Emery successfully manages to hide her progressed healing behind a limp for several says. Eventually, though, Kram returns to examine her condition, and she knows better than to try to conceal her leg's improvement from the seasoned healer. And so, a little more than two weeks after first arriving in Arda, she's declared fit to return to the forest. Though she understands the logic, she can't forget Aulë's message out of her head. He warned her that she must not leave them, but if the older dwarves are set on her leaving, how can she accomplish that without being more sly than a fox? She'd be too far away from the family outside the community, and too easily caught within. That issue aside, what about Fili and Kili? They are young children, and as such grow emotional attachments very easily. They would be so upset to lose their new pet. The thought of how to tell them crosses the minds of Dis and Thorin, as well, which is how they find themselves in the living room with Kili in her lap and Fili on Thorin's, tears on both of the boys' faces.

"But why?" Kili argues, hiccuping and wiping his running nose. "She's been a good girl, even with a facted leg."

"And she saved us from the bad snake!" Fili contributes. His nose is running, as well, so his voice is a bit nasal. Kili enthusiastically nods his head in agreement. Dis smiles sadly and wipes her younger son's nose with a faded handkerchief.

"She has indeed been well-behaved, but she is still a wolf, and wolves, like any other creature, need to grow and live in their own home," she explains.

"Your mother is right," Thorin says. "Wolves need to run freely and hunt, and she can do neither if she is stuck here." Fili reluctantly nods in agreement, and Kili, following his brother's example, gives a short nod and a sniff. Flika was sad about the decision, but didn't put up an argument, and is now sitting on the floor, feeding Emery bits of leftovers from breakfast. Tari, who came with her father to say goodbye to the pup, is sitting with her. Neither of them say anything, but both of them wear sad expressions.

After goodbyes from the girls and from Dis, Emery follows Thorin and his nephews through Ered Luin towards the gate. Since she no longer has a reason to fake a limp, she walks on her own between the boys. She draws weary and curious glances, and one dwarf pulls his children away from her. She expects as much, if Dis's initial reaction was anything to go off of.

It's not long before they reach the wood. Fili and Kili drag their feet and walk as close to Emery as they can. Thorin takes them a few hundred feet beyond the tree line, then slows to a stop and turns to give the boys a soft look that says it's time. Knowing better than to argue, they simply kneel beside her and hug her tightly, burying their faces in the fur on her back and sniffling all the while.

"You've been a good puppy, lassie," Kili says, his voice once again nasal. Fili nods in agreement. Figuring the goodbye would be easier with less sadness, Emery turns her head to the left and licks Kili's face, covering his cheek and eyebrow. He gives a little giggle. "Ew, gross," he says, wiping his face with his sleeve, getting the escaped tear while he's at it. Emery turns her head to her other side and does the same to Fili, who has a similar reaction.

"Fili," Thorin speaks up with a gentle tone, "Kili, it's time. We ought to head back now if we want to make it in time for supper." The older boy nods in reluctant agreement and lets go of Emery's neck. His brother holds on for a few more moments, then does the same. They each take one of Thorin's hands as he begins to walk out of the forest. Nora watches them go, not moving from her place. When Kili turns around, still walking, and waves at her, she lifts her paw in response. He cracks a smile, then turns back around. Less than a minute later, they disappear between the trees.

Now alone, Emery pushes up off her forelegs and shifts into her damling form. She looks to the sky and says, "What now, Aulë?"

After sitting for some time, trying to work out what she should do, a fierce rumble comes from her stomach. Figuring some food won't hurt the non-moving train of thought, she sighs and pulls her pack off her shoulders. Setting it on the ground and opening the flap, she reaches inside to grab...a sandwich, maybe? It's been a while since she's had one, and it sounds delicious. Two slices of wheat bread...mayonnaise slathered on both slices...two pieces of turkey lunch meat...maybe a couple of tomatoes...

Instead of a mouth-watering sandwich, however, she feels a piece of paper. Furrowing her brows, she pulls it out, unfolds it, and reads.

"No one said you have to stay away"

After thinking it over for a minute, she smirks. Well, you can't be blamed for not thinking of everything when you're thinking on an empty stomach. With that in mind, she returns the paper to the bag and focuses on that yummy sandwich.

Going back isn't as easy as one might think. She can't just walk right into Ered Luin. She knows better than to try and enter as a damling - she doesn't know enough about their culture to act without raising suspicion (who knows if she'd even end up staying anywhere near the Durinsfolk) - and she can't just waltz right in as a wolf, even as a cub. She may be able to sneak in if she's careful, but she'll need to be able to convince Thorin and Dis to let her stay. She obviously can't just tell them she's harmless, but maybe she can show them she's worth keeping. From what she remembers of The Hobbit, the first several decades after Smaug's attack were harsh on the dwarves of Erebor. Even now, they're donating and sharing within their community in order to survive as best they can. Dis is almost always able to provide a full plate at meal times, but the hunters among family and friends make sure of that. During her time in Ered Luin, Emery saw that food is one of the issues that the town struggles with. If she can help with that...

Liiiiiightbuuuulb...

Shouldering her pack, she closes her eyes and concentrates on the feel of her body. She imagines her feet thinning into claws, her arms growing into wings, and feathers sprouting over her skin. Opening her eyes is rather disorienting this time, because she's quite a bit smaller than when she closed them. She looks over herself, satisfied with her first change into a bird. It takes a while and several attempts, but she does get into the air and manages to fly. She doesn't allow herself to focus much on the fact that she's very high up and unsupported.

By the time she manages to fly somewhat unsteadily over the wall, night has fallen and only a few guards are awake here and there patrolling the streets. She lands in a small gap between houses, happy to be back on solid ground. Changing back into a damling, she reaches into her pack and pulls out two brown rabbits (figuring that's as many as her wolf mouth can carry). They're dead of course, but as if they'd only just been killed. She shoulders her pack and shifts back into her wolf form , landing on her forelegs. Grabbing the rabbits' ears between her teeth (strangely not as nauseating as she thought it'd be), she sneaks toward the main road and sniffs her way to Dis's house. Upon arriving, she simply lays down against the wall by the front steps and sets the rabbits down beside her.

I really hope this works...