I'm baaaack! :D

I have finally graduated college! It was only 2 years, but that's good enough for me! Boy, does it feel good to be done! :D And now I have SO much more free time! For now, at least! xD lol

Now, I do apologize that I am slightly overdue for my update. It took me a little longer to put my ideas for this chapter into words, but finally it came together! This one is the longest chapter yet and I felt you all deserved a long one after what probably felt like a long wait! xD

There is a song in this one and I'm sure a good deal of you will know it :) here's the link for it: watch?v=RNFUpdMGlDc

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After the mysterious bowman had fired upon them and kept his bow locked on them, the company stood very still so as to not provoke a next attack. Kili and Fili had simultaneously placed themselves in front of Aira to shield her from the archer.

Just when they all thought they were done for, Balin stepped forward with his hands up in defense and said, "Excuse me, but…you are from Lake-town, if I am not mistaken." He nodded over to the side. "That barge over there…it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"

Aira was confused. What barge was Balin talking about? She glanced over between Fili and Kili's shoulders and saw, to her surprise, that there really was a barge tied off and sitting in the shallows.

"How in Durin's name did he manage to get that here without us knowing?" she wondered.

By this time, the archer had lowered his bow. He then stepped down from his stone perch, glancing around at all of them suspiciously before looking back to Balin.

"Of what interest is my barge to you?" he asked.

"We simply need to get through Lake-town, but we have no means of transportation of our own," answered Balin.

The bowman snickered. As he pulled his quiver of arrows off his shoulder and pushed his bow inside it, he asked them, "Well, certainly, you can get there in your barrels, can't you?"

Every member of the company started groaning and muttering in displeasure and annoyance. After their little venture on the river, continuing on in the barrels was the last thing they wanted to do. The bowman smirked and chuckled at them as he walked over to his barge and placed his quiver inside, amused at his little quip and the reaction it elicited from the Dwarves.

Aira noticed his little smirk. However, she noticed that it wasn't the kind of smirk that an unsavory character, such as a thief or a barbarian, would get before taking advantage of someone. Rather, it was the good-natured smirk of someone who simply enjoyed a good, lighthearted joke every once in a while. She found that reassuring, in a way; that and the fact that he had put away his weapon told her that perhaps he wasn't as bad as they had originally thought when he had attacked.

However, that didn't change the fact that she wasn't as amused about his teasing with the barrels, so she decided to try and retaliate.

"Pardon me, Master Bargeman," she said, stepping out from behind Fili and Kili and receiving a few curious looks. "Have you ever tried riding in a barrel down the raging rapids of the forest river?" She then raised her eyebrows at him in challenge.

The bargeman had started loading the barrels onto his vessel, but upon hearing the female Dwarf speaking to him, he stopped.

"I cannot say that I have," he answered.

Aira tilted her head a little to the side and said in reply, "Well, then, I would advise you not to joke about it, sir…because we will have you know that it is not a laughing matter."

About half of the company quietly snickered at the sassy attitude she had just pulled with the man. The rest were a bit apprehensive that perhaps her remark had jeopardized their chances of getting help from him.

But, luckily, the man surprised them by snickering at Aira himself, finding her attitude amusing. He bowed slightly and said, "As you wish, my lady." Then he resumed loading the barge.

To Aira, the man's reply was strange; he had been courteous and she hadn't expected such a response. No one did.

A hand then slipped around her waist and pulled her back against someone's hard chest. From the heat she could feel in the side of her head, she knew it was Kili and it was his jealous gaze that was burning into her. The man's response didn't sit well with him and she knew it.

She turned around, met his slightly angry gaze and rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be so jealous, Kili. He's just being polite," she quietly chided him.

Kili began to nod but then he winced again from the pain in his leg from standing too long. Fili next to him quickly jumped to his other side as he started to sink down. Fili took Kili's arm and draped it around his shoulders to keep him up.

"I need to finish binding his leg," Fili said to Aira.

"Bring him over here," she replied, gesturing to the nearby rocks that were still raised a bit but low enough for Kili to sit down. Close by, they could hear Balin saying some things to the man, whom Aira decided to call "Bargeman", for the time being.

"What makes you think that I would help you?" Bargeman asked.

"Those boots have seen better days, as has that coat," answered Balin.

Strangely, Aira hadn't fully taken in the man's outward appearance, having not really paid much attention, clearly. Given his tall, lean form, she could tell he was of the race of Men, but that fact was obvious in and of itself, including that he was from Lake-town, a town of Men. He was a bit of a grim-faced man with long, shoulder-length black hair that was pulled half back and a neatly-trimmed beard that was a bit similar to Thorin's. His skin was light, almost pale in color, most likely from living on a lake. He was dressed in a tan coat made of felt with fur along the outside edges and the cuffs on the sleeves, a faded white shirt, dark trousers and boots. Overall, he appeared to be a particularly handsome man.

It was then that Aira took close notice of Bargeman's clothes. They indeed were worn out and slightly falling apart, but were still good and useful enough to wear. Aira assumed that perhaps this man was poor or maybe only had enough money to get by, but not enough to afford newer clothes. In noticing this, she began to hope that he would let the company hire him to take them through Lake-town. Not just for the sake of their quest, but also because she knew the money they would give him would benefit him and his family, if he by chance had a family.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, Balin said to him, "No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed."

Bargeman was hesitant to answer, but a certain look in his face basically said "yes".

Making that assumption, Balin smiled politely and asked him, "How many bairns?"

"A boy and two girls," Bargeman answered, tugging another barrel into the barge.

Balin grinned even more and added, "And your wife, I imagine she's a beauty!"

Bargeman lowered his barrel and answered lowly, "Aye…she was."

When he turned back around, there was sadness in his eyes and Aira felt pity for him. He was a widower who still missed his dear wife.

Balin immediately felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—," he started stuttering.

"Oh, come on, come on, enough of the niceties…!" Dwalin muttered a bit loudly, getting irritated with his brother trying to be polite and wasting their time.

"What's your hurry?" asked Bargeman after hearing Dwalin's murmuring.

"What's it to you?" he retorted.

Bargeman's eyes narrowed. "I would like to know who you are," he said, "and what you are doing in these lands."

"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills," Balin explained, cleverly disguising their real reason for being there.

Bargeman's eyebrows rose in response. "Simple merchants, you say?" He seemed to believe what Balin said, but no one could tell for sure.

Thorin quickly jumped into the conversation by saying to the man, "We need food, supplies, weapons…can you help us?"

There was a brief silence from Bargeman as he started running his hand over some of the chipped wood on one of the barrels that had been caused by arrows.

"I know where these barrels came from," he stated.

"What of it?"

"I don't know what business you had with the Elves…but I don't think it ended well."

"You have no idea…!" thought Aira and, judging from the annoyed look Thorin had, she knew he was thinking the same thing.

"No one enters Lake-town but by leave of the Master," Bargeman continued as he started coiling a rope. "All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He would see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil." He then tossed the rope over to Balin, who looked to Thorin with concern.

"Offer him more…!" he muttered.

Balin figured he would give that a try and he turned back to Bargeman, who was moving his bow and his quiver to the back of the barge.

"I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen," said the old Dwarf.

"Aye…," said the man, "but for that, you would need a smuggler."

"For which we would pay…double."

That seemed to get Bargeman's attention and he suddenly seemed interested. After discussing things with Balin for a few minutes more, he looked to the rest of the company and said to them, "Climb aboard."

They all heaved quiet sighs of relief for they now had their way across the lake.

Kili moved down from the rock he was sitting on, wincing as he put weight on his injured leg and both Aira and Fili moved to his sides.

"Fili, Aira, I'll be—fine," he insisted, flinching a little.

"Kee, will you stop being a stubborn git and let us help you!" Fili exclaimed back, a little frustrated.

Kili glanced over his brother's shoulder at something and then insisted again, "I don't need help, brother."

"Kili…," Aira urged him, taking his hand, but Kili sighed and pulled his hand away and made his way to the boat where everyone else was starting to get on.

Concerned, Aira looked to see what had caught Kili's eye and made him so against their help. She saw that Thorin had been glancing their way.

"I don't think Kili wants Thorin to notice," Fili, who had also caught on, whispered in her ear.

"But he already knows Kili is hurt," she replied.

"He doesn't want to appear weak in front of our uncle. He just doesn't want him to worry."

"He's also not being very sensible in refusing help. He can still accept medical attention without appearing as weak."

"You can try telling him that."

"I suppose I can try, but right now he's being stubborn."

"A trait he undoubtedly got from Mother."

Aira chuckled, knowing there was definitely truth to Fili's statement. His and Kili's mother, Dis, while being a wonderful woman, was very stubborn in a variety of things, sometimes even more so than her elder brother, Thorin.

The two of them started walking to the barge. As they approached, Thorin, who was waiting off to the side, stopped Aira and gently pulled her aside.

"Aira, I know you're concerned about Kili—" he began to say, but Aira cut him off.

"Concerned?" she repeated. "Father, he was shot! I am more than just concerned; I am worried sick!"

"And you do not think I am, as well?" he questioned.

Right away, she responded, "No, actually it did not occur to me."

Thorin's eyes widened slightly and his eyebrows furrowed, taken aback by her answer that he did not expect.

Aira continued, her irritation evident in her tone of voice, "Not when only moments ago you were emphasizing the urgency of continuing on instead of taking a little time to tend to the wounded member, who is also your nephew, no less."

Thorin opened his mouth to speak, but could not find the right words to say at the time, so he exhaled shakily and lowered his gaze.

Then he said in a low voice, "I will see to him…and make sure he's all right."

Aira sighed, content with Thorin's response. She stepped closer to him and laid a hand on his shoulder as he looked back up.

"I know you are anxious to get to the mountain when we are so close…but you must first remember to see the people who are still in front of you and recognize what is going with them before anything else," she told him calmly. "You are the leader of this company…the needs of your companions; your family must come before your own and before the mission at hand."

When Thorin didn't respond, Aira decided to get into the boat. She had only gotten two steps away from him when he gently took hold of her arm. At this, she turned around to face him.

"I am glad that you are all right, Aira," he told her softly. "I almost thought I'd lost you again."

Aira gave him a tiny smile and replied, "Mirkwood is the last place I would want to die. I wasn't going to let that happen."

"Oi, are you two coming or what?" Nori called out to them.

Aira rolled her eyes and grinned. "Oh, we're coming! Don't get your trousers in a twist, Star-Head!"

"Star-Head?" Nori repeated, putting his hands over his zany hairdo as everyone started pointing and laughing.

Smirking to herself, Aira stepped into the barge and then moved aside so Thorin could get in behind her. He gave her a light pat on the shoulder and then told the company to rest.

Bilbo came up beside her and said with a sly grin, "That was a good comeback, Aira."

She chuckled.

"Aye, it was," commented the bargeman, who was untying the barge from the shore behind them. When Aira turned her head and looked at him, he added, "You have a very quick tongue, full of wit." He then pulled the rope into the boat and pushed off. They were now on their way.

"Thank you, sir, for doing this for us," said Aira as he stepped up to the lever that steered the boat.

"What's your name, if I may ask, sir?" asked Bilbo.

The bargeman placed a hand on the lever and answered, "My name is Bard."

"A pleasure to meet you officially, Bard. I am Bilbo Baggins."

Bard gave him a nod and then turned to Aira. "And what is your name, young lady?"

For a moment, she hesitated, unsure of whether or not to give him her real name or her mother's name like usual. But as she looked at Bard, something about his demeanor gave her a sense of security. She kept getting a good feeling about him, like she didn't have to worry about him.

So she gave the customary Dwarvish bow and said, "Airaním, at your service. Though you may call me 'Aira'."

"Well, Miss Airaním, Master Baggins," said Bard, graciously bowing his head to them, "it is a pleasure to meet you both."

Both Aira and Bilbo nodded to him and then proceeded to join their companions.

Aira sat herself down next to Kili, wrapping his arm with hers, and laid her head on his shoulder. Kili then rested his temple against the top of her head and placed his other hand over one of hers.

"I'm sorry, my love," he whispered.

"For what?" she asked.

"I broke the promise I made to you at Beorn's that I would look after myself and not get myself injured."

"Oh, Kili…you could not have known that would happen. No one could have."

"I should have been more careful, I wasn't thinking. Maybe my mother was right…maybe I am reckless."

"At times, you are, but at the bridge, you were not. You were very brave. Because of you, we were able to get past the gate at the bridge and out of Mirkwood."

Aira tilted her head up and placed a kiss on the underside of Kili's jaw. "Besides, if anyone is at fault for getting you hurt, it's me," she stated sadly. "I called out to you and alerted the Orc to your presence. And the Orc that shot you, I—"

"Aira, don't," Kili interrupted, lifting his head from hers to look at her. "I am not going to let you take the blame for my injury. It was my fault; my actions that resulted in it happening. Please, do not blame yourself."

But she just couldn't. No matter how hard she had been trying, Aira couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that kept building up inside her.

Kili took her hand and grasped it firmly. When their eyes met, his gaze softened. "I'm going to be fine, you'll see. I promise," he reassured her. He then raised his hand up to her hair, gently running it along the braid above her hairline, over her temple and then he traced the contour of her cheek.

Aira leaned into Kili's hand, savoring his warm, loving touch. "You had better be," she whispered. Then she leaned forward and touched their foreheads together. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he quietly replied.

There was a slight creak in the floorboards of the barge as the sounds of footsteps drew near to them. They looked up to see Thorin in front of them, crouching down to their level.

"Kili, what happened back at the bridge?" he asked, concerned.

Kili took a deep breath. "I climbed up to the bridge to get to the lever that would open the gate," he began to answer. "I had almost reached it when an Orc shot me in the leg with an arrow. But I still managed to get the gate open."

"I was under the bridge and I had heard Fili and Aira cry out to you. They sounded panicked. Their cries were followed by a sound of pain that I heard above me. I had feared the worst had happened."

"Don't worry, Uncle, I'm fine."

Both Thorin and Aira shared a subtle glance of uncertainty, but said nothing.

He gave his youngest sister-son a gentle pat on his good knee and said, "Rest easy, Kili. You will need all your strength." Then he looked to his daughter. "And the same to you, Aira."

With that, Thorin stood up and moved to another part of the barge. Moments later, Kili and Aira snuggled closer together, Aira resting her head on Kili's shoulder and him laying his head on top of hers, and they both fell asleep.

"Aira, look out! The Orcs are coming!"

Young Aira, now seven years of age, was playing war with Fili, now thirteen, and Kili, now eight. It had been just over a year since Aira had been taken in by Thorin and his family. The two brothers were happy to have Aira around and they had accepted her very fast, even when she was shy around them for about the first month. Now she was happy again and glad to have friends to play with that helped her stay happy.

She, Fili and Kili were outside in a nearby field, pretending to fight a pack of Orcs that were going to attack the Blue Mountains. Oftentimes, they would alternate what kind of games to play; either it would be all three of them would fight in a "battle" or just Fili and Kili would fight and they would have to save Aira, the Princess in distress. This time, all three of them were participating.

Aira jumped up behind Fili and slashed her wooden, toy sword through the air with a loud grunt, killing an invisible Orc.

"I just saved you!" she cried out.

A few feet away, she heard Kili make a whizzing noise with his mouth as he released an "arrow" from his makeshift bow, which was a curved stick with a leather cord tied to both ends. He had just recently taken interest in archery and so Thorin had helped him make his own temporary bow to play with until he was able to get the young Dwarf an actual play one.

"And I just saved you," said Kili, pointing to Aira. "There was an Orc coming up behind you!"

"Keep fighting! It's up to us to protect the Blue Mountains! We can't let the Orcs get past us!" commanded Fili, tossing his blonde hair, which was starting to get longer, over his shoulder with his head and brandishing his toy sword, ready for more "Orc attacks".

For a few minutes more, the three young Dwarflings were swinging their toy swords around or firing invisible arrows, fighting Orcs in play, imagining that they were fierce warriors protecting their home. They were fearless, strong and quick. So much that soon, the "Orcs" began to retreat.

"They're falling back!" squealed Aira.

"Quick, let's climb up the tree and see if we can tell where they're going!" said Kili. He and Fili then darted off to the nearest tree, with Aira right on their heels, and started climbing and jumping the branches up to the top.

Fili, holding onto the trunk, leaned off to the side, balancing on a sturdy branch, and put his hand above his eyes, pretending to look off in the distance.

"They're heading for Dunland!" he cried. "We drove them off!"

Kili and Aira cheered.

"But they'll be back again," Fili added in a dramatic voice.

"We'll be ready!" said Aira and Kili gave out a cry in agreement.

"All right, come on, let's get down," said Fili, shifting to the branch below him. He and Kili then started dropping and swinging down from branch to branch until they hit the ground.

However, Aira was still up in the tree. She had sat down on the branch, her legs straddled over it, to climb down, took one look below her, saw how far up she was and suddenly couldn't move. She clung tightly to the trunk of the tree, scared of the height and afraid to get down in fear of falling.

Fili and Kili noticed that she had not followed them and looked up from the base of the tree.

"Are you coming, Aira?" Fili called up to her.

"I can't get down!" she answered.

Kili then asked, "Why not?"

"I'm scared!" said Aira, her voice quivering.

The two boys tried to coax her down, saying she wasn't going to fall and that she wasn't very high up, but the young girl was just too frightened and had since started to cry.

When he noticed nothing was working, Kili turned to his brother. "Do you think we can help her down, Fee?"

"I don't know, Kee," he answered. "I don't think we're strong enough to get her down by ourselves."

Then Kili's eyes widened as he thought of an idea. "Uncle Thorin is!" he cried.

"You're right, let's go get him!" said Fili. He looked back to Aira, still sitting on a branch. "Hold on, Aira!" he shouted. "We're going to go get Thorin!"

As Fili started to run off, Kili said to him, "You go get Thorin. I'm going to stay here so Aira's not all by herself."

Fili gave him a nod and then sprinted away to go find his uncle.

Kili moved right up against the tree, looking up towards Aira with his little brown, puppy eyes. "It's all right, Aira! I'm still here," he said, hoping that would help her.

She whimpered a little. "I'm scared, Kili," she squeaked. "I'm scared I will fall!"

"Don't be scared, you're all right," the little Prince said.

Aira was quiet for a few moments before she looked down at Kili and said, her voice still shaking, "Kili, why did you stay here? Why didn't you go with Fili?"

He flashed her a comforting smile. "I thought Fili could get Uncle by himself…and I didn't want to leave you alone. You're my best friend and best friends don't leave each other alone when they're scared!"

Aira sniffed and smiled slightly back. That was the first time Kili had ever said she was his best friend and it was the nicest thing she'd ever heard. It helped comfort her just a little.

"You're my best friend, too, Kili," she told him.

Just then she saw Thorin coming their way with Fili right beside him. He was wearing just a simple, fairly loose blue tunic and dark trousers. Judging from that, Aira knew he had been in the forges. She could also see that his hair was not damp with sweat, so either it had been an easy day at the forge or he had finished up a while ago.

"Aira!" he cried, concerned, as he came to the base of the tree next to Kili.

"Thorin, I can't get down!" she replied.

"It's all right, Aira, I'm down here." Thorin held his arms up in the air. "Come on and jump down, I will catch you."

Aira shook her head and clung even tighter to the tree. "I can't…I'm too scared," she moaned fearfully.

"There's no need to be scared," said Thorin calmly. "I promise I will catch you."

Aira was still too afraid to come down.

Thorin then decided that if she wasn't going to come down, then he was going to have to go up.

"I'm coming, Aira," he warned her.

He reached above his head and grabbed the lowest branches with his hands, braced one foot on the tree trunk and pushed himself up. Once he braced himself, he continued venturing upward towards Aira, carefully weaving through the leaves and the thick branches.

He came to a branch that made him stand just barely lower than where Aira was where he could look up at her. Her little brown eyes were glistening with forming tears and her whole body was shaking. He could see that she was very frightened.

"Airaním…," he said softly, "everything's all right. You can come down."

She shook her head and looked away, burying her face in her shoulder. "I can't!" she cried, a bit muffled.

"And why not?"

"I don't want to fall, I'll get hurt!"

"You will not fall. I won't let you."

Still, she would not move.

"Aira, look at me."

Timidly, she turned her head and looked at him through her teary eyes. His kind, blue eyes were staring up at her and his hand was outstretched towards her.

With a calm, soothing voice, he said, "You will not fall. I am here, Aira…do not be afraid." He stretched his hand out a little more. "Come to me; take my hand and I will catch you. I promise."

Little Aira started to feel a little less nervous about getting down. Thorin was always there for her; he knew how to reassure her in times like this. Over the last year since he had taken her in, she'd had numerous dreams about losing her father and being alone and Thorin, every night, continued to come to her room and comfort her. He held her close to soothe her while letting her take her time to cry and calm down, offering her his comfort and protection. He made her feel safe.

That was exactly what he was doing right now: she was scared and, once again, he was offering her his comfort and protection.

Slowly, Aira lifted her leg and moved it around so she was sitting facing Thorin, hesitantly groaning as she moved. However, she looked down towards the ground and froze up again.

"Do not look down, Airaním. Look at me."

She glanced at Thorin just below her, focusing on him. She let out a nervous whimper as she began to reach out to him with one arm while holding the tree trunk with the other. Her hand grabbed onto his forearm and his hand snaked around to her back.

"Now, let go of the tree."

Her grip on his arm tensed up uneasily and he felt it right away.

"I promise, Aira, I will not let you fall. I have you…let go and grab onto me."

With a panicked cry, Aira released her hold on the tree trunk and threw herself at Thorin, wrapping her arm around his neck and clinging to his shoulder with the other as his arm tightened around her, pressing her hard against him to keep her in his protective hold.

"It's all right, dear one," he reassured her. "I've got you."

Aira started whimpering, relieved and still recovering from the fright she had experienced. Thorin continued to whisper words of comfort as he carefully climbed back down the tree while still keeping a firm hold on her.

Down below, both Fili and Kili heaved sighs of relief seeing that Aira was coming down with Thorin and that she was all right. When Thorin finally touched ground, Aira was crying softly into his shoulder. The two young Dwarf lads began to move towards them to check on her, but their uncle stopped them.

"She's all right, lads, but I think she needs a moment to calm down," he told them. "Go back inside and find your mother. We will be along shortly."

Fili and Kili nodded at him obediently and then ran off together.

Thorin sat himself down on the ground against the tree, cradling the still quietly whimpering Dwarf girl carefully. As he sat down, he started stroking her hair and whispered, "Shh, it's all right, dear one. I'm here, you're safe." He continued to whisper these words to her until her whimpering began to cease.

"Thorin…why am I not brave?" she asked sadly, turning her head against his chest.

"What makes you believe that?" he asked as he still stroked her hair and her back.

Aira sniffed and replied, "Fili and Kili were able to climb up and down the tree without being afraid and I couldn't. I'm not brave like they are…or like you, because I know you're very brave, too…I wish I was…."

"Oh, Aira…," Thorin said, hugging her tighter, "you are brave…and you want to know why that is?"

"Why?"

"Because, even though you were afraid to climb down and afraid to fall, you still faced your fears and came down anyway with me."

He looked down and gently lifted her head up, his hand lightly grasping her chin. Their eyes met and he gave her a kind smile.

"Aira, being brave doesn't mean you are not afraid of anything," he told her. "Being brave means you do what you are afraid to do. You took the first step in overcoming your fear of falling from the tree by letting me help you down and that is what made you brave."

The little girl felt her lips starting to twitch upward in gladness at his words. "Really…?" she asked.

He nodded. "It will still take time for that fear to pass, yes, but you will no longer be afraid of that fear before long."

Feeling much better, she then threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Thorin!"

When Aira pulled back, Thorin gave her a tap on her nose, making her giggle a little. "You are a brave little Princess, Aira…and do not think or let anyone else tell you different."

Hand in hand, the Dwarf King-in-exile and the little Dwarf Princess walked back to the gates of Ered Luin and went back inside. Soon, they found Fili and Kili and their mother, Dis, waiting for them anxiously.

"There you are!" exclaimed Dis upon seeing them as she rushed over to them. She crouched down in front of Aira and kissed her on the forehead. "Are you all right, dear?"

Aira nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Oh, good! The boys told me what happened and I was beginning to worry."

"She was a bit shaken, but she's better, now," said Thorin.

Fili and Kili came out from behind their mother, calling out Aira's name, and they both hugged her tightly.

"We're so glad you're all right!" said Fili.

"Me, too," replied Aira.

"We won't let that happen again!" added Kili.

Aira couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. You two are my best friends!"

"You're our best friend, too!" both the boys exclaimed together.

Both Dis and Thorin shared a glance and grinned proudly.

However, that night, young Aira had yet another dream about her father, Rimedur, and his passing. Although this time, her dream also involved her being stuck in a tree again and then her falling. She awoke and started sobbing for this dream had frightened her more than most.

Thorin's room was not far from hers and he always heard whenever she was crying. As of the last couple weeks, he had been staying awake in his room for a little while in case she would awake from a dream and he could go right to her room to comfort her. Sure enough, Thorin came into her room minutes later, dressed in his nightclothes and a black robe.

He noticed that she was sobbing and hyperventilating more frantically than ever. "Aira, calm down, it's all right," he said softly, taking her shaking head in his hands. "Look at me, little one, I'm here. You're all right."

"I s—saw my father again," she began to sob, "an—and then I was…back up in the tree…and th—then I was f—falling! Thorin, I was s—so scared…!" She started crying even harder, the sudden fright from her dream welling up inside her.

Thorin then understood why she seemed more frightened this time and, once again, took the shaking, crying girl into his arms, quietly shushing her and whispering soothing words to help console her. Her arms clung around his neck as if she was scared he would leave her.

Normally she would calm down within a few minutes and would be all right to go back to sleep, but this particular dream had startled her so much that she wasn't really calming down. He began to wonder and worry if there was anything else he could do to help Aira feel less afraid.

He then remembered that, in the past, when Fili and Kili had had bad dreams, Dis would sing them a lullaby. Unfortunately, Thorin didn't know any lullabies, but he had a strong feeling that singing to Aira would help her. Lucky for him, he was a Dwarf and he, if he wanted, could come up with a song on the spot. In this case, he knew it was his only choice.

Instinctively, Thorin held Aira close and he began to softly sing a short, sweet lullaby to her, the words sounding from his lips before he even knew them:

Come, stop your crying. It'll be all right.

Just take my hand, hold it tight.

I will protect you from all around you,

I will be here, don't you cry.

For one so small, you seem so strong.

My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm.

This bond between us can't be broken,

I will be here, don't you cry…

because you'll be in my heart.

Yes, you'll be in my heart

from this day on, now and forevermore.

You'll be in my heart,

no matter what they say,

you'll be here in my heart.

Always….

Thorin glanced down and found Aira had relaxed and fallen asleep, her tear-stained face nuzzled right in the crook of his neck and her arms still wrapped around his neck. Her breathing wasn't shaky anymore. Now, it was now quiet and even. She looked at peace. His lullaby had worked.

He didn't know how he had come up with it…but he did know that every word came from his heart. The little girl he held in his arms was beginning to mean a lot to him; he was becoming quite attached to her and he cared for her very much.

He decided he didn't want to move her in fear of waking her. Instead, he cradled her against his chest and laid down upon her bed, choosing to remain with her through the night.

"Always…," he whispered before placing a light kiss in her hair and then drifting into a slumber with her.

Aira then awoke, her head still resting on Kili's shoulder. Right away, she was surprised that her dream this time hadn't been a bad one like they frequently had been over the last few days. She was even more curious at the fact that she had dreamed of a childhood memory; one she had not thought of in a long time.

She shifted her head slightly to gaze up at Kili who still slept. She remembered how glad she had felt that day years ago when he had stayed behind to make sure she wasn't alone. It was then that she had realized just how true of a friend he was, along with Fili. That was one of the things about Kili that Aira had always been grateful for: that he had been one of her best and truest friends before he had become anything more. That was what made their love so strong and all the better.

And her bond with Fili had grown to where he became just like a brother; someone who loved her in a deeper way than a friend could but not quite the way a lover would. Ever since she had been taken in by Thorin's family, Fili looked out for her the way he looked out for Kili.

Her gaze then drifted over and spotted Thorin standing on the opposite side of the barge, holding onto the rail and gazing out across the water. Thinking back on that night when he had comforted her after the frightening dream and sang to her, she realized that that had been perhaps the night when the bond they shared had deepened even more and had been strengthened since when he had brought her to live with him. As a child, she hadn't thought about the words he sang as much, but now she knew the meaning behind them. She had already had a place in his heart even then.

Content and feeling more at peace than she had recently, Aira closed her eyes again to fall back to sleep, thinking of one last realization she had had:

After Thorin had sang her that lullaby that night many years past, Aira had never had another bad dream about her father's death or her fear of falling ever again.

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If any of you are having trouble with your feels right now, raise your hand! xD *raises hand* The part of the dream with the tree was inspired by a piece of fanart I saw a little while ago...it was one of Thorin helping young Kili out of a tree and I thought it would be better to have that happen with Aira in this story. I had a lot of fun with this one and I'm pretty happy with it!

I am SO glad to be back and to be returning to my stories again :)

Hope all of you enjoyed this chapter! Please review or send me a PM with your thoughts! Lots of love! :D