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

Gandalf watched as Beorn left his house, the young dwarf's strange words running through his mind.

She overheard Gandalf mention something about you to Lord Elrond back in Rivendell.

The wizard did not recall mentioning anything about Beorn in all his interactions with the elf lord, let alone within earshot of the young woman. He had been hoping that their trek through the mountains would be uneventful, and that there would be no need to stop for more supplies until they reached Esgaroth. And Thorin had hoped to avoid Rivendell altogether in the first place, much to Gandalf's annoyance.

So when the dwarves had purchased supplies in the Shire, they had made sure that their packs and pack ponies had been filled to the brim. Herbs for cooking and medicine, water skins, foodstuffs for when game was scarce, cooking supplies, weapons, blankets, spare clothing, ponies- all had been accounted for so the company would need as few stops as possible on their journey.

It had sent the poor hobbits into a tizzy to see so many heavily armed dwarves in Bywater, but Mr. Cotton had seen to the supplies as quickly as he could. The harried innkeeper was certain to make sure enough was present that the dwarves would have no need whatsoever to turn around and come back, and the wizard had heard a few choice words spoken under his breath at their departure that sounded awfully like "Good riddance!"

None of them had anticipated falling into the Goblin tunnels, though Gandalf was frustrated that Thorin had not followed his directions to wait for him before continuing on. The wizard was certain that their misfortune would have been avoided if Thorin had simply waited for him to leave the elven valley and rejoin them as agreed.

The idea to stop at Beorn's had been a possibility in the wizard's mind, but he had hoped to stop there only if the company had no other choice, as he was unsure whether they would be welcome or not. When Thorin and Fili had been injured, he had begun to form his plan to stop at the skinchanger's home once they were safe from Azog's orc pack. And even then, that decision had not been fully decided until the eagle's eyrie, long after the young woman and Kili had fallen into the chasm.

Her supposed death had ceased the wizard's efforts to decipher the riddle she had given him in Rivendell before leaving. He truly was terrible with riddles, the hobbits far surpassing him with that particular skill, yet he felt the need to solve this one on his own rather than bringing Bilbo into the middle of it. The grief over losing the pair had diverted his attention from solving the riddle to mourning their deaths, and trying to keep Thorin and Fili alive long enough to arrive at the skinchanger's home. Now that they were alive and relatively safe, and the pair had returned to them hurt but alive as well, the strange words she had spoken reentered his mind.

"Legends pass over hill and under dale

across river and into vale

over mountain and under stone.

Ages go by, til songs fade and stories are grown.

Those then who choose to open the door

will hear the legends speak again once more."

"Riddles and more riddles," he whispered to himself as he leaned next to one of the stall posts. A burning log suddenly shifted, sending up sparks in the fireplace with a loud pop. The wizard's eyes strayed toward the mantel situated above, where dusty books leaned up against other odds and ends. As the books drew his attention, the wizard suddenly blinked in surprise.

Ages go by, til songs fade and stories are grown.

His ears picked up the sound of Bilbo's voice two stalls behind him as he resumed reading to the unconscious young woman. The tale Gandalf recognized was a legend of old, when Eorl the Young and his riders rode south through the Vale of the Anduin to rescue Gondor from the Easterlings in a war fought long ago. With his help, Gondor succeeded in pushing back the invading Easterlings east beyond the Anduin and brought peace to the land. The king of Gondor had awarded Eorl and his riders that land as his own, and it became the kingdom of Rohan. Some of the woodsmen that still dwelt in the Anduin Vale had descended from those early riders.

"'And an oath was made that day'," Bilbo read, "'That forever shall aid come from Gondor to Rohan, and Rohan to Gondor in their time of need, and the beacons shall be lit. For thus were spoken the words of Eorl, King of the Riddermark.'"

Gandalf's eyes strayed again once more to the books on the mantlepiece, the strange puzzle slowly coming together.

Those then who choose to open the door, will hear the legends speak again once more.

The end of his pipe fell out of his mouth unnoticed as the wizard stared at the tomes, his eyes widening in shock as he finally solved the riddle.

"It can't be."

XXX

Bilbo finally closed the book, finished with the tale. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he set the book down beside him.

He supposed it was silly to read to someone who was unconscious, but he had heard it said before that they may still hear it and be comforted by it. Either way, it kept him from getting bored as he bathed her feverish face and helped calm the concern he felt as her fever refused to go down.

The hobbit glanced over at the next stall, where Kili was finishing his breakfast. Oin had warned him to take it slow since he had said that they had barely eaten anything after they had been separated from the company, so the dwarf had been nibbling like a rabbit for over an hour now.

Bilbo was thankful that Kili had returned to the company, as well as the young woman. He could see very clearly in the actions and expressions of the others that Kili's presence had been dearly missed. He often forgot that at least half the company were related to Thorin and the lads by blood, but he knew without a doubt that all of the dwarves loved the lads and their mischievous antics.

Oh, he heard plenty of creative curse words should the others find themselves at the receiving end of their pranks, some he was certain burned his ears and would never leave his memory forever, but he knew that they were loved all the same. The company's grief and actions the past two weeks had been evidence of that.

Kili finally sipped the last of his honey mead, and Ori took the tray to the kitchen to be washed. Bilbo glanced at the sleeping young woman beside him, before rising to his feet. Quickly moving toward the clothesline, he unpinned Kili's clothing and made his way back to their stall. The young dwarf glanced up as the hobbit entered his line of vision.

"Your clothes are dry," Bilbo stated, setting the bundle down beside the young prince. Kili smiled as he nodded, and Bilbo returned the gesture. The hobbit glanced over at Dwalin, who was losing a game of chess to Nori in the corner. The burly dwarf was getting very cranky as he stared at the three white hedgehogs guarding his bear king in the corner, cursing under his breath as the former thief triumphantly smirked.

Dwalin still had a woolen blanket wrapped around him, the burly dwarf adamantly refusing to have it tied about his waist "like a woman" in order to move about freely. The cranky warrior was almost glad to have the excuse to leave the game behind as he realized his clothing was going to be available soon, and stood up quickly.

Bilbo chuckled to himself as he told Nori in no uncertain terms was he forfeiting, but rather merely delaying the game until a further date. The expression on Nori's face told him that he most definitely did not believe Dwalin's reasons for leaving his position, earning a glare from the burly dwarf in question and chuckles from the others in the group.

Bilbo shook his head as he returned to the young woman's bedside. The company dispersed after Dwalin grudgingly admitted defeat, some going outside to spar, and others heading out to Beorn's forge in the open barn to repair damaged weapons. Dori busied himself in the corner with a sewing basket at his side, cutting out brown fabric for what Bilbo now knew to be a tunic for the young woman to replace her destroyed one. Fili readied himself to aid Oin in checking Kili's wounds before having his own arm tended now that honey was available.

As the cuts and bruises became visible, the hobbit found himself turning away, unable to look at what the fall and the lynx had done to his friend.

If Beorn wants proof, all he needs to do is look at Kili's chest.

Cirashala mumbled something in her sleep, and the hobbit's eyes widened as he leaned down towards her. A few more mumbles escaped her, but she made no acknowledgement of his hand on her shoulder, and Bilbo realized she was just delirious with fever.

"By Durin, I hope you wake up soon," he whispered to her, swallowing thickly. If he was beginning to sound like the others, his brain didn't comprehend it. "I don't want to lose my friend so soon after getting you both back."

XXX

Once Oin had finished tending Kili's own wounds, he turned to look at Fili's arm.

"Fee, what happened?!" Kili exclaimed as his brother's arm became visible. The angry scars were less red than they had been before, but they were still quite raw and spread along the entire forearm and partway up his upper arm.

"Warg got me," Fili replied nonchalantly, smirking though it did not reach his eyes. "Don't worry- it's worse off than I am." Kili's wide eyes trailed over the angry marks, the raised lines telling him a different story.

Oin began to clean the wound, and Fili hissed in pain, despite trying to stifle it. Kili's eyes trailed toward his brother, knowing that something was amiss. It wasn't like his brother to allow a warg to get so close, let alone cause such a severe bite. One glance at his arm told the younger dwarf that his brother was lucky to still have the limb at all.

"It's looking better, laddie," Oin remarked as he spread honey across the wounds. "You'll be able to start restrengthening your arm now. But no heavy fighting, at least not until it's healed more."

That last remark was directed at both of them, even if spoken to Fili, and the brothers nodded simultaneously. Oin then turned his gaze toward the younger brother.

"And you- no fighting at all until I take those stitches out and your ribs are healed," he admonished gently but firmly. "And you need to rest- you look as though you've barely slept since you got separated from us. And you've lost weight too, I reckon, with not having much food- take it slowly so you don't make yourself sick, but try to eat as much as you can while we are here. And drink a lot of milk- I've heard it can help strengthen your bones."

Kili nodded, and Oin stood to his feet. Glancing at the young dwarf, then at Fili, his gaze softened.

"Fili, lad, I know you've missed your brother," he said gently as Kili yawned despite himself. "But he needs to rest, and you need to start working on your arm if you want to fight with it again."

Fili looked uncertainly at his brother, clearly not wishing to go. Kili clasped his shoulder, smiling reassuringly.

"I'll be fine, Fee," he said quietly. "I will be right here when you come back, I promise." The young dwarf glanced sidelong at Oin, noting that his ear trumpet was flattened, before whispering to his brother.

"And I bet this old coot won't let me leave this stable even if he has to tie me to the post," he whispered deliberately, winking at the elder. Fili chuckled loudly, causing Oin to glare at the pair.

"I don't know what you're saying, laddie, but I have a feeling you know that," the healer grumbled, causing the pair to exchange a look, and the healer sighed in exasperation.

"Kili, if I catch you leaving this stable without getting some rest first, I'll make sure you stay put," he ordered, before motioning to Fili.

As they turned to leave, the brothers winked at each other, before Fili followed the healer outside. As his brother left the house, the twinkle in Kili's eyes died. Swallowing thickly, he looked across the way at the young woman, guilt and worry churning in his stomach once more.

Fili's arm, and Cira's back. Have I failed everyone I love?

"Bilbo," he said quietly, noticing that the hobbit was beginning to squirm rather uncomfortably. "Are you all right?" The hobbit nodded, though his grimace told another story.

"I can't leave her alone, but..." Bilbo began, glancing outside wistfully, and Kili understood.

"She won't be alone," he said, slowly rising to his feet. "I'll stay with her." Bilbo's eyes widened.

"But Oin just told you to rest," he protested, and Kili clasped his shoulder, smiling.

"I slept all night, thanks to his disgusting herbs," the younger said as he made a face, causing Bilbo to snort a bit. "The sun's too bright to sleep right now anyway, and I'll still be resting- just next to her, is all." Bilbo's expression was still uncertain.

"Are you sure? If Thorin gets angry-" he began, but Kili held up his hand and silenced him.

"If Thorin gets angry with you for needing to use the outhouse, then he can talk to me," the younger reassured him. "Besides, Oin told me not to leave the stable, not the stall. She won't be alone- I give you my word on that."

Bilbo nodded gratefully and scampered out of the house rather quickly, belying his earlier words. Kili slowly lowered himself onto the floor next to the young woman's bed, sliding the crate over to the other side of him so he could sit on the soft hay instead of the hard wood. Reaching into the bowl, he replaced the hot, dry cloth on her head for the cool, damp one in the bowl.

Dori had decided that the light outside was better for sewing, since the hay inside the stalls prevented anyone from lighting a candle without risk of fire, and had moved his project outdoors. The young dwarf could hear the sounds of metal clashing outside as the company busied themselves with training. The sounds of weapons clashing mixed with the occasional familiar ding of a forge hammer, and ponies neighed in the distance. If it weren't for the enormous furniture and the bees buzzing around, he could almost imagine he was in a barn in the human town at the base of Ered Luin. He had frequented that town on many occasions growing up since Thorin had established a dwarf forge there to service all their orders from the humans, and had been known to occasionally sneak off with Fili to play in the dwarves' pony barn behind the forge when they had a respite from their smithy training.

The young dwarf began to feel a bit homesick as he thought about Thorin's Halls. It had been four months since they last said goodbye to their mother. She had given both Fili and himself runestones when they parted, a tangible reminder of their promise to return to her when the quest was finished.

We both nearly broke that promise, Kili realized as he felt the stone in his pocket. His mother had dealt with loss many times in her life- the loss of her grandfather, her grandmother, her mother, her brother Frerin, and her husband. Kili swallowed heavily as he realized that she'd nearly lost her two sons as well.

"I'm sorry, mother," he whispered to himself as he leaned his head back against the stable wall. "I will not break that promise again if I can help it."

Cirashala stirred next to him, breaking the young dwarf from his thoughts. Glancing down, the dark orbs widened as her mouth began to move.

"Sweetheart," she murmured, brow furrowing in anguish. "Sweetheart, no- don't leave me. You can't die...the girls..." Kili gently reached out and smoothed her loose hair back from her feverish face, taking care to only touch her forehead as he swallowed thickly.

"I love you," she mumbled, before falling silent once more, oblivious to the young dwarf's presence by her side. Heartache settled in Kili's chest at her words, replacing the guilt from before. He would never hear those words spoken to him. She could never be his- she belonged to another, and he died in a wagon accident along with her two beautiful children. And Kili would belong to no one, for his heart was hers, and he could not have her.

The guarded expression that he'd kept in front of the others fell, though his tears were spent. Love and pain swirled in the dark orbs as he stared at her, concern in his brow. As he dipped the dry rag in the bowl to replace the one she'd knocked off in her delirium, a whisper escaped his lips.

"Please, Cira," he pleaded as he took in her shivers beneath the mound of blankets. "Please, don't die."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A response to guest reviewer Samantha S- here you go :) Sorry if it seems as though I don't update frequently- real life kicks me in the rear a lot (battling bronchitis for almost 7 weeks now and a migraine for three days, and my husband has a nasty case of it) but I update as I can :) To answer your questions (without spoiling others)- 1. Soon. 2. What he was told he would. 3. I don't think Kili needs to go into that much detail, especially as he will respect privacy in that regards. But it will come out eventually, just not for a long time and for a very specific reason. 4. Good idea- I like it :) I will try to incorporate some of it in here- thanks!

A response to guest reviewer Ri-chan- I wish :( He is sick AND I am still trying to recover from it :( I think he's been sick for over a week now and just now went into the doctor when he was too sick to stand up without almost throwing up. Stubborn, that one ;) Thanks- we appreciate it! Yes, he is :) And it's surprising the others as well ;) Thanks- I was hoping it would turn out well (trying to write with a migraine and kids trying their darndest to play quietly (and failing) while my husband slogs along in the background trying to go through things with their "help" in preparation for a charity/thrift truck being on our street in three days since I can't even move my head too fast in any direction without ending up on the floor dizzy and in worse pain is tough). Glad it turned out :)

To all who review/favorite/follow- please keep them coming! I really enjoy them, and they encourage me a lot! (Psst- I sometimes tend to update more often when I get more reviews, depending on whether or not my brain cooperates for me ;) :D :D :D