HELLO! i hope everyone had a good holiday~~, (i haven't done any of my homework! Dx ) Because i know i did~!

there will be two more References from the Awesome game of Monster Hunter (I got Monster hunter for the Wii-U and im so happy now!), so heads up to that. and some of you actually guessed her reaction to the situation, and were absolutely right! not to mention some people have already mentioned that they would like her to end up with Aragorn instead of Legolas.

I should really get back to working on my Katekyo Hitman Reborn fanfic...And my Shingeki No Kyojin one as well (Although that one is already typed out, i just need to edit it).

ANYWAY! Disclaimer! i don't own LoTR or Monster hunter! i only own Balmung~!


Chapter 12: Surprise's

"hm?" Balmung yawned out as she opened her eyes to see Aragorn standing a few feet away from her. He seemed to have wanted something, she didn't understand what but once she saw the bowl in his hand, she got up stretching. The smell of food had her stomach growling, stumbling on a piece of wood, she went up and took the bowl happily. "My thanks, I had completely forgotten about food in my haste to rest in fire." Balmung said as she went back to sitting in her fire, not noticing that Aragorn was completely paralyzed, then started to eat her food.

Finally Aragorn got his sense back, he cleared his throat and turned around, intent on going back to the rest of the company, "Well, I am...happy to be of service Balmung. I'll just be heading back then-" he started awkwardly and took a step.

"I am sorry about earlier." she said while looking down at her soup, making him stop and turn with furrow brows.

"What are you sorry for?" he questioned. He didn't remember her doing anything to warrant an apology to him. Balmung looked up at him and sighed.

"About my actions in Moria, when Gand-...Father fell." she clarified before taking a sip. Now Aragorn understood, he slumped his shoulders at her apology. 'Why is she apologizing for mourning over Gandalf?' he thought, he didn't think she should apologize for doing something that they all did. So he turned back around and went to sit next to her- trying and failing to ignore her being nude-for comfort.

"Balmung-"

"Aragorn I am sure we are past the point of being so formal with each other, so just call me Bal."

"Alright, Bal, I understand that your actions were driven by grief and fatigue. And there is no need to apologize for that. After all, I almost did the same as you." he admitted. He would have tried to jump down to get Gandalf, but once he saw the state she was in and then how she tried to jump down after, he couldn't. That was when he realized that he was now the leader of the group, and that meant he couldn't jump down to his death because he didn't want to accept that Gandalf was really dead. He sighed deeply, feeling eyes on him he looked to see that Balmung was staring at him with slightly wide eyes.

"Really?" she asked slightly surprised. Who'd have thought that Aragorn would have done the same thing. He let out a small chuckle and nodded his head, making Balmung smile before frowning slightly. "Aragorn are you alright?" she asked, making the ranger to raise a brow at her. She put her barely touched soup down and leaned over towards him. Aragorn's eyes widened considerably as a blush worked its way across his face. "Your face is red, do you have a fever?" she mumbled as she put their foreheads together to check, she should probably get out of the fire so she could get a more accurate temperature.

"I think I should leave now." he said quickly while getting up and practically ran back towards the company.

"But what about your fever?" she called out while walking after him. She didn't want him to get a fever, she wasn't sure if she could make anything for it since she was not the best in her skills of herbology for mortals.

"WAIT!" Aragorn said as he stopped abruptly, realizing that she was following him while nude, just as he came to where the company was at. Balmung stopping just a foot or so behind with a raised eyebrow. He quickly turned her around, so her front was facing away from the everyone, then turned to Legolas. "Legolas, mellon, could you please pass me my tarp so I can cover Balmung." he said quickly while gesturing to said tarp.

Legolas glanced behind him and realized why she needed to be covered, he groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose while getting up. 'why must she insist on sleeping like this?' he thought while giving the tarp over to Aragorn. Once the tarp was over her Legolas lightly smacked her over the head.

"Hey!" she yelped while smacking him back.

"Why in the valor's name are you coming over here in the nude?!" Legolas questioned and smacked her upside the head. "With a man, might I add!"

Balmung, who had went to sit down near Boromir was, looked under the only thing covering her body from all to see. Then raised a brow at him, "What does it matter if I am naked or dressed? We are all born without clothing, and I have no doubt that at least some of you have seen the body of a woman." she stated in the common tongue. At this practically everyone chocked on their supper as their face became red from embarrassment. Boromir especially since he was closes to her.

"YOU'RE NOT DRESSED?!" Boromir all but yelled as he turned his body away from Balmung.

"Did I not just state that?" she stated with a look that he did not see, "Did I not really state that?" she questioned honestly to the rest, all who which now seemed very uncomfortable, before Gimli started to laugh.

"You did Bal!" he laughed out. Not seeming all that much affected by the fact that she was naked, and all that covered her was a tarp.

"You do not seemed very surprised by this, Dwarf." she said with a grin.

"Of course not! My father had told me all about your little quirks when he journeyed with ya, Dragon." he said with a wink after calming down. Oh yes, his father had warned him much about what Balmung would do ever since Balmung declared that she would travel with him. How she could hold her ale, the elvish songs she would sing that Bilbo had taught her, how Bilbo had to force clothing onto her after she started to sleep in fire after their run in with the skin changer, how she fought, etc. she tutted with a sigh.

"Ah, Gloin ruined my fun then." she said dramatically before laughing. Then clothing was shoved in her face, it was hers that she had taken off, then looked up to see Aragorn with his eyes closed. She sighed with an eye-roll as she got up and took the clothing. "Fine. I can see that none of you are comfortable with that fact that I am sitting here naked." they all agreed with awkward coughs. She shrugged off the tarp and started to redress right there.

"BALMUNG!" Legolas, Boromir and Aragorn yelled while they turned the hobbits around.

"What?" she asked as she wrapped the loincloth, she used for undergarments, around herself before looking up at the turned backs of all of them. "I am putting my clothes on, just as you wanted, so what is the problem?"

"The problem is, is that you are changing in front of us!" Legolas yelled as the tip of his ears turned a deep red.


After much, much, much more embarrassing moments later, Balmung was finally dressed and taking the last watch as the others slept. She was bored to no end, having nothing to do on watch she undid the wrapping on the braid that Fili had made her one night during his watch. It was big, smaller braids were woven in along with beads he himself carved, one smaller single braid on each side. There were dwarf runes on the beads, and they all varied in size. Some was long and thin, others fatter and rounder, some tubes and others beads. She had to re-weave them over time since her hair had grown, practically threatened Fili to teach her how to or she would show Bilbo of Thorin, because of her coming of age...and her maids would undo them so they could do her hair for events and such. Oh how she missed the dwarves, Bofur's jokes, Bifur's silent company, Bomur's food and jolly outlook, Balin's conversations, Dwalin's teaching her some self defense, Ori's questioning- surprisingly-on all the things he had seen when leaving the shire, Dori's and Nori's mothering, Gloin's tales of some of his battles along with Oin pointing out a few things. She even missed Thorin, he didn't even start to like her until after she fell off the mountain side saving Kili and Fili from falling down, and the story's about Erebor he would tell her. She missed her friends.

"They'll be up soon." she muttered while looking at the brightening sky. She stretched while getting up, hearing some popping from her bones relining, before deciding on how to wake them up. Deciding to wake up the hobbits last Balmung grabbed a pebble from the ground, tossing it up and down a couple of times, then threw it at Legolas's forehead.

"Ow!" he yelped as he shot up straight from his spot, waking Aragorn with a start who was near him, which woke up Boromir because of the noise who reached for his sword. Legolas rubbed his forehead as he looked around to see where that had come from, his eyes landing on Balmung, before getting up with a slight frown. 'Well, she's back to being a little troublesome imp...so thats good at least, even if only slightly.' usually she would do it just to annoy him then laugh or act innocent. This time she just threw it to wake him up then stared off into space while waking Gimli with a kick to his side, just as Thorin and Dwalin would wake her up.

"Come on, time to start the journey again." she said softly as she reached the hobbits, at the moment Balmung was trying to get pippin up. He was always the hardest to get up, after all, Took's were known to sleep in later then any hobbit in shire, next came the Brandybuck's but they were easily awoken if you slapped their faces a bit. Pippin grumbled something about not wanting to miss supper, sighing she decided to use her back up plan to awaken the took. "If you do not wake up, then you shall miss breakfast." that got his attention as he shot up to his feet with horror filled eyes at the thought of missing breakfast.

"NO! Gandalf that is too cruel!" he said quickly, it became silent as everyone stared at pippin. He wondered why he was being stared at until he realized what he had just said, the grief of losing Gandalf was still in all of their hearts. They were able to be rid of it last night by the commotion that Balmung had brought, but now they were fully reminded of who did not make it out of Moria. Pippin shut his eyes tightly, as he slowly looked towards where Balmung and Frodo were at, and slowly opened his eyes to see that both were back to their own grief stricken states. Frodo had gone back to looking hopeless and slightly lost, the look of tears coming back but he seemed more composed this time around. Balmung went back to her stoney face, to the eyes that were empty and just stared ahead as she shut her heart up again. Pippin slumped his shoulders and could have beaten himself up! Why did he have to say Gandalf's name? He opened his mouth to apologize, but stopped as merry put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Merry then dragged him towards where Sam and Boromir was near the newly lighted fire.

Balmung sighed before getting up from her crouched position. It wasn't pippins fault for bringing up Gandalf, he was the one who usually woke the hobbits up after all, but the pain of hearing his name was still there. The memory of not being able to help him when he was right in front of her just brought back older ones. Happier ones before it was taken from her. That was when she had noticed that she left her braids unwrapped, not wanting to let anyone notice the braids and ask questions she looked around for the silk, spotting it in the grass where she sat for watch. Balmung quickly went over to pick it up, only for Aragorn to beat her and pick it up for her. He examined it and marveled at the sturdiness it had even with the soft texture it had. 'must be another of the ways her people works.' he thought before looking to see her eyes on it. He chuckled while handing it back to her and then told everyone that they were to leave once finished.

The hobbits ate quickly and were done in a matter of minutes. So they started off again, as they did walk Balmung had slowly, without her notice, fall in line next to Aragorn. She didn't know what, but his presence made her feel calm. Maybe it was because of that kingly aura that he held, and it resembled Thorin's or her own, so she felt at home? She couldn't really describe it. She just knew she was comfy.

"You know," Aragorn started, getting her attention, he glanced at her before looking back to the path. "You never did reveal to us what those weapons were about." he stated. It was silent again and Aragorn wondered if she even intended to tell them what that was about their first night on the journey. Because those weapons were too small to be hers, and they looked dwarven made. Taking another glance and chuckling at the slightly furrow of her brows, indicating that she was confused, he decided he should refresh her memory. "The small sword and bow, the weapons that you had packed away in that pouch of yours instead of answering."

Now she knew what he was talking about, her hand went to her pouch subconsciously as she looked ahead in thought, a small smile appeared across her face at the fond memory's of sixty years ago, the journey to the lonely mountain and the meeting of the dwarfs. The trouble with the troll's, meeting Radagast the brown along with his rabbits, arriving at Rivendell and accidentally walking in on the dwarfs bathing- no one told her where the woman's bathing area was- before Thorin all but chased her out, celebrating the day Bilbo found her with them, climbing the mountain path before falling off the cliff side saving Fili and Kili from an untimely death, meeting Beorn the skin changer, reuniting with the company, Mirkwood and the spiders, along with meeting Legolas and the painful realization that Kili loved the she elf, the mos fun was escaping. Balmung sighed, then realized that Aragorn seemed to be waiting to see if she would tell him. 'well, it's not like it will hurt...or matter for that part.' she thought with a smile before turning to him.

"These," she started as she pulled out the two weapons that were still wrapped up, "Belonged to my best friends." she mumbled, she saw Gimli jog up next to her while she unwrapped them, chuckling lightly when Gimli stared wide eyed at them. She handed Kili's bow to him, which he held as if it was a precious object- which it was to her-while studying it.

"T-This is the bow of one of the princes!" he said in awe.

"Yes, it's belonged to the youngest. It was Kili's." she agreed, "and this, was one of Fili's twin swords." she said holding it up. "Sad that the other could not be found." she sighed out, "Maybe I can make the second one so it is complete." she mumbled to herself.

"Where in Durins beard did you get these weapons from?" Gimli asked shocked, that she had not only one, but two of the weapons of Thorin Oakenshield's company. His nephews no less! Then it struck him, "Did my father give you them?" he questioned and received a nod. He nodded, that sounded like his father all right, he took the time to study both weapons as they walked before giving them back to Balmung. Who wrapped them back up and put them in her pouch. He had to wonder how she was bale to do that, the pouch was so small, he understood the plants and those potions she had shown him once before, but weapons? "How in the blazes do you do that?" he questioned as he narrowed his eyes at the pouch.

"Magic." she said simply, "All dragons have it." she said casually, but it was obvious that she was not going to say more on the matter. The mystery surrounding her was massive to the point that Gimli wanted to know everything about her people. Again some time passed, Legolas has been talking nonstop about the woods of Lothlorien, Boromir had not wanted to go through it saying it seemed perilous until Aragorn convinced him otherwise. They had gone little more than a mile into the forest when they came upon a stream, flowing down swiftly from the tree-clad slopes that climbed back westward towards the mountains. They heard it splashing over a fall away the shadows on their right, its dark hurrying waters ran across the path before them, and joined the silverlode in a swirl of dim pools among the roots of trees.

"Here is Nimrodel!" Legolas said with a smile, "Of this stream the silvan Elves made many songs long ago, and still we sing them in the north, remembering the rainbow on its falls, and the golden flowers that floated in its foam. All is dark now and the bridge of Nimrodel is broken down. I will bathe my feet, for it is said that the water is healing to the weary." he said while taking off his boots, then going forwards and climbed down the deep-cloven bank and stepped into the stream. Once he noticed that no one else made a move raised a brow. "Follow me!" he called out, "The water is not deep. Let us wade across! On the further bank we can rest, and the sound of the falling water may bring us sleep and forgetfulness of grief." he informed. At that they started to move, one by one going down and following Legolas.

Balmung was staring at the clear water, sighing she stepped into it and started to cross the river. She had to admit that it did feel good on her bare feet, but how she longed for a bath. She still had dried orc blood on her, dirt and soot, sweat, and she didn't even know where the mud came from, but it was there. She should also change her clothes at some point, she did bring some extra, but then again there wasn't really much time when they stopped to rest...well that and she was too tired and lazy. She arrived at the other side where her companions were all settling down to rest, she sat in-between Aragorn and Legolas as Boromir started the fire. At the moment Balmung had her shirt off and was seeing where she had to mend it-which was mostly near the sleeves-as Legolas decided to tell them tales of Lothlorien that he had heard about. That was when she looked at two particular summoning marks that she had not used since leaving her kingdom. Smiling she stood up and headed into the river.

"Balmung?" Legolas questioned once he saw her stand up. The rest of the fellowship also looked to see her standing in the middle of the river. They watched as she bit both her thumbs then swiped them across two marks on the underside of her arm. One shined white with some orange mixed inside, the other glowed red with some black in it before both marks looked to be dissolving off of her and manifesting into two large creatures.

"Narag! Barri!" Balmung laughed out as the two wyverns all but smothered her while licking her and nuzzling her. Narga had black scales and fur which ended just as it got to the body, a bird like beak on the top half of the mouth, bat like ears that showed red skin from the edge of the beak to the tip of its ear, somewhat resembling a black panther, its long tail having spike at the end, the side of the wings-Its arms as well- were sharp like swords along with deadly claws, but the most noticeable feature was its nightmarish black eyes that seemed to slightly glow. Its head, which was slightly down, stood at the same height as Balmung. Barri was white, it had cat-like feature and its body is mostly covered with icy white plates and spikes along it's neck, spine, and tail. Barri also had two massive curved tusks-which looked more like saber tooth's- of an amber to orange coloration, it's front legs-which was also its wings-are longer and seemed more powerful the its back legs, it also had deadly spikes along its wings as well as three large claws, and unlike Narga, Barri had bright Blue eyes that glowed slightly. Balmung only reached about halfway up Barri's teeth, and he was slouching most of the time.

Currently the two wyverns were purring and nipping at her in excitement from not being out for so long. Needless to say, the group of onlookers were speechless, non of them had ever imagined to see wyvern so close before.

"What in the name of all that os good...are those?" Boromir asked quietly to the rest. All of them shrugged their shoulders as they watched the darker one roll in the water while the other nudged Balmung in the back with its nose.

Legolas stood up, getting the attention of the rest, with a smile as he took his boots off and walked back into the river towards the two wyverns. Said creatures stopped what they were doing to observe the elf that was approaching them. "Are these who I think they are?" he asked Balmung, while holding his hand out to Barri. He remembered these two. Balmung had shown them to him when she was in Mirkwood. They were smaller-MUCH smaller-then they were now, in fact the last he saw them they only reached up to his shoulder, now they were practically twice his size!

"You remember them!" she said with a chuckle. Then Barri seemed to recognize him as he shoved his head into Legolas's stomach, trying to get the elf to pet him, while purring and cooing. Balmung laughed as Narga, who saw that Barri knew him, pulled Legolas by the back of his tunic towards the floor so he could snuggle as well. "It seems that they also remember you." she mused in delight, "Narga, Barri, come on. I would like for you to meet my other friends." she called to them while walking past. The two lifted their heads from the laughing elf to her, Narga grabbed Legolas by the tunic again and carried him towards the company, despite the protest of Legolas, happily. While Barri was already at the company, waiting for its brother and the elf to arrive before turning towards Balmung. "Everyone, meet my companions: Narga Barri." she introduced them.

"Wow!" pippin said as he got up and went up to Barri, his hand twitched to touch him as pippin glanced at Balmung for permission. Chuckling she went over to pippin and grabbed his wrist, holding out his hand to the white wyvern. Barri sniffed his hand before putting his nose to it, giving him permission to pet him. "Its cold." he mumbled as he used both hands to pet him, "And hard. Not as soft as yours Balmung."

"That is because Barri is an ice attribute." she informed while watching the other hobbits getting up and inching towards them. Her gaze then landed on Boromir who was watching warily from his spot, "I was not lying when I informed you that there was more then fire drakes."

"I can see that now." he muttered as he looked between the two creatures. Well now his doubts were crushed as the proof was right there, a few feet away, being petted by the hobbits. He glanced at Legolas, who was trying to get Aragorn to at least pat one of them, before looking towards Balmung.

"Oh come now Aragorn," Balmung sighed out as she watched Aragorn staring face to face with Narga. He seemed to be debating on whether or not to trust him, "Narga will not bite you unless you give him reason to." Balmung then went up and grabbed the rangers wrist like she did with pippins and held it up to Narga. "Look, see it is not so bad." she said in triumph as Aragorn slowly, but surely, started to stroke the fur on Narga's head.

"No harm in being cautious." he informed with a slight smile. The fur was soft to the touch and well kept, it shined in the light of the rising moon letting him be visible because Narga would blend into the darkness. "These are wyverns...correct?" he guessed. Because he heard that dragons had their wings and arms separate, where a wyvern has them together. He grinned when Balmung nodded her head. "...i didn't expect them to be so big."

she scoffed, "Please, they are still only babes." she said and laughed at the bewildered faces of all of them.

"How large will they be when the are fully grown then?" Aragorn asked wide eyed while starring into the red eye of Narga. She shrugged, before both Narga and Barri went up and nudged at her then tilting their heads slightly as they looked at the dwarf, who had not moved from his spot, questioningly. "What is it?" Aragorn asked her.

"They are asking why Gimli smells like Gloin." she responded before gesturing Gimli to come over. After a few moments of not moving he got up and went over to stand next to her. "Narga, Barri. This is Gimli, Son of our friend Gloin." at that the two wyverns started to sniff at him, and once they saw the ax he carried, they licked him fondly.

"WHA-?!" the dwarf stuttered out in shock before trying to get them to stop. When they didn't Gimli started to run along the river side with both on his tail. "WHY ARE THEY FOLLOWING ME?!" he yelled out when he passed Balmung, who was laughing, then past the rest of the company.

"It is because they recognize you as Gloin's son! They want to play with you just as they did with Gloin!" although it was more over Gloin trying to be rid of the two who would bother him endlessly for some odd reason. She laughed even more when she heard him start cursing in khuzdul.