Guest: thank you very much. I quite like Bard myself, though that's probably the actor. I hope you continue to like it.

It had been a long trip, a weary one. Many a time Lily had let herself wonder if Thorin Oakenshield was worth the trouble he caused, but when she thought of him the answer was always yes. Her heart had been nearly broken to say goodbye to her family's inn, she had almost changed her mind then. But Sage had refused.

"Two years," Sage had made her swear. "If there is no reason for you to remain in the town after two years then simply come back."

"What if it takes him three years?" Lily had asked, wondering just how long she would wait for him.

Sage had thought silently for a few moments before she answered. "Perhaps Thorin will not be the reason you stay," she offered.

Lily had only sighed and shook her head. "I do not think I could love any one in that short a time," she said, her voice showing her defeat.

"You loved him in a year," Sage said placing a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Perhaps there is a man who would love you all his days without once ever hurting you. Give it two years."

It was a nice thought, though every time Lily tried to picture someone other than Thorin it always ended up being his face she saw. And so she left.

There were twelve she traveled with, most of them men though there were three women besides herself. Many of the men were returning to their wives in the Laketown, three were traveling with their wives, and a small few had no attachments. One of those men, an older fellow who had just recently lost his wife to an illness, spoke of a woman named Rose who had been looking for help at her tavern for years.

"She's finicky that one," the man warned. "But as luck would have it I stayed in your inn and can put in a good word for ya, I think she'd like you."

"I thank you kindly," Lily said with a small smile. And she was very thankful, because a little more than a year later and they arrived in the Laketown and Lily was given a place to stay.

Rose had proven to be finicky alright, she hounded Lily the moment she caught sight of her. "Look at that hair," she tsked. "Such a curled mess. You will wear it up when you work. And do not fiddle with your hands, it makes you look scared."

Lily had dropped her hands instantly, standing upright and staring expectantly at the woman. She had maybe seen forty years, her brown hair starting to gray. In truth she did scare Lily, though that was because if Rose did not like her than Lily would have no where else to stay until she found another means of work.

…

"What is that?" Rose demanded when Lily came to the kitchen to help prepare breakfast. "That is the worst braid I have ever seen. Did your mother not teach you how to do your hair?"

"She always did it for me," Lily said quietly.

Rose gave her a searching look before she pointed to the chair nearest her. Lily gasped in surprised pain when Rose first ran the brush through her hair, having no need for gentleness she roughly pulled through the tangles. "Well it is time you do your hair yourself," Rose said as she continued brushing. "Your mother is not here to do your hair and I will not have you looking a mess."

Lily sat quietly as Rose began braiding, having always enjoyed her mother running her fingers through her hair – though her mother had been far more gentle and Lily's scalp had hardly stung as it did then.

"There," Rose said when she'd finished, inspecting Lily's face. There where still many loose strands of curls that would not stay in the braid framing her pretty face, but it was good enough. "What is with your dress?" she demanded at seeing the old fabric. "Does your mother not make you any?"

"My mother is dead," Lily said softly, fiddling with her fingers again.

Rose looked at the young woman. "Your father?" she asked. She nodded when the girl said nothing. She honestly did not know what she was supposed to do with a young woman who had no parents. "I suppose more must be made for you," Rose said, her voice only slightly gentler. "Ones that are more flattering."

Lily looked down at herself wondering what was wrong with her dress. It was true that it was old, but it still fit. "What do you mean?"

Rose cocked a brow. "One that shows your hips," she answered coming to stand behind Lily and pulling on the back of her dress to tighten it. "You have a lovely figure," she mused as she looked over Lily's shoulder to see the more pronounced shape of both her hips and her breasts. "Men would eat here if only to look upon you."

Lily could feel the fire in her cheeks, her mother had refused Lily wear anything remotely revealing in the way it covered her. "No one needs to see my hips," she said fixing her dress so it masked them. "Or my breasts."

Rose smiled at the flustered way Lily righted herself. As much as she didn't want to admit she thought she might like the young woman. "I will measure you before bed," she told Lily wagging a finger. "No fuss."

Lily nodded reluctantly before making her way to the kitchen. She set about gathering what they needed to make the day's first meal when she heard;
"Take it to the kitchen."
Lily looked up at the sound of footsteps to see a man with dark hair and dirty clothes walking with a deer slung on his shoulder. "Here," she said making a spot on a counter for him to place it.

"Do you know how to prepare it?" Rose called from the main hall where she swept.

"Yes," Lily called back. "You leave enough fat to make it juicy when you cook it." Lily was pleased when Rose called back good.

She grabbed a hatchet and set about removing the legs and head. It had always been her least favorite part in preparing animals, she just wasn't strong enough to cut through bone in one stroke; usually leaving her to saw through it, making her tire. It was something Thorin had done for her; an ache tore through her heart at the thought of him.

She looked up surprised when the man placed his hand over hers and took the hatchet from her, staring into his brown eyes. He moved to stand in front of the deer before he pulled the legs and brought the blade down, slicing it clean through.

"Thank you," she said when he'd finished. He did not smile, he did not say anything. Instead he gave her a small nod, staring straight into her eyes, before handing her the hatchet.

She took it, ensuring her hand did not touch his and began the process of removing the deer's hide. Her hands bloodied quickly, working them under the skin so she could pull. She knew he was still behind her, she could smell him – he reeked of outside and blood, not an entirely unpleasant smell though it was very strong.

His eyes were glued to her, wondering who she was for he had never seen her. She was pretty, very much so, but she was sad. Not many woman could do what she was doing, tearing an animal apart; scooping out its still warm innards and putting them aside, all without wincing or gagging. In fact, she hardly seemed bothered by it.

"Here you are," Rose said holding out the shillings for his deer.

He cast a last look at the blonde woman, meeting her blue eyes when she looked up at him, before leaving.

"Who was that?" Lily asked when he'd left.

"Bard," Rose answered simply, hovering over Lily's shoulder to expect her work. "Not too bad," she told her, seeing the small upturn of Lily's mouth. "I will have to make you another dress," Rose said when she saw how bloody the bottom of Lily's sleeves were even though she had rolled them.

"I have more," Lily said in a sad defense.

"Do any of them show you are a woman?" she asked making Lily nearly blush. "Honestly," Rose muttered looking her over, her dress looked like a box concealing everything girlish about her. "How you will find a man in a dress like that."

Lily smiled in spite of herself, though she was not looking for a man – she was looking for a dwarf. But she said nothing, instead she continued cutting up a deer thinking of how Thorin had not minded her dresses.