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.

75. ACT V Chapter 17

Authors Note: HAPPY WORLDWIDE HOBBIT DAY! GAH. I barely made it. I wanted to post this early today, but my stupid word document has been crashing since I got home from work. It may or may not be because this ONE ACT is almost 700 word document pages so far…and I am not done. Apparently, that many pages is its crashing point. Grrrrr. Anyway. I am going to try not to be too wordy…I have like, zero energy at the moment lol. BUT I want to do my shout outs 😊

Unorthodox-Oblivion….I didn't know you rode horseback, you've never told me that! I love horses hence the need to have some here in the story…but I have only been on one once I think, lol.

DocNikki I know Lorilyn's story was really heard to write…even for me. But you will have to wait and see what becomes of her. I do have a soft spot for Tork and Nelithi, lol.

Ken, thank you so much. I know she's always around. That is a beautiful quote, I am going to write it down and place it beside the candle set I have for my grams.

Okay, here's another longish one for you. I don't think there are any trigger warnings for this one, but I might put some up for the next chapter. It will be a blood trigger warning if anything else, lol. This one is pretty calm…ish.

Read on my dearest friends, and know how grateful I am to have all of you along with me on this journey. 😊😊😊

Chapter Seventeen

Some of the tension eased from Kili's shoulders being able to communicate with his wife. He was infinitely glad he had decided to just do it and accept any repercussions from Tauriel as they came...which ended up being none at all. He still found her reaction amusing...how she fought to believe it. But he should never have doubted her...it was rare, very rare, when they were not of one mind.

"Any idea where we are?" Kili asked both Naurfaer and Viltarra as he shed his travel cloak and folded it up to put in one of Maryn's saddle bags. It was only barely just sun up, and it was already much warmer here than Kili was used to. He really had little desire to wear any extra layering than was necessary. It wasn't that it bothered him, but he was getting quite warm.

"About an hour away from the ocean of sands." Naurfaer answered. "It's not a great place to visit, I will tell you that."

"It is considered a death wish to do so." Viltarra echoed, throwing a bit of her lembas bread to Hiril.

"An' I am guessin' tha' is probably where we will be endin' up goin'?" Bofur pulled his hat off his head, and used it to wipe some sweat from his brow. He didn't know how Kili still wore his vest, he was down to his tunic...but Bofur never enjoyed heat too much even if his body could handle it; it is why he avoided working the forge.

"There is something coming." Legolas, who was only half paying attention, had his eyes to the west. He was the only one in the group still wearing all of his original layers.

Naurfaer moved Galaddal to stand beside Legolas, both elves peering across the sands. They were currently stopped over what used to be some sort of water feature, if the cracked clay and skeletal marine remains were anything to go by. They had made camp here the night before, and were just packing up to start moving again.

"The Avari." Naurfaer said. "Not really surprising...we are only a few dozen miles from their city if I recall. Though their borders are still miles away...unless they have moved."

"Should we go than?" Bofur asked. He didn't look remotely nervous as he placed his hat back on his head and leaned forward, trying to make shapes of the waves of light coming towards them.

"No point." Naurfaer said already heading straight towards the elves who were marching right for them. "They already know we are here."

Kili gave Bofur a wary look, but pulled Maryn to follow Naurfaer. His uncle had said to avoid the Avari…so why are they heading right for them.

Before they moved a few steps, Viltarra stopped Kili, pulling him aside. "Speak to them respectfully...and offer trade as soon as possible. Do not waste time on things they cannot use...if you can, barter with gold and only barter with the leader."

Kili chuckled. "Yes, I remember everything you told me, sis. You have only mentioned it...every night since we left Lothlorien."

Viltarra glared at Kili. "This is serious, Kili. One foul move, and they will not hesitate to kill us. If we were human, their bows would already be firing. But they do a lot of business with the elves and dwarves in these parts...especially since dwarves are the only race who trade in gold...and the elves of these lands use gold for everything."

Nodding again, Kili placed a hand on Viltarra's shoulder. "I promise you, Viltarra, I can handle this. And if I can't..." He smiled again. "...I have you here as back up."

Viltarra sighed. She knew Kili had experience with elves...but the Avari were not the elves of the westlands. Then again...he is charming, and Kili has always been good at talking himself in and out of almost anything. With a heavy sigh, Viltarra nodded. "You have me, and Naurfaer, who have experience with the Avari. We are here to help you, Kili. Let's just...make sure we don't get ourselves killed."

"I don't plan on it." Kili chuckled as they caught up with the others who were watching the approaching elves warily. Though none of them had their weapons out, Kili didn't doubt each one of his companions were ready to pull their axes, swords, or bows instantly if needed.

"I anor lúmenn' bo min govanneth." Naurfaer bowed his head respectfully as the elves surrounded their small group. Hiril growled but stayed where she was beside Viltarra.

"There is no joy in this greeting, and certainly no shine." One of the elves said, his weapon drawn but at his side. "Why come you this way? Our eyes above informed us of outsiders who passed into our land." Kili looked up to see two large birds flying above them. Some sort of eagle or bird of prey. One swooped down, landing on the elve's shoulder. It was a bird Kili had never seen before, larger than a raven, with feathers the color of the sands and a large hooked beak of pure white. But its eyes, it had eyes bluer than the sky, very much like Umyra's.

Kili had sent Umyra in hopes to find Fili, but as of yet, she has not returned. Hopefully, she will bring back word soon...or even better...bring Fili to them.

"We did not mean to cross your lands." Naurfaer said, grasping Galaddal's reins. His eyes flicked to Legolas who stood beside him, but the elven prince remained quiet.

"We are looking for my wife." Kili walked right up to the tall elf who watched him warily. "She, and several elves were taken from our lands in the west. I have gold, if that is what you want, to trade for our safe passage through these parts. Whatever the cost is to get her back, whatever you desire, I will give or pay; just name your price."

The elf lifted a brow. "And what if I were to ask for your teeth, dwarf? Or your first born? Making such claims as saying you will pay any price…is a foolish way to bargain in lands like these. You will always lose far more than what you lost to begin with."

Kili bowed his head. "I will endeavor to remember your wise advice. If I may amend my words, I have gold. Erebor is also rich in resources, we can make a trade well worth the trouble." Kili switched to Sindarin, hoping they understood. "I need to find her. Please. All I ask, is permission to cross through your borders if needs be. We want nothing from you, and we will take nothing from your lands. We seek only to travel."

The elves looked among themselves. "There is nothing you can take from us, that is worse than what we have already lost."

"Your people have been taken as well, haven't they?" Legolas asked.

"Who speaks?" The Avari eyed Legolas up and down. "You look to be of the eldar who descends from those who took the great journey. It has been an age since one of the light seekers have traveled to our lands."

"I am Legolas." Legolas bowed his head. "I come from the green wood in the deep westlands. My father is Thranduil, lord of our lands."

"A princeling." The Avari laughed. "And you, dwarf?"

"Kili, of Erebor. My uncle is king of our people."

"Two, princelings than." The Avari said with interest, then looked to Viltarra and Bofur. "Are they princelings as well?"

Viltarra rolled her eyes and Bofur just smirked, but neither of them spoke or even moved from where they were standing close enough to engage in battle if they were needed. Though Kili was sure to stand in a way to keep Viltarra in his line of sight...she was his sister, and his brother's wife. He will protect her above all others if the need came for it.

"Don't mind them." Kili said. "They are with me."

"As you say. And you…" The Avari said looking Naurfaer up and down. "…I cannot make of what people you descend from. I see a greater light in your eyes, greater than any I have seen before...but it is different than the light he carries." He gestured to Legolas.

"I am my own people." Naurfaer said with a shrug. "But more recently, I have lived among the dwarves of Erebor."

Kili felt the heat of the sun, the breeze that blew his dark hair slightly, and the dryness of the world around him. He felt his wife's anticipation, her worry, and her fear. He felt her urging him to come for her, felt the bond push him to where she is waiting. And he hated how long it was taking to get to her. This conversation was also taking too long...he needed to keep moving. If they were not going to allow him to cross their lands, he will find another way. But maybe...there was something they could not say no to. "I can do more than talk about trade. If you have people missing, I can help get them back."

Now this caught the elve's attention. "And how are you going to do that, dwarf? Not even we are able to get to them. We sought the help of the fliers, but were turned away. What can three dwarves, and two western elves do?"

"I am bonded to my wife." Kili said simply. "I can find her, and WHEN I find her, nothing in this world or the next will stop me from getting to her. Wherever she is, I will get her out of there, and when I do, I will return those taken from you…as many as I can."

The elf cocked his head, looking to his companions. "Not even our own kind extended the same courtesy." Strands of his dark hair fluttered in the warm wind, his golden skin barely visible under his protective leathers and hood. But his grey eyes, Kili could see perfectly. "I am Morythi. I lead these guards tasked with watching our borders. Their responsibilities…are to kill any who crosses them." He sighed. "But our people are being hunted, and there is division among the clans of fliers and walkers. I…am tempted to take your bargain, dwarf."

"If I were you, I would take him up on it." Naurfaer said with a grin. "I don't know any in arda, dwarf, elf, or man, who is more honorable and worthy of trust than Kili. When he gives his word, he keeps it."

"That is quite high praise from an elf, dwarf…you should be honored." Morythi said.

"They are related." Bofur chuckled, unhelpfully.

"But he and I are not." Legolas shot Bofur a look, silencing the dwarf. Even Viltarra was rolling her eyes at Bofur who shrugged unrepentantly.

"I have known prince Kili for nye on two decades now, and have never known him to ever go back on his word. Reckless, impetuous, and a bit irreverent sometimes he may be…but…also bold, selfless, and conscientious in his deeds and actions. He has a great courage within him that many of our age lack, and a light that extends to all he is in party with. Prince Kili of Erebor is a dwarf to follow, if you seek the good of the world."

Warmth filled Kili as he smiled softly. "Thank you." He said to Legolas and Naurfaer, then turned to the elf, who was simply staring at him.

Morythi considered Kili for what felt like a lifetime before he spoke. "Our cattle are low in numbers since they are constantly raided upon by sand trolls who have infested this area. Is this a resource worth trading?"

Kili nodded. "We have herds of rams, sheep, and cows, as well as more chickens than we need."

"And gold?" The elf looked Kili up and down, as if to gage whether or not he had something so valuable as gold on him. Again, Kili nodded, handing over a small bag of coin to the head guard.

"A down payment." Kili said.

"It is a deal." Morythi accepted the gold and clasped Kili's hand tightly to solidify their agreement. "And we will come with you."

"You don't have to." Kili said, but the elf looked at his five companions, who nodded.

"We will come with you. To ensure your safe travels in our land, and to add our weapons to your quest." Morythi gave Kili a look. "Wouldn't do any of us good if your killed before you can fulfill our bargain."

Viltarra leaned into his ear. "Accept. It is very common they do this. Resources are precious here...so in protecting you, they protect their transaction." She whispered quickly. Kili nodded his understanding before looking back at Morythi.

"Of course. You are welcome to join us for as long as you wish. Do you have mounts?" Kili asked, peering behind them.

Morythi gave a whistle, and six horses came running towards them. "Why of course, princeling. These lands are too dangerous to traverse on foot. Where is it, exactly, we are to go?"

Kili eyed Viltarra who nodded; he could tell them...or should. She even pulled her map from her bag and walked to a large sandstone boulder, laying the map on the surface as best she could. The group joined her, all crowding around to look.

"Kili believes we are heading this way..." Viltarra said gesturing to a spot where her father had drawn some ruins. They had never gone that far into Rhun, but her father loved nothing more than to trade bread for information on the lands he visited. They always like to stop with fellow nomads, often camping together in the wilds when they were between cities. Viltarra's family would supply the breads, and in return, the other group often supplied meats, cheeses, or Vin's favorite...stories of the lands they were traveling through. If there ever was a place that caught her father's attention...and was safe…they always would go.

Viltarra's father also used the opportunities to update their maps through other people's travels. For example, the coordinates of the ruins on this map of Rhun...were given to them from the Avari themselves; the one who gave it to them had even written on the map...which Morythi pointed out right away.

"That...is our text." He said eyeing the map with great interest. "How came you by this map?"

"It is my families." Viltarra said with a shrug. "My father and mother have been adding to it my entire life. We have maps of all the lands we travel...but most of my life has been spent traversing Rhun and the westlands. We have traded with the Avari in these lands for as long as I can remember. Lolanna, I believe, was the one who wrote this in, but my father enjoys illustrating any points of interest to him. I cannot say what the writing means though...I cannot read the language…but I believe my father knows."

Morythi lifted a brow, looking at Viltarra. "Lolanna? Not the master of food in Othrond'anor."

"Othrond'anor?" Kili asked curiously. "City of the Sun?"

"Very good, princeling. It is our main city here in these lands." Morythi nodded then looked back at Viltarra, waiting for her answer.

"I honestly have no memory of that particular name." She said, knowing full well with her memory, she probably knew the name of that city, and just forgot it. "But I believe the Lolanna my family knew was a leader in agriculture and food trade. So, they must be one in the same. She is who my father would communicate most with whenever we came to your borders."

"Pray, what does your family trade in?" Morythi asked.

"Some gold when we had it, but mostly breads, pastries, and once in a while we would trade ingredients we have surplus in or would go bad if not used quickly." Viltarra hummed. "We have traded more than a few times with your people, mostly because my father is happy to trade goods for knowledge. We understand how difficult it is to come by resources in these lands, so if there is nothing we need and we are traveling through the area, we always stop by the city as it is the safest point we know in this part of Rhun. My father just has always called it Sun Town."

Morythi rolled his grey eyes. "Such a simple name, but one I have heard by many who do not speak our language." He eyed the writing, his fingers grazing the script particular to his own clan. "It warns to stay away from these sands. They are a place of death."

"Err did yeh jus' say death?" Bofur asked scratching his head. "...don't yeh think that is something they should 'ave put in a language other than their own?" He sighed. "Course...it's where we are goin' I am sure."

"I don't really know for sure, Bofur, but possibly." Kili said eyeing the map and the area. "The bond Tauriel and I have is guiding me to her...it doesn't exactly give me coordinates or anything, I just know what direction I need to go to get to her. We are getting closer, that I can tell you, and I can't afford any more delays."

Delays are why they have steered clear of the cities in this part of Rhun on both Viltarra and Naurfaer's suggestions. If they were a few days north of this area, then there is a lovely town Viltarra's family knew well that they could have stocked up on food and supplies...but the cities in these areas had a bad reputation to being unsafe and full of thieves and vagabonds who loved nothing more than to prey on travelers.

Viltarra had said that when or IF her family was ever in this part of Rhun, which was rare but did happen once in a while...they stuck to the safest roads traveling as quickly as possible, and only took refuge in the mountains nearby. Once they established a trade relationship with Lolanna…which they only acquired after her father out-baked the master of agriculture herself, they had been invited a few times to rest in Sun Town...or Orthrand'anor as she just learned it was called…but they only ever stayed one night at a time and left swiftly in the morning. Just because ONE of the Avari was fond of their family…does not mean the others were. They were often given dark looks by the elven people around them whenever they were there, and were only permitted to sleep in their cart near the gate and told to eat their own food…and not the Avari's.

When they had first entered Rhun, Kili had asked if they should stop for supplies in one of the nearby cities…but both Naurfaer and Viltarra argued against it. Fortunately for them, they had come across a traveling merchant of sorts, and were able to get what they needed from the man pushing a cart of goods…so they didn't need to enter the cities.

It was then Viltarra explained why it was best they stay out of the cities as much as they could, and just use their supplies sparingly. Kili was all for it, and they kept to the roads. Besides, even his uncle suggested they keep out of inns and stay in the wilds as much as possible. He just had not realized how much Viltarra knew about the Avari. Clearly, even after two decades, his new sister still surprises him. He owed her for her insight in these lands, and he can honestly say, he was more than grateful she was here. "Alright. Deadly sands. Let's avoid that if we can, but I have a feeling we are headed right for them. How far away is it?"

Morythi lifted a brow but didn't comment. Instead he folded his arms and stared at Kili. "A days ride east, then a half a day north. But we would have to cross into the fliers lands…and that…may prove difficult."

"Fliers?" Kili asked looking to Viltarra who looked equally confused. Even Naurfaer lowered his brows, clearly now having heard of them either. Wasn't he supposed to know everything with how old he was? Then again, he did say his experience with the Avari was limited…like Viltarra's.

"A clan of Avari." Morythi said, but didn't elaborate, though he did add… "They keep to themselves and do not like outsiders. It is rare, any but our own people interact with them…or even see them. They are best avoided at all costs. They are quite…stirred up at the moment. They recently lost their home, you see, and apparently WE are to blame for such things."

"Lost their home?" Bofur asked. "Well…we go' somethin' in common with them. Eh Kili?"

Kili sighed when Morythi gave him a curious look. "A dragon took our mountain long ago. Our people only recently were able to recover it. Are these, fliers, aggressive?"

Morythi hummed. "They are not afraid to kill you, dwarf, if that is what you are asking. But fear not, you and I have a deal. If we encounter them…we will ensure they don't kill you…or your companions, if you wish."

"Yes we wish." Bofur quickly added.

Kili rolled his eyes. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

"Increase the trade." Viltarra whispered. "As a show of good faith, and gratitude."

Kili nodded, and reached behind him, detaching one of his best daggers, sheath and all, from his belt. He had another, so he could part with it. It was also the only one with a gold inlayed hilt. He really should not be carrying it in these lands by the sounds of it anyway. Plus, it had no sentimental value to him whatsoever. He only had it because it was one Tauriel had packed for him. "I want to offer you a gift…for my gratitude for your assistance." He handed the sheathed dagger to Morythi who hesitated, but slowly accepted it. He pulled the thick blade from its holster, inspecting the gold braided through the hilt, the cut of the steel used to make the blade, and the sharpness of the edge. He then nodded.

"A beautiful blade, prince Kili of Erebor. This, is worth some good coin. Yet…you give it to me for nothing more than what we already offered?"

Kili nodded. "It is yours. No strings attached."

Morythi was surprised, but accepted. He easily attached it to his own belt. "I feel…as if we are forming a solid partnership, prince Kili. I thank you. We have many miles to travel, and though it is early, we should go before the day gets away from us. Follow me, and we will take you to where you wish to go." He paused. "I assume you will inform us if we need to correct our direction?"

Kili smiled and nodded as Viltarra rerolled her map. As the Avari moved to their horses, Naurfaer stopped her. "You did, very, very, well, Viltarra." He praised. "Both in instructing Kili, and telling him to offer that final gift." He smiled softly. "I feel like I should apologize for not insisting you come to begin with. I may have been around long, but not even I have the experience with them that you do."

"I agree, you're amazing, Viltarra, truly." Kili gave her a wide smile, that softened. "I am glad you're here. Who knows how this would have gone if you weren't."

Viltarra chuckled. "With your charm, Kili? You would have done just fine. Come on. Let's go find our missing mates." She leaned in. "They are BOTH in trouble when we find them."

"Yes, they are." Kili laughed, sending the thought to his wife who grumbled something about not being the ONLY one in the family who gets into messes.

They mounted and the group was off again. Their numbers did not end there, every few miles, they hit another team of Avarian guards. Morythi explained the situation, and each team added two to their growing company.

Kili was a little concerned that whatever king was over the Avari, may not be pleased the teams tasked with protecting the borders, had guards deserting their posts. It wasn't until they reached the fourth group when Kili made the realization that maybe Morythi was not just a commander or leader of the guards…but also of his people.

"My lord, we spotted the fliers heading east. A team of them crossed over our lands. Are we to pursue?"

Morythi clenched his jaw. "They refuse to combine our numbers for better protection of our race, and they did nothing to help when our settlement closest to their home was decimated by the enemy. Instead, they choose to do nothing but hide in their caves and under the ground like a group of scared dwarves." He glanced at Kili who lifted a brow but didn't comment.

"Oi!" But Bofur apparently did. Viltarra kicked him and he silenced. She narrowed her eyes and Bofur folded his arms, clearly unhappy with the jab.

"Leave the fliers to whatever their path leads them to." Morythi ordered. "But if more come, open fire. I smell a war coming…and the fewer there are of them…the fewer we have to fight."

"But they are your own people!" Kili said in surprise. Morythi narrowed his eyes at Kili, who ignored him and continued. "Aren't you suffering enough? Haven't your people been targeted enough? I don't know the dispute you have, or who these fliers are, but if they are Avari, then you should be trying to mend your clans, not make things worse by attacking when they are not provoking you. Look…dark times are coming to all of our lands. If we do not work together…all of us…then we will all fall together. Whatever dispute you have with these fliers, is nothing in comparison to the outrage you should have for our mutual enemy."

"And YOUR clans all get along, little prince?" Morythi said in pure disbelief. "There is peace among ALL dwarven nations?"

"My clans work together as one, though we be in different mountains and some, different lands. But they rally behind my uncle, their high king. When he passes his crown to my brother, then my brother will rule the clans, and then my own son."

"Not just a prince of his mountain, but a prince of his people." Morythi sat thoughtfully, his jaw tight as his grey eyes stared Kili down. "Let the fliers pass in peace." He finally ordered.

The guards bowed their understanding, and jogged away, though again, two joined their numbers. Kili looked back at the sizable army growing with every stop they made. He had plans on stealthily entering whatever this place was…but it looks like Mahal had other ideas.

"I think you should lead the way, dwarf prince." Morythi said, surprising Kili. "We shall follow you." Kili nodded once, and for the first time since they met the Avari, Kili led the group, going where his bond directed him.

Fili wasn't sure what was worse…flying…or sailing. He held onto Saphyra as they flew over the sands, passing a city surrounded by tall trees with large, green, leaves only growing from their top. Fili had never seen those kind of trees before. "What city is that?" Fili asked as they flew over.

"It is one of the settlements of the Avari of the earth. They do not have the blood of Búlë kal nórë in their veins and are not allowed to bond with our beasts…they are an earthbound people, and they are pure Avari; the refusers."

"The refusers? Why are they called that?" Fili asked, his braids whipping at his cheeks as they sped through the skies and away from the city below them.

"In the beginning, when the elves had awakened, it is said that there was an invitation for the growing clans of elves to come see the great light of Valinor. They would be touched by it, and be allowed back in the mortal lands to carry its light wherever they went. All children of Iluvatar where to go…but one group refused the great journey. They became known as the Avari, the refusers. No true Avari can trace their family line back to that great journey. Though we fliers, can."

"Then, are you not true Avari?" Fili asked.

"That is the greatest of debates…and it depends on who you ask." Saphyra chuckled. "I supposed we are not in some senses. But it is the name my people have clung to for thousands of years. When the Búlë kal nórë clan who came to these lands sought shelter from those tracking them, they went to the Avari for help; but the Avari felt no kinship to these beings who were more like elves than any other race. As a result, the clans in those times nearly decimated the strangers just for crossing into their lands…they seemed to take great pride in shooting down their beasts, many even claiming and wearing the skins of the aelúg as trophies." She said, disgusted. "The poor creatures were exhausted from heavy travel, and were picked off one by one." She shook her head and continued.

"But one small tribe took pity on them, and they, by their own free will, broke off from the Avari of these lands and led the strangers to a deep, underground, cavern we now call our ancestral home. It is there they hid the Búlë kal nórë and their sacred beasts from the Avari hunting them, and the shadows tracking them. It is that one Avari tribe, that we are descended from and where our Avari blood comes from. To protect themselves, and their aelúg, it was not long before the Búlë kal nórë took on the Avari name nearly shedding themselves of their past completely, and soon, they were choosing mates amongst each other. We, my clan, are what came of that merging. We are a people who walk two worlds, despised by both, accepted by neither."

"Do the elves of the west dislike you?" Fili asked curiously.

Saphyra glanced over her shoulder. "Did they warn you about us?"

Fili shrugged. "Not your people in particular, just the Avari overall. I honestly don't think they knew about you." He gave her a smile which she returned before focusing her attention ahead.

"And we prefer to keep it that way." She yelled back.

The way was long, and the air hot and dry as they flew. Fili looked ahead, seeing the mountain, but it never seemed to get any bigger no matter how fast and how long they were in the air. He knew they had a ways to go yet, but refrained from asking just how long. They were going as fast as they were able, so what would asking do anyway.

Suddenly without any warning, they were lurching down towards the ground. Fili looked behind them to see the others also descending and realized their entire group was headed for the sands below. Kaw and Umyra where nowhere in sight...stupid ravens abandoned him nearly an hour ago. Maybe to hunt, he thought, before he turned back to the elf in front of him. "What's happening?" Fili asked.

"The aelúg need water." Saphyra said, eyeing the ground warily, likely searching for anything that could be a danger to them. "They cannot fly further without it."

Fili scanned the sands below, then pointed to the distance where a great lake seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Then we stop there."

A ringing laughter hit his ears even over the roar of the winds. "You wish to go there?" Saphyra banked in the opposite direction. "Silly dwarf. If I did not believe you were not from these lands before, I certainly know you are not now. That…" She pointed in the direction Fili had indicated, "… is not but sands and death if one seeks water. A lake, that you will never reach no matter how fast you move, for it shall always evade you." She laughed brightly.

Fili bristled, his eyes turned to focus on the lake in the distance until Saphyra pointed to a grove of those odd-looking trees and a small pond below them. "There, is where we stop. It is a water hole, and is what you may call neutral ground for all Avari, both land and sky...though it is not uncommon for small...disagreements...to break out. I would keep one eye on your surroundings at all times while you are here, dwarf."

They flew to the ground, landing almost in the water itself where Saphyra's aelúg wasted no time gulping down water almost desperately. "It has been a while since he has had to carry extra weight." Saphyra said, eyeing the others in her party, who had landed near the waters, but were not drinking. "He was attacked by the ground walkers not a month ago. He is healed, but I believe he is still building strength." She stroked his long feathers and smiled. "He will be fine, but he may need a little time before he is ready to fly. You should drink as well. It will be far more filling here...than that great lake you saw."

The others in their party snickered and Fili sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. The area was filled with Avari elves, some leading their horses to drink at the water's edge, or filling their own water bladders, while others glared coldly at the newcomers. Considering they were aelúg-less…these elves must be the Avari who were not of Saphyra's clan…the full-blooded Avari. They certainly did not look pleased to be sharing the watering hole. Neutral ground indeed, Fili thought to himself.

"Stay close dwarf. They may not kill us, but they do not like us here and may make it...difficult...if you antagonize them. We will be on our way soon." Saphyra whispered to Fili. He nodded, seeing one of the Avari grip his bow, his dark hair a perfect contrast to his pale skin. He didn't say anything, but stared at Fili, then at Saphyra.

"A guard, to keep the peace." Saphyra said when she caught Fili's gaze. "He is Lyshaun. Do not mind his killing eyes, he will not harm you, as long as you do not start something." Fili lifted a brow and turned back to the Avari who was now walking towards one of the elves who was pulling a dagger on Garihan, one of the fliers in Saphyra's party.

Fili watched as Lyshaun took action, and was soon expelling the Avari from the area before going back to his place to guard the lands of the watering hole. At least, there was some semblance of order here...in spite of the tension Fili could cut with a dull rock.

Moving to the water's edge, Fili took the opportunity to fill his traveling bladder as Saphyra suggested. "I know I saw water in the distance. If that was not a lake I saw, what was it?" He couldn't help asking, still wondering why they laughed at him when he saw clear as day, the water's surface ebbing and flowing ahead.

"Water in the distance? It was a mirage, dwarf." One of the Avari said. "An image created from the sands and heat. It lures many to their deaths."

"A mirage?" Fili looked at the water below him.

"A vision." One female eleth said from beside Fili. She looked Fili up and down, then smiled; the first smile he has seen in this area. "It is wise, to not trust your eyes in these lands." When Fili gave her a look, she added, "I have traded with many dwarves here. It is a saying I have heard them say to one another in our interactions."

"Do you not see them? These mirages?" Fili asked.

The eleth laughed. "Our senses do not fool us like yours can." She then stood, and walked over to a group who had mounted, and were clearly leaving, pulling herself up on an animal that had Fili doing a double take. A camel, he thinks they are called. Mahal, that thing is tall…he wonders if even Tauriel would be able to get up on that…then again…his sister scales trees with no effort, so she probably would swing right up on top of that thing. He smiled, he couldn't wait to tell his daughters he saw a camel. He missed his wife, he missed his girls...he missed his family.

Fili turned back to the water and stared into the surface. He heard the sounds of stirring horses and ruffling feathers as the animals drank and the elves came and went, but he pushed them all away. A mirage, a vision, he thought...he still didn't fully understand it...not that he didn't know what a vision was...because he did. He just didn't understand WHY he was seeing what he saw. If he were to see something that wasn't there...he sure as the ancestor's halls would have chosen something other to see than a massive lake in the distance.

The crowned prince of Erebor sighed to himself. Maybe, he could summon a better vision than water. Fili skimmed the reflective surface of the water with his hand and smiled when his blond waves shifted a bit into another, equally familiar form. Her hair was blowing in the warm breeze, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes, those beautiful golden eyes...were furious?

Fili cocked his head at his very own vision, until that vision lifted her hands and shoved him into the water.

"YOU...YOU LEFT ME YOU STUPID DWARF!"

Fili blinked, sputtering in the shallow water as he gaped at his vision come to life. There was no way this could be a mirage...visions were not supposed to push you into the water the last he heard.

Lyshaun came over, likely hearing the disturbance, and stared down at Fili. "If you cannot keep our peace, you will be asked to leave, dwarves."

"Right. Sorry." Fili said, still gaping at Viltarra who had her hands braced on her hips as she continued to glare at Fili. "Can you...can you see her?" Fili nudged his head to his wife who rolled her eyes.

Lyshaun gave Fili a look of deep annoyance only an elf could pull off then walked away without answering. In his place, looking far too amused, stood another Fili was missing almost as much as his wife. "Ki?"

"Not really the time or place to bathe, brother." Kili said, holding his hand out to his elder brother. Fili was hesitant at first, but accepted the hand and was hauled out of the water. Instead of going to Kili though, Fili turned to his wife. "Viltarra?"

"You left me." She said softly, with far less bite in her words than before. "You have sent no word, no indication you were alright...you just...were gone. We knew you were alive, but you could have sent...sent something."

Without so much as saying a word, Fili grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. She was stiff in his grasp, but soon, soon she relaxed and melted into his hold. He felt her arms encircle him as she clung to him and pressed her head into his shoulder. "What are you doing here, Viltarra?" Fili murmured into her hair, he couldn't find it in him to be furious with her for coming to these dangerous lands. He knew she would not have left their girls unprotected. Over her shoulder, he saw Hiril at the edge of the shore, lapping up the clear water; her mithril armor, though covered in sand and dust, still shined in the sun. Ever the guardian over Viltarra, it did not surprise him their warg was here as well.

"I came to find you." Viltarra said into his shoulder, drawing Fili's attention back to her. "I couldn't just sit at home. Not while the others got to leave and help. And when I heard you were coming to Rhun, I knew, I could at least be of some help here."

Fili pulled away, staring at her, cupping her face with his hands. "Is Vin alright?"

Viltarra looked away. "He lost his hand, Fili. He's...he's doing as good as he can be doing I suspect." She looked back up at Fili. "He has good days, and bad. But I think...with time...he will be alright. Mama won't let him give up."

Fili brushed his thumb over her cheek, and finally, Viltarra relaxed, her eyes closing as Fili's hands held her face tenderly. "No. She won't." He said, his breath a whisper across her face. "We will all get through this, Viltarra." Fili pressed his brow to hers. "You found me. In the middle of a desert, in the middle of a land of sands and whatever trees these are, you found me."

"Coconut palms. And I did find you." Viltarra said, her lips brushing his. "And I would do it again and again and again. If only, you would just stop disappearing on me though."

Fili rolled his eyes. "Twice, nunguame. It has happened twice. And neither time was on purpose."

"Twice is more than enough. But...both times were for those you love. I cannot say I would have done differently." She closed the distance between them fully, and his lips crashed to hers, devouring her thoroughly. It wasn't the water Fili needed in these dry, heated, lands; it was Viltarra. As they pulled apart, Viltarra poked his chest. "Next time, at least try to send word. I don't care how, but at least let me know you are alright. Assuming and hoping, are nowhere near as comforting as knowing you are safe."

Fili pressed his lips to her brow as he whispered. "I will make a note of it."

As Viltarra pulled away, she looked around the area. "I have never been to this part of the Avari's lands. The cities and the paths between them I know very well, but my father and mother avoided this area of Rhun for our safety." She then stared at the aelúg. "Are those...are those what I think they are?"

Fili nodded and clasped Viltarra's hand, pulling her towards the Avari who he had been riding with; Hiril trotting behind him with water dripping from her mouth. At the moment, Saphyra stood tensely with Kili between her, and a male Fili had never seen.

"We are not your pets to control, Morythi." Saphyra hissed. Her words were quiet, as to not attract the severe-looking guard who was currently having words with another group near ready to attack each other.

"I never insinuated you were, Saphyra." Morythi looked between her and Kili, then at Fili. "I take it, you know this dwarf, dwarf prince?"

"My elder brother, Fili." Kili said smiling at Fili.

Saphyra looked betrayed. "You are in league with these, beasts?"

"Careful, Saphyra." Morythi said calmly. "We are not the ones here who control the aelúg. If any are close to being beasts in these lands, it is the fliers."

Saphyra hissed, glaring at the elf across from her. For his part, Morythi did not react in the slightest, his face a mask of cool elven indifference.

Fili eyed Kili who was still standing between the two volatile elves, and was not a little confused as to what his reckless little brother had been doing. "Ki...what have you been up to?"

"What have YOU been up to?" Kili stared at the aelúg. "Are those..."

"Aelúg. Yes." Fili shook his head, looking to Saphyra. "My brother was trying to find me. He had no idea you even existed Saphyra." A pair of ravens perched on a rock preening each other caught his eye and he glared at them. "And the missing duo. I suppose they abandoned me to find you, Ki?"

Kili glanced at his ravens and smiled. "Ya, they found us a few hours ago and were the ones to lead us here...so I suppose this meeting could be in thanks to them."

"Of course." Fili sighed, shaking his head. It would have been better if one of them stayed with him in case he got into some trouble...but it all turned out alright. Actually, it turned out better than alright since now, he has his brother and wife here with him.

"Well now, look at this! We did come to the right place after all. Should of known why Kaw and Umyra insisted we come here." Naurfaer waltzed over, smiling wide. "Hello Fili. We have been looking for you." He eyed the blonde prince, a brow lifting at the water dripping from Fili's hair and clothes. "Did you go for a swim? I must say I am rather tempted to dive in myself." He stopped, his hand ruffling Hiril's fur as he stood beside her.

Fili clenched his jaw. "No, at least not by choice."

"Viltarra pushed him in." Kili said having seen the incident.

Naurfaer laughed, while Legolas, who was beside the other elf, just looked at Fili with a lifted brow. "You are very lucky to be alive."

Fili shrugged then turned to the eleth who was still looking at Fili with an expression of anger and distrust. "Saphyra, everything I told you, was true. I am looking for my sister who is an elf. What I did not factor in, was my family finding me before we got to her. But since they are here, allow me to introduce my family who I should have known, would find me at the worst possible time." Fili glared at Kili who folded his arms and gave the look right back.

"Remind me next time, to not even bother to look for you than."

"As if that were even a passing possibility." Naurfaer said, looking between the brothers. "You two are nearly as inseparable with each other as you are with your wives."

"I am convinced you are all married to each other." Legolas said drawing matching scowls from the two sons of Durin.

"I cannot deny that." Viltarra snickered. After almost twenty years, she is used to finding Fili in Kili's room asleep on the foot of the bed while Tauriel reads and Kili draws, or Kili humming softly on her and Fili's front room chaise with one of her daughters asleep on his chest. Viltarra even found herself reading to the boys in their nursery or putting them to sleep when Tauriel and Kili were already lost to the waking world. Tauriel too would be in and out of their rooms, spending time with the girls, or telling Viltarra about her day and visa versa. They were one unit raising all of their children together. They were always around each other, supporting each other, growing together day in and day out. So in a way, Legolas is not wrong.

"You were greatly missed, Fili." Naurfaer finally said honestly.

"I missed you as well. All of you." Fili wrapped his arm around Viltarra, looking back at Saphyra. "This is my wife, Saphyra, Viltarra. And that..." He gestured to Naurfaer. "...is my sisters grandfather, and beside him, is Legolas of the Greenwood. His father is the king of Mirkwood Forest."

"Bofur is here too." Kili said.

Fili nodded. "I'll introduce him later. But his..." he patted Kili on the shoulder with the hand not wrapped around his wife. "...is my baby brother who's wife is as troublesome as he is." Fili said with a chuckle, then his expression turned worried as he looked at Kili. "How is she?"

Kili ground his jaw. "Worried, afraid, and in danger." He paused, his focus going in and out, then nodded to himself. "She is happy we found you."

Fili lifted a brow so Kili added, "We may have figured out how to share our thoughts...not just emotions."

"Do I want to know?" Fili asked.

"Honestly, I couldn't fully explain it in a way you would understand even if you did want to know." Kili looked to Naurfaer and Legolas, but neither commented. Instead, their eyes were on the two groups of elves on either side of them.

"Since we are all together, I think it is time we figure out a plan." Naurfaer said before turning to Saphyra. "That, by the way...is a beautiful animal. I never thought I would see one outside Erebor. We guessed they were somewhere, but we had no real idea if they still existed or if they were lost as well."

"Naurfaer was with us in the undercity of the Búlë kal nórë." Fili explained to Saphyra who had yet to even look at him. "He was the one to tell us the origins of the people who once lived there. We are still trying to get to the city below the water to learn more about them but have so far not been successful."

"Cowards." One of the elven guards beside Morythi breathed. "Run aways. Blood of the light. Are we to work with them? These false Avari, who claim to carry our blood within them. The people who have stolen our name, yet do not consider us equal enough to master their beasts?"

"The aelúg, are not to BE mastered." Saphyra snarled. "They CHOOSE who they bond with. They are your life partner, not your slave."

"Are they your lovers as well?" Another guard said.

"Are these real elves? Or did the heat create them." Bofur, who popped up from nowhere, stared between the two groups. His hat was dripping wet, as was his hair. Fili wonders if he drenched his head in the watering hole. "Have never seen 'em be so...unelflike. Suppose I am used to marble statues commin' to life."

Legolas peered at the elves. "It is very different here, than it is in the west."

"And what would you know of this place, forest mouse?" Saphyra said, the Avari guards standing across from her who surrounded Morythi actually nodding their agreement.

"AHA, something we all can find common ground on." Naurfaer grinned excitedly. "Legolas...knows nothing outside the forest."

Anger flashed in the elven prince's eyes as he glared coldly at Naurfaer. "I have been outside the greenwood."

"What do you want of us?" Saphyra interrupted, turning back to Morythi. "Our numbers are but a quarter of yours, Morythi, even less now. After you came to us, we were driven from our home after our people were picked off by the enemy across the sands. Many believe you GAVE them our cities coordinates as a trade to protect yourselves when we refused you. If anything, we should have come to you to declare war. But my mother chooses peace, and with our numbers dwindling, I am inclined to agree with her. Then...then...a group of your guards came to our sanctuary claiming they were sent by you, demanding we protect YOUR border after everything that had happened to us. When we said no, those guards attacked our aelúg. Your guards broke Ytaks wing when he stood before me, to protect me. They did not stop, even when I begged them to...not until your clans were driven out by our fighters. So who are the beasts here? Our aelúg who fought ONLY when the need came to protect whom they are bonded with...or you and your guards, Morythi?"

Morythi looked taken aback. He turned to his guard on either side. "Is this true? Did you go to the fliers sanctuary?"

The guard did not look affected in the least. "I did." He said, disgust in his dark eyes as he stared at Saphyra. Though he and Saphyra looked very much alike in coloring and complexion, it was apparent they believed they lived in two different worlds. "Their ways are stolen from ours, Morythi, yet they have yet to pay for stealing our name and beliefs. We were not asking much, they should abide by our demands...if they are to take on our name then they should earn it."

"You speak as if we are below you!" Saphyra growled, beside her, the five fliers had their hands on their daggers at their side. None had pulled them, but they were ready to fight at a moments notice.

"STOP!" Kili stepped between the two groups once again, his hands up on either side, as if he were creating two solid walls to keep the groups from tearing into each other. "We do not have time for this. While you argue, the real enemy is out there, winning. My wife is in danger, your people who were taken..." Kili looked to Morythi. "...are in danger, grave danger…do you understand? Every minute we waste could be a life lost, yet you continue to argue like children. I do not care what you do when this is over, but if I am to assume correctly, you both are missing some of your people. So how about a truce right now, and then, do what you please when this is over."

Kili's dark gaze bore into the two elves in either group who seemed to be the leaders for their separate clans. "Please. My wife...and your people...need you."

"If you can be neutral in this place..." Fili said gesturing to the water hole. "...then it is possible to have a truce between you...however temporary or permanent that is."

"We were promised additional gold and cattle." Morythi said.

"And you will get them." Kili promised.

"Then our bargain is still on." Morythi said with a nod to Kili. "But I cannot speak for them."

"We speak for ourselves." Saphyra spat. She looked to Fili, her eyes boring into him as she was deciding whether she was to believe if he had set this up, or knew nothing of it like he claimed.

"Saphyra, the more we have, the better chance we get to getting them all back." Fili said honestly. "Working together could work in our favor."

"Our people have NEVER worked together." Saphyra glared at Morythi.

"But that isn't true." Fili said. "You told me yourself that when the Búlë kal nórë came to Rhun, a part of the Avari aided them. Isn't your existence proof enough that you can work together?"

Saphyra looked to her companions, who said nothing. They seemed to trust her judgment. For the first time, Fili wondered how old Saphyra really was, to have earned the respect of those who followed her family.

"Fine." Saphyra said after a long pause. "But the moment I see any one of you try and harm or steal one of our sacred aelúg...I will remove your hands and your feet, then set you in the desert sands to be eaten by the wilds."

"Wonderful." Naurfaer clapped his hand, rocking on the balls of his feet. "How fortunate I am to be able to finally be among the Avari. It is a life goal of mine to dwell among all the races and people of Arda. Dwarves and the Avari were the two I thought would be most difficult to reason with, but look at me...two decades later, I will have been among both."

Legolas rolled his eyes and went to his horse while Bofur just shook his head. "You are an odd one, Naurfaer." He muttered mounting his pony.

"Where were you heading when we met, Fi?" Kili asked.

"To get some back-up." Fili answered his brother, his hand still clasped in Viltarra's.

"Then let's go." Kili said, ready to move.

"No Ki. You aren't going. Not to there. And don't waste your breath arguing, nothing you can say will get me to allow you to come." Fili released his wife's hand and pulled his map out to show Kili, Naurfaer and Bofur just behind him looking over Kili's shoulder. "This area here, is where we are going once we get some numbers. I assume it is where you are being directed to Ki?"

Kili lowered his brows, his head looking around as if to gage the direction they were standing verses where his bond was pulling him. "Yes." Kili finally said. "I believe so." He glanced at Viltarra who pulled her own map out, setting it in the space directly beside where Fili's map lay.

"It looks to be the same place on mama and da's map." Viltarra said, lining up where Fili was pointing to the drawing of ruins on her family's map.

Fili nodded, smiling at his wife before looking back at the two maps. "Then this area, is all sand dunes...and were-worms." He drew a circle with his finger. "I assume you have heard about our little underground friends?"

"Heard, yes. Seen...no." Kili said. "Tauriel told me about them and there seems to be a reputation of their presence in the area. Have YOU seen them, Fi?"

"One ate my mule." Fili grumbled.

"That mule was long dead before the worm ate it." Saphyra rolled her eyes. She was several steps away, but clearly listening.

"Right. I suppose this is where I add in that I met Saphyra just before the worm turned my mount into its breakfast." Fili huffed.

"And you, would have been part of that breakfast had I not saved your life, dwarf." She shot back.

Viltarra folded her arms and glared at Fili. "She saved your life...and you are griping about a lost mule?"

"I paid a lot of coin for that mule, and technically she tried to kill me before she tried to save me." Fili glared right back, then looked over his shoulder at Saphyra. "But, I am grateful for what you did…eventually. Thank you."

However, instead of saying anything, the flier just continued to stare hard at Fili who sighed and looked back at the map. "Right. Ki, you and the others meet us here, just before the worm territory. Do not go into the deep sands until I return. They sense any kind of movement, and you recall how big they are from our battle in Erebor...one swallow is all it takes for a full grown mule...we do not stand a chance."

"Just WHERE did you get coin to purchase a mule?" Kili asked. He only asked because he knew Fili had left his bag, and his coin, in Mirkwood when they had gone into the forest the day he was taken. "And is that a new blade?"

Viltarra looked down at Fili's side and rolled her eyes. "We had a bargain, Fili! No new blades...unless you get rid of the ones you have!"

"Well technically, nunguame, I held my end of the bargain. As I had to sell a few of my own blades to get money to buy a horse and some supplies. This blade was..." He gestured to the curved weapon at his hip. "...sort of came as part of that trade for coin. And I never ended up finding a horse...hence the mule turned worm-food." Fili sighed. He thinks he will temporarily omit the part where he was planning on returning to get his blades back, as well as leave some gold for the sword he carried...he will save that bit of information for later.

"Cheater. You're going back for the things you traded, aren't you?" Viltarra gave Fili a knowing look.

Damn. She knew him too well. Of course she did, she was his wife, after all. Fili would be disappointed if she hadn't already guessed what he would do. Smiling to himself, Fili pressed a kiss to Viltarra's temple; there was no point in confirming nor denying it out loud. She already knew what he would do. He chuckled softly as he looked to his brother. "I will bring however many I can, Ki, and meet you and the others at the sands. Remember, do not cross those sands until we get there."

"Is there even a way to cross anyway?" Kili asked. He needed to get to Tauriel, even if that meant dodging some sand bugs in the process. He's been through far worse...but they are making it sound impassable. "A few were-worms can't be too hard to get away from...we took them down pretty fast in the battle of Erebor, I don't see what the big deal is if we know what to look and listen for."

"If you desire your death, dwarf, then go ahead." Saphyra said. "There is no way across those sands by land that you will not pay with your life for."

"She is right." Morythi said. "Those sands have a reputation, and we have lost many who have foolishly wandered there. Walking even near the area will alert the worms. They will know we are there, long before we even reach the drop-off where the earth changes from clay, to the deep sands they reside in. They will be waiting in great numbers in hopes for a meal...whether you wish to believe that...or not."

"Right." Kili sighed. He rubbed his hands over his face, pressing his palms into his eyes. Fili saw the devastation, the disappointment, and the need to get to Tauriel in his entire demeanor.

"Ki..." Fili said. "...we will get to her."

"HOW?!" Kili roared, then took a breath and tried to calm himself down. The last thing he wanted, was to cause Tauriel to worry when she had enough to deal with. "I just...you don' feel it Fi. You don't feel her like I do. She is trying to stay strong, to be courageous...but I feel her fear, her worry, and her resolve to do what she can to see this through. And I HATE that I am not there; that I can't be beside her, with her, to help her through this, to survive this."

Viltarra released Fili's hand, and went to Kili, slipping her hand into his to offer her support and comfort. It has been something she is getting better at over the years. Particularly with her now extended family.

"You...have a true bond with your mate?" Saphyra said, eyeing Kili. "The elven sister Fili is searching for. She is your wife..yes?"

"Tauriel." Kili said nodding. "We are fully bonded, mind, body, and soul."

"My father is there..." Saphyra then said. "...and my brother. What do you know of the place she is being held?"

Kili stared into Saphyra's questioning eyes, then, told them everything Tauriel has told him. Of what they are doing to the elves, of who she has helping her, and of the hybrids being created from the elves they were abducting. He even told them of the three hybrids who were mentally little more than infants, but physically adults, and how they have sought refuge with Tauriel after she aided one of them when it was beaten by the human guards for disobeying.

"By the creators song." Saphyra said, her eyes wide. She looked at the surprised faces of the fliers around her, then at the earthbound Avari across from her who looked equally horrified. Well, as horrified as elves can look. "My mother is awaiting word of the reinforcements Fili promised us. Once she gets word from us, we will send our own to aid. We are not many...but we can make multiple trips across the sands to bring as many to help the cause as we need. With the aelúg, we need not concern ourselves with the worms."

"We will work with you if you allow it." Morythi said, nodding to Saphyra. "We cannot let this blight continue in our lands." He held out a hand to the flier who was simply staring hard at him. "I know we have much darkness between our people right now, Saphyra, and I want to offer an apology for what happened to your clan. I did not know my guards came to you, and they will be dealt with when this is over." He glanced at one of his head guards who ground his jaw but said nothing.

"And I swear it..." Morythi continued. "...we had nothing to do with your home being taken by the enemy to us both. If we were tracked and followed, we were not aware of it. It is all a misunderstanding of the gravest nature; I give you only the truth. I wish us to have true talks of peace when this is over, between our clans, if your mother agrees. But for now, will you agree to allow us to fight beside you and your clan? Avari of the sky, and Avari of the lands entering battle on the same side."

"So, we are Avari enough for you now when you need us most?" Saphyra spat at him, but then, she let out a heavy sigh as she stared at his outstretched hand. "This is not helping the situation. All this fighting and bickering like elflings." Ever so slowly, she reached out and clasped his wrist. "I cannot say if my mother will agree to it, nor that she will believe you, but...when I return I will inform my mother, you wish to discuss peace with her." She then turned to Fili. "Are you ready to continue our journey now?"

"WE, are ready." Fili said, holding his hand out to his wife. He would not be parted from her, not now, not again. "Do you think we can take on one more?"

"I am sure we can make do." Saphyra hauled herself up onto her aelúg, holding out her hand.

Viltarra did not look pleased, but allowed Fili to push her toward Saphyra. "You fly with Saphyra, nunguame. I trust her with you." He whispered into his wife's ear. Nodding, Viltarra accepted the Avari's hand and climbed up behind her while Fili jumped up behind one of the others he later learned was name Wenthyl; he rode a yellow and red aelúg who nudged Fili playfully as he passed.

Fili asked Wenthyl to stop when he saw their family warg pacing the ground and crying at the feet of the aelúg Viltarra sat upon. The aelúg snapped at Hiril who growled until Naurfaer came and ordered her away before Kaw and Umyra got involved and the momentary peace they had was ruined. "She can come with me." Naurfaer said to Fili and Viltarra, both nodding their thanks. Hiril whined a bit more, her eyes not leaving the dam she protected, but eventually, she followed Naurfaer to the horses.

"Fi, take Umyra with you." Kili called his ravens to him and was about to order the white raven to follow his brother when she snapped her beak angerly and turned her back to him.

"Mahal NO Ki!" Fili said from where he sat. "She would rather see me killed than help me, you know Umyra hates anyone who is not you, Tauriel, or your children."

Kili sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Take Kaw." The black and white raven ruffled his feathers but spread his wings and flew to Kili, nuzzling his hair before taking off high into the sky above them.

"I will see you at the sands Ki, be careful and remember, wait for us to continue."

As soon as Kili nodded his agreement, the fliers were in the sky and headed to the mountain in the distance once more. Fili looked down to see his brother watching them from the ground, and he waived at his brother before focusing on staying on the aelúg and not falling to the ground.

Kili sighed again, then moved to the others to finish watering the horses so they can make their own journey to this meeting place he was to go to.

"Are you ready, Kili?"

Kili looked to Naurfaer, a heavy sadness in his deep, brown, eyes. "Ya. I'm ready."

"We will get to her, sion." Naurfaer said softly, gripping Kili's shoulder. "We are getting to her as fast as we can."

"Not fast enough." Kili ran his hands through his hair as his wife's grandfather pulled away. "Just...not fast enough." He repeated more to himself as he forced a smile on his face and followed Naurfaer to the horses where Bofur and Legolas were waiting with the Avari.

High up in the sky, it was only a short time later, when Fili finally saw what he was looking for. "There!" Fili pointed to the front of the mountain where a large entranceway was carved into the stone and two tall gates of bronze were glinting in the sun. "Land us right at the front gate! I will handle the rest."

Wenthyl nodded and made a few hand signals to the fliers behind him and to Saphyra who flew directly beside them. With perfect precision, they dropped to the ground, causing both the dwarves to close their eyes when the sensation of their stomachs dropping had them holding back groans from behind their riders. Flying, was now on the list of things Fili did NOT like to do...and he would learn later his wife agreed wholeheartedly.

Finally on the ground, Fili and Viltarra slid off the aelúg behind their riders just as the gates opened and the first string of dwarven guards came out.

"HALT!" One spoke stepping forward. "These ain't yer lands! Move on!"

Fili walked over to the guard, his wife directly behind him. "You will tell your lord that Fili of Erebor is here to see him."

This had the guard's eyes widening as his mouth opened and closed in shock. "Erebor? Fili?" He said in disbelief. "The son of Dis, daughter of Thrain, next in line for the throne?"

"One in the same. Me, and my wife, seek an audience with your lord. Is he in?" Fili said and the guard pressed his hand to his chest and bowed so low, his beard scaped the cracked soil beneath him. Fili looked over his shoulder and smiled at the looks of shock the elves gave him. He said he was important to his people, he just may not have told them HOW important he was to his people...and it was well worth the surprise it caused.

"My lord is in. Allow me the honor to escort you both to him." The dwarf eyed the elves. "An…the elves?"

"Are with me." Fili said.

The guard looked unhappy about it, but led the way nonetheless. Two of the Avari chose to remain behind, to watch the aelúg, but the rest entered the dwarven mountain.

It was so much different than both Ered Luin and Erebor. This mountain was larger than Fili's childhood settlement, but nowhere near as spacious or as decorated as Erebor. There were no water features, or plants growing up and down the corridors. Neither was there a feeling of cramped comfort like Ered Luin. Rather, the halls here were a mix of fine sandstone and marble, lined with inset gold, jewels glittering in ornate fixtures, and the occasional cog winding and whirring as it pushed chains and iron cord throughout the mountain.

The smell though, and the sounds of singing, were very similar to home. Fili took a deep intake of breath, smelling the sweet spices, and hearty foods being cooked somewhere in the mountain. Mixed in with it were the smells of stone, of smelted metal, and of the burning forges that keep the mountain air, and its water, warm year around. Fili suddenly wished he had time to stay for a meal, to fill his belly with their rich, dwarven, foods...but that will have to wait. He will eat, when he knows his sister is safe.

"Did my lord know you were to arrive?" The guard asked as he wound them through the front hall and up a set of steps Fili could just tell led to a wing dedicated to meeting important guests. He looked up at a portrait and felt a repulsive chill run down his spine. A glance at his wife's furious expression, and he knew she felt the same. He shook the feeling away, took her hand, and moved past it. He wondered if she was here, or at their other settlement in the west.

The guard knocked on a door and peaked in. "My lord Krygo, Fili of Erebor and his lady wife are here to see you."

There was a sound of something dropping as well as someone shuffling papers that leaked through the mostly closed door. "HERE! NOW?!" Fili heard. "Show them in! Show them in! Do not make them wait! And bring food and the best brandy we have. Mahal, our great maker the royal family in my mountain... why are you still in here? Go go...get them now." His words were not unkind in any manner, but more, urgent.

Fili smiled to Saphyra and Viltarra, and entered the room where Krygo was standing and walking right for him. He stooped even more with age since Fili last saw him, his face lined with time, and his beard nearly dragging to the floor. "Fili!" Krygo clasped Fili's hand tightly, his grip proof he still had life and strength in him yet. "Did I miss your raven? I did not know you were leaving Erebor, and with your great lady no less. Are you here to see our records? It has been some time since a representative has come to Rhun."

"No." Fili paused as a dwarf came in, carrying a tray laden with food and drinks. He looked as if he had run here, his cheeks pink and his chest heaving a bit as he quickly stepped past where the group stood.

"Go' a message from the guard tha' we had a royal guest. Said yeh wanted me teh bring in some refreshments. Should I tell Gilda?" The dwarf put the tray down on the desk then looked up at the elves and started. "E…e…elves? Here in our mountain?" He turned to the lord who eyed the guests then Fili.

"We have yet to get to that. Do inform Gilda, Esboarn. She may want to put a dinner together."

"We cannot stay. I am sorry, Krygo, but I am not here for records, or any business of that sort. I am here to seek your aid." Fili took a seat, Viltarra taking the one beside him; the elves though, remained standing. Krygo looked at Fili, motioning for him to continue as he moved around his desk to take his own seat.

"Tauriel was taken." Fili said, going right to the point.

Krygo's jaw clenched, then, he sighed. "Taking a member of the royal family, is no small act of war."

"She wasn't targeted for her place in the family, Krygo, but for her species we believe."

Krygo shuffled through the piles in his desk, pulling a letter that was sealed as if it were just waiting for a raven to deliver it. "Odd, you would come here when I was about to send this to your uncle this very night." He handed it to Fili. "You should read it."

Fili fingered the wax seal with the emblem of the Stonefoot clan. He broke the seal, unfolded the letter, and began to read the dwarven runes neatly written across the page. With every line he scanned, his eyes grew wider. "When did you get this report?"

"Just this morning. We have had our suspicions though for nigh over a fortnight now. Our last trade caravan a week ago spied a group of men smuggling something in a cart. One of the crates were open, and they clearly saw an elf inside, they could not confirm if it were alive or...or dead." Krygo poured himself some of the amber liquid on the tray, pouring Fili a glass as well which he accepted. Viltarra, however, politely declined. Krygo then looked to the elves a bit uncomfortably. "Er…would you…" He indicated to the brandy, but the elves too declined so he continued, leaving the bottle open for any who wanted it. "They followed them a bit, but when they got to the lands near the great dunes, they stopped, and reported to me."

Krygo knocked the glass back then set it down on his stone desk. "We do not cross those sands. And I would suggest you do not either. There is something out there, but to get to it, you face death itself. There are stories across the lands, rumors, about a great winged beast who traverses across the deep sands carrying crates from those filled wagons, but we cannot fully confirm whether or not that is true as none in our mountain have witnessed it. But there is a place across those sands, and if I were to make a bet, I would put all my gold on the fact that the lady Tauriel is there." Krygo looked to Fili. "I assume, this is where you are to go, but I do not know how to help if we cannot get through the sands, or what lies beneath them."

"Were-worms." Fili muttered, pouring himself another helping of brandy and gulping it down before filling his cup again. "They planted them. I can only assume they can control them, or know a path to take to go around them...but this beast theory is interesting." He glanced at Saphyra who was just as confused as the other elves. Fili wondered if the other side was using something, a fellbeast, or stolen aelúg, to get over the sands as well. The speculation will have to wait for another time, though. It is not a good use of his limited time here to just sit here and theorize over something so trivial to their mission. "I have the means to get over the sands and the worms, Krygo, but what I need...is numbers."

"So you came to me." Krygo said leaning forward, looking at Fili. He ran his fingers through his beard. "Can't deny you have your uncle's gumption. Have dinner with us, and I will consider it."

Fili sighed. "We don't have time, Krygo. Every moment we have right now is borrowed. I came to call in a favor, but, it is more than that. Whatever is there, is not far from your mountain. Sauron rises, Krygo. Even now he waits in Mordor, building his armies as he builds his power. The great wizard Gandalf himself told my family, and I am telling you. If you don't help me, then you are letting that power build and fester near your lands. I will lead our people, a group from your mountain, but I need you to approve it. We need to do everything we can to stay ahead of our enemy…including keeping his plans of theirs from succeeding in any way we can."

"And the elves?" Krygo said, eyeing the Avari behind Fili.

"Their people are being taken; they have every right to be a part of this. War is at our doorstep, Krygo. Are we the kind of people to wait for the attack to come to us? Or are we going to take a stand and show them who has the real control in these lands?"

Krygo sat quietly, then, slowly nodded. "I am well aware I am in debt to your family for what happened right under my nose...and for the judgment your uncle rendered. But I must say, it is also quite apparent that Mahal has truly made a leader out of you, Fili. Debt or no, consider my troops to be yours. I am curious though…how do you plan on getting over the sands?"

Fili smiled wide, his eyes catching Saphyra's who nodded. "We will fly."

Not an hour later, Fili was walking the line of dwarves donning their armor, his wife throwing him a smile while she stood speaking to a dam in the guard not far from him. He nodded to a few of the dwarves in passing who pressed their hand to their chest, then stopped to help those who were strapping weapons and armor on as best he could. The captain of Krygo's army had offered Fili some weapons, but he was happy with his own blades, though he did grab a few extra blades for his sister, just in case. He saw his wife roll her eyes when she saw what he did, and he just smirked then winked at her.

"We are ready, prince Fili, fer yer orders." One of the guards stood, a line behind him ready to march.

Fili nodded, took his wife's hand, and turned to leave. But before he could get through the entrance hall with the army now gathering in front of the mountain, a dam blocked his path. "My lady seeks a word." She said softly.

"Your lady is no master of mine. I have somewhere to be, if you would move." Fili went to go around her, but the dam stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm. It wasn't a threatening gesture in any way, more a pleading one…though Viltarra was ready to rip her hand right off regardless.

"She begs you. Only a moment, prince Fili. Please." Fili looked over his shoulder at the army leaving the mountain. Then he looked at Viltarra who lifted a brow, but did have a slight spark of curiosity in her eyes. Finally, she shrugged and nodded, so Fili gave in.

"One moment." Fili said. "I will meet you at the gate." He told Saphyra who nodded and joined the marching dwarves heading out of the gate.

Fili let Viltarra and himself be led up some steps and through several doors, then was asked to stay a moment when they entered a sitting room. Fili sighed again as he looked around. There were drawings and paintings throughout the room, and several small clay sculptures. Fili moved to one, and picked it up, inspecting the face of his brother. A fresh wave of rage went through him as he stared down at the detailed sculpture.

Viltarra tugged on his hand, and Fili looked up to see her wide eyes staring at a painting of Kili beside a dam they were all too familiar with…and at their feet…children with both their features.

"Hello, Fili."

Fili took a breath, then turned to a crooked dam sitting in a chair with wheels attached on either side. She was rolled in by the dam who asked Fili to come up.

"Kaulithah." Fili said with as much bite as he could get into the name. Viltarra hissed and growled beside Fili. This was the dam, who nearly killed her sister, who hurt Kili, and in doing so, who hurt her Fili. This was the dam who flaunted herself on Fili's arm while overseeing a plan to get Kili, and who had been the reason Viltarra was forced into a prison cell for the mere crime of having a morning glory in her bakery. This DAM was the reason Dis disliked Viltarra for nearly her entire courtship with Fili. This was the dam, whose actions nearly killed her precious nephew Finli. Fire hot rage filled Viltarra's veins, and she had to clasp Fili's hand to keep from attacking Kaulithah on sight. Or perhaps, she was holding Fili back who looked just as furious. And that painting…was making them both want to burn this room to the ground.

Fili glanced at his wife, then glared at Kaulithah. "You must be under some notion, that we would want to see you, Kaulithah. I can assure you, nothing could be further from the truth." He stared at the once regal dam, who had been able to stop nearly every dwarf she passed by with her looks alone.

Of course, Kaulithah was nothing like the dam they once knew. Her once long, thick, hair, was now cut short, sheered right up to her ears, and her beard shaved so close to her face it was barely present. Fili wonders if it was a sign of shame in this clan, or just a punishment for Kaulithah whose vanity was once all she had. She still wore furs, but no jewels, gems, or earrings were on her anywhere. No beads, no adornments, just a plain dam, sitting crooked in a chair, wrapped in her furs. "What do you want from me, Kaulithah?"

"How is Kili?"

Rage, pure rage filled Fili and he clasped his wife's hand tightly to remain grounded. "You have no right to ask, nor will I give you any answer in regards to my brother."

"The…elf?"

"DO NOT, speak of her." Viltarra hissed. "You will never, speak of her."

"What do you want, Kaulithah?" Fili repeated through clenched teeth.

She blinked at him, then looked at the figure in Fili's hand, then at Viltarra. "Forgiveness." Kaulithah said softly.

"Is that really what you want?" Fili glared at her. "If it is, I am the wrong person to seek it from. Perhaps, you should start with my wife."

"He won't answer my letters." Kaulithah seemed to ignore Fili's suggestion and instead pulled an envelope from her pocket.

Fili had no idea she was even writing Kili. IF Kili had received anything from Kaulithah, Fili knew without a doubt Kili would have said something to him. Kili told Fili everything…even things he should keep to himself...or things Fili WISHED his brother kept to himself. Fili would know about these letters if Kili had received them. So, either they never made it to Erebor, or Thorin ordered them to be burned before they got to Kili. No doubt Kili would burn them himself if he got one, burned it without even opening it.

"Do you expect him to after what you did?" Fili held out the figure of Kili in his grip. "You are sick, Kaulithah. Stay away from my brother, stay away from my family, and if you want to continue to live, you will stay away from me."

Fili moved to leave, but Kaulithah called after him. "Is it true he forgot her? The elf?"

Fili growled and spun around and had to physically grab his wife around the waist to keep her from lunging at the chair bound dam. As much as he would just LOVE to see his wife go absolutely feral on the dam, Fili did not want to risk losing the good standing they had with Krygo...or the army he so easily offered. Mahal he wished he could unleash his wife on her though. He wished HE could be unleashed on her. But he had to put up a wall, if only for his sister's sake.

"No. It is not true." A lie easily fell from Fili's lips, but not a complete one. Kili remembered Tauriel eventually, and their relationship was stronger than ever in spite of it. "Stop, Kaulithah." Fili's hand was nearly white with the grip he had to have on Viltarra, who was still seething and ready to attack. "Just, stop it. It has been what, nineteen years Kaulithah? Let it go. Let my brother go. He will never love you. He will never want you. You were the only daughter your parents had, you could have brought great honor to your house, but instead, you brought them ruin and shame because you could not ACCEPT NO for an answer. My uncle let you live…" Fili looked at the way she sat, her inability to sit up straight, the unnatural twist of her hips, and the way she leaned. "…perhaps you should take this time you were given, to find a way to do better by your people, by your family; to be better. AND NOT…" He threw the figurine at Kaulithah, who let it drop to the floor and break in half. "…obsess over that which has never been and will NEVER be yours."

Tears were falling down Kaulithah's cheeks. "Please, it's just an apology. Please give this to him for me." She passed it to the dam behind her who seemed wary of the letter, but she took it and walked to Fili, holding it out for him to take...though her eyes were on Viltarra likely afraid she would attack her as well if she got too close to her.

"Please Fili." Kaulithah begged again.

Fili's jaw clenched as he stared at the crooked dam. He felt his hand take the letter, felt the seal, felt his wife whip her head to him. Then, he released her, and walked to the fire, throwing the letter into the flames. "Save your apologies for the ancestor's halls, after you meet our maker, Kaulithah; once you have had a long, full, life here. You haven't changed, have you?" He huffed air out his nose. "Come near my family, in any way, and I will ensure that spine, is the least of your troubles."

"FILI PLEASE!" Kaulithah sobbed.

Viltarra's eyes flashed at the dam, and she stalked over to her, leaned in close, and hissed. "Tauriel and Kili are two of the most generous, and most forgiving beings in this world. But me, I have never been one to easily forget offences against me, or my family. So, for my brother, for my sister, I will hold this hate, hate for you and the wrongs you have caused MY family, and I shall never release it. Even IF my brother were to forgive you, I NEVER will. Mahal can judge me for it, as he is right to do, but you, are sick. Sick, and mad." She stared at the dam, a sliver of pity filling her when she saw true sorrow in the dam's blue eyes. Maybe, maybe she was sick...unable to help her need to acquire Kili for herself and do anything in her power, to accomplish that.

"You're...you're that baker...from the market...what..." Kaulithah finally really looked at Viltarra, her blue eyes scanning the dam standing beside Fili.

"I am." Viltarra said with narrowed eyes.

"Why are YOU here?" She asked, some of her old, haughty tones back in her voice.

Viltarra was about to say something, but Fili placed a hand on her arm as she glared at the dam. "You will NEVER speak to my wife in such a tone. You will address her as 'my lady' only, Kaulithah. She is to be your queen, and you, have no titles anymore. You will respect her, and her position. Do you understand?"

"But...a baker? You married…the baker?" Kaulithah narrowed her eyes at both Fili and Viltarra, judgment clear in her tone.

"Apparently...I did not make myself clear enough to you..." Fili seethed, a dark expression on his usually calm face. Viltarra again tried to interrupt but he shot her a look that had her shutting her mouth with an audible snap. Fili never looked like that...he was livid. "You are addressing your future monarchs." He said carefully. "Viltarra, is a crowned lady of Erebor, and you, are nothing." He staired down at the dam whose eyes were wide and unblinking as she looked up at him. "I know I have a reputation for being on the softer side of my bloodline, but make no mistake, Kaulithah...I am a son of Durin, and my uncle's temper runs in my veins. You will do well to remember that. Now..." He said carefully. "…bow to her."

"Fili..." Viltarra said giving her husband a surprised look. This, was not her Fili, not her compassionate, empathetic, Fili. This Fili, was a force to be reckoned with. This Fili, was Thorin's nephew and Dis's son, the heir to the throne of Erebor and the dwarven people. This Fili had the blood of his great ancestors heating his veins; an inferno ready to burn all who come near it.

He lifted his hand to silence her as he continued to stare hard at Kaulithah who had yet another wave of tears falling from her cheeks. He had no compassion for her, and his expression undeniably said that. When Kaulithah did not move, Fili's eyes flicked to the nurse or ladies maid, or whatever the other dam was. "Help her, if you must, but she will bow to her future queen."

The nurse startled at Fili's tone then quickly as she could, ran to the dam who was looking between her, Fili, and Viltarra. "Please...please don't make me..."

"I said…bow to my wife." Fili growled.

"Fili please..." Viltarra tried again but he shot her another look. She would not win this, so she pierced her lips and stayed quiet. Fili never did anything without a reason, and he was never inherently cruel. She is sure if this were any other dam, or any other dwarf, her kind, compassionate, Fili, would never force such a thing. But this dam made grave mistakes when it came to the people Fili loved more than his own life.

Viltarra glanced at the clock on the wall. This was taking too long, and they had to go. But a look at her husband kept her quiet. He knew their time was limited, but there appeared to be a point he was to prove, and he would not leave until it was proven.

So for what felt like an agonizing eternity, Viltarra watched as Kaulithah was hoisted from her chair, and dragged forward to the royal couple where she was gently set down on the floor. More tears fell, and Viltarra wondered if some of those were from pain, or if they were all from shame or humiliation….or maybe fear.

"Go ahead." Fili said without emotion.

Kaulithah looked up at Fili from the floor, then at Viltarra before lowering her head into the only bow her body allowed her to muster. "My lord, and my….my lady." She said in a soft but firm voice, her nose just grazing the floor as she spoke.

Fili clenched his jaw, but nodded to the other dam. "Help her up." He ordered and she moved right to Kaulithah, but not before Fili kneeled down to her. "This has to stop, Kaulithah. You will never have him. You are never to write him another letter, that is a direct order from your leaders. If I ever find a letter I can trace back to you, then there will not be a place in this world I won't find you, and I will make that crooked back seem like a blessing. Do I make myself clear?"

Kaulithah nodded slowly.

"I want to hear it in your words." Fili ordered.

Kaulithah bit her cheek, her eyes stuck between wanting to beg and wanting to glare at Fili. But she took a breath and cleared her throat. "I will not write any more letters to my…to Kili."

"Nor will you have others do it in place of you." Fili lifted a brow. There will be no loop holes…Kili will be free of this dam if Fili has to make that happen with his own hand.

"Nor will I have others write him for me." She said.

Fili nodded his appeasement and the nurse continued to help Kaulithah to her chair where she proceeded to re-wrap her in furs. Though there was a natural gentleness to her actions, Fili saw no signs she was coddling the dam. She arranged the furs, and stepped away to wait for orders. Krygo would have likely learned from his mistake with Gildridd, so he doubts the situation between these two, and Kaulithah and Gildridd are anywhere near the same…but that doesn't mean he won't be keeping an eye and an ear on this place from now on.

"Fili, we need to go." Viltarra said in Fili's ear. They really did need to leave, but she also was done wasting time in this room. A room filled with sculptures and portraits depicting images of Kili and Kaulithah, of dwarflings with their combined features, and even some rather irreverent images of her brother Viltarra wished she could scrub from her mind. They were all so very wrong, and only told of Kaulithah's obsession and inability to let go. She needed to get out of this room; it was suffocating in here.

No wonder Fili would not let Kili come. To subject him to this, would be to open a wound which will never heal until this dam either gives up...or leaves these mortal lands behind. Even more...Kili would have killed Kaulithah. If he ever saw this, he would strike without thought...then never forgive himself for losing control; not for taking a life, but for possibly destroying relations with a clan in his kingdom. This, was a dangerous line to draw and to cross...between a lord's daughter, their family, and her madness.

"Never call on us again." Fili looked at the dam, then his wife who clearly has had enough. He took her by the hand and moved to the door. But just as he was about to leave, he glanced back at the clearly insane dam and said, "Be better, Kaulithah."

With that, the royal couple was leaving the disturbing room behind and they only got a few paces away when Viltarra pulled Fili to a stop and stared at him. He of course paused beside her, a wary look on his face. She wanted to get angry with him, to ask him what he was thinking, and why he insisted a lame dam bow. But instead, a concerned, "Are you alright?" Slipped from her lips.

Fili blinked at her, then pulled her into his arms and sighed. She then felt the tenseness in his entire body, and she could not help but wrap her arms tightly around him. "I am so tired of people thinking they have the right to disrespect you, nunguame, because you were not born into a privileged family."

Viltarra scowled and pulled away. "I was born in a privileged family, Fili, I had far more than many in this world. It may not have amounted to much in comparison to you or settled dwarves, but I never went hungry, my parents always made sure I was warm and had shelter when we needed it, and I got to see the world and experience cultures and lives of far more races than most."

Fili sighed and brushed a blond wave from her face. "I meant, high born, nunguame. Your family is wonderful, and your experiences in the world make you more knowledgeable than most dwarves and dams who have spent their entire life in private tutoring...but they don't look at that when they choose who they will give their respect to; they look at blood and family lines, and I won't have it." He pressed his head to hers and closed his eyes. "Viltarra, I hate that you had to see me like that. But if I let her continue to act the way she was, she will think it is okay to treat you like that, and who knows what that would turn into over time. I had to put a stop to it, before it bloomed into something far worse, and possibly, lethal. I can't trust her. Not with what I know she is capable of doing."

"You did not scare me, Fili." Viltarra said softly, her fingers sliding up his bearded face. "Nor did you disturb me. I was just, worried. It is not like you to act in such a way...but..." She paused, her breath ghosting across his lips. "...I think I can understand why you did it. Kili...he would have killed her."

"Yes." Fili said as he pulled away and took her hand. "He would have. It is one of the many reasons I refused to even allow him to know where I was going. Of course he will know the moment he sees the armies emblems, and will either be grateful...or furious. I will accept either knowing I kept him from having to see HER again."

"Thank the maker Tauriel came into your lives BEFORE Dis had the chance to match Kili up with her properly." Viltarra shuddered. "No doubt, she would work her manipulative claws into the throne somehow. I could see her trying to take you out of the picture to get both her prince, and the crown of our people."

"You are probably not wrong. Are you alright?" Fili asked as they continued on their way, both astutely ignoring the heaving sobs now filling the hall behind them.

"I am tired of being here. I just want to go get my sister out of that place, and go home to my children." Viltarra said icily.

"I could not agree more." Fili growled in response.

"Fili?! I thought you were leaving?" Krygo stopped them when they reached the bottom of the steps. He looked confused as his eyes took in the seething prince and his lady wife, then the direction they were coming from. His face hardened instantly. "Did she summon you?"

"She did." Fili's expression was severe. "I will warn you one time, Krygo, she is not to come near, nor even attempt to contact anyone in my family."

Krygo nodded. "I have ordered all letters she writes to be destroyed before they can be sent, Fili. I assure you. Her nurse is a good dam, and her loyalties lie with your family. She is of your clan, in fact, a long beard. We made sure of it before we hired her on, and we made sure she has no prejudices against...anyone outside our race. On my command, she brings me every letter written, and we dispose of it immediately. I assure you, we have made many precautions to ensure what happened before, will never happen again."

Good, Fili thought, he is glad to see they are stopping it here. Though if they were to make it past Krygo, Fili knew without a doubt, those letters would still be destroyed before they got to Kili in Erebor. He will have to speak to his uncle about it when he gets back. He thinks maybe, he should just tell Kili as well, he as a right to know since it involved him. He just HATED that this can't be buried and done with, Kili had gone through enough in his life, and is going through enough with Tauriel gone...this is the last thing he wanted to burden his brother with right now.

Fili nodded, then turned to leave before Krygo stopped him. "I wish I knew how to help her." He said softly, eyeing the steps that led to his daughter's rooms.

"This is something only she can change in herself, Krygo. But you aren't helping her by letting her continue her obsession. Get rid of those paintings and those sculptures of my brother." Fili looked the dwarf up and down. "I want them burned like her letters, every one of them."

Krygo sighed and nodded. "We in fact do, frequently. She only paints and sculpts more. It is her own work and she does it in spite of our request for her to stop. I will cease all materials and have the room cleaned again."

"Thank you, Krygo. We really must go." Fili held out his free hand, which Krygo clasped immediately. "I appreciate your willingness to help aid our forces. My uncle will know of your commitment to our family and your cooperation as soon as I return."

"It is the least I can do. Your uncle has showed us great mercies, when he had every right to strip my title from me, and my wife, for my daughter's transgressions. I will not forget that."

Fili nodded, but since he had nothing more to say, turned on his heals, and pulled Viltarra through the great gates to where the army and the Avari fliers were waiting. He needed to get out of this place. As they stepped back out into the sun, Fili took in a cleansing breath. The mountain did make him miss home, but then the whole thing with Kaulithah…Fili tried to shake the ick away, but it lingered in the most unsettling way. He could have lived without that encounter…or those images burned in his mind.

"Are you ready now, dwarf?" Saphyra said, her hand gripping her aelúg by the lead.

Fili accepted a ram from one of the dwarves, pulling himself up with Viltarra climbing up behind him. He smiled as Kaw flew to land on the ram's horns where he croaked at Fili and waited. "You fly, Saphyra, I will lead the army below you until we get to the sands. Did you send word to the colony?"

"Anshen has already gone. Let us hope my mother is still feeling generous in her allowances."

Fili nodded. "Let's go, then." He made a call behind him, and with a clash of leather and light armor, they were moving across the clay and sand covered ground. Fili occasionally glanced up, watching Saphyra fly just a few yards overhead with Kaw soaring around her. She stayed with them as they marched across the ground, the dwarven army making good time despite most being on foot and the sun beaming down on them relentlessly. But these dwarves were from Rhun, they were acclimated to this climate, so it did not bother them in the least.

At about the halfway point, movement in the distance had Fili squinting in the bright sun. A shape was running alongside him, and it caught Viltarra's attention as well. "Is that a warg?" He felt her tense, knowing apart from Hiril, wargs were not a good sign.

"A wild one, notice it is smaller than the ones the orcs ride." Fili said.

"AH! A blessed journey it will be! You spotted young Dungael!" The dwarven captain proclaimed as he rode beside Kili. "His father was Thungael, a great protector of these lands. Wild a warg as they came, but it was rumored he would join battles and aid the dwarven people when things turned for the worse. Many believe he is a servant of Mahal, sent to protect the beings he created. Dungael, is his offspring we believe. Young, and skittish, but he will not harm you."

"Dungael?" Fili asked. "I assume he is a good omen then?"

"The best. Seeing Thungael meant we were sure to win. If his blood runs in that young wargs veins, then the same is said for him. The maker is with us today, we shall have great glory by sundown."

Fili glanced at Dungael who ran alongside the army in the distance; he will take any good omen he could get if it meant he could save his sister and go home. He looked over his shoulder at his wife who was watching the warg as well, though she did turn a small smile to him as she tightened her arms around his waist. Returning the smile, Fili focused back on pushing the ram forward.

Finally, after a few hours of marching and riding, they made it to the meeting point where the sands of the dunes began at the end of a long-dried lake. Fili could hear the crunch of the clay beneath his ram's hooves as it stopped. He looked around the empty area, then at Saphyra who was stroking her aelúg's face, the pair standing only a few paces away from Fili.

Kili was there as well, pacing holes in the clay beside where Bofur watched warily. The hatted dwarf had a small chunk of wood out he was whittling into something as he sat on a boulder next to where Kili paced…ever the carver, Bofur. Though both stopped when they saw Fili come towards them, and Kili even smiled as Kaw landed on his shoulder and began preening his ever wild curls. No doubt Umyra was somewhere around here, unless Kili sent her off or she was hunting. He nodded to his brother and jogged over with Viltarra and Hiril just behind him. Legolas was speaking to Morythi and Naurfaer had his eyes fixed on the sands ahead.

"I see it went well." Kili said as Umyra landed on the clay ground, some sort of rodent in her beak. Fili winced as she began to tear into it and Kaw joined her for the meal, but Kili ignored the ravens…his eyes focused instead on something else. "Fili...is that Krygo's emblem?"

"Looks like it." Bofur hummed but looked to the golden-haired prince for confirmation.

Fili eyed the guard holding a ram in the direction Kili had been looking, and nodded. "It is."

"Is that why you wouldn't let me go?" Kili said, sounding a bit annoyed. At least he was not furious...so that was a good sign. It was best to keep Kili calm right now...because that meant he was keeping Tauriel calm.

"It is, and don't expect me to apologize for it either." Fili huffed. "If anything, YOU should be apologizing to me. Now I have images burned in my head, that I would rather like to carve out with a knife."

"What happened?" Kili asked, folding his arms.

"I will tell you everything Ki, just…later. How are things down here? Have there been any problems with the Avari? Any news from Tauri?"

Kili shook his head. "No on all parts. They have been rather civil to each other, most sharpening their weapons as they get ready for the battle ahead. And Tauriel…" Kili sighed. "…is blocking me for some reason. It happened a few hours ago. I barely get much from her. If she has the energy to keep some shields up, then she is fine. I think…something did happen though. Because a heavy sadness filled her before she put her walls up. I hate that she isn't sharing…but I can't force her to either. I just hope she…I hope Mahal is still protecting her. I am nearly there, nearly to her…she just needs to hold on a little longer." He eyed the dwarven army, then the four aelúg now on the ground. "We are going to need quite a few more to get that army across the sands."

"At least we would have enough to get a few across." Naurfaer said, looking at Kili. "Are we headed in the right direction?"

Kili nodded. "We are definitely closer."

"Did Tauri say anything before she went silent?" Fili asked, his eyes flicking to Dungael who was lying just a few yards away watching the group.

Kili shook his head. "Not much. For the most part she has been quiet. I think she is sparing me some worry, but really it's just making me more concerned." He paused as Naurfaer moved away from the group and right to the wild warg who had just now caught Hiril's attention. She growled, her fur raised, and ears pinned back. She must not have seen him when they marched into the area.

Viltarra squatted and patted Hiril, who did calm but had her eyes fixed on Naurfaer and the warg a small distance away. "Is he doing what I think he is doing?" Viltarra asked as she stood with a worried expression on her face.

"Oh…I believe so." Bofur chuckled.

"You mean trying to make friends with things he shouldn't?" Fili grumbled. "Probably."

"Naurfaer does like makin' all kinds of friends. Thinks he has some sort o' personal challenge teh try an' give yer uncle a heart attack." Bofur laughed. "He would bring a true dragon into Erebor if he could find one, dancin' and yellin' excitedly about it as yer uncle would be red in the face furious. A warg should be the least o' our worries, even a wild one."

The captain of Krygo's army snorted. "Oh come now. Ain' nobody dumb enough to approach a wild warg...even one with the blood of Thungael. We let 'em be in the wilderness, an' they choose if they wan' teh interact. Even in battle, we keep our distance. Them teeth are sharper than a razors edge an' e' go' a mouth full of 'em."

"Ya, well, my wife's grandfather does not understand the meaning of 'letting things be." Kili snickered and rolled his eyes as Naurfaer squatted low to the ground and held out his hand.

"He fixin to lose an appendage?" Another dwarven guard asked.

Kili ran his hand through his hair and moved to go stop Naurfaer from whatever it was he was doing when Fili moved ahead of him. "I got it Ki, see if you can round up Morythi's guards so we can be ready to go. Go help him Bofur. We need to be prepared and ready to leave as soon as Saphyra's mother sends word of her decision."

Kili sighed and nodded, both he and Bofur moving to where Legolas and Morythi were talking by the horses. Viltarra shook her head and decided to follow her husband, Hiril trotting behind her with her head low and ears still pinned back in warning.

"That's it." Naurfaer was saying as the wild warg relaxed the bared teeth expression Fili had not realized he had from the distance they had been. "Easy young one. I am not here to hurt you."

Rolling his eyes, Fili folded his arms and glared at the absurd elf...his wife adopting the same expression beside him. "Naurfaer...what are you doing?"

Said elf barely pulled his hand away as the wild warg lashed out and nipped the air his fingers once resided. "Nothing." He said as he stood. "Just thought I would try and make a new friend while we waited."

"He could have killed you, Naurfaer." Viltarra growled. "What are you thinking? We need you to not get injured, Tauriel needs you to not get injured...we have no idea what or how many are in that place...this is not the time to make rash choices."

"I am NOT making rash choices, Viltarra. I might remind you just how old I am. I know what I am...WOAH!" The elf jumped back as the male warg lunged at him but Hiril was faster and larger, her stockier form tackling the young warg to the ground before he made contact with Naurfaer.

"HIRIL!" Viltarra cried. "FILI..." She turned pleading eyes to Fili who was not sure what HE could do to help.

A black and white mass came from above and began dive bombing the warg who cried out when Umyra's sharp talons scratched his sensitive ear while Kaw went for the wargs eyes. But the warg had a sudden change of heart and jumped away from Hiril...instead, he ran not away...but behind Fili.

"What?!" Fili said as he tried to move away, but the warg stayed in his shadow...it's head low and ears back...yet no growl came...only whines.

Umyra, though, was not ready to be done fighting and decided to target Fili as well as the warg behind him which had the crowned prince lifting his hands as his brothers raven nipped at him from the air.

"KI CONTROL YOUR BIRD!" Fili yelled across the clay meeting place to Kili who only now just realized the situation his brother was in.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING FILI!" Kili yelled out as he raced to his brother, Bofur hot on his heals. "Umyra! Enough!" His tone had the white raven pausing mid dive and adjusting to soar away towards Kili. She landed on his shoulder and hissed in Fili's direction. Kaw, though soared above them for a few moments more before landing on Naurfaer's shoulder. He seemed much more calm than his mate who had puffed herself up and looked ready to continue attacking at any moment.

Fili had turned away from the raven though and focused on the warg...the WILD warg far to close to he and his wife at the moment. "Fili...just back away...slowly..." Naurfaer instructed.

"I am not STUPID." Fili seethed through clenched teeth...but no matter which way he went...the warg remained practically underfoot.

"Well...that is interesting." Naurfaer said, cocking his head to the side as he watched Fili attempt to get away from the sharp-toothed predator.

"Interesting?!" Fili blanched as the warg tucked it short, stubby, tail between its legs to look as small as possible.

"It is being submissive." Naurfaer said with a nod. "But only around you."

"How is this helpful?" Fili huffed, afraid if he made any quick movements...he might end up with warg fangs piercing his flesh.

"I don't think he will hurt you, is what I mean." Naurfaer smirked. "Try petting him?"

"WHAT?!" Insane. He is officially insane. "I am NOT petting a wild warg, Naurfaer!"

"What's the worst thing he can do?" Naurfaer asked, folding his arms. Great, his weapons are not even out. "DONT!" He yelled out across the way. Fili happened to use a split second to follow his gaze to where both Kili AND Legolas had arrows knocked and pointed at the warg...which also meant they were pointed at Fili as well.

Bofur had his axe drawn…but he held it down realizing how difficult AND amusing the situation was beginning to become. Of course, neither Kili nor Legolas listened to Naurfaer about putting their weapons away, but they didn't fire either.

"Listen to me, Fili…" Naurfaer continued. "…I believe there are reasons for everything that happens in the wilds. There was a reason I came across Hiril, as her place was always meant to be with Viltarra. Maybe...just maybe...there is a reason for this too. He is not attacking, he is trying to get away and seeking safety in the one thing he believes will protect him...you."

"ME?!" Fili looked from the warg, to Hiril, then back to Naurfaer who was nodding with a grin growing on his face. "Oh no...no no no no NO! We have one. One is more than enough. And uncle will KILL me if we bring another warg home."

"Aye. He will." Bofur sighed shaking his head. "But look at it this way…least it ain't a dragon."

"It's just another warg. He is already fond of Hiril, no matter what he says to the contrary. And…I don't think you have a choice." Naurfaer sang as the wild warg, Dungael, stuck his wet nose into Fili's palm and let out a pathetic whine when Hiril bared her teeth and almost roared a growl. "See...he likes you."

Fili ground his jaw as he glared down at the warg who was looking at Hiril and not at him. This is the same warg who tried to save him when he first met Saphyra...he followed him from the mountain to this meeting place...and for the first time, Fili suspects he may have been around far more than that. Had this warg been trailing him the entire time he was in Rhun?

Something wet dripped from his palm and Fili groaned when he realized he had drool sliding from his hand to the clay ground. "NO! We don't have room on the bed for another one!" He ran his hands through his hair and only realized his mistake when Naurfaer started laughing at him. Thanks to the thick, sticky, drool, his normally immaculate hair was standing on ends. "GAHHHHH!" Fili roared at the same time Dungael yipped and laid to the ground which Fili had not anticipated causing him to trip over the warg and fall back onto his rear on the hard, cracked, clay.

"Why...does this always happen to me." Fili grunted.

Naurfaer shrugged. "Honestly? I would not be surprised if a certain Valar sent him to protect you. You should feel honored he is rather taken with your family. You probably would be dead if he was not watching over you."

"Mahal...or the warg." Fili said as he accepted Viltarra's hand and stood, brushing off the dry clay from his pants.

"Both...either...whatever you want to believe." Naurfaer shrugged.

"I won't let a wild animal near my daughters." Fili said in a voice he knew nobody could argue with. Then, the last thing he needed to happen, happened. "Viltarra...no!"

But his dam was ignoring him as she squatted to the young warg who sniffed her then allowed her hand to run through his dark hair. "Oh, he is not so bad." She smiled as the warg seemed to come to the realization that he might like scratches, and lowered his head so she could scratch him behind his dark grey, nearly black ears.

"He is WILD, Viltarra." Fili tried to argue, though he knew at this point, he was wasting his breath.

"He is just a baby, he can learn." Viltarra said with a smile as Bofur snorted a laugh. Fili's glare had him clearing his throat and remaining silent.

"That..." Fili said. "...is NOT a baby. He has to be near 60 pounds."

"And Hiril is well over 100. Clearly, he is not full grown." Viltarra argued right back. "So...he is just a baby and still learning. Aren't you?" Viltarra used both hands to scratch the warg under his chin and he eagerly allowed it.

"We can train him."

"No."

"Just think, maybe, when he gets older, we can have some warg pups."

"I said, no." Fili glared at his wife, but said wife was lifting a brow and looking up at him.

"Fili." Was all she said, and the crowned prince let out a loud groan and threw his hands up in the air knowing he lost.

"He could bite our daughters! Vilia is only three...she will try sticking her hands in his mouth and he could pierce her flesh with barely a graze of his teeth…then I will have to kill it and skin it for harming my baby girl."

"Or..." Viltarra said standing. "...he won't hurt her at all. Hiril has never bitten or even so much as nipped at our children and she was once wild, maybe he won't either."

"I don't like the maybe." Fili gave Viltarra a look, then pressed his palms into his eyes. "I don't think I have a choice here, do I?"

"Not really." Naurfaer said as Dungael nudged Fili and whined yet again.

"You're supposed to be a wild creature!" Fili yelled down to the warg who was now panting, though he let out a soft whine before plopping on the ground where he began scratching his ear with his back paw.

"Great. Just great." Fili sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He lifted a brow when Hiril slowly creeped up to the younger warg and sniffed at him. She let out a snort, however, shook her head, and sat, her short tail slowly going back and forth more like an annoyed cats would. She lifted her eyes and let out a grumbling growl to Fili who grunted again. "Don't look at me. I clearly have no say here either."

Fili grumbled something about wives and wargs and began walking towards his brother who only then relaxed his bow...Legolas doing the same. Of course, the soft footfalls behind him were not his wife...who was actually laughing at him...but the warg who looked around warily as he stuck to Fili's shadow.

"Well, by my beard. Dungael has chosen a master." A dwarven guard said in awe as he passed.

Fili wanted to shout he was no warg's master, but decided to just let it be. Maybe, if he was very lucky, the warg would just...get bored of him and go away on its own. He was tired, he was hungry, and he still had a battle ahead of him, the last thing he wanted was something trailing him that could potentially end up making things worse.

At least the sun was still high in the sky. Ignoring the warg, and his amused wife, Fili stalked over to the Avari flyer who had a mocking expression on her face. "Not the time." Fili growled as he approached her.

"So, your mate is allowed to laugh at you...but I cannot?" Saphyra said in a tone filled with amusement.

"Yes. Exactly. We need to get across those sands…Saphyra, do you think your mother has decided not to help after all?" Fili asked when a shadow making its way across the crack filled ground caught his attention. He looked up to see a sky full of feathered creatures soaring from the south, from where the small cave they had taken temporary solace in was located. One large black and blue aelúg landed directly in front of Fili, the ram behind him stamping its foot at the beast but not charging thanks to the dwarven guard's firm grip on its harness, though the guard cursed at the feathered beast. Fili had to give him a look to get him to quiet himself so no battle started from insults thrown.

"I see you followed through, little dwarf." Rythanna said sliding off her beast and looking at the army behind Fili and Viltarra. "Person of importance indeed." She eyed Morythi with some contempt, but kept her words even. "I was also informed, we have some kind of alliance."

The Avari of the air, and that of the earth glared at each other, but it appears, Rythanna was indeed made aware and advised those who came with her not to provoke the landwalkers. "I do not recognize these elves? They smell of the western world." Rythanna circled Naurfaer then let her eyes rest on Legolas.

"He, is from the west…" Narufaer said. "…but I like to think I am from everywhere."

"Not the time." Kili rolled his eyes. "I am Kili by the way."

"My brother." Fili took over. "And this is my wife, Viltarra and those two are Naurfaer, my elven sister Tauriel's grandfather, and Legolas of the woodland realm."

"Rythanna of the Avari." The eleth bowed her head respectfully, her dark braids laden with golden beads falling over her shoulder as she did. There was some snickering and murmuring among the landwalking Avari about how the fliers were not true Avari…but she chose to ignore the others. "I was skeptical of your ability to follow through, but as you have kept your word…I shall keep mine." She lifted a brow at the warg. "Interesting...it seems you are also a person who commands beasts. A pair of wargs...and a pair of ravens? What favor of the makers do you have, little dwarf?"

"That would be Aule's." Naurfaer said with a grin. "He has a bit of a soft spot for the family."

"I command no beasts." Fili huffed and glared at Dungael who was skittishly looking between the dwarves and the elves. He looked like he was about to bolt at any moment...but instead, he stayed, laying beside Fili's feet though his eyes still darted from group to group.

"Looks to me, like you do." Rythanna said with a smile.

"Are you able to carry us across than?" Fili asked, tired of the way the conversations about the warg keeps going. He mentally counted the aelúg to on the ground and in the air, they would need to take about five or six trips to get everyone across the sands.

"We are." Rythanna nodded.

Fili eyed the aelúg, then turned to the small army of dwarves behind him, the damn warg standing and following him again. He again ignored it, his focus instead on his heart pounding away in his chest as he stood before the battle-ready dwarves, his wife and his brother on either side of him while Bofur stood just behind them.

This was where his uncle would share his words of power, where he would build them up, give them the fuel to fight. But his uncle was not here, and Fili, Fili was to lead this army to battle. He looked to Kili, who nodded. Ever at his side, his baby brother, ready to support and fight alongside him. Then he turned to his other side where his wife stood, her hair blowing in the hot breeze. She was exactly where she belonged, in her place on his right side. Finally Fili glanced back at Bofur…the dwarf who never failed to come to his family's aid…you will never find a more loyal friend nor trusting ally than you will find in Bofur. The hatted dwarf nodded, his normally teasing eyes serious and bidding him to continue.

"THE ENEMY, THINKS THEY CAN TAKE WHAT THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO." Fili began as he walked the lines. Bofur remained in attention at the head of the dwarves while Kili and Viltarra followed the crowned prince, walking on either side of him with the two wargs following in their shadows. High above them the ravens flew, cawing and crowing with Fili. "THEY THINK WE WILL NOT FIGHT IF THEY LAY BACK AND WAIT, HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, FESTERING IN THESE LANDS, AND IN THE WEST." He stopped in the middle of the lines of dwarves who all had their heads turned to him. "But they made a mistake." Fili said. "They TOOK from one of our clans. They TOOK from Mahal, a jewel HE prizes! AND WE WILL NOT SIT BACK AND LET THEM GO UNPUNISHED! NOT WHEN THEY HAVE TAKEN WHAT IS OURS!"

By now, several of the dwarves were calling out agreements, their voices loud and proud. Not everyone among the dwarven people was fond of the fact one of the high royal family was an elf...but...the rumor of Tauriel's mark, the mark of Aule, had her rising in popularity and acceptance among all of the dwarven clans. There were still leagues of dwarves who came to Erebor, just to see the mark on her wrist for themselves.

Thorin has had to inform the masses and their lords that his daughter was not a spectacle to be gawked at, nor was she some feature to come and see whenever they pleased. His message went out after a number of dwarves requesting to view the mark became too overwhelming. Tauriel, for her part, rarely lost her temper when the odd dwarf asked to see it, but she would politely decline as often as possible. Fili didn't blame her either, it was never something she asked for, and something she considered to be rather personal. He could see the discomfort in her features whenever anyone asked to see it, especially when she did not know them.

And Finli...Kili made it clear his son was NEVER to be made to show his own mark...mostly for his own protection. If anyone even HINTED at wanting to see it, Kili went feral. He has gone so far as to cause a bit of a situation with a visiting Blacklock family who cornered both Tauriel and Finli and demanded to see both of their marks. It did not end well as both Tauriel and Kili drew their blades when the family refused to back off. They believed they had the right to see the marks of Mahal, of Aule their maker...when in reality, they didn't. Tauriel did end up shoving her wrist at them, but they still demanded to see Finli's. Finli was only six at the time and still too young to understand what was happening.

When one of the Blacklock's attempted to grab at Finli's hand, Kili went berserk. Fili cannot quite remember to full extent of the injuries that family sustained from his brother and sister, but there were definitely several broken bones and a few black eyes...as well as some rather angry dwarves who got quite the talking to not just from Thorin, but from Lord Lofur who apologized profusely by letter when he found out what had happened.

So, after twenty years, Tauriel is now a rather accepted feature among the dwarven people throughout all the clans...if only because Mahal made sure the people knew he approved and favored her. Thus, it does not surprise him that so many from the Stonefoot clan were ready to don their armor to fight to get her back. She was one of them now...one of their own.

Fili looked into the faces ready to fight for his sister, for the elf who unknowingly to them, saved their high kings life, who saved Fili and Kili's life, who brought back the sons of Durin; to fight for the elf, whose blood will now and forever be part of the royal lineage of the dwarves tasked with leading the entire race.

"ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT WITH ME!" Fili yelled out. "FIGHT TO GET HER BACK! FIGHT TO REMOVE THE DARKNESS IN THESE LANDS. FIGHT TO SHOW WHO PROTECTS THIS WORLD FROM THEIR INFESTATION?!"

"KHAZAD!" The dwarves all called out their affirmation, raising their weapons high. Fili smiled, then began instructing them on how they are to get across the sands. Some of the dwarves looked a bit understandably unhappy with the idea of flying...but most kept it to themselves.

The crowned prince then turned away from his army and headed back to the front, Kili and Viltarra proudly at his side. He patted the ram he rode in passing as he strode up to the two elven leaders of two opposing clans, Bofur again joining them. He was about to speak when a fluttering of wings caught his attention.

Fili smiled as Kaw landed on the ram's horns, Umyra right beside him. "Khazad." Kaw croaked. "Ada. Khazad."

"Does it think you're its father?" Saphyra laughed at Fili who was closest to the raven besides the dwarven guard holding the ram.

"That would be me." Kili smiled wide, holding out his arm for Kaw to climb up where he immediately nuzzled Kili's hair in the most endearing way. "Tauriel and I raised him, he is ours." He pulled a bit of lembas from his pocket and fed it to Kaw, then gave the rest to Umyra before giving them instructions to fly across the sands and report what they saw. The two ravens immediately took to the sky and flew out of sight.

"Will they not give us away?" Saphyra asked.

Kili shook his head. "They are well trained. Are we ready?"

"Only if you are, dwarf." Saphyra said to Kili, who held her gaze for a long moment and was about to respond, when he grabbed his head and cried out.

"KILI!" Tauriel screamed into Kili's mind before he felt nothing but tearing pain wrack his entire body. They took too long, and time had run out.

Authors Note: OHHH. Another Cliffhanger…and another warg lol. Sorry, had to do that XD…I like things in pairs if you have not caught on to that LOLLSSS. Also, I brought back a favorite villain. I THOUGHT about giving her a redemption arc…but that thought was incredibly fleeting because I don't like her, lol. So no true redemption arcs for Kaulithah are in the works, and probably never will be. I am naturally a super forgiving person, but I don't think she deserves it honestly. BUT I do feel a little bad for her. If it was not for her obsession…she would probably just be another stuck up Lords daughter.

Anyway, I think it is about time to bring this on its head a bit more so prepare yourself for some battling. Hope everyone had an amazing worldwide hobbit day! I will post the next chapter as soon as I finish cleaning it up and rounding it out.

See…I can make short authors notes. Also I am tired. If it was not almost 11pm, I probably would have more to say. Nighty night!