42 years prior:
"My dear, whatever is the matter?" Questioned the tall man, his knowing azure orbs staring intently at the crumpled young teen at his feet, her frame shaking, whether from the pouring rain or from sorrow he did not know.
Slowly raising her head the child stared at him, her eyes slightly swollen and red rimmed the storm raging inside clearly visible.
Shifting slightly she muttered something unheard over the thunder rumbling across the sky, her face tilting to face the ground again.
"What was that?" Inquired the taller of the two, crouching down to take a hold of her chin, pulling her head up to look at him.
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." She repeated, her gaze skittering around their surroundings, searching for something she would not find.
"Well then. My name is Gandalf the Grey, or more simply, it is one of the many I hold." Gandalf smiled, brushing a weathered hand over her soaked locks. "Whatever is your name, child?"
"Rafiki." Whispered the young teen, curling further in on herself.
"Well my dear, what are you doing so far from civilization?" Pulling himself to his feet Gandalf held out a hand to Rafiki, pulling her to her feet easily, slightly surprised by her lack of height.
"They left me behind." Rafiki muttered, tears welling up in her eyes at the sentence. "They told me I was too slow, and that I was a burden. So they left me."
"Who left you?"
"The Orcs."
Halting immediately at the sentence that fell from the teen's lips Gandalf stared at her, bewildered.
"The Orcs?" He repeated questioningly.
"Yes! Azog sent us out to retrieve something and they left me!" Rafiki wailed, clutching tightly to Gandalf's hand.
"Why where you with the Pale Orc child? Why!?" Gandalf urged, dropping to his knees in front of her, clutching tightly to her shoulders.
"My parents are dead." Rafiki whispered, staring into the darkness. "Azog took me in. He saved me."
"Saved you? Child he has damned you!" Gandalf stated, hoping she would see the truth in his words, his eyes locking onto a dark rune peeking from under her ebony locks, hidden almost completely behind her slightly pointed ear. "I do believe you can be saved. Whatever you do, do not tell him you have met me. Do you understand? It is vital he never know I was here."
"Yes." Rafiki muttered, sniffling a final time, her eyes locking with his.
"Learn well child Learn everything you can, about your heritage, about languages, about history, to fight, to persuade. Learn everything, and remember it all. We will meet again. The company I will be in, you will protect their King no matter the words spoken against him. You will understand later. His name is Thorin. Do not listen to what the Defiler tells, he lies. Be safe." Pressing a kiss to her hairline Gandalf stood, swiftly disappearing into the surrounding darkness, the folds of his cloak disappearing as the behemoth form of the familiar White Warg rounded the corner, The Pale Orc astride it angered greatly at the thought of his ward being left in the rain to fend for herself, his icy eyes locking onto her slightly shivering form.
"Come my child." Ordered Azog, pulling the shivering Rafiki into his hold, cradling her lovingly to his scarred chest, placing a kiss to her hair. "Let us go home."
Nodding once Rafiki stared over his large, pale shoulder, into the forest which Gandalf had disappeared, his words repeating strongly in her mind, the words never fading through the next 42 years.