Sorry this has taken so long, but life has been extremely hectic recently. This would have been posted Saturday, with responses to reviews, but my Friday writing time was taken up by a 2 hour call from my mother - my brother ended up in hospital with a suspected concussion after getting into a fist-fight with his 'best-friend'. Luckily, he's ok (but in serious trouble.) I thought you'd all like this chapter now instead of Wednesday, so there are no reviewer responses. (I'm very sorry.) But I still love you all.

Some questions asked - I don't know what Dilse means (just made it up), but will research; Aragorn is on his way; Balin still alive but not going to shelter an Elf. Hopefully that made sense. If it didn't, ask.

Thank you very much to Kukabura for the chapter title!

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My footsteps seemed extraordinarily loud on the stone floor. The Elf, of course, was silent. Even though he was about a foot behind me, I could still sense him vibrating with excitement. Stupid Elf. Acting like this was a good thing - I was leaving my home, for Aule's sake. He could at least pretend to feel some sympathy for me.

He hadn't believed that we were leaving when I first told him. He'd thought I was lying, or that is was some cruel joke. My irritation at his suspicion convinced him that I was serious.

Together, Dilse and I had planned our escape. Dilse would set a fire in one of the side entrance halls, and return to her chambers before anyone noticed. When the fire grew too big to ignore all non-essential guards would be called to help. Legolas and I would be left to slip out one of the side doors.

I just prayed it would all go to plan. There were hundreds of things that could go wrong: Dilse could get caught, the fire could go out without burning big enough, the guard on the side door we were planning to use might not be called to help.my nerves hummed, and my every muscle was tense. If I was caught trying to escape with Legolas, the situation could grow a thousand times worse.

Already the rumours were growing. Dilse had reported that I had been the main subject of conversation in the dining hall. I was the first to admit I lacked diplomacy in some situations, but I had not thought I had every made any real enemies. Apparently, I had. There were all too many willing to give accounts of how I had opposed warring against the Elves, of how I had defended Legolas, and the magistrates were all known to be harsh on those convicted of crimes such as sympathising.

However, none of my terrible predictions came to pass. The door Legolas and I left by was unguarded, though whether that was because the guard was helping to deal with the fire or just lazy I did not know.

The route we would take had also been planned. We would travel directly south - the lands that way were barren and sparsely populated. The few villages and towns that did exist were of men.

We would travel this way until well past the area of Greenwood guarded by the Noldor Elves, and after this Dilse and I had been divided on what the best course would be. She believed we should travel on to Gondor and find work there; but I did not trust men as much as she did. I was still undecided as to what we should do there.

Pondering this, I trudged down the mountainside, hoping that pursuit (if there was any) would be slow in coming.

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Setting up camp as the first rays of dawn broke the horizon, I thought we'd made good distance. We hadn't paused for any breaks, though neither had we rushed, and now we were well past the men's town of Dale. Our plan was to stop here for a few hours sleep, before moving on again in the early after- noon. I knew that any search parties would not follow us particularly far.

The Elf, on the other side of the camp fire, was studying me with more interest than usual. I put up with this until it became unbearable. Damned Elf.

"What," I growled. He did not seem at all intimidated.

"I merely wished to know where we are headed."

"The why couldn't you have asked, instead of staring at me in that maddening way?" And now he knew that staring at me irritated me, he would doubtless keep doing it.

"Where are we going?"

"South." Ha! See what he makes of that. I could be just as mysterious as him.

"Where in the south?"

I paused, wondering what his reaction would be when I told him we had no destination. "Well Elf, you see.we have no destination yet. But I will decide in time."

"May I suggest somewhere we could go?"

"I don't see why not." Didn't mean I'd go there.

"I suggest we head for Rivendell."

I always knew he was crazy. I decided to say so. "I always knew you were crazy."

"Look, please, just hear me out. Will you?"

"It should be entertaining, if nothing else." An annoyed sigh was my response.

"Look, my father is being held captive in Rivendell."

"Oh, so you propose that the two of us storm Rivendell's formidable defensive's, defeat all the warriors housed there, break into the dungeons, magically unlock your father's cell and then just walk out of there?!"

"Well no. That would be stupid."

"That would be stupid?! That would be stupid?! And please, friend Elf, tell me what is so brilliant about your plan?"

"You consider me a friend?"

"You what?"

"You called me 'friend Elf'." His tone was overly patient, making me bristle with anger.

"Could I remind you that I am a dwarf, and am not likely to make friends with an Elf, even if he is a rather dwarvish Elf."

"A dwarfish Elf?!" Now he was angry. "Oh, that's nice. I'm trying to be helpful, and you insult me."

"By Durin's Beard! What's helpful about suggesting going to Rivendell? An it was a compliment."

"It was not."

"It was.

"Not."

"I am not continuing this, Elf. Unlike you, I am an adult who."

"Then act like it! You haven't even heard my plan."

"Just go to Rivendell, Elf." I attempted to make my tone as lofty as possible, which was quite a difficult task, saying we were both acting like small children. "I couldn't care less."

"I will, and I won't need you to come with me."

"Fine."

"Fine."

There was no way I was letting him have the last word."Can't you just keep quiet, Elf? You just have to have the last word, don't you."

"Can I point out, Master Dwarf, that it is you who seems to be desperate to have the last word."

"I beg to differ."

"You can beg to differ all you like, but it's not going to change the fact that you are the one who has to have the last word."

"Elf, you're the one still speaking, aren't you? Why can't you just be quiet and." Settling in for another bout of arguing, I realised that this was going to be a long night.

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