"Coming!", you yelled out from inside your house.

Looking down at your bags, you could hardly believe you were just about to leave everything you knew behind… Gandalf had come to you a few days back, requesting that you join him and a bunch of dwarves, to aid them find a suitable new home. When he invited you along, your first reaction was to laugh out loud. You. On the road. With dwarves. Yes, of course that made perfect sense! You tried to convince Gandalf that it was utterly ludicrous that you should leave your town, your job, and your friends behind to go help other people, that you didn't even know, find a place to live. But, as it were, saying 'no' to Gandalf was no easy feat. He just had this way to put you at ease and twist things around so you felt like you couldn't possible say no to him.

Of course, Gandalf's main argument made logical sense. You were well known throughout the kingdom for your gifts as a healer. Your own father had been a healer, too, and before he passed, he made sure you received the best training from him and other healers among the race of Men. Even though there was a dwarf among the company that had knowledge of herbs and medicine, he didn't have your comprehension of the physical body or of how to mend severe wounds and heal diseases. So yes, it made sense that they could use your services while they were roaming the wild.

However, you argued to Gandalf, that you weren't quite sure you would get along with these dwarves, which was a poor attempt of an excuse. You had never officially met a dwarf before, though you'd seen some in the market. They mostly kept to themselves and none of them ever came to your shop for mending. Gandalf insisted that they were quite a merry bunch and that you would get along fine with them, but you weren't convinced.

You lived a quiet and mostly peaceful life here. You were making a good living as a healer since word travelled of your talents, and your days went by fast with the many customers or rather patients who came to see you for health issues. It was true that you wouldn't be leaving anyone of importance behind, however. You didn't have a life partner, nor any family either. You lived alone and you were quite happy with how things were going.

Still, you had agreed to meet with a part of the company before heading out. You knew you would have 13 companions travelling with Gandalf and you on this quest, but you started off by meeting only 3 of them. Upon their arrival, a happy-looking dwarf with a funny hat came toward you and introduced himself. His name was Bofur and you took a liking to him right away. He was kind and light-hearted, and you felt at ease with him, which led you to believe that this adventure might not be as bad as you first thought. Nevertheless, things turned a bit sour when you met some of the others.

The other two didn't seem as enthusiastic to meet you as Bofur was. They were mostly staying a good distance from you, eyeing you from time to time and talking amongst themselves, which made you quite uncomfortable. Plus, there was one of them who frankly just scared you. He looked sturdy and powerful; undoubtedly a warrior. When they both started to walk toward you, you got a better look at the warrior. He looked pretty fierce indeed and you swallowed with difficulty, anticipating a rough and impolite introduction. But when he got closer to you, he smiled at you genuinely, and he leaned in to grab your hand and kiss it, as delicately as it was possible for a dwarf. You were quite surprised, and you were also reminded that you should never judge a book by its cover, making you a bit ashamed of yourself.

"My lady, I am Dwalin. At your service."

You smiled back at him, bowing a little, a slight blush covering your cheeks.

"Nice to meet you", you answered back. "You have such a gentle smile… I didn't expect that…"

"Ah, well, dwarves will surprise you, in more ways than one, my lady" and he winked at you.

He wasn't so bad after all, no, not so bad at all. Dwalin stepped aside in order for you to meet the remaining dwarf. He was taller than the others. He had long, raven-black locks with a few white streaks, a full beard, and the bluest eyes you had ever seen. There was no doubt in your mind that he was the King-to-be that Gandalf had talked to you about. There was a presence about him that commanded authority and obedience… even his clothes, a heavy furry pelt he wore over his armor, made him look majestic. He walked toward you with assurance and pride - perhaps even a bit too much pride. Still, you couldn't deny how good-looking he was. You had never imagined a dwarf could look so… well… hot and sexy, to be honest.

When he got near you, he stopped and looked you straight in the eyes, with no hesitation, showing much self-confidence. He had the face of an angel, like chiselled from marble by the maker and combined with what looked like a perfectly 'manly' body; he almost took your breath away. But then, he spoke.

"My lady, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I am Thorin Oakenshield, leader of this company."

His voice was like sweet velvety chocolate. You felt entranced by it, like you could listen to him talk for hours. He looked at you from head to toe, in a very belittling manner.

"I am sorry we misled you. Gandalf was obviously mistaken. He told me he had found a proper healer to join my company. You couldn't possibly have such skills. Plus, being a woman, of all things, makes it impossible for you to follow us on the road. We've wasted enough time. We'll take our leave now."

"Huh, come again?", you answered back, insulted.

Thorin suddenly turned on his heels and walked back to his pony, ready to leave the premises without even answering you. Dwalin gave you an uneasy smile and turned to follow him while Gandalf let out a chuckle.

"You find this amusing, Wizard? He doesn't even know me and he pretends to discredit my abilities?"

"Don't mind him, my dear. You'll come to realize quick enough that dwarves are very stubborn. Particularly where Thorin is concerned. He has a bit of a temper and prefers to do this 'his' way."

"Really, thanks for pointing that out, Oh Great One!"

Gandalf laughed out loud this time. Nothing seemed to bother that man. He helped you grab your bags, evidently still intent on brining you along. You knew there was no point arguing with him, so you tried to put your newfound dislike for Thorin Oakenshield aside and follow Gandalf's lead. You saw him go over and talk to the leader. Thorin didn't seem happy about it, but still, he nodded in agreement, not even looking at you once, and pointed to a pony for you to ride. So you went inside to gather the rest of your things.

At first, when you noticed him, a thrill had run through you at the thought of being on the road with such a good-looking man or rather, dwarf. But now, he didn't seem as hot as he did before. He suddenly was more like a pain in your side. You also had a temper about you, never letting people step on your toes or order you around. You were a proud woman and a talented healer, and you wouldn't let that awful dwarf put you down at every turn. You could easily foresee a whole lot of heated 'discussions' between you and the King-to-be. But you would try your best to mind your outbursts. You were only doing this as a service to Gandalf anyway.

Coming back to reality, you contemplated the days to come. Well, this should be interesting, you thought to yourself, leaving the house and getting ready to straddle your pony.

"So?"

"So? So, what Dwalin?"

"Come on Thorin, you know what I mean… What do you think of her?"

"Of who? That woman?"

"Yeah, the healer. She's one beautiful little thing, isn't she?"

"You must be joking! She's just someone else I'll have to look after! This whole endeavor is turning into a baby-sitting nightmare! I'll have to watch over her every second of every day to make sure she doesn't get killed!"

"Oh, poor you… watching over her night and day, what a painful chore…"

"Shut up, Dwalin! I really don't get what you see in her!"

"It's not 'in' her, stupid. It's staring you in the face!"

Thorin snorted at that. Turning around on his pony, he looked at you over his shoulder. You were happily chatting with Bofur. You looked carefree, a smile dancing on your lips. Thorin had to admit to himself that he envied this lightness you seemed to have. Thorin's eyes softened a little when he heard the sound of your laughter, and Dwalin, knowing his King pretty well, noticed it….

"See! Told ya!"

"Shut up, Dwalin!"