A/N: Hey guys welcome to the second installmentto the Fortune Series. This will be a Thorin/OC Kili/OC and slight love hate Fili/OC. It would not be too crucial to read the first one before this but it does give you a background on Thorin's and an OC's past relationship (imagine a Romeo and Juliet with less major character deaths). So if you are interested go check out my Unfortunate Encounters story and get filled in. Just and FYI this story will be like the other were it jumps forward. You can use the events of the movie or book I feel to fill in any time jumps. As it progresses there will be less. This begins a few days after the company has left the shire. There will be a lot of additions of plot and characters to this story so hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 1: The First Encounter Part I

The final drops of water fell from the sky, heavy and cold just as the sun fell past the horizon line, turning day into night. They were only a few weeks into the journey and for the past two days they had been showered upon by a storm that seemed would never cease.

The rain had been both a blessing and a curse upon Thorin and his company. Their boots were soggy and their clothes were soaked making it too miserable to truly get any rest. So instead of tossing and turning on the mud soaked and tree sparse land, Thorin had pushed his men to keep trudging along in hopes to either find shelter from the rain or the rain itself ceased. This was the reasoning he had voiced to his men when they grumbled about his drive to push on for the past few days. However when they finally reached a thickly wooded area that while still wet, was nothing compared to the swamp like conditions they had recently crossed, Thorin continued to push his men. But he had a reason as to why he wanted to keep moving, a reason in which he kept to himself.

For nearly the entire day, Thorin could not shake the feeling that they were being watched. At first he had brushed it aside as a side effect of his fatigue from the lack of sleep his body was currently craving. He could not pinpoint from which direction or even guess if it were friend of foe, but he knew the feeling had set upon him the moment they entered the forest and it was for this reason that he kept of pushing his men. Even when Balin brought up the topic that the large boughs created a nice canopy from the rain, Thorin contered with a quick comment that the rain was still falling heavily and the floor of the forest was too damp to make a decent camp.

However, three hours later it seemed the clouds above had finally wrung the last of their moisture upon them and Thorin had no other reason but his own paranoia to keep them moving. He stopped walking for a moment to asses their surrounds. The odd feeling of being watched was still there but as he searched out across the brush and foliage, he saw no threat. Despite his gut telling him to continue on, his logic told him that the group was cold, hungry, and tired. Moral was too low and the only way to fix it at this moment was to relieve them of their discomfort.

They had come up to a part of the forest where the trees grew taller and wider. The ground was not entirely dry but the thicker canopy provided by the grove of pines was enough to prevent the majority of the rain from falling through. The foliage in this particular grove was thinner than what they had been traveling through. Only a handful of bushes and vines managed to flourish under their taller predecessors that towered over and dominated the intake of sunlight with their branches, leaving only a small amount of light to reach the forest floor.

As he searched out any threat he saw nothing but the movement of leaves as water dripped upon then. Seeing nothing alarming he strained his ears to catch any possible danger as well. However, all that could be heard were the quiet grumblings of dwarves behind him and the heavy drops of water falling from branches, to the foliage, then to the pineneedle strewn ground. Heavy squelching steps sounded behind him announcing someone's approach by his side. He was not surprised by the appearance of Dwalin by his side judging by the amount of noise that had seemed to be caused by the dwarfs large boots.

"Is there something wrong Thorin? Why have we stopped?" He asked lowly.

Thorin turned to Dwalin to see that the warrior was now searching for threats as well. When it seemed Dwalin sensed nothing to cause alarm, Thorin made his decision. He turned around to face the group that had gathered in a small huddle. They all looked roughly worn and as Thorin took in the sight of them, he too felt just as worn out as they looked.

"We will camp here for the night," he announced.

There was a small cheer that arose from several of the dwarves as they all began to unladen themselves from their heavy packs. Thorin began pointing to individuals and giving out instructions.

"Nori see if you can get a fire going. Bombur help Nori then get us start preparing supper. Oin and Gloin, see to the ponies. Fili and Kili," The two young princes who had been busy unpacking their things, quickly dropped what they were doing and trotted over to where Thorin was giving out instructions. "The two of you circle around and make sure we are secure in our position."

Fili and Kili nodded in synchronization and headed out to do as instructed while Thorin raised his voice for the others.

"The rest of you set up camp and search around for some dry wood to feed the fire."

Thorin watched the company begin to set up camp, keeping a close eye on Fili and Kili until they had disappeared into the brush. Once he was satisfied that everything was in order, he began to contribute his own efforts to search for any source of dry wood that may be near their camp.

It only took a few minutes before Nori and Bombur had a fire going well enough to begin cooking several rabbits they had hunted throughout the day. As the coneys roasted, the sweet aroma of cooking meat wafted through the air and found its way to where Fili and Kili were making their patrol around the camp. Kili took in a deep breath, relishing the smell as his mouth began to water and his stomach let out a loud grumble.

"Aw, common there is nothing out here, we should call it good and head back." He said in a whiney tone, grabbing his stomach as it let out another chorus of gurgles.

Fili shook his head. "Thorin told us to circle around, we are almost back just a little bit further."

Kili let out a grumble and followed after his older brother, muttering curses under his breath. He watched as Fili stepped over a branch in front of him and without any thought, Kili bent down and snatched it up. He swung it around like a sword, lopping off the tops of several ferns that stood above the rest of the undergrowth. With the rain no longer falling, the night had grown quiet and still. The result caused Kili's swings to sound like a parade of oliphants roaming through the woods when compared to the earlier serenity. After several winded swings, Fili stopped and gave Kili a reprimanding look from over his shoulder.

With a sigh, Kili rolled his eyes and threw the branch off into a large bush. The moment the branch disappeared into the leaves, the bush gave out a soft gasp of pain. Both brothers froze. The sound of Fili's sword being drawn caused Kili to look at his brother who was now facing the source of the sound as well. Fili held a finger to his lips and gestured with his head, indicating for Kili to take one side as he began to step forward.

Kili pulled his bow from its place on his back then reached again for an arrow to load. His bow string gave out the slightest of groans as he pulled it slightly taut. They arrived to the bush at the same time. Fili cautiously moved his hand forward to move the large arrangement of foliage away while Kili simultaneously raised his bow and aimed. With swift movement, Fili pulled the leaves away to reveal two pairs of wide eyes staring back at them.

Kili gaped, too stunned by what he was seeing to react. Each pair of eyes belonged to a dwarf, to be specific, dwarrowmaids. They each had on a dark green travel cloak with the hoods pulled up and over their heads which explained why Kili had not seen them earlier. It was the perfect camouflage for this terrain. Only their shocked pale faces stood out in the dark night as each of them stared right back at them.

One woman was significantly older than the other. Hazel eyes were lined with the beginnings of the small wrinkles and her face was bordered with short tendrils of red hair that stuck out from under her hood and clung to her wet cheeks. She showed no sign of fear as her eyes danced calculatively between Fili and Kili as if trying to judge if they were friend or foe.

After a quick examination of the first dwarrowdam, Kili moved on to the second, much younger dwarrowmaid. She was taller than the other by a few inches. Her blue eyes stood out in contrast to the dark hair that fell just short of touching her shoulders. Unlike her companion her eyes stared widely at him with a terrified expression.

The moment Fili had pulled the bush away to reveal them, both women had shrunk back until their backs were pressed up against the large tree behind them. The older dwarrowmaid moved an arm out in front of the younger one to take on a protective stance. It did not take long for Kili to make his initial observation of the two, but it was enough time for the older dwarrowdam to move into action. A large staff held in her other hand to which neither Kili nor Fili had noticed came out swinging towards them. It was a fast movement and while Fili was able to react just fast enough to block her swing, Kili was caught off guard as the younger dwarrowmaid unexpectedly kicked her foot up into his chest.

Kili was left breathless as he took the heavy blow into his diaphragm and he hunched over to gasp for breath. While Fili was quickly recovering from his own haisty block of defense, the two women took off running away from them. In an instant, Fili grabbed Kili and began pulling him along with him in pursuit of their attackers. The two females had a head start but Fili and Kili were faster and they were quickly gaining on them.

As they dashed through the undergrowth, they ducked down to avoid low hanging branches and jumped over fallen logs. Kili kept them both in his sights as he took the lead once his breath was fully recovered. As they began to catch up to the two women he realized they were headed straight for the spot that the company had made camp.

"Thorin!"

Thorin was sitting down on a fallen log that he and Dwalin had managed to roll over into their camp for sitting when he heard his nephew's voice rise out of the trees. The shout had come from somewhere behind him. He whirled around, standing as he turned and scanned the dark forest. He heard them before he saw them. Their footsteps pounding on the ground as they crashed noisily through the wet undergrowth of the forest. All members of the company were to their feet now with their weapons drawn.

He looked around and saw the small band of dwarves awaiting his command, all facing in the direction of Kili's voice. Even the hobbit stood in the back next to Bofur holding up a large club like branch. He looked terrified but Thorin could not help but feel a small sense of pride for the hobbit's tenacity to arise to the occasion. The only face he did not see was Gandalf. At some point in their efforts to make camp, the old wizard had disappeared. A rise of annoyance rose in his chest and he hoped that this occurrence of disappearing would not become a habit of the wizard during their journey.

He heard movement in the brush, telling him that they were almost back to the camp. Thorin prepared himself for anything, he wanted to run towards the sound, towards his nephews but there was no telling what was causing their distress. He could hear their footsteps now and became slightly aware for how quickly they were coming towards them. When he had heard the first shout they had seemed much farther away.

"Thorin!" Came Fili's voice.

A sinking feeling in Thorin's gut hit him as he realized that the footsteps nearing them were not his nephews. Fili's voice was further than these steps and with quick awareness, Thorin braced himself for whatever was about burst through the green wall of leaves before him.

As if on cue, two figures burst through the bushes as Fili shouted again. The heads of the two strangers were turned away and they failed to see the small company of warriors armed and ready for their approach. Thorin watched as a pale faced girl turned and stopped abruptly at the sight of him and the rest of the company. The hood of her cloak had already fallen off, revealing her young feminine face.

As she stopped the second stranger collided into as she caught up, pushing her to the ground. Her companion quickly shot an arm out to in an effort to steady the dark haired girl. Before she could manage a firm clasp on the girl, Dwalin had already grabbed a hold of the second arriver and was roughly pushing them up against the tree, pinning the still cloaked stranger to the bark and keeping them from helping the dark haired girl who was now moving quickly to her feet to attack Dwalin.

With premonition to her intentions against Dwalin, Thorin was already moving into action. He drew his sword and swiftly placed it against her neck. The girl immediately froze as the cold steel came to a stop against her skin. While Thorin had no intention of hurting the girl, at least not yet, a small red line slowly appeared and grew as a small drop of blood seeped from the small cut that formed where the sharp edge of his sword grazed against the soft skin of her neck when she swallowed too deeply.

"Don't hurt her, please!" A feminine voice called out in a struggled plea.

While her feminine voice seemed to bring about a general shock to the group, Thorin felt as if he had a jolt of lightning strike him. Every hair on his body was standing on end and his body felt suddenly numb of all feeling. He KNEW that voice. Yet it was impossible for him to be hearing it. The owner of that voice was long dead.

Thorin as well as the rest of the group, moved their attention from the girl kneeling before Thorin's sword, towards the captive Dwalin was struggling to keep pinned to the tree. The moment his eyes fell upon her, Thorin's eyes grew wide as he stared at the woman's profile in disbelief. She was currently trying to push herself free of Dwalin's immovable clutch and her attention was preoccupied to realize everyone was looking at her.

Her skin was the exact same silk smooth white that still shocked Thorin of its luminescence in the darkness of the forest. Her hair was the same red shade as the person he had known but it was much too short. The woman he was recalling had hair that was flowed freely down her back in thick, lustrous long locks. This woman's hair was chopped short, falling only to her chin. Just as he was beginning to believe that this woman being pinned against a tree was truly not the person he originally thought, Thorin heard Balin speak in a whisper.

"It can't be?" He breathed out in a tone of disbelief.

At the sound of his voice, the woman's eyes finally moved away from Dwalin and flashed out across her on lookers. She froze the moment her eyes landed on Thorin and for the second time that night, Thorin could have sworn he was struck by lighting. Those eye.

Her eyes widened as her attention directed to him. Shock filled Thorin's chest, he was staring at a ghost. She too was staring back at him and it was obvious she was experiencing the same level of shock as well. Thorin raked his eyes across her image and realized that perhaps it was not shock he was witnessing. Her mouth was set into a firm line, her jaw clenched, and while her wide eyes would indicate fear, they burned with something far more passionate than fear.

He was frozen. Thorin could not move and if he could, he was not sure what he would do. Run away? Attack this mockery of the face that has haunted him since his youth? Reach out to her to feel if she were truly real and not a figment of his imagination? He had the instinct to do all and none at the same time.

Unaware of his body's movements, Throin's arm that held his sword against the now forgotten maiden lowered as he continued to gape at the other woman. Seeing that those surrounding her were at the moment too distracted to notice, the younger girl moved into action.

With quick speed, she moved towards Dwalin. Her movement seemed to wake everyone from their moment of shock but all seemed to have sluggish thoughts. As they recovered slowly and failed to move fast enough to stop her from moving towards the large dwarf. His back was left defenseless to her as he held the other woman in place and the dark haired woman was just about to reach him before anyone had managed to even move.

Fortunately, Fili and Kili burst through the undergrowth just as she was about to make her attack. Wildly aware of what was about to happen, Fili slide to the ground, taking the young girls feet out from under her. As she fell forward to the ground yet again, she was stopped from completely tumbling onto her face as Kili expertly pulled her up. However, instead of helping her stand upright he bent her arm behind her back as she squirmed around in an unrewarding attempt to free herself. He bent it only a fraction further to cause a small amount of pain to radiate up her arm, she let out a small whimper and fell still. He eased up the moment she stopped struggling but prepared himself to inflict pain again should she try anything else.

The attack his nephews halted brought Thorin out of his state of shock. He moved quickly to Dwalin who was now easing up on his force as he placed a knife to the woman's throat. She stopped struggling once she saw how quickly her and her companion could be easily disposed of if either made the wrong move.

Her eyes burned with rage as she stared at Dwalin but at Thorin's approach they moved and focused on him with a penetrative stare. Thorin studied the women closely, he had to be sure that this was not just a trick of the dim light. He was not sure which hope was winning. The hope that her features would morph into something else and this facade truly was a trick of the light. Or the hope that this truly was her. As he neared, he felt his chest restrict its movements making it difficult to breath and he struggled to find his voice.

"Who are you?" he managed to ask in a strained voice.

For the first time, her face finally turned to completely face him and the fire light from their camp illuminated the entirety of her face. The side of her face that was once cast in shadowed was revealed and he noticed a faint scar ran down from the apple of her cheek to her jawline. A twinge in his stomach made him feel sick at the sight, but if the woman noticed she gave no indication. Thorin watched as the woman observed him with a calculative expression then suddenly, to his surprise and under such circumstances, she managed to have the audacity to smirk at him.

"Has it really been that long that you truly do not remember me?" She asked. "I can see plainly by your faces that you recognize me. I may not have meant much to you Durins of Erebor...but surly my name has not already faded from your memories." She commented in a teasing tone.

Thorin felt his blood boil in annoyance. He needed to know, he need confirmation. Finishing the last few pace's left between them he wrapped a hand around her throat, his hands felt like they were burning against the cold skin of her neck.

"What," he growled deeply, "is your name."

His harsh treatment and ill temper was obviously surprising to her as the smirk that had just recently adorned her face pulled into a grimace as her head slammed against the tree trunk. Her eyes squeezed shut from the pain and she quickly answered him.

"My name was Rashava, daughter of King Rangar and Queen Sigur from the Brimir bloodline," she said as strongly as Thorin's hand pressing against her throat allowed. At her claim, his grip loosened and she was able pry her head slowly from the tree as she tentatively watched him as she spoke again, this time more somberly. "I only go by Asha now, daughter of the deceased Rangar and Sigur."

And there he had it. Her proclamation confirmed everything. It was truly her. Thorin let his eyes rake across every inch of her face as he took in the details. Her face was beginning to show the lines that came with age and at the temples of her hair, there were several silver strands that stood out against the rest of her vibrant red strands. His eyes ran down to her lips and chin that had once been so familiar. He scanned her jawline, paused at the scar on her left side, then followed the outline of her neck to a spot just above her clavicle to the final confirmation that this was truly her and not an imposter.

The last time he had seen it, it had stood out more but time had caused it to fade. Despite its aged appearance, there was no mistaking the familiar jagged scar that had always adorned her neck in all his time he knew her. A scar that she claimed receiving in her first lessons from her father in using a sword. There was no doubting it now. This was her standing before him. Breathing the same air he was breathing, feeling the same chill in the air as him, and as much alive as he was.

"Asha." He breathed out.

Thorin stared at her after he uttered her name. He was not sure of what he was feeling. It was a swirl of mixed emotions all rising and falling in waves like the tide of the ocean. With each wave that crashed down, a new emotion replaced the one before. Fear, anger, joy, bitterness, contempt; there was no homeostasis.

Finally after a drawn out silence, he found his voice and spoke. "How is this possible? You are supposed to be dead."

His voice was cold and angry which surprised him. Asha's face remained unphased by his coldness but several others in the company reacted in surprise to the icy tone.

"Please." She said in a soft voice nodding her head to the younger girl being held by Kili. "Please let her go."

Thorin studied Asha then the younger companion. He met Kili's eyes and nodded.

"Let her join Asha," he complied.

Kili released the girl's arms and she hurriedly traveled away from him, sending a cautious look at the young prince as she rubbed her arm and joined Asha by her side. She kept as close to her side as possible while still keeping a distance between herself and Dwalin who, while having lowered his knife when Thorin had lashed out, still stood menacingly near. Giving them only enough space to let them relax but kept close enough to grab them if they were to run again. Asha took ahold of the young girl's arm and looked her over before turning back to face Thorin as she waited for the barrage of questions she knew where about to come.

"How is this possible?" It was Balin, not Thorin who asked the first question. "We were told that you and your family were sealed within the mountain."

Her hazel eyes moved from Thorin to gaze upon the white haired dwarf. A grim smile passed her lips. "We were."

"Then there are more than just yourself? How many managed to escape? Where are they now? Why have we not heard of any other survivors escaping?" Dwalin challenged. "We were told that it would be impossible for anyone to escape from the sealed portions of the mountain."

"There were far and few of those that escaped and a story I am unwilling to share," she answered with only a glance in his direction. "As for why you have not heard... that is a long story with too many details and I am afraid there is not enough time for me to fully answer. Perhaps another time...should our paths ever cross again I will be able to share such a story." She grabbed ahold of the young girl's arm and made to take a step. "Unfortunately, we have business to attend elsewhere..."

"Stop right there lassie," Dwalin barked before she could even take a full step. She paused and shot a glare in the warriors direction. "We are not going to just let you waltz away without being positive that you are not a spy."

"A spy?" Asha asked with an amused huff. She shook her head and with humor still in her voice, she responded. "I can assure you, I am no spy."

As she spoke a glint of curiosity adorned her face as she moved her attention to Thorin. She let her eyes trail across him then to the rest of the company before leading back to their leader.

"However, I am curious as to why you would be so concerned about spies." She tilted her head to the side. "Since when did toy makers, warriors, blacksmiths, and merchants travel together so heavily armed...and with others not of their race." She glanced at the small halfling standing in the back. "It is even more rare for a halfling to venture beyond the shire and those that do...are usually in search of adventure."

She looked fondly at the small hobbit and smiled before looking back to Thorin. Her eyes set on him inquisitively and she cocked her head to the side.

"We are merely traveling to visit kinfolk in the west," Thorin lied. "Now tell us why you were hiding and spying on us."

A single eyebrow rose on Asha's face making it obvious that she was not believing his answer. Whether she believed him or not, she seemed to accept his answer despite her skepticism as she shrugged her shoulders before offering an answer.

"We were merely traveling when we heard your group. We were unsure if you were friend or foe so we took refuge to observe your group," she answered. "We honestly did not know who you were. Had I known, we would have quickly been on our way."

Thorin could not ignore the twinge of pain he felt in his chest by her admission of wanting to avoid him. Did she truly despise him so much?

"And why would you avoid making yourself known to us. It seems we would not be in such a distrusting predicament had you made yourself known to us when you saw who were are." He answered. "I do not recollect us being enemies."

Asha snorted at his words. "Obviously time has taken its toll on your memory. Since when did Durin's become so accommodating to Brimir's? If memory serves me correctly...your last words gave no indication that you would ever wish to be within my presence."

"You know those words were said in grief," Thorin quickly defended with full, earnest sincerity. His voice seeming to beg her to believe the truth in his words.

His words seemed to produce an effect on her as her amusement faded into a sad nostalgia. She smiled faintly to herself as she lost herself in memories of the past. Thorin watched her closely as he watched a dimness come to her eyes as she looked to the ground. A moment later the somber expression was gone and she raised her eyes back up to him.

"How was I to know?" she replied and Thorin knew she was valid in her point. "But one can never be too cautious. We are not the same people we once were and our world has changed. There is no telling who will turn their backs in your greatest times of need."

Here words reverberated in his mind as he took her in. It was bitter remark but completely true. He took her appearance in again. Her worn and tattered clothes, her short hair, and the grayness that seemed to now shadow her. Perhaps he had been correct when she first came into their captive. This was not the woman from his past, not the Asha he remembered, this was not his Asha. He nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps you are correct," he said in a now hardened tone. "We are not the same people we once were."

Asha nodded in agreement to his statement. "So how do you suggest we go about this?" She asked. "Are you going to drag us all the way to the Iron Hills as your captives? Or will you let us be on our way?"

Thorin stared at her long and hard, conflicted with raw emotion and logic. He struggled to make a decision. She was correct. They needed to get on with this little run in but neither of her solutions sounded desirable. Deep down he wanted to drag her back to the blue mountains, demand answers, then lock her away so tightly nothing could ever happen to her and he would always know where she was.

But that was not logical, they were on a quest, a dangerous quest and if he were to bring her along, she would be in danger. The thought made his stomach churn. That left him with her last option, let her go.

Of all the possibilities of what they could do, this was the most logical but least favorable. If he let her go, she would disappear. She had already done that once but that time he thought her to be dead. It was a fact that he had eventually learned to live with and move on with his life, at least to a certain extent. But it was a fact that was sorely incorrect. How could he keep on going now? Knowing she was alive and well. Knowing she seemed to have moved on without him, completely content without him in his life. How did she do it? In the end, did she just not truly love him? Did he hurt her so much that she would completely forget everything they ever shared together?

Kili watched his uncle with blatant curiosity. He had never seen his uncle seem so unhinged at a situation. He could see the frustration and conflicting emotions that he was battling within him to make a decision on how to go forward. It was obvious he and this woman had some kind of history but to what extent? She had stated she was a Brimir. That in itself explained a lot but it did not make any sense. If the stories of the family feud were true, then shouldn't they be tearing each others throats out by now? Not only that, but she had claimed to be from Dhom and by what he had gathered she had was part of the group of dwarves that had been entrapped with the army of goblins with no escape. He shuddered at the thought. He had heard many ghost stories fabled and told about what happened to those who had been encased into the mountain range.

As Kili pondered the mystery between this woman and his uncle, he moved his attention to the woman herself as Thorin continued to silently debate a solution within the confines of his own mind. She watched Thorin with bated breath as she waited for his verdict. Her hand was clasped protectively around her companion's arm and his eyes trailed up along her arm to the girl's face. For the first time since stumbling upon them in the brush, Kili took the time to take in the sight of the girl.

Over their years of growing up, Kili had admitted to his brother that he had seen the most beautiful dwarrowmaid in all of middle earth more times than he could count. Each time Fili would only roll his eyes and wait for Kili to proclaim the next maiden the most beautiful. He was not like his brother who seemed nearly unmoved by any women at all. Unlike him, Kili easily fell in love, or at least what he thought was in love. It was unfortunate that it was he that lacked the natural ability his brother possessed when it came to interacting with the fairer folk of his kind.

So after several years of unsuccessfully trying to gain the attentions of uninterested maidens, Kili swore he would never fall for another girl again. But as he finally studied the girl, his oath to himself was thrown out the window. This girl was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Standing a few inches above Asha she was graced with a long neck, slender waist, and round hips. He had originally thought her quite pale when they first stumbled upon the pair in the brush but it must have been the shock and coldness, along with the contrast of her dark hair, that gave the illusion. With the ease of knowing she was no longer in danger, accompanied with their mad dash to escape that seemed to have produced some body heat, he complexion had improved. A healthy glow had taken over her skin that emanated from her now rosy cheeks. Along with the change of her complexion, her hair color had changed as well. With her hood pulled up earlier, Kili had only managed to glimpse the few wet strands that even now still clung to her face and neck, darkened and dampened by the earlier rain. But now with her hood pulled back it revealed the rest of her hair that had been protected from the rain, it revealed a rich, dark walnut color that fell down to her shoulders. A small simple braid began at each of her temples and ran back behind her ears where they were joined together in the back and fastened with a simple bronze hair clip.

A loud sigh followed by a muttered curse in Khuzdul brought Kili from his observing and regretfully, he took his eyes away from the girl and looked at his uncle.

"Be on your way," Thorin sighed with a regretful dismissal.

Asha's shoulders sagged with relief as she shyly gave Thorin a ghost of a small in gratitude. "Thank you Thorin."

She moved to depart but a rustling of leaves and breaking twigs caused her to pause. Thorin gripped his sword and signaled for the rest to do the same. He heard the young dwarf maid whisper something to Asha, perhaps a name, in speculative tone. He shot a glare in her direction.

"Are there more in your group that you were expecting?" He growled.

Asha hesitated for a moment, her eyes casting out around the brush then settling back on him. Her head shook but Thorin was not convinced as he narrowed his eyes.

"Do you want to rethink that? Are you sure?" He snapped.

"I know whom I travel with and that is not anyone I know!" Replied Asha, alarm filling her own voice as she turned to face the foliage while pulling a small throwing axe from her belt.

From the tone of Asha's voice and here reaction, Thorin determined that she was not lying and he became even more alarmed. The sounds of their earlier scuffle combined with their unmonitored exchange of words, would have announced their position to anyone within a good distance from them. He silently chastised himself for lowering his guard in a moment of shock but quickly brushed it aside as he readied himself. The sound of stretching leather filled the air as Ori pulled his slingshot back and aimed for the moving bushes.

With weapons poised and ready for attack, they all waited in suspense as whatever was causing the rustling, approached. The sound of a large branch being snapped beneath something heavy echoed just as the brush surround their encampment split apart to let a tall figure push through.

All on edge, Thorin was just about to spur forward and attack when he recognized the figure to be Gandalf. In that moment, Thorin registered that the wizard had in fact disappeared just before they stopped to make camp. Annoyance grew within him for the wizard to cause such alarm. Gandalf, either unaware or ignoring the alarm he had caused, innocently looked around each of those who had just a few moments ago been about to attack him.

"Oh, pardon me," he said in a happy tune.

"Where have you been?" Said Thorin gruffly as he sheathed his sword. "We could have used your watchful sight earlier."

Gandalf frowned at Thorin's harsh tone but ignored his question as he gazed across the group of dwarves and one confused looking hobbit. As his eyes felll upon the two females, they lit up.

"Ah it looks like we have company. Asha, Sigurd," he said, nodding to each in turn as he addressed them.

"Gandalf, you know these women?" Asked Thorin in surprise.

Gandalf turned his smiling face to Thorin.

"Yes." He replied.

"How?"

Gandalf scrunched his face as if trying to remember.

"Oh quite a long time, Asha since she was she was still crawling on the floor and Sigurd here for about seventy years now." He said finally looking to them for confirmation.

"Seventy-four," the dark haired girl, Sigurd, corrected.

Gandalf raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My, my, how the years pass on more quickly," he said with a shake of his head. Then he turned back to Thorin who was frowning at their exchange. "Have you invited our new guests to join us for supper?"

Thorin glared at Gandalf. "They are hardly our guests," he said sternly. "We found them creeping around the camp."

"Oh but surely it was all a misunderstanding. I can only imagine two women would be a bit more weary of a group of strange men when traveling late at night." Gandalf offered.

Thorin's cheek flexed as he ground his teeth. "So it would seem."

"Then it is obvious that there is no threat amongst us and no harm would be done should we break bread together," Gandalf proposed.

"I am sorry Gandalf but I must decline your offer," cut in Asha. "We have already been delayed in our travels due to the rain and we must be going."

Thorin looked to Asha as she gave a small bow of her head before tugging Sigurd along with her in a hurry. He felt slightly hurt that she seemed so inconvenienced and skittish to be in his presence. He watched the woman take a few side steps.

Over a century had passed that he thought her dead. Then in one night all he thought to be, was shattered by her appearance. All this time she was alive, after all he had been through and thought, she had been alive. She had not perished a morbid death within that mountain range. A hundred years of being separated and it seemed the only thing she cared about was how quickly she could disappear from his presence. He wanted answers but there truly was no reason for him to stop her. He was not sure if he even really deserved them.

As she turned away to leave, her pale skin looked almost translucent in the moonlight making her look young and vulnerable. It reminded him of the first time they had ever met, long ago in the abandoned gardens were they had both sought refuge. He knew it just a delusion he had created in his mind's eye, she was far from that clever and gentle girl. She was the opposite of being vulnerable. She had to be since she was standing right before him in what looked to be in perfect health.

He wanted to give a reason for her to stay but he could not. At least not without putting the quest in jeopardy. The longer she was with them, the higher the chance their real intentions would be revealed. That, and there was no valid reason in which he could detain her for any longer. She was not a threat to him. And her younger companion, Sigurd, certainly seemed to be as threatening as a mouse.

"Just a moment Asha, I understand you are in a hurry but if I may request that you spare just one more delay in you travels." Asha paused at Gandalf's words and turned back to look at him. "I cannot express how convenient it was that you ran into us for I have some matters in which I have been needing to discuss with you."

Asha turned to face Gandalf and after a moment of thought she nodded. "Very well, but no more than an hour's time."

Gandalf smiled happily.

"I should need no more than half an hour's time. While we talk it will give Sigurd can have an opportunity to warm herself by the fire while she waits," he suggested.

Asha looked to the girl to make sure she would be ok with being left alone with strangers for a small time. The girl's eyes widened in slight panic but after meekly glancing around herself and caught a few welcoming grins from select members of the company, she gave a hesitant nod. Satisfied, Asha began making her way over to the wizard as he began to make his way to a secluded area but stopped when he paused mid turn.

"Oh, and I suppose you could invite your friend hiding in the bushes to join Sigurd as well. I am sure by now she has become awfully stiff from her crouched position."