Firstly I'd like to say thank you TheRosesonthewall for your review!

I hope everyone is enjoying this story and I'm not doing anything wrong. I do take my time on the chapters, as we've all seen, but I can go over a chapter and realise I don't what I've done with it so I'll start the whole chapter again, which is what happened with chapter 8. I'd almost finished it and then when I was reading it over I just wasn't happy with it so started all again. Although the ending wasn't really to my liking but it's out now!

"I should thank you, my lady Arwen." Erika bowed her head to the tall, beautiful brunette. "I have shown me immense kindness, and I fear my company may leave all too soon."

"Please, just call me Arwen. I do not worry about, I am more then happy to help."

Erika would have responded had it not been for Arwen taking her hand, Arwen took hold of Erika's armour and led her to a large room. The room was bright with a large bed, a vanity and big wardrobe. It was very spacious, and Erika still felt as though she was outside. She had felt a little silly when she had ran the halls with Arwen, in nought but a robe and she was thankful that they hadn't ran into anyone. Especially the Dwarves. Arwen had Erika sit down at the vanity and then went over the wardrobe; and when it was opened, Erika could see it was full of beautiful dresses. At home, Erika never had reason to wear a dress but she had been fascinated by them as a child. Her mother would tell her stories of beautiful women saved by knights from creatures like giants and dragons, and the women were always clad in long and gorgeous dresses made of silk with long trains and beautiful embroidery. Erika couldn't help but stare at the dresses as Arwen took them out one by one to show her. Arwen had caught her stares, and came to realise, from what Erika had told her of her life, that she had never had reason to wear dresses. She had worn them as a child but they were tatty, worn dresses.

"Would you like to wear one for dinner, Miss Erika?"

"Please, if I must call you Arwen, then just call me Erika." She asked softly, she had seen Arwen nod, and the elf waited for an answer to her previous question. "Yes, I would love to. But I'd hate the ridicule from the dwarves.."

"Well, forget about what they think for now. Let me dress up as though you were one of mine, please?"

Erika smiled at Arwen, it was easy to be at peace with the Elleth. "Yes, alright."

Arwen walked behind Erika, taking a comb from the vanity and started on Erika's hair. First challenge was to untangle all the knots from the long blonde hair; Arwen apologised over and over when she had to pull particularity hard, but Erika seemed to deal with it alright, when at last her hair was soft and easy to brush, Arwen continued doing so and saw through the mirror that Erika had closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her hair being brushed. Seeing the bliss content on the girls face, Arwen continued to brush her hair a lot longer then she had planned. For Erika, brushing her hair was a luxury she could not always have, doing what she did, her hair was normally stuck in her braids and pony tail for weeks and sometimes months on end. Arwen put the brush down, and took two sections of Erika's hair from the front and pulled them to the back. They were tied there and remaining hair from these two strands were braided and the top tie, Arwen placed a sparkly clip in the shape of a flower. The rest of Erika's hair was left to fall freely down her back, and Arwen pulled her up quickly, Erika had not opened her eyes when Arwen had done her hair and Arwen did not want Erika to see until she was done. Erika opened her eyes to see the beautiful dress that Arwen had picked out for her. It was blue and made of light, soft material. Erika twirled once when she had the dress on. She found that the dress hugged her athletic form and then flowed out at the hips, the arms were tight up to the elbows where they also flowed. The neckline was wide but not low, and when Arwen allowed Erika to finally see herself, the Nord could not believe her eyes. Was this really her?

Arwen and Erika were just coming up the hall where dinner was being served; the two women were only slightly late, just because Arwen had insisted they go to her room. Erika was shocked to find Arwen offering a necklace to her, it was a simple silver necklace with a butterfly. Erika could not help but laugh as she heard Ori ask his brothers if the elves had any chips. Arwen smiled and took hold of Erika's hand as they drew closer to the hall, she knew Erika still worried what the company would think and she did not want the Nord running off.

"Father, you don't mind if Erika sits with us do you?"

"Of course not, welcome Erika. I see Arwen has treated you well."

Arwen sat beside Gandalf, leaving Erika to sit beside Thorin. The two women had arrived as Thorin had handed Elrond his new blade.

"This is Orcist, the goblin cleaver. It is a famous blade," Elrond looked to Thorin as he said, and was not the only one, Erika too, caught the surprised look on Thorin's face, "It was made by the high elves of the west, my kin."

Lord Elrond handed the blade back to Thorin, who placed it in between himself and Erika. And while he was at this side, he took the opportunity to drink Erika in. The fierce warrior, who had proved loyal to him, well , she was stunning. Lord Elrond had told him , when the dwarf prince had questioned him on Erika's disappearance, that she was taking a bath and his daughter Arwen was making sure she was alright. It hadn't felt right that she had left without a word and it had worried him. But now seeing her as she was, she was beautiful. The dress complimented her and he had not seen her with her hair cascading down her back as it now was. It reminded him of the gold rivers in Erebor...had he just compared her beauty to Erebor? By Durin! What was wrong with him! Thorin turned back to Elrond and Gandalf. The elf now had Gandalf's sword.

"This is Glamdring, or foe hammer." He handed the sword back to Gandalf, "How did you-"

Elrond stopped short as Arwen laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the table. Arwen apologised and her father asked her what caused such commotion.

"Oh, it's nothing father!"

"Well, I'm you see my life as nothing Arwen!"

"Now you know I didn't mean it like that!"

"Now, I am intrigued. Please do tell." Elrond asked of Erika.

Erika thought for a moment, if Arwen had took it so well, then perhaps Lord Elrond would as well. And if not, it would still amuse Thorin greatly.

"You see, at home, in Skyrim. There are three type of elves. High elves, Wood elves and Dark elves. And one day when I was about five or six, a company of dark and high elves came to the village. It was the first time I'd ever seen one before so I was a little curious. Two of them came to my mothers shop, a dark elf and a high elf. I was in the middle of my lessons, and I stared at the dark elf, he evantually turned on me and asked, 'what are you staring at child?' I said nothing and tried to get back to my lesson. The dark elf kept staring at him, so I asked what I wanted to. 'Why is skin that colour?' Dark elves have a grey or blue tint to their skin. My mother apoligized to them and the high elf laughed, she annoyed me really and I asked her 'Why is your skin so sickly?'"

Erika stopped as Arwen chuckled again with Gandalf and Thorin, Lord Elrond looked somewhat confused.

"In Skyrim, High elves have a yellowish skin. Mother sent me upstairs when I said so, but the dark elf got to laugh too. When Mama spoke to me after she said I can't ask people things like that; it's rude."

Lord Elrond smiled at her story, he wasn't very amused by it and found it rude and disrespectful. He promptly turned away from her to Gandalf. And Erika, now felt like a scolded child. How could she be so stupid? Why did she tell that story? Why? She balled her hand into a fist on her lap, Erika looked away and felt a large hand take hold of hers. The hand made her undo her fist and she held two fingers, as a child would learning to grip, she held onto them as the rest of the large hand covered hers. It was a soft gesture, one that told her everything was alright. As everything was alright as she turned catching Thorin as he smiled at her. Everything was alright, ut as quickly as he had done it, he pulled away.

"And what were you doing on the great east road?"

Thorin excused himself, and Erika watched him go to his company. She wasn't sure what her head was trying to tell her, suddenly she heard a whistle in her head, she heard it when she saw his smile. He had smiled at her, and he had make sure she was alright. And when she had looked at him she heard the whistle, the low hum. The song of steel, when she crafts. Erika smiled to herself, as did Arwen, whom had witnessed the entire exchange. She knew all too well the look on Erika's face, as well of that on Thorin's face. She had seen it when she looked in the mirror, or when she look upon his face. He shared the same look when he looked upon her, her Estel. The elf maiden's thoughts were disrupted as one of the Dwarves stood and began to sing a merry tune.

"There's an Inn, there's Inn.."

The dwarves began to stamp their feet and clap their hands to the song.

"There's a merry old Inn,
Beneath an old grey hill.
And there they brew a beer so brown,
The man in the moon himself came down!
One night to drink his fill!"

The rest of the company, except Thorin, Erika, Bilbo and Gandalf, had begun to sing along.

"The ostler has a tipsy cat!"

As this was sung, Arwen and Erika had to stifle a laugh as something was thrown between Lord Elrond and Gandalf.

"That plays a five-stringed fiddle;
And up and down he saws his bow.
Now squeaking high,"

The rest of dwarves stopped singing, food was still being thrown about. The elves looked to each other, disgusted; apart from Arwen who found it amusing.

"Now purring low.
Now sawing in the middle."

Again, the others began to sing as well.

"So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,
a jig that would wake the dead.
He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune.
While the land lord shook the man in the moon:
'Its after three' He said."

Erika had excused herself shortly after Bofur's song; Leaving Arwen on her own, which is how Thorin found her when he returned for Erika, after a short council with Balin and Gandalf. He saw the elf maiden on her own, and still went to her. He was sure she would know where Erika was. Arwen looked up as Thorin drew closer.

"I'll assume you were looking for Erika?"

"Indeed I was, where is she?"

"She departed shortly after your friends song, she said she needed to be along for a while."

Thorin nodded with that information, it seemed as though he would have to find her himself.

"If it helps, she said she was going to walk by the fountain in the gardens." Arwen called out as Thorin walked away.

He walked for a while, getting lost in the halls and he finally found his way to the gardens that Arwen had spoke of, now he just needed to find the fountain. He walked around the gardens for what seemed like an age, he wasn't even sure why he was going through this much trouble for the girl, he put it down to it being that she was a part of the company, and while he knew the others were alright, he didn't know if she was. That being said, he wouldnt go to all this for one of the lads, but they wouldnt wander off their own. He'll have to speak to her a about that. Thorin was just rounding a corner, he had heard the gush of water and was following it when he stopped in his tracks. There she was, Erika was sat of the edge of the fountain, her hand in the water and she was singing. Quietly and softly, yes, ut she was indeed singing and Thorin stopped to listen.

"..from this land that we own,
with our blood and our steel,
we will take back our home!

All hail to Ulfric! You are the high king!
In your great honour, we drink and we sing!
We're the children of Skyrim, and we fight all our lives!
And when Sovngarde beckons, everyone of us dies!
But this land is ours and we'll see it wiped clean,
From the scourge that has sullied our hopes and our dreams!

All hail to Ulfric! You are the High King!
In your great honor we drink and we sing.
We're the children of Skyrim, and we fight all our lives.
And when Sovngarde beckons, every one of us dies!

We drink to our youth, to the days come and gone.

For the age of oppression is now nearly done."

Thorin, couldn't move for a moment. He was touched by her song; so her home had been taken too? There was much he did not know about the girl, and he intended to find out. Thorin did not want to be cruel to her, no, he wanted to be kind. As he had been when they had dining. When he had seen how upset she looked so quickly, he had acted on instinct and took hold of her, and he had only held her hand but Thorin could remember just how right it felt. How tightly she had held his fingers, and how happy he had been when she held him. He knew, it had taken much from her. She had trusted him and it meant a lot to him.

Thorin walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he came closer to let her know he was here, and not to frighten her. He sat on the edge of the fountain as well, facing her. She was smiling, but he wasn't sure if it was a happy smile or not, she looked very sad but she did look happy as well. It confused him. Women are complicated creatures, he thought.

"Are you alright Erika?"

"Yes, I'm fine thank you. You don't like being here do you?"

"Not really, forgive me, but I couldn't help hearing your song."

"I've grown up with it. The empire took hold of Skyrim and well, it's our home. We wanted it back."

"I completely understand. You have the voice of the Nightingale for which you are, Erika forgive me for being so rude. But I nothing about you."

Erika had expected this, in all honestly she thought it would have happened much earlier. "What would you like know?"

"Anything. Just let me know who I'm dealing with, who is travelling with me and my company, I know everyone in my company but you and the hobbit, and well...the hobbit it at least from Middle Earth."

Erika giggled, Thorin wasn't exactly subtle. "Well, I grew up with my mother in the village called Shor's Stone, which was a small mining village. We stayed there until I was 3, so I can't really remember it and we moved to Falkreath. My mother was named Morgina and I told you before I do not know who my father is. My mother died when I was seven and because I had no family left I should have been sent to the orphanage in Riften but the blacksmith and his wife took me in instead."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine. But I think I may have slipped with Arwen."

"What do you mean, little bird?"

"My mother used to brush my hair when I was a child. I love it when someone is brushing my hair and braiding it." Erika smiled.

Thorin smiled back at her, it wasn't the information he had hoped or even thought he would get. But it was something. Erika suddenly stood, and Thorin once again stared at her in the blue dress, it suited her and hugged her in all the right places.

"I'm going to find Arwen. May I speak with you later?"

"Of course, when?"

"Well, I ran into Dwalin before he said you have to sort something out tonight, so after that perhaps? I'll see you on the steps to guest housing?"

"Of course." Thorin stood, and with the grace of the prince he was, he took her hand and kissed her the back of her hand. "Until tonight Erika."

There's chapter nine!

I hope you all like it, the dinner scene wasn't what I wanted because I had to re-do that when my internet went down! :( So I wasn't happy about that!

The songs do not belong to me! (As you probably know!)

Tell me what you all thought! I love reviews!