Reforged and Strengthened

by jezzibee83

A sequel to Reforged. Reforged and Strengthened follows the Reforged Universe and the lives of our favorite Sons of Durin and their elf, Tauriel. Watch as they fill their lives with adventure, love, and family in a world they earned through hardship and battle. Read Reforged first.

44. ACT IV Chapter SEVEN

Authors Note: Oh goodness, this took me FOREVER to edit and fix, lol. I also think it is the longest chapter I have written. Sorry guys, I meant to get it to you sooner but it needed a lot of help. Hopefully you like it. I will see you at the end! 😊

Chapter Seven

Fili swallowed hard as he tried to not take deep breaths. The smell…was indescribable. It was both pungent, and musky, and not only filled his nose, but his mouth as well. He turned to see his brother wiping tears from his eyes as the stench was so strong in this room, it caused all of their eyes to water almost immediately upon entering.

"I regret this already." Leotti grumbled, her hand pinching her nose as she followed the group through the dimly lit room. It was filled with barred doors of what could only be cells that led down a dark corridor beyond which, none could see. So far, the ones she could see were all empty, but scraping sounds ahead meant they were not all so devoid of life.

Tauriel was looking around, trying not to key in on the smell, as she paused at a large wooden crate and peaked inside, instantly mesmerized by what she saw.

"What is it, Amralime?" Kili came up just behind her, placing his hand on her back as he peaked inside as well. "Oh…"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The entire group jumped when Nyaunni stepped through the door they came in and leveled them all with a look filled with frustration. "Did I not tell you to stay together in that room? This, is exactly why I came right back; because I had a sneaking suspicion you could not remain still." She glared at Fili and Kili specifically. "You are just like your uncle, I should have known not to leave you alone."

"Uncle?" Kili asked, a bit confused. As far as they were told, Thorin was the golden child and did only what he was told. Kili often wondered if he ever got into trouble even once in his youth. Fili, was quite similar to Thorin in that respect, though he did have a bit more of a mischievous side that came out quite often. Mostly though, it was Kili pulling Fili into his wild schemes which got them both into trouble.

"Yes, uncle, Frerin was ALWAYS causing mischief. I doubt he has changed much over the years." Nyaunni folded her arms as she stared at them with narrowed eyes.

Fili, however, shook his head. "We never knew our mother's other brother. Frerin died in the battle of Azanulbizar nearly ten years after our great grandfather, Thror, fell in Moria. Before you ask, Thrain is gone as well. My brother and I, my mother, and my uncle are all that remains of our family." The golden-haired prince then looked to Kili and smiled wide. "Though it is once again growing. Kili has a two-year-old son, and another on the way. I have a child on the way as well, my first."

"Frerin is gone? Thror and Thrain too?" Nyaunni's brows lowered as she looked to the ground. She closed her eyes and sent a prayer of respect to the dead before opening her blue eyes and looking at both Fili and Kili. "I am truly sorry for your loss."

"As we are for yours." Tauriel said. "Thorin told me your father was lost the day Smaug came."

"Yes, though the years have passed in great number, I still miss my father." The red headed dam said softly as she eyed Tauriel as if trying to puzzle her out, but was unable to come to a conclusion. "I have to say though, I am rather curious on how you, an elf, not only ended up among royal dwarves, but also became a confidant of Thorin. I may have been quite young when I lived in Erebor, but anyone who knew Thror, knew he was not keen on your race. How is it Thorin came to trust you?"

Fili rolled his eyes. "Uncle likes and trusts Tauriel more than us, most days." He folded his arms and huffed.

"You are only mad, because you are not the favorite anymore." Leotti sneered, and Fili glared at her.

Kili simply chuckled and gave his wife a wide grin. "I know Tauriel is MY favorite."

Tauriel smiled softly in return, her grin widening just a bit as more of his hair was trying to escape the bun he still had on his head having not let his hair down yet. "Most of the time." She added, knowing he was still rather frustrated with her.

"Not true." Kili's expression turned completely serious. "You, are always my favorite, Tauriel. Always."

"If you had not made the connection, these two are completely smitten with each other, and will begin to tear their clothes off in front of you any chance they can get." Fili sighed, then smirked when Tauriel sent him a dark glower.

"I certainly do no such thing, Fili, and you know it." The eleth added, sticking her nose into the air indignantly.

"Alright, correct me if I have errored in some way in my judgment, but, you…" Nyaunni pointed to Tauriel, "Are bearing a son of Durin's child?"

"I am. This will be my second as we have another at home who looks just like Kili, my perfect little miniature of all that I love." Tauriel beamed at her husband who returned her smile tenfold.

"Nyaunni…do you mind if I call you Nyaunni? Or do you prefer Barzâ?" Naurfaer asked as he still stared into the box they had found.

The red-headed dam shrugged. "I can care less, though nobody knows me by anything other than Barzâ here, but it is nice to hear my real name once more; Barzâ was a nickname one of the younger dwarves gave me when I first was brought to the city which stuck over the years, and I just stopped correcting people."

"Nyaunni it is then, but I think you should know, these are hatching." The taller elf gestured to the box and Nyaunni sighed as she walked forward and peered inside.

It was the more recent clutch of eggs, a dozen to be exact. One of the parents…the male…is dead, and the other…the female…is in severe condition after having fought with another male who tried to mate her. He is dead too. Stupid creatures are going to undo themselves, forget needing to kill them off, they will handle that just by leaving them alone in this place. Even on some level, they do not believe they should exist…that should be sign enough.

All eyes stared into the box as several of the eggs were moving, but one had already begun to punch out of its shell. "I just love being able to witness life emerging into this world." Naurfaer smiled, his eyes transfixed in wonder at what he was seeing.

"If you spent any time with these creatures, you would not have such an opinion." Nyaunni grumbled. "I have tried everything, and for the most part, their natural disposition to harm and kill does not waver."

"I have not seen a fellbeast in Arda in thousands of years." Naurfaer said quietly. "Yet I knew of their ruthlessness even then. But I had never come across the young before. They were created by Sauron, who seemed to enjoy playing with and modifying beasts from their natural state…like wargs. It makes me sick to recall, those poor creatures who did not have a choice or a say in what they became or were bred into." He sighed. "Orcs too, were once a eastern race of elves, turned dark after years of slavery and torture at the hands of Morgoth…who made Sauron look tame."

Leotti, Kili, Fili, and Tauriel were all quiet as the small creature began to emerge, though Tauriel did look at Naurfaer sadly, having known the origin of orcs from her personal studies in Mirkwood she did on nights she could not sleep but was not needed for guard duty.

Nyaunni too watched on as the creature emerged, a sad sort of look on her face as the serpent like head came into view. "There are millions of beasts in Arda." She began. "And many who are feared or given a bad name. Some deserve it, others…" Nyaunni removed a shell from the creatures head, but pulled her hand back when it immediately snapped it's blunted, tooth filled, mouth at her. "…others…" She continued, "…it is part of their upbringing. Wolves, for example, even wild wargs, when raised by others, have been known to be tamed and can even be considered domestic. Not all creatures have this capability, I like to think it comes with intelligence. Wargs, wolves, ravens, are all highly intelligent creatures. But these…things…are nothing but darkness even from the moment they take their first breath."

As if it had heard her, the creature began hissing and snapping up at the group surrounding its nest, then, it turned its head towards the eggs around it and began mercilessly bashing and biting at its sibling's shells.

Nyaunni immediately grabbed it and pulled it from the box, causing the small infant to begin shrieking and trying to bite and scratch at her hand. But Nyaunni had a thick pair of leather gloves on, so it did not get far. "They are poisonous even right out of the shell." The dam said after a moment. "So do not touch it, because it will bite you and kill you…it is their nature to do so. There have been many times, I leave a clutch of eggs at night, and come in the morning to find one has hatched and destroyed the other eggs. Sometimes there are remains, but more often than not, it eats every one of its siblings. I would separate them once they are laid, but…I cannot do it…the more of these things that are born…the more danger middle earth will be in. If I cannot get freed from this place…I will do everything in my power to keep them from being successful in bringing fellbeasts back to full numbers. But I have to do it carefully and in a way that does not draw attention…or I will be killed and the next person who comes and picks up my work…could bring an end for everyone on the surface if they are truly successful. I cannot risk that."

Placing the hatchling in a separate box of moss, Nyaunni turned back to the unhatched eggs and shook her head, one of them far too destroyed by the hatchling to survive emerging. "I am always torn between mourning the loss of the unborn fellbeast, and being happy they did not get the chance to come and bring the destruction they are prone to by nature."

"Are they cruel their entire lives? How can they even be managed and what is the point to bringing a being who cannot be controlled, into fruition?" Tauriel had turned to the box where the newly birthed hatchling was making some desperate sounding chirps. They reminded her of her beloved Kaw, whom she saved and raised herself. She loved and tended to all manner of creatures when she lived in the forest. It was a favorite pastime of hers, when she could manage it, to go into the forest and observe the creatures within in their natural environment. She would often hone her sketching skills by drawing what she saw when she was younger.

"That is the thing." Nyaunni said, watching the eleth carefully. "From what I have read, once they reach a certain maturity, they become trainable, but are no longer breedable, if that makes any sense. There is a very small window when they come of age, that they can be bred, which also happens to be the time they are most aggressive. I have several dozen who are of breeding age, and we have just had three survive long enough to get past the breeding stage. It takes sixty years before they calm enough to approach without the need for cages or protection. Apparently, though, I have been the only one to even get to this stage…which is why the orcs and goblins have not killed me yet. But I am assuming if things do not progress, my life is forfeit anyway."

"How long has this place been around?" Tauriel asked, turning her head away from the chirping creature to look at Nyaunni.

"From what I am told? Over a thousand years. I have only been told stories passed by those who had been here before I came, but from what I have been able to piece together, when Sauron was in power, he had places like these to generate the things he and his followers needed. When he fell…" Nyaunni, who seemed to be tired of the creatures pitiful cries, bent over to pick up a box emitting the smell that could only be rotting flesh, and with some tongs, began spooning entrails into the infants mouth.

"When he fell…" Nyaunni continued as she fed the tiny hatchling, "…many of these places fell with him. But others, remained strong. I believe this was once a stronghold set to keep the power in this part of middle earth after he fell…a place surviving members of his army went when they lost their master. Instead of jumping ship, they just…kept going, and doing what they could to continue the work until he could rise again…or so they say. I do not know for sure, but I would not be surprised if this place had a hand in Smaug coming to Erebor." Nyaunni paused her hand in midair, which made the hatchling quite furious, causing it to attempt to jump up and snatch the food above its head. Nyaunni finally came back to herself and smirked before lowering her hand once more to continue feeding the creature. "But what I can say, is these orcs and their minions are getting orders from somewhere, and they seem to be getting more apprehensive each day, forcing the work to continue at greater speeds and longer shifts. That is why we need to leave this place, as quickly as possible."

"And the creatures?" Naurfaer asked, and Tauriel had to roll her eyes as she realized her grandfather had an egg cradled in his hands.

"NO!" The eleth glared. "I see that look, and absolutely not. That egg remains here."

Nyaunni, however, chuckled. "I can understand your curiosity, but truly, these creatures should not leave this place. They could only have a dark purpose to fulfill, and they truly can never be what you wish them to be. These..." The dam gestured to the egg he still held, "…can never be anything but destroyers."

"Have you been able to tame any of them? I mean, before they reached the age of maturity you mentioned before." Naurfaer asked, gently placing the egg back in the moss.

Nyaunni chewed on her lip, and eyed the group, but remained quiet. After several moments, she nodded slowly and looked down the corridor of cells before walking slowly passed the group. Naurfaer quickly began to follow, and one by one, the rest did as well.

They passed several empty cells, then had to jump back as they finally reached one which was occupied. The massive creature, upon seeing them, leaned down and rammed into the bars of the cell and roared. It even tried to reach out to get them as it pushed its face against the iron keeping it at bay, but luckily the cells were built with an intent to keep those working this area safe. Therefore, the creature could not reach them as long as they remained a few steps back.

Although, Kili did push Tauriel a bit further away thinking he was trying to protect her, only to realize he pushed her directly in front of another occupied cell and had to pull her quickly out of reach from yet another equally volatile creature who tried to attack.

"I would keep a fair distance if you value your life and limbs, these two are females and are about to lay. Do not go near them, or they will kill you." Nyaunni gave the creatures a look, then kept going like it was just another day, which to her…it was.

"Are you alright?" Kili placed his palms on Tauriel's face and pulled her brow to his. "I am so sorry. I should have been paying more attention."

Tauriel smiled and kissed Kili on the nose. "I am fine, Kili. Stop worrying, I am in no danger of swooning or dropping at any moment, so put your fears away until they are truly needed…like when Thorin tries to kill my grandfather when he smuggles a fellbeast into his mountain."

"Mahal, do not even suggest it." Fili groaned from just a few feet away.

Kili snorted out a laugh and pressed his head tighter to Tauriel's, then finally released her. "I will worry as much as I please, but maybe we ought to keep an eye on Naurfaer."

"Or two eyes." Tauriel suggested as she took Kili's hand and continued walking. "Nyaunni, why is there nobody else here? I am rather surprised we have not come across anyone yet."

"I am the only one who works directly with the beasts at these hours. The others are either assigned to other tasks, or given a rest period. Even then though, I have not been able to get really anyone in here to help for long." Nyaunni looked to the ground, and Tauriel instinctively had the idea that maybe, it was not so much that they refused to come back, and more like they were killed by the creatures. She decided not to ask for clarity, as it seemed to upset Nyaunni just speaking on it.

As they moved on, they passed several more cages that had fellbeasts of varying sizes launching themselves at the bars as they walked by. They certainly were ferocious creatures.

Finally, Nyaunni paused before a door and grabbed a pail of moss and insects that were sitting as if they had been waiting for her. She looked back at the group then pushed the door open and began descending some stairs. "This is a storage facility where we keep supplies…or…where I keep supplies. It is also where I sleep so I suppose you can say it doubles as my quarters if we have such things in this place. Nobody comes down here but me, because there is nothing to see. Nothing really, that is. If they knew what I had, though, they would have killed me, then…her. She is not supposed to exist…not anymore."

Kili paused, and looked at his wife. He was not sure he wanted her down there if one of those creatures were being kept there. But Tauriel pushed past him and proceeded on her own, and Kili shook his head. She does do what she pleases and far be it from him to stop her wild spirit, it is one of the things he loves most about her.

When the group reached the bottom of the steps, Nyaunni gave a small whistle and waited. The room was quite dark, so it was difficult to see the size, but Tauriel could make out a bundle of blankets in a far corner along with several small tables and a lamp lit that was swinging above the makeshift bedding. The rest of the room was completely taken up by boxes, crates, barrels, and small cages. There were no cells here to speak of, and that had everyone a bit on edge.

"Wait…you have one of those creatures out of a CELL?!" Leotti quietly shrieked as she began backing away towards the stairs leading back up the way they came.

There was a low grumble, it was almost guttural, as the sound of claws scraping the floor could be heard in one of the darker corners of the room. Once again, Kili put himself in front of Tauriel, but the eleth rolled her eyes and pulled her daggers. She kept them out of sight, but in her grip just in case.

As the sound got closer, Nyaunni began to make some sort of clicking noise…and to their surprise, the creature in the shadows answered back before stepping into the light.

"By the valar, she is magnificent." Naurfaer breathed out in awe. This creature did not really resemble the ones in the cells, though they seemed to belong to a similar species…and yet…at the same time…did not. "Where did she come from?"

"I bred her, believe it or not. I do not know how it happened, but, she came from a clutch of eggs two years ago. She was smaller than her brothers and sisters, and from the moment she was born, she was different. She refused the rotted meat the others prefer, and only ate insects and moss. Her bone structure is also much different and her face, more narrow and streamline and much less…twisted. While the others have teeth protruding every which way, hers are much smaller and perfectly lined in her mouth." Nyaunni placed the pale down, and reached in to grab some moss and held it out to the creature who had her head down low, almost to the ground, as she eyed the group of strangers in her den.

"As I said earlier, fellbeasts were created by Sauron." Naurfaer said not taking his eyes off the magnificent creature before him. "But they came from something much more pure. Some say, Sauron took a dragon, and merged it with an amphiptere…but I am thinking maybe the key…and the real answer of their origin…is right in this very city." He looked around at confused glances and sighed. "A certain feathered serpent we keep seeing depicted in stone on the walls and carved into statues all over the city? Keep up, I know you are all far cleverer than this."

"I never thought twice about those creatures in stone, not until she was hatched and I realized what these beasts may have once been. With no elves here to translate, we know nothing of who lived in this city before the orcs came…but whoever they were they dwelled side by side with those majestic looking animals." Nyaunni said, throwing the creature a beetle and watching as it caught it in midair. "I don't know anything about them…but if you look at the statues and at her…the resemblance is nearly unmistakable."

"She is much smaller than the other fellbeasts…is that because of her age?" Fili said, looking at the creature with mixed feelings of wanting to know more about it, and wanting to get out of this room before it attacked.

"Yes and no. I do not think she will get much bigger, twice the size of a horse, maybe a bit more. She is only two, just a baby still, yet she is nowhere near the size of the other two-year-olds." Nyaunni smiled softly as the fellbeast dug her nose in the bucket of moss and began eating quite eagerly, finishing off the entire contents in just a few moments before digging her nose in her wing and began preening the long feathers attached to her back, almost like a bird would.

Tauriel stared at the creature, almost too stunned for words. She was, truly mesmerizing. The beasts she passed coming down here were crooked, had teeth coming out of their mouths every which way, long necks, batlike wings attached fully to their front claws, and were almost a sickly grey in color from their scrunched-up noses to their long tails. Their bodies had no feathers, no real coloring, and even lacked scales. They also stood twice Naurfaer's height on all fours, and double that when they rose to ram the cages from nose to tail. They were nowhere near the size of a dragon, but they were certainly quite large.

This creature, however, though her scales had the same grey pallet as the others, they almost had a blue hue to them that caught the light as she moved. Her nose was long and streamline, and she had large sky-blue eyes watching them almost curiously once she realized they were not a threat. What was even more impressive, was the large iridescent feathers growing from her spine that went all the way down to the tip of her tail where they almost fanned out, along with even larger feathers evident behind her front legs which Tauriel would not doubt became wings if she extended them fully. As the creature got more comfortable and sat up, Tauriel saw that there were even more elegant feathers on her chest which were cream in coloring and turned back to scales at her belly. It was a work of art how her scales slowly turned into feathers, then back to scales; that was something Tauriel had never seen before in her life…not in any creature she has encountered.

"She is, unreal." Tauriel finally said. "She came from those fellbeasts? How? She barely resembles them in any way?"

"She is of the fellbeasts, I can promise you that. But how? Honestly? I do not know. I tried everything I could to recreate the exact environment she was born to, even mated the same pair, only to result in the father being killed by the female after the second round of mating. She did lay a clutch of eggs though and I was eager to see the results. But, it was doomed to fail. The hatchlings were sickly, but I knew the moment they eggs were lay, it was not a success. Her egg, though in size and shape was identical to the others…in color…it was slightly different." Nyaunni reached out her hand and stroked the nose of the creature before hand feeding it some more insects.

"There was only one other time I got a clutch of eggs that had two the exact same coloring as hers. You could not imagine my excitement. But…an orc came in one night for inspections, and the clumsy fool got into an argument with his companion, and ended up destroying the entire clutch." The red-headed dam growled, causing the creature to imitate her almost perfectly.

Naurfaer watched impressed. "She has imprinted on you." He said with awe.

Nyaunni nodded. "Imagine my surprise, she has followed me around from the very moment she was hatched. I have had to keep her safe and hidden, because I know they would destroy her. They want dark creatures, not ones filled with goodness and light."

"What is her name?" Kili asked quietly.

"I named her Dajnel." Nyaunni smiled as the winged creature placed her large head on the dams shoulder and for all intents and purposes…purred.

Naurfaer smiled softly. "Hope, the greatest of hope I should say. A beautiful choice in name."

"Ya, well, there is not much hope around here, and it was fitting. If two dark creatures can bring to life something as pure and light as her, then perhaps, there is still some hope to be seen in this horrible place so filled with darkness and despair." Nyaunni turned and reached up, running her hands along Dajnel's neck lovingly. "Apart from the people, if there is one thing I wish to take from here, it is her."

"Then she shall come." Fili said as he stepped forward.

Immediately, Dajnel lifted her head and turned her eyes onto Fili, growling low almost as if she wished to protect Nyaunni. Seeing the change, Nyaunni held out her hand to Fili and beckoned him forward. "It is alright, she won't attack you. Be confident and do not show fear. As long as you do not make any quick movements or try to harm me, she will not attack."

"Is she poisonous?" Fili asked even as he continued walking forward.

"No. Not like the others. She does not have the same fangs as them, and lacks the glands to produce venom, neither does she have the same scent glands if you had not noticed. The orcs would call her a step down from the fellbeasts, I call her perfect." Grabbing Fili's hand, Nyaunni pulled him forward and placed his palm on Dajnel's neck.

The creature shivered at the contact, then made a low almost cooing sound as she allowed Fili to stroke her. "She is soft!"

"Mhm." Nyaunni smiled. "I do not know for sure, because I can only make assumptions, but she has several more feather spines so I believe she will have many more feathers coming in on her tail and her wings."

"Can she fly?" Naurfaer asked as he too came forward, after getting an okay from Nyaunni, and began stroking the feathered dragon-like bird.

Nyaunni looked thoughtfully at Dajnel. "She has never been given the chance, but presumably so when she gets older. She has never exercised the muscles, because I cannot take her from this place, but she is far too young to even attempt such a thing anyway. The others do not fly until much later in their life-stage when they are taken by the orcs."

As Fili stepped away, Tauriel could not stop herself from moving towards the animal. To her, that is what Dajnel was, she was no foul creature like those up the stairs, this was a creature of goodness, and the eleth could feel the light coming from her. However, something stopped Tauriel from moving closer; it was Kili's hand which had grabbed her arm. Though he was not looking at Tauriel, but rather, he was watching Dajnel closely. "Kili, I do not fear her." Tauriel soothed, but Kili held fast shaking his head.

"I won't risk it, not with you, Tauriel." Kili finally looked at her, his eyes filled with worry and fear.

Tauriel lifted a hand and brushed a messy lock from his eyes. His hair really was in quite the amusing disarray half still up in a bun, and the rest escaping the tie and falling to his shoulders. He looked quite wild right now, and quite alluring. A shiver ran down her spine and she pushed it away. Now was not the time or the place to have her way with her husband, even as tempting as he looked right now.

Kili lifted a brow, knowing exactly what she was feeling and tried to force the feelings down before some rather embarrassing evidence would make an appearance. "Amralime, maybe, hold those thoughts for when we are out of this place."

The eleth laughed merrily and leaned forward to brush her lips with Kili's. "Of course. Whatever you wish, meleth nin."

Kili groaned then pulled away and stepped towards the feathered creature who had her eyes closed as Naurfaer scratched behind several feathers on her head. "May I?"

Nyaunni smiled and nodded, indicating to where she was stroking a second ago and watched as Kili placed his hand in the same position. The dam stepped towards Tauriel who was watching her husband with a small grin.

Tauriel knew what he was doing, he was making certain everything was safe for her. It is both endearing, and incredibly infuriating simultaneously. She is capable of taking care of herself, but you try telling a son of Durin that. They will do as they please regardless of what anyone else says. If he could, Tauriel fully believes Kili would keep her hidden away in Erebor for her safety. Not that she would allow him to do such a thing, but Kili would certainly try.

Although, Tauriel could not completely push down the small voice that chastised her for feeling no different about keeping Kili safe and away from harm. He was the light of her life, the happiness she feels each day, and the reason she looks forward to waking each morning. He fills her entire being with purpose and keeps her wanting to be better and more than she is. Losing Kili from her life, is unthinkable, so of course, she would protect him every way she can.

Afterall, this last year has been filled with both challenges, and victories as she helped him to overcome what he went through the year before. Tauriel fully believes, Kili had to be one of the strongest spirits in all of Arda, to survive what he did, and be able to almost nearly, come fully back to himself. Of course, he has his moments, even now after months of being home. He is also much more subdued than he once was and far more cautious of the unknown which Dis thinks is an improvement from his previous reckless…run axes blazing into battle…attitude, but, for the most part, her Kili was quite restored. Some things though, will follow him for the rest of his life…and perhaps even beyond.

"Are there many fellbeasts here?" Tauriel asked as Dajnel sat on the ground, her tail curling around her body as she leaned into Leotti who was stroking her snout just beside Kili, who was running his fingers through the soft feathers along the top of her long neck.

Nyaunni nodded. "There are many here. None of which are like Dajnel since those other two eggs were destroyed, but there are a total of four sets of pens located throughout the city. This, is the only nursery here; the other pens are where they keep the older males and females. Two of them have all the males at breeding age, two the females at the same stage, and one to house those of a trainable age. Though, as I have mentioned, very few make it past the breeding stage, we can thank Mahal for that."

The dam watched for several more minutes then got all of their attention. "We need to get back. I spoke with both Taughin and Pyloh who are carefully passing the message around to those we know would not betray such a plan. Just before rounds begin, we make our exit through the fountain."

Leotti froze. "The fountain? You mean that water hole we came through?" She groaned. "I thought we were going to find another way out that hopefully involved significantly less swimming…preferably none at all."

"There IS no other way out we can reach without immediately forfeiting our lives." Nyaunni said sternly. "Believe me, if there was, we would not be having this conversation because I would not be here."

The young dam sighed and nodded. "Of course, I did not mean to offend, Nyaunni. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I very much do not like water, and this entire situation is far above my experience level. Adventuring is more their thing…" Leotti pointed to the other four in the room, "…not mine. I just want to go home to my shop, and my Ori."

Nyaunni stepped up to Leotti and placed a hand on her shoulder. Having been here as long as she has, Nyaunni has seen countless be brought here, and the sentiments they gave about missing home, friends, and loved ones was no different than this young dams. "With a bit of hope, you will be home sooner than you think."

"Hope…" The small dam said thoughtfully as she glanced at the fellbeast who had her eyes closed as Kili scratched her head. "What about Dajnel?" Leotti asked as she stepped away from the creature.

Nyaunni instantly looked distraught. "I do not know what to do with her. I cannot leave her behind, but I cannot take her with us without attracting attention."

"Not to mention I doubt she can swim." Fili said as he watched Tauriel move to stroke the creature who by now, was completely at ease with the attention she was receiving from the five strangers.

"That, is actually not true." Nyaunni said. "She is quite the adept swimmer, most fellbeasts are in fact right from hatching. From what the orcs and goblins say, they are just as at home in the air, as they are in the water. Dajnel here enjoys submerging herself in water whenever she can. I sneak her into the swimming hole at least once a week at peek resting hour, when I have a straight shot from that door down to the deeper part of the city." Nyaunni pointed to a wooden door near the back of the room.

"You have a swimming hole?" Leotti asked. She had no idea why a place like this, had a swimming hole within it. Seems out of place to her, as not even Erebor has one of those…or maybe it does. She quite remembers overhearing a few of the very old dams say Erebor once had one of the grandest hot springs in any city, but nobody has said where or even if they still are accessible in the mountain. She has to remember to ask Dis about it when they get back home, if anyone knew…she would. Right now though, Leotti just has to focus on surviving this mess.

Nyaunni looked to the smaller dam and nodded in response. "It leads to what used to be the original structure, but at some point in history, the city got flooded and completely submerged. Believe it or not, this is only the uppermost part of whatever was here before the orcs took over. The vast majority of the ancient civilization is completely underwater. Dajnel and I have spent as much time as we can searching what we can reach before I need air, hoping to find another outlet, some way to break free of this pit of despair and loss. Yet, I have found nothing but more statues and carvings I cannot translate. What was there, is nothing now, but a deep, water, reservoir. We use it as a place to cultivate moss and to grow water weeds and believe it or not, it actually contains some fish as well. Dajnel here, loves fish…and rodents…more than anything."

The people of Minam had so little food in this city thanks to the orcs, it was always a treat when they were able to get a fish large enough to consume. That is, unless the goblins got to the fish first. Goblins were in the water hole more frequently than any as they patrolled the elder fellbeast pens whose cages attached to a portion of the water hole that was closed off for the safety of the orcs and goblins. They cared less if a fellbeast ate a worker, they could get more, but they did try and keep their own from being killed or wounded.

The pens that were connected to the water had bars stopping the larger fellbeasts from being able to get into the city from the water which the workers appreciated. It also meant, the fellbeasts got a large portion of the fish they were able to catch, though most did not have a taste for them, as they preferred spoiled meat over fresh fish.

"Well…" Naurfaer said, eyeing the large creature. "I do not see why we cannot bring her with us if you think we can successfully sneak her out. It sounds as if you have been able to get her out of this room undetected already."

Nyaunni gave Naurfaer a look. "You don't understand, the swimming hole is just a few floors down and I can get to it from this back room. But the watering pool is across the way. There is no chance we can get Dajnel there safely without attracting attention. She is nearly the size of a horse already."

The room fell into silence apart from the gentle purrs coming from Dajnel who was quite thoroughly enjoying the attention she was receiving. "Well, I for one believe in the impossible." Tauriel finally said after a few moments. "How can I not after all I have seen and been through." The eleth stepped up to Nyaunni who was almost as tall as Kili, and placed her hand on the dams shoulder. "She will come with us. All we need to do, is have a distraction large enough to divert attention away from her when she is moved."

Nyaunni looked thoughtfully at her winged friend and nodded. She named her hope for a reason, so she will have hope herself that they will all get out of this. She will finally be free after all this time being down here. What will life be like, being able to make decisions for herself and live freely?

Thorin, was something else to think about. Would he recognize her if she sees him again? Even if he does, will he recognize who she was inside? She had been Barzâ since the time she had been taken down here, Nyaunni was nearly a stranger to her now. Yet, finally being called her birth name, almost made her feel like herself once more, made her feel…connected, as if a piece of her heart was missing…but now, she is whole again…or nearly so. That in itself, almost felt freeing.

"Alright. Let's go talk to the others. We have quite the plan to make." Nyaunni placed the bucket of remaining insects before Dajnel who immediately dug her narrow snout in to devour the treat as the dam ushered the group out.

Fili could not help but stare at the fellbeasts once again ramming the cells as they passed by them, trying to connect these creatures to the animal they had just visited. "I still do not see how she, came from them."

"A backwards step in the evolutionary process." Naurfaer spouted with a grin. "Happens sometimes."

Fili rolled his eyes and kept walking before Naurfaer could turn into Balin and force him to listen to a lecture about something he was not entirely interested in. Although, he did, for some reason, begin to ponder what his own child will look like. With both he and Viltarra having blonde hair, it was likely their son would as well. But would he have his blue eyes, or Viltarra's beautiful golden orbs? What about their other features? He could not wait to find out. Truthfully, he could not wait to be a father.

Watching Kili with Finli has only made Fili want fatherhood even more. His brother was an amazing father, which should not have surprised Fili as much as it did. It was not that he ever doubted his baby brother, it was more the fact he just could not see him in the role when he was still very much a dwarfling himself. Kili was always eager to get out and see the world, always wanting to prove himself to uncle, and the first to volunteer or come up with the most reckless of schemes.

That all changed though, with the addition of Tauriel to their family. His brother was almost a completely different dwarf than he had been before the fiery eleth came into his life. Oh, he was still Kili, there is no denying that fact, but he had a slightly more mature nature about him, and tended to think about what he did rather than jumping headlong into it.

Kili changed again when he became a father and once again after his time spent in that compound. His protective side has become forefront of his personality and often overshadowed his other traits. If Fili was to compare his previously reckless baby brother to anyone now, he would say Kili was a lot like his uncle…if his uncle had a bit more of a carefree side that is. Kili could certainly be as severe as Thorin, especially after what he endured. But…maybe saying he was completely like their uncle was incorrect as well. Mostly because Kili, even now, was much more apt to smile and laugh than Thorin ever was, and still enjoyed getting into a bit of trouble now and again.

"You alright Fi? Ya look as if your brain is about to combust." Speaking of his younger brother, Kili placed an arm around Fili's shoulder as they passed by the empty cells near the front of the nursery.

Fili chuckled. "Just thinking about you, and fatherhood."

"Yeesh. So your brain is about to combust? Don't think too hard on it Fi, it will come naturally. You'll see." Kili smiled as he watched Tauriel slap Naurfaer's hand away from the clutch of eggs he was reaching towards on their way by. He had to bite back a laugh as his wife began lecturing the elf older than pretty much everyone in middle earth about why he cannot, under any circumstances, bring one of those to Erebor.

"I was actually thinking about how it changed you." Fili gave his brother a sideways glance and lifted a brow. "For the better, that is. But you know I would still love you, even as the reckless, adventure seeking, pain in the ram's ass you were."

"Awww, I am touched." Kili batted his eyes at Fili, then his smile turned warm and sincere. "We all have to grow up sometime, Fi, and I think, becoming a father, is a worthy reason to do so. I would not trade my son, or my Tauriel, for even the most tempting of sights in Arda, or any world beyond." He looked to his wife who was physically pushing a pouting Naurfaer towards the door. "Because, they are my greatest adventure. You will see. Nothing, will ever come close to comparing to having your own family, Fi. Nothing at all."

"I think running a business is just as worthy and worthwhile." Leotti chimed in having been just a step in front of the pair. "Not all wish for such things as children, and not all can have them."

"Are you saying you don't want any dwarflings of your own, Little Otti?" Fili asked, genuinely surprised.

Leotti paused, but jumped when the hatchling from earlier leapt up on the side of the box and hissed at her. Kili rolled his eyes and used the blunt side of his sword he pulled to push it as gently as possible, back into the crate as Fili placed a lid overtop of it, making certain to leave space for air and light. It may be a dark creature, but to Kili, it was still just a baby, and he was not in the habit of killing infants…of any species.

"I am not saying that." Leotti finally continued as they stepped back into the room Nyaunni had originally brought them too. "I would love a child of my own. I am just stating, that not everyone wishes, or is able, to have such things in their life. Especially among our people. It is far more important to find yourself a reason to want to better yourself and grow, other than creating a family. I have found great joy in building a business, and I feel it has made me a better dam as I have learned how to run it and grow my own talent and skills as a seamstress."

"She is right." Nyaunni said as she shut the door. "Finding our purpose, whatever it may be, is what brings us the greatest chance at bettering ourselves and finding fulfillment in this life. Whether that be having a family, a business, honing a skill, or going on a journey. Even then, know this young ones, you still have much time ahead of you in Arda, so you have many purposes to yet fulfill in middle earth. Do not stop with just one, seek after many ways to learn and grow." The group nodded, including Naurfaer who fully agreed.

"Now." Nyaunni jumped right back in as she leaned back against a table watching Naurfaer wake everyone up so they all would be privy to the plan. "We have maybe a half a dozen coming with us to leave. We felt the fewer, the better. There are not many anyway who would risk this; there are many more who would be far more eager to turn someone over to the orc guards, then to take a chance of freedom."

"Are we going to get out of here?" Tilda asked quietly. "I want to go home."

"Hey now, we will get you home." Fili said as he pulled the little girl into a hug.

"I think it is best to get going as soon as possible, we are coming upon the shift change at peak resting hour. The guards will be minimal at this time, and I think…I think we might be able to move Dajnel easier." Nyaunni stood in thought but shook her head. "I just don't know how to do it though."

"How do you move the others between pens?" Naurfaer asked from his place beside Tauriel.

"Not easily. They require a special cage, a covering, and several hands." Nyaunni said. "I think…ohhh. YES!"

"I am confused. What is a Dajnel and why are we moving something? I thought we were getting out of here?" Bannick instantly complained.

Tauriel sighed internally. That was all he has done this entire time, is complain and whine. He was worse than Tilda who was ten. A peak at her husband, and Tauriel could see and feel his frustration with the human as well.

"We are." Kili said clenching his jaw as he tried to keep the annoyance from his voice. "But we are also trying to save a few lives along the way."

"And Dajnel is a she, not a what, and she will be coming along with us." Naurfaer said.

"So, how are we going to move Dajnel then?" Leotti asked, wringing her hands. This was not going to be easy. How exactly does one move a horse sized creature that looks little, if nothing, like the foul beasts Nyaunni was supposed to be cultivating.

"With this." Nyaunni stepped over and pushed a few crates aside to show a large cage smaller than the pens, but big enough for the horse sized feathered dragon-like creature to fit inside. "We move them when they are a bit smaller, and males need to be covered so they don't try and attack anyone we may pass by."

The dam then grabbed a large covering and placed it inside the pen. "The problem is, Dajnel has never been in a cage before and I am worried she will act out."

Fili hummed in thought. "Maybe, with you, she will be alright. Can we get to the watering room from here with her?"

"It is actually on the way to the next set of pens. So we have a straight shot as long as we don't get stopped." Nyaunni sighed. "The orcs here are not as stupid as one might think and will stick their noses into any business that might bring them even a moment of interest."

"Fantastic." Naglur said with a sneer. "Then I can bring out me axe."

"Great, get us all killed why don't you dwarf." Rosyn huffed, folding her arms.

"Says the female who was sleepin' and refusin' ta eat." Naglur snickered. "Ya are jus' beggin fer death lassie."

"Enough!" Tauriel said in a severe tone. "If we are going to survive this, we need to work together and not argue. Understood?"

"Aye, meh lady." Naglur said with his head bowed in respect.

Tauriel gave him a smile and turned to Nyaunni. "Whatever you need us to do, we will do it."

"I think I will need at least half of you to move Dajnel, the rest of you will need to make your way over to the water hole without drawing attention to yourselves. Once there, don't bother waiting, just get to the other side. Say nothing to anyone, not even the other workers if you can help it…and if you are stopped, tell them you are part of the nursery team and are retrieving water for a birthing female. They stay out of my business and they know we have two ready to lay. So they should let you alone. Got it?" Nyaunni looked at the group and each one of the dwarves and elves nodded, though the two adult humans just looked annoyed.

"I am not staying here a minute more than necessary." Bannick said with a huff, and his wife nodded in agreement. "And neither am I putting myself at any unnecessary risks for some…great escape we never asked to be part of. We should not have followed you dwarves to this place. This is exactly what happened in Lake Town and that only brought ruin, death, and destruction."

Fili ground his teeth in frustration before stepping toward the man. "You have two options, human, listen and live so maybe you can get back to Dale, or stay here and die. You chose to follow us, and this is where we ended up. Now, we need to get back, and this is the only way. But you are welcome to remain here if you like, you both are, and then you can hope we can get the numbers we need to come back and clear this place out. Which will likely be with an army from Erebor. So the choice is yours…you can either save your own ass by listening and doing what we say, or wait here for dwarves to save it for you. Because all I have heard coming from your stupid trap is complaints and arguments, when we are all in the same situation. I for one, have a child on the way, and I will not be missing their entrance into this world even if I have to burrow out of this place by hand."

"And I will not see my wife give birth here." Kili added in, glaring darkly at the human.

"Listen to them Bannick." Rosyn said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. Finally, Bannick nodded, but shrugged her hand off before folding his arms and standing quietly against the wall.

Fili eyed the man for another moment then looked to Nyaunni. "I will help you with Dajnel, along with Naglur, Dynni, Kili, and Naurfaer. Will that be enough?"

"Should be." Nyaunni answered after a moment.

"Good." Fili said. "Then Tauriel, you and Leotti take Tilda and those two to the waters and get them through first."

Fili passed one of his knives to Leotti who eyed it with a grimace. "Ugg, not again. The last time I was given a weapon, I almost killed someone."

"That is the point of a weapon, little Otti." Fili snickered. "I am giving that to you not just to protect yourself, but to watch my sisters back. You are the only one I trust in that group apart from her, and I need to know she has backup if she needs it. My family, is everything to me, Leotti. You two will need to watch out for each other."

Leotti nodded and Tauriel gave Fili a small smile. "I will be fine Fili." She stepped forward and kissed her brother on the brow. "But thank you."

Kili grabbed Tauriel's hand as she stepped away from Fili and brought her to stand in front of him, then grabbed her face tenderly in his palms and held it secure as he looked deep into her eyes. "Please, please be safe. If anything happens, run Tauriel. I need you to promise me, you will run and get on the other side. I will meet you there, I swear it. But stop for nobody. Don't play the hero, amralime. It is not worth the risk."

Tauriel nodded. "I will be safe, Kili. We still need to have that discussion you requested, and you promised me a bath. I have not forgotten, meleth nin. I will see you soon." Kili loosened his hand just enough to pull her into a deep kiss. She really was everything to him. It was only after that stupid human cleared his throat that Kili pulled away, though he kept his eyes boring into hers.

"I love you." Kili said brushing his hand down the braid he put in her hair that he had fixed for her while they waited in complete darkness for Fili and Naurfaer to return.

"As I love you, with all that I am." Tauriel responded quietly. She watched Kili slip away as he went to the cage and began helping his brother push it towards the door to the nursery, though he did pause and look at Bannick on his way by, giving him a hard stare, growling low. "If you do anything that may cause harm to my wife or jeopardize her safety in any way…I will kill you." The human gulped but wisely said nothing, seeing the fury and sincerity emanating from the dwarven prince.

Pushing the feelings of dread down deep, Tauriel turned on her heals to the humans she was now charged with. "Let's go."

Tauriel grabbed Tilda's hand tightly as she looked down at the little girl. "Stay with me, do not stray for any reason. I will keep you safe Tilda, alright?"

"What if something happens to you?" Tilda asked, unsurety lacing her soft voice.

It was Leotti who knelt to Tilda's level and readjusted the belt of the city issued uniform the little girl wore. "Tauriel is one of the strongest beings I know, but if something happens and we get separated, you hang on to me okay? How about this, when we are back home, and the next time you come to visit Hillanna, you girls come down to my shop, and I will make you whatever gown you choose, on me. Okay? I will even let you design it with me."

"Really?" Tilda asked eagerly.

"Really really." Leotti answered with a smile. "But you will have to be brave, and stay with us, okay?" Tilda nodded and Leotti stood, smiling as Tauriel mouthed a thank you to her closest friend.

The eleth, with Tilda, was the first to the door followed by Leotti who had to quickly hide the dagger Fili had passed to her. "Be careful." Kili called one last time, before they walked from the room.

"We will." Tauriel said over her shoulder then paused and turned completely, Tilda looking at her in confusion as she did. "Make sure Naurfaer does not leave this place with an egg! I am counting on you Kili."

Naurfaer glared at his granddaughter, folding his arms in irritation. "You are such an old hen." He huffed out, causing Tauriel to lift a brow at him.

Kili chuckled. "I will make certain he doesn't get one, amralime. Now go, and be safe." Tauriel nodded, resecured the cloth hat over her ears, and stepped out the door with Tilda.

This place was really nothing like Tauriel had ever seen before, with its layers of walkways and paths crisscrossing over an open center, stairs leading up to the upper levels, and ramps winding this way and that around the entire perimeter of the city. There was even some parts with scaffolding and what appeared to be a pully system in place for what Tauriel could only assume to be for the purpose of moving the fellbeasts and other heavy objects. Still, even with the added wooden structures, and the crumbling statues and pathways, this city had the potential to be beautiful.

Even now, if she ignored the vile creatures patrolling, this place was almost ethereal with all the hanging mosses that clearly did not need sunlight, and waterfalls cascading down walls and paths of the lower part of the city she could see as she looked over the path they were all walking which led to the water room.

It now made sense that this was the uppermost part of the original civilization. Tauriel wonders what the rest of the city that was submerged in the dark waters below looked like, and just how deep it went. Shaking her head, Tauriel forced her mind to focus and move forward, keeping Tilda just a step behind her. The two other humans were in the middle of their group, and Leotti took up the back. She chose to keep the group to the shadows as much as she could hoping Bannick and Rosyn would not do something to draw attention to them as they passed; at least she had Leotti, who she trusted with her life. Her little friend has proven herself to Tauriel far too many times to doubt her.

"Can you believe this place?" The small dam's eyes searched the paths seeing a smattering of dwarves and humans running to and fro in and out of rooms. Orcs and Goblins were at nearly every turn, sneering as teams of workers past by them. At least going in groups was common, or they would never get out of this place.

"Stop!" Leotti froze when she saw Tauriel come to an abrupt stop before a large orc with two goblins at his side. "Where are you headed, human."

It felt odd, to Tauriel, being called a human. Never in her life has she been mistaken for one. Not that she had anything against humans, but it did slightly annoy her that she could not just whip out her daggers and silence this creature with just a few moves. Honestly, she could take them quite easily, and if it meant keeping her wards safe, she would risk it. But if she can get them to the waterhole without resorting to fighting, she will try that first.

"We are part of the nursery team sent to retrieve water. We have a birthing fellbeast, so we must hurry." Tauriel stood nose to nose with the orc whose foul breath brushed across her cheek as he stared at her.

"An you need five to do so?" The Orc growled.

"We need a lot of water." Leotti said. "Those creatures are massive, and it will already take us three trips with this many. So I suggest, you let us by so we can get to our task."

The orc turned his amber eyes to Leotti and snickered; after a few tense moments, he finally waved them through. The group did not waste time and all but ran the rest of the way to the watering hole. "That was brilliant, Leotti." Tauriel praised.

"I need to sit down a moment." Leotti responded, leaning back against the stone and moss covered wall. "I never asked to be on an adventure like this…and I blame you!" She was taking several deep calming breaths. "YOU are the ones who do this, I just want to run my shop, and maybe get married. But NO, here I am…GIVING LIP TO ORCS!"

"SHHH, calm down Leotti. It will be fine." Tauriel gave her friend a moment and turned to the humans. "You want to get out of here, you know where to go." Tauriel moved to the barrel Nyaunni had stored their things and began digging through the damp clothing until she found the jar of light Naurfaer had created. Thank the Valar it was made with whatever magic her grandfather had, as it was still glowing bright. "Take this and go now. I am staying here until the others come."

Bannick did not hesitate to take the light and move to the water. However, his wife wavered. "Are you sure you will be alright?" Rosyn asked, eyeing Tauriel even as her husband was already in the water calling her name.

"I have protection." Tauriel answered as she gently pushed Tilda towards the water, but the little girl would not budge so the eleth looked down at her in concern. "You must go with them Tilda, it is the safest way."

"But the last time, I nearly died. I do not want to go without you. Please." Tears began to fall down Tilda's face as she stared earnestly at the red-headed eleth.

"Alright. But if something happens, you will have to go, alright?" Tilda nodded and she, Tauriel, and Leotti watched the two humans disappear into the water with the light.

"I just realized with them gone, we won't have any light for ourselves." Leotti sighed.

"No. But we will be fine. It is a straight shot anyway." Tauriel eyed the archway nervously, waiting for the others to come. Kili and the rest of them needed to hurry.

Luckily, it was only minutes later a large shadow fell over the door as the remaining group pushed in a cage where something inside clearly was not happy to be there. "Hurry, they will find those orcs any moment now." Kili huffed as they pushed the cage right up to the base of the watering hole. As they did, three dwarves and two humans Tauriel did not recognize came running in behind them.

"We got your message Barzâ. Are you saying this entire time, there has been a way out?" The dwarf was quite old, but obviously still quite strong as he held himself tall. Well, tall for a dwarf. He was still shorter than both Kili and Fili…and Nyaunni for that matter.

"Aye Taughin. Now help me with this, if she stays inside much longer, she will attract even more unwanted attention, and we need to get out of here." Nyaunni ignored the rest of the group as she lifted the cover over the door, the dwarf she called Taughin coming to help…clearly comfortable with the fellbeast. Tauriel wonders how many knew of her existence. Considering none of the group that came seemed even remotely surprised that not only the beast existed, but was also coming with them…meant that they must have…at least on some level…knew and had interacted with Dajnel before.

Tilda tugged on Tauriel's top forcing the eleths attention away from the creature who was stepping from the cage. "Tauriel, what is that! Is that a dragon?! Is it going to attack us like the other one?"

Tauriel looked down at the little girl and shook her head. "She is not a true dragon, she just…kind of resembles one. Do not fear her, she will not harm you." The eleth turned away from Tilda before she could respond and looked at her husband with some concern as it finally set into her mind what he had said as he walked into the room. "Find what orcs Kili?"

"We came across some trouble with an orc and some goblins seeming to come and investigate the nursery. I believe he was looking into our story because he mentioned too many at the watering hole. Of course he saw what we were doing, so Naurfaer had to take him out while I dispatched of the goblins. Unfortunately, that was not the only trouble we had, so Naurfaer was forced to clear the path for us, doing so without drawing the attention of the other workers or patrols. I am afraid we do not have much time before their system is triggered though, amralime. Or so Nyaunni says." Kili was already pushing Tauriel to the water. "Which means we need to go, NOW!"

Tilda, however, was backing away from the fountain, having released Tauriel's hand, while taking big, heaving breaths. "I cannot go back in there."

"We need to go!" Nyaunni was calling. She could hear the sounds of upheaval coming from the main halls as she pushed Dajnel towards the water. They were running out of time.

Kili, knowing if they stayed, it would be all of their lives, jumped back over the wall of the fountain, grabbed the small girl, and lifted her up, carrying her back into the water. "I am sorry Tilda, but we don't have time. We have to go!"

Kili placed the child down in the water and she jumped back when the fellbeast looked down at her and purred. Nyaunni watched and smiled as she emptied a bag handed to her by one of the humans who must be one of the others in captivity here. "There is no finer swimmer than Dajnel. If you are afraid, hang onto her, she will have you through quickly and safely, but you must go."

"What are you doing." Kili asked, looking at the stick she was pulling out from the bag.

"Those are explosives." Naurfaer said as he watched her.

Nyaunni nodded. "They will follow us, and we cannot have that. Whatever tunnel we are going through, we need to destroy it or they will just come through and kill us, then launch an attack on wherever it leads to. We have no other option."

Tauriel eyed the explosives warily. "I am surprised they allow you to have that, considering they don't let you have weapons."

At Tauriel's curious look, the dam smirked and gestured to the two sticks in her hands. "Oh…they don't. These are strictly off limits…unless you have quick fingers and know where to look. It also helps that I have connections with the right people down here. It is lucky for us, I try and make friends with everyone."

"No you don't, Barzâ." One of the younger dwarves snickered. "If anythin', ya get people hostile."

"Only because those people would rather stay here and be minions to those atrocities, rather than try and free themselves." The dam shot back as she quickly shoved several of the sticks into the cracks in the wall after hedging around the deep side of the pool. "There are far too many here who are content with their life."

"Not content, Barzâ, afraid." The human female sighed. "Fear does many things to us, they just believe their only options in life are to live and obey…or fight and die. Having courage, to them, is nothing but a death sentence."

"True with so many in captivity." Naurfaer shook his head, a sad expression on his face as the woman nodded at him as she climbed into the water with her companions.

Naurfaer pulled a torch off the wall and was the last to run into the water, tossing the blazing stick to Nyaunni who lit the fuses and turned to the group. "LET'S GO!" She pushed Dajnel to the deeper part of the fountain pool, took a deep breath, and dipped under the surface. Seeing her go, the dragonlike creature shot off like an arrow with Tilda, Tauriel, Kili, and Fili hanging on tightly to the speeding creature. Nyaunni too grabbed onto her tail as she darted through the water.

Tauriel looked behind her to see the two humans and three dwarves swimming hard until Nyaunni reached back and clasped hands with Taughin, who then linked hands with the human female who grabbed onto the younger dwarf that held tightly to the human male; they had formed a chain using Dajnel as their means of speed. Which was a smart decision, as it was only seconds later, an explosion ripped through where they had just been, shaking the tunnel and causing the fellbeast to quicken her speed as she pulled them all through the water.

In less than half the time it took to swim to the city, they were pulling themselves once again, into the dark corridor lit only by the light Naurfaer had made when they first fell. "What…is that thing?!"

Nyaunni was still in the shallow water, stroking Dajnel and cooing at her in praising tones as the creature shook out her head and feathered tail. "She is Dajnel." Naurfaer said, removing the hat over his ears and throwing it to the side as he took in stock of everyone around him, counting to make certain they all made it. "Seems like everyone is here."

"Perhaps, we should do some introductions now that we have a bit of time?" Naurfaer suggested. "As our group has quite grown." He looked to the five who had only just joined them.

Nyaunni nodded. "Of course. These are the few I trust the most. Taughin who has been in this city longer then I…" She gestured to the eldest looking dwarf who bowed. "Ygatt…" She then gestured to the second dwarf who was just slightly younger looking than Taughin, "Who has helped me more than anyone with keeping Dajnel safe, and this…" She pointed to the dwarf who looked just younger than Kili. "Is Pyloh. He is our troublemaker, and enjoys putting his life at risk to scope out the upper levels as often as he can."

"Nothin wrong with keepin' them on their toes…if orcs have toes." Pyloh chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Nyaunni turned to the humans in her group. "This is Wellum and Claira. They, like many of the humans in Minam, were born in the city. Though both of their parents were killed by the orcs twenty years ago, they do not waver in their belief that we can one day find freedom." The two humans nodded and smiled. When the fellbeast nudged Nyaunni's shoulder, the dam rolled her eyes yet again. "And this is Dajnel, who will not harm anyone who does not try to harm her…or anyone she cares for."

With their introductions over, Fili placed his hand on Kili's shoulder as he eyed the newcomers. "I am Fili, and this is my younger brother Kili, his wife Tauriel, and the dam who looks like a sopping wet rag-doll is Leotti." Fili motioned to his family, not even flinching when the drenched and rather angry Leotti stomped over to him and slammed her fist into his shoulder.

Instead, Fili ignored her and gestured to Naurfaer. "Oh…and that is Naurfaer. He is Tauriel's grandfather, believe it or not. He is much older than he looks and will take any opportunity he can get to prove that to you." The elder elf laughed as Fili gestured to the other two dwarves in their group, and the little girl who was just watching curiously. "That is Naglur, and Dynni, both of which are guards from Erebor, and this…is the lady Tilda, her father, Bard, is Lord of Dale."

Fili fell silent as the group nodded in greeting, though Nyaunni did turn to her group, adding, "Fili and Kili, the two brothers, are princes of Erebor, sons of Durin and nephews to the king." Taughin, Pyloh, and Ygatt's eyes all widened as they looked at the two brothers, then eyed Tauriel and Naurfaer standing beside them, staring at the long ears they both had.

Taughin stepped up, and studied the appendage. "Yer not humans…yer elves. I have not seen yer kind…since I was a dwarfling." He then took in the swell in Tauriel's stomach…the damp clothes hugging her figure making her condition far more apparent than it had been when she was dry. "Wife of a prince yeh said?…Of Erebor? My…times have changed, have they not lass?"

Before Tauriel could respond, however, the two humans from Dale cleared their throats expectantly…clearly tired of being ignored. Tauriel sighed, knowing neither Kili nor Fili cared enough to introduce them as they likely felt neither has earned the respect to be considered a member of the group. "This is Bannick and his wife Rosyn…from Dale." She lifted her brow at them, unimpressed by their seemingly never-ending rudeness.

"Now what." Bannick grumbled since introductions were now over. He was still eyeing the creature nobody seemed concerned about. Bannick had had enough of dragons, and that looked far too much like a dragon to him. If they get out of this…he and Rosyn will be loading up their belongings, and moving far from Dale, Erebor, and that elven city, Mirkwood. He refuses to be housed next to dwarves or elves any longer…they will settle in another city where only man dwells.

"We go back to where we fell, and do the only thing we can do now, dig out." Fili said, his temper flaring as he grabbed the light from the infuriating human and stormed forward. "And I think it would be best, you close your mouth from this point forward Bannick. I am not in the mood to filter my thoughts."

Kili eyed his brother and shook his head. "You alright?" He kneeled before Tilda and brushed some water droplets from her cheeks.

"That was AMAZING! Wait until I tell Sig and Baine. I was pulled by a DRAGON!" Tilda squeaked in excitement and turned to the large creature who was making some sort of chirping sound as if she was feeding off of the little girl's energy. It was strange to see.

Tilda ran up and hugged the creature who started at first, but leaned its head down and nudged Tilda affectionately back. "Thank you." She said to the animal who likely could not understand a thing that was happening, and yet, the answering chirp almost could have been a 'you're welcome'.

Kili smiled then turned to Tauriel who was wringing out her hair, the tie holding it in the braid he had given her had come out in the water as they sped through the passageway. He knew how much she hated being damp, especially her hair, but they really did not have any choice in the matter. "Amralime, do you want me to braid that for you again?" He ran his fingers through the thick strands, helping her wring the droplets out as best he could; she had so much hair.

Tauriel shook her head. "I really just, want to go home Kili." She let her hair fall limp, the strands sliding through Kili's fingers as it fell down her back, and then took his hand before holding her other out to Tilda; the little girl happily obliging as they once again began walking.

"How's your ankle Tauri?" Leotti gave Tauriel a side eye as they caught up with the group still being led by Fili, before they got too far ahead, and they were left behind in the dark.

"It is sore, but healing." Tauriel replied with a grimace.

"She will be off it for several days when we get home." Kili said, leaving no room for argument. Tauriel sighed but said nothing. At this point, she will quite willingly remain in bed as long as she can hold her little Finli and eat an entire platter…if not two…of amad's butter cake…and maybe a plate of cheese buns…or several.

Tauriel however, did turn sharp eyes to the two humans from Dale who were just in front of them, as both of them complained about their predicament…again. "Well wasn't that an entire waste of time." Bannick huffed loudly.

"Not to mention dangerous." Rosyn added.

But it was not Tauriel's sharp voice that pierced the darkened corridor, but rather another's. "Is it a waste of time to save a life? Or many? I pray for you, because your hearts are much hardened if you feel otherwise." Nyaunni was glaring at the humans from where she was walking at the end of the group, her faithful companion, Dajnel, following her loyally.

"Aye." Taughin said. "We have a chance ta right a wrong that has been done fer hundreds if not thousands of years. I would no' doubt some o' yer own people of Dale will be targeted and stolen if they remain. Does tha' at least mean somthin' to ya? Or are ya as completely as unfeelin' as those orcs?"

"I would not waste my breath with them." Kili growled. "They care not for anything but themselves. But not all the people of Dale are like that. Bard, their leader, has no equal in bravery and honor. You should try to be more like him." Kili's eyes darkened as he glared at the humans who quietly stared back at the younger dwarven prince.

"Prince Kili is right, my da would care about those people in there, some of them are humans too, like us. It would be the right thing to do, to help them. Wouldn't it?" Tilda looked up at Tauriel, then Kili, both nodding with small smiles.

"Quite right." Ygatt said, his dark, silver-lined hair falling into his eyes as he nodded. "I spent my whole life in tha' place, and have many friends among the human folk, good friends, and I won' see them suffer. Thank the maker, they ain't like you."

Chagrined by not only the dwarves, but also the little girl of their own kind, both Bannick and Rosyn fell into silence and marched ahead, but not before Dajnel gave a rumbling growl…likely sensing Nyaunni's distaste for the situation.

"She is quite tame, far more tame then some in this group." Naurfaer said as they continued forward, a tense silence filling the air as they walked. He felt it best to keep his mouth closed and let the others handle the tantrum throwing human children…no offence to Tilda, she was a breath of fresh air to them.

Maybe he had been spending too much time around dwarves, but the elder elf had to stop himself from drawing his blade in frustration with how the pair of humans from Dale are acting. No compassion at all. Considering everything they went through in Lake Town, the abuse at the hand of a master who forced them into poverty and took all the wealth for himself, one would think they of all people, would have at least some empathy for the captive races they encountered. Instead, all they did was whine and complain about the predicament that was nobody's fault.

Deciding they were not worth his time, Naurfaer could not help but let his eyes fall on the beast trailing the group. Her moist feathers along her head, neck, and back fell every which way as she walked, and those on her tail were quickly growing darker as they collected dirt from the ground while dragging behind her.

Nyaunni looked at the animal she raised from an egg and smiled, patting Dajnel's neck with pride. She had always been tame, even from the moment she broke through her shell and entered into this world. "She has just never had a severe disposition. I am afraid I have nothing to do with that though, it is all her; she is just…different."

"Good different." Tilda said with a smile. "I think she is lovely."

"But she can pack a wallop of a bite when ya get on her bad side." Taughin chuckled. "Wouldn't ya agree Ygatt?" The silver lined dwarf grumbled and Nyaunni laughed.

"Well, you were eating her grubs." The dam lifted a brow.

Ygatt, huffed and rolled his eyes. "Better than the time she nearly mauled Plyoh, wouldn't ya say lad?"

"Not better." The youngest of the three dwarves growled. "Because she missed, so Barzâ mauled me instead. I think I woulda preferred the fellbeast's claws."

"I don't know if I would consider her a fellbeast." Naurfaer said after a moment.

Nyaunni shrugged. "Well, both her parents were fellbeasts, so what else can she be? She is not a dragon, and she is not really an amphiptere either. I also cannot say what those creatures where that are depicted all over the city she actually resembles, or what the true origins of fellbeasts are…nobody does. So I have only to call her what she is, and as she came from fellbeasts, she is, a fellbeast."

"Perhaps, she is a blessing from the Valar above, or from Aulë himself." Tauriel said with a smile. She remembered raising Galaddal from a colt. She never really wanted a horse growing up because where did she have to go? But then there was this colt born to one of the mares, who entered this world quite small, and had difficulty standing to nurse.

Legolas had been the one who told Tauriel about the colt, knowing her love for the woodland creatures, and how it would bring a smile to his friends face that seemed to appear rarer and rarer these last several years. As he predicted, her heart melted instantly and she quickly found herself in the stables where the handler declared Galaddal to be a loss, saying he will likely not survive without intervention as he had not even been able to stand.

It only took a glance from the fiery red-head before her heart swelled with love for the small horse who cried out as he tried to get up…only to fall back to the hay covered ground. Deciding to take responsibility for the colt, Tauriel spent all her free time at the stables having to hand feed the infant horse, because he just did not have the strength to do so himself.

Eventually, after weeks of regular feedings and gentle exercises to get his legs moving, the tiny colt was able to stand, then walk, then leap around. Which was why Tauriel named him Galaddal to begin with, as the name meant, light foot. Galaddal, was a natural at running and jumping…once he got the strength to do so. Tauriel never missed a day in the stables, feeding him every bottle until his teeth grew and he was able to eat what the other horses fed on.

One cannot do such a thing, and not form a tight bond with another creature. Galaddal began to prefer Tauriel, over his own mother. Refusing to drink her milk even when he had the strength to do so, and only eating when the eleth was there. She often found herself sleeping in the stables his first year of life, because he was one of her only friends…apart from Legolas that is, and Ivethin. The elven prince used to give Tauriel odd looks about her behavior, but let her alone seeing how being at the stable seemed to make her happy, and Mirkwood's head healer felt the horse was a gift to Tauriel from the Valar above or some unseen guardian or protector, as he helped heal Tauriel's heart just a bit and bring her a peace Ivethin had never seen the eleth have before.

Galaddal was unlike any horse Tauriel had ever encountered, and she often felt like she could communicate with him without even speaking, and he with her. They had a special bond and she felt it was no different with Nyaunni and Dajnel. At a time when the dam was likely at her lowest, someone above sent the fellbeast down to her, to protect her and bring her comfort. Just like now, Tauriel fully believes, her mother and father sent her Galaddal when she was most alone in Mirkwood.

"We are given blessings when we need them most, from those who love us most but cannot be here." Tauriel said after a moment, looking at Naurfaer who seemed to understand her meaning and wrapped his arm around his granddaughter's thin shoulders.

"Quite true, starlight, and well said." The elf kissed Tauriel on the side of the head, and kept his arm around her as they walked.

Nyaunni looked at Dajnel who was sniffing her pocket, as if looking for something. "I don't have anything for you to eat, not here." She laughed as the beast snorted, huffed, and continued walking with her head bowed low to the ground. Nyaunni shook her head and looked to Tauriel just a few paces ahead, the eleth looking back with a smile. "Perhaps you are right." Nyaunni said. "I thank you for the realization and the sentiment. She means a great deal to me, and is quite truly, one of a kind."

"Maybe, if she can naturally come from those creatures, and you had proof others could…she won't always be." Naurfaer suggested with a smile. "Afterall, those foul beasts were created, her mere existence only goes to show that nature is simply trying to correct what was insidiously and unnaturally done."

"What is unnatural, is how hungry I am, yet nobody else seems to be at all." Bannick complained, rubbing his growling stomach. "How can you go so long without food?"

"We ate." Fili grumbled from the front of the group. "It was not a meal from mam, but when you have no other choice, food…is food."

"That was not food, those were insects." Rosyn chimed in.

Tauriel sighed. This was never going to end. "Let us just, perhaps walk in peace."

Naglur snickered ahead. "Tha' is the elven way of sayin' shut yer trap, if yeh did no' know."

"How long will it take to get back to where you fell?" Nyaunni said, after they had traversed in silence for many hours.

"Don't ask. We cannot be sure, because we kept getting lost. At least now, we know which turns to take, and which to avoid." Kili said, eyeing Tauriel who was beginning to show signs of slowing her pace. "Maybe we should stop for a rest." He suggested, worried and concerned with how long Tauriel has gone without real food, water, and true rest.

"I would rather not." Tauriel said quietly. "We go as long as we can. The sooner we get home, the better." Honestly, she was sore all over, though her ankle was the worse of her pains despite her being able to walk on it. But what was worse than a throbbing ankle was how much she hated having to find corners to take a private moment in an enclosed space. Add that to being truly exhausted, and she was beyond over this situation.

Fili looked back at his sister and gave his brother a worried look, but said nothing and continued leading the group. They walked endlessly, not really having any way of knowing how far they went. It had been two days since the quake, according to Naurfaer, which did not seem like a lot of time, but much of it was them being lost in these caverns. Hopefully since they know where they are going, they will reach where they fell much faster…and with a miracle, their uncle would have had a chance to clear out the pile so they can just…get right out of here. Viltarra is probably trying to move the pile herself.

Fili sighed at the thought of his wife and picked up his pace. He does not care if he has to carry his sister and force everyone else to run…he is getting home to his wife…today.

Not far ahead, in the city of Dale, Thorin grumbled as he pushed the plate of food away from him. "You should eat." Tarrah was chastising, but the dwarven king only ignored her as he grabbed the shovel and walked over to Bard who was yelling out orders to some men ready to winch a large piece of the tower away.

The lord of Dale called to the team of dwarves, elven guards, and humans around him. "On my command, pull that lever, and you four, get ready to push." Thorin did not hesitate to take a place beside Bofur who nodded a greeting then went back to focus on the large fallen wall. "STEADY…..STEADY….NOW!" A clacking noise filled the area as Nelithi pushed the lever all the way forward and the winch began to lift the wall. The stronger dwarves helped the humans by taking the brunt of the weight the winch left behind, and after some struggle, the group was able to heave the wall out of place.

With a crash, and a few curses, the wall fell to the other side of the pile, and Thorin waived his hand in front of his face to clear the dust. "Got anything?"

Bard jumped down and stood beside Thorin, all of them waiting on baited breath as the air cleared to show a small gap in the stone. The dwarven king peered inside but grumbled. "I think it's a room." He turned to Bard, and the two began moving stone and rubble away piece by piece.

Viltarra stood to the side, her hair in complete disarray, her clothing not changed in days, and her heart breaking with each hour that passed by. Most of their efforts have been trying to clear the wall that fell on Fili, it took an entire day to get through the pile to the cavern below, only to realize it was completely caved in. They spent that entire night trying to both clear, and stabilize the structure, but with each hour of work they put in, they were pushed back at least three as the instability of that particular tunnel system was brittle at best.

Legolas was able to get a bit further in than anyone, coming back with a burnt axe causing Viltarra to cry out when she saw it. "That's Fili's!" She had run back to the hole and it took both Thorin and her father to stop her from trying to get in.

"If his axe is there, and he is not, then he could still be alive Viltarra." Thorin said softly, just as much for himself as for the dam who was trying to remain strong through this adversity. "We aren't giving up on him or Leotti." Viltarra stared at Thorin, then turned her wide eyes to the hole and nodded, taking Fili's axe and holding it tightly as the others began to plan their next move.

After a bit of a debate, they decided to turn all of their focus on the opposite side where Kili and Tauriel fell with Naurfaer and Tilda, hoping against hope, that Fili and Leotti had somehow made their way to the others.

Viltarra never once waivered in her belief Fili was alive. She felt it in her bones he was out there, but where? With Fili's charred axe attached to her hip, Viltarra spent a lot of her time, scouring the streets, homes, buildings, and every section of the town that could possibly have an entrance to underneath the city, but there simply was nothing.

Legolas said it was because the underground corridors were there long before the city was built and the builders…more likely than not…covered up any evidence this land once belonged to the elves. "They did not want it taken from them, which it was very likely back then…it would have been." Legolas said as he placed a crumbled bit of stone with elven text on the table. "I was right…these tunnels are a part of an old elven civilization. Incredible."

"Are you able to read that?" Bard asked. He too was fascinated by the text, but despite the elven prince saying his father had no desire for Dale, he was a little apprehensive what this may mean for relations with the elven king. He quite remembers how he had nearly gone to war over some jewels…it would not be a large stretch to believe he could go to battle for a land that seemed to once belong to his people.

Looking at the writing, however, Legolas shook his head. "I can make out the characters, but not what it says. It is too broken and fragmented. I will speak to my father on it when we find your daughter, Tauriel, and the others. That is where our focus should be at this time."

Bard nodded, then placed a hand on the elven prince's shoulder. "I want you to relay to your father that he and anyone he wishes is welcome to Dale to look into this lost city. I do not wish to cause a rift between our people."

Legolas nodded. "You have nothing to fear, Lord of Dale. My father will be interested in the history only, Dale belongs to you and your descendants. You fought for it, you won it, and it is yours." He could see the worry in the human's eyes and smiled softly. It was almost a teasing smile. "It is a bit too close to Erebor for my father's liking anyway, the air here smells too heavily of dwarves." He lifted a brow to the dwarven king who huffed and folded his arms though he had an amused smirk on his face, not offended in the least.

With the matter of the old elven ruins set aside for the time being, all they can do now, is keep digging, and hope to get to wherever Kili and Tauriel fell. Dwarves were naturally fast diggers, and their physical strength was greater than most races in all of middle earth…including the elves, but even the dwarves could only do so much with the walls around them still crumbling down. It made progress torturously slow, and both the dwarven royal family, and the human royal family, were frustrated with how long it was taking.

Hiril sat at Viltarra's side, her tail swaying left and right as the pair watched the humans, dwarves, and few elves continue to slowly work their way through the pile. Not finding evidence of an entrance, Viltarra had turned to helping lift as best she could, but she was forced to stop when she began feeling heavy pains ripping up her back and side she could not ignore. Both her father and Thorin forbade her from lifting another stone, and her mother tried to get her to go back to Erebor, where she can be safe and rest. But Viltarra would have none of it. She was not going to leave this city until they find Fili, Kili, Tauriel, Naurfaer, and Leotti safe.

Since the pains subsided when she stopped doing physical labor, Viltarra was permitted to remain in Dale; but with the absolute condition that she was to be a passive observer only, and not pick up so much as a pebble. Hiril, however, was a great help as she had been able to dig and burrow her way through the rubble, but after a large stone fell on her paw, fracturing it, she too has not been able to help.

Viltarra patted the warg on the head as she gave the wrapped appendage a sorrowful look. She felt terrible her little companion was hurt, though perhaps little was not a great way to describe Hiril whose head was nearly at Viltarra's shoulder when she sat. But none the less, she felt terrible, and despite it all, the warg still refused to leave the dams side.

Standing outside in the warm sun with her hand resting on her own child, had Viltarra also worried about Tauriel and wondering how her elven sister was coping. It was bad enough she was out here, having to watch others do work she had been ordered from doing. But unlike Tauriel, Viltarra had food, a cot or even a bed to go to rest in if she needed it, and access to a healer. Tauriel, had none of that.

Though, a jealous part of Viltarra thought, at least she had Kili with her, and with hope…Fili too. Was it terrible that Viltarra wished she was down there as well? Then memories of that pit she had escaped from barely a year ago now filled her once more, and a terror she has not felt in months caused her to go instantly pail. Viltarra clenched her hands in Hiril's fir, closing her eyes and forcing away the dark memory of being beneath the earth with Dis dying, no food, and little hope. No…she does not wish to be down there, she just wants Fili back. Fili, and the rest of her family.

A croaking noise overhead signaled the incoming family raven, likely with another message from Dis. Balin just used one of the other ravens leaving Kaw for Dis and Thorin's explicit use. Viltarra sighed as she walked over to retrieve the message so Thorin could keep working. At the very least, she can be the scribe. So much for a nice day in the markets with Fili.

The dam shook her head and walked over to the raven who was trying to get Thorin's attention only to be astutely ignored. Viltarra will have to tell Fili…when they find him…that at least for the next year, she would very much like to simply stay in Erebor. Who would have thought the nomadic dam would want nothing more than to have a boring life, in a mountain, beside those she loves dearly?

Then again, she never in a thousand ages, thought she would one day be the wife to the heir of the dwarven throne. Viltarra smiled to herself, much more at peace with her fate then she was a year ago. Oh, she was TERRIFIED at the very idea she would be running a mountain. But over time, she has come to the very real realization, that in no way would she be doing any of it alone.

Both Tauriel and Kili will be instrumental in ruling over their people, as will whatever children her and Fili have. Even Kili and Tauriel's children will be a big part of it all. They were a team, who will be ruling their people together, but not for many years to come.

For right now, Viltarra needed to focus on trying to stay calm. Oin had very plainly warned her, that if she becomes over-stressed, she can go into early labor, and that was absolutely not an option. No, she needed to keep the baby where he was, and remember that she is doing all she could to help. What is more, is Thorin and Bard are also doing all they can to find their children. Sighing, Viltarra walked over to retrieve the raven and see to the message.

"Well, this is where we started. Now what are we supposed to do." Rosyn looked to the stone wall with the crack in it, and folded her arms.

"Actually, this is where we found Fi, we fell in over there." Kili corrected as he tightened his grip on Tilda, who was getting a ride on his back. The little girl had her arms wrapped tightly round his neck as she looked around the area, clearly hoping her family would be here.

One of the humans not from Dale, Claira, was quiet, but far more pleasant to be around then the other humans…apart from Tilda. She made it no little known fact, she harbored quite a distaste for the attitudes of both Rosyn and Bannick, though she kept much of it to herself. "We keep going then." She eyed the others and kept walking, caring not of the darkness beyond the light Naurfaer now carried.

After just over two days of being in here, minus the time spent in Minamu-alzân, they have yet to come across anything dangerous apart from fallen stones and rubble. So nobody was worried about getting ahead in the dark, because the only thing they had to fear, was a stubbed toe, or running into a closed door.

Fili placed an arm around Tauriel's waist and smiled up at her. "You know, little sister, all in all, this has been a rather tame adventure. No real fights, very little running for our lives, and not once where we actually captured."

"What, killing a few orcs and goblins not enough fighting and maiming for you?" Leotti said, lifting a brow. "Because I can tell you that I have had enough of adventures for the time being. I plan on staying in Erebor and not moving for many, many years."

Tauriel actually laughed out, the corridor filling with the bright, chiming, sound. "Adventure is not all maiming and battles, Leotti. Did you not say you wanted to go to the markets of Gondor a few years ago? That would have been quite the adventure. Do you not still wish to go?"

"Oh, certainly not." Leotti huffed, tugging at the dirty, loose, curls on her head. "I am quite content with my life where it is, thank you. The only adventure I will accept in the coming days, is an adventure to my washroom for a hot bath."

"Here here, and a good meal too." Kili agreed as he readjusted Tilda on his back. "Hey Fi, think we can get mam to make us some of her roast lamb?"

"Ki, all you have to do is look at mam, and she makes you whatever you want. She spoils you mercilessly." Fili smirked.

"She spoils the both of you." Leotti rolled her eyes. "And Tauriel as well." She added with a nod to the eleth, who was quite embarrassed when her stomach grumbled at the mention of Dis's food. They were so close!

Naurfaer laughed, knowing Dis, she would be making whatever any of them requested…but it will be after crushing her three children in a tight embrace and threatening them with chains and a cell to keep them in the mountain for the remainder of their existence.

The elf paused mid laugh when his sensitive hearing picked up some rumbling above them, and had to step away when a bit of dirt and fragments fell from the ceiling. It certainly was not another earthshake, or he hoped it was not.

"HELLO?!" A shout heralded from ahead. "FILI? KILI? TAURIEL?!"

"UNCLE!" Fili and Kili yelled out together, and began to run, Kili still with Tilda on her back, towards the sound of their beloved uncle. Tauriel too, along with Leotti and Naurfaer, pushed to the front of the group as they all made for the open doorway to where they had fallen in.

Kili allowed Tilda to slide off his back as they ran through the door and hit the pile of rubble from the street and building. A stream of light could now be seen from above, brightening up the dark room if only a little. They had not quite gotten through, but it would not be long now.

Upon hearing his nephews, Thorin looked up at Bard. "We found them."

"And Tilda?" Bard asked.

"IS TILDA WITH YOU?" Thorin bellowed.

"I AM HERE!" The little girl hollered up, tears falling down her cheeks as she cried out to her father. "DA?!"

"OHH!" Bard jumped away from the winch he had been personally running, and ran up to the hole and began to work directly with Thorin. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT SWEETHEART? STAY THERE, I AM COMING!"

Tauriel, however, looked apprehensively at the pile. "IT IS NOT SAFE!" She yelled, as debris above them began to fall in earnest. The group backed away as the wagon began to shift and slide towards them, though it stopped and remained still after just a few feet causing everyone to sigh in relief. Even greater relief came as the eleth eyed the hole above them and finally saw Thorin peaking in. His blue eyes scoured the area until he saw his children, then gave his own sigh of relief. All of them seemed fine, if not a bit worn.

"We need to get you out of there." Thorin said, able to speak normally now that they were just beneath him. He watched as both Dwalin, who had joined them that morning having gone back and forth from Dale to Erebor several times in the last few days, and Bofur who had not left the city once since the quake, continued to move large pieces of stone away. Within minutes, a sizable window had been made and Dwalin leaned in, as Kili lifted Tilda up to him, the large dwarrow smiling wide at the young prince before disappearing out of the hole to assist the little girl in getting back to her father not a foot away.

Although, in his place, came a roped net to both keep further debris from falling, and to be used as a ladder to get everyone out. Cheers erupted from the group as Tauriel and Kili were first to climb from the hole with Thorin's help. The eleth promptly fell into the dwarven kings arms as he held her tightly to him for several moments before he turned to Kili and pulled him close. "Welcome home son."

Fili climbed out next, grasping Dwalin's hand who pulled him from the hole and into a tight hug. "Good ta see ya well, lad. Good ta see ya well. I think yeh should go to yer wife before she commits murder getting to yeh." He chuckled as he leaned away and nodded towards the bottom of the pile, where Fili could see his everything being held back…just barely…by Vin and Tarrah. She, was the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld. "Well, ya better hurry lad, looks like she may try and get to you before ya wake up."

Dwalin laughed and Fili shot off before even seeing his uncle, who seemed to understand as he still held Tauriel and Kili close but nodded to his blonde nephew. Just as Fili slid down the pile of rocks and rubble, Viltarra had pulled from her parents grasp and began racing towards him.

The pair met in a crash of limbs as Fili slammed his lips into hers, pulling her tightly against him. Through the thin fabric of his borrowed clothes, he could even feel his child, kicking and pushing to make himself known. Fili smiled wide, placing one hand into his wife's thick waves, and the other, over their child. Yet, he still continued to devour her lips in what seemed like a never-ending kiss.

It was pure need for oxygen that had Viltarra pulling away, her chest heaving both from sobs of joy, and from the lack of air. Fili dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, burrowing his face into where their child grew as he broke into sobs himself. Viltarra could do nothing but burry her hands in Fili's hair before lowering herself to the ground so she can burrow herself back into her husband.

"You're alright. You're here." Viltarra cried over and over.

"Nunguame." Fili repeated like a prayer. His world felt complete again, it felt right. There was a small whine and Fili lifted his head from Viltarra to see the warg that was gifted to her…them….he corrected…and smiled. He lifted a hand and patted Hiril on the head, then looked worriedly at her paw. "What happened to you, girl?"

Viltarra pulled back just a bit and looked sadly at her warg. "She was trying to dig to get to you, and a large stone became loose and fell on her. Oin said she is alright though, just a mild fracture. He wrapped it, and said she would heal on her own."

Tugging on Fili's cloth belt, Viltarra lifted a brow. "I certainly don't remember you wearing this, where on Arda did you get it?"

"Huh?" Fili looked down and then his eyes went wide. "OH!" Standing, Fili helped his wife to her feet, keeping her hand firmly in his own as he spun around to head back up to the hole where they were pulling Bannick out. "It is a long story, but we came across a city where orcs have been keeping our people, and humans, captive. We were able to bring a few of them with us, but the others…they need to be freed Viltarra."

Viltarra paused, Fili looking back at her. "You are going back…to the city." At Fili's troubled look, Viltarra brushed a wayward lock of his golden hair from his face. "You would not be you, if you did not at least consider it."

Fili sighed and nodded, but ran his hand down her cheek and cupped her jaw. "Before we do anything, Viltarra, we need to talk to uncle…and well…one of them…a dam…knew Thorin. She said she grew up with him, and I want to see for myself if it is true." Fili's eyes turned back as he fixed his gaze on those coming out of the opening, but Thorin was no longer up there.

In fact, his uncle was walking right towards him. "Fili." Before Fili could say a word, Thorin had pulled him into an embrace. "Your mother is out of her mind with worry." He said as he pulled back. Over his uncles shoulder, Fili could see Bard holding Tilda; her arms where wrapped tightly around her father's neck as her siblings surrounded Bard and Tilda in a family embrace.

Just a little ways from them, Fili could see Legolas checking over Tauriel, the pair likely speaking in Sindarin. Kili too was with them, saying something that had Tauriel rolling her eyes. Fili smiled as he watched Legolas gape at the eleth and immediately pass her some water and something wrapped in a green leaf…ah…lembas bread. When they had gone to retrieve their people from Ered Luin, they had begun their journey by staying in Mirkwood for a few days. Thranduil had made certain the small group of dwarves was given a basket of the elven bread for the road ahead. It was not terrible, though Fili much preferred his mam's and wife's pastries, but he was not averse to the elven bread either.

The golden-haired prince looked back at his uncle and leaned his head in to press their brows together. "I miss her too, I missed you both."

Thorin smiled and pressed his head tightly to Fili's before pulling away. He was just about to suggest they get home, when yells and screams filled the air and Thorin spun quickly in time to see a feathered dragon emerging from the pit.

Dwalin was the first to grab his axe as Aeodhen called ranks, Fili had not even seen where he was standing, but he should not have been surprised to see the captain of Erebor here as well.

Fortunately, Nyaunni was next to ascend the rubble, quickly climbing from the depths below and immediately placing herself in front of the fellbeast before yelling at anyone who came near to back away.

Fili placed a hand on Thorin's shoulder, stopping him from drawing his sword. "She is not a threat, uncle."

"Which one?" Thorin grumbled as he watched the dam pull her small blades and begin spewing curses at anyone who came near her.

"Neither." Fili said as he watched Tauriel climb up once again with Kili hot on her heels…trying to convince her to come down. His poor brother, Fili thought.

"I swear it, if you come near me, or her, I will not hesitate to cut off your limbs then shove them down your throats! Back…off." Nyaunni stood before Dajnel who was growling low and menacingly from deep in her chest. Taughin, Ygatt, and Pyloh, the three dwarves, along with the two humans Claira and Wellum, also held their places surrounding the creature.

"Call them off, uncle. Trust me. Nyaunni is here to help her people, not cause harm." Fili moved away from Thorin and began shouting orders, expecting the dwarven king to follow him, but Thorin stood frozen to the spot for several heartbeats.

Did Fili just say what he thought he did? Thorin looked up at the dam standing tall before what seemed to be a miniature dragon. That would be something Nyaunni would do, he sighed. But Nyaunni was dead, that could not be her, not his Nyaunni.

"What are yer orders, Thorin?" So lost in thought, the dwarven king did not even see Aeodhen walk up to him. He turned to the head of his entire force, and then back to the group on the rubble which was now joined by his family.

"Call them off. If Fili believes they are not a threat, then I trust his judgment." Without looking at Aeodhen, Thorin felt himself being pulled to the group. Seeing Aeodhen calling the Ereborian guards off, Bard did the same with Dales and Legolas had the few elven guards from Mirkwood put their bows away which had been pointed at the creature and the dam. With weapons stowed and the guards of all cities backing off, the group slowly began making their way down from the rubble to the cobblestone street.

The beast behind Nyaunni did not move far from her, seeming to be her constant shadow as she jumped to the street and patted the partially feathered creature in praise before turning and freezing in place.

Thorin too had stopped once again, his nephews just behind him with Tauriel and Viltarra at their sides. He really needed to get them back to the mountain, but the dwarven king just could not move. Instead, he stared at the dam, searching for proof that she was the Nyaunni he once knew as a dwarfling.

This dam had seen hard times, and a deep scar on the side of her face was proof of that, but was she really Nyaunni? She certainly had the same hair, a deep auburn red with thick, corking curls that went every which way; Nyaunni was never able to tame it in her youth, that does not seemed to have change. But what really drew him in, were the same blue eyes he recalls from so long ago…that pair of dark, sparkling, azure orbs that had a glint of mischief in them. They were the same as they always had been, staring hard at him right now.

Unable to speak, Thorin watched as the dam smirked then walked up to him. "Thorin." She said softly.

"Nyaunni." Was the only answer he could give.

Nyaunni chuckled as she stood before him and let her eyes rove over the dwarf she knew from infancy. "You have not changed much since I last saw you. Just a bit more hair here…" She lifted her hand and ran her fingers up his jaw, grazing over the short, but thick beard he kept. "…and this is new." She reached threw his dark mane and pulled a streak of the silver hair that ran through his dark locks. "But the scowl…that is how I absolutely knew it was you."

Fili and Kili both barked out in laughter which only caused Thorin to scowl even more. "The silver, is their fault. The scowl too…usually."

Nyaunni chuckled and Thorin's features softened. "It really is you, Nyaunni. I feel that time has altered me, but you have not changed a bit. Still as beautiful as the day I last saw you. Though a bit more outspoken, I quite remember a rather shy dam, though she packed a punch when you made her mad."

"Well, we all must grow up, do we not? I am no longer a child, that time has long since passed. I am afraid I am not but an old maid." Nyaunni seemed as if she wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Taughin who eyed the dwarven king for only half a second before focusing on the dam.

"Forgive the intrusion, but time is no' on our side. We need ta come up with a plan." The elder looking dwarf said as he placed a hand on Nyaunni's shoulder. "Those orcs won' be stoppin' when they figure out yer the one whose gone, Barzâ. There's a reason they keep ya, and I fear they will be looking for ya sooner rather than later lass."

"What does he mean?" Thorin asked, his spine stiffening. He just found out she was alive, he was not ready to see her go quite yet. Especially with all of these…feelings…running rampant through his system he can't seem to process. "Orcs? What is going on?"

"Did I hear orcs? Again?" Bard walked over, Tilda still in his arms and his other two children trailing just behind him.

Thorin grumbled and nodded. "Appears so."

Legolas came over as well flanked by Nelithi and another guard Thorin did not know. He stood beside Tauriel who gave him a nod then turned her attention back to Thorin and the group.

Taughin stared at Thorin and Bard, lifting a brow. "I don't know who ya are, lads, but we are in a tight spot and it is best we find somewhere safe to talk, and quickly."

"There is nowhere safer than Erebor." Fili suggested. He knew Tauriel and Kili wanted to get home to Finli, and he also knew, they had better access to weapons and protection there if orcs were to erupt from the ground. Erebor's library and records room also housed far more superior records and maps than Dale did, and he did not doubt Balin would be able to pull a map out that would put Bards to shame. What was more, is maybe, if anyone apart from Thranduil had any information on Minamu-alzân or whatever that elven name Naurfaer had called it…Balin would.

Thorin looked to the dwarf, then at his daughter, niece, and nephews. He could also see Leotti in the back, Ori holding her close seemingly waiting for the royal family to go back to the mountain.

Nodding at Fili in agreement, Thorin turned to the dwarf, but it was Nyaunni who spoke. "Taughin, this is Thorin, son of Thrain. I believe him to be the king of Erebor, and the dwarven people now." She then turned to Thorin. "Thorin, this is Taughin. He has been a close friend and confident to me for well over a century."

"Is this the lad you spoke of?" Taughin asked, lifting a brow.

Nyaunni immediately went scarlet. "I believe we have important things to discuss. Did you say Erebor is somewhere we can talk?" Not really having a desire to do anything but dispose of those orcs and goblins that kept her locked away since she was thirty, Nyaunni looked meaningfully to where she could see the peak of the mountain.

The idea of returning to her childhood home, in all honesty, made her a bit apprehensive. She remembers that day Smaug came, vividly. Though it was long ago, it still haunts her dreams nearly every night. Shaking her head, Nyaunni began walking past Thorin without getting direction of what he wanted to do.

A fluttering of feathers had the dam realizing Dajnel was once again following her and she paused to look back at the animal she raised from a hatchling who imprinted on her so deeply, it was as if she could hear her thoughts and desires. Or that is that others would assume.

In reality, it was more like Nyaunni could feel Dajnel's needs and physical wants. She could feel that her fellbeast was hungry and overwhelmed; she had never seen the sky before or heard the sounds of life on the surface such as birds singing in the trees, the songs of Erebor's ravens piercing the air, and insects buzzing and chirping from the forest. Neither has she heard what real life should sound like among the cities of free races; children laughing and playing a few blocks away, the bell of Erebor chiming in the distance, and horses pawing at the ground throughout the city. As proof of the newness to her, Dajnel kept snapping her head to the new sights, sounds, and smells that were overtaking the creature sensitive senses.

Nyaunni's ability to read creatures did not end with Dajnel though; if Nyaunni focused on another creature, such as the warg sitting beside the blonde dam, she could almost feel the sharp pain emanating from the young canine who was favoring her left front paw. Must have been a fracture, it will heal.

A bit of excitement floated to her, and Nyaunni turned her eyes to a raven hopping around the eleths feet…Tauriel. From him, she could almost see the happiness and joy the bird exuded at his flock being home. He was just as attached to Tauriel, as Nyaunni was to Dajnel.

Forcing her gift…or burden, some would say…down, Nyaunni paused and waited for others to follow but Thorin had not moved, instead he stood staring at her with a raised brow, gesturing to Dajnel. "No dragons in my mountain, Nyaunni. One was enough, and we are still cleaning up after it."

The dam folded her arms and glared at Thorin. "First off, she is not a dragon. If you paid attention to our lessons and studies with master Kelpho, you would be able to tell the difference between a dragon, and something else. Secondly, Dajnel and I are a package. Where I go, she goes. No exceptions. If you do not like it, then we can go somewhere else and seek help there."

Thorin's countenance changed dramatically as he stormed towards Nyaunni, staring hard at the dam who did not, for even a moment, back down. "That won't be happening, Nyaunni, never again." He sighed and looked up at the dragon…which was apparently not a dragon…and grumbled before walking past her towards the gates that led to Erebor, where the wagons and horses were waiting. "Fine. The dragon can come too."

Nyaunni watched him stalk off and rolled her eyes before calling after him. "SHE IS NOT A DRAGON!" Thorin refused to acknowledge her as he kept walking and Nyaunni huffed in frustration. "Stubborn old dwarf."

Nyaunni felt an arm around her shoulder and looked over to see the taller elf looking down at her. "That was nothing. You just wait. Now…" He smiled wide. "How do you feel about joining us for a family dinner?"

Kili and Fili chuckled as Leotti yelled out, "CAN WE GO PLEASE?" They were all more than ready to go home and they still had to walk to the city gates. The only one who was looking confused was Legolas, who lifted a brow at Tauriel who was shaking her head at her grandfather. She looked to her elven friend and sighed, muttering quietly in Sindarin so only Legolas and possibly Kili could hear. "Naurfaer has taken upon himself the arduous task of finding Thorin a match, and has been inviting all manner of dams to dinner recently. It appears I will need to have yet another talk with him before he does something to upset both Thorin and Nyaunni."

"I can only imagine." Legolas chuckled as the group walked towards the gates where three wagons were waiting, each with a pair of rams at the lead.

Their horses where there as well; Galaddal lifting his head high when he saw Tauriel come towards him, and Maryn just beside him was prancing on her front hooves, shaking her head in excitement. Kili chuckled as he walked up to her, patting her on the head before jumping up on her back.

The young prince watched as Tauriel greeted her horse, pressing her brow to the dapple greys head as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. The horse knickered softly to her, almost like a parent soothing a child. It was as if Kili was watching them commune. Maybe they were, he thought with some amusement.

Nyaunni too watched the scene and was unable to stop the love that over took her which was not her own. That horse, loved that elf, deeply. She felt a nudge in her arm, and looked over to Dajnel who was nuzzling her shoulder and chirping like a giant bird. Which in a way, she was, or at least she resembled one to a degree. Nyaunni rolled her eyes as she looked at her fellbeast. "Dragon." She grumbled. "You are far too small to be a dragon, aren't you? Besides, dragons have no feathers and breathe fire or ice, and you can do neither. You are no dragon." Dajnel cooed and closed her eyes as Nyaunni stroked her.

The dam did turn her head, however, when a small argument broke out between the eleth she knew to be Tauriel, and the dark-haired dwarven prince. To be completely truthful, she could not remember if he was Kili or Fili, it was one of them she was absolutely certain, but she will need to get clarity on which eventually. Maybe she was getting old, if she cannot even remember which one was which after just a day.

"Tauriel, you are riding in the wagon, not on Galaddal. Naurfaer will make sure he gets to Erebor safely." Kili was glaring at his wife who was already up on the horse and glaring right back. Had he turned enough to look, he would see Nyaunni holding back a laugh as she watched the spirited eleth hold her own against a son of Durin.

"It is not even a fifteen-minute ride Kili, and I am too tired to argue any longer. Just let it be, and let's go home. I lack the patience to be away from my son a moment more." Without even waiting for Kili's response, she kicked Galaddal into a canter and set her direction towards Erebor, assuming the wagons would be following directly.

Fili was shaking his head as he sat in the wagon with Viltarra between his legs. "Let it go, Ki. It is too late now to argue, she is already heading to the mountain." Kili growled at his brother and pushed Maryn to catch up with the red-headed eleth who was gaining distance; calling after his wife the entire way.

Even the elven prince found the entire interaction humorous as he was already on his white mare that had been brought to him by his guards. Bard would be joining a bit later, wanting to get Tilda settled, fed, and calmed before he turned his attention to other matters. Legolas along with a few of his guards, however, chose to join the group going directly to Erebor. He put Nelithi in charge of the remainder of the elven guard in Dale, continuing to help cleanup and gather what evidence they could of the lost city below.

"Nyaunni, you comin'?" The dam looked to the second cart where Taughin and the others were already situated among several of the dwarves of Erebor. She nodded, jumping into the back. Dajnel would be able to keep up beside the cart, she was faster than she looks.

With the wagons all full, Naurfaer pulled himself up onto Kit knowing of all the family's horses, Kit was the one least likely to bite or buck him off. With a signal from Thorin who was riding Rhya, they were all off, trailing behind the eleth who was already halfway to Erebor with Kili still yelling behind her.

Dis ran through the halls as fast as she could carrying Finli in her arms. They found them, and they were coming to Erebor. She was able to see the group already heading towards the gate led by Tauriel…who was on a horse. She internally rolled her eyes. That eleth was going to put more silver streaks in her hair then her boys have already done, and Kili's too she can imagine. She should not be on a horse this far into her condition, and a galloping horse at that.

"GET THOSE GATES OPEN!" Dis called out to the guards in the wagon entrance, who were already in the process of doing just that. She then ran to the stables, where she knew Tauriel, and Kili would likely head first.

Of course, she was right, as Galaddal came practically racing in, having to slide to a stop as Tauriel…a bit clumsier than usual…slid off his back and onto the stone floor.

"MAMA!" Dis smiled as Finli easily escaped from her arms and ran towards his mother. With a cry, Tauriel fell to her knees to catch her son who ran right to her.

Tauriel scooped her baby up and began peppering his face with kisses as she held him close. "My little darling." She cried as she let the tears cascade down her cheeks, then pressed her brow to his head.

A pair of arms wrapped firmly around her and Finli, and Tauriel leaned into Kili as he embraced his family. "DA!"

Kili chuckled and leaned back to retrieve the toddler who spun in Tauriel's embrace to leap at his father. "My little Fin." Kili said, trying not to choke on the lump in his throat. He checked his son over before pulling him tightly to his chest. Finli snuggled into his father as Kili lifted his eyes to Tauriel. "We will be talking about the horse." He huffed out in a whisper, causing his wife to roll her eyes.

"Whatever you wish. You may add it to the list of things you want to discuss with me later." Tauriel leaned forward and kissed Kili's cheek, then Finli's head before attempting to stand.

"Seriously, daughter, do you wish to put us all into an early grave?!" Dis agreed with Kili. She then moved to help Tauriel up who seemed to be struggling on her own, then pulled her into a warm embrace for several moments before pulling away and wiping errant tears from her elven daughter's eyes.

Kili was next to be pulled into her arms, Finli being sandwiched between his nan, and his da, as Dis had Kili in almost a death grip. Her children, were home. "Mam!" Kili's voice was strained as he struggled to breathe. "Too tight mam."

"OH! Sorry darling." Dis stepped away, but Kili pulled her back after placing Finli at his feet.

"I missed you too, mam." The young prince sighed, holding his mother who seemed to be needing the comfort only her children could bring. After a moment, Kili stepped back once more, smiling at his wife who had her nose now buried in Finli's hair.

Needing to see that Fili and Viltarra were here as well, Dis moved towards the stable door leading to the mountain. It was likely Fili…who was far more logical than Kili…was in a wagon with Viltarra. "The others should be here, and you, my beloved daughter, are in need of both food and rest. I am having something prepared as we speak and it will be sent to your room within the hour."

"Actually amad…" Tauriel said, placing Finli on her hip as she rubbed Galaddal's nose before she moved to add a fresh bucket of feed to his stall one of the stable workers had only just passed her, then doing the same for Maryn who was stamping her foot as she was being unsaddled by Kili…who had just removed Galaddal's saddle as well. Everyone in the stables knew the pair preferred to tend to their own animals and stopped arguing about it long ago. "We will be joining Thorin in a meeting." Tauriel continued. "They should be heading to the council room in the guards wing directly after arriving…which will be any moment now. We ran into some trouble."

"Oh for Mahal's sake. What did you two get up to now?" Dis huffed. "I swear, I cannot even begin to say how worried I have been. Now I can see it will be a lifelong expression with the both of you." Dis narrowed her eyes at her children, both her hands on her hips as she shook her head.

"We technically did not cause the earthquake mam, but we did get caught under the city of Dale. With nowhere else to go, we walked the corridor and ended up in a fully functional orc and Goblin city that appears to have once been an ancient elven civilization." Kili stood, taking Fin from Tauriel and pulling him into his arms as he got to his feet. He then walked back over to grab Maryn's reins so she would stop trying to bite Guthrie, one of the younger dwarves, who was having a difficult time getting the horse to stand still so he could help his prince by attempting to brush her.

Normally Kili would do it, but Finli needed him more than Maryn, so he accepted the help but did look apologetically at Guthrie. "Sorry, she's a bit high spirited." Kili gave the young dwarf a grin, who nodded in understanding but continued his work; finally able to get the task complete with Kili involved.

Naurfaer was next to come in, having kept with the group. Though he did level Tauriel with a look, and pointed a finger at her. "Horses are off limits!" Tauriel rolled her eyes.

"We have a meeting to attend, I already told Kili he can discuss it with me later, you may as well." Tauriel was about to move towards the door when Dis, along with several of the stable hands gasped.

"What…is that!" Dis eyes were wide as she watched the fellbeast sniffing the stable floor then snorting as the dusts from the hay tickled her nostril's.

"Why does nobody know what a fellbeast is?" Came the frustrated voice of Nyaunni who was attempting to push Dajnel further into the stables, while the feathered animal had her eyes on a barrel filled with shining red apples from the orchard in the green room.

"Maybe because they are not supposed to exist." Naurfaer said as he eyed the creature who was just smaller than Kili's black mare, though her tail doubled her in length. The fellbeast was quite curious for her kind…not that he knew a lot about her kind…though he did know some having fought them in the great battle over 3000 years ago. He smiled as she made a kind of chirping noise at the horse who did not seem pleased with the sudden attention.

Maryn snorted and pawed the ground angerly at the beast causing Kili to once again intervene before she reared up and harmed Dajnel. Placing Finli on his mare's back, Kili guided his horse into her stall beside Galaddal. Fin loved rides with Maryn and was clutching the horse's mane as he held on, though his wide-brown eyes were focused on the creature he had never seen before.

As soon as the horse was where she would be happiest, Kili plucked his son off her back and closed the stall door. He did make sure to reach around the fellbeast for two large red apples, giving one to Finli who held it out to Maryn, who sniffed the treat in Finli's small hand. "There ya go girl. See? It's fine." Kili patted her head and smiled as his horse gently took the apple from his son and ate the treat whole.

Kili then handed the second apple to his son as he stopped in front of Galaddal, and watched as the dapple gray horse also gently took the apple from the toddlers hands. Finli loved the horses and they seemed to love him. He was still much too small to teach him how to ride them, but both Tauriel and Kili knew they would have to look into procuring another small horse in the future as Finli grew. The sooner they taught him to ride, the better rider he will be.

"Would she eat one?" Kili asked as he leaned round Dajnel to retrieve a third apple. However, before Nyaunni could answer, the fellbeast snatched it from his hand in a sudden movement, swallowing it whole.

"That would be a yes." Naurfaer chuckled.

Dis watched the entire exchange with growing frustration. "Will ONE of you please explain who this is, and why there is a creature I have never seen before IN OUR MOUNTAIN!"

"The incomparable lady Dis. I had heard you have not changed. It pleases my heart to see that is quite true." Dis eyed the dam who was walking up to her. As far as she can recall, she had never met her before, yet this dam seems to know her…or at least know of her.

Tauriel smiled and leaned over to the matriarch of her family who now stood beside her. "Amad, this is Nyaunni. She once dwelled in Erebor long ago before Smaug came, but has since been forced into captivity. We found her in a city run by orcs and goblins who had stolen thousands if not more from their homes to do their bidding; men, women, dwarrow, and dam. We were able to get out, but only with a mere six. They came here, with hopes of coming up with a plan to free the others."

"Though not all want to be freed." Nyaunni sighed in frustration.

Dis stood stunned as she stared at the dam. "Nyaunni…I remember a Nyaunni from my very early years. Though I am embarrassed to say, I cannot recall much. Most of the things I know, are stories I have been told by my brothers. Are you she?"

Nyaunni smirked. "Every one of those stories is probably a complete exaggeration of the truth, but yes. You were very young, so I do not blame you for lacking a memory of me. The last I saw you, you were just ten, being carried out by your eldest brother, as the mountain roared and burned."

"Thorin thought you were gone, lost to Smaug. He searched for you for years until he got word you were being pronounced dead and gone by your clan." Dis scrutinized the dam as she spoke, looking for anything hinting that this dam was lying and taking on an identity that was not her own. But, her children seem to trust her, and Tauriel believes she is who she says…so perhaps…another miracle was yet to happen to their family….as well as another battle.

Dis looked at her daughter. "Did you say, orcs and goblins? AGAIN?!" She ran a hand through her dark hair, and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. "Why is it, we cannot have ONE year where we are not being tested." She shot a look at Kili, Naurfaer, and Tauriel. "That is it! Not one of you is to leave this mountain for at least a year! I do not CARE the reason. Understood? That means you too Naurfaer! Not…one…STEP outside those gates!"

"She really hasn't changed has she? Still running things." Nyaunni laughed merrily. "I am glad you are still you, Dis, and fear not. I do not wish to take anyone to slaughter. We will come up with a plan that will minimize risk as I have no desire to bring harm to your family. I only wish to right the wrongs that have been done to those who had freedom stolen from them."

"Clearly, you do not know my family, if you believe they will not go running, blades blazing, into any situation where they can help another and slaughter a few orcs in the process." Dis muttered. "Even those who should not be doing such things." She looked meaningfully at Tauriel who huffed and folded her arms over her rather round midsection.

"Of course I will not go into battle. I can be reasonable." Tauriel said, annoyed. She retrieved her son from her husband once more and situated him on her hip. "I can do other important tasks from here. BUT, know this...if I was not with child, I would in no way hesitate to be joining whatever is to happen."

"Reasonable?" Kili said, with a brow raised. "Amralime, you just raced to Erebor, practically full speed, on a horse, while two months away from giving birth. I would not call that reasonable."

"Not to mention…" Naurfaer added. "You fought in a battle of the ages in the same condition, though quite early on, it makes little difference."

"Then there was you sneaking out of that healing room to confront a mad dam and her two guards after nearly dying that very same day." Dis said, glaring at the eleth. "But, you will be remaining here, all of you will be. I have had enough of nearly losing any of you. That is not a request, by the way, it is a fact."

"Mam." Kili said, walking up and taking her hands. "You know Fili and I will have to go. Something has to be done to save those people, some of which are our own people. Don't you think they deserve a chance to come home like Fili, Tauriel, and I?"

Dis looked into her son's eyes then over at Nyaunni, once again taking in the heavy scarring on her face, before she nodded slowly. "Very well, of course, you are right my darling. But Tauriel and Viltarra will remain here."

"Agreed." Kili said and kissed Dis's brow. He shot his wife a look, seeing the quite unhappy expression darkening her face, though she allowed him to walk up to her and take her hand before he turned back to his mother. "We really need to go though. They should be in the council room by now and we ought to be there. Nyaunni, would Dajnel stay in a stall?"

The dwarves in the stable all froze from their tasks, and stared at the creature whose head was buried in the barrel of apples as she happily snacked away, apparently loving the slightly tart treat. While the fellbeast ate, Nyaunni looked to the stalls around her; they all were varying sizes and heights. She walked over to one that looked as if it was meant for a large horse and opened the gate, then whistled. "Come on girl, in ya get."

Of course, the happily snacking fellbeast completely ignored her in favor of the treat she had just newly discovered. So Nyaunni was forced to walk over and begin pushing the apple barrel across the ground. With each foot she went, the fellbeast shuffled along, her head not leaving the barrel once. It took several minutes, but finally the creature, and the slowly emptying barrel, were both in the stall as Nyaunni shut the door then wiped her brow. She smiled as Galaddal, who was in the stall just beside Dajnel, leaned his head out and nickered, so she patted him on the nose. He was a gentle creature, unlike the uppity mare on his other side that belonged to Dis's dark haired son.

Turning to the stable hands, the dam then gestured to her fellbeast. "This is Dajnel. She may look a bit…frightening…but she is really just a giant pup. But I would not open that gate. The world is not safe for her, and she is only a baby. Please, just keep your distance and treat her no differently than any of the other animals here. She is not used to being in a tightly closed space like a stall or pen, so she may cause a fuss, but she will settle." Nyaunni peered in the pen to see Dajnel looking at her, though she quickly went back to her barrel. She will be fine. At least…it was roomier than that cage they moved her in. She hated that.

Plus, the gentle dapple gray seemed to be at ease with having a different creature beside him, perhaps, if Dajnel gets too upset, his presence would help calm her. She will have to wait and see. Right now, Nyaunni needed to go and see what can be done to not only free the humans and dwarrow in captivity, but also make sure not another soul was taken.

"Right. Let's go. She should be fine." Nyaunni said with a smile and began walking towards the entranceway to the mountain.

Dis watched her go with mixed feelings. On one hand, this was the dam who her brother still mourned for. Yet, it has been about 175 years, they all changed in that time. She will just have to see what happens and hope it does not harm her brother in some way. Dis will not hesitate to kill anyone who harms her family.

"I will have more food prepared and make sure they deliver it to the council room in the guards wing then." Dis said as she followed Tauriel and Kili out the door.

"That, would be lovely. Thank you amad." Tauriel smiled, looking back at Dis as Kili nodded in agreement.

Dis walked with them for a moment, then stepped away to go to the kitchens. The small group kept going though. "Is it as you remember?" Naurfaer asked as he watched Nyaunni look around her while they walked.

"I…I suppose. It is hard to say. I dreamed of this place so much, that I am finding difficulty separating what I thought to be reality, by what actually was…and is. It seems much brighter…and almost…happier in these halls now." Nyaunni watched as a pair of dwarflings ran towards the food hall, laughing, while a dwarf was shaking his head behind them.

"I think, that is because it is brighter and happier than it had been so long ago." Naurfaer said. "There seems to be a lightness to these walls that is said to have never been present before from what I have been told. Many of the dwarves who had been here when Smaug came said they were happy, but the mountain always had a heaviness to her. That heaviness, is now gone and in its place is a great happiness and peace."

"From my own experiences, I can say tha' it is quite true, Naurfaer." Balin stepped towards the group and looked at Kili and Tauriel. "I was sent to get ya, yer uncle is wanting to get things goin' and wanted to see tha' you two would be makin' it. Course he understands if yeh need to rest, Tauriel, and see to yer little one." The elderly dwarf tickled Finli who giggled, then he smiled at Kili.

"We were just going up." Kili said as Finli tightened his grip on the tunic Kili still wore, and leaned his head on his shoulder, likely worried his da was going to leave him with someone else. Kili would not though, he has spent too much time away from his son and would not be parting from him anytime soon. While he rubbed Finli's back reassuringly, Kili watched as Nyaunni looked curiously at the white bearded dwarf.

"Balin, is that you?" Nyaunni cocked her head as she observed the elder dwarf who was smiling at her.

"Hello Nyaunni. I was told ya were here lass. I cannot say how good it is to see ya. I heard tell you have not changed a bit, still bringing all manner of creatures to the mountain. What is this about a dragon in our halls?" Balin lifted a brow and chuckled, knowing whatever it was, it was likely not as bad as Thorin had made it out to be.

"Fellbeast, not dragon." Nyaunni corrected yet again. "I will be having a talk with Thorin about that."

Balin chuckled. "Like old times then. Delightful. Welcome home. We really must go though, we have much to discuss and from what I heard, little time ta do it."

With Balin at the lead, the group quickened their pace to the guards' halls and stepped into a room where a heated debate was already quite underway.

"What you are askin, is fer our people to walk right into another war with nothin' ta go by, but a few details. We need more." Aeodhen was arguing.

"We aren' askin for nothin' more than yer support." Taughin argued back, Pyloh nodding in agreement from his place just beside the other dwarf.

Thorin was sitting quietly, watching the proceedings with narrowed eyes as he listened to both sides. The elven prince too was in the room, his arms folded as he leaned against the wall beside the window looking bored as the dwarves continued to argue back and forth.

"Support through troops of our best guards, weapons, and armor, ya mean." Dwalin grumbled. "Sounds like goin' to war to me."

"Because it is a war." Nyaunni said with narrowed eyes. She watched as Kili and Tauriel took a seat and Naurfaer moved to stand beside Thorin who was watching the exchange with growing frustration. He gave her a nod, so she continued. "What do any of you know about captivity? Yes, you were attacked by a dragon, but the fact you are all here, in this room, means you survived, or your families did. You were free to take back your homeland. Where you went, I do not know. I don't even know how long you have been back. All I know is what I had been told for the last 175 years, and that is that Erebor and Dale, were lost."

Nyaunni stared hard at the dwarves in the room who all silenced at her words. "We had hope beat out of us days after being in that place to the point where many gave up on even considering leaving. Instead, they kept their heads down and tried to make a life out of what they could in a place that controlled everything from what we ate, to who was allowed to have children. Now…" She walked to the table and leaned forward, bracing her arms on the stone surface. "I cannot speak for you, because I do not know a single one of you with exception of Dwalin, Balin, and Thorin. But, what I can say is this…that place is not far from Erebor, or Dale. As long as it is up and running, you will lose dwarrow, and Dale will lose humans. Because those orcs and goblins, build numbers in workers by stealing them from bordering towns and passing travelers. Is that not worth fighting for…if not for the cause to free hundreds from a life they did not choose nor deserve."

The room fell into silence for several moments before it was Fili who spoke. "I have seen that place, I witnessed what it was to be there, and I would wish it on nobody. I say we go in there, and get those orcs out. We have the numbers they lack to do it. We did not spend a year getting to this mountain and fighting for it, to sit in here and hide away from the outside world. We must defend our lands, and protect those who dwell within it. We fight for those who cannot, or we are no better than they that came before us."

"Fili is right." Thorin smiled at his nephew and heir. "Balin, do we have a map of the area surrounding Erebor? We have to have something we can use to try and figure out where this city is located."

The white bearded dwarf nodded, gesturing to his apprentice, and Litin stepped to the table and unrolled a map detailing the lands around the lonely mountain. It showed Erebor in perfect detail, as well as the former Esgaroth, Mirkwood, and Dale. Thorin leaned over it before giving Nyaunni a meaningful look. "If you were to guess, do you have any idea where this place can be found? If we are to infiltrate it, we need an idea of where to go."

Nyaunni hesitated then walked over to the table and peered down at the map. In truth, she had no real idea where she spent the last nearly two hundred years.

"I am afraid, she canno' help ya." Taughin shook his head sadly. "She has not been to the surface since she was a child of 30. None of us can. Tha' place has been preserved because it is so well hidden. Ain' on any modern maps, ain' nobody finds their way in withou' getting captures, and ain' nobody makes it out alive."

"You did." Kili said after a moment. "And, there has to be another way. The orcs have to get in and out somewhere, and I bet it is in those upper levels they don't allow you to go." The young prince stood, handed Finli to Tauriel, and looked over the map. "Nyaunni…did the city always have water flowing in?"

"Always." Nyaunni answered. "It is one thing we never did without, fresh water flowing from nearly every part of the city."

"Fresh you say? And flowing?" Legolas asked, moving to stand beside Kili, peering at the map. "It must have a significant source, something that would not drain and be constant. Like a river."

Fili sighed. "There are many rivers in these parts, one that even comes straight from Erebor. How are we to know which one?"

Legolas ran his finger over the many lines depicting rivers and even streams on the map. "The River Running, your mountains river, flows into the Forest River, perhaps it comes from these?" He followed where the river from Erebor meets the river in Mirkwood but it led much too far to be a possibility.

"I do not think it is that way." Tauriel said, readjusting Finli on her lap. "Does our river flow anywhere else?"

"Nay lassie." Balin sighed, then perked up and pulled another map, placing it on top of the previous one. "Or perhaps…yes. Look here." Balin pointed to a point where the river in Mirkwood breaks off. "It's not on many maps, bu' there is a river tha' breaks off from the Forest River and flows north behind Erebor. Maybe tha' is wha' is feedin' the city."

"If it is an elven city, it would make sense the river from Mirkwood was connected to it in some way." Legolas said, staring hard at the map. "But that also means, wherever this is, cannot be that far away. It ends just a few miles from the forest."

"Ends? You mean it does not flow into a lake, or the sea? It just…ends?" Viltarra had never heard of a river ending into nothing. It either is dammed up to create a reservoir, collects in a lake, or flows into the sea.

Legolas nodded and pointed to the line snaking across a very small portion of the old map. "According to this, if flows into nothing and just…stops."

"It has to be here then." Nyaunni said confidently. "It makes the most sense. The city, is the reservoir. The water does not just stop, it flows into Minam. If we go to the rivers end, I am certain that is where we will find an entrance to the city."

"Minam?" Dwalin asked, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at the red-headed dam.

Nyaunni looked to the large dwarf and nodded. "It is the name the city has had since before I came. It is short for Minamu-alzân, the pit of loss. For there is nothing there…but loss. Lost hope, lost dreams, lost souls. Of course it was a name first uttered by the dwarves, the humans simply refused to name it, but over time, everyone there picked up what the dwarrow called the city, and Minam stuck."

Thorin rubbed his chin in thought. "How many would we need to infiltrate it?" He asked after several seconds of silence filled the room.

"I cannot say. Our numbers run just shy of three hundred, and from what we have been able to count, there are, at the very least, two thousand orcs and twice that in goblins. They keep about three times the number of workers patrolling the city, the rest…I do not know where they go." Nyaunni said after a moment of thought. Taughin nodded in agreement while Ygatt and Pyloh just sat watching quietly.

"Six thousand…" Thorin grumbled. "An easy fight would require half that in our numbers."

"An' tha' would mean takin' nearly all of Erebor's guards teh fight, not leavin' many teh protect the mountain." Aeodhen sighed.

"What about Dain?" Fili suggested, but Thorin shook his head. "This is our problem, and we will handle it. There is no need to get Dain nor Thranduil involved." Thorin threw Legolas a look, the elven prince nodding his agreement. "It may be worth considering a plan that does not turn to carnage. I doubt anyone in this city has any training in battle; starting a war with civilians would be nothing but a bloodbath. We need to figure out a way to get in so we can get people out before the battle rages. The way you came, could we use that to get in undetected and possibly get others out?"

Fili shook his head. "We blew it up so the orcs could not follow." Thorin ran his hand through is hair, grumbling in thought.

"We can use the river." All eyes turned to Tauriel, who still held Finli close. She really should have dropped him off at Taada's but going through an earthquake, ending up in a lost city run by orcs, and having not seen nor held her baby boy for nearly three days, was far too much for Tauriel to bear. He did not have any true understanding of what was going on anyway, but he was happy to be enfolded in his mother's arms.

"Nyaunni said herself, the river is part of their small city, which means there are places to get through other than the one we destroyed." Tauriel rose as Balin pulled yet another map and placed it on the table. This one held a bit more terrain detail, including the river. She adjusted Finli on her hip and pointed to a small marking on the map just before the river ends. "Those rocks…there…near the end of the river, perhaps it is a natural feature the orcs are able to use when they come and go from the city."

Tauriel looked to the dam who seemed confused but was nodding as she tried to understand. "Maybe…" The eleth clarified, "…it is not that they cover up the entrances, but rather they are unseen by those who do not know they exist."

"Like a dwarf door." Thorin said in understanding.

"Exactly." Tauriel said. "It will certainly not be of any enchanted variety, but rather, they were able to find one that uses nature as a means of invisibility."

The dam seemed almost aghast at the suggestion. "Are you implying that this entire time, we could have just…walked out…if we knew where to go?"

"Yes, and no." Tauriel said, adjusting Finli once again as she spoke. "It is likely heavily guarded, and you very well could have forfeited your life trying. But with help, yes, you could have. I am sorry."

The idea was a devastating blow to Nyaunni and her people. They had the numbers once before, but not the base knowledge of how to get out. If they would have just done more research and found out how to leave the city, rather than killing the orcs and goblins, then maybe, the 200 lost, would still be here today. "So how do we find out for sure?"

"We send a team." Dwalin said, pushing off the wall he was leaning against. "Twenty at most. We go check the area, stayin' quiet, and as soon as we find the entrance, we send a raven back for the others. Six thousand orcs and goblins are nothin' to what we took down three years ago. A small pittance. We killed near twenty times tha', at least."

"You killed over 100,000 orcs? When?" Taughin asked, his eyes wide, almost not believing the absurd claim.

"Battle o' five armies lad." Balin said. "It was when we retook Erebor; a mighty battle tha' cost many a good life. Bu' we prevailed and took back our home. Dale too was restored to the menfolk, and it re-opened relations with Mirkwood givin' us a stronger alliance than ever before with the elven people." Balin smiled at Legolas who nodded and returned the gesture. He for one, was rather surprised at how well his father was doing at maintaining peace between himself and Thorin Oakenshield.

Legolas looked over at his young friend, who was looking rather amusing with her very small son sitting on her hip and her hair in complete disarray. She looked every bit as wild as her father believed her to be as an elfling, yet, she also looked incredibly at peace, and happy. He watched as she kissed her son on the brow and whispered something against his head. A part of him was jealous of Kili, not that he had any inkling apart from pure platonic affection for Tauriel, but to see her so settled, so happy, in just a few years…it made him realize he had failed her far more then he thought. He should have been there more for her, he knew she loved her position…but he also knew there was a part of her that was deeply unhappy in Mirkwood. It would not have mattered much if he had done anything differently, this is where she was always meant to be, in this mountain, with this family. He is just happy he too can still be a part of her life for now.

Legolas turned his eyes to the dwarven king when Thorin stood up straight and folded his arms as he looked to Dwalin and began spouting orders. "Put together a team, Dwalin. Aeodhen, take whoever you think is necessary. No more than twenty. Tauriel, have Kaw go with them. He is one of Erebor's fastest ravens."

"When do we leave?" Fili asked.

"You, are not going anywhere. You and Kili need to rest so neither of you will be joining on this one. I will have no arguments like I did last year, Fili. Kili, you need to see to your family and yourself before putting yourself, and Tauriel, at risk. Going in to the thick of things when you have had little rest or food is a fool's errand." Thorin added when both his nephews were about to protest. "When we find out how and where to get in, we will talk about who is going, but for right now, we just need to get our bearings and see the layout of the land at the end of this river. Understood?"

Both Fili and Kili grumbled, but nodded and returned to their seats, Tauriel too opting to sit as her ankle began to protest her continuous standing. As it was, Thorin's small lecture was just in time for Dis to walk in and hear, followed by several dwarves carrying trays laden with food. "Your uncle is right." Dis said as she placed an entire tray of meats, cheeses, bread, and seasonal fruit directly in front of her children. Tauriel was the first to reach for the bounty before her, completely unashamed as she hummed in pure pleasure at the flavors filling her mouth.

"Much better than insects, love?" Kili smiled and stuffed a roll with some of the cold meats and cheeses, just after handing Finli a small hand pie.

"Mhm." Tauriel hummed as Dis placed a pitcher of cold water with several mugs just beside her, chuckling at the elf's ability to put as much food away as any dwarf in Erebor when she was expecting.

Nyaunni eyed the food as everyone ate, and Dis passed her a plate. "I thought you might like to eat like someone with manners, rather than these barbarians I raised." She lifted a brow at Kili and Fili who were currently using their hands to stuff their mouths with food unrepentantly, not one using the plates or dishes she had brought them, with exception of Viltarra, who was rolling her eyes, but still smiling at Fili, and of course Tauriel who always had manners…unless butter cake was involved.

The red-headed dam eyed the food with something akin to a deep sadness. "I have not eaten anything but what we were given, since I was a child here in Erebor." She lifted a large grape and stared at it for a long minute, before placing it in her mouth and humming in appreciation. "I had forgotten food could be so good." She continued eating her grapes, not quite oblivious of the pitiful look Dis was giving her, but not wanting to comment on it either. She needed nobody's pity, least of all Dis's.

"Well, Erebor has no shortage of food. You will never again need to go without, or eat what you do not desire." Dis smiled as she held out a platter filled with several different cheeses for Nyaunni to add to her plate.

"If I stay." The dam said quietly.

Dis looked taken aback. "You mean to go elsewhere? Are you thinking about going back to your clan?"

Nyaunni hummed, pushing away a piece of cheese with blue veins that smelled particularly pungent. She will pass on that one for now. "No. Not likely. At least not for a bit. Once that place is cleansed and those people freed, I do not know what I will do."

"This was your home, Nyaunni." Thorin walked up and gave her a smile. "Please know there will always be a place for you here."

"That was a long time ago, Thorin." Nyaunni sighed.

Thorin nodded. "It was, but some things do not see change."

"And some things, change greatly." The dam replied wanting to change the subject. She was not ready to visit where they were going quite yet. "How are we going to free them, Thorin, without causing a massacre?"

The room, fell silent as everyone stopped eating and talking amongst themselves to look at Thorin. "We go in, and we do what we have always done with orcs, we kill them all."

"And in the process, they will kill as many of us and those living there as they can." Nyaunni sighed. "We need a better plan than marching in when we find an entrance."

"Perhaps, running in is not the greatest of plans. May I suggest another idea?" All eyes turned to Tauriel, including her husband, who was giving her a curious look.

"Go on, Nâtha." Thorin nodded, Nyaunni eyeing him with not a small amount of surprise after hearing him call the eleth, daughter, in their tongue.

"The clothes we are wearing, all dwellers are given the same. They are quite simple, I suggest we have all who are going to charge the city, instead be given these clothes. Once we claim the entrance, we slowly replace ourselves, with the people until we have enough inside to take them by surprise." Tauriel folded her hands in her lap. "In doing so, we can avoid detection, and minimize the chance they start slaughtering all around them and it means greater protection for those in the city as they lack any true training in battle. Nyaunni said the orcs were smarter than their counterparts we have fought, but they were not so intelligent to realize we did not belong there."

"It is true, because we were wearing the garb, they thought nothing of it until we got a bit hasty in wanting to get out." Fili added.

Nyaunni looked stunned. "That…actually might work. It could save a lot of lives who know nothing about battles and fighting. What would we need to do?"

"Replicate the clothes, which should not be too difficult. I bet Leotti would help, she's the best seamstress in the mountain." Viltarra chimed in, Tauriel nodding in agreement.

"You said not everyone is interested in leaving…will that cause a problem?" Kili asked now holding his son so Tauriel could eat. Finli was currently trying to reach for the cup of water on the table, the young father grabbing and holding it so his son could drink while keeping focused on the still ongoing meeting.

"It may be a slight issue." Taughin answered. "Bu' I believe it is fear tha' it all stems from though."

"I agree with Taughin. I am Wellum, by the way." The older human gave a small bow of his head and indicated to Claira. "This is my partner, Claira. There are many in that city who would want to leave, leave a life of fear and pain behind, but…some have accepted their life…or perhaps, found something better than what they had when they were taken. It gives them purpose, and cause. There is also a chance they will want to stay when the orcs are gone."

"A bird born and raised in a cage, never understands true freedom. For if he were to be released, he will always return to his cage because that…is all he knows." Legolas looked around the room, seeing Tauriel nod but the others looking blankly at him. "These people, many of them know nothing outside captivity, or this city. It is their home. Fighting for their freedom is one thing, but telling them to leave their home…when it is all they know…is another. They may not want to leave their cage."

"Perhaps they won't have to. Once those orcs and goblins are gone, if the city is secure, I do not see why they cannot return if they wish, though it may be wiser for them to join their own people." Thorin said after a moment of silence fell over the group, Legolas nodding in agreement as the dwarven king continued. "That discussion is for another time, however, and may involve Thranduil if we truly find a lost elven city. In the meantime, we will talk to Bard, and if he agrees, we will get this plan to infiltrate the city going. Naurfaer, Aeodhen, when can you be ready to go and find this entrance?"

"We can go as early as tomorrow." Naurfaer said, Aeodhen agreeing with a nod of his head.

"Good. Dis, see that we find places for our guest to stay, including prince Legolas." The dwarven king began scribbling some notes and passed it over to Bofur. "Bofur, take this to Leotti and see if she would be willing to help."

"She's a good lass, she will help." Bofur said and left the room, followed by Bifur.

Thorin finally turned to the group. "Everyone else, get some rest. The kitchens are open and food abundant. If you need any medical care, Oin is available." He turned and gestured to the dwarf with a horn at his ear who gave them all a welcoming smile. Though he did turn blazing eyes on Tauriel and Kili.

"I assume YOU two need tendin'?" The old healer questioned.

Kili smirked. "Not me, but Tauriel has a strained ankle, and she missed her checkup."

The eleth, however, glared at her husband. "Kili, I am fine, my ankle is only stiff now."

"Stiff or no, I will be checkin' it." Oin said, taking his horn from his hear so he would not have to listen to a response from her, though he did add in a grumble, "Would not be surprised, with you lassie, if it were lobbed off an bleedin' out. You'd still be sittin here sayin' the same thing." There was a round of laughter from everyone who knew the eleth,, including Legolas who received a rather dark glare from the red head, while the six who came from the orc compound simply seemed confused. Tauriel huffed and folded her arms, but lacked the energy or desire to argue with the dwarven healer who was…more right than wrong.

With nothing more to discuss until they knew where they could get in, Thorin dismissed the meeting but chose to remain behind with Nyaunni and her small group to get a more detailed explanation of what they were up against, though it was also an excuse to be able to speak to the dam he has not seen in nearly two centuries. Balin too remained with Latin who was rolling out a large, blank, piece of parchment to likely build another map.

They all had much to do, in the next coming days, and for many, lives were about to change. But for better or for worse…will depend entirely on this plan working.

Authors Note: I know, the whole escape thing was a bit anticlimactic…but just you wait. There is a lot more to come before this act is over. I did that on purpose. Sorry if you were expecting more. OH and what do you think of my feathered fellbeast? It took me hours of research to try and find out about fellbeasts in the Tolkien universe and there is really not much to go on, so I had to make A LOT of it up so it is in no way cannon. Just my little added piece of flare. They are actually creatures heavily rooted in mystery. This is just my take on what they came from and are.

I also wanted to thank you for the reviews and follows. I am highly reward motived and seeing those gets me back to my laptop and working when I am losing motivation. Your support means so, so much to me on this journey, so thank you, all of you.

I will try to get the next chapter all edited and fixed soon. Until then, hugs!