Greetings to my loyal readers!

I am back with the latest chapter! I know it's pretty late in the month, but sooooo many things popped up unexpectedly. I would have had this chapter up at the beginning of the month, but most of my family contracted COVID, me included. Most of us are okay now, but I did not have a lot of time for writing. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and have a great Thanksgiving!

(Also, some of you may have noticed that I have changed my name on FanFiction. I decided to change it to reflect the name of my new YouTube channel. So if any of you enjoy watching video game walkthroughs and video game reviews, come check out my channel!)

~Lady Tolkien~

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HOBBIT, ONLY MY OC :)

*Inner Thoughts will be in Italics

*Elvish will be in Bold Italics

*Dwarvish will be in Bold Underlined

Hours had passed since the group left Rivendell, and not one word had been spoken. Many of the Dwarves were restless and longed for some verbal interaction, but did not want to be the first to break the quiet. Needless to say, the rest of the evening passed in silence until Thorin called for everyone to stop for the night. Bombur immediately jumped to preparing dinner while a few of the others scavenged around the area gathering wood for a fire.

Val found herself wandering a few meters ahead of their campsite, scouting the area for threats and making sure they would be safe for the night. Satisfied, Val grudgingly made her way back to the others.

"Either the night will pass by just as awkwardly quiet as the whole day has, or else I will be bombarded with prying questions and I don't know which one will be worse to endure."

Settling down next to Bilbo and Bofur, Val accepted her bowl of soup with a quiet word of thanks to Bombur. The only sounds around the campfire were mouths chewing and the clink of the spoons against the bowls.

Suddenly, Fili jumped to his feet and raked his gaze over everyone until his eyes landed on Dwalin and his Uncle. "Alright. I'm tired of all the awkward silence! I for one am not only glad that Val is with us on this journey, but that she is a woman. Who cares that she is friends with Elves and that she is an assassin for hire? She has already proven to me that she is one of us after saving Kili's life and getting us out of Rivendell! So, no matter what you all say, I'm with her!"

Val had blushed scarlet during his rant and now felt like everyone's gaze was on her. "Um, thanks Fili."

He just nodded and smiled at her.

Kili then stood and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm with Fili. If I have learned anything from our Ma it is that women can be just as strong as any man! I for one already consider her my family, so there is no way we are kicking her out of this group."

Choking back tears, Val got to her feet and embraced both boys tightly. "Your words mean more to me than you both could ever know."

One by one the other Dwarves stood in solidarity with Val, leaving Dwalin and Thorin as the only ones still sitting around the fire.

Looking around and seeing that he was outnumbered, Thorin placed his bowl aside and sighed. "I don't plan on kicking the assassin out of our group boys, so calm down. Most of you trust her, but there are a few of us that still have our doubts and we have a right to those doubts until she can prove us otherwise."

Stepping forward, Val nodded. "I understand your reservations and I will do all I can to get you all to trust me."

After a few intense minutes of looking into the woman's eyes, Thorin nodded and everyone else relaxed with relief.

"I believe it would be wise to get some rest." Balin stated. "We should get an early start in the morning, so I will take first watch."

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- Day 3 -

Dawn seemed to arrive quicker and quicker as the days progressed, but they were all eager to continue on. After damping out the fire once more, they all packed their bags and resumed following Val across the rocky plain. The hours passed by peacefully even though there was no discussion once again.

After mid-day Kili made his way to the front of the group and sidled up next to Val and Bilbo. "Val? Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure Kili."

"Can you tell us more about your Father and Mother?"

Val sighed. "My Father was born Goldaer Adlegor and he was the only son of the then Dúnedain Chief. Like my brother and I, he received special training his whole life in preparation to one day become Chief. Like his name suggests, my Father was very Wise, even when he was just a child. He excelled in everything he did and quickly became a Captain in my Grandfather's clan. He met my Mother, Gunnhild, during his travels and they fell in love. She was a mere village girl, but under my Father's instruction she became as her name suggests, a Maiden of Battle. She became one of the most feared Dúnedain fighters alongside my Father. They won countless battles and trained many more Rangers for the Clan. Like all good things though, their luck ran out when our Clan was called to help aid the people of Dale."

At this point in the story all of the Dwarves were listening intently, especially Thorin.

"Dale? Her parents were there when the dragon came? How do I not remember them?"

"That's impossible." Dwalin scoffed. "There were no Rangers there when Smaug razed Dale and Erebor."

Val stopped walking and turned slowly to look at the offending Dwarf.

Bilbo balked when he saw the look on Val's face.

"She's scary when she is angry!"

"Are you calling my Father a liar Dwarf?"

Dwalin smirked. "What if I am? Are you going to cry about it?"

"No, but I should beat your ass! My Father was no liar! My Grandfather lost his life in Dale that day!"

"Hmph, I'm sure." Dwalin said with an eye roll.

"Dwalin!" Thorin chastised. "That's enough! You were not even born when Smaug took Erebor."

Dwalin flushed in anger, but said nothing else.

"Can you please continue your tale Miss Valarie?" Ori asked quietly.

Looking down at him, Val smiled lightly before walking on. "As I was saying, our Clan came upon Dale as it was burning to the ground. The Rangers helped the best they could by evacuating the people out of the city and trying to put out some of the fires. While clearing out a section of collapsed building, my Grandfather found a small child who had lost sight of his parents and was hiding in the debris. He carried him to safety, but not before getting crushed by an unstable beam. My Grandfather saved that young boy, but bled out internally before anyone could help him. The Rangers succeeded in saving almost everyone from the blaze, but they had lost their Chief in the process. The Clan stayed with the people of Dale for a few days, helping where they could, before naming my Father the new Chief and moving on. Many years passed peacefully, so my Father and Mother finally decided that they would like to have children of their own. Later that year, the Valar blessed my parents with a set of healthy twins; one boy and one girl; my brother and I. They named my brother Valarico, "Leader of Battle" and they named me Valarie, which means Strength and Valor. My brother and I grew up carefree and wild. Like our Father, when we finally came of age we too were trained to one day lead the Dúnedain."

"They allowed women to be Chief?" Nori interrupted, his face scrunched in confusion. "I didn't think they allowed women to even be Rangers, let alone lead them."

Some of the other Dwarves nodded in agreement as they had been curious as well.

"Normally you would be correct Nori, but my Grandfather abolished that law after my parents were wed. He believed that anyone could be a Ranger, regardless of gender or age. My mother was the very first female Ranger to be cloaked after the law was amended and my father was so proud of her. Even though she was a woman, she was tested to the same abilities as any man would have been and she trained just as hard as they did."

"That's quite an accomplishment." Balin noted. "For a group as powerful and secretive as the Dúnedain to change their traditions and allow females to join their ranks is a huge move."

"Indeed." Val agreed. "My Grandfather faced some backlash from a few of the older families; but in the end, it was put to a vote and the Council passed the law. Obviously with the law being so new there are very few female Rangers and not one has ever been named Chief."

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- Day 7 -

Hours passed silently throughout the day before Thorin once again called a halt for the night.

As the others gathered wood for the fire, Bofur pulled Val to the side.

"Sharing your story with us the other day was very brave of you Val. What your family has gone through is more than any one person should have to deal with. I am truly sorry for that and I hope you know that all of us are here for you, whatever you need."

Val dropped her pack and embraced Bofur tightly, surprising the Dwarf. "Thank you Bofur. You have no idea what that means to me."

Bofur smiled and returned her embrace enthusiastically.

"Can you tell Thorin that I would like to take watch for the night? I have a lot on my mind and I won't be able to sleep anyway."

"Sure thing Val, just be careful okay? I'll have someone bring you dinner once it's ready."

Bofur started back to the others and Val rummaged through her bag, pulling her bedroll out and laying it on the ground overlooking the valley. Sitting cross-legged, she un-sheathed her twin blades and began to sharpen them, hoping to ease the turmoil in her mind. Talking about her family had brought up some very painful memories; ones that Val wanted to quickly squash back down into her subconscious. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she harbored an enormous amount of guilt over her brother's death. Even with Gandalf and Elrond continually trying to convince her otherwise, Val could not help but believe that if she had just been stronger, had she been born a man, her brother would not have died. This guilt fueled her to train even harder, pushing past the point of exhaustion on many occasions and taking risks that many others would not.

So engrossed in her thoughts, Val did not even hear the incoming footsteps until they were right behind her and she just about jumped out of her skin.

"Thorin! I did not even notice you there! You scared me!"

Thorin smirked and held a bowl out to her. "It does not bode well that our watch is slacking on the job."

Val took the bowl and flushed, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. "I know and I apologize. My mind was elsewhere and not on my task. It won't happen again."

"Now that you are alone, I would like to have a word with you." Thorin stated as he took a seat next to her.

Val quickly swallowed her mouthful of hot food and winced before gesturing at him with her spoon. "Go ahead."

Thorin absently fiddled with a stalk of grass, purposely avoiding her gaze. "I once again must apologize for my abhorrent behavior. What I said to you in front of your family back in Rivendell was disgraceful and I am truly sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me when I realized that you were not exactly who I thought you were. Dwalin believes that I should have left you in Rivendell, and I usually agree with his council."

At this, Val stopped eating and handed her half-full bowl back to Thorin. "I know I don't have any right to ask this of you since I have kept so much from you, but I hope you can forgive me and allow me to continue on this quest. Even if the feelings are not mutual I have grown quite fond of all of you, especially your nephews and Bilbo and it would sadden my heart to leave them now."

Thorin set both of their bowls on the ground beside him before stretching out one of his legs and perching his arm on the bent knee of the other. "Believe it or not Valarie, I meant what I said back when I told you that I owed you for saving Kili's life. I in no way believe that you will be a nuisance or a liability on this quest, quite the opposite actually."

Val looked at him in surprise before he continued on.

"You have already proven that you are not only a skilled fighter, but you know these lands better than any guide we could ask for, so it would be very foolish of me to not take advantage of your knowledge."

Val continued to sharpen her knives, as Thorin paused to watch her.

"This woman laid her past bare for all of us, so maybe I could do the same. It would be nice to be able to talk to someone who bears the same weight I do."

"There is something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Val paused in her work and looked over at him curiously.

Thorin took a deep breath before continuing on. "It is not your fault that your brother was killed; and before you deny it, I could hear the guilt in your voice clear as a bell when you told us about Valarico."

Val felt tears come to her eyes and she looked away. "But it was my fault. If I had only been stronger I never would have gotten hurt and Valarico never would have let his guard down."

"While you may believe that is true, I can bet that Valarico would not blame you."

Val immediately became angry. "How do you know what he would have felt? My brother died because of me! You could never understand that!"

Thorin smiled sadly and shook his head. "I too lost my younger brother to war and I still feel guilt for it."

Val whipped her head around and stared at the Dwarf in shock.

"Like you Valarie, my family has suffered much loss. You already heard that my Grandfather and Father both lost their lives during the Azanulbizar battle, but the worst part of that tale is that my younger brother Frerin also died there."

Val gasped. "Thorin, I'm so sorry."

"Frerin was a pure force of nature; he lived for the battlefield and even though he was extremely young, he thrived on danger. My sister Dis and I tried to prevent him from participating in this battle because we knew it was going to be bloody, but he would not heed our words. Sometimes I wonder if he would have lived if I had only been more watchful over him that day. Almost my whole family was decimated that day; leaving only my sister and I. The only bright light in my life since that day was the birth of my two nephews. I love them as if they were my own sons and I would die for them. I can only hope that nothing befalls either of them while we are on this quest, because I don't think I could survive it."

Val placed a comforting hand on his and smiled. "I give you my word Thorin that I will do everything in my power to protect them as if they were my own. I will protect you all with everything I have, even if it means losing my own life in the process."

Thorin looked at Val with absolute shock.

"She owes us absolutely nothing and yet I can see that she really would protect my boys. This woman is nothing like I expected."

"I appreciate that Valarie, and I know your word is good. You already proved that with Kili."

Val scoffed. "That doesn't really count; we saved each other that day."

"Even so, I know my sister would be pleased to know that her sons are well looked after."

Thorin watched as a genuine smile lit up Val's face at his compliment and he could not help but smile along with her. "I hope that even though we have had a rocky start so far into this quest, we can become friends Valarie. It was nice to be able to talk to someone about Frerin that would actually understand the same pain that I go through every day."

"Of course Thorin, I would like nothing better than to be friends with you. I hope to become friends with all of you along the way, even Dwalin."

Thorin chuckled and made to stand, grabbing up Val's bowl from beside them. "Now that may be a task you will be hard pressed to accomplish. Dwalin is hard to win over, especially if you are a female."

Val laughed and went back to sharpening her knives. "I accept that challenge."

"Have a good night on watch Valarie. Let any one of us know if you need anything."

"I'll see you in the morning Thorin."

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As Thorin made his way back to the others he found his mind drifting back to the conversation he had with Valarie.

"I can't believe I felt compelled to talk to her about Frerin. I don't talk about him to just anybody, but just seeing her so upset over losing her brother had me opening up to her. It's so strange how we both lost our Grandfathers, Parents and Brothers to war. For two souls to have gone through that much trauma, I can't believe that we are both sane. It makes me wonder how she got through it though; I had my nephews to live for, but what did she have?"

He was snapped from his inner thoughts when he heard Dwalin speaking his name from beside him.

"Thorin?"

"Hm?"

"What took you so long in giving the woman her food?"

"Our conversation was private Dwalin."

"What could you two have talked about that was so private? Why are you even talking to her? She should not even be here with us."

Thorin sighed heavily and sat beside his best friend. "I know you may not trust her yet, but I do. No matter her story, or her reasoning for hiding it from us, she saved my nephew's life and I will not forget that. You know how much those boys mean to me."

"I know that Fili and Kili mean everything to you, but I believe you are being too naïve when it comes to that wench."

"Alright Dwalin, I have heard quite enough; would you just give the poor girl a chance?"

Dwalin scoffed in disbelief. "I can't believe that you are now defending her Thorin! What is wrong with you? How can you not see how bad she is for you and this company? She will get us killed!"

"I will be the judge of that, but for now, back off of her!"

Dwalin sighed. "Fine, I will do as you ask, but don't say I didn't warn you when something bad happens."

Thorin grumpily grabbed his pack and set up next to the fire. "It's late and we will need an early start in the morning so get some sleep."

Turning away from the fire, the last thing Thorin saw before closing his eyes was Val looking up at the stars.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Has Thorin warmed up to Val? Will Dwalin ever change his mind about her? Stay tuned!

ANY AND ALL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS/REVIEWS ARE WELCOME! :)