Author's Note: One of my reviewers brought to my attention that there is another meaning to a "two-fingered salute." For reference, the type of salute I was referring to is used by the Polish military, not people trying to be insulting. Sorry for any confusion.

Date: TA 2799

Thorin: 53 years old

Lina: 50 years old

The voices were frantic. They overlapped wildly, arguing with one another. The words made to no sense. Something was wrong. The voices were worried. Her name was being called, but she could not respond. She could do nothing. The pain was there, always there. It burned and ached. Then the pain flared. Terrible crimson light flooded the darkness for a breath moment. Then the voices and the pain, everything, vanished. There was not even darkness or light.

Slowly they returned. The darkness came back first, then the voices. There were so many voices in the dark. They faded in and out, garbled and confused. Sometimes she heard her name. A deep, calm voice would speak into the darkness. For a time the voice would allow a little light to creep into the darkness. No visions appeared in the hints of light, but at least the darkness was driven back. The voice would continue speaking a while, but then, with sadness, whisper her name. The voice was about to leave her whenever the sadness crept in. At those moments she tried to call out for someone, anyone, to rescue her from the darkness. No one heard her. No one could rescue her.

Feeling. She was relieved when feeling began to be included in the darkness. She had a body. Where her body was, she did not know. It was lying down. That much she knew. It never moved at her commands. It ached and hurt, but at least there was feeling again. Gentle touches accompanied the deep, calm voice whenever it whispered her name. The speaker held her hands tightly. She felt strength in that touch, and warmth. The touches moved along her face, the speaker stroking her cheek and whispering to her.

The voice began to make sense. Words became clearer.

"Wake up, Lina. Wake up," the voice pleaded. Lina tried to, but her body would not answer her. Instead everything vanished and she knew no more.

Light touched her, warming her body. She could hear voices some distance from her. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The sky above was blue and the sun beamed down on her. The brightness made her eyes close quickly. For the first time, in how long Lina did not know, she could move. Her body was slow to respond, but she nearly wept for joy that it responded at least.

A harsh pain ran through her body from her abdomen, forcing her move far slower than she had wished. Relief flooded her heart as she managed to raise herself into a seated position. She did not understand what had happened to her. Why had she been trapped in the darkness? What had happened to her?

"Lina," the voice from the darkness whispered. Disbelief and joy warred in the single whisper of her name.

Lina found Thorin standing a few strides away. His face showed signs of a struggle at least several days old. His left forearm was wrapped in bandages. A struggle, there had been a struggle.

Suddenly her mind was flooded with memories. The battle cries, the screaming, filled her ears. Blood was everywhere and the bodies of the dead fell all about her. Ona. She saw the shock and terror in her companion's eyes as she died. Frerin's head rolled across the burning ground. So many bodies.

Tears began to fall as the memories came back to her. So many were dead. She remembered the bodies spread out in every direction.

Strong arms wrapped around her and drew her close as she wept. One hand stroked her hair soothingly while the other held her tight. Lips pressed against her forehead, murmuring quietly and kissing her tenderly.

After a time, her sobs subsided. Thorin pulled back and tilted her face upward. Cradling her face between his hands, he wiped away the tears still trickling from her eyes. The same agony and sadness shone in the dwarven prince's eyes. His own loss was still painful and raw.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save him," Lina managed, her voice trembling and rasping with disuse.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Thorin answered her. "War tears away from us those we love. I am only thankful that it did not take you as well."

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned in slightly to capture her lips. Lina relaxed in his embrace. The loss of so many of her people hurt, but she could not help feeling the joy at Thorin's safety.

The pair pulled apart seconds before Thorin caught sight of several other dwarves coming into view. He shifted slightly, flicking his eyes over Lina's shoulder when she looked at him in askance. She gave a small, sad smile as she caught sight of the other dwarves. After everything, she had almost forgotten the two could never make their relationship public.

The dwarves approaching included Dwalin and his brother Balin. Both had signs of sleepless nights and great pain etched into their faces. Lina noted that Dwalin had also earned a scar cutting across his forehead, over his right eye, and ending on his nose. The pair joined Thorin and Lina. Kira limped over, one arm bound tightly between two boards. Her face was nearly unrecognizable due to the amount of damage she'd sustained.

A smile had broken through the sorrow on Dwalin's face when he saw Lina sitting up and awake. He seized his friend in a bone crushing hug, releasing her only when she hissed in pain. The dwarves settled around Lina, filling her in on all she had missed while unconscious.

First came the casualties. Lina steeled herself, but was not prepared for what they told her. Over half of Thrain's followers had been killed in battle. The list of the dead included the father of Dwalin and Balin, Frerin, Ona, both of Ona's brothers, Nain, and Ira. That last sent a stab of pain deep into Lina's heart. Ira had been her first constant female companion and her fiercest supporter when the older dwarves stood against her.

Of those who'd survived, most would carry lasting scars and deformities. The vast majority of the survivors were missing one body part or another. King Thrain had lost one eye from Azog's sword. Kira was missing two fingers on her right hand. They all were hesitant to tell her what they knew about her own injuries. When the trees had exploded in the heat, a large, sharp piece had buried itself in Lina's lower abdomen, destroying her womb and cracking her pelvic bone.

The pain of being unable to conceive was not terribly unbearable to Lina. She had not desired children as some women had. Truthfully, she had given children little thought. Children implied a marriage. Lina knew she could never marry.

The discussion turned away from the battle and the losses to focus on what the dwarves were to do. Once back at the old settlement in Dunland, Thrain would bring forth the offer Dain had made to those surviving members of Thrain's band. Dain had offered a new life to any member of Thrain's band who wished to join their kin in the Iron Hills. Thrain had agreed to bring the matter before his people, to let them decide their own fates. Already many of the survivors of the battle had heard of the offer. Several were more than willing to accept the generous offer. Others remained uncertain.

Lina looked over at Thorin. His jaw was tight as the others discussed those planning to leave Thrain. The muscles along it tensed as he kept himself from speaking out. She could see that having so many leave was agitating him. He saw them as abandoning their people and their king. It was an affront to his pride.

Lina gently laid a hand on his arm. Thorin looked at her in surprise, but his gaze softened and his jaw relaxed. His larger hand slid beneath hers, cradling it. Then he brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it.

The talking had stopped. Suddenly both dwarves realized what they had just done. They turned to face the three dwarves sitting near them, expecting criticism. Lina went from sudden fear to sudden confusion. Balin looked slightly disappointed, but Dwalin and Kira were grinning.

"Pay up, brother," Dwalin laughed, holding out his scarred hand to his brother. The older dwarf grumbled, but produced a pouch from within his coat and slapped it into his brother's palm. Dwalin poured a small pile of coins from the bag, divided them, and handed half to Kira before placing the rest inside his own coat. The three turned their attention back to Lina and Thorin.

Kira was the first to lose it. She started sniggering at the dumbstruck expression on Lina's face and the utterly confused, yet seriously annoyed, expression Thorin wore. Then the laughter bubbled from her mouth. Dwalin and Balin soon joined in, adding their deep belly laughs to Kira's.

"You two are not the most subtle of creatures," Kira answered finally, catching her breath.

"Did ye think we hadn't noticed?" Dwalin added.

"I didn't notice," Balin grumbled under his breath.

"Ye weren't looking in the right direction, brother," Dwalin laughed, slapping his brother heartily upon the back. The older dwarf rolled his eyes, but turned to address the pair before him.

"I guess it was obvious now that I think about it," he admitted. "You, Thorin, were spending a lot of time wandering past her forge after that bout you fought with her. Then you spent so much time with her, supporting her, protecting her. I should have seen it."

"There was also the way he rarely left her side while she was unconscious," Kira added. "I've never seen anyone that concerned about someone not their kin."

"So you've been making bets on us?" Thorin asked finally. He was torn between annoyance and relief. The annoyance was at being made the subject of a bet in the first place. The relief was that the three friends gave no indication of disapproval—not that he needed their approval—or of going to inform others.

"Just between the three of us," Kira added hastily. "I don't think anyone else has even noticed."

"Though you can't exactly keep hiding forever," Balin pointed out.

Thorin's eyes slid over to Lina. She saw the same worry she felt mirrored in his eyes. If these three had figured it out, how long before others did as well? Not all of the dwarves would approve of their involvement. In fact, most of them would probably have a fit. Thrain would be the first. He was open-minded enough to let a female rise above the lowly position she'd been born into. However, Lina seriously doubted he was interested in having his son attached to a lower class nobody.

"We'll figure something out," Lina answered, her voice firm.