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It had been a couple of hours since dinner had been eaten and plans had been discussed, and Valadhiel was now in a guest room that she had been shown to. It was nothing large, but it was a nice size, and Valadhiel found it to be comfortable- even if it was darker and colder inside of a mountain.

Since Valadhiel had reached the room, she had gotten bathed, dressed into a clean pair of clothes, which was only a simple forest green tunic, brown trousers, and her normal boots, and she had gotten her tangled hair brushed out. It hadn't been long after she'd brushed her hair that she heard a knock at her door. She walked over to the door, opened it, then looked at the two young dwarves, Thorin's nephews, that stood there before she gave a small smile. "Can I help you?"

"We were just wondering if you wanted to come out for some singing." Kili told her, smiling up at her. She really wasn't all that much taller than he was.

Valadhiel bit her lower lip briefly before she replied. "I'm not sure. I didn't think you all seemed very thrilled about me being here."

"Well, they may not be," Kili began.

"But that doesn't mean we feel the same." Fili added.

"If Gandalf trusts you, and if Uncle brought you here,"

 "Then we trust that you're here to help us, not harm us."

Valadhiel found herself looking from Kili to Fili, then repeating, as they spoke, adding on to each other's sentences, and even finishing them. She chuckled as she smiled in amusement. "Do you two always add onto and finish each other's sentences?"

"Most of the time." Both Kili and Fili said in unison, then they grinned at each other and chuckled before Fili said, "When we aren't speaking in unison, that is."

"What are your names again?" Valadhiel asked, then she looked at Kili before narrowing an eye in thought. "Kili, and..." She looked at Kili's brother before continuing. "Fili?"

Fili nodded in response. "Aye, that's right."

"Hey, she actually remembered my name before yours." Kili commented with a grin. "Normally, everyone forgets my name!"

Fili smirked at Kili. "Even you forgot your name one time."

Valadhiel raised her brow and looked at Kili with an amused questioning look. She had to admit, she liked these two already. Maybe her time spent with the dwarves wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would be like old times. As long as these dwarves weren't like ones she had met in the past, she would most likely get along with them fairly well.

Kili shot Fili a playful glare. "Come on, Fili- I was only three! I don't even remember it!"

Valadhiel laughed softly at the two, then she looked past them when a couple of other dwarves walked over. If she wasn't mistaken, it was Dwalin and Bofur.

"There you two are." Dwalin said, eyeing the elf before he looked at the two boys. "Are you coming or what?"

"We're coming." Kili replied, turning to look at Dwalin before he gestured to Valadhiel with a nod of his head. "Fili and I were just seeing if Valadhiel wanted to join us."

Dwalin and Bofur glanced at each other before Bofur stepped forward somewhat. "I doubt an elf would be interested in any dwarvish celebration, lads."

Valadhiel crossed her arms, though a twinkle was in her eye. She was trying not to be so rude or intimidating, since she did want her journey with the dwarves to be as peaceful as possible. Yes, she had a temper, and she loved to argue with evil idiots, but she didn't like to argue with those she knew she could learn to get along with. "I believe you'll find, Bofur, that I'm not most elves."

"We can already tell you're no normal elf." Dwalin commented harshly. "You're a mongrel." Elf and, from what he'd been told, skinchanger, too. How in Durin's name was it even possible?

Valadhiel snapped her attention to Dwalin when she was called a mongrel by him, then she clenched her teeth and a fist before she took a deep breath, slowly let it out, then looked at Kili and Fili. "I'm not sure if my coming would be a good idea."

Fili gave Dwalin a slight look when he called her a mongrel. Had the dwarf been younger than him, he would have elbowed him in the ribs. He then looked at Valadhiel again before he replied to her. "Please, Miss Valadhiel, come and join us. Not every dwarf has as sharp a tongue as some."

Dwalin rolled his eyes before he turned and began to walk away. "Come whenever you're ready. You know where to find us. Come on, Bofur."

Bofur gave Valadhiel a cautious look, but his eyes were also filled with curiosity. He had noticed a flash of sadness and grief cross the elf's face when she was called a mongrel. Perhaps she got that a lot. After Dwalin told him to come with him, he looked at Kili and Fili before he turned around and left.

Kili looked at the elf again after Bofur was out of sight. "Please, Miss Valadhiel? You're going to be with us for awhile anyways."

"They will never warm up to you if you avoid them." Fili added to his brother's statement, knowing that it was what Kili would have said had he not beat him to it.

Valadhiel looked at Kili and Fili when they spoke, then she bit her lower lip before she slowly nodded. "You're right. Okay, I'll come with you." She finally said, smiling at the two brothers.

Kili grinned. "Great! Follow us!" He replied before he turned and began quickly walking down the hall.

Fili grinned in amusement at his brother, shaking his head before he turned and followed him, after gesturing for the elf to follow them. Once he was sure she was coming, he turned his attention forwards.

Valadhiel chuckled at Kili, then she followed after them when Fili gestured for her to come. She assumed that they were celebrating Thorin's return, so there would no doubt be feasting, drinking, dancing, and singing. All would no doubt be up late.

She followed the two brothers down a long, large hall, looking around as she walked in awe and amazement. She had been here before, though that had been back in the year 2802, one hundred thirty nine years ago.

Valadhiel followed them down a flight of stairs, then she turned to the left and into a smaller hall. It was warmer down here, as the workshops and blacksmiths, along with their fiery furnaces, were down in this room. The main work area for woodworking was in the room the stairs led to, though if you were to go down the stairs an keep forward until you reached the back then turned, there would be two flights of stairs that led into the furnace room. The small hallway, however, led to a tavern, if she remembered right.

As she'd thought, the tavern was to the left. There were two entryways and exits, as there always had been. If one were to keep on forward, it would have led to an underground river, which you could reach after going up a flight of stairs. To the left of the stairs, once at the top, would lead back into the main hall that led to the dwarven throne.

"Have you been here before, Miss Valadhiel?" Kili asked curiously. She had walked past them back at the stairs, seeming to be far off in thought.

Valadhiel looked over at Kili, hesitated, then gave a small smile. "I have been here before, though that was one hundred and thirty nine years ago." She replied, stepping into the tavern so Kili and Fili could get through. She looked up when several other dwarves looked at her and began murmuring amongst themselves in Khuzdul.

"What's an elf doing here?" Murmured one in his tongue.

"No idea."

"I heard that Thorin invited her."

"Surely not. Why would he do such a thing?"

Valadhiel smirked a little before replying in their own tongue. "I was indeed invited by Master Thorin. Why? Gandalf the Grey insisted I come to share plans with taking your homeland back from the dragon Smaug."

All the dwarves looked at Valadhiel in surprise when she replied to them in their own tongue. How did an elf know Khuzdul? Only dwarves knew the language, with the exception of very few. Some of the dwarves that had been glaring at her softened their gazes and gave her a curious look.

"I was taught Khuzdul long ago." Valadhiel said upon seeing their confused and curious expressions. "By one of your own kin, though I will not speak his name."

Ori, who had been listening to her with Nori, Dori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, and Bofur, stepped closer to the elven female. "A dwarf taught you? He must have been fond of you. Very few outsiders know it."

Valadhiel smiled at Ori before she nodded. "We were pretty good friends, indeed."

Fili looked over when his mother came over and nudged Kili to let him know she was coming. Knowing her, she may not be very thrilled that they were hanging out with the elf. Then again, she liked them more than their uncle did, so maybe she would be fine with it.

"Why won't you say who taught you?" Dis asked the elf when she reached her sons, looking up at her curiously, though slight suspicion shone in her eyes.

"I don't feel it's the right time to reveal who he was just yet." Valadhiel replied, looking at the female dwarf. She wondered if taller heights and being thinner was a trait in the direct line of Durin. Thorin, Kili, and Fili were tall and thin, and their mother, though shorter than her sons, wasn't of the same build as many other dwarves were. She didn't even have very much facial hair; just a goatee, really.

"Why wouldn't it be the right time?" Bifur asked, crossing his arms as he looked at Valadhiel.

"Because this dwarf happens to be a very well-known dwarf. I won't speak his name for fear of you all thinking I make things up to earn favor among you."

"I doubt that would happen." Dwalin muttered, then he gave a laugh. "Unless you knew Durin The Deathless himself."

"So, what's an elf doing down here at a dwarvish celebration?" Nori asked, eyeing the elf. "Didn't think any elf would want to spend time with dwarves, especially at a late night party."

"Then you thought wrong." Valadhiel replied simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Elves have been known to party late, and I believe you'll find that I am not most elves."

"Got that right." Dwalin said with a tone of annoyance. "You're short and part animal. As I said earlier, you're a mongrel."

Valadhiel glanced away when she was, once again, called a mongrel. Yet, things were going a little better than she had expected.

Dis turned to Dwalin and crossed her arms, giving him a look. "Sir Dwalin, skinchangers are far from animals, and since when is a cross of different races a mongrel? You ought to treat a guest of our king with some respect."

Kili raised his brow and looked at Fili, who'd done the same. Both were surprised that their mother wasn't being more harsh to her, but then again, maybe they had been wrong in trying to figure out how she would treat Valadhiel. Their mother was often a good judge of character, and she liked women with as fiery and strong a personality as her, yet had a touch of soft, gentle, delicateness.

Valadhiel looked at Dis when she stuck up for her, then looked at Dwalin, who said nothing more. The dwarf simply turned and began chatting with some other dwarves. She then looked over when Thorin walked over to them. She smiled at him and bowed her head in respect.

"Valadhiel, come join us." Thorin told her. He still wasn't overly fond of her, but if he treated her well, he was sure that the others would learn to. Besides, over the weeks he had spent traveling with her, he'd learned that she wasn't so bad. "If you don't like ale, we have wine. If you prefer water, there's plenty."

"Thank you, Master Thorin." Valadhiel replied, then she smiled a little more. "I usually prefer water, but tonight, I believe I'll take a little wine."

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