Author's Note: Hi everyone. First week back at work now done and dusted, second week of work, however, is just about to beginning (Why does it have to be Sunday already? Why?).
This chapter is a bit-sit chapter, we jump around to a lot of people, almost all of them have a goal but none of them are any closer to achieving it, hence the title of the chapter. Anyway, please enjoy.

Chapter Sixty-Five

No Closer

"So," Dwalin stomped into Bilbo's chambers after he had seen Bilbo, Thorin and Frodo safely to Oin's infirmary, "do we know who this bastard is?" Nori looked up from where he was crouched by the dwarf's corpse, turning his pockets inside out, already items of little interest littered around the body.

"Another low level guard." Nori replied with a grunt, "but as of yet that's about it."

Dwalin swore brutally and smack his fist against the wall.

"Yet." Nori reminded the head guard, "all we know yet. Soon enough, we will know more."

"We better." Dwalin growled, "In her own room, for fuck sake!"

"Hmmm, aye. How's Thorin taking that?" Nori asked, his face twisted into a grimace.

"Don't think that has occurred to him yet, though just give it time and it will."

"Aye." Nori nodded slowly. "How is she?"

"Oin gave her some foul smelling draft for the pain and to help her sleep. When I left Thorin was trying to settle the little lad down with a story and she was getting ready to sleep."

"So Thorin will be with them." Nori said with relief

"Aye, tonight, for sure. Tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow is tomorrow." Nori shrugged, "Though I do think he's wishing he was once more a blacksmith and not king." He added with a sly smirk though he spoke from the heart.

"Aye. It's hard for him… to not be able to be with them… both of them." Nori lips twitched from a smirk into a small, understanding grin while Dwalin looked torn between being embarrassed and pleased over this fact.

"Once the trial is over…"

"Aye, we can hope."

"And we can only hope our king doesn't mess things up… again." Nori added under his breath, dodging as Dwalin made to cuff the back of his head.

"Oi, show some respect." Dwalin grunted, though he spoke half-heartedly and none of his full strength was behind the missed cuff.

Nori shrugged before motioning for the guards standing in the chamber's door way for them to come and take the corpse to one of the chambers off the Hall of the Dead.

"Should we go talk with the girl?" Nori asked as he and Dwalin stood back to watch dispassionately as the dwarf's body was wrapped in a black cloth and carried from the chambers.

"Aye. Balin took her to his office."

"Do ya think she has some part in this?" Nori asked though he himself doubted it. No one could look that terrified and heart-sick when they were involved in such a plot, no one was that good a liar or actor and the girl seem genuinely frighten as she gasped out her mistake and fears when she barrelled into Thorin's office.

Dwalin let out a heavy breath though his nostrils.

"Who knows now days." He finally grunted. "C'mon, let's go and see if we can't get some more information out of her, she's hopefully calmed down enough to speak coherently."

"Aye."

The two walked side by side down to Balin's office, which really was more like a mini library with a desk shoved into the room than an actual office.

Inside, Balin sat behind his desk looking in concern at the sobbing dwarrowdam her face buried into her hands.

Mira was absolutely miserable and just could not seem stop crying even though the king and his advisors had been nothing but kind and gentle with her, right from the moment she burst into his private study, gasping out her mistake and apologies. The king had shot from around his desk before she even managed to finish her first sentence, shouting for guards and Lord Dwalin to come to him. The spy master had appeared almost out of nowhere, catching her arm and pulling her along until Lord Balin had appeared, to whose care she was placed into while the King went racing to his son's side. Lord Balin had been kind to her as he took her to his office, sitting her down and brewing her a cup of tea which she had taken from him with trembling fingers. She had been, however, unable to drink the any of it and the cup now sat cold on the floor beside her chair.

She looked up from her hands as Lord Dwalin and Spy Master Nori walked into Lord Balin's office.

"Is-is he safe?" She asked her voice thick with tears.

Lord Dwalin nodded and Lord Balin let out a small sigh of relief.

"Oh thank Mahal." Mira whispered, pressing a hand over her heart, closing her eyes.

"Now lassie," the Spy Master moved to stand in front of her, "we need to know what happened, aye? Starting as to why you left the little lad's side, to how you knew that something was wrong."

She nodded her head jerkily.

"Yes, of course, sir. Um…" she took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened that had her leaving her young charges side, explaining how she had, upon finding her younger brother, realised her error. She explained how she had started to run back to Mistress Baggins's chambers before realising that she was in fact closer to the King's private study and so, had changed her course to alert him and Lord Dwalin of what she feared was happening.

"Aye, and your brother grabbed me." The Spy Master nodded his head slowly.

"Yes, sir."

"You have no idea what the dwarf wanted?" Lord Balin asked gently.

"No, my lord." She replied tearfully. "If I had, do you truly think I would have left the mim ze?"

"Dunno lass," Lord Dwalin rumpled, "that's why we're asking ya."

She swallowed and stared down at her hands.

"My lord, I truly have no idea what the dwarf guard was planning. He told me that my father had been injured in a mining accident, that he was dying and I needed to go to his side. He spoke that he had permission from both his Majesty and Mistress Baggins's to take look after the mim ze until Mistress Baggins arrived."

"And none of that appeared strange to you?" Lord Dwalin growled.

"I… I" she looked around her desperately, "yes, it did, but… sir, my father has been involved in mining accident before and it almost cost him his life than. I… I was just scared. I know that is no excuse but…"

"Hush lass," Lord Balin said gently, "what has occurred is not all of your own fault," Lord Balin looked to his brother and the Spy Master, "we should have been more careful, planned for something like this maybe."

"Only that we shouldn't have to." The Spy Master muttered more to himself than anyone else, "this is our home; we shouldn't have to plan for these types of things." He shook his head, his expression pained.

Mira hung her head, staring down at her hands. He was right and it was partly for this way of thinking that had had her believing that leaving the little boy with the low level guard was perfectly safe, that nothing bad would happen to him.

"Was he… was he trying to kill him?" She whispered, still staring at her hands, unable to meet any of their eyes, "the guard, was he try to kill Frodo?"

"We… we do not know." The Spy Master admitted in tone that held a good deal of bitterness, "Yet." He added with a growl.

"Nori," Lord Dwalin said, "take the lass home." The two dwarves shared a look that Mira did not understand but she said not a word in protest as she rose to her feet, bowing respectfully to Lord Balin and Dwalin, her head hung down low still.

"C'mon lass." The Spy Master said, not unkindly, "Let's get you home. Ya family is most likely worrying about you."

She nodded, still fighting back tears.

"I am sorry." She whispered.

"Aye lass, we know." The Spy Master said gently, "Do not take it so to heart. It could have been worse, but it isn't, so think on that and take that to heart and not the 'what if's' and all your guilt."

Mira simply nodded and allowed the Spy Master to lead her home, to her worried family, not bothering to ask how he knew where she lived.

TMPoT

"Noir failed. He failed in 'is mission of seizing Durin."

"Obviously." Snarled the disgruntle Lord Tren of the Iron Hills, his hands curling into fists on top of his desk as he glared furiously at the dwarves standing before him.

"And he got 'imself killed."

"That," Lord Tren grunted, "is a small blessing at the very least."

"Milord?"

"If he had lived, do you all truly believe he would have been able to keep his mouth shut in regards to his mission, our mission?"

"Noir," one of the dwarf guards shook his head, "never betray us or ya. 'e knew tha importance of it all, secretness and all."

"I am sure." Lord Tren snorted, "But even so, his death is a blessing to us. It shows us the cruelty of the hobbit whore, her quickness for her knives."

"Aye." Lord Tren smiled slowly as the chorus around him before narrowing his eyes.

"What was that?" he stared at an older guard, who was looking uncomfortable and pulling at his grey beard with discomfort, "what was that Farah?"

"Nothing, milord." The old guard muttered before looking down at his feet, "What I meant was, and meaning no respect ta ya or Noir but, the hobbit, she was only acting as any other mother would 'ave in 'er situation. Any Ma would be a reaching for 'er knives if someone strange were threatening 'er babe. There's no cruelty in protecting ya mim ze."

"Are you, Farah son of Harah, rejecting our cause?" Lord Tren snarled. Farah sweated heavily, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"N-no milord, Imma just saying that we shouldn't be so hasty to judge tha hobbit. After ta all, she is tha mother of Durin, after ta all."

Tren watched as the dwarves standing around the old guard look suddenly uncomfortable, shooting nervous glances between him and Farah.

"Aye," Tren forced himself to smile while inside he seethed, "but do you truly believe that Durin would have allowed himself to be born to her if he had known of her stealing of the Arkenstone? Or of the King's fall to the dragon-sickness? It is the belief from my sources that Durin was conceived before these events occurred, so of course our True King would not know of them. It was too late for him by that time to change his fate. Isn't it only right for us to set him once more upon the correct path? His correct path."

"Aye." The dwarves around him nodded in agreement even old Farah nodded though his eyes still portrayed much unhappiness.

There was a series of knocks on Tren's office door before it opened and Lord Hyren, Tren's cousin and a member of the King's high council.

Hyren looked around at them all, a frown set upon his brow. The guards within the chamber bowed respectfully to the two lords before taking their leave.

"Noir failed?" Hyren asked his cousin once the guards had all left the chamber. Tren nodded with a grimace as Hyren growled.

"This sets us back quite significantly."

"Quite." Tren agreed swinging himself to his feet and going over to his liquor cabinet, pouring two flagons full of heavy amber liquid. He passed one flagon to his cousin who sat down heavily into a chair opposite his own on the other side of his desk.

"Blast," Hyren snarled into his flagon, "now we must wait. They'll be on their guard now. I've heard from sources that the king himself sits with the Halfling whore and Durin in the old fool's infirmary."

"He cannot be with them always."

Hyren shook his head.

"That means nothing. If he's not with them, than another of the blasted company will be."

"How close is the council to agreeing upon rejecting the Halfling whore's trial, for her banishment to not be rescinded?" Tren asked his gaze hopeful.

Hyren only scowled darkly in return.

"No closer, if anything they are now actually thinking of agreeing with the King's request."

"Because the whore birthed Durin?"

"Aye. And because of Ironfoot. Ironfoot and his brat have been seduced by the whore as deeply as Thorin's company. The whore's powers are great, for she has swayed many of my council members in her favour, for when we met with her and Durin the other day."

Tren stared at him.

"How… how? I heard she was some kind of Word Witch."

"She spoke not a word to us, but apparently," Hyren snarled, "some were moved by how gentle she was with Durin. They speak now of her as being a humble, gentle creature, a loving mother to our greatest of kings."

"A witch." Tren nodded his head.

"Aye. But I do not know how to break the spell of a Word Witch."

"Nor I."

"So what do we do?" Tren growl smacking his fist against his desk.

"We wait, we watch. Maybe her spell will break on its own and everyone will see her for who she truly is."

"And the trial? You cannot allow for her banishment and label as traitor to be removed!"

Hyren held up a hand to stop Tren's furious rants.

"We will hear what she has to say, for I doubt now that the council will agree upon our original plan. We must have this trial, we must listen to what the whore says and then…"

"But she's a Word Witch!" Tren choked out in protest, "She will curse you all into believing every word she speaks!"

"Maybe for them, the fools will be cursed, but I will not be! I know her ways, I will fight against her words and I will be victories."

"Aye, cousin," Tren nodded.

"Now, cousin, on a different subject entirely." Hyren said setting his gaze firmly upon Tren, "I suggest that you and your son keep a low profile from now on." he waved off Tren's protests, "I have heard that Oakenshield is displeased with you, for both yours and the lad's original attitudes towards Durin…"

"We didn't know!" Tren protested, "How were we to know…"

"Does not matter, Oakenshield is still displeased with you. Do not give him more reason or Ironfoot, for that matter now, for you to be sent back to the Iron Hills. I need you here."

"Aye cousin." Tren nodded dejectedly, a scowl painted over his face.

"Have heart cousin," Hyren swallowed the last of his flagon's content, "we will see our mission completed. We will right the wrongs and in time, a golden age will come over the mountain, with Durin leading us proudly."

"Despite his parentage." Tren snorted and Hyren nodded.

"Despite, aye."

"But until then we must wait." Tren grunted moodily.

"And watch, aye." Hyren slammed his flagon down upon Tren's desk. "We will speak again of this later."

The two cousins shook hands before taking leave of each other into the darkness of the night.

TMPoT

Thorin sat beside the bed in Oin's infirmary that Billanna and Frodo were currently sleeping in, watching the two of them breathing soundly, Frodo tucked in close to Billanna's body as she lay on her back, her bandaged hands laying on top of the covers.

He rubbed his face and beard as he stared broodily down at her hands, counting his blessing that things had turned out the way they had. If they had been only a few moments later… he shuddered to think what they would have found.

He closed his eyes as the memory of Billanna crouched on the floor of her chamber, her hands and clothes covered in blood as she stared in horror at the dwarf corpse before her.

Her own chamber, she had been attacked in her own chamber! By Mahal's hammer, she, both of them, were meant to be safe here. This was his kingdom and yet he couldn't even keep his son and his burglar safe within their own rooms!

He leant forward in his chair, his finger nails biting into his palms as he glared down at the floor. How… how could he have allowed for this to happen? How… what were they missing? Would Billanna and Frodo ever be safe within Erebor's walls? Would…

"Stop it." His head jerked upwards and he met a pair of intense brown eyes that seemed to be staring almost straight into his soul. Though Billanna's eyes were tired, they were at the same time, holding an intensity within them of someone fully awake.

"Billanna?"

"Stop it." She repeated, waving one of her bandaged hands at him. He caught it before she could hurt it by hitting her hand against something.

"Stop what?"

She smiled softly, maybe a little groggily at him.

"Stop worrying. You need to stop worrying." She mumbled her hand curling around his.

"How can I?"

"Because we're fine," she mumbled her eyes starting to close as she spoke, "we're all fine. We're safe and all alive." Her fingers around his hand grew limp and if he did not have hold of her hand, it would have dropped. He watched her as she fell back to sleep, cradling her hand in both of his.

He leant forward and kissed her forehead before leaning back in his chair, still holding her hand in both of his. He closed his own eyes and allowed for his weariness to consume him. And within moments he was in as deep a sleep as his burglar and their son.

Author's Note: So, anyone actually remember Lord Tren? He is the father of the dwarf boy, Wren, whom Frodo is constantly at odds with. He was introduced in Chapter 44; Nowhere, a Grudge Will Lead and he's been mention sporadically since (Yeah, I know, not the best story-telling). He'll be in the story a lot more from now on, as will his cousin, Hyren, whom has also appeared before but not by name in Chapter 61; Allies and Obstacles and maybe earlier but that's for me to know and yeah. Anyway, he was the heavily braided black hair and beard dwarf in Chapter 61, whom was acting like the spokesperson for the Council. In Thorin's side of the chapter, he's much more of a pain in the arse. Which when I finish this monster and I'm going back over it and fixing stuff up, I might add it in as an extended scene or something. Or post it on its own. I'm not sure yet. The only reason its not in here is because I wanted to keep the story rolling and I thought it might stall it due to it basically being chapter 61, just from Thorin's POV.
Anyway, do people now have a clearer idea of what's going on, what's being planned by Tren and Hyren and their merry group of men? There is more of them that we haven't met yet, though not too many more. Thorin truly is a good king and is well loved by his people, very few actually want to overthrow him. There are just some nobles and their little followers who miss the power that they once possessed with there was no King sitting on the throne of Erebor. These nobles also don't really care much for what kind of King Thorin is and especially the kind of King Fili will be. It's actually the kind of King Fill will be that these nobles and their followers are truly worried about. But I'll go more into that later. I'm not saying that they think Fili will be a tyrant of King, actually that would suit them just fine, it because they know Fili will be a great king that they're worried. But again, this will come in more apparent later.

Also to explain the title chapter more clearly, Nori, Dwalin and Balin are feeling no closer to solving the very worrying puzzle/s that keep occurring within their home. Tren and Hyren are no closer to grabbing Frodo and achieving their dream goal of a "golden age". Thorin is feeling no closer to be able to protect Bilbo and Frodo sufficiently or being the dwarf either of them deserve. And lastly, the author is feeling no closer to the end of this fic or Arc.
You probably didn't care or want to know any of that, but I'm sick with a headache so humor me, lol.

Bye for now