A/N: Here you have an exciting one! I worked harder on this than usual, hope it shows. Welcome to my new readers, also a big thank you to those who have beared with me till this very 10th chapter. :)

Nevrane: I have nice plans about this story but I won't give any spoilers ;) I intend to keep it creative at all times.
TeddybearLovingInsomniac: Haha you are amazing, thank you for encouraging me! Hope you like this chapter just as much.
Elena Gilbert 14 and Eleshey: yyyup i have updated soon! :) enjoy.
SilverPenguin87: It was my finals week and I didn't get the chance, but now i can definitely read it! Thank you!
DwarvenWarrior, Miriel Tolkien, Shippments4ever0725: This one's for you guys, thank you for your constant support. Your constructive criticism in the past helped me improve my writing a LOT. Promise I will keep getting better!

Enjoy people! As always, I'm open to your constructive criticism about my writing, so review or DM if you have anything to say. But please keep that in mind that this is my first fiction and I'm not a native English speaker. :

Yep, there we go!

When the company of Thorin Oakenshield was to take their leave, they were feeling as if they had woken up from a dream. Their stay in Rivendell was to be remembered forever with gratitude and joy. The food was filling, the wine was round and most importantly, the host was wise. Lord Elrond of the Last Homely House had done his best to help them with their quest. He had unraveled the mystery of Thorin's map and given them very specific descriptions on how to get there. Their plans had been improved and their bags had been filled with food.

They had been encouraged and were more eager about the quest than ever before. The effect of Miruvor had enveloped them, refreshing each and every one of them from the inside, even Fai, who had been awake for the most part of their stay. Despite the bed beyond being comfortable, sleep had become a distant friend of hers. She couldn't banish the images of Orcs and Wargs that were constantly in her dreams.

There they stood under the arch, where they once welcomed by the Elven Lord. Stronger in the heart, yet, a tad blue on the inside. While the company was saying their farewells, Bilbo was lost in his thoughts. He was feeling like the best part of the journey was left behind, and there was nothing but danger ahead. There would be no songs of Elves or a proper place to sleep, not to mention a nice, warm and aromatic bath. He had been filled with admiration for the Elves and leaving them behind made his heart ache. A part of him desperately wanted to stay behind and lead a life in the Valley of Imladris, however his itch once been scratched, and there was no way Bilbo could let down his adventurous self anymore. And betraying the company, well, that was out of the question.

Fai looked up and held Elrond's gaze. He had taken her decision very well, in fact, way better than Gandalf did. Once he learned about her getting involved with the company permanently, he had made sure that they were doing their best to reduce her risk of getting hurt. He had trained her himself, he had even found her a sword convenient for her size (which Fili was insistent to call it a toothpick instead) and gave her the basics of how to use it. She hadn't became a swordsman in such short time, yet she was remarkably better at defending herself. On the other hand, she and archery needed much more time. Even though she was good at aiming, her reflexes was in need of a serious reform. She wasn't surprised at all, her former life didn't require her to use her reflexes even the slightest. She was happy with her lovely triangle of computer, fridge and bathroom. She liked to walk or even run every once in a while but she definitely couldn't be considered a sport. And there wasn't an army of dwarves constantly throwing things at her. Yeah, after it was clear that she barely had any reflexes, some of the dwarves invented a way to improve it. They were shouting at her when she least expected and before she knew, there was a random object flying in her direction.

They had grown almost a hundred meter away from the Elves when Fai heard Elrond's alarm.

"Tira ten' rashwe!*"

"You too?!" Fai screamed in disbelieve, trying to focus on the blurred object rapidly coming her way. She had to dart forward to catch it before it took an early land.

"May your ways be green and golden.." said Elrond in return, with a smile on his face. His voice was loud without even shouting. When Fai unwrapped the object from the leaves around it, she saw it was the cake she liked the most. She tried to gulp away the lump in her throat, and joined the company with boots that suddenly gotten heavier..

Even thought Elrond had given them an elaborative description, it was still very hard to find their way. The path was deceptive and complex, and they couldn't help but walk in couple circles before Gandalf took a hold of his old memories and led them back in the right direction. He got grumpier as they moved along, in contrast to the singing Dwarves. They had no idea about the dangers settled down around their homeland and its roads, they still took the Arda as they knew before. The last time that any of them had walked those roads were years ago, and there was great difference between the reality and how they remembered it.

Gandalf, on the other hand was wise enough to be alarmed. He was double checking each road to avoid any baleful event (in that case, creature) and still knew it wouldn't be enough. He knew something sinister would pester eventually.

The weather grew colder as their road got rocky. They walked hour after hour without taking a break and the dwarves were done with their songs when they started to feel chilly. The sky began to darken as they slightly shivered under their clothes. The path got narrower and had them climbing and they went up the hill without a word, except Gandalf turning back every now and then to count them.

Fai was having a hard time adjusting to the changes. It all felt unreal after seeing Rivendell. Dark clouds and cold breeze weren't making a sense, being wrapped up again in heavy fabrics and a cloak was neither. And she had figured out the time difference. She couldn't figure out which universe she was in, and everything was doing their best to confuse her even more. There was huge differences between the movies, the book and her reality. She was thinking of the journey to be 14 days, while Thorin said that the Durin's day was the last moon of Autumn, which was pretty far ahead. She also realized that the distances are even longer than she considered, the paths were almost neverending.

Gandalf decided it was time to settle for the night when their path finally gave way for five or six people to walk abreast. Thorin looked like he was to object, however the wind was becoming harder to walk against and they took shelter in a cavity of the hill they've been running up. While the company unpack, Fai heard his snarls about having a frail girl and a miserable hobbit in his company.

Right, as if I would be the only one to fly away when the storm gets wilder, Fai ruffled in her head. She had already taken her place in the back of beyond, trying her best to get warmer. Gloin's unhappy grunt reared up as his offer to light a fire got rejected. A rain wasn't welcomed at all, yet it didn't seem to care as it siled down heavily.

Bofur pulled of a spare cloak from his bag and draped it over on Fai. She smiled in gratitude and when Bofur settled down beside her, she laid her head on his shoulder. Rain was pouring down from the mouth of the cavity, forming a curtain out of water. They at least could stay dry unless someone tries to walk out. Fai heard Thorin and Dwalin arguing on what to do in low voices. Bombur served food in noticeably smaller portions. Bilbo, sitting crosswise to Fai smiled at her as he took a bite from what Bombur handed.

"It snowed food and rained drink in Rivendell, as hobbits say. Now it only rains." he said, after devouring his bread in seconds.

Fai and couple of dwarves laughed at his words, as Nori gave him a pat on the back. The night got impenetrably dark after a while and blocked their view. However she could tell by their loud snorings that most of them were asleep. She was gaining her vision back for some split seconds when lightning strikes. And her eyes met a certain dark haired dwarf's eyes for a couple of times in those instants. The thunder-storm was making her ears ring so annoyingly that she wanted to be Oin. The luckily deaf dwarf was snoring louder than everyone at that moment.

There was no way she could sleep.

It was then, the ground beneath them was shaken off its foundation. All of them were asleep in no time and in addition to the great fear, she was also blinded by the light of Gandalf's staff.

"Is this an earthquake?" she screamed, even though she knew it wasn't. She was barely able to get her fear under control. It could be considered as an earthquake. And it was definitely not her favorite thing back on Earth and won't become one in Middle-Earth. The feeling of being so small and useless, having no control on the situation was driving her crazy. She couldn't remember when she stood up or started running along the company. The cavity fell behind as they ran, but suddenly, they got restrained by the most unexpected thing.

A huge boulder was flying towards them as if somebody had thrown it, splitting the foggy sky. Its came out of nowhere and hit their mountain above them. The ground had shaken again, as the boulder smashed into little pieces and started raining on them dangerously. Then an even louder crackling heard and they shockingly watched as a part of the mountain got up on its feet in massive anger.

Unfortunately, taking a part of their company with it.

"KILI!" screamed Thorin, Fili and Fai in unison. Every one of them screamed a name of a relative, who got drifted away on a fucking giant. As the Giant walked away in slow motion, Fai could feel her throat getting sore from screaming. She could hardly see the Giants hitting each other through the heavy rain. Hard to see, definitely impossible not to hear.

She didn't know if it was the rain or her own tears that was washing her face. If it wasn't for couple of strong arms dragging her along, she wouldn't move an inch.

Fili hollered in misery, fighting his uncle who was trying to get him to walk. Kili's name echoed in the air, as they climbed down the mountain to find a rather safe place. Huge pieces of rocks beat the mountain every once in a while, sometimes blocking their path, sometimes creating a new one. She didn't know how long they walked or she's been dragged along, but it definitely felt like an eternity.

There is no way they will make it through alive, she thought when they finally took refuge in some cave Dwalin found.

"What do we do?!" Fili screamed, he sounded like a wounded animal. "We have to find them, I- I have to find him.. We can't just leave?" There was tears in his eyes and he sounded desperate than ever.

"There is nothing to be done." responded Thorin. Even though his eyes were blurred with tears as well, his voice was doing its best at being distant. "Have you not seen what I have seen, Fili? They have taken by a Stone Giant.."

"Uncle.." he mumbled, his voice braided with anger and despair. Yet, Thorin didn't say further.

Dori was sitting in the depths of the cave, weeping quietly for Ori and Nori. Fai could also hear Gloin's sniffle near her somewhere. There was one voice however, accompanied by a rhythmic clatter, that Fai couldn't decipher. When she turned to the source of it, she saw Bifur softly banging his head to the stone wall, his axe making a noise every time he did. He was rambling things in Khuzdul and it wasn't hard to guess that they were pretty sad things because Bofur and Bombur were both missing.

"Gandalf's with them," Bilbo said eagerly. "He could find a way out, he really can!"

Fai and Fili eyed him with slight hope, however Dwalin and Thorin wasn't impressed. "There are things on Earth even a wizard can't handle." Dwalin said, and Fai noticed his eyes were also polished with a layer of tears. She knew he was dying inside, while Balin might as well, only literally.

Thorin put his hand on Dwalin's shoulder strongly and two dwarves exchanged glances that gloomiest of all.

"We leave once the thunder is over." Thorin said, couldn't dare to look any of them in the eye. A loud clashing sound followed his words. "Or when those bloody giants destroyed each other."

"I don't care what you gonna say, I'm lighting a fire." Fai yelled at Thorin, for the first time ever. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was still weeping. Her mind was haunted by the faces of those dwarves who got separated from them. Ori- ever the naive, Bombur and Bofur who has been beyond nice to her, distant but kind Nori, and Balin who was great at calming people down. And, Kili. Thinking about him and seeing how devastated Fili is sent more tears down her cheeks and she fired another glare. "They might see it and come in our way. I believe in them."

She wished to believe in them. This is not right, she thought, this is neither the book nor the movies. They have to come back. They just have to.

Without giving Thorin the opportunity to object, a dwarf quickly got up on his feet and came to her help.

Gloin.

He was always the best in lighting fires even in the worst situations. He quickly gathered combustible materials from their bags. Couple of spare wooden bowls, some rags and tatters and similar stuff. He rubbed them with some sticky material he was keeping in a jar. It would keep the fire alive for long intervals of time. Their shadows pulsed and danced on the walls of the cave when Gloin succeed. It wasn't enough to keep them warm but it was strong enough to bear the wind. Fai wished for it to be visible enough from distance.

Not knowing what else to do Fai went beside Fili and sat, who was studying the flames with vacant eyes. She softly placed her hand on the dwarf's wrist, giving a tiny squeeze every now and then to let him know she was there for him. After a while, he placed his unoccupied hand on hers. Bilbo was sitting across them, still in shock.

Dori's weeping resembled a mother's cry. Everybody knew how he always mothered Ori and looked after his black sheep of a brother Nori. Losing them both at the same time had knocked him for six. They sat back to back with Gloin, lightly headbutting each other with the back of their heads from time to time, for some consolation.

"Khuzd tada ma ublûri zuzna, ma furukhî sakh ghelekh." -A dwarf that can't endure the bad, will not live to see the good-

It wasn't Bifur's voice, it sounded deeper and stronger than his. It was Dwalin, who was trying to stop Bifur from banging his head against the wall. Bifur turned to him grievously, the face he was wearing broke Dwalin's heart.

"Achrâchi gabilul." -it pains me greatly-

There wasn't anything to say in return, since Dwalin was in same amount of pain. So he fell silent and leaned his back against the wall, feeling the sound waves travel to the core of his body as Bifur kept axing the wall slowly. They slowly drifted away in a state of mind that couldn't be considered sleeping, yet, close to it.

Flames danced in Fai's grey eyes as she constantly tried to comprehend. She didn't want to believe that that was how it all changed. She suddenly started to feel incredibly guilty, as it all changed with her presence. If it wasn't for her, all of them would be safe and sound. Without even noticing, she squeezed Fili's hand so hard that for the first time that night, he aroused from his semicoma and turned to her immediately.

"Hey? -hey- relax alright? Fai, please try to breathe" Her face looked like a replica of Rivendell as tears cascaded down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe, seized with the fear of ruining Middle-Earth's future forever. She might have damaged Gandalf in an irrecoverable way and thinking the great role he played for the well-being of Arda, she nearly fainted.

"Take-me-out" Fai stuttered, pale as a piece of paper. She almost felt her brain tumbling down over in her skull. There was ice water in her veins, instead of blood. Her shaking was uncontrollable, and the groups of words poured down from her lips were impossible to understand. "Icantbreathe."

Seconds later, Fai felt herself levitating. She couldn't see who picked her up, for her vision was blocked with strands of hair that wasn't hers. His embrace was tight and strong, as he stepped out from the cave, she heard him commanding the others to stay inside. The feeling of cold rain beating her face immediately made her feel better, yet air was still an issue. Her weight was supported with only one of his arms which was cradling her firmly, so he freed her from his own hair with his other hand. His fingertips was rough, not to her surprise. But his gesture was shockingly gentle.

It was Thorin.

And it definitely didn't help to finally be able to see who he was. She felt the panic rushing inside her, as if she was a bottle of coke and someone was constantly shaking her.

"Calm yourself." Thorin demanded with a surprisingly caring voice. His face was haunted with worry. Fai couldn't understand the slightest, but there was something about him that helped her calm down.

"It's all my fault." she whispered, not knowing if Thorin managed to hear from all the thunder.

"I cease to understand how could that be."

They were soaking wet and the wind was jolting Thorin's body at times. She was affected by none, as he gave his back to the wind and shielded her with all he's got. She didn't reveal further as she tried to breathe properly. He was softly caressing her hair. Leaning her head on Thorin's chest, she wished to understand why the sudden care.

"I promised to Gandalf that I would protect you at all costs." Thorin confessed out of nowhere. "Not sure if this is what he actually meant, and definitely not sure why he cared about you so much to begin with. But we may never find out and I am to do this on my way."

Fai sobbed silently as Gandalf's name came up. Do wizards really die? Gandalf fought a Balrog and managed to came back, so why wouldn't he this time? She really didn't know what to do on her own, suddenly rejecting Elrond's offer looked like the most idiotic thing she had ever done.

"Hope you have the answers and bless me with them one day." You know nothing old man, Fai thought. Telling him what she's all about would be the end of her. Thorin definitely couldn't handle the truth and she doubted if he would be this eager to protect her when he knows what she's capable of. And when he knows what she had caused.

After her chest stopped going up and down crazily, Thorin decided it was time to get inside. He laid her near the fire by himself, and asked Fili to cover her up. Fai was determined to remain silent, so when Fili draped her over with a cloak, she only nodded instead of a thank you. Her eyes was fixated on the flames, hoping that it would keep raining and their departure would be the latest that possible. The giants were still fighting outside, far away but not far enough to bless them with silence. As she heard rocks crashing into each other, she tried not to imagine the dwarves that might be crashing with them.

At some point she tumbled into a restless sleep, not knowing when or how. During the night, Gloin got up a couple of times to keep the fire burning and Thorin had gone scouting, twice. Fili had stayed with Fai and kept an eye on her. He had stroked her hair couple of times, when she unconsciously jolted in her sleep. Dwalin had been talking to Bifur in Khuzdul the whole night, figuring it was soothing him somehow. Dori's sobbing had slightly gotten better, as he told Bilbo stories about Nori and the childhood of Ori.

The cracklings and the boomings accompanied them for all those time, Thorin started to think it would never end.

"I'm telling you, there is a light!" cried Kili, his voice hardly making its way in the thunder. He was covered in dirt and there was a couple of cuts here and there on his face. He was pointing to a source of light up in the mountain somewhere, faded, yet undoubtedly coming from a campfire.

"It could be anything. It could be an Orc scout, it could be a trap, it could be some malignant bandits hiding from the thunder." objected Nori, ever the skeptical. Gandalf looked concerned as he slightly nodded his head, making it clear that he agreed.

"Also, there's no way Thorin waits for us laddie, nor he should have. He might have assumed we were dead and lead the rest of the company to a safer place." It was Balin who made a very reasonable point. The dirt that was covering his beard made him look like he did in his younger days.

"I meself don't even know how w're alive lad!" said Bofur as he helped Oin down from a high rock. They'd been walking for hours now. They had flied on a rock the Giant had thrown to his enemy. They had to held onto it for dear life, in order to stay on top of it the whole flight. Gandalf had managed to change their route on the last second and had them landed on a safer place, instead of the Giant's face. It had been impossible for the company to see them, from all the rain and fog. None was injured dramatically, only little cuts and bruises. Since then, they had been walking back to the mountain, hoping to meet the company. Hoping to find them alive.

"What if they couldn't make it?" shrieked Ori. "By Durin's beard, they had thrown lots of rocks to the mountain, had they not?"

Kili furrowed his brows and bellowed "Clam your gob! No need to be like that, eh? We will find 'em." He immediately turned to crimson with regret but he couldn't help it. He knew Ori was just as sad, but thinking that his brother might be dead, he could leave the courtesy aside.

"I'm going. If there is danger ahead, so be it." Kili drew his sword and started marching towards the light. Being left without a choice, rest of the company started following him one by one. Even Gandalf readied his staff and walked after them.

The path required climbing but it wasn't easy when there are Giants throwing huge pile of rocks at them. When a boulder missed them by a few feet, Ori was sure that they won't make it alive. Nori was walking behind him, pulling or pushing him away from the danger at times.

Kili was climbing mindlessly. All of his body felt sore, though he couldn't care less. What's disturbing him was his brain, and the thoughts it produced. Images of his dead family members lying under some rocks gave him a huge lump in the throat. The most detailed one was Fili's, so agonizing that he wanted to smash his own skull. And then there was Thorin, lost one limb or two, lying next to Fili just as dead. For some reason, he was a hundred percent sure that Fai had died. He could see her recklessly throwing herself under a rock to save someone. He could see how her tiny figure got smashed under a boulder.

He held on to the rock so tight that his fingers started to bleed. Again, without a care, he pulled himself up and kept climbing.

Dwalin was waiting for Thorin's mark. It was an hour before the first lights of the day. They had heard some noises coming down the hill, although it was indistinguishable from the howling wind, yet it was still high enough to alarm the dwarves. Fai had been woken up by Fili. She quickly drew her new sword and took her place among others. Even though she felt dizzy from getting up so fast, she kept quiet and pointed her sword to the mouth of the cave. She mounted her guard between Thorin and Fili.

The noises got closer as they firmed their poise. None of them dared to imagine what might appear through the fog and the endless rain, so they waited with great tension. When they heard a loud clash, Fai's view suddenly blocked by Thorin and Fili, who were shielding her. Bilbo was behind her, but he hadn't drawn his sword.

All hell broke loose in seconds. Fai couldn't see anything but the sound was unbelievable. The cave suddenly echoed by the clattering of lots of metal beating the ground beneath her feet. Every one of them roared and sang out as Fai stood there with her sword still pointed up.

When her view got finally unblocked, all she could see was the weapons on the ground. Swords, blades, hammers and axes. Dwarves were all balled up here and there, hugging and headbutting each other. She could see that they were increased in the number. Still, time wasn't lapsing for her. It was either her sleepy head, or the shock, she just couldn't wrap her mind around it.

Fili was punching a dark haired dwarf in the arm with a priceless smile on his face.

Then she understood.

Her sword slipped down from her hand as well, as she stood there with her jaw dropped. No one seemed to notice her, as everyone was reuniting with a close relative, so she stood there and watched them. Bifur was hugging Bofur and Bombur hysterically, while Dori was checking Ori and Nori for some wounds and scars. She felt a bit - alone, really. It was only natural for them to go mad like that, and she didn't feel left out, she was just affected by the intension of their reunion. Their love and concern about each other made her heart ache.

That was one thing she never get the chance to experience,

till that day.

She couldn't hold back her little scream as Bofur crushed her into a hug. A bone breaking, breath-taking, real Dwarven hug. At some point she was really scared that she was going to get headbutted, luckily that didn't happen.

"Yer alive child! Knew ye'd pull through!"

She had cried multiple times since the beginning of their journey, and at some point she felt really bad about it. She couldn't recall many characters that cried as much in the fan fictions she'd read.

Ah for fuck's sake, she thought, even Dwalin is crying.

So she let her tears down and hugged Bofur back, as he ruffled her hair. Happy tears, those were the best kind. Then someone snatched her from Bofur and there she was, crushed into a new hug with Bombur. He was like a huge pillow and really fun to hug, also his braided beard was tickling her so much that they both started to laugh. When she fell short on breath, Bombur finally let her go and she saw Gandalf smiling at her from aside.

A couple more hugs later, she sensed a pair of eyes piercing her back. When she turned to make sure, there he was. Kili, striding towards her with a cheeky grin on his face.

"You know I almost took a wager on whether you had died or not. I was almost certain that you threw yourself under a rock or something."

Not giving Fai enough time to answer, he reached out and placed his hand on the small of her back, then pulled her into a hug. It wasn't a weird one like they had in Rivendell, but it also wasn't a rough one like the others gave. It was surprisingly gentle, and lingering. Despite all the dirt on him, she could still smell his familiar scent. Her arms were thrown around his neck and their embrace was tight.

At some point, she felt her cheeks started burning and although it hadn't even been a minute, they both felt uncomfortable of the intensity of their very public hug. As they pulled apart, she had finally came up with a respond.

"That's because there wasn't an idiot like you needing me to save his ass."

He faked a humiliated look, then they both cracked up.

After the first shock, they helped them dry their clothes and Oin helped everybody with their injuries. The fire had been put out again. They spread their beds as Gandalf made them laugh with the colourful smoke rings he puffed. They had to hit the road but after all the exhaustion it was impossible that even Thorin agreed on an hour of sleep. Fai happily closed her eyes as others quietly discussed about what to do with their share of the treasure.

Bombur's plans were involving lots of food, as Bofur wanted to make some toys out of gold. Ori wasn't asking for much, just a bottle of high quality ink, really. It was really easy to drift off whilst they talk, Fai was almost to fall into a nice, welcoming dream after some sleepless nights and haunting nightmares.

Then, the loudest scrunch echoed in the cave.

And the ground beneath them literally fell into pieces this time.

EN:

Tira ten' rashwe!: Look out!

I always forget about the disclaimer lately. so there you have it. -.-
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Fai, my lovely girl. All the other material belongs to Mr JRR -ever the amazing- Tolkien, and some of them belong to PJ, who had me scream in movie theaters again.