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Well...here we go folks. And I have FINISHED writing the story today. All 43 chapters...DONE. So Friday will be the last of this until I return to write Thorin and Dwalin's love story with their hobbit lasses...and then Kili's love story as well, yes I will be giving our handsome prince his own tale. ha ha.

Enjoy.

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PS. This is the longest chapter so far...over 7000 words!

Emrfangirl: Since this is the only way to respond to your reviews - I wanted to say thanks for sending them. Did you see the message I left you at the end of Chapter 24? And I am sorry I got you in trouble for waking up your husband with your laughter...I didn't mean to. ha ha. It was a fun prank, too bad it backfired on them though, ha ha. And yep, we are going to give our little Dwalin a romance...and Thorin too! The more the merrier I always say. Thanks again for your reviews.

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Chapter 41

~X~

Sier reached up to wipe at her tears once more, not sure if they were from relief that Flinn had escaped…or fear of what he might be facing out there alone. She knew he was a brave and resourceful lad…but he was still her baby, and she couldn't help but worry. Please let him be safe, she kept repeating over and over in her mind.

Yet as she looked up from where she sat, watching as the dwarrow, the dam and the human argued over her fate, she knew wherever he was, it was better than here. Lord Colm had been advocating to sell them both to the men of the east as slaves, while Bina was still trying to convince Ferny to slit their throats. The greasy looking man did not seem overly opposed to the idea, but he was holding out for more money, thus making the job worth his effort. Sier could only hope that his greed was larger than Bina's purse strings.

She had been doing a fair job of pretending that Flinn was hidden beneath her coat, for even though Gorg and Miton had glanced over at her several times, they never bothered to come over and investigate. Every minute that passed eased her worry that Flinn might be recaptured, imagining that her little dwarfling was now a fair distance away, and hopefully sticking to the river like she told him. All she could do now was buy him more time…and pray that Fili was somewhere, out there, looking for them.

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Dis gave a cry of utter joy when she saw Fili emerge from the brush, with the tiny dwarfling clutched to his chest.

"Flinn!" she cried, leaping off her pony and running over, throwing her arms around them both as she kissed Flinn's cheek over and over again. "Oh, my darling, you are safe!"

"Where is Sier?" Dwalin asked, his eyes scanning for any sign of his onetime charge.

"They still have her," Fili informed the now crestfallen company. "She was able to get Flinn to safety, but could not do so herself. We will press on and get her back!" He then turned to his mother, giving her a pleading look. "I want you and Bombur to take Flinn and ride back to Erebor. I need to know my son is safe, so I can concentrate on rescuing Sier."

Dis opened her mouth to argue, for she desperately wished to accompany her sons and brother on this hunt. She was a daughter of Durin and her heart cried out for vengeance, desiring nothing more than to wet her sword with the blood of those who dared to take her loved ones. Yet seeing the look of utter need in Fili's eyes, she gave an accepting nod of her head. The crown prince didn't have to explain that if anything happened to him, Thorin, and Kili…Flinn would be the next in line as king of Erebor. And while Dis could never rule the mountain alone, she would be called upon to act as regent until her grandson came of age. However, even if Dis seemed to understand this without question…Fili's son did not!

"No, Adad!" Flinn objected, pulling away to look at him with a stricken expression. "I have to go too! How will you find Ama without me?"

"The same way I found you," Fili insisted, pointing to the grey pony that was fidgeting restlessly nearby. "I have him leading my way."

"Storm!" Flinn cried, leaning precariously out from his father's grasp as he took hold the pony's neck and hugged him tightly. The grey nickered softly, obviously very pleased to see the littlest dwarrow once more.

"I also have these," Fili said, reaching into a pocket and pulling out seven shiny gold objects, showing them to his son.

"My buttons!" he all but crowed. "I hoped you would find them!"

"Just like I told you, the best way to be found…" Fili began.

"…is to leave a trail," Flinn finished with pride.

"And Storm and I will follow the trail you made directly to your ama, and bring her home," he promised. "Now, go with your N'anad. She will take care of you."

"Please be careful, Adad," Flinn begged, giving him one last hug and kiss before allowing Dis to take him.

"I will," Fili nodded, giving him a wink of encouragement.

Dis gave her brother and sons a nod of support and encouragement, then climbed into the saddle, and along with Bombur, they silently headed back the way they had come…back to Erebor.

Storm looked after the departing lad for a bit, obviously feeling somewhat torn, but the moment he was out of sight, the pony's attention returned to the direction they had been heading. His ears were laid back and he gave a few snorts from his nostrils, a look of pure determination in his eyes.

"That's it, boy," Fili whispered, placing both hands on the side of his face as he stared at him. "We still have to find Sier. Take me to my one, Storm." With that, he mounted the grey, and away they went, with seven equally resolved dwarves right behind them.

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The arguing had continued on for what seemed hours to Sier, and yet, all too soon there came silence, followed by a rough shout.

"Fine, you wretched harpy, I will do it!" Ferny's exasperated voice echoed through the camp, telling Sier that her time was now up.

Sier felt a shiver of fear run through her at the pronouncement of her fate. At least her Flinn was safely away, she thought to herself, and hopefully halfway back to Erebor by now.

"But I want my money up front this time…as well as what you promised before!" the gruff human insisted.

From her spot near the tree, huddled under Fili's cloak and still doing all she could to give the impression that her son was snuggled beneath it as well, she watched Lord Colm walk over to one of the ponies with hunched shoulders. He had been advocating for them to be sold, not killed, yet it would appear he had lost this verbal battle. He returned with a money pouch, hefting it in his hands as he eyed the human in front of him.

"Here is enough to cover both jobs and a little bit more to ensure your silence on the matter," the elderly dwarf informed him. "But don't expect me to watch…I don't approve of this killing."

"But you won't stop me either, will you," Ferny laughed, shaming Colm with his accusation.

"No…I won't…but I still don't like it," he admitted as he looked over at Sier and then down at the ground.

"You don't have to like it, and you don't have to watch," Bina broke in, grabbing the money bag and handing it to Ferny with a wide grin. "Me, on the other hand, I want a front row seat! That ungrateful servant of mine will learn what it means to cross me!" She then looked over at Gorg and Miton, both still sitting by the fire drinking and talking quietly. "Bring forth the child…now!"

Grumbling a bit, the two dwarrow rose to their feet and marched over to Sier, looking down at her without a hint of remorse.

"Hand over the brat," Gorg said, his white tipped beard now dampened with spilt ale. "Best to get this done quickly."

Sier shook her head, acting as if she were indeed protecting her child, trying to buy him every second possible. Yet when Miton reached down and ripped back the cloak…they quickly discovered her ruse.

"He is gone!" Gorg yelled, looking around frantically, yet seeing no little dwarfling. "The little whelp is gone!"

"What?" Bina screamed. "You fools…you idiots! You had one job! One job and you failed at it spectacularly! Find him!"

"You will never catch him!" Sier spat, looking up at the two enraged dwarrow with a smile of pride. "He is long gone, with such a head start, you could search all night and come up empty handed! My son has escaped you all."

"Now we are done for!" Colm wailed, pulling at his hair and beard in ultimate distress. "If he makes it back to Erebor and tells everyone it was us…there will be no place we can hide from King Thorin's wrath! Why, oh, why did I ever let you talk me into this?"

"Be silent!" Bina yelled, looking no less frantic than her father. "The little prince is gone…there is no way to stop the inevitable now. So we might as well continue with our plan and be done with it. Whether we kill her or not, the damage is already done, and I want my revenge! I could have been queen if not for her…and if I am now to be forced into hiding and a life of misery, I want it to be with the knowledge that Prince Fili suffers as well. He robbed me of my rightful place, so I will take from him any hope of a happy future." She then glared at Sier, motioning to her two henchmen. "Bring her here!"

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From where they were hiding, crouched behind a crop of bushes, Fili heard every vile word, and he would have leapt out and slaughtered them all, if Thorin had not placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"Steady," he urged, his voice low but stern. "If you run out there like this, without a plan, Sier is going to be injured…or worse. Think this through."

Fili knew he was right, yet the sight of his wife, bound and helpless had caused all else to leave his mind. He had to save her…there was no other option! And while there were eight of them, and only five enemies to deal with, they had a hostage and nothing to lose…and that made them twice as dangerous. He needed to do this right, to think with his head and not let his heart govern his actions.

Looking around at the faces of the dwarrow surrounding him, Fili came upon a plan.

"Kili, Bofur…" he began, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Remember those ruffians back in Ered Luin…when we were guarding that supply caravan?"

"Aye," they both nodded, those two having been the only ones from the group who had been with Fili at the time.

"We do the same thing here," he informed them. "I will go in and distract them, and the rest of you get into position."

"What will be your signal?" Kili asked, recalling last time it was when Fili had the leader on the ground begging for mercy.

"I have no idea," he muttered, looking down at a small blue ribbon in his hand. "But you will know it when you see it." And with that, he stuffed the hair tie into his pocket and crawled backwards, away from the group and making for the ponies.

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Sier was hauled up and the ropes around her ankles cut, stumbling forward as Gorg and Miton dragged her along. She was shaking and terrified, yet she refused to let Bina see it. She was no longer a lowly maid, subject to the whims of her evil mistress…she was a princess of Erebor! Wife to the crown prince and mother of the future heir to the throne. So, holding her head high, she stared Bina right in the eye, glaring at her with all the hate she felt in her heart.

"Nothing personal," Ferny sneered as he came forward, twirling a wicked looking dagger in his hand. "Well, on second thought…you stole my property and got me banished from ever trading in these parts again. So yah…maybe it is a bit personal." He gave a laugh, eyeing her up and down with an evil smile. "So the little mountain whore finally gets what is coming to her. This will teach you to humiliate Tom Ferny…teach you real good."'

"If I accomplished nothing more than getting your pony away from you and causing you even the smallest amount of trouble, it was worth it!" Sier growled, wishing her hands were free in order to strike out at him. He was merely a tool, being used by Bina, but she found she hated him no less. Tom Ferny was rotten to the core, and it was clear to Sier that he, as well as all his kin, were destined to play the part of a villain.

"Any final words for me?" Bina jeered, stepping between her and Ferny, glaring at Sier with vile amusement.

"I know it is a waste of breath bandying words with the likes of you," Sier spat. "But I will say this; you have always been a cruel and unhappy creature, yet only now do I see just how wicked you truly are. You care for no one but yourself, and I believe you would sell your own father down the river if it suited your purpose!"

Here Colm's eyes grew wide, and Sier could have sworn that the dawn of realization had finally hit him - the truth of her words shining through.

"If it had not been for you," Bina growled, pointing her finger directly at Sier, "I could have made the prince see things my way…he would have accepted my offer in time."

"Even if you had given me from now till the fall of the west," came Fili's deep voice from the edge of camp. "I would have never chosen you, Bina!"

"Fili!" Sier cried, just as Gorg and Miton spun her around, facing the prince as he rode into the camp upon Storm. Bina reached into her own scabbard at her hip and drew out a dagger, placing the tip at Sier's throat and causing Fili to halt where he was.

"Oh, Mahal, we are doomed," Colm wailed, near in hysterics now at the sight of the prince. "Why, why, oh, why did I listen to her?"

"So…come to save your lady wife?" Bina asked, her eyes somewhat wild with a fearful madness. "Well, you are too late, for no matter what you intend to do, she will be the first to die."

"Don't be a fool, Bina," Fili warned, slowly dismounting from the pony and taking a few careful steps forward. "You can all still walk away from this with your lives."

"But not our freedom?" she guessed, and Fili did not contradict her.

"Any kind of life is preferable to death," he insisted. "Now…let her go and we can talk about this. But should you spill one drop of her blood…I swear that I will drain you of yours."

"Brave words for a lone prince," Ferny spoke up, looking at Fili as if he were easy pickings. "Apparently you don't have your friends to back you up this time."

"Didn't need them last time either," Fili told him with a hate filled smile. "Sier pretty much had you laid out flat before I even got there."

"And who says he is alone?" Colm questioned, his eyes darting to the left and right as he searched the dark forest around him.

"If anyone was with him, they would have attacked by now," Bina wrongly surmised. "Besides, we hold all the cards. We have his lady love and his son."

Sier opened her mouth to protest, to claim that Bina was lying about still having Flinn, but the point of the blade digging deeper into her throat silenced her.

"Flinn is no longer your prisoner," Fili denied. "He is currently with my mother, back in Erebor, safe and sound." He had said this mostly for Sier's sake, knowing that this news would bring her both joy and courage. And as the happy tears filled her eyes, and a relieved smile graced her lovely lips, he knew he had been correct.

"Well…you can keep your brat!" Bina seethed, hating that Fili had called her bluff. "But we still have her. And, unless you want to see your lover die this very second, I suggest you lay down your weapons. Then maybe…just maybe, you and I can work out some sort of agreement. Never let it be said that I am not willing to negotiate."

Fili, knowing that every word she spoke was a lie, was reluctant to do so, but he needed to buy time, to wait for the perfect moment to strike. And with Bina's blade still dangerously close to Sier's neck…now was not that time. So he did as she asked, reaching around and drawing his twin blades from the scabbard strapped to his back. Bending down he laid them both on the grass and stepped away, holding his hands up in surrender.

"There…I am weaponless," he informed them. "Now, let Sier go."

"Why should I?" Bina hissed looking at the dam being held at her mercy. "Is it possible that you truly care about her…that you fear for her life? Why? What do you even see in her? How could she have been the one to awaken you from stone…when instead you could have had this?" she gestured to herself with her free hand, giving Sier a look of disgust.

"Then…then you didn't give me any of that elixir at all, did you?" Fili deduced, still stalling for time, yet seriously wanting to know. Gandalf's words had nearly convinced him of this fact, yet he couldn't help but wish to hear it directly from the source. "You only gave me a sleeping draught that night…nothing more."

Bina looked at Fili as if he were speaking Sindarin, trying to decipher his meaning. And then, as realization dawned on her, she began to laugh.

"You thought I had drugged you with the wake-up elixir?" she literally threw back her head and cackled with glee. "All this time you assumed you had awakened because of that? Oh, this is rich!"

While Fili had at least been considering this notion, it was completely new to Sier, and the shock in her eyes showed it.

"W-w-what?" Sier stammered, doing her best not to move, but needing to understand what she was hearing.

"You did not know either?" Bina continued to laugh. "All this time you were his one, and you didn't know? Well, then, perhaps my vengeance was not as misplaced as I thought. How amusing for me…and confusingly sad for the two of you."

"Your torment stops here!" Fili growled, hating the hag even more for all the time he and Sier lost because of her. Bina had stolen so much from him, his free will, his peace of mind, the birth of his son and five long years without Sier and Flinn at his side. "What are your demands? Tell me what you want in exchange for my wife?"

"YOU!" Bina spat out, venom dripping from every word. "Or at least your crown! But I won't be getting that now, will I? I was born to be a queen, my breeding, background and beauty guaranteed it, but you just couldn't appreciate what was right in front of your face! So…maybe I don't want to kill your whore…maybe I want to kill you!" And with that she stepped away from Sier, drawing the hand that held the dagger back, and hurled it directly at Fili with all her might.

Yet before it could travel even half the distance to the heart of the crown prince, there was a twanging noise off to the left, followed by an arrow, as it came zipping through the air. The shaft struck the dagger midflight, knocking the blade off its trajectory and clattering harmlessly to the ground.

In that split second, everything happened at once. Fili reached into two of his many hidden compartments of his clothing, pulling out a pair of daggers. They had been fools to believe that he was weaponless after giving up only his swords. The two blades were instantly thrown with deadly accuracy, striking Gorg in the shoulder and Miton directly in the chest, causing them to cry out in pain and stumble to the ground, releasing Sier in the process. And while Gorg was able to rise, and draw his weapon in which to fight, the other dwarf never moved again.

Suddenly, Thorin, Kili and the rest of the company came barreling out of the bushes, a thundering war cry issuing forth between their gritted teeth. Colm immediately dropped to the ground, rolling into a ball as he covered his head with his hands for protection, essentially putting himself out of the fight. Nori and Bifur had pounced on Colm, stripping him of any weapons, before laying him out flat on the ground with a sword to his throat.

Bina screeched with rage and made a grab for the now unguarded Sier, but the startled dwarrowdam saw her coming and dropped to the ground, quickly rolling out of her reach. Unfortunately, with her hands still bound, it slowed her efforts to rise, giving Ferny the needed time to leap into her path. Grabbing her by the hair, the vile man dragged her up and against his chest, using her for a shield.

In the meantime, Gloin and Bofur had tackled Bina, the little viper biting and scratching the two dwarrow until at last, they managed to force her to her knees in angry submission. Dwalin, lost in a warrior's rage over their mistreatment of his former ward, had dealt Gorg a swift and deadly blow. Two quick swipes from Grasper and Keeper, his twin battle axes, and the dwarf with the silver tips at his beard lay dead and bloody at his feet. Thorin and Kili had made a play for Ferny, but once they saw him grab Sier, they both froze in their tracks, holding back for fear of what he might do to her. Fili had reached down and retrieved his own weapons, rising just in time to see that Sier was in a very bad way.

"Everyone stay where you are!" Ferny yelled, as he began to back away, with Fili, Thorin and Kili slowly advancing on him, weapons drawn and faces set with rage. "I will not hesitate to slit her throat! I will do it!"

"And you will die a slow and agonizing death if you dare!" Fili growled, his teeth bared and his nostrils flaring. His heart was in his throat, for while he had assessed Ferny to be a sniveling coward, he knew what a desperate man was capable of when cornered and afraid. He had to act carefully if he wanted to get Sier back unharmed.

"Well…no one wants that, now do they," the evil man replied, his yellow stained teeth showing as he grinned. "So, you just stay put, keep those frog pokers of yours away from me, and no one will get hurt. This was all their doing, their plan, and I will not pay the price for their stupidity."

"LIAR!" Bina shrieked, struggling against the ropes that Gloin and Bofur were wrapping around her to keep her secure. "It was ALL his idea! He even told us where to find her!"

"Put down your weapon, Ferny, and let her go," Fili commanded, his voice laced with threatening undertones.

"Not before I am far away and free," he argued, continuing to back away, not watching where he was going.

Little did Tom Ferny know that he was now only a few feet away from where Fili had left his pony…Storm. And as the wicked man drew closer and closer, the little grey's ears flattened against its head and he began to paw at the ground in anger. Fili noticed this all just seconds before the animal leaped forward, sinking his teeth into the fleshy part of Ferny's neck and shoulder, biting down as hard as he could.

"Aaaaaaahh!" Tom yelled, dropping the dagger and reaching up with both hands to attempt to free himself from the unexpected attack, but Storm refused to let go, allowing Sier to stumble forward, right into Fili's awaiting arms. Wrapping her into his embrace, the two of them watched as Storm swung his head, tossing Ferny to the ground beside him. The now bleeding man, still crying out in pain, managed to crawl a few yards before stumbling to his feet. Yet when he did, and turned to glare at the pony he once treated so cruelly, he only had a second to process the pair of hooves that were now aimed right at him. Storm had turned, leaned forward on his front feet and used his back legs to deliver a painful blow to Ferny's chest, sending the already wounded man flying backwards, striking a nearby tree with a sickening thud.

All the dwarves let out a cheer as they watched him fall to the ground, his arms wrapping around his middle, while his head and neck oozed blood. It would appear that Storm had got his revenge!

Thorin and Kili were on him in a flash, tying him up as well, even if they figured he was far from capable of causing further harm or attempting an escape.

"Good job, Storm!" Kili told the pony, as they hauled the man over to where the others were holding Bina and Colm.

This left Fili free to focus his attention on Sier, pulling out another dagger as he made quick work of the ropes that bound her wrists. When he saw the red and raw skin that lay beneath, he let out a low and painful moan, bringing them both up to his lips as he kissed them gently.

"Oh, my love, I am so sorry," he told her, seeing her in any sort of pain doing terrible things to his gut. "I am so sorry I was not there to protect you."

"W-w-what did you call me?" Sier asked, her eyes wide and her lips trembling slightly.

At first Fili didn't understand her question, the words having come out of his mouth automatically, for that was how he truly felt. Yet when he realized what she was asking, he reached up and cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb across her skin gently.

"My love," he repeated. "My heart…my one. For that is what you are, Sier, you are my one. The perfect mate that Mahal designed only for me, and whom I love more than life itself. I should have known from the start, but…but…" Oh, there were so many reasons he had been blinded to the fact, and each one shamed him.

"None of that matters," Sier stopped him, reaching up to cover his lips with her fingers - which he apparently couldn't help placing a kiss upon. "And I love you too. I think deep down I have always known, but I only just realized it when you left for battle. I love you, Fili, son of Flinn…and that is what I have been wanting to tell you all night!"

"Well, we sure took the long away around in doing it," he said with a sad chuckle, "but I think we both understand each other at last!" He then pulled her into his arms, placing a much awaited kiss upon her lips, as her arms slid around his neck in compliance. They stayed in this positon for a long while, both lost in the moment…until there came the noise of someone clearing their throat behind them.

"Not to interrupt," Thorin spoke up, sounding a bit uncomfortable. "But perhaps you could continue this back in Erebor? Right now we have to decide what to do with these three."

"I say we gut them all and hang their bodies from the trees by their entrails!" Dwalin growled, the fire in his blood still crying out for vengeance. It did him good to see that Sier was now safe, and back in Fili's arms where she belonged. But he could not overlook the traitorous acts of Bina, Colm and Tom Ferny. "They deserve to die for what they did…both now, and five years ago."

"Agreed," Thorin nodded, lifting Orcrist as the tip came to rest just below Colm's chin, making the elderly dwarrow whimper loudly. "And while I am king, and could rightfully sentence them to die immediately…I will defer to the wishes of Fili and Sier. It was against them these crimes were committed." He turned and stared at his nephew and his wife. "Name their punishment."

Sier stepped out of Fili's embrace, moving to where Bina was kneeling on the ground, still fighting against Gloin and Bofur's hold on her. When she looked up and saw the younger dwarrowdam coming towards her, she stilled, fear and loathing filling her eyes. Sier stopped right in front of her, glaring down with a world of hate…and then, balling up her fist, she pulled back and struck her hard across the face.

"THAT IS FOR THREATENING MY SON!" she yelled, extremely pleased when Bina let out a cry of pain, her head snapping to the side from the force of the blow. She gave her former mistress only enough time to right herself before she dealt her another one, just as strong, and leaving her hand stinging from her efforts. This time when Bina looked back, there was a trickle of blood coming from a cut in her lip and a flaming red mark on her cheek where a bruise would surely form. "And that is for everything you have ever done to me and Fili. You deserve more…so much more, but I will not be the one to decide your fate. I wash my hands of you for all time. To me…you no longer exist." And with that she turned her back to the vile hag and returned to the protective arms of her one…to Fili.

"Nephew?" Thorin asked, looking to him for instructions on how to proceed.

"Currently, I am of the same mind as Dwalin," Fili admitted, causing both Colm and Bina to pull back in fear…Ferny was still lying half-conscious and moaning on the ground, more than likely completely unaware that his fate was now being decided. "Yet I will not allow myself to be motivated by anger or hate, for then I would be no better than them. To take a life in the heat of battle is one thing…to willingly execute someone, even one as vile as Bina, is not in my blood. For the sake of my family's peace, I was once willing to show mercy, and let things lie, but now I will not suffer these three to remain free where they can harm others. Not when they willfully tried to murder those that I love. They must pay for their crimes! Though not through their deaths, for that would be far too kind…no, we will take them back, and see that they are sentenced according to their heinous deeds. Perhaps a lifetime of cleaning latrines and scrubbing floors on their hands and knees will cause them to lament their actions"

While Dwalin was visibly disappointed, the other dwarrow seemed to admire their prince's decision. Even Thorin was smiling and nodding.

"Spoken like a true king," he complimented. "Though you do not wear the crown yet, my sister-son. And while I still do, it is my duty to see that justice is carried out. I too would like nothing more than to behead them all, here and now, but I will abide by my words and let your punishment stand. However, I do hereby strip Colm and Bina of all title, rank and privilege. Your lands, your home, and lordship will pass to ones more fitting than you, while your wealth will be divided up and given to those who had had the misfortune to serve under you."

Thorin then looked over at Dwalin, and gave him a nod, the tattooed warrior understanding his king's meaning perfectly. Pulling out a sharp blade, he stalked over to Colm, causing the elderly dwarrow to cringe in fear. Yet instead of gutting the dwarrow, like he had earlier wished to do, Dwalin grabbed hold of his long grey beard. The intricate braid was held in place and tied off with the sliver clasp of his family, along with many expensive jeweled beads. With a swift slice, the entire thing was resting in Dwalin's fist, with only a small uneven scruff decorating the once proud chin of the dwarrow. The shame associated with having ones beard removed in this manner was great, and even Bina let out a small gasp of shock over the deed. Colm however, simply lowered his head, accepting the humiliation with a measure of understanding, realizing the punishment could have been infinitely more severe.

Yet, when Dwalin next moved to Bina, she shrunk back and began to squawk loudly, however this did not deter the Erebor war chief one little bit. In fact he had a very large grin on his face as he took hold of the long braid that hung from her right temple.

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Bina screamed, just before Dwalin severed it from her head, causing her to let loose with a string of foul words, ones that would have caused the most hardened dwarrow blush.

"You will be silent!" Thorin roared, now aiming his sword at Bina's neck, effectively shutting the dam up. Still, for good measure, the king jerked his head, indicating to Bofur that he would much prefer her muzzled more effectively. The hatted dwarrow pulled out a large bit of cloth and quickly gagged the dam, leaving her only the ability to make muffled forms of protest. Dwalin then reached over and did the same thing to her second braid on the other side of her head, duly shaming her in the eyes of her kind.

After returning the dagger to its sheath, the bald warrior walked over to Fili and Sier, handing Colm's beard to the prince and Bina's braids to his somewhat startled wife. Fili stared down at the long tuft of hair, the beads glittering in the moonlight as he balled his hand into a tight fist, a grim look on his face. He then glanced at Sier, her own eyes wide as she too gazed at the symbols of their enemies' disgrace. Reaching over, he took them from her and turned to the small campfire that still burned, tossing all three into the dancing flames. The hair sizzled as it caught fire, while the beads and clasps popped and turning black, quickly covered in soot. It was a final insult…one Fili had no doubt they both richly deserved. Thorin then stepped forward, clapping his oldest nephew on his shoulder affectionately.

"I chose wisely when I named you as my heir," he told him, before leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on Sier's forehead. "And I am beyond grateful to have you back with us, safe and sound, my dearest niece. You handled yourself admirably, and with great courage, sacrificing all for the safety of your son. Flinn is a fortunate little dwarrow…as is the rest of Erebor, to have you as their princess. You have truly brought honor to the line of Durin this night."

Sier nodded in gratitude to the king, a bit awestruck by his words and loving gesture, yet at the mention of her son, she turned her eyes to Fili in a pleading manner.

"Can we go home now, please?" she begged, clutching at his vest in a desperate manner. "I need to see Flinn…I need to hold my son."

"You would have been so proud of him, Sier," Fili told her with a wide smile. "He was very brave, following the stream like you told him, singing to himself as he headed back to Erebor in search of help."

"I was so afraid for him…terrified that he would get lost, or run into…" she could not bear to think about all that could have happened to her precious child, and right now the only thing that would comfort her, was holding him once more. "Please…take me home."

"With pleasure, wife," he nodded, scooping her up and striding over to where Storm still waited patiently, setting her in the saddle as he gathered up the reins.

"How in the world were you able to ride him, much less get close enough to saddle him?" she gasped, suddenly realizing that this had indeed been the pony Fili had come in on.

"Storm and I came to an understanding," the prince smiled, patting the neck of the brave little grey. "I explained to him that I needed his help in finding you…and he wisely understood that I could not live without my one." Oh, how Fili loved the way that sounded. His one!

Sier leaned down and gave her beloved pony a warm hug, scratching him under the chin as she whispered words of thanks into his ear.

While Nori and Bofur retrieved the ponies they had left not far away in the bushes, the rest of the dwarves placed their prisoners upon their own mounts, tying their hands to the saddle-horn for good measure. They left the gag in Bina's mouth, deciding a quiet ride back to Erebor was much preferred over listening to her squawk. Colm was silent as the grave, not even daring to raise his head, let alone his voice, while Ferny only let out a few painful moans as he was jostled around. After extinguishing the campfire, leaving the silver clasps and precious gems there for some fortunate traveler to discover, they all mounted up and made ready to ride. Fili and Sier led the way on Storm, followed closely behind by a proud looking Thorin and a very happy Kili.

Fili leaned forward, kissing the top of his wife's head as they rode, unable to relinquish his hold on her even for a moment. He had almost lost her…almost lost his one. But now that he had her back, there was nothing, and no one, who would ever part them again. He looked up at the moon, calculating the time from its position in the sky…it was late, or perhaps very early…but he knew that long before the sun rose, they would be back in Erebor with their son. And if Sier was willing, and time allowed…they would finish the talk they started earlier that night.

This he swore!

Yippeeee, everyone is safe now and on their way home. Two more chapters to go, ending on Friday.

I know that many of you wanted Dis to lay the smack-down, but I needed her to take Flinn back to Erebor so his daddy could concentrate on saving Sier.

Did you like the rescue...that Fili used the same tactic he did years ago when protecting the caravan - Flinn's favorite bedtime story of his father, by the way?

Was Sier strong and brave enough? And she did get a few good licks in with Bina there at the end.

I went back and forth on their punishment, and while they will still pay for the rest of their lives for what they did, I just could not see Fili or the others murdering them outright. It was not a Durin thing to do.

Hoped you liked their confessions of love, and them finding out they were truly each other's ones. awwww.

Guest Reviews:

kaia: OH yes, that Flinn just keeps getting more and more adorable. Can you imagine him in like 50 to 60 years? Talk about a heart throb! I had to bring Ferny back in, as you can tell, Storm needed his revenge. ha ha.

Guest H: Ohhh, Sherlock, gotcha. TWO reviews...nice! Yes, Bina and her dad...and Ferny are beyond dumb. How humiliating, being abducted by idiots. And apples? Well we know that Fili won't be throwing them, then. ha ha. Love the Emperor's New Groove!

nursenan: Fili had TWO holes in his chest, one for Sier and one for Flinn. Yah, Thorin and Dis love their new family members very much and they are both going out to find them. I think Fili shares your assessment of all three villains. ha ha. Flinn was very brave, and I worked really hard to pull on your heart strings with him being found by Fili, walking and singing by the river trying to keep his courage up. The buttons was a stroke of genius on his part. Oh yes, I can so see her as the wicked stepsister from Ever After! the way she squealed in the story was like the sister flipped out and said "there was a bee" ha ha, that makes me laugh. I am so glad that little string is still entertaining you...maybe next time I will give you one of those feather things or a snuffed mouse. ha ha.