Hey hey everybody! So I'm a bit nervous about this chapter as the two new characters are essential for this story, so PLEASE accept them! Besides they're not focused on enough in LOTR so I thought I'd give them a bit of book time :)

Special mention to DarylDixon'sgirl1985, PopsShows23, Mira Meliandra, Lakota1172, Ozlex, Bluestarshine, Syblime, Aranel Mereneth, GregsMadHatter, 123petmaster, MotherMountain, SelkieShore and all the guests for all their wonderful reviews! You guys have definitely made this story worthwhile writing! Hopefully I don't disappoint with the remaining chapters!

I realise I probably should have written this on all the chapters so will go add it to them now: as much as it breaks my heart I do not own the writings or the characters of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, they are the wonderful and exclusive workings of J.R.R Tolkien.

The music for this chapter, the extended track of Mirkwood from the DOS soundtrack (yup I know, still haven't managed to move away from it...)

Enjoy!

Fíli slipped out the tunnel and ran towards a small clearing of trees that would allow him to follow the path from the town safely without being spotted. As soon as he reached the clearing he couldn't help but sink to his knees and cry. Drégo had spoken the truth, everything he thought he had known, and everything he had believed, had all been a lie.

And what would a five-year old dwarfling know about surviving in the wilds? Fíli knew he'd be lucky to survive a few days but there were always carts coming and going from the town, maybe he could find someone to take him in, someone who might eventually, truly love him.

With that in mind, Fíli, son of Dís, daughter of Thraín turned his back on his home for the last time and headed away from Ered Luin.

Fíli hadn't been walking for very long; he'd re-joined the path at this stage as it was more comfortable to walk on in bare feet, tears still falling down his face accompanied by the occasional sob when he heard voices arguing up ahead. Fíli looked from side to side before dashing off the path to his left to allow these people to pass.

"I still don't understand why we're here Elladan. I know Ada is all about trying to make peace with the dwarves, but he sent us specifically to Ered Luin first? Home of Thorin Oakenshield: the-dwarf-who-hates-elves-with-a-passion Thorin Oakenshield? What prank was it that we pulled that he would want us killed for?!" Said one of the voices that was getting closer to Fíli.

"Elrohir, this isn't a death sentence! So quit making it sound so! I agree this is a hopeless task, but we have to try, perhaps he will be more forgiving when he learns that we are not from the Woodland Realm. And if we cannot convince him, perhaps one of his closer advisors who will take our peace offering more seriously can be a bird in his ear to convince him not all elves betrayed him. Besides, you can't tell me you would rather be at home right now, not after our last stunt; I wouldn't be surprised if Ada IS hoping to see us beaten half to death."

There was laughter following this last comment before it was cut short when they heard muffled sobbing in the forest.

Whilst Fíli had waited for the two men to pass he couldn't help feeling alone and unloved in this huge area, with no-one there to kiss him goodnight or offer him a loving smile and these thoughts caused him to cry again. He'd tried his best to muffle it but it attracted the attention of the men anyway.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other in puzzlement then back towards the bush.

"Hello there? Are you alright?" Elrohir asked gently. He walked towards the bush only to jump back in surprise when a small child with golden hair dashed forwards and away from them, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other in bewilderment, then at the child before dashing after it. "Wait! Come back!" They yelled.

Longer legs are always an advantage in a chase, as are eyes not swimming in tears that blur your vision. Elladan and Elrohir gained on Fíli easily, and in fact they had to leap over him when he went sprawling as he missed seeing the tree root in the path due to his blurry vision. Elladan and Elrohir wheeled around and crouched next to the dwarfling who was yet to move.

"Are you ok little one?" Elladan asked, tentatively reaching out to touch the dwarflings' shoulder. Fíli lurched backwards into a sitting position at the contact and looked at Elladan and Elrohir in fear.

Fíli looked the two men over then realised in surprise that 'men' wasn't right. "Are you ewves?" He asked sounding surprised but looking terrified at the same time.

"Yes mellon-nín, we are. Tell us, why do you run? And not in the direction of your home either. Are you in trouble or do you run in fear? Someone is going to miss you soon." Elladan asked kindly, offering a hand to the dwarfling to help him stand.

Once Fíli was standing he shook his head "M'not in twouble. And nobody wiwll miss me, I wants to find a new home, not here, nobody wants me anymowe." Misery coloured his tone and neither elf missed it. Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, then to the dwarfling that was staring at the ground, scuffing his foot slightly.

"What is your name?" Elrohir asked, looking at the dwarfling curiously, an unwanted dwarfling was news to him and Elladan, they had always been told that dwarves look after their own no matter what, so why would this one be treated any different?

"Fíli" Fíli said quietly, still not meeting either elf's eye. He'd always been told that elves were a horrid race, that they were the reason Thorin had been forced to find his people a new home after Erebor. Thorin Fíli remembered; well if Thorin had lied about loving Fíli, maybe he had lied about how bad elves really were. With that thought Fíli looked at both elves and asked quietly "who're you?"

"I am Elladan, son of Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and this is my twin brother, Elrohir." Both elves bowed to Fíli and upon straightening they discovered Fíli had taken off down the road again, the sound of crying floating back to their sharp ears.

The twins looked at each other "let's follow him and see where he goes" Elrohir thought

"Aye, let's let him stop himself, clearly something is upsetting him and I feel uncomfortable leaving him alone out here. Besides, he's heading for our campsite, perhaps we can convince him to stay with us a while." Elladan thought in reply to his brother. And so Elladan and Elrohir took after the dwarfling, not wanting to lose him to sinking sun.

"Fíli! For Mahal's sake! Where are you? This is no longer funny it's time for us to go! What do you think Thorin will say if I tell him you decided to run off for a bit and had me worrying?" Fréya yelled desperately. She had been talking to her friend for about 10 minutes, and had then gone to pick some of the nicest flowers there that her friend was showing her a bit further along. It was only when she went to show Fíli the flowers they would take to Dís the next day that she noticed Fíli's absence, that in itself was half an hour ago.

Fréya spotted her friend in the tree's further down, for she was searching for the missing dwarfling also. "Anything?!" she yelled, panic tinging her voice.

"Nothing! I'm sorry Fréya, it's like he's vanished into thin air!" Was the reply that floated through the orchard.

Fréya grasped at her hair in horror. Where could Fíli have gotten to in 40 minutes? And why would he just run off? He'd never done something like this to her before!

"Who has vanished into thin air?" Asked a voice behind Fréya making her jump in fright and spin around.

"Balin!" Fréya yelped, grasping at her chest to try and slow her breathing.

Balin looked at her apologetically before repeating his question "Who has vanished into thin air Fréya?"

Fréya looked at Balin uncertainly, not sure whether she should tell him about Fíli's disappearing trick or try to brush him off and handle her search alone. She decided that having an extra, more experienced set of eyes wouldn't hurt. "It's Fíli, master Balin. We stopped to pick flowers for him to give to Dís, however when I wasn't looking he gave me the slip, and he isn't responding to any of my calls. I'm worried Balin, I keep thinking something's happened to him."

Balin frowned in concern; he knew Fíli wouldn't disappear without a good reason. "How long has he been missing? Perhaps he is just playing hide-and-seek? Or does he know Dís has gone into labour?"

Fréya shook her head before pausing in surprise "How did you know of Dís? And no, it's not a game of hide-and-seek although I wish it was, he's been gone for just under an hour, and Fíli is yet to know of the arrival of his sibling, Thorin asked that we keep him oblivious until the baby is here." Fréya sunk to her knees and clutched at her head, she just couldn't shake the bad feeling that the reason Fíli wasn't responding was because something had happened to her little shining light.

Balin clasped the dwarrowdams shoulder gently "go to his home Fréya and wait for him there. Perhaps he's already there, or he will turn up there soon enough when it's dinner time. I will go around town and have a look for him before heading to the Healing House. If you wish it, I will tell Thorin that Fíli has, er, wandered off."

Fréya peered up at Balin "thank you, master Balin, you have no idea how much I appreciate your help. But please do not tell Thorin, he has enough to worry about right now without my misplacement of one dwarfling" Fréya let out a small chuckle. "You are probably right as usual anyway; if he's not home already his stomach will drag him there. If I find him I'll be sure to let you know." She took the hand that Balin offered to her and stood up, then went to her friend to tell her to stop looking and headed off in the direction of Fíli's home, praying that it would be occupied by a certain dwarfling when she got there.

"Please Fíli, be there when I arrive." Fréya thought to herself desperately.