Author's Notes:

From one curse to another. Nadi has finally rid herself of the evil grasp of the witch Iree, only to find a greater and stronger foe waiting for her in the shadows. A strange, black magic hold is placed upon her and she is pitted against everyone: the Company, herself, and even the Dwarve that she loves...

And here marks the start of the Desolation of Smaug chapters! A big, hearty thank you to returning readers and a rowdy welcome to the new ones! I hope you enjoy!

Editorial note: Upon doing some research while in the middle of writing this story, I found out that Kili and Fili (and by extension Nadi) were not born in Erebor. They were born after Smaug's arrival and thus had never seen Erebor...which I find very bittersweet. BUT! I had already written the chapters under the impression that they had not only been born in Erebor but had also participated in the Battle of Moria. Big oopsie and I feel really bad. I may come back and change things around, but I've decided to leave the timeline for this fic as is for now. I'm going to be using a bit of artistic liberty twice in this story, so consider this the first. So sorry, again!

As always, at your service 3

x

A Glimpse of the Past...

There had been a disturbance in the market of Dale. Vendors abandoned their wares and rushed into the growing crowd. A single Dwarve was moving through them, towards the towering doors of Erebor. Though the whispers continued, the people parted before the she-Dwarve. Her thunderous gaze swept across their faces and they averted their eyes.

Upon noticing the ripple that had gone through the marketplace, Thrain and his son Thorin had descended the stone stairway and made their way towards the throng. The space within the crowd widened and the king and his son gazed in wonder upon the Dwarve. But before they could speak, she dropped her baggage and untied the cloth binding at her chest. The scarf wound around her back fluttered to the ground as she unslung a young Dwarvling from behind her shoulders. The crowd gasped as she placed the girl upon the ground.

"Sadi…" Thrain said and took a surprised step back. Thorin knelt upon the ground and swept his gaze across the girl's face. She was a shy thing, and quick to hide behind her mother's leg. The she-Dwarve, Sadi, lifted her shoulders and fixed her king with a proud look. Her warm brown face was weathered and webbed with fine wrinkles that came from constant work in the sun. Her hair had been shorn short in the style of the men who worked in the marketplace. Its pitch black curls coiled upon themselves in neat rows beneath a single band of glinting silver. It had been years since the Dwarves had last seen her. When she had left them, she had been with child. Now, that very child stood before them on her own two feet.

"Thrain, Thorin," she bowed her head respectfully before placing a large hand on the child's shoulder. "This is my daughter. Go on, little thing, tell them your name."

She turned expectantly towards the child. All eyes turned towards the girl and she shied away from their gaze. As they watched in bemused silence, she grasped at a handful of her mother's pants and nestled her chin deeper into the folds of the fabric. Thrain spared her a single glance before setting his sights upon her mother.

"Sadi," he said again, "it's been years. We didn't know if you were alive, or if you had been killed by woodland beasts. And to think that you were with child, too! It's a miracle that you are both alive. But exposing her to the dangers of the outside world was foolish! And selfish! And unwise!"

"My lord," Obligated to a display of humility, Sadi dipped her chin but kept her angry eyes fixed upon her king's face. "Begging your pardon, but she is my child and it is my right to take her where I please. I wanted to raise her as a child of the earth, not a child of destruction and desolation that plagues our race." The crowd gasped at her boldness but Sadi continued unfettered. "Indeed, it was an unsuckled babe that I carried into the woods. But I have brought her back as a learned young Dwarve. And if it is destruction and desolation that she returns to, she returns as a warrior of woodlands, amongst many other things. See for yourself! She is healthy and strong! Ruddy about the cheeks, as they come!"

"Agh," Thrain said and waved his hand dismissively. "But will she integrate? That is the question!"

"She will learn our ways, in time."

"Just like her mother, she is. Fadi was a wild one, too. Aye, I remember her well."

The crowd laughed. All were familiar with the many houses that resided within Erebor. Fadi's clan had always been different in both demeanor and appearance. They were passionate warriors but reclusive and small in number. All that was left of their line was Sadi, her eldest brother Khadi whose health was quickly declining, and now the child. Thorin was still kneeling in front of the girl. He was reminded of his sister's sons and the shy way in which they had entered the world. It had taken kindness and example, but eventually, they had found their footing.

He removed a golden ringlet from his beard and held it out to her. She stared at him with eyes full of suspicion before stepping forward and placing her small hand in his.

"Tell me your name," he said gently. She drew her eyes away from the pretty thing sitting in her palm and stared back at him with wide eyes.

"I'm Nadi."

"Nadi. Thorin. At your service," he bowed deeply and she smiled at the gesture.

"At...your...service," she repeated with an emphatic bow of her own. A shadow passed over them both and a heavily ringed hand fell onto his shoulder.

"And who is this," came a deep, musical voice. Thorin stood up and turned to face his sister.

"Dis. This is Nadi. She's our newest woodland warrior."

"The first of her kind, I should say." Dis tugged thoughtfully at her beard as she stared down at Nadi. Her face was broad and friendly, with sharp dark eyes fringed with heavy lashes. Rubies were wrought around the wispy chains of silver that snaked through her beard and wind-blown hair. Nadi couldn't help but stare back as she bent at the waist to inspect her. "I know of two little dwarves who'd be excited to meet you. Fili! Kili!"

Two Dwarves appeared by her side, one with fair hair swept away from his face and the other with raven-black locks that hung in a disorganized fray in front of his chest. Both were around Nadi's age, and young enough that the bristles of their beards had only just begun to come through. Dis pushed them towards the girl who stepped back in alarm.

"Boys, this is Nadi. Treat her kindly, now, show her around. She's one of our very own. A special one at that. Understand?"

"Aye," the boys said in unison.

"And no funny business, Kili!" She grabbed the raven-haired boy's chin in her hand and forced him to look at her. "I'm expecting you to be on your best behavior or else I'll give you a thrashing that you won't soon forget. Aye?!"

"Aye!" He squealed beneath squished cheeks.

She let him go and sent him away with a swat on his bottom. Nadi had just enough time to see Dis pull her mother into a cozy embrace before she was whisked away by the two boys. They led her by her arm through the marketplace until they reached the edge of Dale, where they deposited her upon a gnarled tree trunk and moved a few paces away.

The raven-haired one, Kili, pulled a wooden sword out of his belt and began to swing it around in boredom. "Well," he finally said when he realized that the girl would not be speaking anytime soon. "Are you deaf or are you dumb?"

"Kili," his brother hissed, "ma said no funny business, remember?"

" 'tis just a question," Kili grumbled back before turning to look at her. "Well, are you?!"

Nadi had never heard the words 'deaf' or 'dumb' before. So she simply stared back at them. The brothers looked at each other and then back at her. Fili took a few hesitant steps and then stopped in front of her.

"I'm Fili," he said, "son of Dis, daughter of Thrain, son of Thror. And that's my brother, Kili. You'll have to excuse him. Ma said he was bit by the idiot bug when he was born."

"Nuh-uh!" Kili exclaimed. "You were!"

"Well, it must not have bit me that hard!"

"Take it back!"

"Nyeh," Fili stuck his tongue out at his brother. This, to the boys, signaled war and they began to lash out at each other with fists, kicks, and a few hits from their wooden swords. Nadi could only watch in fright as they pummeled each other. Finally, when Kili proclaimed his brother a cheat and a dirty-no-good-liar, Nadi stood up from the branch and began to walk away. She had seen moose attack each other with more grace and honor. The idea of slipping back into the woods where everything was familiar and stinky boys didn't fight was appealing to her young mind. But, much to her annoyance, the Dwarve named Kili began to follow her. As they walked, he poked and prodded at her hair and clothes.

"What's the matter with your skin?" He asked. He picked up a stick and began to lift sections of her hair with it. She ducked her head, but he continued his rather invasive inspection. "And why is your hair that color? Are you dumb and deaf? It's okay, you can tell me. Fili's sometimes like that, too."

"Are not!" Fili roared from behind them.

She grit her teeth and quickened her pace, all the while wondering why the Dwarve named Kili was so fond of talking. Were all of the Dwarves in Erebor like that? He poked her in the back and she stumbled. "My great-grand da says your people are odd. What does he mean by that? Are your people odd? Why do they go into the woods all the time? Are you listening? Say somethin', then!"

He began to jab her repeatedly in the back, so hard that she stumbled multiple times. She came to a sudden stop, her tiny fists balled by her side. Fili noticed the sudden tension in her shoulders and took a step back.

"Uh, Kili? Maybe now's not the time to-"

But it was too late. For, with an ugly howl, she had turned around and rushed at the poor Dwarve.

X

The three Dwarves returned later in the evening. The elder Dwarves had gathered in the stone dining hall for that night's meal of fried meats and luxuriously crafted wines from the market. Fili ran forward and secured his spot at the table while Nadi trailed behind him nervously. She spotted her mother at the far end, wedged between a group of male Dwarves that had toasted to their arrival. Sadi looked out of place amongst so many Dwarves in so great a hall, but she was happy, Nadi could tell that much.

She wanted to run and claim her spot on her mother's lap, but she had suddenly spotted Thorin on the opposite side of the table. He was resting with his chin cradled in one hand and a mug of ale in the other, listening to some story told to him by his brethren. When he saw her, he smiled and held his arms out wide.

"Come, Nadi," he said above the clamor. She launched herself into his arms and held him tight. It was only when he let go did she produce a withered yellow flower from beneath her cloak.

"At...your...service," she said and held it up to him. He accepted it gracefully and put it behind his ear. The Dwarves around him laughed uproariously at the sight of their prince. A Dwarve that she would later come to know as Balin twinkled his eyes at her then clapped Thorin on the shoulder.

"Fits you much better, believe me," he said.

"Say," Dis said, peering over Thorin with a much larger mug of ale in her hand. "Where's Kili? Where's my son?"

The party fell silent. Fili giggled and then quickly covered his mouth. Kili appeared at the doorway like a shadow siphoned from the corner. His head was lowered and his hair was obscuring most of his face. Dis sucked her teeth and bid him to hurry over. Once he was next to her, she grabbed his chin once again and forced him to look at her. A large red bruise had bloomed across his cheek and one eye was swollen

"Well!" She said, prodding at his busted lip with an appraising finger. "What happened to you, then? Nadi?" She turned to the young Dwarve, who had by then tangled herself in the fur lining of Thorin's coat. Sadi smiled, for she was well aware of her daughter's antics. She had raised her as a warrior, of her own kind.

Nadi giggled. "Funny business," she said and stuck her tongue out at Kili.