The rabbits did not have fond memories of their last boat ride, so it took some wrangling to get them in this boat. For all the time and effort it took you, Kili still lingered with Tauriel when you finished, even after the arrival of the pale-haired elf whom she called Legolas.

"Kili!" Fili shouted impatiently. He held the boat still in the water, waiting for his brother to board before shoving off and getting in himself. Kili finally placed something in Tauriel's hand and murmured something to her before joining the group in the boat.

"Took you long enough, lad," Bofur said, but both brothers shot the dwarf a glare.

Fili pushed the boat off and took a seat at the oar, next to his brother and opposite you and the rabbits. Bofur and Oin sat behind you. The boat was not large, so it was crowded, but not uncomfortable. The brothers rowed quietly until you could no longer see the figures on the shore clearly.

"I'm sorry, Kee," you heard Fili murmur to his brother. Kili only grunted in response, looking across the water with his brows pulled low. You locked eyes with Fili and shrugged, furrowing your brows in confusion. Had Kili wanted Tauriel to come with him? Why? You were sure something lay between the dwarf and the elf, but they were of enemy races. Surely Kili knew that she would not be welcome in Erebor? But perhaps she would be. She had saved Kili's life. Would they welcome her for the sake of the good she had done for him? Fili shook his head in response to the questions in your expression, indicating that he could not speak of it then.

Bofur and Oin seemed oblivious to the tension between the brothers, chattering on behind you about what they remembered best of the halls of Erebor, and what they looked forward to seeing again. You listened halfheartedly to their talk, torn between staying alert to make sure the Rhosgobels didn't get any ideas now that they were getting used to being in a boat, and closing your eyes to the soothing rhythm of the boat over the lake. You had not gotten a wink of sleep the night before, and it was catching up with you.

Your eyes had drifted shut, succumbing to your exhaustion, when the rhythm of the oars on the water faltered. You opened your eyes at Killi's grunt to see him roughly push the curious Bren off of his lap. You gasped and reached for the Rhosgobel, terrified for a moment that he would go overboard, though the sides of the boat were high. You got hold of Bren before he fell on his back, and brought him carefully onto your lap to hold him still.

Both dwarves stopped rowing, Kili grumbling about the uselessness of rabbits that weren't in stew, Fili glaring daggers at his brother as he said sharply, "Kili!"

Bofur and Oin stopped their chattering. "It's all right, Fili," you said, hoping to calm the tension. "Bren's fine."

"No," he turned his vibrant eyes on you. "It's not all right." He turned back to his brother, who still stared darkly into the distance. "I know it hurts, brother, but your pain has made you cruel."

"She should not have brought them!" Kili retorted, finally turning to face his brother. "They take up too much room and they've done nothing to warrant us making all this effort to drag them along. They're irritating and useless!"

Fili opened his mouth to respond to his brother, but you spoke first. "You're right." Both brothers looked to you in confusion. "It was selfish of me to bring them this far. I've put them in too much danger, and they're only an inconvenience to you." You felt a sharp pang thinking of what could have happened to them so far on this journey, but hadn't. Still, you straightened on the bench of the boat and tightened your hold on Bren. "But that does not give you cause to treat them cruelly, and it does not give you the right to speak of eating them."

Both brothers looked at you with new eyes. Admiration shone in Fili's, while sullen acknowledgement lived behind Kili's. You continued, "I'm sorry Bren got in your way, Kili. I'll keep them under better watch. I just closed my eyes for a minute..." You trailed off and bit your lip.

"See that you do," Kili said, resuming his rowing. Fili did the same, and Bofur and Oin tried to begin another conversation in the dwarven language. It sounded coarse and unfamiliar in your ears, but earthy in a way that drew you in. Soon Fili and Kili were muttering at each other in the dwarven tongue as well, occasionally throwing glances your way. You did your best to ignore them as you watched the Rhosgobels and stroked Bren absently.

By the time the boat reached the shore of the lake beneath the Lonely Mountain, all four of the dwarves had fallen silent. Kili and Fili were sullenly so, but you thought Oin and Bofur were silent in awe of the sight of the mountain that had once been their home. It was impressive, to be sure: a tall peak capped with snow that rose above the surrounding hills, with a forbidding entrance carved out of the mountainside at its foot. Ravens perched on the stone entrance, and a few of their black silhouettes circled the sky above. Erebor looked a little worse for wear, but you could easily imagine it during its days of glory, with braziers aglow at the entrances and dwarves bustling in and out of the entrance between the two giant dwarf soldiers carved into the mountain face.

The others piled out of the boat, you carried the rabbits to dry ground, and the dwarves dragged the boat ashore. As you made the trek up to the mountain, you longed for your sled. The Rhosgobels were unruly without something to pull, and the climb was not an easy one. The closer you got to the mountain, the lighter the spirit of the dwarves that marched ahead of you.

You did your best to keep up, but you started lagging behind. You were not used to such rocky terrain, or such altitudes. Neither your body nor your attire were suited for it. Your boots had poor traction on the rocks, your tattered robe let cold gusts of wind reach your skin, and your lungs took laboring breaths with each additional step. Bofur called back at you to hurry up, but Fili slowed so that he walked with you.

"Are you doing all right, Y/N?" Fili asked.

"Fine," you huffed. "Just not used to hiking up a mountain. It'd be easier if I had my sled."

"Ah," he said, the fell silent. It was comforting to have him next to you, and you kept better pace with the others if you had someone to match strides with. It wasn't long before you were standing before the grand entrance of Erebor. The dwarves stopped and stared at the open doorway, tears in their eyes.

"We've made it," Bofur said.

Fili grinned and slapped his brother on the back, who now wore a smile to your surprise. "We're home."

A/N: Sorry it's a shorter chapter! As always, I'd love to know what you're thinking, so leave a comment or two if you want, and if you enjoyed this chapter please give it a vote! Thanks for reading!
--RA