Italics are thoughts...

The sky grew darker, making the dwarves more impatient as the time passed. Finally when the bottom of the sun kissed the horizon, the Company decided that it was close enough to nightfall. Balin at least was able to convince them to wait until half of the sun disappeared over the horizon. Bain continued to do whatever he could to keep the dwarves from leaving.

Which ended in the Company leaving anyway. Bilbo was the last to leave, nodding his head apologetically at Bain; he paused to look at me. "Are you sure you're staying behind Wynter?"

"Bilbo, we both know that I was never supposed to go farther than this."

Bilbo looked like he wanted to say something else.

"Go. They're waiting for you."

The Hobbit nodded before shutting the door softly. I stared at the door for a few moments, listening to their quiet steps disappearing. Then I turned to Bain, Tilda, and Sigrid. "Thank you for your hospitality. I know they can be a little gruff, but they do mean well."

I went over to my leggings that were hanging by the fire and ran my hand over them. They were still damp, as was my shirt. I frowned momentarily before sighing. "I hate to impose, but is it alright if I stay until my clothes dry?"

The eldest, Sigrid, nodded and then smiled, "How about you help us with dinner?"

I learned very early that unless the task involved peeling and easy chopping, I was really no good to the girl. She knew how to clean, scale, chop, dice, probably knew how to do whatever she wanted to any food she had. Tilda would eagerly watch along, being assigned to the peeling tasks as I was. Seeing both of the girls move easily about the kitchen, made me wonder what their mother was like and how long she had been gone. It also made me wonder what use I actually was to them.

Bain caught my eyes as he stared intently at the dining table before him. I quietly made my way over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" I whispered softly to the boy.

"I don't know what I'm going to tell Da."

I looked at the young boy. His brown eyes wavered with unease and he looked deflated. "Probably the truth. He won't think any less of you, you know."

His eyes moved to look at me, disbelief evident in them. " I'm sure he won't. You're not even an adult yet. And even when you are, you'll alway make mistakes at some point. I do it all the time and I'm older than you are. "

His eyes lost their disbelief, but instead looked back to the table, clearly upset by what he was unable to accomplish. I patted his shoulder, squeezing his joint slightly before releasing it. I turned back to help the girls with dinner.

Clunk-clunk-clunk-clunk

The door to the home slammed wide open to reveal Bard. Bain jumped to attention, immediately crying out, "Da! I tried to stop them-"

He gripped his son by the shoulder, "How long have they been gone?"

Adrenaline and fear filled his eyes, Bard's chest heaved to catch his breath. Something was wrong. Why was he freaking out?

"They left about an hour, maybe an hour and a half ago," I stepped in for Bain. "What in the world is going on?"

Bard immediately turned to run out the door once more. I quickly followed behind him. The sky was dark with nothing but the moon illuminating our path. Our foot falls echoed loudly on the wooden pathways. Those who were still out dodged to avoid us. Somehow I was able to catch up to Bard and grab his wrist, pulling him harshly to a stop.

"Bard. What is going on?"

The man breathed in heavily, eyes scanning the area around us. His eyes landed on something briefly before he pulled me against one of the houses against the shadows. A mother and her son walked along the pathway we once stood. I glanced up at the scraggly man once more as we hid in the darkness.

"Bard."

Still he paused. The small family's footsteps trailed off and he finally looked at me. Dark brown hues looked into mine. His eyes scattered around my face. Finally he blinked once.

"There is a prophecy foretelling the return of Erebor's rightful King," his voice was ragged and low, whispering softly into the night.

"Why does it have you so concerned?"

"The lord of silver fountains, The king of carven stone, The king beneath the mountain shall come into his own, And the bells shall ring in gladness at the mountain king's return, But all shall fail in sadness and the lake will shine and burn..."

My mind raced back to before the start of this unexpected journey. The night in Bilbo's dining room. No one knew if the dragon was still alive. The Company is counting on Gandalf to defeat the dragon, but…

We have no Gandalf and they have no backup plan.

"Are you sure that'll happen," my voice replied shakily, "Some prophecies are just stories. Wishful musings."

"You expect me to gamble my family on the possibility of a wishful musing? I have heard stories of the downfall of Dale. My ancestors passed down the failings Lord Girion did to Dale. How he failed to slay the dragon. The screams and destruction and devastation."

My mouth slid into a frown. I couldn't ask him to do that. Besides, stranger things have happened in this world. I had seen them for myself.

"Okay. I understand. We'll find the dwarves, see if we can get them to wait-"

"Waiting isn't going to stop-"

"-I know it's not, but we have a wizard, Gandalf. He had business to attend to but should be here with us any day now. You all are starving here. Your economy has a dependency on Mirkwood and that will do no good for you. If Thorin and them are able to reclaim Erebor, start mining and producing materials and goods once more, the wealth will flow. It's not just Thorin's goal either, it's Fili's too."

Bard looked down at me, uncertainty still in his eyes. Finally he took a deep breath.

"The Master's guards will be out on patrol soon. He doesn't want anyone to be out past curfew, so we'll need to stay in the shadows…"

I nodded.

"Since you've been with them longer, where do you think they have gone?" Bard asked me.

I thought back to the look of disgust the dwarves had when Bard brought out the weapons he had. There wasn't any armor there either.

"Does the town have an armory?"

Bard quickly nodded.

"We should head there first."

Bard and I moved quickly, the archer guiding me along the wooden path to avoid any creaking board. Patrols started, one by one. Each time the loud thudding of boots pounded the pathway, Bard pulled us into shadows. His confidence in finding these spots told me two things. One, Bard had snuck out like this a lot. Two, patrols were useless when you had a town full of hiding spaces and your guards were noisier than drunkards. Quietly, the dark haired man motioned that the armory was up ahead. We quickly ran across one of the pathways. The pathway ahead looked clear.

As I was about to continue ahead, Bard grabbed my wrist and pulled me back towards him. He led us around a small corner, into an alcove in the houses. Both of our bodies barely fit. My shoulder stuck out in the open slightly and Bard had positioned his arm around my waist to keep his from sticking out as much. His chest pressed heavily against me as he peeked his head around to see the pathway ahead. I was finally able to hear the footsteps of the guards coming up.

"I swear, I saw somethin' up here."

"Probably yer eyes playin' tricks on you ag'in Thatcher."

Bard's body urged closer to mine, trying to hide us as well as he could in the shadows. I tried to keep my breath slow and quiet. The guards' footsteps finally were heard more clearly, finally at the opening of our alleyway.

"Whatchya doin' lookin' in there Thatcher?"

"I swear I saw somethin'. I'm just 'avin a quick look around."

My hands gripped onto Bard's jacket as I heard the footsteps click closer to us.

Thud.

Thud.

Th-

CLANG-CLASH-BANG-CLANG

The sounds came from where Bard said the armory was. Footsteps that were once drawing closer were pounding off into the distance, thundering with other footfalls. I moved to leave the alcove when Bard stayed me.

"Not yet. We'll wait three minutes."

I looked up into his eyes and nodded. Best to trust the man that was born and bred on these waters. Some of the villagers had pushed open their windows, holding out candles to see what had happened. Soon they flooded the walk ways, pushing towards where the guards were going. That was when Bard pulled us out and began following them silently. The bowman pushed his way through, dragging me along behind him. We continued to push our way through when ahead the guards stopped. They gathered in front of the most gaudy, lavish house in Laketown. Bard had paused momentarily to watch what was unfolding.

"What is the meaning of this?!" An old fat man burst out from the doors. His face was long with his double chins making it appear longer. His wrinkles pulled his face low, looking like a sad, orange dog, forever depressed by his horrible comb over. Small, beady eyes scanned what I was sure were the dwarves in front of him.

"We caught them stealing weapons, sire."

"Ahh," The man's thin pink lips pulled into a sneer, "Enemies of the state, ehm?"

"A desperate bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire," A familiar, oily voice sounded next to the obese man. Alfrid…

"Hold your tongue," Dwalin's voice filled the open space, "You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal; This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror."

"And that is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, rightful heir of Gondor," I snickered to myself. Bard's eyes flashed cooly at me and I silenced myself. Right. Not the time.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor," Thorin's deep voice now rumbled like thunder above the crowd. Those around us broke out into whispers and gasps.

"We have come to reclaim our homeland... I remember this town and the great days of old… Fleets of boats lay at harbor, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the center of all trade in the North."

Mumbles of agreement sounded around us, the mummers and whispers sounding like rain in contrast to the thundering voice that was Thorin.

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

His gallant cry ignited cheers through-out the crowd. Bard started to push his way forward again. I moved to keep up with the man.

"DEATH!"

His voice countered against the cheering people, "That is what you will bring upon us. Dragon-fire and ruin…"

Bard made his way past the guards and into the clearing made for the dwarves. I pushed past the dazed soldiers as well, ending up right next to Bilbo, Balin, and Ori. My eyes caught sight of Fili supporting Kili. Deathly pale Kili.

"If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all."

The golden prince's eyes pulled my way. Quietly he nudged Nori to help support Kili and he made his way towards me. The dwarf prince grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to Ori. "What in Durin's name are you doing here? I thought you were staying with Bard's family."

"Bard apparently was trying to keep you all from leaving. What he's talking about right now is a prophecy about your journey," Ori's eyes strayed from the scene in front of him and he glanced back towards us. "He's worried that it'll lead to the death of his family, ruin his livelihood."

"Just because there is a prophecy in place doesn't mean that it is foretold."

"Says the group of dwarves who decided to embark on a dangerous journey based on the "foretold" movements of a flock of birds."

The anger and hurt that reflected in Fili's eyes startled me, "I'm sorry. You have to understand me though Fili. I have seen stranger things happen in this world. I'm not trying to stop you from reclaiming your homeland, but I think you all should wait. Wait until Gandalf arrives. The Company doesn't have an alternative plan if Smaug is still alive."

"We can't wait any longer Wynter. If we do, we will miss our chance."

"But Fili-"

"-TEN TIMES OVER!" Thorin's voice boomed over our conversation.

"Why should we take you at your word, eh? We don't know nothing about you. Who here can vouch for your character?" Alfrid's grimy voice sounded across the way. Fili's eyes strayed back to his uncle before sliding back to our hands, still locked together. He gripped tighter. Everyone stood in silence, waiting to see if anyone was willing to stand for Thorin.

"Me."

My head turned to Bilbo, his small hand raised, "I'll vouch for him... Now, I have travelled far with these dwarves through great danger, and if Thorin Oakenshield gives his word… then he will keep it."

Fili's eyes were a mixture of emotion. He looked back and forth between me and Bilbo, clearly in his eyes torn between two paths. Bard's voice began to sound.

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?!"

Warm, calloused fingers gripped tightly onto my hand, turning white at the knuckles. Even still his hands trembled.

"Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?!"

Brown eyes met mine. Concern, uncertainty, worry filled eyes searched mine. He was trying to find answers. Fili's mouth opened.

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

Fili stopped and looked back at his uncle, and in that moment I knew he had decided. He was going to stay with his uncle and continue on. With or without Gandalf. The golden prince withdrew his hand from mine as he made his way back towards Thorin. The Master's voice echoed around, throwing blame to Bard through Lord Girion. I turned and crouched low next to Bilbo and Balin.

"Keep an eye out please. If you can find any way to contact Gandalf and get him here sooner, please do what you can. It won't just be our lives in danger here if the dragon is still alive…"

The two nodded solemnly and returned their attention to the discussion in front of them. I was about to turn away until Ori gripped my skirt. "Wynter. Why don't you come with us?"

"It's not my place Ori."

"You have no right to enter that mountain!" Bard's threat drew my attention back. I whistled softly as Ori looked at me.

"I have the only right…" Thorin replied darkly to the man. I was surprised I could hear them so well through the mummers of the crowd surrounding us.

"What are they saying?" Bilbo asked before Thorin continued.

"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? What say you?"

The ugly, fat man paused his face scanning the crowd and thinking. Finally, he lifted his finger and pointed to Thorin, "I say unto you...welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome King under the Mountain!"

The cheers sounded out around us once more. Citizens of Laketown embraced and rejoiced as the Master called for a celebration to see the Company off. They began to pile into the Master's house, pushing past me and Bard. The defeated man turned around and caught sight of me. He pressed forward, "I don't know what to do to protect them."

"You should go home for now. I'm sure your children are worried about you."

"Will you also join in their celebration? It may be the last this town sees…"

"I'm sure it won't. I won't be though. I still need to find a place to stay until Gandalf comes."

The last of the citizens were inside the Master's house, leaving the space outside once again cold, dim, and snowing. I hugged myself, trying to fight the chill that began to creep on me. Bard nodded.

"You can stay with us then… thank you… for trying to help me."

"Thank you for the offer…"

Bard moved past me, heading back to his house. I followed beside him, crisp snowy air filling my lungs. "It's good that you look out for these people."

"They don't seem to see it that way."

I snorted, "They also simply accept the lavish house that stands out from their shambles. Clearly someone is robbing them blind…"

Bard placed a hand on my head and stroked my hair lightly before continuing on.

That night my dreams were purple, but there was no more Legolas….

Sigrid woke me up the next morning, pulling me from my "bed" by the fireplace. Once again Sigrid impressed me with her amazing ability to cook as I tried my best to help her out. I quietly stoked the fire when pounding began to sound on the door. Sigrid stopped chopping the carrots before her and glanced at the door. The banging sounded again. She hurried over to the stairs which led to Bard's room.

Soon after the man rushed down the stairs and opened the door.

"No. I'm done with dwarves. Go away," Bard attempted to shut the door when I heard Bofur's voice.

"Nonono! Please! No one will help us. Kili is sick... He's very sick…"

I hurried over to the door. There Kili was, being held up by Fili. The golden haired prince looked at me, first surprised, then worry and anger, finally settling on an apologetic look. I glanced at Bard.

"You may feel like Thorin doesn't care for your people… but you would be the better person to care for his…"

Bard looked between me and the group once and then motioned them inside, "You can lay him on the sill. Sigrid, get some blankets."

I rushed out to grab Kili's other arm and helped bring him inside. We laid him on the sill as Sigrid covered him in blankets. Oin pulled a flask from his pouch and pushed the opening to Kili's mouth. I could smell the potent alcohol from the flask and crunch my nose up slightly. Quietly, I went to Bard to grab a wide bowl and went out to fill it with some water from the canals.

When I came back, I placed it next to Oin as he began to wet a cloth and place it on Kili's head. Fili and I stood next to each other as we watched over Kili from the stairs. Oin had asked for us to stay out of the way.

"So you stayed the night with Bard?" Fili's voice softly asked.

"I had nowhere else to go. You didn't go with your uncle?"

"He wouldn't let Kili go… I have to take care of my brother first and foremost. Ma would be- no. I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't. We made a promise. To witness Erebor for the first time, together."

I nodded. "I understand needing to stay with family… I chose my family over staying with the one I love."

Fili's deep eyes searched my face. From beyond him, Bard was watching us. I moved to grab breakfast from Sigrid and get it to Tilda and Bain. My hands grabbed onto the bowls Sigrid had left on the table and I moved to hand them to her.

"Oh thank you Ma-" her voice caught and her face flushed once she realized it was me. "I-I'm sorry…"

I shifted the weight of the bowls to one hand and placed the other on her back. "It's alright. Let's get food for you and your siblings. We'll split what's left amongst the rest of us."

A/N: Boy is it hard trying to find a good balance of "I'm a mature 18 year old, but I am just only an 18 year old". I really hope I'm doing Wynter justice. With that being said, I am slowly working on my own personal writing! I'm hoping to get Chapter 1 done here soon for it and post it on my profile when it's done. Or at least page 1.

Please leave a review if you'd like to see my personal writing! And review if you think there is something better I could be doing (besides the time between chapters. I'm hoping to get better, but working full time and going to school full time doesn't lend itself for free time) I am open to all criticism as long as it's constructive.

As always, thank you for your continued love and support. I hope all of you are staying safe. I know now is a hectic time, but I hope you're all taking the best care that you can for yourselves.

With much love,

Secret Moon