The next morning, the dwarves had awoken to find a hearty breakfast awaiting them. Halien had taken over the last watch- Gloin having fallen asleep shortly before his had ended- and just as the sky began to light up, she had taken out some of the food from their packs- portioning it so that they did not run out too quickly- and started to cook.
"Well, would you look at that?" Bofur exclaimed, surprised to wake to sausages, potatoes, and some eggs with a few of the fruits that Halien had picked the night before and some bread and cheese.
"I took the last watch, so I made you breakfast," Halien said, as she started to serve them the food. "I hope you don't mind, I did take some of the food from your packs to make this."
"Mind, of course, we don't mind!" Fili said, nudging his brother awake. "Look, Kili, the elf made us breakfast!"
Kili sat up and looked at the meal Halien presented him with. He took the plate and thanked her. It seemed that the events of the night before- speaking strictly of them attacking her by mistake- did not bother her.
Halien took two plates with her, giving one to Gandalf and offering one to Thorin. "Please accept this, sire," she said, placing the plate next to him on a rock. Sensing the tension still brewing, she left things at that and went over to Torwen, giving her one of the fruits.
Thorin looked at her, not sure what to think of her manners, but he took the plate and ate the food anyways, bowing his head in thanks. He was surprised at the fact that an elf knew how to prepare food other than the greens her vegetarian kin eat and he was impressed by the flavor. Halien smiled at that, hearing that thought pop into his head.
Gandalf smiled as he watched the dwarves wolf down their food, grabbing seconds and thirds for each other until the food was all gone.
"Why don't we clean up?" Bilbo said, "It's the least we can do to thank you for making breakfast."
The dwarves agreed and started to clean things up. Halien smiled in thanks to Bilbo, who nodded his head in acknowledgment. Leaving the dwarves to the cleaning, Halien went about getting the horses and ponies ready to continue their journey. She saddled Torwen and Gandalf's steed, then moved on to the ponies. She placed their bridles on and secured the packs to the saddles. She made sure the ponies and Gandalf's steed were fed and all of them watered.
"Elf," came a voice behind her.
Halien turned and saw Thorin standing there. "Yes?"
"I want to thank you, for cooking for us, it was kind of you to do after what happened last night," he started, "but I must ask: what do you think you are doing here? Why would you bother coming along after what has happened?"
Behind him, the others fell silent, watching to see what would happen.
Sensing his hostility, Halien gathered herself up and looked him straight in the eye. "I am here because Gandalf asked for my aid in this quest. My skills in healing and combat will be of great use to you and the company."
Thorin was slightly taken aback by her forwardness, expecting her to be meeker than she presented her response, and he remained silent, so Halien continued.
"I would greatly appreciate it if you could stop doubting me so. I am not my father, nor will I ever become him." Halien said, advancing slightly, forcing Thorin to step back. "I came back, defying my father's order, and helped your people escape the fires. I lost everything that day. My family disowned me and the only dwarves who accepted me wholeheartedly were gone- either by death or because I simply did not know where they were, let alone if they were lucky enough to have survived the inferno. I have tried to make up for what my father did to your people, traveling from place to place, only staying in one place for a few years at a time, and trying to help the dwarves of Erebor and the people of Dale. You cannot imagine what I have had to go through just to get here, to find you and prove to you, Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, that elves are not the monsters you make us out to be, but that some will still honor their alliances and never abandon those they hold close to them as kin. I thought that perhaps if I could help more of the villages of your people, I could make you understand."
She looked at him, tears in her eyes brewing and threatening to fall freely down her cheeks. "Thorin, when I came to your village, I did everything I could to earn and keep the trust of your people. When I thought that I finally had a chance, that I had maybe finally found a place I could stay in indefinitely, you came along. You scorned me, despite seeing how much your people had accepted me. When I thought you were going to turn me away, send me away from the village as my father had done to me with my own home, I saw something in your eyes. It was hope. But after what happened later that night, I couldn't bear to be near you any longer and I left."
Thorin was silent, as were the others. They saw the tears silently slipping from her eyes as she remembered. Bilbo went over to Halien and put a hand on her arm, but she shook her head and turned away.
"I'm so sorry…" she said.
Gandalf sighed, wishing that Thorin had not said anything to her, but glad that he knew the reason why she was there and hoped that now he would understand and accept her as part of the company.
Halien could not say another word, so she went back to Torwen and grabbed her reins. "Mithrandir, I will wait on up ahead," she said and walked away.
Gandalf looked at Thorin with a stern look.
"Now what'd you go and do that for?" Bofur asked. "Halien's a good lass. She worked so hard to be a better person than her father while she stayed in our village and even now she tries so hard to prove herself to you! And you go and upset her like that? She made us breakfast, even after how she was treated! The least you could do is thank her without questioning her motives."
"What would you know of it, Bofur?" Thorin retorted.
"Halien helped me and Bombur in the village and was always there when we needed her. She had been there nearly six years, then after you two had your encounter, she up and left in the middle of the night without a single word. Not even a letter! Whatever happened between you two was enough to make her leave. I have never once seen her so upset; she always had a smile on her face, even when you could see how sad she was. She tried her best to be good to everyone, but I can't imagine what she felt when she packed her things and left. We never heard from her again until Gandalf told us she was coming to join us on the quest. Honestly, Thorin, you should be ashamed of yourself."
Thorin didn't know what to say. He had not expected the elf to unload all that on him and one of his own to defend her in such a manner. He watched her disappear around the bend and felt an uneasy and wretched feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"I wonder if she's OK," Ori said, mostly to himself.
