Telling her story again but this time for the entire company was not an easy feat. Even though she now knew the company quite well, the Games remained a painful subject that she would rather avoid. The dwarves seemed to sense the size of her sorrow before she had even started her tale, and even Fíli and Kíli decided to give the necessary space to let her be. However, it was the occasional comforting tap on her shoulders provided by Bilbo, and Thorin's warm looks whenever he knew there was a particularly painful moment coming on her narrative, that made it bearable for her to go through it.

Katniss did not want the moment to linger more than necessary, so she skipped quite a few details she had previously shared with both Thorin and Bilbo. But she did go over the revolting dynamic between the Capitol and the districts; President Snow's sickening methods to maintain his power; and provided them all with a good summary of all the pain and drama she had been forced to go through.

Overall, after one hour or so, they got the idea of the hell it had been for her; to be forced inside an arena to kill other children in order to survive. If anything, the dwarrow men looked horrified by her narrative, and the perspective of that apocalyptic future would come true one day.

"So the Capitol just grabs people's children's, sends them to slaughter, and nobody does anything about it?" Oin frowned at her with displeasure and rage.

"What could we do?" she spat back with anger, feeling like it was her duty to defend her people "That is just another sickening way for them to showcase their power; keep us fighting among ourselves and make us forget who the real enemy is."

"And yer folks just accept tha' without a fight?" Dwalin asked gobsmacked.

"Again, what could we do? What could anyone do? Fighting against the Capitol is like going to war armed with pebbles and sticks against an army equipped with the finest axes and swords," she said, full of outrage for whoever dared to say they did have a choice on the matter. "This is a battle that you could never win…"

Dwalin was about to add some extra pieces of his mind, but he was quickly silenced by his brother with a stern.

However, it seemed that it was the mention of all the 'star crossed lovers' drama that had been created by Peeta and promoted by the Capitol, which shocked them more than anything else she had told them so far. Though Thorin seemed to be quick enough to silence their comments, Katniss could swear that she had witnessed Nori and Fíli exchanging signs in Iglishmêk just after they learned about that new plot twist in her history.

Though they did not interrupt her, she could see that they were dying to ask her questions about it. By the time she had finished explaining the events that led her participation in the seventy-fifth Hunger Games, and how it ignited the rebellion against the Capitol and the role she and Peeta ended up played on it, it was already past everybody's bedtime.

Thorin could sense her relief of finishing her tale, and how mentally affected she was after sharing it with everybody else at once, so he was quick to order everyone to bed, as he stood up and sat aside from the group next to Fíli, as they were supposed to take the first watch together that night.

Katniss mentally thanked him for that as she tucked herself under her blanket. However, after watching dwarf after dwarf falling asleep, and being unable to do the same herself, she felt enormous frustration. Nonetheless, Katniss honestly believed that the dwarves' loud snores were only part of the issue behind her insomnia, as the images of her own narrative were still haunting her.

Unable to pretend any longer, she stood up and headed to the place where Thorin and his older nephew were sitting, and now, giving her an intrigued glance. As she walked, Katniss silently cursed herself for not remembering that Thorin was on patrol that evening. Even though Thorin was the one who was looking at her more intensely, it was Fíli who first addressed the only female from their group.

"Are you having trouble staying asleep, Lady Katniss?"

"I still haven't slept at all, Fíli."

"Uncle, I don't mind swapping my patrol with her, you know how I am struggling to stay awake tonight anyway…"

"This would not be fair, Fíli! You've already done quite a bit of this patrol…"

"It would be fair if you stay longer than Uncle… you can still do a full patrol, so when it's my turn again, it should even out."

That was an argument she could not rebut. Apparently, neither could Thorin, as he turned at her inquisitive instead of giving Fíli a straight answer.

"What?" Katniss asked as she was still unsure about what he meant by that look.

"What is your decision on the matter?" Thorin asked without removing his intense gaze from her eyes.

She frowned, as she remained confused.

"What do you mean, my decision?"

"I'd not dream to assume that my presence is welcomed…"

An undeniable hint of pain was displayed in his semblance. Katniss sighed as she finally understood that he was merely giving her a way out from patrolling alone with him. While it felt a bit awkward being the one to make such a decision which would have usually befallen on him, she was glad that he offered her the choice.

"Your presence is not fully welcomed yet, but I am pretty confident that I can handle you…"

Thorin solemnly nodded before he exchanged a sign in Iglishmêk with Fíli. Only then he turned his back to them, as he tried to find a spot to sit down, far away from Katniss.

"My Lady," Fíli said with a small reverence to her. He then quickly went back to his own spot at their campsite and tuck himself under his blanket.

Katniss observed jealousy as the young Crown Prince snored away in less than five minutes after that.

She sighed frustrated and then looked at Thorin, who remained the alert same sentinel he always was, looking ahead on the horizon. She bit her lips, full of desire. Her body and mind were begging for her to make amends with him. However, deep inside, she was not even sure if she was going to be able to trust him again, after the way he had drugged her in order to drag her away from Rivendell. That was a betrayal. An unforgivable action in her moral book.

Despite that, it felt like her feelings for him were doing nothing but growing stronger and deeper, despite all her attempts to ignore them. It was like she could feel her own abstinence doing nothing but feeding a monster inside her chest, turning her head upside down, in spite of her best judgment. That feeling was much bigger than anything she had felt from either Peeta or Gale, and that by itself made her mind burn. Meanwhile, as she questioned her own sanity, her heart pounded in anticipation for the next time she would be forced to spend some time alone with him. And even if she would do nothing but publicly deny that, she longed for his presence and missed him dearly.

Perhaps it was these feelings and her clouded mind which made her legs take her to the place he was standing, a bit far away from where she was now. Alert as he was in his surroundings, he obviously noticed that she was approaching even before he turned his head to look her in the eyes. His own body stiffed in anticipation for whatever it was that had made her change her mind and seek his company. He was determined not to destroy his chances with her this time.

Thorin looked at her, patiently waiting for her to make the first move and set the tone of that encounter. However, Katniss did not seem inclined to make any verbal contact with him. Instead, she decided to challenge him for another session of their glaring contexts, which on its own was being more than enough to set his heart on fire.

"Katniss…" He did not resist breaking that silence, as his curiosity to learn what had led her there was clouding his senses.

"Thorin…" He just answered with a smirk, fully aware of the impact her mere presence seemed to be having on him. He had to use all his self-control not to kiss those sassy lips now and then. Instead, he gave her a polite nod before addressing the question that had been eating him alive.

"What do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit?"

She did not answer him immediately, mostly because she still remained unsure of why she had decided to seek his company in the first place.

"I don't know…" she honestly replied, but he still held a questioning look, "I think… maybe... I didn't want to stay alone."

His gaze intensified with her confession.

"You were very brave tonight. Telling your story to the company."

"Thanks, but I think it was about time," she said, breaking eye contact with him. "I've been delaying this moment for a while now. I have been hanging around them for a while, and they still had no idea of who I am."

"I think they knew you well enough." He refrained himself from holding her hand by grabbing the hilt of his sword instead. She gave him a funny look at this sudden gesture, but she otherwise ignored it. Following her lead on this, he decided to also ignore his own blunder, and instead, he said:

"They were all aware of your golden heart; they all knew that you're a fiercely brave warrior from a distant future. They were all aware that you had a troubled past, if your many nightmares were anything to judge it by. Though now, they surely know these details with more accuracy than they had beforehand."

"I'm glad you did not allow them to dwell much on it and sent them to bed as soon as I finished it."

"I think I know you well enough by now to know when you had enough of it, Mizin."

Katniss could feel her face burn. How she had missed hearing him calling her that, and the other names he used to call her. Even though she had no idea what it all meant, it made her feel special somehow. For a small moment, it was almost as if everything had returned back to normal between them. Katniss had to force herself to remember that she was still supposed to be angry at him.

"Then you should know that you are pushing your luck," she said, forcing a frown on her eyebrows. "I have asked you enough times by now for you to stop calling me that."

Her comment hit him like an icy bucket on his head. Having her so near, and yet so distant, was putting him under a new form of torture that he did not even know it existed until that moment. Once again, he cursed himself for his horrible decision of not allowing her to retrieve her book, and taking her out Rivendell without her consent. If only he knew how hard it would be to earn back her trust, he would surely have done things in a very different way.

"Mahma'lâji Mahal!" he huffed angrily to the horizon, making Katniss open her eyes widely in shock with his sudden outburst. As if realizing what his actions might have looked like from her perspective, he quickly changed his tone for a more apologetic one. "I'm sorry. My actions have brought shame on my people. I should have known better than to break your trust like this…"

He said that last bit avoiding to look her in the eyes, which caught her off-guard, as this was an uncharacteristic move for him to make, such a proud, stubborn dwarf he was.

"The only person you have embarrassed was yourself. But the ones you have truly hurt were you and me," she said with a sigh. Hearing that phrase made him raise his head up high, with a mixture of sorrow and hope in his eyes. Could it be possible that she still held feelings for him despite everything he had done?

"I don't know if there is anything that can be done for me to redeem myself from my mistake. The only thing I can think of is to carry on spending the rest of my life trying to be worthy of your forgiveness."

"You say that but you don't really mean it…" she challenged him with fire in her eyes.

"Are you telling me that my word is untrue?" He tried with the best of his abilities to remain calm.

"I'm telling you that if we were back at Rivendell, you would not think twice before doing what you did again."

"That is not true!"

"Oh, isn't it? Perhaps not. But you'd only do it differently because you didn't like my reaction. Not because you see anything wrong with what you did!" she accused him. Thorin's eyes were burning with rage.

"I did what I did because I couldn't risk putting this quest on risk. You know how important it is to my people, Katniss."

"Important enough for you to forget your principles? Or are you going to say that kidnapping me and drugging me out of Rivendell was the honourable thing to do?"

"I am not saying that what I did was right!"

"Good, because it wasn't!"

Bombur gave a very loud snore, making them both turn around and be suddenly aware that it was the middle of the night. They were also reminded that there were still many ears that could be hearing their conversation.

"Everything has a limit, Thorin," Katniss lowered her voice to a whisper. "I know you want to reconquer your homeland. I would do the same to see Twelve restored, if I only had the chance. But everything has to have a limit, do you understand?"

"Aye," he begrudgingly agreed.

"Good." She fixed a strand of loose hair behind her ear before she talked again, "The elves from Rivendell have been nothing but helpful. I won't pretend that I understand the reasons why you hate them so much." Thorin was about to protest, but she quickly silenced him by placing her fingers on his lips, and he decided to let her have her way. "But you are a fool for judging an entire race for the action of some of their people…"

"You are right, you do not understand my reasons, but I assure you, they are more than justified!" he hissed, raising the noise of their conversation once again.

"Is that so?" she asked, not backing down from his stare. "Just look at who you are talking to. I had every single reason to hate and despise anyone from the Capitol, didn't I? Now… look at me. Cinna, my friend. He had all the reasons in the world to stay away from the revolution, and yet he gave his life for the cause."

"The good deed of one does not redeem the evils of many," Thorin said still frowning his eyebrow.

"Well, he was not the only one, was he? There were also many spies from the Capitol who aided us in the end. And there were others, like my prep team, who had some pretty distorted views of the world. But I knew that it was not their fault. It was the way they had been raised."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. They were raised on ignorance. Believing that they were somehow superior. That at least, until they started to see me and Peeta more as a person with feelings, and less of a tribute to be used and disposed of later…"

"They were still barbaric nonetheless…"

"My point is, you cannot carry on placing everyone on the same book, Thorin. Start judging people for their own actions, not for their race, or their ancestors."

He stepped back and looked deep inside her eyes. She was right. And probably had a higher moral compass than he would ever have. If there was anyone who knew exactly what felt like to have all these reasons for hating a whole people, it was her. And still, she found in her heart the strength to forgive. His admiration for her grew even higher, even though he still could not find it in his heart to absolve the elves from their mistakes.

"You are wise beyond your years, Amrâlimê. Wiser than this old fool, for sure. You would be a great Queen for my people…" Thorin said that as he decided to take hold of her hand in a daring move. That made her blush furiously, and he couldn't help the smug smile that pooped on his face, which made her even more embarrassed.

Before she could allow herself to fall into his arms again, she turned around and started walking away from him. However, she rushed to look back at her shoulders as she heard his voice calling her name.

"Katniss, I promise on my honour that when the mountain is reclaimed, I am going to do everything in my power to bring that book back to your hands."

She gave him a timid smile before she carried on walking away. He smiled back even though she could not see him doing that. Perhaps, not everything is lost, he thought before he lighted his pipe.

"Two silvers that she is going to kiss him tonight…" Kíli told the others with a silly smile on his face.

"Don't be stupid, Kee. Just because she decided that she is now talking again to him, it doesn't mean that she will kiss him tonight," Fíli answered his brother as they all watched Katniss and their Uncle interacting from the distance. She was laughing at something that Thorin had said, as she carried on fiddling with her unbraided long dark curls.

"I accept the bet, but I will be betting four silvers that she will kiss him only after the moon changes…" Bofur told Kíli, ignoring Fíli's warnings.

"You mean they will kiss the day the moon changes or any day after that?" Oin asked him, frowning his eyebrows.

"Anytime after, off course!" Bofur informed him, feeling all smug. All the others shook their heads to the dark-haired dwarf, Nori even threw a small pebble towards him, who was able to dodge it and grab it without any difficulty.

"This is anytime after the next two weeks, they are clearly over the heels for each other. Who would be foolish enough to fall for that?" Gloin asked.

"Whoever believes the kiss will happen before that. I will take the bet if you give me odds of 4/1, Bofur…" Balin said with his eyes shining in mystify.

"You forget she had already had others. In plural. She told it herself last night," Dori said with a disapproving frown.

"And Lady Katniss did not seem that excited by her previous suitors, if my perception was right…" Fíli said with a frown.

"It doesn't matter, does it? She did seem to have accepted the courting of two males beforehand… simultaneously! Why would it be any different with Thorin? What a-"

"Mind what you say, Dori. You might be talking about our future Queen…" Fíli said with a playful smug. "At least we know for sure that she is his One! That should be enough for you to mind your words."

At that exact time, Thorin was half-hugging Katniss from behind as he showed her how to better hold a sword in one of the many defence stance positions.

"Damn, you might be right. Look at how smitten she is looking right now. I will give you 2/1 odds, Balin, no more…"

"3/1, take it or leave it," Balin said with a grin. "Your pick has much more chance than mine to happen…"

"By the way, they are looking at each other, I am not entirely sure of that, Balin…" Bombur said with a smug. "Supper is ready, anyway. Can someone go over there and fetch the lovebirds?"

Kíli promptly volunteered, making quite a lot of the older dwarves to roll their eyes on his excitement at seeing Thorin finally returning to the good books of his chosen one.

The company members agreed to a consensus to leave Katniss be, and avoid mentioning what they had learned about her past during the previous night. Only Bilbo, who she had told everything before she decided to tell the others, had cornered her before they broke camp that morning to make sure that she was doing all right. Nonetheless, despite most having changed the way they treated and looked at her, now much more as a warrior than a child, they still had many unanswered questions about her past. However, watching Thorin using that cue as an excuse to get closer to her was more than enough for them to ignore their urge of learning more about their heroine.

Kíli and Balin both gave Bofur a smug smile when Katniss decided to place her sleeping mat next to Thorin's of her own volition that night. They both moved back discreetly away from the duo who were still to become an official couple, as they heard Thorin telling some of the stories about Erebor's magnificence to her. She was laying down on her mat, holding her head with one hand and her elbow on the ground. Thorin was sitting down as close to her as he would dare. An infinitely more friendly attitude towards him than she had been having the previous days.

"I think we might become some coins richer tonight, Mister Balin!" the young dwarf said, looking smug.

"Do not rely on a mine that is still to be found, Kíli," Balin said as they observed Thorin and Katniss interaction from a distance. "She was really mad with your Uncle. And she does have every right to be so. I think she will need some time to warm up again…"

"They are looking warm enough to me…" Kíli said, giving a gentle tap on Fíli's shoulders, who was joining them from behind.

"Uncle is telling her about the time he and Frerin brought some loose goats into the armoury," Fíli commented as he sat near them.

"That is a good one. Well, at least he is not telling her of Aunt Tas' good manners' lessons. That wouldn't be nearly as exciting…"

A few moments later, Katniss ended up falling asleep hearing Thorin telling her stories of his childhood in Erebor. After noticing that she had given it up for her tiredness much earlier than she usually would, Thorin stood up in a very cheerful mood to join the others.

"Hoo is yer Mizin, doin', Thorin?" Dwalin asked with a smirk. "Have ye tamed the beast?"

Thorin glared at him but remained quiet.

"What a way to ask, brother!" Balin said, shaking his head in embarrassment. "Don't mind him, Thorin… he has drunk more than his weekly quote."

"Nay, he nae I can handle it!" Dwalin smiled brightened.

"He is not gonna tell ya, is he?" Gloin said mid-laughter. "Don'tcha mind them, Lad, they do not know how it is like to have a One…"

Thorin just stared at them for a while, before he mumbled something completely unintelligible and left the group to find his usual solitude at the edge of their campsite.

"No, no, no, Frerin! Nadad! Frerin!"

Katniss was woken up by a nightmare that wasn't her own for the very first time since she had joined their company. She felt her heart twist in a funny way when she was woken up by Thorin's whispers, just alongside her. She immediately sat up and hugged his wiggling body, before she started to whisper in his ear.

"It is OK, you are safe. Thorin, please, stay with me. You are safe; this is a nightmare…only a nightmare," she whispered as she tried to ignore the sweat on his semblance. Thorin opened his eyes wide, just to find her beside him. He felt a bit embarrassed, but he did not run away from her hug.

"You are fine. This is me. You are safe here with me…"

"Katniss…" he whispered as he buried his head in her hair.

"Yes… you are safe now, Thorin. No one can harm you now…" she whispered, as she tried to provide him with as much comfort she could give. Watching the strong and almighty dwarrow King crumble in her arms like a young boy was not something that she thought she would be witnessing that night.

"Amrâlimê, maralmizi, mizin," he mumbled in her ear.

"Shhh… there now, there now. You are safe. Now go back to sleep, Thorin," she said as she guided him back to his sleeping mat.

She could sense a couple of pairs of eyes on them, but nobody dared to interrupt her as she started stroking Thorin's long dark hair and singing him an old song of her childhood as a lullaby.

Down in the valley, valley so low,

Late in the evening, hear the train blow.

The train, love, hear the train blow.

Late in the evening, hear the train blow.

They were looking at each other; she was sitting down by his side, her hand still stroking his hair. He was feeling more vulnerable than he could ever remember, but at that same time, he would rather die than to risk doing anything that would break that moment they were sharing.

Go build me a mansion, build it so high,

So I can see my true love go by.

See him go by, love, see him go by.

So I can see my true love go by.

Her small hands were playing with his ruler braid. The intimacy of that gesture was making him shiver. He wondered if she knew what she was doing to him. He was feeling tired, but he did not want to stop to look at her beautiful grey eyes.

Go write me a letter, send it by mail.

Bake it and stamp it to the Capitol jail.

Capitol jail, love, to the Capitol jail.

Bake it and stamp it to the Capitol jail.

His hands found hers, and he gave it a small squeeze. He allowed himself to close his eyes. Her voice was like a drug, one he did not want to stop listening to. Slumber was slowly approaching and claiming his tired body.

Roses are red, love; violets are blue.

Birds in the heavens know I love you.

Know I love you, oh, know I love you,

Birds in the heavens know I love you.

He could not help but think about how much he loved her. His mizin, his young precious jewel, his ghivashel, the treasure of all treasures. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him. He needed to tell her soon. Give her the sword he had forged- his promise, his pledge. Let her know that was going to be no other but her.

When she finished her song, Thorin was still like a rock. She bent down and placed a small kiss on his temple. She heard someone who was not Thorin let out a celebration noise, making her frown and trying to find where it had come from, but she was unable to point it out. Katniss could see Balin and Bombur looking at her from the distance, and only then she remembered that they were supposed to be on patrol that evening.

Without saying anything to anyone, she stood up and went to the edge of their camp, wanting to clear out her thoughts before attempting at getting back to sleep. She removed the locket that she always carried hidden near her chest - the one Peeta had given her during the seventy-fifth Hunger Games and had the pictures of her family.

She slowly opened and saw the faces of Prim, Gale and her mother looking up at her. She could not help but let a tear fall from her eyes. She wondered if she would ever be allowed to see them again. Unlikely, she bitterly thought.

Then Katniss remembered her visions at Galadriel's mirror. Thorin dying at the hands of a nasty and horrible Orc. That would not happen. She would have to do anything in her power to make that horrible thing never come true. The mere idea of losing him was too much for her to bear. Though she felt that the alternative vision, the one that showed her as a mother and married to Thorin Oakenshield, was also rather daunting for her.

Katniss was suddenly aware of footsteps approaching her from behind, but since she knew two other members of their company were also on patrol, she had no need to arm herself. So she was not surprised to find Balin standing there, carrying a small cup of some sort of herbal tea. He offered it to her, who gladly accepted the warm beverage.

They remained in silence for a while, Katniss wondering why the old dwarf was seeking her presence, and he wondering what would be the best way to raise his concerns with her. In the end, Balin broke the silence just as they were finishing their tea.

"It was a nice thing to watch, seeing you singing to him… he did not have many people in his life that he would grant that sort of trust."

"Despite what he did, Thorin is a good man. I don't wish him ill…"

"Aye. That much is clear. Forgiveness is good for the soul, Lassie."

"As long he doesn't make a habit out of it… you know my history now, Balin. I am not one to be trifled with."

"I am pretty sure the laddie has learnt his lesson quite clearly, Miss Katniss," Balin said, catching a glimpse of the half-hidden locket that was still hanging around her neck. "What a pretty piece of jewellery you have there. Is it a family heirloom?"

"Oh, no. Just a thing I forgot to mention when I was telling my story. It was a present from Peeta," she said as she removed the locket from her neck and gave it to the old dwarf to inspect.

"Oh, was it a courting gift?" Balin said, widening his eyebrow in shock by this possible new turn of events.

"No, God! No! Just… a little something for me to remember. Here, have a look," she said as she opened the locket, revealing the picture of her mother, sister and Gale.

"My mother and sister… and Gale…"

"The other Laddie who pledged his heart to you…?"

"In a sense… I guess…" she sighed. She could not help but be flushed as she talked about them to the old dwarf. "In a way, it was Peeta's blessing for me to move over after him… you know… he wanted to die in the arena so I could live."

"And your plan was just the opposite if I remember it right…"

"Yes. How could I think of doing anything different, Balin?"

The old dwarf sighed as he observed her attentive and sharp as an eagle.

"You cared deeply for him, and for Gale, of course, as I remember well the extremes you told us that you did go through to keep him safe…"

"Yes, they were both very important to me."

"Do you… do you think you still have feelings for them, Miss Katniss?" Balin boldly asked, almost regretting immediately after doing it.

"It doesn't really matter what I felt for them, does it? I am here now, and they are not. I was told that there is no known way to send me back, so this place is where I will need to build a new life now."

Katniss said with a bit of resentment. Balin listened to her, feeling a bit sorry for her situation, but also for his old friend.

"Lady Katniss… I am not sure if I should pry into this…"

"Into what?"

"Do you know, that in our culture, you basically just gave Thorin's permission to pursue and try to court you when you placed that kiss on his forehead?" Balin asked her, making her cheeks turn red almost instantly.

"No… did I just do that?" she asked in shock.

"You must be aware by now about Thorin's deep feelings for you?"

"Oh…" she answered, blushing furiously. "Yes. I have an idea…"

"And I am sorry for being so bold, but I see it as my duty to ask you. Do you return the feelings?"

"Balin!" she almost choked with the bluntness of the question. "I don't know… I…guess I do. I am not sure," she said in the end as she stumbled through her own words. Balin gave her a knowing look and a grand-fatherly smile.

"Well, you are a daughter of man, so I am not sure how these things work for your race. Though Gandalf told us that you have some dwarrow ancestry, so some of it might apply to you as well."

"What do you mean..?"

"Have you ever heard about Ones, Miss Katniss?"

"Ones?"

"Right. I am not sure about what your feelings about Thorin are. But I can guarantee that you are his One…"

She frowned, unsure of what Balin meant by that revelation. The old dwarrow sighed as he prepared himself to have 'the talk' with her.

A/N:

As always, Khuzul was taken from the dwarrow scholar.

Mahma'lâji Mahal! - I bring shame upon Mahal!

Nadad - Brother

Amrâlimê, maralmizi, mizin - My love, I love you, my jewel.

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