"She's not coming with us." Kili muttered, kicking at a loose stone with the toe of his boot clearly still quite upset about the whole endeavour. "She said she has to stay and help the Lake men. She promised to come back for us, though."

"And where else would be more important, Legolas?" Mel retorted, her arms crossed over her chest as she met her cousin's gaze matter of factly. "Will you leave these people to suffer to further our own ends? I will not."