Hey guys! I'm a little later than I wanted to be this time, my heads been a mess, but I'm here! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Xx

Review Response;

Conri Nightwalker: Thank you very much, and thank you for your support, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this chapter xx

Chapter 16

For the next week or so, we were finally at peace as we rested in Beorn's home. Since I couldn't do much because of my wound, I had often found myself spending a lot of time with the Skin-Changer helping him prepare meals, collecting honey, milk, nuts and berries and even helping him with the animals. I had become fond of his horses out back. They were beautiful black and white horses and ponies.

As we are coming close to our tenth day at Beorn's, I am beginning to get restless. Especially while I am watching the dwarves training. Balin has even decided to take Bilbo under his wing and take over my teachings for now.

I want to get right in there and train with them, but I knew if Oin caught me, he will probably try to stop me from fighting until we reach Erebor. Oin is just as bad as Dori with being the mothering type, if not worse.

When I wake up on the morning of the tenth day, I open my eyes to see Oin cleaning the wound on my side.

He notices me awake. "Good morning."

"Morning." I reply, groggily as I am still waking up. "How is it?"

"It is not completely healed, but I have been able to take out the sutures today."

I look to him in surprise for a moment before I sit up slightly and look down. The scar is still bright pink, which means it is still healing. Luckily, it has not become infected in this time, which I am thankful for. With the sutures now being removed, I can see the scar is completely healed over and is clean, thanks to Oin's marvelous suture skills.

Oin sits back once he finishes, allowing me to sit up fully. "I know you have been itching to do some sparring with the others, and now that the sutures have been taken out, as long as you are careful, I will allow you to train with them now."

I smile. "Thank you, Oin. Not just for the permission, but for taking care of me as well."

He just smiles. "There is no need to thank me, it is my duty to look after the injured."

I smile as I strap on my daggers to my back and leave the house with him, after having a quick breakfast, following the sounds of steel against steel. Smiling, I find the others in the clearing, some are training others are sat around.

Gandalf, who I have not been talking to since his announcement, is sat on a log smoking his pipe while talking with Beorn, Ori is on the ground sketching away, his brothers sitting oneither side of him. Oin joins his brother, Gloin, Balin with Bilbo at a quieter end of the clearing as he is instructing him and I smile as I see Thorin and Dwalin sparring with Fili and Kili.

Fili smiles as he notices me walking over. "Well, well, look who is finally up!"

The other three stop and look over. Thorin smiles as he walks over.

"How are you faring, this morning?" he asks after giving me a quick kiss.

"Good. Oin took my sutures out this morning."

He smiles again. "That is good news. Will you be sparring with us?"

I nod. "Yes. Oin has given me permission, as long as I am careful."

He nods and the two of us go to the others and we lightly spar with each other. The spar soon turns into a battle with Fili, Kili and I facing against Dwalin and Thorin. After a few moments, as our battle becomes harsher, Fili, Kili and Dwalin stop so they can watch Thorin and I, along with the other dwarves, who I hear start to take on bets to who would win.

I smile as I swing my daggers at Thorin. The last time we had fought like this was in Erebor and I forgot how much fun it was, just to spar for fun and not for saving your life. I see the smirk on Thorin's face and can tell he is having just as much fun as I am.

As I swing around for him, I foolishly, leave a gap open and he soon has me disarmed, my daggers flying off to the side. I can hear a few of the dwarves gasp in surprise, probably the ones who betted on me winning.

Thorin grins as he twirls Orcrist around in his hand. "Do you yield?"

I grin back as I take up defensive position. "Not a chance!"

He looks to me, an eyebrow raised. "You are unarmed."

I just smirk. "Come on, old man, scared you will be beaten by a defenseless girl?"

I know I insulted him twice then, calling him old and a man instead of dwarf. My intention is to make his irritation get in the way of his thinking so I can take him by surprise. It works as he suddenly charges towards me. I quickly dodge out of the way, making him run past me. I run at him, jumping onto his back causing him to fall face first into the ground. I pin his arms down with my knees so he can't use his arms, before pulling out a hidden knife from my boot and pull his head up by his hair, thrusting my dagger close to his neck so he could feel the blade, but not close enough to pierce.

I smirk as I lean my head close to his ear. "Do YOU yield?"

I hear him grumble for a while before nodding. "Aye. I yield."

I smile as I stand, pulling Thorin up with me before we go to the others after retrieving my daggers. Smiling, I bow as they all cheer.

"Well done, Cal! That was an amazing show!" Bofur exclaimed to me.

The others agree. I just smile and sit down as I watch pouches of money being exchanged. It turns out Fili, Kili, Bofur, Ori, Nori and Oin believed I would win. I am surprised Oin betted for me seeing as how he would probably kill me for fighting that hard. He just slaps my shoulder after checking my wound is still alright, which it is thankfully.

The rest of the day goes by peacefully. I sit back and watch the others spar with each other while talking with Bilbo. When Thorin finishes, he walks over and sits besides me. I smile as I lay back and lay my head in his lap, allowing him to run his hand over my hair. We stay there in silence, just watching the others.

"It would have been our wedding anniversary in a few weeks." I hear Thorin say quietly as he fingers my engagement bead.

I nod as I reach up and twiddle his silver ring. "Yes, I know. Do you. . .Do you ever think what our lives would have been like had we gotten married?"

"It was all I used to think about, especially when Dis married. I know life in exile would have felt less dark with you there."

I smile as I reach up and run my fingers over his cheek. "I do wish I was there. There were times when I would just watch the gates of Ered Luin from afar, and I wanted to walk through them and find you. . .I was just afraid I would not be accepted and sent away again."

I watch his expression turn from relaxed to sorrow. "I am so sorry about that day, had I known you were there, I would not have allowed you to leave. I did not know Burun had sent you away until I found your letter a week later."

I smile as I remember watching him and the others walk into that clearing. "It is alright. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Neither did you. What happened was not your doing, I know you tried your best to get us help. Thranduil is the one who turned us away, not you."

I give a small smile as we go quiet for a few moments.

"I saw you that day, you know." he looks down at me in confusion. "The day you found that letter, I had just put it on the tree before I heard you coming. I had enough time to hide in the trees before you stumbled upon my gift for you."

After finding out where the dwarves had stopped to rest, I had spent some time gathering up some supplies for them: food, medicinal herbs and supplies and some coin. I may have been cast aside by the dwarves just a week ago, but it will not stop me from helping Thorin and his people.

Setting a trail of apples, I put the sacks of supplies in a small clearing of trees I had found. I know this will not be enough for everyone, but I am hoping it is a start for them. I will continue to do my best to help them from the shadows.

Making sure everything is tied up properly, including the large buck I had caught for them, I sit on the ground and begin writing out a letter for Thorin.

'My Dearest Thorin,

Words cannot describe the relief I feel at knowing that you are alive. I have done nothing but worry about you and your kin for the past couple of months.

I cannot apologise enough for how my father treated you in Greenwood. I hope you know that I had nothing to do with him denying you help, as my intent was not to humiliate and anger you in front of him. I truly thought he would help. How wrong I was.

I know there is nothing much I can do to help you and your people right now, but I hope that this will be a start in helping you all. After hearing you had come this way, I tried to gain access into your camp last week, but was denied as soon as the guards saw me.

I can understand if you never want to see me again. I do not blame you after the double betrayal my father gave you. And so, you will not have to see again if that is your wish. But know this, I will still try to help you like this in any way I can. I do not want to see you and your people struggle more than you need to. I only wish I could do more.

I love you, Thorin, I hope you know this. I pray to Eru and Aule that we will one day meet again and maybe you will forgive me.

All my love, Caladwen.'

I look over the parchment, rereading the letter a few times to make sure it is perfect. I need Thorin to know how sorry I am this has happened. How sorry I am my own father could not help him. Satisfied with the words, I stand and take out one of my arrows, and pierce it through the top of the parchment, attaching it to a tree.

I step back as I look at the arrow, I know it is one Thorin will know well enough. Even though my arrows are the standard Greenwood arrows, I am the only one that will glue a ring of Durin blue ribbon around the base of the feather, bringing a touch of Thorin into them.

"Thorin! Thorin, here!"

Hearing Frein's voice, I quickly make sure everything is ready before climbing up a tree as I hear Dwalin growl.

"A trap?"

"Maybe. Weapons out and keep sharp." My heart stops as I hear Thorin's voice.

A few moments later, I watch as Thorin, Frerin, Dwalin and two other dwarrows I recognise as Anar and Hanar, who are brothers, come across the clearing. My heart skips even more at seeing Thorin. I can tell he has not rested well these past few months; the dark circles under his eyes being proof of it. They stop and stare in surprise and suspicion.

"Where did all of this come from?" Hanar asks in wonder.

"I am not sure. . ." Thorin replies as they all walk towards the sacks.

I look to Dwalin as he stops at the tree I am in, reading the letter I had just written

"Thorin. . .you should take a look at this." Dwalin says, his voice full of emotion.

I see Thorin spin around and walk over. My heart aches with him being so close. All I want to do is jump down from this tree, hold him and never let go. But, the words Burun spoke to me just a week ago hold me back. Instead, I just watch as Thorin's eyes widen as he sees my arrow, knowing my plan has worked; he recognises it.

"It couldn't be. . ." he breathes as he strides forward.

He reaches up and carefully pulls the arrow from the tree and reads the letter.

Frerin steps up to him. "Thorin?"

He turns to him and clears his throat before giving Frerin a smile.

"Caladwen was here. She's helping us."

These words cause a large smile to appear on the younger dwarrow's face.

"If she was here, why doesn't she show herself?" Dwalin asks.

Thorin shakes his head as he allows Frerin to read the letter over his shoulder. "I do not know. However, let's get this food back to the camp."

The others nod and Thorin begins to fold the letter when Frerin stops him.

"Hold on, nadad. She was at camp a week ago?"

"Apparently so."

"But, would we not know if she was there?"

Thorin nods. "We should have known the moment she came."

After a moments pause where the other two dwarves gather up the stag, Dwalin's head snaps up.

"Hold on, wasn't there a commotion last week? At the far end of camp?"

I watch as Thorin folds his arms over his chest as he thinks on this. "Yes, there was. When we got there, we were told of an intru-" I can see the moment he realises what happened. His body freezes, eyes darkening and a scowl appearing on his face. "They sent her away. . ."

I immediately sense the shock and horror come from Frerin and Dwalin.

"But. . .how could they? She's one of us. . .how could they send her away?" Frerin asks.

Hearing the emotion in Frerin's voice is enough to break my heart and almost send me to tears.

Thorin pulls his little brother into a comforting embrace. "I do not know, nadadith. But be assured, I will be finding out."

That is when they continue to gather everything together before leaving. I just watch them go, pausing for a moment as Thorin looks back once before following the other dwarrow. As I watch them leave, I recall seeing Thorin's reaction to me being sent away. Was Burun wrong after all? Did Thorin really want to see me, to keep me with him? I just shake my head as I turn in the opposite direction and leave.

"I would have revealed myself to you, but I was still under the impression I was not wanted."

He just wraps his arms around me and pull me into him. "I will always want you, Caladwen. I have you in my arms once more, and I will never let you go again."

I wrap my own around him. "Well, I know that now, if anything were to happen and we were separated again, I know that I can come running straight back to you without delay."

He smiles as he holds me close while we continue to watch the training. No matter what has happened in our past, now that I am with him, I am not going to let anything or anyone else get in between us and drive us apart. My future is with Thorin, and once this quest is over, and we can begin it as we should have years ago. Together as husband and wife.

Well, there we have it, Chapter 16 is done and dusted. A nice moment with Thorin and Caladwen there as they reminisce about their past and Caladwen is now thinking of their future, as they should. They deserve a good future. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all again soon. Please keep your lovely reviews coming xx

Translation;

Nadad - Brother

Nadadith - Little brother