Riley had slept well that night, but she realised soon after waking that Shayla hadn't. The younger of the two was curled up within the blankets, tossing and turning in her sleep, whispering and making noises. Her annoyance at being awoken by Shayla quickly turned to concern, and Riley threw a pillow across to hit Shayla directly on the head.

It took less than a second for Shayla to shoot up from underneath the blankets and furs, bleary eyes searching the room in a panic before meeting Riley's gaze. Exhaling loudly, Shayla rolled back over and faced away from Riley, groaning.

"What's your problem, Shayla? I'm sure the role of the grumpy bitch is filled by me, not you." Shayla mumbled something that Riley thought was an insult and she prodded again.

"Seriously, what's wrong? You're usually jumping out of bed because you can't wait to see the stupid Prince with his stupidly luscious hair." Shayla rolled over and just glowered at Riley, before it clicked. Riley sat up straighter and brightened a little at her epiphany.

"Oh! You two had a tiff, didn't you? How fantastic. I mean, uh… How horrible… What happened?" Riley had a hard time covering up her happiness at the turn of events. She didn't like Kili and didn't trust him around Shayla. Shayla sat up then, her glower more evident now, especially with her frizzy, dark locks sticking up at all angles around her head.

"Why don't you throw a goddamn party, Riley." Riley was slightly taken aback by the outburst, idly wondering where she had picked up so much attitude.

It didn't take a genius to figure that out, though.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to verbalise my happiness out loud." Riley paused for a moment, her voice more serious now. "Are you alright though?"

Shayla moved from the bed and quickly dressed herself in a huff.

"Yes, I am. Thanks for your concern." With her last comment laced with sarcasm, Shayla slunk from the room and left a slightly shocked Riley there by herself. Taking in a deep breath, she moved about the room and prepared herself for training. Bofur had promised to help Riley practice with her new staff, and she was grateful to train with him as she much rather preferred his company to Kili's.

Not that she would admit that to anyone, of course.

She brushed her hair through and tied it up in a ponytail, washed her face in a small basin with a fresh cup of water, and after putting her shoes on, she grabbed the staff that she had taken to bed with her and walked through to the kitchen and dining area.

Shayla had sat with Bilbo and Ori, while Kili seemed to be sulking at the other end of the table with Jessika and Fain, ignoring Gloin's jests at his expense. Riley's gaze moved to the back of Bofur, who had made a habit of joining them for breakfast, and sat across the table from Bilbo and Ori, next to his cousin Bombur.

Riley sat next to Bofur and he turned to face her with a toothy grin.

"Good afternoon, Miss Riley. Or should I say, 'god morning.' How has your staff been faring you?" Riley grabbed for some pastries and delicately started eating one as she replied.

"Well, it helps with the walking." Riley leaned in a little to Bofur, lowering her voice before continuing. "But I'm also hoping that it will help me kick brunette Durin's ass." Bofur gave her a strange look before bursting into laughter, taking it as a complete joke. Riley, however, was not joking, though she concealed a small smirk as she ate her pastry.

The entirety of breakfast was spent the same way, and Riley's mood was elated by the way that Kili was sulking as though he were a small puppy. It would be adorable if it didn't annoy Riley so much by involving Shayla.

Shayla had actively ignored Kili's expressions and disposition as she ate and spoke to Bilbo and Ori quietly about any new information, her attention much more focused on the way Bilbo had motioned urgently to her as soon as she had entered the dining area.

Fortunately for the three of them, Gimli was entertaining the table very loudly, loud enough so that Bilbo could disclose the new information he had gained.

"Shayla, something has happened during the early hours of this morning." Her already present frown deepened as Bilbo continued quietly to both Ori and Shayla.

"I sometimes come out to the living quarters to read or write if I cannot sleep, and in the early hours of this morning guards came and alerted father that there was an attempted breech at a low-lying outpost to the south-east. I can't be sure of how many, but I know they spoke of Warg and Orc scouts."

Shayla glanced across at Riley, who was talking animatedly with Bofur, before she turned back to Bilbo.

"What were they doing? And how is this important?" Bilbo looked at Ori with an odd expression, before responding.

"I don't know what they were doing, and I don't know if the guards do either. What I know for certain, is that all resources will be put into protecting Erebor. My father, he… He will not spare his guard for any other purpose than to protect our people.

What I'm trying to say, Miss Shayla, is that… Father will not allow either of you to leave…He will not allow you passage or protection to see the Elves, or… Or to try and find your way back to your world…"

Shayla felt as though she had been kicked in the stomach.

Just like that, their chance of returning home, and the possibility of seeing her family again was destroyed.

With a sharp inhale, she stood up abruptly and launched herself towards the chamber door, ignoring the calls of her name that rang out behind her.

She felt as though her heart was going to burst from her chest and that her lungs were going to fail her. Shayla saw the faces of her mum and dad behind tears that had spilled down her cheeks as she ran.

Bilbo, Ori, Riley and Kili were the quickest to take chase after Shayla out of the chambers, but it was Riley who grabbed Kili's wrist and stopped him in his tracks. He looked at her, bewildered, as he shook himself from her grip.

"What are you doing?" He asked angrily, as Riley squared up to him, releasing the pent-up anger at him upsetting Shayla.

"You need to stay here, mate. Shayla sure as hell doesn't need or want your presence right now." With that, Riley followed after the others, only feeling mildly sorry for the Durin who she left standing in the corridor as though she had just punched him in the face.

Riley hobbled through the passages with the aid of her staff, following behind the sound of footfalls and sobbing.

Obviously, Shayla's training had been paying off, because it felt as though Riley had run a marathon before she finally turned a corner and found Ori and Bilbo sitting on either side of Shayla, who had her arms wrapped around her legs and head on her knees.

"Shayla," Riley exclaimed, her voice raspy with how short of breath she was. Her leg ached, but she didn't care. She was more concerned about the girl who was curled up before her, looking so broken and defeated.

Kneeling in front of Shayla as slowly and carefully as she could, she repeated Shayla's name before looking at Bilbo and Ori in confusion.

"What is it, Shayla? I swear to god, if Kili has done something, anything, to you, I will kill him myself."

Shayla's head whipped up to face Riley, her bloodshot eyes filled with tears were fearful and angry.

"He has done nothing wrong, Riley! It isn't about him at all, we - "Shayla cut herself off with an unwanted sob that escaped past her lips, before dropping her head downwards once more.

"We are never going to get home." Shayla rested her head against her knees as her body wracked with new sobs and fresh tears. Riley looked to Bilbo with a pointed expression, before he sighed and relayed the same information.

Riley was slightly shell-shocked at the news. She had almost forgotten about their plans to go back to their world after the past weeks events, and if it wasn't for Shayla's broken-hearted reaction to the information, Riley may not have felt even a little disappointed.

But there she knelt, in front of her best friend, who was broken at the prospect of never seeing her family again and something flared within Riley.

She had never had somewhere to call home, or family to support her and love her. The closest she had come to family was Shayla, and that's why she was not going to let this stop them from getting home.

Riley was not going to let Shayla's family break, like hers had so many years ago.

"No." Bilbo and Ori glanced to Riley as she sat there, her expression beginning to glow with determination.

"What do you mean, Miss Riley?" Ori whispered, somewhat confused. Turning to Ori, then back to Bilbo, she spoke again.

"I mean no. This isn't how it ends." Riley's gaze finally rested on Shayla, who had lifted her head slowly to meet her friends' eyes. Riley pushed herself from the ground with the help of her staff and held out her open palm to Shayla.

'I am going to get you back to your family, Shayla. I am getting you back to your mum and dad, I swear it."

It was as though a heavy fog had lifted from their hearts, as Riley's determination and fire exuded from every pore on her body. Shayla looked up at her, feeling as though she had finally seen the true Riley, and the fire spread to her heart, bringing her back from the brink.

With a smirk on her face, Shayla took Riley's outstretched hand and came up to meet her. Bilbo and Ori stood as well, and with a brave face, Bilbo spoke.

"We." Shayla and Riley turned to him with furrowed brows and confusion plastered on their faces, but Ori looked at him knowingly and nodded.

"We are going to help you get back to your kin. Ori and I are going to help."

It was after some time discussing the current situation that the four made their way through the passageways and back to the chambers. Shayla's demeanour had altered significantly, her heart soaring as they refused to cave in to the hand that was being dealt to them.

However, as they reached the chambers they felt that something had changed. The light atmosphere had shifted and instead the tension that filled the living area was almost tangible.

Fili was pacing the space in front of the fire place, as Gloin and Balin stood nearby. Amelia was standing closer to Fili than the others, arms crossed over her chest as she gazed intently at her husband.

As soon as Bilbo opened the chamber door all eyes were on the four who entered slowly, their high now beginning to falter.

Fili was the first to speak, his voice much more commanding than they had previously heard it. He sounded and stood like the King that he truly was.

"Ori, Bilbo. Please leave the chambers. We must speak to Miss Shayla and Miss Riley." Shayla gulped as she watched Ori and Bilbo nod and leave the two hesitantly. Once they were gone, the tension just seemed to convulse and fill every corner and crevice of space available.

"There is no easy way to say this." Fili approached the two, his ocean blue eyes piercing right through theirs.

"We are currently at a heightened risk of attack from foes that are becoming emboldened to the East. Assessing this risk, we have made the decision to forbid either of you from stepping foot out of Erebor-"

Shayla and Riley knew that this was coming, but it still hit like a tonne of bricks.

"For how long?" exclaimed Riley.

"What about seeing the Elves to get home?" cried Shayla.

Amelia's head lowered as Fili responded to the first question.

"Indefinitely."

"So you're going to keep us here as prisoners, then?" Riley spat back, her prior determination now morphing into rage.

"Yes!" Fili shot out, "As long as the Orcish filth continue to breed and attack our home, our people, I am not allowing you passage! I will not allow the blood of my people to be spilled unnecessarily and I will not live with your blood on my hands. My decision is final."

With that, Fili stormed from the chambers, followed by Gloin and a hesitant Balin.

Shayla and Riley were stunned at the outburst. It's not as though they weren't expecting their travel to see the Elves to be thwarted, it was the fact they weren't expecting such a response from the usually placid and well-tempered Durin.

As soon as they left, Amelia moved over to console them both.

"I am so sorry," Amelia whispered, embracing Shayla in a tight hug. It appeared Amelia was more upset than either of the girls, though she didn't know what they had already agreed upon before entering the chamber. After releasing Shayla, she gently rubbed Riley's arm as she looked between them both sympathetically.

"I know how much you both want and need to get home, but I hate to say that Fili is right. Something dark is moving in the East, and it is much bigger than just us. There are whispers of an evil that is growing there, and it is getting worse. Dale was attacked by Wargs last night, and we have had Orcs scale our walls attempting to discern our weak points." The weight of these events seemed to age Amelia before their eyes, as though her true age finally shone through her youthful exterior.

Shayla broke down Amelia's words very quickly and with a gasp slipping from her tongue, she asked the first question that appeared urgently in her mind.

"Dale, you mean the place where your brother lives? Is he okay? And his family?" Amelia nodded fervently, a small flash of relief flooding her expression.

"They are all fine. We have forged many weapons for the people of Dale throughout the years, and they were able to destroy the creatures before they caused any harm. Fili has sent some of the guard to Dale to help bolster their protection, as they have and will receive the brunt of future attacks. And there will be future attacks.

This is only the beginning of what is going to hit us."

Oooh how I love foreshadowing! I know it's been a while, I realised that I have been on and off working on this fanfiction for over three years now and I really just need to pull my head out and get it finished! I'm looking at this story being between 35 and 50 chapters long, so I'll see how it goes. If you're still reading, thanks for hanging in there with me! xx