Thank you for all the response!

I am trying my best with review reply but I always loose count or internet connection, but by the time I have finished this story every one of you shall have received a reply!

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Daisy followed Ednam as he led her to where the other dwarves were having breakfast. For the first time in a while she actually felt hungry, and she knew it was silly but she couldn't wait to tell Bilbo. He would be proud of her. Then he'd ensure she'd eat something, as he always did.

'Ah Daisy, I see you have met young Ednam,' Lord Elrond exclaimed as they entered, causing the dwarves that were already there to look up. Some of the older dwarves looked warily at Elrond, and Daisy made a mental note to ask about the relationship between Elves and Dwarves.

'I do believe I haven't seen Ednam in a very long time!' Gandalf said.

'Mithrandir! It has been a while,' Ednam cried as he went over to greet the wizard. Daisy spotted Bilbo sitting with Ori and Bofur near the head of the table, and went to see if she could join them.

'Sure lass,' Bofur replied and pulled up a chair. 'We never got round to having that flute lesson the other night, do you want one sometime soon?'

'Yes please.' Daisy said, smiling.

'You seem to be smiling a lot lately,' Ori pointed out. Now Ori had mentioned it, she had been rather cheerful since she came to Rivendell.

'I think it's this place, it's so peaceful.' She sighed and Bofur laughed.

'Are you sure it's got nothing to do with that particularly handsome elf you seem to be spending time with?' He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

'What? N-no! He was just showing me places because I had no idea where everything is. And he's around the same age as me so he wanted to talk.' Daisy explained, feeling her cheeks turn pink.

'I'm only teasing lass,' Bofur grinned picking up a roll of bread.

'I take it you slept ok?' Bilbo asked her. Daisy nodded.

'I didn't dream at all,' She said. 'Oh and Bilbo, I feel a bit hungry.'

'Well then!' Bilbo smiled. 'You must eat!' He handed her a bread roll and she started to eat it.

The scraping of chairs announced the arrival of Fili and Kili. Daisy looked at them; they seemed tired as if they had not slept well.

'Lads, you look half dead,' Bofur voiced his opinion. They merely grunted and put food on their plates. The sound of laughter came from the other end of the table and the six of them looked over to see Elrond, Gandalf and Ednam engaged in a remarkably funny conversation.

'Look at him, thinks he's so important,' Fili said under his breath and Kili glared at the elf. Bofur choked on his food.

'What's got you in such a mood?' He asked. The lads looked at him.

'Elves. We're sick of them,' Kili replied.

'But you've only been here a day,' Daisy said, confused. 'How could you be annoyed already? Oh, it's this hatred for elves thing isn't it? Could someone please tell me why you hate each other so much?' The dwarves and Bilbo looked at her.

'When Smaug attacked Erebor,' Ori began but hesitated. 'I'm probably not the best dwarf to explain…Bofur?'

'Alright Ori. When Smaug attacked Erebor, the dwarves were forced to flee immediately and consequently loosing everything. Thorin was helping his people when he spied King Thranduil on top of the hills, with his elven army behind him. Thorin cried out for help, but Thranduil turned his back and left with his army. Smaug might have been defeated that day, if the elves had helped.'

'And as they didn't, our people had to forge livings were they could find them. Some didn't make it to Laketown and slowly they withered away. It is because of the Elves that Thorin had to fight for freedom.' Fili said darkly as he drank. Daisy sat in silence.

'Come on Daisy, finish up,' Bilbo said. Daisy put the last bit of her bread roll in her mouth and it signified they'd ended the conversation there.

'What did Thorin want yesterday?' Fili asked her.

'He wants me to continue with you on your journey,' Daisy said quietly and the dwarves and Bilbo stopped eating their food.

'What?'

'This is great!'

'What did you say?'

'You are coming?' Daisy looked alarmed by the amount of questions they fired at her.

'You do want to come, don't you?' Ori asked, looking at her. Daisy felt them all staring. She started to fiddle with the bread rolls Bilbo had given her.

'D-daisy?' Fili asked, hurt sounding in his voice.

'Of course I want to come,' Daisy amended.

'Then what's the matter?'

'I-I'll hold you all back. I can't use a sword or anything that I can defend myself with, I'm injured so I'll only slow you down. And you've said you are sick of elves already, if I come with you you'll have to wait another week.' Daisy explained, looking at the floor. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

'You won't hold us back,' Ori told her.

'Yeh, Thorin wouldn't have suggested you come if you were useless.' Kili piped up.

'And I think we could possibly deal with Elves for another week if it meant we got your company,' Bofur added. They all nodded.

'Not to mention if you didn't come, I'd miss you terribly,' Bilbo said.

'Hey, we would too!' Bofur, Fili, Kili and Ori put in.

'So you see, you'd be far better off coming with us.' Fili concluded.

'I-I suppose I would.' Daisy admitted. In all honesty, she knew she wouldn't stay in Rivendell. Though she loved it she knew it was a place that she would like to come back to when she was older, when she wanted to settle. And she knew she wouldn't live with herself if she let the others go and something terrible happened to them.

'Then it is decided.' Kili grinned. 'Welcome officially to our quest!' He stood up and leant across the table to shake her hand. 'Hey everyone! Daisy is coming with us!' He shouted at the other dwarves who, to Daisy's surprise, cheered. Gandalf looked up and nodded at her, smiling.

'I see you've made your decision,' Thorin said from the doorway, and Kili sat back down in his seat. Thorin made his way over to them and stood at the head of their end of the table. 'I think it would be wise to make sure you rest well.' He told Daisy. 'That goes for all of you.' Daisy caught Kili looking at Thorin with an expecting look on his face. She noticed Thorin had acknowledge it, and there was an uneasy silence settling over the group.

After an uncomfortable few moments Thorin broke the silence with:

'I must speak with Gandalf.' Kili rolled his eyes as he watched his uncle walk to the other end of the table.

Daisy was puzzled about the exchange she had just witnessed between Kili and Thorin, but said nothing as she didn't want to offend them if it was something private. So she remained quiet until they had all finished their food and were discussing what they would do with their day.

'Maybe we should do some training, you know, just to make sure we're all in good condition.' Fili suggested. Ori's face fell.

'Must we?' He groaned. 'We've got ages until we leave.'

'Come on Ori,' Kili encouraged. 'It won't be that bad if we do it in short bursts'

'I can give you a flute lesson Daisy. And Bilbo, if you want one too,' Bofur told them, and they both nodded.

'We'll train Daisy,' Kili said enthusiastically, not noticing the look of horror on Daisy's face. 'When we're finished you'll be the greatest warrior-.'

'There will be no training for Daisy until she is properly healed,' Gandalf said sternly as he came up behind Ori's chair. 'Come Daisy, we must speak with Lord Elrond in private.' Gandalf ignored the angry looks from the brothers.

'Where are you going?' Fili asked, annoyed he was being ignored.

'If I told you master dwarf, then I'd run the risk of loosing the privacy of our conversation.' Gandalf answered as Daisy rose from her seat. 'Come along Daisy. Do not worry gentlemen, I'll return her in one piece.'

Gandalf led Daisy away from the table towards the exit. She glanced around expecting to catch Bilbo's eye as a way of saying goodbye but instead she caught the eyes of Thorin, who actually smiled at her. Taken by surprise, she suspected her attempt at a smile back was more of a grimace as Gandalf spun her round to face the way they were going.

If truth be told, she had begun to grow somewhat…fond of the dwarf. She hadn't liked him at all when they'd first met, and he had seemed to think she was a little unbearable. But when she'd awoken that night from her nightmares, he'd tried to comfort her. Yes, he did have to fetch Bilbo in the end, but he had tried. And she knew from what Fili and Kili had told her that he kept his emotions bottled up.

And when she'd gotten injured he'd actually carried her to safety, and then treated the wound.

She knew she was foolish to think he cared for her in a manner that was more than friendship, but she couldn't help but hope.

Because she thought that she might quite possibly be in love with him. Of course, she'd never experienced feeling romantic love before so she didn't know if she was, but part of her knew that the reason she joined this quest was for him. Though she'd never tell the others, not even Bilbo.

'Are you alright child?' Gandalf asked, peering at her. 'You seem very quiet.' Daisy looked at him.

'I'm just thinking,' She sighed.

'Is it something I can help with?'

'N-no, not really.' Daisy stammered. Gandalf chuckled.

'That was the answer I was expecting. Ah, here we are.' Gandalf entered the same room she and Thorin had been in the previous night. Lord Elrond was standing halfway across the room, and greeted them when they entered.

'Welcome, Daisy. Mithrandir.'

'Lord Elrond,' Daisy said politely.

'I wish to speak with you to discuss a matter which Gandalf has brought to my attention.' Daisy looked at the Elf curiously as he sat her down.

'What's that?'

'I am lead to believe that when you told Gandalf about your past you mentioned something that concerned us both. You told him that in your world, we are characters in a story. We exist only in a book.' Elrond told her, eyeing her up and down. Daisy gulped. She'd forgotten about this as the world around became more and more like reality. It didn't seem possible that one man could create all this in his head. And when they'd been hunted by orcs and almost eaten by trolls, it didn't seem much like a fantasy bedtime story.

'I-I must have been mistaken. This is all so real….' Daisy realised.

'It also alarms me that I have no explanation for this. Normally I have some vague idea about how things come to pass but this, this I cannot fathom.' Elrond sighed, frustrated. Daisy was shocked. Elrond seemed to know everything.

'We ask you to be careful Daisy, as you have chosen to continue with Thorin. We feel that you may have been brought here by something else.' Gandalf said carefully. 'Of course this may not be the case,' He said to reassure the girl.

'Why am I so sure this is a story?' Daisy asked, more to herself.

'Perhaps it is,' Elrond said. 'In which case we are merely pieces in a game, and we can only hope the player decides to keep playing so we may find the reason for all of this. You may leave now Daisy. I'll check your ribs this evening.'

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Kili watched his Uncle stride over to them as Daisy left. He had his back to the door, but Kili was pretty sure his Uncle's smile was directed at Daisy.

He saw Thorin stare at Fili, then at him as if to say Get him out of here, I want to talk with the others. Kili looked at his Uncle, confused, but decided not to question it. His Uncle hadn't lost his temper this morning, but Kili didn't want to push his luck.

'Hey Fili, care to get out of here for a bit?' He nudged his brother, who looked at him.

'Sure, you don't mind do you?' Fili replied, directing the last bit to Thorin.

'No, go ahead.' Kili nodded and dragged his brother away from the balcony.

They walked in silence down to the gardens, Fili glancing at his brother every now and again.

'Kili, what is troubling you?' He finally asked. Kili stopped to look at his brother.

'I-I….I don't know how to put this.' He confessed. Fili took a step closer to him.

'Put what?'

'I, er, well…'

'Kili just spit it out for goodness sake!'

'Uncle loves Daisy.' Kili said bluntly. 'And I know you have feelings for her too.'

Fili took several steps backwards from his brother, trying to register what he'd just said.

'N-no, he can't. He doesn't love he-'

'Fili. I know I'm younger, but I know you well. You don't love Daisy, you may think you do but think deeper and you'll discover-.' Kili said slowly, trying to regain the distance between them and trying to ignore the look of hurt on Fili's face.

'How would you know my feelings?' Fili asked, outraged his brother could say something like that. 'I don't just think she is a pretty face-'

'I know you don't! I'm trying to help you! When I saw Daisy I thought she was the best thing that had ever happened to me. But then I realised that the love I thought I felt for her was not that kind of romance. I love her like a sister. She is not right for us, and we are not right for her.' Kili tried to explain.

'And I suppose because Thorin is older-'

'Forget Thorin for one minute! You have always been good friends with Daisy, you may have flirted but then again so did I. But she didn't respond to it in that way, surely you must see that. And it was only because she's shown interest in the elf lad that you see fit to express your jealousy.'

'And I suppose the reason you lead me away from the balcony is because Thorin is up there trying to get advice from the others on how to woo a lady.' Fili said bitterly. Kili looked at the floor.

'I'm sorry brother.' He said quietly, and he meant it. Fili laughed coldly and turned on his heels. 'Where are you going?'

'To think. Alone.' Fili replied and stormed off, leaving Kili on the edge of tears.

He'd never meant to hurt his brother like that. His family meant more to him than anything, he couldn't see them fight.

He couldn't remember the last time Fili had said the word 'Alone' to him. It hurt so much when he did; they were the closest brothers many had ever known.

Kili could only pray that Fili would see sense.

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Phew that was quite hard to write! Next chapter should be a bit more light-hearted, with Thorin awkwardly asking the other dwarves, and then trying to put advice into play. And then we'll see that Fili and Kili have a brotherly moment of course .

I swear I got a review suggesting that Thorin ask the other dwarves, but I can't seem to find it anywhere so I'm really worried I've deleted it! So if it was your idea let me know so I can thank you.

And I got so many lovely suggestions I think they might all have to come into play somewhere down the line.