Aaand here we go again!

Kuramalover86: Don't worry, I won't take the baby away. I'm mean but not that mean, and after all this time, I guess our couple deserves a little happy ending :D

kaia: Yeah, the fatigue was a little hint at the beginning :D Hmm, boy or girl? One or more? It will be answered in this chapter :D

MizunoOujo.1967: Well, at that point they have already been married for about five years, so they had some time to adjust to being husband and wife :D I'm glad you're happy for them :)

CordeliaWho: Yeah, Baby Mama is in da house :D The half-breed thing will be mentioned in this chapter, we'll see how that gets dealt with. I hope you'll like it :)

Thanks to TerraMacMillan, TheEarthSong, Borys68, kblatz, EquusGold, Teshka, Eruwaedhiel95, Mhunter, blaahlbaahblaah, MaxRideandPercyJackson4ever and randomkitty101 for your lovely reviews! I'm glad you were all so happy with the last chapter! :D

Thanks as always to the followers and favouriters!

Now, as far as I'm concerned, there are two chapters left for this story. Just telling you so you know and can prepare yourself for the grand finale :D

But for now, go ahead and read and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you!

It was a cold day several months later that Tarya was sitting by the fireplace in her chambers, a blanket spread over her swollen belly and a book in her lap. Autumn had ended and it was the beginning of winter now, its harsh cold winds colliding with the thick walls of the mountain. Tarya had come in from outside only a few minutes ago, having taken a stroll along Erebor's walls to get some fresh air. It wouldn't be long now until the first snow would fall, Tarya thought, recalling the familiar unique scent she had smelled in the air around her.

One of her hands stroked absentmindedly over her stomach as she stared at the object in her lap with a small crease between her eyebrows. The book was closed and instead of reading it, Tarya used it as a component for a piece of parchment that she was writing on. Or that she had been writing on until now that she was rereading her words, frowning down at them unhappily before she crumpled up the parchment into a small ball with a frustrated sigh, tossing it into the nearby flames.

"What was that?"

Tarya jumped slightly in her seat as she quickly turned her head, seeing Kili standing by the door and giving her a slightly confused and questioning look.

"Nothing," the Amarok muttered with a small glance to the fireplace before she turned back and shot the brunet dwarf a small smile. "Just some unimportant scribbling."

Kili furrowed his brows slightly, obviously not entirely convinced by what she was saying but Tarya just kept her smile on her face until he shrugged slightly and walked over to her, sitting down on the armrest of the chair she was lounging in.

"How was your walk? You were gone for a while," Kili inquired, his arm coming to rest on the back of the chair as he looked down at her curiously.

"It was nice to get some fresh air," she answered. "I could smell the snow in the wind, it won't be long until the first flakes fall from the sky. I wish I could have gone further but I tired rather quickly today…"

Kili just hummed his understanding before he reached out his hand and put it gently on Tarya's belly, his thumb stroking over the fabric of her dress softly. The Amarok had finally come to see that dresses offered some advantages after all, being much more comfortable around her growing form than breeches and tunics. Although she still sometimes borrowed one of Kili's tunics when the mood struck her, his still being large enough for her to fit in them comfortably. She was ripped out of her thoughts when the brunet dwarf leaned down and pressed a small kiss to the top of her head.

"It'll be best if you take the remainder of the day to rest a bit then," he said calmly. "I need to meet Gloìn in the forges but I'll gladly keep you company afterwards."

A small smile appeared on Tarya's lips as she looked up at the dwarf beside her and shot him a pretend doubtful look. "Now why would I wish for your company?"

Kili merely raised an eyebrow at her, a small smirk spreading on his face as he answered. "I could sneak into the kitchens on my way back and snatch some honey rolls for you," he said and Tarya's smile widened because he knew that they were her favourites. She playfully batted her eyelashes at him.

"My, Kili," she sighed with a grin. "I think I've just fallen even more in love with you."

"I should hope so," the brunet replied haughtily. "There aren't many men after all who would expose their limbs to being smacked with Delifra's wooden spoons simply to bring their beloved some sweets. Some people would call it an act of heroism. Really, Tarya, I'm surprised you are not swooning at my fe– ahh!"

Tarya didn't even hesitate to push him off the armrest and Kili made a funny little shrieking noise as his arms wailed through the air before his bottom connected with the floor with a dull thump. Tarya chuckled quietly to herself when he sat up and his face appeared next to the chair, his chin level with the armrest and the rest of his body hidden from her sight.

"How rude," he uttered indignantly. Tarya merely shot him an innocent look.

"Oh, you really ought to be more careful, my love. I'll soon have to find myself some other mighty and brave hero to get me some honey rolls if you keep losing your balance like that. Really, Kili, I'm surprised you –"

"You pushed me!"

"I did no such thing."

Kili narrowed his eyes at her slightly and Tarya returned his gaze calmly, relishing in the cheerful twinkle she could see in his warm brown orbs. "Did too," he retorted and pointed one finger at her swollen belly. "And I have a witness."

"I somehow doubt that your witness will have to say much about this matter for a few months yet," Tarya answered and Kili smiled, his hand now coming to rest gently on her belly.

"I'm looking forward to it," he muttered almost as if to himself and Tarya merely smiled warmly. Kili was silent for a moment, merely stroking his hand softly over her stomach before he finally spoke up again quietly. "Have you given any more thought to the matter of names?"

For a long time, Tarya hadn't really been able to grasp the fact that she was truly pregnant. For the past years, she had not dared to hope that such a thing was at all possible and neither had Kili. They had never really spoken about it again after that night in their chambers but Tarya knew that the news of not being able to become a father had hurt Kili deeply and he hadn't wanted to cultivate hope where there was none.

It wasn't until her belly had started to swell a few months into her pregnancy that realisation truly sunk into Tarya's mind. There had been many times that she had been unsure how to feel about it, as many things that she experienced throughout her pregnancy had not been things that she had been prepared for, such as what Dis had explained to her at some point early on was 'morning sickness'. Additionally, she had no real clue as to how pregnancies worked with Amarok that were not in their wolf forms. There had been many times that she had discussed these things with Oìn, knowing that the gestation period of wolves lasted only but about two months, whereas dwarven pregnancies took much more time. However, it became quite clear after the first two months that Tarya's particular case wouldn't follow the rules of her animal heritage. The healer had estimated that the child would be born in late spring and Tarya was slightly nervous but incredibly anticipating the moment as there were only a few months left now. And it was only now that she felt this certain sense of security in her pregnancy that she was allowing herself to discuss names with Kili, even if he had started mentioning the topic much earlier already.

"I told you that in Amarok culture the father choses the name of the child," she finally answered him quietly but Kili just huffed slightly in reply.

"I know that. But I'm not an Amarok and I would like to hear your opinions," he said, looking up at her. "You said the other night that you liked Ovina for a girl, what do you think of Forran for a boy?"

Tarya slightly scrunched up her nose, causing Kili to smile. "I take it that's a no on Forran," he chuckled and there was a moment of silence between them before Tarya spoke up quietly again, shrugging slightly to cover her uncertainty of the subject.

"I rather like Tìr," she uttered and Kili raised his eyebrows slightly, prompting her to elaborate. "It's a wolfish name, I suppose. It means peacemaker."

The Amarok watched as a broad smile came to play on Kili's face as he looked at her and it was now her turn to raise her eyebrows at him questioningly. "Tìr means arrow in dwarvish," he said and Tarya's eyes widened slightly as she realized it as well. Her cheeks flushed lightly as she shook her head but Kili grabbed her hand, causing her to look at him in surprise as his smile broadened. "No, it's perfect. Ovina, the luck-bearer or Tìr, the peacemaker."

Tarya just nodded with a warm smile, feeling the baby kick within her belly as she contemplated the names they had chosen. Kili lingered with her for another while until he really had to hurry, leaving Tarya with her thoughts. She stayed in her seat by the fireplace for the whole evening, a place where she'd often be sitting for the next weeks in which winter came over the lands, covering the mountain and its outskirts in snow. Even though the Amarok missed the outside often, it was only occasionally that she found enough energy within her to go on longer walks in the cold. Kili only seldom found time to accompany her, though Tarya didn't mind much, for it gave her time to reflect on her own thoughts for a while and relax as she let nature soothe her.

It was on a day like that, when she was trudging through the snow outside Erebor, inhaling the cold air deeply that she halted to sit down on a small boulder along the way, brushing the snow from its surface before she did. She had managed to go a considerably longer distance than the last few times she had been out and therefore had tired slightly by now, though she was feeling quite proud of herself. Her gloved hands joined in her lap as she took a deep breath and looked out over the lands before her, fields and trees covered with white. It brought a smile to her lips, and she let her eyes roam over the distant outline of Dale for a moment before she suddenly caught some movement a little distance away out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze flicked towards the edge of the forest that was not far away, further down the mountainside and adorning one side of the River Running. The Amarok frowned slightly as there was nothing there and for a moment, she wondered whether she had simply imagined it.

But then she saw it, a patch of light brown among the white of the snow-covered bushes. Tarya narrowed her eyes as she focused her gaze on it but it was too far away for her to know for sure what it was. That was until it moved from its hiding place and Tarya's eyes widened at the sight of a large wolf with sandy brown fur as it trotted out, leaving large footprints in the snow beneath it as it slowly came closer.

Tarya stood up unconsciously, staring at the animal as its gaze held hers, following each and every of her movements as it made its way towards her, only stopping when it was a mere fifty metres away. The Amarok watched as the wolf inclined its head slightly, sniffing the air as if to check whether the coast was clear.

"It cannot be…" Tarya breathed, her voice being carried away by the cold wind around her. The wolf perked its ears up as she addressed it in their shared language. "Brói ùlfur."

Tarya watched with an excited flutter in her chest as the wolf slowly trudged closer then, trailing its large paws through the snow. A low howl echoed through the air as it raised its head and Tarya pressed her lips together, one hand coming to rest on her swollen belly that was covered warmly in her coat. The brown wolf's eyes wandered to where her hand lay, its eyes warm and kind as another howl escaped its throat and Tarya smiled warmly as she listened to it.

"Tarya!" another voice suddenly called from behind her and the Amarok only had a short moment to see the wolf's demeanour change as the animal bared its fangs at the person who was running through the snow to reach her. Tarya turned her head, only to see Borin trudging clumsily through the snow, sword drawn and raised in the air. "Watch out!"

"Borin, no!" Tarya called as he reached her and made to move past her towards the wolf, sword raised offensively toward the brown creature. She quickly reached her arms out and held her friend back, her gaze flicking to the wolf that had retreated several steps, head held low and fangs bared with a deep growl. "It's fine!"

"Are you insane?" Borin retorted, pointing his weapon at the brown wolf opposite them. "It's going to kill you!"

"No, Borin, listen to me!" she urged him, pulling on his arm to get his focus away from the wolf and back to her. Borin looked at her reluctantly. "She won't hurt me and neither will she harm you as long as you stop threatening her. She... she's like me."

Borin merely shot her a confused look, though he lowered his sword slightly. Tarya's gaze flicked back to the wolf that now slowly gave up its defensive stance. "An Amarok," she clarified with a smile as Borin's eyes widened with realization. "She… They… She's a messenger."

"What's the message?" Borin asked carefully, keeping one eye on the brown wolf that stood several metres away. Tarya just shook her head with a smile, her attention focused on the wolf as it made a low noise once more that was carried toward her by the wind before it turned and slowly made its way back to the edge of the forest. Tarya didn't answer Borin's question until she saw the brown fur disappear within the snow-covered bushes. "Tarya? What… what message did she bring?"

"A blessing," was all that Tarya said in reply, the hand on her stomach stroking gently over the fabric of her coat. "And a promise."

As spring came, Kili grew more and more antsy with every day. Oìn kept reminding him that the baby probably wouldn't be born until late in the season but there was nothing the prince could do to help his growing anticipation. He couldn't wait for it to finally happen, to hold his child in his arms for the first time, and most of his time was consumed with thoughts about his unborn child even when he was in council, causing his attention to stray from the topics at hand quite often. Whenever he was next to Tarya, he often found himself with one of his hands unconsciously placed protectively on or near her round belly and whenever she noticed it, the Amarok would lay her hand on top of his and squeeze it reassuringly.

That was what she did now that they were standing in the throne hall next to the king's throne that Fili was sitting on. Kili's hand had found its place on her waist, holding her lightly to his side as the doors opened. As it had turned out, the rumours about Dain's nieces wishing to visit Erebor in spring had been true and the dwarf lord had travelled from the Iron Hills with the two of them. Kili wasn't quite sure what their names were, although he was certain that they had come up at some point during a discussion in the council.

He refocused his attention on the present as Dain walked into the hall, followed by two dwarrowdams in flowing dresses. Kili had never met Dain's nieces before but he had to admit that they looked rather pretty, one of them with long blond hair that was braided intricately and the other with auburn coloured hair done up in a heavy-looking bun.

"Greetings, my king," Dain greeted with a smile as he reached them, sparing a short look toward Kili and Tarya. "Your highnesses. I am glad to see you all in good health and spirits!"

"I can say the same for you and your family, Dain," answered Fili after he'd greeted the dwarf properly. "After your long journey, I am sure your nieces and yourself would like to freshen up and unpack whatever baggage you brought for the coming week."

Dain simply nodded and Fili continued swiftly, a polite smile plastered on his face the whole time. "Your nieces may follow Borin," he said, pointing to the young dwarf standing only a few metres away clad in his King's Guard uniform. "He is one of my most trusted guards and he'll gladly show them to their assigned chambers. As for yourself, milord, you may follow Nòll, he'll show you the way."

It was with a smile that Dain departed from the hall and when there was no one left in the room apart from Kili and Tarya, Fili slumped back into his throne, releasing a deep sigh.

"It's going to be a long week."

"Don't be so negative," Tarya uttered reassuringly as she and Kili walked over to the blond dwarf. "The first five minutes went rather well, I'm sure the week will be over before you know it."

Fili shot her a doubtful look. "Since when are you so happy that Dain's here?"

The Amarok rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not happy he's here, Mahal knows we're not exactly the best of friends. I'm simply trying to make the best of it and not rush into this visit with any old grudges I might have."

"And that's why Ma says you're the wise one out of the three of us," Kili muttered with a small smile as he pressed a short kiss to his wife's temple. Tarya merely nudged him slightly in the ribs. "You're right, the first five minutes went rather well, let's just hope that it will stay this way for the rest of the week."

If you were to ask Kili, he seriously doubted that Dain could keep up his polite demeanour for long. The way he had come to know the old dwarf lord over the years had taught him that Dain could only keep his opinions to himself for so long, and that eventually he would speak his mind, however rude or ignorant he might seem to others. Tarya had experienced it personally, and Kili only hoped that something like this wouldn't happen again. He wasn't sure that this time he wouldn't actually punch Dain in the face if he were to insult or hurt his pregnant wife.

However, contrary to Kili's thoughts, Dain's visit proved to be a rather pleasant one at first. Both his nieces, Nirvi and Dinnoa, were very nice young women and though Fili had no interest whatsoever in either of them, they didn't seem to mind or be pushy in any way when they noticed and instead simply enjoyed the pleasures that Erebor offered. In council, Dain proved to be reasonable and open to the suggestions of trade and alliances that Fili proposed to him and even in the evenings, at supper, he and his nieces conversed pleasantly with everyone else.

"So, you truly battled trolls? Real ones? How big were they?" Nirvi asked, her voice wondrous and her eyes big and curious as she looked at Tarya. They were sitting at the supper table on the penultimate day of Dain's weeklong visit, enjoying the dishes that the kitchen staff had cooked up and Kili had been listening in to the conversation the young dwarrowdam was having with his wife for a while now. Nirvi had kept pestering Tarya with questions for at least the past half hour and though the Amarok answered each and every one with a smile, Kili could see that she was slowly getting tired of the continuous curiosity of her opposite.

"Oh, they were huge, and very ugly. But to be quite honest with you, I didn't do much… It was mostly Bilbo who did the work," Tarya answered, and Kili shot her a small look upon hearing the strange tone her voice suddenly adopted as she uttered the hobbit's name. "He played for time. Told them that the dwarves all had worms in their tubes."

She chuckled quietly at Nirvi's horrified look and as Kili cleared his throat at the memory, he felt her nudge her elbow into his ribs with a grin. "If I remember correctly, Kili here claimed to have the biggest parasites of them all. Huge, I think you said they were."

"I would have said many things if it meant I wouldn't get roasted and eaten by those ugly half-wits," Kili said with a shrug and an easy smile towards Nirvi before he took a sip of his ale. "And believe me, Tarya did what she could to help. I remember quite well how you jumped between Bilbo and one of the trolls when he tried to grab him. Actually, I think that was the first time that I actually saw your more threatening side."

"Her threatening side?" Dinnoa now chimed in from where she was sitting next to Dain and Kili shot her a short look across the table as he nodded.

"Aye, she buried her fangs right in one of the troll's hands so it would keep it off her friend. You see, she was still a wolf at the time," he explained with a small shrug and smiled at the wide-eyed look the dwarrowdam sent towards the Amarok next to him. It was at that moment, however, that Kili heard Dain mutter something under his breath. He slightly narrowed his eyes at the older dwarf as he caught his gaze.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," Dain uttered a bit louder then, returning the brunet's gaze evenly. "Might as well have stayed that way."

As if on cue, conversation around the table quieted down somewhat as most concentrated their attention on Dain's comment, disapproving frowns and confused stares along the line. Kili saw Tarya stiffen in her seat out of the corner of his eye.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Dwalin growled from a few seats down the table, shooting the dwarf lord a dark look. Dain cleared his throat slightly, rearranging the fork that was placed next to his plate.

"I'm merely thinking that some things would have been much easier if our dear princess would never have transformed, is all." He said it with such seemingly unimportant casualness that Kili felt the muscle in his jaw twitch as he clenched his teeth together. He had known that this visit would end in some sort of argument.

"Be that as it may, we now all must deal with the consequences," Dain continued and before Kili could get a word in, the lord made a small movement with his right hand, gesturing vaguely toward Tarya's round stomach. "One of which is indeed quite obvious."

Kili felt his fists clench in anger as he leaned forward to address the dwarf lord and quite possibly start a fight when he suddenly felt a hand wrap around his forearm, holding him in place as he whipped his head around to look at Tarya who was in turn staring at Dain. The brunet prince's face twisted in confusion at her reaction while Dain took this moment to continue proclaiming his opinion of the Amarok.

"With all due respect," he said. "I can hardly see a half-breed –"

"Uncle!" Dinnoa tried to appease the situation, shooting Dain a scolding look, but the dwarf lord talked over her easily.

" – becoming the heir of Erebor. It is utterly ridiculous. Our folk will not accept a child like this as their leader in a thousand years. It's an abomi-"

"You'd do better to guard your tongue!" Kili interrupted with a growl and made to stand up once more but again, Tarya's hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks. He shot her an agitated look but she only spared him a short glance in return, her eyes calm as she addressed him and the rest of the table quietly, yet sternly.

"Let him talk," she said and though Kili struggled with restraining himself for a moment, he listened to her and reluctantly sat back down, his eyes dark with anger as he stared at the old dwarf opposite him, his fists clenched and Tarya's hand still lying on his forearm, for she most likely knew how hard it was for him not to do anything rash.

Dain shot the Amarok a small look, obviously rather confused by her allowing him to continue his attack on her without so much as a word of protest. "What's more," he took back up then, "is that there are wolves roaming around this mountain. No doubt due to your presence here. Don't try and deny it, we've seen it on our way here. Large beasts, lingering in the shadows of the forest, it will only be a matter of time until some poor dwarf gets slaughtered by these creatures! You should be cast out of this mountain as I suggested years ago, now, before you or your kind can cause any more trouble."

There was a stunned silence over the table for a moment after the dwarf lord had finished, filled with tension and anger upon his words. Kili wanted to jump across the table and take the old dwarf down, feeling rage boiling hot in his stomach at the insults he had thrown at Tarya. But to everyone's surprise, it was the Amarok herself who broke the silence first.

"I had hoped your opinion of me had changed over the past years," she said quietly, her voice carrying a certain disappointment though she looked at the old dwarf with a calm expression on her face. "However, seeing as you are still as ignorant as the first time I have met you, I will do now what I failed to do then. I will speak my mind."

Dain's eyebrows rose slightly as the Amarok's voice grew sharper and Kili couldn't do anything but watch as she stared the old dwarf down. "I will only say this once, so you better listen carefully, Lord Dain. It is true; wolves roam around the outskirts of this mountain. And would you like to know why that is? They are drawn here by the news of one of their own living amongst dwarves. They know that they will not be hunted down or captured here, for I will stand for the protection of my kin as long as I shall live. They come here to give their blessings and to offer protection and allegiance to a child of two races – a half-breed as you would call it – for a time when it might be needed. They bring neither harm nor insult to this kingdom the way you do."

Kili watched as wordlessly as everyone else around the table as Tarya leaned forward in her seat, her golden eyes suddenly beginning to glow with their familiar fierce light as she focused her fiery gaze on Dain. "You have stepped from the path, my lord, this is where the wild things are. You'd do better not to insult this child, for it has not only the protection of wolves but also a whole mountain of dwarves on its side."

As Tarya's eyes shone like glowing ambers, Kili couldn't help the sudden feeling of pride swelling in his chest upon seeing her so protective of their unborn child, facing Dain with the power and strength Kili had always known she possessed. As he turned to see the dwarf lord sitting completely taken aback in his chair, the brunet dwarf placed a supportive hand on the Amarok's shoulder as she let a low but audibly wolfish growl erupt from deep within her throat, showing the dwarf lord exactly what he was dealing with.

"Never, ever, will you speak of my child again the way you just have. Never will you speak to me in such a disrespectful manner or insult my friends and family with your spiteful words. I will not tolerate it," Tarya spoke slowly, her whole demeanour dangerous in a strangely calm way. She didn't do anything to truly attack Dain, yet she was showing him exactly that she could easily tear him apart if she only wanted to. "Are we clear on this matter?"

There was a heavy silence in the room for a few moments after she had finished speaking and as Dain's gaze flicked to Kili, the brunet dwarf merely lifted his eyebrows slightly to show him that he was in complete agreement with his wife. It was another moment before Dain cleared his throat and nodded stiffly, before he stood abruptly and left the dining hall with brisk steps. Dinnoa and Nirvi stared after him for a moment, both with wide eyes and open mouths, before they quickly excused themselves from the table, however not without sending several apologies towards Tarya who merely waved them off dismissively.

It was only when merely the Company and a few members of friends and family were left in the hall that the first bark of laughter echoed over the table. Tarya smiled slightly as Dwalin held his stomach as he laughed, slamming his fist on the table as the others around him joined in.

"You showed him, khael!" he called out loudly, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "That'll teach him! I wager he'll have nightmares of wolves hunting him down for the coming months!"

Kili snorted with a grin at the warrior's statement, throwing his arm around Tarya's shoulders as she just shook her head at her friends who were cheering and recounting their favourite parts of the incident.

"His face when you growled at him!" Bofur exclaimed. "Simply precious. I don't think I'll ever forget that!"

Tarya just threw the hatted dwarf a small grin as she leaned into Kili's side and the brunet prince leaned his head down, his nose grazing her hair as he spoke quietly to her, his lips close to her ear.

"If our child inherits any of your spark, it will definitely have no problem defending itself against any ignorant old dwarfs," he muttered and watched as Tarya just inclined her head slightly, one of her hands coming to rest on her belly. Kili just smiled to himself, squeezing her lightly against his side.

Dain's departure came fast after that evening and though Kili was happy to see him leave, that was not what made this day special in the end.

Standing by the front gate, waving their guests off as they rode into the distance in direction of their home, he suddenly felt Tarya grab a tight hold of his arm as she groaned out in pain.

The morning of that day was the morning that Tarya went into labour.

The night of that day was the night that Tìr was born.