As Bard walked through the ruined streets of Dale, making certain that everyone was being taken care of, he heard talk of an elf maiden with hair like the stars helping the wounded. He ran to see if he was correct and stared at Halien as she stood from a man she had just healed. She hadn't noticed him, but Frerin was starting to fuss and she took him from a woman who had been holding him. Bard watched as Halien took her son off to the side, into an empty room. He hurried to find her and when he did, his heart sank.

Halien stood in the middle of the room, singing a soft lullaby to her son. She rocked him gently in her arms and felt the tears spilling from her eyes as she looked at her son. He looked just like his father and that made her heart ache even more.

"Halien?" Bard asked, coming into the room.

She looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. "Hello, Bard…" she said, trying to hide her tears.

Bard saw them anyway and came to her side. "Halien, what's wrong? Why are you here?"

Halien looked down at her son, who had now fallen asleep, and then at Bard. "He turned us away…"

Bard looked at her. "Who? Thorin?"

Halien nodded. She couldn't bear to relay it vocally to him, so she put her hand on the side of his neck and placed her forehead against his, and closed her eyes. She lowered her shield and let her memory of what happened in Erebor after they returned to be seen by Bard.

Bard closed his eyes when the memory started to flow into his mind. He saw how Thorin looked when Halien first gazed upon him standing in a sea of gold. He saw how he looked tenderly and lovingly at his son, then his mood as it changed. He watched as she spoke with Balin, heard him speak of dragon sickness, and felt Halien's worry and pain as she began to realize she might lose her husband to the same fate as his grandfather. He saw how Thorin reacted to seeing the Men of the Lake flooding into Dale, how he reacted to Halien questioning him and begging him to hold up his end of the bargain. He watched and listened as Thorin accused her of betrayal, accused her of no longer loving him. He heard Halien's faith in him, in his people, and saw her fighting to bring the man she knew back from the darkness that clouded his mind. He watched as she asked him if he loved her or the gold more and Thorin did not give an answer. He watched as Halien took her son into her arms and began to leave, heard Thorin tell her if she went to the Bowman- to him- that she would no longer be welcome in Erebor.

Halien felt overwhelmed by the memory and she pulled away. She looked away from Bard as he stumbled back, having never experienced a memory share before. He looked at her, but his cheek felt wet and he knew it was because she was crying.

"Halien…"

"Bard, he would not tell me if he loved me. He would not even look at me." Halien said, looking at him. "He turned me away… I love him and he knows that but still, he turned me away…"

Bard went to her and pulled her into his arms. She cried against his chest and held Frerin to her, careful not to hurt him. He slept through it all, through the conversation, through the crying, through everything. Bard held Halien for a long time as she cried silently into his chest. He stroked her hair and tried to calm her, having truly felt what she was going through all because of the memory share.

"What am I to do, Bard…?" Halien asked when she felt as if her tears were spent. "He turned me and our son away, would not even look me in the eye. He won't honor his promise, his word, and I feel like I am losing him. He is stronger than this, I am sure of it…"

Bard lifted her chin to where she could look at him. "You remain strong. Strong for your son, strong for yourself, strong for your companions, your husband. You are their queen, their ally. They look to you for guidance and strength as much as they do Thorin. I felt that much when you shared your memory. You trust that he can overcome this and when he does, he will be the man you fell in love with, the man you know."

Halien looked at him. "But what if I lose him? I cannot do this on my own; I cannot raise our son alone."

Bard kissed her forehead. "Halien, you are strong and you will never be alone. You are welcome to stay here in Dale with us- with me- and help us rebuild. If Thorin will not take you back, then you can make a home for yourself and your son here."

Halien touched his cheek. "You would let me stay? Even though it is our fault that this all happened?"

Bard smiled. "Of course. You are not to blame for our misfortunes and I could not begin to tell you how grateful I am to you for keeping my children safe. You are welcome here in Dale any time that you wish."

"Thank you, Bard," Halien said, then looked down at her son. "Oh, my dear sweet boy, what are we to do?" she whispered to him as she kissed his forehead.

"He looks healthy," Bard noted as he looked at the babe. "He looks like his father."

"Aye, but he has my eyes," Halien said with a smile.

"He has your ears, too," Bard said with a chuckle, then looked at Halien. "He will be fine, Halien. You are going to be a wonderful mother and he will grow to be a fine man, just like his father."

"I hope so," Halien said, looking at him.

One of the Men from Laketown came into the room and asked for Bard. "The food we managed to salvage is scarce and we need to find some soon. We won't last here long."

Bard nodded. "Make sure the women, children, and the wounded are taken care of first."

The Man nodded and left, leaving Bard alone with Halien again.

Bard sighed and looked at Halien. "He is right. We cannot last long here with as little food as we were able to save. The fire and the destruction of the city would have scared what fish there were we could have caught and there has been no game in these lands since the days of old."

"We will manage. I have a feeling something will happen very soon to change our fortunes." Halien said, coming to his side. "Trust me, Bard. We will be fine."

And somehow, Bard the Bowman, descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale, did trust her. Somehow he knew that she was right, but he feared for the safety of his people. He took her hand and led her to where his children were.

"Miss, you're alright!" Tilda said, running to Halien.

"Aye, Tilda, I am just fine. Are you all alright?"

Tilda nodded and Halien smiled when Sigrid and Bane came up to them. Sigrid and Bane hugged her, glad to see her in one piece.

"We were so worried, Halien," Sigrid said. "Is Frerin alright?"

Halien smiled down at her son and nodded. "Aye, he is fine now."

"He's so beautiful," she noted as she looked down at the babe.

"He's so little." Bane pointed out.

"All babes are, Bane," Bard said, smiling softly at his son. "You were that little once."

"Well, I like him. I think he's cute." Tilda said.

Halien smiled. "Would you like to hold him?"

Tilda looked from her father to Halien. "Is it OK?"

Halien nodded. "Aye, dear girl. He won't mind, I promise." She said, then handed Frerin over to Tilda and showed her how to hold him.

Frerin woke up just as Tilda took him into her arms and looked up at her with incredibly green eyes- just like his mother's. He reached up and touched a small curl that fell from Tilda's ear and he smiled.

Tilda giggled and smiled down at him.

"He likes you, Tilda," Halien said, rubbing her son's cheek. "He seems to think you're his sister."

"How do you know that?" Bane asked.

Halien looked at him. "Let's call it a mother's intuition."

"I have a little brother?" Tilda asked, looking at Halien.

"Only if you wish to treat him as such. He will grow up around you, that I am certain of, so he is bound to think of you as family anyways." Halien said, nodding. "I think he'd be grateful for that."

Tilda smiled and looked down at Frerin. "Hi, Frerin. I'm your big sister, Tilda."

Halien watched as Frerin touched Tilda's cheek as the girl leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Be sure not to crowd him, alright?" Bard said.

Bane nodded and asked if he could hold Frerin next. Tilda nodded and with Halien's help, she handed the babe to Bane. Bane said hello and let Frerin take his finger.

"Hello Frerin, I'm Bane, your big brother," Bane said, introducing himself to the babe.

Halien's smile faded a bit when someone came to get her to heal some more people.

"Sigrid, can I trust you to bring Frerin to me if he starts to fuss and gets hungry?" Halien asked, looking at the girl.

Sigrid nodded. "Aye, miss. We'll look after him while you tend to the wounded."

Halien thanked her and hugged her before she kissed her son's forehead. "Frerin, I need to go help a few more people so please be good for them while I am away."

Frerin cooed and touched his mother's cheek. Halien left with Bard to go attend to the wounded, leaving her son with the Bowman's children.