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Not sure if it was clear or not, but yes, the group of orcs that the soldiers ran into before Bifur got to them WAS the band of 50 that Fili and Dwalin were so upset about having to let go by them on the way to the mines. So, they got their just desserts in the end...and it was the perfect reason as to why the soldiers didn't get farther way from Erebor than they did!

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Also, the FF site is still acting up, so if I didn't respond to your review, it's because I haven't got it yet. Silly internet!

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Chapter 127

~X~

Though Thorin got very little sleep, what with Raina needing to be fed and changed several times throughout the night, the king was up and attending to his duties by daybreak. Marigold was moved back to their chambers, which had been scoured clean and all remnants of a Blacklock invasion erased.

Thorin's troops had discovered only a few remaining invaders hiding in the mountain, and they too had been locked up with the others. During the search, they had also found the healer Hagen had called to patch up his wounded, bound and gagged, but still very much alive. Thorin originally feared that the enemy had killed the older dwarrow the moment he had served his purpose, and was quite happy to be proven wrong.

The few enemy dwarves who had been wounded during the battle were patched up by the other healers on duty and placed in the dungeons with their comrades, while the dead were wrapped and stored in one of the lowest chambers where they would be kept cold. Hagen lay there among them, given no more thought or consideration than the others.

Thorin was standing in the main causeway of the mountain city when they rang the bell signaling the end of the quarantine, calling everyone from their homes. When he spoke to the crowd that had gathered, and explained there was no danger of an epidemic, but that it had been an invasion instead, the residents were shocked. They couldn't believe everything that had taken place while they had been sequestered away, unaware. In one way, this was a testament to how much they trusted their king to protect them…but on the other hand, Thorin knew he needed to find a way to never allow this to happen again.

Thus he called together all his advisors, as well as Bard and Thranduil, taking counsel on how to fix the situation. After many hours of debate, suggestions, and ideas being tossed around, it was decided that a complete reconstruction of the quarantine signal would need to be done, as well as heightened security on the days that Thorin held open audience. Dwalin would be assigned the task when he returned.

It was also agreed upon that a message would be sent to Lord Haken, leader of the Blacklocks, informing him of his son's invasion and attempted assassination of the king. They would graciously offer back the prisoners, as well as the bodies of the slain - if they wished to bear them home for a proper burial - yet it would come at a high price. Not only would the Blacklocks have to compensate for the damages incurred in the invasion, but be obligated to pay financial support to the families of those who were killed in the attack. They would also be required to sign a treaty, stating that if they wished to avoid retaliation from Erebor, the Blacklock clan would hereby forfeit any future legal claim to the crown. And if they refused to sign it, or break the contract in the future, they would be officially excluded from the seven dwarf clans, never again to be offered aid in times of need.

There were some present who thought just wiping out the whole clan was exactly what they deserved. Yet the majority seemed to think this was a fine alternative to declaring all-out war on Lord Haken and his people, for Hagen had made it clear that he had mostly been acting of his own accord. Still…Thorin was not about to underestimate the treachery of the Blacklocks a second time, and swore that he would have satisfaction, one way or another.

They had just moved on to the next order of business, that of repairing the gates, when the doors to the council chambers burst open.

"THORIN!" Sier cried as she raced into the room, little Freya securely in her arms. She was followed quickly behind by Dis, Bergie, Tor and Tal. "A raven just arrived with news from Fili!" She held out a rolled up scroll, still tied and sealed with her husband's royal seal.

Thorin rose from his seat and took it from her hand, breaking it open and quickly scanning the contents.

"This one is for you, my dear," he smiled, handing the page addressed to her personally back to the anxious Sier. He then began to read the other letter out loud, knowing that many in the room had a vested interest in what it had to say.

"The battle is over, and nearly one-hundred prisoners, both dwarves and men, have been liberated from the mine." At this piece of news, there arose a cheer from those sitting around the table. "The casualties have been minimal, though we grieve each loss greatly. They will be brought back to Erebor and Dale to be buried with honor. Prince Bain is to be highly commended for his bravery and skill in helping to defeat the enemy…we could not have succeeded without his assistance. King Bard should be very proud." Here Thorin stopped reading and glanced over at the king of Dale, noting the look of fatherly pride shining in his eyes. "The lady Tauriel was also instrumental in the defeat of Gorbash and freeing the prisoners, and I will wish to thank Lord Thranduil personally for his offer to allow her to guide us." Again Thorin took a moment to nod his approval towards the elf king, pleased when the gesture was returned. "We will be starting our journey home, and hope to be back by the fourteenth day of the month, providing the prisoners are able to travel at a steady pace. Please know that everyone from the original company will be returning healthy and whole, I am certain Bergie will be pleased to hear that Dwalin did not attempt anything too foolhardy. Ever at your command…Prince Fili."

"I am indeed happy to hear such things!" the hobbit laughed, overjoyed to learn that her husband was unharmed and coming home. Tor and Tal were grinning from ear to ear as well, though they had never doubted their father's abilities for a moment. Yet before another word could be spoken, a cry of distress came from Sier, who was now reading her own letter from Fili.

"Sier…what is it?" Dis asked, rushing to her side in an effort to comfort the distraught dam.

"Flinn and Frerin!" she gasped, looking up at Thorin with terror in her eyes. "They must have somehow managed to stow away on the mission, for Fili writes that our two little lads are well and unharmed, and he is bringing them home to me! Why would he say such things if they were not with him? How did this happen? I thought they were camping with Bombur!"

"Oh…" Bard spoke up, his face turning a deep shade of red at his shame in forgetting all about the note he had taken from Telk. "In all the excitement of the invasion, I completely forgot that the ravens delivered a message to Dale from Fili several days ago. There were no raven keepers to receive it at Ravenhill, so it was brought to us. A thousand pardons for not giving it to you sooner, Princess Sier." He pulled the letter from his pocket and sheepishly handed it over.

As Sier read the first letter from her husband quickly, getting more information on the distressing subject, Thorin and Dis exchanged looks of both worry and anger.

"Leave it to those two little scamps to take after Fili and Kili in this manner as well," Dis growled, imagining the talking-to she would give them for this little stunt.

"Normally I am overjoyed when I see such things, showing Fili and Kili exactly what it was you and I were forced to endure in raising those two…but this?" He gave a heavy sigh and sat back down in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he were developing a headache. "What will we do with those two?"

"I have a few very good ideas!" Sier hissed, her fist gripping the letter tightly in motherly frustration. "If Fili has not aptly punished them already, they'll wish he had, once I get my hands on them!"

"Now, now," Dis soothed, knowing that emotions were running high at the present time, but given a few days they would settle down. "Don't lose sight of the important thing, everyone is fine, and they are coming home safe."

"Da da?" Freya asked, looking at her mother in confusion, not understanding what was going on, but worried nonetheless.

"Your Da is coming home, my love," Sier quickly assured her, giving her little lass a kiss on the cheek. "And thankfully, so are your two wayward brothers."

It was then that Bergie noted that Tor and Tal had not reacted to this news the way one might expect. In fact, their sly little grins and exchanged looks caused the intuitive mother to stare at them with narrowed eyes of suspicion.

"And what exactly do you two know about all this?" she accused, placing her hands on her hips as she glared down at them. "Out with it…and no lies!"

The two little children looked at each other in fear and then up at their mother.

"It wasn't our idea!" Talin was quick to claim. "And Flinn made us promise not to tell!"

"They came up with a plan on how to get out of the camping trip and stowaway with the rescue party," Torin confessed, looking down at the floor. "Me, Tal, and Rose were just supposed to keep quiet about it…that's all."

"Rose was in on this too?" Thorin bellowed, jumping to his feet once more. "Who else knew?"

"Ummm, Bram, Tam, and Tae," Talin admitted reluctantly. "We all knew."

"And what about Bombur?" Balin asked, turning his chair around as he stared at his little niece and nephew. "Is he wise to what has happened?"

"I don't think so," Torin said, looking a bit unsure. "At least that's how the plan was supposed to go."

"I can't believe you!" Bergie scolded, now almost as upset as Sier over this. "How in the world could you keep such a thing from us? Do you realize what kind of danger Flinn and Frerin put themselves in?"

"We're sorry!" Talin whined, rushing over to her uncle and climbing into his lap, as her tears began to fall. It was widely known that Balin was a soft touch when it came to Talin and Torin, and the smart little lass was now seeking protection in his kindly embrace. "We didn't mean to do bad!"

"Well, regardless of what you meant to do, what you did do was very wrong," Bergie insisted. "I think we all need to go back to our chambers and have a very long talk about it. And you two can forget about dessert for at least a week…if not longer!"

"Nooooo," Torin moaned, his own tears starting to fall at this revelation.

"Oh, yes!" Bergie stated firmly. "Now, to your rooms…march!" And out the three went, the two little ones hanging their heads in abject misery.

"And you can rest assured that Rose will receive the same punishment for her silence on the matter," Thorin told Sier. "I apologize that my daughter was not wise enough to say something."

"I don't blame the other children half as much as I do my own," Sier said with a heavy sigh. "You all warned me that my two took after Fili and Kili in more than looks…I simply had no idea to what extent. I will not be fooled again, of this I guarantee."

"Oh, Sier," Dis said, chuckling slightly as she placed her arm around her daughter-in-law's shoulder. "Thorin and I have said those exact words more times than I can count. I just hope that Freya here does not follow in their footsteps, for as much trouble as dwarflings can be…we lasses can be twice as sneaky."

"Oh, Mahal help me if that's the case," Sier moaned, yet even she could not hold back her laughter.

"Still, we must all remember the bright side here," Balin stated, always the one to find the silver lining. "The lads are safe, Fili and Kili, as well as Prince Bain, were successful in their mission, and everyone will be home soon."

"Exactly," Thorin agreed. "And while they were not with Bombur, where they were supposed to be, at least they were not here in Erebor, where they might have truly been in danger." To this, everyone around the table nodded in agreement. "I just pity poor Fili and Kili, having to worry about two little lads during a mission. I am certain they kept them far away from any danger and all of the fighting, though."

"Of course they did," Dis nodded in agreement. "Now, let's head back to your chambers and start writing a long list of chores to assign those two runaways. I think a bit of hard labor will impress upon them the wisdom of obeying their parents better than anything."

"Agreed!" Sier nodded.

The two dams gave a bow to those in the room and took their leave, allowing the council meeting to continue once more. Yet as Thorin sat down, he couldn't help but notice that Thranduil was chuckling just a little bit to himself.

"Care to share with the rest of us what has you so amused, Lord Thranduil?" Thorin grumbled, not at all appreciating this side of the elf king.

"I was just recalling a time when Legolas did something very similar," he revealed, unable to hide his smile. "Having stowed away in one of the packs strapped to my elk when I went on a journey to Rivendell. By the time I discovered him, not only were we too far along to turn back, but he was also completely sick to his stomach from the motion and having been confined in a bag all day. That alone convinced him never to do such a thing again."

"I too had to deal with tag-along children," Bard laughed. "But I had all three of mine sneak onto my barge without my knowing. I got nothing done on that trip, for I was too busy answering Bain's questions, keeping Tilda from falling overboard, and putting up with Sigrid complaining that her younger siblings were driving her insane. Needless to say, I always checked every box and barrel from then on before I shoved off!"

By now most of the table was laughing at such tales, and Thorin, not to be outdone, launched into his own story of how Fili and Kili had surprised him on a hunting trip so many years ago. When he was finished, everyone was roaring with laughter over the antics of the two princes. In the end, they all agreed that children do the craziest things, no matter what race they hail from. And that knowledge alone did a lot to strengthen the bonds of friendship between dwarves, elves, and men.

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~XXXX~

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Kili and Tauriel rode side by side, enjoying each other's company and talking quietly between themselves. Innocent touches were also the norm, their hands often entwined as they journeyed on. Frerin had begged to ride with Tauriel again, but due to her injured shoulder and leg, Oin had advised against it, so the lad had settled for sharing a pony with his grandfather, while little Flinn was perched in front of Fili. The two dwarrow shared knowing looks as they watched the elf and dwarf in front of them, keeping an eye on the two, but at a respectable distance.

The liberated prisoners were keeping up well, and they were making fine time on the journey home. When some grew tired, they were offered a place to rest inside one of the several wagons that had been brought along for that very reason. However, most seemed almost invigorated by the fresh air and open space, and hardly any wished to be confined in a wagon. The atmosphere was a joyous one, with much talk and laughter tossed back and forth between the soldiers and the former captives. During the first day, one of Dale's soldiers even discovered that his own cousin was among the freed prisoners, leading to a rather tearful reunion, having long assumed his relative to be dead.

And that was how the days went, with everyone celebrating their freedom and looking forward to their new lives ahead. But all of this was nothing compared to the utter joy that Kili and Tauriel shared, the two of them falling deeper and deeper in love each day. Yet it was the nights they enjoyed the most, where they could sit and talk in hushed tones as they sat a ways from the fire and stared up at the stars. They were always mindful to remain within sight, but finding a quiet space to call their own out of earshot of the others was much to their liking. Until, one night, several days into their journey home, that Kili approached Fili, looking somewhat hesitant to speak.

"What?" Fili asked, knowing something was up.

"I…I was wondering if I could have a bit of time alone with Tauriel tonight," he pleaded, looking worried his request would be denied.

"Why?" Fili's eyes narrowed as he contemplated his brother's motives.

"I want to give her a courting braid," Kili confessed, blushing slightly. "I won't have any beads to place at the end of it until we get home…but I don't want to wait any longer to mark her as my one."

"Do you think it wise to show up at Erebor with her wearing your braid?" Fili asked, imagining what a stir such a sight might cause. "Even without your bead, the braid will make it more than evident that Tauriel is being courted by a dwarrow…and it will only be a matter of time before Amad figures out who put it there."

"I don't care," Kili stated firmly. "I love her, I intend to marry her, and no amount of opposition will change that. I want the world to know that Tauriel is my one…my only. And I want to give her a braid so that she knows it too."

Fili stared at Kili for a long while, a smile of pride blossoming across his lips. His little brother was truly maturing, standing up for himself and his lady love, and Fili's heart almost burst with joy over the knowledge.

"Very well, take her down by the river and weave a courting braid in her hair," Fili agreed, placing his hand on Kili's shoulder. "Just don't take advantage of my trust in you, Nadadith."

"Well you know I'm going to kiss her," Kili huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in frustration. "I can't exactly ask a lass to wear my courting braid without sealing it with a kiss."

"Fine…one kiss," Fili stated, holding up a finger.

"Three!" Kili countered.

"Two, and that's my final offer," Fili insisted.

"I'll take it!" Kili seemed overjoyed and bounded off, more than likely in search of his mate-to-be.

"What was that all about?" Flinn asked, striding up beside his eldest son.

"Kili is going to offer Tauriel a courting braid and wanted permission to do so in private," he explained.

"Ahhh, I see," Flinn nodded. "Does he have a bead to give her?"

"No, he can't keep one in his own hair to save his life, and it wasn't like either of us thought to bring one along on the journey," Fili laughed. "He does have a fine set already crafted back in Erebor, since Thorin insisted we forge our own when he began inviting dams to the mountain, just in case we met our ones. I thought about offering him one of mine," he stated, fingering one of the small metal clasps at the end of a braid, bearing the Durin crest. "But can you imagine if we returned to Erebor with Tauriel wearing my bead in her hair? I'm not sure who would kill me first…Sier, Amad or Thorin!"

"My money would be on Sier," Flinn chuckled. "There is nothing more fearsome than a jealous dam."

"Agreed," Fili stated.

"So, how long will you give him to complete his task?" Flinn asked after a moment of silence.

"Just long enough, then I'll send out my secret weapon," he revealed.

"Oh? And what might that be?" the older dwarrow asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Frerin!"

Oh boy, oh boy! Kili is going to pop the question...officially! Hope she says yes! (ha ha)

Well, now Sier knows what her two little lads have been up to, and boy is she hot under the collar. Hope she cools down before they get home.

And what do you think of Thorin's plan for the Blacklock clan? I really didn't want them to go to war AGAIN...they have had enough of that for a while. And I think Haken is going to agree to anything he says...the big chicken.

Two kisses Kili...use them wisely...and before Fili launches his secret weapon...FRERIN. ha ha.

And for those of you who want to know...the Flinn and Dis reunion will come before the end of the week.

Guest Reviews:

Feu d'Argent: Careful, if you looooovvvveeee Flinn Sr. that much, Dis might come at you with a dagger. ha ha. Like I said, it will come soon...before the end of the week they will be together again. As for a sequel...no, but I am not just ENDING it at Kili's wedding, there will be an epilogue of sorts...though a very odd and LONG one to be sure. I will not leave you all hanging. Promise. WHAT? you want me to leave little Flinn single for you to ogle? ha ha, we will see. Sleep deprivation is not healthy, makes you loopy. ha ha. Raina is a very good diplomat, and she is only a few days old too! Yah...that pesky hobbit family tree thing will drive you nuts. I got three good sized chapters done this weekend and I was very pleased by that. And I loved all your comments to everyone...and as you know, Sier now knows about where her babies are! They. Are. Dead. Ducks. Thanks

Emrfangirl: Was that your long review...I wondered, but there was no way to tell. Thanks. Yep, Thrandy loves babies. And he will have to stop in a LOT to check on her. ha ha. Thorin is just having a bit of sport with Gloin...he will go down in history. ha ha. Bifur did a good job, he deserves some recognition. The group of orcs they killed was the group that Fili and the gang ran into on the way to the mine but couldn't take time to kill...so the soldiers did it for them, ha ha. And it was a good excuse for why they didn't get as far away from Erebor as they would have otherwise. See...I had it all planned. ha ha. Kili was tired of listening to those two and just walked away...unnoticed. ha ha. Flinn has a wonderful sense of humor, and Dis loves it. Reunions are coming.

abc: Yep, I got lots of happy chapters ahead for you all...and some more drama (baby drama compared to what has come before) and lots of laughs. Yes, Thorin is only teasing with Thranduil...but it is what they are comfortable with. Tauriel the elf IS looking more appealing though, right? Yes, the orcs WERE the same group they met on the way to the mines...good eye! I think if Kili tried to elope, Dis would kill him...she did not get to throw Fili a big fancy wedding and by gummy, she is going to get it this time or heads will roll! Thanks