Chapter 1
It was about five minutes after Thorin Oakenshield arrived when there was another knock on Bilbo's door. "Oh for the love of...Gandalf this had better not be another dwarf." the hobbit warned as he headed towards the door. Opening the door,Bilbo saw a figure standing there in a cloak with the hood up. "Hello Master Baggins,Arra Nightwolf at your service." the person bowed slightly before lowering their hood and giving the halfling a small smile. Bilbo nodded and greeted her in return."Bilbo Baggins at yours." Moving aside,he let the young woman in and offered to take her cloak. Shaking her head,Arra looked for Gandalf. "Ah,Arra I see that you're here." Said the wizard,coming to greet her. "Gandalf I thought you said the journey here would be short" Arra accused,glaring up at the wizard with her deep brown eyes. "My apologies,I suppose for you the traveling distance was larger."
Huffing with annoyance,Bilbo looked up at Gandalf, "And just who is this?" He asked. "Bilbo,this is Arra nightwolf,she will be joining us in our travels." Gandalf smiled,patting the hobbit's head just as the 13 dwarves came out of the kitchen to meet the new arrival. Thorin wore a scowl on his face as he looked Arra over. "A human Gandalf? Why is she here?" The king asked,glaring at the girl just as she glared at him. "Yes Thorin a human woman. She is here to help you,just as Bilbo is. Only she is not a burglar,her purpose is to stay by Bilbo's side and help him."
Arra kept her eyes on Thorin,glaring defiantly at the dwarf. Bofur decided to break the tension and went to clasp Arra on the shoulder. "Well yer welcome to join us little missy. I'm Bofur and this is my brother Bombur and my cousin Bifur. That there is Fili and Kili the two princes,next to them is Nori, Dori and Ori. Balin is the oldest dwarf in our company along with his brother Dwalin. Then there's Gloin,Oin and our leader Thorin." He smiled,pointing out each dwarf in turn and they dipped their heads in greeting,well all accept Dwalin and Thorin.
Arra nodded to each dwarf before looking at Bilbo. "I see they nearly ate you out of house and home Master Baggins." She chuckled lightly and Bilbo huffed in reply at the thought. "Yes,they nearly did. So,what does Gandalf mean by you're going to help me?" He asked. "He means that I'm responsible for you on this journey and I'm to keep you as safe as possible in whatever situations we get into." She explained,smiling kindly at the hobbit. Arra was 23 and stood at the same height as a human she was quite short but she was the right size for her heart and soul mates.
"Now,why don't you go get Arra something to eat Bilbo and we'll go over the contract." The wizard spoke,herding the dwarves back into the kitchen. Bilbo sighed and went to go find Arra some sort of food and she followed him. "Don't worry about giving my something filling Master Baggins,an apple will do just fine." she told him as they reached the pantry. Looking at her for a moment Bilbo nodded and grabbed the last apple and handed it to her. Smiling in thanks,Arra bit into the juicy apple and they headed back to the kitchen. Balin smiled at the two and handed Bilbo the contract. "It's just the usual,summary of out of pocket expenses,time required,remuneration,funeral arrangements,so forth." "Funeral arrangements?!" Bilbo stuttered slightly,taking the contract and looking at it. He read some parts aloud and when he got to the part about ways to die his voice rose slightly. "lacerations,evisceration,incineration?!"
"Oh aye,it'll melt the skin off your bones in a blink of an eye." Bofur agreed,nodding. Bilbo turned pale and Arra stepped closer. "You alright laddie?" Balin asked,looking at the hobbit with concern. "Huh? Oh yeah..." Bilbo bent over and put his hands on his thighs,trying to breath. "Feel a bit faint." "Think furnace with wings." Bofur tried to help,standing up. "Air. I..I I need air." Bilbo stuttered,wiping his face slightly and Arra looked angry as Bofur kept speaking. "Flash of light,searing pain,then poof,you're nothing but a pile of ash." He finished. "Hmf..." Bilbo breathed Gandalf looked like he was about to say something before Bilbo let out a squeaky "Nope" and fainted. Arra rushed to his side and kneeled down,trying to rouse the halfling. "Excellent job Bofur." She snapped,glaring heatedly at the dwaf. "You made him faint with your so called "help."" Sighing,she tried to pick up the unconscious hobbit before Gandalf came over to help.
They carried him to a chair in the living room and roused him after a few minutes. Then Arra went off to make him a cup of tea as Gandalf looked him over. When she returned,she gave him the cup and smiled gently. "Don't listen to Bofur,I'll make sure that doesn't happen to you Bilbo." he nodded and Arra went to go yell at the dwarves about not knowing how to keep their mouths shut.
About ten minutes later Bilbo walked out of his sitting room and went to his room,Arra's eyes following him though she said nothing. "It appears we have lost our burglar." Balin commented a bit sadly. "Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all,what are we? Merchants,miners,tinkers,toymakers. Hardly the stuff of legend." "There are a few warriors amongst us." Thorin told him,a small smile on his normally stoic face. "Old warriors." Balin smiled with a shake of his head. "I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them they answered. Loyalty,honor,and a willing heart. I can not ask more than that." His blue eyes were a bit sad as he looked at Balin. "You do not have to do this. You have a choice. You have don't honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty,a life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor." The old dwarf said gently,having stood up from the bench in the hall. "From my grandfather to my father,this has come to me," Thorin told him,holding up the key Gandalf had given to him earlier,"they dreamt of the day the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice Balin. Not for me." "Then we are with you laddie." Balin nodded. "We will see it done." Patting Thorins arm slightly,the old dwarf walked away.
Later in the evening the dwarves had gathered by the fireplace ,Thorin rested one arm on the mantle while the other held his pipe. His deep blue eyes watched as the fire crackled and it reminded him of when Smaug had taken their mountin. Deep in thought,he began to sing and soon the others joined in,some singing and others humming.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep
In hollow halls beneath the fells.
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they change
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.
On necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold..
At this point Arra slipped out of the room to go outside. The dwarves song was hauntingly beautiful and very sad. The deep timber of their song could still be heard even outside the little house as she sat down on the bench and looked up at the star-littered sky. Oh yes,Arra knew what it was like to miss home and loved ones but her sadness was nothing like what she had heard in their voices as they sang.
Wrapping her cloak tighter around herself she slipped off the bench and lay in the damp grass,closing her eyes she envisioned her own family. It wasn't what one would expect when thinking of family,no,instead of a mother,father and siblings her family was a semi large wolf pack. Their pelts varied in color from black all the way to white and gray,their eyes ranged from gold to blue and their shapes went from small to large. Yes,this was her family,her real family,not the humans Elrond had put her with in hopes of her becoming happy around man. For a time she was happy,sort of. Arra often saw the two brother wolves of the pack despite her "father's" warning,like she would actually listen to the same creature that had killed her alpha! Snorting lightly,she sighed and curled up in a ball. Outside under the stars is where she belonged,not confined to four walls. A den only had three and there were plenty of wolves to keep her warm,there was no need for blankets aside from the bear pelt she had kept for long winter nights. Snuggling farther into the grass Arra quickly fell asleep thinking of her wolf family.
Morning came far too quickly in Arra's opinion as she tried to shield her face from the early morning rays of sun. Groaning slightly she got to her feet and stretched before heading inside. Bofur had noticed that she had not slept inside that night and was the first one to notice when she appeared. "Oy Arra,where ye been? Kili, Fili and I were worried ye had run off." The dwarf chuckled,which earned him a small smile from the young woman. "I slept outside Master Bofur,under the stars where I belong." She informed him,making herself a cup of tea in the kitchen as the dwarves packed up their belongings so they were ready to go. "Whatcha mean where you belong? Don't humans such as yourself sleep in houses in nice warm beds?" He asked,smirking. "Aye,most humans do Master Bofur but as for the reason I don't is a long story and I am sure Master Thorin would not like us to dawdle when there's ground to cover." Arra replied,having made her tea and was now drinking it while also nibbling on a piece of toast that was left out for her by Ori. Bofur nodded before going to finish up packing,Thorin was already set to go and stood in the side doorway to the kitchen. "A human that sleeps outside like an animal. Now that is unheard of." He grunted,locking eyes with Arra. "Just as a king without a crown is unheard of." She suppressed a growl,but only just. Thorin glared darkly but left Arra to herself to help the others pack.
Sighing,she finished her tea and toast before glancing down the hall where Bilbo's room was. It seemed like he would not be joining them which only served to make Arra's eyes water slightly. Looking down at her left wrist she read elvish name there:Bilbo.
Shaking her head slightly,Arra went to join the dwarves. She said nothing as they left the hobbit's home and mounted her light brown horse. The girl rode beside Gandalf as they left the shire and entered the woods,her heart heavy as they began their journey.
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The company was already close to leaving the Shire when Bilbo came running up waving the contract. "I signed it!" He said excitedly,looking at Balin,who in turn took a closer look before smiling. "Welcome Mr. Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Arra smirked in Thorins direction before helping Bilbo onto her horse in front of her."This isn't necessary Arra,I can keep up on foot. I've taken plenty of walking holidays." He stuttered slightly as the horse continued to walk. "Nonsense Master Baggins,Narikia can handle our added weight as well as the weight of our packs. He's a strong horse so don't worry." She chuckled,leaning forward enough to pat the light brown horse's neck lovingly. By this point a few of the dwarves were tossing pouches of coins to the others. "What's going on?" Bilbo inquired,turning to Gandalf who rode beside them.
"Most of the dwarves bet you would not come." The wizard replied. "And what about you?" A pouch was thrown at Gandal and he caught it before putting it in his satchel. "I never doubted you for a second." Arra herself had decided not to partake in the betting,knowing it was Bilbo's decision whether or not he wanted to come. Sighing quietly,her eyes stayed forward and on Thorin's back. Blasted stubborn dwarf. After a few minutes Bilbo sneezed and Gandalf looked at him. "All this horse hair, I am having a reaction to it." The hobbit muttered,patting his pockets in search for something. "Wait,wait. We have to go back." "For what?" Arra asked,becoming slightly concerned. "I forgot my handkerchief." The young woman let out a giggle and rummaged around in one of the pockets she strapped on Narikia until she pulled out a handkerchief. Handing it to Bilbo she chuckled. "I thought you might forget your own so I brought some with me." "Thank you Arra." the halfling told her,rubbing his nose with the cloth. Chuckling again,Arra clicked her tongue at her horse and they began moving again.
By nightfall they had found a place to rest. Arra quickly dismounted and assisted Bilbo before going off to collect firewood. About twenty minutes later she came back and Bombur had already started a fire to cook the evening meal,setting down her load Arra went to sit Fili and Kili while Bilbo fed Narikia an apple when he thought no one was looking. Chuckling to herself,Arra closed her eyes for a few minutes before the sounds of orks were heard and she jumped to her feet just in time to see Bilbo come scuttling back over. "What was that?" He asked,his eyes wide. "Orcs" Kili told him. "Orcs?" Bilbo squeaked,going to Arra's side. "Throat cutters." Fili nodded,holding his pipe. "There'll be dozens of them out there." "The low lands are crawling with them. They attack in the wee small hours of the night. Quick and quiet,no screams. Just lots of blood." Kili finished and Bilbo looked like he was about to faint again. Arra's eyes narrowed as the two brothers chuckled at the hobbits expression. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Thorin demanded,the anger evident in his eyes as he walked past them. "We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said,lowering his eyes. "No you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin growled,walking away from the group. Bilbo looked a bit upset but sat down,Arra following suit. She looked in Thorin's direction before rolling her eyes. Balin walked up and smiled kindly. "Don't mind him laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." Fili looked at the elder dwarf before looking over at his uncle. "After the dragon took the lonely mountain King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria." Arra glanced at Thorin again before getting up and wandering off into the woods nearby. She did not want to hear this story,knowing it was going to bring back memories for Thorin and she did not want to see the look in his eyes. Silently muttering to herself,she looked for mushrooms that could be added to their meals in the coming days. The task did not take long and soon she was making her way back to camp just as Balin finished. "...our enemy had been defeated,but there was no feast nor song that night. For our dead was beyond the count of grief. We few survived. And I thought to myself then,there was one that I could follow. There was one I could call king."
Thorin turned around,grief and happiness in his eyes at Balin's story and praise. A few of the dwarves had woken up and were now looking at Thorin in awe,Arra was sitting by Bilbo again running her fingers through his curly hair. "And the pale orc,what happened to him?" Bilbo asked,genuinely curious as he looked from Thorin to Balin. "He slunk back into the hole in winch he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." the dwarf king answered,anger once again in his voice as he walked away. Gandalf watched him,his pipe in his mouth as the rest of the dwarves settled back down to sleep. Arra had finally gotten the knots out of Bilbo's hair and lay down on her sleeping mat,pulling Bilbo's closer so they could share warmth. The hobbit blushed slightly when she looked at him expectantly. "Well,are you going to sleep with me or not? I don't fancy getting cold and I know you don't as well. So lie down so we can get a bit of sleep before Mr. Oakenshield decides to move out." Nodding,Bilbo lay down beside Arra and she drew him closer,wrapping her arms around the males small frame. "A-arra what do you think you are doing?" The hobbit spluttered,blushing furiously. "Keeping warm,now stop moving around." The lady of the wolves snapped,her eyes closed,when Bilbo finally calmed she kissed his cheek,ignoring his spluttering,and promptly fell asleep with Bilbo curled up beside her.
For the next four days it was pouring rain and Arra had made sure to cover Bilbo with her spare cloak,not that it did much. With one arm wrapped around the hobbit she tried to give him what little body heat she had. Glaring ahead of her,she tried to keep the hobbit warm as they rode. "Mr Gandalf,can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked the wizard. "It is raining master dwarf,and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world you should find yourself another wizard." He answered,looking back at the company slightly. "Are there any?" Bilbo questioned. "What?" replied the wizard. "Other wizards" The halfling inquired. "There are five of us. The greatest of our order being Saruman,the white. Then there are the two blueses. You know I've quite forgotten their names." "And the fifth?" Bilbo asked. "That would be Radagast the brown." "Is he a great wizard? Or is he more like you?" He probed. Arra giggled lightly,Bilbo had unknowingly insulted the gray wizard and amused her greatly. "I think he's a very great wizard." Gandalf turned to look at Bilbo before turning back. "In his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals than to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forestlands to the east. And a good thing too,for evil will always try to find a foothold in this world." Arra growled lightly,which drew Bilbo's attention to her as well as Bofur,Fili and Kili. "What's the matter?" Asked the hobbit,looking at Arra with concern. "Nothing Master Bilbo,I'm fine." She told him,wanting him to drop the subject quickly. Apparently he got the message because he smiled kindly before turning back around. The rest of the ride was done in silence,much to Arras' relief.
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Notes: I'm sticking to the movies more than the books for my story though there will be a few added scenes as well as a bit of changes to some of them. Thank you to all my readers who are already following my story,I love you all. And for future chapters I'll be using different fonts for the languages. Italics for Elvish,Bold for Khuzdul and Arial for Westron.