"Should we wake her?"

"Well obviously we should otherwise we'll very well leave without her."

"She looks so peaceful, though, Fee."

 "I know she looks peaceful, Kili, however if you wish not to leave her behind we need to wake her and her pony."

 A small grin spread across Kali's lips before cracking open her eyes, "If you two could stop whispering about me when I lay three feet away, that would be absolutely divine."

 Kili and Fili jumped at the sudden voice coming from the sleeping dwarf. Fili knelt down to be eye level with her, "How did you sleep?"

 "The best I have in the last few days, thank you," she sat up, nose to nose with Fili, "Although I've a slight crick in my neck."

 "That is your own fault," Kili's smile was faint, "I offered a place by the fire and not against a sleeping pony." 

 "This pony happens to be my only family," Kali mumbled as she stood, forcing Fili back, "Treat him with respect, would you?"

 "Apologies, Miss Silverarm," Kili dropped his gaze towards the thin patches of brown grass at his feet.

 "All is well, Kili," Kali set a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up, slowly, staring into her eyes. 

"Back to the others, then, I suppose?" Fili offered.

 "Lead the way," Kali removed her hand from Kili and looked away.

 The brothers nodded and silently led the way to the fire-site. Kali slipped Nonoro an apple before swiftly following. However, as the two joined the group Kali remained on the outskirts, hidden in the shadows as she refused to give satisfaction to Thorin in thinking she was unfit for this journey. That fact aside, she doubted whether he would allow it, anyway. 

Whatever is cooking in that cauldron smells absolutely delicious, Kali's mouth was watering uncontrollably and so she used a bright green apple as a cork, harshly biting into the fruit to take her mind off the day's tasks and the food the others were eating.

 "Why not join us?" Bofur's voice at Kali's shoulder, so suddenly, made her start. In doing so, her bite missed the apple and instead hit her tongue, making her gasp in pain. Bofur frowned, "Sorry, lad, didn't mean t' frighten you."

 She tsked her tongue a bit, "Not too much blood, Bofur. I believe I'll survive. As for your first question, I am content with the apple I've got, thank you."

 "Are you sure about that?" Bofur pressed, "There's more than plenty left and a growing dwarf has got t' eat, don't she?"

 Kali nodded halfheartedly, taking another tart-tasting bite from her fruit, "Agreed one-hundred percent, Bofur, but all the same I am still declining your offer."

 "Too late now, anyway," Kili gruffly muttered as he shuffled past, "Bombur's gone and eaten it all."

 "That's that, then," Kali could not help the small grin from spreading over her lips, "Off to the ponies, I presume?"

 No one answered directly, but instead answered in a way that included walking off without saying a word. Kali assumed that was to get said ponies and, following suit, slipped her half-eaten apple into the mouth of the four-legger named Mimsy. From the corner of her eye as she scritched Mimsy's muzzle she saw Nonoro giving her a very dirty look. 

 Kali found another apple in her bag and gently tossed it to him. Nonoro ate the apple happily as Kali set to tightening his saddle. Tightened to it's sufficient length Kali patted Nonoro's side and swung herself into the saddle, "Alright boy today is going to be a long one."

 "Talking to animals gives off the impression one is not right in the head, Kali," Fili smiled from his silvery pony beside her.

 Her intended reply was interrupted by Thorin's loud booming voice, "Move along! We have a long day ahead of us. The earlier we start off the better."

 Kali's subconscious told her there was a secret message hidden in his words but all the same rounded Nonoro around and fell in formation at the back of the group, hoping to stay unnoticed.

 However, the solitude of her ride was short-lived, for Fili found her side once more, "I see you have returned to our journey. How was Bree?"

 "Bree was fine, thank you. And I may have returned, but it does not change Thorin's sour attitude towards my attendance."

 Fili chuckled, a small smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, "Uncle has a sour attitude about most everything, Kali. No need to take it to heart. How long are you staying?"

 The answer was short, "As long as I see fit."

 "And if uncle does not allow it?" Fili pressed on gently.

 "He'll have to slit my throat before I leave."

 "You really are something else," Fili leaned back in his saddle, "You say you will ride with us 'til the end, yet to uncle you say until the path splits to Rivendell. Which is it?"

 "I will stay until I am bothersome to someone other than Thorin."

*

The two fell into a comfortable silence after that short exchange. As the day dragged on, the rest of the Company soon faded into the same sense of quietude. The sky, however, did not stay as sunny and quiet as it had been all morning. Soon it began raining. "Here, Mr. Gandalf," Dori addressed the wizard who was riding front of the pack, "Can't you do something about this deluge?"

 "It is raining, Master Dwarf," Gandalf called back over the pitter-patter of rain and sloshing of pony hooves through puddles, "and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

 Bilbo, his pony a half pace behind Gandalf's horse, shot a quick question, "Are there any?"

 "What?" Gandalf asked as a confused frown slid over his face.

 Bilbo finished his thought, "Any wizards."

 Gandalf smiled, "There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards; you know... I've quite forgotten their names." 

 "And who is the fifth?" Bilbo questioned as his pony stumbled on a rock.

 "Well that would be Radagast," Gandalf looked back over his shoulder once more, in the process splashing water from his hat, "The Brown."

 "Is he a great Wizard or his he more," Bilbo hesitated as he reached up to swipe hair from his eyes, "like you?"

 Gandalf looked offended and Kali couldn't blame him, "I think he is a very great Wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing, too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

 Long ago Kali had taken the plaits from her hair and unwoven them, letting everything flow free. She now knew that was the most unwise choice she'd made since the beginning of the journey as, once again, a hand was swiped through to push everything from her eyes, "I should not have removed my hair ties..."

 "If you wish to put them back in then do so," Fili chided. His hair was soaked, though not hanging in his face for he still had in his several woven strands as usual. Also, he was wearing his usual expression of a playful grin, despite the rain. 

 "No thank you, Fili," Kali's expression was suddenly smug, "My hair needed a washing and if I put them back in while it is raining my hair will be more so tangled than now."

 Fili remained quiet after that, concentrating less on conversing and more on making sure his pony did not stumble nor stray from the muddy trail. Kali, however, trusted her pony to keep his own footing and paid not much attention to where he was stepping.

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