OK. i know it's been a couple of weeks... well i think so anyway. :) but heres the next chapter hope you like it. :)

We stayed in 'Ered Luin', as Jed called it, for 6 months and, in that time, nothing happened. Each day we met new dwarves while walking around the palace or the town area of the city. We became fast friends with Kili and his elder brother, by 5 years, Fili. The two brothers had attempted to pull a small prank on us just a month after we had arrived. By this time, we had known Kili a lot better and had breifly met Fili in passing a few times. I still don't know why they planned on pranking us, but Kili was the one to put a 'spanner in the works' as he tried to stop Fili initiating the prank in the first place. It was Nori, the sneaky 'dwarf' that he is, was the one to tell us of the joking nature of the two brothers and I sought them out, finding them in the courtyard that we had visited on the second day we had been here.

As soon as I came into view, both Fili and Kili looked up at me and immediately stopped their conversation mid-sentence. Narrowing my eyes at the pair, I proceeded to walk towards them and sit down on the edge of the bench they were both sat on.

"So.. I hear you tried to play a prank on me and Peeta?" I said casually. Not looking at the two brothers but I knew that they were looking at me with matching shocked expressions. "Anything to say on the subject?" I cocked a brow, even though they couldn't see my face as I was facing away, playing with a flower on a bush that was growing to my side.

"I... Err... We didn't... How?" Kili stuttered out from behind me.

"I have my sources. So nothing to say?" I replied, turning to face them both and found that Kili looked ashamed of the prank that had almost happened whereas Fili was looking directly at me, eyes narrowed. I smirked back at him and looked at Kili. "No? Oh well." I slipped off the bench but turned and bent to whisper in Kili's ear, leaning my hands on his thighs. I turned my head towards his and pressed my lips to the skin below his ear. I felt him quiver as I did so and smirked, flicking my eyes over to Fili who was still looking at me, eyebrow cocked in amusement as he shook his head at me. I pulled away, turned, and walked away, containing the laughter that threatened to burst from me.

After that, myself, Peeta, Fili and Kili spent a lot of time 'hanging out' in town, hunting, practicing our skills (archery in mine and Kili's case, Peeta and Fili were more individual in their skills, Peeta being handy with the heavier weapons and Fili being better with the twin swords he had been gifted with years before). Thorin still watched us vigilantly, always watching over the training sessions the four of us would attend, closely watching mine and Peeta's training, occasionally looking around to talk to the dwarf who had been introduced to us as Dwalin, who turned, everytime Thorin whispered to him, and said something to the other dwarf behind him who ran from the area, presumably to tell another dwarf about what Thorin had said in the first place.

Half way through one of the many practice sessions me and Kili participated in, Thorin walked into the arena we had our targets set up in and whispered something in Kili's ear. Kili then proceeded to bow lowly to me and walk away, leaving me in the company of Thorin and Dwalin who was stood by the archway, that lead to the streets.

"My Lord." I faced Thorin and bowed as I was taught to do via Kili during the previous practice session.

Thorin looked shocked that I had changed the way I spoke those words. He quickly regained composure of that thought and his face returned to it's usual look of stone. "Miss Everdeen..."

"Katniss. Please." I responded, cutting him off before he went any further.

"...Katniss. As I'm sure you're aware, I've monitored your practice in this arena. Myself and the other leaders in this department have decided that your skills are exemplary and I am here to present you with a gift." he reached over his shoulder to pull over a bag I had not known he was carrying. He placed the package in my outstretched hands. "Open it." he ordered and I quickly obliged as I reached into the bag and pulled out the most beautiful bow I had ever seen. Dropping the bag on the floor, I held up the bow Thorin had gifted me.

"Wow." I looked back at Thorin who was currently walking away. "Thank you." I called after him. I saw him stop for a second before speaking.

"Your welcome... Katniss." he said before he continued to walk away. I looked back at my bow smiling. He's warming up to me. Finally. I thought as I looked at my new bow. Pulling the string back, Kili walked back through the doors and straight towards me. His eyes widened at the sight of my bow and he smiled at me.

"I received one, similar but very different if you know what to look for, for my 50th birthday." Those last words shocked me out of my thoughts of the bow and I looked directly at him. He seemed to be confused with my reaction.

"You're 50?!" I exclaimed. Who wouldn't after they've just found out that a boy who looks 24 is actually 50. I stepped back a little from him, not letting go of my bow,

"77 actually. Yes I know. I'm young. But, i'm 'talented'." He emphasised the accents around the word 'talented' with the use of his hands. I felt my jaw drop as I looked at him. 77?!

"Very funny Kili. You must be what? 25.. 26 at the oldest.." I turned and pulled an arrow out of the open quiver standing by us. Notching it into the bow and pulling tight.

"Actually..." I got ready to fire straight at the centre of the target we had set up with the bow Thorin had gave me. "He's right Katniss" Stunned, I loosened my hand, letting it drop by my side as the arrow zipped through the air. I didn't get to see where the arrow hit as I turned towards the voice that had just joined us. I found Peeta stood a few feet behind an incredulous Kili.

"You believe him?" I asked Peeta, suddenly angry at this new joke they were playing on me.

"Katniss... Dwarves age differently than we do.." he walked closer to me and Kili as I balanced the bow carefully on the 40 arrows in the quiver. "Kili. I need to talk to Katniss for a while. Do you might if I take her from you?" He said as he passed said dwarf, who, now that I noticed, didn't seem to be as small now as he did when we first met.

"Not at all. I'll just practice on my own. No problem. You go Katniss. I'll have your new bow taken to your room." Kili smiled at me as Peeta slid his hand around my elbow and pulled me away from the practice area and out of the arena itself.

Peeta lead me back through the numerous courtyards of the different practice areas where hundreds of dwarves were convening for a reason I did not know. All I did know was, when I turned to find what all the dwarves were looking at, I found Thorin stood, talking produly to his soldiers. There wasn't time to listen to what he had to say as I was pulled through the crowds and back to the palace where Peeta dragged me through the corridors and back to the room we had occupied for the 6 months we had lived in the Blue Mountains.

I pulled my arm out of Peeta's grip and walked over to the chair in the corner of the room and sat down, focusing my eyes on Peeta who sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Why did you bring me back here Peeta? And what's the deal with Kili? Haaha. 77. Seriously? Does he think i'm completely gullible?" I asked, trying to contain the anger I felt for this situation. I crossed my legs in the chair to be more comfortable.

"Actually Katniss... Dwarves here age differently to us. They live around 2 and a half times as long as the longest living people from districts 1 and 2." he paused and stood. "Kili is very touchy about his age. I pulled you away from Kili then because I think you may have hurt him by thinking he was taking it as a joke." he walked over to me and crouched, rest on the balls of his feet in front of me. "All dwarves are a little touchy when it comes to age. And beards. But that doesn't matter right now. But I must warn you not to take their age as a joke." he stood again, holding his hand out for me to take. I reached out and he pulled me to my feet.

"OK. I won't. I promise. I should, however, go and say sorry to Kili for talking to him that way." I looked down at the floor as I thought of what i'd just done and started for the door.

"Katniss. There was another reason I wanted to talk to you... When we arrived, did you notice how small the others seemed to us?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Yes. Of course. They are dwarves. They were bound to be smaller than us.." I began but was cut off by Peeta speaking.

"And have you noticed recently that they no longer seem to be as small.. the same deal with the buildings." His eyes widened as he spoke and I thought about all the training I had ben to with the brothers and the other dwarves we had been introduced to and realised he was right. My eyes widened as well and I'm sure I matched his expression perfectly.

"I hadn't noticed it until now but yes. You're right Peeta. Do you think they might be growing?" I thought out loud.

"No Katniss. Not all of them. And definately not the buildings. I think we're getting smaller. I think we're becoming dwarves."

There we go guys. :) Chapter 5. Hope you guys liked it. :)

Let me know?

A.x