AN – Thanks for all the reviews/followers/favorites. I can't tell you how happy they make me. There were a couple of things I want to address. First, someone pointed out that Anon was the elvish word for Sun. This will definitely come in later. However, for the plot, I needed another name that meant Sun. I had read that the elves used several different languages or dialects, somewhere. So, if everyone could just pretend that Soleil is the word for Sun in a lesser known elven dialect, that would be great. The second point, some people said that they'd like to know where the plot is going. I promise you that I am going somewhere with this. Really. It's just going to take a little while to get to Rivendell, where one of the main plots will be introduced. (There's going to be several plots and character developments in this story. It's not just going to be one adventure and some romance.) Thanks again.

Disclaimer: Only Soleil, Ibenholt, and Djevelen are mine (for now) the rest belongs to Tolkien.

If you can guess this song the next chapter's dedicated to you: "The things you say / they hit me with a right sometimes / hit me with a left sometimes / but I'm still standing / for us / you make me dream sometimes / make me wanna scream sometimes / I'd never give you up.

Chapter 2

Thorin was in a very bad mood. Ever since the company had started out after the incident with the trolls, Kili and Fili had been finding plenty of ways to mention Soliel without seeming to. Almost every sentence out of their mouths had a double meaning. A double meaning so obvious, that even Ori could pick up on it. Thorin was the only one who find the situation not amusing. He was so annoyed in fact, that the only thing keeping him from knocking his nephews over the head and leaving them behind was the fact that he would eventually have to face his sister. Dis could strike fear into the hearts of the bravest warriors, and Thorin was no exception.

Everyone else, found the brothers' antics amusing. Gandalf even joined in a bit. Finally, Thorin could take no more. He could make a slight exception for his nephews, they were after all quite young for dwarves. A wizard, especially one as aged and respected as Gandalf, should know better. And he himself was the king of dwarves, not a position to be taken lightly. He was, Thorin thought, due a certain amount of respect due to that position. "Enough," he roared.

"If you two say one more word, I will send both of you home. Now that Soleil is going to be following us, I won't be needing you, Kili, since I'm sure that she's just as skilled, if not more so, in the use of the bow as you. And since I couldn't send you off by yourself, Fili would be forced to accompany you. The same goes for you, Fili. I'm sure your skills at tracking could be supplemented by Soleil and her pets."

"Yes, uncle," the brothers answered in unison before turning to each other to flash identical grins.

"I think that she's gotten under someone's skin. I wonder what that could possibly mean," Kili mumbled to Fili with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. Unfortunately, Fili couldn't contain his snort of laughter and his uncle heard it. (Truth be told, Thorin had been straining his ears to catch a sound from his nephews.)

"Kili, I want you up at the front of the line," he told his youngest nephew. The young dwarf nudged his pony gently, speeding up its plodding walk. Fili made a move to follow his brother. "Not you, Fili. Just Kili."

"But," both brothers stopped their horses and looked at their uncle. They were rarely separated, and never by choice. And even being separated by the group they were traveling with seemed to much in their minds.

"I heard quite a couple sounds from where you were. Since I don't want to have to sort out the supplies for sending you home currently, I'm doing the next best thing. Until I can attend to that business, you two will be separated. Now, Kili, front of the line." His tone booked no room for argument and Kili reluctantly made his way to the front of the line, glaring at his uncle.

Ibenholt, picking up on Kili's emotional state towards his uncle, growled at Thorin as followed Kili. (She had refused leave the youngest dwarf's side since she had arrived.) Unfortunately for Thorin, it worked too well, scaring the king's pony. As Thorin struggled to get his mount under control, he mumbled loudly enough for those closest to him to hear. "Even when she's gone, she's making my life miserable." Balin and Dwalin shared grins.

Djevelen, whose name had been shortened within the first five minutes, sat patiently out of the pony's hooves, waiting for Thorin to regain control. The dog like creature had taken to Thorin in much the same way Ibenholt had taken to Kili, refusing to leave the king's side. Of course, Djevelen didn't have the same adoring look as the cat had. Thorin was sure that the dog was looking at him with condescending expressions. (A suspicion to which Balin had told Thorin that he was imagining things.)

"What are you looking at," he snarled at the dog. The animal, unsurprisingly, didn't respond except to cock his head to the side, as if asking "Now what are you doing? You dumb dwarf." (At least, in Thorin's mind that was what the dog was saying.)

"Uncle," Fili asked innocently as he passed the almost calm pony. "What would have done if he had responded?"

"All right, I'm shutting up," Fili said on seeing his uncle's face. And he did, for ten blissful (in Thorin's opinion) minutes. Then, he and Kili decided on carrying a conversation. This normally wouldn't have been a problem or out of the ordinary, except for the fact that Kili was at the front of the line and Fili was second to last.

Their conversation was completely harmless – meaning there was absolutely no mention of Soleil. However, Thorin's nerves were completely shot and his temper completely frayed. His voice went devoid of any emotion, "One more word." All talking dwarves heeded their leader's words and stopped talking.

The next hour was silent except for the sound of the ponies' hooves and the occasional cough or sneeze. Thorin's poor mind kept catching glimpses of Soleil's black clothes or her horse's coat out of the corner of his eye, however, when he turned it would disappear. Leaving nothing except the dark tree bark that had actually caught Thorin's eye. Muttering to himself he would stare ahead until a shadow would convince him that the elf maiden was in the bushes. "That elf is going to be the death of me," he growled to Djevelen. The dog's reaction was to look at the dwarf curiously before returning his attention to the road ahead.

"Uncle, are you feeling okay? You look," Fili searched for the right word. Then a grin spread across his handsome features, "infected. It could be worms." He sounded completely innocent, as if he really was worried about his uncle's health.

It was, to the surprise of all, Bilbo who joined in. "I hear that dwarves get big ones. Quite possibly the biggest you've ever seen." Kili laughed on hearing Bilbo reiterate his statement from the previous night.

"If nephews or hobbits don't do it first," he added to his previous statement.

At this moment, Ibenholt become extremely agitated. She let out several soft hisses before opening her mouth and letting loose a roar that startled all the of the group. Kili especially, because he was riding right next to her. His pony reared up, and he fell off. Ibenholt, however, took no notice, completely occupied with whatever only she could sense. Djevelen loped up to where the other animal was and put his nose up in the air. Catching whatever scent had upset Ibenholt, he bared his teeth and snarled a warning to whatever was daring to approach.

"Prepare your weapons," Thorin told his band of dwarves. Bilbo drew his new blade, noting that it stayed normal. Whatever was out there, it wasn't orcs. Bilbo didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. He couldn't imagine anything worse than orcs, but after all, he was only a simple hobbit who had never left the Shire before. He rarely went past Bag-End. And, his imagination, sharpened by all the books he had read, was more than capable to think up horrible creatures with the taste for hobbit meat.

Djevelen let loose one bark and Ibenholt jumped up onto an overhanging rock, hidden from view. The dog returned to his place next to Thorin, where he assumed a position of attadck, ready to spring at whoever came out of the woods.

When the invader finally revealed himself, no one was expecting what they saw. Except perhaps for Gandalf, whom never seemed to be surprised by anything. Besides the occasional warrior elf maiden who appeared out of nowhere and was capable of reducing the king of dwarves to a babbling teenager. One who was meeting the first female after emerging from puberty, Gandalf added in his mind. He was sure that Ori could have carried on a better conversation with Soleil. And Ori couldn't even think of Soleil with blushing bright red.

"Radagast," Gandalf greeted the odd looking wizard.

Before anything else could happen, Ibenholt, who had been quite forgotten, leaped down from her perch, roaring at the newcomers. Poor Radagast nearly had a heart attack, as did Bilbo, whom the giant cat had leapt over in her attempt to protect Thorin and company. She snapped at several of the rabbits who had pulled Radagast's sled but didn't harm any (beyond making them very nervous). She paced back and forth, growling and tossing her head as if daring any to approach.

"What type of animal is that?" Radagast asked, looking as closely as he dared at the snarling cat.

"We don't exactly know," Gandalf admitted. "Could you please call her off, Kili?" Gandalf knew that none of the others stood a chance of making the cat back down. He wasn't even certain that she would listen to Kili, she looked absolutely feral now.

"Ibenholt," Kili called to the animal. "Come to me." He sounded quite confident, but was having thoughts very close to Gandalf's. She had completely transformed from the friendly cat that had pranced through the ranks of the dwarves, purring and leaping playfully from rock to rock. To the surprise of all, she did come. After snapping one last time at the nearest rabbit, she trotted to Kili's side, still watching Radagast and his rabbits.

Djevelen didn't relax from his ready position, rather, he looked from at Thorin as if questioning what he should do. The dwarf, not used to dealin with animals that seemed as intelligent as some of his company, (at least more so than his damned nephews) was at a loss. "Uhh…stand down," he hoped would do the trick. The only animals that he was truly used to were ponies, which had been used by dwarves for as long as any could remember.

It seemed to Thorin that the animal rolled his eyes, but Djevelen did sit down. He was still loose and looked able to spring at Radagast if the need arose.

As soon as Radagast brought out the sword he had found however both of Soleil's animals become agitated. Ibenholt hid between Kili's legs hissing and snarling at the weapon. Even Djevelen had his tail between his legs and retreated several feet before starting to whimper. A strange keening sound came from his throat that caused the entire company to feel the shivers running up and down their spines. Ibenholt had since started rubbing herself on the ground, as if trying to bury herself in it.

"Put that away," Gandalf commanded the other wizard. As soon as the sword had been covered the animals calmed down, to the point of Djevelen starting to approach Radagast slowly with his teeth bared.

"Stop that," Thorin commanded the dog without thinking. The animal instantly stopped moving, his teeth still bared in a snarl.

"Well," Gandalf said slowly, staring at the animals, "those reactions confirm that there is something evil with this sword. We must take care that it does not fall into the wrong hands."

"I was hoping that you would take it," Radagast said nervously. "I don't want that thing in my forest. There are quite enough problems without it." He abruptly changed the subject, something that he did quite often. "Where did you get these animals? I just remembered that I have heard of animals like this in the forest lately. Though, I was told that they accompanied a woman, an elf as a matter of fact. She is quite respectful of the forest and it rather likes her."

"They were with an elf. Up until very early this morning. Then they began accompanying us. Probably to keep Thorin from doing anything stupid." Gandalf's tone was lacking any humor, which Kili and Fili both thought meant he was laughing on the inside. (They were right.) Gandalf preceded to tell Radagast the story of how they had come by the accompaniment of the two animals, while Thorin growled to himself.

Djevelen had moved to the back of the group while Gandalf told his tale; searching the air for something, his ears pricked up. Suddenly, he barked sharply, alerting the dwarves to something out there.

(If anyone could tell me who had been keeping watch when the wargs came – that would be awesome. Since part of my next chapter deals with that scene. )

I hoped you all liked. Can't wait to hear what you thought of it.

Please read and review because reviews make me happy, give me inspiration, and encourage me to update faster so I can get more of them.

PrincessMnMz