I had my elbows on my knees as I sat on the stone parapet, lining a balcony. The balcony held all but three members of our company – being Thorin, Gandalf and Bilbo –. The rest of them, however, seemed to be enjoying this second supper. There was a fire crackling in the center of it all while the company roasted sausage or other goodies over the crackling logs and fizzing bubbles of embers.

I sat a little way away from the company, my eyes fixed on the trees that swayed in the gentle breeze as I listened to them conversate and eat. I wasn't hungry, and I had informed them of this fact a few times. I was no longer in the aster pink nightdress – for the day had come and the sun had set long ago now – calling for a different set of borrowed clothing.

I had been given a pale smokey-blue dress that barely touched the ground around my feet. It was a gentle fit, with a belt tied around my waist. My green canvas jacket was draped across my shoulders, overtop the elven ensemble.

"You do the same thing. It's not like you didn't do it." Nori objected to a previous accusation I had failed to catch – lost in my sea of thought – drowning in the millions of unanswered questions that haunted every second of my day. I allowed those thoughts to slip from my mind as I turned my attention to the dwarves, finding comfort in their presence.

"Dori! Here, take that." Dwalin tossed a roll towards Dori who caught it out of the air with a jerk of his arm. Bofur was cooking a sausage on a fork while Bifur held a lettuce leaf, blackening the edges with the flame. Bofur looked from his sausage to Bombur, who sat on a wooden table. The table groaned a little with his weight as he picked at a plate of food.

Bofur looked sideways, towards me, and winked. I cocked my head in confusion as Bofur turned to look at Bombur and held up the sausage. "Bombur!" He called and tossed the link through the air, and Bombur reached out to catch it. No sooner than it landed in his hand did the table give one last scream of protest before collapsing under him. Bombur fell flat on his back and his lettuce salad flew everywhere. I couldn't help the cackle that burst from my throat. I leaned back, clutching my chest as I laughed joyously. The dwarves laughed along with me, but when it died down a little, I noticed a few of them stealing glances at me.

"What?" I said, while trying to stifle my grin.

"You've got a nice laugh." Fili smiled at me and I blushed before scoffing playfully. "It's true." Fili assured me with a little chuckle.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Nah, just the ones who kill wargs." Kili butt in and puffed a ring of smoke into the air. I wrinkled my nose as I grinned and flicked my fingers, allowing a small tendril of energy fly towards Fili and tug gently at one of his braids.

It was strange. The feeling of being comfortable with others. It almost hurt when I realized that I hadn't had this feeling for almost eleven years. There was an echo that seemed to drift through the air, and I turned away from the still laughing dwarves – who had now turned their teasing remarks on Fili –.

I swung my legs over the side of the stone railing, and I stepped onto the stairs that led up towards a small landing that lay before a set of stairs that turned right. I saw Bilbo up there, just barely able to make him out at the top of the stairs on the landing.

"I was waiting for this very chance." I recognized the distant voice of Gandalf drifting through the air. "And really, I-I think you can trust that I know what I am doing." He was saying. I walked up towards Bilbo a little and paused four steps down from the landing.

"Do you?" the voice of Elrond questioned skeptically. "That dragon has slept for sixty years, what will happen if your plan should fail?" Elrond questioned further, "if you wake that beast?"

I didn't process the sound of footsteps behind me until Thorin passed me on the steps and leaned against the railing behind Bilbo and to my right.

"What if we succeed?" Gandalf suggested, "If the dwarves take back the mountain, our defenses in the east will be strengthened."

Bilbo turned and noticed Thorin and I, standing a little way away from him. He smiled at me and exchanged glances with Thorin.

"It is a dangerous move, Gandalf." Elrond said with an exasperated tone.

"It is also dangerous to do nothing." Gandalf sighed. "Oh, come. The throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright. What is it you fear?"

"Have you forgotten? A strain of madness runs deep in that family." Elrond spoke, lowering his voice a little. But not enough. "His grandfather lost his mind. His father succumbed to the same sickness. Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall?" Thorin turned his head away from my line of sight, ashamed.

I felt sorry for him. After all he had done and been through, people still disrespected him. This must be another contributing factor to his aversion for elves.

"Gandalf, these decisions do not rest with us alone. It is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle-Earth. And that witch..." My head lifted at the word and I felt a pang of anger sting my chest. "She is dangerous, Gandalf." Elrond warned.

Bilbo looked at me and I met his eyes. It was only then that I felt my eyes welling with tears. "Valerie Everfell is a good girl. She is brave and has risked her life to save me and this company." Gandalf objected.

"If you believe her to be... then I will trust your judgment."