Sorry. I didn't realize that'd I would be this late. It's been a rough month and half, but I'm enjoying my transition to college. Florida is either wet or sunny, and I'm okay with that. Anyway, enjoy!

Kili had spent some time with Estel, informing her of what happened since the orc attack and once the company had entered Rivendell. He tried to divert her thoughts from the orcs after seeing how morose it made her. She listened silently and with a thoughtful smile on her face, leaning against the pillows and watching the dwarf prince talk. Sometimes they would sit in silence, looking at the gardens or the moon from inside, both sitting in comfort.

A thought crossed Kili's mind, and he tried not to frown for fear of Estel becoming concerned and questioning him. He was glad that she better; in fact, he was more than glad, but what then? What happened next, he wondered, he did not know. Once the company had found her, the priority he shared with a few others was to find aid and healing for the girl. They had found it and she was recovering well, and that was it. They had done it.

But what then?

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, seeing her blue eyes trail from star to star, and then to the moon. He had come to like the girl, and so did a few of the dwarves and Bilbo, too. Kili sighed internally. They would have to leave soon, and he knew that Thorin and a few of the older dwarves wouldn't allow her to come. He was going to leave her behind, and that left a knot in his stomach; he told her once, twice, and many times after that he wasn't going to leave her behind, even though it was only meant that Kili wouldn't leave her in the arms of danger. Yet, the dwarf couldn't bring himself to leave her here in Rivendell.

And this wasn't her home, he thought to himself. Kili didn't think that she belonged in the Elven city, and he believed that the girl knew that as well. He realized that she had lost everything; her uncle and caravan were dead, and he didn't know of the fate that had fallen on her other family. He didn't really know anything about her, other than her recent misfortune and what her blood entailed. Estel didn't have a home, and this saddened Kili. She had no one nor a place to return to.

"I've been gone a while," Kili brought her attention back to him. "I should probably return to them."

Estel sighed and nodded, watching him get on his feet. He stood by the bed and watched her expectantly. "Well?" He said.

She furrowed her brows. "Well, what?"

"Well, aren't you coming?" His lips turned up into a smirk.

Her mouth fell open, and then she closed it. She started to smile and Kili offered his hand, which she gladly took. She pushed the blankets aside, and let her bare feet hit the cool floor. Her shoes were missing, and she sighed; it wouldn't hurt to ask Elrond for something to put on her cold feet. She stood for a moment, letting her legs get used to being vertically straight for once. She took a hesitant step, and then another one. Kili had an amused look on his face as he watched her, and he was reminded of a newborn calf taking its first steps.

She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, a delicate smile making its way onto her features. "It feels nice to walk on my own," she said.

Kili merely chuckled and let her hold his elbow when they left the healing chamber. He lead her down the confusing hallways, trusting his memory to guide him to his company's quarters. It was difficult for him to not steal a glance at the dwarrowdam beside him. His dark eyes drifted to the dress the elves gifted her, the way it hugged her slim form, and he could not deny that she looked very lovely. Her ivory skin and her dark hair were much more apparent to him. His cheeks reddened, and he looked back ahead, trying to hide his face in the curtain of his hair.

His memory did not fail him, and sure enough they found the company. Kili lead her out onto a pavilion where the company was crowded around a fire; it was fueled by the elven furniture they had broken earlier. They all smoked their pipes and laughed, roasting sausages over the flames. Kili noticed Bombur sitting on a bench with a large bowl of food in his hands. Bofur had a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Kili could see that the hatted dwarf was up to no good.

"Bombur!" Bofur called.

The heavy dwarf looked up once Bofur had thrown a sausage at him. Bombur caught it, but then the bench started to quiver and shake under him, until it collapsed under him. Down he went with a shriek, and all the dwarves began to laugh and chuckle uproariously. Beside him, Kili heard a light and airy laugh, and he looked down to see Estel with a big smile and tears of laughter in her eyes. He, too, started to laugh.

The dwarves started to calm after a while, and Fili caught sight of the two newcomers standing at the door.

"I was wondering when you would turn up," the blond dwarf grinned.

Bofur turned around and had a grand smile on his face when he saw the girl. "Miss Estel, you are looking very well."

"We were very worried," Ori spoke up.

Estel blushed lightly, and smiled at the dwarves. "Thank you for your concern."

Kili looked around, a crease coming in between his brows when he noticed the missing members of the company. "Where are Thorin and Balin?"

"Here." The dwarves looked behind Kili and Estel to see the two dwarves as well as Bilbo enter the room.

Thorin had a look of frustration and worry written across his stiff features; Balin looked weary if not worried as well. Thorin glanced at Estel from the corner of his, noting that she was well, but did not say anything. He dragged one of the chairs towards the group and sat down, rubbing one of his temples with one hand while the other held a rolled up piece of parchment. Balin passed by the two young dwarfs and he smiled.

"I see you're doing well, Miss Estel," the white bearded dwarf said. "That is good news."

The dwarrowdam smiled and inclined her head a bit. "Thank you, Master Balin. And I must thank everyone else," her eyes darted to Thorin briefly, "for aiding me. I will never forget what your company has done for me."

The dwarves and Bilbo smiled, except for Thorin who showed no signs of acknowledgment and continued to stare into the fire. Balin settled down beside his brother, and Kili led Estel towards Fili and Bofur. All talk and laughter resumed, and Estel just sat and listened quietly while taking in the warmth of the fire. She was reminded of the days when she'd sit just like this and listen to her uncle and the dwarves she called family; she repressed the memories, not being able to bear the thought of an aching heart.

Kili, as if sensing Estel's mood, turned to give her a questioning look. She only smiled, letting him know that she was fine. Kili looked back at Gloin, who was retelling a story; beside him, his brother frowned, leaning in a bit to get a closer look at his face.

"What happened to your face?" Fili asked.

Kili's brows knitted together, instinctively touching his cheeks and forehead. "What do you mean 'what happened'?"

"The wound on your head," Fili's voice was laced with confusement. "It's gone!"

The dwarves near them took a look at the dark haired dwarf's head and stared with surprise. Kili paled as he remembered what had happened, and beside him Estel stiffened. Thorin, too, was lured in by the strange disappearance of Kili's small head wound.

"It's as if it was never there," Thorin said. "How can this be?"

Kili hadn't the slightest idea of what to say. Truthfully, he was just afraid to tell them how it was gone. He couldn't reveal to them that Estel had a gift; he wouldn't dare, for it wasn't his secret to share. He didn't even know if the girl kept this a secret. The company stared at him with vigilant looks as Kili struggled to find the words.

Suddenly from behind, Estel spoke. "I… I healed him."

The dwarves' gazes left Kili and went directly towards the girl behind him, unable to hide their looks of surprise. Estel shrunk beneath their gazes, and fidgeted with the pendant at her neck. Thorin had narrowed his eyes, and to Estel it felt like he was dissecting her under his dark gaze. The dwarf stood up from his chair and slowly walked towards the girl, the company watching his every move. No one had expected his question to be so coercive and forceful.

"What are you?" He asked in a dangerously calm way.

A shiver ran through Estel and she seemed to have shrunk even smaller under his eyes. Kili stood up and placed himself between Thorin and Estel; his actions did not go unnoticed and the company watched with anxious eyes.

Thorin ignored his nephew and spoke. "I allow you to be taken care of," he said darkly. "You travel with us, you were protected from the enemies that we have come across. And now I demand something from you. Now, tell me exactly what you are."

Estel let an uneven breath flow from her mouth, and looked up into Thorin's cold blue eyes. Her heart thumped heavily and her mouth ran dry; she was unsure of what to say to the dwarf. She recalled her conversation with Lord Elrond and Kili, and she could not bear to lie again. But what choice did she have; they couldn't know about something that even she herself was so uncertain about.

"I am one of you," she said barely above a whisper. "Just just a dwarf and nothing more."

"A dwarf?" Thorin spat. "No dwarf can be of elf heritage, and a dwarf certainly cannot perform that." He pointed to Kili's face.

"She is who they want," Kili disrupted his uncle from going on. "The Orcs. They want her."

Thorin craned his head, but didn't say anything. Dwalin stepped forth and crossed his arms.

"And what, pray tell, would they want from you?" He asked gruffly.

They all looked at her, expecting an answer. Estel caught the young Durin's eyes, and she gave him a weak, defeated smile. She looked off into the corner of the pavilion, avoiding Thorin and Dwalin's faces.

"The arrow that I had been struck with contained an old, dark magic," she revealed what Elrond had told her. "It's purpose was to absorb the victim's being so that the user may be able to bend it to his own uses."

"And the Orcs wanted this healing power you have?" Balin asked from a few feet away

Estel nodded once. "Yes."

"Why?"

She blinked slowly, and wrung her hands. "I do not know. Whatever they want, no good will come of it."

Thorin gave her the same look Elrond had; she shivered, feeling as if he could see right through her. The older dwarf took some slow steps toward her and Estel instinctively took one back. Kili and Fili came closer to the girl, the darker haired brother eyeing his uncle worriedly. The room watched as Thorin pulled a dagger out, examining it close to his face.

"Thorin?" Balin frowned.

Before anyone could blink, Thorin had quickly slid the edge of the blade across his hand. Estel brought a hand up to her mouth to stifle a gasp, and many of the dwarves made noises of protest and concern. Bilbo looked close to fainting. Thorin hadn't even flinched, and he sheathed his dagger and held it his hand out to Estel.

"Heal me," he ordered.

Estel's eyes widened slightly, and her blue orbs flashed from Thorin's bleeding hand, to his face, to Kili, and back to the hand. She swallowed thickly and let a shaking breath flow from her lips. She reached out and gently took Thorin's hand while everyone watched closely. Her fingers lightly touched the long cut on his palm, and she closed her eyes just as she had done with Kili. Estel focused her energy to her fingertips, and the company watched with wide, amazed eyes as the light glow lit up her fingertips. Thorin expressed nothing as he watched, and when Estel pulled away, he held his hand up to his face.

There was no blood or cut, only the smooth skin of his palm. He touched his palm with the calloused fingers of his other hand, and slowly made a fist, as if he was testing to see whether his skin would suddenly split open. He flicked his eyes towards the dark haired girl, who stood fiddling with her pendant.

"What would the Orcs use the powers of healing for?" Thorin broke the thick silence with the question once more.

Estel licked her bottom lip in thought, staring at her bare feet. "I do not know."

Thorin looked at her thoughtfully until his face shifted into a deadpan expression, and he walked away and onto the balcony of the pavilion. Dwalin looked after the heir of Erebor, and with a sigh, followed him, remembering the rolled up parchment on the chair. The dwarves were confused, but Estel was even more so. She didn't understand what Thorin's intentions had been those few moments ago. His temper and arbitrary actions made her weary of him. Estel watched Balin and Fili leave the room to enter the balcony, and Kili stayed beside her. The dwarves resumed their talk and smoking of their pipes, although they were quieter this time. Estel sighed, and Kili looked at her worriedly.

"I think I'll walk go on a short walk," she said quietly.

"I'll come with you-" Estel cut Kili off.

"You don't need to, Kili," she said, looking rather despondent. She tried to smile; she really tried, but she just looked pitiful. "I'll be fine, I just need to think."

He sighed a bit, and tried to suppress his worry for the dwarrowdam; she looked so doleful. He put his hand on her arm and gave her a light squeeze. "Alright. I need to talk to Uncle anyhow. We'll be going over the map."

She gave him a single nod and one last smile before turning towards the door. Kili watched her leave and he exhaled the breath he had been holding. The dwarf tried to imagine how she felt, but he couldn't. The look on her face made him guilty, and he wished he had said something to Thorin before she blurted out her secret. He shook his head, turning around and making his way toward the balcony.

The four dwarves circled around a stone pedestal that they used to spread the map on. Fili and Balin looked up while Dwalin and Thorin kept their gazes on the parchment, focused on their conversation. Kili stood beside his brother quietly and listened to the older dwarves converse, and Fili would add something every once in a while. Thorin had revealed what he and Balin had learned once Elrond translated the runes on the map, and Dwalin and Fili listened intently. Kili felt that he should've been interested; after all, he had been incredibly ecstatic when his uncle asked him and his brother to join. Only now, Kili's thoughts circled around the dwarrowdam; Thorin's words went from one ear and out the other. He couldn't process anything.

After he inhaled a breath, he looked up from the parchment and up at his uncle, deciding to voice his thoughts.

"I think she should come with us," Kili said quietly.

The dwarves looked up at him. Thorin's lip twitched, and he turned his head back to Dwalin to continue where had had left off. Kili frowned and placed his hand over the map to the keep the older dwarf from explaining.

"Did you hear what I said?" Kili said.

Thorin sighed. "I did, and I won't allow it"

"Why not?"

"I will not allow someone let this company fall behind," Thorin muttered darkly. "Miss Estel cannot even fend for herself, and I doubt she has any skills with a sword."

"I can protect her," Kili argued.

"She can't come with us, lad," Dwalin sighed as if he were talking to a dwarfling. "Yer already reckless as it is, how can you protect the lass if you can barely manage yourself."

"Estel cannot stay here," the young dwarf conveyed. "She doesn't belong here."

"And you think she belongs with us?" Thorin's tone became sharper.

Kili swallowed the lump in his throat, and he nodded, very sure of his opinion. "Yes."

Thorin glared, and the dwarves looked between him and his nephew as tension grew thick between them.

"Kili," Balin sighed. "I like the girl. I do not think ill of her at all, but I do not think it is wise to allow her to embark on this journey."

"But where else will she go?" Kili argued. "She has lost everything. We know nothing of any surviving family members, and she doesn't have a home. We can give her one once we reclaim Erebor."

"Elves do not belong in the Lonely Mountain," Dwalin grimaced.

"She is also a dwarf," Fili turned to the bald dwarf. Dwalin couldn't suppress an eye roll and crossed his arms over his large chest.

Kili spoke to Thorin again. "She has a gift, Uncle. She could help us; there are dangers out there, and we can never be too sure if one of us needs her help."

"Be that as it may," Thorin crossed his arms as he looked Kili in the eye. "But that girl will only bring the Orcs to us."

Balin put his hand on Kili's shoulder. "Miss Estel will be much safer here, lad. If the Orcs are in pursuit of someone like her, then it would benefit the girl to not come along."

Kili frowned; he hadn't expanded his thoughts that far. He had forgotten that Estel was in danger, of what the Orcs had tried to do. It seemed selfish of him to want her to leave Rivendell with them when there was evil trying to worm its way to her. Guilt flooded him, and he was about to accept what the white bearded dwarf had said before Fili interjected.

"Are we all not in danger?" Fili asked. The dwarves furrowed their brows at the blond. "Orcs have been sighted from the Brandywine River to the Misty Mountains. This is not something new."

Thorin narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I feel that Miss Estel should accompany us," Fili earnestly said. "She cannot stay in Rivendell forever; she doesn't seem like the type of person to overstay their welcome. It is not safe for her to wander the lands alone, especially without her kin. She could help us with her ways of healing, should anything happen to the lot of us."

Kili looked at the dwarf with surprised eyes, and Fili looked over to his younger brother with a warm smile and confidence in his blue eyes. The brothers looked over to the three older dwarves expectantly, especially Thorin.

Balin cleared his throat and said, "I suppose Fili is right. Perhaps it would do us good to let her come along."

Dwalin closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Some of us are bound to get hurt," he muttered, opening his eyes to glance at Kili. "Especially since one of us is rather reckless."

Kili grinned a bit, and let his gaze settle over his uncle, who had remained silent. The young dwarf shot Thorin a hopeful look, holding his gaze until the older dwarf shut his eyes and let out a breath.

Estel had stopped walking some time ago. She sat on a marble bench on a terrace, trying to calm her frantic heart by looking at the moon. She was shaking; it wasn't because of Thorin and his dark look nor was it the thought of Orcs. No, it was something entirely different, something new.

It had begun a few minutes after she had left the company, and her thoughts had been scattered. They centered around her gift of healing, the dwarves, her future, and her lost family. It wasn't until her thoughts drifted to Thorin leaving the room, that something peculiar yet frightening had happened.

It had started when she recollected the moment Thorin, Bilbo, and Balin had entered the pavilion. For some odd reason, her thoughts surfaced to the rolled up parchment Thorin held, and that was when the floor rushed out and her head began swimming.

She was on the balcony with the dwarves, with Thorin and Balin, and she was certain that she wasn't there a moment ago. Estel felt trapped, frozen, and could not open her mouth to utter a word. They did not look at her nor did they notice her. She watched the map unfurl, revealing runes and drawings. It felt like she was sucked into the parchment, feeling a soft scratch against her skin until she was twisted and contorted against her will. Then in the next moment, Estel was thrown to the ground, and dirt and rock was beneath her. Despite her overwhelming fear, she had looked up and there was a wall of rock in front her, shimmering in the white light while a small piece was being pushed inward. Air had rushed out, and then there was a voice so fearsome that whispered in her ear. "Death," it hissed to her, making every hair on the dwarrowdam's body rise.

When Estel opened her eyes, she was kneeling heavily against a wall, and a light sweat had broken out at her hairline. That was how she ended up on the terrace. She tried to understand what happened to her. She was frightened, and she was confused.

"A sibyl," she breathed. She shook her head, feeling foolish; it couldn't have been a vision, she thought, but what if it was? It made no sense at all.

Yet she had a strange feeling. Something strange was bubbling inside her mind and heart, and the more she ventured into what she had just seen, the more sure she was about what her uncle had told her. The map and runes stood out heavily, and Estel was uncertain as to whether or not this was the parchment Thorin was holding. It couldn't have been, she thought, but then what else could it be?

The hairs on her arms and neck rose, and a terrible shiver ran down her back when she thought of the voice again. The whisper licked at Estel's ears again, and her heart raced once again. If she was the sibyl her uncle truly said she was, then something dark was going to meet them. She didn't know anything of the door, however; it was unfamiliar and she couldn't find any relevance.

"It is nice to see you all well and recovered, Miss Estel," Estel jumped in her seat, and swiveled her head around to see Gandalf entering the terrace.

She let out a sigh, and smiled kindly at the wizard. "Thank you. It may not have been possible without you or the company's help."

Gandalf quietly chuckled and lowered down beside her, holding his staff in his hands as he, too, began looking at the stars. The dwarrowdam and wizard sat like that for a while, both quiet, one at peace and the other deep in thought. Estel clenched one hand in her lap and the other went straight to her collarbone, smoothing her fingers over the metal pendant. Without looking down at her, Gandalf broke the silence.

"Something troubles you."

It was more of a statement rather a question. Estel folded both of her hands together and sighed softly, letting her eyes dance from star to star, and then to the moon. It took her a moment or two to gather herself and her thoughts. From the corner of her eye, Gandalf had a light smile. Estel had grown to like the wizard for his kindness and for the fact that he was wise. She deemed him a trustworthy person, and so she settled the small nagging of her mind.

"Much has changed in my life," Estel said quietly. "Especially in such a short amount of time."

Gandalf nodded. "I am very sorry for the loss you have experienced," he said, and Estel knew he was being sincere. "I only hope that in the future, you will find some comfort and happiness."

Estel smiled lightly. "Thank you, Mister Gandalf."

He nodded again with a smile on his face, but through his smile, his eyes took a serious note. "But I feel that you have more to say?"

Her lips were set in a straight line and she nodded. "I am not who I seem to be, Gandalf. Even I suddenly see myself as a stranger. I'm confused and frightened, and I do not have the slightest idea in the world as to what will happen to me."

Gandalf didn't say anything, only listened, knowing that she was going to continue.

"Lord Elrond has enlightened me on the magic that struck me, an ancient magic that I'm sure you have known for some time."

The wizard smiled with a hint of guilt. "A dangerous magic, yes. I must admit, Estel, that Lord Elrond has told me of the possible motive behind the Orcs' pursuit of you, of your gift of healing."

Somehow the dwarrowdam knew that the elf would tell Gandalf, and she did not protest. It didn't bother her that he knew; the whole company knew what she could do now anyway. Estel closed her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them, and swallowed her hesitation away.

"There is something I must tell you, Gandalf," Estel's voice wavered, seemingly getting quieter with every second. "Something I have been hiding since the day I had awakened to the camp."

Gandalf's eyes told her to continue, and Estel inhaled and exhaled a breath. "The Orcs weren't after my healing abilities; they wanted something else from me."

"What did they want?" Gandalf asked.

Estel looked away from her hands and up to the wizard. "A sibyl."

He blinked, but his eyes gave away nothing. Estel's heart thumped from how nervous she was and began questioning herself in whether or not she had done the right thing by telling him. Gandalf went back to looking at the night sky.

"It makes a bit more sense to me that the Orcs would want someone of your power," he said. Estel said nothing, only fiddled with her necklace. "It is strange, after centuries, to know that there is another seer amongst us. Though Lord Elrond has the gift of Foresight, his is not as powerful."

"He does?"

"Yes," the wizard nodded. "And he's known since you have come here. Though he thought it best that come to terms with it before making such a reveal."

She had been about to respond before another thought slipped into her mind. She was at a stump.

"Do you not find it strange, then, that Orcs would come for me rather than Lord Elrond? Would they not want a seer with… experience?"

Gandalf's lips were set into a grim line, and he nodded slowly. "A good question, one that I, unfortunately, do not have the answer to."

Estel's hands wrung together as she nodded. For now, she would accept the knowledge. She will find out soon, she thought.

"Something has happened to me, Gandalf," Estel frowned. "The notion that I am a sibyl has left me frightened and uncertain. And moments ago when I had left the company. I… Something strange had happened, a vision perhaps."

Gandalf nodded thoughtfully. "Is it your first?"

"Yes, and it worries me," she sighed. They said nothing in that short time until Estel spoke up again. "I will be very grateful if you do not tell the others, Gandalf. If anything, I fear it may put them in danger."

The wizard sighed to himself, and set his hand on top of Estel's head. "I won't utter a word, but I do not think it will be easy to hide something like this from Thorin Oakenshield or the other members of the company."

Estel wanted to reply, but a blonde she-elf entered the terrace. She bowed to Gandalf, speaking in hushed tones in a language Estel could barely detect. It was most likely Sindarin, she thought. She could only catch glimpses of what was said, but they were much too quiet. The dwarrowdam watched the elf step to the side as Gandalf rose from his seat.

"Lord Elrond requests my presence," he told her. With a friendly smile and a nod of his head, he said, "I bid you a good rest of the night, Miss Estel."

She smiled and nodded her head back, watching the wizard leave the terrace and down the hall. She sighed, and then remembered the elf who stood with her hands clasped in front her.

"It is good to see you well, Lady Estel," the elf said softly.

Estel blushed lightly and smiled. "Thank you." The dwarrowdam then furrowed her brows. "How do you-?"

"Know you?" The elf finished. "I aided my Lord Elrond to heal you, and helped your dwarf friend to your room."

"Then I must thank you again," Estel said, rising from the bench. She brushed the nonexistent dust away from her dress. "If I may ask, what is your name?"

"Hûredhiel," the elf replied.

Estel nodded. "Health, very fitting."

The elf, Hûredhiel, smirked. "I see you are aware of the Elvish tongue."

The dwarrowdam nodded, leaving the terrace with Hûredhiel following close behind. "My mother taught me some words or phrases when I was a child. After she had died, my father's brother taught me Sindarin."

"Your mother... Mithrandir tells us that she was an elf," Hûredhiel said. The elf smiled at the slight confusion on the dwarrowdam's face at the name. "The wizard."

"Yes, she was." Estel looked at the statues that passed them with a thoughtful look upon her face.

"I find it rather intriguing," Hûredhiel told her. "There have been times when Elves would elope and procreate with Men, but with dwarves, it is rather unheard of."

"Some aren't very accepting," Estel mumbled softly. Her thoughts lingered to Thorin and a few of the dwarves and their hesitance to accept her, but Thorin was very narrow minded to the idea of her.

Hûredhiel smiled sympathetically. "But some are."

The dwarrowdam and she-elf continued along the halls, and Hûredhiel was leading her back to the room she was in as wordless request from Estel. The she-elf somehow sensed it from the girl. Estel felt tired mentally and physically, and she wanted very much to lay back down on the comfortable bed waiting for her.

She frowned to herself. What was she thinking? It almost selfish of her to think of a warm bed when so many terrible things had happened; her family was gone, she may have put the dwarves at risk, and Orcs were after her when all she wanted was to feel comfortable again. Estel felt ashamed.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps come bounding towards her and Hûredhiel. Estel looked up from her feet to see the young dark haired dwarf and his brother come from the opposite direction of the hall.

"We've been looking for you," Kili said as he and Fili stopped before them.

Estel furrowed her brows. "Whatever for?"

The two brothers exchanged a knowing look that only confused the dwarrowdam even more. The two pulled the dwarrowdam aside, away from Hûredhiel. Fili said quietly, "We want you to continue on our journey with the rest of us."

She was taken aback, and blinked a few times. It was a surprise, really, that they would want someone such as herself to come along. Her eyes flickered between Fili and Kili, and then she sighed and stared off at point behind them. Estel felt her heart ache, and this time she did not know why. It was a simple thing that the two dwarf brothers wanted, but Estel felt that she could not do this for them.

"I cannot go with you," Estel murmured softly.

The brothers frowned. "Why?" Kili said. "You can come with us; you don't have to stay here."

"It is not…" Estel struggled for the words. "It is not safe for you all if I were to travel with your company. All of you will be in danger, and I cannot live with myself if something happens."

"This fear of danger has been spoken of previously," Fili said. "And even if that is true, we can still face that risk with or without you."

Estel sighed, fiddling with her fingers in thought; she only frowned and shook her head. "I still feel that I shouldn't go."

"If you don't, then where will you go?" Kili asked. "You can't stay in Rivendell forever."

She breathed in, looking away from their eyes. "I am a traveller, Kili. It is all I know. I can get by on trading and doing simple work for a few days at a time before moving on. It's the only thing I can do, really."

Kili frowned and glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye; Fili, too, shared a look of sympathy for the young dwarrowdam. They way she spoke seemed so morose, and it clouded her eyes.

"You can live in Erebor," Kili said, and Estel turned to him with confusion. "Once we complete the quest and take back the Lonely Mountain, you can live there along with all the dwarves. You won't ever have to wander the lands again."

Estel shook her head. "I don't belong there."

"You have every right to belong there as does every dwarf in Middle Earth," Fili said.

Silence was all Estel could give them; she just simply didn't have the words. It was hard for her to believe that the brothers in front of her actually wanted her to come along; however, others may not be so open to the idea.

"And what does Thorin think of all this?" She asked them.

"He has agreed to let you come," Kili grinned.

"Of course, he was reluctant at first," Fili added. "But he realized that you would be of use to us. It's not everyday that you come across a healer better than Oin."

Estel looked the blond dwarf pointedly. "Oin is a fine healer."

"Besides that," Kili said. "Will you come with us?"

Estel's eyes trailed from Fili to Kili. She gnawed on her lip before sighing. "Alright."

The brothers smiled, and Fili said, "We leave before dawn."