There will be some break from the films, as I prefer the book to the films, but also that's to be expected from a fanfic isn't it? Thank you for your continued support; feel free to leave me a message on what you like, dislike, or would like to see more of. Cheers!

"Dabroughtdwarvesintothecityandhewantsyoutocomehelp!"

Tilda, Sigrid, and Katun all stared at the panting Bain when he practically fell into the house, alone, and obviously upset about something. Katun had thought she understood the words, and definitely grasped the meaning of urgency, but hadn't quite come up with what it was she was expected to do; she looked over to the girls for a signal of what it was they were to do next. Sigrid jerked Bain further into the house and shut the door, Tilda pouring him a glass of water, as Bain was then shoved onto the bench at the table where the girls had earlier sat working on mending clothes, preparing for dinner, and in Katun's case, sharpening knives.

"Slow down, Bain, we can't understand you." Sigrid crossed her arms over her chest as they waited until Bain finished gulping down the contents of his glass, rivulets of water escaping the crease of his mouth on either side of his face and running down his neck to dampen his shirt. Once finished, he swiped the back of his hand across his face and handed Sigrid the empty container.

"We found some dwarves by the river where Da gets the elvish barrels." Katun tensed then. They'd gone back to where Bard had originally found her. She leaned forward as Bain continued. "They convinced Da to smuggle them into town and he told me to come get you to help the humans that he left with the barge."

"Humans?" Katun asked, her hands tightening on the sharpening tools she'd yet to let go of.

Bain nodded, "Yes there were two with the group of dwarves. One was a man, wounded, and the other was a woman. She looked a little like you." Bain gestured to Katun. "But you're much nicer. She was very rude."

"Well," Tilda called from the door, her shawl already around her shoulders, "What are we waiting for? Da wanted us to go get the humans."

Sigrid pushed the door shut just as Tilda began to open it, "You stay here Tilda."

"Why?" Tilda whined. Katun stood and put away the knives, all except one which she slipped into the pocket of the apron she was wearing. "Da said to help."

"You can help by staying here in case he comes back. He'll have company and most likely the company will be tired, hungry, and thirsty. Also, it wouldn't do for all of us to go traipsing about town looking conspicuous. You need to stay here to keep things looking normal."

Tilda was none too happy with the plan but soon enough Bain led the way as Sigrid and Katun followed along behind him. They moved quickly but tried to look as if they were having an animated conversation—Katun's idea—about the town. Word had spread already, no doubt, that Bard was sheltering a newcomer—thanks to Alfred's big mouth—and they used this to their advantage. Both Sigrid and Bain kept their voices chipper and firm as they pointed out this and that on their way, making sure to speak loud enough for anyone who might stop to eavesdrop or pause to watch them as they passed. Katun didn't mind doing this as it did help her get her bearings; she hadn't enjoyed being confined to the house and not having a clear indication of what was where within the town. It seemed that she liked to have a route in mind, to have an understanding of the layout of her surroundings. Somehow she knew it was because she liked to have an escape route ready, in case retreat was required or in case it was pertinent to launch an ambush. These thoughts were further confirmation to Katun that in her previous life she'd been involved in security and fighting.

"The barge is this way. The man is injured," Bain's voice was hushed now as they hurried between the stilts of houses that were built closer together, creating an airy but narrow corridor through which they'd begun to weave, "and he was still unconscious when we left him earlier."

"And the woman?" Katun asked, her voice equally low, her eyes darting to take in fully their surroundings, ensuring that they were truly alone.

"Well," they came around a corner then and there in front of them was the canal, the barge, and the pair of humans huddled atop it, "it's about time you came back."

When they'd first come around the corner Katun hadn't been able to see the humans clearly, Bain blocking much of her view, but now as they came to stand just beside it, Katun could clearly see the woman as she stood quickly, tensely, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open. They would all have to be complete idiots to not see that this woman recognized Katun; and they would have to be equally idiotic to see that in spite of that fact Katun still felt no recollection towards the woman. Even when the woman gave out a soft cry and threw herself into Katun's arms, drew back to run her hands over Katun's face and arms, then hug her once more. Katun's hands hovered in the air behind the woman as she began to mumble things about, "thought…lost…how…the king…dead…Jaq…"

"Do you know her?" Sigrid asked Katun but before Katun could respond the woman pulled away and frowned at the both of them.

"What do you mean?" The woman narrowed her eyes at Katun. "Do you not recognize me?"

Katun swallowed then shook her head, "I'm sorry. I don't."

The woman's hand came up to her throat and she let out an airy gasp, "What happened to you?"

"Da fished her out of the river where we found you today," Bain stepped forward into the semi-circle they'd formed, "she'd been injured and was out of it for a number of days with a fever. She only really woke up a day or so ago." Sigrid nodded in agreement with Bain's words. Katun watched the woman as she looked between the two teenagers then back to Katun. Katun hated the look of recognition in the woman's eyes because it made her own lack of recognition that much more painful. "How do you know her?" Bain was asking then, breaking the momentary silence that had fallen over them, the woman and Katun silently studying one another.

"I don't think we should have this conversation here." Katun interrupted. As much as she wanted answers, as much as she needed answers, there was a wounded man on the barge behind the woman, and from the sounds of it he was regaining consciousness. "We need to get back to the house as soon as possible and help this man." She stepped around the woman in order to reach the man's side. She felt only a sliver of recognition pass through her when she bent down to study him and his wound. His eyes opened but it was obvious that he wasn't fully aware of his surroundings, his eyes glassy. He was also covered in a sheen of sweat and he shivered. Katun eyed the gnarly looking arrow that continued to protrude from his body. This type of wound wouldn't render a person this immobile unless the arrow was poisoned. Katun shook her head; how did she know these things? "Sigrid do you have herbs and medicines at the house that can treat poison?" She signaled to Bain to come closer so that between the two of them they could bring the man to his feet.

"We have some, yes." Sigrid also came forward and with the woman, who had fallen silent but studious of the goings on, helped Katun and Bain remove the man from the barge. "Do you think he's been poisoned?"

The man let out a low moan and Katun nodded. She pulled one of his arms around her shoulder and Bain mimicked with the other. The woman suddenly moved forward and snapped the end off the arrow, soliciting a louder yelp from the man. Without explanation, though Katun understood, the woman rearranged the man's clothing to disguise the remainder of the arrow as much as possible. This done the woman looked back into Katun's face and again Katun swallowed against the lump of disappointment that lodged in her throat. She still did not recognize her.

"This way." Sigrid gestured for the woman to fall into step beside her, Katun and Bain with their human burden coming up behind. They were aided in their return by the dying light of day as well as Sigrid's knowledge of backways and more secluded corridors through which they could travel in order to reach the house relatively undetected. They did run into a few individuals but aside from heavy scrutiny, no words had been exchanged.

The lights were on in the house and daylight was well and gone by the time they returned. Sigrid hurried to open the door and then moved aside when Bard immediately came out to help them. The man's weight was relieved from Katun's shoulders and Bard worked with Bain to bring the man the remainder of the way indoors. Katun gestured for the woman to precede her into the house then Sigrid followed last, latching the door tightly once everyone was inside.

Katun stopped short at the sight before her. Thirteen individuals stared back at her from various positions around the kitchen and hallway, some even sitting on the stairwell that led to the second floor. They all, or most, had long hair and bearded faces, and were obviously of a hardened sort with strong, bulky physiques—one even grotesquely overweight. Even though they were sitting or crouching, or lurking in the shadows, it was obvious that they were much shorter than the average human, though because she too was on the short size they were only marginally shorter than herself. It was strange, to Katun, to see individuals dressed like this without some sort of weapon strapped to their body as between the lot of them there were only two or three weapons readily visible. Only one of the thirteen looked out of place from the rest. He was slighter in stature, more gentile in dress, and seemed to have a quietly anxious demeanor as he wrung his hands together, watching as Tilda cleared the table and Bard and Bain laid the wounded man on it.

"Bain, stoke the fire." Bard began to dish out orders. "Tilda, boil some water. Sigrid-"

"I'll get the herbs and bandages." Sigrid interjected, already moving down the hallway. In order to do so she had to weave her way through a few of the newcomers, one of the younger looking ones (and the only blonde), standing and pressing against the wall in order for her to move past.

Katun took it upon herself to gather together bits of food and using whatever container she could find she served the newcomers the stew they'd earlier been making. Only the smaller creature, beardless and soft-spoken, thanked her verbally; the others gravely nodded their thanks. When Katun returned to the woman, who had yet to move away from where she'd taken station by the door, she found that the woman was still deeply studying Katun, a frown upon her beautiful face. She could see some resemblances between herself and this woman in that the woman was also of darker complexion, though her hair was more textured than Katun's. She handed the woman the last of the stew, stopping her movements when a hand touched her forearm.

"You really don't remember me Cha'risa?"

Bard was suddenly at her side, looking between Katun and the woman, "You know her?"

"Yes. She was part of the security team, with Suarez there on the table, who escorted me on my investigation. We were trying to find a patrol that had gone missing from my father's base when we stumbled here." The woman gestured to the setting around her. "I don't even know where the hell we are." The woman shook her head and drew a hand down her tired face. "The elves found us and kept us, not quite prisoners and not quite guests; the cocky bastards. Cha'risa here, along with Suarez, and the captain we'd sought out to find, Jaq da Cunha, worked with the elves on scouting missions in the forest in repayment for their 'kindness.'" The sarcasm dripping from the woman's voice was not lost on the group. "It was on one of those scouting missions that they were attacked by giant spiders." The woman shuddered, her hand coming out to touch Katun-Cha'risa's arm again. "Cha'risa, I was told, was lost in the attack, her body swept down river before anyone could do anything for her."

As the woman had begun to explain things bits and pieces of the images that had haunted Katun's dreams began to form themselves into memories. They were still fragmented, and only a few matched what the woman had explained, and most seemed to come from another place, another time, in another life. Her head began to pound and her vision blurred. She must've begun to sway on her feet for Bard reached out and took hold of her elbow, shifting his body closer until she was near leaning against him in her efforts to remain on her feet.

"Her name is Cha'risa and she is a fighter for your father?" Bard asked, his hand still on her elbow, the warmth of it reassuring.

The woman blinked at them then nodded, "Cha'risa Numkena. She is a captain in the army. Suarez is one of her men." The woman pointed to the moaning man on the table. They looked over and saw Tilda and Sigrid working together with the soft-spoken creature and the blonde dwarf to divest Suarez of his dirty clothing in order to get at the wound. "He was wounded today trying to help us escape." She tilted her head towards the rest of the inhabitants of the small house.

Where Katun, no Cha'risa, now felt some sort of connection with the woman and man, she felt nothing towards the others. They were strangers, she knew that at least, and she had no recollection of ever seeing anyone like them before. Bard left her side then, and turned to face the others more fully. Katun—she really needed to wrap her head around her real name—shifted closer to the woman. Bard was still speaking to the woman when he asked his next question but directed his gaze towards the newcomers. "Why did you need to escape?"

"For myself and Suarez, at least, we were guest/prisoners and after losing both Cha'risa and Jaq, the other human captain, we felt that our welcome with the elves had worn out, and good riddance at that. For my efforts at pointing out how much of a dunce the king was I got thrown into the dungeon with that one as my cellmate." She pointed to one of the dwarves, a dark-haired one who glared daggers back at her. "When opportunity came knocking for a jail break I was happy to be free of that place. Edwin here seemed to have taken to one of the elves and would've been content to have stayed I think. If it weren't for that damned orc-thing making a pincushion of his shoulder."

Bard tipped his head towards the dwarves, "And what of the dwarves?"

"There is no need to ask the woman our business." The dark-haired dwarf spoke as he stood. He had an aura different from the others, one of grave importance, as if he had the weight of an entire race upon his shoulders and the urgency of a dire mission in the light of his eyes. "We already told you where we were headed."

"Why would simple merchants need to escape in barrels from the halls of King Thranduil?"

There was a tense stare-down between Bard and the dark-haired dwarf then, only interrupted by the combined noise of the moaning of Suarez and a sudden knocking at the door. The dwarves all stood as one, glaring at Bard as if he'd betrayed them, but before they could utter an accusation, Katun stepped forward and signaled the dwarves to all move down the narrow corridor and out of direct line-of-sight to the door. The woman also moved away from the door and stood in front of the table, Tilda and Bain coming to stand on either side of her in their efforts to block the view of Suarez. Sigrid had her hand over his mouth, trying to muffle his noises while the soft-spoken not-dwarf creature seemed to melt into the background in his quiet movements. Another knock sounded and Bard, hesitating just until Katun shifted to his side, aiding in blocking further any view indoors, cracked open the door.

Upon seeing the strangers outside, Bard immediately moved the door open further and allowed the two newcomers inside, shutting the door behind them, "Strange night and strange place for a gathering of races. I fear this won't end well." He murmured into Katun's ear alone as he turned to watch the exchange between newcomers and old.

"Tauriel, Legolas." The woman let out the breath she'd been holding. "How did you find us?"

The elf female didn't speak as she moved quickly to Suarez' side, her hands coming up to inspect the wound. It was the elf male, who continued to hover near the door, tense and alert, who replied.

"We tracked the orcs here." He looked down the corridor and saw the dwarves glaring at him.

"Orcs?" Bard growled. "You brought orcs into Laketown?" He directed his question to the dwarves. "Why would orcs want you so badly that they'd follow you down the river, across the lake, and into our city?"

"They know what it is the dwarves seek." The elven male, Legolas, sneered towards the dwarves before his eyes found Katun, a look of recognition and surprise registering on his face. "And they want to finish what they started below the East-gate of Moria, at the Battle of Azanûlbizar."

Katun heard Bard suck in a breath through his teeth, "You are from Erebor." He pointed to the dark-haired dwarf. "You've come to try to retake the mountain."

"It is our right." The dark-haired dwarf growled back in the face of Bard's incredulous anger. "It is our home."

"This is OUR home." Bard pointed to the floor of the house. "And there's a dragon in that mountain. You go up there and there will be hell to pay for us here. Your people's impetuous greed brought destruction upon your own halls as well as the city of Dale. I cannot let you do the same to Laketown."

"We do not ask for your permission to do what must be done." The dark-haired dwarf took an aggressive step towards Bard. "You will not stop us from reclaiming our home."

"Your home is a testimony of ruin and a warning to any who would seek to enter into that tomb of a mountain." Bard argued back. "Only death waits in those halls."

A heavy knock shook the door and all within the house quieted. Legolas moved to stand behind the door and motioned for Tauriel to join him. She hesitated only a moment before she did so, reluctant to leave Suarez' side. Bard had barely had his hand on the latch before the door near banged open into his face. The same sniveling man who'd come arguing over a head-tax the night before was standing on the other side, a group of soldiers behind him.

"The Master wants to see your guests, Bard."

Bard didn't have a chance to argue before the soldiers pushed inside and began to tug at the dwarves. One of the dwarves looked ready to fight, the fair-haired one, but a soldier near Tilda and Sigrid laid his hand upon his sword, and the fair-haired dwarf relinquished his hold of the weapon and allowed himself to be shoved out the door along with the rest of them. Katun stayed by Bard's side and together they blocked the view of the elves who had further slipped into the darkened corner behind the door. Alfred looked at the wounded man on the table then glared at Bard.

"What's been going on here, eh? Dangerous looking dwarves in your hallway, a wounded man on your table, and two strange women hovering around your children. You're getting sloppy Bard." Alfred pointed to Bard. "Bring him, his boy too. The women can stay here with the children. Not likely they'll be going far, not with the dying man."

Before he was pulled out into the dark, Bard's hand briefly sought out Katun's and she looked up to him. His gaze was serious, his expression grave, but the quick squeeze of his hand invigorated Katun with the energy and sense of purpose that she needed to take charge of the situation once he was gone. Then as quickly as they'd come, the soldiers, dwarves, Bain and Bard all left. Katun closed the door and latched it then turned and stared at the remainder of their company. Tauriel immediately returned to Suarez, her hands pulling out herbs from pouches at her side, her voice low as it took up a sing-song chant. Sigrid seemed to shake herself out of the weighty stupor that had befallen her and sought to help Tauriel as the elven maid cleaned the wound and began the process of extracting the arrow. She signaled for Tilda to chip in. A movement out of the corner of her eye brought Katun's gaze to the stairwell and to her surprise she found the soft-spoken creature standing there, his hands wringing together once more. How had the soldiers overlooked him?

"The orcs are still here. Somewhere." Legolas spoke by her side.

Katun nodded but didn't move to leave, "They need protection."

"You protect them." Legolas' voice grew fainter and Katun watched as he moved towards the door. "I'm going to go orc-hunting."

He'd no sooner opened the door when a large, ugly looking creature came barreling inside, as if he'd been waiting to be invited. The woman who'd come with Suarze let out a yelp, the creature coming directly towards her. She reached down and grabbed the nearest object, a metal pan, and brought it up just in time to deflect the nasty looking sword the creature had been about to stab her with. Watching this, Katun didn't waste another moment; she leapt across the room and seized hold of the staff she'd trained with the night before. She turned back around to find Legolas fighting off a second creature in the doorway while the original had pulled back, about to stab at the woman by the table again. Katun used the staff to help her launch into the air, landing a kick in the side of the creature's head before he could bring his sword any closer.

The creature lost his balance and fell upon the floor, only momentarily stunned. The woman, still holding the frying pan, took up position beside Tilda while the soft-spoken creature appeared by Sigrid's side, surprisingly armed with a small sword that looked to be glowing a blueish color. Tauriel continued her chanting as if unaware of the goings on, the arrow out of Suarez's chest and a salve of herbs packed into his wound, Tauriel's hands over the wound and pressing some sort of object against it. The creature scrambled back to his feet and snarled at Katun.

"You'll pay for that you bitch." The creature's guttural voice made Katun shiver.

"Name-calling is so immature." Katun countered, easily avoiding the attack the creature threw at her. A sense of calm coursed through her nerves and a heightened awareness of her surroundings, of her own body, and of the various options she had in attacking the creature came to her. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she felt into the attacks that came to mind, her staff a steady and true weapon even against the sword of the creature. Soon enough she had him disarmed and unconscious upon the floor. She looked over her shoulder to see Legolas panting in the doorway.

"One more ran off." He looked over to Tauriel, who continued her chanting unaware of them all, then to Katun. "He may lead me to where the others are waiting."

Katun nodded, not surprised when Legolas disappeared immediately after. Katun lowered the end of her staff to the ground and looked at the mess the fight had made of the house. The little creature by Sigrid's side blinked back at her, as odd a sight to see after a fight as the two girls and the frying pan wielding woman. She gestured to the woman.

"You, help me get rid of this thing." Katun leaned her staff against the wall and reached down to take hold of the creature's arms. "And Sigrid, you and-" Katun looked expectantly at the little creature.

"Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins."

Katun nodded, "You and Bilbo, help with the other."

The woman set aside the pan and came to help Katun, "My name is Alyse."

"Oh. Sorry." Katun grunted as they began to heave, push, and pull the creature towards the door. "I'm sorry I don't remember you."

Two splashes were the result of their combined efforts to rid themselves of the creatures. Bilbo and Sigrid immediately went back into the house while Katun stayed outside, watching until she was sure the creatures had floated well away from the house.

"It isn't your fault." Alyse's voice alerted her to the fact that she too had stayed outside. "That you don't remember. I'm sure it'll come back to you soon enough. Damned glad you remembered how to fight though."

Katun nodded, "Maybe we'll have more time to discuss what my life was like before but for now-"

Bain came, for the second time that day, barreling up the steps and fell against the open doorway of the house. The chanting from Tauriel stopped and all eyes fell upon the gasping boy.

"Da's been arrested."

Tilda and Sigrid gasped.

Alyse stepped closer, "What of the dwarves?"

"In exchange for a portion of the treasure their leader Thorin said was waiting in the mountain, the Master's given them weapons and let most of them leave. Thorin made the two youngest dwarves stay behind as collateral and they're in prison with Da."

"Oh." They turned to look back at Bilbo when he spoke up. "If Thorin has left for the mountain then that means I should too." He patted his clothing, as if searching for something, then nodded to himself. "I have a contract with him you know."

"No," Katun shook her head, "I didn't know. Why does this Thorin need you?"

"I know why." Alyse spoke up when Bilbo looked reluctant to say. "At least, I know some of why. While we were in the dungeon together Thorin made a quite a few allusions to things that I'm now starting to piece together." She looked back through the open doorway to where Tauriel had begun to wipe down Suarez with a wet cloth. The color of his skin was returning to normal and it appeared he was out of danger from the poison. Tauriel, however, looked beyond exhausted. "I'll take you Bilbo."

Katun stared at her, "Why do you need to take him? What's going on?"

"I can go by myself, thank you Miss Alyse." Bilbo spoke at the same time as Katun.

"Bilbo is the one who got us out of the dungeon and he is the only way that stubborn dwarf and his kin are going to succeed up at the mountain without risking waking up the dragon. If there even is still a dragon up there." Alyse pointed to the simple looking creature only marginally shorter than both Katun and Alyse. "Tauriel isn't going to be much help getting Bilbo back to Thorin looking like that and you need to stay with these kids since you know them, and their father."

"Okay, but I don't understand why you need to take Bilbo. Why can't he go by himself?" Katun looked at Bilbo and while the creature looked sorely out of place for any sort of adventure, he also looked tenacious. "He looks perfectly capable and ready to do so."

Alyse smiled, "Because someone needs to make sure Thorin doesn't go and do something stupid. The others just listen to him; no one challenges him. Stupid hierarchy of leadership."

"And you're going to do that? You said you met him in a dungeon."

"And you get to know a person quite well when in such close quarters." Alyse smiled again then reached out and patted Katun's shoulder. "Really, Cha'risa, I'll be fine. Bilbo has that knife."

"Sword."

"Sharp blade," Alyse rolled her eyes, "and I'll take that frying pan."

"That's our best pan." Tilda cried out from where she stood by the table helping Tauriel and Sigrid with Suarez.

"I was kidding, child." Alyse waved away Tilda's concern. "In any case, if we leave now we should catch up with Thorin and the others and hopefully get this thing over with before tomorrow night."

Katun frowned. How were they supposed to reclaim a mountain infested by a dragon in only one day? There was something more going on here, Katun knew it, but she didn't know enough of the situation to ask the right question in order to find out. Without further reasons to argue she and Bain gathered together a few meager provisions for Bilbo and Alyse to take with them and then Katun stood in the doorway and watched until the two figures disappeared into the night. The answers to her questions had come and gone, and in one crazed evening, and she could only hope that there would be a chance to retrieve the answers again.

"Let's move him upstairs to your father's room." Katun closed the door when she reentered the house and gestured towards Suarez. Bain and Tauriel helped drag him up the stairs while Tilda and Sigrid readied the room. This done, they all returned to the table and sat down, except for Tauriel who opted to remain by Suarez' side once more. No one really knew what to say. Sigrid managed to dish out a few more bowls of stew, Tilda taking a moment to bring Tauriel a bowl then returning, and they each ate in silence.

It wasn't until they'd finished the meal, cleaned up the house, and sat back down again that Tilda spoke up. "What are we going to do? What if there really is a dragon up there? What about Da?"

Katun tapped her forefinger against the table. She went over what she knew of what had happened, what she knew of the history of the mountain and Dale and Laketown, and set about trying to formulate a plan. The children sitting around her began to discuss amongst themselves different ideas, all encompassing breaking their father out of jail. If there really was a dragon in that mountain, and if they got inside the mountain by tomorrow, then that left those in Laketown only the day to prepare themselves for a possible attack. While it was obvious that the Master of the town wasn't bothered by that chance, more interested in wealth than he was in safety for the people, it was equally obvious to Katun that if the dragon had managed to completely destroy a city before, if he was still there, he could do so again.

"Do you think your father would know of a way to fight against a dragon, if it attacked?" Katun interrupted the children after a few moments more of thinking.

Bain nodded, "I forgot! He told me to hide the black arrow." The other three blinked at him. "Supposedly it is the only thing that can pierce a dragon's hide."

"Okay." Katun cracked her knuckles and leaned forward. "Then listen carefully."