Another chapter! Enjoy! ^-^

"Inhale deeply." Oin instructed as he wafted the smoke towards Emi. The hobbit leaned forward and took a deep breath, nearly choking as she did so. "Good."

It's not working. Emi complained silently.

"Doesn't appear to have any effect." Oin frowned.

That's what I just said!

"Maybe the Glowes Leaf…" the old dwarf trailed off, turning from the wooden table upon which Emi sat to one of the jar filled cabinets. Thorin brooded darkly in the corner, arms crossed and eyes glowering.

"Nothings working." He growled, more frustrated with the hobbit than Oin, as if it were somehow her fault. Emi rolled her eyes.

"I told you, laddie," Oin shook his head. "I doubt any of this will work."

"Then why waste the effort?" Thorin snapped. Emi responded in a harsh glare, before looking away again haughtily.

"Well, you never know." Oin said patiently, sighing at the other two before he began rubbing some sort of salve on Emi's throat. "Try that." Emi mouthed silently again.

"Your remedies are unimpressive." Thorin sulked.

Don't you have a kingdom to run or something? Emi asked in annoyance.

"There isn't anything I can do lad." Oin shook his head. "It'll either heal on it's own, or not."

"There's nothing to be done?" Thorin asked one more time.

He JUST said that! Emi snapped wordlessly. Or weren't you listening? Oh, sorry, I forgot. It's hard to hear when your ego is so big it's coming out your ears! She slipped off the table and strode angrily out of the room. Thorin followed in hot pursuit.

"Why are you so angry with me?" He barked, walking quickly to keep up.

Take a wild guess. Emi hissed back.

"I'm sorry! I never intended to hurt you. You know that." The dwarf lord continued. "What do I need to do for your forgiveness?"

Emi halted and spun to face Thorin. You want to know? How about giving me back my voice and letting me go home!

"What are you saying?" Thorin asked in perplexity and frustration. Emi threw her hands up in frustration and stomped away again. Thorin continued his pursuit. "I can't help if I can't understand what your saying!"

Just leave me ALONE! Emi shouted, slamming her hand into her pocket and disappearing completely. Thorin looked around in alarm, panic filling his chest.

"Emi?" He whispered into the emptiness. "Emi!"

The familiar gray chill wrapped around Emi once more as she padded away, Thorin's calls echoing behind her through the shadowy realm. Why couldn't he understand that she just needed a little space? Some space, a hot meal, maybe even a bath for once… Something to calm her nerves. Something normal.

She decided food was the best solution.

Or maybe not.

It was so much work to find the kitchen anyway. Just a nice nap, hidden from everyone else with her precious ring. Everything was so much work. Wouldn't it just be nice to sleep? To sleep undisturbed and let herself slowly turn to dust?

…Emi yanked of the ring and shoved it back in her pocket. No more ring. She had told herself not to use it. And here she was using it just to avoid a stupid dwarf who didn't understand the concept of being left alone for more than three seconds at a time.

She wasn't a child. She could deal with her own problems… maybe.

But first, food. A thickly buttered roll, or a nice bowl of stew would warm her up right. The ring made everything so very cold.

The hobbit followed her nose to the kitchen in which Bombur was cooking again. He seemed to be cooking a lot lately. He smiled brightly when the hobbit appeared at the door. "Ah, Miss Emi! Do you mind lending a hand?" Emi smiled and nodded her head, rolling up her sleeves to work. She still wore her outfit from Hobbiton. Though the others had all found new clothing, Emi felt strangely attached to it now and doubted the dwarves could find anything in her size anyway.

"Making lunch for all the lads." Bombur explained, motioning to the near banquet growing on the table and counters.

I'm not sure even they could eat all this. She admitted looking at the trays and trays of meats and breads.

The two of them continued cooking however, until they practically had enough food to feed an entire army.

"Alright then," Bombur nodded in satisfaction. "Let's take this to the lads." He hit a pan three times with a spoon and a few seconds later; four dwarves were bustling in, carrying the nearest out through the door again. They were definitely not dwarves from the company. "Come on, let's give them a hand." Bombur said to Emi, picking up two big trays. In confusion, Emi picked up another and hurried after the large dwarf as he headed down the hall.

At last, they came out through an opening to one of the larger halls, stretching out into the darkness. Emi froze as she looked out from the top of a staircase along the wall.

Filling the stone hall, gathered in clumps around little campfires that spotted the darkness like stars, were a huge number of dwarves. Enough for an entire army.

Because it is an army. Emi whispered in realization.

She could see far below, dwarves armed to the teeth and covered in armor, sharpening their weapons or sparing with one another. The whole hall was filled with the sounds of voices and metal. The sounds of war. She turned to Bombur in horror.

Why is there an army here? She demanded. But the dwarf's back was turned as he headed down the stairs to feed them all. Swallowing, Emi followed, forcing herself to focus on the plate in her hand, making sure not to drop it. She soon reached the bottom and hurried to Bombur's side, unsure what to do. The dwarves noticed her immediately.

"This is the Halfling then?" A particularly bushy bearded dwarf exclaimed loudly, peering at her. "A wee little thing ain't she?"

"Don't scare her!" another dwarf punched the first playfully on the shoulder.

"Right, like I'd scare someone who faced down a dragon on her own." The first rolled their eyes.

"You smell so awful, you'd scare anyone at this point." A third interjected. "An honor, milady!" he nodded to Emi.

"Aye!" Another agreed. "It's a pleasure getting to meet ye at last."

And so it went. Many dwarves crowding around, introducing themselves and their brothers and cousins and distant relations, and then one of them would make their way over and introduce them all again. And Kili gave her a hard time about her relations! Emi remained in a somewhat bewildered haze throughout the whole thing, still wondering why there was an army in Erebor, when Bombur called her away to go fetch the rest of the trays. She excused herself with a bow and quickly escaped up the stairs, only to run into Thorin in the hall.

The dwarf lord stopped her from stumbling searching for the cause of her haste. Thorin figured it out easy enough.

"You met Dain's men." He frowned.

Why is there an army? Emi asked in a panic.

"I didn't want you to have to deal with that lot." Thorin continued to brood.

It's an ARMY. Emi pointed.

"Were they unseemly towards you? If they laid a hand on you, I swear to Mahal, I'll-" Emi flicked him across the nose, effectively silencing him. Thorin's brow lowered dangerously. Emi glared back, pointing at her mouth.

Very slowly she mouthed the words Read. My. Lips. Thorin said nothing, but seemed to understand. Emi pointed down the hall she had come from. Why. Is. There. An. Army? Thorin looked away, still not speaking. Emi frowned. Don't get all silent on me! I'M the one who can't talk, remember?

"I didn't want you to know." Thorin spoke at last. Emi raised one eyebrow as Thorin turned back to face her. "I wanted you to focus on recovering, on getting better…"

Thorin… She said warningly.

"The men of Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood seem set on stealing our riches. War is unavoidable."

What? Emi made a face. What kind of idiotic statement is that? There's more than enough gold in this mountain! I think you can spare some for them.

"But we will be victorious." Thorin assured her; oblivious to the judgment she was casting upon him. "These fools will come to learn, dwarves are not so easily parted from what is rightfully theirs."

Are you even hearing yourself, Thorin? Emi asked in silence. I thought you'd gotten over the gold sickness! I thought that my near DEATH brought you to your SENSES. I guess I was wrong! She took a step back, spiting out soundless words into the silent air. Thorin searched her eyes for what was wrong. But he did not understand. Emi continued to shout at him, hollering words that were never heard. At last, frustration got the better of her and she broke down in tears of anger before running off.

Thorin called after her. Begging her not to run again.

She disappeared into the twisting halls, the echoes of her sobs fading into nothing.

Well... I had NOT been planning that.

I guess we'll find out what happens together!