'Your weapons.' With the clinking of metal Bard put the weapons down on the table.

The dwarves picked them up and shared looks of disbelief. 'What is this?' Thorin asked through gritted teeth.

Bard looked over at the weapon in his hands. 'Pike hook, made from an old harpoon.'

'And this?' Kíli turned a hammer in his hand.

'A crowbill, we call it. Fashioned from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in hand I grant, but in defence of your life these will serve you better than none.'

'We paid you for weapons.' Glóin growled. 'Iron-forged swords and axes!'

'It's a joke!' Bofur threw his weapon back on the table. The others followed his example.

'You should be grateful.' Lyra scoffed. 'There's none better to find outside the city armoury.'

'All iron-forged weapons are held there under lock and key.' Bain said, motioning for Lyra to calm down.

'Thorin why not take what's on offer and go? I've made do with less. So have you.' Balin tried to reason. 'I say we leave now.'

'You're not going anywhere.' Bard interrupted.

'What did you say?' Thorin hissed at Bard.

'There are spies watching this house.' Lyra said, glancing at the window.

'And probably every dock and wharf in the town.' Bard told them. 'You must wait till nightfall.'

Reluctantly the dwarves nodded and sat back down. Kíli used the weapon he'd picked up as somewhat of a walking stick as he sat down. Dwalin and Thorin exchanged a meaning full look behind Bard's back.

Bard shook his head and wandered outside. He was desperate for fresh air and some time away from the dwarves.

Lyra wandered over to Kíli. 'Are you alright?' She asked sitting beside him. 'That looks real nasty. Do you want me to take a look at it?' She nodded at his bandage.

'No, I'm fine.' He said moving his body to face away from her.

'I'm quite good with…'

'I said I'm fine!' He spat.

Lyra quickly stood up, insulted, and walked over to Tilda. 'Lyra, didn't you say dwarves sing?' The girl asked and Lyra nodded. 'Do you think they'll sing for us?'

Lyra laughed. 'You can always ask them.' She shrugged, not expecting them to say yes.

Tilda looked up to the closest dwarf. 'Will you sing for us?'

Bifur growled something unintelligible as a response. 'He doesn't talk much, dearie.' Balin said to Tilda. 'Nothing you'll understand anyway.'

'Don't sing either.' Bofur added with a grin. 'But give something, get something, right? Can you sing?'

'Who, me?' Lyra asked, surprised.

'Probably not. Look at her.' Nori joked, earning laughs from the others.

Lyra glared at him. She wouldn't be told what she could and couldn't do by someone who didn't even know her. 'Home is behind…' She started, heaving her head up high. '…the world ahead.'

All heads turned her way. Some were amazed, at the song and her voice. Óin adjusted his ear trumpet to be able to listen in.

The song was soft and kind of sound. 'And there are many paths to tread.' It's nature sad and dark. 'Through shadow, to the edge of night.'

Bilbo closed his eyes as he recognized the song. He'd heard it before, in the Shire, sung by Lyra's mother. He'd been told it was a translation of an old Elvish song.

'Until the stars are all alight.' She took a deep breath. 'Mist and shadow. Cloud and shade. All shall fade. All.. shall…. fade.' Silence fell over the room.

'Not a very happy tune.' Bombur eventually said.

'It's the only song I know how to sing.' Lyra murmured turning to go back into the kitchen.

'Then let's change that.' Fíli grabbed her arm and pulled her back. 'Bofur!'

The dwarf took the hint and climbed upon a chair. 'There's….. an inn, there's an inn, there's a merry old inn. Beneath an old grey hill.' Bofur sang and the others began to join in.

'And there they brew a beer so brown, that the Man in the Moon himself came down, one night to drink his fill.'

Lyra began to laugh and Fíli pulled her along to dance with him. Beside them Ori and Nori joined in. Bifur and Bombur sat at the table slamming their hands and two wooden spoons on the wood in rhythm. Bilbo quickly grabbed him mug from the table before it went rolling over the floor.

'The ostler has a tipsy cat, that plays a five-stringed fiddle. And up and down he saws his bow. Now squeaking high…. now purring low…. now sawing in the middle.'

Lyra passed around the room. After dancing with Fíli, she twirled at the hands of Ori and Nori. After that Fíli grinned as Glóin showed Lyra the only "proper" way to dance.

'So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle, a jig that would wake the dead.'

Fíli had pulled his brother to his feet and shoved him towards Lyra. Somewhat reluctantly Kíli danced with her, he did enjoy it, but his knee was hurting him a great deal.

'He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune, while the landlord shook the Man in the Moon: "It's after three!" he said.'

A shot of pain went out from his wound and Kíli sank through his legs, letting go of Lyra's hands. In her turn she fell backwards, against Bilbo, they barely managed to keep upright. Bilbo's mug was knocked out of his hand, spilling the contents on Lyra and shattering the mug on the floor.

'I am so sorry.' Bilbo, Kíli and Fíli all said, quickly.

Lyra shook her head. 'It's okay. Just water.' She shrugged off her coat and hung it on a hook by the fireplace.

As she turned back around to the room some eyes zeroed in on her arm. 'What is that?' Óin asked, his eyes clearly focused on the point where her right sleeve ended.

'Nothing.' Lyra tugged her sleeve down. Dwalin narrowed his eyes. He didn't like secrets and despised the word nothing.

Quick as he was Nori pulled Lyra's sleeve back up. She shoved him away, but was already too late. Nori had pulled her sleeve up far enough to show of her scars. The remainders of once burned flesh. Now maimed and mangled skin.

All seemed to freeze, Nori even seemed to blush in embarrassment. 'Dwarves.' Lyra simply scoffed tugging her sleeve back down. She let no one see the tears forming in her eyes as she rushed outside. Sigrid simply shook her head as she went after her.

Bilbo put his head in his hands and sighed. 'I should've known.' He mumbled, realizing just where her scars came from. 'She was just a child when it happened.' Lyra and her mother had never really wanted to talk about it, but now he knew. Connecting the burns with the company he was now a part off.

'Did…. Did Smaug do that?'

Bain nodded. 'That dragon took her dad.' He said before going out the door for a moment to check on Lyra and Sigrid.

All dwarves' eyes turned to Thorin and then away to the ground. 'I should… apologize.' Nori mumbled.

'No.' Thorin said, earning surprised looks. 'Not now.' He said quieter. 'This is our chance to leave.' He nodded to the stairs. 'We will get the weapons. And make for the mountain.'

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