Gaias and Thorins eyes met for a brief moment before Gaia turned on her heels and pulled her cloak over her head. Bilbo was the one who rushed after the woman and caught up with her at the head of the column. As he called her name Gaia turned around, but the icy look in her eyes made Bilbo stop in his tracks.

'Go back to your king, burglar.' Gaia sneered and left a petrified hobbit behind.

Bilbo was still standing there and looked after her as Thorin arrived at his side.

'What is it? You look as of you have just seen a balrog.' Thorin frowned at his friend.

'She...she has changed.' Bilbo stammered. Gaia had always scolded Thorin for not using his name when he adressed Bilbo. And now she had called him burglar. It was as if she and Thorin had changed souls. Before the quest Gaia had been his friend while Thorin had done his best to ignore him. Now it was the other way around. The look in Gaias eyes as she had looked at him had scared Bilbo the most. Gaia was not the friend he knew anymore.

'You should not have told them who you are.' Gaia told Thorin after he had revealed to the people of Laketown who he was. 'You gave them hope. False hope. What if we cannot defeat Smaug? What if he takes revenge on these innocent people?'

'We will kill the dragon. And we will reclaim Erebor.' Thorin insisted. 'Are you doubting me?'

'I do not doubt you.' Gaia stated softly. Thorins ego had been pushed by the reaction of the people of Laketown. All he had ever dreamed of had come true. He was acknowledged as king and his journey as a prince in asylum was over. All of Laketown was celebrating, but Gaia could not. At least not yet.

The company enjoyed the feast and especially the wine and brandy. Gaia began feeling dizzy and retreated to her room. She could feel Thorins eyes on her back and she turned around to look into his burning gaze. Since Mirkwood Thorin and Gaia had gotten close, but the presence of the company had prevented them from deepening their relationship. Gaia longed for Thorin and she knew that he wanted her, too. They were not courting yet and getting intimate would be wrong, but Gaias words clouded both their minds. What if the quest would go wrong? What if Smaug would kill them all? This last evening in Laketown gave them the chance to be together without the others interfering. Gaia shook her head to clear her mind, the alcohol had clouded her reason and she scolded herself for drinking that much. She could hear heavy steps behind her and knew that Thorin was following her. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and Gaia smiled, pushing all her doubts away.

Gaia woke up from her daydream as she saw the Lonely Mountain rising in front of them. They had traveled for weeks without encountering any more orcs. And they had almost reached Erebor. Gaia had watched Thorin and Bilbo and had pushed Thorin away everytime he tried to speak to her. She felt more lost every day. One day, a week before they would reach Erebor, she decided to speak to to Dwalin.

'I already wondered when ya would show up. I told Thorin that ya would come when ya were ready.' the bald dwarf frowned at Gaia. 'It took ya longer than I had expected.'

Gaia lowered her gaze and sighed. She did not know how to start. 'I missed you all. Very much.'

'We missed ya, too.' Dwalin stated, but he was interrupted by Gaias snort.

'You travelled through half of Middle Earth to get your precious burglar back. None of you searched for me.' Gaia stated bitterly. 'Thorin asked for the halfling as he woke from his fever after the Battle od the Five Armies. Not for me. And you are honestly saying that he missed me?'

Dwalin understood. He was not married, nor had he ever had a relationship to a woman. His first duty had always been Thorin and the royal family. But he knew which feelings could destroy people. Feelings such as grief, hatred and jealousy. He could see all of these emotions in Gaias eyes. He stopped walking and grabbed Gaias shoulders.

'Thorin loves ya. But he knows that there is no excuse for the way he treated ya. Even after he had banished ya for no reason ya stayed loyal to him. He punishes himself in forcing himself to live without ya.' Dwalin tried to explain.

'He punishes himself? He came for the halfling and he seems happy with the halfling.' Gaia shook her head. 'I will not stand in their way.'

'Ya're mad if ya think for one minute that there is more than friendship between Thorin and Bilbo.' Dwalin looked at Gaia in astonishement. 'What happened to ya?'

Gaia could not answer Dwalins question, for she did not know what had happened to her either. She wanted to believe Dwalin, she wanted to believe that Thorin still loved her, but she could not.

'If Thorin loved me then he would have asked for me on his deathbed and he would have come for me. But he did not.' Gaia answered. 'I have fought his madness and I have fought for him in battle. But I cannot fight anymore.'

'If ya would love him ya would be with him now instead of hiding behind the halfling.' Dwalin growled. 'This goes both ways. I already thought that Thorin was a fool, but ya're no better.'

With these words Dwalin stormed away and left Gaia behind. The female ranger was stunned, but soon a smile graced her lips. She had needed this verbal kick.

They reached Erebor three weeks before Durins Day. Thorin could not believe that almost one year had passed already. One year ago Thorin and Gaia had been in love and happy. Happy, despite of all the perils they had to face. Now Thorin had his mountain back, as well as his crown, but he had lost Gaia. Dwalin had told him why Gaia kept her distance. Bilbo had tried to talk to Gaia, but she had only glared daggers at him and had walked away.

'You are not only punishing yourself, Thorin. You are punishing her as well.' Bilbo had snarled at him one day ago. 'You may feel that you do not deserve her, but she still loves you. You must be blind if you do not see it!'

Dis and Dwalin both tried to talk some sense into the king, but Thorin was lost. As lost as Gaia was.