Much Ado About Dwarves: Part Two B: A Dwarf and a Thief

[cat2000]

Chapter Six
Kili settled back on the table with his wooden bowl filled with the stew. He held a roughly-hewn wooden spoon in his hand and dipped it into the stew, taking out a spoonful that he then placed into his mouth and began to chew, swallowing it down.

"It's been a while since we had anything other than rations, hasn't it?" Fili asked.

Kili nodded, swallowing another mouthful. "I feared I'd forgotten what proper meat tastes like, rather than something we had to prepare and eat in a hurry."

"Then you've been running for a while?" Legolas questioned.

Kili shrugged. "The orcs don't want us to reclaim Erebor. I can't imagine they'll let us live here in peace, even though the dragon's dead."

"Then you'll need protection."

"We don't need an elf's protection." Bofur didn't raise his voice, but there was a note of finality to his tone.

Fili glanced towards Bofur, but didn't say anything. Kili was reasonably certain his brother agreed, though Fili did a better job of holding his tongue than most of the other dwarves. Kili was inclined to agree with Bofur and said so. "We held off a pack of orcs while in barrels with very few weapons between us. We aren't helpless."

"And yet you were still wounded." Legolas glanced at Kili's leg.

"That was bad fortune," Kili replied. "The orc shot its arrow at me from behind." He looked down at his half-empty bowl of stew and then glanced towards the pot still over the fire. "I need another bowl."

"Why?" Fili asked, even as Legolas stood to walk over and fill another bowl with the stew, bringing that and another spoon over to Kili.

Instead of answering his brother, Kili beckoned Bliss over. The human moved with wary steps, stopping at a safe distance from the table, and Kili held the bowl and spoon out to her. "Here."

Bliss eyed Kili before slowly reaching out her hand, as if suspecting Kili might suddenly snatch the food back. When Kili released the bowl and spoon to her, she mumbled a quiet, "Thank you," before retiring back to her corner.

"You're not going to alert the authorities here about her?" Legolas asked.

Kili shook his head, but didn't explain further. He resumed eating and then settled back slightly once his bowl was empty. "How long do you expect it will be before I can travel again?" he asked Legolas.

"The athelas will speed up your healing, so it will take a much shorter time than it would normally for your leg to heal," Legolas replied. "But it won't be very soon. If it was your arm, then you could still move - though you would be unable to use your bow."

"My bow isn't the only weapon I can use."

"But you appear to be the only archer in your company."

In reality, not many of the dwarves were true warriors; at least not anymore. Being forced to become nomadic and find work where they could meant that very few of the younger dwarves had been able to train for battle. Kili knew that he and his brother were the exceptions, because they were Thorin's heirs. "It's useful to have at least one long-range weapon. I always thought that elves could only use bows, but I see you have daggers as well."

A very faint smile touched at Legolas' lips. "It seems there are things we have to learn about each other."

"True, but I want to get my strength back as well." Kili caught Fili's eye and waved his bowl at his brother. "Get me some more. Please," he added belatedly.

Fili grabbed the bowl. Although he looked like he wanted to make a comment, he held his tongue and walked back over to the cooking pot.

"Well, I suppose we'd better be going." Oin climbed to his feet, putting his bowl down, and addressed Bard. "Would you like us to carry a message to Thorin?"

Bard shook his head. "Just make sure he knows how much of the town was destroyed when they awakened the beast."

"I mentioned that in the message," Fili replied. "I'm sure Uncle will do the right thing."

Kili, who knew his brother better than anyone, could tell Fili didn't quite believe his own words. Remembering the way he'd been dismissed from the company, Kili wondered if Thorin would fulfil his promise to the people of Laketown. He said nothing of that out loud, though, instead forcing a smile to his face as Oin and Bofur took their leave.

After the two dwarves had gone, Bard excused himself and he and his son left the house, presumably to see if there was anything he could offer his help with. His daughters left the house moments later and Legolas rose to accompany them after telling Kili and Fili he wanted to make sure there were no orcs close by.

Now that they were alone, apart from the human thief, Kili turned to his brother. "How did Uncle seem to you? Do you really think he'll keep his word?"

"I don't know. I already said I thought he seemed sick in his mind." Fili glanced towards the girl, before lowering his voice even further. "I don't know what kind of effect the Arkenstone might have on the rest of us."

Kili shook his head. "I'd rather not be exposed to it at all."

"We might not have a choice. If it's affecting Uncle, we need to see it destroyed - or at least taken far enough away that he'll go back to normal."

Kili frowned, a stab of worry going through him. "What if he denounces us as traitors?"

Fili tried to smile, but there was little humour in it. "If we can talk the rest of the Company over to our cause, we might be able to hold back his anger until the Arkenstone has gone far enough."

"And if the rest of them turn against us as well?"

A grim look came over Fili's face, as if he were contemplating their own mortality. "If it comes to that, we still need to do the right thing. Whatever the cost."

Chapter Seven
Since they'd started out on this quest, Kili had had to face the prospect of his own possible death several times over. Up until now, though, that possibility had always been imagined at the hands - or claws - of an actual enemy. Not his Uncle, who had always been more of a father to them.Fili must have seen how much that bothered Kili, because he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry about this. I'll take care of everything. The only risk will be to myself."

Kili shrugged off his brother's hand, annoyed that Fili was still trying to protect him. Only five years separated them, but there were times Fili acted as if he was much older. "I'm not afraid."

Fili shook his head. "I didn't say you were."

"But you think I am. I'm not a child, Fili. I'm old enough to know the difference between right and wrong - and old enough to accept the consequences of what I decide to do." Kili took a deep breath. "I didn't see Uncle when he returned, but I trust you. If you say he isn't acting like himself, then I believe you. And now that Erebor's been retaken, we're Princes. And we have a duty."

"Then if the Arkenstone is the problem, we need to remove it."

Kili sighed. "If Gandalf were here, he could advise us."

"We don't need him to advise us of what the right thing to do is."

Kili sat back slightly as he thought. "We should have sent a message to Bilbo."

"That wouldn't have been wise," Fili replied. "The message could have fallen into Uncle's hands." He began to pace the floor. "Bilbo's an intelligent hobbit. Surely he would notice that something's wrong." He hesitated. "But any loyalty he has will surely be to Thorin."

"And this is loyalty." Remembering that they weren't alone, Kili glanced over towards Bliss. Although the human didn't appear to be listening to them, Kili didn't want to take any chances. "We should continue this when we're alone."

"Her being here was your choice."

Ignoring his brother's comment, Kili caught Bliss' eye and waved her over. Hesitantly, the human stepped over to the table, though stopped at a safe distance away. "Is there something I can help you with?

Kili smiled at her, trying to act curious more than anything else as he asked, "How did you steal my bow without anyone noticing?"

Bliss glanced between them, hesitating before she replied, "I broke in while you were all in the town square." She shrugged. "It provided a good distraction."

"I suppose a distraction is good if you want to steal something," Kili mused, glancing at his brother.

Fili simply nodded.

"What happened to your leg?" Bliss asked.

"Oh, I was just attacked by an orc."

Fili snorted. "Just?"

"Does that happen often?"

"It's become more frequent while we've been on this quest," Kili answered. "I'm disappointed I missed the dragon. I would have had quite a story to tell Mother if I'd been there."

"I don't think you'd have found the dragon as easy to fight as you seem to think," Fili said.

"It certainly destroyed a lot of the town," Bliss said softly.

"Did you lose anyone in the attack?" Kili asked.

"I didn't have anyone to lose," Bliss replied impassively.

Kili blinked, a bit taken aback by that. "I'm sorry to hear that." He spoke truthfully, but was a bit confused by the fact that Bliss apparently didn't care about it.

"Your sympathy isn't needed," Bliss replied. "I didn't have a family, or friends, to lose." She walked back over to sit in the corner that seemed to have become hers, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

Kili wasn't sure what to say to that. He didn't think he could even fathom not having a family. From a very early age, Kili had always had his mother, brother and uncle. They might not always be open with their emotions, but there had always been affection there. Kili didn't think he could even imagine what it would be like to be completely alone.

Her decision to become a thief made more sense now.

"Kili..."

Kili blinked, turning as his brother touched his arm. "What?

Fili made eye contact with him. "She's not to be trusted. She could be lying about this."

Although Kili knew why his brother was concerned, he didn't think Fili was right in this instance. "She doesn't seem like she's lying."

"Not everyone is open, Kili - not like you are. Lying isn't in your nature."

"It's not in yours, either."

Fili shrugged. "I'm just saying. She did steal your bow - and it was only returned because Legolas saw her. She wouldn't have known you were wounded at the time, but even so, it's not like it would be easy to get another bow you could use."

"Still, I'm not only trained in using a bow," Kili pointed out.

"Legolas seemed taken by the fact that you're the only archer in the company. That might have played a part in his decision to save your life. Besides, I imagine we'll still need long-range weapons. The dragon isn't going to be the only foe we'll face."

Kili glanced in Bliss' direction. Although the human didn't seem to be listening to them, he lowered his voice further. "But before any of that, we need to go to Erebor. We need to see if Uncle is truly affected by something unnatural. Before we make the decision to betray him."

"It isn't betrayal, Kili."

"We both know that taking the Arkenstone will be seen as a betrayal," Kili replied bluntly. "And if it's affecting Thorin, then could it affect us as well?"

"We'll have to deal with that when it comes. My concern is that he won't hold to his promise and give some of the treasure to the people of Laketown."

"That worries me, too," Kili admitted. "When I can go to Erebor, we can talk to Uncle about this. Maybe..." He cut himself off, as the door was opened.

A thin woman with light brown hair walked into the house. She stopped, a surprised look coming over her face as she saw the two dwarves and one human standing there - and no sign of Bard or any of his family, who she was probably expecting. "Oh. You must be two of the dwarves who arrived in Laketown."

Chapter Eight
The journey back to Erebor was a silent one. Gone was the normal joking around and laughter that accompanied the group of dwarves. Thorin knew that none of them agreed with his decision to return, even though none spoke against it.

When they reached the entrance, Thorin turned immediately to Bilbo. "Where is it?"

Bilbo flinched slightly.

Balin stepped forward, between Thorin and Bilbo. "He's just had to face a dragon. He needs to rest."

"I need the Arkenstone," Thorin said. "Rest can come later." He raised his hand, but managed to refrain from physically shoving Balin out of the way. "I can't risk it falling into the wrong hands again."

"And whose hands would those be?" Balin asked. "Surely you trust everyone here."

"What if those humans decide to come and take the treasure?" Thorin demanded. "What then?"

Bilbo stepped forward, moving past Balin. "It's all right. I know where it is. I can take you to the Arkenstone." A worried look had come over his face, but Thorin thought nothing of it. After all, the hobbit tended to look worried most of the time.

As Thorin started to follow Bilbo into Erebor, Balin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Your actions now remind me of your Grandfather. Be wary you don't fall into the same trap he did."

Thorin shrugged off the other dwarf's hand. "I am not Thror."

"You weren't so young that you weren't aware of his obsession with the jewel," Balin continued. "You abandoned Fili and Kili to return here for the Arkenstone. Be careful it doesn't become more important to you than your family."

Thorin didn't make a response and just walked past Balin, following Bilbo into the heart of Erebor.

During the battle with the dragon, Thorin hadn't had a chance to look properly around the hall of treasure. He did now, noticing just how much gold and jewels had been gathered together. There was more than enough here to rebuild Erebor, returning it to its former glory and making it home once more.

Those thoughts slipped out of Thorin's mind as he glimpsed the Arkenstone. He didn't need Bilbo to tell him where it was. His feet led him towards the jewel, traipsing over the gold and other jewels as if they were nothing.

And compared to the shining beauty that was the Arkenstone, they were nothing.

As he reached the Arkenstone, Thorin paused a moment before reaching out, closing his hand around the jewel. There was a moment of resistance - as if he were trying to pull it free of thick mud - but then it was in his hand.

"Thorin?"

Thorin slowly pulled his gaze away from contemplating the Arkenstone, focusing on the hobbit, whose voice seemed to come from so very far away. "Leave me."

Bilbo flinched a second time, though Thorin hadn't raised his voice. "What about Fili and Kili? And Oin and Bofur?"

"What of them?"

"You have the Arkenstone now. Surely the time's come to make sure your nephews are all right?"

"I would be informed if they weren't. Leave me," Thorin said again, returning his gaze to the Arkenstone. "There is much work to be done. I will be there soon."

The sound of Bilbo leaving only registered dimly in Thorin's consciousness.

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Fili recovered fairly quickly and directed a charming smile at the new human before introducing himself. "I'm Fili and this is my brother Kili."

"And that's Bliss," Kili added, gesturing towards the human thief. "Did you want to speak to Bard? He left with his son to see what needs to be rebuilt. I'm sure we could give him a message." He considered suggesting that the woman write a message to leave for Bard, but he wasn't sure how many humans could actually write.

"I just came to see if there was anything that needed to be done. I work for Bard," the woman explained. "My name's Inga."

"Well, Bard's more likely to know what needs to be done than us," Fili said. "Why don't you wait for him? We have some stew left if you're hungry. Help yourself." He gestured towards the cooking pot.

"Thank you." Inga stepped over, filling a bowl with the stew. She smiled at Bliss. "How did you come to be here?"

Bliss merely shrugged. Her face didn't change when Fili spoke up. "She tried to steal my brother's bow. Kili didn't want to turn her over to the human authorities, so she's here."

"Oh." Inga looked surprised, but didn't make a comment. She didn't sit down and instead remained standing as she ate the stew. "Did you make this?" she asked between mouthfuls.

"Two of our company cooked," Fili answered. "You won't meet them yet, though. They returned to Erebor."

While Fili and Inga were talking, Kili walked over and sat down next to Bliss, figuring she looked lonely. He winced slightly before settling into a more comfortable position for his leg. "Have you seen dwarves before?"

"I've heard legends, but your group of dwarves are the only ones I've seen." Bliss glanced at Kili's leg. "Should you be sitting like that?"

"It's not as painful as it was." Kili paused before asking, "I guess you don't have anywhere to live, then?"

"As long as I can stay dry and find enough to eat, it isn't so bad," Bliss replied.

"What about when it gets cold?"

"That's sometimes a bit uncomfortable. I've found blankets with only small holes in that have been discarded in the past. It isn't so bad."

Kili noticed that Bliss didn't really seem to feel that sorry for herself. Her voice was calm and no emotion came through. "It doesn't bother you?" he asked.

"Why would it?"

"I suppose, if you're used to something, it isn't so bad," Kili mused, to himself more than Bliss. He and his brother had come along on the quest to support their uncle and for the adventure, but they'd never seen Erebor and it was Thorin they'd thought for, not the home they'd grown so far away from.

Bliss broke into Kili's thoughts as she commented, "You don't miss what you don't have."

Kili glanced at Bliss. He was almost certain his brother would tell him this was a bad idea, but he said it anyway. "If you need food and shelter... I can offer it to you now. Now that we have our home back."

"I don't think you really want to offer those things to a thief."

"We have a burglar as part of our company - he's a hobbit. I'm sure you'd get along fairly well with him." Kili paused, thinking about that. "Though Bilbo tends to get along with most people. He saved us from a pack of trolls just by talking to them."

"What did he say to trolls?"

"He told them we had parasites inside us."

"Parasites?" Bliss repeated.

Kili shrugged. "He knew what he was doing. It worked."

"Were you attacked here in Laketown?"

"The orc who shot me was part of a group that attacked us in Mirkwood. But we were attacked again here."

"Is there anything you haven't fought?" Bliss asked.

"Probably not," Kili answered. "The worst odds we faced might have been the goblins. Even the number of orcs paled in comparison to that amount. We also had a run-in with wargs along the way."

"What's a warg?"

It took Kili a moment to realise that most residents of Laketown wouldn't know what a warg actually was. "It's like a wolf," he answered, "but unnatural."

"Why do the orcs hate you so much?"

"I think they hate everyone," Kili replied. "But the leader seems to have something personal against the line of Durin."

"And you're from that line?"

"My uncle's the rightful King of Erebor." Kili paused before adding, "I suppose that means my brother and I are now Princes."

Chapter Nine
Legolas didn't expect there to be any trouble, but he still stayed with the two girls as they washed the dishes in the lake. He was on his guard, but kept his weapons sheathed.

A few people passing by glanced curiously at Legolas, but there was a subdued atmosphere about the town. The dead had been taken away and the wounded were probably being treated, but the events had still left their mark.

Although Legolas wasn't listening properly to the sisters' conversation, he caught a couple of words that indicated they were talking about their father. Up until now, Legolas had avoided thinking about what his own father's reaction would be to what amounted to Legolas directly disobeying his orders.

There was little chance he would get away with Thranduil not finding out about this. His father knew full well of Legolas' teachings under Lord Elrond and that Legolas had received some training in the healing arts.

It was possible Legolas would find himself accused of treason on his return.

Legolas wasn't so caught in his own thoughts that he didn't realise when the girls were ready to return to the house, though. He silently shadowed them through the streets, noticing humans moving around, still putting out fires and trying to repair what they could.

Before they reached the house, Legolas spotted Bard and his son, talking to a human who Legolas recognised dealt with his people. The merchant was clothed finely, but had apparently been helping to put out the fires, as he was stained with soot.

Bard's son noticed his sisters and left his father's side, heading over to the small group. He glanced briefly at Legolas, but didn't speak to him, instead addressing the girls. "Father's talking about marriage negotiations."

"He's going to get married again?" the younger girl asked.

The boy shrugged. "He wasn't going to, but Addison pointed out that he's going to get busier from now on. I suppose it makes sense for Father to consider his proposal."

Legolas turned his attention away from the children, not wanting to listen in on what was probably a private conversation. He kept a constant watch on their surroundings, though he knew it was unlikely there would be any danger at this time.

Orcs moving through a town during daylight would be likely to raise the alarm.

When they reached Bard's house, his children went in ahead of Legolas. To be honest, Legolas could probably leave now. He'd healed Kili and knew that the dwarf's life wasn't in any more danger. If he returned now, any punishment he received from his father would probably be lessened.

But Legolas couldn't quite bring himself just to leave without a word.

Walking into the house, Legolas was a bit surprised to see another human woman there. She smiled and straightened to meet him. "You must be Legolas. My name's Inga."

Surprised, Legolas glanced at the children, who seemed comfortable with the woman being there, and then at Fili. "You told her about me?"

"I mentioned there might be an elf joining us in a while," Fili answered.

Legolas would have made a comment about the clear lack of trust, but to be honest, he had been considering just that. He glanced around and noticed that Kili was sitting on the floor next to the human thief. Although his leg didn't appear to be paining him, Legolas still walked over to the dwarf. "You shouldn't be sitting like that."

Kili shrugged and indicated the girl. "I didn't want Bliss to keep coming back over here every time she answered a question, so I decided to sit and talk to her."

The words were spoken cheerfully enough, but Legolas could see a darker look on Kili's face. It seemed there was something troubling the dwarf and Legolas was more concerned than he cared to admit. "Did someone say something to you?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Legolas hesitated, glancing at Bliss. "Will you go and see if Inga needs you to do something?"

Bliss glanced at Kili, almost as if she were looking for permission. When the dwarf didn't say anything, she stood up and walked over to Inga.

Legolas sat down slowly next to Kili, letting his legs stretch out. "You look like something's troubling you."

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Until you're fully healed, you're still my patient. And it's important to take care of yourself emotionally as well." Legolas knew he wasn't nearly as skilled as Lord Elrond, but he hoped he could at least be a good listener.

Kili glanced towards his brother and didn't say anything.

"If you're concerned that I'll repeat anything you say to me, don't be," Legolas said. "You can trust me."

"What would you do if you wanted to do the right thing, but the right thing was what amounted to treason?" Kili asked quietly.

Legolas glanced at the dwarf, surprised to hear a measure of his own dilemma in the question Kili asked. "Sometimes you have to make a hard decision with no right answer. All you can do is what feels right for you."

Kili sighed, glancing at Legolas. "If I do the right thing, it might destroy my relationship with my uncle."

"He seems to really care about you. He didn't leave until he knew you were safe."

"He's different. He's been acting strangely ever since we came on this quest." Kili took a deep breath. "We heard the stories about the Arkenstone. Fili believes - and I agree with him - that the stone is responsible for Uncle's strange behaviour."

Legolas hesitated, not really wanting to admit this out loud, but Kili had just told him something personal and Legolas found himself wanting to reciprocate. "I've seen that kind of greed in my father."

"I thought elves were above all that."

"We're not perfect," Legolas said, smiling when Kili glanced at him. "I'm not sure where you got that idea from."

Kili snorted softly. "I never thought your kind was perfect."

"I never thought I'd see the level of bravery from dwarves that you and your brother showed."

"Well, I never thought an elf would save my life," Kili said.

"Your uncle saved mine first."

"That's why you saved me?"

Legolas shrugged. "I didn't know that until after I saw him when I came here."

"I'd invite you to visit Erebor as a way of saying thank you, but I think I might have to talk Uncle into it first."

"I imagine I might not be leaving Laketown for some time," Legolas said.

Chapter Ten
Kili wasn't sure what to say to that. He didn't think Legolas was likely to accept sympathy from a dwarf, even one whose life he had saved. He glanced briefly towards Bliss, noticing that she'd retreated quietly to one of the other corners, and then returned his attention to the elf. "I'm sure you can stay here for a time."

"I'll need to return to Mirkwood to face my father, but I do expect to be back."

Kili had already been considering the possibility of him and his brother being banished, if not worse, after they stole the Arkenstone. "You're welcome to come to Erebor if you can't stay in Mirkwood, provided I'm still there."

Legolas just nodded.

Kili was a bit relieved that Legolas didn't try to make him feel better. He knew he should do the right thing, no matter the consequences. "As soon as I can travel up the mountain, my brother and I are going to Erebor."

"Just the two of you?"

Kili shrugged. "I haven't decided yet."

Legolas glanced at Bliss a moment before speaking. "If you want to steal something, a thief would be quite useful."

"We have a burglar in our company." Kili thought a moment. "But he's in Erebor with Uncle."

"Then maybe he's too close to your uncle," Legolas suggested. "If you trust Bliss, then maybe it's better to persuade her to help you. After all, if it wasn't for you, she would have been handed over to the human authorities. She owes you."

"I don't think I like the idea of forcing her to help."

"You don't have to force her. Just think about it. Talk to your brother."

Kili snorted softly. "Fili would never think that was a good idea. He already thinks I'm too naive."

"It's to your advantage to use as many allies as you can," Legolas said. "I'm sure your brother would think the same."

"Why don't you travel back to Mirkwood now?" Kili suggested. "Once you know King Thranduil's reaction, you can send word back to Laketown and then my brother and I can start back to Erebor. It would at least give my leg a bit longer to heal."

Legolas hesitated. "I wouldn't want you to delay returning to your home."

"It won't be that much of a delay," Kili answered. "And I owe you that much anyway."

"I'll leave before nightfall, then," Legolas answered. He stood up. "But before I leave, I'll do some more hunting so you have enough to eat before you go to Erebor."

Kili nodded and watched Legolas leave the house. Fili moved away from Inga and walked over, taking Legolas' place next to Kili. "Is Legolas leaving?"

"He's going hunting and then going to Mirkwood," Kili answered. "King Thranduil may be angry with him for coming here and saving me. I don't want to abandon him if he has no home to go back to."

"You know Uncle won't be happy about that."

"Uncle is indebted to him as well." Kili paused to consider that statement more carefully. "Though I imagine he won't feel as strongly as I do."

"He wouldn't even when he was acting normally."

"I know. But if we can get the Arkenstone off him, I should have a better chance of talking him into helping Legolas." Remembering the elf's suggestion, Kili looked around for Bliss and then frowned when he couldn't see any sign of her. "Where did Bliss go?"

"I think Inga said something about her helping..."

"She didn't escape, then?"

"I'd think one of us would have noticed," Fili commented. "Did you need to talk to her?"

"Actually, it's you I need to talk to. Without her overhearing."

"Did something happen?"

Kili shook his head. "Legolas made a suggestion when I told him we were going to try and take the Arkenstone." He paused to glance at his brother, waiting to see if Fili would get angry with him for telling an elf their plans. Fili merely motioned for him to continue, though. "He suggested we use the thief we have here."

"I don't think we can trust her."

Kili shrugged. "She's here rather than having been handed over to the authorities. She owes her freedom to us."

"How free is she, really?" Fili asked. "She might not be locked up, but it isn't like she's allowed to leave. I don't think we should trust her. At least we know Bilbo's trustworthy."

"But he's also loyal to Uncle."

"Who do you trust more?"

"Bilbo, of course." Kili didn't even have to think about it. "But loyalty can be bought. We can pay her for helping us. And we don't have to make any decisions yet. Why don't we take her with us to Erebor and see what Bilbo's like there?"

"That's a good idea, Kili. Take a thief to where our treasure is."

"All I'm asking is that you think about it. I'm not completely naive, Fili. I know this is a risk. But so is stealing the Arkenstone. Bilbo's braver than I thought, but he might not be prepared to outright steal from Uncle. Bliss doesn't even know Thorin."

"I'll think about it."

"We've got a bit of time," Kili said. "Legolas is going to bring back some food for us. Once we hear back from him - or he returns from Mirkwood - we'll be able to leave for Erebor."

Fili didn't have a chance to make a reply before Inga came back into the room, guiding Bliss in front of her. Bliss' hair looked damp and she was wearing clothes that probably belonged to one of Bard's daughters - since they were likely nearer to her size than anyone else.

"Did Inga make Bliss have a bath?" Kili wondered.

"It looks like it." Fili eyed the human woman suspiciously. "I hope she's not going to try and make us have baths."

"It's not like we need one," Kili stated. He noticed that Bliss didn't seem too happy, but pulled his attention away from the human as the front door was opened and Bard stepped into the house, looking a bit tired and with his clothes ripped and stained in places.

"Father? Is it true?" The oldest daughter moved over to Bard.

Bard simply put an arm around his daughter, before addressing Inga. "Are you well?"

Inga nodded. "I was more fortunate than many people. Is there anything you need me to do?"

"You can return to your home for today," Bard replied. "I will let you know when there are less people in the house."

Inga nodded, saying a quiet, "Farewell," to the others before she left.

"Father?"

Bard sighed and squeezed his daughter gently. "I haven't made any decisions yet."