"I'd advise that you don't touch that, Master Kili," Gandalf sternly said without turning around.

The dwarf behind him took his hand back and stood up from his crouched position. He had a slight frown on his features.

"Why?"

"Because that is hemlock. It could kill a man in an instant, and we don't want that on our hands now do we?"

Kili took a few sharp steps back, looking at the plant as if it were a rotting animal. Some feet behind him, the rest of the company sat on rocks smoking their pipes or filled their water-skins in the flowing creek nearby. The ponies grazed on the long, wet grasses along the creek; the hobbit was petting one of them, cooing incoherent things. The young dwarf had noticed that Bilbo strayed away from the company, apart from asking a question or two to Balin or Bofur. Kili couldn't help but pity him, for the hobbit looked and seemed to feel out of place .

Kili turned away from the deadly plant and sat under the shade of a tree. He placed the bow and quivers he had strapped to his back on the dirt floor, leaning against the bark that had been warmed by the afternoon sun. They had only stopped for a brief rest, stretching their legs after the discomfort of sitting on ponies for hours - well, for Bilbo and Balin at least.

"Kili," the voice of his brother met his ears and he looked up.

Fili walked the short distance to him and threw something towards the dark-haired dwarf. Kili caught it with an expert hand, taking a bite from what was the bread roll. He ripped a piece off and offered it to his brother who plopped down beside him.

"Our burglar will have quite a fit upon discovering his rolls missing," Kili smirked.

The blonde dwarf looked at him from the corner of his eye before returning his gaze to the other dwarves.

"He won't miss it that much."

Kili shook his head with a small smile and swallowed the rest of the bread roll. Even with the thought of their food eventually running out on their journey, it still didn't hinder his persistence to keep going. Surely, this would impress his uncle.

Well, perhaps just a little.

It was only half a day into the journey and the young prince could not help but feel impatient. There was no action here, on the border of the Shire, and it was so quiet. Kili appreciated the peacefulness, but there was an energy running through him, begging him to get off his feet and explore or spend the time having target practice. Nothing kept him grounded in the moment and he was just so bored.

Fili, however, seemed content with the moment, shoulder to shoulder with his little brother and letting the light breeze cool his face from the heat of summer's day. He was the patient and more rational of the two brothers; one could simply look at them and know that they were night and day.

"On your feet," Thorin called, already setting off to mount his pony. "We shouldn't waste what is left of the day."

Kili was up first, offering a hand to pull the blond dwarf up with him. This wasn't exactly very exciting, he thought to himself as he and the others mounted their ponies, but at least they were moving once again. Daisy, his pony, neighed softly below him and the dwarf rubbed her neck with affection. Like Bilbo, he had a soft spot for the ponies. The more they had ventured east of the Shire, the more the woods around them had thickened. Despite the quiet of the woods, the company itself had carried the noise, much like a flock of geese did when they flew from winter's harsh winds across the sky. Balin and Dori conversed with each other some feet away while Thorin spoke quietly with the gray wizard. Behind him, Kili could hear Bilbo sneezing and muttering about horsehair and allergies and whatnot.

Craning his neck, he peered through the top of the trees to look at the blue sky. There were clouds, dark and steadily approaching the company. Kili shut his eyes and breathed in the air, his senses letting him know that rain was coming. As if reading his thoughts, Fili sighed beside him.

"It'll be pouring soon," said the blond dwarf, taking a glance at the darker haired dwarf before looking back up to the sky.

"Good," Kili ran his a hand over his jaw; his palm only met scruff instead of a beard that all the dwarves had. "It's about time we've had some rain."

Fili made a distasteful noise. "I'd prefer not to be soaking wet."

"Appreciate that it's not snow, Fee."

With another great sigh and the slight roll of his eyes, Fili reached over the short distance to shove his brother's shoulder. It wasn't enough to push him off his pony, but it made him grip the reins tighter. Kili turned away from the blond dwarf with a small smile and basked in what was left of the sun before it could be snuffed out by the clouds, letting it warm his face. He couldn't help but close his eyes again in comfort from the gentle rays. For once, the summer sun wasn't harsh and chose to be gracious on the first day of the journey. It wasn't long before the first few drops splashed onto Kili's nose, causing him to open his eyes to a darkened sky.

The few drops turned into many, lightly pelting the company, until those drops turned into a heavy shower. Many of the dwarves grumbled, pulling the hoods of their cloaks over their heads to shield themselves even if it was all to no avail. The rain had seeped through Kili's hood and dampened his scalp; it made him shiver, but it wasn't enough to bother him.

From up front he heard Dori say, "Here, Mr. Gandalf? Can't you do something about this deluge?"

"It is raining, master dwarf," Gandalf sighed, and Kili could feel his annoyance from feet away. "And it will continue to rain until the rain is done! If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

Kili snickered to himself when he saw Dori's face burn through the downpour. After the exchange, he heard the hobbit enquire about other the wizards that were in Middle Earth before their voices became nothing but mere hums in the background. The wind blew harshly across his wet face, chilling him instantly. Kili tried to blink the drops off his eyelashes and he started to resent his thoughts of a rain to cool the summer heat. It only seemed to make his skin frigid and his teeth chatter a bit. Rain was rare in the summer when the company had dwelled in Ered Luin; it had usually poured when it came to harvest time and when the leaves had started to change their colors. There was many a time when Kili had always wished for rain to cool the land during the heat, but when it did rain, he remembered how cold it'd be.

"What were you saying about the rain, dear brother?" Fili taunted beside him. The tips of his braids dripped, and when he spoke, water dripped into his mouth. Kili would've laughed had he not been drenched himself.

"Shut it," Kili grimaced, wiping his wet brow.

The ponies trotted through the mud and puddles, farther into the woods where the company could hear the rushing of water through the downpour. Soon enough they were walking beside it, the reeds and cattails waving through the wind. The rain had grown relentless and the dwarves were grumbling upon their ponies; Gandalf had remained quiet as well as Bilbo, apart from the hobbit's sniffles and sneezes.

The river had begun to grow closer to them as they walked along it. When Kili glanced at its speed and rushing water, it reminded him of the dark blue sheets that would wave in the wind when the dwarrowdams hung them to dry. The closer the dark-haired dwarf looked, the more he started to see the river threatening to spill over the river bank.

"The river," Kili called. "It may overflow."

Some of the dwarves looked to their side, and Balin had replied from ahead, "Aye, it'd be best to stray farther from it."

The company had reached a part of the bank where some feet away were rocks and a tall, crooked tree leaning over the rushing water. The grass had stopped growing feet away from the river's edge, and all there was was light, loose brown sand. The large rocks were few and littered the sides of the bank; but one object was different.

Kili squinted through the rain, wondering what had caught his attention. It lay half in the water and half in the mud, and Kili shuddered upon realizing that this was not any part of nature. The water and ground was stained with red and the young dwarf's grip tightened on the reins of his pony.

"Thorin!" Kili called, snapping the reins for his pony to ride up beside his uncle.

His uncle flashed him a look of concern at his nephew's sudden outburst. "What is it?"

The dark haired dwarf's gaze stayed at the river bank, his insides chilled as much as his wet skin.

"Someone's there."

The dwarves strained their eyes to see through the rain, and sure enough they could see a person along the riverbank.

"Master Kili is correct," Gandalf spoke, his bushy brows coming together in a frown. "Something is wrong."

The company had slowed their pace, and Thorin turned to nod at Dwalin at his side, as well as his nephews and Oin, their healer. The four rode their ponies ahead of the company, puddles and mud splashing about their hooves. Dwalin swung off his pony first and strode over to the person on the bank. The bald dwarf edged closer with caution, a deep frown decorating his rugged face. The dwarf brothers had followed close behind, Kili with balled fists and Fili with his hand set upon the hilt of his sword for precaution.

Oin brushed past the three towards the figure just as the company made it towards the small group, yet no one dismounted apart from Thorin and Gandalf. Oin knelt down; it was, indeed, just as Kili had said. It was a person. They were faced down onto the earth, and had wet hair so dark that it could've been mistaken for black. Its brown cloak was stained a dark red as well as the ground beneath them. Oin reached for the shoulder and pulled the person to lie on their back, and him as well as a few other dwarves took an intake of breath.

"It's... It's a girl!" Dwalin respired, just as Oin had exclaimed, "A dwarrowdam!"

Stunned murmurs were exchanged in the background, for among the dwarven folk, while female dwarves had always been present, they weren't common. But still, it was a shock for the company to have one of their kind so far from the Iron Hills or Ered Luin lying presumably dead beside the river. However, the four dwarves and the wizard were closest to see the palpable difference this dwarrowdam had from others: she was hairless. Unlike the dwarrowdams the dwarves had ever seen or met, this one had no beard or thick facial hair beside her full head of hair and delicate eyebrows.

Unaware of his own movements, Kili inched closer and stood close behind their healer. His eyes traveled to her face, taking in the pale skin, pale as snow, her slightly pointed ears-which was strange to Kili- and high cheekbones. Had she not looked like death, Kili was sure that she would have a lovely blush upon her cheeks. The only thing that did stain her cheeks was blood and dirt and rainwater. The young dwarf had grown up seeing dwarrowdams with light or heavy hair, and had spent time with a dwarrowdam or two before he had left, but never in his years had he seen one like the dwarrowdam on the riverbank.

"By Mahal..." The old dwarf muttered, and Kili flickered to where Oin's hands had hovered near her abdomen. An arrow was embedded into her flesh, where dried and fresh blood had stained the fabric of her dark green dress. The end had broken off and what was left stuck out.

Kili swallowed thickly before asking, "Is she...dead?"

Oin put two fingers to the girl's neck and frowned. The dwarves waited while the rain filled the silence until the healer pulled his hand away. Thorin had come to stand behind Oin, his face blank from any emotion.

"Well?" Fili had asked.

"She's alive," Oin said. "But just barely."

"What do you presume had happened?" Dwalin asked, arms crossed over his broad chest. His mouth was set in a grim line.

"An attack, perhaps," Gandalf had voice, leaning onto his staff. "She may have fallen into the river. Poor girl must have barely escaped the current and washed onto the bank."

The air felt heavy for a moment, each dwarf having visions of their own assumptions as to what had happened. Bilbo had exchanged a look with Bofur, whose usual chipper face was wrinkled with worry.

"Can't you do anything?" Kili turned to the old dwarf with a frown on his face. "She'll die if we leave her here. She will bleed to death."

"Aye, it is possible, but it may take some time. Days at most."

"We do not have days to waste," Thorin said. "We cannot waste time on her."

The dwarves looked at Thorin with slight bewilderment. It wasn't like the dwarf to brush away his own kin. The blond nephew frowned at his uncle and he took notice of the dark look set into his blue eyes.

"Have you gone mad?" Fili took a step towards his uncle. "We cannot leave her, Uncle."

"Have you not noticed?" Thorin turned to look at his nephew. He pointed to the unconscious girl at their feet. "Do you not see that she is a child of Mirkwood?"

The dwarves closest to the girl turned their gazes towards her. It was then that they had finally realized when their attention settled at the pendant at her neck. It was a piece of silver, bent and shaped into a symbol of the Elves of Mirkwood. Kili had frowned, knowing the scorn his uncle had for the elves that had abandoned his kin so long ago; through the stories Thorin had told Fili and Kili when they were just boys, Kili had detested the elves. Now, though, when he looked at the dying girl, his animosity towards the elves wavered as his conscience had peaked.

"Still," Kili looked at Thorin in the eyes. "We cannot leave her to die."

Thorin's expression did not expose anything, and he only turned away and walked back to mount his pony.

"The boy is right, Thorin," Oin called from his place beside the girl.

"I will not have our journey forsaken for a Mirkwood child."

"You do not know for certain whether or not she is an offspring of an elf," Fili tried to reason with his uncle.

Thorin's dark look subsided into a glare. "Have you not seen her face, nephew? What of her ears, her lack of beard? She is not one of us." His glare was then directed to the girl. "

Dwalin had let out a sigh and spoke up, "I agree with Thorin. One with elf blood, especially that of Mirkwood, has no place amongst us."

"But she is that of a dwarf as well," Gandalf intervened. "She may be the descendant of those you despise, but that does not mean you abandon your fellow dwarf to meet their last breath."

Thorin locked his jaw and, once again, the dark look passed through his features. He was silent for a moment, the eyes of his company passing between him, the wizard, and the girl by the river bank. His eyes met Kili's, and the young dwarf had a look of plead; his nephew was adamant on this, and he could not be surprised. The young, dark haired dwarf was one with a soft heart. Thorin had sighed eventually, and turned his attention to Oin.

"Bind her wound," he said, and then he turned to look at his dark haired nephew with a grim face. "I will not be held responsible if anything happens to the girl. She stays until she is healed. Until then, she is your responsibility. Is that understood?"

Kili nodded, relaxing his features at his uncle's approval. "Understood."

The rain had stopped after a while, making way for a clear sky although the earth had still smelled damp. The ponies trotted through the forest, steering clear of the river until they had eventually lost sight of it. The sun had cast streaks of orange and pink across the sky as it had to set. Fireflies had sprung from behind their hiding places and fluttered around the company, and one had landed on Kili's wrist. He frowned and swatted it away, watching the insect hover around him and his pony before landing right on the shoulder of the girl lying in front of him.

After Oin had pulled the arrow out and cleaned and binded her wound, the young woman had ultimately been placed under Kili's eye. She was cold. The moment Kili had lifted her into his arms, he was struck by how cold she was from the river water and loss of blood. Their unexpected addition had lead to her sharing Kili's pony. Her head rested against Daisy's neck, eyes closed and covered by the dark haired dwarf's cloak. Kili's arms held the reins around her as a rail to keep her from falling off. The whole time, she had not stirred nor shown any sign of waking; it had worried Kili and Oin. To reassure himself and the others that she was alive, Kili checked her breath and the pulse at her neck.

He swatted the firefly away, watching it fly away into the trees before turning his gaze back onto the path. The company had neared a rocky hill that was hidden by the trees just as the sun had nearly set; there was a cliff with a circle of rocks that looked over the hills and part of the forest.

Thorin had stopped and dismounted his pony, the others following his action. "We shall camp here tonight. Ori, find some wood so Gloin can make a fire."

Fili had swung off his pony and stood beside his brother's with his arms raised to take the unconscious girl, so that Kili could get down from his pony. The darker haired brother held his arms out, saying, "I'll take her."

"You've had her all day," Fili said. "Why don't you res-"

"It's fine." Kili rolled his eyes before taking the girl into his arms. Her head rolled onto his shoulder and he noticed that she wasn't as chilled as before.

The dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf had already sat on the earth around Gloin who was trying to start a fire. Oin had ushered Kili to a spot near the fire where a bed roll was already spread out for the girl.

"Easy, lad," Oin said as he held the girl's head while Kili carefully laid her down. The dwarf put a hand against her forehead and checked her pulse with the other. "Pulse is still weak, but better than before. However, she is getting warm; I suspect a fever may come unless I whip up a remedy of sorts."

"Will she be alright?" Kili had asked with a worried frown.

The old dwarf sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Time will only tell."

Kili nodded, shooting the girl one last look before sitting near his brother against a large boulder. The company had sat conversing with one another or sitting silently as they waited for Bomber to make supper. Gandalf sat on a rock alone, smoking his pipe and looking deep in thought. The hobbit sat alone as well, seeing that he still felt rather awkward around the dwarves, particularly Thorin.

Bomber had served a supper of a hot beef and carrot stew, flavorful and rich. It would be wise to use whatever meat they had soon before it could rot. As Kili ate, he looked up from his bowl and across the crackling fire to where the girl still lay unawake. Out of conscience, he left his spot and asked Bombur for seconds. The large dwarf glanced over at the girl and back to the dwarf before him, shooting him a knowing smile and served Kili another bowl. Kili wrapped it in a cloth and hid the bowl under his bed roll for safe keeping.

Supper had left the company with satisfied smiles and warm bellies, and they retreated to either sleep or sit around the fire to smoke their pipes. Kili blew circles of smoke from his mouth and from the corner of his eye, he saw Bilbo feed an apple to his pony and coo to her. He smirked; the hobbit thought he was being rather sneaky when he really wasn't. The dwarf had put out his pipe before stuffing it back into his pack and leaning against the wall.

A strangled howl, very much like a scream, far from the camp had tore through the night, making the hobbit jump. He backed away from the ponies and towards Fili and Kili, who seemed to be the only ones awake besides Gandalf.

"What was that?" He had asked, worry laced within his voice.

Fili had exchanged a quick glance with his younger brother, and both smirked.

"Orcs," Kili had answered in a grave voice, and as quick as his answer came another terrible howl.

"Orcs?" The hobbit frowned.

"Throat-cutters," Fili said. Kili had watched with amusement and wanted very much to laugh at Bilbo's frightened face. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep," Kili looked Bilbo in the eye as he spoke. "Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood."

As Bilbo turned away with a look of dread on his face, Kili and Fili looked at each other and laughed quietly to themselves. Kili couldn't stifle his laughter until a small, shaking voice, so quiet that it could've been mistaken for wind, tore him away from the moment.

"Please stop."

Kili's face fell as well as Fili's, and both brothers as well as Bilbo and Gandalf looked up and over to the small figure laying beside the fire. Kili rose and took a few hesitant steps forward.

"Are...are you awake?" Kili dared to ask.

There were a few sniffles, and the dwarf was sure that she wouldn't speak again until he heard, "The orcs...are the orcs here?"

He felt the others' eyes on him as he stepped around the fire and towards the girl. The closer he had gotten, the more he saw the girl shaking under the cloak. He knelt down and kept a safe amount of space between them. Her eyes were shut closed, but he could see the drops of unspilled tears gathered around her long eyelashes.

"No, no, there are no orcs here," Kili tried to reassure the girl who seemed to be frightened for her life by the way her voice had quivered before. "We...we were only having a bit of fun-"

"You think that's funny?" All but the girl had turned their gazes up to see Thorin who was no longer asleep. Instead, he had a hard look on his face. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

Kili swallowed. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"No, you didn't," Thorin said darkly, before walking away to look off into the distance. "You know nothing of the world."

Balin had come towards Kili and Fili, hands behind his back, telling them to not take their uncle's words so hard and that it was just Thorin's deep animosity towards the orcs. The white bearded dwarf had went on about the Battle of Azanulbizar, catching the dwarves attention as one by one had woken up to listen, but Kili heard nothing. Instead, he had sat beside the girl who still shook and kept her eyes tightly shut. Sudden guilt had flooded him, and never knew how someone so scared could look so small.

He had leaned close for only her to hear his voice.

"I apologize," Kili said quietly. "If I had offended you or frightened you, that was not at all my intention. I apologize if I had caused you distress."

She sniffed in reply, and she had frowned. Kili sighed to himself, looking away and towards the dwarves who had stared in awe at his uncle once Balin had finished the tale. He realized that he had already left a terrible impression on the girl and it had only taken a few seconds. He was surprised to hear her quiet voice reply.

"Everything hurts," she whimpered, and Kili turned back with his brows scrunched together with worry.

"It's alright," Kili tried to reassure her. "We have a healer. I will fetch him."

Kili had risen from the ground and crossed the distance towards Oin, who was making his way back to his bed roll.

"She is awake," Kili wasted no time in telling him.

The old dwarf's brows rose in surprise as well as the others who were close enough to hear them. Not one of them had expected the dwarrowdam to wake up. Kili watched Oin head in the direction of the campfire and, with a sigh, the dark haired dwarf retreated to his brother's side. When Oin had reached the girl's side, Gandalf had retracted his hand from her forehead. He leaned heavily on his staff and blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe.

"I have temporarily rid her of the pain so that she may sleep comfortably," he said. "Unfortunately, when she wakes, it will prove to be difficult for her to sustain her equilibrium of health."

"Your assistance is appreciated, Mister Gandalf," Oin nodded towards him.

From below, her voice was barely more than a whisper. The wizard had never heard anyone so quiet.

"Thank...thank you..."

Gandalf smiled down at the girl who had finally opened her eyes and inclined his head. "You're very welcome, my dear. Sleep well."

The wizard had walked away after nodding to Oin so he, too, could rest. The old dwarf knelt down and gripped his listening horn to his ear; he doubted that he would be able to hear the girl now that he knew she was barely audible. From the pouch hanging on his side, he produced some vials.

"How do you feel, lass?"

She opened her eyes and frowned. "Not well, I'm afraid."

"Don't worry," he uncorked them and tapped dark red herbs into one vial and swirling it around. "This will help your recovery.

After a moment, she turned her head to look at the dwarf again. "Where am I?"

Oin flashed her glance and then back up to the vials. "Why, the company of Thorin Oakenshield, of course."

Her brows furrowed together and she nodded, closing her eyes again.

"Can you lift your head for a moment?" He asked as he flicked the contents of the vial. She gave him a small nod and lifted her head so that should drink whatever herbal remedy Oin had concocted. She grimaced and coughed.

"This should keep your fever at bay," he said and stood up. "Get some rest, lassie."

"Thank you," she told him.

The dwarves were all asleep apart from Kili, who sat awake beside his snoring brother to take first watch. The summer air had cooled down because of the rain, making it comfortable to sleep. The crickets were chirping and the fireflies hovered in the trees. The fire cracked, emitting a soothing warmth around the camp that left everyone at peace.

Kili was looking up at the sky, taking note of all the stars that shined and twinkled. They were rather lovely, he thought, and for a moment he wondered if these were the same stars he would gaze at from Ered Luin. It seemed that the stars were brighter than the ones from home, and Kili wanted nothing more than to climb up into a tree to get closer to the sky.

From a feet away, he caught sight of the girl turning carefully on her side with a pained look on her face. Careful not to wake his brother, Kili rose and relieved the bowl of stew from its hiding spot. He took quiet steps to cross the short distance, but she still heard him. Kili froze in his step when she looked at him, and he was struck by the color of her now open eyes.

Starlight shined on orbs of blue, ever so bright and deep that they resembled opals mined in the Blue Mountain. These eyes seemed impossible, for they were sky on the darkest of nights with golden galaxies. They were all these beautiful things and Kili wondered how such a creature could be blessed with these eyes.

He found his head, and cleared his throat as stepped forward with the bowl in hand. He sat on his knees before her, and tried to give her a warm smile.

"I'm afraid it is not hot anymore," he said, setting the bowl beside her. "But you must be hungry."

Her gaze flickered between him and the stew before she uttered a quiet, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," he couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "Thank Bombur."

Her lips turned up in a small smile before her face slowly fell. Her eyes left Kili's face and off towards the sky. A breath left his puffed cheeks, and he made himself comfortable on the ground. Kili cleared his throat again, and the dwarrowdam met his eyes again. A shiver ran down his spine; her eyes still struck the dwarf.

"How are you faring?" He asked.

She hesitated a moment, eyes moving across his face before settling on his eyes again. "Bearable, but weak."

The dwarf prince chewed on the inside of his cheek, choosing his words carefully.

"I suppose it was because you had lost a lot blood; you barely escaped death."

Her forehead creased by her frown. She nodded, looking away towards the small fire. She looked deep in thought, and Kili had no doubt that she was reliving what had happened to her. He had enough sense and courtesy to not enquire about the events that lead to her wound, and thought it best to ask her later in a later time.

"What is your name?" Kili asked her abruptly. The shy look she gave him made the tips of his ears heat.

A silence had filled the air for a few moments before she had answered softly. She was so quiet that Kili barely understood.

"Estel."

Kili smirked a bit, and decided that he liked how her name sounded, although it was unfamiliar.

"Your name... I don't believe it is dwarvish," Kili said, and she, Estel, shook her head to confirm his observation. "I assume it is Elvish?"

She shot him a questioning look before he gestured to the pendant around her neck. "A symbol of the Mirkwood elves."

The girl, Estel, opened her mouth as if to say something, only to shut it and avert her gaze. Kili could see the unease wash over her and he sent her a reassuring smile. Kili had sensed her discomfort at the mentioning of the elves, and for a moment he pondered how she would've reacted when Thorin was speaking so ill towards them. She looked up at him that through her lashes and seemed to relax her shoulders.

"My name," she said. "It is 'hope'."

Kili smiled kindly at her. "Had you taken a dwarvish name, it would be 'Karut'." She scrunched up her nose in distaste for the dwarvish version, and Kili couldn't help but chuckle. "But I think the Elvish translation sounds much better." He paused for a moment. "Do you… know our… our language?"

He was curious. A girl such as her… She was visibly different, and obviously one of them. Yet, he was slightly skeptical like his uncle, although he was not too deep in a cauldron of animosity. If she had ties to Mirkwood, then was she really like them?

Estel frowned and nodded. "Of course, I do. All dwarves know Khudzul."

"But not all dwarves are like you," he said.

She pondered over his words in her head for a moment with a thoughtful look, then she gave him a soft, humorful smile. "I suppose not," she laughed.

Kili's insides warmed when he heard the soft laugh that had fluttered from her lips. It was like the chimes his mother hung beside his window when he was just a babe.

"What do they call you?" Estel said to him.

"Kili," he answered her.

She nodded. "Kili," she repeated his name as if committing it to memory.

A snore from one the dwarves pulled Kili out of the small exchange between the two of them. With a sigh, Kili stood up and brushed the dirt of his breeches.

"I should finish my watch," he told her. "You must rest now."

She gave him one last nod, pulling the cloak, his cloak, closer around her. Kili smiled and gave her a small bowl.

"Till tomorrow, Miss Estel," he said.

She returned his smile. "Till tomorrow, Mister Kili."

He left her and walked around the fire to a rock that overlooked the forest after retrieving his bow from his still sleeping brother's side. He sat down, feeling a sudden warmth and he glanced at the young woman who was now asleep. His lips turned up and he huffed out a breath, shaking his head before looking back up at the woods.