"The lad needs to know. The vultures are circling." Sigrid sat up from where she had once again fallen asleep by the side of Fili's cot. Balin's voice had woken her. She had never heard the old diplomat so agitated in the short time that she had known him.

"He can't handle Dain yet. He's barely coherent the few times he is awake." That was the large, bald one, Dwalin. She had noted that after their uncle's death, the warrior always seemed to spend his days near the tent the brothers shared.

'I can't keep him occupied much longer, brother. Not with Men and elves also pushing for solutions."

-"They will have to get past me if they try to get to him before the lad is ready."

"You can't protect him from this much longer. He's been raised to do this."

"Years from now! He was meant to enjoy years under…" Dwalin suddenly broke off.

Sigrid still sat, not daring to make a sound, but wondering how the gold-mad king had once instilled such loyalty in his men. She glanced at Tauriel who gave her a slow nod.

When she heard Balin's footsteps come closer to the tent-entrance, she quickly got to her feet. After a quick glance at Fili's sleeping form, she rushed to intercept the white haired dwarf.

"Master dwarf!" She knew she had startled him but his eyes quickly narrowed. "I…I beg of you, give it more time."

-"Lassie, what you're doing is much appreciated, but this is quite a bit beyond you."

Though she heard the steel behind this amiable words, she planted her feet more steadily into the ground. "My Lord Balin, he is still weak and the new herbs for his pain are strong. Give him a few more days, at least until his brother has also woken."

"I'm sorry but this is none of your business. I need to go have a word with him now." The dwarf made to push past her and she did what she had not thought herself capable and grabbed at the lapel of his jacket.

"Please! He is in no state to be useful to you! Why cause him this pain already, when neither of them are yet safe?" She was sure she had done it then. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught Tauriel shift as if readying to get to her feet.

Yet, before she had to face the consequences of her disrespect, a weak voice spoke up.

"What d'you need me for, Balin?"

Sigrid froze, swallowing down the anger at the slurred rasp of Fili's words. She had not wanted to wake him.

The old dwarf in front of her had gone tense, but the resolve came over his features quickly and he went to his prince's side.

"Dain and his councillors have a notion that…" He paused, "well, that you fell, my lad. He wants to discuss the succession."

Fili's eyes for a moment seemed to clear off the glaze from the pain medication as he took in what his uncle's advisor told him. "He wants to establish his power?"

Balin did not respond but Sigrid could easily read the looks the two dwarves exchanged.

"Can you pass on a message I will sign?" Fili croaked, coughing when his dry throat protested. Still, he waved Balin off when he was offered a cup of water, instead only licking his chapped lips. "And perhaps a few jewels and gold to show our appreciation?"

"I think we can manage that, laddie. A nice formal farewell gift and an official letter may be enough to make him leave though he may still find an excuse to stay in hopes of getting the Arkenstone back."

"Where is it?" Fili started shifting restlessly as if to sit up, but before Sigrid could rush to stop him, he hissed at the pain as his back was sprained and simply lay there, eyes squeezed shut and breathing through the pain stabbing through his chest.

"Don't move!" Sigrid spoke up when he blinked open watery eyes again and met her gaze only for a second before gritting his teeth and focusing back on Balin. She had half a mind to push the old dwarf out of the tent, though she knew there was nothing she could do.

"I…"Balin again hesitated, "We returned it to the mountain but Dain won't have it and wants to…well, break the seal."

Fili looked at him for a moment, swallowed heavily and then nodded in understanding.

"He's been to the treasury alone." He breathed, wheezing and clearly straining himself too much trying to stay awake and talk.

"What is it about this stone that makes it so precious?" Sigrid asked quietly but to her surprise both of them fixed her with a pained look.

"If Dain acquired the Arkenstone, he would effectively become King under the Mountain. He who holds it reigns over the Seven Kingdoms." Balin explained to her.

Though Sigrid's mind reeled, not understanding how an admittedly remarkably pretty stone could impart such power, she thought quickly. "Would it help if Da signed the letter as a witness and guaranteed to only negotiate with you in exchange for a place in the mountain halls for the sick and weak during the harsh winter months?" She then blurted.

There was another glance exchanged between the dwarves though Fili appeared to be smiling weakly. "It would benefit both our people if we were to share resources during the first few months." He agreed hoarsely.

Balin sighed. "I had wanted to wait to sign an agreement until Bard had finished his talks with Thranduil to see if perhaps there might be some more resources to share…" He then admitted and Sigrid was surprised he would do so in front of her.

Fili gave a tiny shrug but it still made him wince and he let out a pained breath. "Do it now. We don't have time for that."

"Get your father, lass. I will bring Ori so that we can draw up the letter." Balin sighed.

"I will send Tilda to bring Da." She told him and he nodded, looking very defeated and almost as old as his white hair and beard made him appear to her eyes. She did not meet Fili's eyes, but turned to step out of the tent, noting how Balin was resting a gloved hand on his arm.

"Tilda!" She called, finding the girl watching Bifur intently as he carved on something that looked remarkably like the doll* she had lost in the chaos of the battle. She wondered if she should be concerned how at home her sister was within the dwarf-camp.

She looked up at her name and grinned. "Look! It looks just like Nilly!"

Sigrid managed a smile. "It does. Listen, Tilda. I need you to go get Da. I think I saw him by the elf-camp." She told her and it was with relief when Bifur took her sister's hand and grumbled something that she understood to mean he would go with her.

"Thank you." She gave a little curtsey which made the dwarf chortle and respond with a bow of his own. She watched as the odd pair made their way through the bustle of the camp.

She re-entered the tent and found Tauriel once again deep in her link with Kili while Balin gave her a grudging nod. He still did not trust her entirely, she knew.

Fili, despite clearly being exhausted by the simple task of staying awake, was watching her with an unreadably expression.

"My father is an honourable man. He will be sure to support your claim." She told Balin who nodded again and after a long look at her finally left to ready everything.

As soon as he had gone, Fili made a low noise of distress and she rushed to his side as he struggled to lean over the edge of his cot, gagging. She steadied him as he retched water and acid onto the ground then just lay shivering. Her hand itched to stroke through his tangled hair but she just rubbed the unmarred part of his back instead.

When she was pretty sure he had finished, she gently tried to ease him back against the cushions. Her concern peaked when he winced and bit hard onto his lip at the movement.

She threw back the fur-coverings and blankets to check his wound. After she removed the bandages stained with fresh blood from his heaving back, she was relieved when she cut them off that the elven stitches held even if he had strained the injury.

With a wistful glance at Tauriel who was still in her trance and so not an option for help, she carefully applied the salve they had been left with and tried to put a new bandage on much like the healer had shown her.

Only once she was done did she allow herself to look up to notice how Fili's hands were clutching at the bedding beneath him. His pale face was covered with cold sweat, bleary eyes fixed on the tent wall. His breath still only came shallowly and she was ready to run for a healer when he looked at her. "Uncle is dead, isn't he?" He somehow managed, voice failing completely and turning into a whisper.

Sigrid gulped, kneeling by the cot to be able to meet his eyes on one level, tears coming that she refused to show and nodded. Her hand moved unbidden, burying in his still tangled braids.

She noted how he first tried to cast a look over his shoulder to look at his brother who still slept on and only then closed his eyes to let the tears overflow. He tried to hide his face in the mussed sheet underneath him but grabbed for her free hand when she offered it, clutching it close to his chest.

On a sudden impulse, Sigrid climbed on the little space left on the cot and careful not to hurt him curled herself around the injured dwarf as he shook with sobs. Immediately he clutched her closer with the hand not clinging to hers until their foreheads rested against each other.

She did not say anything while he cried silently for his loss and hoped her own tears would go unnoticed.

"I don't know what to do." He whispered after having quietened some and swallowed hard, perhaps not having meant to admit how lost he felt. Sigrid did not move, had no idea of what to say. He would be King under the Mountain.

She had not truly allowed herself to think on that, too worried for his life and that of her own people; her father as well. She would love for him to just tell her that everything was alright again but she had found even when they had spent a few short moments together, she could no longer believe it.

She tightened her hold on Fili a little, knowing that she only felt a fraction of what he must feel. And yet, the thought that he was to be a King of legend meant that this may be all the time they might have.

Soon, Balin would return with Ori in tow and her father too. If this was the only time they could be like this, then she would make the most of the moment. She tried to memorize how it felt to have her hand entwined with his, how his calloused skin felt warm on hers, how close they were and how they each had one arm wrapped around the other.

Nonetheless, she kept an ear out for approaching footsteps, knowing that Fili would not want to be seen in his state of grief since he tensed whenever there was noise outside.

Eventually, Sigrid sighed, pulling back reluctantly. "Rest until they come back. I will wake you." She got up and without letting go of his hand, which was still clutching hers, sat on the edge of the cot.

Fili looked at her, eyes red and swollen before turning his face back into the pillow, shoulders still quaking a little. The thought came to her that he was ashamed.

"Fili?" She reached out, stroking through his tangled hair, getting more and more comfortable with doing so. "I would never judge you. You're much braver than I could ever hope to be."

He did not respond but did squeeze her hand a little before pulling it up and placing a kiss on her knuckles.

She kept brushing over his hair, waiting for the others to return. Idly she remembered how not too long ago their roles had been reversed.

They spent hours in the little boat, huddled close together. Sigrid was still hiding her face in Fili's chest. He had pulled her close first to keep her from hurling herself into the water after her brother when she had glimpsed him on the tower with their father, and then simply to comfort her as she cried. They had all seen the tower come down.

He did not speak, only rubbed soothing circles in her back. Bofur had taken over steering the vessel, casting a sympathetic glance at the lass every once in a while.

Tilda was sitting in shock, staring at her older sister, huddled in a blanket that they had miraculously found in a chest at the back of the little boat which Tauriel had wrapped around the child. The elf was still by her side, one arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder.

Sigrid felt a little guilty for not being able to comfort her. She was too numb with shock. She tried to pull away from Fili's warm hold, but he gently held her back. "Shhh...let it go, sweet. I've got you." He whispered and if she had been looking up, she would have noted how his cheeks grew red suddenly, clearly not having planned to use the endearment. As it was she was not even aware enough to notice his slip of the tongue.

"T-Tilda." She instead managed to mumble into his tunic, clutching herself closer because there was nothing else left to hold onto.

"She is here." He told her, giving her a squeeze before the soothing circles on her back stopped as he held out a hand to Tilda gesturing her closer.

The little one only moved once Tauriel prompted her with a gentle prod forward and Kili who sat utterly quiet for once, between them, eyes still going to the burning ruins of Laketown every once in a while, grasped her tiny hand softly, guiding her past him to the back of the boat where they sat.

"Here." Fili turned slightly, trying to coax Sigrid into taking a look as he reached up to gently draw her little sister down to sit next to her. The sisters clutched each other then and he could not help the sad smile as he watched, Sigrid still half in his lap.

When he tried to move away, she looked up and met his eyes with her own, tearstained and bloodshot as they were. He took a hold of her hand, giving it a quick squeeze but when he drew back again, she held on and he decided that he did not mind, staying where he was.

They had found a gravelly beach to land their boat on. It looked out across the lake, at the burning town and screams were piercing the night.

Oin had started a little fire from some dried wood further inland and they all sat around it, trying their hardest to warm up.

Only Sigrid was still standing, looking out into the night, watching every boat and even some swimming survivors arrive on land, probably drawn by the light of their fire, hoping she might see her father and brother.

Fili watched her for a while, then caught his brothers eyes over the fire. Kili inclined his head at the girl in silent question and Fili felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He cast another look at her before rising to his feet with a sigh, studiously ignoring his brother watching him.

"You'll freeze, lass. Come and sit by the fire." He approached the Bargeman's daughter.

She did not say anything, but he could see her shake with the cold. He moved to stand next to her, also regarding the survivors who slowly seemed to all make their way towards them.

"Sigrid." He then called her, noting how far away her gaze seemed.

She flinched as if slapped but finally met his eyes, hers still red and salt tracks on her cheeks.

He hesitantly reached for her hand, holding it like he had on the boat. He licked his lips. "If they made it, they will come here and by morn you may be able to look for them. There's no use standing in the dark and making yourself sick."

"I can't… Tilda… she can't see…" She was biting her lip, trying to hold in a sob and he took pity on her, knowing what she was trying to say.

"Come." He lead her away from the others, surprised that there was no resistance.

They walked until they reached an outcropping of trees and Fili gently guided her to sit down on the log of a broken oak while he gathered some dry twigs and in seconds had another small fire going.

When he moved to sit beside her, she was staring senselessly into the flames. "How can you do that?" She asked, quietly.

Fili looked at her, then at his meagre fire. "Well, it's no different than lighting one in a hearth."

She shook her head. "No, I mean, how is it so easy for you? It always took me hours to light our fireplace. That's why I try and keep it going even in summer, because…" She broke off, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

Fili only then realized that she must have remembered how their fireplace was gone with everything else they had ever owned. "I am so sorry." He whispered, looking into the flames himself and feeling deeply ashamed. It was all their fault after all. If their company had not woken the dragon, she would still have her home and her family would be whole.

"Would you… could you hold me again?" Sigrid asked after a long pause in a tiny voice. "Just a little while so I can…" She hiccupped, "get myself together for Tilda?"

Fili looked up at her and felt his heart go out to this girl who had to grow up much too fast. He knew what it was like to be the one to always hold it together.

"Of course, however long you need me to."

He pulled her into a hug, noting with more pleasure than he should feel that sitting they were almost the same height and with her head resting on his shoulder he could even rest his chin on her hair. Before he could stop himself he placed a swift kiss there, glad that she did not know the significance of kissing hair in his own culture.

She must have drifted off to sleep at some point because when Sigrid woke, the sun was rising, she was disoriented for a moment which then turned into surprise at how warm and safe she felt despite the night before.

She only hoped her family was alright, the town itself could matter less to her. None of their people had never really been at home there. They had all somehow felt like refugees all their lives even if those who had lived in the Dale of old were long dead.

Blushing furiously, she realized that she was still wrapped in Fili's arms, head resting against his chest as it rose and fell with his breathing. She assumed he was asleep and therefore caught off-guard when he nudged her gently.

"Feeling better?" His voice rumbled through her ear. She nodded but did not move just yet. It was embarrassingly comfortable, until a thought hit her. They were still on the log. He had nothing to rest against.

She turned her head enough to meet his gaze, finding dark circles under his blue eyes even as he smiled at her, the dimples under his beard doing all sorts of things to her stomach.

"Did you not sleep at all?" She asked, arms wrapping around his solid frame because selfishly, she did not want to let go yet.

"No. Someone had to keep watch. Those orcs did not simply disappear." He told her, the familiar worry creeping back into his eyes.

Sigrid felt sad suddenly because here he was, taking care of her when just hours ago, he had worried about his brother, could not know if the rest of their company was alive and the way she saw it, he was also always the one to take responsibility. She should know how one should not take advantage of that.

She cleared her throat nervously and looked down, cheek resting against his strong chest again. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" He asked, giving her a small nudge when she did not answer immediately.

"For keeping you from sleep."

"I would not have slept either way. Like I said someone has to keep watch." He told her gently, though she could tell he was at least a little amused by the situation.

"And that has to be you?" She challenged, looking up and finding herself nose to nose with him. His moustache-braids tickled her cheeks, they were so close. Though her stomach gave another tight flutter, she found she did not mind, instead it made her feel warm.

"Who else? My idiot brother? Have I told you the story when we lost our ponies because he decided that he was bored of watching them and needed to climb a tree? I was so busy making sure he didn't break his neck, a troll stole them under our noses."

They chuckled nervously, both clearly very aware of the intimacy of their position. Fili squirmed a little though his arms around her did not ease up even when his eyes darted around, trying to avoid hers.

"It's strange looking down at you." He suddenly blurted and she giggled, feeling bold, she leaned up and pressed a quick peck onto his lips, nothing more than what Tilda used to do when she had been a toddler and wanted her goodnight kiss.

She looked away when she drew back and so missed him freeze entirely. She made to get up, but that broke the spell and he held her back.

"Sigrid." He said and she looked at him, cheeks burning.

She gulped when his eyes flickered from her eyes to her mouth and back, the most unsure expression on his face.

Deciding that she was sick of being the sensible one, that she had never felt like this before and that if their world was ending she may as well have no regrets, she kissed him again, longer this time and nearly squeaked in surprise when he responded and deepened the kiss into something that felt nothing like that drool-soaked thing she had tried that one time with the Master's stableboy.

Instead she was quick to give back what she was being offered and smiled when Fili drew back, breathing noticeably quicker than before.

"Th-that…" He tried, then cleared his throat, "I never…" He tried again, then shook his head, almost hitting her with his beads.

Laughing quietly, they settled into the embrace more, Sigrid burying her nose in his neck, feeling inexplicably shy. "I…wish we didn't have to face the day." She admitted, still a little overwhelmed.

"It's not likely to give us a choice." Fili noted with a sigh, arms tightening around her.

"A little while." She whispered, trying to push down on the heavy feeling of worry and grief in her belly. Not yet. Not yet.

Eventually they had to make their way back and found that the whole beach was filled with makeshift tents and still there were survivors clawing their way through the water towards the beach. Some boats had gone back out to help them reach the safe shore.

When they reached the others, the fire had burnt down and the others were trying to sort through what things they had managed to grab before the escape. Only the one called Bofur was sitting next to Tilda distracting her more or less successfully with a story while Oin fussed over Kili's leg who was doing his hardest to not look at the elf-lady.

Before they were within earshot, Fili turned around abruptly, looking up at her with furrowed brows. "We have to go." He shot a glance at the mountain and his features hardened. "They may yet be alive. Either way we need to be sure." It sounded like an apology and Sigrid was surprised. It should no have to be.

"Family is the most important thing." She told him and slipped her hand into his, entwining their fingers. "I pray we both find ours alive."

His eyes darkened a little but never left hers as he nodded before lifting her hand to his bearded cheek then pressed a kiss to the inside of her palm. "So do I."

"Take this." Sigrid told him as he already made to turn for the others. She took off the scarf and held it out to him. She was surprised it had survived their escape. "You will need it on the way."

He smiled, though it was a little tense and stepped closer, letting her put it around his neck much like he had done her the night before. It felt like a hundred years had passed since then.

Their eyes met one last time before in silent understanding, he headed for his brother and the others and she for Tilda.

"Let's look for Da!" She told her sister and pulled the girl to her feet. The elf followed while the dwarves moved quickly towards their boat to push it back into the water.

It was only after she had thrown herself into her father's arms, ruffled Bain's hair and felt relief replace the deep fear she had carried with her, that she looked up and found the dwarves already far from the shore.

She lifted a hand and thought she saw one or two of them return the gesture, but could not be sure if it had been Fili.

*I looked up the doll and as far as I can tell it's mainly fabric, but roll with it?fog