Chapter 6: Inquisitive Dwarves

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A/N: Well...have a bit more background on Caynna...I think. I've had this one done for a while now, and I've been going back through Scarlet Eyes so I didn't exactly proof this chapter yet. Expect some editing of past chapters this week as well!

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Caynna traveled at the back of the company most often, usually scouting ahead with Fili and Kili, and just generally staying with the two brothers as they seemed to welcome her more so than the other dwarves. Bofur had taken a liking to Caynna as well, and he would often talk with her about her more dangerous expeditions of climbing. Ori also seemed to warm up to Caynna as they traveled on, and he would ask her of her opinion on a few of his drawings to which Caynna was constantly amazed by the skill of the young scribe. Ori's brothers took longer to actually warm up to Caynna, but the lass found the two older Ri brothers slowly coming around. No matter how hard Caynna tried, she could never discern what Bifur thought of her. Bombur would sometimes spark up a conversation about food and cooking. He found that Caynna knew her spices and herbs very well be it for poisoning someone, saving someone, or making a meal taste better. In turn, Caynna had also learned more about the different ways to actually cook food, though she was less enthusiastic to try it and rather watched the overly fat dwarf cook the food instead.

Oin, being the company's medic, would sometimes ask Caynna about different treatments to poisons to which the lass happily obliged to tell him as it seemed to make the members of the company calm down even more so around her knowing that she was willingly giving them cures to possible poisons. Oin's brother, on the other hand, often bombarded the lass with questions about weapons and fights that she had been in. Caynna found herself enjoying the dwarf's alternative solutions to ending someone's life with a swing of an axe of another weapon.

Balin, the older dwarf being more sentiment than the others, often asked Caynna of her history. She gave out little to the older dwarf, but she gladly told him about her travels around Middle Earth. Dwalin seemed to just listen and observe Caynna rather than talk with her. He seemed to be keeping a close eye on the lass rather than openly talk with her. He would sometimes join in some of the conversations with a question of his own, but he hardly ever started up a conversation with the lass. Thorin was rather quiet and just watched Caynna. He would sometimes give her orders like the rest of the company, but he was still rather apprehensive of the lass, and preferred to do just like his advisers and observe her.

It had been a little over a week since they left Hobbiton and were currently traveling through Bree-land. All in all, the company warmed up to Caynna slowly, but some still didn't trust her as much as the younger dwarves. "Hmm…that's odd," Caynna said suddenly.

"What?" the brothers asked at the same time.

Caynna had been looking at the company ahead when she caught sight of something flying above head in the air. "I wonder…" she trailed off before letting out a whistle.

Most of the company turned back to give her an odd look, but then their gaze shifted upwards to the hawk that gave a call back as it dove through the sky. "Well, wouldn't you know," Caynna gave a smile. "It's a messenger hawk."

Caynna stretched out her arm as the hawk landed on it, a rolled up parchment attached to the silver cuff to its leg. As Caynna looked at the cuff, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't remember sending my hawk anywhere," she said.

"What is it?" Kili asked as he tried to get closer only to have his pony dance away from Tilian's bared teeth.

"This is my mark," Caynna explained as she unhooked the letter attached to the hawk's leg. "But I haven't contacted anyone in a month."

The hawk moved from Caynna's arm to back of the saddle and waited for its next command. Caynna looked at the letter before opening it. A single message was written on it in a handwriting well known to Caynna:

I know where you are, my little Amarië. You can't hide from me, and you can't escape me.

I will find you.

And I will kill you along with the rest of your friends.

-Brogan

"What's wrong?" Kili asked as the usually smiling or impassive face of Caynna's turned to one of fright.

She looked up sharply and the face was gone as she pocketed the letter and sent the hawk away. "Nothing. Just…some news from the guild," she said in her calm tone.

"What do you know about dwarves?" Fili asked after a moment of silence.

"That they're stubborn," was the immediate reply.

"That's it?"

Caynna thought for a second and gave a nod. "That's it. I never really spent time among dwarves since I was always among men."

"To pass the time," Fili started.

"We place bets," added Kili.

"On mindless things really-"

"-but things that tend to make the journey more…well…"

"Interesting," they chorused.

"What's the current bet?" Caynna asked with a straight face.

"See Bombur?" Bofur asked as he felt the need to join in the conversation.

Caynna saw Bombur, the fat dwarf was perched hazardously in the saddle, and Caynna could make out the strained girth buckle around the pony's stomach. "I see him," she gave a nod.

"The bet right now is to see how long he will stay atop of the pony. Kili and Fili-"

"-loosened it," the brothers chorused again.

"He's actually staying on pretty well," Fili added.

"So what's the actual bet?" Caynna asked.

"Five silver pieces he falls off within the next hour," Kili said.

"Five that he won't," Bofur countered. "They think that since they loosened the girth that he'll fall off. Bombur, despite his round size, is actually quite steady on a pony."

Caynna raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the overly fat dwarf. Indeed, he had good posture and balance in the saddle which was practically keeping him from falling off, but with a little nudge in the right direction he would most likely tumble to the side. "How long will it take to get him back up in the saddle?" Caynna asked.

"Depends on how far he rolls," Kili said which earned a snicker from Fili.

Caynna looked around them and noticed the small hill they were now climbing. An idea hit her. If they wanted to make wagers throughout this entire trip on stupid or funny things in the least, then so be it. But she was not going to be left out of it. "Five silver pieces he falls off at the top of the hill," she said to Bofur.

Bofur raised an eyebrow but gave a nod. "Deal," he said.

The two brothers in front of Caynna turned to look at the lass and caught sight of her sly smile before it disappeared. They exchanged a confused face as they turned back toward the hill they were climbing. As Bombur was coming closer to the top, Kili looked back at Caynna once more and noticed her right hand in her small pouch on her hip. He figured she was pulling out the money to pay Bofur up as Bombur reached the top of the hill. But, as soon as the dwarf's pony was steady on the top of the hill, the saddle's girth suddenly unbuckled and fell, the fat dwarf falling off the pony and rolling down the hill in a shout of surprise. Bifur and Bofur immediately took off after their rolling brother, the pony looking quite confused as to what happened while some of the other dwarves laughed.

"Kili! Fili! What in Durin's name did you do to the saddle?" Thorin shouted angrily.

"Nothing, Uncle!" they chorused back as they dismounted and moved to re-saddle the pony as Bofur and Bifur were helping Bombur back up the hill.

Kili tightened the girth as tight as he could, and buckled it down. As he stopped to gather a fallen pack, a silver glint caught his eye. He picked it up and pocketed his find as he strapped the pack back onto the back of the saddle. The four dwarves helped Bombur back into the saddle, huffs and puffs coming from each as they hoisted the fat dwarf up. Once Bombur was securely placed in his saddle, the line began to head off once more. Fili held Kili's pony as he jumped into the saddle, a grin on both of their faces as Bofur paid up the money he lost. Once the dwarf paid and moved up the line next to his fat brother, Kili turned to Caynna. "I believe this is yours," he said as he held up a five and a half inch long throwing blade.

"Oh, did I drop that?" Caynna asked innocently as she placed the knife back into her pouch.

"You did that?" Fili asked.

"How were you able to unhook the girth without damaging the saddle?" Kili added.

"The way you rigged it to barely have a hold in the buckle made it so a single nudge in the right direction would send it tumbling off. I just gave it that nudge."

"That's such a tiny target," added Fili.

"Not if you're used to throwing at small targets. Besides, he would have fallen anyway."

"How do you know?" Kili asked.

"He was already leaning to the side," Caynna pointed out. "Now, if you two can think of something better than a simple 'he's going to fall off' bet, let me know."

"Caynna, my dear, will you join us?" Gandalf called back to the lass.

Tilian was already cantering to the front before Caynna could tell him. "What is it?" she asked.

"You and Thorin should get to know each other better. Either that or he will have his nephews bombard you with questions just to get answers."

With that said, Gandalf ushered his horse backward toward Bilbo and away from the dwarf king and assassin. Snickers and chuckles sounded throughout the company as Thorin and Caynna began to move forward once more. "They've taken wagers at how long we will last in each other's company," Thorin said quietly.

"What's the longest time?" Caynna asked in the same tone.

"Ten minutes."

Caynna was silent for a moment before she frowned. "Well…that's not going to work now, is it?" she asked with a smile.

"No," Thorin agreed.

"What would you like to know, sir?" she asked.

"How many men have you killed?"

Hmph…forward are we? Caynna thought. "I've killed a lot."

"An exact number, perhaps?"

"I lost count a long time ago," Caynna said. "How many enemies have you killed?"

"A lot," came the reply. "I've seen battle where you, on the other hand-"

"Have also seen battle," Caynna cut in with a small smile. "I may not have fought against an army, sir, but I have fought in plenty smaller battles to say the least. What else?"

"Why are you so…polite?"

"Well, sir," she emphasized the word with a smile and earned the smallest ghost of a rare smile from the dwarf next to her, "it was the way I was raised by a ranger. In the assassin's guild I was a part of taught me to be polite as well. Curtsey is a virtue, you know, sir. Though, I will probably ask those of this company to not call me 'miss'. It feels weird, and it makes me feel old."

"How old are you?"

Caynna's face furrowed into a thoughtful frown, obviously never having to think about her age. "I believe I am…hmm…I think I am turning forty-nine this week," she said though she didn't sound quite confident. Being half dwarf, she looked rather young, but was actually older than she looked.

Thorin had to give a small chuckle. "You don't know your own age?" he asked incredulously making the lass feel embarrassed as a slight pink tint came into her cheeks.

"I haven't celebrated my birthday in a good twenty years after I started searching for Brogan with…my friend…"

"What's the day?"

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Friday?" she asked rather than said.

"It is Saturday, Caynna," Gandalf called from the back. "And you will be forty-eight."

"I was close!" she called back to the wizard which earned her a few chuckles. "Closer than last time when I thought I was fifty and I was turning forty."

"It is a step closer to you remembering your actual birthday."

"I get the general idea right…"

"Why are you here?" Thorin asked after a moment's pause. "What made you stay besides Gandalf's words?"

Caynna was silent. Why did she stay? Tilian gave a nervous nicker as he looked back at Caynna. The lass stroked his neck in reassurance, but was still quiet. "You are traveling to regain your home, something that I've never had to do for I have never had a home. I am traveling with you because…well…I…"

Thorin could see the nervousness in Caynna's eyes as well as the stubbornness. She wanted to say something, but her pride was keeping her from doing so. "Does it have something to do with this Brogan person?" Thorin offered.

"Not something," she said as her voice dropped lower, "everything. I…"

"You're afraid," he said quietly to keep the conversation between the two. "You are afraid that he will kill you first."

Caynna went to object but stopped, her eyes slowly meeting Thorin's. "Yes…I am," she said in the same tone as her usual impassive walls began to crumble once more, and Thorin could see that he was digging into a sore spot of the lass. "I wasn't so much as surprised the other night that he was alive but rather that he hasn't come after me."

"What is it that keeps you from going after him?"

"He's far more experienced than me…"

"And?"

"He can kill me easier…"

"Yes?"

"He's more experienced-"

"You already said that," Thorin frowned.

"I did?" Caynna asked and Thorin could see the confliction in her eyes. She was hiding something.

Kili and Fili began to make their way up the line to scout ahead when Thorin turned to them. "Caynna and I will scout ahead," he said sharply before urging his pony into a canter ahead.

"Caynna and I…what?" Caynna started in confusion before understanding dawned on her face. "Oh…right…"

She urged Tilian into a canter after Thorin, her mind in disarray. As they moved out of earshot of the company, Thorin slowed his pony to a walk as did Caynna. "What are you not telling us?" he asked. "Gandalf has told me all he knows about your past that you would freely share, but there is a good few years missing up to now. What happened that has made you question your own abilities as the Amarië?"

Caynna's eyes showed the battle she was fighting with herself, but Thorin could see her practical side was winning over her pride. "This will stay between the two of us. You can trust me," Thorin assured her.

"I…no…" Caynna started as her eyes met Thorin's and he saw the walls go back up.

Thorin was thoroughly confused yet intrigued by the way the assassin could, at one moment, be perfectly calm, and the next have no walls to hide what she was really feeling, and then immediately throw them back up. This assassin had obviously had years and years to build the walls up around her, and she was not to be pushed too far. "Perhaps another time, then," Thorin asked.

"Perhaps," Caynna said as she relaxed her whole demeanor. "Some things are better left unsaid at points, and this is one of them."

Thorin gave a nod as they lapsed into silence, scouting the land ahead of them, the sun high in the sky. They returned to the company, Caynna riding straight to the back once more. Several grumbles were heard as the dwarves paid up to the winners. "What did Uncle want?" Kili asked as Tilian sidled up into his spot right behind the two brothers.

"He wanted to talk is all," Caynna said.

Just ahead of the trio Ori's pony began to act up. She suddenly froze to the spot, ears against her head and eyes rolling back in fright. "Whoa, girl, whoa," Ori said trying to calm the pony.

"Ori, watch out!" Dori called to his little brother too late.

Something in the grass slithered by and Caynna knew right away it was a snake, a large one at that but harmless. "Well, there's the pony that hates snakes," Fili said.

"It's a good thing Ori can ride," Kili added.

"He can ride a bucking pony, right?"

"Oh…well…put that way I don't think he can."

Ori's pony backed up in fear, the young dwarf looking confused and frightened at what to do when suddenly his pony gave a rear. "Dori!" Ori called to his brother as the pony began to give another rear.

Little Ori was tossed from his saddle as the snake slithered right under his pony's hooves, sending the horse into a massive panic. It took off at a gallop faster than Caynna thought possible for the little horse. "Someone get the pony!" Nori said as the runaway pony began to race past the company.

"I got her," Caynna said as Kili and Fili started to move after the pony.

Tilian gave a snort and a half rear, the egocentric horse wanted to make an exit, before taking off at a dead gallop after the pony. They drew level with the pony, but the spooked animal wasn't going to stop anytime soon. It shied away from Tilian as the horse came up to its side. "Get me close," Caynna told Tilian as the horse moved back toward the pony.

Just before the pony could shy away again, Caynna jumped and landed half in the saddle, half out. She hoisted herself up and began to slow the pony to a walk, the frightened animal huffing from the run. "There we go," Caynna said as she stroked the pony's neck. "See? That wasn't so bad."

Tilian stopped next to the calmed down pony as Caynna took the pony's reins and hopped back into Tilian's saddle. The horse turned and they walked back to the company to allow the pony to catch its breath once more. "Here you go, Ori," Caynna said as she handed the young dwarf the pony's reins.

"Thank you," he said shyly as he remounted the pony and the company set off once more.

Tilian arched his neck in pride as they started once more. "Uncle's agitated," Kili said.

"He doesn't like delays," his brother added.

"And we've had two so far."

"Three, actually, if you count Bilbo earlier this week."

"Well, four then since we are counting this from the start. He stopped us once on the road and then again for his-"

"Handkerchief," the two said.

Caynna said nothing as she observed the company. The dwarves mingled with each other and often ended up taking up different spots along the line, none of the ponies protesting too much.

They started to follow a stream closer to the end of the day, and when Thorin called to stop for the night, Tilian gave a confused look to Caynna who just shook her head. "How many times do I have to tell you that they don't travel at night?" she dismounted and loosened the girth to Tilian's saddle to make the horse more comfortable until she could get around taking off the saddle as she turned to Thorin who was currently dishing out responsibilities to the dwarves.

"Kili, Caynna, see if you can catch anything," Thorin called out.

"Yes, sir," Caynna said at the same time Kili said, "Yes, Uncle"

Caynna unhooked her bow and quiver from the back of the saddle, and then proceeded to strap the quiver on over her short swords on her back. She turned and began to walk around Tilian when she nearly ran into Kili who was busy testing his bow. They both gave a start and ended up smiling as they walked back toward the small forest they were near. "I thought you were going to watch where you were going," Kili said.

"I was. It was you who was busy this time," Caynna defended with a smile.

"I'll try not to make it a habit," Kili countered in a slight teasing voice.

"Deer tracks here."

"Fresh…several minutes old maybe?" Kili said as he examined them.

"I'd say fifteen to be exact. Shall we?"

"Let's," Kili said and the two took off after the deer tracks with hunter quietness.

"Oi, Fili! Think the lass will bring back the deer?" Bofur asked.

"No," Fili said with a smirk. "Kili will. He's the best shot we have."

"I bet my night's watch that Caynna comes back with the deer."

"You are going to lose this one," Fili said confidently. "I bet my next two night's watches on Kili killing the deer."

Unfortunately, Fili lost as Caynna came back with the deer over her shoulders while Kili had two braces of hares. Bombur and Bofur began to clean the kill as Caynna walked over to Tilian. The horse gave her a questioning glance as he looked at the tethered and grouped up ponies. "No, you won't be stuck with them," she said to the horse who let out an overly exaggerated sigh of relief.

She unsaddled the horse and brushed him down before taking the saddle and placed it on the large boulder behind them, setting her bow and quiver with it as well. She wasn't situated far from the fire as Bombur began to cook up the stew. Tilian gave a snort in warning, but it went unheeded by the two brothers that plopped themselves down next to Caynna who was in the middle of cleaning her short sword. "I was just telling Fili that you were the one to take down the deer," Kili said in a huff.

"I still don't think he did," Fili started.

"Which is why we are here-"

"-to clear this up now."

"He has a watch placed on this bet-" Kili said with a roll of his eyes.

"-tonight's to be exact-" added Fili.

"-and he doesn't want to lose it."

"Alright, Fili," Caynna said with an exasperated sigh and a smile. "Kili killed the deer and I tracked down the rabbits."

"What?" both brothers chorused.

"I knew it!" Fili said as he jumped up and rushed over to Bofur.

Kili turned raised eyebrows to Caynna who was concentrated on cleaning her second short sword. "Why-" he started.

"Did I lie? He's bet his next two watches on you catching that deer," Caynna said as she held her blade up and examined it. "Why disappoint him?"

"Well-"

"You caught the deer and then I caught the rabbits, but we switched to see how many bet on you and how many bet on me to catch the deer," Caynna said with a note of finality.

Kili shrugged and stood up. "If you say so," he said and held a hand down to Caynna. "Supper's ready. Care to join us?"

Caynna sheathed her blade and stood up refusing Kili's outstretched hand. "After you," he said with a smile. "That way you don't run me over."

Tilian gave the dwarf a glare as they made their way over to Bombur to get some stew. "He really doesn't like me," Kili commented as they got their bowls.

"He's just over protective and holds grudges," Caynna explained as they moved and got their stew.

"Is Fili speaking the truth about the deer?" Bofur asked the two as he dished out stew to them.

"Yes," both Caynna and Kili said and Bofur gave a groan as the two turned back to the spot next to the rock, Fili joining them.

"Why did I bet against him?" Bofur said. "No sleep…at all…"

"You'll get enough sleep, Bofur," Fili said with a smirk. "Unless you want to stay up the entire night."

"I'd rather not."

Ironically enough, after everyone had dinner and began to settle in, Bofur got first watch, and then the brothers would take up the next watch. Caynna quietly listened to the two brothers next to her talk. She realized that they probably trusted her more so than she would ever trust them after a month, which is saying something because for her trust doesn't come too easy. Her quietness didn't go unnoticed by the two, and soon they had gone quiet as well, a curious look on each of their faces as they watched Caynna's impassive face turn into a frowning, slightly confused, glaring look, something that she often did when she was thinking. "What are you thinking about?" Fili asked.

Caynna didn't respond right away, but waited and gathered her thoughts. "I've noticed the way most of this company looks at me," Caynna said as her calm expression returned. "They trust me. Why is that?"

"You're part of the company," Kili started.

"What is there not to trust?" finished Fili.

My past, Caynna thought, but instead said something else entirely. "I'm an assassin."

"It doesn't matter if you are an assassin-" Kili said.

"-or a dwarf-"

"-or a hobbit-"

"-or even a wizard," Fili said though he eyed Gandalf to see if the wizard had heard him.

"We are all in this journey together," stated Kili with a confident smile.

"Whether everyone likes it-"

"-or not," the brothers said.

Caynna gave a nod in understanding. She realized that she had gotten too used to earning people's trust instead of being granted the privilege of having it right off the bat. It was an odd feeling, knowing those of the company trusted her. Just how far that trust went, Caynna did not know, though she highly doubted the older dwarves were ready to place their lives in her hands. "You're doing it again," Kili said.

"Doing what?" asked Caynna.

Fili peered around his brother to look at Caynna. "Thinking," they said.

"You have this…face that you make when you think," Fili explained.

Caynna gave a small smile and looked down at her short sword in her hands. "So I've been told," she said softly before giving a quiet whistle as she stood.

Tilian walked over and laid down right against the side of the rock, his head facing the two brothers. He gave a snort in warning to Kili making the dwarf move to the other side of his brother. "You get to sit closest to the horse," Kili said.

Tilian gave a nod and relaxed as Fili was pushed closer to the horse. "At least he likes me," Fili retorted.

Caynna shook her head at the horse before taking her cloak and curling up in it against the horse's side. "You are a horrible horse, Tilian," she told the horse who gave her a nicker in thanks. "That wasn't a compliment."

The horse gave a snort as Caynna settled into his side to sleep.

Caynna had been tracking him for days. The prints of his war horse were still fresh, and she was close to catching up. Little did she know what was really going on. She got off of Tilian's back, a slight shiver going up her spine as the cold night began to close in. She would need to get her cloak and jacket out from being tucked away underneath her bow and quiver as the night came in. She was just standing up when she noticed the subtle movement in the forest to her left and then to her right. I'm surrounded, she thought. Shit talking mushrooms, this isn't good.

Without warning, something struck her neck, a small pinch of pain coming from the strike. Caynna's hand flew to her neck and she removed a little dart dipped in a sleeping potion of some sort. It was slightly strong, but not strong enough as Caynna whipped out her single short blade, the other tucked safely under a hidden compartment in the saddle. "Go, Tilian," she told the horse and he took off back the way they came, not a single soul following the horse.

Through her haze, Caynna attempted to fight. She held off her four assailants until something cracked across her forehead, the back end of a blade no doubt, which sent her into a black abyss.

She awoke a few hours later with her hands bound in front of her in rough rope. She struggled and she felt her skin break and begin to bleed from the force of the increasing movement. Caynna turned her head and found herself in a cold, grey stone cell with a small, barred window at the top letting in the nearly full moon's light. The sound of a door creaking open alerted Caynna to what was happening. She stood up quickly; the movement making her head spin for a moment. The wooden door in front of her opened and Brogan walked in, his hazel eyes gleaming in joy at the sight of Caynna unable to escape. "Ah, my little Amarië," he sneered. "You finally woke."

Caynna glared at the man she once called her brother, the same man who killed his blood brother in cold hatred. "Brogan," she sneered. "Why don't you untie me and see how long it takes me to kill you?"

Brogan shut the door behind him, and the sound of two guards blocking the door reached Caynna's ears. No way out… she thought. "I don't think that'd be a good idea," Brogan said as he advanced on Caynna.

"What are you going to do?" she said in a challenging tone as she glared at Brogan. "Stare at me and hope I die without a fight?"

"No," he smirked. "I'll give you a choice: join me or I'll kill you slowly."

"Give it your best shot then," Caynna said as she stood straight and proud, "because I am not going to die so easily."

Caynna heard the unsheathed blade before she saw it come at her. She threw her arms up and avoided the strike to her face, but just barely. Her bonds were cut and she attacked back, wrestling the blade out of Brogan's hand before popping back up. Before she had a chance to attack Brogan, he slammed her against the wall knocking the breath out of her. "Nice try, my little Amarië," he whispered with a sly glint in his eyes, "but you'll have to do better than that if you're going to kill me."

A second blade came around as Caynna threw her left arm up as a shield. The blade sliced across her bicep before coming around across her exposed stomach. Caynna clenched her teeth shut in an attempt to hold back a yell of pain as the dagger sliced down her arm again. She kicked out at the last second and sent Brogan backward to the other wall. "Don't worry," she growled to him as she repositioned her dagger, "I'm just warming up."

Tilian snorted awake as he felt the fear and pain coming from the sleeping form of Caynna. He nuzzled Caynna, and the lass jolted awake, her breathing coming fast. She looked around as she calmed down and found everyone, with the exception of Bofur, was asleep. She folded her cloak and put it away as Bofur stood to wake Kili for his watch though he would be taking Fili's. "I'll take your watch," Caynna said as Bofur got close.

The dwarf gave a start as he saw Caynna moving away from her saddle on the large boulder, the darkness seeming to pull away from her as she moved around Tilian to stand in front of Bofur. "You scared me, lass," he said before nodding to the two brothers sleeping. "Are you sure?"

"I am sure. I can't sleep."

"Thanks," Bofur said with a smile before turning and making his way to his bedroll.

Caynna gave soft sight as she sat against the rock with Tilian's head in her lap, the whole camp visible from her spot. She looked over at the two brothers sleeping peacefully without a worry. She turned to look out across the camp and observed the sleeping forms of the rest of the company, each seeming to be in a deep sleep of some form with most of the older dwarves snoring loudly. Well, the most noise coming from Oin and Gloin. Dwalin was snoring as well as Balin, but not as loud, and Dori occasionally added his own snoring. "Why are you up?" a soft, sleepy voice mumbled.

"I took your watch and Bofur's," Caynna said to Kili as the dwarf slowly sat up as to not disturb his sleeping brother, though from the previous week's experience Caynna knew it wouldn't be too long before the blonde dwarf would wake as well.

"Why'd you do that?"

"I can't sleep."

Kili stood and made his way over to Caynna, Tilian giving him a look before deciding sleep was the better option at the moment. "He wants to sleep, so you'll be fine," Caynna said as the horse began to drift back off as he laid his head back in Caynna's lap.

Kili gingerly sat next to Caynna, eyeing the dozing horse before relaxing when he heard Tilian's soft, sleepy breathing. "He is really protective of you," Kili commented as he looked at the sleeping horse.

Caynna looked at the horse fondly. "I raised him myself," Caynna said. "He's always been there for me when I needed him most."

They lapsed into quiet silence, neither really wanting to speak at the moment. "Why did you get up anyway?" Caynna asked.

Kili shrugged. "I heard you talking with Bofur. I'm a light sleeper," he explained with a yawn.

"That'd explain why you, your brother, and even Mister Thorin don't snore," Caynna said with a small smile.

"What about you?"

"I just can't sleep."

"Why do you use titles with almost everyone?" Kili suddenly asked with a confused frown.

"It is courtesy."

"You know you don't have to."

"I probably don't," Caynna admitted with a smile, "but I will stop if they ask me too."

"Will you two be quiet? I'm actually trying to sleep," Fili grumbled to which Kili stretched and proceeded to lay his head on his brother's back.

"Sure thing, brother," Kili said as he got comfortable, a smug smile on his face.

"Kili," Fili said with his grumbling, tired voice.

"Yes?"

"Get off my back."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Will you two shut up?!" Bofur hissed.

"Sorry," they chorused.

"Obnoxious dwarf princes…" Bofur grumbled yet Caynna did not miss the single word that stood out in the sentence: princes.

She looked at Kili and Fili with her impassive look, yet her eyes held a confused gleam in them, though neither noticed. She figured she would ask them about it later, or figure it out on her own the latter being the better the decision of the two. "Why don't you go snuggle with Tilian? I'm sure the horse would love that," Fili offered.

"He'll bite me before I even get that close," Kili said as he sat up.

"Snuggle with Caynna, then…" Fili said as he rolled over on his back away from his brother.

Kili turned to Caynna and saw that she had on her thinking face once more as she stared at the ground. "Now he shuts up…" Fili muttered before he drifted back off to sleep.

"What's on your mind now?" Kili asked quietly for his brother's sake more than anyone else in the company.

Caynna gave a start and look up into Kili's smiling face. That has to be his actual face, Caynna thought. He never stops smiling. "I was actually zoning out," Caynna admitted in a half truth.

"No you weren't," Kili said. "Come on, you can talk with me."

"I was just wondering if I have siblings somewhere out there," Caynna said softly. "Or if I even had some kind of family. My parents kind of abandoned me at the age of one, and left me for dead. I just sometimes wonder if I have any family left out in the world."

"You have us now," Kili said as he motioned to the company. "Once everyone warms up to you, of course, but we are all family here. Literally! One way or another we are related somehow."

Caynna smiled. "Do you always trust people this easily?"

"I'm just a likeable person unlike Fili. He's a grouch."

"I heard that," came the mumbled and muffled reply.

"See?"

"Shut up…"

Caynna gave a soft chuckle as she looked out across the camp. "What about Mister Thorin?" she asked.

"Uncle?" Kili said with a frown. "He doesn't trust outsiders easily, and I'm shocked that he took to you so well. But, perhaps that was Gandalf's doing."

"Without a doubt."

"You really just have to prove your worth to him before he lets you in," Kili explained. "His trust is hard to earn and easy to lose."

"And your brother?"

"Fili's like me, though I'm still better than him."

"Kili…" Fili said with a grumble.

"Yes, Fili?"

"Stop saying my name…"

"Fine, Fili."

Caynna smiled at the two's bickering before turning back to stroke Tilian's forelock. The horse nuzzled in deeper to Caynna's touch as he shifted closer to the lass. "He's snoring," Kili commented as he moved closer to Caynna to hear the horse.

Sure enough, the horse was making a soft snoring noise as his back legs moved slightly in his sleep. Kili chuckled at the horse. "I've never seen a horse do that," he said when Tilian's rear legs kicked slightly as his tail swished.

Caynna stroked Tilian's forelock, a gentle smile on her face. "He's different," she whispered as she moved his forelock away to reveal a rather large, jagged, rough scar on his forehead. "He got that from running into a tree as a foal. He gets offended when I tell people about it."

Caynna gently rubbed the scar with her index and middle finger, making the horse curl in on himself as she did so only to curl out when she stopped. Kili gave a small chuckle. "May I?" he asked and motioned to the horse.

Caynna smiled at him. "Gentle strokes," she said as Kili leaned over her slightly.

He mimicked the same motion as Caynna, and, sure enough, the horse curled in with a snort as he did so, and uncurled when Kili stopped and leaned back. A soft breeze blew and the horse gave a slight shiver, and proceeded to snuggle closer to Caynna causing the lass to give a huff as he tried to climb into her lap like a foal. "Oh, gods, Tilian," she muttered when the horse placed his right leg over Caynna's lap and was half laying in her lap, "you're too big to do this!"

The horse gave a sleepy snort in disagreement as Kili gave a quiet, muffled laugh as he moved closer to his brother and away from the horse and the lass as Caynna managed to wiggle her way out of Tilian's grasp. "I am guessing you will be taking this watch with me then," Caynna said as she sat next to Kili once more.

Kili shrugged. "I don't mind," he said. "I'm not that tired anyhow."

Caynna gave a nod as she began to think again. "Can I ask you something?" Kili asked.

"Go ahead," she replied.

"Where did you get the scars on your forearms?"

Caynna seemed to tense up at the question. Everything about her looked to have turned to stone as she stared at the floor, memories flashing through her eyes. But then, she seemed to unfreeze and regain her walls of calm as she turned and gave Kili a smile that never once reached her eyes. She unhooked her left gauntlet and pulled it off to set it by her side. As she was pulling her right gauntlet off, Fili's curiosity got the better of him having been awake since his brother woke him up, and was now sitting up and looking at Caynna with newfound interest. She pulled off her gloves and placed them by her side, her tattoo visible on her hand in the moon light. "I have several on my forearms," she began as she pulled her sleeves up to, but not over, her elbows revealing several white lines scars on both forearms.

She got up, and both brothers moved away from each other to allow room for the lass. Caynna sat in between both of the brothers so they could see the scars on her forearms better. Unknown to her, Thorin and Dwalin, who were seated against a tree not too far away, were also peering at the three. "These four here and these five here," Caynna said as she pointed to four large scars on her right arm and five on her left that had several crossing motions like someone had tried to slice her arms open, "are from an attack on the old guild on the east side of Minas Tirith. I was just heading to bed when they attacked. The man that attacked me had a dagger, and I was unarmed. The only thing I had to protect me was, obviously, my arms."

"So you used them like your gauntlets," Fili said.

"That must have been painful," added Kili.

"I hardly felt them," Caynna admitted. "After he sliced my arms up, I managed to get a hold of his neck and break it. That ended him quickly enough."

"What about these here?" Fili asked as he found several smaller scars on the inside of Caynna's forearm.

"You have them on this side as well," added Kili as he flipped Caynna's arm over to see several smaller scars going toward her hand.

"Those…" Caynna hesitated, Thorin and Dwalin leaning ever so slightly toward the trio as if they could urge the lass to continue. "Those are from…"

"She's nervous," Thorin said quietly to Dwalin.

"Aye," Dwalin gave a nod. "They are just scars. Why would someone be afraid to tell the tale behind them?"

"Some tales shouldn't be told," Thorin responded as he watched Caynna calm herself with a deep breath in and then out as she pulled her arms back to her lap.

"Those scars are from when I was captured by Brogan," Caynna started with a nervous hint to her voice.

"What happened?" Fili prompted with much caution.

Caynna swallowed past the lump in her throat and took a deep breath once more. "It was the first time he had caught me, and it wasn't long after he had killed Devyn either, so I wasn't in the best condition to fight, let alone challenge him to kill me," Caynna said with a small smile, Thorin and Dwalin exchanging a look before turning back to the lass. "He gave me a choice: to join him or die."

"So you chose death," Fili said.

"Over joining him," finished Kili.

"I think my exact words were 'give it your best shot because I don't die easily'," Caynna said with a small chuckle. "He beat me up pretty good after that, although I gave a good fight. Obviously he wanted me to suffer. I had cracked four ribs, lost so much blood that I was constantly drifting in and out of consciousness, and was black and blue all over my arms and legs. For the record, kicking a stone wall doesn't help relieve the pain at all," Caynna said as an afterthought. "Anyway, I had barely any fight left after that so Brogan decided he was done torturing me himself…"

She paused again to gather her thoughts, the brothers exchanging another look. "What did he do?" Kili asked in a tone that suggested he was getting pissed off after every sentence, his brother's eyes reflecting the same look.

"He tied a rope around my ankles, attached it to a horse, and had the horse drag me across the ground out of the mountain," Caynna said angrily. "I managed to somehow get on the horse. To this day I still have no idea how I did it, but I got on the horse and rode it to the nearest town. I never thought that Brogan would go as low as to tie me to a horse in an attempt to kill me," her nails dug into her palms in an attempt to still her anger. "Sure, it was a near death experience, but it was so low…"

Kili handed Caynna her gauntlets and gloves to which she began to put back on after pulling her sleeves down. "I'm still insulted by that," she finished with an angry sigh as she reined in her temper.

"She was tortured," Dwalin stated to Thorin.

Thorin gave a nod. "That'd explain why she didn't want to talk," he replied. "Though, I do not think that is the whole truth."

"Your nephews seem to have taken a liking to her. They already look like they want to kill this Brogan guy after hearing that."

Thorin gave another nod. "So it seems," he said.

"I agree with them, though," Dwalin said after a moment. "Assassin or not, no one should be put through that."

Thorin thought for a moment before realizing something. "That wasn't the first time she had been put through that," he said.

"How would you know?"

"She said 'the first time' meaning she's been through more than she is letting on. If you also noticed she only pulled her sleeves up to show her forearms. She's hiding something."

"She's an assassin," Dwalin said before slouching against the tree, "her secrets have secrets and even then those have secrets."

"But just how far do those secrets go?"

"Farther than you or I could probably ever imagine. And that, lad, you'll have to find out for yourself," Dwalin said in a voice that suggested he was beginning to doze. "Or your nephews will do it for you."