I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.

Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged! J

As the dwarves and Gandalf watched the elven host ride off with their companions, they cast looks among each other. Gloin muttered something in Khuzdul that was very unflattering about the elves, when a look from Gandalf silenced him. Thorin's face was red, and his hands were balled into fists, knuckles turning white. He turned to Gandalf.

"I told you I would not go near that place, and yet you deliberately lead us right to it!" he growled, glaring at Gandalf in such a way that, if looks could kill, Gandalf would be dead on the spot. Gandalf glared right back. The two of them stood opposite each other, with the company and Bilbo safely backing away, both for fear of being accused of eavesdropping and being too close when the dam finally broke and the wizard turned Thorin into something unnatural.

"The fact of the matter is, Thorin Oakenshield, that we have no choice but to go to Rivendell," Gandalf growled. "We need that map to be read, and Lord Elrond is the only one who can do it! I do not have the skill to find whatever is hidden in that map, or have you forgotten that I told you that back in the Shire?"

"Are you insinuating that my memory is that bad?" Thorin growled back. "I have not forgotten-which is why I distinctly remember that you mentioned nothing about elves when you said it!"

"And what else am I supposed to do? I admit to you that I cannot read the map fully, and yet you dwarves seem to think me as nothing more than some cheap conjurer of tricks, a tool meant solely for the amusement of children! Or, as in the case of the past day and night, someone who should always be around to get you out of the messes you put yourselves in!" Gandalf shouted.

"What do you mean the messes we put ourselves in?" Thorin responded. "If you are speaking of the trolls, I can assure you that it was not us, but rather a certain 'burglar' of ours who not only failed to reacquire our stolen ponies, but got himself caught in the process! Our contract specifically said that we would not be held responsible for injuries he sustains on this quest, including evisceration! I chose to lay down my sword to protect him as a dwarf of honor, though in hindsight maybe I should have let him die with his own mistakes!"

Despite the company moving well enough away from the brewing tempest, it was impossible in those open lands for the two combatants to not be heard. Balin glanced at Bilbo, who looked completely crushed and full of guilt at placing the company in danger simply because he hadn't been paying attention. He saw a slight bit of movement out of the corner of his eye, and noticing Fili fidgeting uneasily and casting glances between Bilbo and Thorin.

XXX

Fili knew full well that the troll incident was not Bilbo's fault at all. He and Kili had been the ones who had left the ponies unattended while they had argued over who would get to visit the bushes first. Fili had insisted that he go first because he was the eldest, whereas Kili had insisted he go first because the last night Fili had gone first. A few minutes later, the argument had gotten more heated, with growling stomachs and the frustrations of the day beginning to wear on them. The next ten minutes found the two young warriors wrestling on the ground, each trying to pin the other so that they could be declared the winner. The loser would stay with the ponies while the winner would get to visit the bushes first.

Unfortunately, they were so well attuned to each other, having trained together for most of their lives, that each could anticipate the other's move. Just because they were close brothers and best friends alike did not mean that they never fought. Fili was stronger, but Kili was more agile. They were both far too stubborn to yield to each other as well. And they both knew which insults would set off the other, prolonging the fight. They balanced each other out, so this traditional method of solving their arguments could easily take them a while to sort out.

But by the end Fili had finally pinned Kili, who laid under him cursing violently in such a way as to earn a massive hiding from his mother if she ever heard those words leave his mouth, trying desperately to get his brother off. They had stood up, Fili offering his hand to his brother, who ignored it, his pride being hurt at having lost the match. They had brushed themselves off, and Fili turned to head into the bushes, when something had caught his eye. He blinked, then began frantically counting the ponies, coming up two short each time. Kili had given him a dirty look, and said that if he didn't want to bother claiming his prize that he would just go instead. Fili had retorted that he thought two ponies were missing. Kili didn't believe him at first, but Fili had defended his case. Kili counted the ponies and his face blanched. They two looked at each other, and had counted the ponies twice more, eyes flicking back and forth, when Bilbo had come upon them.

Fili had the idea to send Bilbo in after them, since Gandalf had said he was a burglar after all. Being a dwarf, who by nature never go anywhere without at least some kind of weapon, had had no idea that Bilbo didn't even have a simple knife, or he would have lent him one. He and Kili had used that opportunity to take care of their business, and afterwards had hidden in the bushes eating their stew and watching the events unfold, wondering how their burglar was going to pull off his "reacquisition".

As he listened to Thorin degrade Bilbo's mistake in front of everyone when it hadn't even been his fault in the first place, Fili had begun to feel extremely guilty. He had also been terrified that he would lose his brother earlier, and that did not help him feel any less guilty at failing both his brother, their hobbit friend, and the young girl in a span of less than an hour. Seeing Bilbo's face, he decided to at least try to rectify one mistake from today.

"Uncle," he said, approaching the now very angry wizard and dwarf King, his palms very sweaty and his hands trembling, "It was not Bilbo's fault that the trolls captured the ponies. Nor was it his fault that he was sent in to retrieve them. Kili and I lost them, and we set the burglar amongst the trolls to retrieve the ponies in order to rectify our mistake, not knowing that he was as inexperienced as he is. It was my idea. Forgive me."

He bowed his head at the ground, swallowing hard. He knew that he would most likely be punished for failing in his trust to watch the ponies, but perhaps with Kili not here he as the elder brother would be able to take the brunt of it. Assuming of course that Thorin had calmed down by the time they reached Kili, but given that they would reach him in the midst of an elven valley that his uncle had not even wanted to go to in the first place, he wasn't so sure. But then again, perhaps his uncle would be too distracted glaring at the elves to remember it.

Thorin and Gandalf stopped arguing, and Thorin fixed Fili with a stern glare.

"It was you two who lost the ponies, after I told you to make sure you stay with them?" Thorin asked him sternly. Fili nodded, eyes downcast. Thorin crossed his arms in front of his chest, regarding his eldest nephew with a stern visage.

"You not only endangered the life of our burglar, but the lives of your brother and the rest of your company as well with your carelessness," Thorin replied. Fili swallowed, and his cheeks reddened in shame. He felt tears of shame prick at the corners of his eyes, but quickly blinked them back.

"I am surprised at you Fili. Kili can be reckless, but you are usually more levelheaded," Thorin continued his lecture. Balin saw that the lad felt terrible at what had transpired, and also began to feel uneasy at the silence that was now surrounding them. It was far too quiet, and they were completely exposed out here on the plain. He shared a glance with his brother, who nodded, having noticed too. Dwalin approached the dwarf King.

"Thorin, can this wait? We are far too exposed here, and the wargs that ran off will return," he pointed out .

"We need to get moving toward Rivendell," Balin added. "Young Kili and the girl have hopefully arrived there by now, or will shortly. He does not know much about healing, and will not be able to ensure that the girl is receiving proper care. The lad will need us there to help him, especially since he has never seen elves before nor had dealings with them, and does not speak their language."

Then, speaking Khuzdul in a low voice so only Thorin would hear, he added, "If this elvish lord is as educated as Gandalf says, he may know who you are and the lad's relation to you. And we should not leave him on his own and unprotected, especially since you have succeeded in angering their lord."

Thorin nodded, and looked toward his men, casting one last glare at Gandalf.

"We follow the path Gandalf showed us to the elvish valley," he ordered, "and we make haste. Do not stop or slow down, and keep your eyes open. Elves are not to be trusted."

Gandalf rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. The dwarves were at least going to where he needed them to. He wisely chose to not question Thorin, and take what was given to him. Goodness knows there would not likely be any other time he could convince this stubborn dwarf king to enter a kingdom of elves willingly, even if said king was not the least bit happy with the idea.

XXX

The host of elves rode speedily northwest until they came to a river that flowed down from the mountains, then turned west and continued along the river for about ten minutes. Suddenly, they turned left, then stopped in front of a tall rock face. Lord Elrond muttered some words in elvish, and Kili's eyes widened as the rock face split to reveal a narrow path that wound downward. The host entered the path single file, led by the horse that held the two elvish lords, with Kili's horse being second in line behind his master.

Kili had held the unconscious girl tightly in his arms as they rode, pressing her up against him in order to continue putting pressure on her wounds. As they entered the narrow path, his grip tightened on her. He knew that he was past the point of no return, as there was no room for two horses to stride side by side let alone for a single horse to turn around.

He began to question his decision to defy his uncle in order for her to receive aid from these elves, but immediately dismissed the notion. She had saved his life, risking her own in the process, and now he was deeply indebted to her. Blood debts were taken very seriously by dwarves, and they were honor bound to ensure that the one they owed their life to would not be harmed while under their protection as long as the debt was owed.

There was no way in all of Arda that Kili was going to let these elves harm her as long as he drew breath. He could not see much past the horse and riders in front of him, but he kept his eyes and ears open just the same. He didn't know if the elves had noticed, but his bow was only loosely tied to his quiver, enabling him to draw it very quickly, and his sword was untied as well. Should it come down to it, Kili knew he couldn't possibly fight this many elves and hope to come away alive. But if it did, he would go down fighting, taking as many elves with him as he could.

XXX

Kili had heard many stories throughout his life about how the elves had simply turned their backs on the dwarves of Erebor in their greatest need. While common sense told him that the elves couldn't have really done much harm to the dragon once it got into the mountain if the dwarves themselves hadn't even been able to defend it, the knowledge that the elvenking had denied the refugees aid after the fact grated on his nerves.

XXX

Many dwarves, including women and children, died that winter, exposed on the vast plains between the greenwood and the withered heath. Most died from starvation and the bitter cold, although there were some that died from wolf raids and others killed in orc and bandit raids. Dwarves value their women and children as their greatest treasures, for dwarf women made up only about a third of their people, and children were rare, since not all dwarf women married. And many dwarf women who were expecting little ones had died in childbirth out on the plain, often losing their newborn babes as well.

Thorin, being third in line for the throne, had been in charge of the refugees since his father was injured from the dragon's attack and his grandfather was mad with gold sickness. Despite being furious with the elves for turning their armies back during the dragon's attack, he saw the suffering his people endured needlessly. He sent a delegation to the elf King, asking for aid and safe passage through his realm. If they were able to do so, the trees would provide some shelter from the bitter cold and blizzards they encountered, and they might be able to hunt and feed their people as they traveled through. Balin had been among those in the delegation sent, being a trusted advisor of his grandfather, and Dwalin had gone as well, being one of the bodyguards of the delegation.

Despite their repeated pleas for aid, the King turned them away and threatened any dwarf who entered the borders of his land with imprisonment, and severe punishment to any who dared to hunt any animals within his realm. The king ordered the delegation returned to the edge of the forest with an armed elvish escort in tow. The escort allowed no breaks for rest until the escort and delegation had reached the borders of their king's realm, despite some members of the delegation being injured or hungry, for most elves hate and distrust dwarves, and the feeling was mutual among the dwarves.

Thorin of course had been absolutely livid, and would have gone directly to the elven King himself to show him precisely what he thought of his response, had his grandfather and father not needed him more, and had Balin not wisely talked him out of it. The dwarves continued on foot through the drifts of snow, with little more than the clothes on their backs, and skirted the forest to the north. They eventually arrived in Dunland in the south by spring, but at a heavy cost. More than half of the survivors from the attack perished, and the rest of the dwarves were sick and weary after months of scant rations and exposure to the harsh winter.

The women stayed in their encampments with the children and some men to protect them, while Thrain, Thorin, and the rest of the dwarf men who were physically able went into the villages of men to look for work wherever they could find it. Reduced to blacksmithing and coalmining, the dwarf prince and his father did whatever they could to feed and clothe their people, subjecting themselves to the scorn of men who looked down upon them and their race, a once mighty people brought low.

The dwarf king spent long hours by himself, grieving the loss of his mountain and his treasure. He was not much use to anyone in his madness, and though he was the rightful King, Thrain and Thorin ruled in his name so their people would survive. His madness was carefully safeguarded to avoid appearing weak to their enemies and own people alike.

Then Thrór had the mad idea to reclaim Moria (mostly for the coveted mithril that was only found there), and the armies of dwarves amassed together to drive the orcs out of the ancient hall, hoping to give their people a home. The battle raged on for three days, and Thorin's grandfather was killed, along with his brother. His father went mad with grief, and disappeared. Thorin rallied the armies and routed the orcs back into the stronghold, cutting off Azog the Defiler's arm in the process and earning his epithet, Oakenshield.

But the cost had been too great, and their people's numbers were even more dwindled than before. Thorin gathered the remnants of his people together, and, along with his younger sister, led them across Eriador until they found the ruined halls of Nogrod and Belegost in the Blue Mountains. His people found much coal and mined it, and ample smith work was found in the villages of men around the feet of the Blue Mountains. They cleared some of the ruins and restored homes and forges and shops, and it became known as Thorin's Halls. The refugees from Erebor began to mingle with their Blacklock and Broadbeam kindred that dwelled in the Blue Mountains as well, and life became peaceful.

His younger sister married, and Fili and Kili had been born not long after. Thorin managed to make a good life for his people in the ruined halls. While they were not rich by any means, they were prosperous after a fashion, and his people no longer went hungry. And he labored six days a week, traveling from village to village doing smith work, leading his scattered people as best as he could, and training his two young heirs for their roles as Princes of Durin's line.

Then, when young Fili and Kili had been 8 and 3 years old, another devastating blow was wrought upon their family. Their father and uncle, returning from working in the village of men down the mountain, were set upon by a pack of wolves in the woods. They fought them off, but Thorin was severely injured and became ill for two weeks with infection, and their father was killed.

Dis was overcome by grief and stayed in her bed for several months, so Thorin moved in with the three of them to help take care of his sister and his two young nephews. She eventually was able to overcome her grief for the sake of her family, but the boys had become so used to "Uncle Thowin's" presence that he decided to stay with them. But he had always known that their home in Thorin's Halls was temporary, and that one day he would reclaim Erebor. He told his nephews many bedtime stories of it, and sang the Song of Erebor to them when they would be frightened of thunderstorms or nightmares. And always, he told his two heirs to never trust elves, for they had turned their back on Durin's folk that fateful day, and every day since.

XXX

The pathway finally began to widen, and the host of elves kept moving along swiftly. They emerged onto a wider road, and Kili's eyes widened as he first beheld the Valley of Imladris in the glowing sunset. The setting sun's light danced off the many waterfalls that graced the steep walls of the valley, cascading to the rivers below. The rushing sound of water was heard, along with the chirping of birds as they made their way to their nests for the night. But what struck him was not the sunset, or the waterfalls, but how everything in this valley seemed peaceful and ancient, and untainted. He felt as though he had entered another time, a time where Shadows and evil things had not yet graced Middle-earth, and the beauty of Arda was yet unmarred.

The unconscious girl stirred slightly in his now numb arm, and he shifted slightly before renewing his grip on her. He glanced down at her briefly, and he could see some slight color returning to her cheeks, though she remained unconscious. He began to feel more at ease, despite the obvious elven feel this place had, and could almost feel the horrors they had experienced beyond the hidden entrance had happened in another time and place.

There is just something about this valley that seems to bring rest to those who are weary, Kili thought.

He was almost entranced by the mysterious source of peace in this strange valley, but not quite. His concern for the girl in his arms remained, and he urged his horse just a little faster. The horse needed no encouragement-it knew that its warm stall and supper were getting nearer, and quickened its pace a bit, being careful to remain gentle as its lord had commanded it.

The elves and dwarf and young girl rode single file across a narrow bridge before coming to a circle that Kili guessed was their welcoming courtyard. At the end of the bridge were two stone sentinels in armor, each looking down toward the bridge at those who arrived in the valley. A dark haired elf with a plainer circlet and dark lavender robes approached them, and, at Lord Elrond's request, one of the soldiers dismounted and took the reins of the horse Kili and the girl were mounted on. Lord Elrond dismounted and spoke a few words to the elf that had greeted them, and he turned and hastened up the stairs in front of them, quickly moving out of sight. Kili guessed he had been sent to prepare the healing room for the girl.

Lord Elrond then turned to Kili and gestured toward the girl.

"Please hand her to me, Prince Kili," he said. Kili started, wondering how the elf lord knew who he was. His confusion must have been apparent in his face, because Lord Elrond gave him a small smile and a nod.

"Yes, I know who you are, and who you travel with. However, the girl needs a healer right away, and you cannot dismount and hold her at the same time," Lord Elrond explained, urgency in his voice at the last part. Kili stared at him for half a second, seeming not sure whether or not to trust him, before hesitantly handing the girl over to the elf lord.

Lord Elrond immediately hurried up the stone steps, and Kili all but jumped off his horse and hastened after him. However, the short legs of the dwarf were no match for the long stride of the elf, and he was very quickly left behind in Lord Elrond's haste. Muttering some rather unpleasant thoughts about elves under his breath, he quickened his pace until he was running as fast as he could. He came to the end of a hallway with a balcony overlooking a beautiful garden, and grabbed the stone pillar at the end to round the corner without slowing down or slipping on the smooth stone floor. He continued on, past startled elves, paying their stares no mind as he tried to catch up to his charge. He finally saw a door open ahead to the left, and the elf with the dark lavender tunic stepped out, speaking frantically to two servants in a lilting musical tongue that Kili guessed was elvish. The two elves quickly hurried away on their errand.

He stopped when he reached the door, and the elf who had spoken to the two servants looked down at him with an unreadable gaze. Kili stood with his hands on his knees, breathlessly gasping for air after his sprint.

"Wh-where is t-the g-girl who was h-hurt?" he gasped out between breaths. The elf raised an eyebrow at him, then spoke.

"She is in this healing room right now. Lord Elrond ordered me to make sure he was not disturbed unless absolutely necessary," the elf replied, casting the dwarf a suspicious look. Kili glared at him.

"That girl is under my protection. You will let me in," he growled, making for the door. The elf stepped in front of it, and Kili's hand subconsciously went toward his sword hilt. He made a growling noise in his throat, and fixed the elf with the best "Thorin" glare he could come up with. When his uncle did that glare, it usually made people listen. However, he wasn't his uncle, though his glare was eerily similar, and the elf refused to be swayed by it.

"I do not take orders from you, dwarf," the elf retorted. "Lord Elrond said he was not to be disturbed, and I intend to ensure that does not happen." The elf planted his feet and fixed Kili with a stare, daring him to contradict his verdict.

"You will let me in, or I will be forced to take action against you!" He shouted, hand firmly grasping his sword hilt now. He drew his sword and pointed it at the elf's chest. Two guards that were standing at the end of the corridor ran over and drew their swords. They leveled them at the dwarf's throat, but he did not back down.

Suddenly a voice barked a command from inside the room, and the guards lowered their swords and backed up. The elf blocking the door stepped aside, and Kili sheathed his sword. He fixed the elf with a final glare, and pushed past him into the room, not caring if he shoved the elf into the doorjamb or not. The elf glared angrily at the retreating dwarf, rubbing his shoulder after the impact.

XXX

The sight that met Kili's eyes nearly had him faint and lose what little food was left in his stomach. He swallowed roughly and looked at the healer, who didn't pay him any mind, his hands busy with their task.

Lord Elrond glanced to the side, hands and forearms covered in bright red blood, and shouted something in elvish to him. Kili cast a questioning glance at one of the other healers, who were bustling about, handing Lord Elrond supplies and refilling bloody water filled basins with fresh hot boiling water from the fireplace.

One of them looked at the dwarf, who was still standing there looking confused, and spoke to the dwarf.

"Lord Elrond says that you are allowed in here if you wish, but you must stay by the wall and out of the way and give the young woman the privacy she requires," he said in Westron, before returning to his task. Kili nodded, and moved to stand by the wall. He could see the girl's pale face, but the rest of her was hidden by Lord Elrond's body as he worked quickly to cleanse the puncture marks from the warg's teeth.

An assistant stood by with a small bowl, and as Lord Elrond worked, he would drop what looked like small white objects in the bowl with a loud clink. Kili's throat constricted as he realized that they were broken off warg teeth. He staggered to the side, where there was a large bucket, and vomited. Cheeks burning with embarrassment, he averted his eyes from any real or imagined stares and wiped his mouth and stood against the wall again, taking deep breaths to avoid a recurrence. Since when did the sight of a little blood cause him to be sick? Closing his eyes for a second, he tried to block out the distinct metallic smell of blood.

The teeth must have broken off when the warg jerked after she stabbed it in the eye, he thought to himself. The sound of the teeth hitting the bowl stopped, and he opened his eyes to see Lord Elrond holding a needle and thread. After ten long minutes, he stood up, laid a cloth over her to preserve her modesty, and walked toward a washbasin and began to cleanse his arms from the blood. Attendants surrounded the girl and made sure she was kept out of sight as they wrapped final bandages around her wounds.

Kili moved off to the side as attendants took bloody sheets, towels, and bowls out of the room, and Lord Elrond approached him.

"She will likely be very weak for two weeks or so until her body begins to replace the blood she lost," he said, then looked the dwarf in the eye.

"The warg's teeth got imbedded in her wounds. It saved her life, because the teeth partially blocked the flow of blood, or she would have bled out in minutes. However," he looked at Kili gravely, "wargs are filthy, disgusting creatures, and there is no telling where those teeth have been."

Kili nodded, and Lord Elrond continued.

"Our biggest worry at this point is infection from the teeth having been in the wound so long," he said, "we will know if infection has taken hold within a few days. In the meantime, you and your kin are welcome to stay in Rivendell while your companion heals. I will order a room prepared for you all, and food as well. I will have Lindir inform your kin when they arrive. In the meantime, he will escort you to your room so you can get cleaned up before dinner."

"Kili, at your service," Kili bowed, "And on behalf of my people, thank you for aiding our companion."

Lord Elrond placed his right hand on his chest, and then lowered his arm palm up. Kili supposed that was the elvish response to his bow.

"You are willing to look beyond the prejudices of your race to help others in need," Lord Elrond said, smiling, though the smile was lessened by the concern over his patient, "If others were as willing as you to cast aside old hurts, perhaps peace can return between our peoples once again. You are very wise for your years and will make a very good lord of your kin, Prince Kili, son of Dis."

Kili accepted the praise for what it was, but could not help but feel as though Lord Elrond was giving him far too much credit. He was no diplomat. Fili had always been much better at such things. He tended to act before he thought, and it wasn't always rational. He fought with heart and emotion and passion, whereas Fili used his head and critically analyzed the situation before acting. He had merely done what any honorable dwarf would do with faced with a blood debt. Or so that's what he kept telling himself.