After a few days of rest, Shobha had started pottering about on her feet again. She was placed on forced rest for a week by Oin, and Bifur had visited, bringing well wishes from his stonemasons.

But once she was able, she had begun to join the dwarflings with their lessons, which included Dwarven history, culture and some language. She found it interesting and become an excellent pupil, even though the other dwarflings were no older than ten years old. She had even taken to undertaking further reading around the lessons taught, and Thorin's personal library was a rich resource full of books and scrolls that she found helpful. In fact, they had grown quite accustomed to sharing the library. He had offered her his favourite chair by the fireplace and taken to sitting in the one opposite to her. He would alternate between reading his own scrolls, to quietly brooding or smoking in silence. She would read various books and scrolls from the library, occasionally humming to herself when she was satisfied. On several occasions Thorin had found her soundly asleep just as he was ready to take his leave, and would wrap her in blankets and furs, and spend the rest of the night in the opposite chair himself. How he wished on those occasions that he could carry her to her room, but would be too worried about waking her.

Late in summer, on a balmy afternoon, the dwarflings and Shobha had been taken out to the field lands surrounding the mountain to identify a host of natural plants and herbs with medicinal and other properties.

There were not many dwarflings in Erebor, and the numbers in each class were small. Therefore they had all enjoyed an outdoor picnic, followed by some time to play. Shobha had taken the chance to lie down in the long grass, watch the clouds go by for a bit, before her classmates had pulled her into a game of chase. This resulted in much tumbling and running through patches of wild flowers. And finally Shobha began picking some wild flowers to take back up to her room. There were bushes of lavender, honeysuckle, daisies and poppies that grew wild.

Thorin, Balin and Dwalin were returning from Dale, having visited Bard to discuss several matters including safety on the trade road, further trade and the recent attack on the princes. As they neared the Great Gates, they saw the screaming, laughing dwarflings joined by several tutors and Shobha.

Thorin stopped to watch them for a while from the Gates.

"This is the first year since we returned that the tutors felt safe enough to venture outside with their dwarflings," Balin observed.

Thorin nodded, still observing the group, a slight upturn to the corners of his lips. He couldn't help his eyes being drawn to Shobha. Her brown skin shone in the sun contrasting against the white cotton dress she wore. There were several younglings pulling on her hands, and swinging her around, the breeze blowing her hair, which had now grown almost down to her mid back. Then another young dwarfling presented her with a small bouquet of flowers, to which she performed a mock bow, setting off a hoot of giggles amongst them all, some even rolling on the ground laughing. He was surprised how quickly many dwarves and their young had taken to her so well, particularly since dwarves were naturally a guarded and suspicious race. He had been drawn to the way she interacted so naturally with the little ones, and let himself imagine her holding a raven haired youngling. He took a deep breath to steady his mind, and remind himself that she would likely return back to her world once Gandalf arrived.

The group then turned to walk back still laughing, joking and holding hands and now carrying bouquets of wild flowers. Thorin continued to stand there watching them – watching her, much to the amusement of Balin and Dwalin.

As they got closer, the tutor leading the group paused, gathered the rest of their students and greeted the the three of them, bowing and curtsying.

"Your Majesty, My Lords."

"Master Lindin, Master Rowan and students." Thorin, Dwalin and Balin returned bows to the group. The class then continued to walk into Erebor. Shobha, who was one of the last students and had been giggling with the other young ones stopped by Thorin, and curtsying once more offered him her bunch of wild flowers, with lavender and honeysuckle. He stood there shocked, his mouth slightly agape. How could he tell her that offering flowers to a dwarrow was a symbol of their favour and wish to court? Or perhaps she had already been taught this?

After a moment of initial shock, he reached out and took the flowers, their fingers brushing, and then gently bowed his head in thanks.

And with that she carried on her way with the rest of the class.

Thorin, turned to catch Balin and Dwalin observing him, eyebrows shot up, enormous grins on their faces.

"She doesn't know – I expect that she believes they are offered in friendship," he inhaled the fragrance of the small bouquet of flowers, but fixed his face back to his stone mask.

"She didn't offer us any flowers, baheluh," Dwalin put his hand on Thorin's shoulder. "And we are her brothers."

"Aye Thorin, she likes you as much as you like her." Balin agreed, nodding with a knowing look on his face. "What holds you back laddie?"

"She misses her family…she may wish to return home," Thorin was resolved about the matter. He would not rob her family of her, particularly if she wished to return. After all he knew how much they had all grown to love her here – and his heart ached even at the mere thought of her returning to her land forever. "I will not rob her loved ones of seeing her again – unless she chooses to stay."

"She probably thinks, she is a burden to us – to you, and we want her to return," Dwalin groused. "Let's see what your sister has to say about this. You two need help."

"Dis does not need to know."

"Oh Aye?" Dwalin looked at Balin and chuckled. "And is she blind and deaf then…?"