The chill, freezing wind whipped around the mountain sending flurries of loose snow down the steep sides. Fíli and Kíli shivered in their cloaks whilst trying to see through the dark for strangers traveling in the mountains.  "Kíli, are you sure that we're supposed to be on guard tonight? After all, Uncle Thorin said no one was supposed to guard this bridge during these winter months," Fíli spoke, shattering the silence previously only broken by the wind whistling through the cracks and chisels of the mountain wall.

"Fíli," Kíli tried to talk without his teeth chattering. "I don't know. All that happened was this, I was walking down one of the halls when Vidar said that we were to guard the bridge."

"Didn't you ask him if Uncle said so?" asked Fíli incredulously.

"Aye, I did," Kíli retorted, "and he said Thorin had said so. He also added a great many pieces of nonsense after Thorin's name like 'May his beard forever grow.'"

Fíli laughed at his brother's impersonation of Vidar. But then he grew serious. "How do we know if he was lying? You should have asked Uncle himself."

"I know and I'm sorry. But what if he was telling the truth? What then? Am I supposed to tell Thorin that I doubted Vidar's message?"

"You still should have asked him. I would have," Fíli finished with a smirk and gazed onto the broad pathway again. Kíli rolled his eyes. His brother had made a good point, but then Kíli was not his brother.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of hooves galloping towards the mountain. Instinctively, Fíli and Kíli lowered their spears and held their shields close, staring at the gathering gloom of twilight in the mountains. Clippity-clop, the sound drew closer.

The rider and horse had stopped right in front of them and Fíli challenged in a rather loud voice, "Who dares to enter the Dwarvish Kingdom in the Blue Mountains?" They heard a thud and the rider dismounted.

"I have come on business with Thorin Oakinshield," a feminine voice spoke. Fíli and Kíli glanced at each other.

"Who are you, and what is your business with Thorin Oakinshield?" Fíli asked again.

"My name is my own, and my business is private," the voice answered again. Fíli and Kíli could see that the rider must be a dwarf since the height was the same.

"If you won't tell us, we can't let you through," Fíli's exasperated voice replied.

"Fine, go tell Thorin Oakinshield that Rhonwen, daughter of Falin, son of Fundin has come back from a mission to Erebor."

Fíli then signaled to Kíli to guard her and ran with all haste to Thorin. He entered the Council Chamber as it was called, panting hard.

Thorin called out in his deep voice, "Fíli, why are you covered in snow? And where's Kíli?"

"That's--what--I came to tell you," Fíli replied, panting.

"Go on," encouraged Thorin.

"We were told by Vidar to guard the gate to the bridge."

"What?!!" Thorin exclaimed. Fíli noticed for the first time that Vidar was in the room. Thorin turned to him in anger. "You sent my nephews to brave to cold, guarding the gate when I explicitly said that that was unnecessary?" Vidar said nothing.

"Uncle," Fíli broke in, "There is a female dwarf out there, who says she has business with you."

Thorin looked puzzeled. "What is her name?"

"Rhonwen, daughter of Falin, son of Fundin."

"Why that's my brother," exclaimed Balin and Dwalin at the same time. They were part of the council.

Thorin spoke, "Yes, I sent her father, Falin, on a mission several years after the year Smaug, may his rest ever be cursed, destroyed Erebor."

"Yes," Fíli replied, quirking his brows. "She did mention a place called Erebor."

"Let her in by all means. Let us hear what she has to say," Thorin commanded. Fíli ran off.

Meanwhile, after Fíli left them, Kíli and Rhonwen had been in complete silence. Rhonwen stared at the mountain's double entrance doors and Kíli stared at her, watching her every move, making sure that she wouldn't escape. But she did not and the heavy silence grew awkward.

Then Fíli came running up shouting, "Let her pass. Horse, baggage and all. Thorin wishes to speak with her. And Kíli," he laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Vidar tricked us." They both laughed. Only Rhonwen, who had no idea of what it was about, started forward towards the gate.

Eventually, they all ended up in the coucil chamber. Rhonwen still had her cloak's hood pulled over her face. She strode forward, and kneeled briefly in front of Thorin before saying, "Well met Thorin Oakinshield, son of Thrain, son of Thrór, King under the Mountain." Thorin started at those last words, but her voice had no contempt, only great sadness.

"Pull off your hood," Thorin commanded. She did so and there was a great, sharp intake of breath by all occupants of the room.

Fíli spoke next. "Why don't you have a beard like all proper dwarves?"

"My father married a woman from Esgaroth, or Lake-Town as it is now called. She was part dwarf, but she had no beard either."

"What- why did you come?" Thorin interjected, quite eager to change the awkward conversation.

"Long ago, you sent--no, asked--my father to try to find a way into Erebor since the cursed worm, Smaug, destroyed that city."

Excitedly, Thorin interrupted, "And? Did he succeed?"

"Aye, mayhaps. He entered twice. After the first time, he came back and went away to some waxer's shop and finally came home with a small, smooth, white ball. Here it is." She procured the object and placed it in Thorin's hands. Slowly and carefully, he cracked the wax. Among the crumbled remains sat a beautiful emerald ring. He lifted it up into the light.

"The Ring of Kingship," he breathed.

Rhonwen gazed upon it like the rest. Then at a nod from Thorin, she continued. "The second time he entered, he never came back. My mother died at my brother's birth. It was just us two. A year later, my brother died and I started on the journey here. That was three years ago."

"What kept you? What made the journey take so long?" Thorin asked.

"I was held by the Elven-King Thranduil for a few years till I escaped." She finished. There didn't seem much else to say.

Thorin then called for Dís and asked her to find a room for the newcomer.

Well, what do you think?  Oh, and did you catch on the name of the 'fallen' brother of Balin and Dwalin, 'Falin'? ;-)