Thank you to all who have been following my story!

I hope you are enjoying it as we get deeper into the plot line.

~X~

~X~

Chapter 3

The next morning Daeloness watched the goings on from her assigned spot under the rocky eave, having left it only for necessary reasons and then right back to where she now sat. The dwarves were packing to leave! At first she thought they meant to take her with them, yet as they continued to ready their gear, no one seemed to take note of her at all. Hardly what she expected, being their key bargaining chip and all. She was a little surprised when she noted that the only one not saddling up a pony was her keeper, Fili. And when Thorin approached him, the two apparently engaging in some very serious talk, Daeloness knew something was up.

~X~

"Guard the princess well, and do not let her out of your sight," Thorin told Fili as they prepared to depart. "It will take us at least a week to circle back around and rendezvous with Dáin, as well as gather the rest of our warriors. We should reach the upper plains no later than midweek-next if all goes well, and from this high vantage point, you should be able to see our signal. Only come if you see our sign, for if you do not…anticipate the worst. I do not believe the king of Tellmar will attempt to retaliate, yet I will not underestimate him either. Once he has agreed to our terms, I will signal you each evening right after sundown. If you do not arrive within two days, we will come in search of you."

"What kind of signal should I look for?" Fili asked, unsure what expect.

"This kind!" Kili announced, walking up to stand beside Thorin, holding a bag that appeared to be full of fireworks. "I got them from Gandalf."

"Gandalf the Grey gave you some of his fireworks?" Fili asked, a bit shocked that the wandering wizard would part with them.

"Well…he might not exactly know I have them," Kili chuckled, looking a bit nervous. "But I was certain they would come in handy on this quest somehow."

"Put them away before someone lights a pipe and blows themselves up!" Thorin instructed, his tone a mixture of humor and exasperation, causing Kili to give a wry grin and scurry off. He then turned back to Fili and his face grew grave. "I did not choose to assign you this task lightly. Besides the fact that you are my most trusted warrior, with a level head and a brave heart, you are also my next of kin, the heir to Erebor should I fall. If that be the case, I look to you to fulfill your destiny and reclaim our homeland. The line of Thrór ends with you and Kili."

"Do not speak such nonsense, Uncle. You will live to see Erebor reborn and sit on the throne as king under the mountain, just as your father and his father before him," Fili assured him, not at all liking this talk of death and succession. "And Kili and I will stand at your side, offering you our loyalty and swords, for as long as you have need of them."

"You speak much like your father once did," Thorin said with a sad smile, recalling his fallen friend and husband of his beloved sister. "He too was an optimist, and this trait will serve you well. I wish you luck in your assignment, and I will look for you soon."

"I will come when you call," he nodded, watching as Thorin swiftly mounted his pony and led the company down the path. Kili remained afoot and waited for Fili to approach him. The brothers were close and had not spent much time apart in all their young lives, so this separation would be difficult for them. "Take care of yourself, little brother," Fili told him, grasping him by the forearms in a manly show of affection. "Listen to Thorin and you will be just fine."

"And you'd best not trust that she-wolf, I know for a fact that she bites," Kili responded, doing his best to keep his words light, yet his eyes betrayed his worry and concern. "Be safe, brother."

"You as well." Suddenly they embraced, slapping each other on the back as they fought against the tears at their parting.

Kili pulled away suddenly and leapt into the saddle, giving Fili one final look as if trying to memorize his face, before he spurred his pony on and followed the rest of the company.

~X~

Fili stood there watching until they were all out of sight, before giving a heavy sigh and turning his attention to the only person left…the princess. He wanted to blame her for this, for him being left behind and separated from his brother and uncle when the battle was so close at hand. But in truth, he knew it was not her fault. In fact, if the decision had been left to her, Fili was certain she would have given just about anything not to be here at all. Yet he would not allow her the opportunity to escape, and Kili's warning once again sounded in his ears…she could not be trusted.

"You are not going with them, dwarf?" Daeloness asked as Fili came near. "They chose to leave you behind?"

"Someone has to watch over you and make sure you remain alive for the exchange," he explained, still downhearted about being parted from the company. "Tying you up and leaving you in a tree or sticking you down some hole in the ground did not seem to be very…kindly. Thus I have been assigned to guard you until your services are needed."

"Sounds like you drew the short straw," she muttered, eyeing him suspiciously. "Are you being punished perhaps? Did you do something to anger the great Thorin Oakenshield?"

"It is an honor to follow any command given to me by my king and kin!" Fili spoke up in his defense.

"Your kin? You mean to say that you are related to the exiled king?" she asked, not realizing until now just how much the three dwarves resembled each other, in manners as well as looks.

"Thorin is my uncle, my mother's brother, and I would follow him into death if he asked it," he insisted, knowing it was true.

"That would make you…an heir to the throne of Erebor," she mused, looking at her captor in a whole new light. He certainly possessed many kingly attributes, and his diplomatic skills in winning her compliance the night before when he requested that she eat, had impressed her greatly. His good manners and pleasant nature would also serve him well, should he ever come to power. "Unless of course," she mused out loud, "if Thorin were to have sons of his own, they would stand to inherit. Has he…a son I mean?"

"Thorin has sworn not to take a wife unless he can offer her a true home beneath the Lonely Mountain," Fili told her, recalling his uncle's solemn oath. It was a noble sentiment, not wishing to offer suit to any lady when he had nothing to give but a nomadic life with no place to lay their heads. "Yet should he marry and father a child, Kili and I would loyally surrender any right to rule in Thorin's place."

"You have a stronger will than many I have known then," Daeloness muttered, thinking of all the back-biting and underhanded things done by those looking to gain power in her own land. There were even times when she had wondered if her own brothers would one day revolt and overthrow their father, taking control of Tellmar by force. It shamed her to think how often she had wished for just that.

"I may be called upon to rule one day, and my uncle has long been preparing my brother and me for such an ominous task," Fili mused, sitting down beside the girl and leaning against one of the packs. "Yet I do not desire to rule, and the mantle of king would weigh heavy upon me. I would much prefer to fight beside my king in battle, than to actually wear the crown. Yet, I will do what I must…if and when the time comes." While he had been speaking, Fili pulled out his pipe and began to fill it from his bag of pipe weed.

"Must you do that, dwarf?" Daeloness asked, wrinkling her nose at the idea of the foul smelling smoke that was sure to emanate from the offensive contraption. Granted, it was a lovely pipe, finely crafted with delicately carved scales down the stem and on the top of the bowl. She could tell it was a treasured piece, and not something lightly cast aside, still…she would much rather he did not smoke it around her.

"What?" Fili seemed a bit aghast at her question. "A good smoke is one of life's true pleasures for a dwarf," he insisted, striking a match and puffing on the brass mouthpiece until it took the flame. "I would sooner give up my blades than my pipe. And the name is Fili, if you please. With you as my only companion for the next several days, I would much prefer that you used my name, if we are to be sharing conversations."

"You mean you intend to speak with me on a daily basis?" she asked in mock horror as she laid her head back against the rocky ledge behind her. "So…it is to be torture then, is it? And here you claimed the line of Durin had honor."

Her words caused Fili to laugh, enjoying her witty response, yet it did not move him to extinguish his pipe.

"What of you? What do you take pleasure in, Daeloness?" he asked, halting here as he gave a slight bow of his head. "If I might be so bold as to call the princess of Tellmar by her given name, that is?"

At first Daeloness simply rolled her eyes at his request, yet even she had begun to tire of the title princess. So with a nod of her head she gave her permission, winning a rather disarming smile from her jailer.

"So, tell me, Daeloness, what would make you smile?" Fili persisted.

"Right now it would be the freeing of my hands," she informed him, struggling a bit against the unyielding ropes.

"Yes, I am sure it would," Fili nodded, puffing out a perfect smoke ring that drifted off over the cliff. "Followed closely by you wrapping them around my neck and murdering me in my sleep."

"Ah, so you do intend to sleep? Good to know," she mused, giving him a sly look. "I will add that bit of information to my plot for escape and revenge."

"I think it best you leave the revenge business to those with a stomach for such things," Fili told her, his countenance falling just a bit. "It is a messy business and not for the faint of heart."

"You speak as if you know this first hand…Fili," she questioned, using his name for the first time.

"The dwarves of Erebor have much to seek vengeance for," he told her, his smile momentarily returning as he found his name on her lips quite pleasing. Yet as he continued, his face grew grave once more. "Smaug stole more than our home from us, he killed many, took our way of life and tried to strip us of our pride, forcing my kin to wander as alien residents throughout Middle Earth. This all happened before my time, and yet, no dwarf who has heard the tales from their elders, and seen the pain in their eyes, has not been moved by it. Yet the time has come for Thorin to take back what was lost and lead his people to glory once again."

"I…I am very sorry for your loss," she caught herself saying, before she quickly stiffened and tried to appear unaffected by his sad tale. "Yet that still does not justify taking me captive like this. It might not be fair what happened to you, but that does not mean that I must pay the price with my freedom!"

"Fear not, you will be free once again, Daeloness. Just as long as your father is willing to bargain to get you back," Fili assured her kindly.

"That is not what I meant," she murmured, glancing away from him as a look of sorrow crossed her face.

"Oh? And what did you mean…just how will your freedom be kept from you?" he pressed, sensing more of a story behind her words than she was letting on. When she only shook her head and refused to answer he attempted to decipher her cryptic words. "Dwalin claimed they discovered you scaling the city walls…leaving the safety of your kingdom home. Why would that be? For what reason would a princess have to be sneaking out of her own keep in the middle of the night?"

"That is none of your business!" she claimed, giving him an irritated glare. Yet the despair in her eyes could not be concealed, neither could the tear that slipped down her cheek. "I do not wish to talk about it…just leave me alone!"

"That I cannot do," Fili insisted, snuffing out his pipe as he moved a few feet closer, laying his hand on her shoulder in a comforting fashion. "I have been charged with your care, lass, and I will not leave you alone when you are obviously in distress. Tell me what troubles you. Let me help."

"You cannot help…no one can!" This she spat out in both anger and grief. "I was going to be free, I had finally made good my escape…and now you and your blasted dwarf brethren plan to deliver me right back to my hellish prison!"

"I do not understand," Fili was mightily confused and it was a feeling he did not enjoy. "If you are the water king's daughter, should you not be treated like royalty…waited on hand and foot and free to go and do as you please?"

"I have been locked in a solitary tower since the day I was born!" she practically screamed out of frustration as her tears began to fall in earnest. "I am an outcast, a blight on the family line and as such I have been locked away and forgotten…that is until my father finally found a use for me!"

Fili was shocked, for this was not at all what he had expected to hear.

"Tell me more, Daeloness," he urged, wanting to understand her better.

For a long while she did not speak, then slowly, the truth came pouring out.

"From what I was told, my mother, the queen, had been warned against bearing any more children after my sixth brother was born. The midwife repeatedly said it was too dangerous for her, that she had grown too frail. Yet my father desired to strengthen his kingly line, and he insisted that she bear him more sons! Yet when it came time to give birth, not only did my mother perish in the attempt, she dared to give the king not a son like he demanded…but instead a daughter! A useless infant girl who was immediately handed over to servants to raise, never to be spoken of or shown a measure of family affection. Even my brothers were forbidden to associate with me - not that most had any interest in doing so. Only Marshaun, the youngest, ever tried to visit with me, yet after we were both caught and punished for the offense, even he stopped coming. Thus I grew up knowing I would spend my life hidden away, never to be seen so that I would not remind the great and mighty king of his one failure!" She had been speaking so quickly, allowing all her feelings and heartache which had been bottled up to spill forth in a rush. When she realized what she had done…what she had confessed, Daeloness was mortified, reaching up to quickly wipe at her tears in an effort to regain her composure. "Satisfied, dwarf? Now you know the miserable tale that is my life. Laugh if you must, for I am sure you find it very amusing to know that your captive does not wish to be returned to her home!"

"I find nothing humorous or entertaining about your sad tale, Daeloness," Fili assured her, feeling his heart go out to the piteous girl before him. He could not even imagine being cooped up like she described, never allowed out or free to roam the mountains and valleys. As a young boy, he and Kili could not be contained, driving their mother and Thorin to distraction with their wandering ways. "You have been treated unfairly, punished for something you did not do, nor could you control. The king of Tellmar should be run through for treating his child this way!"

"And yet, you would send me back there!" she moaned. "Even if they think I was taken, and did not escape on my own, I am certain to be guarded twice as closely from now on. And soon…far too soon, I will be called upon to fulfill another bargain, which I fear will be even more horrid than my previous life of being locked away."

"What might that be?" Fili questioned, unsure how things could possibly get worse for the poor girl.

"I am to be given in marriage to Lord Palnish, the king of Ekmus in an attempt to unite our two kingdoms!" she wailed, bringing her bound hands up and burying her face in them. "He is old enough to be my grandfather, yet since all his sons were killed in the war, it is to him I shall be wed to seal the treaty. He is bitter and cruel, and I fear that he will not treat the daughter of his former enemy kindly, regardless of the agreement they have reached. I ran away to avoid such a life, to be free to choose my own path and no longer be ruled by the cruel men of this world!"

"And we thwarted your plans," Fili said with a sigh of regret. When Thorin had initially proposed they kidnap a child of the defiant water king, he and the company had thought it a good idea. Now, the young prince was beginning to regret the plan. However, when the plot was formed, it had been a son they had been sent to capture, not this lovely lass who already had enough troubles of her own to last a lifetime. Would Thorin change his mind if he knew of the tales of woe Fili had just heard? Would he trade Erebor for the chance that he might spare this unknown girl a life of misery? Sadly, he knew the answer was no, and as a loyal subject of his king…Fili would support his uncle in all matters. "I am very sorry, princess," he muttered, not knowing what else he could do or say.

"Just…just leave me alone," she sobbed, her face still buried in her hands and unwilling to look at him.

Fili stood, staring down at her for a moment before he marched off, allowing her ability to grieve in peace.

~X~

Daeloness felt both exhausted and shamed. To break down in front of anyone, let alone her captor, was nothing short of humiliating. She had wanted to be strong, to show no fear, yet the kindness in Fili's eyes and his persistent inquiries had pulled the story from her lips. She knew she could not expect him to care, or help her in any way, and yet, just telling him her situation had been oddly cleansing. Though she felt wrung out and weak, a load had miraculously been lifted. However, Daeloness did not look forward to facing him again and hoped he would respect her wishes and keep his distance for a good long while. Unfortunately she did not get her wish, for within minutes she heard his boots approaching, his determined and purposeful strides causing her head to shoot up.

Fili was walking towards her with a hammer and spike in one hand and a long chain in the other, his eyes full of determination. Ignoring her looks of shock and curiosity, he proceeded to pound the metal spike into the rock face, anchoring the chain securely. When the task was done he removed a blade from his belt and reached for her bound wrists.

"I might not be able to return your liberty to you, Daeloness," he told her, cutting through her bonds and releasing her hands. "But at least I can offer you a measure of freedom while you remain in my keep." And before she could even think about using this moment to escape or employ her untrained abilities to attack him, he clamped the metal cuff around her left wrist, effectively tethering her to the wall by the long chain. She was his prisoner once more…but at least her hands were no longer tied. For that small act of kindness she could at least be grateful.

"I…I thank you, Fili," she whispered, staring up into his warm blue eyes - suddenly feeling more lost than she ever had before.

Well, it looks like our little Fili has been slightly smitten by his lovely captive.

I hope he does not live to regret untying her like that. If she kills him in his sleep, Thorin will be very put out.

I think Daeloness is rather impressed with her captor as well. He is not at all what she had expected.

Tune in next time and see how things continue to progress.

And if you have time...a short review would sure make this writers day!