have this yummy filling," she told him. "They're just a plain cake." She licked the curd from her finger, offering him a bite of the cake.

Leaning forward, he took the offered bite, being extra careful to not nip her fingers. He was surprised; the cake and curd tasted quite a bit like lemon, but only the curd had any of the tartness. Now he knew why it was Baylee's favorite cake –with the balance between sweet and sour, it was delicious.

"So what have you been up to all day? Besides lookin' for me, that is," she inquired before taking the final bite.

He shrugged. "Not much. I explored the market an' found some lunch there." As he spoke, smoke furled out of his mouth and nose. "There are some really interestin' foods t' find out there. A lot o' stuff I didn't recognize, but it was relatively yummy. When you're able t' leave the house o' healin', I should take you around the place. I'm sure you'd like it."

A quiet laugh left her mouth. "That sounds like it'd be fun," she told him, "but I don't think I'd be allowed t' leave until we all head back t' Dale."

"Which will be in three days," he sighed. He then cheekily grinned. "Well, then, I'll just have t' buy you lots o' food an' bring it all back for you. I'm sure Lovisa won't mind."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "So long as I'm ingestin' a lot o' food, Lovisa's wouldn't mind." Brushing the crumbs from her lap, she then folded up the cloth the cake had been in and set it on the railing.

"She just wants ya t' gain your strength back." Leaning over, he kissed her forehead, his free hand stroking her cheek. "It'll be nice t' see you walking around without a crutch, though I know it'll be a long while before that happens."

Baylee unconsciously rubbed her outer thigh. "Hunil an' the other healers said the teeth went all the way into the bone," she sighed. "So I imagine it'll be some months before I'm walkin' right –if I walk right at all ever again." Her head was tilted upright and Bofur gave her a soft kiss; as he kissed her, she could taste and smell the tobacco from his pipe. Her senses were filled by the richness of smoked cherries –not unpleasant to her in the least.

"You'll heal up just fine," he told her, his tone soft and comforting. "It'll just take you a little while."

She smiled, nuzzling his cheek. "At least I can kiss you durin' that time," she murmured, her hand subtly rising and taking hold of the stem of his pipe. Slowly, so he wouldn't notice, she started to ease it from his grasp. "I like your kisses."

He grinned, kissing her once more. "Aye, I'm enjoyin' your kisses, too, lass." Not even noticing that she had stolen his pipe, he brushed some hair from her face, gently tucking it behind her ears. "Does your brother know 'bout 'us' yet…?" He kissed her cheek near her ear, his whiskers lightly tickling her skin.

"Not yet." She popped the stem of his pipe between her teeth, inhaling the cherry-tinged smoke as he gave her a startled look. "What's wrong?" she sweetly asked.

"When did ya get that?" he demanded, confused. "Wait…you smoke?"

She nodded, blowing out a thin stream of smoke. "Not often, but I do," she explained. "Also, I took it right out o' your hand not two minutes ago." Inhaling the smoke again, she tilted her head back and blew a small smoke ring into the afternoon air. "Don't tell Will, though. He an' papa don't think it's proper for a woman t' smoke. Don't know why; Aunt Demelza smokes."

"I won't be tellin' him," he assured her. "Though…you should tell him 'bout us before we leave."

"I plan on it," she agreed before taking a final puff of the pipe. Handing it back for Bofur, she let the hot, smoky air furl out through her nose. "I'm sure he won't mind; somethin' tells me he's been wishin' for you an' me to get together."

At that, Bofur laughed. "Oh, he has. I blurted out t' Dwalin an' Bifur that I fancied ya a few days after ya left…didn't know Will was behind me. Ever since then, he's been pesterin' me to tell ya." Leaning over, he lightly rubbed his nose against hers again before resting his forehead against hers. "I'll take that as a good sign, though."

She smiled, her hand lightly clasping his. "Aye. If Will likes ya, then it means you stand a fair chance o' not bein' frightened away by him or papa." She kissed his chin.

He raised his brow. "…So, if he didn't like me, he'd scare me away from you?"

"Well, he'd try. Apparently, he's done it before. I'm not too sure, though. I'm not really the sort o' woman who needs t' worry about males chasin' after her."

Bofur pouted slightly before kissing her nose and suddenly grinning brazenly. "No. You get t' have dwarves chasin' you all day long."

"Just one dwarf," she smiled, wrapping her arms around him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, sighing in content. "I don't need any others chasin' after me."

He held her against him, his eyes closing as his hand stroked the back of her head. "Good, because then I'd have t' chase 'em away." Idly, he started to put some small braids into her hair, continuing to nuzzle her.

"I doubt I'd have any other dwarves pursuin' me," she chuckled, her hand rising up to stroke his mustache.

He raised his brow. "If ever you visited Erebor, I'm sure there would be a couple tryin' t' woo you…an' then they'd regret it." Kissing her lips again, he felt her grin into the kiss and pull him a bit closer to her. Holding her against him, he closed his eyes, fingers running through her hair.

And then someone knocked on the door.

Pouting, Bofur pulled back. "Who is it?" he called.

"Rán. I am looking for Lady Baylee. Do you know where I could find her?"

Baylee blinked, feeling Bofur pull her a bit closer to him. "I'm in here," she called before Bofur could say otherwise. "Come on in."

The door opened and Rán entered. She seemed to stiffen slightly as she saw Bofur hugging Baylee, but managed a relieved smile. This was the first time she had seen Baylee since they had reached Rëma, since she had been busy with official business. "It is good to see you up and about."

Smiling, Baylee tilted her head slightly. "And I'm glad t' see that you're not too badly hurt," she replied. "Though, judgin' by your uniform an' weapons, you need somethin' other than t' check up on my health." Rán had shaved, leaving her jaw smooth and giving her a slightly more feminine appearance than normal.

An apologetic look came to her features. "I am afraid so. The prisoner we captured during the skirmish requests to see you."

"Me?" She frowned. "Why would they wish t' see me?"

"She has told me that you two are acquaintances," she explained, "but will not go into further detail."

Bofur frowned. "Baylee's not fit t' walk around town," he told Rán.

"That is why the prisoner was brought here. I have put her in one of the first-floor rooms." She smirked ever so slightly as Bofur glanced away, discontented. "So if you would come with me, Lady Baylee…"

Nodding, she grabbed her crutch and, with some help from Bofur, eased herself upright. She kissed the top of his head before quietly telling him, "Save me a spot next to you at dinner, aye?"

"Promise," he smiled.

Baylee limped towards Rán, who held the door open for her. She thanked her and went into the hall. "What does the prisoner look like?" she quietly asked.

"She is a tall woman with scars across her face and body."

"And her hair is blood-red?"

Rán nodded. "Then she does not lie? You do know her?"

She lightly shrugged. "It's quite possible. There were a lot of women Ori and I met while we were captured. Not many of them had red hair, however."

As they reached the stairs, Rán offered Baylee her arm so that she could help her down the steps. "Did the healer say how long it would be until your leg is healed?"

"A few months at the least. Apparently, the two warg teeth that had been pulled out o' my side were stuck in the bone." She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the final step. "It's going to be a long road t' recovering, but at least I can sort o' walk for now."

Rán smiled. "That is always a good thing. Do you know when your group will be returning to Dale?"

"In three days, from what I've heard." She noticed that Rán still held onto her arm, helping her to walk in place of her crutch. Rounding a corner, she saw Nakara standing before a door at the end of the hall, a sword on his hip and his arms crossed over his chest.

"So soon? But most of you are still injured." Rán frowned; she didn't like this news.

"Most o' us would like t' get home as soon as possible –especially since my brother is due t' become a father quite soon."

Rán raised her brow, looking rather surprised. "Is that so? I was not aware that he had a wife."

"Heh…Well, he doesn't just yet…but he plans on marryin' the mother o' the child."

She nodded in understanding as they came upon the door. Nakara turned around and unlocked the door before opening it and stepping aside. Leading Baylee into the room, the two women found Hunil and Girish standing near the windows. Sitting on the edge of the bed was Vlasta, her hands and ankles bound by iron shackles. She looked up when Baylee and Rán entered, a tired smile coming to her lips. She had bandages along her arms and some poking out from beneath her tunic.

"Hello, Baylee. Am glad to see are still alive. Was surprised to see what had happened…But not surprised that it happened."

"Damayanti had it coming to her. Taking my fingers was one thing, but what she was trying with Ori was too far."

She slowly nodded. "Would have helped if had known…and weren't drunk." She smiled apologetically. "Are with friends again, though. That good thing, eh?"

Rán looked between the two. "Lady Baylee, how do you know her?"

"She…" Baylee looked between Rán and Vlasta. "She was the one who kept me an' Ori as safe as she could. She made sure we didn't get taken by cruel people."

Rán nodded and stiffly leaned against the wall. "So she is the one who made you her concubine?"

"It was in title only," Vlasta told her. "Wouldn't use her for concubine, eh? Am more into males than females." She gave Baylee a tired smile.

"What, exactly, happened that caused all of your city's warg riders to be sent after us?" Rán asked as Nakara helped Baylee to sit on a nearby stool.

Vlasta shook her hair. "Not all riders sent. Just most," she corrected. "And…from what can guess, would say that Baylee killed our queen. Would say Ori did it, but…" Shaking her head, she glanced at Baylee, who had gone a bit pale. "She had brought about more of Baylee's wrath, eh?"

Glancing at Baylee, Rán wore a look of shock. "You killed a queen?"

She nodded slowly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I had just meant t' stab her," she admitted, "not kill her. But I guess either the knife had reached her heart or she bled out…I don't know. That whole night is still a blur t' me."

Vlasta quietly laughed. "If had stayed and not run, would have gotten honors amongst people. Those who manage to slay queen in hand-to-hand combat get to become queen –most times."

Baylee peeked around the room, seeing that the rangers were staring at her, impressed looks on their faces. "I'm not goin' back," she told them. "I don't care if I'd be made a queen. I'm goin' home in a few days. Someone else can be queen. Make Vlasta queen for all I care!"

"Am not going to be queen," Vlasta laughed. "Am being put to death."

"What?" Baylee stared at her.

"Am being put to death," she repeated. "Is what I get for being raider, eh?" Though she sounded amused, Baylee could hear the sorrow and regret in her voice. "Asked to come here so could see that you were alright. Are little worse for wear from looks of it, but are still alive."

Baylee looked at Rán. "You can't kill her."

"Lady Baylee, she is a criminal," Rán gently explained. "Because of her, the three of you could have ended up dead-"

"But we didn't. Instead, she made sure that we ended up getting taken to places where we'd be safe!" she argued. "Aye, I lost two fingers, but it wasn't any fault o' hers –it was the queen's!" She gave Rán a pleading look. "You can't kill her!"

Rán crossed her arms over her chest. "Lady Baylee, you do not understand the severity of her crimes-"

"You can use her t' get into the city an' capture the last raiders with minimal uprising!"

Girish shook his head. "Is not that simple," he spoke. "People not listen to her."

"Vlasta was Damayanti's second in command; of course they'll listen to her!" she cried.

There was silence for some minutes. The rangers looked between one another, uncertainty and doubt written on their faces.

"You did not tell us that." Rán voice was rather cold as she glanced at the raider.

Vlasta rubbed the back of her neck, glancing away. "Because didn't want to know," she grumbled. "Was keeping it secret on purpose, eh?"

Lifting her brow, Rán did not seem amused, though she remained quiet as she thought. Turning from the group, she walked over to the window and peered out of if, her hands on her hips. "You said that only most of the riders had been sent after us. Is that the truth?"

"Yeah."

"How many people live in that city and the lands to the south?"

Shrugging, Vlasta thought for a moment. "Three, four thousand? Not sure; we get more and more every year, eh? Hard to keep track."

"How many of those people are raiding prizes?"

"Less than half thousand. Is not normal for us to take prisoners, but Prema liked Tyko and Baylee and Ori…were plucky. That amused us."

Baylee's brow rose. "Plucky? How were we plucky?" she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.

Hearing her words, Vlasta grinned. "When fought us in Dale," she explained, "were throwing insults at us while fought. Two of you, back-to-back…Was unusual and amusing."

Turning slightly, Rán glanced at Baylee. "You may leave now, Lady Baylee," she told her. "Rest assured that Vlasta may no longer die now that you have told us that she was the second-in-command."

A small surge of relief washed over Baylee as Nakara helped her stand and leave the room. As the door was closed behind her, she could see Ori peeking his head around the corner. She gave him a small smile and wave.

"Is Vlasta really in there?" he asked when she approached.

Her brows furrowed. "How did…?"

He shrugged. "Nori said important people were in there, so I snooped a little bit. I thought I had heard Vlasta's voice, but it was hard to hear through the wood." The two of them started to walk away. "Why is she here?"

"She requested t' see me. She was goin' to be put to death, but I think I may have changed her fate for the better…"

"How so?"

"She didn't tell Rán that she was Damayanti's right hand, but I told her. Vlasta didn't seem terribly pleased by this news, but I don't think she's goin' t' die anymore. At least, not any time soon."

Ori nodded in understanding. "She did try to keep us as safe as possible. It would be a bit of a shame to see her die like that. She seemed the most…kind out of the raiders, after all."

"Her an' Malasintha were definitely the kindest. I hope Malasintha's alright…"

"I didn't see her during the fray, so she's probably still in the city."

Baylee slowly nodded. "They also know it was me who killed Damayanti," she quietly told him.

He frowned. "It could just as easily have been me-"

"But it wasn't." She gave him a small, worn-out smile. "Vlasta knew I had more hatred towards her than ya. I think Rán an' the other three are a wee bit terrified o' me now."

"Well, truthfully, they should be. Not only did you kill a queen, but you an' Will somehow cheated death."

She groaned. "We didn't cheat death –Mandos must have decided it wasn't our time or somethin'."

"You've got to admit, though, that with how badly the two of you were hurt, most folk would have died."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed; the past week had been full of this very same talk from the other dwarves. "Aye, I admit that –how we lived, I'll never know. I'm just glad we did. I'll get t' see my family again an' I can cuddle Bofur…" Her cheeks flared red when she realized that she had said the last part out loud.

A cheeky grin came to Ori's lips. "Ah! So you two are courtin' now?" he laughed. Baylee glanced away, mumbling something under her breath. "Good!" He smiled reassuringly at her. "You two are goin' to make a really cute couple, honestly."

"Just…Don't tell anyone yet," she mumbled. "I need t' tell Will before anyone else finds out."

"I promise I won't say a word to anyone," he told her.

In spite of this, neither of them had noticed that, as they spoke, they had passed by Lovisa. She was crouched down off of the path, picking some herbs for tea. Upon hearing the news about Bofur and Baylee, her brow rose up and she felt intrigued. Baylee she knew quite well, but Bofur? She had barely talked with him on this journey and didn't know much about him besides the fact that he was Bifur's younger cousin.

She thought that she ought to have a small chat with him.

Having just seen Bofur in the kitchen, she stood upright and headed back inside, forgetting about her herbs. There he was, pouring himself a cup of ale from a clay pitcher. No one else was in the room, leaving her able to have a discussion with him in relative peace.

"Afternoon, Lovisa," he smiled, setting the pitcher down. "Would you like a cup o' ale?"

She shook her head. 'No thank-you. Would like talk.'

"About?" His brow rose as he took a drink of his ale.

'Baylee.'

He coughed, choking slightly on the last few drops. "P-pardon?" he wheezed, patting his chest.

'Heard Baylee, you courting.'

His eyes widened slightly, but he managed a small laugh. "She told ya then, huh?"

'No. Overheard.' She idly started to gather various vegetables that would need to be chopped up for that night's meal. 'Want to give little warning.'

Bofur chuckled nervously. "Ya don't have t' worry 'bout me breakin' her heart," he assured her. "I love her quite a bit an' I'd do anythin' for her. Elsewise, I wouldn't be here." He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away for a moment.

Lovisa raised her brow. 'Baylee precious to family. Spitting image of mother. If hurt her in any way, will be dealt same pain by family,' she warned. 'Am not biggest worry, either. Will, Warren protective.'

"Oh, aye, I know –but Will's been wantin' me an' Baylee t' court!" he told her. "Just ask him; ever since Baylee an' Ori left for Lake Town, he's been tryin' t' help me think o' the best ways t' tell her my feelings." He took another drink of his ale before continuing on in his rambling. "Go figure, it's Baylee who tells me first an' while she's still in bed, no less! I was goin' t' tell her once we got back up in Dale so she wouldn't be overwhelmed by all o' the happenings that have gone on, but I guess she's strong enough t' handle one more chip on the plate. I mean, I know she's a strong lass –I've seen her fight an' she did save me from gettin' eaten by a warg- but that strong?" He shook his head slightly. "Warren an' Will should be proud o' her. Most human women would be left as-"

Lovisa clapped her hand over his mouth. She had been trying to sign at him, but his focus was on the ale in his cup, not on her.

"Sorry," came his muffled voice.

'Understand what mean,' she told him, somewhat amused. 'Care for her. Best treat her very well. Will know if not.' She removed her hand from his mouth. 'Understand?'

He nodded quickly. "Aye, Miss Lovisa, I do," he stammered. "An' you won't have t' worry 'bout me not treatin' her well, because I plan on treatin' her very well. Like a queen, even."

'Good. Then are free to go.'

Quickly refilling his mug, Bofur hurried out of the kitchen, officially feeling terrified. 'I hope Warren doesn't try to have that sort of talk with me when we get back to Dale,' he thought, taking a long drink of the ale. 'I don't think I could survive that one. Lovisa a bit intimidating, but Warren…I think I'd rather face a dragon without any weapons than face him by myself regarding his daughter. I'm not going to let that stop me, though. It's not like he has anything to be upset over…I don't plan on hurting Baylee –only holding her and kissing her.'

He quietly sighed, a small smile coming to his lips. 'Aye, she'll just get lots of hugs and kisses.'

"So have the two o' you thought about any names for the child?"

"Not really…We discussed girl names before I left, but not any boy names."

"Well, then, you know that it'll definitely be a boy now." She quietly laughed as she brushed her brother's hair while he rested his head on her lap.

He tilted his head back slightly, looking up at her. "Do you have any ideas?" he inquired.

Her brow rose. "Will…I don't have any ideas about my future wedding, let alone baby names," she told him. "You could try Lovisa or one o' the dwarves."

Will shrugged, feeling his twin separate his hair into strands for braids. "I don't think Adela would want our child t' have a dwarvish name."

"Oh, I don't know…there are some rather handsome an' gorgeous names out there that are of dwarvish origin."

"Like?"

"Well, their late king had a handsome name. Thorin, wasn't it?"

"Aye, Thorin."

"An' then there's Anika an' Katina for female names…"

Will quietly laughed. "You don't know many dwarvish names, do you?"

A small pout came to her lips. "I haven't met as many as you an' papa."

"Though you fancy one."

Her cheeks turned deep red. "Actually…I needed t' talk t' you about that…" She did her best to keep focused on the braid; it was so odd to braid now that she only had four fingers per hand.

"You have my blessings t' court Bofur," he laughed.

"That's wonderful, because we've been courtin' for four days now."

He gawked up at her. "An' just when were you plannin' on tellin' me, Baylee?" he demanded.

She glanced away, holding the braid with one hand while the other rubbed her arm. "I had meant t' tell ya the day we kissed, but…You were walkin' around an' not in the room 'til after I fell asleep."

Sighing, Will sat up, not caring that Baylee wasn't done braiding his hair. She thought she was about to receive a scolding, but instead, he pulled her against him in a hug. "He'll be good for you, 'Lee," he told her. "He has been good for ya." Grinning, he looked down at her, seeing that her cheeks were still red. "Bofur cares quite a bit about you an' he's definitely not the sort who'd hurt you. An' I know you care 'bout him."

"I don't think papa's goin' to be very happy, though," she admitted.

"Dad won't mind. Not when he sees you two together. It'll be like me an' Adela –he may not like the idea o' it at first, but he'll warm up to it. He's was already treatin' Adela like one o' the family just a few days after she moved in with us. Anyway, I saw the two o' you at dinner; bloody adorable."

Baylee shyly smiled. "Will…"

"It's true. I knew you two had to be holding hands under the table or something."

She glanced away, giggling. "Aye, we were." Shifting slightly, she moved to lean against the pillows of her bed. "But, Will…don't you think papa would still be at least a wee bit upset?" She glanced up at him. "After all, Bofur is goin' t' live far longer than me…"

"Let me tell ya somethin', Baylee." He scooted up to sit beside her, his arm around her shoulders. "I wasn't supposed t' be the one to tell ya this –dad was going to tell you someday, but I don't think he'll ever get around to it…It's about our family." He sighed, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. "Dad wasn't born in Lake Town."

"That much I figured. I kept gettin' told that my hair color wasn't right for this side o' the Misty Mountains."

"By who?"

"The raiders."

"Ahh…well, they're right. Dad was born on the shores o' a different lake –Lake Evendim far t' the west." He closed his eyes. "The people there are few an' scattered…maybe a couple thousand at the most. They're not like the folk you find back home. They live harder lives because they're constantly hunted by orcs an' other evil things."

She closed her eyes as well. "I don't see how that helps with the lifespan o' dwarves."

"It does help…it's because we're o' Dúnedain blood."

Her brows furrowed; she had heard that term somewhere before, but from where? "It rings a bell, but I don't know the significance o' it…"

Opening an eye, he glanced down at her. "The Dúnedain are descended from Numenorians, 'Lee." A small look of comprehension came to her features, earning a small laugh from him. "It means we get a longer lifespan than other humans. It also means we're a bit stronger an' hardier; that's why we lived through these wounds.

"But because da' married mum an' had us, we won't get t' live as long as him. We'll live t' be maybe a hundred and fifty. Other Dúnedain can live nearly three hundred years."

She frowned slightly. "But…Will…that means you'll outlive Adela…"

A heavy sigh left his mouth. "I know; I've thought long an' hard about that. But Adela owns my heart. I know I won't find a love like hers again. Just like how dad is sure he won't remarry."

Baylee unconsciously hugged herself. "Our blood sounds like it can be more o' a burden t' us than a blessing. I mean, you're goin' t' marry Adela an' have a family with her…you'll…you'll have t' go through watchin' her age while you stay young."

"I know." He looked away from her. "But she'll always be my beautiful Adela." He wiped a tear from his face as it escaped his eye. "With luck, mum's blood will have thinned dad's out enough t' allow us t' get grey like normal folk, but…the smart side o' me says that it doesn't work quite like that."

She gave her twin an encouraging smile. "Well…if ya don't get grey, then at least Adela can keep sayin' she's got a handsome young lad for a husband?" she suggested, trying to cheer him up. "How many old biddies can say that, eh? None! You two will be walkin' down the street an' someone will ask her 'Excuse me, ma'am, but is this your son?' an' she'll grin all happily an' be like 'No! This alluring man is my husband!' and the two o' you will walk off –an', knowin' Adela, she'll smack you on the rump."

Will couldn't help but crack up laughing, causing tears of mirth to flood his eyes and cheeks. "Alluring?" he repeated when he managed to catch his breath.

"I don't know!" she giggled. She was glad she had managed to make him laugh; she didn't like it when Will was upset. "It sounds like somethin' she'd use, doesn't it? I mean, she's never called ya handsome –it's always been 'beautiful' or 'gorgeous' or 'striking'. Nothin' less."

He snorted. "I'll keep that in mind, then," he laughed. "Sheesh. Bofur's goin' t' have t' think o' something good t' use t' describe you if Adela's callin' me gorgeous."

"We are not goin' t' get our lovers in a contest t' see who can come up with the best description!" she laughed. "Valar in the West know how that'll turn out."

"Give 'em enough drink an' they'll both lose," Will grinned.

As Baylee fell into her own laughing fit, the door to their room opened. Lovisa raised her brow as she looked at the tittering twins, a small smile coming to her lips. Shaking her head, she clapped her hands, catching their attention –though, they did continue to giggle.

'Laughter waking everyone,' she scolded. Despite this, she continued to smile. 'Near midnight. Sleep! Need rest. Leaving in two days.'

"Sorry, Lovisa," they chorused.

Baylee climbed out of Will's bed and limped back into her own as Lovisa came fully into the room. She helped Will arrange his bed and pillows before pulling the blankets up to his shoulders and kissing his forehead. The same thing she did with Baylee, though she took a bit more help since the blankets had tangled around her bad leg. Kissing her forehead as well, Lovisa made sure the two of them were snug before leaving the room.

As she closed the door, she could hear them giggling again.