Morning had come and I just happily sat on the pony that I had named "Belladonna"

Belladonna was this adorable little brown pony with white spots and long white hair from all ends of her.

I just had wished that I could take Belladonna with me for the entire journey but I had known that I would possibly won't be able to do such a thing.

I scanned around the forest that we resided in, striding our steps slowly. My guess we were taking our sweet time for one important person who was not here yet.

I noticed that enormity of the large trees and flora around us.

As we were packing our items before I couldn't help but just admire the scenery, at night it was absolutely breathtaking but in the morning, it was as if I was frolicking in a paradise for all animals. There were so much plants and trees and wild animals running around that if I were to just transform into a duck then I would live merrily in these parts. The sun seemed bigger and brighter than the world I had come too and even the moon shined unequal, even most stars would shine gorgeously around the night sky not interrupted at all.

"Admiring everything?"

I whirled around to see both the blonde as well as brunette dwarves standing side by side of each other bowing respectively when I had noticed them.

"Sorry that we did not introduce ourselves" the blonde said while going back to his regular posture.

"I am Fili and this is my brother Kili" he introduced themselves.

"Nice to meet you Fili and Kili, I am Tsaiya" I bowed to them, they were royalty after all.

As I stood back up I noticed Kili just looking at me and I couldn't help but turn away.

Something about this dwarf made me feel uneasy of some sort.

"Are you still feeling unwell from last night?" Kili had said while gripping unto my shoulders to see if I was alright.

A warmness saturated itself in my stomach and I couldn't help but feel nervous as well as happy on the same time.

Moving from his grasp I turned with a façade.

"I am quite well, thank you for asking" I grinned.

"Okay but if you should need anything, let any of us know" Fili had pulled his brother away as they went to their pony's

"But come to us first if you do!" Kili exclaimed afterwards as they both traveled behind of the line that was forming.

Luckily enough I was situated near Gandalf who wanted me to stick by him if anything should come across as dangerous.

"I know he will come" I whispered to Havanna who had situated himself on the top of Belladonna's head.

"Are you trying to convince yourself? Cause I was quite certain that after last night events that he clearly wasn't interested in this journey that we are going to go on" The little duck retorted back to me while turning himself around to face forward.

I couldn't help but just sigh at that, but to be honest I had been sighing all morning long since last night events could not pass by my memory.

As we mounted on the ponies and rode on to where we were heading out.

I kept looking back to see if Bilbo was going to exit his house but as the view of it all was diming I couldn't help but feel the hope escaping from my thoughts yet it continued to grow within me.

"I know he will come, I just know of it" I muttered to myself while grabbing the reigns of the pony and heading on.

Luckily I had read about horse riding, and with luck I had managed to retain that knowledge. I couldn't be much proud if I do say so myself.

"I don't think he will come at all, lassie" the one named Balin had told me while keeping both of his brunette eyes upon the road ahead.

"I say he is" I said back to him which caused some of the others to cut their commotion.

"How about a wager then?" one of the dwarves behind shouted out loud.

"A wager of what?" another said who this time felt closer.

"If Master Baggins would arrive before we leave the Shire?"

Instantly I overheard dwarves began betting against Bilbo while others did the opposite.

"Will you be betting against or with Bilbo, Lady Tsaiya?" the one named Bofur had asked of me.

"I do not have any gold to bet with but I choose to bet on Mr. Baggins arriving very soon, if I do lose the wager then I will gladly give up another object"

If he did not show up then the only thing I was able to give up is the pendant around my neck, or the chain that it is bind up on.

I could have said no but I wanted to do this, if I were to lose then I would gladly give up the chain that connected my pendant around it.

"That is no fair! She is a wizard-in-training! If she is saying that he is going to come then I change my mind and agree" the biggest dwarf known as Bombur had yelled from behind.

Everyone; excluding Dwalin, Thorin and Balin; went into uproar but with Gandalfs booming voice they immediately had stopped.

I couldn't help but smile as the gambling's were done and the entire group sprout into their own groups and began having their own conversations with one another.

"Lady Tsaiya?"

I looked to Balin who had waited for me to catch up as he began strutting his pony to equal the speed of mine.

"May I ask where you are from?" he asked in an interesting tone.

My eyes grew big as saucers at the question. I couldn't just tell them that I had been living the life of a carefree duck who enjoyed reading tales of fantasy and to say that before I was brought into this realm that I had read of a tale that was similar in theme as well as everything to be happening in this realm to only be brought here and become human to assist these dwarves, hobbit and wizard on a perilous quest to change history.

This was something that I had to greatly avoid.

I guess I would have to make up a lie.

"Tell them you are from an island off the coast, that you lived alone on that island and had discovered that you had the potential of becoming a wizard and had gone and train to become one"

I looked directly to the top of Belladonna's head to see Havanna shaking his tail.

He had just made up a soft lie on the spot, a white lie I suppose.

So I had told them that.

"I come from a small island off the coast where I lived alone and one day discovered a power deep within me and had concluded that I could be of wizard decent and went to train to become one"

Their eyes looked at me in a different light.

"So we have two wizards to aid us in this quest" Kili spoke out while looking at me and smiling innocently.

Oh my goodness and now at this moment I regret saying such a lie to anyone.

"And what have you done on the island from where you originated from my lady?" Balin continued on with his questions.

"I used to eat from the berry bushes and went to the town of no significance and go within the library and read many of books" I told them.

In fact I was telling the truth, in some sort of way, but guilt was welling inside of me. I did not like to lie to anyone and even to these amazing people as well but by telling them this it would not be considered a lie or either a truth.

"You love to read?" a young looking dwarf had said from the back of the group and when I had turned my head to see him, I noticed said dwarf scribbling down into an enormous book.

"Yes sir, I do love to read, I like to go on adventures that the writers had like to put their readers in and when finishing the book I had always longed for it to not end at all.

My answer amused Balin who just chuckled.

"I am the same my lady, I like to read on some occasions but when I do I refuse to put the book down until I am finished with it"

I laughed along with him, it reminded me of reading the tale of a young boy who was a puppet and was brought to life by the powers of a blue fairy and the adventures that he had pursued to become a real boy which ended up him getting eaten by a whale.

I had so been enamored by such a tale that I refused to leave and even eat until the tale was over.

"Wait for me!" a voice echoed in between the trees.

We all stopped and looked towards where the voice was originating from.

"Wait for me!" it shouted once more.

Passing by trees and hills and fallen logs, I noticed a young hobbit running directly at us.

A large paper to which I presume was the contract flowing with the rough wind that he was riding on, a promise to which he intended to keep.

"I signed it!" he muttered while handing the paper over to Balin who studied it to see if the hobbit had done so or not.

As the two began to talk, I couldn't help but just imagine the little hobbit running after us.

Jumping over fences and passing by onlookers who thought of him as mad as he ran through the small hobbit town, leaving anyone who looked at him puzzled by his behavior.

I imagined him telling onlookers "I'm going on an adventure!" while continuing to catch up to us.

"Welcome Master Baggins to the company of Thorin Oakenshield" Balin introduced.

I was the first to clap my hands in excitement but soon slowed and then stopped when heads were turned at me even Havanna looked at me as if I was just strange and queer like.

Laughs were made from the group but not teasingly towards me but for the welcoming of the burglar who they needed after all.

I looked at the front to see the leader of the company look very, disappointed of some reason and I could not understand why he felt that way.

"Get him a pony!" he shouted at the others while going ahead in front of the group.

Anger surged through me and I felt the need to hit him with an object, like a stick or something to get through to him through his proud and arrogant aura.

Bilbo nervously told them that it was not needed that he could catch up with the group but two dwarves had managed to pick him up on both ends and place him on a pony which was situated in between both myself as well as the elderly wizard who so happened to be smoking once again.

Before any words could be spoken, tiny little sacks were being flown from the front of the group and was being caught easily.

A bag was flown to me and I had not been paying any attention and it passed my head.

A chuckle behind caught me off guard and to whom it belonged to made that warm feeling return.

"You missed this" the messy haired brunette approached me and handed me the bag of gold.

"Thank you, my mind has been elsewhere" I explained to him.

It was rather true and rather false.

"Where has your mind been my lady?" he asked, poking questions at me.

"Just marveling at this beautiful place" I answered him.

"Beautiful? There are many dangers here, I do not know how you see it as beautiful? Are there no plants and trees on the island that you used to live on?"

"There are many plants trees and animals where I have come from kind prince, but the marvel of this is beyond compare and I could just stare at awe at all of it" I said honestly to him.

If I had the chance to settle down here, then I would do so in a heartbeat.

Nervousness welled up inside of me and I couldn't help but just go ahead of him and situated myself back to where I was put.

The adventured lingered on into the day as we passed vast forests that seemed as if they could touch the clouds and enormous plains far as the eye could see where trees dotted here and there around it and some manner of beasts as of sheep and horses roamed freely, this was the beauty that I would remember of the journey.

Though not everyone was so allured from this beauty, Bilbo looked distressed and seemed that he already was regretting his decision on coming along while another would slightly care if everyone knew that he always easily angered, the king of dwarves shouldn't be angry most of the time!

Most of everyone else would be in conversations of what we would expect of this journey, if any lives would be lost on the way to Erebor and at the end we would be entirely rich and happy once again.

"Lady Tsaiya, what would you do with your half of the treasure?" the young scribe known as Ori asked of me while pulling up near Bilbo who looked interested as well.

"The use of gold and treasures has no use to where I am from, but if you must know then I would perhaps give it to those who require it and set a small sum for myself as memory of this journey with you all"

I heard a little snicker coming from Gandalf who when I looked at just smiled at me, proud of the answer that I had given to him or perhaps thought what would a duck do with gold?

I wasn't so sure how long we were riding or to where our first stop would be at but we journeyed to a peak above the mountain and began to unpack for camp.

Bombur had cooked dinner which was rather a bit tasteless as well as crude but filled us up nonetheless and to top it all off kept us warm during this cold and chilly night.

We were situated in the awning of a cave mouth as the dwarves excluding Fili, Kili and Thorin were asleep within minutes after eating.

Their soft snores mixing with the noises of distant birds and the rustling of trees against the winds of nature.

I noticed Gandalf calmly looking out at the scenery that none dared to ignore, a beautiful scene of the forests and mountains and even the Moon, smeared from the light blanket of clouds above.

The two young dwarf princes were quietly talking to one another while I noticed Bilbo feeding his pony named Myrtle an apple to which he snuck with.

I couldn't help but giggle at him.

The fire crackling as If telling us that it was there to warm us, I took no arguments while extending my arms out and warming them up.

I had the urge to do so with my face but I would think of that as unwise since so much of my body parts were flammable, including my hair.

The cold icy winds scratched against my cheeks sending shivers up and down my body as I wrapped the blanket up to where it was covering my head and to where only my face was visible.

I was not used to this coldness of weathers!

But something came up about myself that I needed to tell the wizard.

Standing up both Fili and Kili stared at me.

"Please do not mind me, continue with your conversation" I smiled while walking away from the warmth of the fire which I had regret leaving and moving to Gandalf who situated himself far from the fire's reach in the little corner of a tree.

"How are you faring, Lady Tsaiya of the insignificant island?" he sneered teasingly as a whisper.

I shook my head at him.

He was just teasing me of the lie I had told earlier to the group which I still felt guilty about.

"I had to come up with something and I neither did lie nor tell the truth for that matter" I whispered to where only he could hear.

He chuckled at my response.

"But to answer your question, something is bothering me about my condition"

He said no word as to let me continue with my problem.

"A spiritual animal that is with me, by the name of Havanna who was sent to guide me throughout the world had told me that every night of the new moon I would transform back into a duck for the time being until the first rays of light of the sun would shine on the horizon and I would be turned back into a human" I explained to him. "We are in the company of thirteen- fourteen people who will probably notice of my being a duck that night and I do not know what to do or what not to do"

The elder wizard had just exhaled smoke from both his nose and mouth while looking out.

"If you say that you will transform into a duck on the new moon then there is nothing I can do to stop that, but since it will be at night; wouldn't most of the company be asleep by then? So you could have just make an excuse to go for a walk while you transform back to yourself and sleep somewhere close by and when morning would come you change back?" he looked at me as if the answer was right in front of me.

I hadn't really thought of that idea at all, I guess wizards had the answers to most of life's problems.

"Thank you, my doubts had cleared" I had told him while heading back to the cave mouth.

A shrill shriek or cry had made all those who were up stare out in shock.

It was a high pitch cry that echoed many times within my ears and each cry was more violent and higher than the last.

"What was that?" Bilbo whispered quietly as well as in a panic while pointing to where the noises were echoing from.

"Orcs" Kili's voiced answered back.

"Orcs?" Bilbo repeated to which I noticed Thorin who sat near the mouth of the cave along with rocks motioned as if startled by the conversation.

"Yes, throat cutters, dozens of them by the sound of it" Fili had replied to Bilbo while he held unto his pipe as well while eyeing the hobbit.

"They hunt in the small hours where everyone is asleep" His brother added into the conversation making it even worse for my beloved hobbit friend. "Quick and quiet, no screams at all, just lots of blood"

I shivered at the thought of it all while Bilbo looked out into the darkness of the night frightfully, Hobbits had not known these dangers and they should not be known of it all; but even if the knowledge was not there doesn't mean that it does not happen at all.

I realized that both I as well as Bilbo had no weapons to defend ourselves if the occasion arises anyhow, we were powerless and defenseless from such an attack.

"You think it's funny?" The dwarf king snarled viciously at the two young dwarves as they had looks of surprise of such a comment. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?!"

I noticed Thorin walking past the frightened hobbit and moving himself farther away from anyone's reach.

"We didn't mean anything by it" Kili protest in his defense.

"No you didn't, since you know nothing of the world" Thorin answered while walking away towards the edge of the cliff where he met the branch of the tree as he looked on into the edge of darkness. No one knew of what he was thinking as if he was in a world of his own at the moment.

"Don't mind him, Thorin has more caused than most to hate orcs" I heard Balin state to the younglings and began a tale about Thorin, his grandfather and about reclaiming an ancient kingdom of the dwarves.

But before I could tune into the story, a small voice had interrupted my thoughts.

"I know you fear battle Tsaiya, since you do not know how to fight or defend yourself, how could you defend others when you are liability right now?"

I looked to Havanna who had rested himself on Dwalin's forehead while looking at me.

I couldn't help but feel ashamed, the duck was right about it all but I still felt like I could do something.

A small chuckle escaped from the duck's lips.

"I was only joking, tonight I will train you personally Tsaiya" he said while I looked to him.

His eyes were different than before and I felt like I was lulling into a deep slumber that I could not wake up from.

"Now sleep, so that it will begin" I heard the duck say as my eyes shut themselves.

In an instant my eyes fluttered open and I was surrounded by darkness.

I could not see anything, not my hands to which I thought I was holding up or to my legs to which I believe I was walking.

The darkness was like a veil of black that hindered my sight and made me worry with fear.

"Where am I" I spoke to myself.

"In your dreams of course" Havanna answered while appearing right in front of me, his spiritual light form radiated some of the darkness to where I could see myself as well as him.

I could finally see myself, my hands and feet and everything else as well.

"Is this real?" I asked the duck who waddled towards me even closer.

"Yes and no." he answered me. "It is your dream, it's real for me but not real for you, but as the time will go on you will be able to wield whatever I will be teaching you in here, out in the real world"

I blinked an unaccountable amount of time.

"You mean you are going to train me in my dreams?"

His tail wiggled while I said those words.

"Correct, but I must warn you that when you wake up, your body will be exhausted from this since both physical and mental strength is required"

I was unsure if I should do this or not, I felt different about fighting and that violence was horrible.

"I don't know Havanna" I honestly told the duck.

He waddled up close to me and laid in my lap.

"I am willing to train you Tsaiya, if you want to protect your friends you would have to learn how to protect yourself first. What if by chance that Bilbo had gotten hurt in battle and he tragically died from such wounds, what if you had the power to protect him and chose not to do so and it ended his life?"

My eyes widened of such a realization.

"I would feel extremely guilty of my friend's death, that if I had the power to protect him then I would do so with the best of my abilities" I answered.

"Tsaiya, picking up a sword doesn't mean you will be going on a killing spree, but the way of using it to protect others from harm and to defend oneself is different. I can tell you are a very pure and honest person and you would be the last person I would ever train to go and harm others, but I know you will use this wisely and protect those who you care about in a heartbeat."

It felt as if he was seeing through me, I saw swords and arrows and any other weapon as ways of killing others but although they are used for those type of things, they are used to protect others as well.

"Alright, how do we start?" I asked the duck while he hurriedly jumped from my lap and ran across from me and turned around.

"Reach into your pockets and you will find two things of use" he said from the other side.

Doing as to what I was told I reached into my dress pockets and found two peculiar items.

Pulling them out and opening my hands I had noticed that they were gems, a white gem in my right hand pocket and a black gem from my other.

"What are these?" I asked while holding them up.

"They are gems of course but they are blessed from the Goddesses themselves to aid you in your journey" the duck sat down and roosted.

"How does these aid me?" I questioned.

I noticed that the goddesses and gods of this world were mysterious but giving me gems that questions my very actions of how they worked even made them either more mysterious or that of jokesters.

"They transform into any weapon of your desire"

I take back what I said about the high powers being jokesters.

"Even the pendant around your neck can be used a weapon" he pointed out.

The pendant?

"This pendant? The one that makes me human can be used as a weapon as well?" I was curious of what else this pendant could do, if it was able to transform me into a human and be used as a weapon then this had power of great magnitude.

"Yes, but only if you are uncertain if you have enough power to fight, however after my training is done with you then you will probably never have to use the pendant unless the situation would be extremely dire, understand?"

"I do but I want to ask, what would happen if I were to use the pendant?"

He paused before answering my question and then his answered was the one I did not like to hear at all.

"You can use the pendant and gain ultimate power, but if you were to exhaust it; you would die"

So this pendant not only preserved my being here as well as have the power to transform me into a human but I could die by utilizing it to the fullest?

"But like I said, I doubt you will ever have to use it for battle since I will be teaching you one of the most advance magic that will either freeze an opponent within its place, burn them, shock them or even drown them if you have the slightest inkling to do so; even some magic that will help and aid others in battle, to cure them of any ailments that they have and even save them from the brink of death; with the greatest of prices however."

I could with just the healing and saving the people around me but I knew that I would have to most likely learn some for offense too.

"Of course I will teach you the art of combat my dear friend, of how to use any weapon you desire to wield, I will turn you into a person who is respected because of not only the enemies that is a danger to you but the lives you have saved as well"

I was looking forward to this and as well frightful of the entire lesson, I knew that this would be very draining and how right I was of it all.