The Promise Part 1

It was nice being back in Imladris. Though you liked traveling, you really felt at home here, though you knew that feeling would not last. You were a ranger after all and one of the last of the Dúnedain, well you say last, you knew all about Estel who will have his own destinty, but that's another story.

You had always worked alone and it was how you liked it. Keeping your eyes on anything that looked suspicious. Most of the time there was no trouble but lately, a growing feeling was slowly appearing to you.

This feeling told you that something bad was just around the corner and you hated this feeling with a passion. As you walked to your room in Imladris, you heard footsteps from behind you. Turning around, your eyes went wide, before you smiled at what you saw before you.

"Gandalf."

Gandalf the Grey had been a friend of yours for a long time. You were not at all surprised to see him here, in fact he had a habit of appearing when you least expected it.

"Helena, just the person I was searching for."

You raised an eyebrow, other than Lord Elrond and of course Gandalf, no one calls you 'Helena'. For a long time, everyone shortened your name to just 'Lena'. At first that did annoy you but as time went on, you grew to like your nickname.

"I never broke it!"

"Broke what?" asked the amused wizard.

"Whatever it is, you are searching me for."

You saw the twinkle in Gandalf's blue eyes before he chuckled softly to himself.

"I'm glad to hear it," He mused, before stepping closer to you "I need your help, young lady."

Your eyed him with sudden suspicion, you had a feeling this was big.

"I would like you to keep an eye on thirteen dwarves and a hobbit for a little while."

"Why?" I finally asked him, knowing you would not like the answer to that.

"Because I am needed here. Please Helena, just until I can reach you."

You looked at him wide eyed. You had thought that you would be keeping an eye on this dwarves here in Imladris, but the way he had sounded, it seemed that these dwarves were about to leave this enchanting place.

"Reach you?"

Gandalf then lowered his voice and informed you of what thirteen dwarves and a hobbit were really doing here in the first place. It seemed the leader, Thorin Oakenshield, was going on a quest to reclaim his home Erebor.

You had heard the tale of that mountain, who hadn't? That a dragon had caused mass destruction on everything he touched before taking the mountain as his own. As Gandalf goes on, you realise this is a suicide mission. No one could kill a dragon that easily. It was impossible.

"Why do you need me?" You asked Gandalf when he had finished his story "I am not like you. I can not use magic."

"No, but you do travel a lot and have seen many things. Thorin's directions are a lot to be desired."

You just raised your eyebrow at that remark then said,

"I do not think the leader and his men would appreciate my sudden appearance."

Gandalf had the gall to smile back at you.

"Do not mind that. Thorin will soon realise that you are quite capable of taking care of yourself. No, you will ease my mind if you accept this offer."

You frowned, you were used to being on your own. You liked walking or running at your own pace. Now Gandalf wanted you to do this for him.

"Many years ago, a certain lady pledged to help me should I ever need it," began Gandalf, watching you carefully "well, that day has come Helena. I need your help."

You did indeed say that you would help Gandalf should he ever need it. You never broke a promise, though you were not happy with this new situation.

"I will help you, though as soon as you reappear, I will leave. Understood?"

"Perfectly," grinned Gandalf, causing you to roll your eyes at him "you will leave with them now and I'll meet up with you and the others when I've seen Lord Elrond."

You had this feeling that Gandalf was holding back on saying anything else about this request and for once, you did not question him about that. You knew he would tell you in his own time on what was troubling him.

o0o

It didn't take long in finding the dwarves. The noise was a dead giveaway. You walked up to a table noticing several dwarves throwing food around the place. You sighed, knowing it was now or never.

"Excuse me." You said, to anyone who would listen.

They acted like you were not there, until you had, had enough and whistled loudly. This stopped the food fight amongst themselves as they all turned and looked at you.

"Now that I have your full attention, which one of you is Thorin Oakenshield?"

"Why do you want to know that lass?" asked a bald dwarf with tattoos on his head.

You arch your eyebrows at him.

"That is my business, is it not Master dwarf?"

I was about to carry on, when a small man walked up to me.

"He's over there, by the stairs."

You graced him with a smile, realising this was the hobbit Gandalf had informed you about. Though you knew you had never met a hobbit before, you knew they lived in the comforts of they own home.

"Thank you." was your reply, walking in the direction of the one dwarf by the stairs.

As you walked up to him, you felt him straighten himself up and slowly turned and faced you. You reached him, noticing he was watching you with narrowed blue eyes. You had no idea what his problem was, but at this present time, you didn't care less.

"I'm under the impression that you are Thorin Oakenshield, the leader."

He just muttered something under his breath, before acknowledging you with a nod to the head.

"Yes, that is who I am," He finally replied "what do you want?"

You sighed, wondering on how to start this.

"Hmm, Gandalf won't be able to travel with you for a little while, so he has asked me to step in and help you out until he comes back."

Thorin watched you carefully, not saying anything to you as you waited for his response.

"I do not need help from a human," He said at last "I've never have."

"Well, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Gandalf's benefit. So get your stuff together because we all have to leave now." You replied turning away from him.

"I beg your pardon?" snapped Thorin as you headed back towards the table full of the rest of Thorin's company "Who gives you the right to speak to me like that?"

You were not bothered with his hostility towards you. You raised your hand and grabbed hold of several apples, knowing full well that everyone was watching you and Thorin.

"Get your things together, we are leaving now!" You say to them, ignoring Thorin for the moment.

"Why?" asked the hobbit, looking worried.

"Gandalf's orders not mine." was your reply, placing the apples in your bag.

"Answer me!" You heard Thorin shout out, causing you to turn and face him.

"You do well to lower your voice Master dwarf. I do not want to draw any attention on us for as long as possible, thank you very much."

"I'm the leader here."

"Good, glad to hear that, now lets hurry, shall we?" You remarked, grabbing some Lembas bread from a plate "I would not like to feel Gandalf's anger, been there, done that, thank you very much."

You heard laughter from across the table and your eyes darted in that direction, seeing a dwarf with no beard smile back at you.

"Where is the wizard?" asked Thorin, watching you grab some cheese and more apples "I want to speak to him myself."

"That will not be possible," You replied "he is currently speaking to Lord Elrond in a private area. So you will have to ask your questions to me instead."

You actually heard Thorin growl, which made you look at him with slight amusement.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea you were part animal."

His answer was a glare that if possible, could kill you on the spot. You had a feeling he had always been like this, which saddened you somewhat. You knew he had lost a lot, you could understand that, but staying grumpy all the time was not healthy.

"I think things will be interesting now, don't you agree Fee?" You heard someone say, but your eyes stayed on the leader.

"Aye, but who is she?"

You drew your attention to the two dwarves that had spoken with a sheepish grin on your face.

"Where are my manners?" You began, doing up your bag "I'm Helena, though everyone calls me Lena. I'm a friend of Gandalf's. For the time being, that is all I'm going to say on that matter as we have to go now!"

"Do we have to?" You catch the sad look the hobbit was giving you "I-I like it here."

"We were never going to stay here in the first place." muttered Thorin, though you had heard him.

Placing your bag on your table, you went to the hobbits level and graced him with your own sad smile.

"I know exactly how you feel, but we really do have to leave now. Maybe one day you will come back here, um er-,"

"Bilbo Baggins." He whispered.

"Bilbo, nice name, but until then, you and everyone else will have to leave now."

You heard a lot of groaning, but you chose to ignore that. It was going to be one of those days, you could tell. Especially when you could literally feel the glare from the leader, Thorin Oakenshield on your back. You had to wonder what Gandalf was thinking in asking you to guide these dwarves and one hobbit for a little while. it really made no sense.

o0o

You were in the lead with Thorin you might add, taking no notice of the whispered tones coming from the others. You all had been walking for a while now and had learned the names of your new companions

"So, how do you know Gandalf?" asked Bofur, causing you to turn your head in his direction.

"I've known him for a long time." You admitted, now glancing up at the sky.

The sky was clear as you saw many stars coming out. That meant one thing, it was going to be a cold night tonight and frosty in the morning.

"And?"

"And, he and I are good friends. Gandalf, um, pointed me in the right direction, years ago, when I was on the brink of losing my way of life."

"Why, what happened?" asked Balin sounding quite alarmed.

It was strange, a little while ago, these dwarves were very suspicious of you, now it seems, they want to know who you really were. Glancing at Thorin however, you could tell he still hated you and that was fine with you.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not say." You found yourself saying, returning your attention to Balin.

"I'm sorry if I've upset you, lass. I never meant to-,"

"You haven't," You cut in, smiling at the old dwarf "its just that the past, should stay buried. I have to keep moving forward, I do not want to be where I was before."

For a while, there was no more chatter. You walked a little faster, remembering your past. Yes, some things should stay buried. You only stopped when you heard the usual signs of night animals.

"We will camp out here." You informed everyone.

"You are not the boss." snapped Thorin, causing you to sigh.

This was going to be a long night, you could tell.

o0o

~~Thorin's POV~~

Thorin had no idea what made Gandalf ask a human, a human lady, he pointed out to himself, to join his personal journey. This had nothing to do with outsiders and yet here she was, acting like she owned them all. it made his blood boil over. When Gandalf did reappear, Thorin would be having a few words to say about this new companion.

He had watched this Helena walk away from them, telling them she would get something to eat for their meal tonight. Thorin was a little put off when both Fili and Kili volunteered to go and help her and before he could object, Thorin's nephews followed this...this woman to Mahal knows where. They had been gone a while now and it angered Thorin even more.

"Relax Thorin, that young lass seems to know what she is doing."

"Does she?" sneered Thorin, facing Balin who was now walking towards him "I have no idea on who she is and yet, Gandalf seems to let outsiders in when it is really our business alone."

He was well aware that he was shouting now, meaning that everyone nearby could hear what was said but at this present time, Thorin didn't care.

"Calm down Thorin, there has to be a reason why Gandalf informed Helena in joining us. You will have to trust her."

"That's just it Balin, I do not trust her. You know how I feel about humans. It is bad enough we have a hobbit with us, now this woman. Just what was Gandalf thinking?"

"That is a very good question," Thorin jumped at the females voice before narrowing his blue eyes at her "though I will tell you this."

Helena walked up to Bombur handing over three dead rabbits before heading towards Thorin who was watching her intently.

"I owe Gandalf a promise and I am now repaying that. So until Gandalf is back, I will stay with you lot, with or without your consent, Thorin. I am doing this for Gandalf, not you."

She then brushed past Thorin, knocking him back a little as she went to retrieve her bags.

"Oh and one more thing," Thorin heard Helena say "if you want to have a discussion about me, maybe you should keep your voice down to a whisper. That way, your companions and myself included, will not be able to hear what's really on your mind."

While there was a few chuckles at Thorin's expense, he found himself growling at her. Balin gently squeezed his shoulder, but even his trusted friend could not control his anger. This woman was getting to him and he did not like that one bit.

~~Lena's POV~~

When you said you were going to get them something to eat, you had no idea that Fili and Kili would want to tag along with you. You knew the leader would not be happy about this, but what could you do or say. You just rolled your eyes as you walked away from the rest of the company with the two brothers in tow.

"Take no notice of uncle," began Fili walking in step with you "he has always been like that."

"I don't disbelieve that considering what he has been through."

"You know about-,"

"Erebor," You cut of Kili "Yes, I know about that. Who doesn't. Although, until Gandalf informed me on what was going on, I had no idea it was Thorin he was referring too."

For a few minutes, nothing was said, especially when you caught sight of tonight's dinner. Grabbing hold of your bow and arrow you slowly made your way towards a tree, keeping your eyes on the prey at hand.

Never taking your eyes of your prey, you silently prepare your bow and arrow. Without any warning, you then shoot out, killing the rabbit instantly. Taking no notice of the two brothers, you walked up to your prey and picked it up.

"I see you are good with archery," said Kili when you turned and faced them, noticing a grin on his face "what else can you do?"

You found yourself smiling at this cheeky dwarf. Even his brother Fili, was smiling back at you.

"I'm good with most weapons, though I do prefer my two trusted swords 'Destiny and Judgement'. I like being a little close to the enemy you see, make sure I actually hit the mark."

"Destiny and Judgement?" smirked Fili.

"Hmm, my swords."

"You named your swords?" asked Kili, trying not to laugh.

You didn't really find this funny, but you graced him with a smile.

"Yes, these two swords are named after two of my closet friends who are sadly no longer with me."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea...Though was that their real names or?"

You laughed at Kili's question and promptly shook your head.

"No, it was just a nickname I used on them, which kind of stuck."

"Do you have a nickname?" asked Fili, watching you intently.

"Yes. I was known as Shadow."

"Why?" asked Kili.

"Because I like to blend in," You admitted "observe things before I make my presence known."

Though it had been five years since your friends deaths, you still found it hard to open up about it. You were relieved however, when you spotted another rabbit. This was your cue to stop all talking for a while. In truth, it was painful to remember what happened that day.

o0o

Well, three rabbits was better than none. You were thankful that these rabbits were a little bigger, meaning there should be enough meat for everyone tonight. It was when you were heading back to camp, that you had heard Thorin shout,

"That's just it Balin, I do not trust her. You know how I feel about humans. It is bad enough we have a hobbit with us, now this woman. Just what was Gandalf thinking?"

You shook your head, taking no notice of the two brothers as you then walked forward.

"That is a very good question," You reply to this leader of the pack "though I will tell you this."

You walked over to Bombur and handed over the three rabbits. You then turned and walked back towards Thorin who you noticed, was watching your every move

"I owe Gandalf a promise and I am now repaying that. So until Gandalf is back with us, I will stay with you lot with or without your consent Thorin. I am doing this for Gandalf, not you."

You then purposely brushed past this grumpy leader and went towards your bags, grabbing onto them.

"Oh and one more thing," You turn a little, looking back at Thorin "if you want to have a discussion about me, maybe you should keep your voice down to a whisper. That way, your companions and myself included, will not be able to hear what's really on your mind."

There were a few snickers around you when you had said that but the truth was, you had hated speaking back at him like that. You could understand where he was coming from. You knew he had, had a hard time for a long, long time. He did not trust anyone that was not a dwarf.

It was a shame really, as you knew the rest of the company really looked up to Thorin. Oh well, just as soon as Gandalf came back, then you could leave these dwarves to get on with their journey.

You volunteered to help Bombur prepare tonight's meal even though he insisted that he was alright. Still, you helped chop up a few carrots taking no notice of the many eyes on you. It was going to be a long night, you could tell.

o0o

Not only was it raining, there was also thunder and lighting to match as you climbed up the steep mountain. There was a strange silence among you all as you walked on. You didn't like this and you had this feeling, danger was nearby. The more you climbed up, the more alert you became. The whole area was becoming dangerous.

"Hold on!" shouted Thorin

You turned around and made sure everyone was alright. When you caught sight of Bilbo however, your heart nearly gave out. Just as he had been walking, the path before him gave way, causing him to start falling.

You made your way towards him and was relieved when Dwalin was able to pull the hobbit back up. You sighed in relief when Bilbo was back with the rest of the company, though there were was no time to ask him if he was alright. You all had to get away from his pathway.

"We must find shelter!" came Thorin's voice once more and you nodded in agreement.

"Watch out!" cried out Dwalin looking upwards.

You followed suit and saw a massive boulder hurling through the air. The boulder hits the mountainside above you all, which caused rocks to fall all around you and the company.

'When I see Gandalf next, remind me to give him a piece of my mind.' You thought to yourself.

"This is no thunderstorm, it's a thunder battle! Look!"

Just as Balin had said that, you all glanced up and saw a moving rock throwing a boulder high in the air.

"Stone giants." You whispered, watching with fascination.

You had heard the tales of these giants high up on the mountains, though you had never witnessed seeing them. Until now that is.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants, Stone Giants!" You heard Bofur shout out.

You could actually tell that Bofur was happy with these turn of events but you wasn't. It was not safe staying here. You knew that this battle the giants were playing could hurt someone down here.

"We need to leave now!" You shouted "It's dangerous staying here."

"Aye, I agree." remarked Thorin.

You were shocked by Thorin's remark. You were expecting him to tell you to stay out of it.

"Take cover, you'll fall!" carried on Thorin.

Glancing back at the stone giants, you saw the giant throw another boulder, then another giant appears from behind you all and the boulder hits this giant on the head. By now, nearly everyone was told to hold on to something, while this battle war was being played out.

Sudden vibrations from the impact of the smashed boulders, told you that more trouble was heading this way...You were right, the ground between some of the company splits you all in half. Thorin and half of his men are on one side, while you and the rest are on the other.

"The things you put me through, Gandalf!" You muttered under your breath.

For one split second, no sound could be heard, until you quickly got back on your feet and checked on everyone.

"Is everyone alright?" You shouted out.

"I think so." You heard someone shout back.

You all pushed back any rumble that had fallen on you all and again you checked up on everyone, making sure they were really alright. Sudden footsteps brought you out of your own daze. You were actually relieved to see Thorin and the rest of the company ahead of you.

"We're all right! We're alive!" said Balin with a sigh.

"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?" asked Bofur looking at you and everyone else.

"I thought he was with you." You replied and frowned when Bofur shook his head.

"There!" pointed out Ori.

Everyone turned in the direction Ori was pointing and your heart lurched. Bilbo was holding onto the edge of the cliff and you knew he was finding that difficult. You watch as first Ori tries to reach the hobbit and was nearly successful but Bilbo's hand slipped from his, falling another few feet down. He managed to stop himself falling to his death, by holding onto another handhold.

Thorin started climbing down on the cliff next to Bilbo and grabbed hold of him, boosting him up. You sighed in relief when the rest of the company pull Bilbo back to safety.

Just as things were looking up, Thorin lost his balance and began to fall backwards. Pushing everyone away, you quickly leaned over and held onto Thorin's upper arm.

Without any warning, you pull him back up with help from Dwalin, Gloin and Fili. You could feel your heart beating at an alarming rate. You were just glad you had managed to reach Thorin in time.

You realised you were still holding onto Thorin and promptly removed your hand from his arm. As you looked at Thorin making sure he was alright, you noticed he now had a small smile on his face as he watched you, that soon went when Dwalin said,

"I thought we'd lost our burglar."

"He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us. Dwalin!" spat Thorin, brushing past you.

You frowned at his retreating form.

"This is not the hobbit's fault," You remarked "it was the stone giant's stupid little game they seemed to be playing that caused these events to happen."

"Pfft!" You heard Thorin say.

Nothing more was said and you purposely stayed by Bilbo's side, giving him a little encouragement. You knew it was not the hobbit's fault and you were angry at the way Thorin was treating his fellow companion.

A little further up the mountain, a cave had been found. Everyone except for yourself went inside this cave. You couldn't pinpoint why you did not venture inside, but there was a feeling of unease inside of you.

"It looks safe enough." said Dwalin.

"Search to the back, caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied." replied Thorin.

Dwalin did just that with a now lit up lantern, who soon came back saying,

"There's nothing here."

You actually jumped when Gloin drops a lot of wood on the ground and then rubs his hands together.

"Right then! Let's get a fire started." grinned Gloin.

"No, No fires, not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."

That feeling you were having was growing stronger by the second. Something in this cave was clearly not right. Raising my hands to where my swords were, I took out 'Destiny and Judgement' and then concealed them to the side of my coat.

You had done this several times in your life, when unexplained danger awaited you. This was no exception, you knew something bad was going to happen, though you didn't want to raise any alarm until you were completely sure.

This coat itself had been given to you by Lady Galadriel herself. She had said that this coat will prove useful in time. It was a strange coat, for one thing, it never seemed to get dirty. It was made from the finest silk. White in colour with a hood attached. It looked like a robe when done up but you knew different.

There were many pockets inside this coat which is how you had first discovered on placing your swords and other weapons in there. When you first did that, you thought it would never conceal them, that everyone would see a slight bump at the sides. That never happened however and too this day, this is what you did.

Slowly you stepped inside this cave, taking little steps. Looking around the dark cave for any sign of danger. So far nothing, but you were not fooled. You leaned against the wall watching nothing in particular unaware that Thorin was watching your every movement.

~~Thorin's POV~~

As he tried to settle down and get some sleep, Thorin found he could not. He kept playing that scene in his head where he nearly fell. Helena saved his life, he knew that, but what shocked him must of all, was the electricity that had seeped through him when she held him.

They say when you found your one you would know instantly. All his life Thorin never even thought he would ever find it. He had no time in any of that (still doesn't if he was honest with himself) soul mate business. Yet the moment this newcomer touched him, Thorin knew straight away that Helena was his.

'A human,' thought Thorin, now watching the lady herself 'can that be even possible?'

As he continued watching the lady in question, Thorin noticed her look around this cave with a frown on her face. He knew sleep was not going to come to him so he got up and walked up to her, making sure not to wake the others as he past them.

"I'm not one to say this often but," began Thorin, noticing her hand hold onto her side "thank you for earlier, saving me on that mountain."

"Your welcome," Lena replied though she was not looking at him "though please don't make a habit of falling of a mountain. I may not be able to reach you in time."

"I will keep that in mind...You seem troubled."

"Do I?"

"Yes...Is it because of my remark to the halfling?"

Lena finally looked at Thorin and sighed.

"No, what you said about Bilbo is none of my business."

"But something is wrong, isn't there?" Thorin pressed on.

Just as she was about to say something, Thorin noted that she was frowning again and was now looking at something else entirely.

"What's that?" Thorin heard Bofur say causing him to turn around.

The letter opener that Bilbo had, was now blue. Then the cave floor started moving causing everything in its wake to roll downward.

"I knew it," said Lena straightening herself up "everyone get out of this cave now!"

~~Lena's POV~~

Without any warning, you managed to pushed Bofur and Kili towards the entrance, seeing that some of the rest of the company were now going down the hole this cave floor had now revealed itself. You grabbed hold of Thorin and Dwalin towards the cave entrance noticing the floor slowly go back in its original position.

"What in Mahal's name was that?" asked Dwalin.

"I knew there was something off about this cave," You said out loud "but I wasn't expecting that!"

"Fili!" cried out Kili, looking at the floor that was now back in place.

You walked up to him and placed your arm on his shoulder, forcing him to look at you.

"We will get him back."

"How?" asked Thorin watching you intently.

"By following the trail of course," You sighed before deciding to tell Thorin and the rest here on who you really were "I come from the line of Dúnedain and for the past forty years, I have been working on my own as a ranger."

"And?" queried Dwalin.

"And," You repeat to him "it means I am good at tracking things."

Brushing past the four dwarves, you look to your right then to your left. You knew walking downward would be dangerous, considering if those stone giants were still around. Your eyes went back to your left.

"We have to climb up." You remarked.

"But Fili and the others fell down that hole," moaned Kili "and you say you want to climb up!"

"Have some faith Kili," said Bofur ever being optimistic "I'm sure Lena knows what she is doing."

You turned and faced Kili once more. You could clearly see the worry on his face. Well, on everyone's faces that is.

"We have to climb up to look for another cave entrance," You began, your blue eyes never leaving Kili's brown orbs "then, search for any passage leading downward...All pathways lead to the same place."

"Great, now you sound just like Gandalf!" muttered Dwalin, causing you to look at him.

"Hmm!" was your response, unaware that Thorin now had a faint smile on his face as he quietly watched you "Let us make haste. The sooner we find your company, the sooner I will feel better about that."

You turned and began walking still mumbling.

"After all Gandalf did tell me to keep an eye on you all and look what happened?" You shook your head in disgust "I should have warned you all, told you that there-,"

"It is not your fault," interrupted Thorin, grabbing hold of your arm, causing you to stop walking and face him "if you had said anything, I know I would have doubted you. The cave there, looked like any other. You were not to know what was about to happen."

"Aye I agree," replied Dwalin "the cave did look normal and I was the one that checked it out. So if anyone is to blame, it should be me."

"No," You shook your head, looking at Dwalin "it is not your fault. I just had this feeling that something was not right about this cave."

"Lena," Your eyes went back on Thorin as he continued speaking "it is not your fault nor is it Dwalin's. We will follow your lead."

You raise your eyebrows. You were actually getting used to Thorin's hostile little outbursts towards you. Hearing him say this, left you stunned to the core.

"Even though you are the leader." You remark, gracing him with a little smile.

"True," Thorin smiled back, which threw you a little, "but I trust your judgement. We will follow your lead."

You momentary closed your eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I promise I will get them back for you." You replied opening your eyes once more.

You placed your free hand over your heart.

"I never break a promise."

Though you knew Thorin meant every word he had said, you still felt incredibly guilty. It brought back memories to your own past.

'No,' You thought to yourself, trying to turn around 'this is different. I will find them and lead them away from what is down there.'

~~Thorin's POV~~

Thorin let go of Lena's arm with a heavy heart. In another time, he would have been furious with these turn of events. However, when he saw the sadness in her eyes, all the anger he had, went away.

When he heard her talking to herself, saying it was all her fault, he knew he had to step in. Now watching her walk up the mountain, Thorin sighed, trying not to notice the grin on Dwalin's face, who was right besides him.

"You found her then."

Thorin rolled his blue eyes though said nothing.

"A human," Dwalin then thumped Thorin's back "didn't see that coming!"

"Dwalin," Thorin warned "now is not the time."

"Aye," agreed his oldest friend "when we rescue the rest of the company, tell her how you really feel about her, before she leaves."

Thorin looked at Dwalin with a frown.

"As soon as Gandalf is back, your lass will take her leave...Claim her heart before it is too late, my friend."

With that, Dwalin walked on ahead, leaving Thorin to his thoughts. The very thought of Lena leaving him, filled him with dread. He would have to find a way for her to stay, though at this present time, no idea came to mind. Though that would have to wait, for his kin were somewhere in that mountain and Thorin only hoped that they were not hurt in any way.