I do not own The Hobbit—shocker. Nerys however, is mine. This fic follows the movie canon and is a prequel to Treasures Lost and Found. There's some violence and slightly sexual scenes, but nothing worth rating the fic any higher. Anyways, enjoy!

Since Day One
—Little Sister, Part 1

Thorin would have liked to been able to say he was used to the way Nerys behaved around her brothers, and the way her brothers behaved around her. He would have liked to say so, but it would have been a lie. Though, he was getting used to being surprised, if that was something someone could accomplish.

When he opened the door to the house the siblings shared with their father one day, he was surprised to find the young dwarf girl tearing down the hall towards the front entrance. She smiled at Thorin before ducking behind him just as he shut the door. A second later, Dwalin appeared, his eyes locked on his sister's face when she shoved some of Thorin's hair out of the way and peered around his shoulder; she wasn't yet tall enough to see over it. The dwarf prince didn't have to be looking at her to know that Nerys would be trying to supress the mischievous grin she always had when she managed to get one of her brothers to chase her.

"What is going on?" he asked, turning slightly so he could see her. There was laughter in his voice.

She gave him that smile she was trying to hide, her sapphire eyes flashing, before transforming her expression into a pout—an expression more suited for her age than the grin that had come before. "I want to go hunting with you and my brothers!" Nerys exclaimed, rather loudly considering how close she was standing to Thorin. "But he won't let me." She aimed an accusing finger at Dwalin, the other hand on her hip. "He says I am too young."

Thorin raised his eyebrows at Dwalin, who shrugged before crossing his arms over his chest. Before he could say anything else, however, they were joined by Balin, who looked equally exasperated though this request from Nerys, and this behaviour when it was refused, was nothing new. Having lost their mother to complications from Nerys's birth and having a father who was increasingly occupied by his craft since the death of his wife, it had fallen to Balin and Dwalin to help raise their younger sister. She drove them crazy, but they were very protective of her, and she disliked being away from them for any extended length of time, especially when she had to be left in the care of someone else, which happened whenever her brothers went hunting.

"You are too young, Nerys," Balin said.

"I am not! I want to learn how to hunt," she said, her attention focused on her oldest brother now. She moved out from behind Thorin completely, though didn't advance quite so far as to put herself in front of him. "I want to learn how to use a bow, a sword—"

"Nerys."

The stern statement Balin made of her name brought her up short. She pressed her lips together and stubbornly met his gaze, crossing her arms over her chest; the posture was identical to Dwalin's. Thorin could see her bottom lip moving as she chewed on it and knew she wanted to keep talking. It seemed he'd walked in on the middle of the conversation.

"You can come with us next time little one," Dwalin interjected, earning a bit of a glare from Balin.

"When we are not headed so far from the mountain."

All three of Fundin's children looked at Thorin when he spoke, three very different expressions on their faces. Nerys looked excited, Dwalin appreciative, and Balin annoyed. Thorin understood why the oldest sibling didn't want Nerys any farther from Erebor than Dale—on top of her being a female and therefore usually kept from the world, she was very young, and untrained in any method of protecting herself—but he couldn't see why he refused to teach her such skills. If Nerys wanted out of the shelter of Erebor, she'd find a way out, and it would be better that she knew how to take care of herself.

Dwalin turned to Balin and said, "If we stay close and keep our eyes on her, it'll be fine. She is smart like you, Balin, and will listen to what we tell her."

He looked at Nerys, who nodded so vigorously that her chestnut braids bounced against her shoulders. She reined herself in and tried to look like an obedient young girl. "I promise I'll be good, Balin! Please, brother, say I can come with you when you go hunting next!" She crossed the room to stand in front of her oldest brother; Thorin noticed with some amusement that Nerys was almost the same height as Balin now.

Balin looked as if he would protest more, but only for a moment. With a sigh, he nodded. "But," he said, before Nerys could get too excited, "You have to go to Dale today and you have to listen to everything Thorin, Dwalin, and I say when we are out in the woods."

Her face split into a wide, wide grin and she gave a little bounce of excitement. "Of course! Thank you!" She flung her arms around Balin and then Dwalin, who ruffled her hair, and then she crossed back across the room to hug Thorin as well. "Thank you," she whispered before smiling at him again. "Do I really have to go to Dale today?" she asked, turning around quickly enough for the skirt of her dress to flare outward.

Balin gave her another stern look, though one corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile. "Do not push your luck, Nerys."

She beamed at him before running back down the hall, presumably to get her cloak for the short journey to Dale.

Balin turned his stern eyes to Thorin next, who held up his hands in a gesture of surrender before saying, "Apologies, but I recall it took some convincing for you to take another young dwarf hunting—"

"The difference, young prince, is that your father had already shown you how to handle yourself in the woods, and it was expected that you learn to hunt." Balin held up the older brother act for another moment before he sighed. "But I know as well as you that Nerys would keep at it until she got what she wanted." He turned his eyes to Dwalin. "I wonder why she feels she can get whatever she desires."

Dwalin spread his hands to either side and shrugged, a smile bordering on smug all over his face. "I have no idea to what you are referring, brother."

Balin rolled his eyes. "Of course not."

"Are you two ready or not?" Thorin asked once the laughter had subsided, diverting the conversation to his original purpose for entering the house. "Your father and mine are waiting at the gates."

Dwalin and Balin both nodded and retrieved their weapons belts just as Nerys returned, her dark blue cloak about her shoulders and her satchel strung across her chest. The group left the house and moved through the halls of Erebor, the laughter of the young surrounding them. At the gates, Nerys kissed her father's cheek and bowed to Prince Thrain before running to catch up with the group of women leaving for the markets in Dale, leaving her brothers to inform Fundin of their plan to take her hunting.

So this fic will consist of five scenes depicting the development of the relationship between Nerys and Thorin, and each scene will consist of three chapters, for a total of fifteen chapters. Each scene will have a title that's carried over the three chapters. Hopefully this is easy to follow. The scenes are all spaced several years apart from one another.

Just to set the record straight before I get any questions or flames about this, this fic, The Adventures of Tiny Astrid, and Treasures Lost and Found, are set in the movie canon where Balin and Dwalin are older than Thorin, and Thorin is a little older when Smaug attacks Erebor. I'm not using any specific ages or anything, but just in general. I am also aware that Balin and Dwalin are related to Thorin, but as it is a distant relation, it is likely not one that was considered, other than to say they were also from the line of Durin. If anyone wants anymore information behind my decision, send me a PM and I'll explain. I'm also taking some liberties with female dwarves since, you know, there isn't a whole lot of information about them. Anyways, please enjoy the fic, and don't hesitate to review or comment or send me a PM if you have any questions.