It was late in the night and Bag End threw pools of light out in the dark. Inside a company of thirteen dwarves had gathered to discuss a matter of great importance. Poor Bilbo Baggins had unexpectedly (to him) been picked as the host of this gather. He stood in the archway into his dinning room where all the dwarves were sitting discussing Smag the dragon and Erebor the home of Thorin, their leader, that had been ransacked by Smag.

Unknown to them there was a hand just about to knock on the small round hobbit door.

"Knock, Knock" came faintly though Bag End and all at the table looked up from their talk.

"There are no others that should be coming." Thorin Oakinshield asked.

Gandalf looked expectantly at Bilbo with his eyebrows slightly raised, "That is the door Bilbo. You had best get it."

"Oh, right you are." the hobbit said before he hurried off down the walled tunnels of his snug little dwelling.

As he opened the perfectly round hobbit door his sight was greeted by a lone figure, that was few feet taller then himself, wearing a long cloak that had a hood that came low over the strangers eyes.

"Uh, Hello." he muttered. He was stilled befuddled by all of the dwarves talk and not really wanting anymore strange people in his home.

"Good evening. I was wondering if you had a chair to spare for a wanderer. Just for the night of course." the stranger asked of him.

"I'm very sorry but I already have a very full company in my dining room."

"I would pay you for your trouble. I will stay out of your way if you would give me an out of the way corner to sleep in for the night and I will leave before daylight." the figure offered.

"I suppose I could let you sleep in the sitting room as it isn't currently being used." Bilbo said with a sigh.

He lead the stranger through the halls and to the sitting room. As they passed the dining room the dwarves all looked suspiciously at the stranger. They were wary of this person for they had not mentioned to anybody other then their kin what they planned to do and they began to wonder whether this loner could be a spy. Gandalf seemed altogether undisturbed and urged the dwarves to continue their business.

"What if this person followed one of us to the hobbits home? They could be planning something unpleasant for us." Thorin spoke up directing his question at Gandalf, saying what most of them were thinking.

He quickly got up and hurried down the hall towards the sitting room that Bilbo had just shown the stranger into. The rest of the dwarves got up and followed him. The person had just sat down in an armchair near the fire and was thanking Bilbo when Thorin stopped out in the hall hidden from those within. Dwarves are not very silent though and he had all of the others following him but they had seemed to not have been heard to their knowledge. Without he could hear them talking.

"Would you like any food?" Bilbo asked, his manners and good humor returning with the distraction from the dwarves darker talk.

But before the stranger could answer Thorin stepped into the room.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Excuse me!" Bilbo said, "This is my guest. Although I must say I am curious as to who they are as well I am not rude enough to go about asking prying questions."

The stranger spoke up, "Many travel the roads these days. Who I am is my own business." the voice had a odd soft tone to it.

Thorin's face darkened and he glared at the person sitting in the armchair in front of him. He moved towards them a bit.

At this point the stranger stood up. They were a good head or two taller then Thorin and possibly three to Bilbo. Other then the long cloak with the low hood they wore muddy boots, legging like pants, a small lower tunic that hung over the leggings, and a long, flowing shirt. On the hood was a queer symbol that was in the form of a diamond with two triangular shapes, going from the sides of the diamond downward, that were rounded at the points. The cloak was a peculiar shade of green while the pants were a deep brown and the shirt a soft maroon.

Thorin roughly pushed the stranger against a wall.

Holding them there he growled at them, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Will you not first tell me who you are?" they replied calmly, not even flinching.

Swiftly one of the dwarves in the company stepped out and drew their blade.

"This is Thorin son of Thrain. Be mindful of what you say to him." Kili said pointing his drawn sword at the body pinned against the wall.

Thorin quickly pulled back the hood that had kept the stranger veiled. All the dwarves gasped as they saw the face. A young woman stood there. She could have been no more the eighteen. She had dark brown hair that fell to her chest in thick waves, deep spring green eyes, and a blunt nose. But this was not what surprised the dwarves for on her forehead was a tattoo of dwarvish like.