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The next morning, Valadhiel was up just before sunrise. She brushed out her hair, put some braids in it, then she went about getting dressed into the outfit she'd been in on the quest. It was her usual armored outfit that she wore when on potentially dangerous quests.

Once dressed, she slipped her boots on, then she grabbed her twin blades and placed them in their scabbards, then she got her sword and placed it in its scabbard on her left hip, then she grabbed three of her daggers and placed them in various places. She liked to have some hidden weapons just in case they would ever be needed. She then pulled her quiver of arrows onto her back, then picked up her bow before she looked around the room to make sure she had everything.

After going through her weapons in her head, she figured that she had all of them. She then picked up her satchel and went through her belongings in there. All she needed was in her satchel, so she shouldered it and then silently made her way to the bedroom door. She opened it, though this time, she stopped and looked up, then she smiled. "Good morning, Glandur."

Glandur laughed lightly. "It's about time we manage to not bump into each other." He commented in amusement before he added, "It only took about a thousand years, but we managed it."

Valadhiel laughed with him before she nodded. "And it's about time, too." She replied in an amused tone, beginning to walk down the hall with him. "Do you happen to know if the others are ready now?"

"They are saddling up the ponies right now, so they will be ready to leave very soon." Glandur replied, walking alongside her as she made her way down the hall that led to the stairs. "Speaking of leaving, Vala, I'll be leaving Middle-Earth sooner than expected."

Valadhiel looked at Glandur and furrowed her brow. "You mean... you're leaving for the Undying Lands very soon?"

Glandur smiled and looked over at her. "Yes, dear friend. In two months, I will be making my way to Valinor. I have been here a long, long time. My mother has been gone for a long time, and my sister is waiting there for me. My time in Middle-Earth has come to an end."

Valadhiel looked down for a moment, then she nodded softly. "I can understand that. After experiencing that much, I'm sure I would be ready to leave for Valinor as well." She said quietly, then she looked up at him again with a smile on her face. "I wish you well on your journey, Glandur. May you have peace evermore."

Glandur smiled and, after stopping, he gently pulled Valadhiel into a hug. "And I wish you well on your own journey, Little Angel. May the Valar watch over you, and may Eru guide and protect you." He pulled back from her after she'd returned the hug and looked into her eyes, a longing sort of look in his eyes. He then gently kissed her forehead before he gently gave her hand a squeeze, then he allowed his hand to slip from hers. "You should go now. They will be wondering where you are."

Valadhiel smiled at Glandur, tears welling in her eyes, though she didn't let them spill. This wasn't goodbye. She would see him again one day. "Navaer, mellon nin." She said softly before she turned and walked down the stairs. Soon, she was outside. [Farewell, my friend.]

Glandur watched as she walked away, seeing her glance back once, and after she was out of sight, he kept staring out the doorway from where he stood on the stairs. "Look after her for me." He suddenly said, not turning his head to look at whoever he was speaking to.

After being spoken to, that someone walked out from behind a pillar, revealing himself to be Thorin Oakenshield. He was about to question how the elf knew he was there, then he closed his mouth and instead said nothing of it, though he did speak. "Why do you ask me, of all people, to look after her?"

This time, Glandur looked at Thorin. "Because I have seen the way you look at her, and I have seen the way that she looks at you, Master Dwarf." He replied, then he looked at the doorway again. He silently sighed, the glittering in his eyes from earlier fading. Not only had his sister fallen for a mortal, but now, it seemed that Valadhiel had as well.

Thorin watched the elf for a moment, narrowing his eyes briefly before he spoke. "You love her." He then stated after a moment. "Why leave her behind?"

Glandur smiled softly. The dwarf had hit the mark. Indeed, he did love her, and he always had. "Because I know she doesn't share the same feelings. She thinks of me as a brother, nothing more. Now that I am sure of this, there is nothing keeping me here. Soon, I begin my journey to Valinor." He said, then looked at Thorin once more. "And I need you to promise me that you will look out for Vala. She may be a strong, stubborn, and independent woman, but she still needs someone. She knows it, too, even if she won't admit it. Please, promise me that you will look after her."

Thorin was silent a moment before he gave a nod of his head. "I will look after her. I swear by Durin I will." He finally replied. He did care for Valadhiel, so he would make sure that she stayed safe on this journey.

Glandur smiled. "Thank you, Master Thorin. Thank you." He replied, then he looked at the door again before turning his attention to the dwarf. "I will keep you no longer. I'm sure you are all anxious to continue your journey. I wish you and your people well. May the sun ever shine on your road." He bowed before he walked back up the stairs and out of sight.

Thorin had given a bow of his head in reply, then he made his way down the stairs, out the door, and over to his company. "Are we all set?"

"Aye, it looks to be that way." Nori commented, looking over the ponies they had with them, as well as their belongings.

Thorin also looked over the ponies, then he gave a nod in response. "Then let's head out." He replied. Shortly after he gave the command, all the dwarves, Bilbo, and Valadhiel began to make their way out of the peaceful Valley. After a little while of walking, now a good distance from The Last Homely House, Thorin spoke again. "Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths; lead on."

"Aye." Balin replied before he walked past Thorin and the others. Soon, the old dwarf was in the lead, and many others behind him, leaving Thorin in the back but in front of Bilbo and Valadhiel.

Thorin, noticing that Valadhiel and Bilbo were lagging slightly and were looking back at Rivendell, looked over at them. "Master Baggins, Vala, I suggest you keep up."

Valadhiel looked over at Thorin, who was now looking ahead once more and was going at a faster pace to keep up. She looked at Bilbo and gestured for him to follow before she picked up her pace, though not too much. She wanted to keep an eye on Bilbo, especially since she'd Thorin that she would keep an eye on him. She smiled after a moment, realizing how fond she'd grown of the halfling. And to think she'd thought that he'd be a burden. He was far from that, and they could very well be dead had it not been for him.

Hours of traveling became days, and days of traveling had become a couple of weeks. Since about a half hour ago, a storm had come up- a violent one, at that. The trail had become narrow and dangerous, as there was the cliff side on one side of them, then a sheer drop on the other. All around them was rain and lightning, only making the walk across the narrow path all the more dangerous.

"Hold on!" Thorin shouted above the stormy wind as he walked along with them.

Valadhiel kept her wings tucked in close to her so they wouldn't act as a parachute and push her back, and she kept her head down a little. She hated weather such as this, but she had expected a day like this one of these days. She turned to look at Bilbo, and her eyes widened when she saw him start to fall into the chasm. Without another thought, she leaped forward and pulled him back onto the path, earning a grateful and relieved nod from the hobbit, which she returned. She then looked ahead and shouted, "We must find shelter!"

"I know!" Thorin shouted in reply. What did that reptilian elf think he was trying to do?

"Watch out!" Dwalin suddenly shouted, and all looked up to see a huge boulder coming their way. They all backed up against the mountainside as it hit said mountainside above them, causing many rocks to fall all around.

"This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle!" Balin told them all, raising his voice to compete over all the noise and pointing. "Look!"

Valadhiel looked where the dwarf was pointing, then her eyes widened. Oh no... stone giants! A battle between the two of them, it looked like. They had better try and get to safety before they got between the fighting giants.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants! Stone Giants!" Bofur exclaimed as he looked at them.

"Take cover! You'll fall!" Thorin warned, keeping himself pressed back against the mountainside as he looked around to try and find shelter.

"What's happening?"

Valadhiel looked over when she heard Kili ask the question. Her eyes widened when another stone giant, one behind them, showed itself and was hit in the head. She then gasped when the ground beneath them gave way, and she caught one of the dwarves to keep them from falling as they were split from the other half of the Company. Then, Valadhiel realized that this wasn't the ground giving way. They were on a stone giant!

"Kili!" Fili shouted, reaching out for his little brother. "Grab my hand! Kili!"

"Oh no..." Valadhiel trailed off, speaking loudly though partly to herself.

"What?" Bilbo asked nervously, not liking the tone Valadhiel used.

"Everyone hold on tightly!" She then shouted, just as they were jolted and flung about. She looked around to see how many of the dwarves were with her. Only some were, and she silently and desperately prayed and hoped that the rest were still back on the mountain path. She looked up when the other giant punched the head off of the one they were on, and it stumbled back and crashed into the mountainside.

"No!" She heard Thorin shout over the wind after they'd fallen back onto the path, this section not so narrow. "No, Kili!"

"We're alright!" Balin called over to him. "We're alive!"

Valadhiel groaned and got to her feet, holding her side. A decent sized stone had fallen on her, and though she wore armor, the impact had been enough to hurt her, but she could tell already that it was nothing serious.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur suddenly asked, then he raised his voice. "Where's our hobbit?"

"There!" Ori exclaimed as he pointed to him, unable to get to him with so many other dwarves in his way.

Valadhiel's eyes widened when she realized that the hobbit was hanging off of the edge of the cliff and she was about to take off, but a sharp pain in her leg made her knees buckle.

"Get him!" Dwalin shouted, leaping over and catching Bilbo just before the halfling fell to his death.

Thorin quickly jumped down from the path and onto a very small rock that jutted out of the side of the cliff. He grabbed Bilbo and, with Dwalin pulling the hobbit up, he pushed Bilbo up to safety. He was about to climb back up when he lost his grip and dangled by only one hand.

"Thorin!" Valadhiel shouted and, despite the pain, she leaped to her feet, ran a few steps, spread her wings, then flew down and grabbed the dwarf around the waist before she lifted him back onto the path. She set him down, then she landed rather ungracefully with a small cry. Pain shot through her left wing and her leg, and her side only began to ache worse.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar." Dwalin said, sounding relieved that both Bilbo and Thorin were safe.

Thorin got to his feet and glanced harshly at Bilbo. "He's been lost ever since he left home." He growled. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us."

Fili and Kili both helped Valadhiel up with a concerned look, then they cringed when they heard Thorin speak, knowing that Valadhiel had grown fond of the halfling, and their uncle's words would no doubt trigger the fiery tempered elf.

Valadhiel looked at Thorin, a fire in her eyes. "May I remind you, Dwarf, that you would have been troll food had it not been for Bilbo?"

Thorin turned to face the female dragon. "May I remind you, Lizard, that we wouldn't have been stuck in that situation in the first place had it not been for him?"

Valadhiel stepped closer to him, glaring by now. "Oh really? And who was it that sent him down there with those trolls instead of coming to get you? Give Bilbo a chance! Considering he's never been outside the Shire, I would say he's doing an excellent job, and he certainly does have a place amongst you!"

"I won't have you of all people lecturing me."

"And what is that supposed to mean, gold-hoarder?" Valadhiel spat, her very words seeming to drip like venom.

Thorin glared at her. "I will not stand here and be insulted by the likes of you!"

"And I will not stand here and allow you to talk about one of my friends like this! Why don't you go kiss an orc? You and those foul creatures have equally filthy mouths."

All the dwarves' eyes widened when Valadhiel spoke like that to their king, and they all began taking sides and murmuring among each other, though they kept their eyes trained on the two, who's eyes were trained on each other with a cold or fiery glare. Most sided with Thorin, whereas a few didn't choose any side whatsoever.

Bilbo came over and placed a gentle hand on Valadhiel's arm. "Vala... Vala, calm down. I don't need you to defend me."

Valadhiel looked at Bilbo, then she cast a glance at Thorin again and narrowed her eyes before she took a deep breath and looked over at him. "I suppose not. What they think doesn't matter." She went to take a step, then she winced and her leg buckled again, causing her to fall to her knees, her hands slapping on the stone path.

"Vala!" Kili shouted, rushing back over to her and kneeling next to her. His eyes then widened a little. "Vala, you're bleeding- badly! Vala? Vala!"

Valadhiel could barely hear Kili, and darkness clouded her vision. Soon, her eyes were closed, and she lay on the ground motionless, non-responsive to the dwarves. The last thing she heard was Thorin's worried shouting.

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