Chapter 1

Thief, betrayer, liar, burglar; all these names I have been called over multiple occasions every day of my life since I was nine years of age. I am now a sixteen year old expert robber who lives on the streets who wants nothing more than to survive. I was a mere two year old when my parents died and my aunt took care of me. Well, by take care I mean one slice of bread a day if I was lucky and being forced to do house slavery for her fiancé. Of course being a stubborn reckless child I would not stand to live with my witch of an aunt. I ran away to the streets living the life of a dishonest thief. My name, is Selene.

OK, on with the story, I was in Bree and I was keeping a watchful eye on a group of dwarves who were going into the prancing pony. Umm... .hell. Why were there 13 dwarves in Bree, out of all places? However even though I knew nothing about dwarves and their standards but from the looks of things some of them looked like they could easily live a wealthy life style. I flipped my dark blue hood up and I walked slowly but surely into the little inn and took a place in the nearest table to the little men. I was trying to hear what they were saying but they spoke in such hushed voices that I could barely make out a few words. I have had a lot of experiences when it comes to thieving from large groups, this one would be no different, yet I still felt as if something could go wrong. I pushed away this feeling, (I know, stupid me) and I proceeded to devise a plan. I waited for about an hour before I was able to strike. They were on their way to leave and as they passed my table I quickly stuck out my hand and gripped the pouch of coins from a dwarf with a large red beard. Once I had a firm grip I slipped it out of his pocket and got up and headed towards the exit. I barely made it three feet in front of the group when I heard shocked gasp when the dwarf noticed that I had stolen his money.

"That boy nicked my money!" he exclaimed shocked that someone so young could do such a thing. Oh crap. I sprinted out of the inn and onto the street. I knew that they would not let me get away with it so I was not surprised when I heard sprinting footsteps hammering against the coble stone streets. I weaved my way through the crowd and slipped in and out of alley ways. I had just turned down a dark little ally when I realized my mistake, I had come to a dead end. Now you think that I would know my way around Bree by now but I was having a huge adrenaline rush so I took a wrong turn.

"Got you now, boy" I heard a cool but assertive voice behind me. I spun around only to come face to face with a dwarf who had long wavy dark brown, almost black hair with a hint of silver here and there. He quickly pulled out his blade and slammed his arm across my chest and rammed my into a brick wall. I felt the unwelcoming feeling of the cold sharp blade pressing against my neck. I have never been so scared in my life. No one has ever managed to catch me like this and now I was afraid that my foolish mistakes may cost me my life. My heart rate was up in millions and I felt warm tears gliding down my cheeks.

"Please don't kill me! I'm sorry for trying to steal money from you! I won't do it again just please, please don't hurt me!" I blurted out shaking with fear. The dwarf said something in dwarvish (most likely and insult) and flipped my hood back. He momentarily looked shocked that I was a woman but that was quickly replaced by anger.

"Why did you try to thieve money from a member of my company" the dwarf demanded in a quiet voice which just made me more nervous.

"I...I...I Just..." I stuttered shaking violently.

"SPEAK" her roared pressing the blade closer to my throat. I felt small beads of blood gliding down my neck. I was balling my eyes out. I had never meant to cause so much trouble for the men or myself.

"OK, ok, just please don't kill me!" I cried and he removed some pressure of my neck so the blade was just grazing my skin

"The only reason I tried to steal some money was so I could buy myself some food! I'm just a simple peasant child! I never wanted to cause so much trouble! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" I cried balling my eyes out, heaving great heavy sobs. I figured that being an innocent, helpless girl would be the more likely ticket to survival, thank goodness that I can act because otherwise this would never have worked. The dwarf removed his blade and place a hand on my shoulder and grabbed me firmly. My eyes widened and I tried to squirm out of his strong grip but I did not budge.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked nervously.

"You are going to apologizes to the member of my company of which you tried to steal from, thief" he spat as he lead me out of the ally way. The group of dwarves which I saw in the tavern where standing huddled together all staring at me intently. I momentarily froze and in that time he removed his hand and shoved me forward to the man with the large red beard.

"Gloin, this is the culprit who tried to take you money" the dwarf said. I was looking eye to eye with the dwarf and if looks could kill my life would have been ended on the spot. If you ask me, the dwarves are way over reacting. I struggled again trying to get the iron grip of my arm. The other dwarf stepped forward and the one holding me let go.

"I would like to have my money back" he demanded holding out his hand. I shakily held out his money pouch and he snatched it out of my trembling hand. The dwarf who had a hold of me before had a dark look on his face.

"You managed to take his gold? I thought you only tried to steal it" he growled

"What can I say, living on the streets makes you more subtle" I mumbled looking at my boots.

"Why did you take it?" the red haired dwarf demanded.

"I was just trying to get enough money for some food... I did not want to cause so much trouble." I whispered. the dwarves expressions softened a bit and a white haired dwarf which I had not noticed before stepped forward and grabbed my wrist and put three silver coins and closed my fingers carefully around them. I looked gratefully at him and he gave a small understanding nod.

"Go buy yourself some food lass. Thorin you can let the girl go now" he said softly and looked at the dwarf who had grabbed my arm again. I nodded my thanks the old dwarf. Would you look at that, not all of them are as horrible as I thought.

"Now get out of here child" Thorin said and waved me away with is arm. Before I could go much further I heard his voice whisper in my ear,

"If I ever see you troublesome face near my company I will not hesitate to slit your throat." these words sent a rush of chills down my spine. I nodded and pulled up my hood and disappeared back into the shadows of the lonely alley ways of Bree.

I had a decent meal that night. I had bought myself a role of bread and dried meat. Munching away on a piece of bread I leaned against a wooden fence of a pig sty. It was a warm night and the sky was clear. Once I had a quarter of my loaf of bread and a couple of mouthfuls of meat I tucked it all away into my leather food pouch and put it into my rucksack. I climbed over the fence and tiptoed over to the pig pen. I quietly opened the door to the pen and was greeted by Daisy. Daisy is my one of my extremely few companions. She is the main breeding pig in the sty and I have known her ever since I was ten. I found the pig sty when I was running away from the baker. I was at another dead end and I quickly sprinted into the pen. The owner never checks the pen at night so they have become my sleeping quarters ever since. Daisy was only a piglet when we met and we have grown to know each other over the years. As I entered the pen she trotted up to me and sniffed my hand affectionately. I smiled and scratched her behind the ear and she closed her eyes happily. I stood up and threw my bag aside and collapsed on a mound of hay. I stared blankly at the roof of the pen thinking about the dwarves I saw earlier. Many strings of thoughts where spindling through my head making a net of confusion. Why in the name of Valar would there be dwarves in Bree? I got up and wondered over to the other side of the pig sty towards a stall where a large bay Quarter Horse gelding. Now you may be wondering why there is a horse in a pig sty. Well the owner of these animals could not afford their own stables nor do they know anyone who owns stables where they can keep their horse. The horses name is Saleja and the owner bought him 3 years ago. Saleja is currently 4 years of age and is an excellent carriage horse and a local boy called Colius sometimes rides him to run errands to neighbouring villages for the owner. I have ridden him a couple of times when the sty owner is out of town. Saleja is my only other companion I have besides Daisy. I strode up to him and unlocked the swinging stable door and walked in. Saleja was the most affectionate horse I have ever met, not that I have met many horses before, but he always greeted me with a nicker.

"Hey big boy, would you like some bread?" I said patting his forehead holding out a small chunk of bread which he quickly demolished. Of course being a greedy guts he was still lightly nibbling on my fingers.

"Hey! There's non left!" I said pretending to sound stern but I could not hold back my laughter, "Oh you're a silly horse, aren't you Saleja" I said giving the large horse a hug around his neck. Saleja sighed a tired sigh and I stepped back and went over to my rucksack and grabbed a comb out. I skipped back to his stall and started to comb his thick black mane. Slowly he started to fall asleep and I started to sing a song from which I cannot remember from where I heard it.

Brother and sister playing in a lard,

See into the distance to a yard

Where deer are grazing here and there,

In the centre is a Shepherd oh so fair,

The children sit and watch all day,

Watch her laying all the hay.

Then they wished they had a deer

One to love and one to care

They asked their father yes they did

Father said "no got back to bed"

But later that night,

He went to a cottage shining bright

He asked the maiden oh so fair,

If he could buy an infant deer

Then the maiden oh so kind,

Gave him the best deer she could find

So in the barn he hid the brass coloured deer,

And waited until the morn was near

He woke his children first one then two,

To show them their new ewe

Oh so happy the children had never been

They now had the most beautiful deer ever seen.

So when the maiden sees them playing on the grass

She sees two children and the deer of brass.

When I had finished my song Saleja had fallen asleep and, from sound of snoring I guessed Daisy had to. I looked pleased at my combing job and slipped out of his stall not forgetting to lock the gate after me. I dropped down onto my hay bed and kept humming quietly to myself. I wrapped myself up in my blue cloak and drifted off to sleep completely forgetting about my events of my evening.