Hello friends!

Another lad's night, another chapter posted. Please enjoy!

As always, should the spirit move you, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to know what you guys think of the story thus far! This chapter wasn't in the original so I'm excited to be posting something completely new. :)

Til next time!

"Surely she must have a name," Kili insisted, mounting his pony and looking towards the front of the company. "I'll ask the wizard."

He'd been so curious about this mystery dwarf the entire night before and now this morning while they prepared to depart. Of course, as befitting a mute, the mystery dwarf gave him no satisfaction to sate that curiosity. As a matter of fact, the one time he'd tried to speak to her after the hobbit's little fainting spell she'd pulled a knife on him.

Perhaps Balin was right, maybe there was a bee in her bonnet.

"Leave it alone, Kili," Fili warned, not bothering to hide his irritability. Mornings were never Fili's forte, he almost always woke up grouchy. Not that Kili would ever tell him that, of course. "Gandalf doesn't know their name any more than we do."

"Perhaps if we teach her how to read and write?" he suggested.

He looked at Balin expectantly. After all, the older dwarf was their tutor in Ered Luin. Balin gave him a look that suggest he would sooner swallow a buzzing hornet's nest than he would take up his old job as a tutor again.

"I've taught three dwarflings too many already," was the terse reply. "And the wizard's left us strict instructions not to disturb his apprentice. And I believe that's more to our benefit than either of theirs."

Kili sighed and looked at Balin like he'd just made a simple mistake. "She's a dwarf, Master Balin. She can't be his apprentice if she can't wield magic."

"Regardless, I suggest we follow the wizard's orders and leave her be. Unless you'd like her to take your eye out with one of those knives she's carrying."

Kili didn't bother to hide his disappointed pout but did decide to change the subject in favor of not losing an eye. "Do you think the hobbit will come?"

Balin kicked his pony into gear. "No. No, I shan't think so."

Shame, if the hobbit had come along then Kili would have someone new to meet. It could have been the only line of defense for that mystery dwarf who he was now determined to befriend at all costs. With his most welcoming smile he kicked his pony into gear towards the head of the precession where the hooded mystery dwarf rode behind Gandalf.

What could possibly go wrong?

~o~

The inhabitants of the Shire had been unable to hide their curiosity as a company of dwarves, spearheaded by a wizard clad in grey robes made their way out of Bag End. The morning had been as normal as ever so it was a shock for them to believe that their humble home had been host to such a group.

As the company rode past a small crowd of hobbits that had gathered by the marketplace and the scent of freshly baked bread wafted past their noses Brili was almost inconsolable. It seemed a shame to leave such a nice town behind and she wished that she had the chance to stop at that baker's stall one last time. But she had not been able to stop at the baker's cart; she was forced to carry on and follow the wizard closely, trying her best to ignore the prickling feeling on the back of her neck that only comes when someone is watching you. Not for the first time that morning, she cursed the wizard for dragging her into this mess as he led them out of town and towards the East Road. She hardly understood why her presence was required since they'd left the hobbit behind that morning. Surely the hobbit staying behind negated her contract, right?

A girl could dream, at least.

As the morning wore on, she quickly came to the conclusion that traveling in absolute silence was going to be incredibly boring. She was just lovingly patting Borias's dapple grey coat, for lack of anything else to do really, when she'd heard the desperate shouting in the distance.

"WAIT! WAIT!"

The train of ponies came to a stop as Bilbo breathlessly approached, waving his contract like a victory flag over his head. When he came to a wheezing halt Brili could only stare at him darkly from beneath her hood. She'd thought he'd had the common sense to see that her uncle would only bring misfortune on him.

What a fool.

He looked positively elated as he handed the parchment to Balin. "I signed it. Look, see? I've signed it."

Well, she was contracted to watch over the wizard and a guest so this at least brought her back to square. She would fulfill her duties as agreed and no more. Should the hobbit die under her uncle's watch after her contract was fulfilled then it would be no one's business but his and her uncle's.

"Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

While others in the company chuckled and chortled, Thorin only looked ahead. "Give him a pony."

"A po— Oh, no, no, no that won't be necessary," Bilbo insisted, shouldering his pack.

Despite his protests, he was easily lifted by Fili and Kili and dropped onto a pony, an easygoing filly named Myrtle. Well, there was that then. Brili wasted no time turning Borias around to guide Bilbo's pony Myrtle to the front of the group. He was her charge and she would be ensuring that he was in her sights at all times. She was both surprised and incredibly annoyed when Gandalf had followed her to ride alongside Bilbo. Leaving them directly in front of Oin and her brothers; brothers she'd hoped to keep as far away from as possible.

At least she could take comfort in the thought that they believed she was an invalid.

"Gandalf!" Kili's voice sounded a little too unassuming to her to not be suspicious. "Your companion, does she have a name?"

Gandalf briefly looked towards the heavens for solace before shifting in his saddle to address Kili. "If she does then I do not know it."

"Oh…" Blessed silence and then, "Well, what do you call her? You must call her something."

She'd throw something at him if she wasn't positive that it would cause a stir. By the looks of it, so would Gandalf.

"Eneth," Gandalf answered after a moment giving Brili a rather amused grin that she caught out of the corner of her eye.

Of course he'd think that's funny…

"An elvish name?" Kili wrinkled his nose like someone had just waved pony shit under it. "That won't do, she's a dwarf."

"It's not a name, my boy. It is simply the word 'name'," is the annoyed response from Gandalf.

"I don't like it." Kili directed his attention to her and grinned easily. "Don't worry, I'll come up with something cool to call you."

Please don't.

(Bilbo briefly debated pointing out that he'd exchanged several words with her before the company's arrival but thought better of it when she lifted her traveling cloak to reveal an array of knives attached to her belt.)

"Gandalf, why does she cover her face like that?" Kili asked.

"Would you believe me if I said to you that she's never told me?"

"You mean you've never seen her face?"

"I… can't say I have…" Technically not a lie…

Kili inspected her hooded form closely. "Do you think she's disfigured? It would explain why she's hidden her face under that mask… Tell me, is it a scar? Or something worse? Is that why you are unable to speak?"

Did he really expect her, or anyone for that matter, to answer such a rude and invasive question?

"Fili," Gandalf warned, "I suggest that you take your brother and find somewhere else to ride for a while."

That request was made more so for Gandalf's benefit than hers it seemed.

This line of questioning carried on for most of the day and well into the evening, much to Brili's chagrin. The group covered good ground though, faster than she'd expected such a large group to manage. If they kept at their current pace then they would reach Rivendell within the month for sure. She couldn't wait to return home. It would be almost Midsummer by the time they got back. The elves always put on a grand festival for Midsummer with contests and performances.

She very much hoped that she wouldn't miss it…

"We rest here," Thorin called out before sundown. He'd led them to a rocky ledge that would keep the company safely off the main road. "Bofur, Bombur, prepare supper."

As Bofur and his cousin Bombur got to work, the group began unloading the ponies. It wasn't long until a meal was prepared and the mounts relieved of their burdens. Brili had found a quiet spot to rest with Borias and let him graze contendtedly, she did not trust the company with her beloved pony. From her quiet perch, she debated whether or not to partake in supper. Loathe as she was to eat anything that was made by Bofur, she was rather hungry.

When Bofur grabbed a fifteenth bowl, Thorin all but knocked it out of his hand. "No. The traveler is not our responsibility."

"But there's plenty here."

"This food is for the company, not strays."

Well, so much for that. Rather than sitting and listening to them argue, she scratched between Borias's eyes one last time and got to her feet. It wasn't the first time she'd had to sort out her own meals in the wild. The only thing that was particularly bothersome was the fact that it was near dark and she wasn't thrilled about having to hunt game at night. If he hadn't planned on letting her eat with them she wished that he would have said something sooner.

By the time she'd returned with a rabbit for herself, it was dark and some of the others were already sleeping. She made quiet work of skinning her kill—she'd already drained it right after the catch to avoid attracting larger, more dangerous, wildlife—and skewering the meat onto a stick to roast over the fire. It wasn't going to be a delicious meal by any means but it would do.

"Tasâl," Kili's voice called out to her from underneath the recesses of a crevice that he and Fili were bunking in for the night. Both her and Fili looked at him. "I'm going to call you Tasâl."

Hunter?

That was the name he came up with? Well, whatever. It didn't matter what he called her, they'd be out of her life again soon. That time couldn't come soon enough if you asked Brili.

Fili scoffed but the half smile on his face gave away that he wasn't truly upset with his younger brother, "How many times do we have to tell you to leave it alone?"

"What? I'm just making friends. Just because she can't talk doesn't mean we can't get on with her."

"She's not a part of the company, Kili," Fili reminded his brother. "Focus your efforts on that."

Yes, she agreed wordlessly, listen to your brother and leave me alone.

Fortunately for her, Bilbo was now wide awake and making his way over to Myrtle. Looking after her charge made for a good enough distraction, it was better than sitting around the fire with those two at any rate. She jammed her stick into the ground so that the rabbit would continue cooking and walked until she was only a few paces away from the hobbit. Stalking quietly in the night was something she was particularly adept at and Bilbo hadn't even noticed her movements until she was within only arms reach. When he did, he jumped nervously.

As of yet, there hadn't been any real need for her services and while Brili was exceptionally bored she could still acknowledge that it would be best if things stayed that way. There was no small amount of trouble in the wilds. The quieter this journey was, the safer her charges would be. Still, when she heard the distant screeching of a wild animal there was no small part of her that longed for at least a little action to liven things up.

"Wha-what was that?" Bilbo asked, stepping away from Myrtle who was now happily munching on an apple core.

Ah, so that's what he'd been up to.

She was obviously not about to verbally reassure him so she did her level best to appear unconcerned, because she was. That cry, whatever it had been, was too far away from the company to be a real threat to them. She went back to her roasting meal certain that Gandalf would be able to sort out his anxious friend.

"Orcs…" Kili murmured quietly.

Thorin who had been resting quietly sat up straight, looking around the encampment. His hand gripped the pommel of his sword preparing to strike at the slightest sign of provocation.

"Throatcutters," Fili agreed ominously. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The Lone-Lands are crawling with them."

A tingle drifted down her spine and the hair on her arms stood up. She'd had only a handful of experiences with orcs and each one she had been accompanied by Aragorn. She found that she was just a smidge too short to feel comfortable attacking an orc head on. When it came to orcs she did her best work as an assist; striking low blows to slow them down so that someone larger than her could finish the job.

A run in with an orc, while exciting, would be incredibly dangerous.

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep," Kili continued, Bilbo listening with rapt attention. "Quick and quiet, no screams… Just lots of blood."

Bilbo finally looked to her, his hooded protector, for reassurance and missed the mischievous smirk that played on Kili's face just before he and Fili began to chuckle. The hairs that had stood up began to relax and that buzzing underneath her skin reduced to a low prickle. A joke, she should have guessed that those two would try and spook the hobbit. Her brothers hadn't changed a bit.

And why did that knowledge hurt so terribly?

"You think that's funny?" Thorin's voice asked from the darkness, his tone a familiar one. She'd been on the receiving end of that tone before. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

She knew for a fact that Kili was also very aware of what was at stake when their uncle spoke like that and, to Brili's smug satisfaction, he looked thoroughly chastised. "We didn't mean anything by it, Uncle."

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world."

Balin approached the campfire after Thorin's admonition. "Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs."

Brili crouched by the fire to tend to her rabbit with an unseen eye roll. She'd heard Balin tell this story many times and many ways. In fact, she counted herself quite fortunate not have heard it in the last several years. While Balin stood around practically singing Thorin's praises she ate her supper and stalked off to where she'd made her own little camp with her pony. No one paid her any mind except for Kili, who would occasionally peek up at her, or Bilbo, who stationed himself as close as he could to her without attracting her ire.

After about an hour or so everyone save Bifur, who was assigned to the night watch, began to nod off. She figured that she'd better catch some shuteye as well.

Only every time she started to drift off the horrible idea that someone would pull off her hood while she slept jolted her awake again.

She was well and truly fucked, wasn't she?

~o~

Brili had never minded a bit of rain. As a matter of fact, it could be downright refreshing in the right circumstances like on a hot, humid summer's day. More than once she'd thanked the skies for a quick downpour.

However, this rainstorm was entirely unwelcome.

Well, she supposed that it had one good use and that was to shake her awake. She hadn't slept well all week thanks to the close proximity of the company at all times. Her body was constantly in a state of tense anticipation, always prepared for the moment that someone figured out who she was. Thanks to this dread, any rest she did manage to get was poor quality at best.

So, if the rain could be attributed to anything she'd call good, it at least kept her awake.

Everything else about it, absolutely abysmal. Her hood was practically plastered to her face, her cowl soaked through, making it difficult to breathe. Everything was sopping wet, leaving her cold, tired, and generally uncomfortable. What she wouldn't give to be able to lower her sopping wet hood and cowl to take a breath of fresh air. She could do no such thing though, not without running the risk of being detected—the mask over her eyes would only hide so much.

The cool air in the evening hadn't done her any favors either. Thanks to the cold and her wet clothes she had been reduced to shivering in her saddle. Even when the rain finally stopped, that chill persisted. By the end of the day when everyone else had gathered around fires and changed into dryer clothes she was left isolated with no sound but her chattering teeth to entertain her.

"Excuse me?"

She recognized this dwarf from her time living in the mountain. Master Dori had often worked with her mother, the Lady Dis, to help organize public events. Brili had always found Dori to be a bit of a mother hen, honestly. His brothers were Nori and… Ori? Yes, Nori and Ori. Ori was young, born sometime between her and Kili so they had crossed paths fairly frequently. He was just as kind as his eldest brother, if a little shy.

"I said 'excuse me'," Dori repeated, his voice still polite although slightly grated now by her lack of response.

She wasn't about to answer him so she just sat there, shivering.

"If you're waiting for her to answer you, she can't," Dwalin reminded him after a few minutes of awkward silence between them while Dori kept trying to get her attention.

"Oh! Of course, my apologies, I'd forgotten." He looked her over sympathetically. "Ahem. You had best change, dear, you'll catch your death in those wet clothes."

Yep, still a mother hen.

In order to change she would have to remove her disguise. Absolutely not. Over her dead body. No.

"We have a warm meal by the fire," Dori continued, looking for all the world like he wanted to throw warm blankets over her. "If you'd like to—"

That's enough.

She finally unfurled her arms from where they were curled around her body to display another very rude hand gesture at him. Dori grasped at his collar in shock and his mouth opened and closed like he was a newly caught trout. When he didn't back away from her she waggled her hand, still making that very rude symbol, in front of her like it might ward him off. Somewhere behind Dori she could hear Dwalin chortling.

"Why, I never!" he finally stammered out, smoothing his collar out where he'd gripped it before he turned about face to leave her in peace, as she'd intended when she'd wordlessly insulted him. "Lass must have been raised by wolves."

If only you knew, Master Dori.

"You sure do like that insult, don't ya? You did the same to Balin and me back at the hobbit's home."

I understand this is a bit of a shock, milady.

Bofur's voice triggered an involuntary scowl and Brili began to wonder if she was going to have to keep her hand in this position for the remainder of her time with these dwarves. To her irritation, her silent insults did nothing to deter her former fiancé and he came within a few paces of her. After a few moments of her not moving or lowering her hand he placed a bowl by her feet with a resigned sigh. Whatever was in it was warm and smelled begrudgingly delicious.

"I can't imagine you've had an easy life," Bofur said to her quietly, "what with not being able to speak to others. So I don't blame you for being defensive. We don't mean you any harm though."

I mean you no harm.

Who was he to show her kindness? It was his fault that she was even in this whole mess to begin with! She kicked his peace offering away from her, her stomach growling loudly in protest as the contents of the bowl spilled out onto the dirt in front of him. She didn't bother to look up and try to gauge his reaction, it just wasn't worth her time. Nothingconcerning him was worth her time. She was exhausted, hungry, soaked, and so cold that she couldn't stop shaking. If these dwarves didn't leave her alone soon she'd start swinging.

He picked up the bowl with a quiet hum. "All right, all right. You win. Dori's right though, you might want to find a place to change out of those clothes soon."

With that said he turned and made his way back to the fire where Dori was loudly complaining to Balin about the sheer audacity of "the traveler" as they called her. Well, that did it, now she had no choice but to go and forage for something to eat around here. The only problem was that hunting in her current condition felt like it was going to be a monumental task. And now just to make things worse someone else had come to bother her.

"You have no one to blame for your predicament but yourself, my esteemed ranger," Gandalf reminded her as he began to lay out a small pile of kindling just to the right of her.

She crossed her arms over her chest again instead of answering. Brili knew better than to make that gesture at Gandalf, or anything that could wield magic for that matter.

"It wouldn't hurt you to stop lashing out whenever one of them approaches you," he continued, using magic to light the kindling with his finger. "Or offers you food."

They can take their food and shove it up their—

The wizard reached into his robes and handed her an apple. It would hardly sustain her for long but it was better than nothing, that was certain. She took it from him greedily and lowered her cowl just enough to get a good bite, the wet fabric clinging to her chin easily. That apple was the best thing she'd tasted all week to be honest. Within moments the heat from Gandalf's small fire had begun to reach her. Instinctively, she scooted a little closer to it. She was stubborn, sure, but she was far from stupid. Sitting around in these wet clothes really wasn't going to do her any favors and the fire would at least help warm her.

"Well, lads, I certainly have a way with women."

Bofur's statement, said so jokingly, brought the chill back to Brili's bones so quickly that she wouldn't be surprised to learn that someone had dumped a bucket of water over head that moment. Her head snapped up and her jaw clenched shut with a loud crack when her teeth connected. Her chest felt like it was being pressed by something heavy. Was he really speaking of that so casually?

"Do you often have women kicking things at you?" Bilbo asked dryly, his brow arching as Bombur chuckled good-naturedly.

Based off of Bombur's reaction, Bofur had told this joke before.

It was Nori who answered the hobbit. "Aye, the last girl that Bofur'd taken a shine to went into hiding before the wedding. Ran straight for the Iron Hills screaming her head off, she did!"

She risked a quick glance in her brothers' direction. Kili looked like someone had just taken all of the wind out of his sails while Fili's face had taken on a look of total indifference. Thorin's expression became pinched, almost like he'd been given something bitter to eat. Dwalin, for his part, scowled darkly.

And just like that, her appetite vanished like she'd eaten a banquet.

She really couldn't wait to get back home and put this all behind her.

~o~

More a week had passed before the company mentioned Brili—well, who Brili used to be at any rate—again. She was ragged by this point, it had more than fortnight since she'd last gotten any decent sleep. To top things off, the temperatures had begun to climb quickly, the arrival of summer making its presence fully known. Her gear was too stifling for the change of seasons but she had no choice but to suffer in it. And she wasn't the only one in a foul mood today, it seemed. Almost every dwarf in the company was quiet, well more quiet than usual that is.

Only Kili who seemed to be exceptionally chatty, not that it was unusual for him to be chatty, had much of anything to say.

"Do you think they've started the baking competition by now? I wonder who's going to win it this year… My money's on Günder."

Fili mulled this statement over before nodding his head. "Yeah, you're probably right. Günder makes exceptional pies."

"Do you think they've lit the braziers yet?"

"No. It's too bright out for that. They'll be lit just before sunset, before the fireworks."

Brili frowned. She hadn't the foggiest idea what they were talking about over there. Baking competitions? Fireworks?

Dori turned in his saddle to look at the two princes, a proud gleam in his eye. "The fireworks will be exquisite this year. We purchased them from Mr. Gandalf during one of his visits with your uncle. And a large supply as well."

Kili looked positively green with envy. "I can't believe I'm going to miss them."

Dori's smile was wistful as he said, "It'll be the first festival that we've missed since…" His eyes darted up towards Thorin, as if assessing whether or not he'd heard them. "Well, you boys know."

"I'm sorry," Bilbo interrupted, "but what are you missing?"

"Oh!" Kili looked at Bilbo like it had only just occurred to him that Bilbo wouldn't know what they were talking about. "There is a festival that we put on in the Blue Mountains on this day: Tannikthiya."

I've never heard of this festival… The only one I can think of is Midsummer but it's a bit too early for that… Is this something new?

"Tannikthiya?" Bilbo pronounced the word awkwardly, the language not natural to him.

"Mmm. I think the closest I can come to it in the common tongue is 'a reason to return'. It's for mine and Fi's little sister."

Brili accidentally pulled on Borias's reins so hard that the pony whinnied and began to move backward. Fortunately, the company was too busy looking at Kili sympathetically to pay her any mind.

This was the first time anyone had spoken about her directly. There had been a handful of veiled comments—like Bofur's joke—but nothing quite like this.

"Oh! That reminds me!"

Kili pulled his pack over to his lap and began rummaging through it with vigorous enthusiasm. A few moments later he pulled out a folded, weathered piece of parchment and began to unfold it with so much reverence that she wouldn't be surprised to learn that he'd absconded with some sort of rare religious text. (It wouldn't be the first time, honestly.) He held it out for Bilbo's review, holding the corners firmly but careful enough not to wrinkle anything.

"Have you seen this girl? She's lost. Sorry, I can't let you hold it, it's the only one I've got left."

Brili's throat had gone incredibly dry.

When Bilbo shook his head slowly Kili wasted no time showing the parchment to her. It was a missing persons poster, a likeness of her etched onto the surface. A likeness, she was relieved to note, that didn't look very much like her at all. The nose was too rounded, they'd drawn her sideburns in too thick, cheeks too chubby. The eyes were a dead ringer though. In addition to her image there was also an impressive monetary reward being offered "in exchange for any information that leads to the safe return of the princess".

It took every effort for Brili not to buckle under all of the stress.

Kili was looking at her expectantly, like she'd be able to answer him. Ignoring the frantic thumping of her heart that was beginning to ache in her chest, she shook her head. He sighed and he began to fold the poster back up.

Noticing Bilbo's expression, he smiled lightly at the both of them. "That's okay, no one has seen her for a long time now. That's what today is for though."

"Kili," Fili warned quietly, his eyes unable to match the neutral expression on his face.

If she didn't know any better his eyes looked incredibly sad. Sadder than she'd expect him to look at any rate.

Oh yeah, Fili was the last person to see me in Ered Luin, wasn't he?

"I know, Fi, I know. But just because she didn't turn up after last year's festival doesn't mean she won't this year. Especially if we have Gandalf's fireworks to light up the sky."

"I'm sorry…" Bilbo said slowly, looking between the two brothers, the eldest's shoulders drooping. "I'm afraid I don't understand what this has to do with a festival…"

Kili grinned again like he had come up with the perfect master plan. "Oh, yeah, I don't suppose you would, huh? Today's Brili's birthday so today we hold a festival to help her find her way back home. Lots of music that can be heard for miles—Bri loves music. And there is a huge baking contest because she loves anything sweet."

For the love of… Mahal, make it stop.

She hadn't even remembered that today was her birthday, after labeling that day as the official "worst day of her life" she'd sworn to stop marking the occasion. She hadn't celebrated her birthday since she left home. Her hands gripped Borias's reigns so tightly that her knuckles looked bony and rigid. She was barely able to hide the fact that her knees were shaking in with the movements of her faithful pony.

If she didn't get her shit together soon then someone was going to notice.

"Ah, yes," Balin chimed in, his voice wistful but soft, like he was trying to avoid being overheard, "the lass always did have a penchant for sweets."

"A penchant?" Fili scoffed, looking at his former tutor with an amused twinkle lighting in his eyes. "She lived and died for candy. You couldn't come home from the markets without any or you'd be blacklisted."

"You said that she was lost?" Bilbo asked. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking… I hate to say it but if she was kidnapped then there might not be much hope of… Well, you know."

Kili rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably before his hands moved down to a small pocket attached to his belt. Deftly undoing the buckle and lifting the flap, he reached inside to pull something out and hold it in his palm. Just as she'd abandoned the curiosity prickling at her—because surely anything about this conversation could not end well—he held his palm out to show Bilbo the locket from her birthday. He looked ready to snatch it away should Bilbo get too close to it, like it was his prized treasure.

She wanted nothing more in that moment than to take it from him and smash it to bits.

"It's my fault," he announced quietly. "Well, all of ours really… She… Well, you see, she was always a little different and we wanted to make sure that she'd be okay when we left to retake Erebor so we… introduced her to Bofur up there."

Introduced my ass, Kili.

"I take it that this is the girl who ran screaming from him?" Bilbo's tone was drier than mountain air and flatter than a plateau.

Kili's face quirked up into a half grin again. "Bri can be a little dramatic at times."

There goes that word again… Hadn't he told her that she was being dramatic the morning after her engagement was announced?

Bilbo did not look very impressed with any of the dwarves. "I see."

"She'll come back though," Kili continued with a decisive nod. "Fi and Uncle don't think she will but Mum and I do. They'll see. So that's why we hold a festival every year. With all the food and music and the fireworks to help her find her way back home."

Fili's shoulders were tense as he quietly murmured to Bilbo, "Do us all a favor and don't bring this up around Thorin."

"Aye," warned Balin, pushing his pony into a trot as he passed, "best not to mention this around him. He was never the same after they lost the princess. Today is a difficult day for him… For all of us…"

For the first time, Brili decided to let her pony trail a good distance behind the company. Being so close to them now felt too exposed.

Happy birthday to her, indeed.