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FiliPOV

During the five minutes Calderon got herself some water and treated Kili, who was feeling a lot better.

Caldeon and Dwalin were now ready to fight. Thorin and I stood, but Kili stayed seated in a chair Melda brought.

The pair in the center couldn't be more different. Dwalin was a tall, bulky dwarf. Caldeon was a thin girl.

I noticed that Dwalin had removed his knuckle dusters, he wanted to beat her, not hurt her.

"Begin," said Thorin.

It was Caldeon the one that started first. She tried to strike Dwalin in the collar, but he caught her willowy arm and twisted it slightly. She yelped as she was thrown to the ground.

Dwalin looking down on her said,"I will not beat a downed opponent. Up now."

She glared back at him from the floor,"You mean you will not fight a girl." Which made Dwalin growl a little. She did get to her feet and put her fists up again. She didn't get offensive again, she knew better. Instead Dwalin launched to grab her around the legs.

She struggled as she was hoisted onto his back like a bag. She struggled with fists and feet blazing.

Dwalin started to walk out of the boundary over to the white marble fountain close to a wash area. When he stopped at the rim it seemed to dawn on Caldeon on what he was planning to do. "Don't you da-," she was cut off by being dropped into the pool of water. She splashed in the pool, hair, limbs, and water went everywhere.

Caldeon brought her head up, but just as she got a gasp of air Dwalin shoved her back under by her shoulders.

I couldn't tell exactly how long they stayed at this, but Caldeon was shoved under at least six times.

Suddenly Dwalin stopped. He simply dunked her one last time then walked away.

Caldeon breached out of the water gasping, her hair that was strung across her face was wet and heavy like drenched straw. "What on this good earth was that," she said.

"That was me winning the match," Dwalin responded. Caldeon raised herself out of the water. Her hair stuck out in all sorts of directions and her dress was now heavy and a royal blue color.

She sat herself down on the tile,"You didn't win," She said.

"What ya say?" asked Dwalin.

"You. Didn't. Win. I didn't yield and Thorin didn't say stop. You. Didn't. Win." She stood and stalked over to him, not even bothering to dry off.

They both got back into the sparing area. "Uncle," I said,"are you going to stop it."

"I want to see what it takes to make her yield," Thorin responded, we then turned back to the pair in the center.

Dwalin was back in his fighting stance. But Caldeon took a different position than before, she took a stance similar to someone on a track field.

Dwalin advanced with a punch aimed toward Caldeon's stomach. She took a small side step, which wasn't enough because Dwalin's fist still impacted her in the side making her stumble. He tried again, but Caldeon stepped out of they way to quickly. Dwalin had put his whole weight into this failed hit so he lost his balance and curled over.

Caldeon leaped into his back like a cat and wrapped her arms around his neck. Dwalin choked and scrambled to release the pressure on his wind pipe. His face started to turn red.

He tried to get up to slam her into on a wall or something to get her off, but every time he tried he would fall back to his knees.

Kili and I shared a feared look to each other, then with the same look we stared at Thorin. His face was a neutral mask with no hint of sympathy as one of his only living friends was being strangled.

Only after Dwalin's face was beginning to turn purple did Thorin say something,"Stop." Caldeon eminently slid down Dwalin's back. He gasped and fell flat on his back.

She placed her hands on either side of his face. "Breath now, ok," she said in a comforting tone. It amazes me that she could have killed him if she just held on for a few more seconds, yet after winning she takes such good care of her opponent.

Dwalin finally sat up. His face was still red but he was breathing, however uneven. Thorin stepped forward and crouched down in front of his friend,"You ok," he asked placing a hand on Dwalin's shoulder.

Dwalin paused for a moment looking for the right word. He turned to Caldeon and with a grin said,"Damn," which made all of us smile a little.

Thorin then stood and offered a steady hand to Dwalin and lifted him up. He then looked down at Caldeon and said,"Another five minuets and for goodness sakes get dried up. You'll be use weapons next time."

I unsheathed my swords and balanced them in my hands. Caldeon lead me over to a larger section of the pavilion. During her latest break she changed into a dry blue uniform dress and braided her damp hair. Compared to me she had few weapons, two knives (though some might be hidden), and a bow, but no quiver nor arrows were to be seen.

She unsheathed her knives and took a stance. The knife in her left hand was pointed up and the other was in a reversed grip.

"Begin," came the familiar phrase. Caldeon launched herself at me one of the knives coming down toward my thigh. My sword clashed with her knife. I absorbed the energy flowing through my body then pushed her away.

Then in a downward stroke I tried to hit her, she crossed her knives and dropped to one knee to take in the force I was putting onto her. I kept putting more force in her blades hoping to break her grip.

It worked. One of her knives slipped and fell, I nicked her arm drawing some blood making her gasp.

She stood back up. When I went in with my swords parallel to each other to stroke her remaining knife. But she spun out-of-the-way, her heavy braid became like a flying mace. It struck the back of my neck with powerful force. The strength made my head bow down and disoriented me so much I almost dropped my swords.

I straightened quickly knowing that Caldeon would take the chance of my vulnerable back. Again I brought my swords down again. The sudden sting in her last knife made her drop it with a clang.

Even unarmed she didn't yield. I thought back to Thorin's words, "What will make her yield?"

I charged her like a bull to which she jumped out-of-the-way of. When I attempted again, she spun again, but this time she slipped the bow off of her back. She held the ends like a staff.

I didn't charge her eminently like I did before. The introduction of this new device confused and discouraged me. We started to circle each other, never showing each other's backs.

Time seem to slow down as I attempted in vain to make her yield. My sword directed to her hand. Then she did something to which is the most impressive thing use if a bow I'd ever seen.

She fitted my sword between the string and wood of her bow. She then quickly maneuvered the bow so that it was locked in place, then with a sharp twist it was dislodged from my hand.

I stepped away from her in shock. She kept the now in hand and in a powerful, steady stance. Her face held no smug look nor any vain pride of victory.

Her strength was in my mistakes. The only way to win was to be perfect.

She sprinted toward me. I brought my sword Ina defensive position. She jumped and hooked the

curve of the bow over my head. The sudden stress on my throat made me stutter. I fell on my back, my head cracked against the floor.

I closed my eyes and put my hands to my head. My eyes flew open to a cold on my neck. I stared at Caldeon's storm cloud orbs, her knife was at my throat and I had no escape.

"Do you yield?" she asked, her voice almost comforted me. It was not filled with venom like she had won a tavern fight, it was like a teacher pointing out a fact.

She had won fairly. Not an ounce of my pride would spill from my sacred well if yielded to her. "I yield," I said. The knife was removed and she stood. She offered me a hand that I took.

We turned to Thorin, his dark scowl showed the calculating in his head. "How did you do that?" he said.

"Pardon," asked Caldeon.

"How did you learn to use a bow like that?" Thorin detailed.

"Well," she started nervously," I've always been, interested, curious is the right word, about weapons and their functions. I decided some time ago to find a way to make the bow a close combat weapon." She paused a second to take a breath,"So I taught myself how to do that trick."

Thorin thought again. Personally, I want her to come with us, at least I terms with her skills she was capable.

Thorin turned to leave. Dwalin was right behind him, followed by myself and Kili. "You will meet us at the front gate in two days first thing in the morning. If you tell anyone when we are going, you will be sent right back here," up to this point Thorin did not even turn to talk to her, but he did now. "Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," Caldeon said.

We navigated our way back to the room. We were questioned by our companions on Kili's slight limp and Dwalin's bruised neck. To which we explained the events of the and our new company member.

There were a few mumbles, but none questioned Thorin's authority on his decision.

Longest chapter yet. Hope this makes up for the gap. Please review.