OK, I'm so freaking excited right now. I have 800+ views. It feels so surreal and I feel so loved right now. It feels so good to know there are people out there who care about my story.

Love always, happy reading

The company had their things together and they set out shortly before dawn. Ember stuck next to Kili, and he stayed with her. Fili walked behind the two making jokes the entire time. Bilba walked behind Thorin. Everything was different between them since their kiss. But it wasn't a bad different, it was a very good different. Thorin was definitely more protective of Bilba than anyone else. Just as Kili was extremely protective of Ember. The woods around the Carrock were rather large, but no one really minded.

"Ember?" Fili asked.

"Yes?"

"How many sibling do you have?"

"I had two, but my little sister died in the orc raid. Now I just have a brother."

"The man in Rivendell?"

"Precisely."

"What's he like?"

"Annoying. He's super smart, and that's all he practically ever talks about. But, he's fun, when he's around one person other than me."

"And who would that be?"

"You obviously wouldn't know her, but her name is Imogen. She's absolutely beautiful, kind, smart, let's just say a much better person than I am."

"That's not true. You're amazing." Kili said.

"Kili didn't mother teach you not to lie." Fili joked.

"I'm hurt that you would say that." Ember said sarcastically before giving a dramatic sigh.

They both started laughing loudly. Kili joined in.

"I'll leave you two be." Fili said before running off to Thorin.

"What was that all about?" Ember asked.

"No idea," Kili lied. The company was coming to a stop for the night at a clearing a couple of miles away from the Carrock.

"Kili what are you doing?" Ember asked as Kili swooped her small frame into his arms. He kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I wanted to give you something. I found it in the troll hoard."

"You've kept it this long?"

"Eh, I was determined." He pulled a silver bracelet with a large sapphire on it. Ember gasped and smiled.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it." He clasped it around her wrist.

"How did you know you would be giving it to me though?"

"A gut feeling that I just went with. And I'm glad I did."

"How did you keep it safe?"

"No idea, I almost lost it when we were in Goblin town. But I am so glad I didn't. I saw it and thought of you, it almost matches your necklace." Ember smiled as she fingered her pendant.

"Where did you get your necklace anyway?"

"My mother gave it to me for my tenth birthday. That's when she got it. She told me, if I ever have a daughter, to give it to her on her tenth birthday. It's been in my family for generations. It's all I have left of my mother."

"Kind of ironic don't you think?"

"A little yeah, it's been in my family longer than the fire element, so yeah, really ironic." He kissed her again.

"You spoil me you know that?" Ember said when they parted.

"It's kind if my job." Ember laughed. Kili grabbed her hand and they walked back to the company. No one had really noticed they were gone, nor did they realize they were back, strictly because Gandalf and Thorin were arguing, again.

"It was your mistake to go the mountain pass. You were not supposed to leave Rivendell." Thorin had no good answer to what Gandalf had said.

"The elves gave us no sanctuary, they wouldn't not bless our quest and you knew that!" Ember rolled her eyes and sat down.

"You endangered the entire company due to you foolishness." Gandalf retorted.

"Hey, will you go argue somewhere else. You're giving me a splitting headache." Ember yelled and rubbed her temples.

"Or just stop arguing period." Bilba agreed. Thorin looked at Bilba sympathetically. Then he looked at Ember. Oin was looking at her still wounded back.

"How's it looking?" Ember asked Oin.

"Still bleeding occasionally, but not infected. So it's doing well, that's the good part."

"What's the bad part?" She asked with a slight hint of fear in her voice.

"The wounds are rather deep, and will take at least three weeks to fully heal. But there definitely will be some scars left."

"Great, just more to add to the list." Ember joked, but Kili didn't find it funny. He could tell she was putting her pain to the side, but she was still hurting. He sat next to her. Bilba sat on the opposite side of her. Kili took Ember's hand in his. He then ran one of his fingers over the bracelet.

"I'm glad you like it."

"How could I not, it's gorgeous."

"Just like you," Kili whispered in return. Ember blushed.

"For an assassin you blush and smile a lot."

"I may be twenty six in age, but I have the maturity of a teenager." Kili let out a laugh.

"What is going on with them?" Bilba asked and pointed to Gandalf and Thorin.

"Gandalf's just pissed Thorin went off without him. Give him a day and he'll be fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Kili asked.

"Absolutely. Gandalf can't stay mad at someone for a while, unlike me. He'll come around as early as tomorrow morn." Ember laid her coat on the ground and then she laid flat on it looking up at the sky. Kili laid next to her, which caused her to smile. Ember noticed Bilba playing with her hair, almost as if she were annoyed with it.

"Want a little help with your hair?" Bilba shyly nodded. Ember braided it then she put the gold braided curls in a perfect bun on the top of Bilba's head.

"Thanks," Bilba said.

"Of course. It helps to have another girl in the group."

"I was just thinking about if there were only one of us here."

"I would have probably gone crazy by now."

"Is that possible for you to go more crazy?" Fili joked as he sat down in front of them.

"You're mean," Ember sarcastically said as she tried to act offended.

"I know." Fili retorted which caused Ember, Kili and Bilba to laugh. But as she was laughing Ember's headache reached a point of extreme pain. She stopped laughing and rubbed her temples trying to get the pain to subside, but it wouldn't go away. She brought her knees up to her body and rested her chin upon them.

"Is everything alright?" Bilba asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, it's just a headache. It'll pass."

"Do you need anything?" Kili asked as he rubbed her hand with his. Ember sent him a reassuring smile.

"I'm alright, it'll go away in a moment." But instead of going away, it got more painful. But Ember acted as if nothing was wrong. She laid back on her coat and stared up at the sky. The air was cool, not too warm, not too cold, but perfect. Gloin had made a fire and it comforted Ember to hear it crack occasionally. Bilba stood up and sat next to Thorin, and Fili just walked away leaving Ember and Kili alone.

Ember crossed her legs and let her hair down. It sprawled out over the ground in a cascade of black. Kili loved seeing her like that, it made her look like a queen, not the strong exterior she puts on daily, but she looked almost like royalty. He certainly loved her normal exterior, it was perfect, but he loved seeing her happy. He took one of her hands in his and rubbed it with his thumb. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Her eyes sparkled in the firelight.

Kili laid next to her looking up at the sky. Ember watched as shooting star passed by. It made her smile, she then looked over at Kili. He watched the stars with a look on his face, it was almost confused.

"What's bothering you?" She asked and leaned on her arms, turned towards him.

"You, I can tell you're in pain, but you put it off. Why?"

"Because pain is a weakness. I've been taught not to show weakness because it makes you vulnerable."

"But, it also shows you're human. Your weaknesses help shape you as a person." Ember went completely silent at his words. She laid down again not looking at him. Kili began to think he had offended her.

"I'm sorry, it's-"

"No, I'm not upset at you. It's that no one has ever cared about me that much to say something like that. It took a second to set in, that's all. I could never be mad at you." Kili felt a smile tug at his lips. Ember smiled.

"Ember?"

"Yes?"

"Is Ember a nickname, or your real name?"

"Emilia is my real name, but I haven't been called that in a long time."

"Emilia? I like it. It's pretty."

"Thanks, I think you would be the only one who thinks that."

"Why would you say that?"

"It's a forgotten name. I don't even really respond to it anymore. It reminds me of my mother, and remembering that kind of upsets me."

"Well you have a right to be upset. They were your family, your kin. And they were taken from you. It's OK to cry, it's OK to be upset. You have the right, you have the only right." Kili watched as tears started to fall down her beautiful face. He placed both hands on her face and wiped her tears away. She practically melted into his hands. She smiled at him and he kissed her.

"How do you literally know everything?"

"It's a gift," Kili replied cockily.

"And the moment was ruined." Ember said before laughing. She laid on the ground and looked straight at Kili. He leaned in and kissed her.

"Did I save the moment?" He asked with the smirk on his face.

"Quite possibly." She smiled before he kissed her again. Ember sat up quickly and leaned on her hands.

"What?" Kili asked.

"I thought I heard something."

"Like what?" Ember turned around and looked into the darkness of the forest.

"It was nothing." She said before laying back on the ground. But she could have sworn she heard a series of twig snaps. Kili laid next to her, slightly concerned on if she had heard something. He noticed Ember take one of her knives and set it on the ground. Kili did the same thing but he moved his bow closer to him.

"I got you paranoid?" Ember asked, snapping Kili back into reality.

"Yeah, a little bit." Ember smirked. She sat up her hair sprawling down her back. Kili started to play with her hair absentmindedly, he twisted it, braided it, or just played with it.

"You OK?" Ember asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've never played with my hair this frantically before."

"Sorry, I was thinking."

"Yeah, I got that, but what about."

"If there really is something out there." Ember scanned the entire company most of which were asleep. Bofur sat next to the fire keeping it from dying. Fili sat next to him carving a stick with one of his knives.

Ember began to think, she had never told someone as much as she had with Kili, she had never felt so safe around someone than she did with Kili, she had never loved before, and when she was with Kili it was all different. It was all perfect.

"Ember?" Kili asked.

"Yeah?"

"I was calling for you, what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing important."

"It seemed pretty important, I tried calling you four times."

"I was just thinking of something that makes me happy."

""Tell me, I want to know what makes you happy."

"You're going to think I'm some little teenage girl for saying this."

"Tell me." He smiled at her.

"You do."

"Really?" Kili's eyes lit up.

"How can I not be happy around you. Your smile practically lights up my world, everything you say practically makes my entire day, and just being around you makes me better, a better person, just better. I don't know, you probably think it's stupid." Ember rubbed the back of her neck.

"No, I don't think it's stupid. I feel the same way about you, I just didn't think you would have felt the same way. I am more focused around you, more skilled around you, I'm just better around you, and I'm not the only one who has noticed, Fili's noticed I fought better in Goblin Town strictly because I felt the overcoming urge to protect you. Bilba's noticed, she can tell I'm extremely protective of you, especially when you mention the Ithil or Demisrie. And Thorin's even noticed, he doesn't know exactly why, but he could tell I was a better fighter. I can't help but feel different, a good different when I'm around you. And I love the feeling." He kissed her, passionately.

"Emilia?"

"Yes?"

"What were you like as a child?"

"Ooh, that's a fun topic. But, I promised Fili I would tell him about that as well."

"I'll go get him. Kill two birds with one stone kind of thing."

"No, don't get up I have a better idea." Ember searched the ground and found a small pebble.

"Left side, middle of the neck." She smirked evilly before the pebble flew from her fingers, hitting right where she said. Fili looked around and stared straight at Ember, who waved him over.

"You hit me with a rock."

"With perfect accuracy I might add." Kili let out a laugh.

"What do you two want?" Fili asked gruffly.

"Kili asked for my childhood stories, you asked about them earlier."

"And I still want to hear them." He sat down with his legs crossed.

"Exactly. Where do you want to start."

"Happiest memory." Kili said.

"OK, well it was a frequent memory, so I'll start from the beginning. When I was six my baby sister was two, we were inseparable. My mother made us each a dress, mine was bright blue Emi's was pink. Every morning we would wake up and pick exactly thirteen flowers of our color. Then we would twist them into a crown. And we would be princesses. And every night, rain or shine we would dance in the starlight for hours, then when we were done we went down to the river and take apart our crowns and watch the flowers go down the river." Ember looked at Kili who was smiling widely.

'What?"

"I'm trying to imagine what baby Emilia looked like."

"I was adorable, but I was short for my age, I had midnight black hair that flowed to my mid back and there was a smile always on my face."

"Wait who's Emilia?" Fili asked.

"Me, Emilia is my real name."

"I did not know that."

"No one does, except for Kili." Ember slightly nudged him.

"Now, I told you my happiest memory, now you tell me yours. Either of you."

"Ooh, I got one. When Kili was a baby, he had just learned how to walk and talk."

"Oh, no, not this story." Kili protested and put his head in his hands, Ember wrapped her arms around him.

"I want to hear it, go on." Kili shook his head, for he knew what was coming.

"He was completely defiant of the rules and got me in trouble often, so one day for no apparent reason, he threw off his clothes and ran around wildly." Ember started to laugh, Kili just shook his head out of embarrassment.

"He ran around like that for an hour with me chasing him, until Thorin grabbed him. Kili just laughed."

"Aww, see that wasn't so bad. I'm having fun imagining little baby Kili." Ember kissed Kili's bright red cheek.

"No, it gets better. Go ahead Fili tell her what you did next."Kili retorted.

Fili rolled his eyes, "In the heat of the moment, young Fili threw off his clothes and began running around like a mad man too. Thorin let go of Kili who began to run around again. It was pure madness. We were both laughing and running around, all until Thorin ruined the moment, again. We both calmed down and reluctantly put our clothes back on, and acted like the princes we were, for a while." Ember laughed, Kili was still embarrassed, and Fili laughed as well.

"What else do you want to hear?" Ember asked.

"I know you don't like talking about your parents, or sister. What about your brother?"

"Um, hold on let me think of one." She paused. "Ooh, I got one. I was fifteen Emery was seven, we were both in Rivendell under the care of one of the elves and Emery and I had the perfect idea of a joke. And we pulled it off rather well too I might add. But it was evil, just pure evil. Now, I had this huge fireplace in my room, and being a fire elemental I am immune to the effects of fire. So I hid in the chimney, not getting burned or anything, and Emery rushed to the elf telling her I had run away, we even planted a note written in Elvish and the elf came in panicking I waited till she left, then i crawled out of the chimney. The elf came back in in a panic to see me. I was perfectly fine. And all I said was that I forgot something. Emery and I died laughing, the beating we received should have put up into shape, but we were pranking again in a matter of hours. We were terrible, apart we were fine, normal even, but together all hell broke loose. And there was nothing to stop us."

"You sounded like a fun child," Fili said.

"Eh more or less. Some of the time I spent in my room surrounded by books I was reading. There was always unfinished pieces of paper that littered the ground around my bed, all were drawings. I was rather talented according to a lot of people. I never believed it. I drew in fits of emotion, thoughts flowed out of my drawings. I was the picture of creativity according to most. But my drawings often pictured sadness, fear, or possibly love. It all depended on my mood. I mainly stayed in my room, Emery sometimes drew with me, but he mainly read my books. But, I was a very happy child despite my past. I was most of the time outside with Emery running around, or practicing archery. It was fun, until it wasn't. When I was a late teen the elves said I should start acting more like a lady. They took my drawings away and tears streamed down my face as I watched them burn. They kept me away from Emery and I couldn't take it anymore."

"That's why you ran away." Kili finished. Ember nodded.

"I ran out of the arms of the elves and into the arms of the Ithil. Demisrie, Caio, and Aros treated me like I was a queen, a warrior queen with a gift that shouldn't get lost. They always had an eye on me. Whenever I had a job, someone else always came with me. I had less freedom with the Ithil than I did with the elves." Ember stopped, she knew she didn't want to continue. It was much to painful for her. She played with her hair a bit.

"Are you alright? You stopped." Kili asked.

"I don't feel like I want to continue." Ember said before she stood up, she walked shortly into the woods and sat next to a tree looking at the ground, still in view of Kili and Fili. Kili was about to stand up and walked after her but Fili stopped him.

"Give her time, if she wants to talk she'll talk. Just don't force it." Fili said before he stood up and walked away, leaving his brother behind. Kili looked at Ember before he looked up at the sky, confused at her sudden change of emotions. But, Fili was right. If Ember wanted to talk about it, she would come around one day, or so Kili hoped.

So just another filler chapter, I plan to do possibly two or three of these before transitioning into the Desolation of Smaug. Hope y'all like it. Love you so much.