I do not own any of the characters or The Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) Those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.

Please review, favorite and follow- I love them! They keep me encouraged :D

P.S.- I am SO sorry that this update has been long in coming. Between medication shifts for a chronic illness and dealing with three weeks of an unnamed virus that sends me into nasty coughing fits (I now pity my poor Kili more than ever!), and now adding a nasty cold and possibly a sinus infection on top of it (despite being on antibiotics for ten days), and trying to keep up with the work of preparing for homeschooling in the fall, cleaning my house, getting ready for gardening, sewing, etc- I'm falling asleep at 9 pm instead of midnight completely exhausted! It's a good thing, as I also struggle with a sleep disorder, however it's cut into my writing time something fierce. Plus, I have trouble writing when I hear children's music/movies in the background and can't get my brain into Middle-earth...at any rate, I hope you forgive the delay, I have NOT abandoned the story, and please as always continue to review! 35 reviews last chapter- it's a record! :D :D :D

Nori swallowed heavily as Kili's eyes shut, the small assortment of clothing in his arms seemingly becoming heavier as he stood by his king.

It hadn't taken the company long to fulfill the tasks Thorin had given them. Having the lost members of their group returned alive had given them all a bit more hope than before, and their concern for their injured companions showed in the speed with which they had been taken care of.

Dori was sitting off to the side on what Nori supposed was a low milking stool for the skinchanger, but easily lifted his elder brother's feet off the ground. Slight sounds of ripping were still being heard over the crackling fire as he tore more muslin strips for extra bandages. Bombur was filling giant bowls with the vegetable broth he had made and placing them on the great table with Bilbo's help, a savory smelling addition to the supper that had been momentarily forgotten in their haste.

Bilbo had brought nearly all the blankets he could find, save for the ones adorning the impossibly large bed tucked into an alcove in the wall, and was now sitting on the tall bench nibbling on a warm roll dipped in broth as he aided the rotund dwarf. His gaze continually flickered between the doorway where the young woman had been taken and the slumbering young prince, deep concern for his hurt friends evident.

Ori had managed to find a washbasin and washboard, and was earnestly scrubbing Kili's soiled clothing so he could get it hung to dry as soon as possible. Several pairs of concerned glances, especially Thorin's, eyed the stubborn bloodstains that refused to leave the woolen fabric despite his efforts. Balin tried to tell him that it was fine and perfectly usable, but the young dwarf would not be dissuaded and continued to scrub. It was a rather familiar sight for the thief, and he shook his head sadly.

They won't come out, and he knows it.

The former thief's mind briefly went back to Ered Luin, where Ori had dealt with the same dilemma on his own tunics more often than he cared to admit. His face was well known amongst the outlying towns, and not for the better. Hard times had befallen the dwarves of the Blue Mountains many a time since Ori was but a wee lad, and while Dori simply compensated by tailoring long into the night until his fingers were numb, Nori had resorted to thievery to put food on the table.

He had endured many countless arguments with Dori every time he came home battered, bloody, and occasionally escorted by officials from the villages of men with threats to his life should he ever dare to show his face in their company again. Relations between the two older brothers had become a bit strained over the past few years because of his chosen profession, though both attempted to put it aside for their youngest brother's sake. There wasn't much work for scribes to be had outside of a proper dwarf kingdom, and though the youngest dwarf was brilliant, he had been forced to take up the needle and thread as well to help feed his family instead of scholarly pursuits.

Nori had done what he could, stealing food and things he could sell for coin in an attempt to allow Ori the time to study dwarf lore, botany, cultures, alchemy, and languages as he desired, for the middle brother was terrible with a needle and had grown up learning little else from their tailor father. He supposed he could have gotten work in a forge or a mine, but with so many dwarves and little but coal, timber, and a wee bit of iron to be had, thievery had been far more profitable in terms of foodstuffs and coin to purchase wool and leather for clothing than attempting to find work many others of his kin also sought. And though he could use a washbasin as well, he found the task inexonerably tedious.

But, for all his indiscretions, he had never stolen from other dwarves. His reputation as a thief far preceded him, however, and Thorin and the others were fully aware of his questionable past. When he joined the company, he was worried that the dwarf king would not accept him amongst their ranks because of it. But Thorin had, as long as Nori vowed to cease thieving as long as he was under his king's employ. And truth be told, with his fourteenth share of the gold, thieving would easily be a thing of the past once the quest was finished.

But Nori would have joined the quest regardless of whether or not there was reward in the end, because his loyalty for the line of Durin was unfailing. When they first came to the Blue Mountains, destitute and hungry, Thorin had welcomed them warmly. It didn't take long before he saw the great and noble leader the son of Thrain was. Suspicious of humans he may be, and with good reason, but he would follow his king and his princes through fire and death if they asked him to. He glanced down at the clothing in his arms, then toward the woolen doorway, swallowing heavily once more as he thought of the young woman's injuries.

He had been just as shocked as the others when Kili had exited the troll cave with the young woman in his arms. The last thing they needed, he felt, was a human woman amongst the group, and a weak one at that. He was grateful for her actions outside of Rivendell, however he strongly suspected that mere luck was involved in that incident. But he still distrusted her. The stares, insults, and beatings endured at the hands of men were not lightly forgotten. And he, like Gloin, suspected her eyes were truly on the vast wealth inside the mountain, for Erebor's riches were well known throughout Middle-earth and it was evident from their first meeting that she clearly knew who Thorin was and his status amongst the group.

But after seeing her actions in Goblin Town, the thief's attitude toward her had changed dramatically. For her to be willing to keep the quest a secret, to stand up against someone twice her height and many times her weight, and endure a beating to spare his king and prince from being tortured-Nori could not believe it, and would not if he hadn't seen it for himself. He was a thief, for Durin's sake! He knew thieves, and when faced with such a situation, most thieves, especially human ones, would not hesitate to betray their companions and try to save their own lives. It had happened to him many times before he finally decided it was best to work alone. No one in his thieving past ever attempted to protect those they tried to steal from! It would have been more advantageous for her to betray their quest in exchange for a part of the profits from the mountain, yet she did not do so. He was shocked, and he was humbled. For the first time in his life, a human had earned his respect.

And she paid dearly for it- the thief knew without a doubt that her wounds were badly infected the second he saw the filthy bandages. He had quickly done the task Thorin had given him- found dry clothes for the young prince, borrowed from Dwalin as they had all lost their packs when they fell into the mountain. The burly dwarf had compensated for the temporary loss of trousers and tunic by wrapping himself up in a thick woolen blanket in his long underwear and furs and sitting next to the fire, content to be there however long it took for the young dwarf's things to dry.

"Kili didn't mend these," the young scribe remarked, bringing the thief out of his thoughts. The dwarf king's gaze turned toward Ori as he held up the long underwear and pointed to the lines of white thread intricately woven through the gashes. "I've seen his stitching, and, begging your pardon Thorin, but it's terrible. This stitching isn't bad, but the style is very strange. I've never seen it before."

Thorin's brow furrowed, and he glanced at the slumbering dwarf. Nori glanced around his king's shoulder, and nodded. It was indeed a strange style, one that had never been used in Eriador as far as he knew, but the thief had more pressing problems on his mind than mending patterns and where the pair could have gotten thread and a needle in the wild. He cleared his throat awkwardly, causing Thorin's gaze to turn toward him.

"Are those the clothes for Kili?" Thorin asked, glancing down at the bundle in the thief's arms. Nori nodded, handing them off to Oin.

"Aye," he replied, avoiding Thorin's gaze. "Dwalin was more than happy to share his. They will be just a bit too long for him, and broad, though perhaps Dori can adjust them. Durin knows I'm no good with a needle."

"It does not matter," Thorin replied matter of factly. "He will only need them until his clothing is dry."

The elder suddenly frowned at the thief, who was nervously beginning to shift his weight from one foot to the other. The dwarf king's questioning gaze flickered to his now empty arms, then back up to his face.

"Nori?" he asked, and the thief hesitantly looked up, wishing the floor could swallow him whole. "Where is the rest?" Nori swallowed thickly.

"We...have a bit of a problem," he whispered after a moment, glancing discreetly around at the others as they began to head toward their bedrolls. The dwarf king fixed his gaze on Nori. "I-I couldn't find anything for Cira."

"Why not?" Thorin replied as he uncrossed his arms, and the thief swallowed nervously, suddenly finding his boot fascinating. "Did no one offer theirs?"

"They did," Nori replied quickly, and Thorin nodded. "But, well, you see...there are only three people in our company similar to her in height. Everyone else is, erm, too short, and their things, well...they won't...fit. At least, not in length, and..."

The thief trailed off, desperately wishing there to be a better solution than the one he had swirling in his mind. Thorin's mind turned, the pieces of the puzzle quickly fitting into place as he fully realized Nori's predicament.

Three people.

Kili's height matched hers, but his sodden clothing was now hanging up to dry. Dwalin's height exceeded hers by nearly two inches, but his clothing was now on the slumbering Kili. That left...

The dwarf king's eyes met Nori's, and he could tell that the thief had come to the same realization as his own. Knowing full well that Nori wouldn't dare voice the results of his conclusion to him, the dwarf king simply clasped his shoulder and thanked him for his assistance before dismissing him for the night.

Nori nodded, gratefully accepting the dismissal as he headed toward his own makeshift bed. Thorin's gaze then turned toward the hanging woolen blanket in the doorway off to the side, where the sounds of rags being rinsed in water had subsided.

XXX

A pungent odor met his nostrils as he entered the makeshift sickroom, causing the dwarf king to reel a bit. Sweet honey warred with pungent garlic as the paste was thoroughly spread across the now clean wounds.

Gloin reached for more paste out of the wooden bowl as the wizard softly chanted, his wizened hand resting upon the young woman's brow. The soft lilt of a language long forgotten spread throughout the room, speaking of ages and memory forever drowned under the seas to the west.

The dwarf king watched in wonder as he spoke, the words foreign to his dwarvish heart. Yet despite that, he seemed to understand. Images floated through his mind, of tall beautiful beings under star, of light and life and peace. Of a land where no sickness dwelt, and death could not touch. There was a sense of timelessness about the room, as though they had left Middle-earth and suddenly dwelt in a place untainted by evil. He did not need to be told that the language being spoken was the most ancient and noble of the Elven tongue. He knew he should be disgusted, but for a brief moment it seemed impossible to not see the beauty within the wizard's soft words.

Gloin slid the wad of bandages underneath her limp form, winding them around until her wounds were covered with at least three layers of fabric, before tying it off. The wizard uttered the last of his spell, before removing his hand from her brow. Rising slowly to his feet as though he'd aged suddenly, he sighed.

"I have done all that I can," he said quietly, looking to Thorin. "It is out of our hands now."

The dwarf king nodded, before glancing to his cousin.

"Get some rest," he ordered as Gandalf left the room. "Dawn will be here soon enough." Gloin nodded, yawning.

"Do you have her clothes?" he asked, sleepiness evident in his tired eyes. Thorin nodded, and the red haired dwarf brushed past him, heading for his bedroll. As he reached the door, the dwarf king turned around, meeting his gaze.

"Thank you, cousin," he said quietly, and the tired dwarf nodded.

"You're very welcome," he said, before exiting the room. Thorin watched the woolen blanket quiver with the motion, before becoming still. The last rays of light had sunk behind the mountains to the west, and the small room was now only lit with a handful of rolled beeswax candles spread throughout the space.

His eyes landed on the still prone form, and the woolen blanket draped over her. Eyes trailing over the woven yarn, he was relieved to note that no gaps to speak of were present. Gaze landing on her once more, the words Nori had spoken ran through his mind.

There are only three people in our company similar to her in height.

Thorin sighed, before reaching toward the clothing she was to borrow for the night.

XXX

Cirashala felt like she was frozen, and yet on fire at the same time. Flames seemed to jump on her back, burning her. Yet she remained alive despite the overwhelming pain. How was she still alive?

Everything hurt- her hand, her legs, her back. Stars seemed to explode in her eyes. She wanted to cry out, to scream as the pain threatened to tear her apart. Yet she could not make a single sound in the darkness.

But suddenly, the pain began to subside. Darkness faded until her eyes beheld the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Meadows of soft grass rippled at her feet as a soft, warm breeze blew. She could see for miles in any direction, and her eyes beheld wondrous views.

Trees extended to the north, their silvery leaves rustling in the wind. To the south, the trees proudly shone their yellow foliage. Not forests, she realized- two trees, one on either end. The silvery leafed tree emitted a cool light that seemed to rest on the surrounding land. The golden one shone with a very bright light, its rays reaching to the furthest ends of her sight and illuminating the world before her.

Soft singing reached her ears. She could not understand the words, but their beauty reached deep within her and held her entranced. Stars twinkled overhead despite the light, millions of tiny diamonds in a deep, dark sky. She had never seen so many stars.

Peace seemed to surround her, the weight of the burdens and grief upon her shoulders dissipating. The air smelled sweet, the scent of the grasses and the distant ocean mingling with the clean, crisp air. She was neither hot nor cold, and the white dress she wore fluttered in the breeze.

It was a bit large for her, but it was warm and very comfortable. She had never been so comfortable. The young woman began to feel sleep claiming her as the warmth settled into her bones, and she slowly closed her eyes, relishing in the beauty surrounding her until a pleasant darkness settled in once more.

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A response to guest reviewer SMCB: Wow- I'm glad you liked it so much that you sacrificed sleep for it! :D

A response to guest reviewer Ri-chan-I hope you had a Merry Christmas too! :)

A response to guest reviewer legolin12: Don't worry, explanations will happen! ;)

A response to guest reviewer Chartie: You are very welcome! I hope you've read it by now, and enjoyed this chapter as well!

A response to guest reviewer GreyGryph: I'm glad you liked the accuracy! I don't like it when I read stories where it's completely improbable, if not downright impossible, for someone to survive certain types of wounds. And with those in the family who work in medicine, it certainly helps! I love honey, and garlic, and mint, and all these other wonderful natural remedies for things!

A response to guest reviewer Kaia- Yeah, it's not going to be easy to hear. I doubt they'll say every single little thing that happened, and I'm honestly not certain if it will come up in conversation with the group as a whole- maybe with Fili, but I don't think the entire group will be privy to it. I had the thought that it's more of a personal thing to Kili, and I'll probably end up working that detail to that end :) I won't say more via guest review responses simply so that others aren't spoiled, but if you want you can pm me and I can let you know what my thoughts were regarding that in more detail :)

A response to guest reviewer Ari- I'm glad! I'm also excited (and relieved) to be able to finally update! Thanks a lot for sticking with it- I'm really glad you did :) Thank you so much for the compliments! As I said to someone else above, every single little detail won't likely end up being told to the whole company, but more of their story will come out and I hope you like the progression of it :) And I agree- the two were never meant to be separated!

A response to guest reviewer Samantha- Here's your update (my apologies for the delay). I hope you're still reading :)

A response to guest reviewer Rissa- I'm sorry for the wait, but real life is crazy (see author's note at beginning of chapter). To answer your questions, I'll go in order (and don't be upset with spoilers- I forewarn people that if they ask, they shall get :) 1. Yes, eventually, but not for quite some time, 2. You'll have to wait and see lol ;), and 3. NOPE- that's not going to happen (and I for one despise love triangles anyway). Dwarves only love once, so it's impossible for him to love someone else romantically now that he's fallen in love with Cira. However, said character will still be in the story, just altered a bit to fit in with what I think said character should have been (and what said character was at first, until said character got royally screwed up later, which I'm still mad about).

A response to guest reviewer Guest (first one)- Thank you! I'm glad you thought so :) I prefer realistic stories myself to ones that are so fake it's ridiculous. And technically this is part two ;) But I get what you mean :)

A response to guest reviewer Guest (second one)- Thanks! I just write it as I "see" it in my mind :) Thanks for being so patient- real life has kicked me pretty good lately :(

A response to guest reviewer Guest (third one)- Here's the update :) I hope you lived long enough to get it ;P

A response to guest reviewer Emma- Thanks! Here's the update- sorry it was so late in coming :(

Thanks to all who review, favorite, and follow- you guys have been so loyal and I am honored that you have enjoyed the story so much! :D :D :D