As they reached the city armory, Dwalin stopped them. Two watchmen walked passed them as the dwarves hid in the shadows.

'As soon as we have the weapons, we make straight for the mountain,' Thorin whispered to the others. 'Now, go, go, go!'

After her return, Frêllian had explained what had happened, which had resulted in Dwalin throwing a fit. Three dwarves had to restrain him as the angered dwarf had shouted he would murder the filth for even mentioning such things.

And even now, the dwarf wore a sour look on his face as Nori climbed up the pyramid of dwarves to reach the window on the second floor. Bilbo was next, followed by a limping Kíli. And soon enough, half the company was inside the armory collecting weapons. The other half remaining outside to keep watch.

As Frêllian inspected a sword, she could hear Fíli whispering to Thorin. Telling them they had enough, to which the older dwarf agreed. In a hushed voice he ordered everyone to store the last weapon into one of the bags, when a terrible clanging sound reached Frêllian's ears. A sound loud enough to warn the guards of their presence.

'Run,' Dori cried out after hearing running footsteps approaching. 'We need to leave, now!'

But before they could even think of running, guards had pointed their pikes at them, disabling them to escape. And from the startled yell outside, it seemed their comrades had been captured as well.

'Keep moving,' a guard grunted, while pushing Bilbo.

Frêllian growled lowly as she watched the hobbit stumble forwards, regaining his balance just in time. How come they had yet again been imprisoned? And with so little time left to reach the hidden door! They did not have time for this!

She snarled, snapping at a guard who was foolish enough to walk too close to her. Her mood already having dropped after the incident with the master of this cursed town. But the pokes she received every now and then to keep on walking made it even worse.

Though this time she wasn't the only one grumbling. For next to her, Dwalin was even worse than she was. Growling even, as he was pushed around.

'Careful now,' one of the guards warned as Frêllian growled at one of the guards. 'I heard the girl is a ferian. Put your hand too close and she'll rip it off.'

'Oh trust me,' Dwalin replied, his voice cold and low. 'It is not her you need to watch out for. Because I will rip your heads off if you even think of coming near her!'

It only took them a couple of minutes to reach their destination. The mansion of the master. There they were put to a stop as Dwalin muttered a 'get off of me' while pushing the guard off. Though Frêllian was focused more on their surroundings.

The commotion had attracted the townspeople, probably wanting to know what was going on. Yelling and muttering amongst themselves, as Frêllian was placed in line next to the others.

'What is the meaning of this?'

Recognising that voice, Frêllian turned her attention to the mansion. There the master was standing, struggling to put on his coat as he looked around. Behind him the slimy little weasel.

'We caught 'em stealing weapons, sire.'

She scoffed. They were planning to give them back once they were done. And if only that foolish pig of a man had accepted the deal, they would not have had to steal.

'Ah, enemies of the state then.' His beady eyes scanned the group of people before him. His eyes quickly spotting the platinum hair of Frêllian. 'So it seems I was right to deny your offer. You are no queen, just a dwarven pet!'

'Hold your tongue,' she could hear her father shout out in anger. 'You will not speak of my daughter in such way. Do you not know who you are dealing with here?'

'A bunch of criminals, from what I can see.'

'Wrong.' From the corner of her eye, she could see Dwalin walk forth, glaring up at the man. 'Frêllian is who she claims to be. And this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!'

He gestured at Thorin and the said dwarf stepped forward as well. Telling them they were the dwarves of Erebor. After hearing this, the townspeople started to whisper in shock, craning their heads to get a better view.

'We have come to reclaim our homeland,' Thorin continued, noticing he had gained the attention of the people. 'I remember this town and the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbour, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the center of all trade in the north!'

People nodded in agreement, listening carefully to what the dwarf had to say.

'I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from tbe halls of Erebor!'

After Thorin his speech, Frêllian turned her gaze back to the leader of this godforsaken town. His expression calculated as he seemed to take in everything Thorin had said. The cheering and clapping of his own people taken into consideration as well.

Suddenly a voice called out over the crowd. Stating that death was what they will bring the people of Laketown. Only death.

'If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all,' Bard finished, glaring down on Thorin. But he did not care, turning his attention back to the man that mattered right now.

'You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this. If we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain.'

'And what makes you think you can slay the beast,' Bard demanded to know. Obviously not believing the dwarf by his word. 'You are with just a handful. And from the looks of it, most not even warriors.'

'Yet all of us have come this far,' Frêllian finally spoke, her voice steady yet regal. Demanding all attention. 'I have lost count on the times we should have died. Yet we remain standing.'

'That alone is not enough,' the dark haired man stated, his attention now on Frêllian. 'Nothing can compare to fighting a dragon. You might not know what happened to Dale, but we know! We have not forgotten those who died in the firestorm.

And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain king so riven by greed, he could not see beyond his own desire!'

He turned to face Thorin again, the dwarf glaring at him. It seemed Bard didn't trust dwarves and their ambitions. And she could not say she blamed him.

But before either could say another word, the master of town spoke. Telling Bard not to be quick to lay blame on someone else, while his ancestor failed to slay Smaug. His finger pointed accusingly at the man.

At this, the crowd yelled out in anger. Blaming Bard for what his ancestor had failed to do. Which was quite sad actually, the young ferian silently admitted to herself. Having dealt with a crime she had not committed, she knew it was unfair to blame the man for what his ancestor had failed to do. But if they wanted to leave this town armoured, they would need the favor of the people. And right now Bard was standing in their way.

'You have no right, no right to enter that mountain,' she heard Bard say as he stomped towards Thorin in anger.

But the dwarf simply told him off by stating he had the only right. Then Thorin turned his head to face the master of Laketown.

'I speak to the Master of the men of the Lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people?'

There was a moment of silence, as everyone watched in anticipation for his reply. But when the man did not answer quickly enough, Frêllian clenched her fists impatiently. Suppressing a growl, she moved next to Thorin.

'Well, what say you,' she asked, though her voice holding a demanding undertone.

She watched as the man's eyes travel down to her, before looking back at Thorin. His answer slow as he pointed his sausage-like finger towards the dwarf with a smile.

'I say, unto you… welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome, King under the Mountain!'

'You shouldn't put too much weight on it just yet.'

Fíli glanced over to his brother as Frellian scowld at the younger dwarf next to him. 'I may have healed your wound the best I can, but the tissue is still fragile.'

At this, Kíli glared at the ferian, stating she was supposed to heal him completely.

Shrugging, she left the dwarf, making her way over to Bilbo. And as she passed Fíli, he could hear her muttering to herself about the ungrateful dwarf prince. Though he also noticed the dark circles underneath her eyes, contrasting against her pale skin.

An unfamiliar urge to defend Frêllian fell over the older dwarf prince. Why, he did not know. Perhaps it was because he knew her deplated physique was partly blamed by healing Kíli. And it caused him to walk over to his sulking brother.

'You do know you were shot with a poisoned arrow, do you,' he began, mad at his brother for angering the female walking ahead of them. 'Be grateful you are still alive!'

'I am,' his brother replied, angry himself as he glared at Fíli. 'But why didn't she heal me completely? I know she can, you know she can!'

At this Fíli shook his head. Apparently Kíli did not understand how the healing powers of the ferien worked, so he tried to explain. Hoping his brother would understand.

'Her powers come from the moon and when she heals someone during the day, her own energy will be used in the healing,' Fíli started, his eyes unwillingly traveling to the back of Frêllian. Noticing her frown as she talked to Bilbo. 'You might not have noticed it, but she was completely drained after she had healed you. Though she tried not to let it show, I noticed it.'

He paused. Debating whether or not if he should share his theory with Kíli or not. Then, after making up his mind, he continues.

'I think it took a lot of energy to get rid of the poison within your bloodstream. With all that adrenaline from that day, it might have caused the poison to spread faster than it would normally have done so.'

Kíli nodded as he let it all sink in. Slowly stating that what Fíli had said made sense. Then he admitted he had noticed Frêllian herself hadn't fully healed overnight as well.

Having overheard her saying that she might heal faster than others, she still had needed some time to heal completely.

'I think you own her an apology,' Fíli said after a moment of silence, to which Kíli could only nod.

He was about to say something, when he heard Thorin's voice boom through the air.

'We'll set camp over there,' the dwarf informed them, pointing into the distance.

'Near those rock formations.'

And with that said, the company continued their way. With only a short distance between them and their destination. And with the sky still clear and the temperature lowering, it was a pleasant journey. While the air might feel cold when standing still, the moving kept them warm. So soon, the found themselves at their stop for the night.

But were as most of the company were setting out their sleeping bags, one member seemed to be restless. Something that didn't go unnoticed, as both, Dwalin an Thorin had made their way over to the ferian at the end of their camp. Her restless eyes shifting over the terrain as the sun slowly set.

Whatever they had talked about, it clearly hadn't worked. For Frêllian remained alert to every sound and every movement.

And with the sun giving them less and less light, Frêllian shifted to her feral form.

Watching the giant wolf restlessly paces back and forth, Fíli decided to try and talk to her. Seeing if he could ease her nerves.

With secure steps, he walked over to Frêllian, though she didn't pay him any attention. Her yellow eyes staring off into the distance, seeing things he no longer could see in the twilight.

'What troubles you,' he asked as he stopped next to her, making Frêllian stop her pacing though her eyes never leaving whatever she had sensed in the distance. He waited for her to answer, but when she didn't, he continued. 'It's not Smaug you worry about,'

Fíli stated as he watched her intensely.

At this, the ferian seemed surprised. Her head turned towards him as she questioned him about his assumption.

'Both, my father and your uncle came to me,' she said. Her sweet voice now mixed with the feral undertone Fíli had almost forgotten. 'And both have tried to ease my mind and how we will be able to slay the dragon.'

'Which we will,' Fíli stated, but the ferian did not agree completely.

'Perhaps,' she muttered. Her eyes traveling to where the Lonely Mountain stood. 'But our quest isn't to slay the dragon. It is to get the Arkenstone and then we might have an army strong enough to defeat Smaug. And with my people at your side, that beast won't stand a chance.'

The she fell silent. A breeze brushed through her fur, making her ears twitch slightly.

'So what is it then, that makes you feel this restless,' Fíli asked softly. 'What scent did you pick up? What did you hear?'

'I don't know,' was her truthful reply. 'I can hear strange creatures in the distance. And their scent I have never smelled before. I do not know if they are friend or foe, but I do know they have been tracking us.'

Alarmed at this news, Fíli reached for his sword. What creatures had followed them?

What intentions did they have? And with the sky getting darker by the minute, it would be hard for the others to be able to see in the dark. Only Frêllian would be able to see them, at least he hoped she could. He had never heard her talk about her sight in the dark.

'No!'

At the sudden hissed outburst of the ferian, a few startled shouts are heard as Frêllian began to scowld at Bombur for starting a fire.

'We are near the mountain,' she growls. 'Only a fool would start a fire to signal our arrival.'

She stopped for a moment, before continuing in a much lower voice. A growl mixed with her words.

'Besides, we are not alone.'

'What do you mean!'

'Who else is here?'

And a few more shouts came from the camp. Some in anger, some in fright. But the ferian didn't answer. Instead, she turns her head towards Thorin. Telling him they would need to stay close. And quiet.

'I can hear movements coming from where we came from,' she whispered, before sniffing the air. 'They have come too close for comfort. I will try and see if I can track down our stalkers. But I don't want to come back and find you all in trouble… or worse.'

Though she had probably just muttered the last bit to her self, Fíli still heard her. As they still stood next to each other, he could see the troubled look in her eyes, even in the dark.

'I will come as well' he said quietly as Frêllian began to leave. 'If whatever is following us means trouble, then I want to help you.'

She wanted to argue, he could tell from the look in her eyes. But instead Frêllian just nodded. She sold him which way to go, staying out of the wind. Then they remained silent. Soundlessly closing in on whatever was stalking them.

After about fifteen minutes, Fíli could hear something in the distance. Something Frêllian had heard for a while now and now he understood her concern.

Heavy footsteps were heard, fibrating through the ground. The leaves trembling in the trees and bushes. And noices that sound like some sort of bellowing echo through the air. Paired with snorting and loud thuds.

Fíli looked over to the ferian in concern as she crouched down. Never before has he heard this kind of sounds. The bellowing and snorting remind him of cattle, but different still. And what was with the tremble underneath his feet whenever he heard a loud thud?

'I can't believe it,' he whispered as he followed the stalking ferian even closer to the noices. 'Are those…'

'Dragons,' Frêllian wheezed out in amazement. Her now smaller frame leaning down in the grass next to him. 'So the legends are true!'

Amazed at the sight before them, Fíli turned his gaze back to the quadrupedal animals grazing in the plain. A little bigger than your ordinary ox, though so different in appearance.

As the moon shined brightly, he could clearly see the scales. One of the creatures moved closer, stopping to graze only a few meters from their hiding spot. And eventhough Fíli was alert for any sudden movement, he couldn't help but stare at the creature. Mesmerized by its appearance.

From the beak like snout it used to graze, to the thick cedar like tail and strange looking legs. It did not walk completely on its toes, but not flat either. And the large frill at the back of its head was a real sight to behold as it moved its head. With six horns at the end of the large frill and a two foot long horn protruding from its nose. Long dangerous spears that would probably pierce its opponents without much effort. A dangerous weapon.

Turning his attention on the others, he counts a total of fourteen, including newborns and what appear to be juveniles.

And once again he wondered how he had never encountered these dragons before. Or heard tales of them.

Suddenly there was a startled bellowing and Fíli immediately grabbed for his sword. His eyes quickly shifting to Frêllian to ensure her safety.

But she was no longer next to him. Instead she had made her way over to the dragon as the creature looked at her in alarm. Its head tilted to the ground to show off its horns, snorting as the ferian moves closer.

'What are you doing?'

He had wanted to shout out to her, but instead the words had come out as a loud whisper. She had heard him though, he knew she had. But instead Frêllian chose to ignore him and continued advancing the mighty beast. Softly soothing it as she spoke.

'Frey, come back here! You're going to get us killed.'

Still she ignored his shoutlike whisper. Her arm extended as she reached for the dragon. Her hand only inches away from its snout.

'There you go buddy,' Fíli heard the ferian say as the dragon snorted. 'You've got nothing to fear.'

No of course these dragons had nothing to fear. There were with fourteen of them, while it was just Fíli and Frêllian. With the latter trying to kill them by doing something reckless. The foolish woman!

But now that he thought about it, Frêllian had never done something reckless for as far as the dwarf could remember. Only when angered. She had shown to rather think things through. So why was she reckless now?

Suddenly, the unthinkable happened as Frêllian softly touched the dragons snout. Gently petting its nose as the creature snorted in content. Its muscles visably relaxing at the touch.

'That's… thats incredible,' Fíli breathed out in amazement while watching the pair in front of him.

Frêllian moved to the side, her hand grazing over the frill and to the shoulder, making the dwarf swallow thickly. He had always thought her to be pretty. No beautiful! But as she stood next to this dragon like creature, admiring it, Fíli couldn't help but look at her in amazement.

The serene expression on her face eluminated by the light of the moon. Her hair gently blowing in the wind. She truely looked breathtaking.