The company descended further into the valley and finally came upon a long and narrow bridge. Gandalf led them across the bridge and into a large courtyard that stood in front of the main hall. Naturally, the dwarves had surreptitiously shuffled Bilbo and Thessa into the center of their group, just in case, whereas Gandalf and Thorin were in the lead.

"Mithrandir," a brown-haired elf called to Gandalf as he descended the stairs of the hall in front of them.

"Ah, Lindir," the old wizard replied with a smile, recognizing the elf. Lindir was Lord Elrond's second in command, a loyal and trustworthy elf, although he was not very keen on dwarves.

"We heard you had crossed into the valley," the elf said, eyeing the dwarves over Gandalf's shoulder.

"I must Speak with Lord Elrond," Gandalf said, cutting right to the chase.

"My Lord Elrond is not here," Lindir replied.

"Not here?" Gandalf queried. "Where is he?" A horn sounded suddenly from behind the company as a group of elves rushed in and quickly surrounded them. Thorin made sure Thessa was behind him and had a hold of one of her arms, making sure she didn't fall as her legs had started to shake from walking and standing so much. He didn't trust these elves, he also didn't think they would harm a human woman, but he made sure he could feel Thessa behind him nonetheless.

"Gandalf," the lead elf said, dismounting his horse and striding over to the wizard.

"Lord Elrond," Gandalf greeted, glad that he was now here. "My friend, where have you been?"

"We've been hunting a pack of orcs that came up from the South, we slew a number near the hidden pass," Lord Elrond informed him, embracing his old friend. "Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders, something or someone has drawn them here."

"I'm afraid that would've been us," Gandalf apologized. He watched as Lord Elrond spotted Thorin at the head of the company.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain" Lord Elrond said to the dwarf king.

"I don't believe we have met," Thorin supplied with a hint of arrogance in his tone. He wished to be anywhere but here with these accursed elves.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain," said the elf lord.

"Indeed?" Thorin challenged, "He made no mention of you." Gandalf mentally strangled the dwarf king. He would ruin their chance at getting help with his pride and arrogance.

"Welcome, then. Please follow Lindir and he will show you to your rooms, dinner will be served once you are settled," Lord Elrond spoke to Thorin, although he knew Thorin would not understand elvish.

"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Glóin called from the middle of the group, riling up the dwarves' anger.

"No master Glóin, he's offering you food," Gandalf stated to the irate dwarves. Lord Elrond looked to the dwarf that spoke and it was then that he spotted the woman travelling with them, wearing nothing but a frayed tunic and an equally worn pair of breeches.

"Forgive me, my lady," Lord Elrond spoke to Thessa, "I am Lord Elrond, and who might you be?"

"My name is Thessalia, my lord" Thessa spoke up, bowing her head slightly to their host. At least she had some manners, she thought.

"Praise the Valar," Lord Elrond whispered with a smile, "I never thought I would see the daughter of Meveria in my lifetime. Welcome, princess." Lord Elrond and the other elves dipped their heads to her in respect and Gandalf gave her a knowing smile. The dwarves all turned to look at their companion, confusion written on their faces. Thessa, however, was now panicking. This was not good at all. How would she explain herself now? She had carefully calculated everything she told the company, but this elf lord had ruined it all! Also, how did he know her mother? Perhaps he was one of the envoys from Rivendell that met with her mother years ago to discuss a trade agreement, she thought.

"Princess?" Kili questioned, feeling slightly betrayed. Lord Elrond strode over to the young woman and offered her his arm.

"Tell me my dear, how did you come to be in the company of dwarves? And how is the land suiting you? I would imagine it is quite difficult to be so far away from home," Lord Elrond asked Thessa as he lead her into the hall and their voices faded until the company could no longer hear them from the courtyard. All eyes turned to Gandalf for an explanation. Thorin knew there was something about her that he did not trust. She has an entire history that she withheld from them. She lied to them, all of them. He was right not to trust that wench. Gandalf spoke up then, trying to quell their anger.

"Do not worry, our Thessalia is not a threat to you all. She has a complicated history that is only hers to reveal should she wish it. But I am certain that if she imparts that information on you, you will all feel quite foolish for doubting her." Gandalf turned and brusquely strode after Lord Elrond and Thessa, slightly irritated by how fast the dwarves had turned on their companion.

"Try it," Dori suggested, "just a mouthful."

"I don't like green food," Ori complained, saddened at the lack of meat at the dinner table they found themselves sitting around.

"Kind of you to invite us," Gandalf said as Lord Elrond lead him into the dining hall, "though we did not come dressed for dinner."

"You never are," Lord Elrond replied with a small chuckle. He had turned Thessa over to a pair of elf maids and instructed them find her a suitable dress for dinner and asked that Thessa join them in the dining hall when she was ready. Lord Elrond took a seat at a small table with Gandalf and Thorin on the balcony, inspecting the swords they had found in the troll hoard.

"This is orcrist," he said to Thorin, "the goblin cleaver, a famous blade forged by the high elves of the west. It will serve you well." He handed the blade back to the dwarf king who nodded to him. He went on to inspect the sword Gandalf presented to him. Bilbo had overheard their conversation from the other table where the rest of the dwarves sat. Bilbo inspected his sword for a name, but Balin explained to him that swords were given names for the great deeds they did in battle. He claimed that the sword Bilbo had was more of a letter opener, and now Bilbo felt slightly miffed at the sword he carried.

"How did you come by these?" Lord Elrond asked, surprise in his voice. These were ancient swords that had seen many victories in battle.

"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East road," Gandalf replied. "Shortly before we were ambushed by orcs."

"And what were you doing on the Great East road?" the elf lord inquired, glancing over at Thorin who had a disdainful look about him, obviously unhappy to have their motives questioned. Just then, Lord Elrond turned his attention to the doors that had just opened and saw the Princess Thessalia enter the dining hall. He was happy that they had found a dress and shoes for her and that she was finally out of those ragged clothes.

Thorin looked toward the door and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her. Thessa walked into the hall in an ocean blue gown that matched her eyes perfectly. Her hair was down for once and it hung down to her hips, swaying whenever she took a step. The dress fit her in all the right places and when her eyes found his, he couldn't bring himself to look away. It was only when she blushed slightly and turned toward the table where the rest of the company was, that he could divert his attention back to Gandalf and Lord Elrond.

She had been given a very large room to stay in and they had also found her a gown to wear as the maids showed her around Imladris. This was her first time wearing both a gown and shoes, but she could get used to it if she must. She felt bad for not telling the company who she truly was, and she didn't want them to find out through an elf that they mistrusted. But if they had found out earlier, who knows what would have happened. They could have left her in the wilds or tried to sell her to someone for a handsome profit. Even though she considered them friends, many people changed when they learned that a being they thought to be only from legends was standing right before them.

When she walked into the dining hall however, she found Thorin's deep blue eyes immediately, and blushed at the way he was looking at her. His eyes raked over her form and drank in the curves of her silhouette. She eventually broke their eye contact and walked over to the rest of the company. She had been practicing her walking with some of the elf maids before she came down to dinner and she felt like she had the hang of it now. The company welcomed her back hesitantly, although many of them still had their reservations about her, namely Dwalin. She sighed as she took a seat, she knew this was coming. But maybe the best way to diffuse the tension was to explain everything. Maybe if they knew how delicate her situation was, then they would feel obligated to keep her secret and help her get home. So she swallowed her fear and addressed the company.

"I'd like to apologize to everyone," she began. "My identity is something that is important for me to keep hidden. I did not wish for you to discover it in the manner you did, but if you would join me in my chambers after dinner, I'd be happy to explain everything." Thessa glanced around at the company, trying to gauge their reactions.

"Sounds like a fine idea to me," Glóin finally mumbled as murmurs of agreement passed amongst the group. Thessa smiled brightly at them before filling a plate with some food that she actually enjoyed. She had not been able to eat her fill of good food in months! The elves did not eat meat, like her people, but they did consume cheeses and other dairy products. So she gorged herself on leafy greens and sweet fruits and bread. The dinner was fairly calm and she eventually excused herself after giving the company directions to her room. She also reminded them to pass the information on to Thorin since he sat at another table on the balcony.

Thessa excused herself and returned to her room to change out of the dress and into a light blue tunic and a brown pair of breeches. She liked the look of the dress, but it was far too uncomfortable, she decided. She wrestled off the small blue slippers she was given and definitely did not like the sticky feeling she now had on her feet. A soft knock at the door informed her that the company was here, and she moved to open the door for them.

The dwarves all filed in, and everyone was there save for Gandalf, who had more important matters to attend to. She showed them where they could sit and she took a seat between Ori and Bilbo in the large circle they had formed on the floor.

"Okay then," she started, "What do you want to know?" All those present started to speak all at once and she couldn't understand what any of them were saying. She laughed softly and quieted them down as best she could. This was going to be a long conversation, she thought. "One at a time please!" she chuckled.

"How are you a princess?" Asked Kili from across the circle. It had been weighing on his mind since their meeting of Lord Elrond.

"My mother, Meveria, is the queen of our people. Our kingdom lies in the sea of Rhûn," Thessa answered honestly and waited for the inevitable question she knew would come next.

"Do ya mean by the sea, lass?" Balin added. There it was.

"No, master Balin," she replied with a smile, "I meant in."

"That's absurd!" called Dwalin "Nobody lives in the sea, unless you be some sort of fish."

Fili's eyes lit up just then, he was the first to connect the dots. He stood up proudly and turned to Thessa.

"Thessa, I have figured it out!" he said confidently, enthusiastic that he had beaten them all to the punch. Thessa only chuckled lightly as she smiled at the young dwarf.

"Well, let's hear it then," Thessa encouraged him with mirth in her eyes, glad that he was excited and not angry.

"Our lady Thessalia," He gestured to her as he looked around the company sitting in a circle, pausing for dramatic effect. "Is a mermaid." The company immediately erupted in objections and began arguing.

"Thats impossible!" Dori announced. "Those fish creatures are just a myth!"

"Hear me out," Fili continued. "She is of royal blood, making her valuable, hence why she was kidnapped." He paused again and watched as the others gave some nods of agreement. "Normally, she would have a tail rather than legs, which is why walking and running was challenging for her." Fili glanced at Thessa for confirmation, to which she nodded her head slowly, surprised he had figured that much out. The rest of the company sat in stunned silence as Fili stood there with a smug grin, finally taking his seat next to his brother again.

Bombur waved his hand slightly to ask a question and she nodded to him to proceed.

"Is that why you asked me to leave the meat out of your soup?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, Bombur," she smiled, "Merfolk cannot eat meat, nor anything that comes from another animal. It makes us very ill."

Thorin was sitting amongst the company, still unable to process what he was hearing. When Bombur asked about the meat and Fili explained why she had trouble walking, he felt guilty that he had barked at her for refusing meals and needing to be supported or carried. Especially now that he knew she was a princess. What kind of king treated a princess that way? His mother would be appalled at his behavior, he thought sadly.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner, lass?" Dwalin asked. He wished she would have been forthcoming with them from the beginning.

"I was kidnapped because of my lineage," Thessa replied sadly. "Merfolk are a wealthy people, despite many not believing in our existence. But those men had known we were there somehow and sailed out to where we had been resting on some rocks. They attacked our group and captured me in their net. I overheard them discussing the amount of money they were going to demand from my mother for my safe return, but our people have a strict code when it comes to ransoms. Mermaids have been captured before and ransom deals never pan out well for us. So, my mother decreed, long before I was born, that there would be no ransom payment for anyone who found themselves captured. Not even the princess." The company looked surprised by her explanation as she continued with her sad tale, briefly catching the eyes of the dwarf king.

"Those men sat around, waiting for an envoy of some sort to request my return, but none ever came. They waited for days before they gave up. I guess they had a back-up plan in mind and knew of someone in Bree who wanted to buy me from them," she said with a sour look. "One of the men drug me across Middle Earth to meet with that man, and I should be thanking you all for rescuing me when you did." She gave them a sheepish smile. The company felt a little sick to their stomachs, knowing now how close she had been to a most terrible fate.

"That is why it is important for my identity to remain hidden. People seek out my kind for either entertainment, a large profit, or to keep as some sort of sick trophy," she concluded with a shudder. She did not want her tail mounted on some wall. The dwarves all nodded their heads, understanding her apprehension now.

"How did you become so skilled in archery?" Kili asked, changing the subject and lightening the mood a bit.

"I am the leader of my kingdom's military defenses," Thessa supplied with a smile. "We cannot engage in close combat, so my sisters-in-arms and I are well-trained in sharpshooting. If you can take down an enemy from a distance, there is no need to risk close combat." The company nodded, now having a reasonable explanation for her skills when she fought off the trolls.

"And that mark on your neck? I know it's not Elvish, lass," Nori spoke up from the other side of the group. Very perceptive, she smirked.

"You're right, Nori," Thessa admitted, "It's not. It's the mark of my family line, Cetavian. Every mermaid has one."

"Is that why you kept your hair under that kerchief, too?" asked Óin, turning his trumpet towards her so he could hear the answer.

"Yes, Óin. My hair, as you can see," she pulled the bulk of her long hair over her shoulder for them, "is decorated with pearls and shells as well as my family crest." Thessa pulled out a long thin braid from her hair and showed the company the bead at the end that bore her family's crest. It was a silver bead with a whale's fluke in the middle and waves on either side. The Cetavian rune was carved above the whale fluke and two small diamonds were set into the bottom of the waves. They all gazed at her long brown hair. It was littered with small shells and pearls here and there. It shone in the light of the candles that lit the room and it flowed in soft curls and waves down into her lap.

"What's that? On your arm?" Ori noticed the crease in her tunic as she stretched her arm to hold her hair. Thessa smiled and rolled up her sleeve.

"This is my most prized possession," she said as she slid the thin, golden arm band off her bicep and down her arm. The dwarves were shocked that she had been wearing it the whole time and none of them had noticed until now. The band was a bright gold one with bright blue, unrefined stones along its length. On the sides and between the stones were runes, the same one that was on her neck.

"This band is unique to every mermaid," Thessa began, "The runes symbolize our family line and our birthname as well. The stones are unique to the moon under which we are born, I have aquamarines because I was born under a half-moon in March." She gazed at the band with admiration.

"Why a moon, lass? Are they important?" Balin asked.

"Yes, they are very important to us. The phase of the moon controls the tides and also dictates when our ceremonies can occur. It is also said that a mermaid can find her soulmate, partially by the phase of the moon he is born under. So for me, my soulmate would also be born under a half-moon."

"Well, damn." Kili huffed, and the others all fell into a raucous fit of laughter at the young dwarf.

"Is there a way for mermaids to know which merman is their soulmate?" Bilbo spoke up once the laughter had died down a bit.

"Oh, Bilbo!" Thessa chuckled, the idea of a merman seemed absolutely ludicrous to her. "There are no mermen!" Everyone soon looked at her with bewildered looks and realized that they hadn't known that bit of information. "Only female merfolk possess a tail," she added.

"Then how do you find your One?" Bofur asked, genuinely curious.

"One?" Thessa quirked an eyebrow at the dwarf. "One what?"

"A dwarf's One is quite the same as a mermaid's soulmate, I'd imagine," Balin supplied, receiving nods and agreement from the company.

"Oh," Thessa chuckled as she turned to Bofur, "The only way we know for sure, if we've found our One, is if the gemstones on our armbands glow when that person touches it." The company looked to the band in Thessa's hand in awe.

"I wish it was that easy for us!" Fili said with a smile and Thessa laughed at the dwarf's antics.

"Me too, Fili," she replied with a chuckle.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Bilbo asked. "All you would have to do is wait until the gems glowed when someone touched the band and then, poof! You know!"

"I wish it were that simple, Bilbo," Thessa said softly, looking down at the band in her hands, "Mermaids don't come out of the water very often, and that doesn't give us much time to search every male being in Middle Earth." She glanced at the hobbit to her left.

"Then how do you marry? And have wee babes?" Bofur asked, surprised.

"We don't marry," Thessa replied matter-of-factly. She continued when she heard the gasps from the dwarves around her. "When the tides are right, a mermaid uses the life-force instilled in her arm band, and trades her tail for a pair of legs. She searches until she has found a man that she deems suitable for producing offspring." Thessa looked around at the dwarves who were staring at her with rapt attention. "She leads him somewhere… where… well, you know…" Thessa laughed nervously and many of the dwarves blushed brightly. "If the man doesn't comply, then she'll sing him the Siren song." The dwarves all looked at her, shocked, and she realized that this sounded very bad.

"Is that why you got upset when we asked you to sing?" Glóin asked, his cheeks bright red.

"Partly," Thessa responded. "A mermaid has many songs, and they all do different things, but the Siren song is solely for seducing men. Most mermaids never find their soulmates and in order to have children of their own, many resort to using the siren song." She looked down at her hands, slightly ashamed at what she had told them. "But not all mermaids are like that!" Thessa tacked on, "many mermaids refuse to have children if they cannot procure a willing partner. And that is my philosophy as well. So don't worry," she smiled, "I won't go around seducing anyone."

The company laughed at her jest and the tension easily broke. Thorin, who hadn't said a word the whole time, finally spoke up.

"What happens to the sons?" he asked, his deep voice drawing everyone's attention as their laughter subsided.

"What?" Thessa asked. She didn't know exactly what the dwarf king was getting at.

"You said that only female merfolk have tails, and you don't marry because your partner cannot live underwater. But what happens when a mermaid has a son instead of a daughter?"

A hush fell over the group, it was a good question, and now many of them were curious of the answer and turned to Thessa.

"Well," she began, "men cannot live underwater with us indefinitely, so when a boy is born, which is rare amongst merfolk, he is taken to the nearest town usually and adopted by another family. There are probably many men out there whom have merfolk blood, but they will never know it."

The company pondered that tidbit, each wondering if they could somehow have merblood of their own.

"Are there any more questions?" Thessa asked as she stifled a yawn. She was quickly tiring from all the walking and talking she had done today.

"Can we see your tail?" Kili asked hopefully, but was swiftly elbowed in the ribs by Fili. Thessa blushed slightly at the question, no man had ever seen her tail, save for her kidnappers for a few short moments. Her people only wore reinforced kelp wrapped tightly around their chests, not only for modesty, but for a more streamlined figure as well. Showing them her tail would mean getting in the water, and wearing clothes in the water would only drag her down. No, she thought, they would probably never see her tail.

"Not today, Kili," she said softly, "Maybe someday though."

"Is there anything else we forgot to ask, lass? Anything we should be knowing about?" Dwalin asked with a quirk of his brow. Well, she thought, there is one thing. She rose from her seat in their circle and the company watched as she poured a glass of water from a pitcher on a small table. She came back to her seat and set the glass in front of her. She could only ever tap into her magic when she was angry or sad, and those times were usually by accident. But she focused intensely on the glass and saw the water rise into the air in a single, smooth strand that split off into individual little water droplets. They ascended higher into the air and each one split into smaller droplets again and again until it became a fine mist high above their heads. Finally, she let the mist fall and the company felt the humidity in the air now around them.

Thorin was especially intrigued by this skill. Maybe she could be useful in their quest now, he figured. The company all seemed to be thinking the same thing, but no one wanted to announce the thought. At least not yet.

"Very impressive, milady!" Ori cheered. The dwarves around her also expressed their amazement at her well-hidden talent.

A knock sounded at the door then and all heads turned to see Lindir, Lord Elrond's second.

"Excuse me, my lady, but Lord Elrond has sent me to fetch masters Thorin, Balin and Baggins for a meeting with Lord Elrond and Mithrandir," he said.

"Thank you, Lindir," Thessa said with a smile. She looked back to the company and thanked them for meeting with her. "I hope I have answered all your questions and relieved you of your reservations."

"Aye, lass, ya have." Dwalin bowed his head to her and left the room with the others. She was shocked that Dwalin was the one to speak and she assumed that was as close as she would get to confirming their trust. Thessa smiled to herself, at least the hardest part was now behind her. She slipped on a sleeping gown and crawled into the bed, which was much more comfortable than the ground or her bed of kelp, and drifted off to sleep with dreams once again plagued by dirty men and rusty spears.

Mithrandir = Gandalf

Cetavian (Sirenian) = Based on Cetacea, the order of mammals that contains whales and dolphins