*peeks head around corner* okay, I get that a 20 day break is no better than 21 day break and I'm sorry, but I'm back now. Thank you so, so much for the incredible response to the last chapter – the support for the story and myself is somewhat overwhelming and I appreciate it so much. Though my health issues are far from resolved I am in the process of getting help now, though it's taking longer than I would like. Anyway, enough complaining!

Thank you so much for the reviews, especially to - LittleWolfEmpres, EMK, Angela, Dwobbit of Utah, Hermione Granger, I Just Won A Free Toaster Oven (I'm so glad you enjoyed it!) and any guests I could not reply to in person.

Here goes the next chapter, forgive any mistakes please :D

Read. Enjoy. Review.

Chapter Seventy Eight # Friendship to Last #

Terrified, Kíli squirmed on the cold ground as the weight of the wolf crushed the air from his lungs. He could hear the horrified screams of his family around him and his only prayer was that he would not be torn apart by wolves in front of children who had already been traumatised enough.

Then the wolf started to lick his face, whining excitedly. For a moment Kíli was utterly baffled, and then he recognised the comfortingly familiar golden eyes. He laughed breathlessly and lifted his hands up to stroke the wolf, only to freeze as something caught his attention in the corner of his eye.

"Fíli, no!" he yelled with all the breath he had left, holding up his hand. "It's Luno!"

Fíli froze in his tracks, sword still raised above his head. "Are you sure?"

Kíli nodded, grinning as he pushed the excitable wolf backwards. "Get off, you big lump!"

Luno jumped off of his chest obediently but continued to snuffle around Kíli's face with a tail that was wagging faster than Kíli's heart was beating. The dwarf laughed as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Kíli!"

"It's alright, Amad," Kíli called soothingly, reaching up to curl his fingers into the wolf's thick fur. "This is Luno – he won't hurt me."

"Luno?" there was disbelief in Bilbo's faint tone, but the wolf looked up at his name and let out a happy little howl.

Kíli rolled onto his feet and stood up, but there was no time to brush himself down before Luno was nuzzling his neck enthusiastically, barrelling him backwards. By now, the wolf was as tall at the shoulder as the dwarf was, and he was much stronger.

"Alright, alright!" Kíli laughed, his fingers sinking through the thick fur. "Calm down, calm down Luno, you're scaring my family."

Slowly, the wolf calmed down enough to settle onto all four paws, though his tail continued wagging as he turned his attention to Kíli's pockets. Laughing, Kíli looked up at his family.

They looked as though they had just watched him being torn apart.

The smile slid a little from his face. His mother was standing not five feet away, the shadow of her horror still etched into her face. Behind her, Pervinca was clutching at her mother so tightly it was a wonder Ellie's arm did not drop off from a lack of circulation. Frodo looked as though was about to cry, and little Pippin was already sobbing.

"It's alright!" Kíli called loudly, fondling Luno's ear affectionately. "Everything's going to be fine, it's only Luno!"

The wolf paused, an almost sheepish expression on his face. Behind him, four more wolves slunk shyly out from between the trees. They regarded Kíli with wary eyes and he swallowed.

"Luno and friends?"

Letting out a short, happy whine Luno butted his head against Kíli's hand.

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

"What are they doing here?" curiosity and caution were at war in Saradoc's tone.

Kíli frowned. "I don't know… They're a long way from home, and I don't speak wolf."

"Kíli!" Pippin wailed. "Kíli don' get eaten!"

"Aw, Luno won't eat me!" Kíli crooned, striding back towards the bulk of his family. As he expected, Luno remained by his side and his family jerked back. He held out his arms. "C'mere, Pip."

"No, no, no! Big bad wolf!" Pippin shook his head fiercely.

"Aw, Pippin you made him sad." Kíli gestured to Luno's fallen face as he stood by the base of the pony Pippin was sharing with his father and held out his hands wider. "Come here, little one."

"Go on, Pip." Paladin nudged his son gently. "Kíli won't let Luno hurt you."

Pippin bit his lip and slipped into Kíli's arms with a little worried squeak. Shifting the boy onto his hip, Kíli took Pippin's hand and placed it gently on Luno's snout. Pippin whimpered and Kíli could feel his whole family bristle with tension. Refusing to let Pippin move his hand away, Kíli guided the child's hand carefully over Luno's snout in a gentle, stroking motion.

"See, his fur's really soft." Kíli said.

"Mm," Pippin pulled his hand away and curled up against Kíli's neck. "He still has big teeth!"

Luno whined softly, lowering his head. He butted his nose against Pippin's toe, cringing when the boy cried out and tightened his grip around Kíli's neck.

"It's alright, Pippin." Kíli murmured, pressing a kiss into the child's curls. "Just watch him."

Letting out a soft sigh, Luno rested his face on Pippin's leg and stared up at the little boy with a face that gave Pippin's own puppy-dog eyes a run for their money. After a long moment, Pippin peeked down at the wolf. He looked at Kíli.

"This is Luno? Luno that helped you Luno? Luno that was a baby Luno?"

Kíli laughed. "Yes, this is Luno."

Pippin met Luno's eyes for a long moment. "Hello, Luno."

Luno whined friendlily, raising his face up to lick Pippin on the nose. The toddler giggled and snatched at Luno's soft ears.

"Pippin, don't grab at him like that, you'll startle him!" Ellie grasped.

"It's alright," Kíli murmured, watching Luno lean into Pippin's touch. "Everything's fine. See? There's nothing to be afraid of."

"There's lots to be afraid of." Dís replied curtly, though Kíli could hear a shiver in her tone. "You cannot predict the nature of such a beast – and what are they doing here if they are indeed the wolves of Beorn?"

"I have no idea why they are here, but as to their behaviour I don't think we need to worry, Amad. Truly." Kíli insisted as Luno wriggled out of Pippin's grasp to nuzzle at the dwarf's face. "They're friendly."

"You may know that about this particular wolf, but what of the others?" Dís argued, her face wrought with worry.

Kíli glanced at the wolves lingering behind Luno. They looked wary, from their guarded eyes to their crouched stance. He glanced back at the wolf he knew.

"Luno," he cleared his throat. "Your friends… are they as… ahem… friendly as you are?"

Backing away a few steps for the first time, Luno cocked his head slightly. Instantly, Kíli felt like a fool. Luno was an intelligent wolf, it was true, but just how much could he be expected to understand?

Kíli nodded towards the other wolves. "Friends?"

With a gentle growl Luno nudged Kíli with his nose. Then he loped over to Fíli, spinning around the blonde dwarf's legs before looking back to Kíli with a whine.

"Brothers?" Merry guessed.

Luno yipped happily, but one of the other wolves snarled at him, hackles raised. Luno's tail ducked between his legs and he raced over to Nelly, nudging her toes gently.

"And sisters!" the girl declared, reaching down to tentatively stroke the wolf's neck.

Huffing, the wolf – she-wolf, apparently – who had snarled shook herself off and stood up a little straighter. Then she prowled over to Kíli, crouched down slightly and licked his chin.

"Um… alright…" Kíli blinked and froze. The other wolves approached him slowly and mimicked her behaviour as he stood there, trying not to let himself be jostled around as four strange wolves licked his neck and chin and then slowly backed away. "Does anyone have any idea what it is they're doing?"

"Maybe they're in love with you." Pearl suggested, wrinkling her nose up.

"I have no idea… I haven't read much on wolves…" Bilbo shook his head slowly, placing Frodo back on the pony. "We should get out of here, now."

"Agreed." Dís said, striding over to take Kíli's arm. He smiled at his mother and she thwacked his arm. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Kíli laughed and squeezed her arm. "I'll try not to."

She shook her head and returned to her own pony, helping Pervinca climb up in front of her. Passing Pippin back to his father, Kíli mounted his own horse. Merry wiggled around in front of him, making himself comfortable.

"Can I ride Luno?"

"No!" Kíli swiped the back of Merry's head gently. "You most certainly cannot. Don't be ridiculous."

"Why not?" Merry frowned. "He wouldn't mind!"

"No." Kíli repeated, rolling his eyes and gently flicking his pony's reigns. He was unsurprised that the ponies were not making too much fuss about the wolves – most of their mounts had passed through Beorn's house at some time.

They returned to the road, a little more subdued than they had been before. The wolves flanked them in an ever-changing rank. Sometimes, one would race ahead or disappear behind and they swapped places fairly regularly as if bored by the simple travel. Their stances were strong and their heads high, but Kíli could see their eyes flickering around the woods. He wondered if they were picking up on the tension of the dwarven and hobbit travellers who were somewhat unaccustomed to sharing their path with enormous, potentially deadly creatures or if they were looking for something even more deadly hidden between the trees.

Only Luno seemed truly at ease. He trotted along beside Kíli's pony, looking as though he did not have a care in the world.

Kíli could not and would not deny it; he was happy that Luno was there. However, he was also concerned. The last time he had seen the wolf, Luno had been much smaller with a scorched tail, a wounded muzzle and burnt paws, and he had been nearly half a world away. He could not fathom what would bring the wolf this far west, and the fact that the pack had now seemed to join the travellers only made him uneasy. He pulled gently on the reigns, falling back next to his brother.

"Something is wrong." He murmured in quiet Khuzdul, ignoring Merry's curious glance.

Fíli met his eyes. "You feel it too?"

Kíli nodded. "Yes. They have joined us – why?"

"I do not know," Fíli replied grimly, staring at the creatures around them. "But it would not surprise me if they were sent by Beorn."

"That would explain their presence but not the reason for it." Kíli argued. "He treats them like children – why would he send them to us?"

"I fear the answer may only be a dark one."

Gazing at the gravely masked fear in his brother's eyes, Kíli swallowed. "That is worryingly probable."

Fíli smiled wryly. "It will be fine though. We will make sure everything turns out alright."

Kíli forced an exuberant smile onto his face. "Of course we will."

Fíli reached over and shoved his shoulder gently. "You be careful, little brother. Do not take too much onto your shoulders alone." As Kíli faltered, Fíli reverted back to the common tongue. "So, who wishes to hear a story?"

Half a dozen squeals of 'me!' rang through the air and Kíli leant back in the saddle to watch his brother talk.

"What sort of story do we want?"

"Adventure!"

"Scary!"

"No, not scary, Nelly! Pippin doesn't like scary."

"I do too, Merry! I'm a big boy!"

"How about a story about when Mama and Papa were young?" Pearl called loudly. "A story about Kíli – an embarrassing one!"

An unexpected voice gave reply. "Oh, I enjoy those."

Kíli practically fell out of his saddle as Elrohir stepped onto the road in front of them, raising his hands calmly into the air as several startled hands reached for weapons. He inclined his head with a warm smile, but before he could speak he was interrupted by his twin emerging from the trees.

"Forgive my troll of a brother for startling you. We intended on letting you know we were coming, but we got somewhat distracted by your new guard dogs – not to mention the sheer number of you. How do you fare, Masters Baggins and friends?"

"Uh, well, well indeed Master Elladan." Bilbo replied courteously, trying his best not to look flustered. "There are certainly more of us than we expected to travel with, but the uh, the wolves are a new addition."

"How new?" Elrohir raised his eyebrows as a nearby wolf growled ever so slightly.

"They joined us this morning," Kíli grinned. "It is good to see you, Elrohir, Elladan."

"Kíli!" Merry whispered, tugging frantically on the young dwarf's sleeve. "Kíli are they the elves?"

"Yes, Merry." Kíli did not bother to lower his voice. "These are the elves."

A hushed chorus of children's voices arose in the quiet of the woods as each and every one of the little ones began to whisper to each other in awe.

Elladan laughed slightly. "It appears that a few introductions may not go amiss."

"Of course, where are my manners?" Fíli cried. "This here is my mother, Dís, daughter of Thráin, son of Thror, Saradoc and Esmeralda Brandybuck and their son Merry, Paladin and Eglantine Took, and their children Pearl, Pimpernel, Pervinca and Peregrin. This is Bilbo's cousin, Frodo Baggins, whom was adopted recently by our own esteemed Bagginses and finally young Samwise Gamgee, our own loyal little tagalong. For the rest of you, these are the sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir."

Kíli snorted softly as Sam blushed. The child's mouth had dropped open in a look of shocked reverence, and his eyes were as wide as the moon.

"Hello!" Nelly waved enthusiastically. "Which one of you is which?"

"Nelly!" Ellie admonished. "Forgive her, sirs. We did raise our children with manners, even if they forget it on occasion."

"Nelly forgets all the time." Pervinca nodded with wide eyes.

"I do not!" Nelly shrieked, and Nori put a hand over her mouth.

"Behave, child." He chided with a grin that said the exact opposite.

Content with the idea of causing greater mischief at a later date, Nelly grinned back at him.

"We take no offence – those who live among us have been known to ask the same question on a regular occasion," Elrohir explained with a smile that told Kíli he had most definitely picked up on the playful malice behind Nelly and Nori's eyes. "I am Elrohir."

"His hair parts a little more to the left." Kíli pointed out. "It's barely noticeable, but it's there. And Elladan's eyes are darker."

"By a single shade, perhaps." Bofur scoffed. "It's good to see you too lads again."

"The same to you, child." Elladan smirked teasingly.

"Oh, hush all of you before the children think your taunts are serious – or worse, copy your behaviour!" Bilbo flicked his reigns, leading his pony forward. "We had a run in earlier this morning with a bear. That was when the wolves arrived."

The twins' faces fell.

"Is that so? Was it Beorn?"

"No," Kíli said firmly. "The creature attacked my mother and Pervinca in the woods and I saw it – it was certainly not Beorn."

Elrohir considered that. "Well, it is rare for bears to be in these parts, but it is not entirely unheard of. Was anyone harmed?"

"No," Kíli allowed himself a small smile. "My mother is too fine a warrior for that."

He glanced over his shoulder at Dís as he spoke. Unsurprisingly she had raised her shoulders back a little higher, and the smile that graced her cheeks was tight. Kíli was unsure whether her reaction was purely due to the twins' race or simply because she was shaken from the earlier event. It could just be how she always greeted strangers, with the apparent exception of hobbits. Either way, there was a majesty in her posture and voice as she inclined her head slightly.

"You flatter me, Kíli. Well met, Master Elladan, Master Elrohir."

"Well met yourself, Lady Dís." The twins spoke and bowed in unison, before Elladan spoke alone. "It is a happy relief to find you so quickly into our journey. We wished to know if you still intend on accepting our father's hospitality on your journey."

"Aye, it would be much appreciated." Fíli answered immediately. "Thank you."

Elladan grinned. "Think nothing of it and follow us, Fíli."

"Where're we going now?" Pippin called, chewing on his sleeve shyly.

Elladan held out his hand with a flourish. "To Rivendell, Master Pippin."

Pippin's jaw dropped open. "How'd you know that's me?"

The elf winked and began to walk at a leisurely pace beside the ponies, prompting the creatures into movement once more. The little ones immediately resumed their whispering and Kíli smiled to himself as their hushed, innocent speculation reached the ears of more adults than they intended it to.

"I trust you've been more or less well since we saw you last?" Fíli asked.

"Indeed, we have been well for the most part." Elladan's easy expression masked any troubles he may have been recalling. "And you?"

Kíli made a face. "There were some instances that did not exactly go according to plan, but they can be discussed later. Just to make you aware, there's a ranger following us by the name of Ned, with three companions and two dwarven prisoners. They check in every few days but we do not want to see all that much of them."

Concern flashed across the elves' eyes but they chose not to take the subject any further than a light 'is that so'?

Kíli supressed a shudder as memories of the Shire aflame burst in front of his eyes. He would not remember that now. He would hide it away, he would be strong. He had succeeded for months now, months, and a stupid little memory would not break him.

He was a son of Durin. He was strong.

The two elves were quick to take the conversation off into a lighter direction that Fíli, Kíli, Bilbo, Bofur and Nori followed with a practised ease. The grown hobbits followed tentatively, with Dís taking just a little longer to join in, but as the afternoon wore over into evening the company seemed a little more at ease.

It filled Kíli with a strange, gentle kind of joy to see the wonder in his friends' eyes at their meeting the elves. It was not only the little ones, either – their parents were very much in awe of the first elves they had ever met. That being said, Sam's reaction had to be his favourite. The boy was utterly transfixed, refusing to take his eyes off one elf for any reason other than to swap to another. If either of Elrond's sons noticed, they gave no sign of it.

As the setting sun began to throw vibrant pinks and reds into the sky, their new companions paused.

"If you wish, we can continue on through the dark – we are but a few short hours from Rivendell now, given our current pace, and you would be able to sleep in soft beds and take as long a rest as you may need. However, we completely understand if you would prefer to make camp."

Glancing at his mother as he ran his fingers through the yawning Pippin's hair, Fíli pursed his lips. "How many short hours?"

"One, maybe two at most?" Elladan guessed. "I would say less than one, but there are always a few inconsistences when wagons or children are involved – and we have both."

"I think it would be worth travelling just a little while longer," Kíli threw in his opinion. "No point sleeping on the ground when we could sleep in a bed."

"I have no objection to travelling in the dark, if it will not cause grief for the children." Dís said, looking at their parents.

"We can just sleep on the dwarves," Pippin yawned, snuggling back into Fíli's arms. "Night night."

There was a slight pause, in which Fíli looked incredulously at the toddler. "And he's gone… How does he do that?"

"I wish he would do it more often." Paladin commented dryly. "I think we'll be fine to travel through the dark."

"That's sorted then. Onwards we go, my friends." Elladan beamed as his brother walked from pony to pony, murmuring softly to each one.

"What're you doin'?" Pervinca asked sleepily.

"He's telling them to watch their footing and take heart, for they will soon be resting in the stables with the steeds of the elves." Elladan explained.

"They seem happy…" the little girl murmured.

"I hope they are – we take good care of our horses and ponies. They will dine like mearas tonight."

Merry sat up a little straighter. "What's a mearas?"

To Kíli's impressed surprise, it was Frodo who answered. "The magic clever horses that only the kings of Rohan ever ride."

"Oh…" Merry patted the pony's neck gently. "I think you're just as good as a mearas, Fosco."

Kíli chuckled, taking the lit lantern Bilbo offered to him gratefully. "Merry, do you think you could hold this for a while, nice and still for me?"

"Of course!" Merry beamed, ever happy to be of use.

As the darkness began to deepen, so did the chill in the air. Merry turned around in the saddle. "Kíli?"

"Are you cold?" Kíli murmured in reply to the child's whisper.

Merry nodded, biting his lip. Kíli reached around to the pack behind him, fishing out a blanket to wrap around the boy's shoulders. As Merry shivered further back into the material, Kíli began to see what looked like a faint light dancing in the distance. As he stared at it, the sounds of a stream began to reach his ears. After a few moments, the sound grew stronger – perhaps a river was a more appropriate term.

"We are close now," Elrohir called softly. "The river marks the boundary of our lands. Can you see the lights yet?"

Narrowing his eyes, Kíli strained to see, and slowly little pinpricks of light began to glimmer through the trees ahead of them. The sound of the river grew louder as they approached, and soon the sight of water sparkling in the light of their own little lanterns came into view.

"This is the ford, we can cross here without fear of anything going amiss." Elladan promised, wading into the water. Kíli watched the river rise up to lap at the elf's knees, but it went little higher and the ponies followed the elves without hesitance. The lights through the trees grew stronger, until they came out into the open and saw Rivendell in all its glory.

Kíli had thought that the elven outpost was beautiful by day – by night warm lights illuminated the elegant architecture and unassuming beauty he so admired. He did not need to look at his companions to know they too found it breath-taking.

Elladan and Elrohir smiled.

"Welcome to Rivendell."


"Stop pacing, brother, it's bad for your health."

"Will you stop your silly complaining about my damned health?" Glóin snapped.

Óin did not even raise an eyebrow. "I only do it because I care."

Glóin scoffed and tossed the coin bag in his hands across the room. "You only do it because you take pleasure in being an insufferable know-it-all!"

"What was that, brother dear?"

Knowing full well that his brother had heard him, Glóin growled and paced furiously towards the door, before pausing at the handle, shaking his head and turning back to pace towards the other side of the room.

"Glóin, truly." Óin's tone had changed now – there was pain caught in it. "You're not the only one worried about them."

"It's not your wife, is it?"

"No, but it is my sister-in-law and my nephew, and I love them dearly, you know!" Óin retorted with the first trace of anger Glóin had seen in months. "In case you've quite forgotten, I haven't been as fortunate as you in the family department."

Glóin stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry, Óin. I did not think-"

"I know you did not." Óin's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. "I understand that it's been years since such love has been mine to possess, but I you'd do well to remember that I know how it feels to fear losing it forever. What's more, I know how it feels to lose it."

Loathing his own stupidity, Glóin closed his eyes and tried to block the memories. "Truly, nadad. I did not think."

Óin was silent for a long moment. "You know that we are doing all that can be done to prevent anything happening to them. We just need to trust to hope that they are travelling with a small, strong group. Then with any luck we shall see them by Durin's day, and we shall all live safe and sound in the mountain."

"Aye," Glóin said gruffly, though he could not give himself over to hope as easily as his brother apparently could.

"I'm going to see if there's anything I can do for that little lad they found in Thorin's chambers."

"Ari," Glóin nodded. "Dana always doted on that lad, he's a gentle soul."

"Aye. According to Thorin he was spouting off about hobbits the whole time. Apparently when they met the Bagginses and company along the road our Bilbo left quite an impression."

"How did he get into the royal wing in the first place? Is Kyrri in for a demotion?"

"Nay, I think he's been forgiven, given that Thorin lost the lad himself at one point. He snuck past during the changing of the guard and he didn't do any harm." Óin chuckled softly to himself, clamped a hand onto Glóin's shoulder and left the room.

Glóin stared into the embers of the fading fire.

He had no words to say. He had no way of easing the guilt carved into his brother's face, no way of telling Óin that is was not his fault or that there was nothing he could have done because Glóin did not know. Glóin had not been in the room, but his brother had. Glóin could not offer any words of comfort, either, because he could not imagine what torture was seizing Óin's mind.

All he could do was sit there with his arm around the broken brother he had so long believed to be unbreakable. A week ago, Glóin had been getting married with his brother by his side and his parents beaming on but now his family had fallen into a hell he had never imagined to befall them.

Not this. He had never imagined this.

After several hours of silence, Óin spoke in a wavering voice. "In all my years of healing, do you know how many I've lost?"

Glóin shook his head dumbly, his throat too raw from his own tears and dumbness to be able to speak.

"Neither do I…" Óin's voice sounded like a crypt, empty, crumbling and desolate, and his head was still bowed over his lap. He would not meet his brother's eyes. "But I do know that until this day I had never, ever lost a woman in childbirth. What god could be cruel enough to decree that that the first I would lose would be my wife?"

As Óin broke off with a hollow sob, Glóin licked his chapped lips and held her brother a little closer. His lips opened and closed, mouthing around words he could not conjure sound to. Eventually, a soft sound came from his lips. "I'm so sorry, Óin."

A more wretched, pained sob than the others tore from his brother's chest. "She was my wife! She was my wife!"

"I know," Glóin squeezed his own eyes shut but the tears came anyway. "I know, I know!"

"She was my wife…" Óin's voice would have been a wail had he the energy to raise his voice to a significant volume. "There was so much blood, we couldn't stop it… So much blood."

STOP! Glóin wanted to scream. Idun had been his friend before she had been his brother's bride, he did not want to hear about how she died in blood and pain and misery, he wanted it to stop, to be over, he wanted to forget it before it crushed him, he wanted to wail in Dana's arms, he wanted –

No. He stopped himself, taking a deep breath to try and calm his shivering. Óin needed him to pull himself together, because the only person closer to Óin than his brother was lying dead in her own bedroom.

"It would have been a daughter," Óin rasped after a moment, gasping for breath through his sob and tears. "I would have had a little girl; I would have had a nuthanuth, Glóin! She was so beautiful, they were so beautiful…"

Glóin pulled his brother closer, pressing his lips into his brother's hair. "I know, I know."

"She was my wife…"

"I know…"

"She was my daughter…"

"I know…"

"They're gone, Glóin, they're gone. Gone, gone, gone!"

Glóin tried and failed to swallow the lump in his throat. "I know."

Óin fell limp in his brother's lap, clutching at Glóin's arm as though it were the only thing holding him above an abyss. Glóin supposed that in a heart wrenching way it was.

"They are in the Halls of Mandos now…" he murmured. "Idun and the babe. You cannot save everyone, Óin."

"But why them?" the ferocity of Óin's howl aggravated his already aching throat and Glóin helped his brother sit up as the elder coughed violently. "Why them?"

"I do not know," Glóin shut his eyes and rocked his brother in his arms. It was awkward, uncomfortable, and he could not care less. "I'm sorry, nadad. By the Valar, I am sorry. May Mahal himself carry their souls to Mandos."

"May Mahal himself bring them back to me!" Óin spat bitterly, his whole body trembling with the force of his pain.

For that, Glóin had no answer.

A wooden log over the fire cracked loudly, breaking Glóin from the painful memory. He shook his head, dispelling the images of his sobbing brother and the still, pale corpse of his sister-in-law at the funeral. Idun had been beautiful, as beautiful as Dana without question, though no woman would ever shine more brightly than his own wife in Glóin's eyes. She had been Glóin's playmate and for years she had loathed his brother. In turn, Óin had viewed Idun as a nuisance and a troublemaker.

That all changed when they reached adolescence. Then-

No. That was a book of memories that Glóin would close for today. Thinking of Idun and the niece who lived for only a few stolen minutes would not help take his mind of the potential peril of his own wife and son – not in any positive sense.

Glóin knew that he was strong, but he also knew that he was breakable. He had thought that Erebor would bring them peace and security but as of yet it had brought only grief and fear. Well, that was not quite a fair analysis but he would feel much better when the attacks stopped and Dana and Gimli were safe beside him.

He needed them to be safe beside him. As loathed as he was to admit it, Glóin was not as strong as his brother. If his wife and child were ripped from him, Glóin knew he would be unable to pick himself up the way Óin had done.

Dana and Gimli would join him in Erebor or he would join them in the ground – it was that simple.

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts and he jumped, coughing to clear his throat before calling out. "It's unlocked!"

Balin walked into the room with a beam stretched from ear to ear and Glóin's heart picked up.

"You'll never guess what's happened!"

"What? What?!" Glóin demanded, his heart thudding in his chest.

"Ori's little gamble paid off – the elves have tracked down and destroyed a pack of near a hundred orcs. If they have not been thwarted entirely they have been severely set back!"

A laugh of relief tore from Glóin's throat. "Really?"

"Aye, the news came in this morning! Beorn is on the lookout too, and Dain's efforts seem to be paying off in the east. The allegiance with Lake-town is stronger than ever, and New Dale is growing stronger by the day. For once we have more friends than we do foes." Balin's eyes were shining as he clamped a hand on Glóin's shoulder. "The roads are growing safer, cousin."

Glóin took a deep breath of hope. "Are they?"

"They are," Balin promised. "We will see our kin safely home."

"I hate to break the mood, but is there any news of the little lad's attackers?" Glóin wondered.

Balin shook his head. "Not as of yet, but we will find them. We will find them."

"Anything I can do?"

"I'll let you know." Balin grinned. "But that's not why I came here."

"Is it not?"

"No indeed. We're all going drinking later, up in Dwalin's chambers due to his lack of mobility. You're coming."

"Am I indeed?" Glóin was never one to pass up on an opportunity to drink and he knew as well as Balin that he would be attending, but his curiosity and pride led him through the motions.

"Aye, you are. Dwalin finally gathered the courage to ask Elza to court him and that's cause to celebrate."

Glóin began to laugh, properly, heartily, for the first time in weeks. "That would've been an interesting conversation!"

"I'm sure we'll hear all the details later. Eight o'clock, Dwalin's chambers. Bring ale and don't be late. I'll see you there, laddie."

Chuckling, Glóin bid his cousin farewell and led him to the door. A night of heavy drinking and celebration would do him a world of good.

Glóin could not wait.

And there we have it. Again, my sincerest apologies for the wait. I'll be as quick as possible with the next one. It should be quicker, but as you can probably tell I can't make any promises.

Thank you so, so much for reading, please leave a review if you can. I appreciate them so, so much.

SIDENOTE: RE NICKNAME COMPETITION

With everything that's going on, the prize oneshots are taking much more time than I had hoped, but the first one is underway now. I have not forgotten about the competition – the nickname will be woven into the story soon and the prizes ARE IN THE MAKING. I'm sorry it's taken so long but I am going as fast as I can.

Thank you for reading!