When the dance ended, THorin didn't release Sepha but instead kept one hand around her waist and led her from the dance floor. He was going to lead her to the company but the girl held back.

"I think I'm going to head to bed. I'm tired from everything that's happened to night and I don't want to be exhausted for tomorrow," the girl explained.

Thorin nodded in understanding but kept his hand on her elbow, "Can I escort you to your room?"

Sepha quickly ran through whether or not she should let him. Of course she was dying for him to, dying to have some time to the two of them and hopefully tell him how she felt but then again, it would seem improper in most cases. Yet again, a lot of people had been drinking.... so if anyone asked, Thorin was making sure she got to her room without running into any person who was too drunk to think clearly.

"Sure thing," she said, smiling.

Thorin offered her his arm and she took it, suddenly realizing how tired she really was. Lucky for them, none of the company noticed their departure and there was no one in the hallways as they made their way to Sepha's room. It was right across the hallway from Dwalin and Balin's room. The dwarves were sharing rooms two by two except Sepha who had her own room (duh!:))

Even though they had already passed Thorin and Nori's room a while back, Thorin escorted the girl all the way to her own bedroom door. When they got there, Sepha pulled out her key and turned to Thorin.

"Thanks," she said. "Are you ready for tomorrow."

Thorin didnt quite here her and suddenly snapped out of his daze, "I don't know...."

The girl smiled, "It'll be fine. I promise."

Thorin felt his head swimming as he looked down at the girl who was smiling at him, her green eyes glowing. He had no idea what was happening until Sepha had taken a step forward and standing up on tippy toes, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek just above his beard. If Thorin had found it hard to breathe watching her smile, he was about ready to pass out right then and there.

The girl smiled sweetly at him and took a step back, "Goodnight Thorin."

With that, she turned to unlock her door but Thorin's voice that came in a hoarse whisper stopped her.

"Sepha...."

The girl turned to look at him only to realize he had taken a step towards her and when she turned around, he was right upon her, their bodies inches apart and his nose brushing hers. The girl gasped slightly and instinctively her hands went behind her for she was right up against her door.

Thorin's hand reached up and pushed her hair out of her eyes and off her shoulder, exposing her neck and collar bone. The girl was staring up at him, her green eyes wide with shock and anticipation of what was going to happen.

Thorin's hand trailed along her ear.... to her cheek, across her jawline.... down her neck, across her shoulder..... down to her hand..... then to her hip.

Sepha gasped softly when Thorin's strong hand gripped her hip, drawing him closer to him as he took another step forward, pressing her back against the door. There was no space between her and Thorin now.... their noses practically touching as Thorin looked down at her with his piercing blue eyes that were turning dark with want and need.

Thorin's other hand reached up and cupped the back of her neck gently in his hand, rubbing the nape of her neck with his finger, his thumb stroking the skin below her ear. Sepha could hear nothing except her heavy breathing that was coming in gasps and her heart that was beating faster than a horse's pounding hooves.

The dwarf prince leant forward and brushed his nose against hers gently, sending chills down her spine and goosebumps over her arms. the tip of his nose brushed the skin right below her eyes.... then down closer to her mouth. She could feel his breath on her face.... she could practically taste his breath as their air mingled between them.

She felt her eyes fluttering closed as Thorin's nose pressed against the side of hers and he drew her face closer to his. Thorin closed his eyes and was quite sure he could feel the cool feeling of her lips as he drew her near.... but in a second it was gone when they both jumped apart at a loud sound that literally gave them a heart attack.

Sepha let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and Thorin jumped back, Sepha bending down to snatch up the key she had dropped without realizing it. Both turned and saw that Balin and Dwalin were stumbling down the hallway, obviously both drunk for Dwalin's eyes were constantly swiveling into the back of his head and Balin was trying to support him but looking just as bad himself.

The two dwarves stumbled to their door and somehow Balin managed to find his key and unlock the door that was already unlocked before the two stumbled in, slamming the door behind them.

Thorin turned back to Sepha who had managed to unlock her door and now had it open. She was standing in the doorway, facing him, one hand on the frame and the other on the doorknob, ready to close the door.

Both found it impossible to find words so Thorin just nodded.

"Goodnight Sepha," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Goodnight," the girl whispered before smiling and closing the door.

When the door closed, Thorin let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to box Dwalin in the morning! With a final look at the door, he turned and headed back down the hallway to his own room. As he crawled under the covers, he ignored the snores coming from Nori across the room and curled up, thinking of how close he had been to kissing Sepha.....how he had found it impossible to breathe.... or to even think.... it was like he couldn't breathe without her.

With a certain brown haired, green eyed quarter breed on his mind, THorin fell asleep and slept better than he had in a long time. Meanwhile, Sepha was sitting against her door, looking up at the ceiling with a huge grin on her face, her eyes closed. Thorin had almost kissed her! He had been so gentle.... so slow and careful as if he was afraid to scare her by moving too fast....She would have fallen asleep against the door except the bed sounded more comforting and she fell asleep the moment she hit the bed, the smile still on her face.

What neither of the two knew was that the moment Thorin's door closed, Dwalin and Balin's door opened and both dwarves poked their heads out, fully sober and with pleased smirks on their faces. Down the hallway, another door opened and two more heads poked out, looking at the two with evil glares.

"We still have a few hours," FIli whispered to Dwalin and Balin.

"You two are going down," Kili added before he and his brother drew their heads back into their room.

Dwalin and Balin exchanged knowing looks and head butted each other before going to bed, the small amount of ale they had finally taking over and knocking them into a deep slumber.

Down the hall, Fili and Kili were glowering at their door.

"Those cheaters," Fili spat. "Of all the millions of ways they could have interrupted our triumph, they had to fake being drunk!"

Kili nodded, "We have until tomorrow when we leave for Erabor brother.... we need to up our game."

"But how will we do that?" Fili asked. "After being interrupted like that, who knows how long Thorin and Sepha will take! It's like recovering from a wound!"

Kili nodded and began to think when his eyes fell on the beads in his brother's beard. A smirk came across his face as he got an idea.

"I think we should get up early and acquaint Auntie Seph with the truth behind courting beads."

Fili's face brightened when he caught onto his brother's plan. Both dwarves fell asleep, smiles on their faces, quite sure that their plan would work perfectly.

t was somewhere around midnight when Sepha was waken to a knock at her door. she shot out of bed, having grown accustomed to surprising awakenings in the middle of the night. When the knocking continued she climbed out, not caring that she was wearing only a nightgown that was tied around the waist with a sash. She grabbed her sweater she got from Tilda and pulled it on over the top since the top was slightly see through.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of Fili who looked worried. "Sorry to wake you Seph..."

"It's alright," the girl said, stepping out, "What's wrong?"

"Kili is tossing and turning," Fili replied. "He's having a horrid nightmare but I cannot wake him and I cannot calm him down. I got uncle and Oin but neither can wake him either."

Sepha nodded and closed the door, following Fili down the hallway to his room. When they entered the room, they saw that Oin was trying to calm Kili who was shivering and muttering in his sleep. Thorin was standing at the end of the bed, looking completely concerned for his youngest nephew. Sepha noticed that he was only wearing a shirt and pants and his boots. The shirt revealed part of his chest but Sepha fought the blush that lit up her face.

"Ah thank goodness you're here lass," Oin said, causing THorin to turn around and notice Sepha's presence.

Sepha stepped over to Oin, fighting the urge to look at Thorin who she knew was watching her for she knew she would blush if she looked at him. Walking over, she looked at Kili who was sweating and muttering in his sleep.

"I cannot calm him," Oin said. "He's so deep in sleep that he wont wake till morning... but we need to calm him."

"How?" the girl asked.

"He needs you to comfort him lass," Oin said, "You always had a way with Kili with that voice of yours. Gandalf wasn't kidding when he said that your voice is like medicine to those who are troubled."

"I need to sing to him?" Sepha inquired.

Oin nodded, "he needs to know you're here. That should be more than enough to calm him and allow him to sleep peacefully."

Sighing, Sepha nodded and walked past Oin. She reached over and with Fili's help, lifted Kili's head and sitting on the bed, she placed Kili's head in her lap and gently held it so he wouldn't hurt himself tossing and turning.

She gently stroked his hair and allowed her soft voice to fill the room. Almost as soon as her voice started, Kili stopped tossing and muttering and his features seemed to relax.

When Sepha's soft voice finished, Kili was sleeping peacefully, a smile on his face and he had stopped sweating and was breathing gently now.

The girl let out a sigh and looked at Fili who was smiling, his eyes still worried but his face calm now. Oin nodded and before telling Fili to warn him if it happened again, he left. Sepha didn't dare move for she didn't want to wake Kili but she soon realized how tired she was. She leant her head against the bed post and stroke Kili's hair.

"Thanks for coming Sepha," Fili said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Sepha nodded and smiled, "I'm glad I could help."

Fili felt a tinge of guilt when he saw how tired the girl was. He and Kili's plan had been that in the morning they would casually bring up the origin of courting beads to her in the hopes she would get the hint and say or do something that would finally make her and Thorin admit their feelings (or at least her since Thorin already did) but this threw everything off. Sepha was exhausted. Fili had hoped she would get a good night's sleep before they told her about the beads but now, she was almost out from exhaustion.

"You need to rest," Thorin said, finally speaking.

FIli at once got up and helped his uncle move Kili's head off of Sepha's lap. The girl was practically half awake and half asleep, barely noticing that they moved Kili off of her. In that case, Thorin slipped one arm under her legs and the other around her shoulders and lifted her bridal style into his arms.

Fili knew better than to smirk with triumph at this gesture but instead thanked his uncle, said goodnight and crawled into bed before covering his brother up with a blanket. Thorin left his two nephews to their much needed sleep and carried the girl down the hallway back to her room.

He was glad the door was half open so he just pushed it open with his shoulder and carried the now sleeping girl to the bed. As he laid the girl down, he marveled at how light she was. Just when he was about to let her go, Sepha's arms snaked around his neck and she held onto him tightly, burying her face in his neck.

He knew she was asleep but it made him smile widely at feeling her arms around his neck and her face in the crook of his neck. He laid her down and gently removed her arms from around his neck. He laid them down next to her and covered her up with the blanket. He stood there a moment, just staring at the beautiful woman lying before him. Her features perfectly shaped.... her long lashes brushing her cheek as her eyes were closed.... her mouth slightly open as she breathed.

How he wanted to bend down and kiss her but he didn't want to wake her. Instead, he bent over and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before whispering in her ear.

"Givashel."

With that, he stood up and headed out of the bedroom, glancing over his shoulder at the woman he loved before he closed the door and went to his own room.

When Sepha roused the next morning, she was surprised to find a new outfit on the chair by her bed. Smiling, she had a sneaking suspicion that the handmaiden who had helped her before the feast had been in for there was a breakfast of bread, cheese and tea on the table.

Getting up, she ate while she changed out of her nightgown and into the fresh outfit.

She decided to redo her hair since it was getting fuzzy so she undid her braids and brushing her hair, she redid it exactly the way it had been. However, when she went to grab the bead to put it back in, she realized it wasn't her bead. Taking a closer look, she felt her heart stop when she recognized the crest on the bead as the crest of the house of Oakenshield....

Her mind raced back to the day before when Thorin had done her hair....he had put his bead in her hair! Not only had he marked her as his.... but he had professed his love in not just words but actions!

Sepha put the bead into her hair and rushed over to her belt that held her two swords and the bow that Kili had given her. It had been recovered from Bard's house the night before. Searching through the pouch that was attached to her belt, she came across her own set of beads that had the elven, dwarves crest on one side and on the other, the wizard, skin changer crest on the other side.

She grabbed up one of them and held it firmly in her palm before buckling on her belt and bolting out the door. She practically collided with Fili and Kili who both yelped at her sudden appearance. While Kili took in her new attire, Fili looked at her slightly flustered, shocked expression.

"Everything okay Sepha?" he asked.

The girl nodded her head vigorously, "Yeah.... yeah everything's great!"

Without giving further explanation, the girl took off down the hallway. They watched her go and then Kili got a wicked idea and smirked.

"See you at the boat later Auntie Seph!" he hollered.

He was lucky she was out of earshot or she would have clobbered him right after FIli did.

The dwarves were given a quick breakfast during which Sepha sat between Bilbo and Ori who were talking happily about the journey ahead. She picked at her food, finding it impossible to eat. Occasionally she caught Dwalin or Balin looking at her, smiles on their faces but it was weird how they kept looking at her.

FIli and Kili were also watching her but whenever she looked at them, they would glance at THorin before looking back down. Of course, they were trying to get the girl to look at their uncle but she guessed that and she kept her eyes on her plate. She noticed how horribly pale Kili was and it was troubling her.

Finally, they were all ushered to the docks where they were given a boat.

"You do realize we're one short," Bilbo pointed out. "Where's Bofur?"

Sepha barely heard THorin and Balin's reply for she could barely keep herself from chuckling at Bilbo's rather ridiculous hat he was wearing which was far too big for him but he seemed to like it immensely.

When they got to the boat, the dwarves began to pile in and Thorin began to hand weapons down to the others. Sepha climbed in beside Fili and found a seat beside Oin.

Just then, she saw Thorin stop Kili from getting into the boat, "not you," he said gently. "We travel with speed, you'll slow us down."

"What are you talking about I'm coming with you," Kili said, thinking THorin was joking.

"No you're not," Thorin said gently

Kili's face fell and Thorin turned to him, a gentle reassuring look on his face.

"I'm going to be there when that door is opened," Kili protested, tears springing up, "When we first look upon the halls of our father...."

"Kili, rest," THorin said, his voice laced with concern and gentleness, "join us when you're healed."

THorin gently patted his nephew's head before turning and speaking with Fili as Oin climbed out.

"I'll stay with the lad," Oin said. "My duty lies with the wounded."

"uncle," Fili objected, "We grew up on tales of the mountain, tales you told us. You cannot take that away from him."

"Fili," Thorin tried to reason.

"I will carry him if I must," FIli offered.

"One day you will be king and you will understand," Thorin whispered. "I cannot risk this quest for the life of one dwarf. Not even my own kin."

FIli climbed out of the boat but Thorin stopped him, "FIli don't be a fool, you belong with the company."

"I belong with my brother," FIli objected, moving over to Oin and Kili.

Thorin turned his eyes back to the boat and they met Sepha's green ones. He realized she had seen it all and he was about to speak but the girl got up from her seat and climbed out of the boat.

"Sepha," THorin said, his voice almost annoyed but trying to reason with her.

"I'm staying," the girl pointed out sternly.

Suddenly THorin grabbed her wrist and turned her towards him, "Are you just as foolish as my nephew? You are needed with the company."

Sepha yanked her arm away from Thorin, "I am a healer Thorin, it is my duty to stay with Kili. You wouldn't understand. When you become a healer, you take an unspoken vow to protect whoever needs your help and in this instance, Kili needs mine much more than anyone."

Her face softened when she saw tears slowly begin to appear in Thorin's eyes and she smiled. Walking over to Thorin, she took his hands and looked down at them a moment.

"I will take care of him and Fili and we'll you the rest of you at Erabor when Kili is ready to travel. Just promise me that the sickness will not overtake you," she whispered. "When we rejoin you, I want to see the THorin you are now.... not a different Thorin."

Thorin nodded and the girl smiled. "I promise."

Sepha took that as enough reassurance and taking one of his hands, she turned his hand over and placed something small and cold in his palm before closing his fingers around it, hiding it from view. She then reached up and instinctively touched one of THorin's long braids that hung on either side of his face and touched the bead, smiling to herself.