Aza rubbed her fingers over the green of the vines, that wound their way through her dark curls, as she watched her new friends practice. She wasn't very good with weapons, indeed, when she tried to use a sword she ended up doing herself more damage than she did to her opponent.

Her friends seemed like dancers as they moved around each other, their blades occasionally meeting with the noise that only two swords hitting each other can make.

"My chest feels odd," she though, rubbing the spot. "I wonder why that is…" She looked over at her friends and the pain increased. "Is it them?"

Her two friends finished their practice and the male walked over to her. His forehead gleaming with sweat. "Aza." He smiled.

She greeted him, using his name. "You were doing quite well," she commented.

"Thank you." He sat down beside her. He picked up a lock of hair that was being twisted and tangled in a vine, "Why do you let this happen to your hair, does it not hurt?"

Aza shook her head, "No…"

"You look to be in pain."

"It's my chest."

He turned pink and looked away, "Perhaps you should talk to someone else about this."

Aza shook her head again, "Not like that."

"How is it then."

"It's odd, I've never felt it before," she whispered, "it happens quite often now. Like for instance, when the two of you were practicing."

The blonde male moved closer, "Yes?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe I ate something I shouldn't."

"I don't think it's that."

"Really?"

He nodded, "I have it too."

"You do? Well maybe we both ate it-."

"It wasn't something we ate, Aza," he almost snapped, frustrated at her almost total innocence. He calmed and leaned closer to her face, their noses brushing slightly. "Men and women of every kind feel this way, when…when they have deep feelings for another."

"Feelings?" Aza whispered. "What sort of feelings?"

"Love," with that he brushed his lips against hers.

"Ae boe i le eliathon, im tulithon." [If you should ever need my help, I will come.] Aza heard the voice of Lady Galadriel as she approached the place she had left the lady and her master.

She ran up to him, only to find Gandalf there alone. "Master Gandalf, we must hurry. I fear that the dwarves have stumbled into something."

Gandalf looked at her with an unnamable gaze, "And what makes you say this, my child?"

"I just…I have a feeling," she said. "Master, what is it called when someone has such feelings. Those that their friends or family is in danger?"

Gandalf walked over to her, "Some call it paranoia. Some call it simple worrying."

"What would you call it?"

"Intuition," he smiled.

It took days, but Gandalf and Aza caught up with them. Tracking them down.

"Listen to the ground, are they near?" Gandalf asked, quite out of breath.

Aza fell to the ground and listened, "They're…" her face paled and she stood up quickly. "They're prisoners of the goblins."

"The entrance."

Going back to the ground the girl winced. "I-I can't."

Gandalf pushed her, "You must."

"I…wait…this way," she led Gandalf down a series of tunnels before reaching a wall. "They're just beyond this wall."

"Stand back.

Suddenly, there was a massive explosion of bright light. And there were all of the company. Gandalf shouted, "Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"

The dwarves got up quickly and retrieved their stolen weapons, fighting their way through. Aza used her staff and smacked a few of the ugly things in the head. Gandalf unsheathed his sword.

The huge goblin shouted, "He wields the Foe-Hammer, the Beater, bright as daylight!"

"Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf called and all followed him, cutting down goblins in their path.

If one were to ask a future Azriela what happened after Gandalf's order, she would tell you "I have no clue" for after Gandalf said those words, it was all about survival. She dodged deadly projectiles and fought as best she could with her staff, but could never recall exactly what went down.

All that really stood out to her was the end where they were cornered by the obscenely large goblin.

"You thought you could escape me?" it roared. The goblin swung his mace twice at Gandalf, but missed on both counts. "What are you going to do now, wizard?"

Aza leapt forward and poked the goblin in the eye with her staff. "Take that!"

"Ow, ow, ow!"

Gandalf then stepped forward and sliced the goblin in the belly.

Gandalf swung again and sliced the goblin's neck. This caused it to fall and break the bridge they were standing on, causing it to break and causing all of them to fall.

"Well, that could have been worse," said Bofur.

At that moment the heavy body of the dead goblin fell on them.

Dwalin groaned, "You've got to be joking!"

Once they were free Kili shouted, "Gandalf!" Clearly indicating the mass amount of goblins that were approaching them.

"There's too many! We can't fight them." – Dwalin.

"Only one thing will save us: daylight! Come on! Here, on your feet!"

They made their way out of the caves, narrowly escaping death.

"Five, six, seven, eight...Bifur, Bofur...that's ten...Fili, Kili...that's twelve...and Bombur - that makes thirteen," Gandalf counted as they exited the caves. "Aza is here…and…where's Bilbo? Where is our Hobbit? Where is our Hobbit!"

"Curse the halfling! Now he's lost?" – Dwalin.

"I thought he was with Dori!" – Gloin.

"Don't blame me!" – Dori.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Aza said, quite worried about the Hobbit, "When and where did you last see him?"

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us." – Nori.

Gandalf, in a state of panic, shouted, "What happened exactly? Tell me!"

"I' tell you what happened..." Thorin said, grimly, "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

Just then a voice proved the great Thorin Oakenshield wrong.

"No, he isn't." Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree.

Gandalf laughed in relief. "Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!"

Aza ran over to him and hugged him, "I thought you were goblin food!"

Bilbo, not quite used to her odd behavior, said, "Well, I'm not."

She removed herself from him.

"Bilbo...we'd given you up!" Kili said crassly.

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?" Fili asked.

"How, indeed." – Dwalin.

There was a small bit of silence. And, for a moment, Aza felt something. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. As if pure evil was in her mists and she couldn't quite touch it. But just as the feeling came, it was gone.

Gandalf, brushing it off, said, "Well, what does it matter? He's back!"

"It matters." Thorin said, "I want to know - why did you come back?"

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause' you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

"Well said Bilbo Baggins," thought Aza with a smile.