Naturally, you would have thought the mood would have stayed grim, but alas the exact opposite happened. You see, when you have fourteen rowdy dwarves who have almost unlimited amounts of ale and wine and brandy and such, nothing calms down until the wine and ale and brandy are gone and all fourteen of said dwarves were asleep, worn out or passed out.

"Come dance with me!" Nori twirled past in his half-drunken state, grabbing Kali's hand in his with no time for her to react to his request. A light and joyful tune was being played by Bofur with his flute, Oin with a tea pot and Dwalin with his viola. While some were clapping along and stamping their feet, others were drinking and laughing and Nori and Kali were the only two dancing.

And let me tell you, the two couldn't have been happier. 

"Not so fast, Nori!" someone laughed, "You'll make her lose her supper!"

The pace of Nori slowed a considerable amount after that, and only when the song ended did Nori release Kali, sending her spinning into a kitchen chair between Gloin and Bifur. Bifur grunted and grinned at her sudden presence, and Gloin only stuck another drink in her hand, "There you go, lassie!"

Preferring to not disappoint one of the more intimidating dwarves, Kali tipped back her head and quickly drained the flagon, ignoring the throbbing of her head. (other than that she was enjoying herself quite nicely.) 

"Gloin, you will be the reason she loses her supper," somewhere in the encounter with Gloin, Fili had replaced Bifur. He took the (now empty) glass from Kali, "No more drinks for you young lady. We need you well rested and sober for the long journey ahead of us."

"I am going with you?!" Kali arched an eyebrow and the newfound information. She'd thought about going along as it was, but now that the opportunity had arisen her thoughts were doubling up.

"Of course she isn't," Thorin had removed himself from the conversation with Gandalf to contradict Fili's comment, "This quest is no place for a woman who cannot hold her own. She would be dead weight and hold us back, therefore, she shall be anywhere but with us." 

Kali took immense offence to this statement, "I shall have you know that I can in fact hold my own, especially against anything that you would encounter on your way back to Erebor." 

"As if you know what lies ahead," Thorin scoffed, taking Gloin's now vacated seat.

"I do in fact, and I doubt that you and your Company will survive long enough to get back to The Lonely Mountain, let alone fend off the beast that lies within," Kali snapped, standing and angrily stepping from the room. Soon she found herself sitting on the small bench at the bottom of the front steps of Bag End. Kali was overlooking a great sum of Hobbiton, illuminated by a full moon and cloudless night as she muttered to herself, "King Under the Mountain. More of a Smartass Under the Mountain if you were to ask my opinion..." 

"If you do stay with us, I can tell you and uncle will get along quite nicely," the sarcasm filled voice of Fili broke Kali from her anger until it returned a second later. His reaction to her cold shoulder was only a sigh, "I apologize for that... I should have known you would not wish to accompany us."

"No, that is where you are wrong, Fili," the small flame in her voice soon faded, "I very well do wish to come with you, do my part in taking back Erebor, but alas, dwarf women are scarce and few in number as it is. Doubtedly many others would have made me stay behind as well, women are far too respected amongst dwarves." 

"Wait, did you just say that you wish to take back Erebor with us?" Fili leaned forward, enabling himself to peer past the curtain of dark hair separating Kali and himself, "Would you like me to speak with uncle?"

"No, that is fine," Kali stood up, looking back at the door and the ferocious wiping of her eyes gave Fili the impression tears had been shed, "I am being led to believe Bilbo has gone mad and killed off his guests."

"What makes you say this?" Fili stood and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to steady her.

"It is far too quiet inside to be housing the dwarves I have met tonight," was her chuckled reply with a small shake of her head.

"The alcohol may have run out," Fili gave a small suggestion as to what lead on the still night as the two stepped up to the front door. 

Kali pushed it open and was face to face with darkness, making her hush her naturally loud voice, "Or perhaps everyone has finally gone to sleep." 

**

The harsh morning light was blinding against the backs and fronts of Kali's eyes, even through her closed lids. With a groan she rolled over and, much to her distaste, off the small couch she had been placed on. She swore in Khuzdul and jumped to her feet, slowly becoming aware of her vacated surroundings, "Where have they gone...? Surely the hobbit would have booted me from his home before leaving?"

 "Yes, he would have booted the dwarf from his home, given if the hobbit had gone with the other dwarves," Bilbo poked his head into the living room, followed by the rest of his small figure, "You weren't going with?"

 Flashes of last night's short conversation with Thorin buzzed through Kali's mind and she grit her teeth, "No. I was not invited," before Bilbo could say anything (and Kali knew he was about to, for his brow furrowed in confusion and his mouth opened) Kali jumped on the opportunity to change the subject, "Why have you not left? Do not tell me you've changed your mind..." 

 Bilbo scratched the back of his head in a gesture of unease, and he suddenly burst out: "Last night I did not want to go but now that they have left I somewhat miss the company." 

"Well then! It's settled," at hearing this Kali was back to her loud self, despite the aching of her skull. Too much liquor I suppose. The thought had run through her mind, but never engaging in a full contemplation, "Sign the contract and be on your way, I assure you I will leave as well."

"Why don't you come?"

  "I am not welcomed. We went over this," her voice carried across the hall to the now spotless and undisturbed dining room that was bustling with activity just the night before, "But, I suppose if you wish to consort with me that much I shall take you safely to Thorin, and after you have been delivered I will depart."   

"Very well!" he scribbled his name on the bottom of the contract, and Kali watched as he began bustling about gathering supplies. She simply stood in the entry hall, removing the braids from her temples and replacing them with two new ones in the same place after running her fingers through her locks. Then she created a third in the back of her head and pulled the other two back, plaiting the three together. The moment clasped her family-crested hair clip onto the final twine, Bilbo stepped up next to her. He was dressed in a forest green vest and a white shirt, complete with a brownish neck-tie and brown trousers: no shoes, as usual. With a huff, he grabbed the contract off the table, "Shall we?"

Kali nodded once and flung open the door, "We shall."

Both jumped through the door and bolted down the steps. Kali laughed at how odd the whole situation seemed (and the fact Bilbo was very strange-looking, with the large pack on his back and the contract fluttering in the wind behind him.) She sped up, and soon the random running (and Bilbo's shouts to his neighbours' queries) became a race, and Kali's slightly longer legs were an advantage. 

**

Balin wordlessly took the contract and produced a small monocle. After a moment he hummed in satisfaction, "Everything is in order," and he turned to gaze down at Bilbo from atop his pony, "Welcome aboard, Mr Baggins." 

Thorin grunted from up ahead, "Give him a pony."

Bilbo spluttered, "A-a-a p-pony? No, no, no, that won't be necessary I am perfectly fine with walki-" he was cut off when Dwalin and Bifur grabbed each of his arms as they trotted by, pulling him off the ground and sticking him on one of the extra ponies.

Kali, who was still waiting by her tree, laughed. One singular, very loud laugh that caused the Company (or at least the back half) to halt once again. Gloin, who was near the back, turned and raised his brow at her, yelling up to Thorin, "Aye, what about the girl?" 

"What about her?" Thorin scowled without turning back, "Her escortive services are no longer needed and she may return home." 

"I have business away from home to take care of, thank you very much," Kali crossed her arms with an impatient flare of her nostrils, "I shall accompany you until your path strays from Bree. It is there my own pony resides."

Thorin looked none too happy about the change of events, but said nothing of it as he nudged his pony back into a slow trot, "Very well. Only to Bree, Miss Silverarm. No further. Give her a pony, too."

"No," she sidestepped off the path and into the trees, narrowly missing Nori and Gloin's grasps, "I am very well capable of walking." She adjusted the quiver strap on her right shoulder, eventually slipping it on so the strap went across her chest and continued to casually stroll after the Company. 

The chatter between dwarves had picked up a considerable amount, as well as several groans followed by laughs. Those groaning were tossing small brown bags of coins at the laughing dwarves. Bilbo looked at Gandalf, clearly confused, "What was that about?"

Gandalf answered in a low voice, "Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you would turn up. Most of them bet you wouldn't." 

Kali grinned from her spot in the back. Typical dwarves, doubting the decisions of others. Of course, she pondered, I thought he wasn't going either. Bilbo's voice held a small shred of hope, "What did you think?" 

Gandalf's hum was almost sheepish, and not a moment later a small brown pouch flew his way. He caught it with ease and stuffed it into a brown leather bag at his side, "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." 

Bilbo's sneeze was followed by a groan, "Oh all this horse-hair!" he gave the wizard a look, "I'm having a reaction." he twisted and turned in his saddle, patting his pockets for something that seemed not to be there, "No no, wait stop! Stop!" he called out, and all the ponies (and the one lone dwarf on foot) stopped, and the dwarves all began objecting. Thorin's scowl deepened even more, and somehow further when Bilbo continued, "We have to turn around."

After a brief second, Gandalf looked at Bilbo, "What on earth is the matter?"

Bilbo continued to search, answering promptly, "I've forgotten my handkerchief." 

The others looked around at one another, whispering, and not a minute passed when Bofur tore a piece of cloth from one of his garments, "Here, use this," and threw it at Bilbo, who looked at it with utter disgust. 

Soon afterwards Thorin rounded his pony around to face forward again and called out, "Move on!" 

Slowly, the group began moving forward once again, and Gandalf began speaking to Bilbo, "You'll have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach the end of our journey," Gandalf turned slightly and made eye contact with Kali for a brief moment before turning back to the hobbit, "You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire. But home is now behind you and the world is ahead." After his small speech he fell silent and simply looked ahead toward their destination. 

For a very, very long time the Company chattered and trotted along the path, barely taking any notice in Kali. She was, in fact, trying very hard to remain unseen at the back for she was never one to enjoy large amounts of attention, but as fate would have it Fili and Bofur fell back on either side of her, "What brings you boys back here?"

"You'd seemed a bit lonely, walking all singular-like back here," Bofur told her, looking from her to Fili and back, "We decided to see if you were alright."

"Yes, I am entirely too fine, thank you," she waved them off, "You may go back by your better companions, now."

"Maybe we wish to be in your company, Kali," Fili chided, "It has been so long since we last saw one another, and you seem different... more closed off."

Fili, I was closed off when we met, "I assure you I am as I always was, Fee. Now," she sidestepped around Bofur's horse as the road to Bree approached, "Go spend time with your brother. I must be on my own way."

  She ignored the calls of the golden haired young dwarf and quickly strode off down the side path. Behind her, she heard Thorin's shouts for Fili to stay put and not go after her.

Because I do not belong with Thorin and Company.