Happy (Late) Thanksgiving! I am finally back home to see my family and friends, and was in a food coma. I hope you all had a great holiday! Enjoy this chapter! And I would sure love some reviews (wink wink). :)

A knock at the door had woken Estel. When she opened her eyes, the moon was still up, and the sky was still dark. The knock came again, and the dark-haired girl had to blink the sleepiness from her blue eyes. She peeled back the quilts and sheets and let her feet meet the cool floor. When she crossed the space to open the wooden door, she was surprised to see Ori standing there.

"Oh, hello, Ori," she smiled softly.

The young dwarf nervously wrung his tunic, shifting from foot to foot. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the dwarf was in need of relieving himself.

"We will be leaving very shortly, Miss," Ori whispered, looking over his shoulder as if one of the elves would come around the corner. "Balin has asked me to retrieve you."

Estel nodded. "Alright, I'll be out in a moment."

Ori gave her a short, curt nod, and she quietly shut the door. Below the mirror on the far wall was a small table, and on it was a basin along with a pitcher of water. She poured the cool water into the ceramic basin, and set it aside to lightly splash water onto her face. She rubbed the crust away from her tired eyes, and let out a content sigh, feeling much better. She dried her face and peered into the looking glass.

Very rarely did she look at her reflection, and when she did, she tried not to let her eyes linger for so long. This time, however, was a bit different. Her eyes trailed along her jaw and her ears, and a dark feeling knotted her insides. She blew the air out from her cheeks and set the cloth she dried her face with down beside the basin. Estel's eyes flickered towards the carved, wooden table behind her, and her brows came together when she noticed something.

She slowly closed the distance to the table; what was on top had caught her attention. There was a brown leather pack, smaller than her torso but bigger than her head, and a set of clothes. Estel let her hand graze against the pack before opening it. She opened it with wonder to see it filled with a hairbrush, two spools of thread and a needle, and other little things. There was an extra set of clothes, a small wrapped loaf of bread, and a pouch of nuts, as well. She closed the pack, and there was a little smile on her face. She then turned to the set of clothes next to her; a piece of folded parchment was set atop the fabric and Estel unfolded it.

Safe travels,

Hûredhiel

Estel smiled, thanking the kind elf in her head. Her fingers touched the piece of clothing and, she held it up in front of her. It was a dark gray tunic held together by silver thread; the neckline and hem had intricate silver details woven into it. Along with it, was a pair of black hosen, which struck Estel as odd, because she couldn't think of any lady wearing such a thing; a nice pair of boots sat on the edge of the table, and Estel felt very grateful that Hûredhiel had given her all of this. The dwarrowdam put the attire on, the tunic coming just above her knee and the boots laced tightly. There was another thing Estel hadn't noticed when she slung the pack across her shoulders, and that was a cloak. Estel held the material in her hands, looking at in awe; it was a very beautiful dark blue, and it had a silver clasp fashioned in the shape of an eight-pointed star.

Estel swung it over it herself and closed the clasp. "Thank you, Hûredhiel," she murmured to herself.

She opened the door, giving Ori a small smile, and shut it quietly behind her. The dwarf lead her through the confusing halls until they reached the company's quarters. The dwarves were talking quietly as they checked their belongings and took whatever provisions they could. Kili looked up from tightening his boots and shot a smile towards Estel, who returned it kindly. The dwarf prince's brow rose at the sight of her new clothes and pack. Thorin stood with Dwalin and both of their expressions were unfazed when Estel and Ori entered.

"Everyone's all here," Balin rose from an armchair. "We should leave now."

Estel frowned, realizing that someone was missing. "What about Gandalf?"

"Our wizard will meet us at the passage through the Misty Mountains," Dwalin said.

Without another word, Thorin and Dwalin took the lead as the company followed them close behind. Estel was pushed to the back along with Ori and Bilbo while the quietly treaded through the halls. It was quiet, and through the marble pillars, the sky was beginning to turn a lighter shade.

They'd stop every few feet to check the corners to see if a servant or guard was nearby. The company sneaked as quiet as they could muster; but of course, as dwarves, it was a bit of a struggle. Estel bumped into Ori a few times and always sent him apologetic looks. She could tiptoe rather easily, but the speed and abruptness of the dwarves made it difficult. Even Bilbo seemed to be having trouble when the company would come to an abrupt stop every now and then.

It taken them some time to reach the entrance of Rivendell without being seen; once they had set foot on the bridge, the weight had lifted only just a bit off the company's shoulders. A gentle wind blew against Estel's face, and she combed her hair away with her fingers, looking up and around her in silent awe. She had never seen the outside of the city since she had woken up and dwelled within the walls; it was rather beautiful, even through the dullness of dawn. All the while, she worried about Gandalf and whether he'd keep his word to meet them at the Misty Mountains pass. For what reasons he was not here with them, she was didn't know; she wondered if Lord Elrond's request for his presence had kept him long.

Estel felt a presence beside her, knowing that it wasn't Bilbo or Ori, and she glanced up from the corner of her eye. Kili walked steadily beside her, and Fili only a foot ahead of him. It was odd, she thought, because the two dwarves had been near the front with their uncle. The darker haired brother seemed wide awake and alert, even though he-along with the rest of the company- had very little sleep. Estel, herself, felt sleep tugging at the corners of her mind; it was a wonder that they all could keep their energy.

Kili looked down at the dwarrowdam, a smile pulling at his lips when Estel quickly shifted her gaze to the back of Ori's head. She tried not to let her face or neck flush; she hadn't meant to let her stare linger for so long. However, she then felt his eyes on her, and a shiver ran down her spine. Estel inhaled a breath of the morning air and trained her eyes onto the path before her.

The sky had turned into the color of pink roses with streaks of orange and lavender as the sun slowly rose over the valley. By this time, the company had passed the waterfall and a fine mist coated them. When morning had come, the path leading to Rivendell had nearly come to its end.

"Be on your guard," Thorin called from the front. "We're about to step over the edge of the Wild." He turned to Balin, who was right behind him. "Balin, you know these paths. Lead on."

The old dwarf nodded, walking past Thorin to take over the lead. "Aye."

Bilbo seemed to slow down, looking over his shoulder to take one last look at Rivendell. He gazed at the brilliant valley with longing until Thorin sternly told him to keep his pace with the rest of the group. Estel, however, could not help herself, and stopped in her tracks to look over the whole valley. Her deep blue eyes trailed over the expanse of the greenland, watching as the sun rose over the hills and made the city of Rivendell shine with magnificence.

Although the company was far up ahead, Estel heard footsteps behind her. From either side her, Fili and Kili looked at the land before them with the young woman.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" There was fondness in her soft voice.

"Aye," The darker haired of the two replied with a short nod of his head. Kili flashed his eyes towards her awestruck face. "But Erebor must be even grander."

Estel smiled lightly in thought, and Kili set his hand on her shoulder. "You'll be back one day," he said with a comforting way smile of his own.

Fili turned back to follow the company. "Hurry now, you two," he said. "The Lonely Mountain is waiting."

The further the company journeyed, the higher the hills became. The trees had thinned and the green vegetation grew less and less. The sun that had shone overhead steadily made its way to set, casting its orange and purple hues across the sky. Estel admired the sky, and acknowledged the nature surrounding her. She wasn't sure of the last time she had been to a land where there were no trees or bushes. The company trudged along the path, a few of them falling behind with fatigue while Estel pushed herself to keep going.

"How is that you are not tired?" Bilbo sighed from behind her, short of breath. Hobbits were not meant for travel.

The dwarrowdam looked over her shoulder with a small grin before facing the path again. "I am used to this sort of life, Bilbo Baggins. All my life, I have been walking these lands." Estel smiled to herself in thought, feeling some comfort as her feet hit the ground with every step, taking in the hardness of the dirt and the air around her. "Although, I don't think I've ever come across this terrain before," she added.

"What was it like?" Bilbo asked. "Travelling from one place to another?"

"It was… wonderful," Estel concluded. "You never knew where you'd go next, the people you'd encounter. I always looked forward to going to the trading posts with my caravan." She ignored the dull twinge in her heart, and kept on. "But at the end of each day, I always looked forward to setting up camp and laying under the stars. They were beautiful, more so than the rolling green hills."

Kili had been listening the whole time, and he looked over his shoulder to say, "Perhaps tonight, you will see them."

Estel gave him a light shrug, looking up towards the sky, spotting clouds in the distance. By the looks of it, the sky would soon be covered. "I'm afraid not for awhile."

Kili looked up at the sky as well, and shifted his gaze back to the path. "You will in good time."

A small smile tugged at the corners of her thin lips, and she looked at the ground as they continued up the slight incline of the path. After a few more minutes of walking, Thorin had drifted away from the path to a small clearing where a few tall trees stood, declaring camp for the day. The dwarves set all their packs and supplies onto the earth, taking up their positions of smoking the pipes or aiding Bombur. Gloin and Ori had come back with kindle to make a fire, and Thorin sat beside Dwalin with the map unfurled in front of them.

Estel rested her back against a tree, far enough from the company, but not too far to exclude herself. A sigh escaped her lips as she watched the clouds swallow the last of the sky; wind shook the branches and flowed through her hair. The coming weather made her wonder whether or not they would have trouble in the next few days. She could smell the moisture and dust in the air, knowing that sooner or later it would rain.

The company's supper was bread and salted or dried out meat; it would have to be consumed then instead of later, knowing that it would go bad soon. Estel ripped apart pieces of bread and stuffed it into her mouth, finding comfort in the smell of pipe weed and the sound of the crackling fire. Some feet away, Bofur was retelling a story centered around Bombur, causing the round dwarf to burn red. Laughter erupted from the group while some rolled their eyes. On the other side of the dwarrowdam, Bilbo came up and settled down beside her, pipe in hand.

"Loud lot, aren't they?" He spoke around his pipe.

Estel wrapped the remainder of her bread and stowed it away safely. "A little. I am only glad that their spirits are high."

Bilbo shrugged his shoulders, blowing rings of smoke into the air. He felt a strange tug at the edge of his coat, and looked down. Estel's fingers had trailed the edge, a frown set on her face.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"Your coat is torn," she said quietly, fingering the rip in the red fabric.

She was right; there was a rip the size of his fist. Bilbo frowned. "Oh, dear. This was specially made..." he muttered.

Her pack was thrown open, and she sifted her hands through its contents until she grasped the spool of thread and needle. Estel silently thanked Hûredhiel once again. "I can mend it for you, if you wish."

Bilbo hesitated, gripping the edge of his coat. "Are sure it won't be any trouble for you?"

Estel only shook her head and smiled. "It would keep me busy."

The hobbit sighed, shaking his coat off and setting it on the girl's lap. Estel carefully threaded her needle, and set to fix Bilbo's coat. A moment later, Bofur had called Bilbo towards the fire, and Estel found herself alone as she tended to the red coat. She didn't mind; she felt the need to find company in herself. She listened to the sounds of the company as she wove her needle in and out, over and across the space of the rip. Calm flooded her senses, and suddenly she was back in the days with her caravan, mending their clothes by the warmth of the fire.

The mending of fabric was a book of memories for the young dwarrowdam, one that she felt the need to close and tuck away, only she didn't. She couldn't find it in herself to push away friendly faces, and the memory of warm nights by the fire and pipeweed smoke. The sounds around her were very much like that, but they weren't the same. Countless years of happiness and many days or nights of stitching socks or trousers back together, gone in a mere blink.

Yet, here she was, sewing the hobbit's coat near a fire with laughing dwarves some feet away. Only the happiness wasn't there. Estel tried to muster up any sort of clement feeling, but she found emptiness. Loneliness, too, accompanied the feeling. It swept over her like the strong current of a river.

The hole in her heart was growing with every second.

She pulled her hand back quickly, her finger stinging as a bead of blood sprouted. Her wandering mind led to the needle pricking her. She sighed, wiping the blood away with her other fingers. Estel had finished the last few stitches and tied it off; when she finished, the dwarves were just turning in.

Kili was about to unfurl his bedroll when Thorin strode past him and muttered, "You have first watch."

The dwarf groaned while his brother snickered beside him, straightening his posture and taking up his bow and quiver. He moved away from the group and took his position atop a rock, close to the trees. Estel came to stand where Bilbo was fast asleep, and gently lay his coat over him. She smiled softly, and sat by the glowing warmth of the fire. Eventually, the whole company had settled down, dozing or fast asleep. Thorin kept his eyes open for some time, blinking slowly until they drooped shut as he fell asleep. Others, like Oin, snored in gentle rhythms, while Gloin snored loud enough to wake Rivendell.

Estel wrapped herself in her cloak, hand around her pendant, and peered from under her eyelashes at the sky. The clouds blanketed the sky with no trace of any star or moonlight. With a silent sigh, she gave up her searching of the stars and looked into the fire. It flickered and waved in the light breeze; looking into the flames eased her heartbeat and thoughts. The glow made her eyes heavy, and soon enough it made Estel's eyelids heavy with sleep.

Something dropped beside her, startling her with a jump. It was her bedroll, and beside it was Kili.

"If you are tired," he said with a turn of his lip. "Then you should sleep. I'd rather you not fall face first into the fire."

Estel glanced at him softly and then back to the flames, pulling her cloak closer to her frame. "I will in a moment or two."

"You're drooping," Kili chuckled quietly, kneeling down to spread her bed roll over the dirt floor. The girl before him reached out and pushed his hands away gently, shaking her head and told him, "Don't do that. I can do it myself."

He sat back on his heels when he saw the insistent look in her eyes. He moved to sit with his knee raised and his other leg stretched out; he pulled his bow to him and kept it in his grasp for precaution. He waited a moment, watching Estel from the corner of his eye as she spread her bed roll herself and sat atop of it. Then he spoke.

"How are you?" They were quiet words, spoken as if he didn't want the others to hear.

"I feel alright, stronger than before-"

Kili shook his head and spoke over her. "No, what I meant to say was... I meant how are you feeling about all of..." he waved his hand around the camp, something indistinguishable in his eyes. "This."

"Oh," she murmured, gaze going to her hands clasped in her lap. She sighed before finding her answer. "All I can tell you is that which I am grateful."

"But?"

She furrowed her brows when she searched his face. "But what?"

"There is something else, is there not?" He asked. "You cannot fool these eyes." A smirk ghosted his lips, and he added, "Or this handsome mug."

A quiet laugh that reminded Kili of chimes escaped her lips, but then her face slowly fell and she looked away. Something stirred in her, and Estel felt that the feeling would never subside. It was sad and morose; it made the threads of her heart tighten.

"I miss them," she whispered. Kili barely caught the words, and when he did he frowned. "The ache never goes away, it only grows stronger."

He didn't say anything. He couldn't find comforting words to utter.

"Please don't pity me, Kili," she said sadly. "I cannot bear for you to feel that you mu-"

"I would never pity you," Kili said, shaking his head while his hand clenched around his bow. "You have every right to feel as you are, but I wouldn't pity you." He licked his lips and went on, "I should've done this before, but I offer you my deepest condolences."

She's swallowed the lump in her throat, wrapping her arms around herself. "Thank you."

He nodded his welcome. "And I am glad you are coming with us, Estel. Truly, I am."

A soft smile took her face, and she looked into his eyes. He had such kind, wonderful eyes that made her feel welcome around him. She realized that she was thankful that the Valar allowed the two of them to cross paths.

"As am I."