I feel like I should do a really HUGE face palm because I said I'd update sooner but time seems to escape me everytime I sit down to write and the outside world never seems to leave me alone, so I am soooooo terribly sorry that I'm just getting this up but I'm writing again so please have faith in me and I shall update! Thank you all soo much by the way for favouriting and following, it means the world to me. (:

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tolkien.

Hope you like some brotherly feels. (;

Chapter 13: When The Day Breaks

As his fist slammed against the table, Calandra stood; her façade calm. "You really must settle down, your grace, if we are to figure this out like adults."

It was as if the glacial blue of his eyes had abruptly grown even colder. And just like that, everyone left the room, except the two of them. Calandra took her seat again, crossing her legs as she watched Thorin pace back and forth muttering things into the air around him. "You must take your troops down this rock shelf if we are to come together and trap them in."

"And I have told you, you need my men to walk into all of this with yours, I've brought the biggest army, that's what you need to face off against our enemies. Why won't you listen to me?" Calandra's fingers thrummed against the wood armrest.

Thorin grunted, briefly making eye contact with her then turning around to face the wall. "You're wrong; we need those men to surprise the enemy by coming out of nowhere and startling them out of their frenzy and into panic."

Her patience were wearing thin arguing about this without resolve. "With all due respect your highness, when have you ever led a tactical battle strike against any force in war? Besides that one time you rose up like the man you should've been from the beginning and barely saved your troops in the battle for Khazad-dûm."

You could've undoubtedly cracked an egg over his head and watched it sizzle after those words left her mouth. "What gives you the right to speak of such things? You're just an inbred beast whose father ran away and fucked a commoner because he was too bored living in those horrid Grey Mountains to care about anything else, including if the whore was even worth the fuck to begin with."

She didn't move, not one muscle, her penetrating stare only held Thorin's, but to him it felt as if she were attempting to crush his head with nothing but her mind. "That was unwise, I suggest you apologize now."

A frown crossed his face as she finally stood. "I will not; I have no reason to apologize to you."

"Apologize now or suffer the consequences." At that the dwarf laughed, but she was not trying to be humorous.

With a flurry of quick, sprightly movements she was in front of him, although his back was now planted firmly on the table, and she held her finely curved and recently sharpened dagger to his throat.

"If you are attempting to test my patience, you are doing a fine job. But if you wouldn't mind, I'd find it acceptable for you to apologize so we can get back to the matters at hand." Calandra watched as she pressed a little bit harder, cutting into the soft, scruffy skin just under his jaw where a thin streak of blood trickle down.

The fury inside him quelled, the discomfort giving him a sense of clarity; realization that she was honest in that she meant nothing but business here, she did not want to die nor for her men to die, she only wanted to defeat those who aspired against them so that they may all finally find some peace. He could see why Fili found her so compelling.

"My apologies, you have my full and undivided attention. How would you lead the march?" Thorin spoke with slow intelligibility as he watched her glare at him.

Calandra pulled back from him, stepping towards the maps while she sheathed her favourite blade. Part of her wondered if he was doing this out of amusement, allowing her to put in her thoughts and then crush them all beneath his

"Just listen to my advisement about this, I promise you won't be sorry." She'd never been so sure about anything in her life. She and Joe had stayed up many nights while travelling to the Lonely Mountain, trying to come up with the perfect plan of attack. This was, above all, the best plan they'd come up with.

Thorin bowed his head momentarily, looking down at the map and the iron figures atop it. It did make sense to do it that way. If the elves were to instead lead the ambush, it would have a far better outcome. "Very well, we'll do it your way. Alert your men and your advisor, we march in two hours' time."

With a nod Calandra straightened, giving him the first and only well-earned bow he would ever receive from her.

The dirt crunched under his boots as he marched, his older brother strode faithfully beside him. It was the first time the brothers had ever worn such heavy and proper armor; it was definitely something more than there travelling attire. "Fili?"

Fili's attention shifted to his younger sibling, a calming smile sliding across his lips. "It's all right, Kili. We're ready, everything will be fine."

Kili bobbed his head, his gaze reverting back to the front of the group where his Uncle led the way with two extra dwarf lords. He felt proud of his Uncle, the man who'd nearly gotten them all killed over his lust for gold was now leading their way into battle not for the reward of treasure or fame but for the sake of an end and perhaps peace.

The wind whistled through crowds, howling along the plains, it was enough to nearly drown out the drums for a moment or two. The drumming was enough to send sheets of ice down your spine, and looking around at the worried faces you could see that it was no confidence booster.

All he could do was hum, so he did. It was just a soft, low tune that reminded him of home but it seemed appropriate at the moment. They were fighting for their homes so why not hum.

"How many bodies do you think they'll have? Go on, take a guess." Fili's hand clutched the sword that hung at his side; it made his heart beat quiet slightly.

The younger brothers brows furrowed in deep concentration, his eyes squinting into the distance as if he could see the coming soldiers. "I don't know Fili; you know those goblins breed like sick, horrific rabbits. Plus it seems like there's always an infinite amount of Orcs, although I don't even understand where they come from or how they came to be-"

"Oh, hush Kili, I'm simply trying to lighten the mood you dolt." Fili's grin seemed to wash over his younger brother, giving him the same sense of safety he always seemed to have around him.

"Well numbers are only numbers; it won't really matter once you and I are out there hacking and slashing our way through them like evil, unruly weeds. There's nothing we can't handle together." Kili's wistful smile was enough to send a pang through his brothers heart; he still believed he was untouchable to all those that threatened him. Even after everything they'd been through…

"Kee, just stay by my side, will you? I can't have you getting lost out among those Orcs; otherwise we'll never be able to tell you apart." Fili's heart beat heavily against his chest.

Kili's mouth hung open over dramatically but it didn't last long before his smirk broke through. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen, brother. It'll be as it always has been, we watch each other's backs, through thick and thin, we never leave each other's side."

"Do you swear by the line of Durin?" Fili arched an eyebrow, his eyes stung at the thought of losing his baby brother.

"I swear, Fee, I won't lose you this day nor any other that comes to pass." With a final woeful smile, Kili reached out for his brother, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, lighting the sky in a dusty rose, the sunlight glinting off armor and shields. Even though heavy clouds hung over head, the sun was out now; at least they had this moment.