Far Over The Misty Mountains ...

"They always attack at night. Its easier you see, for them to sneak in to a camp and devour all who lay within it." Kili started, his deep brown eyes regarding Calla with a weight of seriousness. "They crave the taste of flesh you see. They lay in wait to pounce on tasty morsels like you."

A moment of silenced passed between the pair of them, Calla felt her skin begin to break out into a cold sweat, and she swallowed audibly, pulling Kili's coat closer for protection. A hot blush of embarrassment washed over her entire body as the dwarf princes dissolved into laughter, leaning on each other for support. Tears stung at the back of the young woman's eyes at the taunts, she was wary of a foe she had never even heard of, and they were mocking her for being so, the jibes cut deep into her heart.

"You think that's funny do you?" growled Thorin, as he rounded on his nephews. "You think its funny, the notion of being butchered by wargs and orcs? You think its funny to torment someone who has never experienced such devastation and bloodshed? When you have hardly stepped foot out of my halls yourself? You know nothing of the world." The dwarf king turned his back on Kili and Fili, who hung their heads ashamed, guilty looks plastered on their faces.

Kili reached out to squeeze Calla's shoulder as he opened his mouth to apologise, but she tore away from his grasp violently, dropping his coat onto the ground as she walked away to sit with her cousin, her shoulders hunched over sadly and her bare feet dangling over the rocky ledge.

"Don't worry about him lad" Balin smiled kindly down at the dark haired dwarf, "Thorin Oakenshield has more cause than most to hate Wargs."

"What happened?" asked Calla's muffled voice, clearly still listening to what was going on, even if she didn't want to face her companions. "It was when a legion of Orcs attacked and devastated our stronghold of Moria. We fought bravely all hours that the day provided, fought beside our King, Thorin's father. The battlefield was stained with blood and both sides were running thin, until he arrived. Arzog, the pale orc. A brute standing higher than the tallest of men, and thicker too, stride a massive white warg."

Calla's eyes widened at the description, gripping the comforting hand Bilbo had offered her so hard his digits had started to take on a blueish hue. Bilbo knew that she was fascinated and wanted to learn more, but her spirit was dampened by the joke the Oakenshields had inflicted on her. "Hey" He whispered to the red head, her soft features still focused on the darkened plains around them, "Look at me." Calla obeyed her cousin's wish, her pretty face turned towards him. He pursed his lips at the sight, but remained silent, using his thumb to wipe away the streaks of tears that had stained her normally rosy cheeks. "They meant no harm." the young woman sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes.

"The pale orc vowed to wipe out the line of Durin ... he started by removing the king's head. Ravaged by grief Thorin fought the beast, using only a broken branch as a shield. He wounded the Arzog and sent him fleeing back to the hole he came from. It was new lease of life for our troupes, and we came out victorious, but we had no cause for celebration, for our number of slain matched that of the enemy. And that's when we saw him, a blood stained prince, reclaiming a city and bringing his people together. That was when we knew we would follow him to the end, and we had found someone we were proud to call our King." Finished Balin, The entire camp was silent, watching the back of their king who stood, looking broodingly out onto the horizon.

"Come now, all of you, it is time for rest." Thorin murmured as he turned back to his company, a far away look held in his murky blue eyes. He went to return to his original resting spot, when Calla stopped him, gently laying a dainty hand on the rough metal of his armoured wrist. He regarded her soundlessly, his eyes searching her face for her reason for stopping him. "Thank you." She whispered, as she placed a kiss on the great leader's cheek, before going back to where the Oakenshield brothers sat in stunned silence. Without looking at either of them she gathered up her bags and walked away to make up her temporary bed between Bofur and Bilbo.

The chatter of morning birds had just begun to sing in the trees, and the sun was preparing to rise when Calla awoke. The dwarves, hobbit and wizard around her all still deeply enveloped in sleep.

She carefully stepped over her cousin, and made down a slight slope to a pool of fresh water just below the rocky out crop that had occupied for the night. She did not see the younger of the Dwarf princes sat against a tree on watch, his body disguised in the shadow of the leaves.

The water was cool and refreshing on Calla's skin as she splashed handfuls onto her face, trying to rid her eyes of any sleep and cleanse her skin. Her reflection looked back at her as she stared into the mirrored liquid, she looked tired and like she needed a good bath, her natural ringlets a little heavier with dirt and deep black bags lining the skin below her dark eyes. A reflection of a figure appeared behind her in the water, their face hidden in darkness, but their body outlined with the rising sun. "Kili?" She asked the reflection, but when she turned around he was gone.

"Kili? I know you're here." She scolded, standing and folding her arms over her chest, looking around her for the hidden prince.

"You are angry with me still." Came his soft voice from the darkness surrounding a sheltered set of rocks. He had made no move to show himself, but his voice was enough for Calla to identify his hiding spot. "Yes, I am. It was wrong of you and Fili to mock me so. I am a strong girl, but I know not what lies ahead of us. I have every right to be afraid of every foreign sound." she said as she stopped at the rocks, taking in the sight before her. Kili was sat, balanced on a flat rock, one leg folded beneath him the other hanging limply down the rock face, his head was hanging limply. "I will become accustomed to the dangers in time, but right now I'm just getting started, I thought I had a pair of protectors in you and Fili, but all you did was make me feel like a helpless child, who had been betrayed by the people who had promised to protect her."

He looked up at her then, and she drew in a sharp breath seeing the painful look of hurt in his deep brown eyes. "We still promise to protect you." He paused a second before softly uttering "I promise to protect you, we are sorry for causing you to hurt, I did not know it would effect you so"

Calla chuckled as she hopped up onto the rock beside the dwarf, laying her head softly on his shoulder, both of them watching the sunrise over the distant mountains "you are forgiven. But I wont go so easy on you next time." She mumbled, making a chuckle escape Kili's throat.

"There will not be a next time, I promise you."

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you." berated Bilbo as Calla and Kili made their appearance back into the very lively camp of dwarves who were scuttling about doing various activities. "Relax Bilbo, I went down to the water below, I did not decide to venture anywhere beyond the sight of the group." She reassured him with a small smile, squeezing his hand and placing a kiss on his cheek.

Kili left her side to join Fili and Thorin, whose eyes had not left the pair since they had reappeared on the ledge.

"Well?" Fili asked as he handed his brother a large bowl of grey looking porridge, "She forgives us." He mumbled spooning some of the breakfast into his mouth, trying not to drop it down the front of his blue tunic.

"Why did you follow her? She could have headed straight for danger." Thorin growled, but his eyes were soft, showing he was merely trying to come across as being tough on his youngest nephew.

"All the more reason to have followed her don't you think uncle?" Kili challenged, knowing he had been in the right.

"Indeed, at least she has forgiven you. I would not favour a journey with her angry words, and you repeating your apologies every time." The king said as he dropped the empty bowl beside his feet.

"Actually, I think she went easy on you, considering the outburst she had in the hobbit hole." Bofur grinned at the prince as he collected the empty bowls. "A fire cracker that one, with the temper to match her hair."

The three heirs of Durin watched the young female hobbit mill around the camp, being Followed by an angry Bilbo, who was still reprimanding her for her earlier disappearing act. His comments appeared to be falling on deaf ears, until she stopped dead still, causing Bilbo to collide in to her back, choking on his comment of "And another thing ..." She raised and eyebrow, and placed a hand on her cousin's chest, lightly pushing him away from her. "Bilbo, If you are going to continue to nag at me, kindly bugger off would you." She said sweetly, her face feigning innocence.

The whole camp, including the brothers and their uncle roared with laughter at the surprise on the male hobbit's face.

"And an equally as heated tongue." laughed Fili, as Bilbo backed off, leaving Calla alone to pack up her belongings.