I apologize for the long wait. I was suffering from one heck of a nasty stomach virus last week. Then my professors gave out a ton of homework. Between the rounds of being sick, doing homework or sleeping, I was trying to work on these last few chapters, which were lost thanks to my thumb drive being wiped. Hopefully you all will enjoy this chapter since we will be seeing some of our favorite dwarves return home.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit or LOTR.

Remember: Years are approximate and rounded. 27 years till LOTR events, and 6 more chapters to go till then!

Khuzdul. Sindarin.

Aliena- 35 years old.

Frerin & Durin- 30 years old, looks 19.

Kelda- 26 years old, looks 19.

Balder-25 years old, looks 18.

Toril- 24 years old, looks 18.

Freya- 23 years old, looks 17.

Rìka & Kilian- 22 years old, looks 17.

Karys & Fergys- 18 years old, looks 15.

Vân & Solen- 14 years old, looks 12.

Maiti & Yuri- 10 years old, looks 8.

Elleon- 9 ½ years old, looks 7.

Tanis- 8 ½ years old, looks 6.

Raina- 6 years old, looks 4.

Bofur II (Bo)- 1 ½ years old, looks 11 months.

It has been over two years since the volunteer armies of both the Iron Hills and Erebor left for Moria. The seasons have changed, and it is not late spring in Middle Earth. The landscape is covered with lush, green grasses. The trees are showing their bright green colors of life. Even the animals are showing signs of new life. Yet, in this scenery there is something out of place.

A large group of returning soldiers, under the banners of the Iron Hills and Erebor, are moving north following the eastern edge of Mirkwood. A good number of the volunteers that had left from Erebor had decided to stay in Moria to help establish the kingdom again. However, some had taken the chance to go home to the families that awaited them.

Leading the group of dwarves, are the two princes of Erebor. Both have earned the respect and loyalty of everyone that had gone to Moria, and fought beside both princes.

"Do you think uncle will give us a celebration feast?" Kili asks from atop of his tan colored pony. His bow is slung over one of his shoulders, while at his waist a sword in its sheath rests. He is wearing a set of traveling clothes, but underneath there is a tunic made of mithril.

"I am sure he will, Kili." Fili replies from a dark brown pony. Like his younger brother, Fili is also dressed in traveling clothes. However, he doesn't have on a mithril tunic underneath. His right arm is tied against his chest in a bandaged wrap from a dislocated shoulder. The dual swords that Fili uses is tied to the side of his saddle.

"Aye. I expect we will be given a warm, royal welcome by our king." Gimli growls out as he walks between his cousins' ponies. Unlike Fili and Kili, Gimli wishes to keep his feet on the ground. Gimli is wearing some of his lighter armor while traveling. He doesn't want to be caught in a fight without it.

Both Fili and Kili chuckle at Gimli's statement before giving each other a grin. The brothers know that their cousin is looking forward to returning home a "hero", and possibly have many dwarrowdams trying to get his attention.

"It's not much farther." A voice says before going into a coughing fit.

On top of a black horse sits a coughing Bofur, with Tauriel seated directly behind him. It had been agreed before they all had left Moria that Tauriel was to oversee Bofur's health on the road back to Erebor.

"Easy. Slow and shallow breaths, master dwarf." Tauriel says as she tries to sooth Bofur's coughing by rubbing up and down his back. "You don't have the full use of one of your lungs anymore."

Bofur tries his hardest to calm his coughing and catch his breath. His injuries that he sustained at Moria was very extensive. One of the goblin knifes had punctured into a lung on the first stab. The large cut that went across his midsection had gone deep enough to slice through both muscles and his liver as well. Oin and Tauriel had spent many a days trying to keep Bofur alive. However, there were weeks where no one was sure if he was going to make it thanks to the numerous infections that wreaked havoc on his body. It became so dire that Tauriel had sent for a healer from Lothlorien to help.

"Aye." Bofur says with a hoarse voice. "I jus' want to get home to see my newest bairn."

"And you will, if you would just take it easy." Tauriel replies as she gives Kili a pleading look for support.

Both Kili and Fili chuckle before Kili slows his pony so that he may ride beside Tauriel and Bofur.

"You know, Bofur, my lady is wise when it comes to the healing arts." Kili says with a smirk on his face.

"Tha' she is." Bofur says before he begins to wheeze for breath. Yet he continues to try and speak to the dark haired prince. "I just hope that those Riders of Rohan find her wise at healing as well."

"They did not have an issue with me treating their injured." Tauriel says in a serious tone. "The three riders would have succumbed to their injuries if I did nothing. It was a coincidence that they happened to be resting along the Anduin when we were trying to find a place to cross."

"True, Amrâlimê. But I still find it odd that they were so far from Edoras. Even if they were hunting for the orcs that destroyed one of Rohan's outlying villages." Kili says to Tauriel as he reaches over to place a hand on her thigh. "Let us be thankful that we have yet to see any orcs."

Tauriel gives Kili a shy smile and a nod of her head in silent agreement.

Erebor...

Outside of the mountain, in the lush grassy plains that sit between Dale and the mountain, Inara is sitting on the ground. The burgundy skirts of her simple dress are pooled around her in an almost perfect circle. Her brown hair is lose, except for her marriage braids, and blowing in the warm breeze. She has taken the day off from her duties to try and relax with her family.

A few feet in front of her Vân, her youngest son, is attempting to wield a wooden practice sword. Out of all of Inara and Thorin's children, Vân looks more from the race of men than dwarf. His dark, messy curled hair flies free in the wind, which causes him to have to push the stray hair out of his eyes. He is wearing black pants and his cream colored shirt is lying in a wad on the ground near his amad.

Just to the left of Vân is Inara and Thorin's oldest daughter, Rìka. The young lass with black hair and grey eyes is practicing her fighting skills with a pair of Sai that Inara had Thorin make for their daughter for her birthday. Rìka is wearing a pair of Durins' old pants along with an old shirt of Inara's.

"Amad?" a little voice says from behind the queen.

Inara twists her body gently to see her adopted daughter, Maiti, standing there with a wooden staff in her hands. She can see that Maiti is upset by the redness on the lass's cheek and red eyes. One could almost find it comical that the redness matches the red of Maiti's hair.

"What is it, Maiti?" Inara asks as she pats the ground next to her for Maiti to come closer and sit down.

"It is too hard." Maiti says in a frustrated voice as she comes to stand next to her adopted amad. She had been told that Thorin and Inara were not her birth parents a few years ago. Yet, that hasn't changed how Maiti views them.

"Well. Show me what you know already. Then I will be able to help you figure out what it is that you are having an issue with." Inara says in a calm voice.

Maiti moves to stand in front of Inara, and begins to go through the drills that Skuld had been teaching the lass. Maiti had taken a liking to Skuld when she found out that Skuld used to be a line breaker before she met Gloin. Since then Maiti has been wanting to be just like Skuld.

"Everything looks good so far." Inara says to Maiti as she sees how quickly and fluidly the lass is moving her staff.

She keeps a close eye as the girl begins to go into more of the harder sets and begins to see frustration build on Maiti's face. Getting up from the ground, Inara brushes at her skirts before calling out to the little lass.

"Stop."

Maiti stops mid-swing and looks over at her amad. "I did something wrong?"

"Not really." Inara says as she moves to stand behind Maiti, and kneels onto the ground behind her. Inara places her hands over top of Maiti's before she begins to talk. "You need to feel the weapon in your hand. Become one with it." Inara begins to swing the staff while guiding Maiti through some of the harder drills. "Your weapon is an extension of yourself. Your weapon is your life. Without it, you are dead."

Maiti begins to feel a little more confident in the movements and begins to move the weapon without following Inara's guidance. Her hazel eyes light up as she begins to feel the easiness of movements that a few minutes ago seemed daunting.

Seeing Maiti becoming more calm and confident, Inara lets go of the staff. She stands up and moves away from the lass, who is starting to try to blend a few moves together. Inara glances over to where Vân and Rìka are practicing. Both of them had stopped to watch their amad help their younger sibling. She gives them a smile before the two go back to their drills as well.

A small commotion causes Inara to look back towards the gates of Erebor, which are a quarter mile away from where she and the three children are in the plains. One dark silver haired, older dwarf is following behind a younger, dark haired dwarf. With another young, dark haired dwarf following the older, silver haired one. Inara recognizes the three as Frerin, Thorin, and Durin.

As the first one gets closer to where Inara is, she can tell that her oldest is upset by something. Frerin's face is dark red, eyes are dark with anger, and his jaw is set in such a way that he really does look a lot like his adad. The brown and red outfit that Frerin is wearing is pressing against his body thanks to how fast he is walking away. He keeps walking towards Inara, but upon reaching her he keeps going so that he passes her.

"Don't you walk away from me boy!" Thorin shouts as he too walks towards Inara in a line of pursuit of his oldest son.

As Thorin is about to pass her, Inara places a hand onto Thorin's dark blue, regal outfit. She grabs the fabric in a death grip so that her husband has to stop. Inara knows that Thorin and the twins were supposed to be in a council meeting this afternoon, but it was too early in the day for it to be over with.

"What is going on?" Inara asks as she places herself between Thorin and their retreating son, Frerin. Getting no reply from Thorin, or even a look from him, Inara looks past Thorin's shoulder to where Frerin's twin, Durin, is now standing. "What happened?"

Durin looks a bit shaken up, and his hands are shaking next to his dark brown pants. Both Durin and Frerin are wearing the same outfit, yet everyone can tell the difference thanks to Frerin having the braid to signify that he is Fili's heir.

"The council said something that Frerin didn't like." Durin says in soft tone so only Thorin and Inara can hear. He doesn't want his younger siblings to be drawn into the situation.

"And what was it that the council said?" Inara asks impatiently while keeping a firm grip on Thorin's shirt. He has already tried to escape her grasp when Durin answered, but Inara can be just as stubborn as her dwarf husband.

"I won't repeat it." Durin says as he puffs out his chest.

Seeing Durin's body language, Inara knows that the younger twin will not dishonor his older twin by any means. So she lets out a sigh before looking Thorin directly in the eyes.

"You will tell me why our son is in a mood, or so help me you and that council of yours will feel my wrath." Inara says in a deadpan, serious voice. She keeps eye contact with Thorin and can see that he is weighing his options about her threat.

Thorin lets out a low growl before pulling himself out of Inara's grasp and begins to pace between her and Durin. He knows that his anger is at an all-time high, and that he needs to be calm before he says anything damaging to anyone.

While Thorin is pacing, another dwarf arrives near the family. Dwalin has always been by Thorin's side, to see his king through everything. Yet this warrior was also livid by what has happened in council.

"Dwalin." Inara says in greeting the warrior. "Perhaps you can tell me what all has happened."

"Aye." Dwalin growls out. "The council is recommendin' that Frerin step away as Fili's heir and that Durin take the lads place. They seem to think Frerin is too lazy and carefree in how he handles things."

One of Inara's eyebrows rises a bit as her face gets a dangerous look on it. Her brown eyes turn to a darker shade of brown as anger flashes through them.

"Of really." Inara says in a sarcastic voice. "And does the council think that they can do better themselves?"

"Inara." Thorin growls out in warning to where Inara's line of thought is heading.

"Do not Inara me, Thorin." Inara growls out at her husband. "That council of yours is causing more trouble than good. They keep pulling stunts like this, which causes disharmony in our family. I am telling you this once, and only once. If they keep doing this, then they will be the cause of the destruction of your kingdom and family."

Inara turns away from Thorin and begins to walk in the direction that Frerin was heading in.

"Well, looks like someone will be sleepin' on the couch." Dwalin says with a slight chuckle. "I have to agree with Inara, Thorin. Tha' council needs to stop causing problems, and start comin' up with solutions."

Thorin gives Dwalin a hard look, before noticing Durin staring at him.

"And you agree?" Thorin asks Durin.

"I do. Ever since they arrived they have done nothing to solve any issues or problems. It is always you and amad who come up with solutions. And even when you do, the council takes issue with them." Durin says confidently.

"And what solution would you have me use to correct the problem?" Thorin asks Durin.

"If you have to ask me that, then you truly are ignorant of the problem." Durin says with a hint of anger in his voice before storming away from Dwalin and Thorin to see to his younger siblings.

"It would seem that your lad is as hot-headed as you are." Dwalin chuckles to Thorin as he places a hand to his battle brothers' shoulder. "Let the lads be. Mahal knows you all need some space from each other."

"So you agree with them?" Thorin asks as he looks at Dwalin.

"About the council? Yes. About you being ignorant of the issue? No. Dis has often said that the council was full of old, crotchety dwarves who want nothing better than to advance their station in this world." Dwalin says before looking out to where Durin and the three younger children are. "The young ones are our future. If we cannot show them guidance, then what are we left with?"

Thorin chuckles at Dwalin's remarks. "My namad has truly changed your point of view on things."

"Changed me? No." Dwalin replies with a smirk on his face. "Just showed me that there is more out there than just fightin'."

Thorin lets out a sigh before walking towards his children.

"Adad!" Vân says as he runs over to give Thorin a hug. "Will you teach me swordplay?"

Thorin chuckles at his young son's enthusiasm towards learning how to wield every kind of weapon. He isn't sure, but Thorin has a feeling that his youngest lad will one day be a weapons master.

Past Dale...

Still walking in anger, Frerin hasn't realized that how far he has walked till he reaches the shoreline of Long Lake. With anger still flowing through his veins, Frerin reaches down to pick up a stone and chucks it into the lake. He keeps this up till the sound of crunching stones and sand comes from behind him. Turing around with a stone in hand, Frerin is surprised to see who it is.

"If you are trying to skip stones, you aren't doing very well." Inara says with a half grin on her face.

"I wasn't." Frerin says before turning to look back at the lake. He tosses the stone into the water before reaching down for another.

"I heard what the council has asked of you." Inara says as she makes her way to stand next to her son. He barely reaches her shoulders in height as does his twin. Inara had spoken to Dis about how dwarf children grow. From what Dis told her, most dwarves don't reach their full height till they are 50 years old. So Inara figures that her children will be shorter than her, but possibly as tall as Thorin.

"It isn't fair." Frerin says as he uses all of his strength to throw another stone into the water.

"Of course it isn't fair. You are Fili's heir and no one can take that away from you." Inara says as she picks up a stone. She tosses the stone, which causes it to skip along the top of the lake four times before going under.

"How did you do that?" Frerin asks in wonder. Even though he is thirty years old, he can still behave like a child.

"Would you like me to teach you?" Inara says before sending another stone skipping across the water.

"Yes, amad." Frerin replies.

"First you must find a stone with a flat surface to it." Inara says as she picks up a stone to show Frerin the flat smooth surface. "Next you must hold it in your hand like so. That way when you whip it at the water it will bounce and create ripples."

Frerin watches Inara whips the stone to the water, and it skips three times before sinking.

"Go ahead. You try." Inara says as she passes a flat surfaced stone to Frerin.

She watches as Frerin tries to mimic what Inara did, but his stone didn't skip at all.

"That was good for your first try." Inara says as she pats Frerin's back.

"But it didn't skip like yours did." Frerin says with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"True, but it took me years of practice to be able to skip stones on water. My grandfather taught me." Inara says as she gets a sad look on her face.

"Will you tell me about him?" Frerin asks cautiously. His amad never really talks about her family much, and adad always told him that it causes too much pain for amad.

Inara gets a sad smile on her face as she walks over to a boulder that is sitting on the shoreline. Frerin moves to join her and both are looking out at the water.

"My grandfather was a holy man of our tribe." Inara says softly to Frerin.

"What tribe?" Frerin asks. In lessons he had learned that the men of Harad lived in tribes and he wondered if that is where his amad came from.

"My grandfather was from the Huron tribe. My grandmother, his wife, was from the Ottawa tribe. Now mind you both tribes didn't get along very well. And that should in their marriage." Inara says as her eyes begin to fill with tears.

"What happened to them?" Frerin asks as he takes hold of one Inara's hands in both of his.

"They died when I was a teenager. My grandfather was the first to go. He had some kind of illness but wouldn't tell us which one. Then my grandmother passed a few years after grandfather. I like to believe that she died of a broken heart. Even though they fought, they still loved each other, and respected each other." Inara says as tears start to roll down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, amad." Frerin says as he senses Inara's sadness. "You always tell us that those who have died never truly leave us. I am sure that they are with you."

Inara chuckles as her son repeats the same words that her grandfather once told her. "You know, if my grandfather was here he would have loved you and your siblings."

Frerin gives his amad a soft smile.

"He would also tell you to be more like water when it comes to the council." Inara says as she wipes away her tears with the back of her wrist. Seeing Frerin's confused look, Inara continues with the explanation. "You remember seeing the ripples from each time the stone hit the water? Well. You are the water, and the council members are like the stones. Instead of letting their words or actions to break the surface, make them bounce back. The ripples from each hit is you changing yourself so that they won't affect you. However, eventually they will break through. So instead of letting them make a big splash, force them to create a smaller splash.."

Frerin chuckles at Inara's remarks. "You have a weird way of explaining things, amad. But they make much more sense than adad's way of things."

Inara pulls her son to her and places a kiss to the top of his head as she chuckles.

"That is because your adad's way of thinking is to be unmovable. Like a mountain. Whereas, mine is fluid. Like the water or the wind."

The mother and son sit on the rock together for a time, till Inara notices something in the distance. Along the edge of the lake is a large group, which Inara begins to notice are made up of dwarves. She lets out a laugh, which startles Frerin out from his dosing against his amad's shoulder.

"Go alert Erebor that the troops have returned." Inara says to Frerin as she moves to stand up from sitting on the boulder.

Frerin, not having to be told twice, starts to jog his way back to Erebor.

Inara walks quickly towards the group, making sure to keep her skirts out of the soft waves along the shore. She is quick to note that Fili is in the lead with his pony moving into a quick trot towards her.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Fili says as he pulls his pony to a stop a few feet away from Inara.

"Oh, Frerin had a bad experience with the council and he made his way all the way out here. So I followed him all the way here." Inara says as she approaches Fili's pony. "What happened to your arm?"

Fili looks down at his arm that is wrapped against his chest and lets out a chuckle before looking at Inara. "I got caught in a small cave in with a crew of workers trying to clear out the rubble from the twenty-first hall in Moria."

"You know Sigrid is going to worry over it." Inara says as she gives Fili a grin. She knows full well how much Sigrid has been worrying over Fili having gone to Moria. "I take it that you were successful on cleaning out Moria?"

"Aye we did." Fili says before offering his usable hand towards Inara. "Let me give you a lift back before Uncle sends out the rest of the army to search for you."

Inara lets out a chuckle before accepting to take Fili's hand to climb up onto the pony. However, she climbs up behind Fili versus in front on him. This takes Fili by surprise at first before recognizing that she did so to help make it easier for him to steer the pony.

"Picking up a lass, Fee?" Kili shouts as his pony finally reaches Fili and Inara. "What would Sigrid say if she found out?"

"More like what would your uncle say." Inara says cheekily as she finally turns her head to look at Kili. "Hello Kili."

"Auntie!" Kili shouts in a teasing voice.

"Call me that again, and I will have no regret knocking you off of that pony of yours." Inara says in a serious voice, while trying to hide her teasing tone.

"You wouldn't." Kili says with a cheeky grin.

"Kili! Leave Inara alone." Fili grumbles out to his brother. Usually Fili would tease along with Kili, but Fili was in a hurry to get home to Sigrid and his children.

Fili nudges his pony's sides with his feet to get the pony to move. His pony started at a slow trot before picking up its speed to a faster trot.

"You must be in a hurry to see your family." Inara says to Fili as she holds onto him by wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I am, but I also know Kili will take his teasing too far." Fili says to Inara as he turns his head to look back at her. "He has changed, Inara."

"Most people who fight and see death in war often come home different. Give him time to see his kids. I am sure that he will get better." Inara says with a smile as the wind from the pony's pace causes her hair to be pulled away from her face. Yet she feels Fili stiffen, and knows that he is about to tell her something important. "What is it?"

"Kili had to mercy kill three dwarrowdams and fifteen dwarrows. After he did it to the first dam, he went a bit numb. Then with the whole Bofur incident, Kili went a bit wild while helping to clear out the last of the goblins. Or at least that is what Bifur told me."

Inara lets out a sigh, which Fili barely heard. "How has Tauriel dealt with him?"

"She doesn't complain, but I can see that she gets frustrated with Kili when he gets to be too much."

"I will keep an eye on him once we arrive home. Then I shall speak to Thorin about it." Inara says before going quiet.

It takes the moving group of volunteers till just before dusk to arrive at the gates of Erebor.

Standing just inside of the entrance is Thorin, Sigrid, Dis, and all of the family. With them, the families of all the volunteers are standing behind the royal family. Nearly all of Erebor is there to greet their warriors home.

Fili stops his pony just inside of the gates, and a stable hand comes forward to take the reins. Inara is quick to slide down from the pony, and tries to help Fili down as well. Once Fili has his feet to the ground, Thorin approaches and embraces his nephew.

"Welcome home." Thorin says to Fili before letting go of the blond and allows a waiting Sigrid to come rushing forward.

Sigrid pulls Fili into a hug, and both are lost to their own little greeting.

"Inara." Thorin says as he moves to stand beside his queen.

"Thorin." Inara replies as she watches Fili and Sigrid's children come forward to embrace their adad.

"Uncle!" Kili shouts as he hops off of his pony and makes a beeline straight for Thorin. "I see you have more grey hairs."

"Kili." Thorin says with a slight smile on his face before pulling Kili into an embrace. "Your offspring have taken over in your absence on pulling pranks."

Kili lets out a laugh and is quick to let go of Thorin to go see his children, who are standing with Dis and Kili's half-siblings.

Tauriel's horse comes in next with a mass of dwarves entering the gates, who are in a rush to see their families.

Inara and Thorin both make their way to the horse as Tauriel slides down. The elf then reaches up to help Bofur down as well.

"Well lass, our time has come to an end." Bofur says with a grin on his face.

"Only temporarily." Tauriel says before walking past Inara and Thorin to reach where Kili and her children are.

"Bofur." Thorin says in a stern voice as he approaches the dwarf.

"My king." Bofur says before giving Thorin a half bow. "I was hoping to see my lass and bairns when I arrived."

Thorin gives Bofur a serious look before stepping to the side and gesturing with his arm and hand as to where Aliena and the children are.

Walking slowly, Aliena is holding the littlest one, Bofur II, at her hip, while Raina is holding onto Aliena's brown skirt. Tanis is walking next to Aliena in a protective like manner.

Bofur gives them all a smile as he makes his way to them.

"Tanis." Bofur says as he pats the boy's head affectionately. "How have you been lad?"

"I am good." Tanis says as he brushes a few stray medium brown hair out of his eyes. "Amad said when you come home that you would braid my hair."

Bofur lets out a chuckle and ruffles Tanis's hair before looking down at Raina. "How about you lass?"

Raina, still holding onto Aliena's brown skirt, shrugs her shoulders and doesn't say a word in reply.

"And how about you, Amrâlimê?" Bofur says as he looks into Aliena's face. He notices that her eyes have dark circles underneath and that her jawline is more pronounced than what it used to.

"We are well." Aliena says as she readjusts her grip on Bofur II.

"And you must be the newest son of mine." Bofur says as he leans towards the small, dark haired boy. Right away, Bofur notices that his little son has the same eyes as him. "What's his name? You never did tell me in the letters I received."

"I named him Bofur. But everyone just calls him Bo for short." Aliena says as few happy tears roll down her cheeks. "I am so happy you are home."

"Ah. Come here, lassie." Bofur says as he pulls Aliena down for a hug, and is careful to make sure that his son doesn't fall.

Thorin and Inara make their way up the stairs to the top of the ramparts as Bofur is greeted by his family. The two monarchs wait a few minutes till Inara lets out a high pitched whistle that causes everyone to go quiet.

"Warriors of Erebor!" Thorin shouts down to the mass of dwarves below. "All of Erebor welcomes you home. Tonight, we shall feast in your honor!"

A loud, rumbling applause echoes through all of Erebor, and Thorin has to raise his hands to quiet his people.

"Tomorrow, we shall remember our fallen dead with honor. A feast will be held in their honor tomorrow night, which will befit their sacrifice." Thorin shouts.

Everyone begins to clap, and both Thorin and Inara bow their heads to their people.

"Let us feast in celebration to our warriors. Welcome home!"

The cheering begins again and both Thorin and Inara bow to all of Erebor again before coming down from the ramparts.

It takes an hour to make their way to the dining halls from the entrance hall. Everyone is enjoying themselves, and some of the younger warriors have snuck off with their sweethearts or wives for the night.

The royal family, however, takes their evening meal in their royal quarters. Tomorrow they will feast with the rest of Erebor. As the night progresses, everyone is talking or eating in the dining area or the lounge.

Tauriel is seated on the floor near the fireplace with Elleon in her lap. While Kelda is sitting across from her.

"So I have been studying with Inara, Sigrid, and Master Aert in the healing halls. Yet, I wish to learn more, naneth." Kelda says cautiously as he brushes back one of her braids to rest behind her half-dwarf, half-elven ear. "I wish to travel to Rivendell to study with Lord Elrond."

Tauriel wasn't expecting to hear her daughter asking for permission to leave. Yet a part of Tauriel knows that Kelda wants to learn more about her elven heritage, and that is something that Tauriel can no longer help her with.

"He is the best healer there is, naneth. And I want to become the best healer I can be."

"I will speak with your adar." Tauriel says in hopes that it will placate her daughter for the time being.

Over on the settee, Kili is talking with Toril and Kilian about the battle. Both of them listen with wide eyes and sometimes asking Kili questions. Kilian and Toril have been practicing hard when it comes to their weapons training. Yet only Toril has decided on what she truly wants her place to be. Kili was thrilled to hear that she had joined Erebor's guard as an archer.

In the dining area, Fili is seated at the table nibbling away at some meat as Balder shows him some of his smything work. Freya is sitting next to Fili, on his left side, with her head resting against his shoulder. Solen is seated next to Balder, and is silently watching his nadad talk about forging weapons. Sigrid, however, is quick to refill Fili's tankard of ale and has been giving him bedroom eyes when he looks at her.

Thorin and Inara's children are split between listening to Kili's story, and listening to Bofur's account of his wounds. Bofur had stayed at the other end of the table and was telling all about how he got his injury. Dwalin sometimes made a comment to rattle Bofur, but he too was interested in Bofur's accounts. Aliena was snuggled up to Bofur during his telling of the tale with little Bo sitting on her lap, and their children sitting to Bofur's right.

Inara, is standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking out at the dining table before glancing towards the lounge. A pair of strong arms wrap around her middle and pulls her tight against the owners' body.

"You seem lost in thought." Thorin says softly against her shoulder.

"I am watching our family become whole again." Inara replies as she watches Frerin and Durin laugh at something Dwalin had said to Bofur. "I worry sometimes."

"About what?" Thorin asks as he too watches his eldest two laugh.

"That all of this will come to an end."

Both Thorin and Inara feel a shiver of cold run down their spines at Inara's words.

"Let us hope that it will not come soon." Thorin whispers before reaching up to place a kiss against Inara's right cheek.

So, I am starting to incorporate more of the children into the story now that they are getting older. I have some plans for them when we reach the LOTR events.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Reviews are welcomed, enjoyed, cherished, and much loved. Even the negative ones.

Selene

Have your tissues ready for the next chapter. Trust me, you are going to be needing them.