Our journey begins as any other would, Master Baggins decides to come with us and things between Thorin and myself are less tense, although I still worry that he will make me leave at a moments notice.

Kili has resumed his role of trying to bait me into doing something stupid, and every time I am tempted to accept his challenges I remember what Thorin said, then I feel like pushing Kili off his pony. That boy is going to get me thrown off this quest.

We make camp at a run down farm, Fili and Kili are assigned to watch the ponies, so I decide to help make dinner.

"So little Miss, where have you been hiding?" Bofur asks as he joins in cutting carrots.

"Ah, here, there and everywhere." I smile at him, I've always respected Bofur, and he would always tell me the truth, in his own strange way.

"Fine, fine, keep your secrets, I'll keep my own secrets then." He hints cheekily.

"You don't have any secrets, you're an open book," I laugh.

"Ah my dear, they are not my secrets, I know someone else's secrets that involve you."

"You lie…"

"Do I?" He smiles and tips his hat at me and walks away leaving me alone.

"Damn you, what do you mean?" I mutter, "Damn dwarves... secretive little shi-"

"Thorin!" Kili comes running from the woods where the ponies are.

"What is it?" Thorin demands

"Its Bilbo, there were mountain trolls, they took the ponies, and Bilbo went to free them, but he's been caught!" Fili explains

As we make our way down to the trolls I hear the them asking if they can eat Bilbo, Kili charges in and demands for the trolls to drop him the rest of the dwarves and myself follow and attack.

Only to be stopped when Bilbo gets captured and we lay down our weapons in an attempt to stop the trolls ripping Bilbo apart.

"Great, bagged, tagged and ready to be cooked." I mutter

"Mmmm, I bet this one is spicy!" Says one of the trolls, as he picks me up from my feet.

"Ahh, no, put me down!" I squeal.

Bilbo jumps to his feet just before the troll puts me in its filthy mouth and tells it that I have worms!

I promptly get thrown back down with the others and land in between Kili and Fili, I hear them grunt from the impact and try not to take offence.

Gandalf appears right on time to defeat the trolls with the rising sun.

"Are you guys alright? Sorry if I hurt you…" I say to Kili and Fili

"Hurt us? HA! Sorry to tell you but your tiny, you couldn't hurt us even if you tried." Kili mocked, I gave him a quick jab to the shoulder and saw his face wince for a split second before he regained his composure, "See? Didn't feel a thing," he laughs as he walks away rubbing his arm.

"Liar." I mutter as I rub my knuckles, his arm was harder than I expected.

Fili laughs at me and I lightly shove him "Shut it, you."

He pulls some twigs out of my hair and his hand lingers at my cheek, I freeze and stare at him embracing the moment, waiting for him to make something of it.

He abruptly pulls away, his cheeks redden and he turns away to follow the rest of the dwarves.

Touching her face was an accident, I only meant to help, but when I saw those big beautiful eyes staring back at me I almost couldn't stop myself from kissing her. I can't do that, not yet.. because I know when I do, I won't want to stop.

I stand there not sure what to feel, did his lingering touch mean anything? Him suddenly walking away like I'd shocked him definitely meant something, something that cant be good…

I follow a little dazed and Bofur walks beside me "So, have you figured out my secret yet?"

"Ugh, why are you torturing me?"

"Torturing you? I'm trying to help you."
I roll my eyes "All your doing is confusing me, just tell me your secret."

"Nope, you're a smart girl, I want you to figure it out on your own."

"Fine, go away, I don't want to know anyway."

Bofur chuckles and follows the dwarves into the cave, it smells horrible in there so I decide to stand watch outside with a few of the others.

It was really bugging me, why was he playing games with my mind? Why cant these damned dwarves just say what's on their minds. Bofur walked past me later that day and pasted a sickly sweet smile on his face and wiggles his eyebrows at me so I glare back.

He knows how much this is getting to me, and he's loving it!

As we make camp later that night I decide I've had enough of dwarves and I go and sit on a ledge that has about a 3 foot drop to the grassy ground below.

It's a clear night so I can see everything around me, the tree's are swaying in the breeze, the leaves rustling, brushing up against each other trying to communicate.

I'd been sitting for a while now when I hear a twig snap behind me, I jump up and draw my sword only to see Fili take a step back with his hands up as a peace gesture, my heart is beating wildly in my chest, not only because he startled me.

A million thoughts go through my head as of why he is here, did the others need help with something? Was I so distracted that I didn't hear an attack? No, I can still hear them laughing and telling stories, I can still see the campfire… so what is he doing?

In that moment she looked like a goddess, powerful and beautiful at the same time, the way her body was tensed, ready for an attack, the way the moonlight made her skin glow.

"Ariana? You, uh, you wanna put your sword away?" he asks hands still up.

"Oh, yeah sorry… You scared me" I sheath my sword and can feel my cheeks getting hot. "Since when are you quiet?"

"Well it has been a while since you've seen me... things changed I guess."

"I guess so… I used to be able to read you like a book" I mutter.

He raises his eyebrows questioningly, when I don't answer he walks up to me and stands at the edge of the ledge and looks out at nothing in particular.

I glance back at the camp they all seem pretty distracted. I turn back around and accidently brush my arm against Fili's, I didn't realize he was so close.

I shiver and rub my arm, its warm where I touched him but the rest of my body seems like ice in comparison.

Fili suddenly takes off his coat and drapes it over my shoulders, its still warm and has an intoxicating smell, I take a deep breath in and sigh.

"Thankyou, but wont you be cold?"
"Nah, looks like I've got a few more layers on that you do." Fili regarded me from head to toe, and there was something in his gaze… something that seemed like more than just an objective assessment. I then became painfully aware of how I looked, I know I have nice hair, its long, reaching the bottom of my back in delicate thick curls, I have the typical ice blue eyes a trait from the elves, the thin frame of an elf, but curves in all the right places from the dwarves I suppose, I am shorted than Fili, my father was short for a dwarf, and thankfully no facial hair! But are those all the things that Fili likes?

I feel my cheeks getting hot again as I think about it praying that he doesn't notice.

Suddenly I notice that we're so close together that I can feel his breath tickle my face, I can feel the warmth radiating from his body, I have to tilt my head back slightly to make eye contact, as he tilts his head to the side I feel his fingers brush up against my own, I part my lips and feel a rumbling beneath my feet confused and annoyed at the distraction, I look down just as the ledge were standing on collapses.