Ori is definitely my favourite dwarf out of the 13, so I've decided to give him a story, what it is about I will not say yet, read and find out….

Now how did that happen? - Chapter 1

It had been exactly two days since Thorin Oakenshields company had set off from Bag End on their perilous quest to retake their ancient home of Erebor and much to the surprise of the other dwarves in their company was the wizard, Gandalf and apparently their burglar, Bilbo Baggins, they knew he would be a nuisance so long as he didn't end up getting them all killed.

Soon the entire company had stopped to set up camp, Bombur prepared some dinner and Gandalf went off somewhere, and as usual, as Ori sat down to scribble some drawings and update his diary Dori came rushing to him making sure he had eaten.

Ori could never help smiling at his older brother, before this quest Nori had gone off on his own and Dori, being mother dwarf, decided that he needed to be looked after and nurtured, Ori kept wondering why, was it because of their treacherous task at hand? It had to be Dori never used to worry this much, sure Nori could do what he wanted, but Ori had to keep his knitted mittens on and stay with his older brother, not to say he didn't mind, but he certainly wished that he had a sword rather than a slingshot, it was handy for getting apples out of trees granted, but what use would this be against a wolf, or even worse a warg.

Orio shuddered and accepted the bowl of stew that Dori held in front of his face, he sipped it slightly, he had to hand it to Bombur although he was the big lumbering, clumsy clown of the company, he was a fantastic chef, he sipped it again just to get used to the heat before Dori came back from Bombur with a bowl of stew of his own.

"Ori, tonight me and you are on watch." Dori said sternly. "And you know the rule?"

Ori rolled his eyes. "Don't leave your sights."

Dori smiled and nodded. "Don't leave my sights, Thorin said you could have a sword for this watch, so long as you don't swing it around like a mad dwarf."

Ori mouthed a silent "yes!" he got to have a sword finally, he then stopped when he noticed Balin was watching his small celebration, the elderly dwarf just leaned forward.

"You alright there laddie?"

Dori filled in for Ori. "He's just excited about being allowed to have a sword for tonights watch."

Balin laughed and slapped his thigh. "Now you be careful Ori, one wrong swing with a sword and you will feel it on the morning."

Ori leaned forward in anticipation as Bain continued his story. "I remember when I was only young, I was put in sword training with Oin, not that I had a choice, I hate using weapons, didn't mean I couldn't fight when the need came though, and when I was put against Oin, he was dreadful, he lumbered around the place swinging his sword in large arcs, he almost hurt himself."

Ori's eyebrows raised. "Is that the reason he cant hear well?"

Balin laughed again and shook his head. "No, thats just age giving him a pleasant reminder, Isn't that right Oin?"

Balin turned towards the dwarf who just looked up from his stew, scrunched up his eyes, adjusting his ear horn before finally saying. "What?! Cant hear ya laddie!"

Balin just shook his hand in dismissal before turning back to Ori. "Bless him, older than me and still just as reckless as Dwalin."

Ori breathed in relief that Dwalin was a trusted friend, he would not like to have someone like Dwalin as an enemy, he was nice to Ori, but sometimes he came across as intimidating and scary, even when he was having a laugh.

Ori then looked at every dwarf in the camp, he looked at Thorin who was busy talking to Gandalf, Thorin was their leader and quite rightly, he took charge when no one else would, but if there was one thing Ori couldn't understand it was Thorin's mass hatred for the elves, he knew soon he would get it, but Dori warned him not to talk to him about it.

He gaze then turned to Fili and Kili, the stallions, the ladies men and the two youngest in the whole company there were those two and then he was the third youngest by about 50 years, but they were heroic, brave and slightly arrogant, but they were young and dumb, Ori thought it best just to let them go along their merry way, the last time he had met them loads of dwarf girls were surrounding them, cheering them, this was something else Ori couldn't seem to understand, he wasn't cheered ever, he hadn't had a single taste of battle or glory, whenever Dori told him stories of battle he left out the bloody parts so not to scare him, Ori would've never known about real battle had Gloin not told him stories with every single detail.

Gloin was a dwarf Ori respected quite a lot, since they started out, Gloin asked Ori if he could regail him with some war stories from his youth, Ori asked why, and Gloin simply told him how much he missed Gimli and wanted someone to tell a story to, just so he could get over his homesickness.

Ori shifted his eyes around the camp and looked towards Bifur, who just threw up his fist and nodded, Ori never quite understood Bifur, he was crazier then a tavern drunkard, he fought enemies like one too, Ori chuckled to himself, if someone were to come across their company they would not have guessed that they were all related.

(-)

Soon enough it was around night time, when Dori and Ori hastily stood up, Ori couldn't believe his eyes when Bofur gave him his mining mattock, the dwarf just smiled and clapped Ori on the shoulder.

"There you go laddie, prove to us that you can make use of a weapon, then you will get one of your own."

Ori scoffed, this had to be one of Bofurs famous wind-ups. "You're not serious?"

Bofur frowned. "Im deadly serious, and with my mattock you will be deadly too, you just careful with how you use it, I don't want to see you swing it around madly like Oin does."

Bofur was lightly smacked on the back of his head by a rather annoyed Oin, unfortunately for Bofur he had insulted Oin during one of the rare moments when he makes an attempt to listen, every other dwarf laughed as Bofur rubbed the back of his head, he went to lie back down as Dori took his flail out and let it hang by his legs as they walked the perimeter of the camp.

(-)

After about 30 minutes of patrolling with nothing but false alarms cause by badgers, mice and the occasional dwarf wandering about looking for a suitable place to answer the call of nature, soon Ori started to get quite bored, he looked over to Dori, he didn't look like he could stay awake for much longer.

"Its ok Ori." Yawned Dori. "First watches are always tiresome."

"Its not that its just this bloody mattock is so heavy, how does Bofur haul this around all day?"

Dori just smirked. "Probably uses his smug grin to hide his fatigue."

Both dwarves laughed at Dori's little quip, the laughter however was cut short after they heard rustling from the nearby tree's, it could be another false alarm, but this noise was no animal or dwarf, Dori kept his flail at the ready, while Ori heaved the mattock and wielded it with both hands in order to make use of it should the need arise.

The rustling got louder, Dori then crept closer to the rustling flora, suddenly it ceased and there was a momentary silence before a tall slim figure fell out of the bushes right on top of the terrified Dori, he let out a rather girly scream of terror, and as quick as a flash Ori had lifted the stranger off Dori and held the front of the mattock up, and gave a mean look.

"Stay still, don't make me have to use this."

Dori clapped Ori on his back as he stood up. "Good job Ori, very well done, now who are you? Speak up!"

The figure tumbled as Ori and Dori stood in shock, this figure was a young human female, her long black hair was shielding her face, Ori could'nt be sure until she spoke.

"Please don't harm me, I didn't mean to scare you both."

Ori stood agape as the female moved her hair revealing her face, she was pretty, very pretty, was it wrong to think she was pretty?, However Ori's thoughts were cut short as she began to spoke again.

"I was banished from my village and then I got terribly lost, please help me."

Dori took a look at what she was wearing, an old tunic, a rusty old sword and a dagger, Dori nodded she was telling the truth abut being banished. "Ok lass, we will take you back to camp where you can have a nice meal, what is your name?"

The female shuddered a couple of time, Ori noted how cold she was and offered his knitted mittens to her, which she accepted with gratitude, as she made use of them she spoke. "Maewyn, I am from Rohan."

Dori and Ori bowed in unison. "Dori and Nori, dwarves of Erebor, at your service."

Maewyn smiled. "Its a pleasure."

Dori then turned to Ori. "Right you escort her back to camp, Il get Thorin and tell him about what happened, he will understand."

Ori then sighed. "Its a good thing she isn't an elf."

Dori nodded before rushing back to camp as Ori then nervously turned to Maewyn. "Er, if you would be so kind as to follow me to camp."

As they walked Maewyn was showing quite a lot of interest in Ori's mittens. "These are adorable, they remind me of some mittens my little brother had, did you make them?"

Ori smiled and shook his head. "No my older brother Dori, made them for me, to keep me warm."

Ori kept looking around pretending to keep an eye out when the truth was that she was too pretty and if he stared what kind of first impression would that be? He just kept thinking of his valiant reaction, maybe Thorin will let him carry a weapon now…..

There we go please tell me what you think, read and review and I'll get to work on chapter two soon but for now I'll get some ideas done :)