"Where is it that I am going?" The dwarf stopped in the middle of the small path and rethought her directions. Three miles to the north, up the hill and through the door with the Mark. She continued walking and came to a shadowed intersection. Longing for companionship, she sighed and took a step forward, only to unsheathe her hunting dagger and whirl around, just to find nothing there. Hmm... I thought I'd heard someone...

 Ignoring the crawling feeling of her skin, she continued onward, but kept the dagger in her hand all the same. As she came upon her destination, a grin grew about her lips and she quickened her pace, re-sheathing the dagger, "The Shire! To think I'd forgotten the directions to my third home!"

 The pace of her feet quickened a great deal as The Hill came into view, and Kali found herself almost running up to her old friend's door (which indeed did have a Mark draw on). Her grin faded into a slight frown when Bilbo's voice rang from inside after she'd knocked thrice, "You've got the wrong house! There are far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is-!" the cry cut short when the door opened and the hobbit found himself looking straight into a pair of familiar dark brown eyes.

 And the grin returned to her face, "Kali," With the swift removal of her black hood, she folded an arm across her stomach and bowed, "At your service." and stood back up, dropping her arm to her side once more.

 Bilbo nodded and gasped out faintly, "And I at yours. You know you needn't say that every time you visit."

 "I know. May I enter?" Kali eyed over the small hobbit's shoulder, looking over the innards of his home.

 The host stepped aside and swept an arm out, gesturing her inside, "You are the first to ask. One more dwarf won't make up the difference at all."

 It was only when she stepped inside did the young dwarf notice the travelling cloaks cluttering the pegs on the wall, "First?" she questioned, and added under her breath, "One more dwarf?" she turned to face Mr Baggins, "Have I arrived at a bad time? I knew I should not have come tonight!" She turned on the heel of her fur-lined boot so fast, her light brown braids nearly whacked Bilbo, "I shall come back tomorrow!"

 "No no!" he cried, reaching out for her, "You are the only civilized dwarf I know."

 "It is because I am not all there," she turned back to face him, tapping her temple, "If you wish for my company I shan't deprive you of it."

 "And I thank you dearly for that," Bilbo hooked his arm through hers and brought her further into the house, whispering to her, "Please keep them in line. Make sure they break nothing!" Kali held back a low chuckle, but nodded all the same which caused a sigh of relief to escape his lips.

 "Kali!" Bilbo's arm hastily left hers as a different pair of very muscular arms lifted her off the ground in a twisted hug. The squirming and writhing of the young dwarf only made the assailant chuckle, "I see you have missed me dearly."

"Of course I did Fili," she attempted to crane her neck in seeing her captor, "Now please set my feet back onto the floor."

"No," he stated and swung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Kali demanded to know to which room he was taking her, in which he replied, "That be none of your concern," right before setting her in a chair at the hobbit's small dining table.

"The dining room?"

"Of course!" Kali jumped, a scratchy, nasally voice suddenly at her elbow. When Kali turned, she was met with a large amount of white hair, and a long beard to match, "Balin, at your service."

Kali ducked her head, "Kali, at yours."

"I do not think I have your acquaintance on previous encounters, Miss." The elderly scrunched his eyebrows together.

"I am always on the move," she muttered, looking away. "Never in a single place for more than a fortnight."

"Sorry to hear that," he placed a hand on her shoulder, and Kali slowly returned her gaze to him.

Her reply was cut short in a fit of snickers when the doorbell rang once again, and Bilbo scurried past with a string of words that sounded somewhat like, "Some clotterhead's idea of a late night joke--I won't have it!"

 "Quite the busybody that one is tonight, aye?" Fili grinned, pushing a container of a foaming brown liquid into her hand.

 Kali took it with much gratitude and cautiously brought the large wooden mug to her lips. A hum of satisfaction rang through the slightly quiet room when the drink slid down her throat, "What is this?"

 "Ale," a brunette from across the table told her in a deep grunt, causing her gaze to leave the glass and look at him. Everything about this dwarf was dark and mesmerizing. The stranger held her gaze with a set of dark brown eyes, and his long fingers were wrapped around a mug similar to her own, "Fili," he started again after a moment's pause, not removing his gaze, "Who is your companion? I did not think Gandalf would invite a dwarrow woman on this journey, therefore she must have come with you, has she not?"

 Kali was suddenly uncomfortable under his gaze. Fili thought she was fine, but the shifting of her weight in her seat told him otherwise, "Kili, this is an old friend of mine, Kali Silverarm. Kali, that is my younger counterpart, Kili."

 "Pleased to gain your companionship," Kali involuntarily took another, larger, swig from the mug in her hands, "Kili."

 The response was not a happy one. Kili only grunted in acknowledgement and stood, removing himself from the room. Fili snorted, "His mood seems to have deteriorated since we arrived. Nothing to worry," he stood and pulled Kali to her feet, "We'll better get to helping before we get injured in the bustle."

A/N: For the record, her name is [kah-LEE] with a short 'a'  as in the word.... Never me mind a word, her name isn't Kali as in pronounced like Kaylee. It's KAH-LEE.