Bofur, Oin, Fili, Kili and Aspect had left the boat and was walking up the great hills to Erebor. Aspect looked around her. "This landscape is truly amazing," she said, smiling, as she met Fili's eyes. He lit up, and smiled back.

*

When the five of them finally reached the gate of Erebor, they stopped. In front of them was a big hole in the wall. They all looked at each other, before Fili ran towards the entrance. The others followed.

Inside, it was dark. "Hello?!," Bofur yelled loud. "Bombur? Bifur?" His words echoed through the great halls hiding in the darkness surrounding them. "Anybody?!"

They started moving further in, and found the stairs to the main hall. As they were running down them, they suddenly heard Bilbo.

"Wait!," he screamed, running towards them.

"Bilbo!," Aspect exclaimed happy.

"He is alive!," Bofur said surprised.

"Stop!," Bilbo said one more time before reaching them. "You need to leave." He stopped in front of the five of them. "We all need to leave." He looked them in the eyes, dead serious.

"But we only just got here," Bofur said confused.

"I tried talking to him but he would not listen..," Bilbo started, but Oin broke him off.

"Who?"

"Thorin!," Bilbo yelled. "Thorin," he repeated more calm. "Thorin, he has been down there for days. And he does not sleep, he barely eats. He has not been himself... Not at all. It is this place! I think a sickness lies on it." Bilbo stuttered out stressed and nervous. As he was talking, something had caught Fili's attention.

"A sickness? What kind of sickness?," Kili asked, and in that moment, Fili started running down the stairs.

"No... No, Fili!," Bilbo said as he started following him. "Fili!" The others followed right behind Bilbo.

An ocean of gold suddenly appeared in front of them. They all stopped. "Oh my God," Aspect whispered.

"I think you mean 'oh my gold', laddie," Bofur said with a little glimpse in his eyes. Aspect didn't react.

"Gold. Gold beyond measure, beyond sorrow and grieve," Thorin murmured to himself as he walked around in the gold sea. He noticed Aspect, Bilbo, Kili, Fili, Bofur and Oin watching him. "Behold, the great treasure hoard of Thrór." He threw a piece of treasure at Fili who caught it. "Welcome, my sister's sons, to the Kingdom of Erebor." Thorin opened his arms, and looked around at the gold with amazement.

Aspect walked down the stairs and stopped beside Fili. "This is.. This is incredible," Aspect said.

"I know, my dear Aspect" Thorin answered proud.

*

"I have been wondering for a while," Fili suddenly said. A few days had passed since their arrival, and the Company was searching for the Arkenstone, and Aspect and Fili had made sure to pick out places near each other. Aspect looked expectant at him. "How did you end up on Beorn's farm? Is he like your uncle or something? We were very lucky that you were there, that day." He smiled a little shy smile to her.

"No, it is a long story, but he is just some kind of family friend," Aspect said with a little melancholy. She had missed Beorn, the green fields and his farm, and being reminded on the world outside the darkness in Erebor was hard. "My friend, the wizard Radagast the Brown, introduced me to him, when I was a teen, so I had the chance to get to know others of my kind."

"What about your family?," Fili asked. Aspect sat down.

"I had one, once. Three brothers, my mom and my dad. My dad was great friends with Thranduil, and he had sworn to protect us," Aspect said, as she studied a coin. "I think that is why he is so protective of me now, he was not there for my dad when my family needed him - but it was not his fault. I do not blame him." Aspect looked blankly up at Fili, who had stopped searching.

"Aspect I am so sorry," he said, sitting down besides her and wrapping his arms around her.

"It is fine. Of course, things would have been a lot different then they are now, but I would never have met you," she smiled a little, sad, but happy smile. Fili returned it, before he kissed her head and let her rest it on his chest.

"Any signs of it?," they suddenly heard Thorin yell.

"Nothing here!," Fili yelled back, only barely lifting his head. They stayed like that for a long while.

*

The Company had eaten a small meal, and many of them had gone to bed. Aspect and Fili was laying in their knapsacks, talking. Aspect's white wolf-ears was out. It was days since she last had changed, and she could feel the full moon was on a rise.

They lay close, face to face, Fili playing with Aspect's white locks. "The elf," he suddenly whispered carefully. Aspect's ears twitched. Fili looked at them. "I do not mean to upset you." He looked back into her eyes.

"No Fili, it is fine, it was just a little unexpected," she whispered back. "Ask me your questions."

"Maybe we should go outside," Fili whispered. "I do not know if anyone else is awake."

"Only me, I think," Kili said in a low voice, not far away from them. "But do not mind me, just talk." He laughed a little, and just as he had finished his laugh, another, small giggle could be heard. "And that one," Kili said, laughing a little more.

"Who is it?," Fili asked, sitting up a little to look over the others. No one else was sitting up, and it all looked like they were sleeping.

"I know that giggle," Aspect said with a smile. "It's only Bofur."

"Ah, how could you catch me so easily?," Bofur said, still laughing as he sat up, looking over at Fili and Aspect. Aspect pointed to her ears, laughing.

"We will leave you alone for some rest. My body is itching for me to get some fresh air," Aspect said, standing up. "Goodnight, boys," she said before she left. Fili followed her outside to the balcony above the entrance.

They sat down on the big stone railing, dangling their feet out towards the darkness under them. "So the thing about Legolas," Aspect said, looking up at the night sky.

"The elf?," Fili asked, looking at her.

Aspect nodded. "He is one of my oldest friends. We grew up together, and became really, really close. And as we grew older, things got more complicated. Thranduil, Legolas' father, had promised my dad to protect me, and therefore he also wanted me to marry Legolas, when I grew old enough," Aspect explained. Fili looked shocked.

"I thought elves were very strict about who they were marrying, especially the royals," Fili said.

"I guess this was just an exception, maybe Thranduil just wanted to make Legolas happy," Aspect said before she continued. "Anyways, Legolas and I did have romantic involutions through the years, I cannot lie about that, but it was always something bothering us. I do not know what it was - wether it was the thought of Thranduil's wish or just me not being able to settle down - but it never went well. I ended up leaving Mirkwood when many of my peers started marrying. I think I was scared for what Thranduil would bring on me next, and wanted Legolas to move on and find himself a good wife." Aspect took a break, looking at Fili who was concentrating on her. She looked back, now towards Dale. "I guess I did not feel ready, and in a way I still do not. When I suddenly showed up in Mirkwood again, of course this time by mistake, I could see how happy it made Thranduil and Legolas. Thranduil told me all about how he had spared Legolas for me, like he was a piece of cake, and he made this whole party just for Legolas to propose."

"Did he?," Fili asked invested. Aspect looked at him with a little smile.

"No," she said. Fili looked reviled. "I think he saw how I wasn't ready. I think he just did not want to pressure me."

"Don't you feel ready for marrying?," Fili asked. Their eyes met.

"I do not know, I still feel too young - there are so much I haven't seen and so many places I haven't been, I just want to run free," Aspect said, looking over the empty fields in front of them. "But for the case with Legolas, I just think I am not sure he is the one." She looked back at Fili. "I think I would have been able to stay locked in one place for more than three days, if I was with the one." Their eyes met, and Aspect smiled. Fili returned the smile as he moved even closer.

"So you are saying I have a pretty good chance?," he asked with a smirk as he leaned closer. Aspect let out a little giggle as Fili stroke her cheek. He then grabbed her chin lightly, tilting her head a little up before kissing her. Aspect lay her hands on his cheek.

They broke away from each other after a little while, but barely leaning away from each other. "Yes, I would say that," Aspect laughed before she placed her lips on his, once more.