The dwarves finished making their plans and Balin handed the contract to Bilbo. Halien came inside just as Bilbo read through the contract, then fainted when he read the part about "incineration".
"Bilbo!" Halien said as she rushed to his side, sliding onto her knees. "Bofur, what did you say?" she asked him.
"Why do you assume it was me?" he asked in defense.
"You tend to exaggerate things. You have to be careful what you say around people, especially those who are like Bilbo. He's too good-natured and sheltered."
The dwarves, in amazement and silence, watched as she placed her finger on his forehead. It began to glow as she spoke an elvish incantation and when the glow faded from her fingertips, Bilbo sat up abruptly. He looked around and Halien stood to help him up, leading him to a chair.
She sat Bilbo down and summoned a ball of light in her hand and checked his eyes, making certain that he was fine. "I want you to follow the light in my hand. Good. You'll be fine, but you need to sit for a bit, Bilbo." She looked at one of the older dwarves. "Dori, could you make some tea for him? Chamomile with lemon and honey should suffice if Mr. Baggins has it.."
Dori nodded and headed to the kitchen. Halien stood, extinguishing the ball of light in her hand.
"Will he be alright?" Ori asked.
"Yes, but just give him a moment or two, alright?" Leaving things at that, Halien took the cup of tea that Dori brought up to them and thanked him as she handed it to Bilbo. "Here, Bilbo. Drink this. It will soothe your nerves and help you think clearly. We will need you to give us an answer tonight before we leave. Drink the tea and take your time, alright?"
Bilbo nodded and took the cup of tea. Halien smiled and put a comforting hand on his shoulder before she went back to her pack. Thorin had stood next to it and noticed the drawing she had done earlier and had picked up her book to look at it.
"Sire?" Halien said, uneasy being near him. "Is there something that I can help you with?"
"This drawing is very well done. You captured my kin very accurately." Thorin said and handed the book to her. "They appear very happy in this drawing."
Halien stood there and sighed, holding her book close to her. As he walked away, Halien was surprised to receive such praise and put the book into her pack and gathered her things. She took Gandalf aside and told him that she was going to scout ahead and make sure the road is safe to travel in the morning. Gandalf nodded as she left, but Bofur stopped her for a moment.
"Be careful, lass. Promise?" he asked.
Bofur and Halien had grown very close from the time that she had spent in his village. Halien hugged the dwarf and nodded, promising to be careful. She left the hobbit hole and searched the surrounding area of the Shire, leaving the dwarves to conclude their business with Bilbo.
The next morning, Halien rejoined the company. She came up next to Thorin, astride her mare, and gave him her full report.
"There was nothing in the woods, sire. The road ahead is safe while we remain in the Shire."
"And beyond?" Thorin asked, curious to see how far she went.
"I scouted ten miles ahead along the road we are traveling, including in the surrounding areas. It remains safe and there is an excellent spot to make camp. We should arrive there just before nightfall," she assured him. "I will scout around again, once we reach the spot." Then, before she went on ahead, she stopped and looked at the dwarf king. "It is good to see you again, Thorin. Regardless of what has happened between us."
Thorin watched as she and Torwen trotted on ahead ways, seeing her scan the area as they rode on. She was an excellent scout, as elves should be, but Thorin had heard tales of her skills as she passed from village to village, town to town, helping the dwarves and humans readjust to life after Erebor was taken and Dale fell. He was impressed with what he had heard over the years and saw a brief glimmer of her skill the day he had seen her again in the Blue Mountains, as she taught the young boy, Dorin, how to shoot an arrow. The boy made his first shot, dead center in the target, which told Thorin that Halien was indeed an excellent teacher.
Balin came up next to him and said, "It has been twenty years since she was last in the Blue Mountains, yet she seems to be just as comfortable with each of us as she was then."
Thorin remembered the short time he had spent with the elf and as he remembered, that warm sensation began to rise again. He remembered the day he had seen her training some of the older children, teaching them the ways of the sword, dagger, maul, axe, and archery. He had seen her move fluidly and gracefully as she patiently walked the children through each step of the different fighting styles. As he remembered seeing her, the warm sensation grew hotter and enveloped his whole body. He could not figure out what the feeling was, but it seemed to persist more and more the longer he thought of her. He chose to ignore it and put his mind back on their journey.
They made their way several miles outside of the Shire and before long, they made their first camp after Bilbo had joined them. As promised, Halien left the company to scout the area, covering a six-mile radius around their camp. When she returned, the dwarves were not prepared for it.
