Kali watched as Thorin piled more weapons into Kili's arms. Then Thorin turned and gave a few more to Kali as well. She winced and adjusted them.

 A hint of worry moved into Thorin's eyes, "You all right?"

 She glared at him for underestimating her strength, "I can manage," was all she said, though, "Let's just get out of this bloody place before we get caught."

 Thorin gave her a look and one last sword before nodding towards the narrow staircase. Kali moved very slowly and stepped onto the first step. When moving her right foot to step down again her leg gave way and Kali tumbled arse-over-teakettle down to the bottom. The weapons made a terribly loud clanging noise as they, too, tumbled down the steps.

 Dead silence followed for a very brief moment and Kali realized her screw up. Then, attempting to stand, she groaned, "Eru Ilúvatar..." and groaned even more so when her leg seared and distant shouts rang out.

Dori shouted from outside, "Run!"

 Kali was leaning against the wall now, and hadn't even attempted to move as what looked like the Captain of the Guard wa holding a dagger to Kali's throat, jeering disgustingly at her. Kali kept her eyes on the floor, not daring to look anywhere but down.

 And down her eyes stayed as the Company was marched to the center of town, roughly being shoved about and prodded to make sure they stayed moving, "Get off me," Kali snapped at the guard who had tried helping her walk and he obliged, removing his hand from her arm.

 Townspeople had moved from their houses and now a fair amount were following the group of captives. It began snowing, the small clumps felt nice and cold on Kali's hot skin, but did not help the chills.

 "Get off me!" Dwalin shook off a guard as they all stopped before a large mansion.

Two guards pulled open the doors and from them burst a very large man who wore clothes that were several sizes too small for his large form: the buttons strained against each other, ready to pop. The stranger was bald on top of his head, though attempted to hide it by combing a few strands of thin greasy red hair over it, "What is the meaning of this?" 

His voice was high and scratchy, "We caught 'em stealing weapons, sire," the one still holding a knife to Kali declared.

"Ah. Enemies of the state, then," the fat one snorted.

And there was Alfrid, jeering at the lot of them, "This is a bunch of mercenaries if there ever was, sire."

"Hold your tongue, you greasy-haired baffoon," Kali ordered, her voice holding only a small amount of steadiness. That's the one who ordered the fish off the side of the barge.

There was a small snicker from behind her that she suspected came from Nori. Dwalin added, "You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal; this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!"

At Dwalin's large gesture, Thorin stepped forward, "We are the dwarves of Erebor," the crowd murmured, craning their necks to get a better view of the Mountain King, "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," he turned to speak to the crowd, who'd begun nodding slightly in agreement, "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!"

Everyone began cheering and clapping for what Thorin had promised and the Master (who Kali presumed to be, anyway) looked at the backside of Thorin with a calculating expression. Suddenly, the crowd began parting and Bard's voice cut through the cheers, "Death! That is what you will bring upon us. Dragon-fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all."

The people's elated whispers turned anxious and low, and Kali growled at Bard, "Last I checked you were willing to aid us."

Bard shook his head, "No more."

"You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this; If we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain," Thorin spread his arms as wide as they'd go, "You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!"

The anxious whispers went back to applause and loud cheering for what Thorin had promised. Bard rolled his eyes, "All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?!" the cheering quieted, the crowd shaking their heads. The dwarves looked around at the people and Bard continued, "Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm?!" the inhabitants of Laketown chorused in one loud 'No!', "And for what purpose?" Bard turned and looked accusingly at Thorin, who was almost at eye level with the man (he'd stepped onto the stairs of the Master's mansion, this is why, you see), "The blind ambition of a mountain-king so riven by greed, he could not see beyond his own desire!"

The Master took a step closer to Bard, waving a fat finger in his direction, "Now, now, we must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame. Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!"

Thorin's expression turned to one of shock and anger as he looked at Bard. Bard looked away from everyone as Alfrid added onto what the master had said, "It's true, sire. We all know the story: arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing it's mark."

Bard ignored the crowd's angry yells, instead walking straight to Thorin, "You have no right, no right to enter that mountain."

"I have the only right," Thorin's voice was low and challenging when speaking to Bard, and then he turned around, "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?" there was no answer and Thorin added sharply, "What say you?"

Several antagonizing seconds passed before the Master pointed a finger at Thorin, "I say unto you..." suddenly he stood himself straight upright, arms thrown wide, "welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome, King Under the Mountain!"

Bard was not the only silent one amongst the cheering and hugging. While he and Thorin stared broodingly at one another, everyone except Kali was cheering. Inside she was absolutely elated but her head was swimming.

*

"Fili, I feel... absolutely horrid," Kali groaned as Fili helped, or... really more like dragged her towards the docks.

 He shifted her weight again, throwing her arm over his shoulder, "Are you sure you'd still like to go?"

 "I feel fine, it's fine, Fili."

 Their pace slowed as they reached the boat, "Kali, you just told me you felt absolutely horrid," Fili argued, his voice exasperated.

 "I'm coming with," Kali panted a little, "It's really warm out here..."

 "It's freezing, Kali," Nori pulled his coat closer to himself as he stepped onto the boat, "How can you be too warm?"

 "I just... am..." she felt very lightheaded suddenly, her vision darkening.

 Bilbo had come up behind Kali, speaking over her shoulder to Thorin, "You do know we're one short; where's Bofur?"

 "If he's not here, we leave him behind," Thorin muttered, counting the rest of the dwarves who'd shown up.

 "We have to," added Balin, "if we're to find the door before nightfall. we can risk no more delays."

 Fili stepped onto the boat and turned around, reaching his hands out for Kali. She, however, was stopped before she could, "Not you. We must travel with speed, you will only slow us down."

 "Thorin, I don't care if you think lowly of me because I am half elf-"

"It's not that," However, I do still think somewhat lowly of you, half-breed. Thorin gently moved her back a little, "You're wounded and will only slow our travels down in pace."  

 "I am going with you," Kali objected, "I want to be there when that door is opened so that I may look upon the halls of my mother once more!"

 "No," Thorin's voice was blank, "Kali, stay here and rest. Join us when you are healed."

 It was the second time during the entire journey that he'd called her by her first name. The first was before Rivendell, during the Warg attack. Coming from Thorin now, it seemed like an intimate gesture, "I can heal on the move, Thorin."

 "You can't and you won't," gently, he reached towards her and placed a hand in the crook of her shoulder and neck, "Stay and rest."

 He turned and boarded the boat, just as Oin stepped off, "I'll stay with the lass. My duty lies with the wounded." Kali shifted away from him a slight bit, not trusting him since their last encounter.

 Kili separated himself from the crowd and wrapped an arm around Kali's shoulders. Kali, however angry she was with Kili, was glad for the support and even leaned into him, "I'll stay, too."

"Kili, no," Thorin scolded, "You're coming with us."

Now's as good as any time to tell him, "I belong with the woman I am engaged to, uncle. If she doesn't go, neither do I."

"You are not to be engaged-"

Kili snorted in anger, "Do not tell me who I can and cannot love, uncle! I care not what runs through Kali's veins, who her father was or what you think of her!" 

"Kili, this is no behaviour acceptable for an Heir to the Throne," Thorin snapped, "You will not betrothe her ever, now let's go."

"Why have you got such a grudge against this? Against her!" Kili asked, "Can you not just be happy for once?"

"You would be tainting the Line of Durin in marrying her," Thorin clarified, "Unacceptable-"

"Yes, yes, unacceptable behaviour," Kili sneered, "I don't care what's acceptable and what's not. I am staying with Kali and that's final."

Thorin's eyes turned to slits, "We will talk about this later, Kili," however, he seemed to have given up on arguing with Kili, knowing how stubborn the dwarf can get.

Oin began looking over Kali (who had begun trying to get away from him) just as Fili began arguing with Thorin, "You owe it to her to let her come."

"I owe that half-breed nothing," Thorin flared, "It was her choice to trail along on this journey and her choice to take that arrow for Kili. I cannot help that she gets herself into danger."

"Have you not been noticing that the only time she's ever gotten into danger was to save another member of the Company? Another member of your own kin?" Fili's words hit Thorin hard.

"Again," he said slowly, "That was her own choice to make and now she must pay the consequences of her actions." when Fili began climbing back onto the dock, Thorin grabbed his arm, "Fili, don't be a fool. You belong with the Company."

The Company has long since been broken. Fili shook off Thorin's hand, "I belong with my brother," he stopped, "I belong with him and his girl."

"Fili," Kali whispered, "Go. Thorin is your kin, as is Kili. Take him and go with Thorin. Your place is among them, not with me."

"You are delusional," Fili rested a hand atop her head, "I thought I would only feel the need to be by my brother, but now, with you travelling alongside the two of us all this time, I feel it's my duty to protect both you and him. I promise, no harm will come to you."

Kali smiled a little at his words, and couldn't help but chuckle a tiny bit when Bofur pushed through the crowd, "Ah! So you missed the boat as well?" It was if his words were a physical being, for as soon as Bofur said them a wave of pain and nausea washed over Kali and her knees gave out. Had it not been for Kili she'd have fallen right into the water. Bofur's voice was worried and he spoke over Kali's groan, "Kali? Kali!"  

A/N: Last update for a while. Kali is dying n' such, not good.