Chapter 16

A/N: I know that this all happened basically in one day, but I just wanted to spread out the story more. I feel like it's going by quickly and it's making me sad. I love these characters! :( In addition, I am going to continue on, beyond the book and movie. It will still have out beloved characters and I'll even add some that are from Middle Earth. It will continue the story of Mariah's past life as Princess Euna and her memories of her.

"Tomorrow is the last day of Autumn." Thorin whispered to Balin, Kili, and Fili.

Mariah was there beside Kili, standing right next to him. His arm was around her, using her to lean on a bit. His leg seemed to be getting worse, which bothered her deeply.

"Durin's Day falls the morning after next." Balin whispered as well in his old male raspy voice. "We must reach the mountain before then."

"And if we do not?" Kili asked with a worried look written on his face. "If we fail to find the hidden door before that time?"

"Then this quest has been for nothing." Fili answered Kili's question.

"Why not just go to that door and stick the key in all the holes you can find? One of them must be the hole…" Mariah added, making Fili and Kili chuckle and Balin smile at her.

"Sorry, Lass. That's not how it works." Balin spoke.

"And you can't just mine the rock wall because it might wake the dragon?" She asked, trying to think of all the possibilities.

"If the dragon is there, sleeping…" Balin answered. "Yes."

At that moment, Bard enters the house with a soaked bag. The bag dripped water onto the floor and table, when he sat it down. The thump and clang noise slightly spooked Mariah. She wasn't ready for noise, since they were trying to be quiet.

"Here are your weapons." Bard said as he showed the company the weapons he had.

Thorin picked up a harpoon looking thing. "What is this?"

"A pike hook. Made from an old harpoon." Bard answered.

"And this?" Kili asked as he picked up a weapon with his opposite hand that he held Mariah with.

"A crow bill, we call it. Fashioned from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in a hand, I grant." He sighed. "But in defense of your life, these will serve you better than none."

"Thank you." Mariah said with a smile.

"We paid for weapons. Iron forged swords, and axes." Gloin said.

"It's a joke." Bofur added.

The group tossed the weapons back onto the table. Mariah slowly started to get irritated with them. Couldn't they just be thankful?

"You won't find better outside the city armory." Bard insisted. "All forged weapons are held there under lock and key."

The company started to make Mariah more irritated. Right over the point of breaking. She couldn't help it.

"Why can't you all be thankful?" She hissed out, glaring at each dwarf. "Yes, this isn't ideal. These weapons aren't that great, but would you rather have none?" Her voice started to raise. "I'm sick of you all treating Bard like he's some kind of-…"

"Lady Mariah." Bard spoke, leaning over and touching her shoulder. "It's okay. They are dwarves."

Mariah let out a huff, but nodded at Bard. She felt Kili hold her closer to his side, shaking her a bit so she would look up at him. She did and he gave her a smile. Mariah responded with a tight one, but softened when she gazed into his eyes. They always had this effect on her. She loved it and hated it too.

"Sorry." She said finally, looking at the guys. "I didn't mean to crack the whip on you all."

"You have every right to say how you feel." Mariah heard Ori speak from behind Dori and Nori.

"Thorin, why not take what's on offer and go?" Balin asked with an insisted look. "I've made do with less, so have you." He turned to look at the rest of them. "I say we leave now."

"No." Bard spoke out, covering the weapons. "You're not going anywhere."

The company all looked at Bard as if he was mad. Mariah looked over to Kili, who looked back at her with just as much confusion as the rest of them.

"What did you say?" Dwalin asked.

"What do you mean?" Mariah asked the same moment Dwalin spoke.

"There are spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in town. We must wait until nightfall." Bard answered, looking at Mariah. "Surely you can understand."

Mariah nodded and looked over to Bard's children. She sighed and looked over at Thorin. "We should listen to what he says. This is his house, we are guests, and we must respect him."

Thorin crossed his arms, but gave a slight nod. "We leave at nightfall." He agreed.

"Can I go back to Legolasville?" Alexis asked as she walked to a spot to sit down.

"Do you hate being here that much?" Mariah asked, turning to look at her big sister.

Alexis started to count on her fingers. "Let's see…I almost fell off a cliff, spiders almost ate me, goblins tried to kill us, orcs tried to kill us, and I had to deal with fish being poured on my head while I was stuck in a barrel. So yeah, I hate it. This was all stupid and we should just go home."

"Go home then." Gloin spoke up. "You do nothing but insult us and complain."

"I don't like dwarves. They smell. They're rude and gross." Alexis said back. "I came to be with my sister, to protect her from you guys." She looked over at Kili.

"I wouldn't hurt her. I promise you this." Kili replied with a fierce look in his eyes. "You don't have to worry about her."

"You let her get hurt." She responded and crossed her legs. "She was protecting your uncle. Your king."

"I don't need permission to save someone's life. I saw he needed help, so I did." Mariah pointed to Thorin as she spoke with a strong tone. "I love that you're here with me, but if you don't want to be here then I can send you back home."

"But…" Alexis began to say in a sad tone. "Who will save you from Kili's dick?"

Mariah started to feel bad until she heard Alexis finish. She tried hard to not smile, but failed. Alexis saw that her sister was smiling so she continued.

"Who will make Thorin uncomfortable? Who will cuddle Bilbo at night?"

"No one. I'm fine with just myself!" Bilbo said with confidence.

"Nah, you'll miss me. Also, who will Simba Fili while he's sleeping?"

"Wait." Fili called out as he held up a hand. "What does Simba mean?"

"Nothing!" Mariah laughed out. "You really don't want to know."

"You're just stuck with me cockblocking you. Sorry." The older sister said with a shrug.

"I'll just send you away or home and get it then." Mariah joked and stuck her tongue out at her.

"I'll just make sure there isn't anything to do it with."

"What are you two talking about? What is cockblocking?" Kili asked as he walked to Mariah's side.

"It's when a man and a woman lov-…"

Mariah held her hand over Alexis's mouth. "Shh! Don't!"

Alexis stuck her tongue out of her mouth, licking her younger sister's hand. Mariah let out a sound of disgust, bringing her hand away from her sister's mouth.

"Ew!"

"That's what you get for putting your hand on my mouth." Alexis said with a laugh.

Mariah smeared her spit covered palm on Alexis's arm, making her sister also let out a distrusted noise.

They all found a spot to sit at. Kili hissed quietly when he sat down. Mariah's face turned from exhaustion to worrisome.

"Are you okay, Kili?" She asked as she helped him adjust his sitting position.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied.

She bit her bottom lip, knowing when Kili lied to her. She hated it when he did. It was as if he did not trust her.

"What have I said about you and lying, Kili?" She asked and cupped his cheek. "I know when you do."

"Just drop it." He shrugged out of her touch, his eyebrows coming closer together.

Mariah stood there feeling slightly hurt. "So if I was hurt, you wouldn't try helping me? Know what?" She held up her hands. "Forget it." She said and walked away from him.

Mariah felt the tips of her fingers being touched; knowing Kili was trying to grab her. However, she didn't stop. They needed time away from each other. They were always together and perhaps he was getting sick of her.

A hand landed on Mariah's shoulder about ten minutes after Mariah left Kili's side. She turned her head and saw that it was Bofur.

"The Lad misses you." He said in his Irish accent.

Mariah leaned over and saw Kili had a pout on his face. His brown eyes were full on puppy mode. Rolling her eyes, she looked back up to Bofur.

"He needs to have space from me as I do from him. We are always at one another's side. I don't want to suffocate him and it feels like I am." She sighed out. "I just want to take care of him, but he won't let me."

"He's a dwarf male." Bofur said, taking a seat next to her. "Our pride and stubbornness are what will be the death of us."

Mariah let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, it will. You're fighters and I look up to that."

He nudged her arm with his fist. "You got some dwarf in you too. There is a fire in your eyes that the lads and Thorin like."

"So you're marrying him, right?" Alexis butted in. "He's a prince so that'll make you a princess. You'll have money…" She leaned over to look behind her sister.

Mariah turned and spotted that she was looking at Fili. "What? You want some of that?" She asked.

"He's next in line. He has money. He's one of the dwarfs I can put up with." Mariah's sister went on. "I'll just put a bag over his head and call it good. I'll draw Legolas's face on the bag too."

"I heard that." Fili said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Maybe I'll just put a bag over your head instead."

"I'm glad your ears are working. Listen, Dwarf. I'll be the one wearing the pants in this relationship." Alexis teased back. "I'll be wearing a strapon if we decide to do it."

Mariah plugged her ears. "Oh, please! I do not want to hear this."

"If you're nice enough, I'll get one that vibrates."

"What's a strapon?" Fili asked, not knowing what this weird word was.

"Ask Mariah. I'm sure she'll love to tell you." Alexis spoke with a mischievous look in her eye.

Mariah could heard everything still, even when she plugged her ears. "No, I will not!"

"Well, Google it."

"That doesn't even exist!" Mariah sighed out loudly.

"I know."

The company left to go get the weapons. Mariah and Alexis were on the steps, handing down each weapon down the stairs, so the job could be done faster. Kili's leg became a problem for him. He tripped, thus making the weapons fall from his arms. It alerted the guards, bringing the company out of the armory and into town. They were to speak with the mayor of Lake Town. Again, they were prisoners.

"See, if we would have just cut the fuckin' leg off-…" Alexis began to say.

Mariah sighed and frowned at her sister. "I get it."

Would life be this way, always, with Kili? Would their children be safe from the recklessness and evil that corrupted this world? How many times has Bilbo saved the company? Mariah hated that she was thinking negative thoughts about life with him. She couldn't help but wonder if this is the life she wanted.

A/N: Well, this was a fun chapter to write. I hope you enjoyed this. Let me know what you thought of it! :)